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As the warm summer temperatures and outdoor grills are relegated to distant memories, we exchange swimming pools and barbeques for mittens and turkey recipes. We brace ourselves for winter, but the snow isn't here yet. Instead, the trees paint a lush golden path that allures wrestling fans on a pathway that leads straight to WWE Survivor Series.
Entering the WWE landscape in 1987, the annual fall classic quickly became entrenched as one of WWE's big four pay-per-views. Along with Royal Rumble, SummerSlam, and WrestleMania, Survivor Series is as synonymous with the WWE as Hulk Hogan, Andre the Giant, or Vince McMahon.
The annual event has traditionally focused on four on four or five on five elimination style tag team bouts; but, when WCW made its invasion after the Monday Night Wars, the fall classic gave birth to a new format: brand vs brand.
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This year's event focuses on both elimination style tag team bouts and a RAW vs SmackDown theme, as RAW's champions will take on SmackDown's champions. A battle for brand supremacy gives birth to some exquisite in-ring pairings. For the first time ever, the WWE Universe will be privy to dream matches like Daniel Bryan vs Brock Lesnar, Charlotte Flair vs Becky Lynch, and Seth Rollins vs Shinsuke Nakamura.
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We break down those matches and the five others as well, in what looks to be an epic pay-per-view. Sit back, relax, and get ready for WWE Survivor Series: Final Card & Predictions.
Authors of Pain vs Sheamus & Cesaro
A dominant tag team in NXT, The Authors of Pain hardly had the RAW Tag Team Championship victory that was anticipated. Instead, they mustered just enough to defeat a partner-less Seth Rollins, as he valiantly defended the RAW Tag Team Championships sans former best friend and new-found enemy Dean Ambrose. The Authors of Pain inevitably defeated The Architect and 'earned' that RAW Tag Team Championships, in the process.
Sheamus and Cesaro are worthy multi-time champions and capable of taking on any and all challengers. The team has defeated other comparable legends, such as New Day and The Usos.
What The Authors of Pain lack in experience, Sheamus and Cesaro have in abundance. Still, will two ageing veterans be able to compete with Akam & Rezar's superior strength and brutality?
Ultimately, this match may come down to who's outside the ring, rather than who's inside. These two heel teams aren't hesitant to use anything, including the kitchen sink, to their advantage. Sheamus & Cesaro have the seven foot tall four hundred pound Big Show in their corner, while The Authors of Pain have the 205 Live general managers Drake Maverick. Big Show vs Maverick is hardly a contest and a glaring weakness for The Authors of Pain.
While Sheamus & Cesaro may struggle with Akam & Rezar's superior super human like strength, look for them to use their veteran savvy (and the giant in their corner) to their advantage.
Winners: Sheamus & Cesaro via pinfall
Current Score: SmackDown 1 - RAW 0
Buddy Murphy vs Mustafa Ali - Cruiserweight Championship
The match between Cruiserweight Champion Buddy Murphy and Mustafa Ali is this year's only Survivor Series match that departs from the RAW vs SmackDown brand war concept. Still, the match promises to be stellar as these two competitors are two of the very finest in-ring performers in all of professional wrestling.
Buddy Murphy's meteoric rise to wrestling stardom hit supersonic velocity at last month's Super Show-Down. Murphy, in front of his home country of Australia, defeated Cedric Alexander to become WWE's new Cruiserweight Champion. The bout was an instant classic, a true match of the year candidate and featured incredibly heightened emotions, as Murphy's obvious heart was matched by his country's obvious joy.
There's something about Mustafa Ali, however. He has that 'it' factor that's hard to put a finger on and equally difficult to explain. In similar fashion, Ali was part of one of the best matches I have seen all year, in front of his hometown Chicago audience, as he competed in a multi-performer bout in front of his family, as WWE made their return to the United Center.
Like Murphy's epic Super Show-Down victory, the bout was emotionally charged and featured incredible in-ring prowess by Ali. Ali performed impeccably (albeit on a smaller scale than Murphy) and the aforementioned 'it' factor was ever-present.
Ali was similar in the now defunct Dreamwave Wrestling. He was the star of the company and although his legend grew to the point where the local LaSalle, Illinois audience expected him to steal the show, he always did anyway, never disappointing those who came to see the burgeoning star.
