Survivor Series Predictions

Due to some visitors, and a death in the family (RIP to my beloved Grampa Cal Wilson, a late-in-life wrestling fan but one of the biggest I've yet to meet) we were unable to get ITVR up this week - but with two hours to show time we did want to at least post our Survivor Series predictions before the show went on the air. We'll go match by match, with Ari's and my predictions beneath. And after this past week (with Little Tyke's birthday, my grampa's passing, and a heavy workload), things honestly SHOULD slow down now until the holidays at least, so we should be back to at least 2-3 postings a week if not more - and of course as we head into the Royal Rumble-Wrestlemania stretch, we always pick up our game (as does WWE, apparently lol).

So with no further ado ... Survivor Series Predix.

Divas Champion Beth Phoenix vs. Eve in a Lumberjill Match

SARAH:
Who cares? If this weren't about to become a cluster-mess, I'd be fine with this, but with EVERY diva involved ... OK I'll pick Beth Phoenix and leave it at that.
ARI:
I think Beth too, they're not particularly pumping Eve, so I don't see any reason other than that for a quick turnaround.

United States Champion Dolph Ziggler vs. John Morrison

SARAH:
I'm going with Ziggler here - they've only just started building JoMo up again after months of a losing streak; and while they're acknowledging said streak is a good sign, he's just not there yet, and I don't think they're ready to take the US title off Ziggler and push him up OR down the ladder either.
ARI:
I haven't followed what's been going on with Morrison as much, but I feel they like Ziggler and would want to roll with him a bit longer.

Team Orton vs. Team Barrett
(Randy Orton, Sin Cara, Kofi Kingston, Sheamus and Mason Ryan vs. Wade Barrett, Hunico, Jack Swagger, Dolph Ziggler and Cody Rhodes)

SARAH:
I'm actually going with the heels here - I think Sheamus and Wade Barrett are going to end it and Wade Barrett (plus whoever else is left on his team) is going to win. It really is Barrett and Sheamus (possibly Mason Ryan and Cody Rhodes for an honourable mention) that they want to push here, so expect some good stuff highlighting those performers.
ARI:
I definitely have high hopes for this match, it could be disappointing, it could be really good. They've got some good people there. I'm going with the faces, but as with any traditional Survivor Series match that doesn't have a condition attached to it, there's no particular reason to think that so, just call it a feeling.

NOTE: Dolph Ziggler will be appearing this match in his second of two Survivor Series appearances replacing the injured Christian.

WWE Champion Alberto del Rio vs. CM Punk

SARAH:
This is a toughie and let me say right up neither would surprise me here. But I'm going to go with CM Punk. Alberto del Rio held the title through their Mexican tour and it's been at least a couple of pay-per-views; Why not have Punk go for it? Also - just as a note - how sad is it that, per the WWE website, the WWE Championship match is third down on the card?
ARI:
Well when you've got two championships, that only takes one bump. I'm going with Punk as much because I hope so as ... that's actually a good old 'I hate the heel and I want to see the face win'. And he's had it long enough that's not implausible.

World Heavyweight Champion Mark Henry vs. Big Show

SARAH:
Go with Henry on this one - Show hasn't been back long enough, nor has he been hot enough, and Henry has been having the best year of his 15-year career by far, to me a shoo-in for 'Most Improved Wrestler' this year. I wouldn't take the belt off of him for Big Show, at least not right now, as much as I love Paul Wight.
ARI:
Yeah definitely. Mark Henry is having a very impressive run of just crushing people and okay, Big Show won't be crushed, but he's another great big boom for Henry to make.

John Cena and The Rock vs. The Miz and R-Truth

SARAH:
They have to mess with this one bigtime. I'm predicting - one - the heels winning because the faces seem so invincible and the Miz and Truth have seemed so completely beatable and lost so much heat this is the only way to go. Cena and Rock's team won't be sustainable and if WWE is smart, I predict - two - a Cena heel turn right about here. Just because one of them has to, and the fans won't boo the Rock vs. John Boy. Don't be shocked at - 3- a run in by Mick Foley, Kevin Nash, John Laureneitis or one of the myriad other players who have so far been involved in this drama.
ARI:
Agreed the odds of some sort of outside interference seem to be at least 80-90%. That's the easy thing to predict. I was going to predict Rock and Cena before you filled me in on what's been going on ... hmmm ... I guess I'll still go with Rock and Cena just because that was my gut, however ill-informed. Sometimes you wind up being wrong overthinking so I'll just stick with my first instinct.

1 hr. 45 mins. to curtain up guys - enjoy the show from Madison Square Garden, as the Rock returns fifteen years after his debut at the same event, in the same city. Here's hoping this marks a great turning point for the WWE. These fans hope so!