Survivor Series 2012

The build is here.

Survivor Series 2012 is in Indianapolis

(Dark: Tyler Black d. Pac)

The open is taped footage from earlier in the evening, CM Punk is alone in the ring in the still empty arena – Steamboat enters the ring, from this we get two quick facts (1) Steamboat’s still trying to talk Punk out of wrestling tonight, he’s again unsuccessful and (2) Steamboat’s also trying to talk Punk out of another decision he’s made, also unsuccessful, that decision is not revealed to us.

The announce is Joey/JR/Heyman

Heyman is a surprise.  A running theme throughout the night is his continuing promise that Brock Lesnar will not show up. 

A theme in the opening three matches, all Underground matches, is Heyman’s attacking Regal as insufficiently running Underground and not the man to be placed in charge of the developmental center which has just broken ground and will be operational next year.

1.       Mistico d. Tyson Kidd

2.       PAUL d. Sheamus (w/Regal)

3.       Empire (Barrett/Gabriel) draw Douchebags (Sandow/Ryder)

Okay, all of these first three matches are Underground matches so let’s stick them together.

The opener is not a tag, but it was scheduled to be; Sandow refuses to come to the ring unless Douchebags are introduced last.  While negotiations go on, the Mistico/Kidd tag match is placed first.  Neither Cole nor Regal comes to the ring with Kidd as they’re both still dealing with the tag issue – and he gets beat in what, ideally, is a pretty good match.  Heyman blames the specific loss on Regal for not being there and more broadly blames Regal for allowing this situation between the tag teams to get so far out of hand. 

We see Regal, now in Empire’s locker room, yelling at Barrett to just go out first.  Barrett pushes back that this means Sandow got his way – Regal says he doesn’t have time to banter, just do what he says.

Sheamus has the better of PAUL, as you’d expect, Heyman notes that Regal is clearly distracted, not giving his full energy to securing this win for Sheamus – and out of nowhere, PAUL connects with a right hand on Sheamus’s chin, dropping him cold and gets the pinfall.

It’s the biggest singles win PAUL has had in years, Heyman, upon the punch yells out “Sheamus just got knocked the fuck out” – because he does what he wants.

On RAW tomorrow, PAUL will be wearing a KTFO t-shirt.  Merch!

Empire comes to the ring first in the next match, there’s a delay – and then the video wall shifts to a shot of Cole (who still hasn’t chosen between the two teams) shouting over the clearly broken body of Kidd, who, like Hawkins was in the build, has been attacked in such a manner that he will not be able to name his assailants. 

It’s then that Douchebags hit the ramp – Empire assumes this is payback for the Hawkins assault, Sandow shrugs his shoulders and, in subsequent weeks, he will assume the same posture of “if you want to say I did it – fine” confession that Barrett has taken about the Hawkins attack.

This match never gets in the ring and is thrown out – Barrett and Gabriel attack, Sandow and Ryder start out with a man advantage because they have Slater, and that advantage becomes two when Fandango Johnny Curtis (who fans who watch the developmental training at WWFU.com or via the WWF app would know, as Joey points out) joining Douchebags. 

That becomes Douchebags going forward – Sandow/Curtis/Ryder/Slater – they stand above Empire while Heyman shouts about Regal having totally lost control of his men.

4.       IC Tournament: Claudio Castagnoli (w/Steamboat) d. John Cena

5.       IC Tournament: Nick Nemeth d. The Miz

We hit the IC tournament matches.  JR sits out for these matches and Foley, as the tournament is his baby, joins Joey and Paul – that’s a three man combination that has a good deal of history to draw from, making for interesting discussion – the driving force of that discussion is Heyman critiquing Foley, he let his friend Rock leave the promotion with the IC belt in an unprecedented decision – and his commissionership is essentially being measured on the success of this tournament.

 Claudio goes over Cena; the Nemeth/Miz match is noteworthy as Regal doesn’t come to the ring; we’re told he went to the hospital with Kidd, so Nemeth, who, as we’ve noted, has been getting increased cheers over the year just given the nature of the style now comes to the ring without a heel manager and is up against Miz, who, as noted, has largely been acting as a heel and getting that increasing response.

