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After huge brawls between all three brands on RAW and NXT this week, it all came down to SmackDown, which was the final show on the road to Survivor Series. WWE certainly put its best foot forward hyping the big event. The Blue Brand delivered one hell of a show, with some impressive matches and epic brawls.
On the road to Survivor Series, NXT has been the most dominant brand, and it wasn't different on SmackDown this week. Rhea Ripley, the leader of NXT's women's team, picked up a huge win over team captains of RAW and SmackDown, Charlotte Flair and Sasha Banks, in a triple threat match. The New Day and Heavy Machinery teamed up to take on The Undisputed Era, but the NXT stable stood tall.
Although Becky Lynch didn't show up, Bayley assaulted Shayna Baszler, attacking the latter from behind. AJ Styles, Shinsuke Nakamura, and Roderick Strong had a brawl. Bray Wyatt didn't answer Daniel Bryan, but The Fiend did, interrupting the match between Daniel Bryan and The Miz. Led by DX, NXT invaded SmackDown and a massive brawl closed the show this week.
Let's talk about three key points from SmackDown this week.
#3 Triple H could play a part at Survivor Series
A major surprise took place in the latter part of SmackDown, when Triple H marched towards the ring with the NXT Superstars, accompanied by Shawn Michaels and Road Dogg, giving the fans a glimpse of DX. NXT eventually got into a brawl with the Superstars of RAW and SmackDown.
Triple H is the godfather of NXT, as he is the main man behind the success of the developmental brand. Besides SmackDown, the fourteen-time WWE Champion was on RAW this week as well, delivering an intense segment with Kevin Owens. Furthermore, The Game also invited the main roster to appear on NXT, which eventually happened on Wednesday.
Given Triple H goes to any extent to get the job done, the same could happen when NXT will go head to head with RAW and SmackDown at Survivor Series. It will be interesting to see if Owens turns on Team RAW after getting influenced by Triple H on the Red Brand. Moreover, Triple H could interfere the men's traditional Survivor Series match to ensure a victory for NXT, assaulting RAW and SmackDown Superstars, which could plant a seed for his next opponent at WrestleMania 36.
#2 The Miz could turn heel soon
The Miz doesn't have a match at Survivor Series, but he wrestled Daniel Bryan on SmackDown this week. While the match was good, it was interrupted by The Fiend, ending in a no contest. However, The Miz's promo on the Blue Brand looked fierce, and it had a shade of his heel persona, which helped him in reaching the top of the ladder in WWE.
Bray Wyatt was supposed to appear on Smackdown, but it didn't happen. Instead, The Miz showed up to confront Bryan, since the two men also exchanged words on The Miz TV last week. The verbal altercation quickly transcended into the squared circle.
The Miz has been a babyface for a while, but he hasn't had notable success after altering his persona. Not only The Miz missed a couple of pay-per-views but also has been out of title picture. Judging by the whole segment on SmackDown this week, The Miz could turn a bad guy again, somewhere down the line.
It is no secret that Daniel Bryan and The Miz don't get along well, facing each other multiple times in the past. If Bryan doesn't renew his feud with The Fiend after Survivor Series, the former could begin a new rivalry with The Miz.
#1 There will be interference in the Styles v Nakamura v Strong match
Out of the five tri-brand matches at Survivor Series, the triple threat match between the mid-card champions has the potential of stealing the show, considering the in-ring dexterity of all three champions. The US Champion, the Intercontinental Champion, and the NXT North-American Champion will take on each other to prove the superior champion as well as the superior brand.
The company did well in hyping up the match on SmackDown, where AJ Styles, Nakamura, and Roderick Strong had a brawl, showing a teaser of Sunday. When Sami Zayn introduced a new-look Intercontinental Title for Nakamura, The Undisputed Era cut short the segment. Eventually, Strong put his hands on Nakamura, and AJ Styles also joined them to make it interesting. With Sami Zayn, The Undisputed Era and The OC getting involved in the brawl, it certainly dropped a major hint.
It is unusual to see three heels collide in a match, but it will happen on Sunday. In fact, all champions have back-ups, having a possibility of influencing the result of the match. While Nakamura has Sami Zayn, Styles has The OC, and Roderick Strong has The Undisputed Era. Whoever wins the match at Survivor Series, he might get an assist.
Have you checked out Sportskeeda's new feature here? Vote for your favorite match at this location, folks.
Teddy Long snaps when Swerve Strickland's race is brought up HERE
