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WWE Survivor Series was a fun affair that had Superstars from SmackDown take on the top stars from RAW and NXT, a brand that came in as the clear underdogs but prevailed at the end of the night (and how)! When the smoke had cleared, the black and yellow brand stood tall and proud as the dominant WWE show.
Seth Rollins voiced his frustrations on RAW and one wonders if the fallout of Survivor Series will be felt on SmackDown as well. All I know is that this is not a show that you want to miss out on.
And one reason for the same is that is could be loaded with surprises from top to bottom. I will even suggest a few of them, for your reading pleasure, in this very article.
Be sure to let me know what you thought of the same in the comments below...
#5 Alexa Bliss returns to confront Bayley, as a babyface
Who would have ever assumed that Bayley would be a heel at any point in her career? In the same way, I do think that it is very possible that Alexa Bliss could, in time, become the top babyface on SmackDown. Of late, we've seen the crowd actually cheer for her because, in her own unique way, she connects with the crowd.
Alexa Bliss has publicly said that she has only showcased a part of her arsenal so far because she doesn't want the crowd to cheer for her as a heel. Maybe if she turns heel, we can potentially see her unleash a whole new series of moves and take on Bayley in far more competitive matches.
If not her, whom do you even push as the top female on WWE SmackDown? Sasha Banks is a heel and Nikki Cross is not ready yet.
#4 The New Day lose their Tag Team titles to Roode and Ziggler
So one of the biggest wins for SmackDown came during the Kickoff show when tag teams from all three brands met in a battle royal, and it did seem like Heavy Machinery and Street Profits were the crowd favorites. And yet, it was Ziggler and Roode who triumphed at the end of the match, in a move that shocked the world and then some!
The only reason I can see for them winning is probably to have them go up against The New Day on SmackDown as viable tag team challengers. And because the focus seems to be to have The New Day win as many titles as possible, it is all too likely that Roode and Ziggler will win the titles only to have The New Day win them back very soon indeed.
Honestly speaking, this is a pairing that I would be quite kicked about. The New Day never has bad matches and neither do Roode and Ziggler, to be honest.
Maybe Heavy Machinery can go on to win the titles from Roode and Ziggler as well. They can't defeat The New Day as it'll become a face vs. face program, in that case.
#3 Roman Reigns enters the Intercontinental Championship picture again
If someone had any doubts about Roman Reigns' wrestling ability, I think that after his performance at Survivor Series, their questions may have been put to bed for good. Roman Reigns was part of arguably the best match of the night when he took on members of Team RAW and Team NXT, and put Keith Lee on the map, elevating him significantly.
Even though Shinsuke Nakamura may be the WWE Intercontinental Champion at this point, the fact of the matter is that he is far lower on the totem pole than the top players on the SmackDown brand too, at this point. And at such a point Vince McMahon and WWE may call upon their resident big dog to elevate the man and the title.
I think that a feud between a babyface Roman Reigns, who has the crowd on his side these days and a heel Shinsuke Nakamura can be pure gold. Sami Zayn can be the mouthpiece for Shinsuke Nakamura, taking on Roman Reigns on the microphone (an area where he's improved significantly).
The matches would be great for sure if this feud were to happen at Survivor Series. And it would certainly improve the prestige of the WWE Intercontinental Championship by a huge margin.
#2 Liv Morgan becomes Bray Wyatt's brand new puppet
Yes, before you guys protest, I know that Liv Morgan is a member of the RAW roster. And yet, I have a feeling that she will be a part of SmackDown with Bray Wyatt as a member of his new faction or new stable. It would make a lot more sense to use her in this manner instead of having her benched on RAW, as she has been for such a long time now.
Liv Morgan has a look that would have worked in almost any era of WWE and she had also improved significantly in the ring when she was a member of the Riott Squad. I don't really know whether she will return as Sister Abigail because it may just be a part of Bray Wyatt's past, something that he has left behind. But then, Abby The Witch is a reminder that the new Bray Wyatt is a patchwork character made of elements from the man's history and present!
I think this is the best thing that could happen to Liv Morgan at this point in time. The Fiend is the hottest thing in the business and the association will just do wonders for her.
#1 Braun Strowman attacks Bray Wyatt ahead of Starrcade
Starrcade was a really big deal for me growing up during the Monday Night Wars, dubbed the WrestleMania of WCW. I'm certain that it was an even bigger deal back when it was a Thanksgiving tradition, even though it was long before my time.
In any case, this year, the event will be a WWE Network special and the main event is a Universal Championship cage match between Bray Wyatt and Braun Strowman. Yes, the two ultimate powerhouses of WWE will clash inside a steel cage in what should be a heated match!
But there is absolutely no hype for the match at all and while Starrcade may be a glorified Live Event, WWE will want to set the event apart from their regular programming with a bit of hype for the said event. And the best way to achieve the same may be to have Braun Strowman pulverize Bray Wyatt when he least expects it, laying him in the middle of the ring in a heap.
At least, people will head into the match wondering if Braun Strowman can overcome the seemingly insurmountable obstacle known as The Fiend.
