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WWE Chief Content Officer Triple H is not ruling anything out regarding the future of WarGames at Survivor Series.
“It worked out incredibly well tonight. I think it was very exciting, but we’ll see how that goes,” Triple H told reporters when asked if WarGames would become a fixture moving forward (30-minute mark). “In the process of looking at the overall year-to-year calendar and seeing where things go, but tonight was very successful, so it makes me feel positive about it.”
WWE scrapped the SmackDown vs. Raw concept that had been used in recent years for Survivor Series, along with the traditional 5-on-5 elimination match that has been a staple of the event over the years. Triple H did not rule out returning to the 5-on-5 format but admitted things may have gotten a little stale in recent years.
“I don’t think we’re done with anything,” Triple H said. “I think that when we look at it together as a whole, it’s about what’s best for our fans in the moment. Sometimes stuff needs a break for a while. Sometimes, you bring it back later and it’s iconic and it’s ”Oh my god, they’re going back to that.” So, to say it’ll never happen again is wrong.
We all looked at it internally and decided it was the right year for us to freshen up the concept a little bit. Either the 5-on-5 tags—and maybe even the RAW vs. SmackDown—was a bit tired and needed a refresh.”
From a fan perspective, it was clear WarGames and the overall Survivor Series revamp was well-received. The SmackDown vs. Raw battle for brand identity never felt like there were any real stakes. It was largely just wrestlers on hold for a month to wear red and blue shirts, oftentimes just weeks after appearing regularly on the other program.
Both WarGames matches told stories and featured emotional beats that would not have existed under the previous format.
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