SURVIVOR SEIRES 2014 - THE GREATEST GAMBLE OF ALL

Survivor Series has been a staple in World Wrestling Entertainment history since 1987 and produced many memorable moments, from Championship changes to the debuts of legends such as The Rock and The Undertaker. Over the years it has been severely diminished as WWE attempted to eradicate the multi-man elimination bouts which made the event such a draw in years previous.

Even though it looks unlikely Brock Lesnar will defend the WWE World Heavyweight Championship on the night, WWE are working towards a rematch between the pair at some point in the near future by working along the storyline of John Cena vs The Authority which will inevitably end with John Cena regaining the title from Brock Lesnar at either TLC or Royal Rumble. WWE believe this is the only course of action which will help the WWE Network flourish whilst restoring what Survivor Series should have always been.

From the Scottrade Centre in St. Louis, Missouri on November 23rd 2014, this is WWE Survivor Series 2014.

Traditional Survivor Series Elimination Match

Team Cena vs Team Authority

John Cena, Dolph Ziggler, Big Show, Eric Rowan and Ryback vs Seth Rollins, Kane, Rusev, Mark Henry and Luke Harper

When this bout was first announced after Hell in a Cell, I believed that it would make a refreshing change to the Survivor Series format to have the main event of the show be a traditional Survivor Series bout for the first time in many years. Those of us old enough to remember, the previous years have been headlined by mostly tedious World Heavyweight Championship matches which didn’t deserve their place amongst the card when it was plain that the few elimination bouts which took place earlier on the card were of greater quality. This tradition began years previous when Vince McMahon in his wisdom believed that changing the format would be a good thing and slowly bled out what made the event special.

There is one problem with this bout however and it’s the question of what now happens to the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Those of us who know the rules inside out will be able to tell you that if the WWE World Heavyweight Championship isn’t defended within a thirty day period then by the laws of wrestling, the champion at the time has to be stripped of said title. Brock Lesnar hasn’t defended his title since Night of Champions in September almost two months ago and we’re told that he won’t again until Royal Rumble where he’s once again due to defend against John Cena. Should Brock Lesnar defeat John Cena and Royal Rumble then he won’t defend the gold again until WrestleMania XXXI in April 2015 which will be held more than thirty days after the Royal Rumble event.

I have to say, that whilst these rules aren’t being stuck to and its slightly annoying seeing WWE disregard rules at will just to suit what they need at the time it’s kind of refreshing that they are allowing Brock Lesnar to be the exception to the rule and going with another storyline before delving back into the one which everyone in WWE hopes will boost WWE Network numbers in time for WrestleMania XXXI. A good point was raised when this bout was announced that I would like to briefly raise now and that’s if Daniel Bryan was still fit to compete, would this role fall to him instead of John Cena and my answer is of course it wouldn’t.

Many people believe that John Cena would have been shunned in favour of Daniel Bryan for the captain of this bout I couldn’t see that happening. The whole reason for the feud which stemmed from Brock Lesnar’s victory at SummerSlam and Night of Champions was to boost Network numbers, would WWE really have put their faith in Daniel Bryan to battle Brock Lesnar and then rehash his feud against The Authority instead of the man they believe is the biggest superstar of out time? Of course not! I don’t doubt that Daniel Bryan would have been part of this match and may still be if he’s well enough to compete by the time Survivor Series rolls around but he certainly wouldn’t have been the main figure. This feud is leading to the dismemberment of The Authority and there’s only on man who WWE will trust with that role.

WWE have backed themselves into a corner with the stipulations for this bout, which state that if John Cena loses then he’ll be fired but if The Authority lose out then they will be forced to split. By adding this stipulation, WWE have done nothing but close off one avenue which they could have built WrestleMania around. Look at it this way, if John Cena loses at Survivor Series and WWE force him to take four months out which would be best for everyone, they could conjure up some storyline where he returns at WrestleMania, possibly under the ruling of Vince McMahon who wants his company back from his family, to challenge either Triple H or Brock Lesnar to a bout with the same ruling as this match has. Then, John Cena could defeat The Authority and force them to split in a convincing angle which would have plenty of heat surrounding it especially if they dominate the product for the next four months.

