http://i59.servimg.com/u/f59/16/09/70/40/logo10.png
With only 6 scheduled matches, one of which only has one competitor and the other of which I don't think has even been announced on television, this year's Survivor Series looks a little disappointing on paper. Its main event build has been confused and had a last-minute stipulation added -- even though the match's contracts had already been signed -- and most of the WWE's top stars are in the match, which means the undercard is as weak as it can be. I mean, one of these six matches has Fandango against a TBA opponent, and I believe it's scheduled for the pre-show. We have two Divas matches, one of which is "heels vs. faces" that hasn't had a single second of build on Raw or Smackdown. There are only two championship matches, one of which is "every tag team we have available" squaring off, while the other is the Divas Championship, which has had a less-than-interesting build thus far. I'm not excited for Survivor Series.
Fandango vs. TBA
Prediction: Fandango wins.
Random Thoughts: I'm not even 100% sure this is a match that's going to happen. We're told Fandango was going to return, but I'm not positive anyone said he was getting a match. Regardless, it's listed on Wikipedia, and Wikipedia is never wrong, so let's assume Fandango has a match. He's the only one advertised for it, and he's being called the "new and improved" Fandango, so he has to win, doesn't he?
<color=red>Fatal Four-Way WWE Tag Team Championship Match: The Miz and Damien Sandow vs. Stardust and Goldust vs. Los Matadores (Diego and Fernando, with El Torito) vs. The Usos (Jimmy and Jey Uso)
http://i59.servimg.com/u/f59/16/09/70/40/clipbo30.jpg
Prediction: Goldust and Stardust retain. Los Matadores are here because we needed another tag team and the division sucks, The Usos have nothing left to do as champions, so they have no reason to win it, and Miz and Sandow will bicker and that'll lead to them losing. Goldust and Stardust retaining is the only logical choice I see.
Random Thoughts: I know fans have been wanting The Ascension to debut for some time now, and with the tag team division on ... well, it's on full display here, since this is it, I think this would be the perfect time for such a thing to happen. Maybe not at the PPV, but on Raw the next night, perhaps.
WWE Divas Championship Match: AJ Lee vs. Nikki Bella (with Brie Bella)
http://i59.servimg.com/u/f59/16/09/70/40/clipbo31.jpg
Prediction: Since Total Divas is in its off-season, and therefore we won't confuse viewers by having different champions on the various shows -- since tape delay ruins that, apparently, and WWE doesn't want that -- this is the perfect time to pull the trigger on a Nikki Bella title reign. I see her winning this match.
Random Thoughts: The wildcard here, of course, is what Brie Bella will do. It's her last night as "Cinderbella," which means she still technically needs to obey her sister. Maybe, perhaps, she'll want to, and we'll get a reunited Bella Twins stable. Or, more likely, she won't, and we'll get a Bella vs. Bella feud over the Divas Championship for a month or two -- or perhaps longer. That could be a WrestleMania feud.
Dean Ambrose vs. Bray Wyatt
http://i59.servimg.com/u/f59/16/09/70/40/clipbo32.jpg
Prediction: This one could go either way, but I think Wyatt needs the win more. I mean, his former stable-mates are main eventing the PPV, while he's stuck in a lackluster feud with Dean Ambrose. That's not bad, by any means, but he could really use the victory here. I think he'll get it.
Random Thoughts: Shouldn't this feud, I don't know, feel more like these men hate each other? Instead, we've only gotten vague promos nobody can follow over and over again. Sure, there was that one attack by Wyatt, but otherwise this feud has been treated like it's not particularly important by WWE. It's not something I'm looking forward to, really, and I should be.
<color=red>Survivor Series Elimination Match: Emma, Naomi, Alicia Fox, and Natalya vs. Paige, Cameron, Summer Rae, and Layla
http://i59.servimg.com/u/f59/16/09/70/40/clipbo33.jpg
Prediction: Another 50/50 match. Paige is the only one in this match with genuine credibility right now, so her team will probably win. But, then, she does have Cameron and Summer Rae on her team, so who knows? I'll still pick the heels.
