WWE Survivor Series 2017 Results: Highlights, Analysis, and Grades

Photo Source: WWE.com

Champion vs. Champion Match #3

SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair vs. Raw Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss

Result: Charlotte Flair defeated Alexa Bliss via submission

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

It seems WWE took the “sandwich” approach to booking Survivor Series this year. It’s what you usually use for writing essays, or offering criticism, or a wide variety of other situations. You start with something eye-catching or pleasant, close with something to stick in people’s brains, and “sandwich” the lesser stuff in the middle.

Tonight, Survivor Series kicked off with The Shield and New Day tearing the house down. The final two matches are the much-hyped men’s elimination tag match, and AJ Styles vs. Brock Lesnar. But buried in the middle were the other champion vs. champion matches, and each seemed to have some issues with keeping the crowd interested.

None of the matches were terrible, so it’s not really on the wrestlers themselves. But as I just mentioned with The Usos and The Bar, Bliss/Charlotte wasn’t as intriguing as it should have been. Considering the historical importance of the match, that’s a shame. Part of what made this one in particular suffer? Having to stretch a three hour pay per view into four hours.

This was a nice little 12 minute match, but it took 20 minutes to get to the end. If WWE hadn’t “supersized” Survivor Series this year, that extra eight minutes probably would have been streamlined, and the match would have worked much better in the long run.

The whole thing also could have been saved if Carmella cashed in her Money in the Bank contract. The lingering camera shot on Charlotte after the match ended seemed to telegraph that happening, but instead the shot faded out into a WrestleMania commercial. So ultimately, it was a lackluster segment of the show.