However, should John Cena win here then what’s left? The Authority will be gone and therefore their reason to keep Brock Lesnar as WWE World Heavyweight Championship will be null and void. For your Wrestling God, its way too early for The Authority to leave WWE programming and a much better storyline awaits where Vince McMahon will battle his family for control of the company. That is what WWE are thinking about doing as WrestleMania approaches and if it means no John Cena for months on end then I’m all for it. Now that’s said, let’s take a look at the participants on both teams, beginning with Team Authority.

Naturally, the first announcement for The Authority had to be Mr. Money in the Bank, Seth Rollins. Recently, Rollins has been on a downward spiral in his career and it’s come at the hands of John Cena. I know those John Cena lovers will dispute this as they continue to see their sickly sweet hero as a beacon on perfection but it’s about time these morons woke up and smelt the coffee. John Cena is doing to Seth Rollins what he’s done to every other opponent throughout his career and that’s tarnish his reputation. If anyone can tell me a legitimate reason of how John Cena has aided Rollins’ career then I will stop bashing him altogether. You know where you can get in touch with me.

Where Seth Rollins should have been positioned as a main rival and threat to John Cena, he will be WWE World Heavyweight Champion at some point in the near future after all, WWE have instead booked him as a punch bag for John Cena and someone who fans now see a wrestler who will probably never get the better of the Cenation leader whether. This shouldn’t be the case. Seth Rollins should be seen as a man for John Cena to fear. Someone who will take his place at the top of the card instead of another stepping stone which Cena really doesn’t need. John Cena should be striving to make Seth Rollins a star and not use him to further his superhuman image.

Though Seth Rollins has been busy with Dean Ambrose lately, one can only imagine that id Roman Reigns isn’t ready before the Royal Rumble then it will be Rollins who triumphs in his place. How this would relate to WrestleMania and the proposed storyline, is anyone’s guess at the moment but he need a main event aura about him and soon. Putting aside Dean Ambrose, the perfect way to build Seth Rollins at Survivor Series would be to have him as the sole survivor for The Authority if WWE plan for them to survive. Pinning John Cena with the Curb Stomp in the middle of the ring would be a sure fire way to cement his place as Triple H’s right hand man unlike Randy Orton who was always heading for a face turn after Rollins joined the team.

There are numerous avenues WWE can take with Seth Rollins if he’s credited with ending John Cena’s career at least temporarily. It’s like The Undertaker’s streak which would have benefitted a younger star had they claimed that particular honour. Seth Rollins will be propelled to the top of WWE should he stand alone as Survivor Series comes to a close and that’s the way it should be. On the other hand, if it’s Seth Rollins who John Cena pins to disband The Authority then what’s left for him? He’ll have fallen to John Cena at every opportunity and won’t be seen as a legitimate WWE World Heavyweight Champion when the time comes around.

Where Seth Rollins is concerned, WWE have to play this very carefully and take a chance. If he’s ever to achieve the kind of notoriety the company have mapped out for him then John Cena is a necessary hurdle which Rollins must leap. Until he does, we’re not going to be able to buy into his main event push. WWE need to prioritise now. It’s John Cena’s constant unbeatable image which won’t suffer in the least if he was to lose or the rest of Seth Rollins’ career. I know which one I’d opt for, especially if the decision is being made on what’s best for business.

Kane was always going to be a part of this bout, regardless of what people wanted. He’s been an integral part of The Authority since joining even though he’s done nothing of relevance and really shouldn’t be here. If you’re thinking that Kane is taking up a vital role for someone younger then you’d be correct. There is no reason for him to be here apart from loyalty from a company who believes they have to continually book him in important spots because of the years he’s spent with the promotion and that he’s The Undertaker’s best friend.

The sense of loyalty to Kane is something WWE has to get over, and quickly. It’s holding back younger and better superstars and is a constant source of annoyance within the company because it’s not just Kane WWE are doing it to. Wrestlers such as Mark Henry and Big Show are still being preferred to NXT stars that are more than ready to make the jump from their home in NXT to the big time. Stars such as Adrian Neville and Sami Zayne are ready to become big stars but there’s no room for them right now because of the spaces Big Show and Mark Henry are occupying.

