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WWE will present the 32nd Survivor Series PPV this Sunday. Here’s our take on what will happen.
WWE Champion Daniel Bryan vs. WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar.
Dave: It’s my take that WWE moved the title to Bryan so that they didn’t have to have AJ Styles do the job to Brock two years in a row. Maybe they will shock me and have the newly heel Daniel Bryan beat Brock. I don’t expect it, since Raw is THE show in Vince McMahon’s mind and he hasn’t exactly had any younger talent on that brand, including Roman Reigns, get much in on Brock. I just don’t see him doing it for Bryan. Also, given Bryan’s history of head injuries, I really hope Brock keeps things….well let’s say less stiff than usual.
Mike: After the way Brock manhandles The Singhs, I think everyone should be concerned about Brock dropping Bryan on his head. This has been a match that Bryan has wanted for a long, long time and in a perfect world, it'll be this great back and forth war of attrition, but that's not how Brock is booked or utilized, ever. He gets the most out of the least. Add in that they JUST turned Bryan heel and put the WWE title on him and it's a pretty damn interesting booking corner WWE has painted themselves into. My heart wants to see Brock lose to Bryan clean, but my head tells me Brock gets the easy win, as dumb as that is.
Richard: For everyone who says that Daniel wasn't punished for not going to Saudi Arabia because he won the title, he still has to face Brock. AJ may have won the 'save your body' lottery by not having to wrestle him two years in a row. I would have had AJ beat Brock (leading into Drew taking the title from Brock), but do you let Bryan get the win? Would Brock work a side head lock for 12 minutes to protect Daniel's body?
WWE Raw Women's Champion Ronda Rousey vs. Charlotte Flair.
Dave: The match I was most looking forward to is now gone. In a way, that could work out for the best. Becky Lynch is the most over person on the roster right now. WWE had thought that the money match among the women was Charlotte vs. Ronda. Now? It’s Becky vs. Ronda. There are ways that they can make it happen too, such as Becky wanting a piece of Ronda so badly that she enters the Royal Rumble, and wins, to take on Ronda at Mania. If Becky’s overness continues the way it is now, those two could legitimately headline WrestleMania next year. As for this match, with no Title on the line it seems like Ronda gets the win. Unless they are thinking of rematching them at say, WrestleMania.
Mike: I didn't see Ronda Rousey losing to Becky and I don't see her losing to Charlotte Flair, either. This could be something really great. If I am WWE, I have Becky watching at ringside and after Rousey finally makes Charlotte tap and then they can face off to tease a bigger match at Wrestlemania.
Richard: The change in this match also changes who I think will win the match. If this was going to be Becky/Ronda, I would have had Becky go over to make Ronda more vicious as she goes forward through the Raw roster. This will still be a good match, but it would have been great with Becky. Ronda gets Charlotte to tap out. However, if Charlotte was to win, it could make the Stephanie/Ronda dynamic a focus on Raw (and isn't Stephanie what you are watching Raw for every week?)
WWE Intercontinental Champion Seth Rollins vs. WWE United States Champion Shinsuke Nakamura.
Dave: Nakamura has been used so badly on the main roster it would make no sense to have him beat Rollins here. The only way I can see it happening is if Raw is winning the above two matches and they don’t want it to be a blowout. Yeah, Nakamura probably wins with a low blow.
Mike: Unless they have Dean Ambrose cost Seth Rollins the match by interference, my guess is we are going to see Nakamura eat the curb stomp. If they are smart, they give this lots of time and allow it to be the platform that Nakamura can use to break out again as a talent. That would be nice.
Richard: If it was 2015, this would have been a great match. Now, Nakamura is as much an afterthought on Smackdown that you almost expect him to be seen with Slater and Rhyno. If they want to have Nakamura shock the world, let Dean distract Seth and allow Nakamura to win. If they want to run with Drew to be the man to stop Brock, Seth can be marginalized and thrown into the feud with Ambrose.
