Adam Blampied’s Pipebomb: Does Survivor Series Deserve To Be Saved?

In looking at the final piece of the ‘Should Survivor Stay’ puzzle, you have to take into account the show’s heritage and history. Do you actually want there to be no Survivor Series anymore? It’s not like that would spell the end for elimination matches, just book one that makes sense, you did it at Payback 2014. It’s unmistakeably comforting to have Survivor Series around, sure, it’s got some prestige to it, helps break up the year into fairly easy quarters to maintain a regular cycle of fan interest. It’s a recognisable brand and an easier hook for casuals in that regard, and hey, speaking purely from a NERD’S perspective, having 30+ years of stats to pick apart is fun, but does any of these really justify Survivor Series’ existence from a creative standpoint, rather than a business one?

Personally, the risks that WWE have been taking with their characters is too much to justify the pay per view’s existence. This is just me talking, you may think differently, but I would much rather take Money in the Bank and give it the calendar slot previously belonging to Survivor Series, because there are multiple ways that could be cross-branded. Either have two ladder matches, one for each of the world titles, each match being brand exclusive or, maybe better, have two cross-brand ladder matches. One for a men’s briefcase, one for a women’s. Each match could be made up of 3-4 wrestlers from each brand, spots which each man would have to earn by winning matches, and the winning superstar would get to take the briefcase back to their show. Tangible stakes.

Unlike Survivor Series matches, which only have stakes when Creative can create some that make sense, MITB matches are like the Royal Rumble in that they have inbuilt hype. Whoever wins the case is being earmarked as the next champion, as long as you’re not Baron Corbin. The matches have inherent long-lasting booking consequences, which feels much more naturally befitting of a Big Four pay per view.

You may disagree with me, and I really don’t mind, but maybe Vince McMahon was right in 2010. The format has its advantages when implemented correctly, obviously, but in the light of recent booking trends, perhaps the format has indeed “outlasted its usage.”

Maybe after over 30 years, merely surviving is not enough.

What are your thoughts on the above story? Let us know in the comments on Twitter or Facebook.

• pipebomb
• survivor series
• Adam Blampied
• wwe

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