Team SmackDown def. Team Raw & Team NXT (Men’s Survivor Series Elimination Triple Threat Match)

CHICAGO — Roman Reigns survived his own team captain and an amazing performance by NXT’s Keith Lee to bring home the win for Team SmackDown in an instant Survivor Series classic. 

Braun Strowman set the tone for Team Blue, shrugging off a double-team attack from Raw’s Seth Rollins and NXT’s Tommaso Ciampa. Drew McIntyre and WALTER then tagged in for a three-way showdown full of welts. McIntyre scored the first elimination by hitting WALTER with a Claymore. 

Although Team Raw entered the bout with questions surrounding Kevin Owens’ loyalty, KO added to Raw’s advantage with a Frog Splash to pin Shorty G before going on a rampage on the outside that ended with Ciampa planting Owens with a DDT. 

The eliminations then came fast. Randy Ortona got his 16th all-time by RKO’ing Damian Priest from NXT, but he was then rolled up by Matt Riddle. The Viper then attacked The Bro to help SmackDown’s captain, King Corbin, vulture the elimination.

Strowman was out next thanks to a count-out caused by McIntyre’s Claymore and Ricochet joined him after Corbin’s End of Days. Mustafa Ali tagged in, but Corbin didn’t appreciate his boldness, and yelled at Ali until Rollins Stomped the distracted Chicago-native.

With only two members remaining for each squad, Reigns intercepted a Claymore to eliminate McIntyre, then responded to Corbin’s complaints of “not pulling his weight” by helping Ciampa eliminate his own captain. Former Shield brother Rollins and Reigns briefly united to eliminate Ciampa, bringing the action to only one member for each squad. 

Keith Lee from NXT put on a masterful performance, kicking out of Rollins’ Frog Splash and hitting a Jackhammer to pin the Raw captain. He continued his roll by kicking out of two Superman Punches, but Lee’s moonsault attempt came up empty, leaving him exposed for a decisive Spear from Reigns. 

Reigns paid Lee respect for the fight, as SmackDown cut into NXT’s lead for the night.