WWE Survivor Series 2017: Star Ratings For All 7 Matches
The past is a grotesque animal.
A quick breakdown of the criteria prior to the critique...
Using the quarter increment system of its Wrestling Observer inspiration, the full ***** rating is reserved only for those elusive matches as perfect as they are significant. Bret Hart Vs. Steve Austin from WrestleMania 13 and the first Hell In A Cell match are the benchmarks here. Survivor Series 2017 confirmed that WWE remains obsessed with its past. If only that past was 1997.
From ****3/4 to ****, we range from absolute best of the rest territory (The Undertaker Vs. Shawn Michaels, WrestleMania 25) to Match of the Year outliers (New Day Vs. Usos, Hell In A Cell '17). ***3/4 to *** covers the very good to the good, which may also incorporate the slight disappointments and over-achievers, dependant upon the level of talent involved. **3/4 to ** covers increasingly more tedious and or amateurish ground. *3/4 to * finds us firmly in the realm of the woefully uninspiring, and plain bad - whereas 3/4* to 0 is reserved only for the embarrassments, the full-scale atrocities, and the morbid fascinations.
Factors include, but are not limited to in-ring work, crowd heat, psychology, storytelling, significance and innovation...
*As suggested by the title, only the main portion of the show will be included. If WWE can barely bother themselves to promote the Kickoff, the feeling is reciprocated.
7. The Shield Vs. The New Day
In which a d*mn good match was also something of a let down.
The psychology was a bit off. Clearly, the team with Roman Reigns on it was always going to be presented as the babyfaces, but it was difficult to genuinely buy Big E et al. as heels - especially to such an extent that would excuse the protracted Dean Ambrose beatdown spot. This was problematic in itself, and dragged on far too long for an opening match, the all-action nature of which is in danger of becoming a lost art in WWE.
Much of the work was excellent - Xavier Woods sold beautifully for Roman Reigns' Superman punch, the various melees were performed with that awesome Shield-worthy carnage - but moments of hesitation and clumsiness were enough to remove the audience from the action at times. The all-important, triumphant finish was undermined with a miscommunication. It was an apt visual.
Great as it was in patches, we know the Shield have wrestled better, more hermetic matches than this. Ditto the New Day: the best of their work with the Usos earlier this year eclipsed this worthy, if relatively disappointing, opener. That curve was considered when assigning the rating.
Star Rating: ***3/4