Bleacher Report's WWE Staff Predictions for Survivor Series 2020

Survivor Series airs Sunday on the WWE Network, which means it's again time for the Bleacher Report staff to share its predictions for the pay-per-view.

This show is all about brand warfare, so every champion from Raw will battle every champion from SmackDown in addition to the men's and women's traditional elimination matches.

Here is the lineup for the show, according to WWE.com:

• Lana, Shayna Baszler, Nia Jax, Peyton Royce and Lacey Evans vs. Liv Morgan, Ruby Riott, Bianca Belair and two TBD Superstars
• AJ Styles, Braun Strowman, Sheamus, Riddle and Keith Lee vs. Kevin Owens, Jey Uso, King Corbin, Seth Rollins and TBD
• Sami Zayn vs. Bobby Lashley
• The Street Profits vs. The New Day
• Asuka vs. Sasha Banks
• Roman Reigns vs. Drew McIntyre

Let's see how the Bleacher Report staff members think everything will go down. Here's our lineup of contributors:

• Graham "GSM" Matthews (GM) (@WrestleRant)
• Donald Wood (DW) (@Donald_Wood)
• Jeff J (JJ) (@JeffJSays)
• Anthony Mango (AM) (@ToeKneeManGo)
• Chris Mueller (CM) (@BR_Doctor)
• Erik Beaston (EB) (@ErikBeaston)
• Phil Lindsey (PL) (@PhilDL616)
• Kevin Berge (KB) (@KevinBerge)

Men's Elimination

Q: If you could create your dream Survivor Series team with anyone from Raw or SmackDown, which five stars would you choose?

Roman Reigns, Keith Lee, Big E, Cesaro and Daniel Bryan.

The Street Profits vs. The New Day

Q: Have The New Day lost some of their energy without Big E? 

Not at all. They still have their comedic timing, still find new levels to reach with their in-ring work and haven't really detached from E because they've become a constant presence across both shows. The New Day on Raw and Smackdown is like visiting your friend who goes to the high school in the next town over—close enough to maintain their connection.

Women's Elimination

Q: If this match ends with a sole survivor, who should it be and why?

Bianca Belair. She's the only Superstar who fits the bill of being both dominant enough to pull it off, talented enough to be worth the investment and someone who could actually use the boost. Everyone else is either too low on the roster or doesn't need it.

Sami Zayn vs. Bobby Lashley

Q: From a booking standpoint, who makes the most sense to win? 

If Lashley doesn't squash Zayn, that's a mistake. He's far bigger and has been booked as the much more serious and dangerous competitor.

Zayn is weak in comparison and can easily lose and just complain about it, while a loss for The All Mighty will derail his steady climb back into the main event scene.

Women's Elimination

Q: If this match ends with a sole survivor, who should it be and why?

Belair. Arguably the most athletic Superstar on the roster, she was a star in NXT and should be able to translate that success to the main roster with proper booking.

To ensure she makes an instant impact and a viable championship threat coming out of the PPV, she should eliminate all five members of Team Raw before being the sole survivor.

Roman Reigns vs. Drew McIntyre

Q: Why do you think WWE had McIntyre win the title so close to the event after advertising Reigns vs. Orton in recent weeks?

There are likely multiple reasons. On one hand, losing the title at Hell in a Cell didn't hurt McIntyre, as he was still in the main event chasing it; on the other, Orton got another championship reign on his resume and was rewarded for being one of the best in the business during COVID-19.

Now that McIntyre is champion again, all is right with the wrestling world.

Men's Elimination

Q: If you could create your dream Survivor Series team with anyone from Raw or SmackDown, which five stars would you choose?

Aleister Black, "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt, Roman Reigns, Drew McIntyre and Kevin Owens.

Roman Reigns vs. Drew McIntyre

Q: Why do you think WWE had McIntyre win the title so close to the event after advertising Reigns vs. Orton in recent weeks?

To bring more eyes to Raw, to give the impression that anything can happen on the flagship and to preserve Orton's credibility.

Losing three matches in a row would have hurt what the performer and WWE Creative had accomplished over the course of 2020. So they had The Viper win one and then reset with McIntyre winning to set up the intended match with Reigns.

Women's Elimination

Q: If this match ends with a sole survivor, who should it be and why?

Lana is the most likely sole survivor given the story that's been told with her recently on Raw, but Belair would make more sense in that role.

