Jim Ross explains why WWE Survivor Series has lost its luster
WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross recently shed light on the last "Big Five" event of the year, Survivor Series, losing its value over the years.
The 5-on-5 traditional tag team contest was introduced in the late 20th century. However, in the last decade, the premium live event was relegated to "brand warfare" bouts with nothing at stake.
Jim Ross claimed on his podcast Grillin' JR that the Survivor Series became very difficult for the creative team to pull off annually. Part of the reason is owing to a lack of depth in the roster, according to the legendary commentator:
"The whole Survivor Series thing was an interesting thing," Ross said. "It’s been up and down hot and cold over the years. It’s just hard to put a show together where you’ve got a main event that takes ten talents out of your availability, and that’s kind of what Survivor Series became."
He added:
"And the only way you pull that off is to have depth in the roster. And you know, when you’re using ten guys, two, five man teams, it’s very challenging to say the least." [H/T: Wrestling Headlines]
The WarGames concept was introduced to the main roster in 2022 and will return this year. The show, which will air live this Saturday night, features a star-studded main event.
The heavy rumors of late have been that WWE veteran Randy Orton will make a comeback for the event after spending 18 months on the bench.
WWE Survivor Series 2022 was the most successful edition of the "Big Five" event
Survivor Series is one of the company's annual "Big Five" spectacles, alongside Royal Rumble, WrestleMania, SummerSlam, and Money in the Bank.
Last year, WWE replaced the traditional 5 vs. 5 Survivor Series Elimination Matches with WarGames bouts.
The 2022 edition of the premium live event featured two WarGames matches, and with The Bloodline Saga at its peak, the event became the highest-grossing edition of the Thanksgiving show in WWE history.
It was also a return to form for the annual extravaganza. WWE CCO Triple H addressed this during the post-show press conference last year:
"Today meant a lot. I think for all of us. In the new transition time, you are trying to blaze a new trail. But at the same time, remember everything historically that came in front of you and paid homage to that, to honor that, to pay respect to that. Every bit of respect that is due. I grew up watching Survivor Series. I grew up watching WarGames. Putting them together tonight and having that delivered in such a big way meant a lot to me," said The Game.
Hunter also added the impact it had on the current crop of talents who were booked for the show last year. Moreover, from a storyline perspective, Survivor Series 2022 had major ramifications for WrestleMania 39.
Are you excited for this year's edition of Survivor Series? Sound off in the comments section below!