WWE Survivor Series 2005

WWE Survivor Series 2005

Detroit, MI - November 2005

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into this event, the World Heavyweight Champion was Batista and the WWE Champion was John Cena. Kane and Big Show were the World Tag Team Champions, while MNM (Joey Mercury and Johnny "Nitro" Morrison) were the WWE Tag Team Champions. The Intercontinental Champion was Ric Flair and the United States Champion was vacant. Finally, the Cruiserweight Champion was Juventud Guerrera and the Women's Champion was Trish Stratus.

Chris Benoit vs. Booker T opens up the show, the first match (?) in their Best of Seven series. Booker's real-life wife, Sharmell, was now his manager and they had great chemistry, though it wouldn't peak until Booker became King Booker the next year (my favorite singles run of his). This is one of those matches, like much of Benoit's output in the last few years of his life, I'd point to as being better-remembered that it actually was. Benoit was consistently good, could execute as well as anyone, and never half-assed anything...but it didn't always make for thrilling matches. Here, he and Booker have a good contest, but it seems almost pedestrian and rote at times, a really good version of a paint-by-numbers match that both guys, with their experience and chemistry, could have without really thinking about it. The best part, to me, was the finish, just because it introduced the concept that Booker was turning fully heel as he has to cheat to get the W. (2.5/5)

Before the next match, there was a segment in which Vince McMahon used the n-word. Yeah. That one. It is edited out of the Peacock version. Interestingly, there seems to be some other moments that were edited out of the Peacock version as the Benoit/Booker match also has some weird "blackout" moments. Maybe they had something to do with the verbiage being used to describe Benoit?

Back in the ring, Melina takes on Trish Stratus in an inter-promotional match. This match was not as technically crisp as the opener, but I daresay that I enjoyed it more. In terms of in-ring skill, this was around the time when many US fans, unversed in joshi wrestling or aware of what was happening on the indies in the 00s, considered Stratus to be the best women's wrestler in the world and maybe in WWE history. This match, while under 7 minutes, is a good example of why that argument could be made. Stratus brings tremendous spirit into every move and there are some good counters and reversals, even if at times it feels a bit overly choreographed. Trish's superfan (Mickie James) gets involved a bit, but their feud didn't really start up until a few weeks after this, building to a tremendous WrestleMania match in 2006. (2.5/5)

One of the more memorable matches of the night follows - Triple H vs. Ric Flair in a non-title Last Man Standing Match (Flair was the Intercontinental Champion). This feud was all about Triple H wanting to put the Nature Boy out of his misery, but Flair, who was 55 or 56 at the time, refused to retire. Triple H attacks Flair early and they brawl into the crowd, setting a hardcore tone to this match even before the bell could be rung. After moving back into the ring for a bit, Hunter grabs a screwdriver. Before he can even use it, Flair does a blade job and is bleeding all over the place. Triple H maintains control until he grabs a microphone, allowing Flair to catch him with a low blow. There was a time when the low blow wasn't Flair's most effective transition spot but that was at least 7-8 years before this match. Triple H sets up Flair for a pedigree on the announce table but Flair back body drops him through the Spanish table instead. Back in the ring they go and Triple H attempts another pedigree but Flair cuts him off with another low blow. Flair takes control of the match here and while his offense isn't exactly innovative, technical, or impressive, it is very much spirited and the crowd eats it up as he basically targets The Game's balls and legs. Flair gets the "visual pin" by applying the figure four with Triple H tapping out (which in this match means nothing). From here things went back-and-forth and we got some near-finishes as Triple H hit a pedigree to put Flair down for 8 and both guys used the steel steps to their advantage. Even after two more pedigrees, Flair wouldn't stay down, defiantly flipping the bird at his one-time best friend. At this point, Triple H grabbed his trusty sledgehammer and used it on Flair's back to get the win after a nearly 30-minute match. Some people really love this match and it is a bloody, violent brawl...but its also close to 30 minutes and a bit "one note." In a sense, it is the exact match one would expect these two guys to put on without a single original spot or truly suspenseful moment. Its for that reason I can't go a full 4 stars on this as, even if you're a huge fan of this era of Flair, he went on to have an equally brutal match with Foley not too long after this and, of course, a much more emotional match against Shawn Michaels a few years later. (3.5/5)

