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The Katz Files – Arnie Katz

Survivor Series: Preview & Predictions!

The Kingfish Arnie Katz gets you ready for WWE’s annual Survivor Series event!.

Survivor Series is always WWE’s biggest pay per view of the fall season. It’s unique elimination matches deliver a lot of action and there is likely to be a major title change.

This pay per view is often the start of feuds that build and develop to WrestleMania, so fans will be watching for hot new angles as well as the in-ring maneuvers.

Here’s how the card shapes up:

Team Raw (Beth Phoenix, Jillian Hall, Mickie James, Kelly Kelly & Candice Michelle) vs. Team Smackdown (Michelle McCool, Maria, Maryse, Victoria & Natalya)
Diva Survivor Series Match

The Story: WWE’s two shows always have a natural rivalry. In this match, women from each program will compete against the other show in a Survivor Series elimination tag team contest.

My Prediction</B?: I predict I will be wishing for the power to fast forward this one. There are some good workers, but there are also some of the world’s cutest crowbars in there.

It figures to come down to Michelle McCool, Beth Phoenix, Candice Michelle and either Natalya or Victoria. The captains will get eliminated by the number-two survivor on each team. Candice Michelle will then take the match by eliminating whichever Smackdown villainess is left.

Predicted Grade: C

Team Batista (Batista, C.M. Punk, Kofi Kingston, Matt Hardy & R-Truth vs. Team Orton (Randy Orton, Cody Rhodes, Mark Henry, Shelton Benjamin & William Regal

The Story: There are several feuds contained within this match, but the most important is the one between Randy Orton and Batista. The third-generation superstar is angry about Jon Cena getting a title shot and he doesn’t plan to let Batista get ahead of him when it comes to facing the winner. A victory here for either team would give the captain a heavy bargaining chip.

My Prediction: Randy Orton needs a win in this match to set up his challenge for the World Heavyweight Championship, presumably against John Cena. The best finish would be to have Orton and perhaps William Regal end up with a two-on-one advantage versus Batista. The Animal eliminates William Regal, but it leaves him vulnerable to the RKO. This may lead to a showdown between Orton and Batista at the next pay per view before either challenges for the title.

Predicted Grade: B+

Undertaker vs. Big Show
Casket Match

The Story: When Edge went to the sidelines, mentally shattered by his struggle against the Dead Man, Vickie Guerrero turned to the Big Show to continue the fight against Undertaker. The Big Show has knocked Taker flat with a single punch, but Undertaker has shown he can beat Show with submission holds and fearsome strikes of his own. Jamming either of these huge men into a casket will take a lot of doing. Blood will be spilled.

My Prediction: Undertaker will be about to roll Big Show into the casket when someone will interfere. The sneak attack will sent the Dead Man tumbling into the casket with a reviving Big Show doing the actual heavy lifting.

Predicted Grade: B-

Team HBK (Shawn Michaels, The Great Khali, Rey Mysterio, Shad & JTG vs. Team JBL (John Bradshaw Layfield, The Miz, John Morrison, MVP & Kane

The Story: Shawn Michaels has been itching to get at JBL ever since the Cantankerous Cowboy attacked him and cost him a chance at the World Heavyweight Championship. The members of each team also have quite a bit of animosity toward their adversaries, especially Cryme Tyme & Miz/Morrison and Mysterio versus Kane.

My Prediction: The Miz & Miz and John Morrison will cancel out each other after MVP gets the dishonor of being the first man eliminated. JBL and HBK will only have eyes for each other and could well end up eliminating each other.

Just as Kane is about to dismember Rey Mysterio, The Great Khali will rescue him. Mysterio will return the favor by setting up Kane for Khali’s finish.

Triple H vs. Vladimir Kozlov vs. Jeff Hardy
WWE Championship

The Story: Triple H must defeat his two most prominent challengers in one match. He o could even lose the title without being pinned or submitting.

My Prediction: WWE had to back away from Kozlov/Triple H due to fan indifference. Throwing Jeff Hardy into the match injects some life in it, . Triple H will pin Jeff Hardy after Kozlov takes out the Charismatic Enigma. Then Kozlov will attack Triple H.

Predicted Grade: B+

John Cena vs. Chris Jericho
World Heavyweight Championship Match

The Story: John Cena returns to WWE at Survivor Series and heads right into the fire. Can he defeat Chris Jericho after an injury and lay-off?

My Prediction: Sometimes, the simplest story is the most powerful one. That’s the way I believe WWE will figure it, too. John Cena will win a long, hotly contested match and become the new World Heavyweight Champion.

Predicted Grade: A-

Predicted Grade for Survivor Series: B

That’s it for today. I’ll be back on Monday with another installment of the Internet’s fastest-rising daily wrestling column. I’ll have the recap and analysis of Survivor Series and you’ll be able to laugh at my predictions.

— Arnie Katz
Crossfire4@cox.net
(10/254/08)