Like me, I bet everyone reading this can think of twenty better replacements for Kane and every one of them either deserve this spot or are a hundred times more entertaining that Kane will ever be. It’s about time WWE put behind the old generation and begins to look at the new generation standing right in front of them. It’s time for the new blood to rise up and drown those that came before and I can’t think of a better first recipient than Kane. You won’t find many people who will shed tears if Kane was to disappear from the company or even take an extended vacation to let memories of his recent stint fade.

Rusev has deserved his entry into this bout for nothing more than being a revolution in the ring. Though other magazines have blasted the way he has been booked, I can only see it as a positive all around. If you believe what other magazines read, then Rusev is treading water in WWE and running through a group of uninteresting loyal Americans, but come on people, at least he’s something different to the usual machine produced wrestler we’ve been used to seeing. With Lana by his side, Rusev may have been booked against men who have had their time but he’s made respectable outings out of them all and now WWE have saddled him with the United States Championship everyone is hoping that it won’t be the poisoned chalice that it has been for Sheamus.

I’ve heard nothing but negative things about Rusev winning the US title but let’s look at it another way, because whether you believe it or not it could be a good thing for everyone involved. Around the waist of Sheamus, the title was going nowhere because his character had become predictable and no one wanted to see it anymore. Slung over the shoulder of Rusev, the title could be thrust into the main event picture within a matter of weeks. In fact it’s already started. How many other times can you remember that said title has been in the main even of a show in the last two years? Maybe three or four and those mostly come at either Survivor Series or Elimination Chamber. Rusev being included higher and higher up, the card will surely only benefit the image of the gold and get Rusev the support of an audience who previously though it was defunct.

It’s no secret that Rusev has been put in this bout just to ignite his feud with John Cena and as Brock Lesnar is nowhere to be seen, John Cena needs a distraction and Rusev it is. As far as WWE are concerned, he’s had a good run and is now ready to be sacrificed to John Cena at TLC which will only draw a live crowd if Rusev is responsible for eliminating John Cena or helping The Authority grab victory. I think we can all agree that Rusev is a star in the making but whether that will be so apparent after John Cena has finished with him is another matter. With now WWE World Heavyweight Championship to fight for, WWE could make a big things about John Cena challenging for the United States title and even feature it in the main event of TLC. Of course, this is all conjecture and none of it may happen, but what I am pretty sure of is that Rusev’s streak won’t end at Survivor Series and therefore he has to be given a starring role.

Mark Henry is a pointless inclusion here, just to give John Cena someone to eliminate to look fearsome. Away from what Mark Henry’s role in this bout is, does anyone actually care about his feud with Big Show which hasn’t just been done before but it was completely predictable from the moment Big Show turned coach to try and get Henry through his feud with Rusev. Henry was always going to turn on Big Show, but I must commend him for the way he did so. Even better than his fake retirement speech to lull John Cena in a false sense of security some years ago, Mark Henry did some of the best work of his career in the lead up to his heel turn.

But what now for the man who has seemingly done everything there is to do in wrestling? Mark Henry cannot have another main event calibre feud with anyone because he doesn’t possess the necessary intrigue fans want to pay for. Which means he’ll be shunted into the mid-card to take the spots of younger men. Like with Kane, WWE and indeed we cannot allow this to continue happening. If Mark Henry had any magnificence about him then he’d step down willingly and allow someone else take his place, because let’s be honest, he has nothing to offer wrestling anymore, if he ever did in the first place.

Luke Harper was someone I believed would tank when WWE split him from Bray Wyatt a few weeks ago on Raw. Don’t get me wrong, he’s a hugely talented individual who should have been given the breaks before now but let’s take a look at the facts here. Though he defeated Dolph Ziggler to lift the Intercontinental Championship on Raw this past Monday, he doesn’t possess the qualities WWE want in a star. There are no muscles, no six pack, he certainly doesn’t have the look Vince McMahon requires from a headline star so it begs the question how far he can go without a group behind him. The Wyatt Family were and still are a great idea, I have no clue as to why WWE split them this quickly but they did and the consequences are something that we’re going to have to live with.

