Survivor Series 2013
TD Garden
Boston, MA
One of the WWE’s most enduring PPV events returns for its 27th installment this Sunday. The event features both top titles on the line as well as two Survivor Series style tag team elimination matches. As most of you know, I’m a Clevelander and this event holds a special significance to me as the inaugural event occurred in Richfield, Ohio in 1987. Richfield is a suburb of Cleveland and the Cleveland area has hosted Survivor Series 4 times, most of any other city. Many significant WWE moments have occurred at the Survivor Series, the first ever Casket match, the first Elimination Chamber match, Undertaker’s debut, and subsequently Undertaker defeating Hulk Hogan for the WWF Championship one year later, the start of CM Punk’s 434-day WWE Championship reign, and of course the “Montreal Screwjob.” What history will unfold this year?
Related Articles
I am happy to announce this month’s predictions will include a new predictor! Victor’s brother Adam, who is as much as diehard wrestling fan as the rest of us, was kind enough to give me his picks for the event. I hope he will continue to join Victor & I next month. I suppose that makes this a Triple Threat Preview. I wonder how we did at Hell in a Cell...
Me- @PaulHcle- 2 for 5
Victor- @weenusenvy- 4 for 5
Kickoff Match:
Kofi Kingston vs. The Miz
An inexplicable heel turn by Miz put this match together after Raw on Monday. Why after Raw and not during the 3-hour telecast? I’m not sure. Maybe because WWE Creative thought that time was better spent having both General Managers in unwatchable “matches” that served no purpose than to put over The Authority. I’m just guessing. Anyway, Miz turned heel and Kofi got the old short arm during their tag match on Raw. That’s all it took to get a match on the Kickoff show. I hope the rest of the Locker Room is taking notice.
My Pick- Kofi Kingston wins.
Victor’s Pick- The Miz wins.
Adam’s Pick- Kofi Kingston wins.
Intercontinental Championship:
Big E Langston (c) vs. Curtis Axel
This match was scheduled for Hell in a Cell’s Kickoff, but was called off due to an injury suffered by Axel. The injury wasn’t too serious and Axel competed on Raw where he lost the Title on Monday. This rematch was quickly booked on Wednesday during a WWE.com interview segment with Triple H. Why not book the rematch on Raw, where more people might get to see it and therefore be aware of the match when it pops up on the PPV? Again, I don’t know. WWE keeps pushing online & app to a fanbase that clearly isn’t interested beyond Monday nights. I love the upside in Langston. Big man with a different look from the rest of the Locker Room. He still needs more polish and his moveset isn’t as diverse as others. But at least he has personality, which is more than I can say about his opponent. Axel’s stock is falling fast and this feels like a blow off rematch. Without Paul Heyman as a mouthpiece, Axel’s flaws are becoming more apparent. It’s a shame with his pedigree.
Our Pick- Big E Langston retains.
Tag Team Match:
CM Punk & Daniel Bryan vs. Wyatt Family
Congrats to Daniel Bryan on carrying the company while John Cena was on the shelf. His reward? He is pushed completely out of the Title picture and placed in a feud with the Wyatts. Bryan & Punk are in a holding pattern now as the top titles are dominated by John Cena & Randy Orton (Holy crap! It’s 2007 again?). With the Wyatts attacking both throughout the month and claiming “The devil made me do it,” Punk & Bryan are looking to gain revenge on their assailants. The team of Punk & Bryan is wrestling fan’s wet dream as they are two of the best technical wrestlers in the last decade, both heavy fan favorites. While the Wyatt Family is on the PPV poster, they are not getting the win here. Punk & Bryan need the momentum heading towards the Royal Rumble in January and the Wyatts are such a unique team that a loss here will be helpful to building their characters.
Our Pick- CM Punk & Daniel Bryan win.
7-on7 Traditional Survivor Series Elimination Tag Team Divas Match:
Total Divas vs. Every Other Diva We Can Scrape Up
The Total Divas show is a hit for WWE, but one thing they didn’t account for is how the show has split the Divas division. There’s really no good or evil in the division. You’re either on Total Divas or you’re not. And if you’re not, you’re not getting tv time. The lone exception to that rule is Divas Champion AJ Lee, who leads the Diva Scrapheap into action. AJ is a bright spot in the division, and it’s a shame she’s being tossed into this match with no build or reason. This match is clearly on the card because of the tv show, and the Total Divas are winning.
Our Pick- Total Divas win.
Traditional Survivor Series Elimination Tag Team Match- 5-on-5:
Cody Rhodes, Goldust, The Usos, & Rey Mysterio vs. The Shield & The Real Americans
Look for this match to likely open the PPV portion of the show.
My Pick- Team Shield wins.
Victor’s Pick- Team Mysterio wins.
Adam’s Pick- Team Shield wins.
World Heavyweight Championship:
John Cena (c) vs. Alberto Del Rio
That was quick! One match in and Cena is a Champion again. The World Title looks weird around his waist. But it’s going to be there awhile, so get used to it. Del Rio is gaining more heat as a heel than he ever had as a face, but he’s just not a credible threat to Cena. And Cena’s sneaky attack on Raw did not help Del Rio look more dangerous. It made Del Rio look like an idiot for not seeing it coming. It also greatly weakened the Cross Armbreaker finisher of Del Rio, as Cena was able to essentially shrug it off a week later even with a steel chair involved. In summary, SuperCena is back and there’s not a damn thing anyone can do to stop him.
Our Pick- John Cena retains.
WWE Championship:
Randy Orton (c) vs. Big Show
I’ve never seen a wrestling character more poorly written than that of Big Show. How can you cut the legs off a giant, reduce him to tears, fire him, & then have him threaten a lawsuit to get a shot at the top title in the company? There’s no logic in this story. Big Show threatens to sue so he gets a title shot, but he’s too stupid to request ANY stipulation that would help him win the match? That’s like getting a blank check and writing in $21.24, because you really wanted a new pair of earbuds, and luckily the Skullcandy brand was on sale that day. Orton looks like a complete buffoon when going toe-to-toe with The Authority. His constant whining to The Shield & The Authority come off as mid-card. It’s not a heel tactic if the heel isn’t believable as Champion. The Authority has chopped off both competitors at the knees. Not to mention every WWE Championship match since Summer Slam had a screwy finish. Even if Big Show wins, you have no reason to expect he will keep it more than a day. If this match is why you purchase this PPV, I’d love to hear the rationale behind it.
Our Pick- Randy Orton retains.
Tentative plans are in place to attend the 2014 Royal Rumble in Pittsburgh, PA in January for the 3 of us. I’ve always considered the Rumble a bucket list event for every wrestling fan, so I hope plans don’t fall through on this one. If anyone knows any good ticket deals for 4 tickets, let me know @PaulHcle or @weenusenvy. Plus Raw is in Cleveland the night after the Rumble, so that will be a big weekend for yours truly. Survivor Series is when things start to get interesting again, and I hope this year’s event can deliver. We’ll be back next month for TLC! Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Copyright 2013- All rights reserved
Photo Credit- Wikipedia & WWE.com
