WWE Survivor Series 2019 Retro Review: Raw vs. SmackDown vs. NXT, Keith Lee's Big Night and Every Match Rated

WWE Survivor Series 2019 took place on Sunday, November 24, 2019, at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois, just outside Chicago. It was the only Survivor Series with three brands fighting for supremacy: Raw, SmackDown and NXT, which had just moved to the USA Network and was being treated as a third main brand for the first time.

That change gave the show something the brand supremacy era rarely had: real uncertainty. NXT's wrestlers had a point to prove, and it showed. With ten matches it was long, but the best of it is some of the strongest wrestling Survivor Series had in that era.

The build

• The NXT invasion: for weeks, NXT's roster invaded Raw and SmackDown, with Triple H and Shawn Michaels even leading NXT into SmackDown with a tank, a nod to D-Generation X's famous WCW stunt. Triple H tried to bring Seth Rollins and Kevin Owens back to NXT; both said no.
• Brock Lesnar vs. Rey Mysterio: Lesnar had attacked Mysterio and his son Dominik in September, then left SmackDown for Raw, taking the WWE Championship with him, just to get at Mysterio. Mysterio challenged him, and Paul Heyman made it No Holds Barred.
• "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt vs. Daniel Bryan: The Fiend had won the Universal Championship at Crown Jewel and attacked Bryan backstage on SmackDown. Wyatt, in his Firefly Fun House persona, mocked Bryan's old "Yes! Movement," and Bryan challenged The Fiend.
• Adam Cole vs. Pete Dunne: the first NXT Championship match on the main card of a main roster Premium Live Event. Dunne won a three-way at NXT TakeOver: WarGames the night before for the shot.
• The champions' matches: the three women's champions, Becky Lynch, Bayley and Shayna Baszler, in a non-title triple threat; the three secondary champions; and the three tag team champions.

Match by match

Kickoff: interbrand tag team battle royal

Ten tag teams, with a team eliminated when either partner went over the top. Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode won it for SmackDown by last eliminating The Street Profits in 8:20.

What worked: The Street Profits made the last part fun, and it was short.

What didn't: it was a battle royal with nothing at stake beyond a point, and teams like The O.C. and The Revival were wasted in it.

Our rating: ★½

Kickoff: Lio Rush vs. Akira Tozawa vs. Kalisto (NXT Cruiserweight Championship)

A fast, eight-minute sprint that never stopped. All three hit their high spots, and Rush kept his title by hitting the Final Hour frog splash on Kalisto.

What worked: the speed and the crisp spots. Rush in particular looked like he belonged.

What didn't: eight minutes on the pre-show is not enough for three wrestlers this good to build anything.

Our rating: ★★★

Kickoff: The Viking Raiders vs. The New Day vs. The Undisputed Era

The best of the three pre-show matches, and good enough for the main card. The Undisputed Era's Bobby Fish and Kyle O'Reilly, the NXT Tag Team Champions, wrestled like the best team in the match, The New Day brought energy, and The Viking Raiders were the powerhouses.

It ended with The Viking Raiders hitting The Viking Experience on O'Reilly onto Fish, then pinning Fish at 14:35.

What worked: three very different teams, constant action, and a great finishing spot.

What didn't: putting it on the pre-show. The live crowd was still filing in for a match that deserved better.

Our rating: ★★★½

Team NXT vs. Team Raw vs. Team SmackDown (women)

The first three-way Survivor Series match, 15 women in one elimination match. NXT pulled a trick early: after a brawl, Io Shirai and Candice LeRae were helped to the back with what looked like injuries, leaving Rhea Ripley's team three against five against five.

Bianca Belair carried NXT through the middle, pinning Nikki Cross and Sarah Logan, the second with a 450 splash. Charlotte Flair and Asuka fell out, Asuka spat green mist in Flair's face, Lacey Evans pinned the blinded Flair, and Asuka walked out and was counted out by forfeit. Sasha Banks then tore through the field, eliminating Belair and, after a short alliance against Ripley, Natalya.

It came down to Banks against Ripley, until Shirai and LeRae ran back in. They had been faking their injuries all along. With their help, Ripley hit the Riptide on Banks to win it for NXT at 28:00, with three NXT women surviving.

What worked: the fake injury twist was smart and fit NXT's invader story, Belair looked like a future star, and Banks was outstanding in her run at the end. It was a long match that rarely felt long.

What didn't: Flair being eliminated so cheaply, and Asuka simply walking out, felt like a waste of two of the biggest stars in the match.

Our rating: ★★★½

Roderick Strong vs. AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura

The United States Champion, the Intercontinental Champion and the North American Champion, with Sami Zayn in Nakamura's corner. These three were good in any combination, and they put together a busy, physical match that let each of them shine.

