Survivor Series has been synonymous with November and Thanksgiving for the better part of 28 years. Survivor Series has always been highly regarded as one of the upper echelon ppv’s but as of late the show has been somewhat underwhelming. Sorry, but the Randy Orton vs. Big Show main event from last year isn’t what one would call an instant classic. Will this be the Survivor Series that harkens back to the golden age of the ppv? Will we finally see action reminiscent of the classic Ultimate Warrior, Texas Tornado, and Legion of Doom vs. Mr. Perfect and all three members of Demolition? Ok, ok, that may be this writer’s favorite Survivor Series match, but it was better than what WWE has been trying to pass off as ‘classic’ Survivor Series matches. All that said it’s time to put on our Nostradamus hats (told you there would be an explanation of why yours truly is wearing this hat) and predict the future! Before you ask, next week’s lotto numbers are 7-7-7,7-7-7. Thank me later.
WWE Tag Team Champions Gold & Stardust vs. The Miz & Damien Mizdow vs. Los Matadores vs. The Usos (Fatal 4-Way Match)
It’s time like these that makes this columnist really miss the 90’s. WWE’s tag team division is in shambles. If there was ever any doubt in that fact, this match is proof positive that something needs to be done about the lack of tag teams a.s.a.p. The Usos carried the tag titles valiantly the past few months. The series of matches the twins had with the Wyatt’s and Gold and Stardust were amazing. Having the Usos drop the titles made sense, but having them drop them to the newly turned heel Gold and Stardust was problematic to say the least.
Besides The Usos and Los Matadores there are no other face tag teams. Not one. Even if you don’t subscribe to the heels have to fight faces mentality, you have to admit looking Gold and Stardust feud with Slator Gator would not be an enjoyable experience. Speaking of Los Matadores, what exactly did they do to be placed in this match? Full disclosure: the Los Matadores vignettes were actually well done and managed to make their debut, well, highly anticipated. Since arriving on the scene they have accomplished absolutely nothing. At one point it seemed their job was to get the El Torito over and not actually vie for the tag team titles. It’s just hard to believe that they are credible contenders at this point.
Which leads us to The Miz and Damien Mizdow. Mizdow is the most over person in this match. Funny thing is that isn’t solely because of his amazing stunt double gimmick. Mizdow or Sandow has always been over. WWE’s creative team has done everything in its power to not book him as such, but when the WWE Universe gets behind someone, it doesn’t matter what Creative does to benefit or hinder him or her.
And the Winner Is…
Gold & Stardust. It would be shocking if they take the belts off the Rhodes brothers. Given the nature of the match, they will get the win after one of the face teams hit their finisher. They will steal this victory. Maybe we will get lucky and Cryme Tyme will reunite and finally get that tag title shot they never got when they were together.
Alicia Fox, Natalya, Naomi & Emma vs. Paige, Cameron, Summer Rae & Layla (Divas Traditional Survivor Series Elimination Tag Team Match)
It’s great that there is going to be more than one traditional Survivor Series match. Can’t say that this was exactly what we were all hoping for though. Seeing as how there is no real build to this match, it is hard to care much about it. If anything, at least some of the Divas have preexisting issue with each other. That could make this match somewhat interesting.
Alicia Fox and Paige have been going back and forth the past few weeks and have has some pretty good matches. Summer Rae and Natalya hate each other (don’t look at me like that. Doesn’t everyone look Total Divas?). And there is the long simmering feud between Naomi and Cameron. Just as a side note it really is a shame Naomi hasn’t been inserted into the Divas title picture. She is the most athletically gifted Diva on the roster. Seeing Naomi vs. AJ would be a sight to see.
And the Winner Is…
The Good Divas. Paige will be eliminated last by Naomi. If we are lucky, Naomi will go on to be the soul survivor for her team. Hopefully, she will be position to finally challenge for the Divas title. This would be a great way to reestablish her as a top tier Div
Dean Ambrose vs. Bray Wyatt
Have you heard the one about the two amazing wrestlers shoehorned into a stupid feud? This whole thing seems a bit off. Bray attacking Ambrose at Hell in a Cell was silly. It makes no sense. That seems to be the case with most of the conflicts Bray has as of late. Bray attacks someone and then spends the next few months babbling, in the most contrived manner possible, about how and why he has an issue with this person. Fun, fun, fun.
At this point, this writer is worried about the path both these competitors are on. Bray was the hottest heel in the company not so long ago and Ambrose had fully embraced his pseudo Stone Cold Steve Austiness and was well on his way to becoming the top face in the company. The only thing that can save either of these superstars is they have to steal the show on Sunday.
And the Winner is…
Bray Wyatt. Ambrose has a horrible track record in ppv matches. Wyatt will go over clean after “Sister Abigail’s Kiss”. Or Wyatt will win because NXT’s own The Ascension will get involved and align themselves with Wyatt.
Divas Champion AJ Lee vs. Nikki Bella
So WWE is so intent on pushing the Bella vs. Bella storyline that they are trying to do it at the expense of AJ and the Divas title. On Raw this past Monday AJ called creative out on it. No one seemed to catch what she said as she was doing commentary, but she was correct. It’s all about the Bellas for some unknown reason. Thinking about it angers this writer. Let’s get this over with.
And the Winner Is…
Nikki Bella. Their goal here is obviously to have a Bella vs. Bella title match. Most likely at the Royal Rumble. And no one will care. I wonder if Naomi will even be on the card at the Rumble… Sigh…
TEAM CENA VS. TEAM AUTHORITY (TRADITIONAL SURVIVOR SERIES ELIMINATION TAG TEAM MATCH)
The line up for this main event has been changed multiple times in the past few weeks but the teams are finally set. John Cena will be joined by Dolph “Future WWE Champion” Ziggler, Big Show, Ryback, and for reason I have yet to understand Eric Rowen. They will take on Seth Rollins, “The Toughest Insurance Salesmen Ever” Kane, Rusev, Mark Henry, and Luke Harper (or as a good friend of mine calls him Dirty Jason Lee). We are all aware that if the Authority’s team loses, Triple H and Steph will no longer be in charge. There is a rumor going around that another stipulation will be added. If team Cena loses, every member of that team will be fired. We all know that when stipulations like that are made nine times out the good guys will win. It kind of takes the gas out of this match, doesn’t it?
Without an Active WWE Champion and low WWE Network subscription numbers WWE really needs to make a splash with this ppv. Sorry, but this main event isn’t enough to do it. No disrespect to the superstars involved, Cena’s team is all but devoid of main event level talent, save for the Big Show and even he teeters back and forth between the mid card and the upper echelon. The Network is costless this month in the hopes of gaining new subscribers and this is the best they could come up with? No Orton? Call in the Rock or heck, dust off Hulk Hogan or Sting for that matter. All that said…
The Winner is…
Team Authority. Yes, this is totally contrary to everything noted above but at this point it is time for WWE to throw a curve ball. They are capable of doing this every once in a while and the time is now. This will not be the first or last time Cena loses a match and gets fired in the process. In the end all will be right in the world and the fired superstars will each find a way back to the show. This match ends with a member of team Cena turning on the rest and costing them the match. Even money says it will be Ziggler, probably due to the fact that neither Cena nor the rest of his teammates helped him while he was being beaten down before his IC title defense on Raw this past week.