Kevin Owens vs. Shane McMahon Feud Perfect for Traditional Survivor Series Match

Kevin Owens has forged an unlikely relationship with longtime rival Sami Zayn, which was made official Tuesday on SmackDown Live. And while Owens' epic Hell in a Cell match against Shane McMahon on Oct. 8 signaled the end of their feud, things are beginning to shape up nicely for a traditional Survivor Series elimination match.

Last year, WWE pitted Raw against SmackDown Live in what ended up being an entertaining match. But grouping WWE Superstars together simply because of brand loyalty always makes for an awkward team of strange bedfellows. In fact, it wasn't long before then-rivals Ambrose and AJ Styles were at each others' throats midway through the match. 

This time around, it would behoove WWE to integrate current feuds into a potential traditional Survivor Series tag team match. Not only would this make for a more coherent storyline, but if done using just one brand, it would limit the number of top stars absorbed into a high-profile matchup. 

Owens and Zayn could lead a team of heels, many of whom could benefit from aligning themselves with the duo, from Rusev to Aiden English and even Mojo Rawley, who seems destined for a heel turn of his own if it hasn't happened already. 

Shane McMahon, who wrestled in last year's Survivor Series event as part of Team SmackDown Live, could do the same on the babyface end with the likes of Shinsuke Nakamura and Randy Orton, who have been fixtures in the "where do they go from here?" discussion. 

It wouldn't be surprising if Owens' current feud with the McMahon family was a long-term storyline that eventually led to a WrestleMania match against Triple H. Given the McMahon tie-in and the involvement of an NXT-era star, the Owens-McMahon feud has a Triple H payoff written all over it. 

With a few months until WrestleMania, Owens can continue his ongoing feud with Shane McMahon at Survivor Series in a tag team match that would spotlight several SmackDown Live stars in need of a rub from two of the show's most prominent figures. 

Pairing Owens and Zayn together on a team would allow both to compete in a main event setting without Zayn coming off as Owens' lackey. This is an important development to set the tone for their first pay-per-view together as a team. 

Shane McMahon would have a positive effect on any babyface associated with him as he formed a team to compete against his chief rival. 

Survivor Series traditional tag team matches are typically a throwaway exhibition every November, but with a little storytelling, one of WWE's top feuds could elevate an exhibition match to an intriguing main event. 

Alfred Konuwa is a Featured Columnist and on-air host for Bleacher Report and Forbes. Like him on Facebook.