WWE Survivor Series 2021 Preview and Predictions

Sunday, for the 34th straight year, WWE presents its November tradition: Survivor Series.

The second longest Pay-Per-View in history, Survivor Series has held hosts to some of the most memorable moments in history, including the debuts of the Undertaker and the Rock. Of course, it’s most known for its five-on-five traditional Survivor Series tag matches where a group of five superstars team up to defeat another group of five in an elimination style war-like match.

For the sixth straight year, Survivor Series consists of the “Battle of the Brands” between Monday Night RAW on USA Network and Friday Night SmackDown on FOX. The difference this year is the build has been lackluster, with very little, if any, interaction between the brands and teammates. It feels more like an All-Star Game than brand warfare.

Indeed, Kayfabe is the only true thing on the line inside of Barclays Center Sunday. Regardless, the wrestling should be excellent, as it seems to always be with WWE PPV’s.

Roman Reigns (W/ Paul Heyman) vs Big E. Universal Champion vs WWE Champion

One of the only feuds with actually merit on the ballet as the “Tribal Chief”, the “Head of the Table”, the Universal Champion Roman Reigns will meet the WWE Champion, the leader of the New Day, Big E in the main event.

On the Sept. 13 RAW, E cashed in his Money in the Bank contract on Bobby Lashley to become the new leader of the red brand. The following week, in one of the last times New Day would share the ring together, the trio took on the Bloodline in a losing effort. Xavier Woods took the fall from a Reigns Spear. With their battle not over, E, Reigns and Lashley tangled in a gigantic triple threat match later that night with Reigns pinning Lashley thanks to a Spear. That would be the last time E and Reigns would be in the same ring until Sunday.

Since, E has feuded with Drew McIntyre and is currently feuding with Seth Rollins and Kevin Owens while Reigns has dealt with Brock Lesnar and is currently dealing with E’s brothers in Woods and Kofi Kingston.

On the Oct. 29 SmackDown, without the “Head of the Table” to help them, Kingston and Woods got a victory over the Usos in the main event when Woods rolled up Jimmy. The next week, Woods challenged Jimmy to a one-on-one contest with the loser having to bend the knee of the other’s leader. Woods would once again pin Jimmy, but the “Tribal Chief” blindsided Woods afterwards and held him captive as Jey Uso stomped on the back of now Sir Kofi’s leg, injuring his MCL.

The next week, Woods would hold his own in a battle with Reigns. So much so that Woods looked like he was going to pull off the impossible and pin the champion with an elbow drop from the top rope, but the Usos saved Reigns, took out Woods and then crowned the “Tribal Chief” with King Woods’ King of the Ring crown.

On the Nov. 15 RAW, E promised to put Reigns in a Brooklyn hospital bed for what he did to his friends.

While I admire E’s confidence, it’s not going to happen.

I could see the Usos and Woods and Kingston getting involved here. I could see Rollins — who has a history with both superstars — getting involved. I don’t prefer either scenario.

Let Reigns and E tear the house down on their own without interference. This match has been building ever since E held up his title alongside Reigns on the Sept. 17 SmackDown, four days after E won the WWE Title. E is a confident champion. He has been a well protected champion, but the “Tribal Chief” is THE champion in WWE today. He needs to assert his dominance and put down all three members of the New Day cleanly. Two down, one to go.

Charlotte Flair vs Becky Lynch. SmackDown Women’s Champion vs RAW Women’s Champion

Both of these ladies have history dating back to their days alongside Sasha Banks and Bayley with the Four Horsewomen in NXT, and it was inevitable they would face off at Survivor Series when they both won their gold at SummerSlam. Lynch returned after 16 months of inactivity due to pregnancy to defeat Bianca Beliar, and Flair defeated Nikki A.S.H. and Rhea Ripley in a triple threat match.

The difference? That night Lynch won the SmackDown gold, and Flair came out of the “Biggest Party of the Summer” with the RAW strap.

So how did we get the title flop?

Simple.

Flair was drafted from RAW to SmackDown in the WWE Draft. Lynch then was conversely drafted from the blue brand to the red brand. After successfully defending her title against Beliar on the Oct. 18 RAW, Lynch would do the same at Crown Jewel 72 hours later, defeating Beliar and Banks in a Triple Threat.

That meant on the Oct. 22 SmackDown, Flair and Lynch had to do a title swap.

Let’s just say the segment did not go as planned.

Over the last few weeks, the champs have cut several “shoot” promos on the current state of their leadership. The “Opportunity” claims “Big Time Becks” has to keep reinventing herself to stay relevant while the “Man” says Flair is jealous of her success, and in order to be friends with Flair, you have to be willing to make sacrifices so Flair’s success is the priority, and Lynch was sick of tired of playing that game.

Now, the two square off Sunday in Barclays for their first one-on-one encounter since Flair took the SmackDown Women’s Title off of Lynch at the 2019 Money in the Bank PPV (Lynch was also RAW Women’s Champion at the time as that match occurred following Lynch’s Triple Threat win over Flair and Ronda Rousey in the main event of Wrestlemania 35). This is a close call, but my educated guess here says Lynch goes over. WWE is more than likely going to have Flair lose to make it look like she puts talent over, amid the reports of Flair being difficult to work with, and the loss could be viewed as punishment for Flair’s actions during the title exchange last month.

I do wish WWE found a way to keep the RAW Women’s Title on Flair and the SmackDown Women’s Title on Lynch and made this match a winner-take-all match. It would have added a lot more intrigue to this match. The title swap was forced, and it created an unnecessary poor narrative around this highly anticipated contest between two of the biggest stars in the company.

