The Men’s 5-on-5 Traditional Survivor Series Elimination Match features some of the biggest names in the industry. Photo by WWE.com
Houston, we’re in for a treat as the WWE will be invading our city for four straight days of action.
NXT: WAR GAMES
NXT is no stranger to shows in Houston. Their two latest tours had successful stops in our city. Neither of those events, though, even comes close to the magnitude of NXT: War Games. This will be the first time an NXT show in Houston is held inside of The Toyota Center, and, boy, did they put together a card worthy of the move to a bigger venue.
Kassius Ohno will open the show against Lars Sullivan. Two big, hard hitting, guys will be facing off in a match that will surely set the tone for the night. NXT does a very good job of setting up their shows through their opening matches; this match should do a great job at that.
Aleister Black vs Velveteen Dream is a match that could easily fall under the radar. That being said, creative has done a good job handling these two characters. Will it be as hard hitting as Ohno vs Sullivan? Probably not. That should not be a detriment to this match, though.
A Fatal Four Way match will determine who will be the new NXT Women’s Champion. This match perhaps has my favorite story out of any on the card. Peyton Royce, Ember Moon, and Nikki Cross have now been on NXT for a while but have never been able to get over the hump thanks to Asuka and her incredible reign as champion. Kari Sane is an international wrestler held to the highest regards. She won the WWE’s May Young Classic tournament in her first few weeks in the company. I have no idea who will win this match, and I absolutely love that.
Drew McIntyre will defend his NXT Championship against Andrade “Cien” Almas. Seeing the progress Almas has made since his arrival to NXT has been great. That being said, McIntyre is champion for a reason. This match may not feel as big as a Balor vs Samoa Joe or a Roode vs Nakamura, but I have absolutely no doubt that this match will deliver.
The match the event is named after, War Games, will close the show. This match will be a beautiful train wreck between SAnitY, The Undisputed Era and The Authors of Pain with Roderick Strong. I am very curious to see how Strong fits into this match. I would not be surprised if he is utilized in any possible swerve.
What match am I looking forward to the most?
Without a doubt, it is War Games. At my young age of 23, I have never been able to experience one of these matches as they happened. That changes this weekend.
SURVIVOR SERIES
The month long build and cross over between Raw and SmackDown will finally culminate this Sunday. The most interesting thing about this year is the champion vs champion matches that will take place.
The Intercontinental Champion, The Miz, will take on The United States Champion, Baron Corbin. The Tag Team Champions for each brand, The Bar and The Usos, will face off in a match between my two favorite tag teams this year. The Women’s Champions, Alexa Bliss vs. Charlotte Flair, will clash; we will finally get to see the two most dominant women on the main roster face off one on one.
The Men’s Traditional 5-on-5 Match looks like Vince McMahon himself hit randomize on WWE 2K18. The Women’s Traditional Five on Five Matches will tease dream matches like Asuka vs. Becky Lynch. Both of these matches should be great. With so many moving bodies, we are guaranteed some memorable spots. I’m looking at you, Shane.
Speaking of dream matches, The New Day will take on The Shield. One of the most iconic staples of this generation against the most consistent in the last two years. These guys love to put on great matches; Survivor Series will surely be one of those cases.
The Universal Champion, Brock Lesnar, will take on the WWE Champion, AJ Styles. This is a match that if you told me at the beginning of the year would happen, I would not believe you. I want to see Styles win this match, but cannot see them going that direction.
What match am I looking forward to the most?
This is probably a tossup. There is so much star power in the Men’s 5-on-5 Match, but the video game dream match of Brock Lesnar and AJ Styles is what I have to say I am looking forward to the most. No matter what the result will be.
RAW and SMACKDOWN LIVE
We can expect a lot of recaps from both Raw and SmackDown Live. Without a doubt, the stories, the matches, and the promos will be reactions to Survivor Series. The post Pay Per View television shows have been known to deliver great action and surprise. There are plenty of tickets still available, so if you are unable to make it to Survivor Series, consider going to Raw or SmackDown Live.
