WWE Survivor Series 2020
November 22, 2020
Amway Center (ThunderDome)
Orlando, Florida

Watch: WWE Network

Meet our previewer

Lee Malone: I’ve spent so long watching 1998 WCW that the hope here is I can find some logic where there is none. Follow me on Twitter @Malone_713 and my podcast @WCWThunderPod. 

Team Raw (AJ Styles, Keith Lee, Sheamus, Braun Strowman, and Riddle) vs. Team SmackDown (Kevin Owens, Jey Uso, King Corbin, Seth Rollins, and Otis)

Lee: Given the talent on both Raw and Smackdown, how uninspiring is it that Seth Rollins, Corbin, Strowman and Sheamus are a part of this match. A month ago most of these guys were on the show they are now fighting against. Let’s hope they all have their blue and red t-shirts on so we don’t forget which “brand” they are representing. 

Sheamus has been associated with Drew McIntyre over the past couple of weeks and that’s the closet thing to a push anyone on Team Raw has been getting recently, so I expect he’ll score a couple of eliminations. Losing to Retribution on Monday because of constant infighting and miscommunication really has me psyched to see how they perform as a unit this weekend. 

On the blue side of things, Jey Uso is leading the team on behalf of Head of the Table Roman Reigns. Rollins and Corbin don’t fit in this match at all and feel like pin eaters. The Reigns-Uso story is the best thing on Smackdown, so it would make sense for Uso to prevail here and lead his team to victory. Prediction: Team Smackdown – Jey Uso survives 

Team Raw (Nia Jax, Shayna Baszler, Lana, Lacey Evans, and Peyton Royce) vs. Team SmackDown (Bianca Belair, Ruby Riott, Liv Morgan, Bayley, and Natalya)

Lee: What has harmed more wrestlers in 2020, COVID-19 or Nia Jax? Despite a mountain of evidence that she stinks and a list of wrestlers injured at her hands, the Nia Jax push must continue at all times. Mandy Rose is the latest victim, and so Mandy and Dana Brooke have been replaced in the match by Lacey Evans and Peyton Royce. 

In a reverse of circumstances from the men’s elimination match, it is the Smackdown women’s team that feels altogether worthless. The Smackdown Women’s Champion has Bayley and Carmella in her immediate future, so nobody from the blue team is in need of an immediate victory. 

Having spent the past couple of months being put through the announcers table week after week after week after week… would anyone be surprised if Lana were to win this match for her team? I won’t be because somehow getting your ass kicked consistently is now a push. Prediction: Team Raw – Lana survives 

Bobby Lashley (Raw’s United States Champion) vs. Sami Zayn (SmackDown’s Intercontinental Champion)

Lee: Who could possibly care about this match? These two titles are beyond meaningless and WWE has no intention of either of these two guys ever getting beyond the level they are at now. Oh yeah and they are both heels, so who the hell are the fans supposed to be supporting? Are there US Title fans out there who are thinking, “Fuck that Intercontinental Title, the US Title is the real secondary championship?” Prediction: Bobby Lashley 

The New Day (Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods) (RAW Tag Team Champions) vs. The Street Profits (Angelo Dawkins and Montez Ford) (SmackDown Tag Team Champions)

Lee: This is a first time match between two popular teams, that’s pretty cool. It would be even better if we didn’t see these teams swap titles so they could have the colour to match their new brand when they were drafted to the other show. If WWE planned just a couple of weeks in advance, they really could have built this match to mean something. 

The quality of these two teams mean this match is a classic case of high floor, low ceiling. While the match will be solid and probably even enjoyable, in no way will anybody be expecting a MOTY contender from these four guys. Prediction: Street Profits

Asuka (Raw Women’s Champion) vs. Sasha Banks (SmackDown Women’s Champion)

Lee: Star of The Mandalorian, Mercedes “Sasha Banks” Kaester-Varnado has an opportunity to steal the show for the second PPV in a row. Following on from the great Hell in a Cell match against Bayley, Banks and Asuka both coming into the match as faces means this should be a clean match with no shenanigans. Matches with Carmella being in her immediate future means this could be Sasha’s last chance for a while to steal a show. 

Having done a small bit of research, Sasha has never beaten Asuka clean (a countout victory is her only win) in a one on one match. Asuka has been absolutely dominant on Raw and a loss to Sasha won’t hurt Asuka at all. This is the one match on the show I am honestly looking forward to watching. Prediction: Sasha Banks 

Drew McIntyre (Raw’s WWE Champion) vs. Roman Reigns (SmackDown’s Universal Champion) (with Paul Heyman)

Lee: In a sentence I never thought I would write, thank god that Drew won the WWE Title on Monday. The thought of anybody having to suffer through heel Roman Reigns vs heel Randy Orton is truly terrifying. Maybe I am being overly optimistic, but I think this could be a pretty damn good match if they stick to what they are good at: hitting the other guy hard.  Just let these guys beat the shit out of each other and avoid the community theatre shit from the recent Reigns title defenses. 

Drew has had The Miz, The Fiend, Sheamus and Randy Orton all floating around the WWE Title scene recently; added to the Reigns-Uso feud/alliance, that means there is a high possibility of nonsense interference in this match. In the COVID era it is almost impossible to tell how over people are, but McIntyre and Reigns do feel like the two top stars in the company right now, so even just for that reason alone this match is somewhat appealing. Prediction: Roman Reigns