So how far can Luke Harper go on his own? The truth is, as far as those he’s following in the footsteps of and I mean the likes of The Miz, Damien Sandow and Dolph Ziggler. Regardless of the fact that he’s a great talent, WWE won’t push Luke Harper any further than he is now. In fact, I doubt they’ve even got a solid feud lined up for him post-Survivor Series and will lose interest in him as fast as they have everyone else who isn’t John Cena. In a few weeks, Luke Harper will have lost the title he currently carries and will be headlining Superstars because that is all WWE can think to do with him. Imagination isn’t their strong point in 2014 and I doubt it will be in 2015 either. Yes, it’s a waste of a great talent but how many times have we said that over the years?

Dolph Ziggler should have been in this position for the last year and a half since he lost the World Heavyweight Championship to Alberto Del Rio. It’s clear that the WWE Intercontinental Champion has the backing of supporters; I forget the last time he was jeered by a majority of the audience and the reaction he gets on a nightly basis puts weight to the notion that fans want him in the main event. The recent feud with The Miz was a terrible disaster for Dolph Ziggler which did nothing for his image but remarkably he came out of it stronger than ever. The reason for the WWE Universe’s backing of Ziggler because they can spot talent when it comes around.

Fans care about Dolph Ziggler and want to see him in the main event in the same way they did Daniel Bryan and this another part of our rebelling against stars not getting the chances they deserve. Vince McMahon should be listening to us instead of trying to bury the man at every available opportunity and if people are going to sit there and try to tell me that Vince is doing all he can, then he wouldn’t be dumping him to The Miz on pay-per view or every available wrestler on television. But what WWE doesn’t realize is that the longer they bury Dolph Ziggler, the more and longer we’ll cheer him on.

If Team Cena is to win this bout then it should be Dolph Ziggler who gets the match winning pinfall on someone of importance after John Cena has been eliminated and relying on others to save his career. A victory to keep John Cena in the company would sky rocket Ziggler’s career and force WWE to keep him in the main event which is what we want. I thought that Vince would have worked out by now, if you give us what we want then we’ll let WWE do what they want within a certain parameter. Dolph Ziggler is what we want, allow him to do a Daniel Bryan and we’ll be happy.

Big Show, like Mark Henry wasn’t a surprise but rather a nasty inclusion seeing that he’s got nothing left to offer. As mentioned, his feud with Mark Henry is going nowhere and I’m sure I’m not the only one who can see this ending in a Big Show heel turn and a team with Mark Henry somewhere in the future. I’ve been sitting here for a long time thinking up things for Big Show to do after Survivor Series and I just can’t come up with one. He’s spent, he’s boring and he has nothing going for him. In reality, Big Show peaked in WCW and was a spent force when he came to WWE in 1999. Why Vince McMahon has kept him around for so long is anyone’s business.

The best thing for the Big Show now, is to say goodbye to wrestling. He’d get a tremendous reception if like Rey Mysterio WWE were to induct him into the 2015 Hall of Fame before he had his final match on the WrestleMania XXXI card. Big Show doesn’t have to leave wrestling altogether, he’s got a career as a booker or working backstage just keep him off of television altogether and allow someone else to take his spot. The WWE logo says ‘Then, Now, Forever’ it should be referring to the company and not its long time talent.

Eric Rowan is Sheamus’ replacement in this bout and to be quite frank, it’s an underwhelming decision. I mean come on, Eric Rowan was the least interesting member of The Wyatt Family and he remains that way now the trio are no more. That WWE have even booked him in this bout is a joke. Whilst eh was partnered with Luke Harper, Eric Rowan possessed an air of believability because he was limited to what he had to do in the ring. Quite often that was barely anything except for long chin locks and a few notable moves here and there. He was boring and nothing has changed which begs the question of why WWE have chosen him as a replacement when someone like Big E. would have been a better choice.

