Babyface Bayley and Biggest Takeaways from WWE Survivor Series: WarGames 2023 Results

For the second straight year, WWE ditched brand supremacy at Survivor Series in favor of focusing on WarGames, and it was a smashing success once again.

Bianca Belair, Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair and Shotzi waged war with Damage CTRL in the first of the night's two cage matches, and it was the babyfaces who reigned supreme. More importantly, Bayley eating the pinfall loss gets her one step closer to breaking out as a babyface.

The highly anticipated return of Randy Orton was also among the biggest highlights as he teamed with other fan favorites from Raw against The Judgment Day in WarGames. The seeds planted throughout successfully set the stage through the remainder of 2023.

The rest of the show saw Gunther and Rhea Ripley retain their titles while Santos Escobar bested Dragon Lee in an exciting outing.

From an imminent babyface switch for Bayley to CM Punk's shock return, these are the top takeaways from this year's Survivor Series: WarGames.

Bayley Takes Major Step Toward Babyface Turn by Taking Bullet for Damage CTRL

With Damage CTRL recently recruiting Asuka and Kairi Sane, their dominance should have guaranteed them a win inside WarGames against some of WWE's favorite female Superstars.

Instead, the group came up short, with Becky Lynch scoring the deciding fall for her team and Bayley being the one who sacrificed herself by taking all of her opponents' signature moves.

It's been clear for weeks that the mastermind behind Damage CTRL is on the outs with the rest of the group, and this latest development means the turn is coming sooner rather than later.

Triple H has demonstrated so far as the head of WWE's creative direction that long-term storytelling is typically the route to take and that should be the case with Bayley's pending exile from the faction as well.

The ultimate endgame should be The Role Model returning to her roots as a babyface and battling Iyo Sky for the WWE Women's Championship closer to WrestleMania 40 season. She's spent long enough in the heel role that the moment will pack a punch when it eventually happens.

With the way she was showcased in WarGames, the rebuilding of Bayley is almost in full effect.

The Miz Can Continue to Thrive as a Babyface with the Right Booking

The Miz has always been more natural as a heel than a babyface, but the last few weeks have shown that a full-fledged face turn could breathe new life into his stagnant career.

That was again evident in his fun Intercontinental Championship clash with Gunther at Survivor Series where, despite losing in decisive fashion, he scored several suspenseful near-falls and had the crowd solidly behind him from start to finish.

Of course, The A-Lister cheated on multiple occasions to remind viewers that he's very much a bad guy at heart, but having him continue along this path would be beneficial to both him and the rest of the Raw roster.

The Miz has been booked like the ultimate stepping stone on Monday nights, and it would be a waste of his current momentum for him to revert to the same spot he was in prior to his program with Gunther.

More matches with The Ring General would be a fine way for him to close out the year, but beyond that, he should remain in a meaningful position on Raw while simultaneously using his credibility to elevate others.

Santos Escobar Further Proves He Has Main Event Heel Potential

The last-minute change with Dragon Lee filling in for Carlito against Santos Escobar led to a thrilling, fast-paced bout between the two and the heel going over.

Lee has made the most of every opportunity he's been afforded so far and was wisely made to look credible in defeat. If the rivalry resumes, he'll have even more chances to shine and showcase his skills inside the squared circle.

The grander focus was on Escobar and furthering his heel turn, which is already off to a stellar start. His victory gives him more legitimacy ahead of an eventual collision with new rival Rey Mysterio, which should be saved for the Road to WrestleMania.

It's too soon for Escobar to be elevated to the top of the card on SmackDown, but the heat he's garnered from his feud with the LWO and the work he's putting in has cemented his status as a star on the rise and as a future main event-level talent for WWE.

Rhea Ripley's Reign Won't Be in Jeopardy Until WrestleMania Season

Rhea Ripley's reign as women's world champion wasn't in much in jeopardy heading into Survivor Series. And following her emphatic victory over Zoey Stark in a hard-hitting affair, WrestleMania 40 remains the best possible place for her to be dethroned.

Raw boasts a deep, talented women's division, but there are few challengers credible enough to pose a legitimate threat any time soon.

The Eradicator should continue to have regular title defenses, even if the outcomes aren't in doubt, but all roads should lead to a marquee match at WrestleMania 40 against Becky Lynch.

The Man was busy winning WarGames for her team earlier in the evening and finds herself free of a feud coming out of the event, having wrapped up with her rivalry with Xia Li last week.

Ripley vs. Lynch is the biggest attraction Raw can book for the women's division and should be the endgame for the Women's World Championship.

WWE will need to put forth more of an effort to get the rest of the division on Ripley's level to fill the time effectively until The Show of Shows.

WWE Masters the Element of Surprise with Shocking CM Punk Return

WWE has delivered several sensational surprises over the years, but doing so in the circumstances fans witnessed with CM Punk at Survivor Series are incredibly difficult to come by.

In what could only be described as WWE's best-kept secret, Punk emerged in unexpected fashion mere months removed from his AEW departure and right after Randy Orton's big comeback was made to be the focal point of the PPV to steer fans in a different direction.

Speculation and reports are always running rampant, and mastering a return of that caliber is virtually impossible. It should be seen as a sign that the Triple H regime will give fans what they want more than ever before.

With Punk back in the fold, WWE now has two huge stars at its disposal ahead of WrestleMania 40, ideally spread across Raw and SmackDown.

Survivor Series through the Royal Rumble is traditionally a dull period for the company, but the presence of Punk and Orton injects excitement into the product and gives the audience plenty to look forward to.

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Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, WrestleRant, and subscribe to his YouTube channel for more wrestling-related content.