WWE Survivor Series 2015: Analysis, Predictions for World Heavyweight Tournament

On Nov. 5, Seth Rollins was stripped of the WWE World Heavyweight Championship due to injury. A tournament announced to crown a new champion is set to culminate at Sunday's Survivor Series pay-per-view.

Over the last two weeks, 16 Superstars have vied for the opportunity to battle for the most prestigious prize in the industry.

On Monday's Raw, the final four were finalized: Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose, intercontinental champion Kevin Owens and United States champion Alberto Del Rio.

The two semifinal matches will be held during the show with the winners meeting in the main event. Let's take a look at the updated bracket and attempt to analyze and predict who will be reigning supreme with the title in tow.

Roman Reigns vs. Alberto Del Rio (Semifinals Match)

Credit: WWE.com

Del Rio had a hot return with a clean win over John Cena at Hell in a Cell, but it has seemingly gone to waste in recent weeks. Granted, he has won a majority of his matches, but his alliance with Zeb Colter has fallen flat with most viewers.

He can have a decent reign as United States champion, but it's still far too soon for him to be returning to the world title picture. As the only former world champion of the final four, there's no need for him to regain the gold at this point in time.

Besides, Del Rio had been a permanent fixture in the main event scene for almost all of his first run with the company. Fans are craving for something new, and The Mexican Aristocrat isn't the answer.

Roman Reigns, on the other hand, is all but confirmed to be competing in the finals of the tournament. He previously earned the right to contend for the championship against Seth Rollins at Survivor Series before the champ was sidelined with an injury.

Reigns has been the favorite to win since the start, so it would be foolish to think he won't be vying for the title regardless of who his opponent will be.

Without question, he will knock off the holder of the star-spangled prize here to advance to the finals.

Dean Ambrose vs. Kevin Owens (Semifinals Match)

Credit: WWE.com

This semifinal matchup is slightly more difficult to predict. Although it may appear that Ambrose is the obvious choice to come out on top, there's always the chance WWE swerves the fans by having Owens advance instead.

In a matter of months, Owens has ascended to a level of superstardom. He quickly captured the NXT and Intercontinental Championships and now finds himself on the verge of winning "the big one."

With Rollins out for six-to-nine months, WWE will need a new top heel to step up, and the former Ring of Honor standout would be the perfect candidate to fill the void. A title win on Sunday would cement him as a main event-caliber competitor and set him up for a major feud with Reigns.

Furthermore, there has been plenty of talk from Owens as of late about how he'd join an elite group of individuals to win the WWE title while being the intercontinental champ.

As the dark horse in the tourney, there's also the possibility that he aligns with The Authority in order to do anything for his family.

With that said, WWE might not be ready to strap the rocket to Owens' back and could instead focus on him holding the intercontinental title for the foreseeable future. Ambrose is the safe pick given his history with Reigns and immense popularity with the fans.

Roman Reigns vs. Dean Ambrose (Tournament Finals)

Credit: WWE.com

If Reigns and Ambrose advance to the finals as many expect them to, that leaves the door open for a number of booking opportunities.

Long before Rollins was injured, Reigns was considered a lock to walk out of Survivor Series as WWE world heavyweight champion based on how he'd been booked coming out of Hell in a Cell. Therefore, he's the logical pick to win the belt at the event and hold on to it going into WrestleMania 32.

Then again, considering WWE's tendency to throw a curveball at the end of every November classic, it could have one of the two former Shield members go rogue and instantly take over the top heel spot—and odds are it will be Ambrose.

A heel turn could do wonders for the stagnant Reigns at the moment, but it's clear WWE is determined to make him the company's No. 1 babyface in John Cena's absence. The story of Ambrose growing jealous of his friend who seemingly has all the tools to be the next big thing virtually writes itself.

The Lunatic Fringe winning the strap would be optimal, but Reigns finally completing his championship chase is much more plausible.

Either way, expect shenanigans from The Authority and the presence of the villainous stable at ringside.

Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, is a journalism major at Endicott College. Visit his website, Next Era Wrestling, and "like" his official Facebook page to continue the conversation on all things wrestling.

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