by Michael Davis
WWE’s Thanksgiving tradition Survivor Series hails from a popular wrestling town: Chicago, Illinois. This happens to be the hometown of free agent CM Punk and the internet will not shut up about a potential return for the former WWE Champion. Should they?
WWE’s main headline matchups include two WarGames matchups, one for the men and one for the women. Each team had to be filled by this weekend and WWE went ahead and announced who would join Sami Zayn, Cody Rhodes, Jey Uso, and World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins to face the Judgment Day and Drew McIntyre.
Rather than surprising everyone in attendance this weekend, WWE decided it would be best to announce ahead of time the return of Randy Orton. The 14-time world champion has been away for 18 months after suffering a back injury last May.
WWE is smarter than we give them credit for. Rather than dangle the carrot of CM Punk’s return in front of a red-hot Chicago crowd to ultimately be disappointed, you now get to sell more tickets because of Randy Orton’s in-ring return from injury. Had Orton been a surprise on Saturday evening, there’s still a large percentage of the Chicago crowd who is disappointed their hometown guy won’t be coming.
Whether you were hoping CM Punk would return Saturday or not, Survivor Series should be a good event this weekend. Here is what to expect at one of WWE’s bigger premium live events:
Men’s WarGames – Cody Rhodes, Jey Uso, Randy Orton, Sami Zayn & Seth Rollins vs. Judgment Day & Drew McIntyre: Randy Orton’s return has me believing his team will be victorious. This story has dominated Mondays for a long time, but that doesn’t likely end after this weekend. Whoever loses for Judgment Day will have to answer to the Women’s World Champion on Monday.
Rhea Ripley defends the Women’s World Championship against Zoey Stark: The best thing for Stark’s career was instantly being paired with WWE Hall of Famer Trish Stratus. Yet learning from Stratus early on won’t change this matter: Mami’s always on top. Ripley won’t be losing this title anytime soon and she’ll retain.
Carlito vs. Santos Escobar: Escobar has turned on the LWO and Rey Mysterio, finally, and he should thrive as a heel. Carlito’s back in the WWE in the best shape of his life, so both will want to prove themselves. Escobar needs a win to setup the eventual Mysterio match down the road.
Gunther defends the Intercontinental Championship against The Miz: The story writes itself. The Miz tries to tie the most Intercontinental Championship reigns in company history by dethroning the longest reigning Intercontinental Champion of all-time. This is essentially for the right to be called THE greatest Intercontinental Champion ever… which is why Gunther wins. Once Gunther finds an opening, he’ll hit The Miz with three powerful moves and retain his title.
Women’s WarGames – Becky Lynch, Bianca Belair, Charlotte Flair & Shotzi vs. Damage CTRL: Damage CTRL, with the additions of Kairi Sane and Asuka in the last month, are potentially the greatest women’s faction in history. A signature win helps solidify that claim. Shotzi is clearly in the match to take the fall, as Damage CTRL looks unstoppable.
What do you think happens this weekend at Survivor Series? Is the door completely shut on CM Punk? Will Gunther’s historic reign come to an end? Who survives WarGames? Let us know in the comment section and our social media accounts.