Before throwing him into the deep end, WWE should have rebuilt his character as someone we could believe in. Now, he’s going to sink and fast. Without the necessary backing and skills there is no way Eric Rowan will be able to find a platform in WWE to thrive on. It just can’t be done and that pains me to say. Because had WWE allowed him to take a few months off of television to hone his skills to match those of Luke Harper’s then they could have booked an angle where Rowan as a mystery figure began to stalk Harper or even Bray Wyatt for the faction splitting and then begun a war with one or both of them in the way The Shield did and still do.

Ryback is an odd choice in that I do actually approve of his inclusion after his disastrous tag team with Curtis Axel. You see when Ryback was a face a little while ago; he had something about him which WWE saw in abundance. Okay, his wrestling was terrible and hasn’t gotten any better to this day but as we’ve seen with John Cena that can be made to work if the interest is there. Ryback is solid enough to have a main event run if WWE peruses with his push and character. Don’t get me wrong. He’s going to have to wait his turn now which is no bad thing, because Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins are all in the queue ahead of him but that will be to Ryback’s advantage as will the chants of Goldberg he still receives. If WWE can give him something meaty to get his teeth into and a gripping feud heading into WrestleMania against some of greater quality then Ryback will be seen as a serious contender by April 2015 and could even be positioned as a threat to Brock Lesnar if treated well enough by WWE and his opponents.

At this point in his career, Ryback doesn’t need opponents such as Big Show or Mark Henry. He need technical masters who can cover his flaws whilst he learns to do so himself and help him look good in the ring. After Survivor Series, Ryback needs a line of main event calibre foes whom he can defeat believably and begin his ascent to the top. Can Ryback be WWE World Heavyweight Champion someday? It’s possible. It won’t happen in the next two years but with the right treatment it can someday and Ryback can become a good wrestler. I was negative about his previous main event run because it wasn’t deserved and he didn’t have the skill required to carry it off. He’s matured now and I think that with time and investment, Ryback could be going places.

When you look at the list of participants on both teams, WWE have no doubt handed the future their chance to shine and as long as they book this bout a decent amount of time to shine and it’s the younger generation who thrive instead of John Cena then it will be all worth it in the end. It’s a risk, no doubt. WWE have pushed and halted men like Dolph Ziggler so much that they will have no choice but to push them harder if they thrive here. WWE have taken a risk on younger men instead of old hands and now I’d like to see them take a risk with the result and actually stick to it.

Have John Cena lose in the vein of Stone Cold Steve Austin’s team at Survivor Series 2003 and force him to leave television for four months. It’ll be best for business and allow younger men to shine as it did when he was injured in 2013. WWE can make at least four new main event stars in John Cena’s absence as long as they stick to it and don’t permit him to appear on Raw the next night or any other programme. For storyline purposes, WWE could show a participant laid out cold in the locker room at the Royal Rumble only for John Cena to take his place in street clothes and be carried away by security guards seeing as he’s not meant to be there. That would be a great way to hype WrestleMania whilst having the man in question make minimal appearances and make them seem as if they’re not planned.

Survivor Series 2014 has to be the night WWE takes a chance on something different. They won’t get another opportunity like this so let’s hope they grab it with both hands and reap the rewards which will surely come as a result.

Winners Prediction: Team Authority

Dean Ambrose vs Bray Wyatt

Does anyone else feel sorry for Bray Wyatt? After such a promising beginning he’s gone the way of all mid-card stars including Sheamus, Cesaro and Kofi Kingston in that he’s just another wrestler now when he could have been so much more. Bray Wyatt and The Wyatt Family had such potential to be special that had WWE booked them in a feud with The Authority over control of the promotion then it would have necessitated a face turn and even more revenue for the promotion. There was just so much unlimited potential for Bray Wyatt to be a mega star and WWE have stripped that all away from him with meaningless feuds and pointless matches. Not to mention booking him to lose countless bouts to worthless names.

I saw this coming after SummerSlam, but what could we do? I mean it’s not very often WWE listens to us but there is still a glimmer of hope in that the majority of audiences seem to still be behind Bray Wyatt when he enters an arena. Like Dolph Ziggler before him, Wyatt seems to have captured the imagination of fans worldwide and they have taken him to heart and constantly push for his promotion to the main event. Whether that will happen or not is another matter, but sooner or later WWE must listen to us as we decide who we pay to see and who we don’t. All WWE had to do was book Bray Wyatt as the star of the main event along with Seth Rollins or even have him taken John Cena’s place should Cena lose the match and be supposedly suspended. It was an easy transaction and WWE fouled it up yet again.

