Most Intriguing Storylines to Track on Road to WWE Survivor Series WarGames 2022

Now that Crown Jewel is in the books, WWE will start to build to its final premium live event of the year, Survivor Series WarGames. The last big four pay-per-view will give the new regime a chance to end the fourth quarter of 2022 on a high note.

The acting head of creative, Triple H, has already reintroduced many former superstars. Even more, he plans to add an iconic stipulation match to this year's card after success with it on NXT.

In an exclusive interview with The Ringer, the creative content officer revealed that Survivor Series will feature two WarGames matches.

“We’ll have a men’s WarGames match and a women’s WarGames match. The tradition of the Survivor Series has ebbed and flowed and changed slightly over time, but this will be similar to that,” he said. “This will not be Raw versus SmackDown. It will be much more storyline-driven. I still look at it as a traditional component of Survivor Series in there because it’s large teams of people competing. We just upped the ante a little bit with WarGames and made it evolve.”

This exciting announcement will rejuvenate one of the company’s most popular events. Although there’s so much nostalgia around it, the brand warfare tagline has grown stale. So, focusing on story-driven feuds is a step in the right direction.

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Gunther’s IC Title Reign and Seth Rollins’ Thirst for Validation

It’s unclear if there will be any champion vs. champion matches on this year’s card. However, one would have to imagine that it caused WWE to make a concerted effort to elevate its midcard titles.

Ever since Triple H’s regime took over, the prestige belts have been much more visible on Raw and SmackDown. There has also been a clear push to put them on a star capable of acting as the brand’s primary champion when Roman Reigns isn’t available.

Bobby Lashley did a tremendous job of making the United States title feel more appearance because he has been on such a great run this year. Likewise, Seth Rollins is doing some of the best work of his career, and he’s popular enough to make fans care about his newest accolade.

Meanwhile, Gunther has been on an absolute tear as the best Intercontinental champion in recent memory. His television matches and rivalry with Sheamus have been phenomenal. As such, it would be fun to see Rollins test his mettle against The Ring General at Survivor Series.

If WWE only does one traditional champion vs. champion match, it should be this spirited matchup.

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Damage CTRL vs. Team Bianca

Damage CTRL vs. Bianca Belair has been in an ongoing feud since the new stable debuted at SummerSlam. Straight away, it seemed like the aligning forces were destined to meet in the women’s WarGames match after Survivor Series.

After all, Dakota Kai, Iyo Sky and Belair have contributed memorable performances in the stipulation match during their time with NXT. It also doesn’t seem like a coincidence that Candice LeRae recently returned as she also competed in the cage.

Adding Nikki Cross to the fray was a pleasant surprise. Many fans have been clamoring to see the unhinged persona that initially won them over before she joined the main roster. The three-time women’s tag team champion also has plenty of experience in a hardcore environment.

Lastly, Survivor Series could be the destination for Sasha Banks’ surprise return to WWE. The Legit Boss has an established history with Bayley, and the event will take place in her hometown of Boston at TD Garden.

Banks also recently took to Instagram to tease an upcoming date she has “been waiting for [for] the past six months.” There’s no guarantee that that means she will step into a wrestling ring soon, but it certainly lines up with a potential appearance at the last major premium live event of 2022.

Nevertheless, WWE already has plenty of pieces on the board, and it will be gratifying to see how they will fall into place in time for Survivor Series.

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The Bloodline vs. Everybody 

The Bloodline is currently the hottest act in WWE. So, the popular faction is an obvious pick for one of the teams set to compete in the men’s WarGames match.

Roman Reigns and his minions have made a lot of enemies this year, which creates many possibilities for potential opponents. Solo Sikoa, The Usos and Sami Zayn attacked Sheamus on the Oct. 21 episode of SmackDown. This leaves the door open for The Brawling Brutes to seek revenge in three weeks.

A three-team showdown similar to NXT’s first WarGames match featuring both stables and Imperium is also a superb option. That would be an admirable way to continue Sheamus’ storyline with Gunther and The Bloodline concurrently.

Kevin Owens could also assemble a team of babyfaces from Raw and SmackDown to reignite his feud with Reigns and attempt to talk some sense into Zayn. WWE hasn’t offered us a payoff to their confrontation from Aug. 29, and this would be a perfect opportunity to advance that plot point.

It would also be an excellent chance to depict The Bloodline as the biggest threat to both brands. The stable already holds most of the gold, so it would make sense for Raw and SmackDown stars to unite to defeat them.