One of WWE's premier events returns on Saturday when Survivor Series comes to Boston. For the first time, WarGames will be the focal point of the second-oldest pay-per-view in promotional history.
WarGames has been a staple for NXT but the match, which was made famous in NWA and WCW, has never happened on the WWE main roster. That changes this year with five-on-five matches on both the men's and women's side of the roster.
The match sees two members of each team start in the ring, with members of the other teams being added one at a time. There is a cage surrounding two rings and the match traditionally features a ton of chaos and wild moments.
On the men's side, The Bloodline, comprised of Roman Reigns, Jimmy Uso, Jey Uso, Solo Sikoa and Sami Zayn, will battle Team Brawling Brutes, which consists of Sheamus, Ridge Holland, Butch, Drew McIntyre and Kevin Owens. On the women's side, it will be Team Damage CTRL, which features Bayley IYO SKY, Dakota Kai, Rhea Ripley and Nikki Cross, taking on the team of Bianca Belair, Asuka, Alexa Bliss, Mia Yim and Becky Lynch. Plus, two more title matches tip the bill when the action kicks off.
Plus, SmackDown women's champion Ronda Rousey is back in action when she defends her title against Shotzi Blackheart. Perhaps the most intriguing title match is the triple threat for the United States championship as Bobby Lashley and Austin Theory look to take the title off Seth Rollins.
Let's take a closer look at who our CBS Sports experts predict will come out on top at WWE Survivor Series, which begins Saturday at 8 p.m. ET from TD Garden in Boston and streams live on Peacock.
2022 WWE Survivor Series predictions
The Bloodline (Roman Reigns, Jey Uso, Jimmy Uso, Solo Sikoa, Sami Zayn) vs. The Brawling Brutes (Sheamus, Ridge Holland, Butch), Drew McIntyre & Kevin Owens (WarGames Match)
It would make a ton of sense to have The Bloodline eat a loss here and refresh some challengers for Reigns and maybe even send Zayn out of the group to link up with Owens, now knowing inside info about how Reigns and his family tick. But WWE has seemed so committed to protecting the group, even when they could eat a meaningless loss here or there. Holland and Butch provide two bodies who are most likely to eat the loss than anyone on the Bloodline side, aside from Zayn if they choose to move that story forward now. I'd love to see it go the other way but picking The Bloodline always seems safe. Pick: The Bloodline wins -- Brent Brookhouse
Very rarely is there an opportunity for The Bloodline to lose clean at a major event. Their status as record-setting champions makes them nearly bulletproof, but WarGames omits their titles from the equation. The Bloodline's continued in-fighting could plant the seeds for something like Zayn's exit or a coup in the group. Victory for the good guys will present Sheamus and Owens with well-deserved undisputed world title shots against Reigns. Simply, there are too many positive and intriguing outcomes stemming from The Bloodline's defeat. Pick: The Brawling Brutes, McIntyre & Owens win -- Shakiel Mahjouri
Bianca Belair, Asuka, Alexa Bliss, Mia Yim & Becky Lynch vs. Damage CTRL (Bayley, IYO SKY, Dakota Kai), Rhea Ripley & Nikki Cross (WarGames Match)
As of the time of this writing, the fifth member of Belair's team has not been announced. I'm operating on the assumption that person will be a returning Becky Lynch. If it is Lynch, it's hard to imagine that her return wouldn't tip the scales. Everything booked in these spots should set up something else down the road and Lynch's return would help to shift Damage CTRL's attention away from an endless feud with Belair. Of course, someone eventually has to take the title off Belair and Bayley felt like the best option. But dragging that out more feels pointless after they've had so many matches lately. Pick: Team Belair wins -- Brookhouse
The success of Damage CTRL since its debut has been mixed, but Kai and Sky recapturing the women's tag team titles were a good sign. Simply put: the villainous team is the more cohesive. Bayley's faction is tight knit, they have a regular collaborator in Cross and Ripley plays well with Judgement Day. Ripley has emerged as her faction's breakout member and a win here should vault her into a title match with Belair. I'll reconsider my pick if Beth Phoenix is named the final member of Belair's squad. Pick: Team Damage CTRL wins -- Mahjouri
SmackDown Women's Championship -- Ronda Rousey (c) vs. Shotzi Blackheart
There is no logical reason Shotzi should win. She was not booked like a serious threat before becoming No. 1 contender and that hasn't changed. There is some juice to squeeze out of a villainous Rousey run and her re-established alliance with Shayna Bazler. Rousey should win without much resistance and then on to the next one. Pick: Rousey retains the title -- Mahjouri (Also Brookhouse)
United States Championship -- Seth Rollins (c) vs. Bobby Lashley vs. Austin Theory
Yes, Rollins is still fairly early in his run, but WWE has set a lot of twists in place with this story and this is a situation where it's easy to see the title change hands a few times. Theory had to swallow a pretty ugly situation with his failed Money in the Bank cash-in but now is set to maybe be able to steal the title as Lashley and Rollins pick each other off. Call it a gut feeling, but Theory getting a win and having to somehow navigate Rollins and Lashley hunting him makes a lot of sense here. Pick: Theory wins the title -- Brookhouse
Rollins' U.S. title run is too fresh to give up on now. Rollins put a lot of people over and was finally rewarded with a singles title run. He can have a good match with just about anyone and has the fans behind him. Lashley is on track for a trilogy match with Brock Lesnar. Theory hasn't been built up in a way to justify winning the title here. Rollins will retain in a fun match that benefits from the various styles involved. Pick: Rollins retains the title -- Mahjouri
AJ Styles vs. Finn Balor
The Judgement Day just keeps missing out on fully catching on as a top-level force. Styles recently was joined by his old O.C. teammates and then added Mia Yim to the mix. It feels like a solid time to let Styles get a singles win and remain a presence at the top of the card while Balor can continue spinning his wheels with a Judgement Day group that just isn't clicking. Pick: Styles wins -- Brookhouse (also Mahjouri)
