WWE Survivor Series 2021 Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights
The battle for brand supremacy engulfed WWE Sunday night in Brooklyn, New York, as the company presented its annual Survivor Series pay-per-view, headlined by Raw's Big E battling SmackDown's Roman Reigns in a match between the WWE and universal champions.
The show also saw the real-life animosity between Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair manifest itself in one of the night's most prominent contests, as well as the two traditional tag team elimination bouts featuring former champions such as Seth Rollins, Finn Balor, Kevin Owens, Drew McIntyre and Jeff Hardy.
Which brand established dominance and attained bragging rights in 2021 and did the show provide any unforgettable surprises that would propel the company forward as it prepared for WrestleMania 38 season?
Find out now with this recap of the November 21 PPV.
Intercontinental Champion Shinsuke Nakamura vs. US Champion Damian Priest
United States champion Damian Priest of Raw battled SmackDown's intercontinental champion Shinsuke Nakamura on the kickoff show, starting the night's festivities before the official PPV broadcast.
Priest controlled the match early, grounding his opponent and keeping The Artist from building momentum. Rick Boogs interrupted with a guitar riff that earned a warning from the Raw competitor, and Nakamura capitalized on the distraction to mount a comeback.
The Archer of Infamy rocked Nakamura with a clothesline and followed with the Falcon Arrow for a near-fall. The Artist countered a chokeslam with his knee but fell to South of Heaven. The IC champ kicked out at two, then avoided The Reckoning by countering with an armbar.
Boogs again interrupted the proceedings with a guitar riff, prompting Priest to break the instrument over his knee. He blasted the hype man with the remnants of the instrument, then wiped out Nakamura, drawing a disqualification.
The U.S. champ stomped off, with his anger and frustration again getting the best of him.
Result
Nakamura defeated Priest via disqualification
Grade
C
Analysis
Imagine if WWE put even a hint of promotion behind this. Think about how good it might have been with more time and a crowd that actually cared about what Priest and Nakamura were doing.
Unfortunately, that was pretty much the exact opposite of what we got here.
The two men had a perfectly acceptable match with a terrible finish more geared toward putting over Priest's teased heel persona than actually establishing the theme of the night: brand supremacy.
Why even go through the motions of putting this on the card if there was going to be such little investment of time or creative energy in it? Unfortunately, that is a sentiment that can be echoed across the board when it comes to the pre-show build for this particular event.
Raw Women's Champion Becky Lynch vs. SmackDown Women's Champion Charlotte Flair
The most emotionally heated match of the night opened the main show as Raw women's champion Becky Lynch battled SmackDown women's champion Charlotte Flair.
Big Time Becks and The Queen wasted little time unloading on each other, blasting each other with hard-hitting strikes that set the stage for the physicality to come.
At one point, Lynch sent Flair off the top rope and into the guardrail, and it appeared as though the second-generation star tweaked her knee. Back inside, a series of strikes ensued before Flair dropped her opponent with a clothesline.
The Queen powerbombed her way out of the Dis-arm-her, sent Lynch into the middle turnbuckle moments later and proceeded to talk trash. "Talk your s--t, Becky, talk all your s--t," she exclaimed.
The Raw titleholder fought back and delivered a middle-rope leg drop to the back of her opponent's head for a near-fall as chants of "this is awesome!" spilled from the stands.
Flair rocked The Man with a big boot for another near-fall. Lynch answered with an inverted DDT and delivered a Manhandle Slam, but Flair draped her foot over the bottom rope to break the count.
The action intensified, with Flair utilizing her trademark top-rope moonsault. Back inside, she tried to use the ropes for added leverage on a roll-up but the referee caught her. Lynch reversed, used the ropes herself, and won the match undetected.
Result
Lynch defeated Flair
Grade
A
Analysis
This was every bit as intense as you would expect from the feud—both on-screen and off—between Flair and Lynch. It was a fight, complete with trash-talking, stiff strikes and a sense of realism that other contests don't typically incorporate.
The video package, gear and crowd helped make for a main event atmosphere, and the match itself lived up to the moment. Not that we should have expected any different.
