Survivor Series is almost upon us, and as always, that means we can expect to see the traditional brand warfare between RAW and SmackDown. Given that we've recently just had another draft, it seems almost obvious to suggest that WWE will be trying to push this as much as they possibly can over the next few weeks - and beyond.
Crown Jewel is still ahead of us but beyond that, it's interesting to think about who will be competing in the traditional 5-on-5 men's Survivor Series match. There are plenty of options, but only 10 men can receive the honor of representing their show.
10 RAW - AJ Styles
Styles has been able to reignite his run with WWE courtesy of a recent heel turn alongside Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson, and we’re excited to see where it goes from here.
One place we want to see it go is to Survivor Series because let’s face it, the guy is easily one of the best male superstars on the RAW roster.
It’s a bit odd to think that a guy known for being on SmackDown will be competing for the red team, but who knows, perhaps they could throw a betrayal storyline in there late in the match.
9 SMACKDOWN - Braun Strowman
There’s an argument to be made that WWE has not been able to take advantage of Braun Strowman’s incredible potential, and we aren’t going to push back against that whatsoever. However, one thing we always seem to get from Braun at Survivor Series is a strong showing.
We think he’s going to establish himself as Mr. Survivor Series here, putting on the kind of performance that leads SmackDown either to the brink of victory or to an actual win. He’s that good, and he should be treated as such. Fact.
8 RAW - Randy Orton
Orton was able to revive his character during the feud with Kofi Kingston and while he may have lost a bit of steam since then, he can revive that within minutes by throwing out a few spontaneous RKOs that give RAW a chance at victory.
Randy is an established name that fans will recognize, and regardless of whether or not you like him as an in-ring competitor, he will give RAW the kind of advantage that SmackDown may not be able to match. That’s a controversial thing to say, but that’s the influence of the man formerly known as the Legend Killer.
7 SMACKDOWN - Roman Reigns
He’s the Big Dog and while he may no longer be the face of the company, this guy is still a pretty important player – especially for SmackDown.
We’re anticipating WWE pushing him in a big way with WrestleMania 36 being just six months away, and Survivor Series can play a big role in that push. He doesn’t even need to be the final survivor, because a few major eliminations could still take him a long way.
SmackDown is lucky to have Roman and he’s going to be really, really influential.
6 RAW - Ricochet
Ricochet is the kind of highlight-reel superstar that you need to really make an impact on a stage like this. Sure, he may get eliminated fairly early, but the things he’ll be able to do and accomplish in his short time in the match will make it all worth it.
Ricochet can do things that very few other stars are capable of, and we aren’t just including WWE in that conversation. Pro wrestling has very rarely seen a man that possesses his athleticism, with only the likes of Will Ospreay rivaling him.
5 SMACKDOWN - Kofi Kingston
This man is a former WWE Champion and held the title for six months – so yeah, we’d say he has earned the right to have a place in this team.
Kofi should be viewed as an established main eventer now and if he isn’t, that’s a problem. He has beaten some of the best in the business and when it comes to this match, he could have some really fun interactions.
In truth, you could just put him out there with Randy for 5-6 minutes and that could make up a really fun portion of the bout.
4 RAW - Kevin Owens
Kevin Owens is free from the seemingly never-ending Shane McMahon feud, and as such, the time has come for him to move on to bigger and better things.
Owens is starting to model himself after the likes of Stone Cold Steve Austin and that can only be a good thing for his momentum moving forward.
Kevin has been longing to get back into the world title picture, and a solid performance here sets him up perfectly for that.
Owens is legit, and he’ll be bringing a really intriguing style to this team.
3 SMACKDOWN - Daniel Bryan
The main man Daniel Bryan is ready to break out and become the world-class superstar we all remember him to be. His heel run started off well but fell away from relevancy, but this recent story with Erick Rowan, Luke Harper & Roman Reigns has helped him a lot.
Bryan can eliminate a few guys from the opposition team and it’d be incredibly believable, before eventually putting over a superstar that needs the rub. It’s not like a loss is going to badly hurt DB at this stage of his career.
2 RAW - Rey Mysterio
Rey’s involvement in the Brock Lesnar vs Cain Velasquez feud has helped him out tremendously, to the point where he’s viewed as a top guy in the company once again. If WWE wants to take advantage of that, they need to position him strongly in a match like this.
The master of the 619 seems to be aging like a fine wine, and we never want it to end. Sure, it’d feel more natural if he was on Team SmackDown, but such are the cards we’ve been drawn with the Draft.
1 SMACKDOWN - The Miz
Miz belongs on Friday nights and he should be rewarded with a place in this team. He hasn’t quite got the same spark that he once did and another WWE Championship reign isn’t as likely as it was just a few short years ago, but fans shouldn’t give up hope.
The Awesome One is much better in the ring than most fans give him credit for, he’ll be able to deliver some dynamite (pun not intended) promos, and he’s just generally quite underrated.
So, the final teams are as follows: AJ Styles, Randy Orton, Ricochet, Kevin Owens & Rey Mysterio vs Braun Strowman, Roman Reigns, Kofi Kingston, Daniel Bryan & The Miz.