I’d expect a wide, wide distance in cheering in this match and they don’t fight it – there’s a certain sweet spot to cheering for a heel, it doesn’t extend too far or the heel is then a face, but there’s a window of time where it feels exactly right for a crowd to cheer a heel; it rubs against authority, it expresses approval for a particular attitude, you can feel a sense of agency over your own fandom – it’s good; that’s this match, I think – I don’t know who cheers for Miz in this match but I probably don’t like them.

Postmatch, Claudio returns, he and Nemeth go nose to nose, Foley is pleased, this is a good matchup, it’s Underground v. GDI – the Rock’s music then plays; the Rock appears on the video wall in what is claimed to be a live shot, he’s holding the belt, he says he’ll be seeing either Claudio or Nemeth at the Rumble – and teases that he might be seeing them sooner than that.

6.       Tags: Defiance (Orton/Bernard) d. Young Money (Killings/Kingston)

This wraps Young Money; the match is relaxed rules, which is the stip promised to Kingston and it’s become a Foley hallmark for tag matches, that allows Rhodes to jump in and this becomes 3 on 2.  They crash through some tables, Bernard gets the fall – Killings takes Ortons punt, the Golden Goal postmatch, which, the next time we see him will have cured his amnesia and he’s once again just crazy guy Killings.

This is Orton’s 4 tag title with 4 different partners and Bernard is the first man to hold the IWGP, GHC, and WWF tag belts, they’re put over as all time tag specialists and Defiance is now on top of the tag world once again.

7.       Dos Caras, Jr. (w/Vicki and Ricardo) d. CM Punk

Punk comes to the ring alone, we’re reminded of the pre-show conversation with Steamboat – Punk’s chosen to do this by himself.

Here’s where Heyman can shift to putting over Brock, the story of this match is Punk’s really too hurt to work, the word “concussion” is used – a new element of Punk’s character becomes that guys sort of stop hitting him in the head.  Not entirely, but if there were a chair shot for example, it would clearly be on the back.  It’s not that he doesn’t take suplexes or get punched in the face – but it’s a thing that exists that isn't really talked about, that even his opponents don't take unprotected shots at his head. It's subtext. 

Dos Caras is smart, capable, and has two people on the outside who really take advantage of Steamboat not being there – and that’s enough to get him the biggest win of his career, a pinfall over 3 time WWF Champion Punk.

There’s a pretty good celebration in the ring – Heyman says Brock may have permanently ended Punk’s career as an elite wrestler. After Dos Caras exists with Punk still in the ring, the lights go out.

When they go back on - in the ring is a man in leather pants with a pink and black hood covering his face, he's standing above Punk, who clearly has been knocked out while the lights were out.  

He pulls off the hood - it's Jericho.  He picks up Punk by the hair and shoves Punk's head into his crotch, miming forcing Punk to blow him.  Lights off.  Lights back on - Jericho's gone.  

8.       WWF Title: Bryan Danielson (w/Steamboat) d. Rey Mysterio

-Most important thing here is it’s the best match they can have; it might be Mysterio’s last title shot; this hasn’t been a good workrate show particularly, most of the wrestling value really needs to come from this match. 

-Paul looks to put Danielson over, it’s a shift in tone from the rest of the show – Paul really valorizes all of Danielson’s decisions, concluding that’s why people call him the best wrestler in the world. 

-Midmatch, Dos Caras comes to ringside to cheer on Mysterio.  Postmatch, Dos Caras gets in the ring and as dismissively as he can, throws him over the top rope and to the floor.  Dos Caras and Danielson throw hands in mid ring as the show ends.  

The following night on RAW, we're given the main event for the Rumble - it's Danielson v. Dos Caras, Jr. for the strap.  And in the go home RAW before the Rumble, a Counterfactual First - a wrestling wedding, as Dos Caras and Vicki Guerrero become one.

I'll be back in December with the build for the Rumble as What If....hits its 8th anniversary.