WWE Survivor Series (November 2005)

Original Airdate: November 27, 2005

From Detroit, Michigan; Your Hosts are Joey Styles, Jonathan Coachman, Jerry Lawler, Michael Cole, and Tazz

Opening WWE United States Title Best of Seven Series Match: Booker T v Chris Benoit: This is the first match in a best of seven series between the two, for the vacant US Title (vacated after champion Booker wrestled challenger Benoit to a double-pinfall on Smackdown a couple of days before this). Benoit's hair makes him look like an angry Harry Potter tonight. Today, we compare him to a different character from that story. I, of course, am referring to Hagrid.  Feeling out process to start, and Booker escapes the Crippler Crossface by getting the ropes, and bailing to regroup. Back in for a test-of-strength, which Booker controls with a savate kick, and follows with a nice backelbow. Vertical suplex gets reversed, but Benoit misses a charge in the corner, and Booker regroups with a sidewalk slam for two. Armbar, but Benoit starts slugging free, so Booker shifts to an abdominal stretch instead. Chris uses a hiptoss to escape, and he follows up with a quick armdrag, but gets kicked in the kisser on a backdrop attempt. Booker spinkicks him down for two, and nearly breaks the ring with a hard cross corner whip. I mean DAMN! Somersault cradle gets two, and a neckbreaker is worth two. Booker grounds him in a modified chinlock, but a vertical suplex is countered into the rolling German. He only gets one alarm off, however, before Booker puts him down with a spinheel kick for two. Axekick, but Benoit counters with a corkscrew legwhip to setup the sharpshooter - countered by Booker with an inside cradle for two. Chris fires back with a pair of double-chops for two, and a snap suplex is worth two. Three-alarm rolling German suplex sets up the flying headbutt, so Sharmell distracts him, and Booker tries capitalizing with a superplex, but Benoit blocks with a series of headbutts - knocking Booker back down. He dives with the flying headbutt, but Booker rolls out of the way, and hooks an Oklahoma roll (with two feet on the ropes) for the pin at 14:39. Kind of a middling match here, but Benoit's bumping was phenomenal. For those curious, Booker ended up winning the series 4-3 to get the belt back in January. **

WWE Women's Title Match: Trish Stratus v Melina: Trish is good and pissed about this whole 'kidnapping' thing Melina perpetrated, and she spears her down for some punches before Melina is able to bail. Trish goes after her with a flying bodypress, and a hairslam on the way back in dazes Melina for a headscissors takedown. Melina manages to take control in the corner, and she bootchokes the champion, but gets reversed. Melina responds by punting a fucking field goal in Stratus' face, so Mickie James attacks her. That distraction allows MNM to go after Trish, but the referee catches them, and sends them to the dressing rooms. Melina is able to keep control anyway with a surfboard, and a facebuster gets her two. She goes up, but Trish brings her down with the handstand rana, and adds a spinebuster for two. Chick Kick, but Melina ducks, so Trish settles for the Stratusfaction - only to have that blocked as well. Fight on the apron goes Trish's way with Mickie's assistance, and a flying bulldog finishes Melina at 6:30. Energetic! ¾*

