WWE Survivor Series (November 2012)

 

Original Airdate: November 18, 2012

From Indianapolis, Indiana; Your Hosts are Michael Cole, Jim Ross, and John Bradshaw Layfield

Opening Survivor Series Elimination Match: Rey Mysterio, Sin Cara, Brodus Clay, Justin Gabriel, and Tyson Kidd v Tensai, Titus O'Neil, Darren Young, Primo, and Epico: Kidd and Epico start, as Lawler talks about ‘having seen’ cases where one entire team swept another. It literally happened to you in 1995! Kidd and Epico engage in a bunch of reversal sequences, and tags are made to Rey and Darren. Young tries a side suplex, but Rey blocks, leading to a reversal sequence that ends in Mysterio using a drop-toehold to set up a baseball slide. Tag to Sin for a combo on Young for two, so he passes to Primo. More reversal sequences, and Sin hits a flying bodypress for two. Primo tries a powerbomb, but Sin counters with a Canadian destroyer for two, before Primo clotheslines him, and tags Tensai. Tensai with a pair of bodyslams on Cara, and he tags Titus for a powerbomb. The heels work Sin over, but Clay catches a hot tag, and Roseanne Barr the door! We get a dog pile sequence on the outside, and it all ends in Tensai hitting Clay with a senton splash at 8:22. I would not have guessed that he would be the first to go. Gabriel comes in to fight Tensai as the dust settles, but quickly gets clobbered, and Titus tags in to hold him in an abdominal stretch, then toss him with a fallaway slam. Back to Tensai, and a senton splash connects for two - only for Justin to flash off a crucifix cradle on Tensai at 10:20! Titus comes in to attack Justin from there, and the heels work him over. Kidd catches a tag and comes in with some power, but quickly gets clobbered, and worked over. Kidd manages a slingshot cradle on Titus at 13:48. Epico comes in next, but Kidd quickly puts him out with a sharpshooter at 14:58. Over to Rey and Primo, and Rey wins a reversal sequence with a roundhouse kick for two. 619, but Primo dodges. Primo tries a lungblower, but Mysterio blocks, and hooks a magistral cradle at 17:29. That leaves Young alone, so he comes in to try and grab Rey, but gets hit with the 619. Tag to Sin for a flying somersault senton splash, and Justin hits a springboard moonsault, followed by a springboard flying splash from Kidd. Back to Rey to put a cherry on it with a flying splash at 18:24.

Survivors: Rey Mysterio, Sin Cara, Justin Gabriel, Tyson Kidd

I enjoy Survivor Series Elimination matches, they’re generally hard to screw up. This was nothing special, but completely watchable. * ½ 

WWE Divas Title Match: Eve Torres v Kaitlyn: Kaitlyn tackles the champ down at the bell, and messes her up a bit on the mat. Kaitlyn unloads in the corner, and her pants are giving new meaning to ‘low rise.’ Eve bails, but Kaitlyn is on her with some boots, and she tosses Torres into an announce table. Inside, Kaitlyn continues to dominate, but Eve manages to fight her off long enough to get a choke in the corner. Kaitlyn comes back so Eve begs off, but the challenger shows her no mercy. Kaitlyn with a gutbuster for two, but Eve finds a neckbreaker to retain at 6:56. Nyet good. DUD

WWE United States Title Match: Antonio Cesaro v R-Truth: Truth dominates early on, and hooks a series of cradles for some two counts. Cesaro fights him off in the corner with a headbutt, and the champ barrels out of the corner with a clothesline. Cesaro unloads in the corner, and he takes Truth to the mat for an armbar. Truth escapes, so Cesaro bodyslams him, and delivers a double stomp for two. Cesaro works a waistlock, but Truth escapes, and uses a sunset flip for two. Cesaro cuts him off with an uppercut for two, and he goes back to the waistlock. Into the corner, but Truth blocks a charge, and goes on the comeback trail. A leg lariat gets him two, and a modified jawbreaker is worth two. Axekick, but Cesaro dodges, and delivers another uppercut to set up the Neutralizer at 6:55. This was fine. *

World Heavyweight Title Match: Big Show v Sheamus: Slugfest to start, and Sheamus tries the ol’ rope-a-dope, but Show is just too much dope. Sheamus manages to clip the leg, and he dives from the top, but Show blocks it with a spear. Both men are left down after that, and Sheamus bails to the outside to avoid getting covered. Show is on him for a whip into the steps, and the champ delivers a bodyslam on the way back in. Show works him over in dull fashion, and an elbowdrop gets him two. An elbowdrop was a legitimate highlight of the moveset here. Show goes to an armbar, as the announcers just keep talking over and over and over again about how big Show is. Show with a sidewalk slam for two, but Sheamus blocks a pump-splash attempt with an electric chair for two. Nice spot. Sheamus makes a comeback, and a Samoan drop gets him two. Brogue kick, but he ends up taking out the official with it by accident. That allows Show a knockout punch, and a second referee counts the pin at 14:43. But then they decide Show is disqualified for pushing the referee into the path of the Brogue kick. So he still retains. Some fun power stuff from Sheamus in the last stretch, but pretty boring otherwise, and the finish was dumb. ¾* 

