The Road to Survivor Series 2022-2

part 1

Half the card was set up last month:

WWF Title: Roman Reigns (w/HRE) v. AJ Styles

Tag Titles: The Usos v. Holy Roman Empire (McIntyre/Lashley)

Women's Title: Ronda Rousey (w/Heyman and Walter) v. Bianca Belair

Sami Zayn v. Tyler Black

Kevin Steen v. Sheamus

And here's the other half:

IC Title: Prince Devitt (w/McDonagh) v. Pete Dunne (w/Bate)

Asuka v. Iyo Sky

Becky Lynch v. Rhea Ripley (w/Baszler)

Solo Sikoa (w/Priest) v. Austin Theory

Alexa Bliss/Nikki Cross v. Dakota Kai/Shotzi

Devitt won the vacant IC belt at Summer Slam; the previous year was a closed program, Bullet Club members in various combinations fighting for the title -- Devitt says he's taking on all comers, it doesn't matter who they are, it doesn't matter where they work - he'll take on anyone who comes through that curtain (Devitt's a tweener, so that adds to the potential of his fighting anyone).

Who comes through the curtain is British Strong Style, Pete Dunne and Tyler Bate.  

They have been heels working Dark Ride following Nigel's leaving the promotion, all they can rely on is each other; they have feuded, been aligned on again/off again for years with JD McDonagh.  That history gets folded in here with McDonagh siding with Devitt which will allow a personal component to the program.  Primarily though, Devitt is a workrate guy and with Roman on top, this is the workrate belt.  

Defiance is now Priest and Solo after they punted Randy Orton into what might be a retirement; Austin Theory is enhancement with a big mouth and that match sets up to look like a massacre.

4 matches on a 10 match card are women's matches, probably the highest % in WWF history; the opening tag is less about those specific wrestlers and more about the expansion of the women's tag division - all last year, Flair/Lynch just poured through the promotion beating everyone in sight, including men when their were no more women left. After Mania, each show has had a women's tag match, that's demonstrated here at Survivor Series -- Flair has been gone since Mania, that leaves Ripley/Baszler to run roughshod; they stomped out a handful of tag acts - Lynch made a babyface save and now we're here.  

Also after Mania came a revamped Io Sky, with a new name, and a a fairly Americanized gimmick, new costume, new theme - she's a babyface who happens to be Asian as opposed to a Japanese wrestler.  Asuka, once the ace of the division, returns after a long injury recovery, she asks her former stablemate Sky to aid her in getting to 100%, within the process of their working together, Asuka grows increasingly grumpy about Sky's current persona.  An all babyface match is set up here, with that tension in place.

And that's the show.

WWF Title: Reigns v. Styles

-Roman's assault on "those non WWF guys" - continues as he looks to defend against Styles, can AJ win his record tying third WWF Title?

IC: Devitt v. Dunne

-Possible show stealing match here; the IC belt positioned as the workrate belt, for the Dark Ride fans the long Dunne/Bate/McDonagh program gets a bigger stage

Tags: Usos v. McIntyre/Lashley

-Super personal, Usos lost the tag titles to Roman's group, then regained them - tensions are increasing between the twins, each perhaps blaming the other for Roman's passing them by when he out his stable together.  Lot of pressure on McIntyre/Lashley - you do not want to let the boss down.

Women: Rousey v. Belair

-All babyface match, Rousey's health is an issue, she was concussed by a Roman spear barely a week prior, will she be 100% against a white hot Belair?

Zayn v. Black

-Former WWF champs at a crossroads, each is a former Steen partner, Kevin unable to align the 3 of them into a cohesive unit, they will go at it here.  

Lynch v. Ripley

-Another match between former WWF champs; you have to assume Baszler will be a factor as the women's tag division continues its expansion

Asuka v. Sky

-Partners, former stablemates square off in a babyface matchup, Asuka, perhaps the greatest WWF Womens Champion, returning after injury to face Sky, whom she barely recognizes in her very fan friendly, westernized new persona

Steen v. Sheamus

-Hard shots will be taken in this one; both men looking to work out frustrations and establish their place in this world now run by Reigns.  

Sikoa v. Theory

-Looks like a long (or perhaps short) night for Theory

Bliss/Cross v. Kai/Shotzi

-And an opening tag.

Here it is.

The Road to Survivor Series 2022-1

Summer Slam is here.

Survivor Series 2022 is coming November from Boston.  Here's the card.

WWF Title: Roman Reigns (w/HRE) v. AJ Styles

IC Title: Prince Devitt v. Pete Dunne (w/Bate)

Tag Titles: The Usos v. Holy Roman Empire (McIntyre/Lashley)

(note, that's not the initially advertised match)

Women's Title: Ronda Rousey (w/Heyman and Walter) v. Bianca Belair

Sami Zayn v. Tyler Black

Asuka v. Iyo Sky

Becky Lynch v. Rhea Ripley

Kevin Steen v. Sheamus

(not the initally advertised match)

Solo Sikoa (w/Priest) v. Austin Theory

Alexa Bliss/Nikki Cross v. Dakota Kai/Shotzi

Two major matches make up the key elements of the build.  

Reigns/Styles is announced the night after Summer Slam, Reigns, of course, has been talking about a group of wrestlers for years, really, at this point - the centerpiece of them being Zayn/Steen/Black/Styles, guys who were in ROH - came to WWF - became WWF Champions and have had a stranglehold on the top slots for years.  

