411’s Instant Access 11.21.10: WWE Survivor Series 2010

Hey kids, I’m Scott, and this is 411’s Instant Access: WWE Survivor Series 2010. 411’s Instant Access is the companion piece to 411 Live Pay-Per-View Coverage and features immediate reaction to wrestling pay-per-views. The focus in Instant Access is on first thoughts and initial reactions instead of play-by-play with the goal of providing you with instant access to one two THREE writers’ thoughts on the show. Here’s the team for Survivor Series:

• Scott Slimmer, author of Don’t Think Twice.
• Jeremy Thomas, editor of Wrestling’s 4R’s and author of The Hush-Hush News Report.
• Mike Uphoff, author emeritus of 411’s WWE Smackdown Report.

Okay kids, enough with the explanations. Let’s get to the wrestling.

United States Championship Match
Daniel Bryan (Champion) vs. Ted DiBiase w/ Maryse
Match Result: Daniel Bryan defeats Ted DiBiase with the LeBell Lock.
Match Length: 9:56
Match Analysis:
Slimmer: It seemed like a safe bet that either the United States Championship Match or the Intercontinental Championship Match would open the show, and in this case Daniel Bryan once again got the nod. Bryan’s recent string of high-quality pay-per-view matches have restored some measure of credibility to the United States Championship, but he just wasn’t able to coax that caliber of match out of Ted DiBiase. Don’t get me wrong; this was certainly a good match. It just wasn’t up to Bryan’s recent standard, and I do have to believe that the blame lies with Ted DiBiase. DiBiase is a promising young star, but from an in-ring standpoint he simply isn’t at the same level as Daniel Bryan, Dolph Ziggler, or Kaval. I do believe that DiBiase will improve with time, and working with guys like Daniel Bryan will certainly help him progress. However, for the moment, having Daniel Bryan retain the belt was definitely the right decision. I’d be happy to see Bryan continue to feud with DiBiase in order to continue to help DiBiase improve in the ring, but there have been rumors that a feud with David Otunga may be looming in Bryan’s future.
Thomas: And so Daniel Bryan continues his run of opening WWE PPV’s, which is perfect placement for him as he always delivers. This wasn’t the thrill-a-minute matches we’ve seen from him, but it had good psychology and storytelling and was probably one of the better matches we’ve seen from DiBiase. The match got a decent amount of time, allowing Bryan and DiBiase to put on a solid match that probably could have been better in terms of getting the crowd involved but still entertained perfectly well. Miz coming out after the match was a nice touch to play on the old Bryan/Miz rivalry and it let Miz have his promo time to tease the Money in the Bank cash-in. I would have liked a bit more to it, but what we got was just fine.
Uphoff: This was a great choice for the opener, and it did not disappoint. I was really hoping for a good match between the two, considering the talent involved. I was disappointed, however, at the lack of a build-up to the match, but whatever. This match was great from to start to finish. Each man performed admirably, and DiBiase really showed an aggressive side that he’s been lacking these past few weeks. The match was off-the-charts entertainment with both men providing great shows of technical wrestling. I would definitely love to see a rematch.
Match Rating:
Slimmer: ***¼
Thomas: **½
Uphoff: ***¼
Average Match Rating: ***

John Morrison vs. Sheamus
Match Result: John Morrison defeats Sheamus with a flying knee.
Match Length: 11:14
Match Analysis:
Slimmer: I didn’t expect this match to be anything much past passable, but Morrison and Sheamus put on a remarkably fast-paced and enthralling match. This match also gave me quite a bit of hope for the future of WWE. First, we’ve seen Sheamus in main-event matches for months, but we’ve hardly even seen him in mid-card matches. The fact that he can stay motivated in a mid-card match and put on a better performance than he did in many of his main-event matches demonstrates that he really does have the passion for this business that will be crucial to his long-term success. Second, Morrison ability to bring out the best in Sheamus while finding a way to seamlessly blend his style with Sheamus’ style shows that Morrison is the kind of talent that could have success working with a wide variety of opponents. The fact that Morrison actually got the win may also indicate that WWE if finally thinking about seriously pushing him. This was a solid match on its own, but the fact that it seemingly showcased the future of WWE really made it a joy to watch.
Thomas: This was a better match than I thought it would be. I was concerned that Morrison wouldn’t mesh well with Sheamus but they handled the match just fine and worked to their strengths well. Morrison put Sheamus over but selling well for him but got the win, which hopefully will lead to that push he’s been on the verge of for quite some time. I thought this was laid out well and while it certainly wasn’t anything must-see, it kept me interested throughout which earns it some props for going above and beyond what I imagined we’d see.
Uphoff: This was an interesting mid-card match that I hoped would get a lot of time. Both men put on a good match, and Sheamus and Morrison have some unique styles that meshed together pretty well. I don’t necessarily agree with the result, but both men put in a good effort. Sheamus working the leg on Morrison was a nice touch as well. It remains to be seen where they go from here.
Match Rating:
Slimmer: ***½
Thomas: **¾
Uphoff: **½
Average Match Rating: ***

