WWE Survivor Series 2023 was....a show. Neither bad, nor particularly good. It was a series of competently worked matches that, like so many McDonald's meals, goes in one orifice and out another, without much joy or artistry. The most memorable thing about this show was of course the return of CM Punk, but even that was just "famous guy comes out and stands there, crowd cheers." And the followup to it two days later consisted of Punk cutting probably the least memorable promo of his entire career, as he stood in a WWE ring for the first time in a decade (a decade during which he repeatedly and vociferously attacked WWE and its product), and declared "I'm home." Oh and "I missed you fans (even though I actually came back to wrestling two years ago and have spent plenty of time in your presence since then)." Throughout the following year Punk would prove that his schtick doesn't at all work in Triple H's WWE, for the simple reason that WWE's audience LOVES Triple H's WWE, therefore there's nothing for Punk to rebel against. And without that, Punk has no reason to exist as a character. If Phil Brooks were more creative he'd find a way to reinvent himself for this era. By going back to WWE in 2023, CM Punk discarded whatever was left of his cool factor. Corporate Punk is a colossal bore.
But back to Survivor Series, WWE WarGames matches really do nothing for me. They're a spectacle without any real substance. Wrestlers take turns getting into the cage, some stuff happens, most of it involving kendo sticks (Can someone explain to me why this random Asian weapon has become WWE's favorite, and why there would ever be a slew of these damn things under the ring all the time?), and then someone gets pinned, so much tamer than one team torturing an opponent until they surrender, as was the original rule. WarGames simply doesn't need to be an annual event, just like Hell in a Cell doesn't. Both should be reserved for when a feud between two parties is so heated and bloodthirsty it can only be settled in this foreboding structure. And there needs to be blood. Sorry, that's just the reality of the situation. If you want me to believe in the savagery of the WarGames gimmick, the participants need to look like they've been through a war. AEW's Blood and Guts conveys this every time, because the matches are a bloody, violent car wreck. When it's over I buy into the idea that these folks risked life and limb to settle a score. After a WarGames match is over it's just business as usual. The mat is pristine and everyone looks like they just finished a game of touch football. You can't expect me to believe I've just witnessed the ultimate in pro wrestling barbarism. I've said it before, but traditional elimination matches would suit this company and this event so much better than their feeble attempts at brutality.
