After an incredible TakeOver WarGames last night, NXT battles Raw and SmackDown for brand supremacy. Can the black and gold brand prove once and for all that they are truly the main roster?

Let’s not waste anymore time and get right into the action!

Cross Brand Tag Team Battle Royal Kickoff Match

The final two tag teams were The Street Profits from Raw and Roode and Ziggler from Friday Night SmackDown. Both teams started brawling to gain control. After Ziggler inadvertently blasted Rodde with a Superkick, Montez Ford tried to take advantage to eliminate him.

That was thwarted as Ford went up to but Roode sent him to the apron dangling. He then hit a stunning Five-star Frog Splash turning in mid-air reminiscent to RVD, and Roode eliminated him to secure the victory.

Opinion: I know in previous years the pre-show hasn’t counted in regards to the score at the end of the night, but with so many NXT tag teams eliminated it definitely made little sense after three weeks of utter dominance. I would have thought that IMPERIUM would have walked away with the victory, let’s just hope things get better for the black and gold brand going forward.

Triple Threat NXT Cruiserweight Championship Kickoff Match

A really good high-octane match that provided both challengers an opportunity to showcase their incredible talents. Kalisto portrayed the role of the heel in this match delivering hard stiff strikes to his opponents. Tozawa was able to shine against the champion with an amazing repertoire of high-flying maneuvers.

Will all three competitors on the top rope, The Man Of The Hour hit a jaw-dropping Double Spanish Fly. Kalisto hit Salida Del Sol while running up Tozawa for a long near-fall. Tozawa hit the Senton Splash but pinfall was broken up by Kalisto. The finish saw Kalisto hit Salida Del Sol on Tozawa and Rush hit The Final Hour for the successful retention.

Opinion: This was a fun sprint of a match that was non-stop action. All three competitors were given a decent amount of time to show the WWE Universe what they can bring to the table. Rush continues to prove that he’s the standard-bearer for the Cruiserweight division.

The Tag Team Champion vs. Champion vs. Champion Match

Big E, Ivar, and Kyle O’Reilly started the match for their respective teams. The Undisputed Era members made quick tags after getting dumped by Ivar. The powerhouses brawled for a moment until O’Reilly came back in. Erik made the tag and so did Kofi Kingston. The first pinfall came after Kofi hit a stiff kick to O’Reilly.

Towards the middle of the match, the members of UE took complete control isolating Erik and utilizing the methodical dissection of his legs. Ivar finally got the hot tag and obliterated anyone in his path. O’Reilly saved Fish from getting splattered in the corner. Kofi wiped out everyone on the outside and so did E.

The finish came when Ivar landed his signature flying springboard elbow to O’Reilly and Fish followed by The Viking Experience on O’Reilly through Fish to secure the first victory for Team Raw.

Opinion: What a car crash style of match that could very well have stolen the show if they were given more time. There were some fun interactions between E and Ivar as the two powerhouses of their respective teams. O’Reilly and Fish have been dominating TakeOvers for years now and it’s about time they were given the opportunity to shine under the bright lights.

I believe WarGames is going to be used as the scapegoat to why UE lost tonight. The Viking Raiders have had too many squash matches and WWE should build off this victory to finally give them their first real feud as Raw Tag Team Champions.

Women’s Survivor Series Elimination Triple Threat Match

Sarah Logan, Lacey Evans, and Toni Storm started the match. After several minutes of back and forth action, Storm hit a double German suplex. Both former friends Io Shirai and Kairi Sane brawled for a few minutes with both women hitting some high-octane maneuvers. Somehow Candice LeRae and Shirai were injured and taken to the back.

It’s down to Banks, Natalya, Belair, and Ripley until both competitors from Raw and SmackDown locked in a double-submission and forced her to submit. The Boss blindsided Natalya with a stiff right hand to eliminate her. Banks hit a stunning Meteora for a long near-fall. A terrific battle of submissions ensued between The Brutalizer and The Bank Statement.