Intercontinental Championship Match
Dolph Ziggler (Champion) w/ Vickie Guerrero vs. Kaval
Match Result: Dolph Ziggler defeats Kaval with a roll-up pin.
Match Length: 9:36
Match Analysis:
Slimmer: The United States Championship Match and the Intercontinental Championship Match were definitely the two matches that I was most looking forward to tonight. The United States Championship Match was definitely good, but it was this Intercontinental Championship match that really stole the show. Dolph Ziggler looked like gold in his recent series of matches against Daniel Bryan, and tonight he had the chance to work with another “internet darling” in Kaval. Ziggler once again stepped up his game and showed that he can have a great match with a wide variety of opponents, and Kaval proved that he can definitely adapt to the WWE style while still retaining the most exciting aspects of his repertoire. Some will say that having Kaval use his championship opportunity for a shot at the Intercontinental Championship and then having him not even win the title makes him look foolish or weak, but I have to believe that giving Kaval PPV exposure and allowing him to showcase his unique talents did a world of good for him at this stage in his WWE career. Both Ziggler and Kaval look better after this match than they did before it, and that’s exactly what you want out of effective booking. I would love to see these two guys continue to feud for another month or two, because I have to believe that they could put together one or two more incredible matches.
Thomas: I really enjoyed this match. Kaval and Dolph work very well together and they pulled out some great stops for this match. Dolph is someone who has really come into his own and I don’t mind that Kaval didn’t win the title here since he hasn’t been built up with enough credibility to take the title. They protected him in the loss too, which I imagine means that we’ll be seeing a rematch sometime soon. A storyline and feud is exactly what Kaval needs and based on what we saw here, I think we should be able to get some very good matches out of it.
Uphoff: I really wanted to see this match, although I expected to see Ziggler retain after what happened on Smackdown. We had the chance to see Low Ki and Bryan Danielson become champions in the WWE, and we almost got it. These two worked an insanely paced match that saw Low Ki just do some fucking insane crap. The kicks that he leveled Ziggler with were amazing. Ziggler has really stepped up these past several months with a lot of quality efforts, and this was no different. He made Ki look like he belonged, and really made it look like he had a chance to win the Intercontinental Title. Like the opener, I would definitely love to see a rematch.
Match Rating:
Slimmer: ****
Thomas: ***½
Uphoff: ***¼
Average Match Rating: ***½

Traditional Survivor Series 5-on-5 Elimination Match
Team Mysterio (Rey Mysterio, The Big Show, Kofi Kingston, MVP, & Chris Masters) vs. Team Del Rio (Alberto Del Rio, Jack Swagger, Drew McIntyre, Cody Rhodes, & Tyler Reks)
Match Result: The Big Show defeats Drew McIntyre with the Choke Slam. (Survivors: The Big Show and Rey Mysterio)
Match Length: 18:12
Match Analysis:
Slimmer: Honestly, WWE has gotten so good at these multi-man elimination tag team matches that it really is difficult to have one be a disappointment. Most traditional Survivor Series matches don’t have tremendous long-term booking implications, but they’re almost always a ton of fun. That was definitely the case here. This match was exactly what it should have been, and everybody loves to see Big Show and Rey Mysterio celebrating in the ring at the end of the match. However, I do have two complaints about the build to this match. First, the build to this specific match was almost non-existent. The match was only announced on television two days ago, and both of the teams seem to have been somewhat haphazardly assembled. Second, the fact that we’ve already seen big multi-man elimination tag team matches at both SummerSlam and Bragging Rights this year somewhat diminished the novelty of featuring this type of match at Survivor Series. WWE has seemingly become dedicated to segregating specific types of matches in specific pay-per-views (Elimination Chamber, Money in the Bank, Hell in a Cell, TLC, etc.), so I don’t see why they feel the need to use these traditional Survivor Series matches so liberally. But like I said, the match was a ton of fun, and I suppose that’s what really matters the most. It’s safe to assume that at least some of the guys in this match will continue to feud with each other as we move forward, but that has more to do with the fact that half of the SmackDown roster was in this match than it does with anything that actually happened in the match itself.
Thomas: This was a proficient match to be sure, but I didn’t find it particularly to my liking for whatever reason. First off, how the hell does Del Rio not get eliminated? That’s pretty bone-headed on the ref’s part and I didn’t see him walk off to leave them or anything. With Del Rio gone that pretty much made it obvious who was going to win, and I did like the booking of the eliminations because it positioned Drew as the main non-Alberto guy on the heel side. There were some fun moments like Cody’s obsession with his face but they also slowed down the match a bit too much. This was a thrown-together Survivor Series-style match to protect Rey Rey and in that respect I’ll give it a pass.
Uphoff: This had a good build to the match and it really didn’t disappoint. All the people involved worked really well together and it was great to see everyone get to do their thing. I loved how the match at the beginning showcased Alberto del Rio’s overconfidence, and how it eventually became his downfall. Swagger looked great, and Rhodes’ moment where Kofi slapped him in the face was just AWESOME. All in all, everyone worked well together, and we got a pretty good elimination match out of it. I disagree with the result, as I think Alberto del Rio’s team should have won, but in the grand scheme of things, it doesn’t really matter.
Match Rating:
Slimmer: ***½
Thomas: **½
Uphoff: ***
Average Match Rating: ***

