WWE Survivor Series Card, Preview, and Predictions

We’ve made it to WWE’s last classic pay-per-view of 2018. However, Survivor Series looks much different that we could have guessed a month ago.

Out are Roman Reigns, Becky Lynch, Alexa Bliss, and Kevin Owens. While those may seem like near catastrophic losses to WWE’s punching power, Survivor Series—thanks to some last-minute adjustments—is still pretty compelling on paper.

Here’s a look at the card:

Universal Champion Brock Lesnar vs. WWE Champion Daniel Bryan

Raw Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey vs. Charlotte Flair

Men’s Survivor Series Match: Team Raw (Braun Strowman, Dolph Ziggler, Drew McIntyre, Finn Balor & Bobby Lashley) vs. Team SmackDown (The Miz, Shane McMahon, Samoa Joe, Rey Mysterio & Jeff Hardy)

Women’s Survivor Series Match: Team Raw (Natalya, Mickie James, Nia Jax, Tamina Snuka & Ruby Riott Raw) vs. Team SmackDown (Carmella, Naomi, Asuka, Sonya Deville & TBA)

Tag Team Survivor Series Match: Team Raw (Bobby Roode & Chad Gable, The Ascension, Lucha House Party, B-Team & The Revival) vs. Team SmackDown (The Usos, New Day, Good Brothers, SAnitY & The Colons)

Intercontinental Champion Seth Rollins vs. United States Champion Shinsuke Nakamura

Raw Tag Team Champions AOP vs. SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Bar

Cruiserweight Champion Buddy Murphy vs. Cedric Alexander

Now let’s get into the discussion points and predictions for what will likely be a highly dramatic show.

Are You More Excited for Brock vs. Bryan or Rousey vs. Flair?

Jack Snodgrass: I think I’m more curious than excited about Bryan/Brock, so I’ll go with Rousey and Flair. I’m not sure what to expect though — this will be the first time Rousey won’t be able to extensively rehearse her match and Sunday could be pretty loose. Regardless it’s going to be fun to watch to watch a WrestleMania match in November. 

Connor Casey: I’ll go with Brock vs. Bryan, mostly because I have no idea what to expect. Does Bryan change up his style to act more heelish? Does the crowd still support him? Can he take half a dozen suplexes without being concussed into oblivion? I haven’t a clue, but it makes the match more intriguing. 

Ryan Droste: We didn’t know about either of these matches until this past Tuesday which is absolutely crazy! I’m interested in both, but I’ll give the nod to Bryan/Brock. It will be interesting to see how they work the David vs. Goliath match given Bryan’s heel turn on Tuesday night. Typically you’d want the “David” character to be cast as a babyface. 

Where is Daniel Bryan’s Heel Turn Going?

Jack Snodgrass: I have no idea, but I’m pretty juiced up that it happened. Since returning, Bryan’s character relied on the good will behind his return to the ring. But after only a few months we all (including him) got bored of it. No one expected this turn, and that’s why it’s going to work. 

Connor Casey: My guess is we see more of the “American Dragon” Bryan Danielson from his days in Ring of Honor. For as nice of a guy as Bryan is in real life, you can always tell he gets more into his promos and in-ring work when he’s trying to be a heel. People tend to forget this since his feud with The Authority led to an amazing WrestleMania XXX, but Bryan’s original heel run on SmackDown was a tone of fun and wound up endearing him to the fans (him yelling “No!” while the fans did the Yes chant was always hilarious). Since this turn was reportedly his idea, I’m sure Bryan has a lot of tricks up his sleeve for the next few months. 

Ryan Droste: It will be interesting to see if the crowd continues to cheer him in protest or not. Either way, we know that Bryan is a great heel from his WWE run as one several years ago (when the “Yes” chanted originally started, as a heel chant). While everyone was questioning the move on Tuesday night, we now know it was Bryan’s own idea which I think should make this very fun to watch. Interestingly, we could see Bryan vs. Miz with Miz in the babyface role which nobody would have ever expected. 

How Bummed Are You About Becky Lynch’s Injury?

Jack Snodgrass: 0%. I mean, of course, I wanted to see Becky and Rousey this Sunday but now we look destined for a WrestleMania match. I’ll make that trade.

