WWE Survivor Series 2017: Final Picks and Predictions for Entire Match Card
Survivor Series has turned out to be so much better than what it originally was.
Sometimes, WWE gets stubborn. The company has a plan and it sticks with it, come hell or high water. But this time around, it seems the writers have been actively re-evaluating their creative direction on a week-to-week basis. Brock Lesnar vs. Jinder Mahal became Brock Lesnar vs. AJ Styles. Alexa Bliss vs. Natalya became Alexa Bliss vs. Charlotte. The Shield dropped the Raw tag titles, which freed them up to fight The New Day.
The result of this? Fans get less of a narrative build to the big pay-per-view. But the new matchups are so much better and more interesting than the old ones that it's worth it. Survivor Series, which has lost some of its mojo over the past several years, has an extremely exciting lineup this time around.
Here is Sunday's full card, along with final picks and predictions.
WWE Cruiserweight Champion Enzo Amore vs. Kalisto
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This is the pre-show match, which foreshadows its outcome. As deprioritized as the Cruiserweight division has become, it is still unlikely the writers will book a title change. And if they do, shame on them; most Network subscribers won't be watching, and the arena will be half-full.
Expect Enzo Amore to cut a long promo to warm up the crowd. And during the match, he'll probably have Drew Gulak by his side, which means Amore will receive some much-needed assistance to score the pin.
The Shield vs. The New Day
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There's no hardware on the line, but this showdown has tons of dramatic potential. Both The Shield and The New Day are lauded for their winning chemistry; in both cases, the whole is greater than the sums of their parts.
The Shield will win, and that's about the surest outcome of the evening. Because of Roman Reigns' illness, fans have waited patiently to see Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Reigns fight together again. And even though there was a taste of it on Monday's Raw, a pay-per-view provides the glitz and pageantry fans crave.
Plus, consider the prospect of Big E taking a massive triple power bomb. It's too good to pass up.
Raw Tag Team Champs Cesaro & Sheamus vs. SmackDown Tag Team Champs The Usos
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This match is the dumping ground. WWE wanted a main event-level showdown between The New Day and The Shield, but to do that, The Shield had to drop the Raw tag title belts to Cesaro and Sheamus.
WWE got its dream match. But the byproduct of that booking is this champion vs. champion tag match, which has little heat and little hype behind it. And because both teams are heels, it will be confusing for the fans. Who gets the cheers? Who gets the boos?
The Usos will win, if only to balance the scales. If The Shield wins its match for Raw, which is likely, The Usos need a win to keep things even for SmackDown Live.
Raw Women's Champion Alexa Bliss vs. SmackDown Women's Champion Charlotte Flair
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Charlotte Flair is riding a wave a of goodwill and widespread fan support. Her dad's recent health scare reminded everyone who this woman is and what her lineage represents. And her championship celebration with Ric Flair on the most recent edition of SmackDown was a tearjerker.
Charlotte will win this match for SmackDown, and she will make Alexa Bliss tap to do it. WWE is not going to ruin another potential feelgood moment.
Intercontinental Champion The Miz vs. United States Champion Baron Corbin
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This match, another heel vs. heel showdown, has no reason for existing. But Baron Corbin and The Miz made it matter by upping their trash talk on social media. Twitter is a promo platform for the modern era; wrestlers aren't restricted to TV segments to get themselves over.
The Miz will win with the Skull Crushing Finale, and he'll utilize outside interference from The Miztourage to do it. That's a big problem with Corbin's Lone Wolf status; there's no one to cheat or interfere on his behalf when he needs the help.
Women's 5-on-5 Traditional Survivor Series Elimination Match
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The Raw women are winning this. This is the second-most assured result on the card; the talent is extremely unbalanced in Raw's favor. And although underdogs usually have a small chance, not in this case. Why? Because of Asuka.
The Empress of Tomorrow is going to seal this match for Team Raw, further solidifying her status as the top talent in the women's division. It's difficult to picture any wrestler on the roster who could give Asuka a run for her money. And that contender is not going to emerge at Survivor Series.
Men's 5-on-5 Traditional Survivor Series Elimination Match
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Team SmackDown is going to win this for one reason: the multitudinous storyline opportunities that a Raw loss will present.
There's too much bad blood and moving parts on Team Raw. Samoa Joe and Finn Balor hate each other. Kurt Angle and Triple H hate each other. Angle will be in trouble with Raw Commissioner Stephanie McMahon if his team loses. And Braun Strowman sort of hates everyone.
These five men will not be able to keep their personal issues and egos out of the equation. And a loss would kickstart feuds for all five men, some of which will probably continue into WrestleMania season. Expect Jason Jordan to get involved in the match and undermine Triple H. Expect Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn to get involved and undermine Shane McMahon.
That's three wins for Raw and three wins for SmackDown. The overall brand winner will be determined by the most anticipated match on the card.
Universal Champion Brock Lesnar vs. WWE Champion AJ Styles
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Here we are. The big one. The showstopper. David vs. Goliath. If Brock Lesnar shows up hungry and AJ Styles just shows up, this champion vs. champion showdown has Match of the Year written all over it. Styles is a performer who doesn't fight one type of match; he adjusts himself to his opponent. It will be interesting to see how he approaches The Beast at Survivor Series.
Who wins? Lesnar is the clear favorite on paper. But Styles has an outside chance. Because like the universal champion, he is a veteran. He has the pedigree to dethrone The Beast. And it would be a massive, unbelievable shock on a night when a lot of the match results seem predictable.
Survivor Series is also the place where Lesnar was humiliated by Goldberg last year. Could this PPV be his Achilles' heel in the way SummerSlam is for John Cena?
It's not a prediction that has any sort of precedent. It's a gut call. But AJ Styles will win via the Phenomenal Forearm in the biggest headline-making, Twitter-exploding swerve of the year.
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