411 Roundtable Preview: WWE Survivor Series 2014

Introduction

This year’s edition of WWE Survivor Series, is highlighted by Team Cena vs. Team Authority in a traditional Survivor Series Elimination match that main events this PPV. WWE has actually spent time building this feud and with its double stipulation, the match promises to have lots of twists and turns to make it quite exciting. Also on this show is a Divas Championship match between AJ Lee and Nikki Bella, which could be interesting since Brie will be a ringside and could hold the power in determining the outcome of the match. There’s a Fatal 4 Way Tag Team Championship match that is sure to be thrilling and could give us some new champions. Plus the first match in the Dean Ambrose vs. Bray Wyatt feud and The Divas have their own Elimination Match as well. This card may lack matches, but it could still wind up delivering more than we expect when WWE presents Survivor Series LIVE on PPV and the WWE Network (remember it’s FREE on The Network.) So, let’s get to it then, here are the 411 staff’s predictions for Sunday’s show.

The Staff

Mike Hammerlock, The Wrestling Zone 8-Ball

Justin Watry, Which Was Better?, I Was Wrong

Paul Leazar, Wrestling 2 the MAX Podcast

Gary Vaughan, Wrestling 2 the MAX Podcast

Kevin Pantoja, New 411 Staff Member

Michael Weyer, Shining A Spotlight

Mike Chin, The Magnificent Seven

Jack Bramma, Ring Crew Reviews

Alex Crowder, WWE Main Event Reporter

Sean Garmer, Wrestling 2 the MAX Podcast, WWE Roundtable Organizer, Games Top 5 Organizer, Co-operative Multiplayer Podcast, Quizmaster for Four Player Co-op

Natalya, Alicia Fox, Naomi, & Emma vs. Paige, Layla, Summer Rae, & Cameron
Traditional Survivor Series Elimination Match

Mike Hammerlock: This is a pure filler match that might get time because this card is just about empty. My guess is Natalya gets the rub here. She’s got the most prominent positioning in the promo photo and she’s the only one with anything like a storyline going on at the moment (no, I do not count Fox vs. Paige as a working storyline). I’m personally interested in Layla getting lots of screen time, but that’s got nothing to do with wrestling. Anyway, Paige tapping to a Sharpshooter strikes me as the optimal finish.

Winner: Team Good Girls

Justin Watry: If WWE does not care about the match…then why should I?

Winner: Who cares

Paul Leazar: The traditional “throw all the other divas we can into a Survivor Series match!” continues. I’m going to go with the heel side here, with Paige being the sole survivor, but who knows how this will end up. Paige nails the RamPaige on Natalya for the victory and the Sole Survivor claim.

Winner: Team Paige. Paige to be the Sole Survivor.

Gary Vaughan: This match doesn’t have any major storyline to hold your interest, but hopefully the wrestling will make up for that. You can stop laughing now. In all seriousness, this match should be entertaining at the least. I say this match will come down to Alicia Fox and Paige, with Paige getting the pinfall.

Winner: Paige (via Rampaige)

Kevin Pantoja: With a limited roster and barely anything built, the WWE decided to throw in a Total Divas Showcase. Eva Marie would have been in this if she hadn’t just got her boobs done. None of these girls are going anywhere really, which is a shame as I do enjoy most of them. Oh well, the faces normally win these things.

Winner: Team Faces (Survivor: Natalya)

Michael Weyer: Provided they get enough time, it can be a good match up but worry it’ll be just ugly moves and such for fast eliminations. Still, it may be a surprise, all-lady matches still something fun to watch and the mix here should provide some excitement.

Winners: Team Natayla

Mike Chin: This match kind of screams filler. I’m going with the faces because A) in WWE, the faces tend to win matches that don’t matter and B) assuming Nikki Bella does walk out champion, she’ll need challengers, and WWE could use this bout to push a new contender or two in addition to Brie Bella.

Winner: Natalya, Naomi, Alicia Fox, and Emma

Jack Bramma: Because.

Winner: Paige

Alex Crowder: I might be in the minority, but I think this match could be way better than the Divas title match. I doubt it will get the chance. I simply think it could if given a chance. Layla and Cameron suck, and I would assume the backstage producers know that. Paige and Summer Rae will keep things from going out of hand, and I am hopeful that they’ll be in the ring the most. I think everyone on the opposing team is talented. Emma and Natalya are fantastic in the ring. Naomi and Alicia Fox are both very athletic and fun to watch (when they are on point). This could be good if given time. Hopefully, WWE gives it some time. I see Paige as the sole survivor in this one.

Winners: Team Paige

Sean Garmer: WWE could have dedicated a little time to this on one of the shows at least, geez. I don’t think that WWE has given up on Paige yet and she also happens to be the new starlet of Total Divas as well, so I have a feeling we will see her be the Sole Survivor after she Rampaige’s Natalya down. I think this could actually be good if WWE doesn’t rush everything and keeps the ladies that can work in the ring for most of it.