Last Man Standing Match: Ric Flair v Triple H: Flair is the Intercontinental Champion, but that's not on the line tonight. HHH attacks him in the aisle during the entrances, and hammers away. Speaking of attacks in the aisle, they added that as a feature on WWE 2K16, and it's fucking awesome! Like, if you enter first, you can attack the opponent during his entrance, and if you enter second, you can break away from your pre-programmed entrance, and charge the guy in the ring. Not to sound like a commercial for it, but 2K16 actually has a ridiculous amount of unique and fun features, particularly in regard to customizing your experience. I only wish they had the Thirty Years of WrestleMania mode instead of the Attitude Era storyline. Anyway, they brawl into the crowd for a bit, and HHH vertical suplexes him on the outside, but Flair beats the count. Hunter vertical suplexes him into the ring for a few elbowdrops, then back to the floor as HHH grabs a screwdriver, and Flair tops himself from Taboo Tuesday with another fucking NASTY bladejob. Like seriously, it's an immediate GUSHER! And, you know what, as disgusting as it is, it does add a certain level of realism that today’s matches are missing. Like, I'd be more worried if you're getting stabbed in the face with a screwdriver and not bleeding, frankly. HHH with a pair of kneedrops, but a whip into the steps is reversed. Flair is too battered to follow-up, however, and walks into a spinebuster out there. Hunter grabs a microphone and gives Ric a chance to quit now, before any permanent damage is done, but Flair responds by grabbing his nuts, and twisting. Yeah, he manages his creditors the same way, I've heard. HHH tries a Pedigree through the announce table, but gets backdropped through it instead - as some fat guy in the crowd (who may or may not be Blues Traveler) looks practically giddy with glee. Oh wait, no, that was just the meat sweats. My bad. Shame Flair is busy bleeding buckets, because if there were ever a prime target for him, there he is. HHH beats the count and delivers a kneeling facebuster on the way back in, but Flair blocks a Pedigree onto a chair by blowing him low (though the camera angle totally exposes that he was blowing his thigh more so than anything else). Hey, whatever floats yer boat. Ric lays him out with said chair, but HHH beats the count, so Ric unloads the chops! Kinda surprised HHH didn't blade off of the chairshot, actually. Ric wraps his leg around the post a few times, then wraps his nuts around it for good measure. Again, the camera angle exposes it though. Seriously, you have, like, a dozen cameras. Maybe pick the angle that accentuates the spot instead of the one that makes it look phony? And this isn't the camera guys fault. A camera man is only as good as the director out in the truck. Ric keeps working the leg to setup the Figure Four, but HHH shoves him to the floor to block. Ric responds by picking up a chair out there, and beating HHH's leg to setup the Figure Four for real - Flair blatantly holding the ropes for leverage, since there are no DQs. Good for him. Triple H still beats the count, and comes after him with the steps - in a nice bump from Flair. Ric beats the count, so Hunter tries it a second time, but this time Flair is able to counter with a drop-toehold onto the steel. That leaves both men down for the count, and the resulting chopfest ends in HHH hitting the Pedigree - Ric beating the count. HHH responds with another Pedigree, but Flair beats the count again. Third Pedigree, but Flair just won't take the hint, and beats the count. HHH responds by grabbing a sledgehammer - though, AGAIN, the director chooses the least flattering angle for the shot. It is enough, however, at 26:57. Hmm, guess that bladejob wasn't happening after all. Good stuff, retaining the hard hitting intensity of the Cage Match from Taboo Tuesday, and taking it further. A little too much lying around for the counts, but guys like Flair know how to build the drama of it effectively, and did. *** ¼

WWE Title Match: John Cena v Kurt Angle: Daivari acts as the special guest referee for this one, and the storyline is that he is in Angle's pocket. Except that Angle doesn't wear clothes with pockets, so it gets a little confusing. Also, it took practically everything I had to not write 'the angle is that he's in Angle's pocket.' Like, Chandler 'duties' level restraint. Angle immediately shoots for the leg, and takes Cena down in a leglock. John fights free, so Kurt starts throwing rights, but runs into a backelbow and a vertical suplex. Cover, but Daivari doesn't feel like counting. He does understand what a referee does, right? Kurt manages to slap on the Anklelock as Cena bitches about the officiating, and Daivari DOESN'T immediately call for the bell. No wonder Vince couldn't work with this guy. Cena escapes and hits a spinebuster, then starts bitch slapping the referee - knowing he won't disqualify him. Daivari goes down as they spill to the outside, where Kurt delivers a gorgeous release overhead suplex. Inside, that gets two - counted by a new referee. Angle with another well executed suplex (this one of the 'vertical' variety) for a pair of two counts, and he slaps on a mat-based waistlock. John escapes with a bodypress for two, but runs into another overhead suplex as they criss cross, and Kurt adds a kneelift. Side suplex gets two, and he tries Cena up in a modified STF. Guy may be crazy, but you can't knock his ability to work a realistic looking hold, that much is for sure. Daivari is still down on the floor off of a simple shoulderblock, I should note. I mean, that's acceptable for a normal referee (borderline, but acceptable), though not for a wrestler acting as a referee. Cena with a DDT, and he wins a slugfest with a jumping shoulderblock. Pair of clotheslines and a side suplex setup the Five Knuckle Shuffle (the weird positioning for that one (with Kurt's feet pointing towards the entrance) had me sure it was setting up a Daivari save, but nope), and Angle sees the writing on the wall - taking out the referee to avoid the FU. He summons a third referee down as he Olympic Slam's Cena, but it only gets two. Superplex gets two, but a flying moonsault misses, and John goes for the FU - Angle grabbing the referee by the collar to block it. He knocks both the champion and the official out, and with no RAW referee's left standing, a Smackdown ref comes in. Unfortunately for Kurt, John pops up, hits the FU, and we're done at 13:56. Well Daivari ended up meaning nothing to this. Overbooked, but entertaining. ** ½

Eric Bischoff v Theodore Long: Eric's got the karate gear from Starrcade here, though he's filling it out a lot differently by this point. Two referees in the ring for this one - a RAW ref and a Smackdown one. Come on guys! How are these two going to deliver the high flying four star classic they're destined to have with that many bodies in the ring? Lots of stalling to start, until Bischoff finally takes off his black belt, and chokes Long down with it. If he really wanted to be evil, he should have used a white belt, amiright? Bischoff grabs a sleeper, so Long takes off his shoe, but Eric blocks the deadly sneaker shot. Oh, thank God. He keeps working over Long, until suddenly the lights go down, and the ring is bathed in a red light. Nope, not Kane - it's the Boogeyman. He chokes Eric down for a pumphandle-slam, and Long scores the pin off of it at 5:25. I expected total shit, and I got total shit. At least it wasn't disappointing. -*

