WWE Survivor Series 2016: Best Moments from Buildup to PPV Event
Survivor Series has always been among the Big Four pay-per-views in WWE, but it has also been somewhat overshadowed over the years. Many have even called for the PPV to be replaced by WWE's top shows by events such as Money in the Bank or Extreme Rules instead.
WWE, though, has seen the error of their ways and worked to promote Survivor Series even more this year. Survivor Series 2016 is an event defined by brand warfare, as Raw and SmackDown clash to prove their superiority. This makes every match on the card special.
It has also led to some great moments along the way. From the return of legends to major matches and surprising twists and turns, the road to Survivor Series has been littered with quality moments that have boosted the hype for this year's Survivor Series.
The following are the biggest moments from the road to Survivor Series 2016 based on the quality and the impact of the segments. This includes both big promos and the best matches from Monday Night Raw and SmackDown Live that built to Survivor Series.
Becky Lynch Retains Her Women's Championship Through Controversy
1 of 6
The women of Team SmackDown are all at odds, but the two women with the most reason to hate one another are champion Becky Lynch and her number one contender Alexa Bliss. After sustaining an injury just before No Mercy 2016, Lynch was forced to postpone her title defense against Bliss, leading to a match on SmackDown in Glasglow, Scotland.
The two had a competitive contest that was their best bout to date. They fought back and forth with both women getting close to a victory. Lynch ultimately trapped Bliss in the Dis-arm-her for the submission victory, but the referee did not see Bliss' foot on the ropes, which should have broken the hold.
This controversial finish not only made the standing of the SmackDown Women's Championship tentative but also created extra tension between members of Team SmackDown. This finish made certain that it was impossible to imagine Bliss working well with Lynch.
This match was one of the strongest and most high profile on the road to Survivor Series, and it also forced more complications on an already tumultuous partnership between the women of Team SmackDown.
James Ellsworth Redeems Himself and Earns Dean Ambrose a WWE Championship Shot
2 of 6
The legend of James Ellsworth has dominated SmackDown on the road to Survivor Series with him now officially named the mascot for Team SmackDown. His most important role in the lead up to Survivor Series, though, has been his failure and redemption in the feud between AJ Styles and Dean Ambrose.
In his several brief appearances, Ellsworth has become quite popular with WWE fans, leading to Ellsworth getting a chance to fight WWE World Champion Styles in two one-on-one encounters. Thanks to massive assistance from Ambrose, first as a referee and then a constant distraction at ringside, Ellsworth managed to defeat Styles twice in dubious fashion.
Ellsworth felt indebted to Ambrose, so he stood at ringside as Ambrose battled Styles with a title opportunity on the line. Ellsworth accidentally got Ambrose DQed in the match, costing Ambrose his shot at the World Championship. This seemed to be the last straw in Ellsworth's odd run, but he refused to fade away, demanding to help Ambrose reclaim a shot at the title.
He did just that in a rematch between Styles and Ambrose when he distracted Styles at ringside, allowing Ambrose to hit the Dirty Deeds for the victory. All of this was a defining part of SmackDown this past month, but nothing was more affecting than watching Ellsworth smile as he achieved his redemption and earned Ambrose one more shot at his Team SmackDown partner Styles' championship.
Team Raw Work out Their Differences in Fatal Five Way Match
3 of 6
This year's Survivor Series brand warfare brings with it odd teams, filled with friends and rivals alike. Since Monday Night Raw Commissioner Stephanie McMahon desired unity among a group including four men all contending for the WWE Universal Championship, she let Kevin Owens, Chris Jericho, Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns and Braun Strowman deal with their issues in the ring.
A Fatal Five Way match between these heavyweights was set for the show's main event. Once the bell rang, all thoughts of unity were lost as the wrestlers went to war in a match that included kendo sticks and tables. It was brutal, particularly watching how everyone attempted to bring down Strowman.
The match was one of the better Raw main events in the past few months with everyone doing their part. Even the finish had a purpose, as Reigns accidentally knocked Owens on top of Jericho for the win, creating more conflict between the only two men who had a common friendship.
The match did not solve much, but it was the best match in the build up to Survivor Series, a showcase of five men who are constantly working to improve as time passes. Hopefully, the traditional elimination match that follows will be even better.
Daniel Bryan Names Shane McMahon the Fifth Member of Team SmackDown
4 of 6
On the November 8 edition of SmackDown, the men's team for SmackDown Live hit a snag when Baron Corbin was injured in a brawl with the returning Kalisto. The injury forced Corbin to be removed from Team SmackDown and left an open spot for anyone on the SmackDown roster.
Daniel Bryan made a surprise move to end that episode of SmackDown by announcing that Shane McMahon would be the one to replace Corbin, giving the team a veteran mediator who could hopefully help get the whole team on the same page.
While the move from Corbin to Shane was odd, the moment itself, as a whole crowd chanted "yes" for Shane, was special to watch. It was an energetic burst for a match that needed a twist to stand out. Shane is such a special attraction performer that his insertion into the match gave it new life.
It also added mystery to the match that needed to be solved with just one week remaining before Survivor Series. Why would Bryan choose Shane over anyone else on the roster? Why would Shane choose to wrestle again? How would the rest of the SmackDown roster react to being bypassed for the SmackDown Commissioner?
The Undertaker Returns and Demands Victory of Team SmackDown
5 of 6
SmackDown 900 was all about setting up for victories for SmackDown at Survivor Series while celebrating the show's rich history. Those two sides were never as clearly showcased as the main event of the night as The Undertaker, one of the foremost performers in SmackDown's history, returning to address Team SmackDown.
With Edge already making a return to address Team SmackDown and demand they find common ground, Undertaker interrupted and came out to make two announcements. First, he was making his return to WWE and would no longer only appear at WrestleMania. Second, he would make Team SmackDown pay if they failed to win on Sunday.
With McMahon making clear she would potentially fire Raw performers if they lost, SmackDown needed added stakes as well for Team SmackDown. Since Bryan and Shane are nice guys who want to reward their performers and not punish them, someone else had to step up.
Taker's ambiguous promise to make people pay allows for many possibilities going forward. Perhaps this will lead to a showdown between Taker and Styles. It could also lead to another faceoff between Taker and Bray Wyatt and/or Randy Orton. In any event, the stakes were raised by Taker's return.
Goldberg Returns to WWE for the First Time in over a Decade
6 of 6
For four years, Goldberg was a dominant force in professional wrestling as a top star in World Championship Wrestling. When that company was bought out, he moved over to WWE where he spent one year near the top of the roster.
It may not have been the most long-standing of careers, but Goldberg made a major impact when he was around. This made his fateful return to WWE 12 years and seven months after his last WWE appearance a huge moment that present and past fans alike tuned in to see.
Goldberg may have been away a while, but his charisma and mic skills were still on full display in his first appearance. Overwhelmed by the moment, Goldberg still managed to put over his story as a man in need of final validation. He accepted a challenge from Brock Lesnar, as a legend wanting to show his son what he once was.
Even if nothing more from him lives up to this moment, it was a special reintroduction for Goldberg that carried the weight of a moment that will live in memory as a definitive part of 2016.
.jpg?w=600 "WWE Raw Results & Grades 🔠")
