One year after making its WWE main-roster debut, WarGames is back as the theme of Survivor Series 2023.
The iconic two-ringed cage comes to Chicago for Survivor Series on Saturday night. The show, which is set to include both a men’s and women’s WarGames match, will stream live on Peacock starting at 8 p.m. ET.
With Paul “Triple H” Levesque gaining even more power following Endeavor’s acquisition of WWE, it’s no surprise that WarGames is returning for this year’s Survivor Series. Levesque was a fan of “The Match Beyond” when its legacy was born in the NWA/WCW in the late 1980s. He brought WarGames to NXT and then elevated it to the main roster. Going forward, WarGames should be an annual Thanksgiving weekend tradition for WWE.
The men’s WarGames match will see one of WWE’s most popular wrestlers return to the ring. After more than a year away, Randy Orton will return to team with Cody Rhodes, Jey Uso, Seth Rollins and Sami Zayn against The Judgment Day (Damian Priest, Finn Bálor, Dominik Mysterio, JD McDonagh) and Drew McIntyre. This will be the first time that Orton, who has been recovering from a career-threatening back injury, has wrestled since May 2022.
While WarGames has no official stakes, there’s still plenty on the line for The Judgment Day. That’s especially true for Priest, who has been named the group’s leader for this match. For months, we’ve seen The Judgment Day go through constant dissension. They’ve been on the verge of breaking up only to regroup and get back together. But there have been some changes in recent weeks. McDonagh has finally been installed as an official member of the group. They’ve also gained a new ally in McIntyre. If The Judgment Day doesn’t win WarGames, it will cause a shakeup within the faction. Priest could find himself kicked out of the group. With McDonagh and McIntyre on their side, The Judgment Day doesn’t need Priest as much as they used to.
The women’s WarGames match also features a faction going through significant change. The new-look Damage CTRL (Bayley, Iyo Sky, Kairi Sane and Asuka) will take on the babyface team of Bianca Belair, Charlotte Flair, Shotzi and Becky Lynch.
Sane and Asuka are both new additions to Damage CTRL’s ranks. In the story line, they were added to the group without the knowledge of Bayley, its leader. Everyone knows that Damage CTRL is going to end up turning against Bayley. Bayley knows it. The other members of Damage CTRL know it. They’re just not acknowledging it yet. The only question is whether that happens at Survivor Series or some other point in the near future.
Three non-WarGames matches round out the Survivor Series card. Zoey Stark is challenging Rhea Ripley for the women’s world championship. Gunther looks to continue his historic intercontinental title reign as he defends against The Miz. Plus, there will be a grudge match between Santos Escobar and Carlito.
Here’s a full rundown of the lineup, along with predictions for each match.
Men’s WarGames match: Cody Rhodes, Jey Uso, Seth Rollins, Sami Zayn and Randy Orton vs. Damian Priest, Finn Bálor, Dominik Mysterio, JD McDonagh and Drew McIntyre
Cody Rhodes’s return to WWE has been full of so many cool highlights. He’ll get to experience another one when he competes in WarGames for the first time. It’s sure to be an emotional night for Rhodes. WarGames is synonymous with his family. The match was created by his father, Dusty Rhodes, in 1987. Now 36 years later, Cody gets to help continue his late father’s legacy. Rhodes will do everything he can to ensure this is a classic WarGames match. It would be great to see Rhodes get the victory for his team.
Randy Orton is a wild card for the babyface side. His character has always been volatile. Will Orton be able to get along with all of his teammates? Before he was forced out of action, Orton was feuding with The Usos. There may still be lingering issues between him and Jey.
Still, the babyfaces need to win here. It’s time for The Judgment Day to start splitting up. McIntyre taking Priest’s place and becoming a full-fledged Judgment Day member would be the most interesting direction going forward.
Prediction: Cody Rhodes, Jey Uso, Seth Rollins, Sami Zayn and Randy Orton win
Women’s WarGames match: Bianca Belair, Charlotte Flair, Shotzi and Becky Lynch vs. Bayley, Iyo Sky, Kairi Sane and Asuka
This is the hardest match to predict at Survivor Series. Would WWE really go with the babyfaces winning both WarGames matches? They’re such similar stories that it’s difficult to see both matches playing out in the exact same way.
It’s entirely possible that Bayley loses this match and then gets attacked by the rest of Damage CTRL. That’s the most straightforward story that WWE could tell. But Damage CTRL doesn’t necessarily have to lose to continue its breakup story line. It can be clear that, even though the group wins, Bayley was the weak link in Damage CTRL. Sky, Sane and Asuka should be a dominant trio in WarGames, with one of them pinning Shotzi to get the victory. Sky, Sane, Asuka and Dakota Kai can then celebrate after the match, while a dejected Bayley looks on, knowing that her time in Damage CTRL is running out.
Prediction: Bayley, Iyo Sky, Kairi Sane and Asuka win
Rhea Ripley vs. Zoey Stark for the women’s world championship
Zoey Stark was one of Rhea Ripley’s challengers at Crown Jewel. In that fatal five-way match, Ripley pinned Shayna Baszler to remain women’s world champion. But it didn’t take long for Stark to get back into title contention. Just days after Crown Jewel, she won a battle royal to earn this one-on-one shot against Ripley.
This is just a stopgap title defense for Ripley, but there’s nothing wrong with that. Both Ripley and Stark will benefit from facing each other. Ripley needs to rack up as many victories as possible in this dominant title reign. For Stark, this is one of the biggest moments of her career so far. She’ll be elevated by losing to Ripley in a competitive singles match.
Prediction: Rhea Ripley retains
Gunther vs. The Miz for the intercontinental title
Gunther vs. The Miz is such a fascinating matchup. How will they mesh in the ring? Their styles couldn’t be more opposite from each other. Gunther is such a brutal, violent pro wrestler. The Miz is the definition of sports entertainment. Saturday will be the first time they’ve ever faced each other. Gunther matches are always great, so it’s hard to bet against this delivering. Miz will need to show enough babyface fire to match Gunther’s intensity.
Gunther should be in control for the majority of the match, allowing Miz to prove his toughness by withstanding an onslaught of hard-hitting strikes. Miz will make a comeback and even come close to getting the victory, but Gunther will ultimately retain in the end.
Prediction: Gunther retains
Santos Escobar vs. Carlito
Santos Escobar is on the verge of absolute superstardom. With his combination of in-ring skills, charisma and promo ability, Escobar should be a future world champion. He has the potential to be the breakout Latino star that WWE has wanted for decades.
Escobar showed that potential when he turned against Rey Mysterio on SmackDown two weeks ago. Escobar’s promo explaining the betrayal was even better. You can tell that Escobar understands how important this moment in his career is. He’s determined to hit a home run in every segment.
Mysterio is facing six to eight weeks out of action after undergoing knee surgery. Until Mysterio returns, the LWO civil war will play out without him. Carlito was one of the catalysts for Escobar’s heel turn. After Carlito returned to WWE, Escobar grew jealous of Carlito’s friendship with Mysterio. Their match Saturday should be an emphatic win for Escobar.