Winners: Paige’s Team (after Rampaige, Paige eliminates at least 3 of the Divas)

(Champions) Goldust & Stardust vs. Los Matadores vs. The Usos vs. The Miz & Mizdow
Fatal 4 Way WWE Tag Team Championship Match

Mike Hammerlock: I love tag teams, but I am not enthusiastic about this thrown-together affair. First off, it highlights that these guys constitute just about the entire WWE tag division, which is sad. Second, three of these teams are running on autopilot. MIz and Mizdow are the only ones who seem like they’re headed from Point A to Point B. It’s a match with a lot of talent that’s just kind of there, occupying space. They could have made this a gauntlet match for the Usos – if you want another crack at the belts, you need to climb past the other main contenders. They could have booked it as a four team mini-tournament, which would have saved us from any Adam Rose-Bunny hijinks elsewhere on the card. That also would have allowed the Dust Brothers to build on what being the champs actually means to them. They should be putting the belts over so that championship matches mean something. Instead, the whole thing looks like a jumble in which teams will fight for a dubious honor. Since that’s the case I’m picking a surprise win. Mizdow finally gets a belt.

Winner: Miz and Mizdow

Justin Watry: The Los Matadores are not going to win because they are not going to win. The Usos already had a lengthy tag team title reign, and I have never been a big fan of them anyways. Always do praise their great tag matches though. That leaves two heel (I think?) pairings. Since I refuse to pick Stardust (sorry Goldust), that only leaves one option: The Miz and Damien Mizdow! Truth be told, their act does not truly need any gold to be involved, but Miz is solid enough, and Damien usually brings his best with whatever he is given. Give them a chance as tag champs for awhile.

Winner: The Miz and Damien Mizdow

Paul Leazar: I really, really wish that this match had something more to it than just being thrown together. Their are only two choices here, either Double Dust retains or Miz & Mizdow come out with the belts. The WWE hasn’t seen fit to do anything with Gold and Stardust, so maybe a split is in the cards for them sooner rather than later. That leaves us to go with the act in Miz & Mizdow to lead up to what will hopefully turn into a launching point for Sandow.

Winners and NEW Tag Team Champions: Miz and Mizdow

Gary Vaughan: Most would agree not all four of these tag teams look up to championship par, but who can really tell if that will effect this match. Los Matadores will be the pain in the side of everyone and the Usos will do their high spot magic to keep us all involved this match. As good as Gold and Stardust have been in Pay-Per-View matches, cause they tend to lose on non-Pay-Per-View show, I think they will finally lose the cosmic key. This Miz and Damien Mizdow will show that they can work together better than all the other teams and will gain gold because of it.
Winner: The Miz and Damien Mizdow (via Skull Crushing Finale)

Kevin Pantoja: As a big fan of tag team wrestling, I can appreciate a good Fatal 4 Way. However, the only build to this has been that these guys wrestle each other a lot. There are no storylines or angles in the tag division. Remember when the tag division featured The Shield, The Real Americans, The Prime Time Players, etc.? I would have preferred this to be something out of the box like a Turmoil match or something. It’s been a while since we had one of those. Regardless, I see Damien Mizdow and Miz winning. They’ll hold the belts for a while and tease tension before a Mizdow face turn.

Winners and New Champions: The Miz and Damien Mizdow

Michael Weyer: Nice to see the tag belts get some real time on a big show. It’s a good mix of teams and we should see some great stuff going around. Gold and Stardust have been good as champs but clear that bit is ending and while tempting to think the Usos get the belt, I’ll go with the flow and pick Miz and Mizdow to get it as they do make a fun team. I hope it’s a good match overall and if nothing else, fun to have the tag belts showcased at the former “team-heavy” PPV.

Winners and NEW World Tag Team Champions: Miz and Mizdow

Mike Chin: This feels like the tag division treading water. While Miz and Mizdow are relatively hot, I suspect this match will be a placeholder, and we’ll keep the status quo for now.

Winner: Gold and Stardust

Jack Bramma: Amazingly the tag team division has become such a FF segment for me. The division arguably hadn’t been better in 10 years when the Rhodes family took the belts off The Shield. But the NAO came back, won the belts, and the division hasn’t really recovered since, again, due to booking. The NAO were finally squashed and sent packing at Mania and the Usos had the tag belts but no challengers. They wouldn’t defend them on PPV for 3 months until falling into the most logical and easiest feud possible with The Wyatts, but again, WWE can’t have nice things. The matches were great, but the Wyatts were jobbed and broken up. Los Matadores haven’t had a tag match on a PPV since HITC 2013, over a year ago. After carrying the company through the depressing winter solstice, Goldie and Cody were thrown to the wolves and only got a showing at Mania to get thrown out of the ring in a battle royal. Cody changed gimmicks again and he and Goldust locked themselves in Dean Douglas’s old vignette classroom promising to find the cosmic key. That was abandoned and instead, they turned heel and won the belts. Sandow is the one guy who seems bulletproof in getting almost anything over. Let’s hope they reward him and Miz, who is slowly trying to work his way back into 2009-2011 form again.

