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Survivor Series kickstarted with the women's WarGames match, with all members adhering to dare-defying acts and moves. The event ended in chaos with huge mega stars' returns. While fans were only aware of Randy Orton's return, they were somewhat taken off guard by CM Punk's unexpected comeback.
Let's take a look at the best and worst from the 37th edition of Survivor Series:
#4. Worst: Rushing Zoey Stark's title opportunity at Survivor Series
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Zoey Stark made her main roster debut this year following the WWE Draft. Her impressive performances on NXT saw her push to the big leagues. Initially, she assisted Trish Stratus in her feud with Becky Lynch at Night of Champions.
Soon, she was considered Stratus's protege and would often accompany or fight on her behalf. After the Hall of Famer's wrestling schedule was over, Stark was left to fend for herself, and she left quite an impression in doing so.
Earlier this month, Stark won a Battle Royal to become the #1 contender for Rhea Ripley's Women's World Championship at Survivor Series. The Eradicator has displayed an assertion of dominance in the women's division.
In Stratus's absence, Stark was bound to a prominent rise in the company, but a title shot so early into her main roster run seemed rushed, which ended up in her losing.
#3. Best: Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair teasing possible tag team title opportunity
Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair were back to their original antics and mannerisms towards each other at the Premium Live Event.
The duo exchanged pleasantries after what seemed like ages in the aftermath of their clash at Survivor Series 2021, concluding their real-life friendship. When Team Bianca Belair was in need of a fourth member against Damage CTRL in the women's WarGames match, many expected it to be Jade Cargill and were taken aback when The Man showed up.
On SmackDown last week, Damage CTRL got the win over Team Bianca owing to an accidental hit of moves by Flair and Lynch. They argued for a bit and were not pleased with the outcome of their match just a night before WarGames.
However, the duo shared their usual handshake and proceeded to hug it out following their win. Thus highlighting that everything was well between them and amending their relationship.
At the press conference that followed, they teased working together again on-screen, which could result in them competing for the women's tag team titles soon.
#2. Worst: Randy Orton's return dimmed
On the RAW before Survivor Series, Cody Rhodes confirmed Randy Orton's return status after one and a half years of injury.
There were a lot of uncertainties to address, including Jey Uso and The Viper being on the same team, given how the former was responsible for his condition and injury. Additionally, it has been a long while since the RAW roster saw a wrestling veteran with Orton's reputation and persona.
Orton's status for Survivor Series: WarGames seemed uncertain when the other team members pointed out that he was nowhere to be found in the arena. This also laid doubt on Cody Rhodes as he was the one who 'made the call' and requested the 43-year-old to be a part of the group.
The match went on as usual, but when it was time for the last member of Team Cody Rhodes to appear, Rhea Ripley ran out with Damian Priest's MITB briefcase. He also urged her to request a cash-in, but their plans were imminently thwarted by Randy Orton, who made his way to the ring.
Despite his entrance being well received with cheers and chants from the crowd, it failed to live up to its hype built up in the week. In addition to this, the winning team's celebration was cut short by CM Punk, triggering a not-so-pleasant reaction from the WWE stars.
#1. Best: CM Punk's return; Seth Rollins and other stars left furious
Ever since it was announced that the Survivor Series would take place at Allstate Arena in Chicago, the wrestling world instantly speculated on CM Punk's WWE return.
The 45-year-old's last stint with the company was in 2014, which ended on rocky grounds. He was associated with AEW from 2021 till earlier this year until he was fired following his backstage fight with Jack Perry. This incident transpired not too long ago from the infamous All Out brawl with other AEW stars.
Following the main event - the men's WarGames match, the victory team's celebration was cut short when CM Punk's music hit, and the arena leaped to its feet. Over the past few weeks, there has been a lot of buzz and speculation on the multi-time champions' WWE return, given their complicated history.
While some stars showcased disdain with his appearance, most notably Seth Rollins, who flipped him the bird when the show went off the air and had to be held back by Michael Cole and the commentary team, his return definitely paves the way for new blockbuster feuds and reignite some old ones.
