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With the polarizing Crown Jewel show out of its way, WWE can now divert their focus to one of the biggest shows of the year, Survivor Series, which emanates from the Staples Centre in Los Angeles on the 18th of this month.
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Like all the recent editions of the PPV, this year too will see champions from both the major brands collide in non-title action to claim bragging rights over their respective counterparts from the other show.
This year, however, things look much more exciting than usual heading into the show as there are some genuine champion vs. champion clashes that fans are clamoring to see unfold.
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Dream matches, epic rematches and intriguing combinations are the flavour going into the show and all that's needed is to maintain the fans' interest through the weekly broadcasts.
Before we begin dissecting each match, it should be made clear right off the bat that at a glance, RAW looks to be on a much bigger advantage given the lineup of champions it boasts as opposed to it's Tuesday night counterpart.
With that said, let's dive into the four major champions' clashes that are (probably will be) announced for Survivor Series.
#4 AOP vs. The Bar (RAW Tag Team Champions vs. Smackdown Tag Team Champions)
It's always risky to put together a heel vs. heel program because of the fans' resentment towards both the parties and no redeeming factor in the match.
However, if there's one thing we can almost guarantee for this one are reactions to the action at Survivor Series, considering the high pace at which The Bar competes and the sheer dominance AOP has displayed on RAW lately.
This match can easily be the one to open the show and rile up the crowd at Survivor Series with it's over-the-top and high paced action.
Still, there's a slight possibility that The Bar drops the title to The New Day leading up to the show, in order to give the clash a classic babyface vs. heel dynamic.
Even if that turns out to be the case, however, there's no rhyme/reason for AOP to be losing in their first high profile match on the main roster, and that too after becoming champions on RAW for the first time.
On the other hand, both The Bar and The New Day have cemented themselves so strongly in the tag division that they're practically loss proof at this point. Either team can lose in a well-wrestled match and come out equally or more over. This one, hands down, has to and most probably will go to AOP.
Winner: AOP
#3 Seth Rollins vs. Shinsuke Nakamura (Intercontinental Champion vs. United States Champion)
Shinsuke Nakamura vs Seth Rollins is one of the few dream matches fans have been waiting anxiously to witness. However, with the current situation, it's impossible to address the issues here.
Nakamura was the hottest commodity to move from NXT to the main roster in several recent years.
But, unfortunately, after his overall lackluster main event feud with AJ Styles and a US title run that has largely been forgotten about, he finds himself in no man's land on Smackdown.
No one wants the United States Championship and hence, we've barely seen Nakamura on TV or competing at recent PPVs.
The IC Championship, on the other hand, has not been in the best position as well since Rollins has been part of multiple tag matches and tournaments for the most part of his title run. However hot story-lines, a constant presence on TV, Shield reunion and the recent Ambrose heel turn have all kept Rollins at the upper echelon of the RAW roster even when not defending his IC championship.
With all factors considered, this one too feels like a RAW win. Rollins is by far a priority for WWE right now than Nakamura is.
Given their respective ages, promo skills and the ability to possibly base the brand around, Rollins is the guy WWE is invested in more.
However, this is where the "entertainment" side of things come up. Rollins will not lose anything if he loses to Nakamura after an Ambrose interference. A Nakamura win here will check several key boxes.
Firstly, it will bring Nakamura back to TV with a bang who can then be built as the big deal he really is.
He will have a win to brag about on the blue brand and can use that as something to build momentum ahead of his possible programs with Rey Mysterio or Daniel Bryan.
It will also help level up the RAW vs. Smackdown theme of the night as it's highly unlikely we get more Smackdown victories going forward (more on that!).
Rollins too will have no strings attached like the world cup or champion vs. champion match after that and can dive straight into his red-hot program with Ambrose after the frustrating loss due to interference.
Winner: Shinsuke Nakamura
#2 Ronda Rousey vs. Becky Lynch (RAW Women's Champion vs. Smackdown Women's Champion)
Perhaps, there's no other match on the Survivor Series card deserving more of the main event slot than The Man taking on The Baddest Woman on the Planet.
Rousey is a legitimate star of the combat sports world outside of WWE and so any match/angle she features in is a big deal just by her presence.
