5 Winners and 5 Losers From Survivor Series 2017

Survivor Series is in the books, but not without some questions that many in the WWE Universe might be looking for answers to. Most of the confusion stems from the booking decisions made during the main event and traditional Survivor Series elimination match that was really not traditional in any way.

A match type filled with one-on-one stand-offs made for fun moments, but the eliminations were odd, out of order and by the end, completely illogical. The hope is that over the next two days, the WWE explains their decision-making and fans have a better understanding of why people like John Cena were even brought back or Triple H was front and center.

A number of pre-show matches and poorly built feuds also took a bit of the luster off the show, but there were some high points. Here are your Five Winners and Five Losers From Survivor Series 2017.

5. Loser - Owens and Zayn

The fact that Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn were on the show at all is a plus we guess, but that they were relegated to a match against Breezango on the pre-show. Owens, in particular, had his pay-per-view match streak ended in uninspiring fashion putting these two at the top of the loser list.

They did show up again in the main event but were attacked by Shane McMahon and fled. The only good news here is that WWE is hinting at a possible storyline of Stephanie wanting them to come back to Raw.

5. Winner - AJ Styles

He lost his match against Brock Lesnar, but nobody is looking at AJ Styles as a loser on Monday. He put on a match of high quality with Lesnar and was praised for doing the lion's share of the work. He left Lesnar hobbled, asked for a rematch immediately, and had Paul Heyman singing his praises in a backstage interview with WWE.com after the bout.

Styles is clearly the best WWE in-ring performer and, the list of matches he can have with other stars before he calls it a career with the WWE is endless. If he could somehow get another match against Lesnar and win, that would be amazing for his career.

4. Loser - Pre-show Matches

There were far too many pre-show matches when one traditional elimination match with those same competitors could have done and been far more entertaining. Why not pair up Owens, Zayn and Breezango to take on Matt Hardy, Elias and the Cruiserweights? The matches they did have didn't stick with the SmackDown Live versus Raw theme and they just looked like throw-ins, which they were.

To only have two elimination matches on an entire Survivor Series card seems like a waste, especially when you've filled the show with other matches.

4. Winner - New Day vs The Shield

It would have been fun to see a New Day vs Shield match with each team adding one more member or even keeping the teams the same size, but making it an elimination style match, but they didn't. Not all is lost, it was still a fantastic match and great way to start the show.

The WWE got it right by giving The Shield the win while The New Day gave them a run for their money, and both teams had some undeniable chemistry. WWE needs more factions like this and it's just odd as to why they broke up a team like the Wyatt's.

3. Loser - The Brand Tees

Why did the WWE decide to dress some of their competitors in brand tees? And, if you're going to make Triple H (sort of) and Braun Strowman wear one, why doesn't John Cena have to? And, we can't begin to describe how terrible The Shield look in their half brand-half Shield t-shirts.

Fans know the members of each team and the players on each show. You don't have to tell them by forcing them to wear your brand's colors. And why did the WWE keep score? Sure, Raw won, but what did that get? Bragging rights? There should have been something on the line like one show getting to take another show's talent as a reward.

3. Winner - Triple H

There are three reasons Triple H is being labeled a Survivor Series winner. Two are deserved and one is a scary prospect moving forward. First, his team actually won the match. Technically that makes him a winner. Second, if you've seen the videos of him selling Braun Strowman's attack after the show went off the air, it's amusing. He deserves props for having fun with the crowd.

That said, why is Triple H getting the rub over guys like Shinsuke Nakamura, Finn Balor, Samoa Joe and Bobby Roode. The idea that he's taking on his "students" is neat but shouldn't he, at some point, step aside and let them go over, thus cementing their ability to be big stars? The focus of the WWE should not be on Triple H.

2. Loser - Bobby Roode/Samoa Joe/Finn Balor/Shinsuke Nakamura

There were a lot of big names in the main event that could have used a clean pin to help them get over as real threats in the WWE. Outside of Balor (who helped eliminate Cena), none of these guys really did much damage in the match. All the heavy lifting was done by established veterans who probably should have taken a step to the side to give these guys an opportunity.

Every one of these guys now looks like they can't hang with the big, established names, and that doesn't bode well for a WWE that needs to build its future on the backs of these types of talents.

2. Winner - Braun Strowman

He looked like a monster. He survived to pick up a win, he looked legitimately confused by what Triple H had done (as were all of us watching) and he took out his frustrations on "The Game" when he didn't appreciate being used as a pawn.

It seems like WWE is trying to set up a Triple H vs Braun Strowman match and that's great if Triple H loses. Maybe it's just about Strowman vs The Authority. Who really knows what the WWE has planned. The only thing that seems clear is that Strowman will be a big part of it.

1. Loser- John Cena

Why did John Cena even take part in Survivor Series? He was at first supposed to be a referee, but the show could have managed without that. But, when the Jinder Mahal match changed and it became Styles vs Lesnar, Cena was rendered useless in that story and just thrown onto SmackDown Live's team. Why? He was last featured on Raw and he wound up getting pinned rather quickly in this contest.

He didn't play a big part, there wasn't much made of his elimination and his spot would have been better given to a guy like Jinder Mahal who ended up not being used at all in the show.

1. Winner - Dream Matches

Even though we'll never know if WWE will go through with them, the one thing the main event was good for was teasing potential dream matches that could be a part of WWE's future. Triple H versus Kurt Angle, Triple H versus Braun Strowman... Triple H versus any of his NXT guys like Nakamura, Roode or Joe.

The company hinted at Balor vs. Nakamura, it hinted at Joe vs. Cena, Randy Orton vs. Samoa Joe and others. The reality is, a few brand trades and WWE could stack a decent WrestleMania card today and use only its homegrown talent to fill the card.