WWE Survivor Series 2018: B/R Expert Match Picks, Predictions and Analysis

Brock Lesnar and Daniel Bryan.Credit: WWE.com

Survivor Series is one of WWE's longest-running events on its calendar, making it one of the biggest shows of the year.

This will mark the fourth pay-per-view in less than a month after Super Show-Down, Evolution and Crown Jewel, and that's not even counting Saturday's NXT TakeOver: WarGames.

Here is a rundown of all the matches on the card, according to WWE.com:

• The Usos, The New Day, Sanity, The Colons, Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows vs. Chad Gable and Bobby Roode, The Revival, The B-Team, The Ascension and Lucha House Party.
• Mickie James, Tamina, Nia Jax, Natalya and Ruby Riott vs. Carmella, Naomi, Asuka, Sonya Deville and TBD
• Dolph Ziggler, Drew McIntyre, Braun Strowman, Finn Balor and Bobby Lashley vs. The Miz, Shane McMahon, Rey Mysterio, Samoa Joe and Jeff Hardy
• The AOP vs. The Bar
• Seth Rollins vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
• Charlotte Flair vs. Ronda Rousey
• Buddy Murphy vs. Mustafa Ali (Cruiserweight Championship)
• Daniel Bryan vs. Brock Lesnar

Our writers will analyze some of the biggest feuds and provide predictions for all of the matches. Our group is made up of the following:

• Anthony Mango (AM) (@ToeKneeManGo)
• Kevin Berge (KB) (@TheBerge_)
• Erik Beaston (EB) (@ErikBeaston)
• Aaron Bower (AB) (@AaronBower)
• Jeff J (JJ) (@JeffJSays)
• Chris Mueller (CM) (@BR_Doctor)

Each writer on the panel will answer a question about Lesnar vs. Bryan, Charlotte vs. Rousey and an additional match before we get to the predictions.

Charlotte vs. Ronda Rousey

Q: Had the planned match between Becky Lynch and Rousey took place, who do you think would have won and why?

I could see a no-contest with Lynch gaining a disqualification to keep both women looking strong. I could also see Rousey winning via submission to lead to an eventual feud with Charlotte. With Becky’s meteoric rise, it’s hard to tell which way they’d go, but hopefully, we’ll find out at WrestleMania!

Daniel Bryan vs. Brock Lesnar

Q: Why do you think WWE opted to change this match from Styles vs. Lesnar to Bryan vs. Lesnar at the last minute?

We’ve seen Styles-Lesnar already. Why do a rematch for inter-brand supremacy? Reigns-Styles would’ve been more intriguing to me, and flipping the switch on heel Bryan as SmackDown champ was the swerve we didn’t know we needed. Anything can happen in the WWE, and this is another example that should translate well on screen.

Team Raw vs. Team SmackDown (Women)

Q: The SmackDown team is still one woman short compared to Raw. Who do you think would make the best surprise teammate and why?

Bring back Trish Stratus. You need a big name to pop the audience and add excitement to the match. A Women’s wrestling legend would be a no-brainer to me.

Bonus Question

Q: If you could create a dream Survivor Series team using any wrestlers from WWE history, which five would you choose and why?

A: Stone Cold, Scott Hall, Mr. Perfect, The Rock and Macho Man. They're five of my favorites, and the promos would be ridiculous.

Charlotte vs. Ronda Rousey

Q: Had the planned match between Lynch and Rousey took place, who do you think would have won and why?

Lynch, albeit with a touch of controversy. Not even WWE could have made the mistake of failing to put Lynch over given her overwhelming popularity right now.

There would have been plenty of ways to protect Rousey, such as having Lynch’s Four Horsewomen compatriots help her win, or having Jax take down Rousey to allow Lynch to win. But there was just no way the match could have taken place and Lynch lost. WWE would have to contend with a riot among its fanbase if that had transpired.

Daniel Bryan vs. Brock Lesnar

Q: Why do you think WWE opted to change this match from Styles vs. Lesnar to Bryan vs. Lesnar at the last minute?

Largely due to Becky Lynch's injury, I suspect.

The hype surrounding Lynch vs. Rousey made that the inevitable main event bout, but with Lynch now off the card, WWE needed to do something to inject some hype into the other big matches. Flipping Styles for Bryan does that, not least because Lesnar vs. Styles happened at this show last year. Bryan’s apparent heel turn makes this bout incredibly intriguing, too.

Team Raw vs. Team SmackDown (Tag Teams)

Q: Which Tag Team would gain the most from being the sole survivors in this match and why?

There are a few strong contenders here. The Revival, plus Gallows and Anderson, are in real need of the push they deserve—but I’m going to say SanitY.

