7 Match Star Ratings For WWE Survivor Series 2020

1. Roman Reigns Vs. Drew McIntyre

Roman Reigns Drew McIntyre
WWE

It would be churlish to say this was worthless, or not "good".

It was a good match. Both Roman Reigns and Drew McIntyre worked really hard and hit each other harder. And when that finish arrived, they exploded into one another with conviction and, somehow, amid a ThunderDome atmosphere that gets sh*ttier by the week, a not inconsiderable electricity.

But Jesus Christ did it take an eternity to get there.

At times, this was a parody of a Big WWE Match. It was slow. It was slow because that way, you know to take it seriously. You know it to be epic, if the wrestlers laboriously exchange holds and skulk around the ring giving each other the cagey side-eye. You know them to be very powerful, when they writhe around in agony during the middle phase.

The finish saw Michael Hayes run through his list of main event tropes in a transparent bid to get it over as a WWE main event. Finishers were kicked out of. Twice. The barricade was broken. And so too - of course - was the announce table. This was a grunting, portentous and drab match that had zero personality of its own. Between content and pacing and set-pieces, it was indistinguishable to every modern WWE main event.

A very well-worked - but wholly uninspiring - show-closer. And if that reads as harsh, you need to ask yourself why this company hasn't grown in years and years and years.

It might be because this in-house style has long become a cliché.

Star Rating: ★★★

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!