WWE Survivor Series - Mens Traditional Survivor Series Elimination Tag Team Match

[Jack-Hammer]

While we've yet to know who'll be making up Raw's male team, we know that Randy Orton will be the blue brand's first team member due to his win over Sami Zayn last night. I'm mixed on that seeing as how it might turn out to be yet another example of WWE being unwilling to sustain the momentum of a fresh face, it's pretty much par for the course at this point. However, in the weeks to come, this could be an overall good decision depending on where they go with it. For instance, Kevin Owens faces Shinsuke Nakamura for a spot on the team next week and I have a feeling he'll lose as well; so maybe this means that Sami & KO will play spoilers for the blue brand and wind up doing something at Survivor Series to cause SmackDown to lose the match. If so, then I think Sami losing to Orton last night was worth it; if not, then it's the same old bullshit of so many modern stars not gaining any steady momentum due to questionable booking decisions.

When it's all said & done, I think that the teams might look something like this:

Team Raw - Kurt Angle, Roman Reigns, Finn Balor, Sheamus & Cesaro

Team SmackDown - Shane McMahon, Randy Orton, Shinsuke Nakamura, AJ Styles & Bobby Roode

Yup, I've little doubt that Shane and Angle will be in this bout. I could be wrong but it's just something I see going down. Shane was part of the match last year, so it's likely he will this year and if they want to have Angle wrestle but save a 1 on 1 match for a later time, then putting him in these tag team situations is a good way to protect him. I'd rather they had the spots go to full time wrestlers but Vince is whacky for special attractions to get prime spots on major shows.

 

[rge2010]

Hmmmm, not convinced you are correct on the teams you have mentioned.
I think the Smackdown one is pretty much spot on but I do not see Shane taking part. That last spot will go to Jericho or maybe Rusev in my opinion. I see Owens and Zayn costing the blue brand the match.

Team Raw

Roman Reigns - yes, without question and will no doubt be the captain.

Finn Balor - can't disagree with you on that one.

Kurt Angle - I do not see them using him in a Wrestling capacity so soon after TLC (which was forced). Angle will be saved until Wrestlemania IMO. Plus he would be taking a roster spot.

The Bar - currently involved in a story line with Kurt Angle so I doubt they would be on his team fighting for Raw superiority. It doesn't make sense.

The alternatives...

Braun Strowman - rumours he will be fighting Kane but where does this keep in with the Raw vs Smackdown theme? He won't be left off the card.

Samoa Joe - set to return from injury. Has history with Kurt - good and bad, could be the saviour.

Bray Wyatt - another big name I can't see missing out on the event.

 

[The Samoan Heritage]

I would prefer for the two teams to not look similar to last year's teams, with the exception of maybe 1 or 2 guys.
2016/last year:
Team SmackDown (AJ Styles, Bray Wyatt, Dean Ambrose, Randy Orton, and Shane McMahon)
Team Raw (Braun Strowman, Chris Jericho, Kevin Owens, Roman Reigns, and Seth Rollins)

My guess for 2017's SD v Raw match:

Team Raw:
Finn balor- Leader/Angle chooses him as leader, due to defeating AJ.
Cesaro
Sheamus
Elias
Samoa Joe

Team Smackdown:
AJ Styles-Leader
Big E
Kofi Kingston
Kevin Owens- Zayn and Owens attacks Orton on pre-show or during the ppv, and Owens replaces him in the main event.
Shinsuke Nakamura

There are a lot of possibilities, but with the champion(s) vs champion(s) matches, I think this is probably how I would like to see this match be.
Reason some guys are not involved:
*Bray needs to stay off tv, until they figure out what to do with him
*Reigns, i am hoping is used as the special ref in the Shield vs Usos match
*Braun will hopefully fight Kane. No need for every match to not have build/reason.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

There are rumors floating about today that the final line up for this match will be as follows:

Team Raw: Kurt Angle, Roman Reigns, Finn Balor, Samoa Joe & Braun Strowman vs. Team SmackDown: Shane McMahon, AJ Styles, Randy Orton, Sinsuke Nakamura & Bobby Roode

IF this does turn out to the match, I expect Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn to do something to cost the blue brand the match. Owens is expected to face Nakamura tomorrow night on SD Live for a spot on the blue team, as we saw with Orton & Zayn last week, so a loss for Owens could lead for Zayn and himself to screw over the blue brand at Survivor Series and set themselves up as the top heels on SD Live going forward. After this, I think they really need to tone things down with Shane on SmackDown as he's becoming much too front and center for my liking. I've really liked not having on-air authority figures all over the show and being the centerpiece of things for the blue brand and I like that Raw finally followed suit, but I think Shane needs to start taking a backseat again.

