It’s been a tumultuous three months for WWE.
There aren’t a lot of other ways to succinctly describe a company that’s faced external criticisms for a litany internal decisions inside that time frame.
There was a high-point, of sorts, at SummerSlam in August. The pay-per-view, on Canadian soil in Toronto, hit the mark with the entirety of their four-day stay at Scotiabank Arena. NXT TakeOver contained its usual fantastic cavalcade of matches, SummerSlam introduced us to The Fiend, while Raw and SmackDown both felt strong.
Without spending another thousand words on what’s happened between then and now, we arrive at the final WWE pillar of 2019, Survivor Series.
To say Survivor Series offers a fresh start or, at the very least, a reprieve from the challenging few months faced by WWE, is an understatement. WWE needed some freshening up, and they’ve done an excellent job in presenting a fresh batch of sports entertainment as we enter Survivor Series.
The hottest brand inside WWE is unquestionably NXT. It’s new home on the USA Network in the U.S. every Wednesday night has helped usher in an era of exceptionally high-standard wrestling, the Undisputed Era.
Raw vs. SmackDown vs. NXT (Men’s 5-on-5-on-5 Elimination Match)
Team Raw: Seth Rollins, Drew McIntyre, Kevin Owens, Randy Orton, Ricochet
Team SD: King Corbin, Roman Reigns, Braun Strowman, Mustafa Ali, Shorty G
Team NXT: TBA
Putting it bluntly, the interest in this match primarily surrounds the NXT and Raw teams. It’s not as if SmackDown is incapable of providing any sort of entertainment. They have a few guys who make you say, “oh, yeah I like that guy.” However, any team captained by Baron Corbin wanes my interest immediately, while on the Raw side, any match featuring Ricochet is worth watching a hundred times over. There is a whole lot of intrigue surrounding Team NXT and who will be featured. Likely to be included are Tommaso Ciampa, Adam Cole, Matt Riddle, Keith Lee and perhaps even Triple H.
I think Team NXT picks up the win here because it’s an opportunity to give the upstart WWE promotion a shot in arm, while at the same time touting it as serious competition for both Raw and SmackDown, in kayfabe at least.
In reality, NXT has an opportunity to showcase itself as a premier sports entertainment brand which would hopefully, in the eyes of management, make it the No. 1 sports entertainment program on Wednesday nights in America. There is no Wednesday night war in Canada, however the war already seems to be heating up down south, which therefore makes giving a win to NXT a strong, strategic option for WWE.
Prediction: Team NXT wins
Raw vs. SmackDown vs. NXT (Women’s 5-on-5-on-5 Elimination Match)
Team Raw: Charlotte Flair, Natalya, Asuka, Kairi Sane, Sarah Logan
Team SD: Sasha Banks, Nikki Cross, Carmella, Lacey Evans, Dana Brooke
Team NXT: Rhea Ripley, Candice LeRae, Tegan Nox, Toni Storm, Mia Yim
On the SmackDown before Survivor Series, Rhea Ripley led a group of five NXT wrestlers down to the ring to confront the Raw and SmackDown teams. Ripley then proceeded to beat Charlotte and Sasha in a triple threat match. Ripley is going to be a massive star in WWE one day, but for now, I’m sure she’s content in being the brightest up-and-comer in NXT.
It’ll be great to see the young NXT stars in the same ring with veterans like Charlotte and Sahsa, but this is also a good time to give some other talent on the main rosters a bigger push. Nikki Cross has looked very strong over the past number of months, and this is another opportunity to prove that she’s more than just her previous psychopath character. There’s a great opportunity to strengthen the women’s division by setting the middle-card women in larger roles.
Prediction: Team SmackDown wins
Raw Tag Champs vs. SmackDown Tag Champs vs. NXT Tag Champs
(Viking Raiders vs. New Day vs. Undisputed Era)
When tag team wrestling is given a chance to shine in WWE, it’s blinding. If you watched NXT on Nov. 20, ahead of Survivor Series, you were witness to that brightness. The NXT tag team champs, Kyle O’Reilly and Bobby Fish of the Undisputed Era, and The Revival put on a wrestling clinic. When you put O’Reilly and Fish in the ring with another accomplished tag team, they tear the house down. I expect no different in this match, despite the fact it’s not a traditional tag match, but rather a triple threat.
