5 Takeaways from the November 26th episode of WWE Backstage

After two weeks full of CM Punk and talk of his return to the wrestling world, the focus of this week's WWE Backstage shifted to the weekend that was in the WWE. WarGames and Survivor Series both provided fans with huge moments regarding matches, character development and glimpses of the future.

Triple H was the special guest this week and he reflected on the incredible month his brand has had. From invading RAW and SmackDown to delivering once again with WarGames, NXT proved that it wasn't the little brother any more and is instead a legitimate third brand.

A new segment also aired with therapist Rachel Bonetta, someone who I've never seen or heard of before, "analyzing" NXT Champion Adam Cole. It was brief and funny and might be something that we see more of on future episodes.

Having stars and their characters actually interact with a therapist/psychologist could make for some hilarious moments just as Cole did. Bonetta didn't think the name "Adam Cole" was very threatening.

But unsurprisingly, most of the episode was centered around both WarGames and Survivor Series. A lot happened over the last week in WWE with each episode of RAW, SmackDown and NXT ending in brawls featuring all three brands.

With that said, here are five takeaways from the November 26th episode of WWE Backstage.

#5 Seth Rollins is going down a different path

Seth Rollins addressed the RAW roster following a disappointing showing at Survivor Series

It wasn't his fault, but ever since he was paired with The Fiend in matches over the Universal Championship, things started to turn between Rollins and the fans. He was previously one of the most beloved stars on the roster and the crowd couldn't help but chant "Burn It Down" every time he came to the ring.

The Fiend, however, was just so unique that it transcended the crowd's feelings about Rollins. So when the two squared off, the Beastslayer wasn't receiving the previous support he had been getting from the WWE Universe. It might have irked him and caused him to think they weren't enjoying his work. The audience was fine with his work but they were just ready for the Fiend to ascend.

Because of his handling of that situation and the return of CM Punk, fans really started to turn on Rollins during the build to Survivor Series. After RAW failed to make an impact at the annual November PPV, the former Universal Champ held a town hall segment to open the show.

While some of what he said was true, like a lot of the roster falling short in their matches, it was his delivery of the lines that turned people off of his comments. It didn't help that he blamed everyone around the ring for not having the same passion that he does. You can't blame AOP for Survivor Series because they weren't even booked.

The problem with Rollins recently was that he has the passion and the message he wants to get across in the ring but things often come out a different way than he intended. The panel took Rollins different attitude to task, with Samoa Joe saying that they'd "hopefully be getting more genuine performances from Rollins". After being the good guy fighting for the brand for over two years, it might be time for a character tweak.

Christian added that he wanted the Kingslayer to "be who you are" and not who he thought the company wanted him to be. The potential pairing with AOP was addressed but not confirmed, but Captain Charisma added that "it would get better from here for him (Rollins)" and that the partnership with Rollins would be huge for AOP.

Everyone on the panel gave high praise for the work of Kevin Owens, with Christian stating that Owens is "fearless when he speaks and that is what connects him with the audience."

#4 Triple H proved that NXT and its model are highly effective and successful

Whereas brand supremacy was on the line between RAW and SmackDown in past years, it felt even more important to come out on top this year. NXT's involvement in the proceedings upped the stakes for everyone, and with the yellow brand's success, it will hopefully force the other two brands to improve their game/product.

Triple H joined the show and was thrilled with the entire weekend for the yellow brand. He believed that "NXT added energy and a whole other level to both RAW and SmackDown" during the invasion. The Game felt that "everybody delivered beyond expectations", especially before he knew who would be representing NXT following WarGames.

Another big point that Triple H made to the panelists was that coming out of Survivor Series, everything regarding the three brands will return to each show's status quo. We shouldn't expect to see much more cross-over between the brands. The next time there could be interaction will be in the Royal Rumble.

