WWE Survivor Series 2011 Predictions: Wade Barrett Will Be Show's Biggest Winner

Wade Barrett will lead his team of heels into action in the traditional 10-man tag-team match at Survivor Series tonight, and when the dust settles over the next couple days, Barrett will emerge as the night's biggest winner.

Barrett has been getting a subtle, yet impressive, push in recent weeks, and has shown main-event talent both in the ring and on the mic. He's always possessed the look of a long-term main event contender, but was held back by a lack of crowd reaction, something Alberto Del Rio is finding out about right now.

But judging by his backstage vignettes and in-ring performance since Vengeance, he might finally be ready to get over the hump.

One indication of that was him being named captain of the heel team instead of Cody Rhodes, who has also played a prominent role recently. That shows how much the WWE wants to feature Barrett to see if his most recent uptick deserves another boost.

The only problem is finding a spot for him on Smackdown. Mark Henry is firmly entrenched as the WWE Heavyweight Champion, and Cody Rhodes is holding steady as the Intercontinental Champion. So all the top heel spots are being held right now.

Maybe that's why Barrett's rise has been more of the slow and steady variety, as opposed to a meteoric rise like Zack Ryder. The company doesn't want him to reach his peak before there's a clear path at a title run.

Whatever the case, it's always nice to see some new faces atop the card.

After spending numerous months watching John Cena and Randy Orton dominate their respective shows, a breath of fresh air was necessary. Whether it be Mark Henry, CM Punk or potentially Barrett, change is good.

The Survivor Series tag-team match didn't generate a ton of pre-match buildup because of The Rock's return and Punk's feud with Del Rio, but there is a lot of potential among those 10 wrestlers.

It will be interesting to see how it all pans out in the coming weeks, especially for Barrett.

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