So WWE has decided the Survivor Series concept is dead and beyond help.
Well, in truth it’s been dead (as far as the original concept goes) since the mid-90′s.
Like ECW in the late 90′s, WWE has put it through the ‘Vincer’ and changed it to be so far removed and unrecognisable from the original idea that the original unique selling point has been lost & it’s simply become a neglected, directionless and ultimately aborted project.
Lance Storm has made an AWESOME point on his fortnightly guest spot on Figure Four Daily (at www.f4wonline.com) which is proof this man should not only be booking WWE but running it too:
“Instead of saying the Survivor Series concept is dead, why don’t we just say “the concept of shitty building to a PPV is dead” instead? Let’s deal with the real problem.”
And he’s right; it’s not that the original concept is dead, it’s a HORRIBLE build up to the event that can kill most PPV’s. And, like I said above, the Survivor Series has gone from being a unique offering to just another shitty show with just another shitty undercard and just another shitty Orton/Cena / Triple H match probably as the headliner.
Maybe, before burying the Survivor Series for good, try reverting back to the founding concept & give it a ‘last chance’ run for 2-3 years and see how that does?
If it reverted back to the team format and finished off with a final match of survival it may actually MEAN something for the eventual victors. Not to mention it’d be something different from the endless Cena/Orton /Triple H matches headlining what seems like the last 10 years of PPV’s.
Go back to booking basics; build it up as a major event where anything could happen as the teams are ‘drawn at random’ (sic) and book it to have CONSEQUENCES. Perhaps a title shot for the winner at the next PPV (if only one person survives) or a number one contender match between the winners.
This stuff writes itself:
The two faces are celebrating their victory as the sole survivors then they start cutting promos on each other saying “We had to work together tonight, but next time I see, I will beat you and I will be the champion.” then the other guy says “Let’s be honest, I carried you through this whole thing, you CAN’T beat me one on one”.
Staredown.
Someone shoves the other, many officials (who cannot be named for ‘Vince’ purposes) hit the ring and break it up. Both wrestlers go crazy at each other but are kept apart. Contract signing on RAW the next night. Same pull apart (obviously). Cut promos on each other for the next three weeks then headline/co-headline the next PPV.
But don’t just have the same usual top 5 faces winning it (Orton, Undertaker, Cena, Batista and, of course, Mr. ‘No PPV Buys’ himself; Triple H). Keep the structure simple, give people a chance to shine and people will get over. Like CM Punk was doing in the Rumble. THAT was creative.
Punk eliminates anyone who comes to the ring in a few seconds then cuts an excellent heel promo between entrants. Then Triple H charges (well, hobbles) in, no sells him, blocks his finisher and tosses him over the top rope like he was Bushwhacker Luke.
“It’s up to everyone to get themselves over” says Triple H. Well, on that night, sadly, the only thing CM Punk got over was the top rope.
Bad booking can’t possibly be responsible if someone isn’t over after constantly being buried by the same 5 headliners time & time again can it?
Surely not.
The Survivor Series ‘random team of 5 faces vs.random team of 5 heels’ is a GOLDEN way to initiate new feuds between people who wouldn’t necessarily cross paths.
When you hear the ideas the Creative Team are floating to replace it, doesn’t it make you realise the oxymoron of their team title?
This is the premier wrestling company in the wor… sorry; ‘Sports Entertainment’ company in the world. Why do they have people working in creative who watched the old WCW ‘Spin The Wheel, Make The Deal’ gimmick and thought it’d be a great idea to resurrect it?
It SUCKED.
Coal Miner’s Glove On A Pole match? In the same way that nature abhors a vacuum, it also abhors this gimmick. But, there’s not much chance of a great gimmick match (the War Games format) being green lit seeing as how Vince didn’t create it (because we all know that everything Vince creates is a roaring success, don’t we, XFL…?).
Assuming War Games is genuinely the best rehash they can come up with (I was going to say ‘idea’, but that suggests independent thought) will they build it up as something special and unique, ala Hell In A Cell? Build it up as important enough and with big enough consequences to the participants that people might want to pay to see it?
Nah.
Because that’d be like admitting that WCW had a good idea once and everyone knows WCW never had good ideas, never created any stars, never made any money and Nitro never, EVER EVER EVER overtook RAW in the Monday night ratings. Not even once.
No sir.
Didn’t happen.
There’s More chance of the One Night (not King Of The Ring) King Of The Ring Tournament being reanimated but, to be honest, that peaked when Jerry Lawler beat the living shit out of Bret Hart after he won way back in 1993 I think it was.
As soon as King Mabel wrapped the King’s gown around his moobs in 1995 that event was dead in the water.
Still, at least War Games has the ‘best of a bad bunch’ thing going for it. Shame it’s usually the ‘worst of a bad bunch’ is the one they go with.
If they book War Games I will watch. If they don’t, I won’t.
Simple.