Winner: Miz-ery Loves Company

Alex Crowder: I like the Los Matadores more than most, so I’m happy to see their inclusion. My only problem is that WWE puts no effort in the Tag Team division making me not look forward to this match much. I don’t dislike any of these teams. The booking just leaves a lot to be desired. Nonetheless, Damien Mizdow will probably steal the spotlight and his team seems the likely choice. The Dust Brothers haven’t done much with the Championships in no fault of their own, so I see the titles changing here. However, I wouldn’t be surprised if they retained.

Winners and NEW Tag Team Champions: Miz and Mizdow

Sean Garmer: I could see this was the endgame when they started letting Los Matadores and Miz and Mizdow win tag matches over the tag champions and The Usos. While they’ve built this up mainly through wrestling and not with any storyline, at least WWE is doing something with two other teams and letting them have some time to shine on PPV. That being said, I just can’t see Matadores, aside from Vince wanting to pull a swerve on everyone to keep Mizdow from having any gold. Usos just had a long title reign so they are out. WWE’s lack of direction for Brothers Dust tells me they would much rather get the titles off of them. So, since Miz and Mizdow have been winning matches, Mizdow has become so over that he is an attraction in Miz’s matches, and I can’t see WWE doing a heel vs. heel feud for the belts. This is the best opportunity WWE has to crown new champions with Mizdow doing the honors by some roll-up or something like that.

Winners AND NEW WWE TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS: Miz & Mizdow

(Champion) AJ Lee vs. Nikki Bella w/ Brie Bella
WWE Divas Championship Match

Mike Hammerlock: ALERT: I’m about to say something nice about a WWE divas match. The build to this contest has been really good. The whole thing makes sense. Nikki has leveraged Brie being her personal slave into a title match. Instead of getting caught in the middle of the Bella drama, AJ has gone after both of them. We’ve got clearly defined characters and a lot of different possibilities for how this match might go. In fact, this might steal the show. I say that partially because what else is going to steal this show? Yet I’m hopeful we’re going to see the best Divas Championship match in a very long time.

Winner: Nikki Bella

Justin Watry: Unlike the other Divas match, I am actually interested in this. There are two ways to go here. First is Brie Bella costs Nikki Bella the title, so they can feud some more. That allows AJ Lee to retain. On the flips side, AJ Lee DID attack Brie Bella on RAW this past week. Therefore, that creates an opening for the Bella Twins to reunite…as HEELS! I have always said that the Bellas work best when they are together (duh!). They are twins! Use that to your advantage, not do some wacky breakup nobody buys in. Just have Brie Bella cost AJ Lee the title and then reveal it was NOT by accident, as she hugs Nikki Bella. Stalling over. I pick AJ to win.

Winner: AJ Lee

Paul Leazar: I’m actually looking forward to this a bit. The build for it has been fairly simple, but it doesn’t need to be anything complex. The victor here is a bit obvious, as we are in for some more Double Bella’s feuding for a while to come I’d say. Nikki gets the win with the Rack Attack after some Brie interference.

Winner and NEW Diva’s Champion: Nikki Bella

Gary Vaughan: I am super curious on what kind of match these two Divas will put on. If Nikki can hang with AJ, then I believe we could be in for a real treat. Brie Bella will be a factor in this match; whether it be by purpose or accident. Nikki will win gold and her feud with AJ will either continue or we will get a Bella sisters feud out of it.

Winner: Nikki Bella (Via Rack Attack)

Kevin Pantoja: I like AJ Lee. I really do. But, she shouldn’t be Divas Champion right now. Her first reign obviously was a good idea. Her second was fine as it led to a Paige/AJ feud, even though that disappointed. She should not have won the title at Night of Champions as that night should have been used to solidify Paige as champion. Anyway, Nikki Bella has impressed me in her new heel role. Mind you, her and her sister are both awful actresses but the same can be said about AJ. Part of me thinks that Brie costs Nikki, but a bigger part of me sees Nikki winning because once Brie’s 30 days as a slave are up, she can move into a title match with her sister. Total Divas is returning soon and booking Bella vs. Bella for the Divas Title is a good way to promote it. I’m all for this since Brie vs. Nikki was surprisingly good at Hell in a Cell.

Winner and New Champion: Nikki Bella

Michael Weyer: With word of AJ maybe leaving, it puts the possible ending in more perspective. The build is short but should be a good enough match, AJ carrying Nikki along, some nice heat to things and when Nikki does get the belt, it’ll be a bit more meaningful.

