WWE’s brand split will be taken to a whole different level on Sunday night when the company rolls out Survivor Series. Filled with three Raw vs. SmackDown matches, a showdown between Brock Lesnar and Goldberg, and many others interesting bouts, the 2016 card of Survivor Series has all the ammunition it needs to turn out to be a huge success story.
WWE also built-up the show fantastically during the last few weeks and as it would be a huge chance for them to push the brand split, the chances of the promotion messing up this one are low.
As far as the match card is concerned, the promotion has lined up six matches, and in this list, we are going to take a closer look at the events and give the predictions.
The Miz vs. Sami Zayn (Intercontinental Championship)
The initial Dolph Ziggler vs. Sami Zayn match was something that had the fans hyped. Ziggler and Zayn even went on to build up the showdown, with Twitter exchanges but WWE surprised everyone when they added The Miz into the scenario.
Miz vs. Zayn might get the heel – babyface dynamics in place, but at the same time, the introduction of Miz drastically reduces the chances of Zayn winning the title. Now that it’s Miz, he could cheat his way out of the situation and get help from Spirit Squad. Ziggler getting involved is another possibility and no matter what happens, Miz might retain the gold.
Prediction: Miz retains via DQ
Brian Kendrick vs. Kalisto (Cruiserweight Championship)
The Brian Kendrick vs. Kalisto match was added at the last minute to Survivor Series. In addition to this being a cross-brand match, the stakes are higher on this one, as the entire Cruiserweight division is on the line.
On paper, the Cruiserweight title changing hands again would be enough to drag down its credibility again, but Kalisto winning the title, comes with a lot of positives.
First of all, the Cruiserweight division has been struggling to find a place on Monday Night Raw. A change would be good for all the parties involved, and a win for Kalisto would kick start the same. The Cruiserweight superstars could have a bigger and more important role on SmackDown, and this is why Kalisto winning would be a good idea.
Prediction: Kalisto wins
Team Raw Women vs. Team SmackDown Women
The elite names from the women’s division of both Monday Night Raw and SmackDown will battle it out for supremacy on Sunday night. Ever since the brand split has been in place, the Raw Women’s division stood out, whereas, the Women’s division of SmackDown always seemed like a work in progress.
WWE could change this perception if they allow the Women’s team of SmackDown gets a win over Team Raw. However, the biggest hurdle in making this happen is Charlotte.
Charlotte’s pay-per-view streak is something that WWE would be looking to cash in on, and thanks to this, we might get to see Charlotte being a crucial part of the results. She could even be the lone survivor, and as she cannot take a pin on the show, Team Raw has more chances of winning unless WWE finds a way around it and disqualifies her.
Prediction: Team Raw wins
Team Raw vs. Team SmackDown (Tag Teams)
Unlike the other two Raw vs. SmackDown matches; this does not have any direct impact on the proceedings as far as storytelling is concerned. With 20 men involved, chaos is guaranteed to erupt during the match, but the lack of credible subplots is going to be a headache for the creative team.
Rather than being a match which impacts storylines, this could simply be restricted as a palate cleanser that could slow down the crowd, between two big matches. It will be a fun outing nevertheless, and as far as the results are concerned, Team Raw has the edge.
New Day, Enzo and Cass, Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows are teams that could lead Team Raw to success, whereas, American Alpha is the only team worthy of being the sole survivors on Team SmackDown.
And as this is a great chance to push the duo, and since Team SmackDown has lower chances of winning the other two matches, this one is more likely to go in favour of the blue brand.
Prediction: Team SmackDown wins
Team Raw Men vs. Team SmackDown Men
While the Raw vs. SmackDown match involving the tag teams are off the least relevance, this one is exactly opposite. The match will boast main event level superstars from both Raw and SmackDown and the funny part is; most of the superstars involved in the bout rarely take clean pins.
Braun Strowman is someone who could turn out to be a dark horse in the match, and he could be the difference when it wraps up. Similar to the situation with Charlotte, Roman Reigns will be a major player in this outing.
Another factor that points towards a potential win for Team Raw is the involvement of Undertaker last week. Undertaker promised that he would deal with Team SmackDown if they lost out and as this storyline is an exciting one, WWE is likely to let SmackDown lose in this one as well.
Prediction: Team Raw wins
Brock Lesnar vs. Goldberg
From the moment that WWE announced this match, it got mixed reactions. With the horrible outing that Goldberg and Brock Lesnar had, more than a decade ago, this sentiment is understandable. But to WWE’s credit, they have done a good job of building up the match.
Goldberg looks to be in shape and Lesnar as always has the presence that makes fans tune in.
Unfortunately, all of this would be thrown out of the window when the bell rings. The ring rust of Goldberg will be a big problem for the match. However, one way in which WWE could book the fight is to let Lesnar completely dominate Goldberg.
This way, the weaknesses of Goldberg would be protected, and at the same time, Lesnar will be projected as the ruthless beast that he is. Goldberg getting a win over Lesnar when names like Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose, and many others have failed, would be a bad booking decision and this is why Lesnar should walk out with the win unless Goldberg gets a disqualification win.
Prediction: Brock Lesnar wins
What are your predictions for the matches? Let us know in the comments section.
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