Vince McMahon: "The Survivor Series PPV is officially finished"

[Luther_Hull]

In this modern age, Survivor Series was a shite concept anyways, who the hell wants to pay to see tag matches that you'd often see on weekly TV anyway? Not me, that's who. Back in the day when you didn't get to see the big stars that often it may have been good, but now it's more a less a concept that nobody cares about. People pay money to see title matches and gimmick matches, not shite tag matches that happen on Raw every week.

 

[miroa12004]

Vince was either high or he completly lost it when it comes to cancelling the Survivor Series.

How on earth does he think that someone is going to pay 80$ to watch two PPVs in three weeks time, add to the fact that the mainevent of Bragging Rights was a 14 man tag team match between SD and RAW (each team has seven members) and you get the reason why Survivor Series buyrates were down the toilet.

It wasnot the reason Vince gave to us or the shareholders, it is because of greed and bad booking, the Survivor Series traditional elimination matches were what these PPVs were all about, seeing new and fresh tag combinations between wrestlers who weren't grouped for a long time, seeing two wrestlers in the same ring for the first time, and when the traditional matches weren't there, the Deadly games and the Elmination Chamber arrived, Survivor Series was about how to suvive your opponents and not about title matches.

The WWE never tried to do an interesting angle with the traditional Survivor Series elmination match since 2005 with the RAW vs SD! angle, back then it was every guy on a team was feuding with another guy on the other team, but now it is only about the team captains and the other guys are irrelevant.

Also the fact that Bragging Rights had a more compelling storyline in the RAW vs SD feud and a better buildup than any Survivor Series match, combined with Survivor Series' bad and over repeated mainevents (how many times have we seen Cena, HHH and HBK in the title scene, while Taker vs Show was done in SS08) with the only new thing was 'Taker vs Jericho and they completly threw it by booking them twice before the PPV.

Had WWE given the event more time to promote it and build it up better, its buys would've risen higher.

Anyway I think that we have to accept the fact that we are living in a new era of pro wrestling (whether we like it or not) that is meant to garner around newer fans who don't know shit about WWE's history. RIP Survivor Series and thanks for your great memories such as Undertaker's debut, Rock's debut, Montreal Screwjob, Deadly Games, End of Alliance storyline, First ever Elmination Chamber and much more memories that will have to be replaced by some shitty gimick themed PPV coupled by a shitty name.

I'm just afraid that maybe one day, Vince finds that the Royal Rumble or SummerSlam didn't sell well and decides that they've ran their course and it is now time to start doing something new.

 

[marklouis]

The biggest problem with this thinking is that he's only eliminating 1 PPV, and he's not even eliminating it, he's just re-branding it. The biggest problem with WWE is overexposure, and Vince clearly doesn't understand this, considering he recently made comments that WWE could be on every night of the week. The best course would be to eliminate all but 4 PPVs-keep the Royal Rumble, Wrestlemania, Summerslam, and Survivor Series. Make Night of Champions a cable special that airs on USA or NBC in the summer months between WM and SS. If you really need a 5th PPV, put Night of Champions in June, halfway between WM and SS. This would give the WWE more time to build up storylines and rivalries, and it would also give the customers a break financially. Vince seems to think more PPVs equals more money, but this simply is not the case.

 

[wbuqed]

OK only made it through 4 pages worth of posts before i started writing my reply so apologies to anyone on page 5 or 6 i may be duplicating the point of...

Getting rid of Survivor Series is bitter sweet but has to be done, not only because of Vince's debacle of Bragging Rights, but also cause the concept has grossly been f***ed with over the last 7 years. I mean the groups involved in the elimination matches up til the 2001 survivor series had always had some sort of cohesiveness that went beyond the 3-4 weeks before the PPV. Survivor Series was a great stable PPV but nowadays the closest thing you have to a stable is essentially The Straight Edge Society, yes i am writing off legacy. Some of you guys introduced the idea of making Survivor Series a TV event, that could work, but then I think back to when KOTR was put on Raw maybe 2 years ago when Regal was named King and it just seemed like a mismanaged idea, but thats just my perspective. Frankly I think given the consistency of low buy rates I wouldnt be surprised if every PPV with the exception of maybe Royal Rumble and Wrestlemania moved back to the old "In Your House" style of PPVs, with no guarantee of style of matches.

