WWE Survivor Series is this Sunday and here's a stone cold lock prediction: I'm not going to be watching.
A combination of traveling to Cleveland for the Browns-Steelers game and not quite sure where to watch it there, plus a pretty awful card that isn't going to make me go out of my way to find a place to watch it in Cleveland means I'll just pass. Even if I wasn't making the trip to Cleveland, I'm not sure I'd want to spend $60 on this show after three recent lackluster pay-per-views from WWE no real reason to get excited about this one.
However, that doesn't mean I can't preview the show and predict the outcomes for those that do care. So here we go:
Pre-Show Kickoff match
The Miz vs. Kofi Kingston
A year ago, right before Survivor Series, the Miz lost his final rematch for the Intercontinental Championship with Kofi Kingston and went to shake his head. He took a Trouble in Paradise kick. Then he turned face and joined Kingston -- and three others -- in a traditional Survivor Series match against captain Dolph Ziggler and five other guys I'm not going to bother to look up in a match that wasn't terribly memorable except for Ziggler won it by pinning Randy Orton. (Think about that for a second and where both of those guys are on the card now. Yup.) Anyway, now a week before Survivor Series, he teamed with Kingston and left him high and dry in a match against the Real Americans. Miz's babyface run wasn't all that spectacular (blame any number of reasons) but I didn't think it was as terrible as some. At least it means he'll probably stop using the Figure Four, which never seemed to fit anyway. He makes a much better heel and I think could actually move back into the main event scene. But first, he needs some momentum. Why, hello there Kofi Kingston, we've got a job for you.
WINNER: The Miz
Survivor Series Elimination Tag Team match
Jack Swagger, Antonio Cesaro, Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns vs. Cody Rhodes, Goldust, Jimmy Uso, Jey Uso and Rey Mysterio
Is it just me, or are these some real odd-couple pairings? To me, it really seems like the Shield is taking a step back here from their main event post earlier in the year. Whatever, the bright side is, all of these guys are pretty terrific in the ring, so that should make it a fun match. While WWE doesn't seem to do this often enough, the real appeal of these traditional Survivor Series matches, in my opinion, should be to bring closure to certain feuds and start new ones. A good opportunity here would be to have Rey Mysterio begin feuding with the Real Americans (leading either Sin Cara to come back and team with him, or Alberto Del Rio to make a face turn again and team up with one former nemesis against another). It's also an opportunity to highlight a guy (or guys) you think could be a future star. There are at least four guys in this match who fit that description. I'm only picking one of them.
WINNER: And sole survivor, Roman Reigns
Divas Tag Team Elimination match
Brie Bella, Nikki Bella, Natayla, Naomi, Cameron, JoJo and Eva Marie vs. AJ Lee, Tamina, Kaitlyn, Alicia Fox, Summer Rae, Aksana and Rosa Mendes
Wrestlers currently not booked for Survivor Series -- Dolph Ziggler, Damien Sandow, Ryback. Divas who are booked for Survivor Series -- JoJo, Eva Marie, Rosa Mendes. Seriously? This is just awful in the name of promoting Total Divas. The fact that they stuck AJ and Kaitlyn on the same team is beyond silly. Whatever, hopefully this just devolves into a brawl that gets everyone disqualified except AJ Lee and maybe Natalya. At this point, can we just get that match for the Divas title on a PPV please?
WINNERS: Some combination of the Total Divas
Intercontinental Championship
Big E Langston (c) vs. Curtis Axel
Langston just won the IC title on Raw this week. It was a match that was supposed to happen on the pre-show of last month's Hell in a Cell PPV, but Axel got hurt. Presumably, Langston would've won the title there, beat Axel in the rematch at Survivor Series, and moved on to something else. I'm not sure why the title change couldn't have happened at Survivor Series, then have the rematch on Raw or Smackdown next week unless they have something really important they want Langston involved with next week, but that's just me. Regardless, the outcome doesn't change here.
WINNER: And still Intercontinental Champion, Big E Langston
Daniel Bryan and CM Punk vs. Luke Harper and Erick Rowan w/ Bray Wyatt
Mainly because Bray Wyatt isn't involved and because Harper and Rowan look like a mid-card for life tag team, this just doesn't feel like a PPV-level match to me. Perhaps it would feel like a bigger deal if Harper and Rowan hadn't already lost clean to the Usos a few weeks back on Smackdown, or if Bray Wyatt himself was involved in the match, making in a 3-on-2 handicap match reminiscent of the "Match Made in Hell" at SummerSlam ions ago when I started watching wrestling in 1991. This feels like it could open the show or be stuck somewhere in the middle of the card. However, in the weeks leading up to Survivor Series, this feud -- particularly Punk and Bryan -- has taken center stage on Raw ahead of both the World and WWE championship matches. I definitely think the team of Bryan and Punk has legs, especially if there is a plan to have them face off with one another in the not-so-distant future.
WINNERS: Daniel Bryan and CM Punk
WWE Championship
Randy Orton (c) vs. Big Show
Triple H and Stephanie McMahon letting Orton know on Raw that he would be "on his own" without the Shield as backup against Big Show because they have confidence in him as the face of the WWE seems to be teasing a title change. I don't buy it. Say what you will about the booking of Daniel Bryan since SummerSlam, but no one has been booked worse in this Authority angle than Orton. He's been made to look like a fool at nearly every turn and because of the WWE title being vacated for a month-and-a-half, he hasn't exactly had a memorable run as champion either. He really should win this one. There is also the swerve factor. At least a few people think the interaction between Orton and the Authority on Raw seems to indicate a double turn, where the Authority decides to back Big Show as the new "face" of the WWE, ironically turning him heel, while Orton becomes a face again. That's horrible if it happens. I say Big Show wins when Orton intentionally gets disqualified to save his title, leading to some sort of stipulation match at TLC next month. Another prediction? This won't close the show.
WINNER: The Big Show, however, still WWE Champion, Randy Orton
World Heavyweight Championship
John Cena (c) vs. Alberto Del Rio
Cena has gotten the better of Del Rio at seemingly every turn leading up to this rematch, and it's taking place in Cena's hometown of Boston. So by WWE booking logic, Cena should lose. Except Cena doesn't lose. Right? It's possible WWE just wanted to put the title on Cena for a temporary ratings boost for Smackdown (of note, Cena was champion during all of November sweeps, when local advertising rates are set for TV shows), and will now transition the title back to Del Rio, who has dominated the world title scene all year. Cena isn't advertised for the next two Smackdowns after Survivor Series, although he is scheduled to appear at the Dec. 10 taping, the go-home show for the TLC PPV where, presumably, Cena and Del Rio would have another rematch. Nah, I think I'm reading too much into it. Never bet against John Cena.
WINNER: And still World Heavyweight Champion, John Cena
