0 of 7
Enemies who collided at Hell in a Cell will be on the same side in battle when WWE Survivor Series 2017 arrives.
Sunday's pay-per-view saw Natalya leave Charlotte Flair hobbled, The Usos thrash The New Day with kendo sticks, and Jinder Mahal cheat his way to another win over Shinsuke Nakamura. Those rivalries will have to be put to the side as clashes between Raw and SmackDown unfold.
Last year following the WWE draft, Survivor Series largely became a brand-against-brand event.
That's poised to happen again as the Nov. 19 PPV hits Houston. Brand pride is sure to be on the line in contests featuring tag team and singles stars.
The following is a look at how the Survivor Series may shape up based on event history, storyline analysis and a projection of how WWE puts together its PPV puzzle.
1 of 7
Team Raw (Finn Balor, Samoa Joe, Bray Wyatt, Cesaro and Sheamus) vs. Team SmackDown (Jinder Mahal, Baron Corbin, Shinsuke Nakamura, Randy Orton and Rusev)
At last year's Survivor Series, Team SmackDown outlasted Team Raw in a five-on-five elimination bout. WWE giving Raw a chance to make up for that defeat is highly probable.
This route would allow the company to cram a bunch of stars into one contest. It could further play up the rivalry between the brands. And WWE can allow Mahal's reign to continue without asking him to step up in another title defense.
Mahal and Nakamura are among the partners who would have ample issues with each other. The King of Strong Style is fresh off another stinging loss to the champ. The tension those two and rivals like Balor and Wyatt would have while being teammates would make for good drama.
2 of 7
Akira Tozawa, Cedric Alexander, Kalisto, Mustafa Ali and Neville vs. Ariya Daivari, Brian Kendrick, Enzo Amore, Drew Gulak and Jack Gallagher
The cruiserweight division didn't get in on the elimination-match fun last time around. Instead, WWE booked a six-man tag match for Gulak and company.
With more star power on the roster this year, it makes sense to showcase it in classic Survivor Series fashion.
Amore's disdain for his peers would cost him big-time once the bell rang. He would be just as likely to get clocked by his opponents as he would by his teammates. That alone would make this an interesting collision.
Plus, WWE can show off the division's new arrival, Kalisto, while also giving guys like Gallagher and Alexander a space to shine.
3 of 7
Sami Zayn provided Hell in a Cell with the surprise of the night. The Underdog from the Underground saved Owens in the main event by yanking him out of harm's way as Shane McMahon came hurtling toward him.
It's not clear why Zayn would help his hated rival, but it's likely an alliance of some sort is on the way.
That's going to leave McMahon furious. The SmackDown commissioner is poised to have two insubordinate roster members on his hands. His best bet would be to enlist Styles, a man familiar with Owens and who gained McMahon's respect after their match at WrestleMania 33.
This matchup would allow Styles to do the heavy lifting athletically while Shane-O-Mac provided some stunning moments as he's known to do.
4 of 7
The Intercontinental Championship may not get defended at TLC on Oct. 22 as The Miz will likely be busy trading shots with The Shield. He's poised to focus on his title afterward, just in time from a challenge from the blue brand.
At Survivor Series 2016, The Miz defended his crown against Sami Zayn in a cross-brand fight. Going that direction again makes sense unless The A-Lister is still entrenched in his current rivalry with The Shield.
He can provide a tough, veteran opponent for Tye Dillinger, who can make a splash even in a loss.
The Miz's demands that the IC title be showcased could easily lead to his belt being the one on the line at Survivor Series. The singles bout would give the card some variety, and the championship being up for grabs would elevate the event, too.
5 of 7
The Shield is getting back together. That's been clear for weeks. Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins have teased a full-fledged reunion en route to TLC.
After that PPV, the unified trio may look to represent Raw at Survivor Series.
An interbrand six-man tag team match against The New Day would be a good move. But WWE may look to add more names on the scene for an event of Survivor Series' magnitude.
Pairing The Shield with Matt Hardy and Jason Jordan would allow the latter to keep making a splash during his big push. On the other side, aligning The New Day and The Usos would be an intriguing move after the two teams just beat the hell out of each other at Hell in a Cell.
After months of tearing down the house on opposite sides of the ring, The New Day and The Usos could do so together as they represent the SmackDown tag team division like only they can.
6 of 7
Raw (Alexa Bliss, Asuka, Bayley, Nia Jax, Sasha Banks) vs. SmackDown (Becky Lynch, Carmella, Charlotte Flair, Naomi, Natalya)
WWE needs to make the women's Survivor Series elimination match an annual tradition.
Last year, Team Raw took down the blue brand thanks in large part to Bayley and Flair.
Bliss and Flair have since switched brands. Asuka's arrival from NXT will shake up the Raw women's division. So even with a number of the same faces in the same place, this bout would feel quite different.
Plus, SmackDown looking to avoid going 0-2 against their red-brand rivals will add some drama to the action.
7 of 7
Brock Lesnar vs. Braun Strowman II needs to happen.
When these two titans last met, they didn't get a ton of ring time. Their brawl was engaging but ended too abruptly. Giving The Monster Among Men another crack at the Universal Championship is an easy story to tell.
Strowman had Lesnar on the ropes early on at No Mercy. He has since dominated his competition on Raw, taking down both Rollins and Ambrose. A rematch at Survivor Series is a smart use of the powerhouse.
If The Beast Incarnate doesn't end up working TLC, the best bet is to have him try to fend off Strowman once more. This would be a showcase of two monsters. It would give the PPV a major title match to go with all the elimination matches. And Strowman's career year has proved he deserves this marquee spot.
Posting Komentar