The Real Winners and Losers From WWE Survivor Series WarGames 2022 Match Card

WWE Survivor Series WarGames promised a fresh perspective to a long-running event. This is a night when many greats have debuted and rivalries have ended, but this was the first time the dual ring had been seen at the event.

The Bloodline found a dangerous alliance challenging them inside the cage. While many shined, this was most certainly the story of Sami Zayn keeping the trust of Roman Reigns above all else as he pulled the group to victory.

Damage CTRL tried to keep a dominant foothold in the women's division, but Becky Lynch gave Bianca Belair's team an edge that could not be matched. Nikki Cross did her best to stand out, even while her heel teammates fell.

Outside of the WarGames matches, not everyone was able to make an impact. Finn Bálor and Shotzi left with only disappointment, but Austin Theory rebounded by winning the United States Championship from Seth Rollins.

It was a night of many winners and many unfortunate losers. In the end, though, WarGames defined everything including the night's most memorable stars.

While the story of the women's WarGames match was focused on Damage CTRL vs. Bianca Belair, Nikki Cross stole the show early, getting herself over with every minute she had.

Her mannerisms shined in a format like this, selling her character more than she has since she left NXT. Her fearlessness gave the bout a fresh component and set up one of the best dives of the night to push the match to the next level.

The Scot followed up by paying off her dynamic with Alexa Bliss, selling a future match between the two that can be a major part of Raw or even a future pay-per-view.

While Cross may not have been the star of the show, she showed her value in a way that made her a bigger star leaving the match than she was going in.

This was all that she could have asked for and more. Hopefully, WWE will capitalize by highlighting her character in 2023 to make up for wasting her potential in recent years.

Damage CTRL arrived at SummerSlam with serious hype. Bayley was supposed to help elevate Dakota Kai and Iyo Sky to a dominant level in WWE.

While Kai and Sky have won the WWE Women's Tag Team Championships, the entire women's tag team division has been forgotten, leaving the question of whether the group can actually win the big matches.

Repeatedly, the answer has been "No." Bayley's crew had the advantage in WarGames, but the babyfaces, especially Becky Lynch and Bianca Belair, dominated them inside the cage.

This could well be the moment that starts the end of Damage CTRL, though it is far too early to end the run of the most interesting female stable WWE has assembled.

Bayley, Sky and Kai need a complete reset and wins that will sell them as a threat again.

Less than one month ago, The Judgment Day won big at a WWE PPV. At the next show, group leader Finn Bálor loses. There is no consistency in building this stable.

While the Irishman can get his victory back with time, AJ Styles has picked up a major advantage over him, winning over the rare, protected member of this struggling stable.

On any other night, The Phenomenal One vs. The Prince would have stood out from the pack, but this didn't make the same impact following a wild women's WarGames clash.

Because the action could not shine through, the result stands out more.

Bálor can work a quality match with just about anyone, but he needs more credibility. He didn't get that Saturday night, but Styles did also need a win at a premium live event.

Shotzi had the biggest spotlight of her career, but she did not do well with it. Her match with Ronda Rousey was a mess. The two did not seem to be on the same page.

While this can certainly be put on The Baddest Woman on the Planet, she has a much better track record than her opponent. Rousey can recover from a bad match, but Shotzi may not get another chance.

The Ballsy Baddass moved up to the main roster earlier than she was ready for, and she still doesn't come off like a star who can stand among the best.

The 30-year-old is best suited for a tag team role with Raquel Rodriguez, and there is no shame in that. WWE just needs to keep building the women's tag team division so that she can get a regular spotlight.

Any hope of Shotzi winning a women's singles title is in the distant future at best following this sloppy performance.

Austin Theory had one of the worst Money in the Bank cash-ins in WWE history.

After failing repeatedly to go after the world titles, he tried to take the United States Championship and could not even do that.

However, the 25-year-old has somewhat rebounded. After coming back with a more aggressive attitude, he managed to pit Seth Rollins and Bobby Lashley against each other and take the U.S. title at Survivor Series.

Was there a strong reason for A-Town to miss out on the title a few weeks ago and win it now? That is questionable. It may have been better to wait longer for his full evolution, but WWE certainly has recommitted to him after Saturday night's victory.

Hopefully, this means Theory has as bright a future as many expected earlier in the year. The booking has not quite helped him lately, but he comes out of Survivor Series a champion. That's more than enough for now.

Sami Zayn's allegiance to The Bloodline had been much questioned over the past couple months, but The Honorary Uce has earned his place when it mattered most.

It was great to see this story play out so perfectly. The Master Strategist has been the best part of the group for a while, but he needed this final push.

Zayn was not just a joke here, though. He was dangerous also. In many ways, he carried The Bloodline through this match, earning the respect of Jey Uso by protecting him and holding him up.

While the men's match was not quite as good as the women's in terms of in-ring quality, the storytelling was on point. This is the best angle in wrestling, and WWE has not skipped a beat in highlighting it.

Most importantly, Sami Uso continues to prove he is one of the most underrated stars in wrestling.