5 superstars that could have replaced Shane McMahon at Survivor Series 2018

The build for Survivor Series is finally underway as WWE has started building towards the Champion vs Champion matches and more importantly the brand warfare battles that determine which brand is better, Raw or Smackdown Live.

If WWE were honest with themselves, they would know that in terms of overall quality Smackdown Live has outclassed Raw in every single aspect this year, while Raw has probably been one of the worst wrestling shows in the company this year.

But WWE won't address their flaws, so matches at Survivor Series will have to, and while fans usually get excited about these clashes, this year it feels like the company don't know how to build these matches up anymore, so they just reuse the same tired old formula that we have seen a million times.

The formula of 'teammates don't get along but have to co-exist for the greater good of their brand' is overdone, but we as fans don't have a choice but to sit through this format for another year.

However, one of the worst things about this year's Survivor Series pay-per-view is the fact that Shane McMahon is once again part of the brand warfare match. Now look, in 2016, Shane was a revelation in the match, as he added was a fun element in the chaos, while in 2017 he overtook every other deserving star in his team to go all the way.

And after winning the WWE Wolrd Cup and proclaiming himself as the best in the world, fans disdain for the Smackdown Live commissioner taking a spot on the Smackdown Live team is at an all-time high. So if Shane was not part of the show, who could his place?

#1 Andrade "Cien" Almas

Almas is one of the best young prospects in the WWE.

What can be said about Andrade "Cien" Almas that has not been said already, the man is the future, as his look, in-ring skills and charisma have been well polished in NXT, and now on Smackdown Live Almas is showing why he is a future Wolrd Champion.

And for many young stars, Survivor Series has been their ticket to the next level, as stars such as Randy Orton and Roman Reigns have shown that having a standout performance in the Survivor Series elimination match can help you take your career to that next level.

Almas should have been given that opportunity as he is one of the young wrestlers that WWE should be considering as the face of the company in the near future. Moreover, reports have indicated that Vince McMahon is impressed with Almas, so there is no reason why he shouldn't have been on this team, as it is a good breeding ground for success.

#2 Eric Young

Sanity has being used poorly by WWE over the course of their debut.

The fact that SAnitY has been on Smackdown Live for so many months now and have not done a single thing of importance is one of WWE's biggest mistakes of the year, and while most people might say they are just a rip off of everything that was successful in faction wrestling in the past, Eric Young and his crew are as deserving as ever to get an opportunity to shine.

Young, Wolfe and Dain are immensely talented in the ring, and as wrestlers that have embraced their characters, Survivor Series could have been the best place for them to get the recognition they deserve and it could have seen them get another push.

#3 Rusev

Its been a rocky year for Rusev, after receiving immense success with his "Rusev Day" gimmick, WWE shot the big man down by forcefully trying to destroy his self-made success, as he was not part of the plan WWE had pencilled in at that time.

And after WWE destroyed some of Rusev's popularity, they wanted him to regain it because they now had plans for him, but any fan would realize at that point it was too late, as Rusev's popularity had taken a fatal hit.

Now that Rusev and his best friend Aiden English are split up, there is nothing really for Rusev to do on Smackdown Live anymore. Which leaves Rusev to tease an unnecessary match with Hulk Hogan at Wrestlemania 35 and he has also teased going back to NXT to reignite his career. Therefore, it is clear that WWE is wasting him on Smackdown Live.

But if Rusev was part of Survivor Series it could give him a platform to regain some of his lost momentum, and even the man himself is complaining that his place on the Smackdown Live Survivor Series team is warranted as he beat both co-captains Daniel Brayan and The Miz, yet they qualified without even winning a qualifying match .

Rusev is a prospect that WWE has not fully capitalized on, and if he was given a chance at Survivor Series who knows what could have been.

#4 Tye Dillinger

Tye Dillinger is one of the most underutilized talents in WWE today, and that is a shocking fact, as the man is known as "the perfect 10" has had zero opponencies to prove himself as a suitable prospect on the blue brand.

Moreover, when you realize that Tye made his main roster debut nearly two years ago, it feels like WWE do not care to make Tye anything more but filler on the blue brand. But Shane McMahon has said on several occasions that Smackdown Live is the land of opportunity, so giving underused stars like Tye an opportunity to succeed should be his biggest priority.

Therefore, having a star like Dillinger in the match among some of the biggest stars in pro wrestling could have seen him play the underdog role that he clearly does well. It was missed an opportunity by WWE to give a star that has potential, the chance to realize his full potential.

#5 Randy Orton

What is Survivor Series without this man?

If there is anyone that should be at Survivor Series in the traditional elimination match it should be Randy Orton, Orton is the undisputed king of Survivor Series, and you should know by now why that is the case.

Orton is the man that had defined the match for so many years putting in classic performance every single year, and it is a shame that WWE can find a way to put him on the card in the match type he has become most notably associated with.