WWE Survivor Series 2016: 10 Reasons To Be Concerned

2. The Women's Elimination Match

Women S Tag SS
WWE.com

Again, very little good can come of this.

Removing booking from the equation, the RAW Women's roster is significantly more talented than its blue brand counterpart. If they win, the result will only underscore the divide. If they lose, it will take a monumental performance from all ten women for it to ring true. This is a paradox WWE should have avoided when they divided the roster in the first place.

Unlike the other two elimination matches, both teams desperately need the win. The (perceived) failure of the Sasha Banks Vs. Charlotte Hell In A Cell main event has complicated matters. If it had succeeded - or had been perceived as successful - its novelty would have meant that the division's reputation could have withstood a loss on Sunday. A loss to the SmackDown team, who themselves can't lose, could unravel the great work WWE has done with women's wrestling in 2016.

That booking would be of the dreaded 50/50 variety, but the nature of the event excuses the tactic. One need look no further than Survivor Series 2006 - and the subsequent career trajectories of Mike Knox and Gregory Helms - for proof that squash and elimination matches are strange bedfellows.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick (Creative Writing BA Hons) is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over a decade of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential UK institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!