However to quote her opponent for Survivor Series, "every single woman that [Ronda] stepped in the ring with, was already beaten before the opening bell.."!
That feels so true when you look at Rousey's opponents yet in Alexa Bliss and Nikki Bella. They never had a chance at winning.
But that's where Becky Balboa comes around. For years, a performer who was always being overlooked in favour of others, suddenly snapped at Summerslam this year and what followed was the making of the biggest success story of the year!
Becky Lynch is the MVP of WWE today (on both RAW and Smackdown) and it's almost easy to say, the biggest threat to Rousey in the WWE yet.
Lynch is the second coming of Stone Cold and WWE has shown tremendous trust in her lately with decisive victories, being heavily featured on TV, getting the most amount of match time and work outside of her wrestling obligations.
She will most probably give Rousey her greatest match to date and even beyond for several years.
But will that be enough to actually beat the former UFC Bantamweight Champion? Well, not quite so! If anything will keep this match from main-eventing Survivor Series, it's the predictable outcome.
Rousey has always been in WWE's long-term goals with rumours circulating of her possibly main eventing Wrestlemania this year.
It doesn't feel like WWE will compromise those plans even though they've acknowledged that Lynch is a star who took the ball and ran with it like no one else when she was finally given the chance.
Winner: Ronda Rousey
#1 Brock Lesnar vs. AJ Styles (Universal Champion vs. WWE Champion)
Coming out of Crown Jewel, one of the biggest criticisms that came WWE's way was the decision to put the Universal Championship back on Lesnar's shoulder.
His first title reign was one of the biggest duds on RAW in recent memory and a cause of creative bankruptcy for the three-hour weekly show, due to the lack of presence by it's top titleholder for over a year.
With that said, there was still one thing that the fans collectively agreed on i.e. the stage was set for an epic Brock Lesnar rematch with the reigning-defending-undisputed WWE Heavyweight Champion of the World (AJ Styles)!
This time last year, when the WWE threw a major last-minute curve-ball in the world title scene (which was previously held by Jinder Mahal), we got to witness Styles vs Lesnar at Survivor Series.
The match ended up becoming arguably one of the best matches of Lesnar's entire career and helped legitimize Styles against such a huge star. While Styles got a whole lot of offence during the match, he did lose in the end.
Things have not changed much for Lesnar since then as he is still the same conquering beast he was then (if not more) after beating the golden boy Roman Reigns in the main event of Wrestlemania 34 and making a mockery out of the supposed "next big thing" Braun Strowman at Crown Jewel just a few days back.
Styles, however, has been the WWE Champion since then, having decisive victories under his belt against opponents like Samoa Joe, Daniel Bryan and the aforementioned Nakamura.
He has been booked like a champion on the blue brand but his overall title reign has been marred by lackluster programs, a lot of screwy finishes hurting the quality of his matches and the lack of main event slot for his matches on PPVs.
At this point, I'm not sure if WWE will ever book Lesnar to lose period; let alone by a 41-year-old guy who has already seen his best wrestling years.
It's confusing because one would think that Lesnar was protected to this extent so a young up-and-comer finally dethrones him, but then Roman Reigns lost clean to him and Braun Strowman got squashed at the hands of Lesnar this year as well.
Styles losing this match will be extremely detrimental for him, the WWE Championship and the entire Smackdown Live roster which has not been able to dethrone a guy simply not on RAW's top guy's level.
It will once and for all prove that Smackdown is the lesser brand and no matter how much the WWE tries to sell you on the idea that Smackdown won the worthless elimination tag matches, this is what actually matters.
Come November 18th, Styles will walk in and out of the third consecutive Survivor Series event as the WWE Champion which in itself is a very big accomplishment. Styles needs this win like never before. He will have to win this match one way or the other (even if Lesnar gets counted out).
WWE is in a weird space where both its top RAW champions (Rousey and Lesnar) are monster stars and they're booked to near invincibility.
However, if they both end up winning their respective matches then that's disastrous for the entire Smackdown Live brand. Anyone of them absolutely has to lose to their counterpart on Smackdown and I predict whichever ends up main eventing the show out of the two, will be the one (and no, men's elimination match SHOULD NOT be the main event!).
Winner: AJ Styles
