Survivor Series/War Games Post-Mortem
I was expecting a traditional Survivor Series elimination match but instead got a War Games match. In that case, why even bother using the Survivor Series name?
December 3, 2025
War Games/Survivor Series was one of the more confusing branding exercises I've seen from WWE. I was expecting a traditional Survivor Series elimination match but instead got a War Games match. In that case, why even bother using the Survivor Series name?
Survivor Series would at least be more fun for betting. You could bet on various combinations & permutations on the surviving team. The winning team could win with 5 survivors (5-0), 4 survivors (4-0), 3 survivors (3-0), etc. And you could bet on who the remaining survivors are. If there's anyone from TKO listening, please consider this!
Heel Team were Overs (-200): I bet on the faces team at (+150). That didn't go well. The heel team was favored for a reason. The storyline advances with the heels, which is why they were favorites.
Potential Prop Bet: Who eats the pin? We didn't include this prop bet this year but there's hope for next year. This year World Champion CM Punk was the first entrant and ended up eating the pin after being attacked by a black hooded assailant. The internet thinks this is Austin Theory – I'd be thrilled if this was LA Knight. LA Knight and CM Punk have great chemistry together and are both great talkers.
Cena's Final Matches: Dominik Mysterio had a huge night, winning the Intercontinental Title back from John Cena in San Diego, Mysterio's hometown. In what must be the honor of a lifetime, Dominik Mysterio got two matches against Cena in Cena's last run. I also admit to being fooled by Dominik's kayfabe shoulder injury. Great work all around. Also, Cena taking finishers from the Judgement Day's female wrestlers was an unexpected nice touch. Cena is really doing everything he can to put over the next generation.
Now it's off to Cena's last opponent. "The Last Time is Now" tournament is coming down to LA Knight vs. Gunther. I already put down a bet in favor of Gunther, but I am tempted to hedge my risk here. LA Knight is bound to win something eventually. LA Knight is over with fans and the storyline is about his consistent failures to break through due to poor booking. This is reminiscent of Daniel Bryan's run up to Wrestlemania XXX. I don't actually think HHH has anything against LA Knight or that LA Knight is being held down by his booking. It's all a work, folks.
Expected Future Storylines Coming out of War Games/Survivor Series:
Bron Breakker is the big breakout star and the beneficiary of Seth Rollins getting hurt. It's clear Bron is getting groomed for the top spot, but this was all accelerated once Seth Rollings suffered his shoulder injury. Bron got the pin over CM Punk and will face CM Punk for the championship on the first RAW on January 5, 2026. My only quibble: Bron isn't polished on the mic yet, but pretty much no one is at this stage. His promo last Monday was pretty good.
WWE World Championship Match (initial odds)
CM Punk: -180 (5/9)
Bron Breaker: +140 (7/5)
Prediction: I think Bron is going to get the title eventually, but not that early. I'll stick for CM Punk.
Roman Reigns' Future Booking: Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar seemed to be the main attractions of the War Games match. Another big match between the two seems like a no-brainer. Also, Roman Reigns-Cody Rhodes III at the next Wrestlemania make sense. Reigns is now a "tweener" who gets cheers from the audience. I like this dynamic and it makes the rubber match outcome against Rhodes more unpredictable.
