Welcome to another edition of Triple Threat from Smark Out Moment, where three of us get together to discuss three questions based on one big topic going down in the week of professional wrestling.
This week, Dallas Allsopp, Greg Coleman and Robert DeFelice discuss the return of WarGames to WWE, which will be a part of this year's Survivor Series.
Question 1: Which men's WarGames match would you most like to see at Survivor Series?
ALLSOPP: I'm all for The Bloodline vs anyone else, purely for the simple fact that The Bloodline are the MVP's of WWE in 2022. I will admit that Judgment Day vs The Bloodline sounds fantastic, but heel vs heel doesn't really work. No matter which two teams battle, I expect The Bloodline to end the show tall, highlighting just how much of a vicegrip they have over the company.
COLEMAN: I'm pretty certain we can pencil in The Bloodline as one of the teams in the men’s WarGames match. The only question is will it be 4 man teams or 5 man teams. Considering the match is taking place at Survivor Series, and traditional Survivor Series matches were 5 vs 5, I will make my prediction based on 5 v 5. The Bloodline (consisting of Roman Reigns, The Usos, Solo Sikoa, and Sami Zayn) vs Drew McIntyre, Kevin Owens, Sheamus, Ridge Holland, and Butch. I feel like this match makes the most sense from a storyline and booking perspective.
To answer the question about the match I would most like to see without taking into account storyline and booking, The Bloodline vs Imperium, Drew McIntyre, and Kevin Owens would be my fantasy booking pick!
DeFELICE: Undoubtedly, the men's WarGames will be built around Roman Reigns and The Bloodline. What we don't know as of yet is how many participants will be in each WarGames match, and whether or not they will allow for cross-brand action. Regardless, I think the build to this match and coming out of it will be built around Sami Zayn and his relationship to the Samoans. If we go with the five-on-five structure, Zayn can lose the match for the team which can lead to them finally turning on him, or he can turn on them mid-match, leading to a victory for the babyfaces.
If a four-on-four structure is preferred, then perhaps Zayn is already on the side of the babyfaces, which could be Drew McIntyre, Kevin Owens, maybe Johnny Gargano, and himslef. Either way, I see this being a much-needed addition to the show, and I think whatever happens will be must-see.
Question 2: Which women's WarGames match would you most like to see at Survivor Series?
COLEMAN: As certain as I am The Bloodline will be a part of the men’s WarGames Match, I’m equally certain Damage CTRL will be a part of the women’s match. I think we will see Damage CTRL, Nikki A.S.H. and Doudrop vs Bianca Belair, Sasha Banks, Naomi, Asuka, and Alexa Bliss.
The women’s WarGames I would like to see would be Damage CTRL, Mandy Rose, and Rhea Ripley vs Belair, Banks, Naomi, Asuka and a returning Becky Lynch (not sure how long her injury will keep her out for).
DeFELICE: Much like I mentioned above, we don't know how many participants will be involved, what the structure will be, and if we are allowing for cross-brand warfare. Damage CTRL seems like an obvious trio that you can slot for this match, but what will they do?
On the one hand, they can an add a member or two and go up against babyfaces like Bianca Belair, Alexa Bliss, Raquel Rodriguez, Aliyah, and Asuka. However, if we take the 2017 WarGames match as a precedent, they could go in there as a trio against the Monday Night Raw team that they have been fighting, and maybe even add Toxic Attraction from NXT.
I'm also not completely sold that this won't factor in the potential returns of Sasha Banks and Naomi. With the two of them, they can easily complete a team of five and it would add even more intrigue to a first time ever match on the main roster, not to mention fill out Banks’ already impressive resume as a trendsetter and groundbreaker. There is also the slight chance that Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler get together and they can be a part of one of these teams, adding star power and an element of danger to a match that desperately needs both in order to properly function and tell the right story in this first voyage.
In short, I'm not comfortable naming a match that I feel could actually happen at this event yet, but I know that the roster WWE has lends itself to a ton of great possible combinations.
ALLSOPP: I'm torn between both Greg and Robert's answers, as they both lend themselves to fantastic arguments. I feel the women's WarGames match needs to feature Damage CTRL teaming up with Toxic Atrraction (sans Mandy Rose) to take on the faces that make up Raw's women's division. This would be Bianca Belair, Asuka, Alexa Bliss, and as much as I hate to predict it... Sasha Banks and Naomi. Either way, no matter which participants are in the match, it promises to be another fantastic step for women's wrestling in WWE.
Question 3: Will the appeal of WarGames lead to a bigger viewership for Survivor Series? Is this a much better option than the usual emphasis on so called 'Brand Warfare'?
DeFELICE: I don't know if it will lead to more viewers as I think that there is a very set number of individuals watching professional wrestling of any kind. I do, however, believe that Survivor Series has needed this kick in the pants for many years now. Over ten years ago, WWE was flirting with the idea of getting rid of the event altogether, and for more than half a decade now, they have relied on the gimmick of Raw vs SmackDown in order to make one of its oldest pay-per-view events seem special once more.
However, the last couple of Survivor Series events made little to no sense in regards to the brand warfare because, most of the time, the teams fighting for brand supremacy were built from individuals that had just been drafted to the shows mere weeks before the event. I think there are more clever ways to utilize the Survivor Series event and the tag team matches the event lends itself to, and bringing WarGames to the main roster is something that arguably could have been done over 20 years ago in order to revitalize the event.
I also do not believe that WarGames being a part of the event means that we can't also have traditional Survivor Series Elimination Matches. While I am not holding my breath, I think this could be one of the most enjoyable Survivor Series events in recent years.
ALLSOPP: I will keep this short but sweet - lapsed fans of WWE who have defected to AEW will be suitably intrigued by WarGames, which can only add to the prestige of one of WWE's longest running pay-per-views.
COLEMAN: I’m not sure if the inclusion of WarGames at Survivor Series will lead to a bigger viewership or not, because most people who watch the WWE product were likely going to watch Survivor Series anyways. I do think that there will be a heightened sense of anticipation for this year’s Survivor Series compared to the previous years under the Raw vs SmackDown format.
In my opinion, the brand warfare format was the worst format in Survivor Series history due to the lack of stakes associated with it. The brand that won the night didn’t receive anything of merit for doing so. Now having WarGames to look forward to will make Survivor Series a lot more interesting.
Those are our thoughts on the issue, but where do you stand?
Let us know your answers to these questions in the comments below!
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