WWE will provide Houston with a long, extended, weekend of great wrestling action. If you are a wrestling fan, you should definitely make plans to attend one of these events. From NXT: War Games to SmackDown Live, there will be plenty of memorable moments that will make the trip worth your time.
What looked like a minor blip after an emotional series win in Los Angeles has turned into something more concerning for the Houston Astros.
Swept at home by a Guardians team that came in riding a 10-game losing streak, the Astros were left looking exposed. Not exhausted, as injuries, underperformance, and questionable decision-making converged to hand Houston one of its most frustrating series losses of the year.
Depth finally runs dry
It would be easy to point to a “Dodger hangover” as the culprit, the emotional peak of an 18-1 win at Chavez Ravine followed by a mental lull. But that’s not the story here.
Houston’s energy was still evident, especially in the first two games of the series, where the offense scored five or more runs each time. Including those, the Astros had reached that mark in eight of their last 10 games heading into Wednesday’s finale.
But scoring isn’t everything, not when a lineup held together by duct tape and desperation is missing Christian Walker and Jake Meyers and getting critical at-bats from Cooper Hummel, Zack Short, and other journeymen.
The lack of depth finally showed. The Astros, for three days, looked more like a Triple-A squad with Jose Altuve and a couple big-league regulars sprinkled in.
Cracks in the pitching core
And the thing that had been keeping this team afloat, elite pitching, finally buckled.
Hunter Brown and Josh Hader, both dominant all season, finally cracked. Brown gave up six runs in six innings, raising his pristine 1.82 ERA to 2.21. Hader wasn’t spared either, coughing up a game-losing grand slam in extra innings that inflated his ERA from 1.80 to 2.38 in one night.
But the struggles weren’t isolated. Bennett Sousa, Kaleb Ort, and Steven Okert each gave up runs at critical moments. The bullpen’s collective fade could not have come at a worse time for a team already walking a tightrope.
Injury handling under fire
Houston’s injury management is also drawing heat, and rightfully so. Jake Meyers, who had been nursing a calf strain, started Wednesday’s finale. He didn’t even make it through one pitch before aggravating the injury and needing to be helped off the field.
No imaging before playing him. No cautionary rest despite the All-Star break looming. Just a rushed return in a banged-up lineup, and it backfired immediately.
Second-guessing has turned to outright criticism of the Astros’ medical staff, as fans and analysts alike wonder whether these mounting injuries are being made worse by how the club is handling them.
Pressure mounts on Dana Brown
All eyes now turn to Astros GM Dana Brown. The Astros are limping into the break with no clear reinforcements on the immediate horizon. Only Chas McCormick is currently rehabbing in Sugar Land. Everyone else? Still sidelined.
Brown will need to act — and soon.
At a minimum, calling up top prospect Brice Matthews makes sense. He’s been mashing in Triple-A (.283/.400/.476, 10 HR, .876 OPS) and could play second base while Jose Altuve shifts to left field more regularly. With Mauricio Dubón stretched thin between shortstop and center, injecting Matthews’ upside into the infield is a logical step.
*Editor's note: The Astros must be listening, Matthews was called up Thursday afternoon!
The Astros are calling up Brice Matthews, their top prospect on @MLBPipeline
via @brianmctaggart pic.twitter.com/K91cGKkcx6
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) July 10, 2025
There’s also trade chatter, most notably about Orioles outfielder Cedric Mullins, but excitement has been tepid. His numbers don’t jump off the page, but compared to who the Astros are fielding now, Mullins would be a clear upgrade and a much-needed big-league presence.
A final test before the break
Before the All-Star reset, Houston gets one last chance to stabilize the ship, and it comes in the form of a rivalry series against the Texas Rangers. The Astros will send their top trio — Lance McCullers Jr., Framber Valdez, and Hunter Brown — to the mound for a three-game set that will test their resolve, their health, and perhaps their postseason aspirations.
The Silver Boot is up for grabs. So is momentum. And maybe, clarity on just how far this version of the Astros can go.
There's so much more to discuss! Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday.
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*ChatGPT assisted.
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