These two have worked with each other before, delivering one of the best matches of 2018 with their Last Woman Standing match at Evolution. History told us they would tear the house down and they did.
At one point, Michael Cole mentioned on commentary that we were seeing the two best in-ring performers of a generation. Not women or men, but overall in-ring performers. That not only elevated the significance of the match but also showed tremendous progress in the manner in which WWE sees and utilizes its female talent.
Lynch winning by outcheating Flair was a great touch and provided the match with a finish that protected both women.
A great start to the show and a match we will revisit when discussing the best of the year in WWE.
Men's 5-on-5 Survivor Series Elimination Match
The traditional men's 5-on-5 elimination match was up next, with Team Raw (Kevin Owens, Seth Rollins, Austin Theory, Bobby Lashley and Finn Balor) battling Team SmackDown (King Woods, Sheamus, Happy Corbin, Drew McIntyre and Jeff Hardy).
Owens, disenfranchised after everyone thought he was a lowlife, walked out on his teammates and was counted out, and he vowed to be the biggest lowlife possible. Owens eliminated (SD 5-4)
Minutes of back-and-forth action that eventually broke down gave way to Balor delivering the Coup de Grace on Corbin for the next elimination. Corbin eliminated (Even 4-4)
While Team Raw worked over Hardy on their side of the ring, Lashley hoisted McIntyre on his shoulders and sent him face-first into the ring post. Woods received the tag from The Charismatic Enigma and exploded into the match. Rollins provided a distraction, Lashley downed Woods and sent him packing with the Hurt Lock. Woods eliminated (Raw 4-3)
The fight between McIntyre and Lashley spilled to the arena floor, where the referee counted both men out of the match. Both were eliminated (Raw 3-2)
An angry McIntyre rocked Rollins with the Glasgow Kiss, which Sheamus attempted to capitalize on. The Visionary kicked out, though. The Celtic Warrior next battled Balor, who attempted the Coup de Grace but came up empty. Sheamus finished the former NXT champion with a Brogue Kick. Balor eliminated (Even 2-2)
After Sheamus and Hardy demonstrated an ability to work together, The Celtic Warrior fell prey to a roll-up from Theory that sent him packing. Sheamus eliminated (Raw 2-1)
A frustrated Sheamus blasted his own partner with a strike, blaming him for not being on the apron when he needed him to be. Rollins looked to take advantage, delivering a frog splash, but Hardy kicked out at two. The Charismatic Enigma survived, delivered a Swanton Bomb to Theory and scored the elimination. Theory eliminated (Even 1-1)
Down to just Hardy and Rollins, the former world champions went back and forth until the babyface tried for another Swanton Bomb. But The Visionary got the knees up and delivered the Stomp moments later for the victory.
Result
Team Raw defeated Team SmackDown (Rollins pinned Hardy)
Grade
C+
Analysis
There was a lot to like about this, including Hardy being treated like the star he is by being the last member of the blue brand fighting for the win, but there was also quite a bit not to like.
There were three count-outs in the span of this match. The Owens one made sense but if WWE Creative was that concerned with protecting Lashley and McIntyre, why even put them in this match? Why not leave Rey Mysterio or Dominik? Why not book someone other than The Scottish Warrior in that spot?
The treatment of King Woods made little sense, either, considering he has been positioned as the top babyface on SmackDown for weeks now. Why beat him so decisively, as if he was an afterthought after spending weeks working with Roman Reigns?
Rollins winning was the right call, if only because he is the top contender to Big E's WWE title and needs to maintain as much momentum as possible for that showdown.
25 Years of The Rock Battle Royal
A 25-man Battle Royal celebrating the 25th anniversary of The Rock's WWE debut was up next.
Participants included: Angelo Dawkins, Montez Ford, Dolph Ziggler, Robert Roode, Angel, Humberto, T-Bar, R-Truth, Drew Gulak, Commander Azeez, Apollo Crews, Cedric Alexander, Shelton Benjamin, Otis, Chad Gable, Jinder Mahal, Shanky, Erik, Ivar, Mansoor, Cesaro, AJ Styles, Omos, Ricochet and Sami Zayn.
