Star-Studded War Games Will Be The Best in WWE Survivor Series History

Monday night's WWE Raw went off air amid chaotic scenes as Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns returned, while CM Punk, The Usos, and Cody Rhodes brawled with The Vision, Logan Paul, and Drew McIntyre. Reigns also speared two NYPD officers through the timekeeper's position.

The fans in Madison Square Garden ate it all up, reacting loudly and enthusiastically for a brawl that felt ripped from the Attitude Era.

It was a red-hot close to the show and one that suggests it will be the best incarnation of the men's WarGames match in the event's long history, despite the apparent lack of an overarching storyline.

While WWE Creative has earned criticism for lackluster storytelling and lazy booking, the recipe it has concocted for the 10-man steel cage contest on November 29 does not need a complex story to whet fans' appetites, as evidenced by Monday's show-closing segment.

Instead, it features the biggest stars in the company, all of whom will be beating the life out of each other, hitting signature moves, ramping up the intensity along the way and hopefully concluding the contest with a finish that ignites a major chapter of a storyline as the company prepares for the WrestleMania 42 season.

Yes, storytelling is of the utmost importance and played a key role in WWE's latest boom period as the Bloodline saga captivated fans. Look no further than the 2022 men's WarGames match for one of the best examples of how well story and in-ring action can mesh on a grand stage.

In fact, the best matches of its kind have always had a central story at their core. For example, the Four Horsemen's battles with Dusty Rhodes and friends in the 1980s for Jim Crockett Promotions.

The 2025 match has that, with Punk and Reigns still avenging their betrayal at the hands of Paul Heyman from WrestleMania 41 and Rhodes' ongoing rivalry with McIntyre.

Even if it did not have those narratives woven into it, the contest features 10 guys who have been at or near the top of the card all year and know what it takes to capture the attention of an audience.

Rob Tringali/WWE via Getty Images

If there was any crop of talent uniquely equipped to overcome creative failures and deliver a good, old-fashioned brawl in the main event of a major PLE, it is the collection of former world champions and future stars WWE has assembled for Survivor Series.

Would it have appeased the portion of the audience who take exception to WarGames being used as a gimmick for the sake of one instead of being utilized to conclude the biggest rivalries in the company?

Sure, but barring a colossal misreading of the fans, there will still be plenty about the match that should have them excited by the time the victors have their arms raised to close out the show.

The idea that WWE officials were able to overcome their own creative shortcomings to put together a match brimming with stars and still be able to elicit the reaction they did with Monday's finale is a testament to the efforts that went into building and establishing those names over the last handful of years.

Now, it will be up to those same Superstars to deliver a contest that reflects their magnetism, tells its own story, and propels the product forward so WWE can maintain the excitement entering its most important season.