While Inquisitr previously reported that Brock Lesnar vs. Goldberg may happen at Survivor Series 2016 , the WWE Universe knows for sure that the annual November PPV will feature three traditional elimination tag team matches pitting the best superstars from Monday Night Raw against the top competitors from SmackDown Live .
On this week’s WWE SmackDown Live , Commissioner Shane McMahon and General Manager Daniel Bryan issued a challenge to their counterparts on WWE Raw . Three separate matches — a men’s five-on-five, a women’s five-on-five, and a tag team 10-on-10 — will be held to determine whether the blue brand or the red brand truly leads the way in WWE.
While Daniel Bryan’s comments on Talking Smack seem to indicate that Lesnar vs. Goldberg could also be happening at Survivor Series , fans are already speculating as to who will be selected to represent each roster. Undoubtedly, that will be a major part of the storylines on both Monday and Tuesday nights, along with the build-up to Hell in a Cell 2016 on Raw .
Tag Team Survivor Series Match
The top five tag teams from each brand will team up for a giant 10-on-10 elimination tag team match. While no details have been posted at WWE’s official Survivor Series 2016 preview page, tradition would have it that if one member of a tag team suffers a fall, then both members of the tag team are eliminated.
Monday Night Raw Tag Teams
While the Raw Tag Team Division has been in a state of flux since the brand extension, there are certainly more than five teams that compete on Monday nights. However, it doesn’t seem like there are enough teams to have five separate matches, forcing each spot to be earned. Whether or not they retain the Raw Tag Team Championship at WWE Hell in a Cell 2016 , The New Day almost certainly has to be a part of the Raw brand’s team, as do the firmly established teams of Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson, and Enzo and Big Cass.
If Cesaro and Sheamus end up winning the tag straps at Hell in a Cell , then they’ll certainly go on to represent their brand at Survivor Series . If they fail to take the gold, then their tag team will likely implode, and their feud could certainly be ended with one final match for a spot in Raw ‘s other Survivor Series Elimination Match. But assuming the new duo lasts through November, that still leaves one final spot.
As Monday Night Raw continues to introduce the Cruiserweight Division, they could certainly pull a team like Rich Swann and Cedric Alexander or Sin Cara and Lince Dorado for this Survivor Series match. They could also use a team like The Golden Truth or The Shining Stars, but it would be hard to argue that either team are legitimately part of the Top 5 from Raw . Having just earned a victory over Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel, the team of Sami Zayn and Neville would make a solid fifth and final addition to the Raw team.
SmackDown Live Tag Teams
The SmackDown Tag Team Division has seven established tag teams, with the on-again/off-again team of Luke Harper and Erick Rowan making an eighth. SmackDown Tag Team Champions Heath Slater and Rhyno will certainly make the cut, as will Daniel Bryan’s favorite team, American Alpha. And since they just recently went through a heel turn, The Usos will definitely be one of the teams chosen.
That leaves at least four teams to fill the final two spots. Breezango hasn’t accomplished much, and there’s no reason to think that they will start by being a part of Survivor Series . In all likelihood, WWE will probably go with two heel teams and three faces, meaning the Hype Bros will make the cut. Although The Vaudevillains have been slightly more over since the brand extension, The Ascension have been getting at least a little push lately, meaning they have a good chance to be the fifth and final tag team for SmackDown .
Final Predictions:
Representing Team Raw will be The New Day, Gallows and Anderson, Enzo and Big Cass, Cesaro and Sheamus, and Sami Zayn and Neville. Representing Team SmackDown will be Rhyno and Heath Slater, American Alpha, The Usos, The Hype Bros, and The Ascension.
Women’s Survivor Series Match
With the women of WWE continually making waves, it’s no surprise that they will be representing their brands at the Survivor Series . It could easily be argued that this will be the most competitive Women’s Survivor Series Elimination Match of all time.
Monday Night Raw Women
Regardless of the outcome at Hell in a Cell , there’s no reason to think that both Sasha Banks and Charlotte won’t be representing Monday Night Raw at the Survivor Series . As a part of the Four Horsewomen in NXT, Bayley seems like a lock for Team Raw as well.
That leaves two spots with possible contenders including Dana Brooke, Nia Jax, Alicia Fox, Summer Rae, Paige, and Lana. Of course, as reported recently by the Inquisitr , Paige has been suspended again, so she won’t be at the Survivor Series . And unless they plan to build on the heat Lana had with Sasha and Charlotte last week, there’s no reason to think that the Ravishing Russian will be an in-ring competitor, especially when each brand is supposed to bring their Top 5. Summer Rae hasn’t accomplished enough to be a serious contender, leaving just Brooke, Jax, and Fox for the final two spots. While Foxy is a time-tested veteran among the women of Raw , look for Dana Brooke and Nia Jax to make the red brand’s team.