The World Heavyweight Championship is on the line next as John Cena defends the title against Kurt Angle. The story coming into this match is that Cena has the deck stacked against him with Angle hiring his own personal referee, Daivari, and Eric Bischoff hoping to get the title off Cena. What's maybe most interesting about this match - aside from the crowd being split 50/50, which isn't all that interesting for this era of Cena's run - but that this match is solidly an Angle match more than a "Cena match." Cena makes a cover early on that Daivari doesn't even bother counting and then, moments later, Angle applies the Ankle Lock but Daivari doesn't immediately call for the bell (which seems like what he would and could do, though I can understand the WWE not wanting to just rehash the Montreal Screwjob for the millionth time). Ignoring that lack of internal logic, I like that this match does lean in to the stipulation - with Cena almost getting himself DQ'd only for Angle to prevent it and then a whole slew of ref bumps that prove that, even with the ref in his pocket, Angle's anger issues (say that 5 times fast) and inability to maintain his composure are what has caused his undoing. Cena would get much better - his offense is milquetoast here - and he even seems to shrink a bit in the spotlight, something that wouldn't be the case a year later, but Angle's performance is enough to carry this match into good territory and keep the crowd engaged. I can fully understand that many critics would consider this match overbooked (and it is), but that's kind of the point too. (3/5)

Teddy Long takes on Eric Bischoff in a Battle of the GMs. Bischoff probably hated having to be made to look like a chump despite being an actual accomplished martial artist. This match and segment goes close to a full 10 minutes, which is about 7 too long. The Boogeyman shows up. I guess that earn it a half-point? (0.5/5)

Main event time - Team RAW (Shawn Michaels, Chris Masters, Carlito, Kane, and Big Show) vs. Team SmackDown (Batista, Randy Orton, Rey Mysterio, JBL and Bobby Lashley). Looking back at this match, it really does seem like SmackDown was the stacked roster with each of its members being a former or future World Champion and likely Hall of Famer. Meanwhile, two-out-of-five members of RAW's team were basically total flops who never got closer to the main event scene than this match. Some people regard this match as a bit of a hidden gem (Meltzer gave it 3.5 stars in the Observer and it has a solid 7.78 rating on Cagematch), but I wouldn't and won't go that far in singing its praises. What this match gets right is that it treats its biggest stars as stars. Nearly everybody has a chance to shine, though Mysterio and Michaels are the clear MVPs. I really liked the way guys like Big Show and Kane had to be put down through rapid-fire execution of multiple finishers rather than just having them eat a single big move from just one opponent. While I do tend to prefer big multi-man matches having some sort of car crash element, whether it be a big table spot or a match devolving into a melee that reaches all the way to the entranceway, this one's strength is in its simple story and quality execution, especially Shawn's stunning Sweet Chin Music elimination of an airborne Rey Mysterio, easily the best spot of the entire night. Speaking of Michaels, his detractors will likely see his ability to almost win a 3-on-1 match as yet another example of HBK being booked as a superman and while that usually would bother me, it worked here for a couple reasons, namely that Mysterio has always been portrayed as "beatable" by just about anybody at any time, JBL has also always been portrayed as a guy that is a formidable opponent but can be outsmarted (here he's eliminated when he unwisely opts to grab a chair and ends up getting it kicked into his own face), and, in the end, Michaels does fall prey to Randy Orton, who was on hot streak and had the deadliest finisher in the game (and arguably still does). After the match, Orton is hoisted upon the shoulders of various SmackDown heels, but his victory party is interrupted by The Undertaker who does come in and destroy a half dozen or so guys without breaking a sweat. Undertaker's return gets a huge ovation (there was even a chant for him earlier in the match) and he does look badass, but its still not enough for me to consider this a "must watch: match. (3/5)

I can see the argument that Survivor Series 2005 is a great show marred by one terrible match - Long vs. Bischoff - and the fact that 15 minutes of the event may be considered unwatchable due to the presence of Chris Benoit. But to me, the main event is overrated by Shawn Michaels superfans and the WWE Championship match is underwhelming (with the aforementioned Benoit match not being all that special even if you are comfortable watching his work). The match of the night is the 30-minute brawl between Triple H and Ric Flair and even that isn't something I'd consider "must see" or would find myself wanting to revisit. 

FINAL RATING - High Risk Maneuver