Both Shirai and LaRae came back down to the ring to break up the submission. With the official distracted, The Genius Of The Sky hit a missile dropkick and Ripley bit The Riptide to secure the victory for NXT.

Opinion: A terrific match between all of the women. I think the only thing that was missing was an all-out brawl but other than that this was a great showing for black and gold brand.

It’s odd to see opponents from last night’s TakeOver WarGames on the same page tonight but it worked. Ripley secured her second victory of the weekend positioning her perfectly for an NXT Women’s Championship title shot sooner rather than later.

Men’s Champion vs. Champion vs. Champion Triple Threat Match

As soon as the bell rang, Nakamura blasted both opponents with stiff kicks. Styles came in to deliver a Phenomenal dropkick to Strong. The Messiah of the Backbreaker is living up to his moniker,  by delivering some backbreakers. While Strong is on the outside, the two former WrestleMania 34 opponents face-off.

After some great back-and-forth action, Styles grounded the North American Champion with a deep headlock. Strong delivered a series of running forearms to earn him a near-fall. Strong monkey-flipped the US Champion right into a nasty-looking knee strike from Nakamura for a long near-fall. Styles appeared to hit the Styles Clash but Strong broke it up.

Unbelievable action in this HARD-HITTING battle between Intercontinental Champion @ShinsukeN, United States Champion @AJStylesOrg and NXT North American Champion @roderickstrong! #SurvivorSeries pic.twitter.com/ARY5moNSVa

— WWE (@WWE) November 25, 2019

The Intercontinental Champion hit an inverted suplex followed by a Kinshasa for a 2.8. The finish came after Styles hit the Phenomenal Forearm to Nakamura and Strong tossed the US Champion outside to steal the victory.

Opinion: This dream match was amazing with all three competitors putting it all on the line to be dubbed the best mid-card champion across all three brands. I thoroughly enjoyed that even though Nakamura and Styles are heels they didn’t show any allegiance during this match.

There were a ton of near-falls and dramatic sequences that drew a “This is awesome” chant and it indeed was. The wily member of UE picked the right moment to strike and capitalized to score the victory.

NXT Championship Match: Adam Cole vs. Pete Dunne

The match started off with arm wrenches as The Bruiserweight attempted to break Cole’s fingers. Dunne is utilizing joint manipulation to ground the NXT Champion.

Both competitors targeted their injuries from TakeOver to gain momentum. The leader of UE turned things around with a Superkick.

Cole took it to his challenger while keeping the action slow-paced grounding Dunne targeting his injured leg. The Bruiserweight mounted a comeback with a stiff knee in the corner and a sit-down powerbomb for a near-fall.

The challenger took out the champion with a stunning moonsault on the outside.

Cole answered back with The Last Shot for a long near-fall followed by a nasty-looking Ushigoroshi.

.@PeteDunneYxB. @AdamColePro.
AMAZING.

Adam Cole = #WWENXT’s iron man. #WeAreNXT #SurvivorSeries https://t.co/61svbrA06L

— Triple H (@TripleH) November 25, 2019

Dunne hit The Bitter End for a near-fall of his own. The challenger went for another middle rope moonsault but Cole hit a perfectly-timed Superkick for a 2.8.

“This is awesome” rang through the All-state Arena” as both competitors continued to battle over the coveted NXT Title. Both competitors were battling on the apron and Cole hit a thunderous Panama Sunrise.

The finish saw Cole counter The Bitter End into another Panama Sunrise followed by The Last Shot for the hard-fought victory after an incredible match.

Opinion: It’s astonishing to think that these two competitors went through physical hell last night at WarGames and still put on a five-star classic tonight. The match started off slow but once it picked up the WWE Universe loved every minute of it. There were some great near-falls and a tremendous amount of action from both competitors.