Winner and NEW Divas Champion: Nikki Bella

Mike Chin: While I wouldn’t be shocked to see Lee retain, Nikki Bella has been the focal point of the Divas division since her heel turn, and has actually been performing well enough to deserve the push. Add on rumors of Lee’s pending departure, and I foresee Bella winning the strap.

Winner: Nikki Bella

Jack Bramma: Because.

Winner: Nikki Bella

Alex Crowder: I do fear there is a chance of Nikki Bella winning this one. However, I think it is only a 50/50 chance at best. I don’t think that AJ is leaving anytime soon. I must concur that AJ probably shouldn’t have won the title back in the first place. Nevertheless, it is already done and I think AJ retaining is the best choice at this point. Nikki Bella isn’t the worst diva, but I still can’t really get into the Bella feud. They could reunite, but WWE seems deadset on keeping Brie a face. This match will probably be about what we expect. This match could be solid or unspectacular like every other match on the card.

Winner and STILL Diva’s Champion: AJ Lee

Sean Garmer: WWE has actually been consistent with the build to this feud and found a way to effectively use Brie in this as well. So, I am interested to see if Nikki will win the belt because of an accident or if Brie helps Nikki on purpose. AJ could very well keep the belt as well, but we’ve seen The Bella feud go long enough without the title being at stake. I think there is a lot more intrigue in Brie do something for Nikki to win and then we actually have to build a real feud around The Bellas, instead of the crap they did with them before. Nikki wins thanks to a distraction by Brie, leading to a Rack Attack.

Winner AND NEW WWE DIVAS CHAMPION: Nikki Bella

Dean Ambrose vs. Bray Wyatt
Singles Match

Mike Hammerlock: This feud really hasn’t gone anywhere in a month. I like both the guys, but I’ve still got no idea of why Bray felt compelled to target Ambrose when he did. Ambrose seems more annoyed than pissed off. Maybe that’s just because this confrontation comes on the heels of his main event-level clash with Seth Rollins. Ultimately these guys need to convince us they’re not slumming it against each other. Some of the promo work has been all right, but I thought there was a real opportunity missed in not bringing up their history. These two fought in arguably the match of the year (Shield vs. Wyatts at Elimination Chamber) and the feud of the year. Maybe Bray felt Ambrose was a kindred spirit during those clashes and that idea grew larger inside his mind until he tore apart the Wyatt Family because he had to pursue Dean Ambrose, either to win him over or destroy him so that he stopped plaguing Bray’s tormented brain. Instead they’ve mostly been marking time between PPVs. Hopefully the match pays off and we can more invested in this feud from here. Since it’s the opening skirmish of what may be a war, I’m thinking we get an inconclusive finish.

Winner: Double DQ

Justin Watry: On paper, this matchup seemed like a wonderful idea. Pair up Bray Wyatt and Dean Ambrose for a back and forth promo battle, have a few brawls, and let them tear it up on a PPV setting. Perfect, right? Well, not quite. For whatever reason, this feud has felt like the last big Bray Wyatt feud (against Chris Jericho). It is not bad; it is just not living up to the expectations that comes with these two wrestlers. Hopefully, things pick up in December. If not, then just end it on Sunday and move on. Even though both guys should be collecting victories right now, I am going with Bray Wyatt based on the theory that Dean Ambrose is such a lunatic that his character is not actually based on winning or losing at all. Thus, it will not matter to him.

Winner:Bray Wyatt

Paul Leazar: We’ve only reached the tip of the iceberg with this feud. We haven’t really gotten a whole lot yet, but that has to do with the large of build time the WWE has spent on it’s main event here, and sort of letting everything go by the wayside. The build for this so far is fairly simple, but I don’t this match will be that simple. Bray Wyatt has to win this one I think, and there will be some sort of shenanigans to accompany that victory to get this to TLC.

Winner via some sort of shenanigan & Sister Abigail: Bray Wyatt

Gary Vaughan: Get ready for dirt and grime, cause the two most vicious guys on the WWE roster are going to clash Sunday. I look for this match to be hard hitting with a ton of great spots mixed in. Ambrose will fight to the bitter end but Bray will have a couple tricks up his sleeve to gain victory. Let’s just say I think Bray’s new followers will ASCEND on Dean Ambrose to help their Family.

Winner: Bray Wyatt (Via interference and Sister Abigail)

Kevin Pantoja: Most of this feud hasn’t been what I wanted. I expected tremendous promos but instead it has been underwhelming. The talk about Dean’s dad has come off SUPER forced. Their Smackdown stuff has been alright but their segments on Raw have been dull. I get that Bray wants to “save” Ambrose, but I hate that Ambrose just forgot about Seth Rollins. Anyway, I’m not blaming Bray completely but this is yet another in a line of underwhelming Bray feuds. I expect him to win here so the feud can continue to bigger brawl at TLC.

