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Survivor Series 2019 is now history and the event lived up to its billing as one of WWE's Big 4 pay-per-views. Complete with WrestleMania quality dream matches, Survivor Series marked the first time that NXT was welcomed into the traditional brand warfare format, and the Black and Yellow Brand did not disappoint.
At the show's conclusion, NXT had four times as many wins as RAW and twice as many as SmackDown. The brand's first-year dominance is particularly noteworthy considering most of their talent wrestled just last evening at NXT TakeOver: WarGames.
NXT wasn't the only brand to shine. SmackDown's Universal Champion The Fiend defeated Daniel Bryan with the dreaded mandible claw. RAW's Brock Lesnar retained his Universal Championship against Rey Mysterio. The Viking Raiders represented the Red Brand well by winning their Triple Threat Tag Match while SmackDown's Bobby Roode and Dolph Ziggler were the last team standing in the Kickoff Show's Tag Team Battle Royal. Roman Reigns reigned supreme as the Blue Brand's lone survivor in the 5-on-5-on-5 Men's Elimination Match.
The show wasn't all sunshine and rainbows, however, and featured some unsavory moments as well. Join us as we unpack the very best, worst, and downright ugliest moments in a special Survivor Series edition of The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly.
ALSO READ: NXT TakeOver WarGames - The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly
The Good - It's Keith Lee's time to shine
Roman Reigns stood victorious as the lone survivor in the men's 5-on-5-on-5 Tag Team Elimination Match. While it was a huge moment for 'The Big Dog,' especially after in-match struggles with Baron Corbin threatened to derail Team SmackDown's chances, the real moment belonged to NXT's Keith Lee.
Lee was the last man remaining for Team NXT and faced a daunting task against two-thirds of The Shield, in SmackDown's Roman Reigns and RAW's Seth Rollins. After Seth Rollins boisterously declared that he built NXT and would be the one to burn it down, a motivated Lee pinned the former Universal Champion, leaving only him and Reigns in the match.
The two big men gave each other their all, exchanging blow after blow. After two Superman Punches and a devastating spear, Reigns finally pinned Lee to give Team SmackDown the victory. After the bout's conclusion, however, it was clear that Lee had earned Roman Reigns' respect. Reigns put his forearm out in Shield-like fashion and the two men tapped fists. It was a baptism of sorts for the NXT Superstar.
It was a huge moment for Lee, who seized the opportunity to shine in what was his main roster debut on the huge Survivor Series stage. If Lee goes on to have the type of career many expect he will have, Survivor Series 2019 will be looked at as the moment he formally introduced himself to the WWE Universe and earned 'The Big Dog's' respect in the process.
The Good - Adam Cole's historic November continues
NXT Champion Adam Cole has had quite the November. While much of SmackDown's roster was stuck in Saudi Arabia after Crown Jewel, NXT seized the opportunity and invaded the Blue Brand. No NXT star shined brighter than Cole, however. The NXT Champion was chosen to square off against Daniel Bryan and pinned the former WWE Champion clean to close the show. That was November 1st.
Cole's month continued with a strong showing against Seth Rollins on RAW. The NXT Champion was also a centerpiece of multiple Survivor Series invasion angles on RAW, SmackDown, and NXT. Last night, he starred in NXT's main event, the Men's WarGames match where he was pinned by Tommaso Ciampa after 'The Blackheart' slammed him back-first through a table from the top of the cage.
Although Adam Cole appeared broken in the ring at the conclusion of WarGames, he showed up the very next night at Survivor Series to take on former NXT UK Champion Pete Dunne. Dunne had won a WarGames Triple Threat Match against Killian Dain and Damian Priest in order to secure the opportunity to challenge Cole for the NXT Championship.
Neither man was at 100% but were both consummate professionals, who wouldn't be stopped from competing. Dunne came to the ring obviously with his knee obviously hurting, while Cole's back and ribs were wrapped.
Cole endured Dunne's vicious attempts to break his fingers, massive clotheslines, repeated cringeworthy overhand chops, and a Bitter End. By the time it was all over, however, it was Cole who stood victorious, continuing one of the best months any wrestler has ever had and November isn't even over yet.
ALSO READ: 5 Things You Didn't Know About Adam Cole
The Good - NXT was more dominant than you think
With four victories to SmackDown's two and RAW's one, NXT won Survivor Series, but their victory goes beyond what the final numbers show. While there was some speculation of an NXT sweep, The Black and Gold Brand came up just short of that - as per the numbers anyway.
The only matches won by WWE's main roster brands included the Kickoff Show's Tag Team Battle Royal (won by SmackDown's Bobby Roode and Dolph Ziggler), the Tag Team Triple Threat Match (won by RAW's Viking Raiders), and the 5-on-5-on-5 Men's Elimination Match (won by SmackDown's Roman Reigns). By mere numbers alone, it appears that SmackDown and RAW at least showed up, but NXT can actually claim a clean sweep and ultimate bragging rights.
