2021 Survivor Series

The build

Survivor Series 2021 comes to you from Brooklyn.  

It is the 35th Survivor Series, the 139th WWF PPV.

The announcers are Scott Stanford (6th) Steve Regal (26th, it is the end of his WWF run) Nigel McGuinness (13th)

(Dark - Roderick Strong d. Akira Tozawa, Ciampa d. Dragunov, Dark Ride Title: Walter d. Gargano)

The show opens with a piece of great NYC sports moments, say Desus&Mero (RIP) do the VO.  

So - there's Babe Ruth and DiMaggio and Mantle and Jackie Robinson and Willie Mays and Namath and Willis Reed and Reggie Jackson and LT and Jeter and Rivera, for example.  And then the clips of WWF moments in NYC - so, there's Bruno and Pedro Morales at the Garden, then clips from NYC PPVs:

From WM1, Steamboat holding the belt above his head

From the first SummerSlam, Davey Boy turning on Bret

From SummerSlam '91, a chain sequence with Bret and Steamboat

From X, a high spot from the Razor/Shawn ladder match

From Survivor Series 25 years ago, in 1996, Vader and Cactus trading full on blows to the head.

From Summer Slam '98, Steve Austin getting Ken Shamrock to submit.

From Rumble, 2000, the Dudleys putting the Hollys through a table on fire

From Summer Slam '02, Brock Lesnar just destroying The Rock

From Survivor Series '02, a high spot in the Van Dam, Michaels ladder match

From XX, Benoit/Eddy/Dean hugging as the show ends and the confetti falls

Rumble 2008, Edge turning on Jericho

Survivor Series 10 years ago, Foley leading the GDI crew and the Kings of Wrestling to the ring

Summer Slam 2015, here in Brooklyn, Charlotte/Sasha/Becky going nose to nose to nose

And then the next year, Summer Slam was back in Brooklyn, Charlotte and Sasha brawling outside the ring

Summer Slam 2017, Pac having to leave the promotion after losing the Steen

Summer Slam 2018, Styles and Tyler Black taking the belts from The Revival

1. WOMENS TAG TOURNAMENT: RHEA RIPLEY/SHAYNA BASZLER (w/Duke) d. BIANCA BELAIR/SASHA BANKS

-Ripley/Baszler/Duke are the remaining Horsewomen, Ripley is the Women's Champ, having beaten Banks for the strap and then successfully defended against Belair.  They go over here; there's a miscommunication between Belair and Banks, leading to Baszler pinning Banks, Banks is clearly irritated as they exit.  Ripley and Baszler will move on to the finals later tonight.

2. FALLS COUNT ANYWHERE: ROMAN REIGNS d. McINTYRE/LASHLEY/LANGSTON

-Roman cuts his promo, tells Brooklyn to acknowledge him and then promises, "the next time I ask you to do that, more of y'all are gonna do the right thing" - all the matches tonight are elimination matches, leaning into the "Survivor" aspect of the name of the show.  These four guys have been in the same spot as each other for years - during Covid, Reigns began to take off - challenging everyone on the roster, but most specifically these 3 other guys, to get on his level. That led to the other 3 (all babyfaces, Reigns is a heel) to join together and take Reigns out in this build - and that's the expectation here, but Reigns opens up by instantly eliminating Langston, within just a few seconds - so now it's a 3 way and fairly quickly the alliance between McIntyre and Lashley breaks down -- Reigns will get the falls over both men; Roman Reigns has elminated all 3 other men in a dominant performance.  There's something evident on the face of the other 3 men postmatch - they all look at Reigns with what has to be an...what's the word...I'm sure it'll come to me.

3. WOMENS TAG TOURNAMENT: BECKY LYNCH/CHARLOTTE FLAIR d. NATTY NEIDHART/LIV MORGAN

-This is a squash; Lynch had Flair have been good friends and better enemies, they've been aligned since their mutual return as a tag act mowing through opposition - they'll meet Ripley/Baszler later tonight in the tournament finals.  

4. SURVIVOR TAG: GABLE/BENJAMIN/RICOCHET/ALEXANDER/STREET PROFITS

                                     d.

                                     ORTON/PRIEST/VIKING RAIDERS/TWISTED SUN GODS

                                     SOLE SURVIVOR: CHAD GABLE

So, we start with a 6x6 elimination match; one storyline evident the Street Profits v. Defiance - they eliminate each other, they brawl, good opportunity for a double countout elimination - the other storyline is a Benjamin injury, he needs to be helped from ringside, the babyface team goes over, with Gable and Ricochet the two survivors - and that means they turn now and square off - the winner to earn a tag title shot later tonight -- and it's Gable, pinning Ricochet and earning that shot -- he doesn't celebrate, the Benjamin injury significant enough that it's clear he will not be able to wrestle again tonight.  

5. APOLLO CREWS d. SHEAMUS/NEMETH/WOODS

-Angle alert.  

