WWE Survivor Series 2016: B/R Expert Match Picks, Predictions and Analysis

WWE Survivor Series 2016 is fantasy warfare come to life. 

This year's edition of the Thanksgiving season tradition pits the company's two premier brands—Raw and SmackDown—against one another for bragging rights. Three traditional Survivor Series matches, featuring many of the top names in the company, highlight the card, which is set to be headlined by a rematch between Brock Lesnar and Goldberg.

As Bleacher Report's Ryan Dilbert recently wrote, Survivor Series 2016, on paper, ranks as one of the company's best events in years: "An electric energy is surrounding Sunday's PPV, thanks to big matches and brand warfare. And suddenly, a long-neglected event feels as if it belongs among WWE's Big Four again."

Looking at the lineup, it's hard to argue with that sentiment. As of Friday, the match card for Survivor Series is as follows:

• Brock Lesnar vs. Goldberg
• Traditional Survivor Series men’s elimination match: Team Raw (Kevin Owens, Roman Reigns, Chris Jericho, Braun Strowman and Seth Rollins) vs. Team SmackDown (AJ Styles, Dean Ambrose, Bray Wyatt, Randy Orton and Shane McMahon)
• Traditional Survivor Series women’s elimination match: Team Raw (Charlotte Flair, Sasha Banks, Bayley, Nia Jax and Alicia Fox) vs. Team SmackDown (Nikki Bella, Becky Lynch, Alexa Bliss, Naomi and Carmella)
• Traditional Survivor Series tag team elimination match: Team Raw (The New Day, Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson, Sheamus and Cesaro, Enzo Amore and Big Cass and The Shining Stars) vs. Team SmackDown (Heath Slater and Rhyno, The Usos, American Alpha, The Hype Bros and Breezango)
• The Miz vs. Sami Zayn (WWE Intercontinental Championship and brand rights to the title)
• The Brian Kendrick vs. Kalisto (WWE Cruiserweight Championship and brand rights to the cruiserweight division)

As with every pay-per-view on the WWE calendar, Bleacher Report has brought together an outstanding group of contributors to survey the landscape and provide predictions on what will happen in Toronto on Sunday night.

Let's meet the team.

B/R Expert Panel Lineup

Bleacher Report's lineup will answer the tough questions about the WWE landscape and provide predictions for each match on the WWE Survivor Series 2016 card.

The team features the following:

• Anthony Mango (@ToeKneeManGo), founder of SmarkOutMoment.com and host of the podcast Smack Talk.
• Graham "GSM" Matthews, founder of Next Era Wrestling and host of WrestleRant Radio.
• Ryan Dilbert (@ryandilbert), lead writer for @BR_WWE.
• Kevin Berge (@TheBerge_).
• Erik Beaston (@ErikBeaston).
• Yours truly, James Moffat (@jamesmoffat).

It's time to tie up those laces and get ready to rumble. The predictions start now.

Bonus Question No. 1

Q: Following The Undertaker’s appearance on SmackDown Tuesday night, what is the best use of The Deadman heading into WrestleMania season?

Graham Matthews (GSM): While I don't think The Undertaker needs to be on every episode of SmackDown from now through WrestleMania 33 in April, he should more or less be a regular because the possibilities are endless in terms of fresh feuds for him. Having him chase the WWE World Championship would be especially interesting before having that one last WrestleMania match against John Cena.

Ryan Dilbert (RD): He would make a great challenger for AJ Styles. Tangling with a future Hall of Famer would further boost Styles and add buzz to SmackDown's main event scene. He could move on to his WrestleMania opponent after that. Plus, The Phenomenal One vs. The Phenom has quite the ring to it.

Anthony Mango (AM): If The Phenom is truly back for a longer stint than just building to WrestleMania, he needs to have at least one match with AJ Styles just because it's never been done before. Once Styles is done feuding with Dean Ambrose, The Undertaker should take it upon himself to try to win the WWE World Championship and be the captain of the ship for the brand once more with a title match at the Royal Rumble and possibly either Elimination Chamber or Fastlane before setting up his feud for WrestleMania.

Kevin Berge (KB): This isn’t the most original plan, but I cannot think of a better way to give Undertaker one more run than to have him win the WWE World Championship from AJ Styles at the Royal Rumble and then face John Cena at WrestleMania, dropping the title to Cena to give him his 16th world-title reign. Both matches would be top-notch fights.

