TORONTO – At Survivor Series, Bray Wyatt and Randy Orton solidified a moment of brand supremacy for SmackDown LIVE, as The Viper sacrificed himself for The New Face of Fear in the 5-on-5 Traditional Survivor Series Men’s Elimination Match.
The stakes could not have been higher. The fierce competitors of Raw and SmackDown LIVE would battle until all of the other team’s opponents had been pinned, disqualified, counted out or forced to submit. It was no wonder that the tension had reached a fever pitch as WWE Universal Champion Kevin Owens, United States Champion Roman Reigns, Chris Jericho, Braun Strowman and Seth Rollins represented Raw against WWE World Champion AJ Styles, Dean Ambrose, Bray Wyatt, Randy Orton and SmackDown LIVE Commissioner Shane McMahon, with Team Blue’s official “mascot,” James Ellsworth, watching on.
Team Raw (Reigns, Rollins, Owens, Jericho & Strowman) take on Team SmackDown LIVE (Shane McMahon, Ambrose, Orton, Styles & Wyatt): Courtesy of the award-winning WWE Network.
The showdown began with both teams making frequent tags while attempting to find a weak link in the opposition’s collective armor. Eventually, Team Raw took charge and closed off Shane McMahon from his squad, then proceeded to unleash enormous abuse on the SmackDown LIVE Commissioner. Dean Ambrose soon managed to relieve him, but a cheap shot on The Lunatic Fringe ignited an all-out brawl both inside and outside the ring. Shockingly, the melee culminated in SmackDown LIVE teammates Styles and Ambrose to start fighting each other. When The Phenomenal One blasted The Lunatic Fringe from behind, he opened the door for Raw’s Strowman to eliminate Ambrose.
At that point, Strowman began to single-handedly decimate Team SmackDown LIVE, which quickly led to an even more interesting staredown against his former leader, Bray Wyatt. The abominable Strowman then proceeded to take down Wyatt, his own teammate Jericho and anyone else who got in his way.
Orton eventually hit Strowman with an RKO outta nowhere onto the announce table, with a battle-weary Shane-O-Mac adding an earth-shattering Flying Elbow off the top of the ring post. Though Shane would have to be carried back into the ring to avoid being counted out, Strowman was prevented from doing likewise, thanks to Team Blue’s mascot. Hiding underneath the ring, Ellsworth somehow managed to hold onto the Raw brute’s leg long enough for the official to count him out. Incensed, the newly eliminated Strowman stalked Ellsworth up the ramp, then hurled him off the stage and through a table.
Back in the ring, Shane once again endured a great deal of punishment at the hands of his Raw opponents, yet he refused to give in. Soon, Styles tagged himself back into the action and began to mix it up with Jericho. However, when Styles knocked Owens off the ring apron, The Prizefighter opted to blast him with Jericho’s infamous List — a move that earned him a disqualification. Worse, while a panicked Jericho attempted to pick up the pieces of his disheveled pages, Orton hit him with an RKO, sending the six-time World Champion following his best friend to the back.
WWE World Champion AJ Styles, Dean Ambrose, Shane McMahon, Randy Orton and Bray Wyatt represent SmackDown LIVE against Team Raw's WWE Universal Champion Kevin Owens, Chris Jericho, Braun Strowman, Seth Rollins and U.S. Champion Roman Reigns in a 5-on-5 Traditional Survivor Series Men’s Elimination Match.
The action continued to intensify as only Reigns and Rollins remained to battle Wyatt, Orton, Styles and McMahon. Yet, when Shane-O-Mac tried to go Coast-to-Coast, The Big Dog recovered and caught him with a midair Spear so devastating, the referee ruled that Shane was unable to continue. While officials helped the SmackDown LIVE Commissioner to the back, order completely broke down once more as Ambrose suddenly re-emerged from nowhere and unleashed an assault of pure retribution on “The Champ that Runs the Camp.” When security tried to regain order, Reigns and Rollins came to Ambrose’s aid, and the former Shield brothers temporarily reunited to deliver a Triple Powerbomb on Styles. Rollins then rolled the war-torn WWE World Champion into the ring and pinned him, and just like that, the match was down to two men on each side.
Those numbers didn’t last long, though. As Rollins and Reigns turned their attention to Orton and Wyatt, Luke Harper suddenly emerged and gave The Wyatts a brief numbers advantage. Reigns and Rollins continued to battle tough, yet as The Architect climbed up top to finish a staggered Eater of Worlds, he instead ate a midair RKO from The Viper that left him unable to kick out of a cover by Wyatt.
Reigns was left to face both Orton and Wyatt all by himself, with Harper still lurking in the wings. Nevertheless, The Big Dog was able to overcome the odds, and in fact was primed to take down Wyatt with a Spear. However, at the last second, Orton pushed the Wyatt patriarch out of the way, taking the full force of the Spear himself – and in turn, allowing The Eater of Worlds to hit Reigns with Sister Abigail for the huge victory.
Indeed, SmackDown LIVE picked up a crucial triumph on a night that was arguably Raw-dominant. However, considering that it was The New Face of Fear and The Viper who delivered the victory, will it be Team Blue that ultimately pays the price? Find out Tuesday night at 8/7 C on USA Network.
