Could the classic Survivor Series format work today?

[Spider2024]

All things considered, would it be feasible to compile a Survivor Series card this year like it was in the first few years, where most if not all the matches were 4v4 or 5v5 Elimination Tag matches? There could even be 1 or 2 normal matches for a title or a hot rivalry. Some of the things to consider would be:

- Getting enough active wrestlers to fill a card like that.
- Enough feuds, or even small traces of a feud. (Back then, each match had a good 2-4 feuds between the two sides)
- Bogus finishes (It seems like this is the #1 complaint of PPVs today, the lack of closure in matches people paid for. Well, SvS events were full of them.)

So could they do a classic traditional Survivor Series event now and here?

[Session Moth is over]

If there's no normal matches then I don't have much of an interest. I was never a big fan of the concept. A card with maybe two traditional Survivor Series matches and all normal matches and yes that's fine but if it's all traditional matches then personally I have no interest.

[mizerable]

I always felt during the brand extension they could have formatted it to see who is going to get the main event at Wrestlemania; Smackdown or Raw? It would essentially be the All Star game of the WWE.

[Nickybojelais]

I think the classic survivor Series could actually work better today than it did in the past.

"Getting enough active wrestlers to fill a card like that".

I think there actually is depth to the roster, its just for some reason they refuse to utilise most of it

"Enough feuds, or even small traces of a feud"

It's an area which is improving, there seem to have been a lot more mini-feuds going on lately rather than just focusing on storylines at the top of the card.

"Bogus finishes"

I think this is the biggest advantage WWE has today, they are not terrified about jobbing anybody anymore. So there would be far fewer protective DQ/Countout finishes which the likes of Bad News Brown, Jim Duggan, Roddy Piper or Ted Dibaise thrived on back in the day.

[Boo!]

It's something different so sure it can work. I think now in the Network age making the whole show that gimmick would work well. I like the idea of Team X vs Team Y.

You could make guys you're pushing or looking to push the "captains of their respective teams". It's a good way of producing a show but not really giving much away and it's a rest-bite from repetition.

This year you could have:

Team Cena vs Team Authority
Team Big Show vs Team Henry
Team Dust vs Team Usos
Team Brie vs Team Nikki
Team Ambrose vs Team Wyatt

[Essential1]

I like how it was back in the day, with a couple of normal title matches on the show. I was never a huge fan of just having ONE "all of nothing/main eventers only" Survivor matches. I liked how in 2012 the show started of with a jobbers elimination match which Kidd and Gabriel and Primo and Epico managed to be apart of. It was nice seeing guys get used when they normally would be doing nothing. That's what makes shows like this and the Rumble special.

[Deleted]

I don't think so. Outside of the elimination rules, traditional Survivor Series matches don't really have any novelty. We see big names in the same tag team match all the time on Raw and Smackdown.

[metylerca]

Oct 30, 2014 13:25:02 GMT -5 @noggy said:

I don't think so. Outside of the elimination rules, traditional Survivor Series matches don't really have any novelty. We see big names in the same tag team match all the time on Raw and Smackdown.

This. Nostalgia isn't the way to go, what was cool in 1989 doesn't always translate into modern times. Next, we'll get Survivor Series back, but people would complain the names of teams aren't as creative as "Rude's Brood" or whatever. Then they'll even do an introduction similar to the early 90's, but it'd be inferior because it doesn't have Vince overdoing it on the voiceover. Inch ---------> Mile.

I think they're fine with one *big* old-school elimination match, so as to not burn out the crowd on the concept. And let's be honest, the matches usually delve into a bunch of guys losing to piledrivers and shoulder tackles anyways, as a way of saving the big elimination spots until the end. It's for the best, imho.

[BigWill]

They could technically do it if they wanted.

I wouldn't like it though.

[2 Cold Scorkum]

i dont' care what they do, just put it on thanksgiving night so i have an excuse to get away from the in-laws

[Hit Girl]

Anything can work if they want it to

[Deleted]

I'd say have 1 or 2 Elmination tags, and another match or two that tie in with the thread of survival. An Iron Man match, an I Quit match, Elimination Chamber, a career on the line, something like that. Enough to give the show a theme, but not forcing the hell out of it.

[Tony Schiavontay]

Oct 30, 2014 12:16:46 GMT -5 mizerable said:

I always felt during the brand extension they could have formatted it to see who is going to get the main event at Wrestlemania; Smackdown or Raw? It would essentially be the All Star game of the WWE.

That's the kind of simple yet out of the box that gets people blacklisted from THIS BUSINESS!