WWE Survivor Series 2011: 15 Reasons It Could Be the Biggest PPV of the Year

The WWE is going all out for this year's Survivor Series—advertisements and promotions galore, The Rock, Madison Square Garden.

The pay-per-view is certainly shaping up to be one of the most memorable of the year, but it's definitely got some competition. The spring and summer were highlighted by a few top-notch PPVs, and Survivor Series is going to have to really deliver to live up to all the hype.

Will that happen? Well, I don't know for sure, but I think it could.

Here are 15 reasons why Survivor Series could be the biggest pay-per-view of 2011.

15. The Buildup

When a pay-per-view fails, it's oftentimes because the buildup fails first.

If the WWE doesn't use logical and sound booking to give us a reason to watch a pay-per-view, then we won't watch it, and the show will likely bomb.

See: Night of Champions.

However, if the buildup is strong and the creative team builds up some true animosity between the wrestlers, then we'll say, "Damn. I can't wait to see what happens when they finally meet in the ring."

The WWE started off on the right foot with its booking of Monday's episode of Raw, and judging by the Smackdown spoilers, they're headed in the right direction on the blue brand as well.

That buildup should only get better when The Rock returns and the feuds get more intense. And, if we have a reason to emotionally invest ourselves in these Survivor Series feuds, then that's exactly what we'll do.

14. The Return of Kane

Kane has been out of action since the end of July, when Mark Henry fractured his fibula and put him on the shelf for what was supposed to be three months.

Well, August and September have come and gone, and October is almost over. So, that means that The Big Red Monster is scheduled to return any time now.

He could certainly come back on an episode of Monday Night Raw or at a Tuesday Smackdown taping, but a return on free TV won't mean nearly as much as one that comes at a "Big Four" pay-per-view like Survivor Series.

I've thought for several weeks now that Kane would make his return by attacking Henry, and I still think that's the case.

It'll just happen a little later than I expected it to.

13. The Climax of the Triple H/Laurinaitis/Nash/McMahon Storyline

Raw's ongoing storyline between Kevin Nash, Triple H, John Laurinaitis and Vince McMahon has been a complete and utter failure up to this point.

There have been far too many logic gaps, Vince returned too early, Nash can barely walk and Laurinaitis is arguably the worst authority figure in WWE history.

But I've still been trying to be at least slightly optimistic, and I'm holding out hope that all this B.S. is leading to something bigger...and that it will happen at Survivor Series.

It doesn't necessarily have to be the culmination of this power struggle storyline. It just has to be the biggest moment of it.

Maybe Stephanie or Vince returns, or maybe something else happens that shocks us all—I just don't know.

But that's what needs to happen if Survivor Series is going to be as good as a "Big Four" pay-per-view should be.

12. The Long-Term Planning Is Working

You know how it often seems like the WWE writes its shows on a piece of loose leaf paper 30 minutes before it actually airs?

Well, that's not the case this time around.

Everything that happened at Vengeance and the following edition of Monday Night Raw happened for a reason, which set up some sort of match at Survivor Series.

The Miz and R-Truth's attack on John Cena, Kevin Nash's attack on Triple H, Mark Henry superplexing The Big Show and causing the ring to collapse, etc.

All of those moments served some sort of purpose (to build toward the next pay-per-view), and considering that the WWE hardly ever does any long-term planning, I'm actually excited about the fact that we at least have an idea of where we're headed.

When we don't simply get random matches thrown together, that tends to make everything better.

11. A Star Is Born?

"Stone Cold" Steve Austin had his with Austin 3:16 speech at the King of the Ring tournament in 1996.

Chris Jericho had his when he made the greatest debut in WWE history in 1999.

But will another up-and-coming WWE star have his breakout moment at this year's Survivor Series?

I think so. You just have to take your pick.

Dolph Ziggler? Jack Swagger? Cody Rhodes? 

With so many stars appearing on this show, likely in high-profile matches, this could be the pay-per-view that we look back on and say, "Oh, that's when you knew (Superstar A) was going to be huge."

10. The Return to Prominence of the 5-on-5 Match

The WWE typically holds one or two traditional 5-on-5 matches at Survivor Series, but those bouts haven't seemed all that important in recent years, when they used to be the highlight of the show.

It's often one or two stars on each team, paired with some guys that no one really cares about.

But this year's pay-per-view could very well change that because there are a number of stars who won't be competing in World title matches and thus, could all be a part of a 5-on-5 match.

Something like this perhaps?

Triple H, Randy Orton, Sheamus, Kofi Kingston and Evan Bourne vs. Kevin Nash, Cody Rhodes, Christian, Dolph Ziggler and Jack Swagger

Outside of Nash's involvement, I love everything about this match, and I think it could truly be one of the better 5-on-5 matches we've ever witnessed.

Now, we just have to wait and see if the WWE will book a quality match like this.

9. The New-Look Title Matches

Presumably, the two World title matches at Survivor Series will be Mark Henry vs. The Big Show for the World Heavyweight Championship and Alberto Del Rio vs. CM Punk for the WWE Championship.

While Big Show's been involved in multiple title matches at the pay-per-view before, these other three guys haven't. 

Punk, Del Rio and Henry are getting huge opportunities by competing for the World titles at one of the biggest shows of the year, and this is a big change from previous Survivor Series PPVs.

Over the last several years, the World title matches at this pay-per-view have been dominated by household names like John Cena, Randy Orton, Triple H, Batista and Chris Jericho.

But not this year. It's time for some new faces to carry the matches for the WWE's top two prizes. 