Winner: Bray Wyatt

Michael Weyer: Really not a fan of this as the build has been a let-down, would-be great promos just falling flat. I’m sure in the ring they can be good but just doesn’t feel that much heat to things. I’d like to say Dean to continue his push but Bray’s overdue for a big win so think this can be it and continue the feud for TLC in hopefully a better job.

Winner: Bray Wyatt

Mike Chin: As much potential as the program seemed to have given the talents involved, the build has been less than inspired. Unfortunately, we’re in a spot in which neither man can really afford to lose without losing some much needed steam–Wyatt as an upper-level heel who has lost as much as he has won in big matches since WrestleMania, and Ambrose as a faster rising star who just lost his program to Seth Rollins and could really use a big win. Here’s hoping the match itself will be a fun ride to get to an inevitably unsatisfying conclusion.

In the end, I think Wyatt needs the win a little more, and that a heel victory more easily sets up an ongoing program.

Winner: Bray Wyatt

Jack Bramma: In what should have been a contender for feud of the year or at least a feud that should have produced a few promo of the year candidates, Dean and Bray have had a few weeks of weak backstory and cryptic monologues. I’m almost never into feuds that bring in another wrestler’s family or friends just because it shifts a lot of the focus away from the ring onto nonsense (Eddie/Rey over Dominic, Abyss’s origin story, Claire Lynch, Katie Vick, etc.). Put another way, I just don’t care if Dean Ambrose’s dad was in jail and it actively detracts from making the match or either guy interesting for me. It’s amazing that WWE can’t deliver what should be an easy feud. Ambrose was arguably the hottest face on the roster for 2 months and Bray has some of the best promos of the past few years, but it’s just amounted to a drag on Ambrose’s stock and another series of repetitive Bray promos. Taking the Wyatts off TV and splitting them up could lead to big things, but Bray, like Kevin Sullivan, Raven, Punk, and the lot of the cult leaders, works best when dealing with followers. Maybe the Ascension will be brought up and lead him to victory.

Winner: Bray Wyatt

Alex Crowder: The build for this one has been very lackluster and I say that as a fan of both men. Bray Wyatt’s recent feuds don’t seem to be clicking. This one feels similar to the CM Punk and Chris Jericho feud. I actually think this one could benefit from a stipulation. These two could probably have a hell of a brawl in a falls count anywhere type match. Bray seems to be on his own for now, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Sister Abigail finally made an appearance. He did mention her in a few of the promos. Otherwise, I see this one ending fairly clean or without interference at least. I don’t expect much, so it could go beyond my expectations.

Winner: Bray Wyatt

Sean Garmer: If WWE had more matches on the card, I would say that this smells like one of those “this match will be advertised, but won’t happen because of some big brawl or something else that happens before the match starts.” Similar to what happened with Ambrose vs. Rollins. However, this is obviously the start of something that WWE wants to at least push until the next PPV. I have a feeling we will see some sort of interference, whether it be from Wyatt’s rumored new team, or some hocus pocus stuff that leads to Bray getting the win. Wyatt NEEDS TO WIN this match or people won’t take him seriously at all. I hope we get something entertaining at the very least, but I hope they don’t go for some no-contest either because I don’t think that does either man any favors.

Winner: Bray Wyatt

Team Cena (John Cena, Erick Rowan, Big Show, Dolph Ziggler, & RyBack) vs. Team Authority (Seth Rollins, Corporate Kane, Luke Harper, Mark Henry, & Rusev)
Traditional Survivor Series Elimination Match- If Team Cena wins, The Authority is out of power. If Team Authority wins, everyone on Team Cena, except John Cena, is FIRED!!!

Mike Hammerlock: The build for this has been a slow motion car wreck. The WWE is nearing an all-time creative low. At least in the New Generation days we had Bret and Shawn. This match has sucked up the only two available men’s singles titles, leaving the rest of the card paper thin. Thanks to the WWE’s

History Eraser Button

Ryback is being pushed as a thing again. Ultimately I don’t get the point of a guy who struggles in longer matches in the main event scene, but it would have been so much better if he had rejected both teams. He could have come out at the end of Raw and declared that he’s not going to fight to save the Authority or for John Cena’s enormous ego. At Survivor Series Team Ryback is going to fight for a WWE where everyone has a shot and anything can happen. Then you get a three-team match or Ryback facing the winning team for the right to declare the new authority in the WWE or Cena isolated from the rest of the faces. Instead we’ve got this. The saving grace might be that it turns into an epic match. Seriously, if this doesn’t chew up an hour then how do they fill the time? So maybe the match will be filed with big spots and major plotline twists. Sheamus getting chucked from Team Cena like an old piece of fruit strikes me as a potential angle here. Cesaro likely will get involved. HHH for sure will get involved. Odd that he didn’t pick himself for the team when he’s got so much to lose. Is Erick Rowan a double agent? Is Ryback a double agent? Is Cena a double agent? We could be in for some surprises. For the record, I expect the surprises to be less than surprising and for the WWE to go with the kayfabe big ending, which is the Authority losing its power.

