WWE Survivor Series: WarGames 2023 is coming up this Saturday! Before the event takes place, let’s run down everything you need to know about the upcoming pay-per-view.
Who is scheduled for the card? How interesting does the show seem? What’s going to happen with all the matches?
Here is a full preview of WWE’s 2023 Survivor Series WarGames event.
PPV EVENT INFORMATION
Date: Saturday, November 25, 2023
Start Time: 7 p.m. ET (kickoff), 8 p.m. ET (main show)
Location: Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois
MATCH CARD, PREDICTIONS & HEAT INDEX ANTICIPATION LEVELS
(as currently advertised; card is always subject to change)
Temperature Scale = Scorching > Hot > Lukewarm > Temperate > Chilly > Cold > Freezing
Heat Index is my assessment of how interesting the segment is, including how excited I am for the match and how intriguing the feud has been. The hotter, the better. Scorching translates to not being able to wait to see it, while Freezing means I couldn’t possibly care less and think it will be awful.
MEN’S WARGAMES MATCH:
Cody Rhodes, Jey Uso, Randy Orton, Seth “Freakin” Rollins, and Sami Zayn vs. The Judgment Day (Damian Priest, “Dirty” Dominik Mysterio, Finn Bálor, and JD McDonagh) and Drew McIntyre
Heat Index = Hot
Prediction: Cody’s team wins.
Thoughts: WarGames is far from my favorite concept, but it’s still proven itself to be a fun match that I can’t deny. When you add on top of it the crop of talent involved in this bout, it’s pretty much a guarantee it’ll rock. I just wish something were on the line. Anything. It means nothing but bragging rights, so people complaining about the Raw vs. SmackDown idea of Survivor Series, you’re getting the same problem with this. McIntyre’s heel turn was necessary. Randy Orton’s return is very welcome. I don’t think we’ll see The Viper hit an RKO on Cody Rhodes to turn heel and set up a feud between the two, but that’s mostly just because I’m crossing my fingers the game plan is still to do Rhodes beating Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 40. If WWE’s been sitting on The Rock the whole time, then yup, Orton turns, sets up Rhodes vs. Orton and we dance around that for a few months. But I’ll go with the babyfaces winning and Orton scoring the pinfall on McDonagh before moving on to feud with McIntyre and/or the rest of Judgment Day in the next few weeks or months.
WOMEN’S WARGAMES MATCH:
Bianca Belair, Charlotte Flair, Shotzi, and Becky Lynch vs. Damage CTRL (Bayley, Asuka, Iyo Sky, and Kairi Sane)
Heat Index = Hot
Prediction: Team Damage CTRL wins.
Thoughts: I keep going 50/50 on this as far as a prediction is concerned. Part of me says the obvious route is for Damage CTRL to lose because of Bayley, leading to her being excommunicated from the faction as it gets renamed to something else, maybe. Another part of me says “that’s too easy” and that Shotzi is here to take the pin to keep Damage CTRL looking strong. But then, who fights Iyo Sky next? Shouldn’t it be more of a setup for the babyfaces to win and out of this, Iyo’s next challenger begins to build momentum? Bayley could even be not necessarily booted out of the group just yet, but still on the fence, until she inadvertently costs Iyo the title in whatever that match would be. But also, maybe there are issues of miscommunication between Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair, or Flair and Bianca Belair, for that matter, leading to more of a setup between those two at WrestleMania (with or without Jade Cargill also being involved). I keep thinking we’re getting Cargill against Flair or Belair—more so Flair—and that Iyo will drop this title either on SmackDown or at Royal Rumble, where Cargill will win it. Maybe this is as simple as Iyo retaining heading into Mania and fighting Bayley there…which I just don’t think is happening. Whatever the case, I’m interested to see what happens here. For now, I’ll go with the heels winning to offset the babyfaces winning the other match.
SINGLES MATCH FOR THE WOMEN’S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP:
Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Zoey Stark
Heat Index = Freezing
Prediction: Rhea Ripley wins.
Thoughts: Zoey Stark already lost at Crown Jewel. How am I supposed to believe that now, things are going to be different? Sometimes, being a fan of wrestling for a long time is a burden, as you just psyche yourself out and think “Ripley isn’t dropping that belt so close to Mania” and that just spoils everything for a few months. Not that I would have anticipated Stark stood much of a chance anyway. This is a lackluster rerun and it would have been so much better had Stark not been in that Crown Jewel match. At least then, she would be a fresh opponent, and not just a rehash. They’re just killing time.
SINGLES MATCH FOR THE INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPIONSHIP:
Gunther (c) vs. The Miz
Heat Index = Lukewarm
Prediction: Gunther wins.
Thoughts: I’m a big fan of both of these guys, but I had my doubts about this. Thankfully, those have been calmed down with this week’s promo. They did a good job pushing this story further and in a way that the crowd was eating it up. The Miz’s babyface turn has actually gone down better than I had anticipated. Awesome. Gunther’s definitely going to retain, but I expect I’ll enjoy watching this match regardless of the foregone conclusion.
SINGLES MATCH:
Carlito vs. Santos Escobar
Heat Index = Lukewarm
Prediction: Santos Escobar wins.
Thoughts: Good call putting this on the pay-per-view. Santos Escobar has been sidelined quite a bit in recent months. Giving him a victory in a featured singles match here, rather than just doing this on SmackDown, helps boost his stock. It’s fun to see Carlito back in action, too, and looking arguably better than ever. They’ve got to fill in some time before Rey Mysterio is healed up, and this is a great way to do it and the most logical next step in this story, since Carlito’s the one who called Escobar out to set up the heel turn in the first place. Thumbs up.
OVERALL PPV:
How excited am I for the event as a whole?
Heat Index = Hot
Thoughts: Orton returning? A chance we might get an impromptu Shinsuke Nakamura vs. CM Punk match, even if it’s very low of a chance? Two WarGames matches, even if they don’t truly mean anything? Some other pros and just a few cons? I’m down. It won’t be the most monumental event of the year, but it should make some waves.
What do you think is going to happen at WWE Survivor Series? Which matches are you most excited to see? Keep the discussion going in the comments below!
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