WWE Survivor Series 2018: Full match-card predictions and analysis

Who will win the big one this Sunday?
Who will win the big one this Sunday?

There's no denying that WWE were successful in bringing some legitimate excitement to this Sunday's epic Survivor Series event live from the Staples Center.

While AJ Styles was scheduled to lock horns with Brock Lesnar in a headlining act, Daniel Bryan's shocking heel turn to win the WWE Championship has taken the internet by storm.

With Charlotte also replacing Becky Lynch in her highly anticipated encounter with Ronda Rousey, the unfortunate alterations seem to be very promising, as well.

Since a total of eight matches have been announced for the stellar event, Survivor Series promises to be a night of high-octane action and entertainment.

So, without further ado, let's dive deep and throw light on the matches that will transpire and how the night might end in Staples Center.

Here are the full match-card predictions and analysis for Survivor Series.


#1 Buddy Murphy (C) Vs. Mustafa Ali for the Cruiserweight Championship

This could be phenomenal
This could be phenomenal

Starting off with a match that has all the ingredients to deliver a classic at this Sunday's Survivor Series in the Staples Center.

Buddy Murphy's epic victory at WWE Super Show-Down garnered him various accolades from his peers and the fans from all over the world.

Since Drake Maverick remained unimpressed with Cedric Alexander after his loss to Murphy, Mustafa Ali and Tony Nese contested in a brilliant encounter to decide the #1 Contender.

Considering that Ali got the better off Nese to earn the spot, the former would be looking to get his hands on the prize after failing to defeat Cedric Alexander at WrestleMania 34.

While I'm very excited to see what these two can bring to the table considering that they have brought the house down on multiple occasions, it's unlikely that the Juggernaut will drop the title so soon.

The Heart of 205 Live will take the Cruiserweight Champion to his limits this Sunday, but might eventually fail to get the job done. I'm going with Buddy Murphy to retain this Sunday.

Prediction: Buddy Murphy retains the Cruiserweight Championship

#2 Team RAW (Bobby Roode and Chad Gable, The Revival, The B-Team, The Ascension, and the Lucha House Party) Vs. Team SmackDown (The Usos, New Day, SAnitY, Good Brothers, and The Colons)

Does anyone care?
Does anyone care?

It's a damn shame that this match could probably end up being one of the most irrelevant bouts in the history of Survivor Series.

Monday Night Raw's tag-team division is becoming pretty stale and with no faction interesting enough to stand a chance this Sunday, this seems like a clean sweep for the blue brand.

While the Revival, Chad Gable and Bobby Roode could act as some fine additions to the contest, but SmackDown Live's squad just seems pretty indestructible at this point.

The Usos, New Day, SAnitY, Good Brothers, and the Colons will enter the Staples Center in the Kick-Off to start the proceedings with a win for their show.

Since the traditional Survivor Series encounters does throw the spotlight on the surviving factions, I definitely believe that this will be a cake walk for SmackDown Live, with Monday Night Raw facing the wrath of the blue brand.

Prediction : Team SmackDown Live defeats Team RAW in a clean sweep

#3 "Intercontinental Champion" Seth Rollins Vs. "United States Champion" Shinsuke Nakamura

Will this steal the show
Will this steal the show

Personally, Seth Rollins Vs. Shinsuke Nakamura is the match that I'm most excited for despite the lack of attention that has been given to this highly anticipated encounter.

Considering that it has all the ingredients of a money-match, Vince McMahon would probably kick off the proceedings with this high-octane classic.

It's a damn shame that WWE has completely diminished Nakamura's credibility as an offensive striker, and while the King of Strong Style is directionless at this point, he is in pole position to strike this Sunday in Staples Center.

Dean Ambrose's ruthless heel run has captivated Seth Rollins' and made him a more vulnerable person than he already was which could significantly play a factor in this bout.

The Lunatic Fringe is taking the feud to an extremely personal level which would probably coerce the Architect to put more focus on Ambrose than the United States Champion.

Since the Japanese sensation is enacting the role of a heel in this situation, the former NXT Champion will take full advantage of a possible intervention from Ambrose and defeat Seth Rollins.

Nonetheless, I'm definitely hoping that WWE will give this match the attention it deserves before bringing Ambrose into the frame to cost Rollins the match.

Prediction: Shinsuke Nakamura wins

#4 "Raw Tag-Team Champions" AOP Vs. "SmackDown Tag-Team Champions" The Bar

Does the Bar stand a chance?
Does the Bar stand a chance?

This tag-team encounter for brand supremacy could end up being an all-out brawl. The Authors of Pain bringing the fight to SmackDown's finest in the Bar could be something special.

With the Big Show being a notable addition in the blue brand's faction, the Giant could play a significant role in this war with the former NXT Tag-Team Champions.

There's no denying that the Bar has established itself as one of the most dominating tag teams in recent memory, but this time they might not get the job done.

The Authors of Pain have been on a roll ever since they joined hands with Drake Maverick and are steadily cementing themselves as one of the toughest in the entire WWE.

Since this is the battle for brand supremacy and with the blue brand already leading 2-0 in my predictions, I believe that AOP will get the better off the Bar and bring adulation back to the red brand.

Prediction: AOP wins

#5 Team RAW ( Mickie James, Nia Jax, Tamina, Natalya, and Ruby Riott) Vs. Team SmackDown (Asuka, Carmella, Sonya Deville, Naomi, and TBA)

Who will emerge victorious?
Who will emerge
victorious
?

