6 Observations From Attending WWE Survivor Series Live

Traditionally, a pay per views a 'dead spot' is the match right before the main event or sandwiched in between two much bigger matches. A 'dead spot' usually accomplishes a few things, it resets the crowd after an exhausting match and gives the crowd a chance to get up and grab a beer, use the washroom, buy some merch and socialize.

Sandwiched in between two massive traditional Survivor Series matches, Brian Kendrick vs Kalisto was supposed to be the dead spot. However, partially due a delay in switching ring ropes and the mat (if the ropes aren't purple then people don't know its a cruiserweight match I guess..) and also because the crowd had genuine interest in seeing cruiserweights that match was met with some fanfare.

Suprisingly, the dead spot of the night was the match between local boy Sami Zayn and The Miz. Sami had a lot of support during his entrance and the Miz actually garnered some heat during his so the match looked like it was set up well. The storytelling was pretty poor, and this can be attributed to a few things. The build for the match was non existent with The Miz defeating Dolph Ziggler for the belt a week prior, and the fans whom were expecting a fast paced face-face classic wrestling match now had to switch focus to a smarmy heel vs babyface dynamic that had no build.

The Miz worked over Sami's leg in the match, which in turn slowed down his usually explosive offence. The crowd did not get invested in under dog Sami Zayn trying to climb the summit to defeat the Miz and a few poorly applied figure four holds by both competitors did not help the cause. All in all, when it was time for the ending and a modified Montreal Screw Job (Maryse ringing the bell) occurred the crowd did not react with shock and horror but were happy to see it end which was a shame considering the two participants involved. It's a shame that what could have been Sami Zayn's coming out party was ruined by poor planning.