WWE Survivor Series 2017: Picks for Brock Lesnar, Kurt Angle, Top Stars
Survivor Series has felt like an afterthought compared to WWE's other Big Four pay-per-views for the better part of the past decade. That said, the upcoming installment has the potential to be one of the best in years with what's on tap.
For the second straight year, Survivor Series will carry a Raw vs. SmackDown Live theme, with Superstars from both brands battling it out for bragging rights. While no titles will be up for grabs on the main card, many of the matches are intriguing from in-ring standpoint and promise to deliver.
Between the three champion vs. champion matches, the two traditional tag team elimination matches and the standard six-man tag team matchup, it's easily the most stacked and star-studded installment in recent memory.
Seasoned stars such as Brock Lesnar, Kurt Angle, Triple H and John Cena will return to the ring at Survivor Series, though the roles they will play in their respective matches remain unknown. Will those notable names thrive, or will they crumble under the bright lights at the November classic?
There will be some wrestling at Survivor Series for the first time on Sunday, while others may have an illustrious history at the event, dating back decades. Only time will tell. At this point, we can merely speculate what the future holds for those individuals.
Brock Lesnar
1 of 5
Brock Lesnar spent weeks training for his match with Jinder Mahal at Survivor Series, only to find out his opponent had been changed to AJ Styles after The Phenomenal One captured the WWE Championship on the Nov. 7 edition of SmackDown Live.
Needless to say, Lesnar vs. Styles is a far more intriguing match than what was originally scheduled. Styles has a much better chance of beating The Beast Incarnate than Mahal would have, not to mention Lesnar's win-loss record at Survivor Series isn't exactly stellar.
Lesnar lost his Survivor Series matches in 2002, 2003 and 2016, so the numbers are not on his side heading into this year's installment. That said, Goldberg is the only individual to pose a threat to the Universal champion in the past four-and-a-half years, so Styles shouldn't be considered a strong favorite to emerge victorious.
Regardless of which man wins, both will still stand tall over their respective shows as world champions, with Lesnar likely disappearing until January's Royal Rumble. After all, Raw doesn't have another exclusive pay-per-view for another few months, and thus Lesnar will maintain his possession of the prize as the new year approaches.
Since Styles could well drop the belt back to Mahal sooner rather than later, Lesnar is a safe choice to come out on top in this clash of champions. From there, he can set his sights on potential challengers Finn Balor and Roman Reigns.
Charlotte Flair
2 of 5
The game changed completely for Survivor Series 2017 when Charlotte Flair captured the SmackDown Women's Championship on the latest edition of SmackDown Live. On Sunday, Raw women's champion Alexa Bliss will face Charlotte instead of her originally scheduled opponent, Natalya.
Similar to AJ Styles vs. Brock Lesnar, this is a vast improvement over what it was before because it is a duel between the top women in WWE. Charlotte and Bliss haven't crossed paths on the main roster, so it is bound to be a great match and could go either way.
For Charlotte, this is merely the beginning of what should be a lengthy title reign. She has spent most of the year on the SmackDown sidelines, but with her latest title win, she is back in the forefront of the division and battling the best the company has to offer, including Bliss.
Lest we forget Carmella is waiting in the wings with the Money in the Bank briefcase she won back in June. Despite no longer having James Ellsworth by her side, she is capable of cashing in successfully and becoming champion, especially at an event where fans least expect it.
That will be something to keep an eye on at Survivor Series, but nevertheless, look for the Flair family scion to beat Bliss and have a strong start as SmackDown women's champion.
John Cena
3 of 5
John Cena has kept quiet since WWE fans last saw him, at No Mercy 2017 in September. He suffered a loss at the hands of Roman Reigns that night. And because he declared himself a "free agent" over the summer, he's been able to bounce back and forth between Raw and SmackDown Live since July.
With AJ Styles winning the WWE Championship, SmackDown was in dire need of a fifth member for its men's team for the traditional tag team elimination match against Raw at Survivor Series. Thus, commissioner Shane McMahon enlisted Cena, who bled blue for over a year after being drafted to Tuesday nights in 2016.
Cena has not appeared at all in the buildup to the pay-per-view. Nor was it ever revealed what led him to choose SmackDown over Raw. What's also unknown is how long he plans to stick around beyond Sunday, if at all, so this might be nothing more than a one-off for the 16-time world champion.
That said, it's safe to assume Cena will be swiftly eliminated from his team and not be among the sole survivors. Someone on Team Raw, such as Finn Balor or Samoa Joe, would benefit big time from pinning Cena and planting the seeds for a future encounter.
In fact, it appeared Cena vs. Joe was the direction WWE was headed in before Joe was sidelined with an injury in late August, so having Joe brutalize Cena and put him on the shelf a little longer would be a great way to kick off a program between them for the winter or WrestleMania season.
The Shield
4 of 5
Although Roman Reigns' illness delayed The Shield's in-ring reunion, they were back in full force on Monday's edition of Raw, defeating The Miz, Sheamus and Cesaro in six-man tag team action. That night, they also challenged The New Day to an interpromotional match at Survivor Series after New Day cost Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins the Raw Tag Team Championships the week prior.
It's a match many thought they would never see, but now we're getting it, it should be nothing short of stellar. Any match involving Shield during their original run was entertaining, not to mention how New Day is fresh off a remarkable rivalry with The Usos and a strong candidate for Match of the Year at Hell in a Cell.
The Shield's second stint as a unit has been fun to follow, but it's only a matter of time before the three of them go their separate ways again. Reigns appears to be headed toward a feud with Brock Lesnar over the Universal Championship, leaving Ambrose and Rollins to fend for themselves in the tag team division.
It's too early to begin speculating when The Shield will meet its demise, and in the meantime, it would make sense for them to continue running rampant over the Raw roster. Having the team lose on the fifth anniversary of its debut would be illogical, so The Hounds of Justice should pick up the victory against the four-time tag team champions.
There are multiple matches on the card that have the potential to steal the show, but this outing could exceed everyone's expectations if given the time it deserves.
Kurt Angle
5 of 5
After 11 years away from the squared circle, Kurt Angle made his long-awaited return to the ring at the TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs pay-per-view and had a solid showing against The Miz, Sheamus, Cesaro, Kane and Braun Strowman. Eight days later, he was named the team captain for Raw at Survivor Series by commissioner Stephanie McMahon.
In that same segment, Stephanie voiced her displeasure with Angle over SmackDown Live invading the flagship show on Oct. 23, informing him he could be fired from his position as Raw general manager if his team loses on Sunday.
Angle has always thrived under pressure, and this Raw vs. SmackDown match will provide him with the opportunity to prove he still has what it takes to get it done in the ring. Plus, he has Samoa Joe, Finn Balor, Strowman and Triple H on his side, so victory is virtually guaranteed for Team Red.
However, to what lengths will his teammates go to ensure they come away with the win? Angle and Triple H teased tension on Monday's Raw, when HHH delivered a Pedigree to Jason Jordan, and the Olympic gold medalist could avenge his on-screen son at Survivor Series by targeting The Game.
His bad blood with Shane McMahon has been well-documented in recent weeks as well, so there's a good chance they will take each other to the limit and wage war. Not only will Angle's squad beat the blue brand, but this bout will lay the groundwork for whatever match awaits him at WrestleMania 34.
Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, is an Endicott College alumnus and aspiring journalist. Visit his website, Next Era Wrestling, and "like" his official Facebook page to continue the conversation on all things wrestling.
.jpg?w=600 "WWE Raw Results & Grades 🔠")