A match that doubled as a Pizza Hut commercial saw dominance from Omos, who overcame an attempted gang-up elimination on multiple occasions to win the match by eliminating Ricochet.
Result
Omos won
Grade
D
Analysis
Battle Royals are rarely any good, and this was no different.
If there was a positive, it was the presentation of Omos. The creative team has repeatedly put him in a position to thrive, and the result has been an inexperienced big man who has managed to get over with audiences by being a dominant force.
He was every bit that force here, tallying the most eliminations and earning the biggest singles victory of his career. He is likely to continue as Styles' tag partner for the foreseeable future, but it is always reassuring when WWE finds young talent it hopes to build around moving forward.
Raw Tag Team Champions RK-Bro vs. SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos
The top two tag teams in WWE battled for bragging rights and, you guessed it, brand supremacy as Raw tag team champions Randy Orton and Riddle battled The Usos from SmackDown.
The twins cut the ring off, isolating Riddle in their corner in hopes of dealing RK-Bro a loss on the same night Orton was celebrating his historic 177th PPV match. The Original Bro weathered the storm and tagged The Viper into the bout.
Orton exploded into the squared circle, but the concentrated efforts of the heels sent him to the arena floor. The Usos refocused their attention on Riddle, systematically picking him apart. However, the former MMA fighter sent Jey into the ring post, only for Jimmy to rock him with a superkick.
As Jimmy climbed the ropes and came off with the splash, he soared right into the RKO. Orton covered and scored the win for his team.
Result
RK-Bro defeated The Usos
Grade
B
Analysis
Any match with this collection of talent is going to be excellent. Expectations were high and the teams lived up to them, thanks to strong work from Riddle and the sort of quiet consistency from The Usos that is easily overlooked. The star was clearly Orton, who ramped up the intensity upon his arrival.
Raw winning the match ensured victory for the flagship show in this year's battle for brand supremacy, but the lack of attention paid to any sort of tally suggests that was not really at the forefront of this year's event.
For Orton, the outcome represented a special win on what was a historic night for the third-generation star whose career was defined early on by his success at the Survivor Series event.
Women's 5-on-5 Survivor Series Elimination Match
The traditional women's Survivor Series elimination tag match pitting Team Raw (Rhea Ripley, Carmella, Queen Zelina, Liv Morgan and Bianca Belair) against Team SmackDown (Toni Storm, Shotzi, Shayna Baszler, Natalya and Sasha Banks) took to the squared circle next.
A distraction surrounding Carmella's mask allowed Storm to roll up The Most Beautiful Woman in WWE and score the first elimination of the contest. Carmella eliminated (SmackDown 5-4)
Dissension between Shotzi and Banks threatened the cohesion of Team SmackDown while Baszler battled Ripley back inside the squared circle. The action broke down, with the women each hitting signature offense before culminating in Banks and Belair pairing off.
The WrestleMania 37 opponents captivated the fans with an exchange that saw The EST of WWE trapped in the Bank Statement. Belair fought out and delivering a fallaway slam. The competitors picked up where they left off on wrestling's grandest stage before The EST launched teammate Queen Zelina at Banks for a near-fall.
After Baszler and Shotzi refused to tag in, Storm tagged her partner and proceeded to do away with Zelina. Zelina eliminated (SmackDown 5-3)
Morgan entered the ring for Raw and scored an impressive fall by pinning Storm following Oblivion. Storm eliminated (Raw 4-3)
Baszler applied the Kirifuda Clutch to down Morgan, Shotzi followed with a splash and Banks eliminated her following a headbutt. Morgan eliminated (Even 4-2)
The numbers disadvantage for Raw became even worse as Baszler dropped Ripley, leaving Belair on her own against four of the original five SmackDown competitors. Ripley eliminated (Smackdown 4-1)
The dissension within the blue brand's team finally proved costly as Shotzi, Baszler and Natalya prevented Banks from re-entering the ring before the referee's 10-count, leading to her elimination. Banks eliminated (SmackDown 3-1)
Natalya applied the Sharpshooter but Belair fought through the pain and sent her opponent into Baszler. The EST scored the roll-up for the elimination. Natalya eliminated (SmackDown 2-1)
Belair continued her hot streak, eliminating The Queen of Spades to even things up. Baszler eliminated (Even 1-1)
The former SmackDown women's champion overcame the odds and the drive of her opponent, delivering the Kiss of Death to Shotzi for the win.
