Welcome to another edition of WWE Heat Index, wherein we discuss the interest level for the various feuds heading into the pay-per-view events. This time around, we’re focusing on Survivor Series 2019 coming this Sunday night.
The way this works is a pretty simple three-way breakdown of Hot, Lukewarm and Cold. If you like something and you’re very interested in how WWE is setting up the program, it’s Hot (aka Good). If you’re a bit on the fence about it and see some problems, but it’s not awful, then it’s just Okay or Lukewarm. The ones that are the most problematic that you have no interest in are Cold (aka Bad).
Be sure to leave your thoughts in the comments section to let everyone know what your thermometer reads for each feud as I tell you what my thoughts are below!
Without further ado, let’s get started!
Universal Championship Match: Bray Wyatt (c) vs. Daniel Bryan = Lukewarm
Don’t kill me, but I’m not feeling this. I’m worried WWE is going to keep this too simple, like a lot of other things have been.
The Fiend can easily go down a rabbit hole of just being a non-selling monster with the horrible red lighting who wrestles the same match with Daniel Bryan as he did with Seth Rollins. I don’t want to see that.
If they give me something fresh, it could be cool. However, if this is just a matter of trying to get the most out of doing the least work possible with two big names that’ll sell themselves, I wouldn’t be surprised. I’m not going to get my hopes up for anything great.
Prediction: Bray Wyatt wins.
WWE Championship No Holds Barred Match: Brock Lesnar (c) vs. Rey Mysterio = Cold
I can’t imagine Mysterio will win the title, so I just think this will be a rather quick decimation. I’ve already seen that a hundred times from Lesnar, so what’s the appeal? The No Holds Barred stipulation does help give this more flexibility, but I don’t think it’ll fully save it.
Prediction: Brock Lesnar wins.
Triple Threat Match: Raw Women’s Champion Becky Lynch vs. NXT Women’s Champion Shayna Baszler vs. SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley = Hot
For my money, Bayley doesn’t even need to be in this match. I’m only really interested in Lynch vs. Baszler. That could be a WrestleMania match as far as I’m concerned.
I don’t think this will be the match of the night, but I do think there will be some interesting moments. Truth be told, even though I’m giving this a Hot, I actually think there’s a good chance it’s underwhelming and it just sets up something better to come later down the pipeline.
But I’m definitely looking forward to it, as this looks great on paper.
Prediction: I’m leaning toward Baszler.
Men’s Survivor Series Elimination Match: Team Raw vs. Team NXT vs. Team SmackDown = Hot
This wouldn’t have been the exact group of people I would have gone with if I had the ability to pick the teams, and I’d have actually announced Team NXT…but I’m still down.
What’s strange about these matches is that the star power is high and the potential for it to be amazing is really up there, but they always turn out somewhat problematic. Certain people are always booked poorly, there are odd choices in the winners/losers and they don’t live up to their hype.
But I’m foolish enough to be hopeful that this year, things will be different.
Prediction: Team SmackDown wins, but if Reigns gets eliminated at any point, I’m going Team Raw from that point onward.
Women’s Survivor Series Elimination Match: Team Raw vs. Team NXT vs. Team SmackDown = Hot
Pretty much copy and paste exactly what I said about the men’s match for here, as the same things apply.
This could be a totally chaotic wreck that people never want to see again, where everyone is rushing around to do their 2 moves before they’re eliminated, or it can be a lot of fun.
Again, I would have gone with some slightly different teams for Raw and SmackDown (no idea about NXT) but I’m overall cool with the group we have representing these brands. I dig Survivor Series as a concept, so I’ll give this the benefit of the doubt until my fears are proven right.
Prediction: Team NXT wins. I have no idea.
Triple Threat Match: United States Champion AJ Styles vs. North American Champion Roderick Strong vs. Intercontinental Champion Shinsuke Nakamura = Hot
I feel like this pretty much has to go down well, right? I have more faith in this match being rock solid than pretty much anything else on the card.
If there is a problem, I think the weak link will be Shinsuke Nakamura. Given the three people, he’s the one I could see dragging it down a bit. It’s surely not going to be AJ Styles or Roderick Strong, that’s for sure.
I’m very curious who gets the win here. I’m going with Strong as my pick, pinning Nakamura, but I could see Styles winning, too.
Prediction: Roderick Strong wins.
Triple Threat Match: The Viking Raiders vs. The Undisputed ERA vs. The New Day = Hot
The Viking Raiders are great. Naturally, The Undisputed ERA are awesome. The New Day is one of the best tag teams WWE has ever had, in my opinion. How can you go wrong?
I do think The Revival could have potentially had a better match than what this will be, but just because I like pepperoni pizza better doesn’t mean regular extra cheese is somehow bad.
If WWE lets these guys just go out there and do what they can do to wow the crowd, this can steal the show.
Prediction: The Viking Raiders win.
NXT Championship Match: Adam Cole (c) vs. TBD = Lukewarm
It’ll be Pete Dunne as the challenger and Adam Cole will retain. The match will be good, as both are top notch performers, but this will be swallowed up on the card as the least important match of the night.
It wouldn’t shock me at all if this is on the kickoff and everyone forgets about it by the time the first elimination match is done.
Prediction: Adam Cole wins.
Those are my thoughts, but how do you feel about these particular feuds? What’s hot and what’s cold in your mind? Fill us in on your point of view in the comments below!
