Rasslin’ Roundtable for WWE Survivor Series 2016

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Tonight is WWE Survivor Series 2016, and WWE has done a ton of promotion for the main event and all the inter-brand traditional tag team elimination matches.

Here is the Pulse Wrestling crew’s previews and predictions!

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Brock Lesnar (with Paul Heyman) vs. Goldberg
Murtz – Let me start off by saying that I am very excited to be seeing the match live! It is also the first one that I will be in the audience for since the epic Rock vs. Hogan match from Wrestlemania 18. That said, I am not sure if this match will be able to match the last ‘Fantasy Warfare’ match as Rock and Hogan is still regarded as one of the most famous matches of all time. Getting back to this headliner, there is no doubt that Brock needs to get his win back. Coupled with the fact that Goldberg is injured, I feel like Brock has to take this. That said, I can also see the argument for Undertaker coming back to screw over Brock Lesnar. Very tough match to call. I just don’t see Brock going down 0-2 to anyone. To go back to the Hogan parable, we all saw how Hogan managed to get his win against the Warrior back and I feel this is a similar situation. While neither Goldberg or Brock Lesnar are permanent WWE fixtures, Brock is still the current face of the company and should get the win.
Winner: Lesnar

Spain: For one of the first times in recent memory, Brock is not the special attraction heading into this match. Goldberg is looking pretty decent for a guy that old and out of practice, and it does seem like this is going to be his last match; I suppose that means he goes out doing someone else a favour, or Brock finally gets stopped. I’m thinking Brock’s doing this because he’s beating Bill this time.
Winner: Brock Lesnar

JT – I see shenanigans happening here. Goldberg hasn’t been in the ring for years and is pushing 50 while Lesnar has been dominating the top stars of WWE for the last decade. Logically, Lesnar should destroy Goldberg, and probably still will, even with shenanigans…
Winner: Lesnar

Michael – The WWE loves 50/50 booking, so I would say Lesnar wins here. My only doubt is if Goldberg would return for a one-shot only to lose, but Goldberg doesn’t really care about wrestling, so maybe he is fine with it if the money was good. I don’t expect much out of this match though. One can only hope for a trainwreck the magnitude of the first matchup.
Winner: Brock Lesnar

Widro – I think Shane McMahon will distract Lesnar and lead to Goldberg getting the victory.
Winner: Goldberg

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Team Raw (Kevin Owens, Chris Jericho, Roman Reigns, Braun Strowman and Seth Rollins) vs. Team SmackDown (AJ Styles, Dean Ambrose, Bray Wyatt, Randy Orton, and Shane McMahon) (with James Ellsworth)
Murtz – Shane will hit at least one crazy spot. For some reason, I really think James Ellsworth will be pivotal here. I think Ellsworth will flip and Team RAW will take it.
Winnners: Team Raw

Spain: Definitely the match I’m most excited for. I feel like Team RAW is being presented in a bit more of a dominant fashion so far. Toss in the fact that Shane is officially a non-combatant, and there’s the possibility of a future feud with Brock Lesnar, and I think there’s enough there to push the scales. I pray they don’t let Ellsworth do anything dumb, but there’s always a chance. So call it a hard-fought victory for the Monday night crew.
Winners: Team RAW.

JT – Ellsworth turns heel and is the deciding factor. I find it sad that I care so little about a match with Kevin Owens and Chris Jericho in it.
Winner: Team Raw

Michael – One word: Scarves. More words: If Undertaker is coming back full time, or at least semi-full time, he needs something to do. Maybe killing off Team SmackDown one at a time will do it. Plus, I think Raw wins this big one while losing the others.
Winner: Team Raw

Widro – I think the Undertaker threatening someone on Team Smackdown was a hint that AJ will cost the team the match and lead to a title match against Taker.
Winner: Team Raw

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Team Raw (Charlotte Flair, Bayley, Nia Jax, Alicia Fox, and Sasha Banks) (with Dana Brooke) vs. Team SmackDown (Nikki Bella, Becky Lynch, Alexa Bliss, Carmella, and Naomi) (with Natalya)
Murtz – In-fighting between Charlotte and and Sasha will lead to the women’s division moving to Smackdown. I like Team Smackdown in this contest.
Winners: Team Smackdown

Spain: Seeing as how I’m picking RAW to win the battle o’ dudes, it seems like this will be more balanced by having the women’s match go the other way. If it was just this match, then I’d give it to Team RAW, but there’s got to be some give-and-take with the other matches.
Winners: Team SmackDown.