James Moffat (JM): He needs to legitimize the current crop of Superstars, starting with world champ AJ Styles. With The Streak a distant memory, having The Undertaker eat a loss for the benefit of The Phenomenal One wouldn't diminish his legacy. I'd like to see him finish at WrestleMania with a victory over Cena.

Erik Beaston (EB): At this point, the only purpose Undertaker serves is as a special attraction—an iconic star aimed at recruiting former or longtime fans back into the fold in time for the biggest event of the year. With that said, his opponent should be the one man he has never squared off with in a meaningful pay-per-view singles bout: John Cena. At a time when WWE is lacking big-money matches, that is the most significant one it could pull out of its hat ahead of WrestleMania.

The Brian Kendrick vs. Kalisto (WWE Cruiserweight Championship)

Credit: WWE.com

Q: Moving forward, what is the best way to maximize the potential of the cruiserweight division?

GSM: I was as excited as anyone when the cruiserweight division was announced as coming to Raw, but it has been a massive failure thus far. The best course of action would be to put them exclusively on SmackDown after Survivor Series since they'll be filming the new 205 Live show on Tuesday nights anyway.

Match Prediction: Kalisto wins the Cruiserweight Championship.

RD: We need to know who these athletes are. The Cruiserweight Classic did a great job introducing the wrestlers, giving their backstories and laying out their motivations. Forthcoming show 205 Live will likely return to that, but Raw (or SmackDown if the title moves after Sunday) has to feature the wrestlers just as much.

Match Prediction: The Brian Kendrick retains.

AM: New show 205 Live is going to do wonders for that, so as long as people keep tuning in and WWE treats this as a priority rather than something like Main Event and Superstars, where no effort seems to be put in at all, the cruiserweights should be fine. Kalisto as champion is suspect, given how poor his two other singles-title reigns were, but there's plenty of talent to keep things fresh without even trying.

Match Prediction: Kalisto wins the championship.

KB: Using both Raw and 205 Live, WWE must start developing the individual characters of the division. Stop with the six-man tag matches, and just have one-on-one clashes and multiple feuds building. The first thing 205 Live must do that can carry over to Raw is pair up the wrestlers into a few different rivalries that will be fought over Raw, NXT and 205 Live.

Match Prediction: The Brian Kendrick retains by any means necessary.

JM: At this point, the company needs to get the casual fan to care. That's done by creative storytelling and character development. Unfortunately, WWE has thrown most cruiserweights into six-man tag matches instead of focusing on individuals. 205 Live will help somewhat—but only for WWE Network subscribers. The promotion needs to get the regular television audiences to care. 

Match Prediction: Kalisto wins; cruiserweights go to SmackDown.

EB: The best way to maximize the potential is to give fans a reason to care. The division was devoid of characters and intriguing storylines from the get-go, and the result has been deathly silent crowds each and every Monday night.

Match Prediction: Kalisto.

The Miz vs. Sami Zayn (WWE Intercontinental Championship)

Credit: WWE.com

Q: On a scale of 1-10, how much would losing the Intercontinental Championship hurt the SmackDown brand?

GSM: If both the Intercontinental and United States Championships were the property of Raw, then sure, that would hurt the blue brand tremendously. But even if Sami Zayn does win the title, which he won't, I'd imagine he'd be brought over to SmackDown. Regardless of the result, I see Zayn joining SmackDown eventually, but since the Miz just regained the gold, he'll be holding on to it for a while.

Match Prediction: The Miz retains the Intercontinental Championship.

RD: If SmackDown doesn't get the Cruiserweight Championship in exchange, eight. The IC title has been a big boon for the show. It's been at the center of some of the brand's best stories. If it loses its only midcard title, Raw will grow more crowded, and SmackDown will feel like the lesser show.

Match Prediction: The Miz retains after a controversial finish, leading Zayn to move to SmackDown to continue the rivalry.

AM: That's a 10, for sure. The blue brand already comes off as inferior, but if it lost its only midcard title, it would kill the midcard's purpose. The only way Sami Zayn should win this match is if he is drafted to SmackDown by the end of the night.

Match Prediction: The Miz retains through some shenanigans.