The finish was pure NXT opportunism: Styles hit the Phenomenal Forearm on Nakamura, and before he could cover, Strong threw him out of the ring and stole the pin at 16:45.

What worked: the action, and a finish that made Strong look clever rather than lucky.

What didn't: the result never really mattered to either Styles or Nakamura afterward, and it was clearly the match WWE chose to give NXT an easy point.

Our rating: ★★★½

Adam Cole vs. Pete Dunne (NXT Championship)

The best match of the night. Cole was in the middle of a long NXT title reign and was one of the most confident performers in the company, and Dunne was the most hard-hitting wrestler NXT had. Dunne had earned the shot only the night before, and the chemistry between them was obvious.

Dunne hit hard and fast, Cole fought back with his kicks, and the near falls grew bigger as it went. Cole kept the title with a Last Shot knee to the back of Dunne's head at 14:10.

What worked: the intensity, the counters and the crowd, which was fully behind both men. It was a statement match for NXT on the biggest stage the brand had had.

What didn't: very little, other than a finish that came a little suddenly.

Our rating: ★★★★

"The Fiend" Bray Wyatt vs. Daniel Bryan (Universal Championship)

A good match with a famous problem. As The Fiend's big matches often were at the time, it was lit in a deep red that made it hard to see. Underneath that, Bryan threw everything at the champion: a Running Knee for a near fall, the Yes Kicks, and three straight missile dropkicks off the top rope.

When Bryan went up for a fourth, The Fiend caught him in the Mandible Claw, and Bryan passed out at 10:10.

What worked: Bryan's comeback was exciting, and The Fiend felt dangerous and unpredictable, which was the whole point of the character.

What didn't: the red lighting, which fans had already complained about and which made a good match harder to watch, and a short running time for a world title match.

Our rating: ★★★

Team SmackDown vs. Team Raw vs. Team NXT (men)

SmackDown: Roman Reigns, Braun Strowman, King Corbin, Mustafa Ali and Shorty G. Raw: Seth Rollins, Drew McIntyre, Kevin Owens, Randy Orton and Ricochet. NXT, revealed by Shawn Michaels on the pre-show: Tommaso Ciampa, Damian Priest, Matt Riddle, Keith Lee and WALTER.

It was 31 minutes and full of good moments: McIntyre's Claymore eliminating WALTER inside three minutes, Orton pinning Priest with an RKO and then losing to a quick Riddle roll-up, Orton RKOing Riddle in anger so Corbin could eliminate him, Strowman counted out, and a short reunion when Reigns and Rollins tried the Shield powerbomb on Ciampa through an announce table.

The heart of the match was Keith Lee. After Rollins eliminated Ciampa with The Stomp, Lee pinned Rollins with a jackhammer, then hit Reigns with the Spirit Bomb for a near fall that the crowd fully believed. Reigns finally caught Lee with a Spear as he went for a moonsault and won at 31:00 as the sole survivor for SmackDown. Reigns offered Lee a fist bump afterward, and Lee accepted it.

What worked: almost all of it. It was well paced for such a long match, everyone got something to do, and Lee came out of it looking like a main event star. Reigns also spearing his own teammate Corbin to set up his elimination was a fun touch.

What didn't: Raw's team was eliminated almost as an afterthought, apart from Rollins, and Strowman's count-out was a non-event.

Our rating: ★★★★

Brock Lesnar vs. Rey Mysterio (WWE Championship, No Holds Barred)

Mysterio ran for a steel pipe at the bell, and Lesnar took it from him and threw him around for most of the match. Dominik then ran to ringside with a towel, begging Lesnar to stop, and the distraction let Mysterio hit a low blow, followed by one from Dominik.

The comeback was what the crowd wanted: pipe and chair shots, double 619s and double frog splashes for a near fall. But when they went up for more, Lesnar grabbed Dominik for a German suplex and caught Mysterio in mid-air for the F-5 to win at 7:00.

What worked: the father-and-son comeback, which got a huge reaction, and Lesnar's catch for the finish.

What didn't: seven minutes for the WWE Championship after a month of build, and a result nobody doubted. It felt like a TV main event placed on a big show.

Our rating: ★★½

Main event: Shayna Baszler vs. Becky Lynch vs. Bayley

The three women's champions closed the show, and it was a hard-hitting match with a clear story: Baszler, the outsider from NXT, against the two biggest women on the main roster. Lynch and Baszler beat each other up, Bayley picked her spots, and all three had near falls.

With Lynch down on the floor, Bayley climbed for a diving elbow drop, and Baszler caught her in the Kirifuda Clutch. Bayley tapped at 18:10, giving NXT the win and brand supremacy. Lynch got her revenge afterward, putting Baszler through an announce table.