So, this match is largely about postmatch.  Woods has to be eliminated first - and after he is, he is taken from ringside by an entering Langston, Woods is a little confused, Langston is insistant, they have got to leave ringside, and so they do.  Much of the match is Sheamus and Nemeth, both babyfaces, former stablemates, really beating the hell out of each other, it doesn't really matter which one eliminates the other, lets say Sheamus gets Nemeth and then Crews quickly rolls up Sheamus to win the match.  

Crews exits pretty quickly, celebrating up the ramp -- entering are Lashley and McIntyre, stablemates of Nemeth and Sheamus.  It appears that Lashley and McIntyre are consoling them.

They're not - they turn on their stablemates and lay them both out - Lashley and McIntyre viciously destroying Nemeth and Sheamus.  Post beating a lighting change, and on the video wall the words:

Holy

Roman

Empire

....and to the ring comes Reigns - he stands between Lashley and McIntyre, the three men holding their index fingers into the air - and its clear that a new alliance has been formed

(Reigns has been selling some version of "those guys are holding you down" to Lashley/McIntyre/Langston - and tonight is the proof, Reigns beats all 3 of them - while the stablemates all lose, you can't fight city hall - except Langston did, turning down the spot, and saving his stablemate Woods from the attack).

Intermission.

Time for a Heyman Hustle - with his special guest -- Brock Lesnar.

There should be a little tension, Heyman turned on Brock to join Walter, they're still together, Walter the Dark Ride Champion - but -- detente here, Brock knows who Heyman is, they're cool - Brock doesn't want to work with him again - but they're cool.  Brock's returning to the promotion at the Rumble, who does he want to fight?  He doesn't really care now that Danielson's gone, maybe his two buddies at some point (Steen and Black, Brock doesn't know their names) but he has heard a lot of talk about some other cagefighter being the new top cagefighter and that's irritating (he means Riddle, obviously) and maybe he comes back and whips his ass (Heyman tells him that he's talking about the WWF Champion Matt Riddle, Brock appears not to have known that, which tracks).  

It's Brock, back at the Rumble, opponent TBD.

6. LOSER LEAVES TOWN: KEVIN STEEN d. CLAUDIO CASTAGNOLI

This wraps up Claudio, he and Regal leave the promotion on the same night.  

This should be a war - scratching, crawling - this, is, of course, a long and layered story - Steen sent former stablemate Pac from the promotion and now sends former stablemate Claudio to the same destination.  Steen takes no joy from this one - he didn't really want this fight, he's the heel, but after oGDI busting up after betrayed by Danielson this summer, and after losing in the cell at Mania to Zayn - Steen doesn't have the appetite for the old wars - this was a war brought by the babyface Claudio and Claudio loses.  

Steen looks for a moment like he wants to console Claudio postmatch - it's a lot of years of words unsaid - but Gargano and Ciampa come to the ring - and there's not really a moment for Steen, so he exits.  Lot of emotion from Gargano here, he and Claudio have been together for a long time - Claudio has gifted the Kings of Wrestling moniker to he and Ciampa - and the 3 men watch as Claudio's career highlights play on the video wall - he says goodbye to the fans and the 3 exit. 

7. TAG TOURNAMENT FINAL: LYNCH/FLAIR d. RIPLEY/BASZLER (w/Duke)

-Angle alert.  

The match ends when a masked person, wholly covered (ideally, they could have slid into the front row pre-match without a lot of crowd attention) reaches across the retaining barrier and yanks Duke over.  The person waylays Duke - just stiffs her to death (Duke's done, this is her farewell) Ripley is on the apron while Baszler is in the ring - eventually, Ripley and the referee become aware of what is happening - Ripley hopping from the apron and the referee distracted - this allows for a Flair/Lynch doubleteam on Baszler - the referee's attention is regained - and either Lynch or Flair, it doesn't really matter, gets the fall --- meanwhile, security has swarmed over the person attacking Duke, pulling them away - Duke writhing in tremendous pain - the mask is pulled off to reveal.....

Ronda Rousey.  

...Rousey was a heel in her first stint, leader of the Horsewomen, but when she lost her WM match to Asuka, the next night she was booted from the group, replaced by Ripley, doing a stretcherjob.  

It would appear she is back.  And she seems mad at her former friends.

3 title matches left.  Fun show.  

8. IC: SHINSUKE NAKAMURA d. STYLES/DEVITT/BLACK

-The 78th IC Champion is Shinsuke Nakamura.  It is his 2nd IC Title.

All about the Bullet Club, we see all sorts of Bullet Club spots from around the world, all 4 are in the match almost the entire way, when the eliminations come, they come quickly - Nakamura and Black, always rivals, team up and eliminate Devitt - then eliminate Styles - and then Nakamura takes out Black, keeping him from the Triple Crown - to win the title.  

