Projecting Potential Line-Ups for Classic Survivor Series Match at Pay-Per-View
After it was announced on the Raw after Hell in a Cell that there will be a traditional Survivor Series match at the self-titled pay-per-view, attention has quickly turned to trying to piece together all 10 competitors for the match.
At the time of writing, only John Cena's name is set in stone as a participant. Although in all reality, we know that Dolph Ziggler, Kane and Seth Rollins are definitely going to be involved, too.
That leaves quite a few spots still available to fill, and all areas of the roster have to be examined to gauge who will take part.
It's important WWE don't interfere with too many current feuds when putting together this match, otherwise the rest of the card at Survivor Series will look incredibly threadbare.
But who will be taking part in Team Cena vs. Team Authority? Let's take a tentative look at making some predictions.
Men Who Shouldn't Be Involved
1 of 11
Many would expect Dean Ambrose to be a part of Team Cena to try and get one over on The Authority, but we cannot forget that there needs to be plenty of substance to the rest of the card at Survivor Series. WWE made a good start with Ambrose's potential feud against Bray Wyatt at Hell in a Cell, so it's wise for them to be wrestling on their own.
There could be a temptation to get real lazy and throw Joey Mercury and Jamie Noble on Team Authority, too. But that doesn't send the right kind of message out; they would be better served as stooges loitering on the outside of the ring.
And let's hope that tag teams aren't thrown into the Survivor Series match. WWE needs a strong tag division represented on pay-per-view, so Goldust and Stardust, as well as The Usos, should be doing their own thing.
Some may also feel Rusev could be involved, too, but that would surely mean his undefeated streak coming to an end, so it's best he stays well away—although he may have some sort of involvement in the match.
Team Cena: John Cena
2 of 11
Well, obviously, this goes without saying. The captain of Team Cena will be none other than John Cena himself, who is again the subject of another attempt to be turned heel by those in charge of WWE.
Inevitably, Cena rejected those temptations on the Raw following Hell in a Cell, and he will now head up a team of five to try and take down The Authority.
Obviously, it's just a short-term storyline, given how Cena has a title shot against Brock Lesnar waiting in the wings, courtesy of his win against Randy Orton at HIAC.
Team Cena: Dolph Ziggler
3 of 11
We're pretty much certain that Cena's first recruit for his team at Survivor Series will be Dolph Ziggler, after the events of Raw this past week.
Ziggler was seen talking to Cena backstage, and he was then thrown into a match against Kane for daring to cross The Authority.
Amazingly, he managed to win that match—before being the victim of a beatdown by The Authority not long after.
Still, it's great to see Ziggler in a more prominent role on WWE TV, and hopefully, he can go quite a long way in this match.
After all, he is the intercontinental champion.
Team Cena: Sami Zayn
4 of 11
This is where things start to get a bit more difficult. When you're attempting to put together a 10-man tag match, you have to dip into a substantial amount of the roster to pull it off.
As we've already covered at the beginning of this slideshow, there are a fair few men who have stuff going on elsewhere and should be given the limelight for that feud individually.
WWE Creative may be forced to look elsewhere for the participants of this match, so how about a real outside pick: NXT's Sami Zayn.
Zayn impressed greatly when he, Tyson Kidd, Adrian Neville and Tyler Breeze stepped up on Raw to promote NXT's recent Takeover: Fatal 4-Way show, and he has been touted for a push up into the main roster for some time.
With the talent he possesses, he would make a great addition to a match of this type, which is sure to produce a heck of a lot of carnage at certain points throughout.
Zayn seems ready for his big break; giving him it here would enable him to grab the headlines in a big way.
Team Cena: Ryback
5 of 11
It was great to see Ryback return to action following a lengthy spell out with injury, and it was even better to see him return to a great reaction from the WWE crowd.
Let's be honest: WWE made a real mistake in turning Ryback heel, especially when he was at the peak of his powers. It was merely done as means to give Cena a new opponent in the main event scene, and Ryback was booked all wrong.
So bringing him back as a babyface is great booking, and with him not really having a potential singles feud in front of him, why not get him going again by putting him in Team Cena at Survivor Series?
