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WWE Survivor Series 2018 is done and dusted, and it is safe to say that it was one of the most controversial shows in recent history. This is mostly due to the overall booking of the show.
Survivor Series saw the champions of RAW take on the champions of SmackDown LIVE and the best of RAW took on the best of SmackDown LIVE in a traditional Survivor Series classic 5-on-5 elimination match for brand supremacy.
The show did not feature many top stars like AJ Styles, Randy Orton, or even Becky Lynch, but what was more baffling was how the RAW brand squashed the SmackDown brand. All the champions of RAW defeated the champions of SmackDown LIVE, and SmackDown's only win came in the kickoff.
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The kickoff show saw the Tag Team Survivor Series classic elimination match where The Usos were the sole survivors, and that was the only laugh SmackDown had in the entire show.
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The score at the end of the show was RAW with 6 points and SmackDown with none. Here are 5 collective reasons why RAW squashed SmackDown at Survivor Series.
#1 To set up the WrestleMania 35 main event
Ever since Ronda Rousey's debut in WWE, Charlotte Flair versus Ronda Rousey has been the dream match, and it is also a WrestleMania main-event calibre match. Ronda was scheduled to take on the SmackDown Live Women's Champion, Becky Lynch, but due to injuries, Charlotte took her spot.
There were always rumours of Charlotte and Ronda main eventing WrestleMania 35, but this match hindered those chances, and there were speculations of Becky fighting 'The Baddest Woman On The Planet' at WrestleMania 35.
The end of the match has put those speculations to bed, and it looks like Charlotte and Ronda are indeed going to face each other at the grandest stage of them all. 'The Queen' snapped, and attacked Rousey with kendo sticks and a steel chair, turning heel in the process. This sets up this feud beautifully.
#2 It is just WWE living to the tag - 'Anything can happen here in WWE'
Off late, WWE has tried their best to be unpredictable. This unpredictability has been visible by the booking since WrestleMania 34.
WWE ended Asuka's streak at WrestleMania, Brock Lesnar once again became the Universal Champion, Daniel Bryan turned heel and became the WWE Champion, and even at Survivor Series, Charlotte Flair turned heel by beating down the RAW Women's Champion Ronda Rousey.
The clean sweep is one such thing, as this is something nobody would have ever predicted at the start of the show.
It is good to see WWE trying to be unpredictable, but in the process, some of their major wrestlers lose credibility. Nakamura, Samoa Joe, Braun Strowman, and Finn Balor are few of the many who have been lost in the shuffle with WWE trying to be unpredictable.
#3 To turn Shane McMahon heel or fire him as the commissioner of SmackDown Live
Shane McMahon was SmackDown's player of the night at Survivor Series. He single-handedly took out Braun Strowman for most of the match, and almost delivered two coast-to-coasts, but that was not enough to get the job done for SmackDown in the men's Survivor Series classic elimination match.
The poor performance at Survivor Series could see major changes on SmackDown. This performance could lead to the firing of Shane McMahon as the commissioner of SmackDown, as he was the reason for the last minute changes in most of the Survivor Series match card.
Shane was the reason Daniel got the championship match and became the WWE Champion at the last minute, and this led to changes in the men's team.
He could also turn heel, and form an Authority like faction on SmackDown, with the current WWE Champion, Daniel Bryan, leading the faction from the front.
#4 To end the brand split
The reason for RAW's dominance over SmackDown at Survivor Series could be due to the fact that the brand-split is coming to an end.
Over the past year, there have been lots of rumours and speculation that the brand-split may come to an end, and this pay-per-view could be the seed sown by the WWE to end the split.
The brand split has been in existence for the past two years as Vince McMahon announced that Stephanie will be the commissioner of RAW, and Shane will be the commissioner of SmackDown.
It is a bad decision to end the brand split because a wrestler like AJ Styles would have never become the WWE Champion, if not for the brand split. It allows diverse wrestlers become champions in WWE, and it also allows WWE to manage the huge roster.
#5 To portray RAW as the premier show once again
One of the major reasons for SmackDown Live putting up a terrible showing at Survivor Series is that WWE wanted to portray RAW as the A-show of WWE. RAW has always been the premier show. It is 3-hours long, it has a huge roster, and it features some top-stars like Brock Lesnar, Triple H, and John Cena who draw a lot of money.
But for some reason, the WWE Universe was always invested in the underdog brand of WWE - SmackDown Live. The clean sweep could be a deliberate attempt by the WWE to portray RAW as the prime show, and to remind the WWE audience that SmackDown will always remain a B+ show at best.
In the words of Paul Heyman, "RAW victimised and conquered SmackDown". This squashing however gives the WWE Universe much more reason to get behind the underdog brand.