Main Event: Survivor Series Elimination Match: Team RAW (Shawn Michaels, Kane, Big Show, Chris Masters, and Carlito) v Team Smackdown (Batista, John Bradshaw Layfield, Randy Orton, Rey Mysterio, and Bobby Lashley): All five commentators call this one together, which is just a disaster waiting to happen. Shawn starts with Randy, and when the first few lockups go to a stalemate, Orton makes the mistake of paintbrushing him. Michaels responds in kind, and we're off to the races! They trade headlocks in fast and furious fashion, and Shawn unloads with chops, but telegraphs a backdrop, and gets put down with an European uppercut for two. Randy with a bodyslam to setup a kneedrop, but Shawn dodges, and passes out to Masters. Chris keeps the chop fun going (sounds like a dish in a Chinese restaurant: Chop Fun Going), but Randy tags to Bobby, and we have a power-showdown ladies and gentlemen. Lashley powerslams him, and even from the apron, Michaels is carrying the match with his selling of the slam! Reminds me of Survivor Series 1994. Chris dodges a charge and tries the Master Lock, but he can't get the fingers hooked, and Lashley suplexes him. Tag to Carlito, but he's reluctant to come in, so Bobby brings him in hardway. Running powerslam gets two, but a corner charge misses, and Shawn gets the tag. He hustles to the top, but Bobby slams him off, then bodyslams him. Overhead suplex leads to the Dominator, but Kane grabs him in a chokeslam from the apron, and Shawn quickly covers at 7:17. Kinda thought they'd at least let him eliminate Carlito first. Rey rushes in, but a cheap shot from Kane prevents him from getting much down, and Shawn passes back to Masters. He unloads on Rey with a press-slam, and tags Kane in - Kane missing an elbowdrop, and Rey capitalizing with a pair of baseball slides and a standing moonsault. He runs into a big boot, however, and Kane adds a backbreaker for two. Bearhug, and damn, Rey's back tattoo may be hideous, but it sure works with a bearhug. It's like mayonnaise. It's disgusting, but I wouldn't turn down a deviled egg, if you offered. Anyway, he escapes and passes to Batista - Kane eating a spinebuster at 11:41. Show rushes in with a Chokeslam on Batista, but it only gets two, so Kane comes back in for a tandem-chokeslam to eliminate Batista at 12:27. The entire remaining Smackdown side then gets the pleasure of bumping around for Big Show, but Show gets overwhelmed, and a 619 from Rey sets up an RKO from Randy. Bradshaw with the Clothesline from Wall Street, and Rey with a springboard seated senton to finish the giant off at 14:28. Both teams brawl, and the dust settles on Masters and Mysterio. Rey takes a hard cross corner whip for two, and Carlito tags in with a vertical suplex for two. Legdrop is worth two, and Carlito tries grounding him with a chinlock, but Rey escapes, and tries a springboard moonsault - blind tagging out to Bradshaw as he does, and allowing Layfield to destroy Carlito with a Clothesline from Wall Street out of nowhere at 17:35. Nice sequence there. Masters blitzes Bradshaw before he can get back to his feet, as we spot Shawn face down and passed out on the floor like it's 1995. From the three Sid powerbombs on the RAW after WrestleMania XI, I mean. Felt the need to clarify. Masters tries holding his own against the three Smackdown guys, but Rey Drops the Dime at 19:12. What stupid fucking signature move names. So, Shawn's still dead on the floor, but Bradshaw is quick to help him roll in. Nice guy. Mysterio looks to put him away, and manages the 619, but Michaels counters the springboard follow-up with a brilliantly timed Superkick at 20:30. Bradshaw rushes him with the Clothesline from Wall Street, but Shawn counters with another Superkick at 20:44 - cutting their lead down completely. Orton is still in much better shape, however, and manages to dodge a Superkick by bailing. Michaels is on him with a plancha, and he catches Randy with the diving double-ax on the way back in. Inverted atomic drop sets up a series of clotheslines, and a bodyslam sets up the flying elbowdrop. Superkick, but Bradshaw is still hanging around at ringside, and he comes in swinging a chair. Michaels redirects his Superkick at him instead, but the distraction allows Randy the RKO at 24:01.
Survivor: Randy Orton
Bradshaw: team player? Also, that's twice that Randy Orton has pinned Shawn Michaels to win a Survivor Series main event. 90s Shawn would not put up with that! ** ¾  

BUExperience: I don’t have a whole lot to add to this one. It’s not a classic, but it was fun and entertaining. There are worse ways to spend a couple of hours, that’s for sure

**