He's certainly going to get a fair few pops from the crowd, which is what a match of this type needs. And as well as that, it would keep his momentum going nicely, not long after returning from injury.
Team Cena: Sheamus
6 of 11
Having Sheamus in the match would mean both of WWE's midcard champions are going to be competing in this contest, but if we're thinking long term, that is no bad thing.
Both Ziggler and Sheamus are decent champions, and there is little logic in them dropping their belts at this time. Simply put, there just isn't the right caliber of opponent out there—particularly for Sheamus.
But Sheamus' next big feud could be born out of this match, if there is some form of interference from Rusev to put Sheamus out of the contest.
Rusev going after the United States Championship seems somewhat logical given his crusade against America, and Sheamus would certainly rank as a decent foil for him over the coming months.
Putting Rusev in the match itself makes no sense because, as we've mentioned, that would mean his undefeated streak coming to an end.
But having Sheamus disrupted by Rusev would set off a rivalry nicely, and it would lay a decent platform for a worthwhile feud for both men.
Team Authority: Seth Rollins
7 of 11
On to Team Authority now and the five men who are going to try to knock off Cena's army at Survivor Series. The first two inclusions are rather straightforward—starting with Seth Rollins.
However, as the scenario unfolds at Survivor Series, it is vital that Rollins is the last member of Team Authority. That opens up the possibility of a wide variety of endings—some of which will be explored later in this slideshow.
Rollins is now certified as one of WWE's big main event stars, especially after that incredible showing against Dean Ambrose at Hell in a Cell.
With him making enemies out of seemingly every person he comes into close contact with, Rollins is likely to steal the show in some style at Survivor Series.
Team Authority: Kane
8 of 11
Kane, like Rollins, is another man who is guaranteed to be on Team Authority, with his Corporate Kane gimmick more than holding its own in recent weeks.
Having him try to put pressure on stars in the back before threatening to take them down—just like he did with Ziggler on Raw—is the kind of thing his character should be doing, and it worked pretty well.
Questions were asked when Kane pledged his allegiance to Triple H and The Authority, but he has gone on to become a worthwhile member of the stable, as well as a decent addition to many of the company's main storylines.
Having him involved in this match is a no-brainer, and he will be an incredibly solid participant in the contest.
Team Authority: Mark Henry
9 of 11
After the two obvious inclusions, it's on to three picks that are perhaps not as straightforward as Rollins and Kane.
The first of those three is Mark Henry, who recently turned on good friend Big Show after a coming together between the two giants on Raw.
To be perfectly honest, Henry is a much better heel than he is a babyface—as we saw during that incredible run to become World Heavyweight champion in recent years.
He would be a smart addition to Team Authority, not least because his presence will add a completely different dynamic to the match.
It's unclear whether his feud with Big Show will get off the ground, and if it doesn't, then he definitely belongs in this match.
Team Authority: Cesaro
10 of 11
With Ziggler a virtual guarantee in the traditional Survivor Series match, it makes clear sense to have the guy who he's currently feuding with in there, too.
Cesaro and Ziggler produced a great contest at Hell in a Cell, but you do get the feeling that there's still more to come from that particular feud.
So keeping them both together by placing them in the same match at Survivor Series makes sense—not least because it would help to give the feud more prominence if it's involved with the main event match.
The one thing WWE fans will want if Cesaro is involved is plenty of match time. After all, he has proven himself to be one of the most talented workers in the company time and time again, and he could produce some magic on pay-per-view once again if given the chance.
Team Authority: Randy Orton
11 of 11
In all honesty, there are a number of different angles WWE could go down with Randy Orton heading into Survivor Series.
They could exact a full turn prior to the event and have him line up with Cena's team against The Authority.
But that doesn't make perfect sense—not least because it isn't really the direction Orton's character should be heading.
WWE should be working towards building Orton into a mercenary—a guy who is neither a face, nor a heel. He should be taking out people at will and playing by his own rules.
Plus, he's just come out of another battle with Cena, so having him team up with him just isn't right. What is right though, is having Orton drop Rollins on pay-per-view to cost Team Authority the win.
That really would be what is best for business.
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
