Comparing WWE Survivor Series 2016 To NXT TakeOver: Toronto

Clocking in at just less than one hour, the 5-on-5 men’s match at Survivor Series felt like much shorter, it was so much fun. The bout took full advantage of the elimination format, allowing each participant to show themselves at their best, while giving each plenty of time to rest on the outside while there was plenty of action in the ring.

Everybody in the match was presented excellently, with some spectacular moments throughout (barring Shane McMahon’s scary-looking spear bump) and a brief reunion for The Shield meant that the live crowd were on their feet for the duration. The right team got the victory, and for once Bray Wyatt was allowed to look like a dangerous force in the ring.

Over on NXT, the highly-anticipated showdown between Shinsuke Nakamura and Samoa Joe was as physical as would be expected from these two. However, the hard striking style of both men, especially Nakamura, was perhaps too radical of a change for an audience that had witnessed an incredible athletic tag-team contest in the show, meaning that the NXT Championship match suffered slightly by comparison. Nakamura’s character work and aura is absolutely fantastic, but his over-reliance on strikes is not always appreciated by some sections of the audience that are used to hyper-athletic indie-style matches.

The shocking moment provided by the main event squash match on Survivor Series also avoided the crowd being too burnt out, as these two men would have struggled to follow the excellent Elimination match that preceded them. It may have been bad for business long term, but on the night it ended the show with a bang.

Winner: WWE