As for Angle and Shane being involved, the writing was on the wall even before SmackDown's "invasion" of Raw last week.

 

[rge2010]

It looks a bit of a mismatch to me. You have a Wrestling legend leading team Raw in Kurt Angle and a TV Character leading Smackdown who has lost his last 3 high profile matches to Undertaker, AJ Styles and Kevin Owens.

Reigns, Strowman and Joe are three of the top names in the company right. Orton still has credibility, Styles is a top name but Nakumura and Roode are upper midcarders at best.

Smackdown really lacks some star power and could do with a 'monster heel'. I have to say it is illogical for Kevin Owens to be on team Smackdown but he would add a bit of much needed 'brute'.

Personally at this time I would have gone:

Raw - Roman Reigns (captain), Braun Strowman, Samoa Joe, Finn Balor, Jason Jordan

Smackdown - Randy Orton (captain), AJ Styles, Kevin Owens, Shinsuka Nakumura, Baron Corbin

I would give the US Title to Bobby Roode and have him face The Miz.

 

[adam]

There are going to be some questions on whether Roman will be back by the Survivor series but I'd expect outside interference from KO& Sami along with Kane to impact the match for the SD live guys really lack the size to deal with Roman, Joe and Braun. Likely Roman will carry Raw to the win if he's ready but I can certainly see KO and Sami helping Raw win.

 

[GetTheTables]

Despite the Raw team looking stronger, I'd have picked them to win regardless simply because Smackdown won last year.

 

[Wolf Pac]

I think it's guaranteed at this point that Owens and Sami will cost Team Smackdown the match and Smackdown won last year, so Raw should win this year especially as they have the stronger looking team.

Personally, I might've gone with this lineup instead...

Raw: Roman Reigns, Braun Strowman, Samoa Joe, Kane and Finn Balor vs. Smackdown: Randy Orton, AJ Styles, Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn and Shinsuke Nakamura.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

With Jason Jordan filling the final spot for the Raw men's team, it doesn't feel as lopsided as it would have if it'd gone to Roman Reigns. There's a lot of talent on Raw but nobody, aside from Kurt Angle, that's been a long term star with the company. Aside from Angle, the only Raw team member to capture gold in WWE has been Finn Balor. Over on the blue brand, when you look at things from a certain perspective, SmackDown's team look like favorites; Randy Orton is the long term star of the team as a 13 time World Champion, Shinsuke Nakamura's a 2 time NXT Champion, Bobby Roode's became NXT Champion by beating Nakamura, Shane is the novelty act and the final spot is anyone's guess.

Team Raw has the strength factor going for them with Strowman, Joe & Jordan. Angle might've lost a few steps but he can still deliver while Jordan & Balor bring athleticism to the dance. Not really any powerhouses on the blue brand but Shane's the risk taker, Nakamura is the striker, Roode's the mat guy while Orton's sorta the jack of all trades to some degree.

It seems like a given that Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn will do something to cause the blue team to lose or, at the very least, do something to cause the elimination of at least one or two members. For the red team, the same thing could be said about Kane as I could see Kane interfering for the purpose of eliminating Braun Strowman, possibly via count out or stunning him long enough for someone from SmackDown to hit their finisher so that Braun is down enough time to be pinned.

 

[Deoxyribonucleic A.C.I.D.]

I'm sorry but I feel like these teams are weak.

Why not have it like this?
RAW: Strowman, Balor, Angle, Wyatt, Joe

SD: Nakamura, Orton, Zayn, Owens, Shane

I get that they're trying to build something with Owens and Zayn here, but they're two top names and the members of Smackdown trying to co-exist with each other would make some good TV and would make the match even more interesting.

Also, adding Bray Wyatt to the RAW team would raise the intimacy of the match, with Balor and Strowman in there as well. Kurt Angle, leading a team of freaks also sells more.

Isn't Bray ready to come back? I doubt that.

Also, instead of doing the stupid IC Champ vs the US Champ, because that match literally means nothing, why not have a RAW star challenge for the US title and a SD star challenge for the IC title. That way you really raise the stakes, as one brand could lose a championship.
Then have, Jordan vs Corbin for the US title and Roode vs Miz for the IC title, after Jordan and Roode have each defeated Elias and Ziggler to get these spots.

This card could have been better than what it is right now.

 

[LODemolition]

Well, Cena was just added to the SD team. I know he's a "free agent", but this kind of comes out of left field when his last run was strictly on Raw. It doesn't really fit. I would've liked to have seen Owens or Rusev take the last spot, but I think we all know KO is going to interfere in this match.

