CM Punk, Judgment Day and the Real Winners and Losers from WWE Survivor Series 2023

Survivor Series: WarGames 2023 was focused upon the cage matches that opened and closed the show.

Becky Lynch picked up the win for her team over Damage CTRL, pinning Bayley with the help of partners Charlotte Flair, Bianca Belair and Shotzi. It is likely Iyo Sky, Asuka, Kairi Sane and Dakota Kai will kick The Role Model out for this latest loss.

The Judgment Day had a plan for WarGames that did not pay off. Randy Orton's return set the stage for Cody Rhodes' group to win decisively when he pinned Damian Priest.

Gunther dominated The Miz, who needed to cheat just to stay in the match yet still lost to The Ring General in decisive fashion.

Santos Escobar pulled off an impressive victory over Dragon Lee, and Rhea Ripley took out Zoey Stark in a relatively one-sided title defense.

This show had a special energy thanks to an excited crowd in the Allstate Arena in Chicago.

However, nothing was a bigger moment for this crowd than the end of the night when CM Punk made his return to WWE.

Loser: Damage CTRL (Especially Bayley)

Over the past year, Damage CTRL has struggled to establish dominance in the women's division. At every turn, the group cannot win big together.

This was the second WarGames match in a row that the stable had lost to Bianca Belair's group.

Bayley took the pinfall after an inspired performance. She worked the longest and was frequently saving her teammates, but losing the match may be the end of her Damage CTRL run.

The Role Model brought this group together, but the only way it can move forward with credibility is without the woman who lost the team its biggest bout to date.

Iyo Sky, Asuka and Kairi Sane all still have mystique, but it was damaged by how much Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair, Belair and Shotzi overwhelmed them in the cage.

After Bayley is removed from the group, Damage CTRL should not lose any more big matches for a while. It is the only way to get the faction back on track.

Winner: Gunther

Gunther remains WWE's most imposing champion, even more dangerous than Roman Reigns. The Miz was just his latest victim.

The A-Lister found ways to keep it competitive but only by cheating. Once The Ring General got back in control, he never looked back, making his opponent tap out.

It is hard to imagine anyone dethroning Gunther any time soon, but he continues to build fresh challengers.

Whether it is Johnny Gargano, Ivar, Jinder Mahal or a repeat challenger like Chad Gable or Bronson Reed, fans will tune in to see anyone fight Gunther.

Winner: Santos Escobar

Santos Escobar has recently begun his heel run on the main roster, setting up challenges from Rey Mysterio and Carlito in the immediate future.

He needed to beat Dragon Lee, and he did just that. While the luchador challenged him, this was never about Escobar. He was there to deliver a good match.

With this win, the future for Escobar looks brighter. He is unlikely to lose to anyone but The Master of the 619. And if WWE cares about his rise to greatness, he shouldn't even lose that.

WWE has a chance to build a top heel on SmackDown, one who can define the blue brand throughout 2024 and beyond.

Loser: Zoey Stark

Zoey Stark had a chance to deliver a future-star performance against Rhea Ripley. Instead, over nine minutes, WWE never sold that she could seriously challenge Mami.

When Stark fell to the Riptide, it was as much the expected result as recent Ripley squashes against Natalya and Zelina Vega. WWE didn't even get Shayna Baszler involved to add some drama.

Both women wrestled hard, but the match lacked heat. This needed to move faster and hit harder.

Stark leaves this contest in the same position she was in before. She is unlikely to challenge for a women's championship again for a while.

Losers: The Judgment Day

WWE has consistently tried to sell The Judgment Day as the most dominant faction in the company, but the results do not back it up.

WarGames was the latest example as Finn Bálor, Damian Priest, Dominik Mysterio, JD McDonagh and Drew McIntyre looked out of their depth once Randy Orton arrived.

It was a one-sided match down the stretch where The Viper barely took a bump before Cody Rhodes picked up the win after an impressive RKO on McDonagh and Cross Rhodes on Priest.

The Archer of Infamy was especially set up to fail, taking a pin he did not need to when McDonagh was right there. The Judgment Day even teased cashing in with Priest winning the World Heavyweight Championship, but that did not happen.

The faction may still hold the gold, but that hold on anything except the Women's World Championship in Rhea Ripley's hands is tenuous at best.

Winner: The Chicago Crowd Getting CM Punk's Return

CM Punk is back in WWE. It's a moment no one could have ever expected after the company unceremoniously fired him on his wedding night following his walkout in 2014.

The Best in the World had been extremely vocal about his disdain for the company over the years, but he had previously appeared on WWE Backstage for FS1 in 2020, showing that some fences had been mended.

His run in All Elite Wrestling set the stage for a major comeback in a rival promotion, but backstage issues ended his run with the company after just two years.

All of this is to say that Punk is a controversial figure, but he is also a draw. WWE knows how to use stars and will be careful to protect The Best in the World in his second run. Punk himself will also be hoping to rehabilitate his own image as a backstage leader.

Chicago wanted to see its hometown wrestling hero, and it got it. The internet will be buzzing for months over this news as WWE becomes an even-hotter product.

The "Punk" chants will intensify in WWE but for the right reasons. Chicago will want more WWE shows, and it is likely Allstate Arena will sell out time and again to see him any time the company comes around with The Best in the World.