Frankly I'm a lil more surprised that Summerslam wasn't clipped before Survivor Series

 

[Goondas_87]

Vince only had himself to blame for the low buy rates for survivor series. Nobody buys it anymore because the main reason anyone bought the PPV was for the traditional survivor series matches, which have become absolute s*&#.

The last 3 or 4 years the survivor series matches have been made up of a completely random bunch of wrestlers and then they have their current foe on the other team. Theres no basis on why these people were picked on the team. They say that each team has a captain, and that the captain chose these people, but you never see or hear of them choosing them.

I remember back when you would tune into the weekly shows to see who the captain would be choosing for their teams, and its this process that made the teams feel like a TEAM and not just a random mixed bag. Like back with the Smackdown vs Raw survivor series match up. All the raw superstars were gathered around the ring to see who bischoff would choose for the team. And then on smackdown they had a bunch of qualifying matches. You actually saw the teams coming together.

So quite frankly im not that sad to see the survivor series go because the one thing that made it great has just completely lost its magic in past years. Vince has ruined it and so i believe it is time to put it out to pasture.

 

[The Brain]

I haven’t read all the posts yet so I apologize if I repeat anything that was said already. This decision doesn’t make any sense to me. I will admit that Survivor Series has lost a lot of its luster over the past several years. It has become a distant fourth in the big four pay per views. This could still be an interesting event if properly booked. It’s such a simple way to start new rivalries and push new stars. Just look at the last Survivor Series. Miz, Sheamus, and McIntyre all looked good surviving their match and look at them now. That’s how Survivor Series can be useful.

Vince got away from the original Survivor Series concept a long time ago. Even though there were elimination matches, they were just thrown together with no rhyme or reason. Creative didn’t put any thought into them and it showed. Someone mentioned how in the early days all we saw was squash matches so getting the entire roster on ppv was a big deal. I completely understand that, but the same could be said for SummerSlam or even WrestleMania. There is going to be a November ppv anyway so why not stick with the 23 year tradition? The part that doesn’t make any sense is that Vince is suddenly obsessed with themed ppvs. He changed Unforgiven, No Mercy, Armageddon, and Now Way Out all to theme ppvs. Survivor Series always has been a themed ppv. Instead of having to come up with something new he could just go back to a proven formula.

I can tell you that Vince is going to lose at least one ppv buy because of this. I watch most of the ppvs at a bar and purchase only the big four. This November I will keep that $45 because of this change. My $45 doesn’t mean anything, but I wonder how many others will save their $45 too. Who knows, maybe the new November ppv will achieve more buy rates than Survivor Series has in recent years. If that’s the case then my $45 is meaningless. Wrestling fans like their traditions so Vince better have something good planned for November. I just really, really hope Vince doesn’t mess with SummerSlam.

 

[Mighty NorCal]

Surely, he cant think the buyrate had anything to do with the name Survivor Series. Really? Just make it into battle bowl or have a war games match or a one night tournament of some sort, and there you go. I agree with Luther on the point of needing to move away from the tag matches, for the same reason. Seeing all the big stars in one place means fuck all in this day and age.

I just don't see what doing away with "Survivor Series" in name is going to do for anything. Its not like the other names are snazzy. "Elimination chamber" and "TLC"..are we gonna rename Wrestlmania "wrestling matches and shit" or SummerSlam "wrestling matches while its hot outside"....The name isn't gonna change much, clearly. The cards and build toward them need to be better.

