WWE Survivor Series 2016: Superstars Who Should Compete in Elimination Matches
WWE Survivor Series 2016 is shaping up to be an old-school classic, with a heavy focus on the traditional elimination matches that made the pay-per-view a fan favorite over the years.
On the Oct. 11 episode of SmackDown Live, commissioner Shane McMahon and general manager Daniel Bryan issued a challenge to their Raw counterparts, proposing three separate five-on-five traditional Survivor Series elimination matches featuring male Superstars, female Superstars and tag teams. The next week, Raw commissioner Stephanie McMahon and general manager Mick Foley officially accepted the Survivor Series challenge.
Now it's up to WWE Creative to get the right Superstars in these matches.
WWE's recent history with traditional Survivor Series elimination matches is checkered. While the company has had some hits—most recently the 2014 edition featuring Team Cena vs. Team Authority—most of the recent editions of this pay-per-view have been sprinkled with unappealing matchups featuring low-midcard talents or a weak women's division.
WWE must avoid that booking mistake by making this year's matches high-profile bouts. Big-name Superstars need to buy in to the premise that they're fighting for their brands.
WWE Creative successfully weaved such a narrative into the Brock Lesnar-Randy Orton feud heading into SummerSlam, only to have it nosedive immediately following that event. The few crossover instances of Orton and Lesnar appearing on each other's shows drove the narrative.
The company should follow a similar path for Survivor Series. Superstars from both brands need to build the feud across all platforms, from television to social media to interviews. There was already a small shot following SmackDown this week, as Nikki Bella and Charlotte engaged in a brief Twitter squabble.
Such animosity needs to continue to build, but it's only part of the equation. The most important aspect in making this year's Survivor Series a success will be putting the company's best and brightest in the same ring.
So who should compete for Raw and SmackDown at Survivor Series? Click through to take a look at the teams that should compete for each brand.
Assumptions Heading into WWE Survivor Series 2016
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There are a couple of things to take into consideration when putting these teams together:
1. A number of championships will be on the line, eliminating some potential Superstars from participating. The assumption here is that Kevin Owens and AJ Styles retain their titles, thereby remaining off their brands' respective teams. We'll talk about who they may be facing later on.
2. Brock Lesnar will face Goldberg at Survivor Series, thereby eliminating him from Team Raw. While it's not officially booked, all signs point toward this match happening in Toronto next month. So we're taking The Beast Incarnate from the list of potentials for Team Raw.
3. No women's title will be defended at Survivor Series. WWE can't afford to take women away from either roster right now since there are barely enough Superstars to field teams. Plus, were an injury to happen between now and then, it would create problems for the card.
4. Storylines matter—but only loosely. Part of the intrigue of Survivor Series is assembling Superstars who may not always get along. The tension leading up to the event will make for great TV, but at the end of the day, it's supposed to be the best five each show can bring forward.
With that out of the way, let's take a look at who should compete for Team Raw and Team SmackDown at Survivor Series on Nov. 20.
Tag Team 5-on-5 Survivor Series Elimination Match: Team Raw
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The New Day (captains), Enzo Amore and Big Cass, Cesaro and Sheamus, Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows and Austin Aries and Roderick Strong
Let's address the elephant in the room: Yes, a new tag team will shine at Survivor Series, even if it is only for one night.
It makes sense that there would be crossover with both WWE and NXT in Toronto on the same weekend. If Austin Aries and Roderick Strong win the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic at NXT TakOver: Toronto, it would be fitting for them to compete at Survivor Series the next night.
I mean, they're a better choice than The Golden Truth or The Shining Stars.
Aries and Strong would be a good balance for Team Raw, a heel tandem to match The Club against the three babyface tag teams on the Raw side. This is the only scenario where an NXT team gets called up, too. SmackDown is loaded with tag teams that are on equal footing, while the men's and women's matches are overflowing with talent.
So sit back and enjoy, WWE fans. This could be the only crossover between WWE and its developmental brand on Survivor Series weekend.
Tag Team 5-on-5 Survivor Series Elimination Match: Team SmackDown
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Rhyno and Heath Slater (captains), American Alpha, The Usos, The Ascension and The Hype Bros
SmackDown has an interesting problem: The brand has plenty of tag teams, but none stand out. Breezango would be a better selection than either The Ascension or The Hype Bros, but the team has been nonexistent since the brand split. The same can be said for The Vaudevillains, who have gone from championship contenders to forgotten duo in a span of four short months.
Even the SmackDown champs are a mishmash of mediocrity, two mismatched Superstars looking to hang on after striking gold. There's no doubt that SmackDown's tag team division has been the brand's Achilles' heel, but a strong showing at Survivor Series could change all that.
That's why two teams—American Alpha and The Usos—need to come out of Survivor Series stronger than ever. The Usos have been the best team on SmackDown and would be deserving champions, especially as heels. Jimmy and Jey Uso have played their characters so well that they seem as natural as they did shouting war chants on the ramp as babyfaces.
Meanwhile, Chad Gable and Jason Jordan are the future of the division, no matter the brand. Their athleticism alone puts them above most teams in the company, but their unbridled enthusiasm for what they do shoots them to the top of the heap.
Eventually, WWE will get American Alpha and The Usos in the ring for the tag team titles on SmackDown. Until then, both teams need to look like the class of the division.
Women's 5-on-5 Survivor Series Elimination Match: Team Raw
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Sasha Banks (captain), Charlotte, Bayley, Nia Jax and Emmalina
After what is sure to be a show-stealing co-main event at Hell in a Cell, it seems fitting to give Banks and Charlotte one event to lean on their fellow Superstars. These two women have carried Raw since the brand split, turning in spectacular performances for both pay-per-view and television crowds. Allowing others to do the work (and maybe even getting pinned, thereby creating an opening for someone else in the main event scene) at Survivor Series is just what the doctor ordered.
