WWE Survivor Series: Predicting the Team Raw elimination order
Team Raw is set to feature five big names from the Red brand so let’s look at the potential order in which they will be eliminated from the five-on-five tag match.
At the end of Monday Night Raw, the men’s Survivor Series team was all set. Braun Strowman, Matt Riddle, Keith Lee, AJ Styles and Sheamus comprised the team that would battle five men from SmackDown for “Brand Supremacy.” As with any Survivor Series match in the past, it would be a mistake to think all five men will make it to the end. Let us play a game to predict the potential elimination order for the five men selected to represent the Red brand.
In predicting who is going to be sent packing first, you would have to start by looking at this team and figuring out which man has received the least “push” in recent weeks. That individual is Bran Strowman. Just a few short months ago, Strowman was the WWE Universal Champion, slotted into that position because health concerns forced Roman Reigns out of WrestleMania. Even though he won the title from Bill Goldberg, his run in these past few months has been less than noteworthy.
He may be called “the Monster Among Men” but he is a far cry from the wrestler that would flip ambulances and wreck shop like Doomsday from DC Comics. Unfortunately, it should be expected to see him eliminated first from Team Raw in what will be a “surprise” that everyone sees coming.
Selecting the next man out is a bit more challenging. Here is to looking at either Keith Lee or Sheamus. At Survivor Series last year, Keith Lee stood out as a rising star. Going face-to-face-to-face with Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins, even pinning Rollins was the kickoff to what many thought would be an impressive run. That run continued to a double-champion reign in NXT but has floundered ever since NXT TakeOver XXX.
Lee’s involvement on the main roster has seemed directionless at best. He picked up a big win against Randy Orton at WWE Payback, but has done nothing of note since. Expect some type of shenanigans that will see Lee eliminated second for Team Raw.
Up next is Sheamus. Sheamus is a cagy veteran who has several title reigns in his career. He is known as a tag team wrestler in recent years, but he is won nearly every singles title WWE has to offer as well. In the last two weeks he has been paired with Drew McIntyre in backstage segments that hint toward a potential storyline between the two – harkening back to their time together earlier in their career. To elevate Sheamus to McIntyre’s status, expect him to put on a strong performance in Survivor Series.
Sheamus has been consistently booked well since his return to action. He is picked up several solid wins while not looking like an idiot heel along the way. Sheamus will have a strong performance for Team Raw at Survivor Series, picking up at least one elimination of his own before being sent packing as the third man out.
AJ Styles may be the “team captain” of the Red brand, but do not expect him to last to the end of this match. Styles performs well as a heel and this match may be used as an opportunity to create an ongoing feud with Matt Riddle. Riddle, whose recent match with Sheamus impressed Vince McMahon, may be in line for a big push – whether fans agree or not. The end of Team Raw at the PPV could come down to Styles and Riddle, with Matt being the last man present for the Red brand either taking home the victory or the last one eliminated.
Survivor Series does not come with a lot of stakes at this point, but that does not mean the entire PPV is not valuable. The way the five competitors on Team Raw perform can indicate whether they are in line for a future run on the show. With that in mind, these elimination predictions are in line with current trends for everyone involved.