 

[LODemolition]

I have to wonder what they're going to do with the rest of the card, if it will be Raw vs Smackdown from top to bottom (other than the cruiserweight title match) or what.

I'd personally like to see a couple more elimination matches, another for the singles stars (a match for the 2nd stringers if you will) and one for the tag team division. These would be my teams:

5 on 5 Elimination:

Bray Wyatt, Kane, Elias, Matt Hardy & Goldust
vs.
Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, Rusev, Dolph Ziggler & Tye Dillinger

12-Team Elimination:

The Miztourage, Gallows & Anderson, Slater & Rhyno, Titus & Apollo, Swann & Alexander and Kendrick & Gallagher
vs
Benjamin & Gable, The Bludgeon Brothers, Breezedango, The Hype Bros and The Ascension

I'd also love to see the sole survivor match from 1990 brought back. I'd probably give the win to Raw in the big 5 on 5 they just added Cena to, with Strowman and Samoa Joe remaining. Then Smackdown gets the win in the 2nd string match with Owens and Zayn surviving. And Smackdown wins again in the 12-team match when the Bludgeon Brothers outlast the rest. So the sole survivor match would be 2 on 4, Strowman and Samoa Joe vs Owens, Zayn, Harper & Rowan with Strowman being the last man standing.

 

[Y 2 Jake]

If this match is supposed to mean something then why would you have Cena in the match even if he was exclusive for a brand? He just messes around and doesn't take his job seriously anyway.

 

[ShinChan]

He just messes around and doesn't take his job seriously anyway.

So the teams are Kurt Angle, Finn Bálor, Samoa Joe, Braun Strowman and Jason Jordan (Lol.) against Shane McMahon, Randy Orton, Shinsuke Nakamura, Bobby Roode and John Cena. I wonder how Jason Jordan is included in these damn big names.

So, Braun Strowman will obviously be cancelled out by Kane. The latter isn't scheduled in any match but he won't leave Braun Strowman. Bálor and Joe seem to have problems and that leaves Kurt Angle and Jason Jordan.

And on Smackdown, there's only a single problem and that's the duo of Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn. Shane will do his crazy spot, likely with Braun Strowman. And then get eliminated. Can't think of anything else for Smackdown. Smackdown seems to have the upper hand as of now. And therefore, Kurt Angle's GM tenure seems to end soon.

 

[Psykohurricane55]

Looking at the final configuration of both team, i've got to say that both team looks really strong going into survivor series.

The thing is how do you book this match without making guys look weak in the process especially since there's so many feud already set up on both brand that could play out during this match.

So here how i see this match going, have Shane get taking out either before the match or during his entrance by owens and zayn which automatically give team raw a 4 on 5 advantage right off the bat.

Strowman get eliminate by count out after Kane comes back from the dead and interfere in the match.

the final four should be angle/HHH vs Cena and either nakamura or orton.

Joe and Balor help eliminated each other

HHH gets eliminate after Jason Jordan interfere and distract HHH, Which lead to Angle beating Cena but getting beat by either orton or nakamura and Angle loses his job which will set up the HHH vs Angle feud that they want to get to for mania.

So that's how i would book this match to move along all the feud they have going on right now. But i ready to guess that none of this will happen.

 

[Aeon Mathix]

I really wish there was actually something on the line in these dual branded matches. I get titles not being on the line because of well they are color coded for the most part but at least have the winning side get a roster pick or whatever. It was interesting last year because they had stipulations for a couple matches (if Sami had beaten Miz the IC title would have came to Smackdown etc.).

That being said this is one of the most stacked matches I can ever remember with the amount of talent involved so I can forgive nothing really being on the line except "bragging rights" which will be in the form of passing promo probably by Angle on Raw while everyone goes on with their business. I remember Bray won it for Smackdown last year but was it even acknowledged after? If this match didn't have the names involved it wouldn't be very interesting on paper.

 

[Y 2 Jake]

Wouldn't it be refreshing if Orton, Cena, Shane, Angle and Triple H were all eliminated fairly quickly. I know Nakamura, Roode, Joe etc are no spring chickens themselves, but they're new to the main roster and already need rehabilitating. Particularly on the Smackdown side.

 

[GOOZEKING]

I think the important thing about this match is how they book it and how it leads to future storylines. I know Vince is tempted but I really hope that that people like triple h, Shane, angle, cena, and even Orton aren’t the lone survivors because honestly except for angle they don’t need it

 

[Psykohurricane55]

Right now when you look at the team most of them already have feud with somebody else. So here who everybody is feuding with right now and how this could play out in that match

Team Raw

HHH- Feuding with angle and jason jordan so i could see Jordan be the one costing team raw the match

Angle: See above

Finn balor: feuding with Samoa joe: i could see them eliminated each other somehow

Strowman: Feuding with Kane: i see kane somehow taking Strowman out of the match and getting his revenge for what happen on monday.

