5 reasons the 2016 Survivor Series was a huge success

It was the 30th edition of the storied event.

It was a night of suspense, pageantry and moments that will be talked about for a lifetime. The 30 edition of the WWE Survivor Series has concluded, but not without a certain degree of outrage from the WWE Universe, some of whom are still scratching their heads in disbelief, at the outcome of the match that was billed as a "mega match."

Of course, we're talking about the highly anticipated main event bout between Brock Lesnar, and the returning Goldberg.

One look through my social media feeds would lead you to believe it was the professional wrestling version of Armageddon last night. Many fans expected to see Goldberg and Lesnar rip each other to shreds, in a match worthy of main eventing Wrestlemania, or at least we thought so.

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However, once the bell rang, it was as simple as 1-2-3.....1. Spear, 2. Spear, 3. Jackhammer and that was it. At 1 minute, 25 seconds, Goldberg sent shockwaves throughout the entire world of sports entertainment.

At the end of the day, there were a lot of fans upset with the show. Once again, some are threatening to cancel their WWE Network subscription. Here's a small word of advice, just do it! Don't talk about it anymore, just log in and cancel your Network subscription, problem solved.

But, I must admit, that show was far from being as horrid as they want you to believe. In fact, this year's Rumble was fantastic. It was a knockout in every sense of the term, and I'm going to tell you why. Here are my five reasons why this year's Survivor Series was not only a massive success but possibly the greatest Survivor Series ever!


#5 The Miz

The Miz retains, bringing the Intercontinental Title back to Smackdown

Ladies and gentlemen, it is now time for everyone to humbly accept the fact that The Miz is a star. Not only that, but he's a champion. A great champion, and one who is worthy of carrying the Intercontinental Championship. He has indeed elevated the status of the title to an entirely new level, and he should be commended for doing so.

I understand that everyone adores Sami Zayn and rightfully so. But, his time will come. As for now, the Intercontinental Title belongs to The Miz, and he and Maryse are at the top of their game, with no signs of slowing down.

#4 The Wyatt Family

The Wyatt Family is the best faction in wrestling today

I'll be the first to admit that I was concerned at the thought of Randy Orton joining The Wyatt Family. I was concerned that this would be another bad idea, similar to having Daniel Bryan join, only to turn too early when there could've been such a great story if the right amount of time would've been invested.

Needless to say, my worries have been laid to rest. Randy Orton joining the Family has not only been a good move, but it's been a GREAT move. As of now, The Wyatt Family looks to be stronger than they've ever been.

The way Orton gave his body as a sort of sacrifice offering to Bray, was pure money. That is the type of storytelling that fans can not only get behind but will captivate the audience in a way that keeps them chomping at the bit to see what happens next week. Not only that but having Bray get the pinfall win for Smackdown was huge.

Wyatt has desperately needed a pay-per-view win for a long time, and this one couldn't have been more perfect.

#3 The Shield

Even if only for a moment....

The Raw vs. Smackdown Live traditional Survivor Series match was quite possibly the greatest of its kind, ever. Every single participant had their moment, and no one looked weak at the conclusion of the contest.

There were several key moments throughout the match, but the one that folks will be talking about for the ages is the moment The Shield reunited briefly, to put AJ Styles through the Spanish announce table. That was simply amazing, and a reminder of just great The Shield was as a stable.

So, will we see a true reunion of The Shield?

That's the million dollar question, and in my opinion, the answer is yes. The only problem is not knowing when. It's important to remember that Ambrose is a member of the Smackdown roster, while Rollins and Reigns represent Raw.

For this to happen, there must be some sort of trade, or possibly an end to the brand split. Time will be the determining factor, but it was certainly a magical moment when the trio came together at Survivor Series, as brief as it may have been.

#2 Storytelling 101

The 2016 Survivor Series left us with plenty to build off of.

The ability to tell a story, without opening one’s mouth, is a feat that only a few have ever mastered. At the 2016 WWE Survivor Series, there was a level of superior storytelling that we haven't seen in a long time. The prime example of stellar storytelling was what you witnessed during the 5-on-5 traditional Survivor Series match.

The teasing of the Shield reunion, Orton giving himself to Wyatt and Shane McMahon putting his own body on the line, all for the sake of salvaging his brand, are just a few examples of how the creative team turned a 52-minute match, into an amazing never-ending story. It was an absolutely epic, nearly flawless spectacle.

#1 GOOOOLLLLLLLLLDBERG

Not bad...for an old man.

This is where a lot of fans got salty. The time was 1 minute, 25 seconds. That was the entire duration between the opening bell for the main event, and the closing bell when Goldberg’s hand was raised in victory.

While this was way shorter than what one would expect for such a big match, it was plenty of time to prove to the world that Bill Goldberg was the right person to get the win.

Look, I know there's a lot of belly-aching over the finish, but I'd like to ask you to just examine the facts and look at all the variables in play. First of all, the whole world expected Lesnar to overpower, dominate and conquer Goldberg. Not only that but most thought we would get a rather slow, lengthy match.

Having Goldberg come out of the gate, and finish Lesnar so quick, was wise on behalf of the WWE creative team. By doing so, they were able to hide the ring rust that Goldberg most likely had. Plus, this gave Goldberg the opportunity to evaluate himself to determine if, at nearly 50 years old, he wanted to make this more than just a one-off type of thing.

At the end of the night, there may very well be questions, but in the midst of all of the controversy, there was plenty to be excited about and lots to build off of. Some of the most notorious "experts" in wrestling journalism are bashing this year's Survivor Series, calling it the worst of all-time.

As for me, I'm far from being considered an expert. In fact, I'm just a common fan. But in my opinion, WWE officials delivered a stellar performance in Toronto. The 2016 WWE Survivor Series was indeed one of the best of its kind, that this writer has ever seen.


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