Credit: WWE.comCredit: WWE.com
Sure, we may be several months away from WWE's biggest pay-per-view of the year, but with most of the company's top stars under one roof for a change, the ingredients are certainly there to use this show to ignite the build toward bigger future storylines. The hope within WWE is that Survivor Series, which traditionally hasn't lived up to the hype of being a "Big Four" pay-per-view, will serve as a launching pad that increases interest and intrigue as we near The Royal Rumble.
Last year's Survivor Series show helped spark a great run for The Miz, led to Lesnar vs. Goldberg at WrestleMania 33 and played a pivotal role in a lengthy storyline between Bray Wyatt and Randy Orton that resulted in the two facing off at WrestleMania as well. So, don't be surprised if this year's PPV does something similar, especially with blockbuster matches like Lesnar vs. AJ Styles and the battle between Team Raw and Team SmackDown.
With both Raw and SmackDown recently hitting viewership lows, now is the time for both brands to kick things up a notch. Here are five major storylines WWE will set up at Survivor Series 2017.
Brock Lesnar Vs. Roman Reigns
Credit: WWE.comCredit: WWE.com
Brock Lesnar has made mincemeat out of numerous WWE stars since his return in 2012, most recently doing so to Braun Strowman in surprising fashion at No Mercy.
Odds are that he'll do exactly the same thing to Styles at Survivor Series. Why? Because the ultimate goal of Lesnar's title reign is the same it's been since he defeated The Undertaker at WrestleMania 30 in 2014: To use Lesnar's push to put over Roman Reigns. According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t WrestlingInc), the long-running plan has been for Reigns to defeat Lesnar at WrestleMania 34 "to make Reigns the 'next John Cena' of the company," and we'll see that plan really start to come to fruition at Survivor Series.
That's where Styles vs. Lesnar, though it should be a great match, will be more about Reigns than either of those superstars. Even though Reigns is already WWE's No. 2 merchandise seller and a strong draw who has beaten Strowman, The Undertaker, Triple H and Cena in marquee matches over the last couple of years, that apparently isn't good enough for WWE. The company wants Reigns to get his official "coronation" at WrestleMania 34, and the only way to do so is for him to be the only star, other than Goldberg, to beat Lesnar clean since 2014.
Expect Reigns' path to the Universal Championship to be much clearer post-Survivor Series, likely after "The Beast" soundly defeats "The Phenomenal One."
Braun Strowman's Run As A Top Babyface
Credit: WWE.comCredit: WWE.com
Braun Strowman is embarking on a new journey, his first run as a babyface and one that could change the course of WWE history.
Up until this point, Strowman has been booked as a must-see heel, but with the evidence piling up that indicates he may be WWE's top draw (especially among full-timers), WWE has finally pulled the trigger on what appears to be an extended babyface run for Strowman. He's recently found himself feuding with some of the red brand's top heels, like Kane and The Miz, signifying that the overwhelmingly positive reaction to his character forced WWE's hand.
Slowly but surely, the crowd organically grew to love Strowman, and he's now been positioned as the savior of Team Raw at Survivor Series, where he'll headline a star-studded squad that consists mostly of babyfaces. The great thing about Strowman is that WWE really doesn't need to change his character at all and can simply let him continue what he's been doing, but by committing to him as a fan favorite, he can win over the fans who used to boo him.
Imagine what Strowman being the sole survivor for Team Raw would do for his push as a babyface and how much it would help establish him as a top good guy after an extended run as a heel. Regardless of the specifics of his performance at Survivor Series, however, the pay-per-view will mark the biggest moment of his young career as a babyface, and how he's booked could go a long way toward determining how successful or unsuccessful he is in his new role.
">WWE Survivor Series 2017 may not be the best pay-per-view card on paper, but the presence of major stars like Brock Lesnar, John Cena and Roman Reigns makes it an important stop on the road to WrestleMania 34.
Credit: WWE.comCredit: WWE.com
Sure, we may be several months away from WWE's biggest pay-per-view of the year, but with most of the company's top stars under one roof for a change, the ingredients are certainly there to use this show to ignite the build toward bigger future storylines. The hope within WWE is that Survivor Series, which traditionally hasn't lived up to the hype of being a "Big Four" pay-per-view, will serve as a launching pad that increases interest and intrigue as we near The Royal Rumble.
Last year's Survivor Series show helped spark a great run for The Miz, led to Lesnar vs. Goldberg at WrestleMania 33 and played a pivotal role in a lengthy storyline between Bray Wyatt and Randy Orton that resulted in the two facing off at WrestleMania as well. So, don't be surprised if this year's PPV does something similar, especially with blockbuster matches like Lesnar vs. AJ Styles and the battle between Team Raw and Team SmackDown.
With both Raw and SmackDown recently hitting viewership lows, now is the time for both brands to kick things up a notch. Here are five major storylines WWE will set up at Survivor Series 2017.
Brock Lesnar Vs. Roman Reigns
Credit: WWE.comCredit: WWE.com
Brock Lesnar has made mincemeat out of numerous WWE stars since his return in 2012, most recently doing so to Braun Strowman in surprising fashion at No Mercy.
Odds are that he'll do exactly the same thing to Styles at Survivor Series. Why? Because the ultimate goal of Lesnar's title reign is the same it's been since he defeated The Undertaker at WrestleMania 30 in 2014: To use Lesnar's push to put over Roman Reigns. According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t WrestlingInc), the long-running plan has been for Reigns to defeat Lesnar at WrestleMania 34 "to make Reigns the 'next John Cena' of the company," and we'll see that plan really start to come to fruition at Survivor Series.
That's where Styles vs. Lesnar, though it should be a great match, will be more about Reigns than either of those superstars. Even though Reigns is already WWE's No. 2 merchandise seller and a strong draw who has beaten Strowman, The Undertaker, Triple H and Cena in marquee matches over the last couple of years, that apparently isn't good enough for WWE. The company wants Reigns to get his official "coronation" at WrestleMania 34, and the only way to do so is for him to be the only star, other than Goldberg, to beat Lesnar clean since 2014.
Expect Reigns' path to the Universal Championship to be much clearer post-Survivor Series, likely after "The Beast" soundly defeats "The Phenomenal One."
Braun Strowman's Run As A Top Babyface
Credit: WWE.comCredit: WWE.com
Braun Strowman is embarking on a new journey, his first run as a babyface and one that could change the course of WWE history.
Up until this point, Strowman has been booked as a must-see heel, but with the evidence piling up that indicates he may be WWE's top draw (especially among full-timers), WWE has finally pulled the trigger on what appears to be an extended babyface run for Strowman. He's recently found himself feuding with some of the red brand's top heels, like Kane and The Miz, signifying that the overwhelmingly positive reaction to his character forced WWE's hand.
Slowly but surely, the crowd organically grew to love Strowman, and he's now been positioned as the savior of Team Raw at Survivor Series, where he'll headline a star-studded squad that consists mostly of babyfaces. The great thing about Strowman is that WWE really doesn't need to change his character at all and can simply let him continue what he's been doing, but by committing to him as a fan favorite, he can win over the fans who used to boo him.
Imagine what Strowman being the sole survivor for Team Raw would do for his push as a babyface and how much it would help establish him as a top good guy after an extended run as a heel. Regardless of the specifics of his performance at Survivor Series, however, the pay-per-view will mark the biggest moment of his young career as a babyface, and how he's booked could go a long way toward determining how successful or unsuccessful he is in his new role.
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