TORONTO – At Survivor Series, Bray Wyatt and Randy Orton solidified a moment of brand supremacy for SmackDown LIVE, as The Viper sacrificed himself for The New Face of Fear in the 5-on-5 Traditional Survivor Series Men’s Elimination Match.
The stakes could not have been higher. The fierce competitors of Raw and SmackDown LIVE would battle until all of the other team’s opponents had been pinned, disqualified, counted out or forced to submit. It was no wonder that the tension had reached a fever pitch as WWE Universal Champion Kevin Owens, United States Champion Roman Reigns, Chris Jericho, Braun Strowman and Seth Rollins represented Raw against WWE World Champion AJ Styles, Dean Ambrose, Bray Wyatt, Randy Orton and SmackDown LIVE Commissioner Shane McMahon, with Team Blue’s official “mascot,” James Ellsworth, watching on.
Team Raw (Reigns, Rollins, Owens, Jericho & Strowman) take on Team SmackDown LIVE (Shane McMahon, Ambrose, Orton, Styles & Wyatt): Courtesy of the award-winning WWE Network.
The showdown began with both teams making frequent tags while attempting to find a weak link in the opposition’s collective armor. Eventually, Team Raw took charge and closed off Shane McMahon from his squad, then proceeded to unleash enormous abuse on the SmackDown LIVE Commissioner. Dean Ambrose soon managed to relieve him, but a cheap shot on The Lunatic Fringe ignited an all-out brawl both inside and outside the ring. Shockingly, the melee culminated in SmackDown LIVE teammates Styles and Ambrose to start fighting each other. When The Phenomenal One blasted The Lunatic Fringe from behind, he opened the door for Raw’s Strowman to eliminate Ambrose.
At that point, Strowman began to single-handedly decimate Team SmackDown LIVE, which quickly led to an even more interesting staredown against his former leader, Bray Wyatt. The abominable Strowman then proceeded to take down Wyatt, his own teammate Jericho and anyone else who got in his way.
Orton eventually hit Strowman with an RKO outta nowhere onto the announce table, with a battle-weary Shane-O-Mac adding an earth-shattering Flying Elbow off the top of the ring post. Though Shane would have to be carried back into the ring to avoid being counted out, Strowman was prevented from doing likewise, thanks to Team Blue’s mascot. Hiding underneath the ring, Ellsworth somehow managed to hold onto the Raw brute’s leg long enough for the official to count him out. Incensed, the newly eliminated Strowman stalked Ellsworth up the ramp, then hurled him off the stage and through a table.
Back in the ring, Shane once again endured a great deal of punishment at the hands of his Raw opponents, yet he refused to give in. Soon, Styles tagged himself back into the action and began to mix it up with Jericho. However, when Styles knocked Owens off the ring apron, The Prizefighter opted to blast him with Jericho’s infamous List — a move that earned him a disqualification. Worse, while a panicked Jericho attempted to pick up the pieces of his disheveled pages, Orton hit him with an RKO, sending the six-time World Champion following his best friend to the back.
WWE World Champion AJ Styles, Dean Ambrose, Shane McMahon, Randy Orton and Bray Wyatt represent SmackDown LIVE against Team Raw's WWE Universal Champion Kevin Owens, Chris Jericho, Braun Strowman, Seth Rollins and U.S. Champion Roman Reigns in a 5-on-5 Traditional Survivor Series Men’s Elimination Match.
The action continued to intensify as only Reigns and Rollins remained to battle Wyatt, Orton, Styles and McMahon. Yet, when Shane-O-Mac tried to go Coast-to-Coast, The Big Dog recovered and caught him with a midair Spear so devastating, the referee ruled that Shane was unable to continue. While officials helped the SmackDown LIVE Commissioner to the back, order completely broke down once more as Ambrose suddenly re-emerged from nowhere and unleashed an assault of pure retribution on “The Champ that Runs the Camp.” When security tried to regain order, Reigns and Rollins came to Ambrose’s aid, and the former Shield brothers temporarily reunited to deliver a Triple Powerbomb on Styles. Rollins then rolled the war-torn WWE World Champion into the ring and pinned him, and just like that, the match was down to two men on each side.
Those numbers didn’t last long, though. As Rollins and Reigns turned their attention to Orton and Wyatt, Luke Harper suddenly emerged and gave The Wyatts a brief numbers advantage. Reigns and Rollins continued to battle tough, yet as The Architect climbed up top to finish a staggered Eater of Worlds, he instead ate a midair RKO from The Viper that left him unable to kick out of a cover by Wyatt.
Reigns was left to face both Orton and Wyatt all by himself, with Harper still lurking in the wings. Nevertheless, The Big Dog was able to overcome the odds, and in fact was primed to take down Wyatt with a Spear. However, at the last second, Orton pushed the Wyatt patriarch out of the way, taking the full force of the Spear himself – and in turn, allowing The Eater of Worlds to hit Reigns with Sister Abigail for the huge victory.
Indeed, SmackDown LIVE picked up a crucial triumph on a night that was arguably Raw-dominant. However, considering that it was The New Face of Fear and The Viper who delivered the victory, will it be Team Blue that ultimately pays the price? Find out Tuesday night at 8/7 C on USA Network.