 

[Big Nick Dudley]

I am torn on this one. I love the Survivor Series. Well, actually, I DID love the s. series, before they turned it into just another ppv. It hasn't been the traditional survivor series for quite some time. But with this being one of the four Big ppv's (also mania, summerslam and the rumble), I think it's a bad idea. What is going to replace it? Another gimmick ppv? That would be horribly lame. The War Games? I loved the War Games as much as the Survivor Series, but they are not different enough to justify switching out.

I would say Vince will regret this move, but his ego won't allow that to happen. If ONE MORE PERSON buys the ppv in its place, as opposed to how many bought the survivor series in 09, Vince will call it a success and pat himself on the back. This ppv has actually become something bigger than it's traditional intention. It is their 4th biggest name among ppv titles and this is just stupid. But, Vince knows what's best for wrestling...and don't you DARE tell him he doesn't haha.

 

[Alex]

If Vince truly wanted to get rid of Survivor Series, wouldn't it have made better sense to see what it did this year before he decided on scrapping it????

Just because something does badly one time doesn't mean it will do badly the second time.

In the idea of rebranding the PPV, what's the point the Survivor Series name is familiar and would more likely bring in more people than a completly different name. If he truly wanted to increase the buys for Survivor Series it might be better if he tweaked the concept but kept the name

 

[DigitalNight]

Vince is attempting to do something that for the past decade hasn't gone over too well. He is attempting a revision of a very historically documented company.

I don't mean we're going to watch wrestling on the International Space Station or anything of the sort; Vince is just setting things up for the next couple of decades.

As nostalgic I am of Survivor Series (both the name and the events as a whole) I can understand why he wants to change it. His vision of multi-person tag team elimination matches has changed. He probably wants a name (maybe from WCW?) that will help make the transition into the 'NXT Age of Wrestling' a bit easier. -I apologize for my play on words. It was too good to pass up.-

I'm assuming he realized this when Bret Hart only pulled cheers from the 23 and Up crowd at all of the events that featured his content as of late. (I am 27, and Love me some Harts.)

Now, when he changes the Royal Rumble to "Lots of Guys Wanting to Win Mega Challenge" or whatever he has up his sleeve for "Survivor Series" then I will care as a fan.

 

[AndyUK]

It's sad because of the history surrounding the event and how long it has been around but lets be honest, it hasn't been relevant in a few years now. Well, the original concept hasn't anyway. People aren't going to want to pay for a card full of elimination matches in this day ang age.

Of course, I don't see why they have to get rid of the name for this. They could just play around with the format a little. I do wish they had waited till next year for Taker's 20th anniversary and also to give it a proper farewell.

 

[THTRobtaylor]

The concept got stale cos it never evolved, just got changed every year... the best concept was when they had the Winners match at the end...

I would have kept the name, had all the winners going into either a Money In The Bank or EC match to end the show... that would have kept interest in the PPV and the original format...

Is anyone else thinking we might see Wargames here?

 

[DL23]

People are missing the point, from what I've read it sounds like only the name Survivor series is being cut, which opens the door for Bragging rights, which is a fresher name then Survivor series, it's more edgy.

Chances are they'll still do the tradional team vs team matches, maybe 7 vs 7 with the change of elimination in matches.

 

[Triple K]

I was shocked ... and then I realized, Survivor Series sucks now. The title matches are triple threats, the traditional Survivor series match up has become unimportant. Nobody buys the show anymore anyway, so it comes as no surprise. What he'll replace it with, well, if it's another gimmick match PPV with the name of the match the same as the name of the PPV, I'll be fucking pissed.

 

[Zigglerfan227]

It is true that the Survivor Series was not being used properly and all that but it is a really good ppv over all and a classic one at that. It really scares me to hear that Vince Mcmahon wants to get rid of Survivor series. What's he gonna get rid of next? You know, Survivor Series was actually good at putting over new talent as well.