What worked: the physicality, Lynch's star power and a finish that made Baszler look like the toughest woman in WWE.

What didn't: Bayley, in the middle of her heel run, was more of a third wheel, and Lynch's post-match attack took some of the shine off NXT's big night.

Our rating: ★★★¾

Beyond the matches

• The final score: NXT won four of the seven brand matches, SmackDown two, and Raw only one, and Raw's single win came on the pre-show.
• Kevin Owens' loyalty: Rollins questioned Owens backstage, since Owens had helped Ciampa's team at WarGames the night before. Owens fired back by reminding Rollins that he broke up The Shield.
• A one-time format: NXT never took part in Survivor Series again. It was left out in 2020 because of COVID-19 and went back to being a developmental brand in 2021.

The verdict: does it hold up today?

Very well. Cole vs. Dunne and the men's elimination match are worth watching in full, the women's elimination match and the tag team triple threat are close behind, and NXT's presence gave the whole night the energy that other brand supremacy shows lacked. The weak spots are Lesnar vs. Mysterio, which was too short, The Fiend's red lighting and a pre-show battle royal nobody needed.

• Best match: Adam Cole vs. Pete Dunne, with the men's elimination match close behind
• Worst match: the Kickoff tag team battle royal
• Overall: 4 out of 5

Full results and our ratings

What happened next

• On Raw the next night, Rollins blamed the locker room for Raw's poor showing, and the roster walked out on him. It was the start of his heel turn and his alliance with AOP.
• Reigns called out Corbin on SmackDown for his attitude, which led to a TLC match between them.
• Ripley went on to beat Baszler for the NXT Women's Championship on NXT in December, ending Baszler's reign at 416 days.
• A year earlier, Survivor Series was Raw against SmackDown only. Read our Survivor Series 2018 retro review.

More retro reviews

Other classic shows we have revisited, rated out of 5:

• Survivor Series 2018: ★★★½ (3.5 out of 5), Lesnar vs. Daniel Bryan and Rousey vs. Flair
• Survivor Series 2020: ★★★ (3 out of 5), Reigns vs. McIntyre and The Undertaker's Final Farewell
• WrestleMania 30: ★★★★½ (4.5 out of 5), Daniel Bryan's night in New Orleans
• WrestleMania 31: ★★★★ (4 out of 5), Seth Rollins' heist and Sting vs. Triple H
• Survivor Series 2021: ★★★ (3 out of 5), the last Raw vs. SmackDown Survivor Series, with Lynch vs. Flair and Reigns vs. Big E
• Survivor Series: WarGames 2022: ★★★★ (4 out of 5), the first WarGames Survivor Series and Sami Zayn's big night
• Survivor Series: WarGames 2023: ★★★★ (4 out of 5), Randy Orton's return and CM Punk's comeback in Chicago
• Survivor Series: WarGames 2024: ★★★½ (3.5 out of 5), Reigns and CM Punk on the same side in Vancouver
• Survivor Series: WarGames 2025: ★★★ (3 out of 5), the first stadium Survivor Series and John Cena's last PLE match
• WrestleMania XL: ★★★★½ (4.5 out of 5), two nights in Philadelphia, The Rock and the end of the Bloodline story
• WrestleMania 39: ★★★★½ (4.5 out of 5), two nights in Hollywood and Reigns vs. Rhodes, part one
• Crown Jewel 2025: ★★★★ (4 out of 5), Cena vs. AJ Styles in Perth
• SummerSlam 2025: ★★★★ (4 out of 5), the first two-night SummerSlam and John Cena's last one
• Money in the Bank 2016: ★★★★ (4 out of 5), Cena vs. AJ, a great ladder match and Reigns vs. Rollins
• Crown Jewel 2021: ★★★★ (4 out of 5), Hell in a Cell and a loaded card
• WrestleMania 41: ★★★½ (3.5 out of 5), Cena's farewell year and a Heyman story in Las Vegas
• WrestlePalooza 2025: ★★★½ (3.5 out of 5), the first WWE show on ESPN, with Lesnar vs. Cena
• Crown Jewel 2022: ★★★½ (3.5 out of 5), Reigns vs. Logan Paul and a Last Woman Standing match
• Crown Jewel 2024: ★★½ (2.5 out of 5), the first Crown Jewel Championships
• Crown Jewel 2023: ★★½ (2.5 out of 5), Rollins vs. McIntyre and Reigns vs. LA Knight
• Crown Jewel 2019: ★★ (2 out of 5), celebrities and the first women's match in Saudi Arabia
• Crown Jewel 2018: ★½ (1.5 out of 5), the first one, and the World Cup

See them all on our Retro Reviews page, and read our Survivor Series: WarGames 2026 guide.