Ryan Dilbert's 10-Count: WWE Missing Major Opportunity with The Wyatt Family

1. The Wyatt Family was Built for Survivor Series

In one of the most inexplicable moves of the year, WWE is choosing to ignore Survivor Series tradition.

The pay-per-view that features four-on-four or five-on-five elimination matches will welcome a quartet of bruisers and have them wrestle a standard tag match instead. Just two members of The Wyatt Family will face Kane and Undertaker.

What could have been massive has been made ordinary.

WWE had an opportunity to elevate whatever babyfaces stood alongside The Brothers of Destruction. Cesaro would have earned huge momentum by being Undertaker's ally. The Usos would have a career moment partnering up with The Deadman and The Big Red Machine

This would have been a fantastic time to bring back Daniel Bryan.

But none of that is happening. Rather than be creative in seeking out partners for Kane and Undertaker, WWE is choosing to leave two members of Bray Wyatt's clan on the sidelines. Instead of bashing people with forearms, Luke Harper will just be standing around. Rowan won't be a key cog in a dramatic back-and-forth elimination bout; he'll be a cheerleader.

The move limits WWE's booking options, as well.

Had the company gone with a traditional Survivor Series match, it could give Undertaker the win and showcase Wyatt's destructive power at the same time. Undertaker's team could have whittled down Wyatt's crew to just The Eater of Worlds.

Wyatt could then battle back from a four-on-one disadvantage and eliminate everyone but Undertaker. 

Credit: WWE.com

There will be no such slanted odds now. There will be no compelling combination of allies united against The Wyatt Family. And 50 percent of that faction won't be wrestling.

Wyatt and his followers were tailor-made for this event, one that has increasingly felt less special because of WWE more and more often moving away from the heart of the PPV.

Survivor Series is the only time of year that elimination bouts generally occur. Tag matches are everyday fare. To celebrate Undertaker's 25 anniversary with the everyday is a mistake.

There should be a flood of buzz about his match at this PPV. Instead, it feels like The Wyatt Family are simply being fed to a legend in a bout that just as easily headline Raw rather than Survivor Series.

2. Dolph Ziggler, Mr. .500 

The Showoff is no Damien Sandow, forced to spend Raw hanging around the catering area rather than competing. He's no Roman Reigns, either. The WWE title isn't just inches from his grip, and the spotlight isn't centered on him like it is Reigns.

Ziggler's PPV record of late is as clear a sign of where he stands with the company more than anything.

He is 4-5-1 in his last 10 PPV bouts. From Hell in a Cell 2014 to TLC 2014, Ziggler won three straight. Then from Royal Rumble this year to WrestleMania 31, he lost three in a row.

JP Yim/Getty Images

He's a year removed from being the last man standing in the main event at Survivor Series but has been stuck in the middle of the card ever since. As frustrated as he and his fans may be about that, they should probably get used to it.

It looks to be where he'll reside for good.

His next PPV clash will see him take on Tyler Breeze at Survivor Series. With this being Prince Pretty's first big match, expectations will be that he takes down Ziggler.

That sounds about right, as Ziggler won his last PPV match. He had his one step forward at Hell in a Cell. He's now due for his one step back.

3. Throwback Video of the Week: Nick Bockwinkel

A Hall of Famer and well-respected champion died over the weekend. Bockwinkel died at age 80.

Wrestlers and fans alike have taken to celebrating the champ's life. That includes his robust collection of memorable promos and a long list of standout matches. Few men combined mat wrestling and in-ring storytelling as well as Bockwinkel.

That was on full display in a 1984 clash with Jumbo Tsuruta in Osaka, Japan.

He was a master heel. His ring work was slick. Those unfamiliar with Bockwinkel's career should seek out his matches with Jerry Lawler, Verne Gagne and Curt Hennig.

4. Le Silence 

WWE does tributes with great class. And unfortunately, it's something it has had to do too often this year with a number of wrestling legends moving onto the next world.

The latest salute to the fallen focused on non-wrestlers, as Monday's Raw opened with a moment of silence for the victims of the terrorist attacks in Paris last Friday. 

