Survivor Series 2006 Review

Sunday, November 26th, 2006
Wachovia Center
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Ric Flair, Sgt. Slaughter, Dusty Rhodes & Ron Simmons vs. Spirit Squad

Arn Anderson and Mitch are ringside for their respective teams here. Simmons and Mikey start things off, with Simmons getting the better of the exchange until he's tripped up from the outside. He slowly walks around the ring to go after them and is counted out. We're already off to a classic start here. It's Sgt. Slaughter's turn now and he hits a couple of body slams on Nicky. I've never booked a show and probably never will, but I think I would have had this match be winding down already. Sarge puts him in the Cobra Clutch until he gets hit in the head with a kick behind the referee's back to be eliminated. Dusty hits an elbow and takes out Nicky. This is really bad. Dusty gets rolled up, so it's now Ric against 3. Flair hits an inverted atomic drop and kind of uses the ropes to take out Mikey. Flair gets an inside cradle on Kenny and he's gone. Flair slaps on the Figure Four on Johnny and this thing is thankfully over. The Spirit Squad then attacks Flair after the match, with Kenny hitting a top rope leg drop. This was anything but good.

Match Rating: 1/4*

United States Championship Match
Chavo Guerrero vs. Chris Benoit

It is extremely difficult for me to care about this feud 16 years later. They are moving at a pretty good pace here, so the action has been good. We get a lot of back and forth, until Chavo slows things down and tells Benoit to stay out of his business. Benoit battles back with the three German suplexes and signals for headbutt. Vickie distracts him on the way and the delay allows Chavo to roll out of the way. Chavo hits a suplex and then he heads up top and hits the Frog Splash. Benoit is able to kick out at 2 and Chavo is beside himself. Benoit goes for the Sharpshooter, but Chavo fights his way out. Chavo pushes him into the ropes and knocks Vickie to the floor. Benoit locks in the Crossface and Chavo taps. That was a weird ending. The action was good here, but it felt like just chapter 1 of the story. JBL calling Benoit a terrible human being after the match just is rough.

Match Rating: **3/4

Lita and Edge get in a quick backstage interview making fun of Philadelphia. Lita goes to the ring and Edge talks about how Lita cares about respect. Meanwhile, in the background, Cryme Tyme sneaks into their locker room. 

Women's Championship Match
Mickie James vs. Lita

This is Lita's retirement match. It's kind of crazy because she was only 31 years old here. For WWE to lose both Trish and Lita within a matter of months really forced them to try to make more stars, but it really didn't end up making a whole lot of them. Thankfully NXT came along and showed them that they could have a division full of women who are there to wrestle, not strip each other. The Philly crowd is of course relentless on Lita as she has a slow, plotting start to the match. After a sleeper hold, Lita goes up top and misses with a top rope crossbody. Mickie starts climbing, but Lita is able to hit a back suplex. Lita is able to hit her trademark suplex, but Mickie kicks out. Mickie is able to hit the DDT and we have a new Women's Champion. This was a little disjointed. After the match, Lita has Lilian Garcia announce her as the greatest Women's Champion. The crowd boos and Lita throws a fit. Cryme Tyme comes out with her box of stuff and she continues to complain about them taking her time. They start selling the stuff they stole including JBL buying her underwear. So, obviously this is all terrible and just such a stupid way to send Lita off. Yes, I understand she's a heel, but she could have just thrown a fit and been done with it.

Match Rating: *1/4

We get a previously recorded sit down interview with Batista and Michael Cole. Cole brings up that this is the arena where he relinquished his title. Batista just sits in silence and that continues with every question that Cole asks. They show what happened on SmackDown Friday, with Batista signing the last chance contract and then getting attacked. Batista finally speaks and says that he's leaving tonight as the World Heavyweight Champion.

Matt Hardy, Jeff Hardy, CM Punk, Shawn Michaels & Triple H vs. Johnny Nitro, Gregory Helms, Mike Knox, Edge & Randy Orton

Before the match, DX has CM Punk ask the crowd if they are ready, which is the infamous DX getting mad that Punk got a bigger pop. Whether it's true or not, it's the story that's told. DX gets Kelly Kelly up on the apron, which angers Knox and that allows Michaels to hit Sweet Chin Music and eliminate him in seconds. This one is just all shenanigans so far. The heels are able to single out Matt, with Matt bleeding from the lip. Punk gets tagged in and gets to go after future rival Nitro. Matt snaps Nitro's neck off the top rope and that allows Punk to put on the Anaconda Vice to eliminate him. Orton is able to hit the RKO on Punk, but Michaels is able to break up the pin. Edge comes in and goes for the Spear, but Punk moves out of the way and Edge hits the turnbuckle. Triple H makes his way in and hits the running knee on Helms and Orton. Edge breaks up the Pedigree attempt and that leads to chaos including a double dive by Jeff and Michaels. Triple H ducks a Shining Wizard and hits the spinebuster. He tags in Matt and he hits the Twist Of Fate and Jeff follows up with the Swanton Bomb to eliminate Helms. They hit Sweet Chin Music shortly after on Edge and he's gone. Orton tries to run out through the crowd, but CM Punk catches up to him and he gets the DX combo for the final elimination. That was a landslide in terms of how the talent have been booked and they did nothing to change that here tonight. This was entertaining enough, but not really much of a match.

