10 Steps To Improve WWE Survivor Series 2022’s Build
3. Keep The Outcome In Question
If WWE wants to illustrate Survivor Series as a showcase of two (or in 2019's case, three) brands on equal footing, then having one brand win the kickoff match while the other brand runs the table once the PPV begins in earnest is not the right approach.
During the 2018 Survivor Series, a running toteboard kept track of a 6-0 sweep for Monday Night RAW and completely disregarded Team SmackDown’s victory in the opening 20-Man Tag contest because it was broadcast on the pre-show. This year was much the same.
WWE was at least prudent enough not to feature an official scoreboard to accentuate the disparity, but Team Red ran the table while SmackDown bookended with a disqualification victory for Intercontinental Champion Shinsuke Nakamura on the pregame show and a main event victory for Universal Champion Roman Reigns.
On the large scale, the PPV would benefit immensely from actually being competitive and keeping the winning brand in doubt until after the closer. With exception to NXT's emphatic 2019 victory, RAW has won the overall series every year since the brand split. Only one of those shows (2017) was determined by the result of the main event.
With regard to individual matches, fans would likely be more invested in a dual-brand battle royal if one of the participants wasn’t an eight-foot giant who hasn’t been so much as knocked off his feet, eliminating half of the field by himself.
It's okay to keep the audience guessing, promise.