Did you know Survivor Series is THIS Sunday? I almost forgot, only because the entire card is one giant afterthought.
Seriously. Have you seen the lineup? I haven’t been this underwhelmed in a long time. I know I can be critical of PPV cards because it is very hard to come up with a novel or rare match, but this is SURVIVOR SERIES. It is supposed to be one of the most novel, creative, and outright unpredictable pay-per-view events on the calendar. Instead of getting some epic tag bouts like we had this past Monday night on RAW, instead we have some tag bouts, predictably arranged title matches, and two of the “Traditional” matches, one involving Divas, so therefore does not actually count.
We could have had Team Punk vs. Team Wyatt. Or Team Bryan vs. Team Authority. Some pretty neat things happen during Survivor Series matches, but this year some good creative ideas just went right out the window. The problem with a lack of matches, means a lack of talent on the show. Honestly, NO ONE CARES about Team Divas vs. Team Total Divas. NO ONE CARES.
Even the John Cena World Title Defense against former champion Alberto del Rio has gotten so little attention. Hell, I would have taken Team Cena vs. Team Del Rio.
We are missing guys like Dolph Ziggler, Damien Sandow, Wade Barrett, R-Truth, and others who can easily perform in an elimination match situation. I really feel WWE dropped the ball on this one. Big time. [Editorial Note: Wade Barrett has had visa issues which has kept him off WWE TV, it has been resolved as of the last week or so].
In any case, let’s look at what we do have:
Pre-Show: The Miz vs. Kofi Kingston:
Well, Miz finally embraced his dark side and hopefully this means he will go back to what made him famous in the first place. A guy like Miz should be more popular as a heel. Think about someone like Edge. However, being on the pre-show should be no different, as it’s either that or being subject to being “a host” of an event. Kofi Kingston finally gets promoted from Expert Panelist to pre-show, so perhaps there is hope for his dying career yet. Don’t care who wins this one, as long as the match is halfway decent.
Curtis Axel vs. Big E. Langston:
At least Axel gets his rematch. The match might go longer than the one on RAW, but unless someone at WWE decided to orchestrate a MAJOR swerve, expect Langston to continue his demolishing ways and make short work of Son of Hennig.
Diva Survivor Series Match:
Did you not hear me… NO ONE CARES!
Survivor Series Match: Rhodes, Usos, Mysterio vs. Shield & Real Americans
The ONE Survivor Series match pits The Rhodes Bros., The Usos, and Rey Mysterio up against The Shield and The Real Americans. This is a good match. Everyone involved is stellar in the ring, and can put on a great show. I hope this one is not rushed and everyone is given ample time to perform. I am sure we will get the usual double-count out or DQ which takes out two or three participants at once. Winners are irrelevant to me, just give me a good match.
CM Punk & Daniel Bryan vs. The Wyatts
Here is your show-stealer. Not even a question. It is Team ROH on one side and Best Creepy Gimmick of the modern-era on the other. I hope it just turns into a 2-on-3 or a 3-on-3, just so Bray can get in the ring, big guy can fly! As a fan of Punk and Bryan, I want them to win, but a loss could create good drama. The only downside is Bryan being drawn further and further away from the WWE Title hunt. A bit disappointing, but hopefully not to last much longer.
World Heavyweight Championship – Alberto del Rio challenges John Cena
I have no care for this. I love Del Rio’s work in and out of the ring, but this one just screams boring to me. Cena came back from a miraculous recovery and instantly won the title. Lame enough, I feel Del Rio will job to the champ and fall further down the ladder.
WWE Championship – Big Show challenges Randy Orton
This could be really good. Two ring vets right here. Show is always entertaining. Hell, he and Ryback had a great dance on RAW. Orton, despite his critics, can go for long matches. Despite being stale on the mic, he has more moves than Cena. Orton is going the crazy route, always saying how he needs help to keep his titles and plays up the spoiled brat routine. Again, not entirely storyline. Orton says everything is handed to him because he is the epitome of greatness. This gimmick works for him. Big Show will likely hand his head to Triple H after punching it off and winning the championship.
