Survivor Series Predictions

After putting the Cruiserweight Title on The Brian Kendrick at Hell in a Cell, I think that having him drop the title would be a mistake. Add in that Kalisto only just returned from injury and I don't think he would be the guy to move the title over to. However, with all that being said, I expect Kalisto to become champion. The new cruiserweight show 205Live is happening at the same location as Smackdown on a weekly basis, so it would just make the most sense from a travel perspective. The cruiserweights shouldn't have to work Raw and then Smackdown if nobody else does. The cruiserweights have been a flop so far and a title change won't help, but a move to Smackdown might

Winner: Kalisto

This a tough match to predict. On one hand, I don't see why they would put the title on the Miz again just to have him drop it to Sami Zayn a few days later. On the other hand, is there really a point to this match if the title doesn't move to Raw? I feel like the WWE would like the Intercontinental Title on their flagship show. I really like both Miz and Sami and I would love to see Sami as champion, but I don't want the IC Title to switch to Raw. Smackdown can clearly book the IC Title much better than Raw can. Despite that, I see the switch being made in both matches where a title moving brands is possible. Plus, it will open the door for Bryan to trade Miz, even though he will most likely get lost in the shuffle on Raw.

Winner: Sami Zayn

These Raw vs. Smackdown Survivor Series matches sound like they could be fun. I'm a sucker for traditional Survivor Series matches and I especially really like the twenty man tags like this from back in the late 80's. There is a lot of talent in the match (Cesaro, American Alpha, Breeze, New Day, etc.). Enough to outweigh the less interesting members of the match. Due to my predictions on the other Survivor Series matches, I get the sense that Smackdown at least takes this one.

Winners: Team Smackdown

Raw has put Sasha Banks and Charlotte in the main event of Raw and a Pay-Per-View. They beat fans over the heads with "WOMEN MAKING HISTORY, WE'RE TRYING SO HARD, STEPHANIE MCMAHON IS THE SAVIOR, ETC" and yet, for all of that, Smackdown has still handled their division way better. Alexa Bliss vs. Becky Lynch and Carmella vs. Nikki Bella had matches that felt like bigger deals than Charlotte vs. Sasha. The women on Smackdown are way more interesting but there are two clear reasons why I think Raw will win. Nia Jax, who could get eliminated by DQ or countout, but I see her surviving. The other reason is Charlotte. She wins all the time on PPVs (though she tapped at Battleground) and she has joined Roman Reigns and John Cena as people that I've just stopped betting against.

Winners: Team Raw

Going back to all of the old Raw vs. Smackdown tag matches, whether they were on Survivor Series or Bragging Rights, Smackdown won most or all of them. I was 100% ready to predict them to win again this year. Then this past week's Smackdown happened. The Undertaker returned, sounding like it would be on a much more regular basis, and basically threatened Team Smackdown if they lost. Maybe it's just wishful thinking but I almost instantly saw a world where AJ Styles could win this match but his ego gets in his way. That causes Smackdown to lose and the Undertaker comes for AJ. AJ Styles vs. The Undertaker at the Royal Rumble sounds like something that could help sell out 60,000+ in the Alamodome. For that reason alone, I'm picking Raw.

Winners: Team Raw

Boy, this sounds massively uninteresting. I didn't care about this in 2004 and I care far less in 2016. Brock Lesnar has given minimal effort in a lot of his recent matches. I expect Goldberg to give it his all this time around but he hasn't wrestled in over a decade. That, combined with his shoulder injury on Raw, makes me way less confident about a match I already had little to no confidence in. I think Brock will win because wasting all of his dominance on Goldberg would be monumentally stupid.

Winner: Brock Lesnar

2016 Prediction Record: 61-33
2015 Prediction Record: 60-35