9. TAG TITLES: ROMAN REIGNS/CHAD GABLE (w/ McIntyre/Lashley) d. USOS

-The 114th WWF Tag Champs is the Holy Roman Empire, represented by Reigns and Gable.

Reigns and Gable?

So - Gable had the shot, but had no partner - his entire stable just disappeared.  Benjamin got hurt during the match.  Then Lashley turned, clearly leaving Shoot Nation, and how he turned was by laying out Nemeth.  

And that's it - that's all of Shoot Nation.  

So, what's Gable to do?  As the announcers will explain, it appears that Reigns made Gable an offer - and that Gable has joined the Holy Roman Empire (HRE, there's a design that emphasis HE with the R standing for both Roman and Reigns) and then there are the Usos - right up until this very moment, Roman has never stood on the other side of the ring for Jimmy and Jey, they aren't just a team they are a family - and here Roman is, out of nowhere, challening for their titles.

Reigns and Gable go over - Reigns getting the fall  - and postmatch McIntyre and Lashley begin to stomp out Jimmy and Jey - Roman stops it --okay, Roman is drawing the line here, he isn't trying to stomp out his own family -- but that's not what's happening - what's happening is he's telling Gable to join them in the stomping.  Gable hesitates - Gable's always been a babyface, this wasn't a personality change tonight, this was a business decision - but part of this business is listening to Roman - and so Gable, McIntyre, Lashley stomp out Jimmy and Jey while Roman observes.

The 4 men then hit the index finger pose -- and now draped in tag gold - with Jimmy and Jey down - Roman once again takes the mic...

"Brooklyn, New York....Acknowledge Me."

Highlight package is every winner of the WWF Championship match at Survivor Series holding up the belt postmatch.

1987 - Ricky Steamboat

1988 - Randy Savage

1989 - Curt Hennig

1990 - Curt Hennig

1991 - Ric Flair

1992 - Bret Hart

1993 - Bret Hart

1994 - Shawn Michaels

1995 - Bret Hart

1996 - Bret Hart

1997 - Owen Hart

1998 - Cactus Jack

1999 - Cactus Jack

2000 - Chris Benoit

2001 - Kurt Angle

2002 - Kurt Angle

2003 - Eddy Guerrero

2005 - Rey Mysterio

2006 - CM Punk

2007 - Rey Mysterio

2008 - Chris Jericho

2009 - Chris Jericho

2010 - Edge

2011 - Nick Nemeth

2012 - Bryan Danielson

2014 - Claudio Castagnoli

2015 - Kevin Steen

2018 - Shinsuke Nakamura

2019 - Tyler Black

2020 - Ricochet

10. WWF TITLE: SAMI ZAYN d. MATT RIDDLE (w/HBK)

- The 63rd WWF Champion is Sami Zayn.  Sami Zayn has won the Triple Crown.  

We have some beats to hit.  About a third of the way through, Riddle is down outstide, Zayn looks to make a dive to take advantage, and Michaels just quietly slides his body in between, Zayn hesitates, Riddle recovers.  

Zayn being too nice a guy was part of the build - Zayn, as Generico, being too nice a guy, was the impetus for Steen's unmasking him, which unraveled that relationship.  

2/3 of the way through, a similar spot - and this time (timing is important, it needs to be quick) Michaels is superkicked cold by.....

...Kevin Steen.  Zayn stares at Steen - Steen stares at Zayn - Riddle staggers to his feet and Steen hurls him into the steel steps.  Steen shrugs his shoulders says "up to you" to Zayn and exits.  

Michaels is still down - Zayn leaps to the floor - he could check on the legend -- he could see how Riddle, attempting again to stand, is doing - or - he could do what he did - which is to attack Riddle, driving his head into the apron, just slamming it over and over and over again (this whole thing can't take more than a minute; I want the character layering for Steen and Zayn and am willing to give up a minute of the match to do it, but no more than that; it does possibly change the crowd reaction, Steen is a heel, he just attacked Shawn Michaels - Riddle is a babyface and now Zayn is just full on going after him -- but that's okay, we got the pure white meat babyface defeats the dastardly villain moment we wanted at the Cell in Mania -- this is just a little bit different, this is moving the Zayn/Steen story along)

From that point forward, Zayn is particularly aggressive, more brawling than wrestling, Zayn snarling at Riddle - Zayn into hyperdrive, Zayn gives every remaining drop he has in his body, just viciously, viciously going after Riddle --- they have the nearfall segment, and at the end - it's Zayn, with the brainbuster on the top buckle - for the 1-2-3.

The confetti comes down - a Zayn career highlight package to celebrate the Triple Crown win plays - it is Triumph here in Brooklyn at Survivor Series 2021 - Sami Zayn is WWF Heavyweight Champion of the World!

That's the show.  I'm back in a month for the 17th anniversary of the Counterfactual, the build for Rumble '22 -- and the plans (and there are plans) for how we will be wrapping this all up (in a couple years, it'll make sense).