3 WWE/AEW matches worth a rewatch (Week of Nov. 20-26)

At this point, it’s becoming repetitive to say, but wrestling fans have become spoiled with the high quantity of quality wrestling they get to see during a typical week. The spoils become even richer when promotions add a pay-per-view to the usual slate.

Fans have experienced this phenomenon for the last two weeks. All Elite Wrestling produced its fourth-annual Full Gear show last week, and this week, it was WWE’s turn with Survivor Series: WarGames. 

The 36th edition of WWE’s second-oldest supercard featured some entertaining matches, but the Thanksgiving helpings weren’t limited to Survivor Series.

These are three matches from WWE and AEW that are worth a rewatch.

Alexa Bliss, Asuka, Becky Lynch, Bianca Belair, and Mia Yim vs. Damage CTRL (Bayley, Dakota Kai, and IYO SKY), Nikki Cross, and Rhea Ripley- WarGames Match (Survivor Series: WarGames) (***3/4)

As a lot of fans have mentioned, WWE’s version of the WarGames match lacks a certain intensity that you would expect given the violent reputation the stipulation carries. There are plenty of reasons for this — the more family-friendly nature of WWE’s product, too much time between entrants — but it doesn’t necessarily equate to bad matches.

Take the Women’s WarGames match, for example. Most of the action we saw in this one didn’t quite reach “blood war” levels, but the quality of the workers meant that we would at least be entertained. The crowd popped for the big spots, and they very much enjoyed seeing Becky Lynch get the big win in her return (as she should have) after crushing the WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions with a leg drop off the top of the cage and through a table.

Wes Lee (c) vs. Carmelo Hayes- NXT North American Championship match (WWE NXT, Nov. 22, 2022) (****)

Since Wes Lee won the NXT North American Championship in a multi-man ladder match at NXT Halloween Havoc, fans have waited to see him face former two-time North American Champ Carmelo Hayes in a one-on-one setting.

That wait ended on the Nov. 22 episode of NXT, as the two battled over the brand’s secondary championship in the show’s main event, and they put forth a classic that will sit near the top of both’s career résumés. Even the morsel of interference we saw from Trick Williams did little to overshadow the high-end offense Lee and Hayes produced.

With Lee retaining, he now moves on to new challengers while Hayes seems primed for a call-up to the main roster.

Chris Jericho (c) vs. Tomohiro Ishii- Ring of Honor World Championship match (AEW: Dynamite, Nov. 23, 2022) (****3/4)

If you watched the “Black Friday” edition of AEW: Rampage and saw Chris Jericho’s bandaged chest, that should tell you everything you need to know about the Ring of Honor World Champion’s title defense against New Japan Pro Wrestling’s Tomohiro Ishii two days prior.

In the main event of the Nov. 23 AEW: Dynamite, Jericho and Ishii wrestled an Ishii-style match, which basically means they battered each other with chops and heavy strikes. To Jericho’s credit, he met Ishii’s usual intensity, and the two kept that pace up for 15 minutes. The finish — Ishii giving Jericho the finger before tapping to the Liontamer — put Jericho over as a tough guy who could make someone like Ishii submit, which makes the ROH World Title more coveted.

Despite being repugnant in many other aspects, Jericho’s in-ring efforts have made him a contender for Wrestler of the Year, so credit where credit is due.