10 Match Star Ratings For WWE Survivor Series 2019

5. Adam Cole Vs. Pete Dunne - NXT Championship Match

Adam Cole Pete Dunne
WWE.com

Adam Cole is an exceptional professional wrestler, but not for the reasons they want you to think he's an exceptional professional wrestler.

He isn't an exceptional professional wrestler because he's out there on an absolutely crazy, fatalistic schedule. WWE have hooked up the Kool-Aid to Cole via IV drip. This is very much a test of his company face credentials, which should see him roundly booed as a babyface in two years' time.

He passed a far more meaningful and less ugly test here.

It made no sense that he was even asked in storylines to defend his NXT Championship 24 hours removed from captaining his WarGames team in an ultra-violent gimmick match. To correct this plot hole and excuse the finish, Pete Dunne also wrestled through a worked injury. This was cop-out "this is how we'll get around it" storytelling told in front of a waning crowd, but Cole got it over, because he is an exceptional professional wrestler.

His selling was expert here, and his ability to counter so creative and effective that Dunne never looked inferior for losing clean to a broken man. The desperation and ingenuity he sold in the closing stretch was elite-level stuff, and the crowd were lulled into his spell by the finish.

More impressive than even a super pro wrestling match.

Star Rating: ★★★★¼

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!