WWE Survivor Series 2017: Match Card, Latest Rumors, News and Buzz Before PPV

WWE Survivor Series is nearly here, and fans are ready for a massive night of action.

Monday Night Raw versus SmackDown Live may be the selling point, and though it's just a gimmick, it's been successful thus far. Fans have been caught up in the invasions, the sudden character shifts and the plot twists that have happened along the way.

Building anticipation for an event is precisely what WWE does better than anyone else in the game. Vince McMahon's company doesn't always rise to the occasion, but it has this time. The concept of both brands going to war is not a new one, and some would say the idea has run its course.

However, that has not tempered the excitement surrounding this particular edition of the Survivor Series.

Only one championship is on the line out of eight matches, but that does not make a difference. The attraction is the matches themselves. One by one, Raw and SmackDown's top stars will step into the ring and face off in a battle for bragging rights.

Fans are ready. So what's going to happen?

Enzo Amore was given the opportunity to get back on track in WWE, and he did just that.

Despite criticism from fans and without a reason to keep going other than a love for the business, Amore managed to rebuild himself. He took a character that couldn't survive without a giant by his side and reinvented it with an air of confidence that no one saw coming.

Amore has done more than succeed; he's grown.

He's the top dog on 205 Live. He's been cast as the new face of the cruiserweight division, and he will defend the division's title against Kalisto. The good news for Amore is he's much stronger with the championship than without it, which means he will likely retain Sunday.

The good news for Kalisto is he's a strong babyface challenger, which is exactly what Amore needs. The two should pair up well together until Amore moves on to his next opponent. 

WWE fans have been digesting the rumors of what's behind Baron Corbin's slide over the past couple of months. Many felt his fall from grace was the result of poor work in the ring, while others felt he was too cocky and too brash for his own good.

No matter what the reason was, Corbin appeared to have fallen out of favor with WWE Creative.

But that seems to have changed. Not only is Corbin the United States champion, but he's also booked in a prime spot at Survivor Series against The Miz. Corbin's U.S. title is not on the line, and neither is Miz's Intercontinental Championship.

However belts are not the point of this match. This one is about two guys getting in the ring and proving who's better. It's heel versus heel, which is notorious for not working well in WWE. But by the end of this match, one of the men involved may not be a heel anymore.

Fans are begging for a reason to cheer for The Miz. They may finally get it at Survivor Series.

Any time a WWE match graphic includes a silhouette, fans are immediately intrigued.

What began as a rumor has turned into a news story; Paige could be back in a WWE ring Sunday, per Marc Middleton of Wrestling Inc. Many were likely hoping her return would have happened on the road to the Survivor Series, but that wasn't the case. Now the women's traditional five-on-five match has been booked with an empty spot, it seems likely she's on her way to Survivor Series.

Whether WWE needs her back is another story.

The women's division has been doing just fine in her absence. While the women's roster is not as deep as the men's, there never seemed to be a call among the WWE faithful to get new blood in the door. Paige may not be what WWE fans were hoping for, but she will surely make an impact on her return.

That return is probably going to happen at the Survivor Series.

It could be argued that both women's championships are around the waists of the right Superstars.

Natalya is a highly respected talent on SmackDown Live, and Asuka will eventually win the Raw Women's Championship. But when it comes to who can carry the straps and make them as relevant as possible, it's definitely Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss.

Charlotte's recent title win on SmackDown Live was accompanied by the surprise return of "Nature Boy" Ric Flair. The Queen was surely on an emotional high during that moment, and she will take that momentum into the Survivor Series.

Bliss has the supreme confidence of a titleholder who has managed to defeat every challenger put before her. She's a natural heel and a convincing champion; beating her will not be easy.

But two X-factors in this match are the returning Paige and Ms. Money in the Bank Carmella. It's possible Paige could either interfere during the contest or make an appearance afterward. Carmella could conceivably cash in her contract and become the new SmackDown women's champion.

There's no doubt the match between Charlotte and Alexa will be good, and it's likely Charlotte will get the win. But the potential for drama is high in this one.

Will the best trio in WWE please stand up?

