WWE Survivor Series 2017: Triple H Survives and Worst Booking Decisions from PPV

WWE Survivor Series 2017 was a better-than-expected pay-per-view, and many of the matches delivered quality in-ring action with results that will positively impact both SmackDown and Raw moving forward.

There was a lot to like from Survivor Series. The Shield, Brock Lesnar, AJ Styles, and Asuka were properly booked, giving each of those Superstars momentum moving forward. Even in losses, The Miz, Sheamus and Cesaro and Alexa Bliss proved why they are at the top of their professions.

For all the good that WWE had on display at Survivor Series, it’s surprising that the night’s main event was such an utter disaster from a creative perspective. And that penultimate match is where we start with WWE Survivor Series’ worst booking decisions.

Triple H, Shane McMahon and Kurt Angle Reign Supreme in Main Event

Superstars the caliber of Samoa Joe, Finn Balor, Shinsuke Nakamura and Bobby Roode were ready and waiting to take a positive step forward on a stage such a Survivor Series.

Sure, WWE Creative gave each of its full-time stars a brief moment to shine during the tag team elimination match. But those moments were short-lived.

Roode and Nakamura were quickly disposed of by Braun Strowman—the only full-time Superstar who was booked properly in the entire match. Joe and Balor were unceremoniously dispatched by Cena and Orton, two more aging Superstars who weren’t major factors in the match aside from eliminating two of the company’s top guys moving forward.

Instead, WWE decided to devote a spectacular amount of time to three part-time authority figures—Triple H, Kurt Angle and Shane McMahon—in an effort to build a WrestleMania story three months down the road.

Forbes’ Blake Oestiecher noted that there would be “no long-term benefit in having Angle, Triple H or Shane [emerge] as a sole survivor.” On Sunday, all three were among the last four men standing in the main event.

The idea of WWE’s top authority figures going toe-to-toe—be McMahon vs. McMahon or any number of general managers who had the wherewithal to stand against those McMahons—has been a tale that’s been played out in the past, none well-received by fans and critics alike.

As Cleveland.com’s Troy L. Smith wrote before Survivor Series: “WWE was thriving without The Authority storyline. Yet, here it is again. It's quite maddening.”

WWE is headed down the same path now, building to a WrestleMania moment that plays to nostalgia and to ego. Rarely has this been executed properly, resulting in poor television. Even worse, it comes at the expense of veritable geniuses in the ring, with the Balors, Joes, Kevin Owenses and Sami Zayns of WWE—those who should be headlining events—being relegated to meaningless matches with little creative direction. 

John Cena a Non-Factor

Perhaps more head-scratching than WWE’s reliance on its old guard was WWE’s use of Cena in the main event.

Labeled as a so-called game-changer following the announcement that he would represent Team SmackDown at Survivor Series, Cena was little more than a prop during the night’s main event.

While Cena did deliver three Attitude Adjustments to Samoa Joe and Finn Balor and eliminated the Samoan Submission Specialist, He was involved in little else, unceremoniously disposed of by Kurt Angle following an Angle Slam. While Cena was in the match for over 20 minutes, he wasn’t nearly as involved as one would think a 16-time champion should.

Utilizing Cena as an also-ran at Survivor Series not only hurt the product on the screen, but it took away a prime spot from a more deserving, integral member of the SmackDown roster. Who wouldn’t have rather seen Kevin Owens or Sami Zayn as the fifth and final member of Team SmackDown?

At least with Owens or Zayn, WWE had a chance to further a story (Owens and Zayn vs. Shane McMahon) that is sure to play out over the next few weeks. Seeing Owens/Zayn and McMahon trying to co-exist during the match would’ve been high drama—and a spot that either man (especially Owens) would have thrived in.

While it would not have created the pre-event buzz that Cena’s announcement did, it would have given someone the chance to prove themselves on the biggest of stages, something Cena didn’t need.

Plus, Cena’s involvement wasn’t used to generate any angle moving forward. His staredown with Angle was a nod to the past, but what is the plan for Cena moving forward? WWE will have to manufacture something instead of an organic storyline being developed at Survivor Series.

To put it bluntly, Cena’s placement on Team SmackDown was a wasted opportunity.

Becky Lynch, Bayley Getting Early Hooks

While WWE properly booked Asuka as the last woman standing during the women’s tag team elimination match, two of WWE’s most popular women seem to fast be becoming afterthoughts on their respective brands.

The quick eliminations for Lynch and Bayley were head-scratching, considering their places on their respective rosters. Lynch, after all, was the captain of Team SmackDown and a former champion, but was the first woman to be dispatched from the match. Bayley, meanwhile, is a former Raw champion and perennial fan favorite.

It’s a tough spot to be in, considering the amount of star power in that match. Someone has to be eliminated first. But consider the way each was eliminated: Becky via a roll-up three count and Bayley eating a pin from Tamina.

If the plan is for both Superstars to either climb the ladders in their respective divisions, overcoming their Survivor Series performances, then the payoff might be worth it. However, the landscape on each show doesn’t suggest that story to come together

With Asuka now on Raw, WWE’s sure to focus on The Empress of Tomorrow’s quest to not only remain undefeated, but claim the Raw Women’s Championship. Women like Nia Jax, Sasha Banks and Alexa Bliss remain (not to mention Paige's return to Raw, which occurred Monday night), leaving Bayley the odd woman out on Raw.

On SmackDown, Lynch’s good friend Charlotte is the champion, a position she’ll likely hold for quite some time. Natalya remains in the title picture, and Carmella still holds the Money in the Bank Briefcase. Sure, there are secondary feuds to be had for Lynch, but none that either A) fans have not seen before, or B) that are all that appealing to begin with. 

Both Bayley and Lynch were standard bearers in the Women’s Revolution, and continue to be among the most talented Superstars on the main roster. Their results from Survivor Series suggest WWE has no plans for them moving forward, which is criminal.