Drew McIntyre, Jeff Hardy, Happy Corbin, King Woods and ? (SmackDown) vs Kevin Owens, Seth Rollins, Finn Balor, Bobby Lashley and Austin Theory (RAW). Five-on-five Traditional Survivor Series Elimination Match

This year, instead of having qualifying matches for the five-on-five matchups, WWE just announced the participants on social media on Nov. 6, and both teams have changed since over the last two weeks. Sami Zayn was taken off of Team SmackDown after losing to Jeff Hardy on the Nov. 12 SmackDown. Dominik Mysterio was taken off Team Red on the Nov. 8 RAW after losing what was essentially a qualifying match to Bobby Lashley because WWE Official Adam Pearce thought he made a mistake not putting Lashley on the team because the team would then consist of all former WWE Champions. A week later, Austin Theory replaced Rey Mysterio after Lashley and Theory decimated Mysterio to end the last RAW heading into the big event.

Let’s tackle the RAW side first. Kevin Owens is now a heel. He wrestled and defeated his teammate Finn Balor on the Nov. 15 RAW. Everybody dislikes Seth Rollins. Lashley is a badass, and Theory is a “Blue Chip Prospect” who is expected to have a good showing in this match. Regardless, none of these five superstars have been in the ring together, and they don’t get along.

The same could be said on the blue brand, but the difference is they at least have two great veterans leading their team in McIntyre and Hardy. McIntyre and Lashley have history and so do Hardy and Theory, and KO and Happy Corbin.

However, SmackDown has one problem. With Woods potentially out due to his injuries suffered at the hands of the “Head of the Table” on the Nov. 12 SmackDown, and with Zayn off the team, the blue team potentially needs to add two more members to fill out the squad. If Woods cannot go, I think Cesaro — who has a history with Rollins — would make a good replacement. As for the person that should replace Zayn, the answer is simple: Pat McAfee.

The SmackDown color commentator has not wrestled since losing to Adam Cole at NXT XXX in 2020, but he’s a well-known name, and the storyline just fits. McAfee is known for his rambunctious style, and he’s one of the biggest names in sports media today. He’s probably the only person legitimately taking the brand warfare battle seriously, and it would just be AWESOME to see him jump off the headset, cut a promo about how he needs to help SmackDown win, take off his suit and wrestle in his cut-off t-shirt (A man can dream)!

As for the winner of the match, Pearce for some reason needs RAW to hold up to last year’s standards and sweep SmackDown. He’s in charge of both shows, so I don’t get it, but I don’t think he gets his wish here.

Drew McIntyre and Jeff Hardy are your sole survivors for Team Blue, last eliminating Kevin Owens and Seth Rollins.

Sasha Banks, Natalya, Shotzi, Shayna Baszler and ? (SmackDown) vs Bianca Beliar, Liv Morgan, Queen Zelina, Carmella and Rhea Ripley (RAW). Five-on-five Traditional Survivor Series Elimination Match

The women involved have gone at each other in competition since the teams were announced. Liv Morgan defeated her teammates in a №1 Contender’s Fatal-Five-Way on the Nov. 8 RAW, and Beliar defeated Morgan during WWE’s Tribute to the Troops special. On the SmackDown side, Naomi, Banks and Aliyah defeated Natalya, Shotzi and Baszler in a six women tag on the Nov. 12 SmackDown. By Aliyah pinning Natalya, WWE Official Sonya Deville decided for some reason to take Aliyah off of the team.

My best guess for replacing Aliyah goes to Toni Storm, who called out Flair on that same episode of SmackDown. Flair refused to take her challenge for a title shot, so I think Storm is going to be a part of Team SmackDown to show Flair she deserves a championship opportunity. I doubt Deville gives the role to the “Glow” since she believes Naomi isn’t even deserving of being on the brand.

I’m sure Banks and Shotzi’s match on the Nov. 17 SmackDown will spoil over into animosity during this match. The RAW team may not like each other, but they are less dysfunctional than the SmackDown side. However, I do feel as though Doudrop, who is jealous of Beliar, costs Beliar in the match.

These Survivor Series Traditional Tag Matches are always impossible to predict because of their lack of structure surrounding them but give me Team RAW here with the victory since I believe Team SmackDown secures the men’s side. I’m going to go out on a limb here and say Liv Morgan is the sole survivor, defeating Shayna Baszler from SmackDown.

The Usos vs RK-BRO. SmackDown vs RAW Tag Team Champions

Besides the six man tag match between RK-BRO and E vs the Usos and Rollins on the Nov. 15 RAW, this match has no story, but it’s the two best teams in the business today, so it should be a fantastic bout. As for the winner, I believe that distinction will go to the Bloodline with Riddle eating a double splash from Jimmy and Jey. That fits the narrative that Orton keeps getting upset at the “Original Bro” for losing as they further towards the eventual drop of the RAW straps, and the “Apex Predator” dropping his partner with an RKO. It also shows the dominance of the Bloodline with the whole team helping SmackDown win in Brooklyn.

Shinsuke Nakamura (W/ Rick Boogs) vs Damian Priest. Intercontinental vs United States Champion

Story?! What story?! These two have not shared the ring at all prior to Sunday.

Hopefully, they have a good match, which I believe will be the case. With Priest showcasing his new attitude post draft, I think he gets the win, making it so RAW and SmackDown have a tie for the night at three matches a piece.

Who knows?! Maybe they add in another Traditional Survivor Series Tag Match between the tag teams to ensure a winner.

*All photos curiosity of wwe.com*