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A week from Saturday, WWE will present Survivor Series, the second-longest-running Premium Live Event in history. Being the final Big Four show of the year, the event is expected to be epic and memorable.
Survivor Series 2022 is being billed as "Survivor Series: WarGames" because this year's event is expected to involve much destruction and carnage as the WarGames structure will make its debut in WWE (excluding the NXT TakeOver events).
The Women's WarGames match has already been announced, and we seem to have a clear idea of the men competing inside the deadly structure following last week's SmackDown. Despite the teases and announcements, several WWE Superstars may not be part of Survivor Series 2022.
Disclaimer: With more than a week left until Survivor Series, WWE can add these superstars to the card.
#4. WWE Intercontinental Champion Gunther may miss his second straight Premium Live Event
Behind Roman Reigns, Gunther may be the most dominant champion in WWE today. Since defeating Ricochet to win the Intercontinental Championship in June, The Ring General has torn through the competition on the Blue brand. Shinsuke Nakamura, Sheamus, and Rey Mysterio all stood up and failed.
Although he does defend the Intercontinental Championship more frequently than previous champions, the prestigious title is not featured regularly on Premium Live Events.
Gunther last defended his gold against Sheamus in a five-star classic in Cardiff at Clash at the Castle. He featured in a six-man tag match at Extreme Rules 2022, but the title was not up for grabs.
Given that The Ring General recently defeated Rey Mysterio in another classic, the odds of another high-stakes title defense at Survivor Series are slim. Furthermore, the show is built around multi-man matches, and Imperium does not have such a program that could warrant a spot on the card.
#3. Braun Strowman
Following a massive statement victory over Omos at Crown Jewel, Braun Strowman ran through Jinder Mahal en route to the SmackDown World Cup semi-final. One can expect The Monster of All Monsters to go much deeper into the tournament finals, but that wouldn't be enough to warrant a spot on the Survivor Series match card.
The ongoing World Cup seems to be a weekly-episodic storyline for mid-card players. WWE will likely restrict it to SmackDown in hopes of maintaining fan interest in the year's final months. Considering those motives, the finals are unlikely to take place at Survivor Series.
Apart from the World Cup, Strowman doesn't have much else going for him. He defeated Omos, but that definitive victory marked the end of their short feud. The Alpha Academy storyline is also done and dusted. Hence, The Monster Among Men may have to sit out of Survivor Series: WarGames.
#2. Former WWE Champion Bobby Lashley
"The All Mighty" Bobby Lashley has embraced a more vicious and violent side of him. Following a controversial loss to Brock Lesnar at Crown Jewel, the former WWE Champion has taken matters into his own hands and turned on the fans. He took out Mustafa Ali, Seth Rollins, and Austin Theory on RAW last week.
His onslaught resulted in Theory unsuccessfully cashing in his Money in the Bank contract and losing to Rollins. This week, Lashley continued his dominance on RAW when he defeated and obliterated Ali. However, the ongoing drama surrounding the US Championship will likely be restricted to weekly television to spike ratings.
Furthermore, following Kevin Owens' untimely injury, The Visionary could be the last member to face The Bloodline inside the WarGames structure. With Rollins occupied, Lashley will not have a credible opponent for Survivor Series and, hence, will be left off the card.
#1. Bray Wyatt
At Extreme Rules in October, Bray Wyatt returned to a deafening ovation, revealing himself as the mysterious "White Rabbit." Wyatt cut some passionate promos in the following weeks and participated in riveting theatrical segments. The problem with Uncle Howdy seems to be a significant chunk of his current character.
On last week's SmackDown, the former Universal Champion had an intriguing run-in with LA Knight, which ended in the former head-butting the latter. The two stars could be involved in something more significant in the next few weeks, but that is pure conjecture.
Wyatt has not competed in a match since his return, and it doesn't seem as if that will change at or before Survivor Series. The narrative with Knight appears to have some potential, and WWE may explore that on the show.
