Smark Out Moment

Welcome to another edition of Triple Threat from Smark Out Moment, where three of us get together to discuss three questions based on one big topic going down in the week of professional wrestling.

This week, Dallas Allsopp, Bodeen Green and Robert DeFelice preview the 2020 edition of WWE Survivor Series.

This year's Survivor Series marks 30 years of The Undertaker in WWE, and whilst it is unclear if this is his own personal Hall of Fame style event, it should be gripping viewing. In addition to that, we have a number of strong matches on offer as Raw and SmackDown fight for brand supremacy.


ALLSOPP: I am excited for Bobby Lashley vs Sami Zayn, which is not something I would have said twelve months ago. Lashley's association with MVP as the CEO of The Hurt Business has reinvented him as an ass kicker with personality, therefore I am thoroughly enjoying all he does at the moment. This match has also received the best build, but that is not to say much. Both men have insulted the other, and although it gives the match a childish element, I still cannot wait for them to lock horns.

GREEN: Despite the idea of brand supremacy feeling dead and meaningless, Survivor Series has still delivered some great matches in recent years. This year's edition of Survivor Series looks no different, as it looks promising in terms of delivering some good matches. One of these matches that looks extremely promising is the Champion vs Champion tag team match between The New Day and The Street Profits. Both teams have a lot of talent and can easily have the match of the night if given enough time. Another match that looks good is Bobby Lashley vs Sami Zayn. Lashley has been booked extremely dominant as United States Champion, whilst Zayn has looked clever and shrewd as Intercontinental Champion, winning his matches in creative ways. It will be interesting to see who gets the win due to both men being booked in extremely different ways.

Honestly, the build towards this year's Survivor Series has felt rushed and messy, mainly due to feuds being leftover from Hell in a Cell. Even the 5 on 5 traditional Survivor Series match has felt more focused on building the teams themselves, rather than building towards the actual match.

DeFELICE: The show has been built terribly, and if there's anything I'm looking forward to from the undercard, it would be The New Day vs The Street Profits because there is the lingering question of ‘what will Big E do'. Also, it is probable that the match will feature some of the best wrestling on the show. Ultimately though, this has been a terribly built show.


GREEN: Whilst I was keen to see Randy Orton vs Roman Reigns at Survivor Series, Drew McIntyre vs Reigns is a more than worthy replacement, especially due to their history against each other. Both men have stood out this year and are arguably doing their greatest work in their careers. Honestly, I can't tell who is going to win this match, due to both men being booked so strong in 2020, but I'll go for the WWE Universal Champion Reigns winning.

DeFELICE: Roman Reigns should not lose a single match until he loses at WrestleMania, if he loses at WrestleMania. Drew McIntyre, ultimately, is a much better pick than Randy Orton because at least they bothered to kind of build towards this match. There is also the unwritten story that McIntyre defeated Brock Lesnar, Paul Heyman's other client. Triple H recently called this match the equivalent of Hulk Hogan vs Ric Flair, and whilst I wouldn't go that far, it's clear that these are the two most fleshed out characters on the roster that haven't existed for over a decade. McIntyre can eat the loss, and I definitely think he will. I'm also curious to see if The Miz will play a role in Sunday's proceedings.

ALLSOPP: I am so happy to have this matchup rather than Randy Orton vs Roman Reigns. I agree with Robert that Reigns shouldn't lose until at least WrestleMania 37, but that doesn't mean he needs to win this match. Drew McIntyre and Reigns can easily put on a classic match that lasts half an hour, only for someone like Lars Sullivan to cause a DQ or no contest to save either man from taking the fall. It is clear to me that although Reigns has been Vince McMahon's favourite for many years, McIntyre's WWE Championship win on Monday was the biggest indication yet that he is a force to be reckoned with, perhaps being positioned as the number 1.5, only half a step below Reigns. If The Scottish Warrior won, it would certainly back up the argument that he is the biggest star in the company.


DeFELICE: Does it matter? I struggle with the topic of brand supremacy this year because of the lack of time that each team member has spent on their respective brands. I'm going to say Monday Night Raw wins the men's match, and that's largely due to Keith Lee. I think SmackDown has a chance for the women's match, and that's only because Bianca Belair needs to look like a star.

ALLSOPP: For all the bickering within Team Raw, I cannot see past the collective talent they have on offer. AJ Styles is quite simply inspirational as the self announced captain of Team Raw, whilst the presence of Jordan Omogbehin is an x-factor that Team SmackDown may not be able to deal with. In regards to the women, I cannot see past Team SmackDown, purely due to the fact Bianca Belair is competing. This could be the perfect manner to give her a Diesel push, just like the one Roman Reigns received in 2013.

GREEN: As previously mentioned, the build for the traditional 5 on 5 Survivor Series match has felt unusual. Whilst this could be due to COVID 19 restricting WWE from booking their usual big inter brand brawls, it still has given this year's traditional 5 on 5 match a weird feel. That being said, the matches should still be entertaining. I feel that Team SmackDown will win the men's match, mainly due to Team Raw not being able to work together. On the women's side of things, I can see Team Raw beating Team SmackDown, due to Team Raw looking like a much stronger team.