Match Rating: **1/4

After a video package, Mr. Kennedy is getting interviewed before getting interrupted by MVP. MVP says they have a clean slate and that he's got him.

First Blood Match
Mr. Kennedy vs. Undertaker

Kennedy immediately rips a turnbuckle off upon entering the ring. Taker takes it to Kennedy early on outside the ring. Taker drives Kennedy's back into the ring post and we go back into the ring. Taker hits a big superplex and then goes after his ribs. Kennedy is able to hit a low blow, which of course is legal here. Taker battles back and Kennedy has a little blood from his mouth. He's out of the ring and MVP comes out to wipe him up. The referee has to play dumb here. Kennedy and MVP start walking back until MVP throws him back in the ring. Kennedy is able to hit Taker's head on the exposed turnbuckle, but he's still not bleeding. MVP then runs in with a chair and the ref tries to take it away. He pulls it away and the ref falls out and MVP accidentally hits Taker. He is busted open and going after MVP. Kennedy comes in and the referee sees it and that's all. What a terribly booked match. I know there is more to come with these two, but there was hardly any action and not a very well booked cheap finish. You either want to push him or you don't. Kennedy announces himself the winner, but Taker grabs him by the throat before he can finish and then unleashes on him. Taker then hits him with a sickening shot to the head. Why? Taker then hits a wobbly Tombstone and then takes off his gloves to punch him in the forehead. This was a lot worse than I remembered.

Match Rating: *1/2

King Booker says that this will be the bitter end for Batista tonight. 

MVP, Test, Umaga, Finlay & Big Show vs. Rob Van Dam, Sabu, Bobby Lashley, Kane & John Cena

Cena clothesline Umaga out of the ring and then throws Finlay into the ring. Umaga goes and grabs a television monitor and attacks Cena's team with it, causing his DQ. From there we get some standard action, with the heel team working on RVD for a little bit. Test tries to drive RVD into the ring post, but RVD slips off and pushes him into it. Kane hits a chokeslam on MVP and then RVD hits the 5 Star Frog Splash to eliminate him. Test runs in and hits a big boot right after and he's gone. Lashley hits a Spear on Test outside the ring and tosses him back in the ring. Sabu follows it up with a slingshot leg drop and a springboard DDT to eliminate Test. Kane and Big Show are battling and out comes Hornswoggle. That leads to Finlay getting the shillelagh and hitting Kane with it and he's gone. This match just feels so rushed. We get the super team of Lashley and Cena and they hit a clothesline at the same time Big Show does. Lashley Spears Finlay and Hornswoggle goes flying into Cena's arms. Cena hits the FU on him and Lashley eliminates Finlay. Cena and Lashley hit a double suplex on Show, which leads to the Five Knuckle Shuffle. Cena hits the FU and that's all. This was entertaining, but there wasn't much time to even tell a story. I guess the story is that Cena and Lashley are our guys. 

Match Rating: **3/4

Teddy Long comes out to reiterate that if Batista loses, this is his last chance at the title. He then adds that if King Booker is counted out or disqualified, then we will have a new champion. 

World Heavyweight Championship Match
Batista vs. King Booker

Batista goes after Booker during his entrance. They eventually get to the ring and the bell rings. Booker walks out and Sharmell reminds him that he can't get counted out. This match just has no juice to it right now. Booker catapults Batista's throat into the bottom rope to slow him down. There was a lot of drama backstage between these two and as a result this just feels like a bunch of moves strung together. Booker hits a leg lariat and gets a 2 count. Batista hits a boot to the face to knock Booker out of the ring and throws him into the steps. Batista throws him back in and hits a top rope shoulder tackle for a 2 count. Batista hits an awkward spinebuster and gets another nearfall. Booker ducks a clothesline, sort of, and hits the Book End, but Batista kicks out. Batista catches Booker with a kick and hits the Batista Bomb. Booker rolls towards the ropes and Booker is able to grab the bottom rope before the 3 count. Sharmell handed the title belt to Booker and gets in the ring. Batista goes for the Batista Bomb on Sharmell, but decides not to. Batista ducks a belt shot, Batista grabs it and hits Booker with it and we have a new champion. This was a very mediocre match that felt like they were going through the motions. 

Match Rating: *1/2

Well, this show was as poor as I remembered. Outside of the title change, nothing important happened and there were no classic moments or matches. It was just a show. They are in pay-per-view overkill and it's really hurting the product. 

Overall Rating: 37%