Not a lot needs to be said about The New Day. They’ve helped carry the Raw and SmackDown tag divisions on their back for five-plus years. Meanwhile, the Viking Raiders have been positioned as a top team on the main roster, evidenced by their Raw tag team championship titles. However, the former War Raiders haven’t had the opportunity to put on the kind of wrestling showcases we’ve seen them exhibit previously on NXT and in Ring of Honor. Enter, Survivor Series.
Prediction: Viking Raiders win
Raw Women’s Champ vs. SmackDown Women’s Champ vs. NXT Women’s Champ
(Becky Lynch vs. Bayley vs. Shayna Baszler)
On Sunday, there will be seven “horsewomen” under one roof. But could there be eight? WWE’s version of the Four Horsewomen, Becky Lynch, Bayley, Charlotte Flair and Sasha Banks, will all be at Survivor Series. Shayna Baszler, Jessamyn Duke and Marina Shafir will also be there, representing MMA’s version of the Four Horsewomen. The only one missing is Ronda Rousey, who has stepped away from wrestling to reportedly focus on starting a family. However, Triple H has said that Rousey will be back, and what better night to bring her back than with her fellow horsewomen to lay a beat down.
Prediction: Shayna Baszler wins
U.S. Champ vs. Intercontinental Champ vs. NXT North American Champ
(AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Roderick Strong)
Outright prediction: this will be the match of the night.
Shinsuke Nakamura hasn’t had the opportunity to show what kind of wrestler he can be in what feels like over a year, and a throwback to an NXT style match is the perfect recipe for the former WWE and NXT champion. Meanwhile, Styles is still the best wrestler on the WWE roster. If he were a tad younger and came on the WWE scene right now, he would be the most perfect fit for NXT. Roddy Strong could also make a claim for best wrestler on the NXT roster.
This match will be fantastic.
Prediction: AJ Styles wins
Adam Cole (C) vs. TBA for NXT Championship
Cole’s opponent will be one of Pete Dunne, Damien Priest or Killian Dane, depending on who wins a triple threat match the night before at TakeOver: War Games. No matter who it is, I expect Cole to retain. He’s the hottest wrestler on the NXT roster, and has a point to make regarding that same claim on the entirety of the WWE roster.
Prediction: Adam Cole wins (baybay)
“The Fiend” Bray Wyatt (C) vs. Daniel Bryan for the Universal Champion
The Fiend is the most unique wrestler on the WWE roster right now. His debut at SummerSlam in Toronto sparked a massive amount of interest in Bray Wyatt’s new wrestling concoction. The interest level is just too high for Wyatt to lose the newly redesigned blue Universal Championship. Plus, Daniel Bryan doesn’t need a title to remain relevant. His exceptional work in the ring is more than enough to keep him noteworthy amongst fans.
One request, please don’t light the ring red. Or blue. Or any other colour for that matter.
Prediction: The Fiend wins
Brock Lesnar (C) vs. Rey Mysterio for the WWE Championship
WWE has painted a picture of a Rey Mysterio who is out for revenge, defending the honour of his family and friends. He’s also been, very properly, cast as a legend in sports entertainment. This match has a very old school feel to it, in that this match also could have headlined a WWE PPV in 2002. It’s cool to see Mysterio involved in a high-stakes match, and his promo work leading up to the event has been excellent, but there isn’t a chance in hell he wins. This is Mike Tyson vs. Buster Douglas… wait, how did that end again? Anyways, Lesnar wins for sure.
Prediction: Brock Lesnar wins to retain WWE Championship
Catch Survivor Series live on the WWE Network Sunday, Nov. 24 at 7 p.m. ET, and be sure to follow along with Sportsnet’s live blog coverage during the event.
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