Shane McMahon's WWE Survivor Series Performance Will Determine Future Matches

On the Nov. 8 edition of WWE SmackDown Live, general manager Daniel Bryan announced that commissioner Shane McMahon would be replacing Baron Corbin as the fifth and final member of Team SmackDown at WWE Survivor Series 2016. Not only will the fate of the blue brand be in his hands come Sunday, but his performance at the event will also determine what his immediate in-ring future holds.

When McMahon initially returned to WWE after a long layoff earlier this year, fans were excited to see him back in action. Although he hadn't wrestled in nearly seven years, he could always be counted on for a quality performance despite not being a trained wrestler.

His Hell in a Cell outing against The Undertaker at WrestleMania 32 was a mismatch from the start, but based off the build to the bout, he appeared to have a fighting chance of winning. However, aside from one fantastic flying elbow off the top of the steel structure, he was largely manhandled by The Deadman.

Furthermore, their match was nothing to write home about, and it was decided McMahon would instead settle into the role of an authority figure on WWE programming. He remains incredibly over with the audience, so appearing from time to time in front of the crowd on SmackDown Live is an excellent use of him and his skills.

His addition to the SmackDown Survivor Series team was especially interesting after Dave Meltzer speculated on Wrestling Observer Radio last week that McMahon could be facing Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 33.

Credit: WWE.com

Once Lesnar laid out McMahon with an F5 at the end of August's SummerSlam pay-per-view event, all signs seemed to point to the two clashing eventually. Although they are on opposite brands, that didn't stop Lesnar from doing battle with SmackDown's Randy Orton at that same show.

There hasn't been much storyline progression between them since, but McMahon has indicated that he has unfinished business with The Beast Incarnate. Of course, it is important to tie up loose ends in an angle, but McMahon vs. Lesnar is by no means a "dream" match for most.

For the past three-and-a-half years, Lesnar has stacked up several victories over the illustrious likes of Triple H, John Cena, Randy Orton and The Undertaker. Needless to say, McMahon doesn't come close to those aforementioned athletes, so for WWE to think fans would view him as a threat versus Lesnar is almost laughable.

On the bright side, the match would have the potential to be fun if McMahon sells for Lesnar's offense the same way he did for Kurt Angle at King of the Ring 2001. No one can take a beating quite like Shane-O-Mac, and Lesnar ripping him apart would be sensational.

Also at Survivor Series, Lesnar is set to face off with Goldberg in an anticipated rematch from WrestleMania XX. There is a possibility of McMahon costing the former UFC heavyweight champion the match in order to avenge the attack from SummerSlam, but Goldberg should not be the one to finally beat The Beast.

Regardless of whether a match with Lesnar is in the cards, how McMahon fares at Survivor Series will be a sign as to where he goes beyond the event. He wouldn't have been added to the SmackDown squad for no reason, so there must be something much bigger at stake on Sunday.

Simply put, McMahon vs. Lesnar is not a WrestleMania-worthy match, but that isn't to say Shane-O-Mac couldn't compete in another match against someone else at the event or at the Royal Rumble.

While it is fairly unlikely Daniel Bryan will ever be cleared to return to the ring, McMahon would be a proper replacement for him in a match versus The Miz. The Awesome One has been at odds with the powers that be on the blue brand for months, and that bad blood culminating in a McMahon vs. Miz match could be a blast.

Additionally, he and AJ Styles could have an entertaining match if it was laid out the right way. McMahon should not be contending for the WWE World Championship, but a mini-feud between them could keep Styles busy ahead of WrestleMania.

First and foremost, McMahon must prove that he can still go in the ring at least at a fraction of the rate he used to and that he can hang with the talent of today. He has spent the past seven months sitting on the sidelines, but a stellar showing on Sunday could set up several interesting matchups in the months ahead.

Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, is a Digital 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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