The first signs that everything were going downhill were when WWE booked the angle where The Wyatt Family set Luke Harper free. One of the most talented mid-card wrestlers in ten years is going to suffer horribly now he’s only distantly related to The Wyatt Family because let’s face it, are WWE really going to push a middle aged man with a beer belly and massive beard as a true star? Of course not, they’re going to have him as a Smackdown mid-card player before relegating him to Superstars or The Main Event. WWE have done The Wyatt Family a great disservice because now Bray Wyatt doesn’t really stand for anything, what’s he going to do? Converting other wrestlers has been done to death and there’s no one on the current roster that could fill that space anyway.

I’ve opined before that together, The Wyatt Family could have had the feud of the year against another hobo group of wrestlers comprised of NXT stars such as Sami Zayne, Kevin Steen and The Briscoe Brothers if WWE were to sign them even for a short term feud. WWE could then initiate another feud in which The Authority fire The Briscoe Brothers and then have Bray Wyatt recruit Zayne and Steen to battle Triple H’s manned team of Seth Rollins and company. It’s a flawless plan and this is the way WWE should be going with it, not allowing Wyatt to rot in obscurity before they do anything when it’s way too late.

Dean Ambrose has been flawless in this feud so far. With Bray Wyatt attempting to bring out the devil inside him, it’s always possible that should WWE book a feud between The Wyatt Family and The Authority that Dean Ambrose will recruit Bray Wyatt to his cause to battle Seth Rollins and the rest of a designated group. This could be a great and revolutionary opportunity for WWE to have Ambrose do something of note which he really hasn’t since ending his feud with Rollins at Hell in a Cell. Don’t get me wrong, the ending to the Hell in a Cell bout was creepy enough to attract viewers to Survivor Series but can this feud really sustain three months when Dean Ambrose has better things to do way up the card?

Roman Reigns may not return to wrestling until January, or he could have already done so after this was written. However, if Roman Reigns doesn’t return from his injury then his planned push which will go ahead in 2015 will have to be pushed back which means Dean Ambrose will once again have to fill the void left by Reigns which he has been doing so far. If this is to happen, Bray Wyatt isn’t the man to help this along anymore and instead to both capitalize on this feud and move Dean Ambrose along, WWE should have booked both men in the main event elimination match instead of Big Show and Mark Henry. It would have given them a main event aura and the feud a little more legitimacy.

Don’t get me wrong, Dean Ambrose vs Bray Wyatt should be a thriller if either man can get over their current booking situation. But they have to want it. Both could show the world and WWE that they deserve to be back in the main event and though will do battle again at TLC could both be candidates to win the Royal Rumble match if Reigns is still absent. Dean Ambrose is the future of this company and if he really is unbreakable then all he has to do is keep doing what he’s doing and he’ll get to the top. It might just take a little time after Roman Reigns has jumped the queue.

Winners Prediction: Dean Ambrose

WWE Divas Championship Match

(c) A.J Lee vs Nikki Bella

Yet again, I’ve become bored with WWE’s Divas division. It was doing so well with Paige vs A.J Lee on top those opinions in magazines that I’ve read saying WWE need to do something different because the pair was getting boring. I don’t agree and that’s not just because I love both Paige and A.J Lee. They are the two best female wrestlers the division has and therefore should both be left in the picture. Because what’s the alternative? Nikki Bella? Brie Bella? Natalya who hasn’t really done anything of note in wrestling for about five years or maybe Layla who people only remember is there when she appears at Fandango’s side? The truth is, WWE have no more female wrestlers to fill these spots and I’m sure everyone would have preferred to see another A.J vs Paige bout rather than this.

