The focus of Survivor Series 2015 was clear - The Undertaker,
with 25 years of destruction behind him, still being an ominous presence within
the WWE, whilst a new Heavyweight Champion would be crowned as the WWE World
Heavyweight Championship tournament would conclude.
Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose, polar opposites when it comes to
the crowd’s feelings, collided with Alberto Del Rio and Kevin Owens,
respectively, in the opening two tournament matches, with Reigns and Ambrose
heading towards a championship showdown later in the even.
Elsewhere, we’d see the WWE Divas Championship contested by
Charlotte and Paige in a fine example of what women’s wrestling should be and
how it should be presented. Tyler Breeze
took on Dolph Ziggler and it certainly wouldn’t be Survivor Series without the
titular match… of which we get one.
Ryback, The Uso and The Lucha Dragons took on The New Day,
Sheamus and King Barrett, whilst a second Survivor Series elimination match
took place in the pre-show as Goldust, the recently-returned Dudley Boyz,
Neville and Titus O’Neill took on The Cosmic Wasteland, The Miz and Bo Dallas
and is featured as a “special feature” on the DVD.
In a marquee appearance, The Undertaker teamed with Kane,
reforming The Brothers of Destruction, to take on the wily, slightly deranged
and utterly captivating Wyatt Family.
It’s clear where the appreciate of the fans sits as 2015 drew
to a close - Owens vs Ambrose holds their rapt attention, whilst Alberto Del
Rio can do no wrong as he takes on the unappreciated Roman Reigns. The New Day have well and truly hit their
stride with their irreverent mic work (including Sheamus attempting to be cool)
and considerable in ring skill. Paige
and Charlotte work wonders with each other, in the longest singles match of the
show, and the fans are truly behind the match, this is also true of fellow NXT
star Tyler Breeze as he takes on Dolph Ziggler.
The awe that the WWE Universe holds for The Undertaker is
tangible as they wait, with baited breath, for his arrival. WWE, once more, do the Deadman justice as
they evoke images of the Phenom of old, celebrating an impressive twenty-five
years at the top of his game, a bona fide legend held in the highest of regard. The confrontation between The Brothers of
Destruction and The Wyatt Family plays to all of their strengths as the two
cult-like families collide, but feels a bit short.
The main event sees Ambrose and Reigns face off in a match
where Ambrose may have the fan support, a rather amusing line in humour and
tough brawling, but it’s the modern-day Superman that is Reigns who gets the
upper hand… until Sheamus cashes in his Money in the Bank briefcase.
Away from the matches, JoJo continues the tradition of
backstage interviews without substance and Renee Young entertains with the
regular panel, joined by Byron Saxton, Booker T and Corey Graves.
As always, WWE PPV releases are spot on when it comes to sound
and video quality and it shows, as is oft the case, how far ahead of much of
the competition WWE are when it comes to presentation. Commentary is handled by JBL, Michael Cole
and Jerry Lawler, telling the story, filling in the gaps and bringing it all
together with varying degrees of success.
A single disc release that features the PPV and the pre-show,
Survivor Series doesn’t offer anything more or less than you’d expect. Whilst much is made of twenty-five years of
The Undertaker with Survivor Series, it’s a shame they didn’t do a separate
tribute for the DVD. It’s a bit of a
barebones release, but one that collectors will no doubt want to add to their
collection.
You can pick the DVD up HERE
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