Recap of WWE Survivor Series WarGames 2023: CM Punk makes a comeback in Chicago and other notable moments.
The WarGames continued, but it concluded with a significant event.
The last main roster pay-per-view of 2023 for WWE took place on Saturday and featured a unique version of the iconic event, Survivor Series: WarGames.
On Saturday night, five wrestling matches occurred at the Allstate Arena, which is located near Chicago and is also known as the home of WrestleMania 22. The most notable matches of the night were the men's and women's WarGames matches.
The matches were thrilling, especially the WarGames matches for both men and women. Fans of WWE were excited to see Randy Orton return after being sidelined with an injury for a year and a half. And the surprises didn't stop there, as a major return at the end of the event is expected to have a significant impact in the coming year.
Below is a summary of the events that took place on Saturday night:
CM Punk makes a comeback and is ready to fight.
After weeks of speculation, CM Punk surprised fans by making a comeback to WWE, marking his first return to the company since 2014.
The crowd at Allstate Arena erupted in excitement when their local star returned to the company and celebrated with them as the show came to a close.
In the men's war games match titled "The Judgment Day," Damian Priest, Finn Bálor, Dominik Mysterio, JD McDonagh, and Drew McIntyre defeated Cody Rhodes, Seth Rollins, Sami Zayn, Jey Uso, and Randy Orton. The main event started with Finn Bálor and Seth Rollins in the ring, but Randy Orton was conspicuously absent from the cage with the rest of the team.
The match began with a strong performance from the two rivals, but The Judgment Day gained an early lead when JD McDonagh introduced kendo sticks into the ring. The energy of the match changed as new participants entered, with the crowd showing excitement for Jey Uso and Sami Zayn with chants like "yeet" and "ucey."
However, when it was time for Orton to make an appearance and assist his team that was at a disadvantage, there was no sign of any star coming to help team Rhodes.
During the Judgment Day event, Priest forcefully threw Rollins onto a table, and Rhea Ripley made a surprising appearance to hand over the money in the bank contract. Orton then made a dramatic entrance, causing excitement among the crowd at the Allstate Arena.
One by one, the dominant wrestler known as the "Apex Predator" defeated each member of The Judgment Day using his classic techniques before the group retaliated. This led to a chaotic brawl, with Uso and Orton facing off because Uso was responsible for Orton's previous injury.
Uso landed a powerful kick on Priest, while each member of team Rhodes performed their own signature move on their opponents. Orton finished it off with an RKO from the top of the cage on McDonagh, and Rhodes sealed the victory with a cross Rhodes on Priest, marking Orton's successful return.
In the Women's World Championship match, Rhea Ripley defended her title against Zoey Stark. Stark showed determination from the start, proving she was not going to be an easy opponent in the most important match of her career so far. Ripley also brought intensity right from the beginning of the match.
During the confrontation, Ripley consistently showed her physical power and Stark tried to respond, but Ripley never lost her speed and force. Stark managed to land a few hits, with the sliding knee appearing to be her most effective move, but Ripley ultimately prevailed with her own skills.
After getting out of the Z-60, Ripley performed the Rip Tide move to secure the victory and maintain her strong position in the women's category.
Dragon Lee and Santos Escobar faced off in a fast-paced match after Dragon Lee stepped in to replace Carlito. The match was filled with quick movements and unexpected turns.
Lee has proven to be a talented young star on the team, impressing the crowd with his skills during a match against Santos Escobar. Although Lee seemed to have the upper hand with a powerbomb, Escobar turned the tables with a destroyer move followed by a knockout blow to secure the victory. While the win may not have had significant consequences outside of gaining respect within LWO, it could lead to further conflict and storyline development involving Rey Mysterio.
In the Intercontinental Championship match, Gunther defended his title against The Miz. Despite The Miz's attempts to target Gunther's left knee and mess with his head, Gunther quickly fought back and delivered strong attacks to The Miz.
Gunther embraced his role as the villain and engaged the audience, dominating most of the match. The Miz targeted Gunther's knee with some strikes to try and gain the upper hand, but failed to hit his finishing move. Gunther attempted his powerful powerbomb, but The Miz managed to kick out, surprising everyone. The Miz eventually executed his finisher, but even the champion was able to kick out.
The two wrestlers exchanged moves quickly during their match. Gunther attempted a frog splash, but didn't execute it perfectly. However, he managed to make The Miz tap out using a submission move similar to a sharpshooter, ultimately retaining his title in an unexpectedly exciting match.
