WWE World Championship Tournament Must End Controversially at Survivor Series

If controversial finishes are the biggest plus points for wrestling fans, then this Sunday's Survivor Series pay-per-view show will surely leave them satisfied.

The beauty of the tournament to determine who wins the WWE World Heavyweight Championship is that with three matches still to go, lots of permutations and potentially big moments are waiting to happen.

But no matter what happens in Dean Ambrose vs. Kevin Owens and Roman Reigns vs. Alberto Del Rio, the final simply has to be controversial.

The tournament deserves a grandstand finish, and having the victor win cleanly does not really set the pulse racing.

What Survivor Series needs is real drama, especially when you look at what's going on elsewhere. There's an element of disappointment attached to the tag match involving Bray Wyatt and The Undertaker, with not much else to shout about on the night.

But if the whole tournament does end controversially, where is that controversy coming from? Realistically, there are three surefire options.

The Major Swerve

It's been discussed so much that it's probably not even fair to class it as a swerve anymore, but many fans expect Reigns or Ambrose to turn heel Sunday.

But the reason it's being heavily discussed is that in some ways, it simply has to happen. There's a growing argument for Reigns to turn heel like The Rock did in 1998 at the end of the tournament to crown the new WWE champion.

Reigns just doesn't seem to be on the same level with fans as Ambrose is, with some mixed reactions to his promo and in-ring work. Perhaps turning heel would be the best way to give him some heat, and just as The Rock proved, if he works hard enough to turn people's opinion of him, he can eventually become a babyface on merit, not by being forced to be one.

But Ambrose is just as likely to turn heel in truth, especially given how he thrived as a heel while in The Shield. Going even further back than his time on WWE's main roster, most of his best stuff came as a heel, be it in NXT or even on the independent circuit.

The Authority needs a new man to steer the regime forward, and the fact Triple H was scouting for potential candidates on Raw recently hints it's going to happen.

The only question seems to be whether it will be Reigns or Ambrose.

The Shock Victory

Of course, there are other ways to extract drama from the tournament at Survivor Series, most notably having a guy other than Reigns or Ambrose win.

Should Reigns get through Del Rio and make the final, it will be fascinating to see which way WWE leans with its second semi-final. Will it be Ambrose facing his close friend, or will Owens put The Lunatic Fringe to the sword?

Rather than turn Reigns or Ambrose heel, why not put some faith in a guy who is already a heel and has bags of potential?

It would be incredible if somehow, against all the odds that looked stacked in Reigns' favor, Owens beats Reigns cleanly and wins the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.

It's not like he hasn't beaten people cleanly before, as his wins over John Cena proved just after he stepped up to the main roster.

Triple H and K.O. have had their exchanges backstage in the past. Imagine if WWE had the ace up its sleeve of Owens being The Authority's new champion, leaving Reigns to fall short once again.

The Cash-In

Regardless of who wins the tournament, whether it's a clean win, a swerve or a dramatic victory, there's always the option of WWE rolling out another ace post-match.

Sheamus isn't exactly running out of time to cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase, but this seems like the most logical and realistic opportunity he'll ever get.

"

Please don't forget Mr. Money In The Bank : Sheamus #WWETitle #SurvivorSeries pic.twitter.com/zeYhiNAYn6

— #SurvivorSeries (@RealWWEFanatic) November 18, 2015"

Whichever guy wins the tournament will have already wrestled twice, leaving him battered, bruised and fatigued.

If it's Reigns, and he somehow comes out cleanly through a battle against Owens or Ambrose, The Authority will want to act fast to ensure he doesn't have the title for too long.

So down strolls Sheamus, with Reigns picking himself up off the canvas after a gruelling fight in the final.

Behind Sheamus are Triple H and Stephanie McMahon, ordering the referee to ring the bell and have Sheamus cash in his briefcase.

He does, and does so successfully, leaving Reigns crestfallen at the hands of The Authority again.

Until it actually happens, WWE fans will suspect Sheamus to cash in his briefcase at every pay-per-view. Perhaps this Sunday will be the night.