The 2024 Survivor Series: WarGames was heavily promoted as one of WWE’s most significant events, with two high-stakes WarGames matches and multiple championship bouts. However, for the Ringside Report team—Dave and Ben Simon with Genesis Johnny North—the event failed to live up to its billing. Broadcasting live on YouTube, Rumble, Twitch, and Kick, the duo, joined by an engaged online audience, shared their frustrations, occasional praise, and an overwhelming sense that WWE needs to rethink its creative direction.
Here’s a comprehensive breakdown of the show and the discussion from the post-show.
Table of Contents
The Men’s WarGames Match – A Story Stuck in Neutral?
The night’s main event saw Roman Reigns, CM Punk, Jimmy Uso, Jey Uso, and Sami Zayn team up against Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga, Tonga Loa, Jacob Fatu, and Bronson Reed. What was billed as an epic showdown between factions fell flat for the Ringside Report team.
Dave Simon didn’t hold back, labeling the match “overly choreographed nonsense” and criticizing its lack of stakes or surprises. He remarked, “The pacing was off. They dragged everything out—beatdowns, top rope splashes, and predictable team drama. The finish was overly choreographed nonsense.”
Johnny North found a silver lining, praising the Bloodline storyline: “I enjoyed the Bloodline story. The table spot with Bronson Reed and Punk saving Roman was pulled off as well as it could have been.” However, he also agreed that the match lacked excitement overall.
Audience Reactions:
Audience member Jason Peate in Mexico summed up the sentiment of many viewers, saying, “How boring was it? I started watching CBC News halfway through.” Others like Harold Schneider were more forgiving, rating the match 7 out of 10, but admitting they weren’t fully engaged: “I wasn’t really watching, so I wasn’t annoyed.”
Major Criticisms:
- The finish was a sticking point for the hosts and the audience alike. Solo Sikoa’s team was systematically dismantled in an overly dramatic sequence that saw him take multiple signature moves before being pinned by Reigns. Dave said, “It felt like a cinematic fight scene—fake, drawn-out, and completely unconvincing.”
- Roman and Punk’s storyline tension fizzled, with no significant developments to show for it.
- Despite teases of a surprise or post-match angle, nothing materialized, leaving viewers underwhelmed.
Women’s WarGames – Divisive Yet Eventful
The women’s WarGames match featured Rhea Ripley, Bianca Belair, Bayley, Naomi, and IYO SKY facing off against Liv Morgan, Nia Jax, Raquel Rodriguez, Tiffany Stratton, and Candice LeRae. Opinions on this match were sharply divided among the Ringside Report hosts and their audience.
While acknowledging the match’s flaws, Dave Simon found it more engaging than the men’s WarGames match. “I thought it had more ‘wow’ moments than the men’s match, but it was sloppy and poorly executed,” he said. On the other hand, Johnny North was scathing in his critique: “It felt like bad backyard wrestling. Everyone had to grab a weapon from under the ring, which made it feel like a gimmick overload.”
Highlights and Lowlights:
- Rhea Ripley stood out with a dominant performance, and her top-rope Riptide finisher on Liv Morgan sealed the victory for her team.
- Nia Jax drew criticism for her execution, with Naomi reportedly swearing at her after a series of weak chair shots. Dave remarked, “Those were the lightest chair shots I’ve ever seen. It was embarrassing.”
- The double dives off the cage from Tiffany Stratton and IYO SKY were crowd-pleasers, but Dave found them unconvincing: “It’s cool for the arena audience, but on TV, it looks overly choreographed and fake.”
Audience Comments:
Kyle Salisbury called the match a “messy spectacle”, while others appreciated the effort despite the flaws. Angelo noted, “Rhea Ripley carried the match, but the overuse of weapons made it chaotic rather than exciting.”
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Championship Matches – Stale Booking Across the Board
Unfortunately, the rest of the card featured championship matches that added little excitement to the evening. The Ringside Report team unanimously agreed that these bouts were forgettable at best.
United States Championship: Shinsuke Nakamura def. LA Knight (c) – New Champion!
Shinsuke Nakamura’s victory over LA Knight was a shock but not a welcome one for Dave, who criticized the presentation of Nakamura’s character. “It’s like a Ninja Turtles version of feudal Japan. This gimmick feels outdated and tone-deaf,” he said. Johnny North added, “The match felt like a drag. I was expecting something special, but it just ended.”
Long-time Ringside Report channel member Angelo Kontogonis asked, “What happens to LA Knight now? It feels like his momentum has completely stalled.” The hosts agreed, with Dave lamenting, “LA Knight was white-hot a few months ago, but WWE seems to have cooled on him. I don’t know if he’ll ever get back to that spot.”
Intercontinental Championship: Bron Breakker (c) def. Sheamus and Ludwig Kaiser
The triple-threat match for the Intercontinental Championship was described as forgettable, with Dave calling it a “glorified Raw match.” Johnny North said, “It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t memorable either. Nothing about it stood out.”
World Heavyweight Championship: Gunther (c) def. Damian Priest
The hosts were particularly critical of this match, which they described as slow and repetitive. “This was the worst match of the night,” said Dave. “We’ve seen Gunther vs. Priest before, and this added nothing new.” Johnny noted that interference from Finn Bálor detracted from the match, saying, “Why can’t Gunther beat Priest clean? This is the same finish we saw in August. Nothing has progressed.”
Overall Thoughts – A Glorified House Show?
For an event as hyped as Survivor Series: WarGames, the Ringside Report team felt that WWE played it safe, leaning too heavily on the WarGames gimmick without delivering anything substantial.
Dave summed it up harshly: “It was another glorified house show. They gave us the illusion of a major event, but nothing significant happened.”
Johnny agreed, adding, “They’ve run this WarGames concept into the ground. It’s long, repetitive, and rarely delivers on excitement.”
The audience, too, seemed divided. While some appreciated the spectacle, many felt the matches were poorly executed and the booking uninspired. As Jason Peate put it, “This was a boring end to what’s been a lackluster year for WWE.”
Conclusion – WWE’s Missed Opportunity
With Survivor Series: WarGames 2024, WWE had a chance to deliver a show that moved storylines forward and captivated audiences. Instead, it felt like a placeholder event with overly choreographed matches, uninspired finishes, and no significant surprises. While there were moments of excitement, they were overshadowed by poor pacing and stale booking.
