Survivor Series 2007: Edge Came Back and Hijacked The Undertaker's Night

CM Punk, John Morrison, and The Miz open with a short triple threat that moves quickly enough to hide how little time the championship receives. Morrison and Miz initially cooperate against Punk, then turn on each other as soon as the title becomes available, giving the match the obvious structure it needs. Punk is the clear crowd favorite and gets the sharpest offensive bursts, while Morrison supplies the smoother counters. The Miz finally throws Morrison outside and tries to capitalize, only for Punk to catch him with the GTS for the pin. The clean retention is useful and the action is solid, but eight minutes is not enough for three wrestlers to create a major title match.

The ten-woman tag is structured like a quick roster showcase rather than a pay-per-view match with a developing story. The large field means tags come quickly, individual exchanges end before anyone can build momentum, and the crowd has little reason to invest in most of the pairings. Mickie James receives the clearest spotlight when she enters late and immediately raises the pace. A clothesline and Long Kiss Goodnight on Melina give her team the clean victory. The result helps point Mickie toward Beth Phoenix, which is the match's main long-term value. At under five minutes, though, ten wrestlers simply do not have enough space to create anything substantial.

Cade and Murdoch against Cody Rhodes and Hardcore Holly is competent tag wrestling presented without enough urgency to feel like a major-event championship match. Holly supplies the stiffest offense, Rhodes works as the younger partner trying to prove he belongs, and the champions use simple isolation work to control the pace. The best moments arrive when Holly creates openings and Rhodes tries to capitalize before the veterans cut him off. Murdoch ultimately catches Rhodes and lands the Ace of Spades for the pin. Nothing is badly executed and the champions retain cleanly, but the match feels interchangeable with a television defense. Seven minutes is enough to be functional and not enough to become memorable.

The lone traditional Survivor Series match is one of the card's strongest pieces because the eliminations create clear chapters and Jeff Hardy receives meaningful late positioning. Kane and Rey Mysterio fall early enough to give Team Umaga control, while MVP and Kennedy are removed as the match shifts toward Triple H and Hardy surviving against larger odds. Big Daddy V's elimination requires both survivors, Finlay falls to the Pedigree, and Hardy finishes Umaga with the Swanton. The structure is straightforward but effective. Triple H gets the expected main-event credibility, and Hardy standing beside him as the other survivor matters more in hindsight because it directly feeds their Armageddon match.

The Great Khali against Hornswoggle is a storyline segment disguised as a pay-per-view match. The size difference is the entire premise, and the bout spends its brief runtime building toward the obvious intervention rather than creating competition. Hornswoggle tries a shillelagh, Khali overwhelms him immediately, and the physical mismatch is played for humiliation more than suspense. Finlay finally enters, attacks Khali with the shillelagh, and causes the disqualification. The angle turns Finlay toward defending Hornswoggle and continues the McMahon family story, but none of that requires a paid-event match. As wrestling, there is almost nothing to evaluate; as a segment, it belongs on television.

Randy Orton and Shawn Michaels build the match around one excellent restriction: Michaels cannot use Sweet Chin Music without sacrificing future title opportunities. That forces Michaels to improvise, cycling through the Sharpshooter, Crossface, and ankle lock while Orton keeps searching for the RKO. The stipulation creates suspense because the audience knows Michaels' best weapon is available physically but unavailable strategically. Late in the match, instinct takes over and Michaels begins to set up the superkick before stopping himself. That hesitation is enough. Orton catches him with the RKO and retains cleanly. The finish rewards the champion for surviving the exact psychological problem the match creates.

Batista and The Undertaker deliver another strong heavyweight chapter by using Hell in a Cell as an escalation of their 2007 rivalry rather than an excuse for constant spectacle. Batista powerbombs Undertaker through a table, Undertaker answers with a Tombstone, and a second Tombstone onto the steel steps appears to finish the match. Then the story changes completely. Edge, disguised as a cameraman, pulls the referee out, attacks Undertaker with the camera and chair, and positions Batista for the winning pin. The interference prevents the match from reaching a clean competitive payoff, but the violence, near falls, and Edge return still make it a memorable main event.