WWE Survivor Series 2020 – Predictions

Here are our Survivor Series 2020 Predictions.

Traditional Survivor Series Match

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

“Why do you are so much about being on the Survivor Series team?”

“Bro, Vince *loves* Survivor Series. And this whole “brand supremacy stuff”. Each year he puts a quarter of a million dollars prize up for the winners. I want me some of that”

There. It took three to four sentences and solved the biggest criticisms which are levelled at the modern day Raw vs Smackdown Survivor Series – what are they fighting for? Just have someone say this in a backstage section on one of the thousands of hours of show they produce each week.

RAW goes into this year’s Survivor Series as the favourite (4/7 against Smackdown’s 5/4) and backing the favourite seems the more sensible option here. This will be the 5th Survivor Series Men’s match with Raw vs Smackdown (including the NXT one last year), with Smackdown with 3 wins and Raw with 2. Raw winning here evens things up AND they’re the brand with the longest time since a win.

WHO wins will tell a lot about where both the WWE (and potentially US titles) are heading next. I think RAW wins with AJ Styles in the final group (and probably including Braun and Riddle too). With Rollins rumoured to be on Pat Leave soon, expect him to take the decisive fall too.

Prediction: Team RAW Wins

Randy Orton Drew McIntyre (WWE Champion) vs. Roman Reigns (Universal Champion)

I’d like to personally thank WWE for actually announcing a card a few weeks in advance (certainly more than they have done)… but then changing that card after I’d done my write-up. Cheers Vincent.

In my original draft, I mentioned that Orton / Reigns actually made more sense. My first write up said

Drew vs Reigns feels like a bigger match longer down the road and – in a rare case of sensibleness from WWE’s “long term booking plans” (ironic speech marks are intentional) it’s not the place for it at Survivor Series.

There’s no real stakes and someone really should lose these matches (if only to help the “brand scores” over the evening) and neither Universal Champion or “WWE Champion Drew McIntyre” could afford a loss to the other. But “WWE Champ Randy Orton” could do.

Those speech marks seem even more ironic now…

Roman remains the favourite, but his odds have shortened now he’s facing “The Scottish Cyborg” – with odds dropping from 1/6 to 1/2. Drew is also – understandably – much shorter odds to win compared to what Orton was (you can get odds of 6/4 for Drew, whereas they were 7/2 for Orton.

The change as certainly meant it’s a more difficult match to call… and I’m going to go against the bookies and back Drew. When neither man can really afford to lose, shenanigans is most likely. The odds are based on who wins and Roman getting disqualified feels a very real possibility. Especially if a complete meltdown by The Big Dawg, Orton and whoever else… then it’ll be interesting to see what Miz does.

Prediction: Drew McIntyre Wins (By DQ)

Tradition Women’s Survivor Series Match

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

Last year’s women’s match was won by NXT who – let’s be fair – have been somewhat screwed over by being utterly ignored this year. It’s hard to claim that the gold and black is a “legitimate third brand” when there’s literally no explanation (bar minimum storyline wise) why they’re not on the card.

The only ‘survivor’ (so to speak) from last year’s winning team is Bianca Belair who is now on the Smackdown side (Baszler also won the triple threat main event). And – for a really interesting fact – Smackdown has *never* won a women’s survivor series match (with Raw winning in 16-18 and 2008). Kinda feels like it’s Smackdown’s time, no?

Team Blue is still officially missing two members of it’s side. Bayley feels like an obvious addition and maybe even Sasha (or a call up from the somewhat stacked NXT women’s division). With the Women’s Tag Team Champs also on Team Raw, whoever beats them potentially sets up the next challengers (either Riott Squad or Bayley + a to be confirmed friend).

The bookie’s agree with Smackdown at 4/7 vs Raw at 5/4. These are short enough odds where – even though it’s a clear favourite, it could still be worth a punt.

Prediction: Team Smackdown Wins

Bobby Lashley (United States Champion) vs. Sami Zayn (Intercontinental Champion)

Bit of an odd one this – the bookie’s have got Lashley as one of the shortest odds on the whole card (1/3 against 9/4 for Sami Zayn). It’s kinda technically a heel vs heel match (who knows what The Hurt Business are these days) but does have the more simple “in ring” story of dominant Lashley vs chickenshit heel Zayn.

With RETRIBUTION missing from the card, one has to assume that they’ll make an appearance *somewhere* at Survivor Series and costing RAW a win, whilst also attacking The Hurt Business seems a fairly natural conclusion.

RAW has a number of people who could be challenging the US title too and Lashley sulking from a loss would help set up the next challenge – unless it’s Ali which would also make sense.
And Sami Zayn getting a win that he didn’t really earn also feels somewhat… poetic?

Yet still; the bookies (who are more right than wrong on these things) are still backing Lashley and there’s gotta be a reason for this. Dave Meltzer – for what it’s worth – also said he was expecting a Lashley squash. Regardless; my recommendation is to back Zayn, but don’t break the bank

Prediction: Sami Zayn Wins

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

Is this the best possible “in ring” women’s match which WWE can offer right now? Maybe, although this is really one where NXT would make it even better as Io Shirai has got to be on the contenders list.

Obviously Bayley is also waiting in the wings but I’m really hoping that this is nothing more than “give them 15-20mins and a clear winner”. There’s no massive loss for either Banks or Asuka given how strong both they and their opponent are as champions (unlike say, Drew, who is still solidifying his place on the card).

Banks is the slight favourite (which hopefully plays into the clean finish) with odds of 4/6 against Asuka at 11/10. It could go either way – so keep your money off this one – but with the proverbial gun to the head, I’m backing Sasha here (if only because she’s the more recent title winner)

Prediction: Sasha Banks Wins

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)

This is the closest of all of the matches on the card – in fact, even the bookies can’t separate them with both teams a short 5/6. In this case it’s a gambler’s nightmare; hard to call and no real reward even if you do get it right.

So – with it being the hardest match to call – I’ve intentionally left it to the last. What’s also rare with a brand supremacy Survivor Series, it’s a even numbered match card so there is the potential for a draw. But where’s the fun in that?

With the other 5 matches, I’m predicting Raw to win 2 (5 Man Tag, World Title) and Smackdown to win 3 (5 Woman Tag, IC/US, Womens). So if I’m ruling a draw out through boredom, then I’m calling a Smackdown win here so that they take the night 4-2 (but Raw wins the World Title and Men’s 5 Man). Probably makes more sense (just) as Street Profits gain more here than a New Day win would.

It’s a hard one to call, but I’m just playing the odds… which is really what I do on a gambling site!

Prediction: The Street Profits Win

Those are our predictions, what are yours? Feel free to leave them in the comments!