Now that the NXT Championship has been defended at Survivor Series, the next immediate step needs to be Royal Rumble and WrestleMania. Cole standing tall with a successful title retention after weeks of dominant booking was the right call. Now the question remains who can dethrone the leader of UE?

Universal Championship Match The Fiend vs. Daniel Bryan

Bryan came out of the gate firing on all cylinders with a series of corner dropkicks. The Fiend answered back with a thunderous clothesline and rapid-fire punches. It has been all Wyatt so far who suplexed his opponent halfway across the ring.

Bryan reversed an Irish whip that sent The Fiend crashing into the steel steps. After some high-octane offense, Bryan hit a massive splash to wipe out the Universal Champion. With the WWE Universe on his side, Bryan hit his signature running knees in the corner. The Yes! Man hit the Running knee.

The Fiend rose through the dead reminiscent to Crown Jewel and regained control by locking in the Mandible Claw to choke his challenger out to retain his Universal Championship.

Opinion: I am still digging the red lighting contrary to popular vote it makes The Fiend’s matches standout and sets him apart from every other superstar. Bryan delivered everything in his arsenal to try to dethrone the monster but to no avail.

For the first time in a year, The Yes! Man summoned the power of the Yes Movement but it wasn’t enough. Wyatt looked like an absolute beast here withstanding the correct amount of offense and choking out his challenger.

📸👹 The Fiend @WWEBrayWyatt vs @WWEDanielBryan 📸👏 #SurvivorSeries pic.twitter.com/8eb6oTmuPD

— Kim (@kimberlasskick) November 25, 2019

Men’s Survivor Series Elimination Triple Threat Match

The match started with Braun Strowman, Seth Rollins, and Tommaso Ciampa for their respective teams. The Monster Among Men thwarted a double-team attack. Drew McIntrye and the favorite WALTER entered the mix for a chop fest. After a great showing from the NXT UK Champion, he was eliminated after McIntrye drilled him with a Claymore.

Ricochet and Shorty G entered the match with some high-octane action until Gable locked in the Ankle Lock. Matt Riddle and Gable had a terrific battle of submissions and mat wrestling. Kevin Owens entered the match and eliminated Gable after a Frog Splash.

He then took the fight to Roman Reigns and King Corbin on the outside. Owens ran right into Ciampa who hit Willow’s Bell to eliminate the man who helped him not twenty-four hours ago.

Randy Orton entered the match stalking Ciampa and the had an intense stare-off. There was a slew of eliminations in several minutes. Keith Lee entered and The Monster Among Men stood face-to-face. The action was fast and furious as the big men ran the train on the outside.

We were now down to Ciampa, and Lee, Roman Reigns, and Rollins after The Big Dog blasted Corbin with a Superman Punch and a Spear which allowed Ciampa to eliminate him. The former Shield-mates double-teamed Ciampa. Lee blocked a Shield bomb attempt.

Ciampa hit Project Ciampa on Rollins for a long near-fall. Ciampa shot up and went for another but Reigns hit a Superman Punch and Rollins hit the Stomp. The Limitless One went right after Reigns and Rollins and delivered a stunning double crossbody.

Lee kicked out of a Frog Splash and dropped the former Universal Champion with Ground Zero to eliminate Rollins. “Oh, Bask in his Glory” rang through the arena as Reigns made his way back into the ring.

The two powerhouses had a quick exchange of fast-paced action and Reigns hit two Superman Punches for a 2.999. The Big Dog did his signature pose in the corner to deliver a Spear but Lee hit a THUNDEROUS Spirit Bomb for another long near-fall. Lee missed a moonsault and Reigns hit a MASSIVE Spear for the hard-fought victory.

Well, damn. That was fun, Chicago. Respect to #Raw and #WWENXT. @RealKeithLee, I’ll see you again big man. 🤙🏽 #SurvivorSeries https://t.co/6v11wMOwAY

— Roman Reigns (@WWERomanReigns) November 25, 2019

Opinion: The one thing WWE consistently succeeds at is multi-man matches and this was no different. Each superstar from each brand was given their opportunity to shine. We also got some dream match interactions between Orton and Ciampa, Lee, and Strowman and a few others.

