WWE Survivor Series 2014: GSM's Pick, Preview and Potential for Each Match
In a few hours, WWE will present its 28th annual Survivor Series pay-per-view event, live from the Scottrade Center in St. Louis at 8 p.m. ET.
With Survivor Series being one of the "big four" pay-per-views, WWE has done a much better job of building the card than it had in years past. With several surprises slated for the show, anticipation among fans for the event is at an all-time high.
In what is being billed as the biggest traditional elimination tag team match in Survivor Series history, Team Cena will battle Team Authority in the main event. Can John Cena's band of misfits emerge victorious and finally put an end to The Authority's reign of terror?
Dean Ambrose and Bray Wyatt have been on a collision course toward Survivor Series in several weeks, and their raging rivalry will come to a head on Sunday. Can Ambrose seek vengeance against the man who cost him his Hell in a Cell match against Seth Rollins?
After winning a No. 1 contender's Battle Royal on the Halloween SmackDown, Nikki Bella will contend for the Divas Championship against AJ Lee. Will Nikki's temporary personal assistant play a factor in the finish to the match?
Here, I will provide my personal preview, prediction and potential for every match on the advertised card.
Team Paige vs. Team Natalya (Traditional Tag Team Elimination Match)
1 of 5
Preview
Once best friends, Paige and Alicia Fox became bitter enemies after Paige turned on Fox on the Oct. 27 edition of Raw when it became clear Fox wasn't going to help her win back the Divas Championship. The two have traded wins on Raw, Main Event and Superstars in recent weeks and will be on opposite sides of the ring on Sunday. Naomi and Cameron as well as Natalya and Summer Rae have history with each other, making this match all the more personal.
Prediction
Needless to say, this match was added to the card at the last minute since WWE will need to kill as much time as possible in order to go the full three hours. As noted, most of the Divas have storyline issues with one another (with the exception of Emma), so at least it isn't completely random.
In all honesty, it really doesn't matter who wins, but it can do nothing but help the credibility of the sole survivors. That said, Paige is the most relevant of everyone involved, so she's my pick to win.
Potential
Anything is better than that train wreck of a match we got last year from the Divas. While this match may not be much better, at least there's significantly less people involved and some better workers. The crowd probably won't care regardless, but leaving the in-ring work to Paige, Natalya and Naomi will make this a more enjoyable matchup.
Fatal 4-Way WWE Tag Team Championship Match
2 of 5
Preview
At Night of Champions, Gold and Stardust defeated The Usos to win the WWE Tag Team Championship. The two teams have met on several occasions since then, but it wasn't until after Hell in a Cell that Los Matadores and The Miz and Damien Sandow entered the mix. All four tandems have stated their intentions to capture the twin titles at Survivor Series, but only one duo will walk away with the gold.
Prediction
Los Matadores are a joke of a team and the least likely to win the match. There's always the possibility The Usos regain the gold and transition into a feud with The Ascension—who are due to be called up sooner rather than later—but it still feels too soon.
Gold and Stardust have been champs for only two months at this point, and while they're my pick to win, I'd be elated to see Miz and Mizdow score the victory. They've been extremely entertaining as of late, and it would further build toward their inevitable split.
Potential
We've seen a handful of multi-team matches this year. They've all delivered in the ring, and I expect this one to be no different. Despite what you think of each team, they're great workers and capable of stealing the show, so expect this bout to be a good one.
AJ Lee vs. Nikki Bella (Divas Championship)
3 of 5
Preview
AJ Lee has run rampant over the Divas division since since first winning the Divas Championship in June 2013, successfully defending her title against all-comers. After disposing of Paige at Hell in a Cell, AJ then shifted her sights to Nikki Bella, who won a No. 1 contender's Battle Royal on the Halloween SmackDown. Nikki has had AJ's number in recent weeks, and with her sister Brie in her corner (against her will), the odds are undoubtedly in her favor.
Prediction
The Bellas storyline hasn't been nearly as obnoxious as I thought it was going to be, so I credit WWE for not shoving it down our throats as it did earlier in the summer. Nikki has improved leaps and bounds as a character since her heel turn at SummerSlam, and I'd have no problem with WWE putting the belt on her.
Regardless of whether AJ leaves the company in the new year, putting the strap on Nikki would make the most sense as her feud with Brie resumes going into TLC. There aren't any other credible heel challengers as of now, anyway.
Potential
As noted, both Bellas have come a long way in the ring in the last year. I'm not confident they're capable of having a five-star classic, but they're competent enough in the ring that they can carry a decent match.
Throw AJ into the mix and you have yourself a solid Divas bout. Here's hoping the shenanigans with Brie at ringside don't overshadow the action.
Dean Ambrose vs. Bray Wyatt
4 of 5
Preview
As he was closing in on victory in his Hell in a Cell match with Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose was viciously attacked by a returning Bray Wyatt. Since then, the two have traded verbal jabs on Raw and SmackDown and have brawled on occasion as well.
Wyatt has gone so far as to drag Ambrose's estranged father into the mix by bringing up his existence to haunt the former Shield member. While nothing is on the line in the matchup, Ambrose will look to exact vengeance on Wyatt once and for all.
Prediction
The feud has gotten better and better as time has progressed, but it still needs more time to develop (on Raw, specifically). Of course, I expect the rivalry to continue through the end of the year, but the biggest problem with this program is that both guys need wins.
Neither of them will be completely dead in the water if he loses Sunday, but a non-finish to their first encounter would be preferable. If not, a Wyatt win makes more sense to keep the feud alive.
Potential
With the exception of one SmackDown match in June, Wyatt and Ambrose have yet to meet in singles competition. Both are excellent workers in their own right, so together I expect them to make magic. Their in-ring psychology will make for an incredibly interesting dynamic, to say the least.
Team Cena vs. Team Authority
5 of 5
Preview
Since first forming in August 2013, The Authority have ruled WWE with an iron fist. However, their power trip was put in jeopardy when a returning Vince McMahon declared that if Team Authority loses to Team Cena at Survivor Series, they will have all their authority stripped.
Triple H and his cronies have done their best to put Cena's group of misfits out of commission, but they stood as united as ever on the Nov. 17 Raw. Triple H later added the stipulation that if Team Cena loses, everyone on the team with the exception of Cena will be fired.
Prediction
The lead-up to this match has been excellent in recent weeks, and WWE has done a great job of building excitement for the showdown. The best part about it is that it can go either way. Granted, the added stipulation that everyone on Team Cena (aside from Cena) will be fired if they lose foreshadows the finish, but despite that, I still thoroughly believe The Authority goes over.
I want The Authority out of power as much as the next guy, but the timing doesn't feel right. Either way, I fully expect someone (Randy Orton and Sheamus are the most popular candidates) to get involved and play a factor in the finish.
Potential
Traditional elimination tag team matches tend to be fun, and this should be no exception. There are a lot of solid workers on both teams, so the in-ring action should be entertaining. If nothing else, the suspense of what's at stake will only enhance the atmosphere of the matchup.
Read more prediction pieces for past WWE pay-per-views here.
Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, is a journalism major at Endicott College. Visit his website at Next Era Wrestling and "like" his official Facebook page to continue the conversation on all things wrestling.
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