Justin Watry: When this match was first announced, it felt like a win for Team Authority was locked up. A free offer? A meaningless tag team match? Then Vince McMahon added on the stipulation where if Team Authority loses, they are no longer in power. Okay, now why would that be added out of the blue? Either, WWE felt they needed a hook for the main event…or somebody decided to pull the trigger and make a change with the on screen authority figure(s) last minute. Thus, the stipulation. Even then, I figured the heels would find a way to win. This past Monday night convinced me otherwise. Something I rarely do – change my mind. Nearly every single ‘sign’ points to Team Cena winning: First, Rusev and Lana will walk out on Team Authority. That was the foreshadowing I got when Stephanie McMahon yelled at Lana a few weeks ago. It all protects Rusev from taking a pin fall or submission loss. Second, I think Triple H wants to gear up for something different come WrestleMania season in 2015. He already did the whole song and dance, suit and tie thing with Daniel Bryan at WM30. Have to be in a fresh program come January. Thirdly, John Cena will probably be racking up some wins before facing Brock Lesnar for the WWE World Title. He was VERY passionate on RAW about the match, which normally tips off a PPV win for him. Fourthly, Seth Rollins has been so strong in recent months on PPVs – almost tooooo strong where he is due for a loss. Fifthly (is that a word?), is Ryback going to lose right now? Probably not. I DO have my guard up for a Team Cena heel turn from Sheamus, who was taken out of the match on Monday, Ryback (believe it or not), or even Erick Rowan being a secret weapon from Team Authority. Barring a heel turn from Team Cena, so many things point to WWE moving on from Steph and Triple H in charge. Seriously, that is the only thing that could lead Team Authority to winning – a heel turn from Team Cena. Even HHH being laid out on Raw seemed like them telling all of the WWE Universe to tune into Survivor Series for the payoff they have been waiting for – the heel bosses lose their job. Felt like the final RAW before WM30 with Daniel Bryan leading the fans in a “YES!” chants – the commentators practically told us that would be final image come Mania. Seth Rollins stood tall to end RAW before Heck on a Deck, and he ended up winning on the PPV, so save me the tired/false theory of that hinting at PPV match outcomes. Been proven wrong so many times it is ridiculous. Long story short, I had five extra minutes to write this up, so I ended up rambling. Go back and read a few sentences ago – there are five solid scenarios that point to Team Cena winning. Six reasons if you include Randy Orton hitting a bunch of RKOs in his home town! Expect a great one hour match (not much else on the show), a few twists and turns perhaps, and an entertaining “Big Four” PPV main event…

Winner: Team Cena

Paul Leazar: I haven’t hated the build to this match at all. While the stipulation has given the finish away (I think at least), the match is sure to be one hell of a journey. I imagine this match being overbooked to all hell and LOOOOOONNNNNNGGGGGG! There is a very large part of me that wants them to have Dolph get the decisive fall, but I’m probably asking for to much there. I’d also expect a Randy Orton run-in and maybe a Sheamus heel turn to get us to bite on a false finish. I’m going to do my best to pick out the order of elimination here though. I think it’ll go Rowan, Show, Kane, Henry, Rusev/Ryback get counted out together, Harper, and Rollins will get pinned by Dolph Ziggler after Randy Orton hits him with an RKO OUTTA NOWHERE~!!!!

Winners: Team Cena

Gary Vaughan: As good as Ambrose vs Wyatt will be, I think this main event Survivor Series match should be the talk around the internet late Sunday night. This match will probably have some bug surprises like Randy Orton, to really spice it up. I’m sure the highlight reels will be flowing throughout this match too. I think we will have Cena vs Seth Rollins in the end, but I think Orton will assist Cena in a victory.

Winners: Team Cena (Due to Orton Interference)

Kevin Pantoja: It seems like the WWE had the idea for the this match in place, but had no idea who would participate outside of John Cena, Seth Rollins and Kane. The teams have changed consistently and what we ended up with is…strange. John Cena, Dolph Ziggler and Big Show make sense. Ziggler should still be Intercontinental Champion and Show is a guy that’s good in this situation. I’m not against Ryback but I don’t like how the WWE expects us to just forget a year of Ryback being beatable and all of a sudden he’s just a monster again. Erick Rowan should not be here. Sheamus needs to be in this spot. Onto the match itself, I see Rusev walking out on Team Authority. Stephanie has been rude to Lana and he can’t afford a pinfall loss here. Maybe a DQ. The Rowan/Harper interactions should be a ton of fun, while Henry/Show will probably bore. I would LOVE it if Dolph Ziggler was able to be the sole survivor for his team, but we all know how this will go down. Seth Rollins will finally eat a pin on Pay-Per-View and Cena and Ryback to survive.