Elimination Match: Team Raw: Bobby Lashley & Finn Balor & Dolph Ziggler & Drew McIntyre & Braun Strowman (with Baron Corbin) vs. Team SmackDown: The Miz & Shane McMahon & Rey Mysterio & Samoa Joe & Jeff Hardy.
Dave: Everyone on Team Smackdown except Shane gets eliminated and then Shane beats the other five by himself. You think I am kidding? I am not. Shane is superman! The big question is whether Braun gets his hands on Baron at the PPV or the next night on Raw.
Mike: If they give this time, it could be a lot of fun. We'll have to see if they book Braun to be a dummy who gets counted out because he is distracted by wanting to kill Baron Corbin. I am very curious as to whether they switch out McMahon for Randy Orton. If not, my guess is we see a back and forth series of eliminations before Braun and Drew end up the sole survivors.
Richard: This is the first of the elimination matches where four members of the Raw brand are feuding with the fifth member. I want to see Balor have a strong performance but the stories should be Ziggler showing Shane who is the Best in the World, Drew and Braun trying to be the dominant force for their team, and the members of Smackdown coping with Shane doing everyone's finishers to eliminate people. Poor Joe and Miz. If Smackdown is able to win, how does Shane pin Drew and Braun at the same time. For the hell of it, let Shane pin Baron.
Elimination Match: Team Raw: Ruby Riott & Natalya & Tamina & Nia Jax & Mickie James (with Alexa Bliss) vs. Team SmackDown: Asuka & Carmella & Naomi & Sonya Deville & TBA.
Dave: Since I see the men winning for Smackdown, I guess that means that women win for Raw.
Mike: There is an interesting story here in that Natalya is teamed with a group of heels, including one in Riott that Natalya should want to tear apart. My guess is that leads to Natalya and perhaps Riott being eliminated early. That should allow Smackdown the chance to begin to take out the Raw team. The only exception to that theory will be if they decide to use this as a showcase for Tamina and Nia to wipe the floor with the competition. The most logical thing is to have Asuka the sole survivor, but it's been a long time since WWE has seemed like they wanted to push her.
Richard: Can they just make this match Ruby versus Asuka and let the other eight women watch from the side? What if they go off the rails and announce that a trade was made and Sasha Banks or Bayley are the fifth member of Team Smackdown? I wouldn't mind seeing Mandy added to the team if they stay with the rosters as they are. Raw will probably win so they can build for Nia versus Ronda by having Nia be the sole survivor or a dominant force in the match.
WWE Cruiserweight Champion Buddy Murphy vs. Mustafa Ali
Dave: This should be really good. Buddy has been strong as the champ and I don’t see any reason to end that run now. Murphy wins.
Mike: I don't see any reason to change the title at this point. Ali can get over nearly getting the title, but in the end Murphy retains. As long as they don't short-change them on time, there's no way this won't be good. Ali is one of the smoothest talents they have from an inside the ring standpoint.
Richard: It was a great story for Buddy Murphy to be the one to end Cedric's title reign in Australia, but it seems like if they are not going to have Cedric as the face of the division, it is going to be Ali. Now that Becky and Ronda is off the card, I think this will be the best match of the night. Either man deserves to win, but after the promo Ali cut in Chicago at the last Evolve show, he should be the champ.
Elimination Match: Team Raw: Bobby Roode & Chad Gable, The Ascension, The Revival, The Lucha House Party & The B-Team vs. Team Smackdown: The Usos & New Day & The Colons & Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows & Sanity (Kickoff Show)
Dave: We have to give Smackdown some wins, and this looks like a good place to do that.
Mike: I don't see Raw comoing out on top here, since the Smackdown team has two teams that are legitimate franchises for WWE in the Usos and New Day and everyone else are booked haphazardly depending on the day. My guess is Roode and Gabe are the last eliminated.
Richard: Congratulations to Heath Slater and Rhyno for being the first Smackdown Tag Team Champions and the thirteenth tag team when twelve are needed. With the exception of the Colons, Andrew Twiss suggested on the preview audio that any of the other four Smackdown teams could probably win on their own. Smackdown should win this match. Let Heath and Rhyno cause some turmoil for their omission.
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