WWE Survivor Series: Pros and cons of Brand Warfare

Pro #2 Superstar power

Look at the names in this match!

The relative lack of logic and gaps in storytelling are the sacrifices for one of the biggest selling points of Smackdown vs Raw in the past couple of years, superstar power. We have seen the five strongest full-time male superstars on either show face each other in the elimination format in 2016, with fabulous results. However, last year took the level of star power up a notch. There was a higher emphasis on the name value of the participants in the Interbrand 5-on-5 elimination match, with the WWE focusing on part-timers for the main event match.

The match may have suffered due to that, but it was exciting to see so many star names on both sides. Kurt Angle captained Team Raw, which featured Triple H while John Cena made a one night only appearance to represent Smackdown. This year, there is a renewed emphasis on the full-time talent, as WWE is looking to finally build some new stars. Elsewhere, we will see the likes of Brock Lesnar and Ronda Rousey take on their Smackdown counterparts.