Look, it’s no surprise to see a successful NXT faction floundering in the midcard on the main roster, but these guys deserve so much better. They’ve got plenty to give, and I think to stand tall as sole survivors here could give them a great platform to build from.

Bonus Question

Q: If you could create a dream Survivor Series team using any wrestlers from WWE history, which five would you choose and why?

As the biggest draw in wrestling’s recent history, Stone Cold Steve Austin is captain. His old adversary The Rock makes the cut for similar reasons, while the 1980s period is represented by the flamboyance, showmanship and brilliance of Macho Man Randy Savage.

Shawn Michaels gives the team the never-say-die spirit and will of the underdog you often see in teams at Survivor Series. Finally, no team can be complete with a wrestler who has the potential to turn on his compatriots without a second’s thought, so CM Punk is the fifth and final entrant.

Charlotte vs. Ronda Rousey

Q: Had the planned match between Lynch and Rousey took place, who do you think would have won and why?

As easy as it is to say "Rousey, because they have so much invested in her," I think Lynch would have won. Ironically, with the help of Jax and Tamina. She is such a hot character right now that even Vince McMahon would have seen the bigger picture and booked The Man to deal Rowdy Ronda her first loss.

Daniel Bryan vs. Brock Lesnar

Q: Why do you think WWE opted to change this match from Styles vs. Lesnar to Bryan vs. Lesnar at the last minute?

If I had to guess, to shake things up and create greater buzz for the show. Also, to spare Styles another loss to Lesnar. Why they did a heel turn with Bryan five days before the show, and are likely going to have him lose to Lesnar and sacrifice any momentum he has in the process, is a bigger, more pressing question.

Team Raw vs. Team SmackDown (Men)

Q: Has WWE done enough to make you care about the Raw vs. SmackDown battle? If so, what have you liked about the buildup? If not, what could have been done to make you care?

There is no issue between Raw and SmackDown any time other than November. The brand warfare storyline is a lazy one executed by WWE Creative to fill a PPV card so the answer would be a resounding "no." Maybe make the story a bigger, more significant and overarching one rather than a thrown-together mess and I would care more.

Bonus Question

Q: If you could create a dream Survivor Series team using any wrestlers from WWE history, which five would you choose and why?

Bret Hart, Eddie Guerrero, Randy Savage, CM Punk and The Undertaker. Why? Selfishly, they are my favorite wrestlers ever, and the idea of them all together on the same team makes me ridiculously happy.

Charlotte vs. Ronda Rousey

Q: Had the planned match between Lynch and Rousey took place, who do you think would have won and why?

There's no doubt in my mind Rousey would have won. They would have kept her undefeated until facing Flair at WrestleMania, and they still might do that and just have Flair win a rematch instead of a first-time encounter. The end game wasn't Lynch, especially since she was supposed to be the heel of sorts, and I'm not willing to believe that's changed even now.

Daniel Bryan vs. Brock Lesnar

Q: Why do you think WWE opted to change this match from Styles vs. Lesnar to Bryan vs. Lesnar at the last minute?

I have no idea. I don't even know where to begin trying to rationalize this decision. SmackDown was already suffering from a lack of babyfaces and they went ahead and removed the biggest one by turning him heel to set him up to lose a match against another heel? If they had kept Bryan a babyface and had the title change hands normally, I could have at least justified it by saying they wanted to avoid doing a rematch, but the heel turn just throws me for a loop.

Seth Rollins vs. Shinsuke Nakamura

Q: This is likely a dream match for many fans. Should WWE allow this match to end clean or would it be better to have Dean Ambrose interfere to further his storyline?

Nakamura needs to win, as he's done nothing at all for months, but since he's the heel, they'll never have him win clean. At least if Ambrose interferes, it gives Nakamura the victory and pushes the Rollins feud further. If Rollins wins and they follow it up with an Ambrose attack, it'll be a major slap in the face to Nakamura.

Bonus Question

Q: If you could create a dream Survivor Series team using any wrestlers from WWE history, which five would you choose and why?

This is so impossibly hard to pick, as I would love to have a theme going, but I can't decide. Instead, I'd just go with five of my favorites of all time in Shawn Michaels, Undertaker, Bret Hart, Chris Jericho and Edge. I could book hundreds of combinations to include Foley, The Rock, Mr. Perfect, Randy Savage, Triple H and so many more, though.

Charlotte vs. Ronda Rousey

Q: Had the planned match between Lynch and Rousey took place, who do you think would have won and why?

Rousey has not lost yet in WWE, so even with Lynch’s unreasonably impressive popularity, The Irish Lass Kicker would have lost. Undefeated streaks are valuable in this company and should be protected to sell long-term stories.

