How WWE Aims To Revive The Survivor Series Brand With The Inclusion Of War Games
Since 1987, one of WWE's most grandiose annual shows has been their Survivor Series premium live event. Every November –- typically during the week of Thanksgiving –- the superstars of "Raw" and "SmackDown" unite to put on the best matches their brands have to offer. While Survivor Series has always involved wrestlings competing in teams, recent years have seen an emphasis on the "Raw" and "SmackDown" brands battling for supremacy (occasionally alongside third brands like "ECW" or "NXT"), whether that be in tjhe traditional 5-on-5 elimination tag team matches or in champion vs. champion bouts.
As it is with all things, however, change is inevitable and should be expected, and the new leadership of co-CEOs Stephanie McMahon and Nick Khan, along with Chief Content Officer Paul "Triple H" Levesque, are pivoting in a different direction with how Survivor Series will be approached this year. It's a welcomed change-up for the WWE Universe, as well as for the press, as "Bleacher Report" released an article after the 2021 Survivor Series go-home episode of "Raw" that described the company as "not [valuing] its major events much anymore, and Survivor Series is the biggest casualty of that." So how did Levesque and WWE respond to the indifference surrounding Survivor Series in recent years? The battle for brand supremacy has, at long last, been dispensed with, and for the first time ever, Survivor Series will be recognized as Survivor Series WarGames, with the legendary double-ring cage match presented in its full glory.
New Era, New Direction For Survivor Series
The former WCW concept of WarGames was resurrected by WWE in 2017 for "NXT" TakeOver events, but has never before been seen on the main roster. WarGames is a spectacle, with a massive cage surrounding two side-by-side rings and two teams of typically four or five wrestlers entering into the structure at set time intervals throughout the match.
When news was revealed about Survivor Series WarGames, Levesque told The Ringer that he originally had the idea to bring the double-ring cage match back because of his own adoration for the concept growing up. "I love the original [WarGames matches], the very first ones, with the Horsemen and Dusty and the Road Warriors and everybody else," Levesque said. "Those were always my favorites."
The card for Survivor Series will feature both women's and a men's WarGames matches, and though it's unconfirmed at this time, all signs point to WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns teaming with The Usos, Solo Sikoa, and Sami Zayn to take on Drew McIntyre, Sheamus, Ridge Holland, Butch, and a TBD partner, popularly believed to be Kevin Owens prior to his recent injury. The women's WarGames match still has some loose ends as well, with the current set competitors being WWE Tag Team Champions Dakota Kai and IYO SKY, Bayley, Nikki Cross, and Rhea Ripley vs. "Raw" Women's Champion Bianca Belair, Alexa Bliss, Asuka, Mia Yim, and a mystery partner.