While speaking with Wrestling Inc, former WWE referee Jimmy Korderas shared what he liked and disliked about WWE Survivor Series as a whole. Here are the highlights:
The women’s WarGames match:
“Yeah, definitely the introduction of a lot of accessories, let’s put it that way, for lack of a better term. We had tables, we had ladders, we had kendo sticks, and the whole bit. I know there’s an argument out there, were they needed in the match? Technically speaking, no, but it did add and enhance the brutality of the women’s match. It was very violent. Did they need several of these items? Possibly not. They could have gotten away with fewer items. At the same time, it did add to the match as well. The women did work hard, and it was exciting. It was entertaining.”
Becky Lynch’s dive from the top of the cage:
“It was spectacular, but at the same time, you do worry about the safety, as well. For someone like Becky, who has had injuries in the past, you are concerned. At the same time, Becky doesn’t seem like someone who would risk something like that if she wasn’t comfortable doing it. At the same time, sometimes the excitement overtakes your better judgment in these types of matches, and you go overboard. Maybe she did, to a certain extent, but at the same time, I feel like Becky wouldn’t have done it if she didn’t feel comfortable doing it.”
The spot becoming expected these days:
“It is expected, that’s why sometimes you have to think outside of the box. That’s why the leg drop looked spectacular. You expect an elbow, you expect a splash of some sort, but the leg drop is something you don’t normally see. Again, the creative juices need to flow, because spots off the top of a cage, like you said, are somewhat expected nowadays.”
Finn Balor vs. AJ Styles:
“I loved the match, I thought the match was great. For an old school traditionalist like myself, I thought the match was well paced, well planned out. Great storytelling in the match from two guys that could really go in the ring. They also showed expression, they showed emotion during the match. The other thing I liked about it, both guys had their respective groups at ringside. They had their moment where they brawled, then they left the picture, and left the match to the two guys involved. I really did enjoy that. We got a nice good finish. I hope this rivalry continues, to some degree, but I don’t know how you top a match like that. Do you make it a gimmick match? That takes away from what these guys can do, though.”
The Smackdown Women’s Title match:
“I don’t know, something just didn’t click. It didn’t feel like these women connected very well together. We talked about this on the post show, with Justin LaBar and Jack Farmer, on Saturday night, Ronda just doesn’t seem comfortable in her heel role, or heel persona. It doesn’t feel genuine. You see others, who could I use as an example? Austin Theory, or somebody like that, you feel like it’s genuine. You feel like that’s the guy. With Ronda, it feels like she’s playing heel wrestling. It just doesn’t feel authentic. Obviously, I don’t like matches that look overly choreographed. At the same time, there weren’t botches, but things were not smooth.”
Austin Theory winning the US Title:
“It’s interesting that the U.S. title reign for Seth was short, but at the same time, it fits with this story that Austin Theory tried to cash in, and obviously, it didn’t work out well for him, but at the end of the day, he ended up with a championship thanks to Bobby Lashley again, almost by accident. Austin Theory could come out on Monday Night Raw. ‘Hey, I had it planned. I knew what I was doing all along. I won the championship, I defeated two men,’ and going on and on, the whole time being that heel persona, and people just saying, ‘What an idiot. The guy lucked into this thing.’ That’s how you’re supposed to feel, and not overly react to, ‘That’s a bad storyline.’ No, you’re supposed to sit back and enjoy it like it’s a TV show.”
The end of the men’s WarGames match:
“One to ten? I enjoyed it extremely well. I’m not going to give it a 10 and go overboard, but I’m going to give it an 8.5, because it hit a lot of marks. The match was really good. Again, you talk about emotion, and the little things like the facial expressions, and stuff like that, meant so much. You felt these guys. That ending, where KO hits the stunner, covers, and as he covers, the referee counts one, two, and here comes Sami. Instead of making a save by pushing Kevin off, he hooks the referee’s arm, to prevent the three count. Roman didn’t kick at all. The audience that’s watching goes, ‘He had him pinned for a three. He had the champion pinned for a three, but if it wasn’t for Sami, his so-called good buddy, the guy who he was best man at his wedding,’ which they pointed out. See, the story at the end, I get it. The WarGames match, with the cage, is supposed to be the main focus. Coming out of that match, everybody was talking about the ending, and what Sami did to his good buddy Kevin in siding with the bloodline, and that’s the goal.”