This is the perfect matchup because it's a meeting of two different styles. On one side of the ring is The Shield, the most dominant faction of all time. On the other side is The New Day, the most entertaining faction WWE fans perhaps have ever seen.

But the fun is going to come during this match. The New Day may be clowns, but the trio has also developed an edge that makes it the perfect opponent for a smashmouth group like The Hounds of Justice. The time for joking will be over when the bell rings because these teams will go to war.

While this one is going to be entertaining, there could be a surprise ending. The New Day is a strong faction that has never looked better. But Big E, Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods have done just about all they can do as a team. It could be that this match with The Shield ends with an implosion from The New Day.

The Shield will probably come away with the win, mostly because of their much-anticipated reunion and Roman Reigns' recent return to action. But no matter which team goes over, the fans will be the winners here.

On a card that's stacked deep with top talent, this match may just steal the show.

When it comes to stealing the show, these two teams know how to do that more than most.

The Bar was good from Day 1. Sheamus and Cesaro seemed like a mismatched pair, but they soon jelled and are now as smooth as any team that's worked together for years. The Raw tag team champions took it to another level against Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose in a feud that saw all four men shine.

The Usos are naturals. Jimmy and Jey have paid their dues as a tag team, and they are arguably the best duo in WWE. The SmackDown tag team champions' war with The New Day was epic, and fans saw the best the brothers had to offer.

When two teams with this much momentum come together, explosions are sure to follow.

This will be a hard-fought match. It will be intense, and most importantly, it will be fun. Pro wrestling fans are entertained by comedy, and such gimmicks have their place. But this will be a nasty, knockdown bout that will be a highlight of the night.

The best part is either team can win and the other team would not be affected. This one is not about wins and losses; it's about highlighting the best action WWE can offer from the tag team division.

Randall Ortman of Cageside Seats reported SmackDown Live is expected to pull ahead of Monday Night Raw in the men's traditional five-on-five match. Does that mean Jason Jordan will make his presence known on Sunday?

From the moment Jordan was kicked off Team Raw, fans expected him to retaliate. The storyline son of Kurt Angle was not happy about his father's decision, and he was surely less happy about the Pedigree he received from Triple H thereafter.

That spot seems like the starting point for big things from Jordan.

No matter what happens, this match has it all. Bobby Roode, Randy Orton, Shinsuke Nakamura and John Cena will follow Shane McMahon into battle for Team SmackDown Live. Samoa Joe, Braun Strowman, Finn Balor and Triple H will be captained by Kurt Angle on Team Raw. There are 49 combined WWE world titles among the 10 Superstars involved, and nearly every man booked is arguably a first-ballot Hall of Famer.

With the exception of Strowman, every Superstar here is a veteran. And everyone involved has the ability to deliver a five-star match on any given night.

The most important part in this bout, however, is that the tide may turn for one brand or the other. The power players are in this match, and if a swerve is going to happen at Survivor Series, it's likely going to happen here.

This may be the match fans are talking about long after it's over.

Fans didn't know they were going to get Brock Lesnar versus AJ Styles in a WWE ring. But now it's happening, the excitement is at an all-time high.

But is that excitement premature?

The fact is Lesnar's matches typically end with him crushing his opponent. While that may be OK when he faces veterans like Goldberg, it's different when he takes on New Era stars like Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose.

So is it OK if Styles takes an F-5 and loses at Survivor Series?

Anything can happen, but considering Lesnar's last feud saw him knocked back on his heels most of the time, would he lose again this soon? Styles deserves this match—that much is certain. But he also deserves to look good.

Common sense says Lesnar loves this matchup much more than one against Jinder Mahal. Styles can do more and is far more talented than The Modern Day Maharajah. The pairing of Styles and Lesnar is more compelling because of the size difference and the experience on both sides.

Styles is the WWE champion and needs this win. Lesnar is the universal champion and rarely loses. This is a dream match, and fans are anxious to see what happens. But the ending may overshadow the fight. 

Tom Clark can regularly be seen on Bleacher Report. His podcast, Tom Clark's Main Event, is available on iTunes, Google Play, iHeartRadio, Amazon Android, Windows Phone and online at boinkstudios.com.