Team Smackdown:

Shane Mcmahon, Randy Orton, Shinsuke nakamura: All Three are Feuding with Owens and zayn right now so i could see Owens and zayn taking out shane and trying at to eliminate orton and nakamura during the match

Bobby Roode: feuding with nobody and is pretty much there because he's the biggest name in the mid card of smackdown, i feel i will be one of the first eliminate from the match

John Cena: feuding with nobody. This is really a crap shot here. It all depends if he's coming back after survivor series or not. If he is then you need have him be the hero of that match and actually start a program with somebody on either the Raw or Smackdown brand. If this is only a one and done type of deal and he's not coming back full time until next year then he's expendable. Have win take out some of the less important guys on the other team and then have HHH beat him.

In this end this match as so much possibilities is not even funny and outside of Bobby roode, everybody feel like a big deal in this match.

 

[George Steele's Barber]

I think the important thing about this match is how they book it and how it leads to future storylines

I'm thinking the same thing and hoping that you are right. Anyone who is complaining about nothing being on the line is right (Is Angle's job still on the line?), but I think missing the point of the match - which is, kind of like you said, about an entertaining match that takes us from December to at least the Rumble if not all the way to Mania. Take last year's match, I don't remember anything being on the line but it was still a wonderfully booked and executed match. This year is unlikely to deliver so strong matchwise but could really lead to some exciting storylines:

Why does HHH give a crap about being in this match? Same with Cena? Does Jordan come in to play? Kane? Ziggler? Zayn/Owens? Can Balor and Joe coexist? What does Angle have in the tank if it reaches that point? Does Nakamura get a good showing? Can Strowman be contained? How do you eliminate him without making him look weak?

 

[Wolf Pac]

I really hope they don't have Team Smackdown win the match just to make it look like it's on par with Raw and get out of the "B-show" shadow. It's predictable and gotten so boring now. They've done this storyline numerous times before every Team Raw vs. Team Smackdown match, Smackdown has nearly always won and yet they still remain the "B-show" even in storyline. Smackdown winning is so pointless now, they may aswell embrace that they will always be the B-show.

And Smackdown are the ones who look like the heels, firing the first shot and taking Raw #UnderSiege. I want Team Raw to win.

 

[That N Word]

What confuses me is why would Cena, who just did a speech about Raw being his home want to go against them? Why would Samoa Joe or Braun Strowman care about a brand, when they have been made to look like they only care about themselves?

What I see happening is Kane taking out Strowman, Triple H either turning on Angle or Jason Jordan costing Team Raw. I'm not too sure that Bálor and Joe are going to take out each other as it feels the company could be switching original plans of a rivalry between the two, to instead having the two become dysfunctional team 1000. I could also see Orton playing the role of Big Show and turning on SmackDown for his 13th heel turn.

 

[Terry Gyimah]

I am actually excited about this match and why? Brand supremacy is on the line and given the amount of star power in this match it is similar to 2005 in that aspect. In 2005 you had a stacked RAW team consisting of HBK, Big Show, Kane, Carlito and Masters. Then on the SD side you had JBL, Orton, Batista, Mysterio and Lashley. Fast forward 12 years later and you have star power on both sides. Team RAW you have Angle, Strowman, Joe, Balor and Triple H the COO himself. Team Smackdown you have Shane, Cena, Orton, Nakamura and Roode.

I mean if anything this match should go on last but I don't think it will. But as for who wins?

I am calling it Team Smackdown Live wins; sole survivors being John Cena and Randy Orton

 

[LoveReignsO'erMe]

I'm definitely interested in this match now with all the big names that have been thrown into it over the last week and a half.

I'm wondering if the interference (there will DEFINITELY be interference) will be focused on Owens/Zayn and HHH, and perhaps a HHH-led NXT-type stable that oscillates back and forth between Raw and Smackdown. Maybe Joe and Roode join in? I don't think Balor and Nakamura would join in on this, because they are clear faces and wouldn't "stoop to that level". I think the idea of "flex" wrestlers, that have no real brand could work out really well.

Coming out of this, you could have HHH feud with Angle AND Shane as GMs on both brands. You could do the Angle/HHH match at WM that's being talked about, and then do Owens/Zayn vs. Shane and a mystery partner. Have it be the Rock, haha. Coming back to defend the honor of "his show" or something.

 

[adam]

I'd to see an NXT invasion with Adam Cole, KO, Sami, Joe
and Roode attacking the rest of the guys in the ring after
Kane takes out Strowman.