Survivor Series Elimination Match: Kofi Kingston, Daniel Bryan, Kane, Randy Orton, and Miz v Dolph Ziggler, Alberto Del Rio, Wade Barrett, David Otunga, and Damien Sandow: Kofi sneaks up on David with a schoolboy for two to kick start the match, but David bails to avoid the Trouble in Paradise. Kofi is on him with a dive on the floor, and he rolls Otunga in to cover for two. Tag to Daniel, but David powerslams him, and passes to Sandow. Sandow with a Russian legsweep to set up an elbowdrop for two, and he grounds Bryan in a chinlock from there. A corner charge misses, allowing Bryan Yes Kicks, so Sandow bails. Sandow tries walking out, but Kane drags him back (why?), and chokeslams him at 2:58. Kane then squabbles with Bryan from there, however, and Ziggler sneaks up on him at 3:37. The dust settles on Orton and Ziggler, and Randy delivers a slingshot suplex for two. The babyfaces dominate Dolph, but Ziggler manages to fight off Bryan, and passes to Wade. Wade cross corner whips Bryan, but misses the charge in. Bryan tries a corner dropkick, but Barrett dodges, and big boots Bryan out of the ring. Inside, that gets Wade two, and he passes to David for an axehandle. David with a cross corner whip, followed in with a clothesline, then a shoulderblock for two. David gloats, however, and Daniel snaps off a LeBell lock at 7:01. Del Rio comes in to snapmare Bryan for two, and he grounds him in a chinlock from there. Del Rio with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker, but a charge in the corner ends in him getting backdropped over the top. That allows a tag to Kofi, and he runs wild on Del Rio. A flying bodypress gets him two, but Del Rio manages to buy time with a kick, and he passes to Barrett. An assist from Ziggler allows Barrett to deliver a swinging scrapbuster, and a short-clothesline sends Kingston home at 9:33. Orton comes in with a dropkick on Barrett for two, but a corner charge misses. That allows Wade to try for a vertical suplex, but Orton reverses, and adds a kneedrop for two. Tag to Daniel for a series of kicks, and a 2nd rope dropkick gets him two. More kicks, but Barrett buys time by clotheslining Daniel over the top, and Del Rio gets the tag. He looks to put Daniel away, but Bryan counters the attempt to the LeBell lock. Del Rio manages to block, and he gets Bryan in a cross-armbreaker at 12:29. Miz comes in for the first time in the match, and uses his freshness to dominate Del Rio. Tag to Randy for some stomping on Del Rio’s arm, and a kneerake gets him two. Del Rio fights back with an armbreaker for two, and he passes to Ziggler to put the boots to Randy. Dolph with an elbowdrop for two, and he grounds Orton in a chinlock from there. Orton fights him off with a pop-up flapjack, and both men tag - Miz and Barrett in. Miz runs wild on Wade, and a Russian facebuster finishes Barrett at 15:55. Del Rio rushes in, but gets caught with a DDT for two right away. Miz keeps coming, but Del Rio manages to duck a clothesline, and hook a bridging German suplex for two. Nicely executed, too. Del Rio goes to the middle, but Miz knocks him off before he can dive. Miz tries a corner dropkick, but misses, and Del Rio blasts him with a roundhouse kick at 17:04. The heels use their two-on-one advantage to dominate Orton from there, but Randy manages the RKO on Del Rio at 20:49. RKO on Ziggler, but Dolph blocks, and lands a Zig Zag for two. Randy fights back with a rope-hung DDT, and he gears up for a punt, but Ziggler plays possum, and superkicks him at 23:31.

Survivor: Dolph Ziggler

Fine and dandy like sweet cotton candy. **

Main Event: WWE Title Triple Threat Match: CM Punk v John Cena v Ryback: First fall wins here. Everyone beats up on Punk to start, but Punk manages to fight off a Ryback ‘roid rage with a leg lariat for two. Cena sneaks up on Punk with a schoolboy for two, but Punk fights him off with a DDT for two. Punk goes to a Muta lock, but Ryback saves, and front-powerslams the champ. Cena wants to add a Five Knuckle Shuffle, but Ryback objects, and they slug it out. Punk pulls John out of the ring to whip into the steps, and CM heads back in to ground Ryback in a chinlock. Ryback escapes, and levels Punk with a lariat, but Cena blocks a modified musclebuster on Punk’s behalf. John takes Ryback to the mat for an STF, but Punk breaks it up. Well, that’s just rude. Everyone slugs it out, and Ryback cleans house. Ryback hops out to try putting both through an announce table, but they work together to reverse. Inside, Cena goes on the comeback trail, and a Shuffle on Punk sets up the Attitude Adjustment, but CM counters to the GTS for two. John comes back with an AA for two, so Punk tries a roundhouse kick, but Cena ducks. Cena tries for the STF, but Punk blocks, and delivers a kneesmash in the corner. Ryback returns, and hits both guys with the musclebuster, when the Shield (unnamed, in their debut) run in on Ryback. With Ryback out of the way, Punk covers Cena at 17:57. *

BUExperience: You can skip this. You should skip this. 

DUD