Judging by the way WWE has booked this match, it definitely feels like this will end up being a pretty lackluster bout, with very little emphasis on storytelling.

Monday Night Raw's Women's team led by Alexa Bliss involves four heels and a babyface in Natalya who is also dealing with her own issues with the Riott Squad.

Considering that Nia Jax and Tamina look set for a major push on Raw, the company will put them in the driver's seat in this match and possibly book them to demolish the blue brand on their own.

On the other hand, SmackDown Live has a squad filled with talented superstars that are pretty directionless to a certain extent, with Asuka being the only legitimate superstar.

With Charlotte replacing Becky Lynch at Survivor Series, the blue brand has a vacant spot to fill for this Sunday's clash for supremacy and while chances are they could bring Mandy Rose, I would take the risk and choose Nikki Cross.

There's no denying that Nikki fell short to Becky Lynch in her debut match on the blue brand, but entering as the final participant in surprising fashion could make this encounter very interesting.

However, Nikki Cross' lunacy and Asuka's offensive in-ring style won't prove beneficial eventually, with Nia Jax and Tamina demolishing the entire blue brand to win it for Team Raw.

Prediction : Team RAW wins

Survivors : Nia Jax and Tamina after eliminating Asuka

#6 "Universal Champion'' Brock Lesnar (RAW) Vs. "WWE Champion" Daniel Bryan (SmackDown Live)

Match of the night?
Match of the night?

A genuine reason why most of the WWE fans would tune into the WWE Network this Sunday to watch Survivor Series is Brock Lesnar's dream encounter with Daniel Bryan.

While the Beard is not the same underdog we thought he could be, his refreshing heel turn could play a significant factor in the outcome of this bout.

If you're a fan of professional wrestling, then this is the match that could either make you love Survivor Series or completely despise it, depending on what they bring to the table.

This 'David Vs. Goliath' has an interesting flavor in it with Bryan's heel turn and while he is the bad guy now, he would definitely bring the fight to the Beast Incarnate.

Since AJ Styles if off the show as of now, there's a legitimate chance that the Universal Champion will possibly annihilate the WWE Champion whilst being decimated by Bryan's submission moves.

Daniel Bryan has an impressive grappling ability and his submission specialist moniker could cause many problems to the Universal Champions but might not be enough to seal the deal for his side.

As much as I want to see Bryan defeat Brock Lesnar, it doesn't seem likely that this would happen at Survivor Series.

Prediction: Brock Lesnar wins but receives one hell of a beating from Daniel Bryan

#7 ''Raw Women's Champion" Ronda Rousey Vs. Charlotte Flair

Will the Rowdy One dethrone the Queen?
Will the Rowdy One dethrone the Queen?

In what became one of the most anticipated encounters of the year, Becky Lynch's bout with Ronda Rousey didn't see the light of the day due to the Relentless One's severe concussion issues and injuries.

However, the Man chose Charlotte Flair to dismantle the Rowdy One at Survivor Series, and while this could have been WWE's eventual plan, predicting this match would be pretty difficult.

It's a risky place to be since the company sees Charlotte Flair as a legitimate superstar who possesses all the credentials to go one-on-one with someone like Ronda Rousey.

The Raw Women's Champion has been unstoppable ever since she's stepped up inside the squared circle, and since Becky Lynch did her job of making Rousey vulnerable on Monday Night Raw, Charlotte Flair could be digging the final nail in the coffin.

This is a match where I'm taking a risk and choosing for a possible interference from Nia Jax and Tamina to distract an already hurt Ronda Rousey to fall down to the Queen.

Defeating the Rowdy One would propel Charlotte to unimaginable heights and would also open the door for another solid rematch further down the line. This would also bring the total to 3-3 between both brands.

Prediction: Charlotte Flair defeats Ronda Rousey after a possible interference from Nia Jax and Tamina.

#8 Team RAW (Drew Mcintyre, Dolph Ziggler, Braun Strowman, Bobby Lashley, and Finn Balor) Vs. Team SmackDown (Shane McMahon, Jeff Hardy, Samoa Joe, The Miz, and Rey Mysterio)

Can the blue brand survive what is coming?
Can the blue brand survive what is coming?

While this could be the main event of the night, there's nothing in this encounter that makes me feel that SmackDown Live will even get close to Monday Night Raw.

With Braun Strowman and Drew Mcintyre running riot on the red brand, there's a certain possibility that miscommunications in the team could cost them a lot.

Considering that team blue has Rey Mysterio and Jeff Hardy providing their veteran experience and athleticism to the canvas, it's highly unlikely that they would win this for the blue brand.

The only superstar on SmackDown Live that genuinely feels like a legitimate contender to steal the show is Samoa Joe. WWE has a tremendous opportunity with the Destroyer in this encounter with several confrontations with Drew Mcintyre and Bobby Lashley bringing some serious attention to the bout.

Since Braun Strowman's miscommunication with Baron Corbin would force him to be eliminated in a bout like this, it seems like the Scottish Terminator will have all the responsibility in the world.

However, despite SmackDown's drive to bring the house down in Staples Center to defeat Raw, it would be Drew Mcintyre that will end the night with a Claymore kick to Shane McMahon or Samoa Joe and win it for Monday Night Raw.

Prediction: Team RAW wins

Sole Survivor: Drew Mcintyre

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