While Buddy Murphy's win in Australia was truly special, how much has the wrestling world heard about him since? Other than Enzo Amore, the WWE has yet to find a Cruiserweight Champion that fans care to talk about. What the WWE needs is a Cruiserweight Champion with 'it' factor. Enter Mustafa Ali.
Look for a back and forth affair, with high flying insanity, and many near falls. These two will take your breath away, guaranteed. In the end, Ali will be just a little bit better and that's what it will take to walk away as the new Cruiserweight Champion.
Winner and NEW Cruiserweight Champion: Mustafa Ali
Men's 5 on 5 Survivor Series Elimination Tag Match
Team RAW: Bobby Lashley, Braun Strowman, Dolph Ziggler, Drew McIntyre, Finn Balor
Team SmackDown: Shane McMahon, Jeff Hardy, Samoa Joe, The Miz, Rey Mysterio
Two teams. One battle. With brand supremacy on the line, Shane McMahon's team clashes against the behemoth Braun Strowman's team. While this bout is certainly star-studded, with more analysis, one team has a clear and obvious advantage.
Team SmackDown is led by Shane McMahon, who is 48 years old and by no means has anyone ever accused him of being a full-time professional wrestler. Jeff Hardy is 41 years old and well outside his wrestling prime. The recently returned Rey Mysterio is 43 years old. Joined by The Miz and always dangerous Samoa Joe, 60% of Team SmackDown is over the age of forty.
Team SmackDown will contend with a team whose members are all currently in their wrestling primes: Dolph Ziggler, Drew McIntyre, Finn Balor, Braun Strowman, and Bobby Lashley are each legitimate Universal Championship contenders. They wrestle 300 days a year and not one of them is 40 years old yet. Age and physical prowess will be a huge factor in this bout.
For argument's sake, let's say Braun Strowman gets things started for Team RAW. Is there any member of Team SmackDown that is a legitimate opponent for someone that can toss trucks with relative ease?
Then there's Rey Mysterio, who is still very good at 43 years old; however, Finn Balor does everything Rey Mysterio used to do and arguably better.
If Team SmackDown chooses to utilize its resident beast in Samoa Joe, Team RAW has three answers in Lashley, Strowman, & McIntyre.
Don't look for this one to be remotely close and expect pure and utter domination from the much younger, much stronger, athletically superior Team RAW, who may just leave Survivor Series with every one of its members surviving.
Winners: Team RAW
Current Score: SmackDown 1 - RAW 1
Women's 5 on 5 Elimination Style Tag Team Match
Team RAW: Mickie James, Nia Jax, Natalya, Tamina, Ruby Riott
Team SmackDown: Askua, Carmella, Naomi, Sonya Deville, Mystery Partner
These ten women will clash to determine which brand has the very best overall women's division and unlike the elimination style men's bout, this one is quite evenly matched.
Adding to the intrigue, after Charlotte was chosen to represent SmackDown against Ronda Rousey, she will no longer be participating in the match. Instead, Team SmackDown will choose a mystery partner that will shock the RAW Women's Team to its core.
Joining Team SmackDown will be none other than California native Sasha Banks, who despite being one of the company's best in-ring performers, has become a forgotten face on the RAW brand.
Look for the WWE to try and get something from Asuka here, who has also been misused after a huge WrestleMania match against Charlotte Flair. Look for Carmella and Naomi to be eliminated early, giving RAW a 5-3 advantage.
Then look for Nia Jax to do what she does best and take out Sonya Deville. This will give RAW a further 5-2 advantage. Look for Sasha Banks to rally and eliminate Ruby Riott and Mickie James; but, be taken off guard by Nia Jax, who, in turn, eliminates her.
This leaves RAW with an enormous 3-1 advantage. Natalya, Tamina, and Nia Jax vs Asuka. Look for the veteran Natalya to get the first crack at Asuka; but, ultimately fail. Then Tamina will get her opportunity; but, will fall after Jax attempts to help backfire. Jax and Tamina will argue among themselves at a huge cost to the RAW brand. Asuka will take advantage to pin Jax, leave the match as the sole survivor, and earn a huge victory for SmackDown.
Winners: Team SmackDown
Current Score: SmackDown 2 - RAW 1
Seth Rollins vs Shinsuke Nakamura
This one could steal the show; but, it won't because Dean Ambrose doesn't care about our desire to see a dream match. Make no mistake about it, Intercontinental Champion Seth Rollins vs United States Champion Shinsuke Nakamura is without question a dream match.