While I’d argue at this point The Man is more important to this company’s popularity than the mainstream appeal of The Baddest Woman on the Planet, Lynch could afford a loss while Rousey could not. She’s only going down when someone is prepared to take her Raw Women’s Championship.

Daniel Bryan vs. Brock Lesnar

Why do you think WWE opted to change this match from Styles vs. Lesnar to Bryan vs. Lesnar at the last minute?

Survivor Series needed a hook, and a rematch between Styles and Lesnar was not it. With Lynch’s injury, the show was without a true standout match and The Beard vs. The Beast has much more appeal than another Phenomenal shot at The Beast. The move makes sense mostly to get people more interested in what comes next.

This is a potential dream match no one has seen, and, even if the WWE universal champion only wants to work a few minutes, there’s more excitement around the first-time clash than a rematch. Styles and Bryan are both great, but only one has never fought The Beast.

The AOP vs. The Bar

Q: Between Cesaro and Sheamus, who do you think will get the bigger singles push when they eventually break up? Why?

WWE consider Sheamus to be a much bigger star than Cesaro, but I honestly think the only reason the tag team has lasted as long as it has is to protect Sheamus. The Celtic Warrior has spent months out of the year for the past few years away from WWE to stay healthy, and it feels like he won’t last long as a solo star. At 40, he’s breaking down quickly.

For that reason, The Swiss Cyborg just seems like the better bet to succeed post-Bar. He’s younger (37) and much healthier, which are big pluses. More importantly, he’s never gotten a chance to succeed as a solo star, which should come after the breakup. Cesaro will be the biggest he has ever been after The Bar break up and will get his one chance to stand out in WWE.

Bonus Question

Q: If you could create a dream Survivor Series team using any wrestlers from WWE history, which five would you choose and why?

The dream Survivor Series would have a mix of styles that could compete against any other competitors. Mostly though, it would just be the best of the best. You’d need a brawler like Austin. You’d need a charismatic star like Rock. You’d need an iconic striker like Undertaker.

Next comes a risk-taker like Michaels with the final spot going to the greatest technician in the business, Bret Hart. It would be an all-star lineup, with everyone taking on a unique role. 

Charlotte vs. Ronda Rousey

Q: Had the planned match between Lynch and Rousey took place, who do you think would have won and why?

As much as I would love to say it would have been Becky, WWE wants to protect Rousey way more than anyone else at this point. Management likely would have booked some kind of interference or Lynch would have lost cleanly.

Daniel Bryan vs. Brock Lesnar

Q: Why do you think WWE opted to change this match from Styles vs. Lesnar to Bryan vs. Lesnar at the last minute?

It likely has to do with the fact that we saw Styles face Lesnar last year and WWE didn’t want a repeat. If Lesnar only has a couple more matches before he heads back to UFC, WWE wants to get the most out of his run. Having The Beast face Bryan would give the fans a dream match may have wanted to see for years.

Buddy Murphy vs. Mustafa Ali

Q: If WWE were to get rid of 205 Live, which cruiserweight do you think would have the best career on Raw or SmackDown? Explain your answer.

Cedric Alexander’s style would mesh well with the likes of Styles, Rollins, Nakamura, Bryan and many others on the main roster. He may even end up moving to Raw or SmackDown without 205 Live going under if WWE sees enough value in him. It kept a few Superstars under the 205-pound limit out of the cruiserweight division, and a few have even moved over to the brand, so we could see the reverse happen, too.

Bonus Question

Q: If you could create a dream Survivor Series team using any wrestlers from WWE history, which five would you choose and why? 

I thought long and hard about this one because there have been so many great Superstars throughout the years. I ended up mixing eras and choosing Randy Savage, Bret Hart, The Rock, John Cena and Daniel Bryan. Each Superstar helped define their era and each helped push their peers to greater heights.

Each writer's initials will appear after the name of the person or team they predict to win each match. Here is how everyone on the panel voted:

• Buddy Murphy (KB, JJ, AB, EB, AM, CM) vs. Mustafa Ali
• Team Raw (AB, CM) vs. Team SmackDown (KB, JJ, EB, EB) (Tag Teams)
• Team Raw (KB, EB) vs. Team SmackDown (JJ, AB, AM, CM) (Women)
• Team Raw (JJ, EB, AM) vs. Team SmackDown (KB, AB, CM) (Men)
• Seth Rollins (JJ) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura (KB, AB, EB, AM, CM)
• The AOP (AB, EB, AM, CM) vs. The Bar (KB, JJ)
• Daniel Bryan (JJ, CM) vs. Brock Lesnar (KB, AB, EB, AM)
• Ronda Rousey (KB, JJ, AB, EB, AM, CM) vs. Charlotte

What are your Survivor Series predictions?