WWE Survivor Series 2023! Will this be a Raw vs. SmackDown brand warfare or a WarGames spectacle? Why can’t it be both? There should be no problem in WWE booking champion vs. champion matches, Survivor Series 5 vs. 5 Elimination Matches, and War Games Matches on the same card. As for the potential PPV matches themselves, if anyone truly has the clairvoyance to predict this entire match card correctly from beginning to end, it’s the almighty Mark Justice.
With that being said, the following will provide some rapid-fire match card predictions for what should be a star-studded PLE in the fall: WWE Survivor Series 2023.
WWE Survivor Series 2023 is scheduled to take place on November 25, 2023, live on Peacock, and CM Punk will shock all of you. Here are some predictions.
Shinsuke Nakamura vs. CM Punk [Homecoming Match]
Shinsuke Nakamura will finally call out CM Punk after all of these teases and references. With Survivor Series being in Chicago this year, it’s only a matter of time. His eerie promos in the backstage area are actually alluding to someone “setting him free.” As many fans know, the Cult of Personality theme song by Living Colour, which is synonymous with CM Punk, has lyrics that say “only you can set me free.” Also, Nakamura even delivered the GTS to Rollins back at FastLane in October. CM Punk will 100% be there for a homecoming victory against a game Nakamura.
Prediction: CM Punk
Carlito vs. Santos Escobar [LWO Rivalry Match]
Santos Escobar will defeat Carlito because he needs to solidify his heel turn with a victory and make his way up to a final boss battle against Rey Mysterio once Mysterio returns from Escobar’s debilitating attack on SmackDown. It can be argued that Carlito must avenge Escobar for Rey Mysterio, but Escobar needs to prove his reasons for the LWO betrayal correct, or else his heel turn would be meaningless. This victory will show that he was justified in his vile actions and give him the sufficient momentum he needs to challenge for the U.S. Title on the road to Mania.
Prediction: Santos Escobar
Logan Paul (c) vs. LA Knight [United States Championship]
LA Knight will defeat Logan Paul to become the new United States Champion as a consolation prize for losing his world title match to Roman Reigns at the beginning of this month. Logan Paul was always a transitional champion who won the title to get more casual eyes on the title in the mainstream, thereby adding to its prestige. It is much better to see LA Knight prove himself as a U.S. Champion in WWE territory before entering the main event scene. He is incredibly over with the crowd and should be rewarded for his successful babyface turn in 2023.
At the end of the day, of course, it is beneficial to strike while the iron is hot once a superstar resonates with the crowd, and WWE can still do that for him in the mid-card.
Prediction: LA Knight
Gunther (c) vs. The Miz [InterContinental Championship]
Gunther will defeat The Miz to retain the Intercontinental Championship because this title match is merely a means for Miz, one of the greatest Intercontinental Champions of all time, to elevate Gunther as the next greatest Intercontinental Champion of all time. Although Miz has had lackluster momentum in 2023 and has not been booked like a credible threat since his prime in the years of 2010-2018, he is still an established superstar, former world champion, and future Hall of Famer who has the capabilities to tear the house down with Gunther and pass the torch to him.
Prediction: Gunther
Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Zoey Stark vs. Shayna Baszler [World Women’s Championship]
Zoey Stark won a women’s battle royal to become the number one contender for the world title against Rhea Ripley at Survivor Series. The last superstar she eliminated was her temporary tag partner, Shayna Baszler. Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Zoey Stark on paper sounds underwhelming for a big 4 PPV like Survivor Series, so there’s hope that Shayna Baszler will get added to this match to make it a triple threat. Either way, Rhea Ripley will retain the title because she is definitely walking into Mania with the championship and continuing her storyline with Judgment Day.
Prediction: Rhea Ripley
Seth Rollins (c) vs. Drew McIntyre [World Heavyweight Championship]
Seth Rollins and Drew McIntyre should not be in War Games this year because they still have unfinished business from their world title match at Crown Jewel. Every time Seth battles an opponent for his world title, he battles them twice. He defeated Balor twice. He defeated Nakamura twice. It is now time for Rollins to beat McIntyre twice. Rollins has a journey to walk into WrestleMania as the world champion, which he failed to do the first time he won a world title on his road to Mania 32. An MCL injury stopped him then, but this back injury won’t stop him now.
Prediction: Seth Rollins
Bianca Belair, Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, Shotzi, & Jade Cargill vs. Iyo Sky, Bayley, Xia Li, Asuka & Kairi Sane [War Games]
This match highly depends on Jade Cargill joining the match. If Jade Cargill does not join, Damage Control will win because Kairi Sane just returned and they need to solidify Asuka’s heel turn and their newly improved group with a victory. Shotzi would be the weak link who eats the pin in that scenario. On the other hand, if Jade Cargill joins, the babyface team is definitely winning for a successful debut and this will likely be the moment where everyone turns on Bayley, as previously teased on SmackDown, and lead to Bayley getting pinned by the babyface team.
Prediction: Bianca Belair, Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, Shotzi, & Jade Cargill
Cody Rhodes, Sami Zayn, Jey Uso, AJ Styles & Randy Orton vs. Roman Reigns, Judgment Day & Bloodline [War Games]
WWE should replace Drew McIntyre, Dirty Dom, and JD McDonagh with Roman Reigns, Jimmy Uso, and Solo Sikoa. That way, it makes sense for AJ Styles and Randy Orton to come back and help the babyface team avenge The Bloodline for the backstage attacks that wrote them off television. Also, this will increase the intensity of the long term rivalry between Cody and Roman whilst Jey Uso has to deal with his brother, Jimmy Uso. WWE has teased an alliance between Judgment Day and Bloodline throughout the calendar year and they need to follow through with it.
At the end of the day, the babyface team will come out on top to finally put an end to both Judgment Day and Bloodline. This match will elicit the dissension of these factions, as Mr. MITB Damian Priest carves his own path with the briefcase and Reigns is left alone with his cousins to back him up in world title matches. This will assure Reign’s vulnerability once he finally battles Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania, where Rhodes will finish the story and have to be wary of a potential MITB cash in by Damian Priest when all is said and done at the end of the night.
Prediction: Cody Rhodes, Sami Zayn, Main Event Jey Uso, AJ Styles & Randy Orton