How would NXT's title holders fare in the 2017 Survivor Series champion vs champion matches?

Raw vs. SmackDown
We've all seen Raw vs. SmackDown, but where does NXT fit in all this?

This year's Survivor Series is essentially another edition of the Bragging Rights and the original Night of Champions events with Raw and SmackDown competing against each other for brand supremacy.

As such, the champions of each brand are facing off against the other brand's equivalent champion, with the two world champions paired together, the two tag teams champions and so on.

However, there's another whole brand being left out of the running: NXT.

While it's a developmental system used to train the next batch of Superstars, there's no denying that NXT is indeed WWE's tertiary brand and the next in line after Raw and SmackDown, unlike 205 Live which is just an offshoot of Raw's roster.

With that in mind, if these Survivor Series bouts were changed to incorporate NXT — making them Triple Threat matches — how would that alter the card and what would the tertiary brand's impact and chances be against their red and blue brethren?

Let's take a look at the matches we'd be getting.


#1 Tag teams: SAnitY vs. The Usos vs. Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins

SAnitY
NXT Tag Team Champions SAnitY

The current NXT tag team champions are the lunatics known as SAnitY, who operate under The Freebird Rule, meaning all three members of the team (and, theoretically, Nikki Cross) could enter a match to defend the titles, even though no belts are on the line at Survivor Series.

Still, this means the pairing could be Eric Young and Alexander Wolfe or either of those two with Killian Dain instead, and the big man is a major asset.

Ideally, it would make sense for the duo to represent NXT's tag team division to be Young and Dain as that would pair up the wisdom and leadership of Young with Dain's strength —traits Wolfe doesn't exhibit too much — to give them the best chance against Raw and SmackDown.

However, their opponents are just too much for them to be able to handle.

The Usos are one of the most revered tag teams in this modern era, sticking around for nearly a decade and obtaining five titles to their names. They have the experience and the credibility to beat any team that comes their way.

Even more so, two-thirds of The Shield with Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins would be far too big of a challenge for SAnitY, particularly if it were Dain and Wolfe as the competitors since they're rookies in comparison.

Ambrose and Rollins are both world champions who have been in the main event of Raw and SmackDown for years establishing a credibility that would never be overtaken by people who would be seen as beneath them on the hierarchy ladder like that.

There's always room for a good showing, but there's no way SAnitY would come out the victors.

Midcard title: Pete Dunne vs. The Miz vs. Baron Corbin

Pete Dunne
United Kingdom Champion Pete Dunne

While the United Kingdom Championship is not by any means the official midcard title of NXT in any true sense, it's the closest thing to it, seeing as how the stars from this division have been incorporated solely into NXT shows and nothing more.

Without a proper midcard title, the United Kingdom Championship would have to play that part, meaning Pete Dunne would be up against The Miz and Baron Corbin.

Much like the situation with SAnitY, Dunne's status in the eyes of WWE fans would severely hinder him as he's been seen only a few times in the entire year and only by those who watch more than Raw and SmackDown. Most people would have no idea who he was.

What he does have to his advantage is that his character is tougher than The Miz's and has more finesse than Baron Corbin's, so if anybody was going to get an upset victory, he's just as good of an option as you can get—particularly if he were to pin The Miz.

The edge would still be in Raw and SmackDown's favour, but Dunne pulling out a victory wouldn't be the craziest thing in the world.

Women's division: (Vacated) vs. Alexa Bliss vs. Natalya

NXT women's champion
One of these four women will be the next to hold the NXT Women's Championship

Here is where things get tricky, as there currently isn't an NXT women's champion, so this match would theoretically have no ability to exist, but where's the fun in that?

Instead, let's look at the four women who have the opportunity to win that title at NXT TakeOver: WarGames, as the winner would essentially be able to compete the next night at Survivor Series to solve that vacated title issue.

Any of these women could be brought up to the main roster right now, and within a few weeks, they could be made to look like a viable threat to Alexa Bliss or Natalya, depending on which brand they find themselves.

This means it's any woman's game as far as the winner of this triple threat, even though Natalya and Alexa have that star power and experience edge, as expected.

The woman who would probably stand the best chance to defeat Alexa and Natalya would be Kairi Sane, as she would be going into the match not only as the only babyface of the three but also with an impressive undefeated record that would include both the NXT Women's Championship (of course) and the Mae Young Classic tournament.

Ember Moon would have the second best chances as both the babyface factor and her relatively strong booking would help catapult her to star status, but it would be easier to have her fall short and lose due to Bliss or Natalya stealing her victory.

Nikki Cross would be too wild and get in her own way, while Peyton Royce would be an easier fall-girl to not just lose the match, but also be the one to take the pin for the decision.

Top tier men's title: Drew McIntyre vs. Brock Lesnar vs. Jinder Mahal

Drew McIntyre
NXT Champion Drew McIntyre

If Brock Lesnar would only drop that Universal Championship to Heath Slater, this could be a 3MB implosion!

Of course, that would never happen in any universe, but it's still funny to think about due to how poorly that trio was booked and how Drew McIntyre and Jinder Mahal are now the heads of their brands.

Things aren't weighted anywhere near the same, though, as these three men are nowhere near equals.

Lesnar is in an entirely different league to almost everybody in the entire company, let alone Mahal and McIntyre, and there's absolutely no way whatsoever that either man would stand a chance at snatching a victory against The Beast Incarnate.

Getting him out of the way as the obvious victor, though, it's interesting that McIntyre has a better chance at winning than Mahal does, as The Modern Day Maharaja is a textbook weak heel champion who can only win with the help of two cronies on the outside and other shenanigans.

McIntyre would at least put up more of a fight, even though he'd ultimately fall victim to being tossed around Suplex City just like everybody else.

What are your thoughts on these matches? Do you think the NXT champions would be able to get any wins? Tell us your thoughts in the comments section below!


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