WWE Survivor Series 5-on-5 matches must involve stakes

WWE Survivor Series is one of the premiere PLEs on the WWE schedule but the big team matches must be worth the investment in 2023.

The October 20 edition of WWE SmackDown saw a brewing situation between Nick Aldis and Adam Pearce begin. Aldis, the new general manager for SmackDown fined Jey Uso $10,000 for attacking Jimmy Uso. But he didn’t stop there, he had security remove both Uso and Pearce from the building, causing Pearce to respond with “Game on.” If WWE is looking to bring back SmackDown versus Monday Night Raw for Survivor Series, the pending battle must involve stakes.

Everyone recognizes that “Brand Supremacy” were just another pair of empty WWE buzzwords. For years, Survivor Series was a showcase event where fans were expected to believe that WWE performers suddenly had loyalty to a different color t-shirt, regardless of whether they were on that brand for years or a few weeks. The matches meant nothing and the PPVs were mostly used to remind viewers that Monday Night Raw was the flagship show. Even the one year when WWE NXT was featured thanks to fallout from issues with travel in Saudi Arabia, that big night meant nothing for many on the brand.

Fast forward to 2023 and there is a big opportunity to do something different. With a month to go until Survivor Series 2023, focusing on the rivalry between Pearce and Aldis could create some intriguing television. Imagine a situation where Pearce is trying to negotiate with Bronson Reed to represent Team Raw, forcing him to make concessions that lead to a bigger storyline for Reed in the future. Or Aldis attempting to lure a free agent like a returning Randy Orton over to his side?

It will be interesting to see how WWE would make this iteration of SmackDown versus Raw different if that is the direction the company is headed. There should also be some stakes in the match itself. For example, the winning brand gets the 30th slot in the 2024 Royal Rumble, or the winning team is promised future title shots at the championships of their choosing. There are ways to make the matches matter to the wrestlers in the storyline and the millions of fans watching the product each week.

Overall, WWE’s weekly content is improving at a steady rate. The widely reported rumor of Vince McMahon being forced out of the weekly creative has been met with positive reactions because what is on television each week. Brand Supremacy caused millions upon millions of eye rolls in the past, but if done correctly in 2023 it can be some well-developed WWE creative.