5. JJ Watt Channels Enzo Amore

After an upset win over the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday night, Watt of the Houston Texans went into wrestling promo mode.

He took a shot at Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton, which has earned significant media attention. Less talked about is Watt using a variation of Amore's catchphrase:

Watt certainly looks at ease while trash-talking. Add that massive frame to the mix, and he's surely more more than welcome to step into the WWE ring once he's done tearing it up on the football field.

6.  Kane at Survivor Series

The ongoing celebration of Undertaker has left Kane a background player of sorts. But while Survivor Series marks the 25th year of the Undertaker gimmick, it's been an event that's emphasized Kane, as well.

This coming Sunday will be his 17th time at the event, 15th if you don't count his early gimmicks.

He's been in a number of historic Survivor Series matches over the years. He was at the center of Team WWF vs. Team Alliance, Team Cena vs. Team Authority, the first Elimination Chamber match and Team Raw vs. Team SmackDown in 2005.

But the PPV hasn't exactly been a place where he has dominated.

Kane's Survivor Series record is 8-7-1. And he hasn't won at the PPV since 2007.

That promises to change in a matter of days. With the match and event being an Undertaker showcase, there's little chance he loses.

7. Early Undertaker Hits

So many of The Deadman's best matches came later in his career, when his style evolved from zombie-like to more of an MMA fighter adorned in goth-inspired gear.

For those looking to relive his best work in the '90s (leaving out the famous King of the Ring 1998 match in favor of less overplayed contests), or for those who didn't watch him during that period, the following recommended bouts are great places to start:

• Undertaker vs. Mankind: In Your House 11 (Buried Alive)
• Undertaker vs. Vader vs. Bret Hart vs. Steve Austin: In Your House 4
• Undertaker vs. Mankind: In Your House 14
• Undertaker vs. Bret Hart: SummerSlam 1997
• Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels: Badd Blood (Hell in a Cell)

In some ways, Wyatt is a more athletic version of Mick Foley. One would expect that he'd be able to produce the kind of quality work that Foley did against The Phenom as Mankind. That's only if WWE gives Wyatt more opportunities, though.

As thrilling as it would be to see it, it's not likely that Wyatt and Undertaker clash in another Buried Alive match.

8. Tribute to Eddie 

Aiden English paid tribute to the late Eddie Guerrero in the ring and with his gear.

Friday marked 10 years since the WWE Hall of Famer's death. English, who is engaged to Guerrero's daughter Shaul, performed his trademark Three Amigos move at an NXT show on Nov. 13, as noted on Wrestling Inc.

And as English posted on Instagram, he wore the letters "EG" on his wristband as he battled in the ring:

A simple gesture like that is plenty powerful.

9. A Neville Narrative 

WWE has an intriguing potential storyline right in front of it with Neville. The high-flyer continues to impress in losses and come close to scoring huge wins. He made it to the finals of the King of Ring tournament, nearly won the Money in the Bank and was moments away from upsetting Kevin Owens in the quarterfinals of the WWE title tourney.

Having Neville continually come close to that career-defining win is a smart move. Let him get to the final four of the Royal Rumble, to lose a squeaker for the No. 1 contender's spot.

He's sure to generate sympathy with enough hard-luck losses.

Have him grow frustrated as a result. That could be the catalyst for him to go on a tear, a stretch of matches where he looks to prove himself. There's a moving story of redemption to toy with here, one that could really put Neville over as a babyface.

10. Tommy Dreamer on Dean Ambrose

Roman Reigns is the safe bet to win the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at Survivor Series. But WWE would be wise to put the crown on Ambrose instead.

Former ECW star Dreamer certainly believes The Lunatic Fringe is the right choice.

On the Busted Open radio show (h/t Wrestle Zone), Dreamer said, "I think Dean Ambrose is the guy." He added that people are behind him right now and that "There's an underdog way and there's also that star way." There is no shortage of fans who agree with Dreamer.

The question now becomes: Can Ambrose's supporters in the WWE writers' room convince Vince McMahon the same thing?

Match statistics courtesy of CageMatch.net.