Random Thoughts: So, Paige attacking Alicia Fox made her into a face, huh? Okay, then. Would it kill WWE to at least tell us this match was happening. I didn't find out until I saw it online. Now, maybe it was shown for a brief moment on TV, but I certainly didn't notice when that happened. It's a filler match that exists to kill time, and there's really no reason to care about it. I guess that's why it hasn't been promoted. The thing is that it could matter if WWE cared.
<color=red>Survivor Series Elimination Match: Team Cena (Ryback, Erick Rowan, Big Show, Dolph Ziggler, and John Cena) vs. Team Authority (Seth Rollins, Kane, Rusev, Mark Henry, and Luke Harper)
http://i59.servimg.com/u/f59/16/09/70/40/clipbo34.jpg
Prediction: There are two ways for this to play out. Cena's team could win, and The Authority will be disbanded, or The Authority will win, will try to fire Team Cena (except Cena, of course) on Raw, and they'll be stopped either by the fact that contracts were already signed, or Vince McMahon will veto the situation. Honestly, I'm hoping the latter happens, although it's much more likely that Team Cena wins, if for no other reason than "Cenawinslol."
Random Thoughts: We know that people like Ryback and Dolph Ziggler are not getting fired any time soon, which kind of kills the intensity that the match has. This last-minute stipulation should have been made weeks ago, not on the go-home show before Survivor Series. The Authority very well might be disbanded, but I hope not. I like Triple H and Stephanie McMahon as on-screen personas. That's why I'm hoping Team Authority wins but Vince McMahon stops the firing, and a power-struggle storyline begins.
Well, this is a much shorter prediction post than normal. Thanks, WWE, for not having the talent to fill in a full PPV. Whatever. The main event will probably be good, the Tag Team Championship match will be a spot-fest, and the Divas match will likely be great, for a Divas match. We'll find out on Sunday. Oh, and I hear Sting will be there. That alone might make it worthwhile viewing.
<color=D6D9DA>_________________________________________________________________________________
If you wish to be notified whenever I post something new, please join this <url=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/groups/view/2-50-Reviews>user group.
For an archive of all my previous WWE reviews, please go <url=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.846764-Marters-WWE-Reviews-Archive>here.
Talk to me on the Twitter, <url=https://twitter.com/martertweet>@martertweet.
With only 6 scheduled matches, one of which only has one competitor and the other of which I don't think has even been announced on television, this year's Survivor Series looks a little disappointing on paper. Its main event build has been confused and had a last-minute stipulation added -- even though the match's contracts had already been signed -- and most of the WWE's top stars are in the match, which means the undercard is as weak as it can be. I mean, one of these six matches has Fandango against a TBA opponent, and I believe it's scheduled for the pre-show. We have two Divas matches, one of which is "heels vs. faces" that hasn't had a single second of build on Raw or Smackdown. There are only two championship matches, one of which is "every tag team we have available" squaring off, while the other is the Divas Championship, which has had a less-than-interesting build thus far. I'm not excited for Survivor Series.
Fandango vs. TBA
Prediction: Fandango wins.
Random Thoughts: I'm not even 100% sure this is a match that's going to happen. We're told Fandango was going to return, but I'm not positive anyone said he was getting a match. Regardless, it's listed on Wikipedia, and Wikipedia is never wrong, so let's assume Fandango has a match. He's the only one advertised for it, and he's being called the "new and improved" Fandango, so he has to win, doesn't he?
<color=red>Fatal Four-Way WWE Tag Team Championship Match: The Miz and Damien Sandow vs. Stardust and Goldust vs. Los Matadores (Diego and Fernando, with El Torito) vs. The Usos (Jimmy and Jey Uso)
http://i59.servimg.com/u/f59/16/09/70/40/clipbo30.jpg
Prediction: Goldust and Stardust retain. Los Matadores are here because we needed another tag team and the division sucks, The Usos have nothing left to do as champions, so they have no reason to win it, and Miz and Sandow will bicker and that'll lead to them losing. Goldust and Stardust retaining is the only logical choice I see.
Random Thoughts: I know fans have been wanting The Ascension to debut for some time now, and with the tag team division on ... well, it's on full display here, since this is it, I think this would be the perfect time for such a thing to happen. Maybe not at the PPV, but on Raw the next night, perhaps.