There were many other possibilities to do with the pair. WWE could have had the frenemies team against The Bella Twins with Brie of course being under the influence of Nikki. Or a steel cage match again each other. Even captain a Survivor Series team. But in all honesty they lost interest in the women and now Paige has no relevance in wrestling at all. What’s a victory over other divas going to mean now? She’s not going to get another shot at the gold for a while so what can she do? The same goes for A.J. Those who can remember her 2013 / 2014 reign will see the pattern remerging of her defending her gold against anyone WWE can dig up and its going the same way. Though it’s going to have a slightly different ending.

I’m convinced that WWE are going to have Nikki Bella win the Divas Championship at Survivor Series just so she can defend it against her sister at either WrestleMania or somewhere else down the line. It’s how it’s going as The Authority close in on every Championship in the company just so they can fall at the grandest stage of them all. It may not be the ideal way for WWE to go seeing as The Bella’s really can’t wrestle at all but at least it’ll be somewhat different until they can come up with something refreshing for the division to do. There are numerous possibilities, including Charlotte Flair being promoted to the main roster and doing what her father did in his career.

That’s all I have for the moment. I don’t see where this could possible go if A.J retains but can’t see a future if she doesn’t. WWE have once again booked themselves into a hole by not preparing another female under A.J and Paige. This was the same mistake they made several times before and look where that got them. Sooner or later, WWE will learn from history but I fear it’ll be too late before they do.

Winners prediction: Nikki Bella

WWE Tag Team Championship Match

Fatal-Four Way Match

(c) Goldust and Stardust vs The Miz and Damien Sandow vs Los Matadores vs The Usos

Just for those who wonder how much of this bout I am going to cover, let me begin by saying you’re going to be disappointed if you’re hoping that I will cover all of it. I was slightly disappointed when WWE announced this bout because they could have made it the third Survivor Series Elimination Match on the card and hyped interest in the event even more. Instead we get what is possibly going to be a thrilling fatal four way but in all honesty won’t peak anyone’s interest beyond the champions and The Usos.

The Miz and Damien Sandow along with Los Matadores have to be high on WWE’s list of sack able talents in 2015. None of the four men have featured heavily in programming or feuds for the whole year and even when it looked like The Miz was going to start getting his career on track by winning the Intercontinental Championship, he once again fell too soon. There’s just nothing about him anymore and the amount of work it would take to make him a star again is just something WWE aren’t willing to put the time, effort or money into. And why should they? Granted, his decline was their fault but since then he’s shown very little in the way of why WWE should once again invest in him.

What could The Miz possible do in WWE in 2015 that would have such a life changing effect on the company and the fans? Could he really be the underdog who against all odds wins the Royal Rumble and snatches the gold out of pure luck and if so, would anyone actually believe that could happen against someone as mighty as Brock Lesnar? Of course not, which leaves him stuck in the mid-card. I have heard people ask why he and Damien Sandow don’t just both ask for a release and we covered that answer in our Hell in a Cell. The answer is very simple for those who don’t already know and it’s that their treatment in WWE is preferable to working for TNA where they wouldn’t be used as stars anyway. Both men have heard from the likes of Christian, Rob Van Dam, Booker T and others what it’s like in TNA and have no desire to join the company unless forced out of WWE.

I can’t honestly blame them; TNA is a shambles right now and fast needs to find its own identity. I doubt either The Miz or Damien Sandow could save the company or help it dig itself out the hole it finds itself in. Neither man could use their designated WWE name in TNA or any other company which means working from scratch and neither wish to do that, though soon they may have no choice. Apart from to enjoy their embarrassment, I have no idea why WWE keeps them around. They are both worthless to the product and are keeping NXT talent away from the main roster when there is a chance WWE could do something with others. The Miz and Damien Sandow have a limited amount of time left in WWE; they should enjoy it whilst it lasts.

The same then goes for Los Matadores. Neither Primo or Epico have done anything of note in WWE for as long as they’ve been under the masks so why should we expect them to now? I have heard some rumours that WWE were thinking or rehiring Carlito in a bid to help the group climb back up the ladder but that has to be a joke surely. Whilst a talented and capable wrestler, Carlito was buried by WWE when he was with the company and as far as I know has no desire to return to a place where he would be used as a mid-card player on a regular basis. What would be the incentive for Carlito to return? He wouldn’t get near the main event and though the money would be an advantage, I’m sure he’s happy enough that he doesn’t have to travel WWE’s demanding schedule on a weekly basis.