Result
Team Raw defeated SmackDown (Belair pinned Shotzi)
Grade
C+
Analysis
This was a nice spotlight for the sizable women's roster in WWE. Competitors who have either struggled for consistent television time or been de-emphasized of late had the opportunity to shine here.
Belair is in neither of those categories, but she was the clear star, overcoming the odds to win for Raw. The victory keeps her at the forefront despite being out of the title picture at the moment, and it erased any doubt she will be without gold to chase.
The EST is still very much one of the top stars in the women's division. That much was proved by the manner in which she overcame four-on-one odds to emerge victorious.
Banks earning the wrath of her teammates by being too self-absorbed as the leader of SmackDown, leading to her elimination, was a nice touch. Even though she's the de facto babyface in the feud with Shotzi, she is an egotistical character who would logically be unable to holster her own personal goals for the betterment of the team. It backfired on her and cost the team as a whole.
Shotzi was allowed to shine here, taking on a greater role than one may have imagined. This should really be the latest chapter in her rise up the ranks rather than the end. Hopefully, WWE Creative sees it that way, too.
WWE Champion Big E vs. Universal Champion Roman Reigns
The main event of Survivor Series saw Raw's WWE champion Big E battle SmackDown's universal champion Roman Reigns, four years after they partook in the opening contest of the 2017 event in their respective roles with The New Day and The Shield.
Big E started fast but Reigns slowed the pace and worked his opponent over, stopping to talk trash to the Brooklyn fans along the way. The WWE champ fought back, downing The Tribal Chief and delivering a big splash before calling for the Big Ending. Reigns evaded it but found himself caught in the Stretch Muffler as Big E looked to silence The Head of the Table.
Reigns missed a Superman Punch and Big E dodged it. He could not dodge the uranage as Reigns scored a two-count. He finally did add the Superman Punch, then another, to leave the WWE champion lying. He pandered to the crowd and set up for the Spear but Big E confronted him and delivered the same move to drive The Head of the Table to the floor.
Reigns answered with a Spear of his own for a dramatic near-fall.
"You don't deserve to be in this ring with me,” Reigns told his opponent. He applied the Guillotine, but Big E powered him up and delivered the Big Ending, and The Tribal Chief needed to grab the ropes to break the pin.
On the floor, Reigns launched himself off the ring steps with a Superman Punch. He added another Spear moments after kicking the previously injured knee of his opponent for the pinfall victory.
Result
Reigns defeated Big E
Grade
A
Analysis
No one does heavyweight main events like WWE. Reigns and Big E beat each other up and told a compelling story while doing it.
Their ability to utilize dramatic near-falls and high spots to set them up eventually won over a crowd that was not at all into what they were laying the groundwork for earlier in the match.
Perhaps that can be attributed to a lack of quality build to the bout and a nonexistent reason for it occurring beyond the tired concept of brand warfare. Maybe it can be chalked up to an exhausting night of action and a burnt-out crowd.
Whatever the case may be, they gradually bought into what Big E and Reigns were developing before the frenetically paced final few minutes.
There is an argument to be made that Big E needed the win or, at the very least, needed to be protected in defeat. He wasn't, though, and lost clean in the center of the ring to the top star in the company.
Many others have been there, but not everyone was the star around whom the entire show had been built. Big E is that for Raw, the top babyface and the centerpiece of its creative efforts.
He probably shouldn't have eaten the pin as decisively as he did, especially when Jimmy and Jey Uso were still in the building and capable of running in for a controversial finish.
Some will argue the WWE champion was elevated by proxy alone; that he was somehow better off for having wrestled Reigns regardless of the outcome. But those people are wrong. He could have used the win way more than Reigns.
For Big E, a victory would have been career-altering; perhaps the final test between him and the superstardom so many hope he will enjoy.