KB: I think it matters what we classify as "losing" the IC title. If this is a short-term situation to breed controversy that sees SmackDown get the title back, I would classify it as a one. If SmackDown loses the title for the long term without a replacement, it would suffer, and that would be a nine.

Match Prediction: The Miz takes a controversial victory. I could even see this being WWE’s chance to copy the Montreal Screwjob.

JM: Seven. Maybe an eight. It would make sense to put the Intercontinental Championship on Raw, given the larger roster and the fact that SmackDown has been better at storytelling without titles on the line. However, losing a midcard title means less focus on the Superstars not in the main event picture. Guys such as Baron Corbin, Apollo Crews, Dolph Ziggler and The Miz would be fighting for nothing unless SmackDown reintroduced another belt. 

Match Prediction: Sami Zayn wins via disqualification, keeping the title with SmackDown.

EB: The answer is entirely dependent upon what happens with the cruiserweights. The midcard on Tuesday nights is nonexistent. The women's and tag team divisions have stronger depth, while it is just Dolph Ziggler, The Miz, Baron Corbin and Apollo Crews who make up the heart of the IC-title division. Sending that belt to Raw, where Cesaro, Neville and others could battle for it, would do wonders for the title, and the Cruiserweight Championship and influx of exciting young stars could jump-start SmackDown.

Match Prediction: Sami Zayn.

Team Raw vs. Team SmackDown (Survivor Series Tag Team Elimination Match)

Q: From the perspective of tag team wrestling, which brand has been more entertaining since the brand split?

GSM: Raw seemingly had a stacked tag team division immediately following the WWE draft, but SmackDown has made the most of its tag teams and has done a far better job of building them up. I never thought I'd say that about a division featuring The Ascension and The Vaudevillains, but the tag team scene on SmackDown is loaded compared to Raw.

Match Prediction: Team SmackDown wins.

RD: The Heath Slater and Rhyno story was stellar, but overall, Raw has been better in that department. The blue brand has relied on underwhelming nostalgia acts in The Headbangers and The Spirit Squad.
Raw has featured the charisma of The New Day, the compelling odd-couple dynamic between Sheamus and Cesaro and the always-entertaining Enzo Amore and Big Cass.

Match Prediction: Team SmackDown wins. American Alpha shines.

AM: As much as I love The New Day and Enzo and Cass, SmackDown has a wider variety of talent. Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows have lost so much steam, and I can't imagine anyone in the world cares about The Shining Stars or The Golden Truth. Without The New Day, there is pretty much no Raw division, while SmackDown has a surprising amount of fun people.

Match Prediction: Team SmackDown picks up this win.

KB: This isn’t a contest. SmackDown has dominated, thanks to simply being an hour shorter each week. Raw has often been a drag, with only a few outstanding episodes since July's brand split. It also helps that SmackDown has felt fresh and pushed more under-the-radar stars. SmackDown even got James Ellsworth over, while Raw struggles to just get its world champion over.

Match Prediction: Team SmackDown takes the win, thanks to American Alpha.

JM: SmackDown had a great story going with Health Slater and Rhyno, but their championship reign has been largely absenteeism. The creative team has done nothing with the division, which has so much promise. While Raw has been less than stellar, at least its teams and personalities are more entertaining. 

Match Prediction: Team SmackDown wins.

EB: SmackDown. By a mile. Raw feels stagnant and stale, while SmackDown feels like a show with youthful energy and genuine excitement.

Match Prediction: Team Raw.

Bonus Question No. 2

Q: What is your all-time favorite Survivor Series moment?

GSM: From recent years, I'd have to go with Sting's WWE debut. Fans often forget how great the main event of 2014's Survivor Series truly was, pitting The Authority against Team Cena. But Sting showing up, laying out Triple H and helping Dolph Ziggler score the victory for his team still gives me goosebumps.

RD: Randy Orton's comeback in 2004. This was a star-making moment for a wrestler on the rise.
The outnumbered-but-not-out story is one of the best elements of a Survivor Series match. Orton and his foes told it well here, with The Viper taking down Edge and Triple H to score the win for Team Raw.

AM: The first thought that pops into my mind is the Montreal Screwjob, but another great moment is the humiliation Team DX caused Team Rated-RKO in 2006. That was such a fun and unexpected surprise that had never been done before.