2-on-1 Handicap Match for the Divas Championship
LayCool (Champions) vs. Natalya
Match Result: Natalya defeats Michelle McCool with the Sharpshooter.
Match Length: 3:37
Match Analysis:
Slimmer: I like Natalya, and I’m glad to see her finally win the Divas Championship. She deserves it. However, having her defeat both Michelle McCool and Layla in less than four minutes after losing to them individually on previous pay-per-views makes this victory look more like a fluke than the culmination of a victorious journey. This match was theoretically the big blow-off to Natalya’s months-long feud with LayCool, and yet it was less exciting than any of the matches that led up to it. From a purely Machiavellian point of view, I do like the fact that Natalya is now the Divas Champion. I just wish that the road she took to get here had been more meaningful.
Thomas: There was nowhere else for them to go here but to give the title to Natalya. I had issues with this match right from the get-go as the Diva qualities came out right away with the rolling around on the ground, but they picked it up a bit after. Nattie wasn’t used to the potential that she has, but in all honesty this was just a way to get the belts off Lay-Cool and sell the angle of Beth’s return. Meh, whatever works, I suppose.
Uphoff: This was an okay match. I knew it wasn’t going to be anything special, and it was decent. Natalya winning the title is cool, as she can definitely put on some good matches in the ring.
Match Rating:
Slimmer: *¼
Thomas: *¼
Uphoff: *¼
Average Match Rating: *¼

World Heavyweight Championship Match
Kane (Champion) vs. Edge
Match Result: Draw due to both men pinning each other simultaneously.
Match Length: 12:53
Match Analysis:
Slimmer: I’m glad that Kane has finally been rewarded with a lengthy championship run after serving this company loyally for more than a decade. But DAMN, this title reign needs to end, because Kane’s PPV matches as champion are all blurring together into a boring gray haze. Edge can have a good match with damn near anybody, but this match just seemed tired and somewhat pointless throughout. I defended the trilogy of matches between Kane and the Undertaker, because I did enjoy the spectacle of seeing two giant monsters beat each other without remorse. But even I can’t find the redeeming value in this match. Having the match end with such a clichéd bullshit ending only served as another nail in the proverbial coffin. The fact that this match didn’t have a real finish, coupled with the fact that Edge is still seemingly holding Paul Bearer hostage, almost certainly means that this feud will continue until TLC next month. I can’t believe that Kane and Edge would be booked in either or TLC Match or a Ladder Match, so look for them to settle the score in either a Chair Match or a Table Match. The choice of gimmick for championship matches at TLC often tends to be based on some dramatic event in the preceding feud, so I would assume that Edge is going to use either chairs or tables as he continues to torment Kane’s poor daddy.
Thomas: Wow, was this dull. I was actually looking forward to this because I like both Edge and Kane, but this just didn’t do it at all for me. The match was slower than it should have been and both guys just didn’t seem to be giving it their all. The finish was stupid as well; I hate the “shocking double pin” finishes because it’s the ultimate non-finish. Paul is still missing and no definitive winner was worked out, so this feud will continue through to Money in the Bank. I just hope they can do something better next time around.
Uphoff: This had a really good build to it, with Edge getting the better of Kane by kidnapping Paul Bearer. I knew that this wasn’t going to be a great match; all I wanted to be was entertained by it, and I was. Both men put in a solid effort; the only thing I have against the match is the finish. However, I can almost predict that there will be a rematch at TLC, and I am looking forward to that. It was all right, but I wanted more from the main championship match for SmackDown.
Match Rating:
Slimmer: **
Thomas: **
Uphoff: **
Average Match Rating: **

