Survivor Series 2016 Preview and Predictions

Raw vs. Smackdown

Giving their thoughts and predictions on what to expect from the PPV are members of the site @JoeyOnEarth, @TimWelcomed and @TomBlargh.

The Miz vs. Sami Zayn for the Intercontinental Championship

Joey:

I was looking forward to Sami Zayn kicking Dolph Ziggler’s smug fucking face off but this is the better match. Zayn being the hometown favorite against the most hated heel on the show sets up a great scenario. I definitely think Zayn is winning here and bringing the Intercontinental Championship to Raw. The potential of the two titles on the line switching shows would benefit all involve.

Interest Level: 10/10
Prediction: Sami Zayn wins.

Tim:

I’m down for this. These two could put on a show stealing match if given the time.  I am really just glad Sami Zayn is being used in an important way. I hope they go with Zayn winning the championship here in front of this crowd. Daniel Bryan has been talking about trading Miz to Raw a whole lot with Cesaro and Zayn being the two names he brings up the most. I doubt Smackdown gets to keep the Intercontinental Championship and gain the Cruiserweight Championship. So, I’m going to predict something off the wall here to keep things spicy even if it doesn’t quite make sense. Daniel Bryan has already made the deal to trade Miz for Zayn to Raw because he doesn’t believe Miz will win. Stephanie McMahon thinks Miz will beat Zayn and agreed to the deal. Miz will defeat Zayn, prove Bryan wrong, and take the belt to Raw.

Interest Level: 8/10
Prediction: The Miz wins.

Tom:

The Toronto crowd utterly rejecting Ziggler would have been a beautiful thing to witness live, but I think Zayn/Miz might actually be the better match! Zayn is the closest thing to Daniel Bryan on the current roster, so I’m excited to see what he can do with Miz, and I’m sure the crowd will be hot for it. I don’t think Miz has become the revelation that some people think, but he’s definitely improved and he’s capable of having excellent matches with people who are better than him.

Storyline wise, I’m expecting the result to see Miz moved to Raw, though I still think Sami will be winning the title.

Interest Level: 9/10
Prediction: Sami Zayn wins.

The Brian Kendrick vs. Kalisto for the Cruiserweight Championship

Joey:

This is another cool match that has been worth the wackiness of the brand split. The Raw vs. Smackdown matches feel somewhat important, especially the ones with something on the line. WWE needed to go with a face to be the face (HAHHAHAHAHAAH) of the division and TJ Perkins completely bombed. Kalisto could have a better shot as someone the fans are familiar with.

Fun fact: The crowd at a MSG house show in March went fucking nuts for Kalisto. The kids are big into the LUCHA LUCHA LUCHA thing. He’s the guy.

Anyway, something needs to change here. Smackdown getting the cruiserweight division would make up for the lack of talent depth and make it nearly must-watch.

Interest Level: 8/10
Prediction: Kalisto wins.

Tim:

Kalisto can be very messy but I can’t help but enjoy him under the right circumstances. Kendrick and the Cruiserweight Division as a whole have been a huge disappointment on the main roster. Hopefully going to Smackdown and getting their own show will help put them back in the great place they were during the CWC. Raw just wasn’t working out. Kalisto will be a good encapsulation of what the division is for now.

Interest Level: 7/10
Prediction: Kalisto wins.

Tom:

I’m excited for this! I enjoy Kendrick but Kalisto seems like a much better representative of the division, or at least while it’s still taking off. It’d also be nice to see Neville pulled in, but I guess we’ll have to wait and see on that. Anyway, should be a fun match and something to provide a nice break from all the multi-man business.

Interest Level: 8/10
Prediction: Kalisto wins.

The New Day, Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows, Enzo Amore and Big Cass, Cesaro and Sheamus, and The Shining Stars vs. Heath Slater and Rhyno, The Hype Brothers, American Alpha, The Usos and Breezango

Joey:

I was excited about the elimination matches being a big part of Survivor Series again but this one is so lame. Why not just made it 2-3 teams on each side? This seems like a huge clusterfuck. It is by far my least exciting match of the show.

Interest Level: 2/10
Prediction: Smackdown wins. (Sole survivor: Heath Slater)

Tim:

WWE has really beefed up the tag divisions but hardly any of them are worth caring about. This looks like it could be a huge mess and not the kind I like. Hopefully American Alpha get the most time. This is definitely the Survivor Series match I am looking forward to the least. I think Team Smackdown will lose. Oh no!

Interest Level: 1/10
Prediction: Raw wins.

Tom:

Man, this is a lot of guys. I like most of the teams involved, but this seems like it’ll end up being the most rushed of all the traditional Survivor Series matches. I’m sure there will be lots of wild spots and so on, and lord knows I love wild spots. However, I don’t think it’ll end up being a particularly cohesive or interesting match outside of that as most of the tag team feuds are fairly flat right now.

Realistically, I just hope it’s a good showcase for teams like American Alpha and those sexy, sexy cops, Breezango.

