Survivor Series has been and gone this past November, but it's always nice to look ahead and we'd quite like to see something a little bit different at next year's edition - Team WWE vs Team UFC. Now obviously this would never happen and it's more pointless fantasy booking for you to endure, but let's cast our minds to a world where this is possible for just a moment.
Or, if you prefer, let's just think of this as being completely rhetorical - like a Dungeons and Dragons type of deal. With that thought process in our minds, wouldn't it be fun to imagine these two companies waging war against one another? Obviously if this took place inside the octagon there would only be one winner, but in the WWE they could book quite an interesting story.
You need a certain dynamic if you're going to pull a match of this magnitude off, combining skill, agility and overall strength to form the ultimate team. Not everyone involved will get a big moment in the sunshine and knowing Vince he'd probably book a clean sweep squash if this were to happen in real life, but let's pretend like that wouldn't be the case.
So without further ado, let's book the teams for a 5v5 WWE vs UFC Survivor Series match.
Team WWE
John Cena - Captain
Because come on now, was it really ever going to be anybody else to captain the side? John Cena is the franchise player for the WWE and has been for well over a decade now. The guy represents the company brilliantly no matter what anybody else says, and his influence on the business cannot and should not be undervalued.
He could have some fascinating match ups against Team UFC in this, especially considering quite a few of them have spoken out against him in the past. This would be his chance to get some long awaited retribution, and in the process try and help Team WWE on their way to victory. Yes, before you ask - we know it's all going to be pre determined. Shut up.
Braun smash.
Braun Strowman
Because we need some power in there, and who better to provide that than a former Strongman competitor. Braun Strowman has been one of the most impressive success stories coming out of the brand split back in the summer, and it cannot be understated just how much he's improved since debuting on the main roster. Seriously, he's miles better.
Strowman could likely throw a number of the Team UFC members around like rag dolls, and that's exactly what we'd want to see here. Whilst Strowman would likely be the heel that nobody can fully trust to be a team player, he'd also be the most effective tool that they have at their disposal. Buckle up, because you're in for a long ride with Braun in this match.
Now to a man that Braun happens to know quite well.
Roman Reigns
The Big Dog has to be a part of this match, because he's one of the biggest stars in the company no matter how much we like to protest that fact. The guy is slowly getting better and better despite what people may choose to believe, and in reality he's just one heel turn away from reaching perfection. However, he doesn't necessarily need to be a bad guy in this one.
All we want is for Roman to go out there and beat people up like the corporate bad ass he really is. It should create some interesting scenarios too, as the man himself has been known to make a few comments when it comes to responding to criticism from the MMA world. Will Reigns be another man to get some revenge? Probably, let's face it.
Onto one of Roman's former Shield brothers.
Seth Rollins
Seth freakin' Rollins is going to be one of the biggest babyface stars of all time - we promise. His current run has hit a few brick walls ever since he was turned on by Triple H, but that doesn't mean that all hope is lost. Rollins is one of the most effective all-round superstars on the roster right now and his abilities stretch way beyond what we saw during his run as a heel world champion.
He has so many different weapons in his arsenal that easily makes him the wildcard in this situation. The match will likely be straight up brawl for a big portion of the contest, however Rollins can come in and produce some top quality spots that with make the crowd go "ooh" and "aah". Not that he can't do the character work necessary too, because he definitely can.
Speaking of athletic..
AJ Styles
They don't want none. AJ Styles was easily the Wrestler of the Year in 2016 and he's only going to keep improving as his WWE tenure goes on. The guy has made an unbelievable impact in the company since joining in January 2016, and he more than deserves his spot on this Survivor Series team. If you don't agree, then are you actually a wrestling fan at all?
Styles may be seen as one of the candidates for the first elimination, but he deserves so much more than that. The Phenomenal One would be great for a hot tag from one of his fellow teammates, continually laying out whoever is stood opposite him from Team UFC. It's not like he'll be the sole survivor or anything, but we just want him to look as strong as possible.
Over to the opposition.
Team UFC
Georges St-Pierre - Captain
If the WWE are going to have Cena as captain, then the UFC have to respond with Georges St-Pierre. He's one of the most loved mixed martial artists in the history of the sport, and his recent return will only serve to ramp up the excitement if this match were to ever take place. Hell, we bet that he'd even be able to transform into a top quality professional wrestler.
But in terms of leading this team, there's nobody better. Some may argue that the next entry into the team would've had a shot, but GSP has a calm and composed mentality that could well take Team UFC to victory. Obviously he'd need to maintain control of the situation, but he proved on the Ultimate Fighter that he's more than capable of doing that.Now to the man who many would likely prefer to see be captain.
Conor McGregor
Ah, The Notorious One. Often imitated, but never replicated as they say. McGregor is one of the biggest stars in the world right now, and that's not restricted just to MMA. Everyone knows the name Conor McGregor at this point and it's no surprise either when you consider how well received some of his most recent fights have been.
He doesn't tend to work well with others but in this kind of format, Conor would likely thrive as the Irishman hasn't held back his feelings on some WWE stars in the past. In fact, just last year he managed to incite a riot among their locker room simply by issuing one tweet that really got under the skin of alot of superstars. So to sum up, this would be extremely interesting.
We go up a few weight classes for our next team member.
Stipe Miocic
Of course we're going to have Stipe Miocic on Team UFC - who do you think we are? The guy is an absolute monster and in addition, he can get alot of fans on board when it comes to promoting the match. So many MMA fans will just see this as a big joke, but Stipe has the kind of fun loving attitude that will allow for a much more even playing field in terms of fan support.
Plus, he could be the UFC's answer to Braun Strowman inside of the squared circle. After all, they don't really have anyone else on their team who could square up to the big guy and Stipe has never been one to back away from a fight. Plus, if it's successful you could even have Braun vs Stipe in a singles match at a future pay-per-view down the line.
Back down to light heavyweight we go.
Daniel Cormier
We've covered Cormier's love of professional wrestling in detail during past articles, and it still holds up as a valid reason to why he should be a part of this team. Also, the video that leaked of him celebrating at WrestleMania 31 was due to Seth Rollins' cashing in his Money in the Bank contract and becoming the WWE World Heavyweight Champion.
Right there you have a fascinating story that you could tell within this match, as Cormier can say Rollins is a shell of his former self meanwhile Seth can come back and say he's nothing more than a fan who got lucky. The verbal back and forths would introduce an interesting sub plot into the whole fiasco, allowing Cormier to show off his skills on the mic.
We conclude with a man that we've heard an awful lot about in the last few months.
Cody Garbrandt
Cody No Love is one of the most marketable guys that UFC have at their disposal right now. He's the Bantamweight Champion, is set to coach on The Ultimate Fighter and is still young enough to the point where it's easy to believe that he's got many more years left in the sport. In truth, he may be one of the more valuable members of Team UFC.
Plus, Garbrandt has recently been pictured with WWE superstar Emma so he could have some links to the world of professional wrestling that we aren't even aware of yet. He's certainly got the look of a guy who could thrive in the squared circle, and in this match he could show off a range of different skills that would set him apart from any regular mid card hopeful.
