The Iron Survivor Challenge is considered one of the best special match types in wrestling, and it's only been around for three years.
It's hard not to appreciate all the thought and thought Shawn Michaels and his team at NXT put into every story told in Saturday's men's and women's Iron Survivor Challenge match at Deadline. I didn't. It was difficult to determine the No. 1 candidate for each of the brands worldwide. Championship leading up to WrestleMania season.
By claiming the winner with the most pinfalls or submissions after 25 minutes, you can creatively play with so many different elements and create a story that sets each participant up for the rest of next year. can be given.
Michaels had to fill in for WarGames after the main roster competed at Survivor Series, but he didn't want to change the order of the five participants, how the final seconds would play out, or who would be on the scoreboard. You can play by adjusting who is ahead or behind, and when the wrestler gets stuck. Penalty box after being pinned or submitted.
There's nothing like wrestling with so many variables to adjust and consider. As we saw again last weekend, that leads to numerous ways to create drama in a short amount of time.
The women's match, held at the deadline, ended in a 40-second contest with all contestants tied for the same score. Julia was able to get a second pin near the end, but Stephanie Vaquere (the only one not to be pinned) was left scrambling to pin Julia and tie the score. She won't be able to do so, and her frustration will only add to the rivalry NXT is building between its two new star signees.
In the men's game, it looked like Ethan Page had won with three minutes remaining, but Oba Femi came back and won. However, with five seconds remaining, Femi held off two players at the same time and jumped into the lead. Jevon Evans appeared to have tied Femi up, but time ran out before he could cover him.
NXT can now tell the story that Evans needs to overcome the disappointment of getting that close. It'll be hard to forget Trick Williams' wild come-from-behind victory in last year's version, one of the most perfectly timed endings we've ever seen.
In a business where every type of matching seems to have already been done or is just an imitation of what has come before, this feels like something different.
NXT was able to create something truly unique that stands the test of time.
time is monet
The dynamite segment between Mercedes Mone and Anna Jay became something of a pro wrestling cliché after some solid dialogue. Jay was insulted and then slapped the heel TBS Champion, but she ignored the decent boos and ran away, saying she didn't have time for that.
Yes, AEW is biding its time for Camille to return from her backstage assault and start a feud with Monet, but I'd like to see her feud with Jay deepen further this week and not just stop at that part. I hope. The more reasons viewers have to truly dislike a champion, the better. Keep the heat up.
Jay has some momentum and if positioned correctly, could get a big boost from working with Mone and become a strong option to win the TBS Championship in the future. Don't waste your chance to develop your talents to the fullest.
ten count
It was pretty surprising to see Wyatt Sixx eliminated just four months after his debut, but this was a very important step. It removes the invincibility that once plagued The Fiend and allows the audience to empathize with them. Paul Ellering, who returned to throw powder in Uncle Howdy's face, saved The Miz twice, showing that WWE is committed to adding depth to the Final Testament storyline.
It's great to see fans giving Shelton Benjamin the love he deserves during his match against star Kyle Fletcher at the Continental Classic. They were rooting for him. MVP and Bobby Lashley then verbally undressed Benjamin and The Hart Syndicate started to heat up.
MLW made great use of the Eric Bischoff one-shot last week. He judged every match on the show, gave him a TNA finish like in WCW's old days, and even turned heel by firing Alex Kane midway through. It influenced the entire arc of the show about what Bischoff's true intentions were in MLW. We also have a great closing shot and cliffhanger at the end.
I can't say enough about the match between Bianca Belair and Piper Niven on SmackDown. It was well-constructed to build drama, show off the power of both women, and look like a million bucks when Belair defeated Niven with a KOD at the end.
Swerve Strickland's decision to completely destroy Max Caster was the right decision and could be the catalyst for the disbandment of The Aclayed, allowing him to start competing in singles as a heel. – Castor tried to set that goal on the front page of the New York Post last week.
The DIY heel turn was picture perfect. Johnny Gargano tells GM Nick Aldis he doesn't need to worry about Tommaso Ciampa and finally delivers a low blow that will allow DIY to regain the WWE Tag Team Championships from the Motor City Machine Guns. It was Gargano who gave it to him. I wrote two weeks ago that seeing Gargano in a heel would be much more interesting than a DIY split, and I was right.
The nuclear heat surrounding Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods was loud and clear on Raw. Instead of trying to justify Big E's undressing last week, I wish they'd have been less surprised and rubbed it in his face. The crowd got what they wanted when Kingston and Woods gave up and left.
Of all the good things WWE accomplished during the feud between Cody Rhodes and Kevin Owens, Chad Gable's attempt at the recently injured Undisputed WWE Champion's ankle by The Prize Fighter was one of the best. It was–until it wasn't. The crowd began to boo Owens, but Rose did not sell his ankle at all entering the match. another WWE's overused pull-apart brawl to end the show.
TNA has announced that Slammaversay will be held at UBS Arena in July 2025. This is a big step forward for the company, and it certainly has some momentum. Given the current direction of AEW's tickets, there is at least one significant WWE move that helps fuel the false perception that TNA is a challenger to Tony Khan's brand as the world's second-largest pro wrestling company. I wonder if there is any involvement.
The footage, which hinted at Bandido's return from injury in June 2023, was a huge step in the right direction for AEW. At first I thought it was a commercial, but I was very surprised.
Wrestler of the week
Oba Femi, NXT
Just two months after losing the North American Championship, Femi wasted no time as he is now the No. 1 contender for Trick Williams' NXT Championship. Rising star Femi returned from a break as reported by Deadline with a dramatic win at Saturday's Iron Survivor Challenge. Mr. Williams is already in his second reign, and Mr. Femi is likely to become the brand's next champion.
This week's social media posts
match to watch
Cody Rhodes vs. Kevin Owens in Saturday Night's Main Event (Saturday, 8 p.m. NBC/Peacock)
As the heat around Owens and their story continues to grow, some believe that Owens should actually defeat Rose. Owens, who feels betrayed by his friend, is in a different place as a character than he was at the Bash in Berlin in August. It's story heavy this time around and should shape Rose's path to the Royal Rumble if WWE wants a trilogy.