Winner: Team Cena (John Cena and Ryback to survive)

Michael Weyer: Yes, the stips give away the ending, we know that. But come on, look at the talent involved, you can’t deny the match itself should be good. Show and Henry show off power, Rusev probably eliminating a guy or two to put himself over more, Rowan showing his stuff as well, it should be a great battle all around. I’d love to see Cena eliminated and his team carrying on, unlikely as that is but it should still be a boost for Rollins and others. However, the stip pretty much gives the ending away now and takes away some of the power, a shame given the talent hoping to close the show out.

Winners: Team Cena

Mike Chin: I’ve enjoyed the build to this match and, going into Sunday, I think the most compelling part about the main event is that I find it legitimately hard to pick the winner. Would WWE really end The Authority? It doesn’t seem likely, but WWE has used Survivor Series to end a major heel angle before in the case of The Alliance in 2001. On the flip side, is WWE really going to kayfabe fire five out of six of its top active faces? It’s not likely, but given how loosely WWE has held to such standards in the past (e.g., John Cena getting fired when he didn’t help Wade Barrett win at Survivor Series 2010).

My pick comes down to which side needs the push worse. Rusev and Luke Harper are getting built as monsters but I can foresee one of them being disposed of via finisher buffet, the other schmozz double countout or DQ. Kane and Mark Henry are disposable. Seth Rollins, while in the midst of a big push, can weather a fall in this setting after beating Dean Ambrose at Hell in a Cell and while he’s still holding the Money in the Bank briefcase. On the flip side, Big Show and Dolph Ziggler will likely not survive. Erick Rowan is an x-factor given the sudden face turn. And then there are the two guys I have a hard time seeing lose: Ryback, who seems to be getting a meaningful renewed push and John Cena, WWE’s golden cash cow and the guy who’s set to challenge Brock Lesnar. Thus, I see Cena and Ryback surviving.

Winner: Team Cena

Jack Bramma: I might be the only person in civilized society who has mostly liked the booking of this feud. I’m a complete and total mark for multi-man matches – WarGames, Elimination Chamber, Royal Rumble, Money in the Bank, WW3, etc. I’m also a complete and total mark for all-encompassing feuds where the entire roster in caught up in ONE angle because it’s too important not to matter to them – n.W.o, Nexus, Aces ‘n’ Eights, the Alliance, the Higher Power, a vacant world championship, a chance to main event Wrestlemania, etc. So, as you can imagine, this particular angle is right up my alley. I don’t care that it wasn’t built for a long time and was simply thrown out there by Vinnie Mac a few weeks ago or that the obvious, final stipulation was left to die on the go-home Smackdown. I’m also not particularly disappointed that Cena didn’t come out to save Ziggler, Sheamus, Show, etc. during their beatdowns. Because in spite of all that, there has been a ton to love. I thought they did a great job of genuinely drawing out the drama of who would be on each team – the saga of sociopath tweener Orton, the brilliant reveal of Luke Harper returning, the tease of Cesaro becoming face, the will they/won’t they with Ryback, and Rusev taking the US strap and getting to main event a PPV, much to Hogan’s chagrin on Twitter. Triple H even busted out his promo chops for some Richard III-level politicking in trying to win over the fanbase in the final segment on Monday, even alluding to his having to put-down longtime ally (and rival) Orton. They gave this the hardest of hard sells in the contract signing and I’m genuinely stoked just for this match. It needs to go at least 30-45 minutes or else the whole show might off the air at 10 PM. I hope they pull a few rabbits out of their hats and maybe bring back some guys who aren’t scheduled for weeks, if not months away – Reigns, DB, Brock, Trips himself, etc. I know none of those guys are likely to show up, but I’m living on a prayer with this one.

Winner: Team Cena

Alex Crowder: This one could really go either way in both the result and match quality. Some of the participants are not the best workers, but the skilled workers should more than make up for it. The build has been kind of lackluster. Still, the talent in this match makes me excited for it anyway. The crowd seemed excited for the Erick Rowan and Luke Harper interactions. Ryback is becoming insanely over again. Rusev sells like no other big man, and Seth Rollins is just the man. Dolph will sell his ass of as well to make Team Authority look good. Ryback should be the final survivor, but I see both John Cena and Ryback surviving this one. Also, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Authority won with Seth Rollins surviving. Hopefully, the talent shines and we get an good to great match!

Winners: Team Cena

Sean Garmer: I’ve very much enjoyed the build to this match. I like the inclusions of Rowan and Harper, and best of all the people on these teams have had time to shine and become a big deal because of this match. The stipulation may give the match away, but this match will have so much in it, I don’t think that will matter in the end. I see RyBack with the most eliminations here and he and Cena survive to leave us in doubt about what will come of The Authority for RAW the next night. I have a feeling we will see Randy Orton also return and have a big impact on what happens at the end as well. Though this could easily go the other way, with Orton helping Team Authority win, only for him to turn on them later down the road or perhaps even ruin Rollins MITB cash-in attempt too. The last shot before going off-air being a worried Vince McMahon as to what will become of his company now. I think either way this goes down, we will want to watch RAW the next night and that’s what matters in the end.