JT – Team Raw is stacked with talent, while Team Smackdown has Becky Lynch. While Becky Lynch is awesome, she probably can’t carry the whole team.
Winner: Team Raw

Michael – While there are some weak links here, there are some surprises too. For example, SmackDown has been doing a good job of building Bliss and Carmella. It is a shame Natalya is not in the match, but she seems to be having fun with her coach gimmick. What a change this is from just a couple years ago. This isn’t just a 10 woman match to get everyone out there and give the crowd a break. This could actually be a solid to great match.
Winner: Team SmackDown

Widro: With Smackdown likely losing the main match, I think they will win the other two as a balance
Winner: Team Smackdown

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Team Raw (The New Day (Big E and/or Kofi Kingston and/or Xavier Woods), Sheamus and Cesaro, Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson, Enzo Amore and Big Cass, and The Shining Stars (Primo and Epico) vs. Team SmackDown (Beauty and the Manbeast {Heath Slater and Rhyno}, The Hype Bros {Zack Ryder and Mojo Rawley}, American Alpha (Jason Jordan and Chad Gable), The Usos (Jimmy Uso and Jey Uso), and Breezango (Tyler Breeze and Fandango)
Murtz – In a match like this, I go with whoever is the most over. In this case, it is The New Day by a mile. As a result, I think Big E, Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods will be successful.
Winners: Team Raw

Spain: So my first prediction is that this thing is going to be an epic clusterfuck. Twenty guys, plus one, in or around the ring? It’s a ridiculous idea. As to who’s going to win, in something like this it could go either way. My guess is RAW chalks up another victory.
Winners: Team RAW.

JT – this will be a cluster**k, but should be fun. Standouts should be Jordan & Gable, Slater & Rhyno and Cesaro & Sheamus… wait, did I just type that?
Winner: Team Smackdown

Michael – So many people in this match. It feels like a chance for a huge disaster. But somehow, I think they keep it together. Team SmackDown is riding King Booker’s motivation, and I think they use this to justify the SmackDown tag belts existence.
Winner: Team SmackDown

Widro – Hard to decide who will win this
Winners: Team Smackdown

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WWE Cruiserweight Championship; if Kalisto wins, the title and the cruiserweight division will transfer to SmackDown
Brian Kendrick (c) vs. Kalisto
Murtz: I think the WWE has realized that it is time for Kalisto to carry the gold. I believe that like the women’s division, the cruiserweights will be headed to Smackdown.
Winner: Kalisto

Spain: If RAW are stealing the Intercontinental Championship, as I feel like they are, then I think that we’re probably getting the Cruiserweight belt and the division in return. I hate everything about this entire arrangement. Thanks so much, WWE.
Winner (and new WWE Cruiserweight Champion): Kalisto

JT – much as I loved the CWC, the cruiserweights haven’t been given much of a chance to get over since hitting the main roster, so a title change to Kalisto wouldn’t surprise me.
Winner: Kalisto

Michael – I think SmackDown pulls off the upset here and gains the cruiserweight division. Why? Because it makes no sense. Raw has 3 hours each week to fill, of course they should have more wrestlers and time to push them. But, Raw wouldn’t be Raw unless they have 14 replays of everything you already saw in the first couple minutes of the program. Plus, for me, SmackDown just sort of seems like where the cruiserweights belong. This could be Daniel Bryan’s pet project or something. I don’t think Kalisto is the man to be the title holder, but once the division has transferred, it could be anyone’s game.
Winner: Kalisto

Widro – It seems too obvious to move the title to Smackdown but at the same time having the cruiserweight show after Smackdown seems like a tell.
Winner: Kalisto

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WWE Intercontinental Championship; if Zayn wins, the title will transfer to Raw
The Miz (c) (with Maryse) vs. Sami Zayn
Murtz: The Miz doesn’t need the belt as much as Sami Zayn does. It’s time to see what Zayn can really do as the intercontinental title will move to RAW in an effort to replace the departing women and cruiserweight divisions.
Winner: Zayn

Spain: And so begins the growing divide between RAW and SmackDown, beginning with the loss of the Intercontinental Championship. I’m betting this way because I hate the very idea of any of this, so being right will hopefully dull the pain. However, I might vote differently in the Trashy Ring Attire predictions, just to ensure that I’m right even if these guesses are wrong.
Winner (and new WWE Intercontinental Champion): Sami Zayn.

JT – as the Cruiserweight title moves to Smackdown, the IC title heads to Raw. While Sami was been booked like a borderline jobber after his move up from NXT, he has talent and charisma to burn and WWE seem to have been building him up recently.
Winner: Sami Zayn

Michael – With what is shaping up as a bad night for Raw, I think they feel better about themselves with the main event victory and snatching up the Intercontinental Championship. After seeing Miz these past few months, coupled with Zayn’s awesomeness, I have a very strong feeling this will be the match of the night.
Winner: Sami Zayn (and hopefully greater respect for the work of The Miz)

Widro – The Miz got the title back just this week, and a super-quick title change turn around doesn’t seem like to me.
Winner: Miz

Jonathan Widro is the owner and founder of Inside Pulse. Over a decade ago he burst onto the scene with a pro-WCW reporting style that earned him the nickname WCWidro. Check him out on Twitter for mostly inane non sequiturs