WWE Tag Team Championship Match
Justin Gabriel & Heath Slater (Champions) vs. Santino Marella & Vladimir Kozlov
Match Result: Heath Slater defeats Santino Marella with a jumping neckbreaker.
Match Length: 5:10
Match Analysis:
Slimmer: This match had no business being on pay-per-view. Seriously, this might have been a passable match on Raw, but it was just pointless on PPV. However, there were two silver linings here. First, Santino was given the opportunity to showcase a bit more of his actual wrestling skill. It’s hard to deny that he’s charismatic and entertaining on the mic, but I’m glad to see that he may once again be given the chance to show that he’s not totally useless in the ring. Second, the fact that Santino and Kozlov have used up their championship opportunity at least means that we won’t have to suffer through a prolonged build to what would inevitably be a disappointing match anyway. I really do like all four guys in this match, and I know that they are all capable of much better matches than we saw tonight. I just don’t know why WWE felt the need to waste them in a short, forgettable match on an already crowded PPV card.
Thomas: This actually got more time than I figured; I thought it would be a nice, short Nexus squash to sell the danger of the stable and the idea that Barrett might be able to take home the win. I like Santino’s comedy and I’ve always thought his tag team with Kozlov had potential, but this just didn’t click and I was bored throughout it.
Uphoff: This was actually better than I thought it would be. Santino played his comedic role very well, and was actually really good in the ring. Koslov did well in his role as well, and Nexus did what they did best. We got a pretty decent match out of it, which was all I wanted.
Match Rating:
Slimmer: *½
Thomas: *½
Uphoff: **
Average Match Rating: *¾

WWE Championship Match
Randy Orton (Champion) vs. Wade Barrett
Match Result: Randy Orton defeats Wade Barrett with the RKO.
Match Length: 15:18
Match Analysis:
Slimmer: This was by far the most hyped match on the card. Heck, this was almost the most hyped match since WrestleMania. Everyone wanted to know what was going to happen at the end of this match. However, the result was that the first fifteen minutes of the match seemed like nothing more than a way to pass time until it was time for the big reveal. It really wouldn’t have mattered if Orton and Barrett had put together a five star classic or an epic dud; this match was all about the finish. What Orton and Barrett did give us was a decent though not necessarily memorable match that did a fine job of letting the clock go tick tock until the finish arrived. And then it happened. Cena counted the 1-2-3, Randy Orton retained the WWE Championship, and Cena was fired from WWE forever. That sounds like it should have been a historic moment in WWE history. That sounds like it should have sent chills down your spine. That sounds like one of those rare instances when this industry is able to craft a moment that will live forever. The only problem is that no one reading this column believes it for a damn second. Yes, there may be some children and a few true marks that actually believe John Cena is gone from WWE forever. But I have to believe that most fans simply aren’t buying it. And the fact that we all know John Cena will return sooner or later (or maybe even tomorrow night) means that this match and this entire feud are more than a bit pointless. Moreover, the bigger problem moving forward is that the focus will not be on either WWE Champion Randy Orton or on Wade Barrett and the Nexus. Whether WWE wants to admit it or not, we’ve just begun Cena Watch 2010. Will he stay away a day? A week? A whole month? Can he possibly hide his face until it’s time for a dramatic return as the final entrant in the Royal Rumble? You know you’ve booked yourself into a corner when your world title scene is dominated by a guy that you’ve just told the fans is never again going to appear on your programming. Cena Watch 2010 currently stands at 2 hours. We’ll see how long it lasts.
Thomas: This was all about the angle of course, and Cena did just fine in his role. The match between Orton and Barrett was about what we’ve seen of them before; competent, but not thrilling. It was also a ton shorter than I figured it would be, and in the end we got exactly what the “safe” choice was in having Cena screw Barrett and give up his job. Of course we’ll either see him back when his next movie is done filming, have the whole thing get reversed by the anonymous GM, have Barrett not fire Cena so he can torment him some more or have Cena be the outsider buying tickets at ringside to screw the Nexus. I’m not that enthused by any of those.
Uphoff: This had just a fantastic build to it. The promos before the PPV and right before the match were absolutely amazing. I knew this wasn’t going to be a technical classic; with the people involved, it wasn’t going to happen. We got an enjoyable match out of it that was made better by the crowd. All the uncertainty about what Cena was going to do also played into the match and made it a little better as well. That being said, I hated the after-match ending. I don’t want to say it was anticlimactic; it just seemed…pedestrian. I guess I expected more out of the WWE. I’m guessing Cena needs some time off, and he’ll be back around the Royal Rumble or Elimination Chamber. I would eat my own ass if he went to TNA, like some people in the bar I was watching the PPV at said he would. Vince would give Cena the company before he would let Cena go. It was pretty good, but for the all the build that this match had, I was slightly disappointed.
Match Rating:
Slimmer: ***
Thomas: **½
Uphoff: ***
Average Match Rating: **¾

