10 Fascinating WWE Survivor Series 2016 Facts
So the main event apparently annoyed a few people.
For my money, the 2016 Survivor Series is either the best, or second-best, Survivor Series from this millennium (2016 and 2005 can go in either order). Three throwback elimination matches coupled with two very good singles title bouts and a memorable main event to give the show some real winning polish.
The main event, however, was a point of contention for many fans, who for some reason expected rusty, 49-year-old Goldberg and part-time, 39-year-old Brock Lesnar to have a rough-and-tumble 20-minute epic capable of draining Dave Meltzer's salivary glands. Through this modern, "Did Dave rate this match? What'd he give it?!" era where matches are judged more on strung-together spots than simple story-telling tropes, Goldberg vs. Lesnar seemed to be a colossal rib against those fans' sensibilities. Pardon my editorial, but that's kind of a foolish way of looking at it.
As the Goldberg/Lesnar story played out, it was clear why they did the ending that they did, the "Lesnar took Goldberg lightly" story, while disguising Goldberg's limitations. Too subtle for some, I suppose.
The 2016 Survivor Series was only marred by the hasty reaction of some fans, because otherwise it was a show to remember, with something fun for viewers of different eras. It was the closest thing we'll say today to a true "classic" Survivor Series.
Here are ten facts about the 2016 Survivor Series you may not have known.
10. It Was The First Time Brands Were Pitted Against Each Other At The Event Since 2005
The brand extension existed (in theory) up until late-summer 2011, when it was announced that wrestlers could wrestle on any brand that they pleased. The talent was kinda/sorta doing that for some time beforehand, rendering the split moot many times over.
The 2005 Survivor Series, prior to 2016, was the last Survivor Series that reinforced the alleged hatred that Raw and SmackDown had for each other, featuring three different matches where the warring brands went at it. In subsequent years, through some sort of unspoken and unreferenced detente, elimination matches at the event would see Raw, SmackDown, and ECW talents mingling together, with no sign of brand-rooted distaste for one another.
The 2016 show brought back the concept, with three elimination matches and two championship bouts where lines were drawn between the combatants. As a result, the matches felt just a little bit more important.