KB: While there have been many great moments, particularly in the early years of Survivor Series, the one that affected me most as a fan was the debut of The Shield. I had been hoping for both Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins to make their debuts, and they did so in such impressive and shocking fashion, reshaping the main event scene alongside Roman Reigns. It was a sign of things to come for a great group of stars who redefined the business as a trio and as solo performers.

JM: The debut of The Shield was one of the more memorable moments for me, as the trio burst onto the scene and took WWE by storm. The Montreal Screwjob is right up there, too. But the debut of The Phenom is my favorite moment. Maybe it's nostalgia, but The Undertaker was such an imposing character that you couldn't take your eyes off him. 

EB: The Rock joining The Corporation in 1998. I idolized The Great One and was completely caught up in the popularity and momentum that accompanied him heading into the Deadly Game tournament for the vacant WWE title. When he turned heel and joined Vince and Shane McMahon, it was like a punch to the gut. How dare The People’s Champion sell his soul!

Team Raw vs. Team SmackDown (Survivor Series Women’s Elimination Match)

Q: Look into the crystal ball, what is the most intriguing storyline in women’s wrestling following Survivor Series?

GSM: It looked like Bayley and Charlotte were headed for a feud coming out of Survivor Series, but I hope they hold off on that. On the SmackDown side of things, Becky Lynch and Alexa Bliss still have unfinished business, and I hope they wrap up their rivalry in a specialty match of some sort at TLC: Tables, Ladders and Chairs.

Match Prediction: Team Raw wins.

RD: Bayley's underdog rise to the title. NXT excelled in telling that story. WWE will try to reprise it with added bells and whistles.

Match Prediction: Team Raw leans on Nia Jax for the win.

AM: It's not going to be Charlotte repeating the same promo she's been doing for months; that's for sure. More than anything, I'm curious to see what WWE does with the Becky Lynch and Alexa Bliss feud. Bliss has been the most interesting character of the bunch since the brand split and is only improving with each passing week.

Match Prediction: Team Raw will take this one.

KB: Raw will have a three-pronged story developing, as Bayley will begin her rise, and Sasha Banks will continually fail to defeat Charlotte in singles action on PPV. This can set up Banks to turn heel once Bayley does what she can’t and takes the title. The dynamic between these three women should be enthralling.

Match Prediction: Team Raw wins.

JM: In the ring, it has to be the continued development of Bayley as a legitimate contender to the Raw Women's Championship. Since her debut in August, no Superstar has been more beloved in WWE. That will eventually be rewarded. Outside the ring, the fate of Paige will remain a cloud over the company until there's finally a resolution. 

Match Prediction: Team Raw wins easily.

EB: I will go out on a limb and say the continued growth of Alexa Bliss. The former NXT star has been a revelation on Tuesday nights and has the ability to be the heel the entire division is built upon. Whether she gets that opportunity, with Nikki Bella and the reality TV-loving writers waiting in the wings, is the question.

Match Prediction: Team Raw.

Team Raw vs. Team SmackDown (Survivor Series Men’s Elimination Match)

Q: If you were a professor, what letter grade would you give WWE for its build to this match?

GSM: I've been digging the brand split by and large for the past few months—even though Raw is still relatively a bore—and I love the idea of a brand-supremacy match. The build in the go-home week was good, but I'd give them a B because nothing is at stake, so why should fans care who wins?

Match Prediction: Team Raw wins.

RD: B. The invasion angle on the go-home show was compelling. The buildup has featured a number of strong subplots, but WWE hasn't maximized any of them. Replacing Baron Corbin with Shane McMahon was a mistake, too.

Match Prediction: Team SmackDown wins.

AM: There have been some odd choices along the way, but it's been fun. So while this isn't an A-plus, I'd be more than OK giving it a B-plus or possibly an A, depending on how things turn out and where the storyline goes from here.

Match Prediction: Team SmackDown needs the win more, so it will probably win.

KB: B-. I am excited enough for the clash, and the promise of consequences from both Stephanie McMahon and The Undertaker gives the match weight. I would have liked to have seen more back-and-forth from week to week between the competitors. The last-minute Team SmackDown invasion felt a little too late, even though it was a lot of fun.

Match Prediction: Team Raw takes a win, thanks to Roman Reigns.

JM: I'd mark it as a C. Besides bragging rights and the fact that WWE has managed to put its top Superstars in the match, there's been no true build. The invasion on the latest episode of Raw was too little, too late. WWE did a better job selling brand warfare with its Brock Lesnar-Randy Orton SummerSlam angle. 