SmackDown Live Women
Assuming you leave out The Miz’s wife Maryse, there are seven women in the SmackDown Women’s Division. Current champion Becky Lynch is a shoe-in, as is Total Bellas star Nikki Bella. It would be hard to argue that No. 1 contender Alexa Bliss isn’t somehow part of the blue brand’s Top 5, and the same could be said about Naomi, whose recent winning streak includes a victory over Bliss.
Assuming Eva Marie isn’t making a return for the Survivor Series , that leaves the final spot for either Carmella — who recently lost to Nikki at WWE No Mercy 2016 — and Natalya, who is arguably the best female on the roster, but who hasn’t played a major role in quite some time. Look for the daughter of Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart to get named to the team and for the Princess of Staten Island to not take the news very well.
Final Predictions:
Representing Team Raw will be Sasha Banks, Charlotte, Bayley, Nia Jax, and Dana Brooke. Representing Team SmackDown will be Becky Lynch, Alexa Bliss, Nikki Bella, Naomi, and Natalya.
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Men’s Survivor Series Match
Perhaps the most anticipated of the matches will be the one that sees the Top 5 WWE Superstars from Monday Night Raw against the Top 5 WWE Superstars from SmackDown Live . With the two brands really playing up their rivalry, this is sure to be a star-studded main event.
Monday Night Raw Men
While Brock Lesnar is arguably the first choice Stephanie and Mick would make for Team Raw , it looks like his return to in-ring action will be against Goldberg. That being said, WWE Universal Champion Kevin Owens will certainly represent the Raw brand, as will his Hell in a Cell opponent, Seth Rollins. Current WWE United States Champion Roman Reigns will almost certainly be named a Top 5 member of the Raw roster as well.
There are a lot of possibilities for the final two spots on Team Raw . It could certainly be argued that the WWE Cruiserweight Champion should be a part of the team, whether that is TJ Perkins or Brian Kendrick by the time Survivor Series comes around. But it seems more likely that they’ll have a Cruiserweight title match at the PPV, or even a Survivor Series Elimination Match highlighting the division. Guys like Big Show and Mark Henry could always end up there, but they have both remained fairly insignificant since the WWE Draft. Chris Jericho’s list has been popular lately, but not enough to get him into Raw ‘s Top 5.
If Vince McMahon is still as big on Braun Strowman as he was rumored to be, it’s not impossible to think that he would end up on Team Raw as well. And while they’re a tag team right now, it’s very possible that Cesaro and Sheamus will break-up before Survivor Series , with the winner of a final match between the two determining which one joins Strowman, Reigns, Rollins, and Owens on Team Raw . However, since Cesaro and Sheamus were selected for the tag team match above, the fifth and final spot on Team Raw goes to Rusev.
SmackDown Live Men
With no other PPV for the blue brand before Survivor Series , it’s safe to bet that both WWE World Champion AJ Styles and WWE Intercontinental Champion Dolph Ziggler will be a part of Team SmackDown . It also seems like a no-brainer that John Cena will represent the blue brand, as will The Lunatic Fringe Dean Ambrose. And it seems hard to believe that Randy Orton isn’t one of SmackDown ‘s Top 5 competitors.
However, it seems reasonable that Daniel Bryan and Shane McMahon could make those guys earn their spots at Survivor Series . Other top contenders they’ll probably compete against — and who may end up at the Survivor Series if any of the above-mentioned don’t make the cut — include Bray Wyatt, The Miz, Baron Corbin, Apollo Crews, and Kane.
Final Predictions:
Representing Team Raw will be Kevin Owens, Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns, Rusev, and Braun Strowman. Representing Team SmackDown will be AJ Styles, John Cena, Randy Orton, Dean Ambrose, and Dolph Ziggler.
Where To Watch
WWE Survivor Series 2016 airs Sunday, November 20, exclusively on the WWE Network. The event begins at 8/7c, with the WWE Survivor Series Kick-Off Show beginning at 7/6c. Replays of Survivor Series and the Kick-Off Show will be available to stream on-demand via the WWE Network immediately after they air live. Survivor Series 2016 airs live from the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is the first co-branded PPV — featuring WWE Superstars from both Monday Night Raw and SmackDown Live — since WWE SummerSlam 2016 in August.
[Featured Image by WWE]