By Don Murphy, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@DonThePredictor)
WWE presents the 38th annual Survivor Series on Saturday evening Vancouver, British Columbia at Rogers Arena. For the third year in a row, the show will be headlined by two WarGames matches – one that has a decent story behind it and one that was thrown together. Nevertheless, I have no doubt that everyone involved in these matches will work hard and make them as exciting as they can. Besides WarGames, three title matches round out the card. There’s not a lot of mystery surrounding the outcomes, but I think we may see at least one title change before the night is through. With that said, let’s run down the card!
Roman Reigns, Jimmy Uso, Jey Uso, Sami Zayn, and CM Punk vs. Solo Sikoa, Jacob Fatu, Tama Tonga, Tonga Loa, and Bronson Reed in a WarGames match. The build to this match, like the Bloodline storyline in general, has been excellent for the most part. I think the story ran off course with the addition of CM Punk out of nowhere, but the creative team is doing its best to emphasize the common denominator between Punk and Roman – Paul Heyman. Besides the match itself, I’ll be watching for several potential storyline developments. Will Seth Rollins appear to attack Bronson Reed and the new Bloodline? Will he confront or attack Punk for taking the last spot and helping Roman? Will there be any indications that Heyman will eventually turn on Roman and realign with Punk? What will become of both Bloodlines after the match? Some interesting things to watch for here.
Don Predicts: Roman Reigns, Jimmy Uso, Jey Uso, Sami Zayn, and CM Punk defeat Solo Sikoa, Jacob Fatu, Tama Tonga, Tonga Loa, and Bronson Reed.
Rhea Ripley, Bianca Belair, Iyo Sky, Naomi, and Bayley vs. Nia Jax, Liv Morgan, Raquel Rodriguez, Tiffany Stratton, and Candice LeRae in a WarGames match. This is the one that was thrown together. The match will be good but without a good story, it’s lacking a bit. That said, I’m happy that Candice LeRae is being featured and in a big match. And there are also a few things to look out for. Will we see friction between Bianca Belair and Bayley? Will we get a clue as to who injured Jade Cargill? Will Tiffany Stratton take advantage of the carnage and attempt a cash-in? And if so, who does she pick? I don’t see a cash-in happening but I am sure we will be teased and that may be good enough for this match.
Don Predicts: Rhea Ripley, Bianca Belair, Iyo Sky, Naomi, and Bayley defeat Nia Jax, Liv Morgan, Raquel Rodriguez, Tiffany Stratton, and Candice LeRae.
Gunther vs. Damian Priest for the World Heavyweight Championship. There’s no reason to think that Priest will win the title back here, but I did enjoy the build where Gunther was presented as a little less confident and vulnerable than he has been in the past. Priest has evolved into a solid babyface and is very good in the ring. Their SummerSlam match was good and I have no doubt that this one will fit the bill as well. In the end, I think it’s designed to give Gunther a clean win over Priest and get him back on track for Mania season. Will Goldberg confront Gunther to set up his retirement match?
Don Predicts: Gunther retains the World Heavyweight Championship.
Bron Breakker vs. Sheamus vs. Ludwig Kaiser in a Triple Threat for the Intercontinental Championship. This is the sleeper match of the night. I’m looking for two things here. They’ve started and stopped with Breakker’s dominance so I’d like to see a decisive win here. In doing so, I don’t want to see Kaiser become the fall guy. He’s got so much potential and they’re just starting to move him away from being Gunther’s lackey. That would mean that Sheamus takes the fall. I’m fine with this as he’s teflon at this stage of his career and a loss feeds into his ongoing quest to win the one title he never has.
Don Predicts: Bron Breakker retains the Intercontinental Championship.
LA Knight vs. Shinsuke Nakamura for the U.S. Championship. Knight has had a fine run as champion and I like that they’ve brought back the open challenges, even though he wrestles Santos Escobar or a member of Legado del Fantasma more times than not. They’ve just brought back Nakamura with a new, darker look. I’m not saying it will get over, but if they don’t want to kill it before it starts, a title win here is a must. Knight is also a guy who won’t lose his credibility with one loss.
Don Predicts: Shinsuke Nakamura wins the U.S. Championship.
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