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What's the story?
Randy Orton used Twitter to express his confidence in Team SmackDown Live's chances for their match against Team RAW at the Survivor Series PPV at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas, tonight, Sunday the 19th of November.
Orton, who is on the men's SmackDown Live Team for the traditional 5-on-5 Elimination match at Survivor Series, tweeted off a few of his own accolades in the tweet and then said he'd 'pick' Team Blue to win, too. The Viper also basically went the Paul Heyman route and suggested that this was a "spoiler, not a prediction."
In case you didn't know...
Randy Orton is a bit of a master when it comes to Survivor Series, as you may have gathered from his tweet (Twitter is another thing he is starting to master as of late).
The Viper has been the sole survivor in the traditional Survivor Series bout 3 times (consecutively in 2003, 2004 and 2005), whilst he has been one of the two sole survivors twice (2008 and 2016).
When on the losing side of the 5-on-5 match-ups in 2009, 2011 and 2012, Orton was the last remaining man on his team to be eliminated.
Orton has also kept hold of his WWE Championship 3 separate times at the Survivor Series PPV in 2007, 2010 and 2013.
This is all pretty phenomenal.
A few weeks ago, Randy Orton became the 'first person to qualify' for SmackDown Team on the 24th of October edition of SmackDown Live, after he beat Sami Zayn to qualify.
Since then it has been confirmed Bobby Roode, Shinsuke Nak940amura, SmackDown Commissioner and Team Captain, Shane McMahon, as well as the returning John Cena, will be the four other guys alongside Orton.
On Team RAW is the General Manager and Team Captain. Kurt Angle. Braun Strowman, Finn Balor, Samoa Joe and 'The Game' Triple H.
The heart of the matter
Despite being in WWE for over 15 years, Randy Orton is only 37, and the third-generational Superstar seemingly wanted to point out in his tweet that he is actually the quote 'YOUNGEST member' on his team (Nakamura (37) and Roode (40) are older than you may think).
Orton also referred to his 13 World Title reigns and the Survivor Series wins he has over the years as further reason as to why his brand would win at Survivor Series in the Men's 5-on-5 Elimination match.
What's next?
Randy Orton will try to prove he was right and not complacent with his tweet when he and the rest of the SmackDown Team take on Team RAW at the Survivor Series PPV tonight at the Toyota Center.
The two other biggest matches on this PPV's card is the Women's RAW vs. SmackDown 5-on-5 Elimination match and then the main even between RAW Universal Champion Brock Lesnar and SmackDown Live's new WWE Champion AJ Styles.
Author's take
I am really hoping and expecting that the men's Team SmackDown wins their match against RAW at Survivor Series. SmackDown Live always feels like the underdog and that is why they are always the brand that the WWE Universe wants to root for.
WWE will probably book Team SmackDown to win this bout, considering it is almost a lock that Team RAW will win the Women's 5-on-5 match as WWE want to protect the unbeaten Asuka.
Like all WWE fans, I hope Randy Orton turns heel soon, he is just a natural bad guy.
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