She has been on a roll since arriving on the blue brand and should be built up for an eventual shot at the SmackDown Women's Championship. Much like at the Royal Rumble, I expect an impressive performance from her here.

Asuka vs. Sasha Banks

Q: Who do you want to see win this match?

Although Asuka is my pick to win, I'd prefer to see Sasha Banks emerge victorious, solely because she's never beaten The Empress of Tomorrow on her own before. Granted, she defeated her for the Raw Women's Championship over the summer, but that was by count-out.

Banks has a ton of momentum at the moment, whereas Asuka feels like an afterthought and has nothing to gain from beating The Boss again.

Men's Elimination

Q: If you could create your dream Survivor Series team with anyone from Raw or SmackDown, which five stars would you choose?

I feel like I've considered this many times in recent years, but ultimately I just have to go with the absolute best working right now. Roman Reigns, Drew McIntyre, Daniel Bryan, Seth Rollins and AJ Styles make up the best wrestlers in WWE.

Each team member brings something unique with true main event flair. This team would be hard to match with any pairing of five stars. However, there is plenty of young talent rising who could ultimately usurp this elite quintet.

Asuka vs. Sasha Banks

Q: Who do you want to see win this match?

Asuka has had Banks' number throughout the year and remains the unrivaled peer in the women's division. Bayley made it clear that The Boss cannot defeat The Empress of Tomorrow without help, so it would be cathartic for Banks to win without any interference.

Survivor Series' brand warfare rarely helps anyone rise or fall, but The Boss could become an even bigger star if WWE established that she could compete with and defeat Asuka when both are at their best.

Men's Elimination

Q: If you could create your dream Survivor Series team with anyone from Raw or SmackDown, which five stars would you choose?

My dream Survivor Series this year would be The Hurt Business with Ricochet as the final member. The reluctant alliance makes so much sense, and they should have faced Retribution on Sunday in the five-on-five elimination match.

Survivor Series has felt like an uneventful pay-per-view at times recently because the traditional match doesn't have the storylines that it used to. It's just two thrown-together teams with no connections.

This would have given WWE the chance to continue the rivalry between The Hurt Business and Retribution, while adding Ricochet would have given the match even more tension.

Zayn vs. Lashley

Q: From a booking standpoint, who makes the most sense to win this bout?

It would make sense for Zayn to outsmart Lashley and win in his usual underhanded fashion.

He arguably could use the win more as it would further develop him into a believable threat as a heel. A crafty victory over Lashley wouldn't hurt the United States champion, either.

Zayn suffered a humiliating loss to Lashley at Money in the Bank 2018. It wouldn't add anything to The Hurt Business or The All Mighty's presentation to squash him again. It would just be predictable.

Women's Elimination

Q: If this match ends with a sole survivor, who should it be and why?

As much as I want to say Belair because she deserves it, Lana makes the most sense based on her storyline with Jax and Baszler.

Her journey to earn their respect is similar to how she has been trying to earn the respect of the fans. If she has a good performance and survives to win, the Raw women's locker room may finally accept her as more than just a former manager and social media guru. 

The Street Profits vs. The New Day

Q: Have The New Day lost some of their energy without Big E?

It's hard to say a definitive yes or no. Big E brought so much unique energy to the team, but Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston have already proved they can be just as entertaining on their own.

If forced to choose, I would say they have not lost any energy. They just have a different kind now that Big E is solo on SmackDown. When they eventually reunite, it will be epic. 

All respondents' predictions are represented by their initials next to their choices.

• Styles, Strowman, Sheamus, Riddle and Lee (AM, DW, GM, KB, PL, CM) vs. Owens, Uso, Corbin, Rollins and TBD (JJ, EB)
• Lana, Baszler, Jax, Royce and Evans (JJ, EB, CM) vs. Morgan, Riott, Belair and two TBD Superstars (AM, DW, GM, KB, PL)
• Zayn (KB, CM) vs. Lashley (JJ, AM, DW, EB, GM, PL)
• The Street Profits (AM, DW, EB, GM, PL, CM) vs. The New Day (JJ, KB)
• Asuka (AM, DW, GM, PL) vs. Banks (JJ, EB, KB, CM)
• Reigns (JJ, AM, DW, EB, GM, KB, PL, CM) vs. McIntyre