For over a year, Steen has been working on Zayn, trying to come to some level of understanding with him to resume their relationship - post Mania, he added Black to that mix (Zayn and Steen, of course, were longtime partners; but Steen and Black were also stabled together).  And now, with Styles named the number one contender, and Styles having formerly been Black's stablemate - Steen gives it a final push, can the four of us - can the four of us find some way to put all past sins aside and join together to fight the Holy Roman Empire?  A Mania rematch for Steen against McIntyre is on the initial Survivor Series card.  

Very begrudgingly, the others agree to try one time - a 4x4 match against HRE.

It doesn't work out, there's no chemistry among the men, Black/Zayn particularly have an issue - the result is Reigns pins Steen.  That's two - Roman will say - as he beat Zayn at Mania - and Styles is next.  

This is the tearing point for Steen - he says he's done, he says the apology bag is empty for Zayn, the bottom line is he told El Generico he would never be WWF Champion, but Sami Zayn would - Zayn didn't have the guts to make that leap - so like he always has - Steen pushed him.  And it worked - and Zayn's still making Steen pay for it.  The debt's paid, the apologies are over, we go our separate ways.  

Steen walks out.  Zayn/Black gets made from there, they bicker all the way to the PPV

The Styles part of the build allows him to assert a view contrary to Roman's - Reigns, of course, has painted a picture of these indie guys waltzing in from ROH and moving to the top of the card.

Styles says that's not what happened - he spent years toiling away at TNA, had to go to the other side of the world to build enough cache to force his way into WWF.  Reigns got his slot handed to him like it was his birthright - he's a nepo baby.  

Ne-po ba-by, Ne-po ba-by.  Maybe the WWF Universe (there is no WWF Universe, that's a joke) can get behind that chant.  

The second match arises from the last moments of Summer Slam, Walter saving Lesnar from an HRE beatdown.

Reigns is the guest on Heymans Hustle, Paul's relationship with Anoia family is revealed as they let the fans come behind the curtain - Paul says he's watched Roman for years - has a lot of respect for him - Roman admits that, a time or two, Paul maybe gave him some advice.  

Paul says he even understands the attack of Lesnar, Brock's a big scalp - Reigns is trying to build his stack.  But now - now he's on Walter's radar - and the truth is..while Reigns is the WWF Champion....everyone knows that it's Walter who is the most dangerous man in combat sports in 2022.  

They set up a tag match; Roman and a partner of his choosing against Walter and a partner of his choosing.  

Walter picks Rousey.

Roman picks Gable.  Gable/Lashley is the initial duo taking on the Usos for the tag titles.

So - post Mania, another very subtle relationship that's grown is Gable and Rousey, never foregrounded, as Rousey is a babyface and Gable is a heel, but they've got a mutual interest given Rousey's shootfighting and Gable's amateur background, a couple of times, Roman should raise an eyebrow as he walks past them in the back, lets say.

This tag match comes late in the build, pentultimate Fight Night prior to Survivor Series, it's a big match, right - the WWF Champ, the Dark Ride Champ, the Women's Champ -- there should be a long build, 3 weeks maybe, Reigns puts a lot of pressure on Gable, Gable's gonna show Rousey, Gable's the HRE grappler, he's gonna tap Rousey out with some of that amateur shit. 

Or else.

The match can have plenty of Walter/Reigns, it's not a matter of needing to save it -- Rousey never gets to fight from underneath given the gimmick, so she can do some of that here, some real babyface fire - finish is her submitting Gable.  

That's Reigns's first loss in a long time, he's furious - and postmatch he knocks Rousey out with the Superman punch.  Full on coldcock -- the reaction is like he shot her, everyone freezes for a moment and he gets out of the ring with McIntyre and Lashley - Gable is trying to tend to Rousey - Heyman is fully freaking out -- Heyman screaming for medical -- screaming at Reigns -- McIntyre and Lashley yank Gable from the ring as Walter starts to advance on him.

Reigns responds to the loss by benching Gable in the go home RAW - he tells him to go home, fully dresses him down - he blew it, he didn't go hard enough at Rousey, he let his brothers down and they cannot trust him in the title match.  It's a real browbeating.   McIntyre will take his place as Lashley's partner at Survivor Series.  That's what necessitates the shift in the Steen match, Sheamus named as the replacement at the last minute.  

Rousey is concussed, does not appear on TV in the go home week, we are told she will make her title defense against Belair in a full babyface match.    That build has been mutual respect, with the idea that Belair was not quite ready in her prior attempt at the Womens Title, is she ready now.  The tag match has seen as much tension between Jimmy and Jey as they can build - Roman working both men, despite their best selves, his not picking them to be in his stable has just fractured the bond between the twins, each subtlely looking at the other for blame.  

That's what, half the card, right?  

Reigns/Styles.  

Usos v. Lashley/McIntyre.  

Does Roman keep the belt - do Lashley/McIntyre regain the tags for HRE and once again consolidate power --- or will it be a regaining of the WWF Title for Styles, showing why Best Wrestler in the World is not just a tattoo on his forearm.  

Rousey/Belair.

(and in a dark match, Walter once again defends against Dragunov)

The Dangerous Alliance title matches take place; what's Rousey's condition after being concussed barely more than a week prior?  

Zayn v. Black

Steen v. Sheamus

Steen failed in his attempt to bring his former partners together in an alliance to fight HRE - so now they fight each other; meanwhile, his rematch against McIntyre is taken away at the last minute.

Good stopping place.  Next month, the IC - 3 more Womens's matches including Asuka's return, and the PPV debut of Defiance's Solo Sikoa.