Final Thoughts

Match of the Night:
Slimmer: Dolph Ziggler vs. Kaval (****)
Remember when the Intercontinental Championship was all about mid-carders trying to make their name, prove their worth, and steal the damn show? Well the glory days are back, because that’s exactly what Dolph Ziggler and Kaval did tonight. I had a feeling that either the United States Championship Match or the Intercontinental Championship Match would be the Match of the Night, and tonight it was Ziggler and Kaval that got the best of Bryan and DiBiase. However, the fact that I was looking forward to both matches just goes to show how far a talented crop of new mid-cards has gone to rebuild the credibility of two belts that had at one point become afterthoughts in WWE.
Thomas: Dolph Ziggler vs. Kaval (***½)
Kaval and Dolph went out there and busted their asses, proving that Kaval needs a higher spot in the card and that Dolph’s title reign is richly deserved.
Uphoff: Daniel Bryan vs. Ted DiBiase (***¼) / Dolph Ziggler vs. Kaval (***¼)
Both matches were equally entertaining and in my mind the best matches of the night.

Trash of the Night:
Slimmer: Kane vs. Edge (**)
The match was boring but not necessarily all that bad in and of itself, but the finish was what sealed the deal here. It’s been a while since we’ve seen this kind of bullshit finish on PPV, and I hope it’s a long time until we see it again. I rated both the Divas Championship Match and the WWE Tag Team Championship Match lower than this match, but I also expected far less from those matches. This match should have at least been passable, and it certainly should have had something that resembled a real finish.
Thomas: Kane vs. Edge (**)
These guys are capable of so much more, and they just sort of half-assed it. I expected far, far better from them.
Uphoff: None
Nothing really warranted being called trash of the night. All matches delivered in one way or the other.

Final Analysis:
Slimmer: This was a show that looked like a lot of fun on paper, but I feel as though poor planning lead to a very underwhelming result. The first four matches were all somewhere between good and great, and the result was the strongest opening hour and a half that I can recall on a WWE PPV in quite some time. Unfortunately, it was all downhill from there. The Divas Championship Match and WWE Tag Team Championship Match were used solely as buffers between more high-profile matches, and the world title matches both bordered on being boring. The sole highlight of the second half of the show was the finish to the WWE Championship Match, and even that was underwhelming due to the fact that none of us actually believe John Cena is really gone from WWE forever. If these eight matches had been properly ordered, then this show could have had a much more consistent and engaging pace. However, as it was, the show really seemed to end after only ninety minutes.
Thomas: The first half of this show was very promising and delivered good matches, even in the Sheamus/Morrison match that I had apprehensions about and the Survivor Series match that wasn’t great but had some fun times. After that, the show went downhill and never recovered. Your main event matches should be the ones that excel while your lower card ones get you by, not the reverse. I wanted to like this more than I did, and in the end I have to give it a mild thumbs down.
Uphoff: : It was tough for me to give this PPV an overall rating, because there wasn’t one standout match that was really good. However, there was no standout match that was really bad or just bad. What set this PPV above the past couple efforts by WWE in my mind is the promos and videos that were done for the main event. Every match even had some build, and there was something for everyone to enjoy on the PPV. I have to recommend this PPV for Danielson’s match and Low Ki’s match and the main event for obvious reasons, but beyond that, you’re really not missing anything. One of WWE’s best efforts all around in a long time.
Verdict:
Slimmer: **½
Thomas: **½
Uphoff: ***½
Average Verdict: **¾