Match Prediction: Team Raw wins with Roman Reigns and Kevin Owens standing tall, setting up their upcoming feud.

EB: D-minus. The grade may be harsh, but the laziness with which WWE has approached the bout is astonishing. The issues are less about Raw and SmackDown and more about the dissension that exists within them. Childish arguments, an uninteresting in-ring product leading to the match and a lack of continuity surrounding the biggest stories involved make for a dangerous concoction of disappointment

Match Prediction: N/A.

Brock Lesnar vs. Goldberg

Q: True or False: Goldberg will wrestle one last match following Survivor Series.

GSM: I don't know for certain that Goldberg will wrestle only one match and then ride off into the sunset, but I sure hope he is done after Survivor Series. There isn't a need for him to wrestle against anyone on the roster, but I suppose we won't know until we see what he can do in the ring at 49 years of age.

Match Prediction: Brock Lesnar wins.

RD: False. I truly think he's one-and-done. After he marks this return match off his checklist, he will go back to the life he's been living for the past 12 years. The punishment he's about to endure against Lesnar will make it easy to re-retire.

Match Prediction: Lesnar wins a match that is better than expected.

AM: This is it for Goldberg. He specifically mentioned it would be his last hurrah, and if the idea of another match were truly entertained, that would have been more ambiguous.

Match Prediction: Brock Lesnar wins, as there's no point in having the decision go the other way.

KB: False. Everything around Goldberg’s future feels cloudy, as we do not yet know how he will fare. However, I get the feeling he is just not in the shape needed to put on a good match against Lesnar. Unless he goes out and surprises people, I don’t see WWE calling his number again.

Match Prediction: Brock Lesnar just barely overcomes Goldberg, continuing his reign of dominance.

JM: False. While Goldberg vs. Lesnar is a WrestleMania-level match that WWE fans will embrace, I just don't see the company selling it to the public a second time in a matter of months. Plus, I think Goldberg will do what he set out to do: have one final match that entertains the crowd while giving his family an opportunity to see him shine at what he does best. 

Match Prediction: Brock Lesnar wins.

EB: False. He specifically said the words "you’re last" a few months back, suggesting he has no plans to set foot inside the squared circle after Sunday night in Toronto. If it wa a wrestler with lesser conviction or character, it would be tough to agree, but Goldberg has never turned out to be anything but a stand-up man, the type whose word stands.

Match Prediction: Brock Lesnsar.

Bonus Question No. 3

Credit: WWE.com

Q: Who are you most disappointed is NOT on the card for WWE Survivor Series?

GSM: Between Dolph Ziggler and Rusev, I'm more disappointed The Bulgarian Brute likely won't be wrestling Sunday. He has rejuvenated his once-stagnant character this year and had a great run as United States champion, but since losing to Roman Reigns on back-to-back pay-per-views, he hasn't done anything of note. It's such a shame.

RD: Rusev. Imagine a world where Goldberg came back, wanted one more match and demanded it be against The Bulgarian Brute. That would be huge for Rusev and the New Era in general. Instead, Rusev and Dolph Ziggler are forced to sit on the sidelines for one of the biggest shows of the year despite their talents.

AM: If Dolph Ziggler and Rusev don't make some kind of an appearance, that would be criminal. It's also disappointing to see Baron Corbin's spot taken away from him and Apollo Crews not being utilized in the slightest bit, either.

KB: Given it was teased for a full week, I’m quite disappointed we won’t get to see Dolph Ziggler facing Sami Zayn for the first time. Ziggler has been putting on some of the best performances of his career lately alongside an even more game Miz, and it feels odd for him to be missing Survivor Series.

JM: I believe Dolph Ziggler vs. Sami Zayn would've been a sleeper pick for Match of the Night, and his exclusion from Survivor Series is a disappointment. Personally, though, the PPV should have been Baron Corbin's coming-out party. He is going to be a great Superstar for many years to come, and I wish he could have been in the ring with the likes of Kevin Owens, AJ Styles, Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins. 

EB: Dolph Ziggler is the easy choice here. A month ago, he recently wrestled the match of his life against The Miz, and he was red-hot coming out of No Mercy. Now, he watches from the sidelines as his peers wage war at one of the biggest events of the year.