Roundtable: WWE Survivor Series 2016

Are you interested in the Brock Lesnar vs. Goldberg match? Why?

John Corrigan: YES! Lesnar vs. Goldberg is what professional wrestling is all about. It’s ironic that the match is being sold as fantasy warfare, because it’s the most real thing I’ve seen in WWE in a long time. Two badass men, both amazing athletes in their day, fighting for pride and family.

Evan Cross: I’m interested in the spectacle and the big-match feel, two things WWE usually lacks. I’m not really interested in the match itself from a workrate perspective. Last time Goldberg wrestled, Terrell Owens was a San Francisco 49er, and the current incarnation of Lesnar can only have a good match if he’s in the ring with a better worker than him, which isn’t the case here.

David Gibb: Of course! Goldberg and Lesnar are two unbeatable fighters whose careers have actually been long enough to make their winning percentages mean something. Seeing titans battle is the very heart of pro wrestling.

David Levin: I am interested to see the dynamic of the two in the ring 12 years after the last match. Lesnar has continued to be the mega beast in WWE. How will the absence from the ring affect Goldberg? Will the match be better than the WrestleMania XX confrontation? If the match exceeds expectations, will it lead to Goldberg at WrestleMania 33?

What do you think about Shane McMahon being in the men’s Survivor Series match?

Corrigan: I understand why Shane is on the team (especially since you can’t trust a lone wolf), but I’d rather see Dolph Ziggler get that spot after his tremendous year and his past success at Survivor Series.

Cross: While the argument that Shane wants to show solidarity with his wrestlers makes sense, I don’t love the idea of him in the match. I can’t help but think this is a way to build Shane up for a big WrestleMania match, and the rumored opponent right now – Lesnar – doesn’t intrigue me at all. I’d much rather see Shane against someone like John Cena.

Gibb: Shane shouldn’t be in the match because he’s not a wrestler. Now, if Daniel Bryan could safely participate, that would’ve made sense from a wrestling perspective and gotten an authority figure in the mix.

Levin: I don’t like it, but I think he adds a nice sidebar to this match. Does his inclusion lead to a confrontation with Triple H? How does he perform against Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins? Does he get the pinfall – which could also lead to a feud down the line? No one has talked about it, but does Mick Foley get involved at some point?

There is usually someone who dominates at Survivor Series (like Reigns in 2014). Who will that be this year, if anyone?

Corrigan: The Shining Stars will eliminate four of Smackdown’s teams and sell a timeshare to Heath Slater for a fun-filled family vacation.

Cross: The up-and-coming monsters – in this case, Braun Strowman and Nia Jax – always have good showings. However, my pick is American Alpha. They were primed for a big push before Gable’s injury and have the most potential of any SmackDown tag team.

Gibb: Nia Jax. Her TV win over Bayley has me believing there are big plans for her in the near future, and she was born to have a whole team of women run into her and fall down. On the men’s side, they have to keep each show’s top champion strong, so AJ Styles and Kevin Owens should be dominant.

Levin: It has to be Braun Strowman. Does it mean a babyface turn for the big man? Will he confront Bray Wyatt? Is there anyone who can pin him? I think if there is anyone in this pay-per-view who can gain the most, it’s the neophyte on the red team.

Are the upcoming brand-only PPVs that are already being promoted distracting from the kayfabe importance of Survivor Series?

Corrigan: No, because there is nothing truly at stake between Raw and Smackdown. Rather, the consequences administered by each show are what’s important: if Raw loses, Steph insinuated that everybody is fired. If Smackdown loses, Undertaker is digging a grave for somebody. I do enjoy that these mortal enemies (Charlotte/Sasha, AJ/Dean) have to team up, though. It breaks up the monotony of 53 WWE PPVs a year.

Cross: Not really. If anything, TLC and Roadblock aren’t getting enough attention. Styles and Ambrose are battling in a TLC match in two weeks and they’ve apparently had no problems coexisting for Survivor Series. It doesn’t make sense.

Gibb: No. The hype for a co-branded Survivor Series is distracting from the importance of the single-brand PPVs. There’s nothing to be gained from having wrestlers from both rosters on one show at this point.

Levin: Yes. It’s hard to watch Reigns and Owens beat the hell out of each other and then act as teammates. The same thing goes for Styles and Ambrose. If anything, the dynamic should make it interesting if they cannot get along in the ring as partners. I wanted the momentum from Hell in a Cell to continue. I think this lessens it a bit.

How intrigued are you with the lower-card matches? (The Miz vs. Sami Zayn & Brian Kendrick vs. Kalisto)

Corrigan: While they’ll both be good matches, their ramifications don’t intrigue me. Where the Cruiserweight division and Intercontinental Championship go doesn’t matter to me at all. Neither do the RAW vs. Smackdown team matches. I’m only intrigued by the beating, victimization and conquer of Goldberg.

Cross: I’ll be excited if Sami Zayn wins, and I’d be happy to see the Cruiserweights on SmackDown because that is promising, but I’m not going to be too broken up if those things don’t happen.

Gibb: I’m looking hard at Kendrick and Kalisto because a Kalisto win means Mark Macyk’s cruiserweight prediction from our Hell in a Cell roundtable basically came true.

Levin: Zayn vs. Miz should be a solid match. I would have liked to have seen Ziggler and Zayn, but there is still great potential for the match that was booked. I’m not sure about Kalisto vs. Kendrick. Something is missing in the Cruiserweight division since the tournament. Maybe this match makes things a bit more exciting moving forward, but I doubt it.