Connor Casey: Somewhat bummed, but if it means we get Rousey vs. Lynch at WrestleMania then I’m all for it. The real question is how long do we have to wait until Shayna Baszler, Marina Shafir and Jessamyn Duke make their jump to the main roster and join Rousey. 

Ryan Droste: Bummed, not because it is delaying her match vs. Rousey (which will be awesome if they do indeed hold it off until WrestleMania) but because of the fact that she can’t wrestle right now despite being the most interesting character on the WWE roster at the moment. I don’t think it will derail her momentum but it certainly was a concern at first. Lynch has become so great on the microphone that she will keep things rolling fine until she can wrestle again. 

What Are the Odds Rollins vs. Nakamura is Survivor Series’ Best Match?

Jack Snodgrass: Very high. Bryan vs. Brock could be pretty nice, and I’m not sure if Rousey and Flair’s match will be that long, so I’ll happily bet on two of the world’s finest wrestlers — especially because literally no one is talking about it. 

Connor Casey: I’d say it’s a 50/50 split between this match and Buddy Murphy vs. Mustafa Ali (which as of this writing is thankfully not on the pre-show). On paper Rollins vs. Nakamura is absolute dream match, but I’ve been let down by Nakamura a few times this year already. If they give these two 20 minutes and say “Do whatever you want,” then we’re getting a classic. But I have a nagging feeling Dean Ambrose will get involve somehow. 

Ryan Droste: It’s possible and by all intents and purposes should be. Nakamura has had what can only be described as a disappointing run on the main roster thus far, but he’s still one of the best performers between the ropes in the world when he is motivated to be. A dream match scenario against Rollins here should be exactly what he needs to finally have a signature, match of the year candidate on the main roster. 

What Should We Be Looking for in the Traditional Survivor Series Matches?

Jack Snodgrass: The men’s, women’s, and tag team matches will feature 800 wrestlers. There’s just too many bodies for me to truly care. I’ll hope we get something consequential from Shane McMahon. 

Connor Casey: I’ve got eyes on the men’s five-on-five match, mostly to see what WWE’s current pecking order is. It feels like the company has been scrambling ever since Reigns left, and this match could be a good indicator as to how they view their biggest stars on Raw. If Strowman, McIntyre and Balor all look good during the match, I think Raw is in good hands. 

Plus Shane McMahon is in this match, so it’ll be interesting to see how he nearly kills himself with a crazy stunt this time around. 

Ryan Droste: Whether or not both Strowman and McIntyre survive (and win) as part of the RAW team. The company seems to have big plans ahead for both men, so will they let them both reign supreme at the end of that match or do they want only one of them to be the sole survivor? 

Survivor Series is Known for Surprises — Pick One

Jack Snodgrass: We’ve already had an ironic road to Survivor Series so I don’t know if we’re set for any big swerve. But I’ll say Team SmackDown beats Raw and knocks Braun Strowman off his Universal Championship course.

Connor Casey: The SmackDown women’s elimination match has one spot left open after Charlotte Flair had to be subbed in for Lynch. My guess is either Sasha Banks or Bayley take that open spot to stick it to Alexa Bliss for making them wrestle each other on Monday night only to give the final spot on the Raw team to Ruby Riott. 

Ryan Droste: I really like Connor’s idea here and can definitely see that happening. Otherwise, this doesn’t really seem like a surprise-inducing show this year. Dean Ambrose will likely play a role in the finish of the Rollins/Nakamura match if that counts? 

Who’s Most Likely to Interfere During a Match Becky Lynch, AJ Styles, or Dean Ambrose?

Jack Snodgrass: They all have plenty of motive and I’ll guess two of these interferences happen. But Ambrose seems like a guarantee. 

Connor Casey: Since Lynch is legitimately hurt I don’t think they risk having her get involved on Sunday. Styles could run in, but the company tends to keep Brock Lesnar matches fairly simple so we’ll probably get a clean finish there. My money is on Ambrose attacking Rollins and helping Nakamura pick up a (much-needed) win. 

Ryan Droste: For sure Dean Ambrose. I would be absolutely shocked if he doesn’t get involved in the finish of the Nakamura/Rollins bout.