Their teammates are more than capable of picking up the slack. Bayley is a crowd favorite who is one of the best workers in the division already. She's shown both in NXT and on Raw that she's capable of having a good match with anyone, which is of critical importance when there are unfamiliar grapplers on the other side of the ring.
The newly repackaged Emmalina also makes sense for the same reasons as Bayley: her familiarity with all the women in the ring, being a strong worker and the ability for WWE to showcase her new gimmick on a big stage.
Most importantly for WWE's women's division moving forward, however, is the ability to showcase Jax at Survivor Series. Competing in a traditional Survivor Series match can help maximize her ferocity while minimizing her relative inexperience in the ring. It's the best of both worlds for WWE and Jax and could be the stepping stone she needs to move into the main event.
Women's 5-on-5 Survivor Series Elimination Match: Team SmackDown
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Becky Lynch (captain), Alexa Bliss, Nikki Bella, Naomi and Natalya
Lynch is SmackDown's standard bearer in its women's division and, therefore, should be the leader. This alone will cause problems, as there doesn't seem to be any love lost among any of the women on the blue brand. The dysfunction between these women will be enough to fill weeks of storylines.
More so than the women involved are the two names not included. First is The Princess of Staten Island, Carmella, who's failing to connect with audiences. It wouldn't be surprising to see Carmella shipped back to NXT to work on some things, which could also help the developmental brand's women's division, sorely lacking depth in the midst of a year's worth of call-ups.
The second name that could surprise some: Eva Marie, who hasn't been heard from since her 30-day suspension for violating the wellness policy. Eva Marie was a surprise inclusion at WrestleMania 32, a move that could be repeated at Survivor Series. Should that happen, look for Natalya to get the boot, which could escalate a feud on SmackDown following the event.
Men's 5-on-5 Survivor Series Elimination Match: Team Raw
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Seth Rollins (captain), Roman Reigns, Rusev, Sami Zayn and T.J. Perkins
Rollins is a perfect choice to lead Raw into Survivor Series. Not only has he become the top babyface on Raw, but he's also the most popular wrestler on the show. In addition, having Rollins interact with Reigns will be interesting.
Reigns and Rusev are in the midst of a feud, which makes their pairing questionable. Their tension would create a needed story here, especially following a title match at Hell in a Cell. Should Rusev lose the rematch next week, Raw general manager Mick Foley could stipulate the two work together at Survivor Series for The Bulgarian Brute to receive a final rematch for the United States Championship.
Zayn is in desperate need of momentum, and competing in the pre-eminent match of Survivor Series could help him do just that. Putting him on this squad, especially with a feud against Braun Strowman lurking, might not happen, but he should be a part of this match. He's a crowd favorite who delivers in big moments, which this match would be.
Finally, Perkins and, by default, all cruiserweights need to be given a push. Since its debut, the cruiserweight division has been treated as an also-ran. Perkins has the skill to deliver on the biggest stage against the biggest foes, and giving a cruiserweight a prominent place on this team would go a long way toward legitimizing the division.
Two names not on this list stick out like a sore thumb. The assumption here is that WWE universal champion Kevin Owens retains his title against Rollins at Hell in a Cell. In a preview for the Oct. 24 episode of Raw, WWE.com wrote that "commissioner Stephanie McMahon is counting on WWE universal champion Kevin Owens and his best pal, Chris Jericho, to anchor Team Raw against Team SmackDown Live at Survivor Series."
It would be unusual for WWE to not hold a championship match. This seems to be more of a tease that Jeri-KO is headed toward a split, and the two will clash for the belt at Survivor Series.
Men's 5-on-5 Survivor Series Elimination Match: Team SmackDown
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John Cena (captain), Randy Orton, Dolph Ziggler, The Miz and Baron Corbin
With a lighter schedule and a rah-rah attitude, Cena is the perfect choice to captain Team SmackDown. Not having him in the main event scene allows him to travel for his other commitments. In addition, he could pre-tape most segments that could be run as "live" backstage shots.
Orton is another logical selection for SmackDown, a veteran with nothing on his plate following what the WWE Universe can only hope is a short-lived feud with Bray Wyatt. His history with Cena, as well as members on Team Raw's side, will play into the larger Survivor Series story.
The Miz and intercontinental champion Ziggler have entertained fans with the best feud of 2016, and it makes sense to reward them with a spot in the event's biggest match. More importantly, it would give the duo a break from wrestling each other, instead building toward another match at TLC: Tables, Ladders and Chairs the following month.
Finally, SmackDown needs to showcase its biggest future talent, Corbin. The Lone Wolf has been on a tear since debuting at WrestleMania 32 and winning the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal. In his only chance to compete against the headliners on SmackDown—a main event match against then-champion Dean Ambrose in August—Corbin more than held his own. It's time for the former NFL prospect to get some more time against the company's best instead of toiling in the middle tier.
WWE world champion AJ Styles and Dean Ambrose are conspicuously absent, as it's anticipated that they will face off once again for the blue brand's top belt at Survivor Series. Meanwhile, Wyatt and recently returned Luke Harper are also off the Survivor Series team, as their inclusion wouldn't make much sense in kayfabe. The Wyatt Family needs to be an entity unto itself; placing Wyatt and Harper on a team would run counter to that.
What do you think? Who should compete for Raw and SmackDown at Survivor Series? Comment below with your thoughts.
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