In the Women's WarGames match, Damage CTRL (consisting of Bayley, Iyo Sky, Kairi Sane, and Asuka) faced off against Bianca Belair, Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, and Shotzi. The match began with Bayley and Becky Lynch engaging in a fierce battle inside the ring. However, Dakota Kai intervened from outside the cage by attacking Lynch with a kendo stick and passing it to Bayley. Shotzi then entered the match, introducing chaos by utilizing chairs and a steel trashcan in the ring.
Iyo Sky was the newest member of Damage CTRL and made a strong impact in the match by flying around the ring and evening the score. As more people entered the ring, the advantage in the match kept shifting, including a standout moment when Kairi Sane performed an impressive elbow drop with assistance from Sky. Sky's standout move of the match was when she climbed to the top of the cage, placed a trash can on herself, and bravely leaped onto all the other competitors.
Damage CTRL attempted to use various objects to attack their opponents, but the tables turned when Flair jumped from the top of the cage to attack them instead. Lynch and Flair then delivered a powerful move on Sane, leading to team Belair gaining momentum. Belair used a fire extinguisher to counter Asuka's mist, and Lynch ultimately defeated Bayley, securing the victory for team Belair against the women's group.
Do you know when Survivor Series: WarGames 2023 is happening? It will take place on Saturday, November 25th at 8 p.m. Eastern Time. The kickoff show for the event will start at 7 p.m. Eastern Time.
To view Survivor Series: WarGames 2023, you can watch it on the streaming platform Peacock. However, you will need to have a premium or premium-plus subscription to access it. For viewers outside the US, the event will be accessible on the WWE Network.
Survivor Series: WarGames 2023 event lineup
Matches listed without specific order of when they will take place.
Predictions for Survivor Series: WarGames 2023
WarGames is a match type introduced by Dusty Rhodes in 1987 that is known for its unique setup involving two rings placed next to each other. It has been a popular match in WWE since it was brought to NXT in 2017.
There are two rings enclosed by a steel cage without a roof, where two or three teams compete. The match starts with one member from each team entering one of the rings. After five minutes, another member from one team joins to create a temporary 2-on-1 situation. Three minutes later, a member from the team at a disadvantage enters to level the playing field. The teams continue to rotate members entering the match until all competitors are involved.
A team can win a match by either pinning or submitting any member of the opposing team.
Randy Orton is making a comeback after being away for 18 months. The "Viper" will finally be back in action.
Randy Orton is set to make a comeback to WWE at Survivor Series, where he will be part of the team facing off against The Judgment Day in the men's WarGames match. Cody Rhodes revealed Orton's return during this week's episode of "Monday Night Raw."
In May 2022, a popular wrestler had to take a break from competing after hurting his back during a WWE Tag Team Championship match against The Usos on "Smackdown." This injury caused him to miss SummerSlam 2022, and his upcoming appearance on Saturday will mark his first WWE event of the year.
Gunther explains why he believes his reign as a wrestler was important. He emphasizes the importance of respecting the wrestling mat and aims to showcase this belief at Survivor Series: WarGames.
The wrestler who held the Intercontinental Championship for the longest time in WWE history will defend his title against The Miz, an eight-time champion who is very familiar with the belt. The match will take place in Chicago on Saturday.
Gunther has been vocal about his lack of respect for The Miz on screen, claiming that The Miz is more of an entertainer than a wrestler. Gunther believes that the entertainment side of The Miz is becoming a widespread issue in WWE, as he feels that many others on the roster fall into the same category.
He expressed concern that over time, people have started taking themselves too seriously, which goes against the true essence of the sport. He believes that the focus should be on the sport itself and its overall health, rather than on individual egos. He feels responsible for defending these values against someone like The Miz, who prioritizes self-promotion.
"That's why I had to be in charge; to make things right to some extent."
Discover Gunther's opinions on The Miz, Roman Reigns, and the incident where he grabbed a viral coat by reading further.
Fans are speculating whether CM Punk will make a return to WWE, especially with another pay-per-view event taking place in Chicago.
In 2021, All Elite Wrestling made a big acquisition by signing the former WWE Champion. However, the company decided to terminate his contract on Sept. 2 due to an incident that occurred backstage after the "All In" pay-per-view event in London.
After that, there has been a lot of talk about Punk possibly returning to WWE for the first time since 2014. Fans have been eagerly searching for clues that might suggest a comeback. It was also thought that Punk would be joining Rhodes' team for the WarGames match, but Orton was revealed as the fifth member instead.
Many sources have stated that it is unlikely for Punk to appear at Survivor Series or join WWE soon, but the company has had unexpected surprises in the past, such as Rhodes' comeback in 2022. Therefore, it is not completely ruled out until Survivor Series concludes.
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