Interest Level: 7/10
Prediction: Smackdown wins (Sole survivors: American Alpha)

Charlotte Flair, Sasha Banks, Bayley, Nia Jax and Alicia Fox vs. Becky Lynch, Nikki Bella, Alexa Bliss, Naomi and Carmella

Joey:

Aside from Bayley joining in on evil beat downs, I’ve enjoyed the build to this. I’m a mark for the story of rivals having to team together against other rivals teaming together. The show having an extra hour means the team matches should get a lot of time. I have high hopes for the ladies putting out a memorable performance. I’m going with the Raw women winning because Charlotte does not lose on PPVs.

Interest Level: 8/10
Prediction: Raw wins. (Sole survivors: Charlotte Flair and Bayley)

Tim:

I haven’t really enjoyed this too much from the Raw side but the Smackdown side has been pretty fun to watch. The Raw team invading Smackdown was kind of neat but Bayley being a part of it really took me out of the moment. Smackdown has by far the more interesting division right now but there is no way they let them overcome a team with Charlotte Flair on it at this point in time. This should be a very fun match.

Interest Level: 9/10
Prediction: Raw wins. (Soul Survivor: Young Jeezy and Akon)

Tom:

The Smackdown team is so much more interesting than Raw’s that it’s not even funny – I understand each of their motivations and there seems to be layers to them as characters which is lacking from the Raw team. Like, Bayley is the nice one, sure, but Sasha Banks and Charlotte seem to be two sides of the same unlikeable coin, Alicia Fox is a mess and Nia Jax isn’t like most girls.

The match itself should be cool though, and seeing some of the sequences between the women on separate brands is something I’m looking forward to.

Interest Level: 8/10
Prediction: Raw wins. (Sole survivor: Bayley)

Kevin Owens, Seth Rollins, Chris Jericho, Braun Strowman and Roman Reigns vs. AJ Styles, Dean Ambrose, Randy Orton, Bray Wyatt and Shane McMahon

Joey:

This is another one I’m very interested in with an exciting build (up until Undertaker preaching for Shane). I think everyone here is as interesting right now as they can be. I wish Shane-O-Mac stayed out of the match but I’m expecting him to get a beatdown by Baron Corbin.

As for the result, it’s a weird one. WWE typically views Raw as the top show and they assume fans think the same so Smackdown has gotten the win in past brand rivalry matches. I’m expecting that happens here again with four Raw enemies getting into it with each other to cause them the match.

Interest Level: 10/10
Prediction: Smackdown wins. (Sole survivors: Dean Ambrose and AJ Styles)

Tim:

Goldberg vs Lesnar is The Mega Match so this is just The Big Match which feels very weird without Big Match John involved. I am pretty into both sides here. Both have some interesting dynamics. I wish Shane McMahon wasn’t involved but what can you do? Gripe in a post on a little website? Hell yeah. Team Smackdown wins thanks to Ellsworth or some shit.

Interest Level: 10/10
Prediction: Smackdown wins.

Tom:

Shane being in this match really does bum me out more than I expected, but whatever, here he is. I’m still very excited for this! There seems to be genuine tension between each team, and there’s enough talent on both sides that it could be something very cool.

There are a couple of decent storylines on either side that should play into this in a fun way, though the Undertaker appearance on Smackdown seemed like a pretty clear signal they’d be losing – my guess is that AJ will do something to cost his side the match, and we’ll see him and ‘Taker scrap it out at the Royal Rumble.

Also, a quick aside; the only Chikara show I’ve ever been to had some big multi-man match as the main event, with Kev leading one of the teams. He was fantastic in his role as the “leader”, shouting encouragement and insults at everyone in equal measure, and it made things incredibly fun. I’m sincerely hoping for more of that!

Interest Level: 10/10
Prediction: Raw wins, KO shouts at everyone. (Sole survivors: Kevin Owens and Roman Reigns)

Brock Lesnar vs. Goldberg

Joey:

I have no idea what to expect here. You’d think they have another flat match like WrestleMania 20 that a rowdy Canada crowd heckles. Goldberg however has won over the fans that would typically boo him in recent weeks. I think the fan support will prevent this match from falling apart. Don’t get me wrong. I’m expecting a very boring match but the fans will give it a chance.

Interest Level: 8/10
Prediction: Brock Lesnar wins.

Tim:

I am kind of excited for this. It will be very surprising or stupid bad. I will accept anything entertaining at this point because a boring match between these two… well, I just can’t do that. Lesnar gets this. Hopefully Goldberg doesn’t look like too bad.

Interest Level: 7/10
Prediction: Brock Lesnar wins.

Tom:

So, I hope that they have a very clear understanding of both guys’ limitations in this match, because otherwise it’ll be an absolute waste of everyone’s time. Goldberg seems unprepared and like a sweaty old grandpa. It’s hard to imagine that Brock will be interested in doing anything more than his usual routine, and I don’t know how that’ll work with Big Bill. Maybe it’ll turn into an enjoyable shitshow like Triple H/Sting? I’m not holding my breath though.

Interest Level: 5/10
Prediction: Brock Lesnar wins.