Winners: Team Cena (Cena with a AA after Orton RKO’s Rollins)

Overall Thoughts & PPV Interest Level (from 1 being the worst to 5 being the best)

Mike Hammerlock: My interest level for this PPV is a 1.5: So the WWE gives away a month of the Network for free (to non-subscribers, me keeping my subscription apparently earns me no loyalty reward) and the big payoff is this? Survivor Series has been a problem child event in recent years and this may be the worst one yet. I never bet against the talent in the WWE, because they can pull matches out of their asses, but the card is just about anorexic. There’s almost nothing to see here outside of the fake ouster of the actual people who will continue to run the company regardless of what happens at Survivor Series. As an adult, I find it hard to believe that’s an angle that hooks adults. Austin vs. Mr. McMahon fit the era when it happened and, for better or worse, the business and fans have evolved. This is just a transparent work. I’m skeptical this is going to make casual fans fork over their cash for the Network. In fact, I’m skeptical casual fans even will watch this card for free.

Justin Watry: My interest level for this PPV is a 3: out of 5 right now. As I always state though, once Sunday evening arrives, I usually get pretty jacked up for a WWE pay-per-view. Outside of the main event, this has NOT been a well hyped up Survivor Series at all. No wonder WWE is using this as the ‘free’ offer? No wonder indeed. Luckily, it is the main events that sell (not the under card), so I will be tuning in. Two other quick notes: My MASSIVE TNA Impact Wrestling television deal column that has been done for a few weeks now will be posted early next week. Certainly a MUST READ for all wrestling fans! Second, back to Survivor Series – what do all of YOU think will be number of PPV buys? With the WWE Network already over 700,000 subscribers (probably more now) AND the free offer, what kind of number are looking at? Let me know! Enjoy.

Paul Leazar: My interest level for this PPV is a 3: Outside of a fairly well built main event match, what else is there to be excited here? Not a whole lot. I’m sure the rest of the card will be fun to watch, and with a show this open, the air of unpredictability adds something here or there, but all of the interest is carried by one match, which brings my interest in it down quite a bit.

Gary Vaughan: My Interest for This PPV is a 5 I have my reservations about this show, but I’m optimistic about how good it could be. Their are plenty of positives that could come out of this entire card. Honestly, I think this show hinges on match quality and the level of surprises that occur. It’s a free show but I think their is enough on the card to pay $9.99.

Michael Weyer: My interest level for this PPV is a 3: Usually one of the big shows of the year, this feels a letdown thanks to how WWE is in a creative rut. The main event can be seen a mile away and while it can be a good match, doesn’t feel that important. The tag title battle can be good but just doesn’t seem an overwhelming reason to watch. That’s a shame as Survivor Series was once a “can’t-miss” show of the year and now just a placeholder for bigger things and hope WWE can get out this rut fast.

Mike Chin: My interest level for this PPV is a 4: My interest in PPVs like this centers on the main event. I know not everyone agrees with me, but this is a high stakes main event with a good dramatic build and enough good talents involved that it ought to deliver. Add onto that that I am a sucker for the Survivor Series gimmick since childhood, and I am looking forward to this Sunday’s show.

Jack Bramma: My interest level for this PPV is a 3.5: For FREE and a near can’t-miss elimination match that’s virtually guaranteed to have more overbooking than every Hogan main event ever. I’m sold.

Alex Crowder: My interest level for this PPV is a 2.5: I feel disappointed that my interest is so low. I think it mostly stems from the fact that the weekly shows continue to go through the post Wrestlemania lull. The PPV will probably go beyond my expectations, but the weekly shows don’t do enough right now to capture my interest. I expect a middle of the road show with maybe one good match and a few decent matches. The main event could easily change that, but we’ll see this Sunday. I would recommend it simply for the price (free)!

Sean Garmer: My interest level for this PPV is a 3 The main event is going to deliver and make this show memorable, but the undercard is really underwhelming, with two or three matches having very little to no build at all. All of them do have the potential to get a lot of time and become something worthwhile, but I just can’t get too excited because I have a feeling WWE is going to rush some of the matches and put filler like Adam Rose vs. The Bunny in somewhere to kill time. I know WWE are giving this away for free, but wouldn’t you want to stack the card? So that you get people to want to see Survivor Series free and then wonder “well, if the ppv was this good when it’s free, I’d love to see how it is when you have to pay $9.99.” But WWE does everything backwards, so I guess it is what it is unfortunately.

Well, that’s all the time we have today. Let us know what you thought of our predictions in the comment section and don’t forget to share your picks for the PPV as well. See you all again in December for TLC.

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