Bobby Roode is a former NXT Champion and along with Dolph Ziggler won the Tag Team Battle Royal. Formerly known as The War Raiders, The Viking Raiders spent quite some time in NXT, winning the NXT Tag Team Championships while with the Black and Yellow Brand. Roman Reigns began his career in FCW but went on to NXT before joining The Shield on WWE's main roster. After Survivor Series came to its conclusion, every victory could be traced back to NXT.
While WWE's record books won't exactly show an NXT sweep, now that the dust has settled, the Black and Yellow brand can claim one of the most dominant performances in Survivor Series history.
The Bad - The Tag Team Battle Royal's missed opportunity
The Tag Team Battle Royal is an entertaining concept and a twist on the traditional Battle Royal. If one man is thrown over the top rope with both feet hitting the arena floor, then both members are eliminated.
Ultimately, SmackDown's Dolph Ziggler and Bobby Roode stood victorious to earn the Blue Brand's first victory of the night, but WWE Creative may have missed an opportunity to build more relevant teams.
The Chicago crowd popped for NXT's Breezango and SmackDown's Heavy Machinery and also voiced their displeasure when each of those teams were eliminated. Crown Jewel World Cup winners, The O.C. (Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson), were a huge part of the Survivor Series build, having fended off an NXT invasion and having in turn invaded NXT, but came up short in the match.
The Street Profits have incredible promise and were the last team eliminated in the Tag Team Battle Royal although it can be argued that they should have won. Both Dolph Ziggler and Bobby Roode have always felt like an oddly paired duo, who were put together because Creative didn't have much going for either Superstar. The pair defeated Seth Rollins and Braun Strowman to capture the RAW Tag Team Championships but quickly dropped the belts to The Viking Raiders with little fanfare. They've been an afterthought since dropping the championships and seem better fit for singles competition.
WWE had an opportunity to give the rub to a young up-and-coming team but instead dropped the ball by booking Ziggler and Roode for the victory with no foreseeable future benefit. It wouldn't be the first time the company booked Ziggler for a huge Survivor Series victory, only to follow it up with no push. Ziggler was the sole survivor for Team Cena in the main event of the 2014 Survivor Series but quickly faded back to the midcard thereafter.
The Bad - The way Becky Lynch closed the show
RAW Women's Champion Becky Lynch and SmackDown Women's Championship Bayley came up short in their efforts against NXT Women's Champion Shayna Baszler. Baszler put Lynch through a table and while 'The Man' was incapacitated outside the ring, focused her attention on Bayley. It wasn't long before Bayley tapped out to the former MMA star.
While Shayna Baszler celebrated her victory by hoisting the NXT Women's Championship over her head above Lynch's apparently broken body, she made the mistake of turning her back on the RAW Women's Champion. Lynch would miraculous resurrect, attacking Baszler from behind to repay the NXT Women's Champion by putting her through the table.
After Baszler was out for the count, Lynch celebrated, as Survivor Series came to a conclusion with her entrance music playing. The RAW Women's Champion shouted, "You didn't beat me," and seemed to take solace in the fact that it was Bayley who tapped out to Baszler.
Lynch closing the show in victorious fashion won't do her any favors. RAW was the odd-brand out at Survivor Series, managing only one victory during the Kickoff Show. Before celebrating, Lynch should have taken the time to look at the scoreboard and show some humility, as the Red Brand clearly has a long way to go.
Her actions are also unbecoming of WWE's top babyface and RAW's standard-bearer. Instead of the anti-hero Lynch is trying to portray, she came off as a sore loser at Survivor Series.
Furthermore, when it comes to her, "You didn't beat me" comments, Lynch showed a troubling lack of awareness. After all, Ronda Rousey can say the same. While Lynch covered Rousey for the victory at WrestleMania 35, the referee didn't see that 'The Man' had failed to actually pin Rousey's shoulders to the mat.
Baszler and Rousey are close friends, so none of this will sit well with the former RAW Women's Champion. Wrestling fans will just have to wait and see if 'The Baddest Woman on the Planet' makes her WWE return, but if she does Lynch will surely be in her line of sight.
The Ugly - No Mauro Ranallo
One of wrestling's great announcers was absent from Survivor Series. Mauro Ranallo, the voice of NXT, didn't make it to tonight's show, causing a stir of rumors to swell over social media.
Last night, Corey Graves took to Twitter to criticize the way Ranallo called the action at NXT TakeOver: WarGames. Graves suggested that Ranallo didn't allow Beth Phoenix or Nigel McGuiness to be heard.
Graves also took exception to Ranallo making too many Chicago rap references.
While this may simply be Graves playing up his role as a heel, Ranallo, who battles with depression, did delete his Twitter account last evening in a move that led to even more speculation.
ALSO READ: 5 Things You Didn't Know About Corey Graves
Before the Survivor Series NXT Championship match between Adam Cole and Pete Dunne, Michael Cole informed viewers that Ranallo was unable to participate in the show due to having blown out his voice. This was despite the fact that during last night's media call, Triple H suggested that NXT commentary members would call Survivor Series matches featuring NXT talent.
Whatever the reason for Ranallo missing Survivor Series, he is one of the greatest announcers in wrestling and his voice is synonymous with the NXT product. The show simply wasn't the same without him and we are all less fortunate for it.
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