The panel praised Keith Lee's accomplishments over the weekend and Triple H professed his elation for the big Texan's success. The Game said that Lee is "a once in a lifetime talent" and that "he can do all the flips and jumps and then throw around Drew McIntyre like he's a child".

The moment between Lee and Roman Reigns after the elimination match was also considered a truly special moment (reigns putting his hand out to you to say "dude, you're something special") for the current NXT star. Could we be seeing him on Monday or Friday nights sooner rather than later?

#3 Stars of the weekend

Since the panel is always diverse in their opinions, it's not a surprise that they each had a different take on who was the star of the weekend. Of course, it's in the script for each panelist to pick someone, but it was still interesting to hear the rationale behind each person's pick.

Samoa Joe started off with Adam Cole as the NXT Champ may have lost at WarGames but put on perhaps the match of the night in his win over Pete Dunne. He called Cole's performance in WarGames "death-defying", referring to the finishing sequence off of the top of the cage.

Booker T said something that a lot of people have been saying for about a year - Shayna Baszler is way past ready for joining either RAW or SmackDown. He thought that with her weekend, it looked like "she should have been there (Raw or SmackDown) a long time ago". Maybe she would have been but bookers felt she had more to do in NXT.

Paige,of course, loved Rhea Ripley, but you cannot blame her. Ripley came out of the weekend looking like a star and a future player in the women's division after winning both of her matches. The Anti-Diva, who didn't fit the mold either, felt that the former NXT UK Women's Champ "oozed star power."

Captain Charisma once again showed Keith Lee some love, saying that "you can't put him in a box". The weekend was a star-making for the Texan as he pinned Seth Rollins and "went toe to toe with Roman Reigns." Even though he fell to the Big Dog, Christian added that "sometimes a loss can be more helpful for your career than winning."

#2 Dakota Kai's heel turn

The most shocking moment of the weekend was arguably when Dakota Kai turned her back on her WarGames team and more notably, Tegan Nox. Kai's whole NXT journey has been one where she hasn't been considered good enough to face or beat Shayna Baszler. She wasn't even deemed good enough to be on Team Ripley for WarGames.

When it was revealed that Mia Yim had been attacked during the pre-show, a replacement was needed. Since Kai was literally standing right there, Ripley said that she (Kai) was in. It was obviously a desperation move on Ripley's part, but can you really blame Kai for her actions on Saturday?

For the last few months, she's tried to prove herself but everyone has told her that she wasn't good enough. She did take Baszler to the limit in a match on NXT, but it still wasn't good enough to net her a spot at WarGames. Through the whole process, it was also strange that Nox didn't stick up for her supposed best friend.

Of Kai's turn, Triple H was ecstatic. He mentioned that "it's hard to keep things secret or special" in today's game, but he was glad that "people were in shock" after it happened. The Game felt the turn was "executed extremely well" and that the moment will allow her to "take things to a whole new level and show the world that Dakota Kai is something special."

#1 Charlotte Flair reflects on her match last year with Ronda Rousey

Since it was literally a year since Charlotte Flair and Ronda Rousey squared off in a huge match at last year's Survivor Series event, the Queen reflected on the entire process regarding her match with the former UFC star.

Once she found out that Rousey was joining the WWE, she (Charlotte) immediately thought she'd be facing Ronda at 'Mania. While that's a little presumptuous, she is one of the biggest stars in the WWE. Flair revealed that she found out on four days notice that she'd be having her dream match at Survivor Series instead of at WrestleMania due to an injury to Becky Lynch.

Flair felt that "I'm the baddest woman on the planet and that's the story I was trying to tell in the ring". With the finish of a disqualification, it certainly came across as two women on equal footing. In order to keep both women strong by neither suffering a loss, the match ended with the Queen assaulting Rousey with a Kendo stick and other weapons.

The 10-time Champ took exception to being referred to as "a replacement" in the match for Lynch. All of the previous build leading up to Series, however, was about about Lynch and not the Queen. It's not always about you, Charlotte.

Edited by Nishant Jayaram