Rollins has long been considered one of the best technical wrestlers on the WWE roster, while Nakamura was considered one of the best in Japan.
Thanks to Survivor Series, what was once thought of as an impossibility is now a reality. These two are absolutely capable of putting on a historic bout and will get close; but, one must not forget Dean Ambrose, whose wrath cannot be quenched.
As Rollins and Nakamura begin putting on what could be the Match of the Year, look for Dean Ambrose (whom we already know has no loyalty) to interfere in the bout. At first, he will make his way to the ring without getting involved physically.
This will simply distract Rollins (whose focus will be misplaced) and it will be just enough for Nakamura to hit him with his patented running knee and the pinfall.
Ambrose will take advantage of his fallen former friend and brutalize him before a stunned Los Angeles crowd.
Winner: Shinsuke Nakamura
Score: SmackDown 3 - RAW 1
Ronda Rousey vs Charlotte Flair
How did we get here? This was supposed to be RAW Women's Champion Ronda Rousey vs SmackDown Women's Champion Becky Lynch; however, Lynch was ruled unable to compete by WWE's medical team. After taking a vicious Nia Jax blow to the face that left her bloodied and broken, Lynch chose former best friend and arch nemesis Charlotte Flair to take her place in this marquee matchup.
As amazing as Lynch's rise to WWE stardom has been in recent months, no one can compare to Rousey's streak of domination. She has run through each and every opponent that has been courageous enough to step into the ring with her and she holds what is widely considered to be wrestling premiere women's championship.
Charlotte Flair may arguably be the best women's wrestler of all time; but, falls well short of Rousey's streak of domination. Rousey is simply too good, too strong, and too fast to be matched. She is unparalleled in the history of women's wrestling.
Additionally, Flair has only had several days to prepare for Rousey, who is a different breed of competitor. Flair is used to facing other wrestlers; but, in a match with Rousey, one must be prepared for an MMA style bout.
That's a tall order for Flair, who will have to learn theMMA style against the greatest female MMA competitor of all time, with mere days to spare.
Look for a good match, where Rousey will be challenged by Flair, who is an excellent in-ring worker. Flair won't go quietly into the night. She will give Rousey all that she has and will show Rousey a thing or two about wrestling; but, defeating Rousey is another matter entirely. Inevitably look for Charlotte to be caught off guard by Rousey's MMA style manoeuvrings and ultimately submit to Rousey's patented armbar.
Winner: Ronda Rousey
Score: SmackDown 3 - RAW 2
Brock Lesnar vs Daniel Bryan
RAW will attempt to even the score at three wins a piece with this match and prove that its world champions stand head and shoulders above SmackDown's. With a win here, look for SmackDown to go home the winners of Survivor Series and with bragging rights that last an entire year.
Daniel Bryan only recently became WWE Champion, defeating AJ Styles with a low-blow heard 'round the world on the latest episode of SmackDown Live. While the championship change came with a heel turn, it marks a heartwarming occurrence for Bryan, who made his return to wrestling less than a year ago, after being told he would never compete again.
While Charlotte Flair has a limited time to prepare for Ronda Rousey, things aren't quite the same with Bryan. Bryan has frequently named Brock Lesnar as a dream opponent. He has watched his matches and for years now, been preparing a classic for RAW's dominant champion.
Lesnar will come into the bout overconfident, knowing that he has superior strength and size. This will be his undoing, as there are few competitors as dangerous as Daniel Bryan. Furthermore, Lesnar has never encountered a performer as savvy as Daniel Bryan.
Many of Lesnar's opponents are powerhouses; men like Roman Reigns, Goldberg, and Braun Strowman, who aren't afraid to mix it up on a physical level. Bryan; however, will utilize his superior quickness and technical wrestling skills to cut The Beast down to size and fatigue the Universal Champion.
Look for Bryan's superior physical conditioning to come into play here. Ultimately, Lesnar will succumb to the Yes Lock, Bryan's running knee, and more. The resurgent Daniel Bryan will pin The Beast before a stunned Los Angeles crowd, who just witnessed the match of the night.
Winner: Daniel Bryan
Final Score: SmackDown 4 - RAW 2
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