Anyway, would a Carlito return really shed anymore light on Los Matadores? I think not. If Carlito was to return then the spotlight would be on him and not on his family which would put them further in the shadow and surely end their WWE careers altogether. The best thing for El Matadores now is to request their own release from WWE and follow in Carlito’s footsteps and try and it make it on their own either in the independents or back in Puerto Rico where they would be met with a heroes reception. There is nothing left for them in WWE and therefore no reason to stick around.

I think that we’ve covered The Usos and Goldust and Stardust well enough in the last few months. Everyone reading this knows what a mistake I believed the tag team title change at Night of Champions to be and so far I have been proved right. Goldust and Stardust have done nothing of note with the gold and participated in a less than forgettable feud with Jimmy and Jey which has been repetitive and dull. WWE really should have put some thought into this change before making it as it would have been far better had The Usos hung onto the gold until WrestleMania and then lost it in a thrilling bout. It would have given WWE time to build Goldust and Stardust as a serious threat.

Instead, all the good The Usos did with the titles has now been undone to the point they’re as good as useless once again because WWE got an itch which had to be scratched. I just wish that WWE could see the damage they’re doing to themselves more than anyone with hasty and rash decisions such as this. It’s getting beyond a joke and worse still, they blame the talent when these decisions fail to pay off.

Winners Prediction: Goldust and Stardust

Survivor Series Elimination Match

Alicia Fox, Natalya, Naomi and Emma vs Paige, Cameron, Summer Rae and Layla

I’m really not going to spend much time talking about this match because it’s another filler on a card which should have been dedicated to advancing and ending storylines with traditional Survivor Series bout. WWE really have missed a trick here and it’s frustrating to see when they’re blind to the fact. Unlike the main event of the show, I will be only talking about those participants that matter which narrows it down to one, Paige. I mean let’s be completely honest, the other seven women are largely unimportant and will never have a high profile career in WWE as long as they stick around.

Alicia Fox, Naomi, Natalya, Layla and Emma all have some degree of talent but don’t get enough time to show it on a weekly basis which is maddening seeing as they could produce some tight encounter if given fifteen minutes or more to put on a show. They’ve done it in NXT and what is even more worrying is that WWE are building up the NXT women to have long matches when in all truth they will get to the main roster and end up being given three minutes in which to shine. It’s just a waste of time having a Divas Division in NXT if they’re not going to be treated properly when they get to WWE’s main stage. It’s just a pointless endeavour. As for the others, they have no future in the company and don’t belong in the ring.

Paige however, is the best chance WWE have at succeeding with this division. Along with A.J Lee and a few women whom WWE have readied in NXT they could revolutionize the division together. I believe that I have said everything I can say on the WWE’s Divas division to the point where I’m struggling to come up with things to write. So I just won’t say anything at all and save it for when WWE do decide to do something different.

Winners Prediction: Paige, Cameron, Summer Rae and Layla

I’m sure as it is every year; Survivor Series 2014 will draw a decent audience seeing as for the first time in nearly ten years the main event will be an elimination bout in the vein of the classic days of wrestling especially with the likes of Seth Rollins, Dolph Ziggler and Rusev being a part of the headliner and being new blood within the company. However that will all mean nothing if WWE don’t get their booking correct on the night. We’ve seen them fail to come up with the goods over and over again that it’s hard to take them seriously now the opportunity has presented itself when it matters most.

John Cena fans may not like it, but he has to go away for a while to sell the effects of this match. The correct thing to do would be for WWE to have John Cena lose the bout and be forced to retire until WrestleMania XXXI when he’s brought back by Vince McMahon to overthrow his power hungry family. That is the way to go and now WWE have shown a willingness to take risks by filling the majority of their main event with new stars who the public wants to see, there is one more they have to take. In the long run, they will reap the rewards but they have to be willing to wait for them to come and do everything they can in order to maximise the profits. Survivor Series 2014 could be the night everything changes in WWE if they can just see their way to taking one final gamble. The greatest gamble of all!

Onwards and upwards...