While Reigns was the sole survivor leading his team to victory, you can take no credit away from Lee. The big man has had a hell of a week. From pinning Rollins on Monday to going to war at WarGames, and now nearly coming so close to defeating Reigns. What a tremendous match.

No Holds Barred, No Disqualification WWE Championship Match

The match started as Rey Mysterio grabbed his steel pipe as Brock Lesnar exited the ring. Mysterio came back in to be obliterated by The Beast Incarnate. Lesnar hit an overhead belly-to-belly suplex on his challenger onto the announce table cardboard. Mysterio has been given a ticket to Suplex City free of charge.

Out of nowhere, Dominick comes down to throw in the towel for Mysterio but Lesnar refused to end it. The challenger hit The Beast Incarnate with a low-blow and so did Dominick. Father and son hit a double 619 on their long-time rival. Both Mysterio and Dominick delivered Frog Splashes for a near-fall.

Lesnar met Dominick on the top rope and hit a huge German suplex followed by a thunderous F5 on his challenger to successfully retain his WWE Championship.

Opinion: Leave it to Mysterio to make the WWE Universe for a second believe he was going to defeat Lesnar for the WWE Championship. This has been such an amazing story of a father hell-bent on getting retribution for his son willing to do whatever it takes to beat the bully. Now that Mysterio has failed in taking the title, who is Lesnar’s next challenger?

Main Event: Women’s Champion vs. Champion vs. Champion Triple Threat Match 

The match started with all three women going at it in an all-out brawl. Lynch took down her opponents with a missile dropkick. The Man then set her sights on Bayley and she goes for retribution. Baszler broke up a pinfall attempt and utilized joint manipulation until Bayley broke that up. The Queen of Spades then refocused her gaze onto the SmackDown Women’s Champion as they squared off.

Baszler was having her way with Bayley until Lynch once again dropped her with a missile dropkick. The Man and the NXT Champion circled each other before a huge brawl ensued. Bayley wiped out both her opponents with a crossbody. Baszler now furious locked in the Kirifuda Clutch on the ropes choking out her rival. The Raw Women’s Champion disrupted it and hit a sit-down powerbomb on Baszler.

The ending saw Lynch attempt to lock in the Dis-Arm-Her several times only for it to be blocked. Baszler got the clutch only for Bayley to come in to make the save. Lynch and Baszler fought outside the ring.

The NXT Champion locked in the Kirifuda Clutch but Bayley countered into a pin. Baszler caught the SmackDown Women’s Champion in mid-air to lock it in one final time to force the tap-out.

After the match, The Queen of Spades hoisted her NXT Championship over a fallen Lynch who then rose up to drop her rival. The Man hit a huge leg drop onto Baszler through the announce table to showcase her dominance.

"Give me my f**king belt." – Bex Moxley#SurvivorSeries pic.twitter.com/5cO9h4wX4R

— GIF Skull – #JoinDarkOrder #AEWDynamite (@GIFSkull) November 25, 2019

Opinion: Contrary to popular opinion, I thoroughly enjoyed this match I felt WWE did a tremendous job utilizing Bayley after weeks of her appearing as an afterthought. They also wisely only allowed minimal time for Baszler and Lynch to fight one-on-one reminiscent to the Winners-Take-All Match at this year’s WrestleMania. Incredible booking all around and the right women won here.

Summary: NXT has been overlooked for far too long and tonight they were booked strong alongside Raw and SmackDown where they won the battle. There were some great moments such as the superb mid-card triple threat, Lee’s impressive performance, and most of all Cole’s spectacular NXT title defense. Now that the battle for brand supremacy is over, creative must focus on building new stories around their workhorses.