8. Daniel Bryan Cashes In?

I don't care if Daniel Bryan said he'd wait until WrestleMania 28 to cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase. 

The WWE loves to ignore history, and I wouldn't be surprised at all if Bryan cashed in way before then.

So, why not Survivor Series?

It doesn't seem like Bryan is going to be involved in any meaningful feud on the show, so if I'm on the creative team, I consider leaving him off the card altogether before cashing on Mark Henry to become the new World Heavyweight Champion.

The situation should be perfect: Henry likely will have just had a slobber knocker with The Big Show, and Henry has already feuded with Smackdown's top two baby faces, Randy Orton and Sheamus.

Who's next in line? Well, it could certainly be Daniel Bryan.

7. The Actual Wrestling

Money in the Bank was one of the best WWE pay-per-views in history, and SummerSlam was probably the second best show of the year.

And what did those two PPVs have in common? Great wrestling.

Those shows were highlighted by John Cena vs. CM Punk and Randy Orton vs. Christian, and those four guys managed to put on two straight classics against each other.

Not that Survivor Series will rival Money in the Bank wrestling-wise, but it should still be very good.

Punk vs. Alberto Del Rio, Cena and The Rock vs. The Miz and R-Truth and whichever 5-on-5 match we wind up seeing should all hit at least ***1/2 stars if booked right, and I'm never going to complain about a pay-per-view that features three high-quality matches.

6. The Potential for a Major Face or Heel Turn

John Cena's teaming up with his WrestleMania 28 opponent The Rock, Triple H will likely face his former pal Kevin Nash in some sort of match and there will probably be one or two traditional 5-on-5 matches.

Thus, the elements are there for a major superstar to shock the world by turning face or heel.

It's happened multiple times already this year—with guys like Sheamus, Christian and R-Truth all benefiting from awesome turns—and it could certainly happen again at Survivor Series.

Perhaps someone turns on his team, Triple H reveals he was in cahoots with Nash all along or maybe—gasp!—Cena nails The Rock with an AA and begins a slow heel turn.

No matter what the specifics are, however, I think we can bank on someone screwing someone else over, and it being a major part of WWE storylines going forward.

5. Mick Foley's Involvement

We already know that Mick Foley will be making his triumphant return to the WWE on the Raw before Survivor Series, and I don't think that's all we'll see of the former WWE Champion.

Given that The Rock is wrestling at the pay-per-view, we can assume that Foley may get involved with his former tag team partner for a brief reunion of The Rock 'n' Sock Connection.

Or—who knows?—he may be get involved in a different storyline altogether.

The bottom line is that Foley will be back in a WWE ring for the first time in a few years, and wrestling fans—especially those who grew up during the Attitude Era—will definitely be excited about it. 

4. The Madison Square Garden Crowd

Other than what happens in the ring, the biggest difference between a pay-per-view that's just OK and one that's phenomenal is the crowd.

I look at Vengeance and the fans in San Antonio and I can't help but be disappointed in them. They popped huge for Mark Henry's superplex on The Big Show, but they were pretty quiet most of the night.

On the other hand, the Chicago crowd at Money in the Bank was one of the best I've ever seen. The atmosphere was electric, the chants didn't stop all night long and as a result, that show is considered to be the best pay-per-view of the year and one of the best all time.

Money in the Bank may be surpassed by Survivor Series, however, because the show is being held in Madison Square Garden, and "The World's Most Famous Arena" traditionally has one of the—if not the—hottest crowds in the country.

If the fans in New York are as rowdy as they usually are, then Survivor Series will be well on its way to being a top-notch pay-per-view.

3. "The Most Charismatic Tag Team of All Time"

Whether you like John Cena and The Rock, hate one but love the other or love them both, you can't deny that their pairing is one of the greatest in wrestling history.

The WWE is billing them as "The Most Charismatic Tag Team of All Time," and I'd be hard-pressed to find a team that rivals them in that department, with D-Generation (Triple H and Shawn Michaels) and the Mega Powers (Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage) as the only ones who come even close.

The thing that makes the Rock/Cena pairing so special, however, is that two huge stars from two different eras are going to wrestle on the same team just months before they face off in what will be one of the most anticipated matches ever.

I never thought I'd see the day where one of the biggest names from the Attitude Era competed in the same ring as the face of professional wrestling.

But that's exactly what's going to happen at Survivor Series.

2. The Undertaker's Return?

The Undertaker doesn't have much time left, and it's highly likely that he'll only compete at WrestleMania for another year. Maybe two.

But, that's not going to prevent most of us from hoping, wishing and praying that he comes back for one more run before finally hanging up the boots for good.

And if The Undertaker's return were to happen soon, we'd love to see it at Survivor Series. He has traditionally played a very big role at the pay-per-view, and it just isn't the same without him.

With the way Mark Henry has run through Smackdown over the last several months, it would make a ton of sense for 'Taker to come back to try to stop him.

Is it actually going to happen? We don't know, but we'll be anxiously waiting to see if it does.

1. The Rock's Return to the Ring

The Rock should have waited until WrestleMania 28 to get in the ring—that is and always will be how I feel.

But the fact that he's wrestling his first match in seven years is the main reason why a large portion of WWE fans will be buying Survivor Series.

No matter what else happens at the pay-per-view, it will always be remembered as The Rock's return to the ring after a seven-year hiatus.

He is undoubtedly one of the greatest WWE superstars of all-time, and as much as we like to watch guys like Randy Orton or CM Punk wrestle, we won't talk about this pay-per-view five years from now because of them.

We'll talk about it because the People's Champ electrified the World's Most Famous Arena.