WWE Divas Championship Match: AJ Lee vs. Nikki Bella (with Brie Bella)
http://i59.servimg.com/u/f59/16/09/70/40/clipbo31.jpg
Prediction: Since Total Divas is in its off-season, and therefore we won't confuse viewers by having different champions on the various shows -- since tape delay ruins that, apparently, and WWE doesn't want that -- this is the perfect time to pull the trigger on a Nikki Bella title reign. I see her winning this match.
Random Thoughts: The wildcard here, of course, is what Brie Bella will do. It's her last night as "Cinderbella," which means she still technically needs to obey her sister. Maybe, perhaps, she'll want to, and we'll get a reunited Bella Twins stable. Or, more likely, she won't, and we'll get a Bella vs. Bella feud over the Divas Championship for a month or two -- or perhaps longer. That could be a WrestleMania feud.
Dean Ambrose vs. Bray Wyatt
http://i59.servimg.com/u/f59/16/09/70/40/clipbo32.jpg
Prediction: This one could go either way, but I think Wyatt needs the win more. I mean, his former stable-mates are main eventing the PPV, while he's stuck in a lackluster feud with Dean Ambrose. That's not bad, by any means, but he could really use the victory here. I think he'll get it.
Random Thoughts: Shouldn't this feud, I don't know, feel more like these men hate each other? Instead, we've only gotten vague promos nobody can follow over and over again. Sure, there was that one attack by Wyatt, but otherwise this feud has been treated like it's not particularly important by WWE. It's not something I'm looking forward to, really, and I should be.
<color=red>Survivor Series Elimination Match: Emma, Naomi, Alicia Fox, and Natalya vs. Paige, Cameron, Summer Rae, and Layla
http://i59.servimg.com/u/f59/16/09/70/40/clipbo33.jpg
Prediction: Another 50/50 match. Paige is the only one in this match with genuine credibility right now, so her team will probably win. But, then, she does have Cameron and Summer Rae on her team, so who knows? I'll still pick the heels.
Random Thoughts: So, Paige attacking Alicia Fox made her into a face, huh? Okay, then. Would it kill WWE to at least tell us this match was happening. I didn't find out until I saw it online. Now, maybe it was shown for a brief moment on TV, but I certainly didn't notice when that happened. It's a filler match that exists to kill time, and there's really no reason to care about it. I guess that's why it hasn't been promoted. The thing is that it could matter if WWE cared.
<color=red>Survivor Series Elimination Match: Team Cena (Ryback, Erick Rowan, Big Show, Dolph Ziggler, and John Cena) vs. Team Authority (Seth Rollins, Kane, Rusev, Mark Henry, and Luke Harper)
http://i59.servimg.com/u/f59/16/09/70/40/clipbo34.jpg
Prediction: There are two ways for this to play out. Cena's team could win, and The Authority will be disbanded, or The Authority will win, will try to fire Team Cena (except Cena, of course) on Raw, and they'll be stopped either by the fact that contracts were already signed, or Vince McMahon will veto the situation. Honestly, I'm hoping the latter happens, although it's much more likely that Team Cena wins, if for no other reason than "Cenawinslol."
Random Thoughts: We know that people like Ryback and Dolph Ziggler are not getting fired any time soon, which kind of kills the intensity that the match has. This last-minute stipulation should have been made weeks ago, not on the go-home show before Survivor Series. The Authority very well might be disbanded, but I hope not. I like Triple H and Stephanie McMahon as on-screen personas. That's why I'm hoping Team Authority wins but Vince McMahon stops the firing, and a power-struggle storyline begins.
Well, this is a much shorter prediction post than normal. Thanks, WWE, for not having the talent to fill in a full PPV. Whatever. The main event will probably be good, the Tag Team Championship match will be a spot-fest, and the Divas match will likely be great, for a Divas match. We'll find out on Sunday. Oh, and I hear Sting will be there. That alone might make it worthwhile viewing.
<color=D6D9DA>_________________________________________________________________________________
If you wish to be notified whenever I post something new, please join this <url=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/groups/view/2-50-Reviews>user group.
For an archive of all my previous WWE reviews, please go <url=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.846764-Marters-WWE-Reviews-Archive>here.
Talk to me on the Twitter, <url=https://twitter.com/martertweet>@martertweet.
