{"id":104152,"date":"2021-11-12T16:00:59","date_gmt":"2021-11-12T21:00:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/?p=104152"},"modified":"2021-11-12T10:12:45","modified_gmt":"2021-11-12T15:12:45","slug":"survivor-series-showdowns-spotlight-on-champion-vs-champion-matches","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2021\/11\/12\/survivor-series-showdowns-spotlight-on-champion-vs-champion-matches\/","title":{"rendered":"Survivor Series Showdowns: Spotlight on Champion vs Champion Matches"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>November 21\u2019s <em>Survivor Series<\/em> event marks another installment in one of <em>World Wrestling Entertainment\u2019s<\/em> longest running pay per view series. However, its received little build up or fanfare on WWE\u2019s flagship shows, <em>Monday Night Raw<\/em> and <em>Friday Night SmackDown,<\/em> until two key match-ups to be featured at the event were announced this week. True to the event\u2019s theme of \u2018blue brand vs. red brand\u2019, Survivor Series 2021 will see two champion vs champion matches: Raw women\u2019s champion <strong>Becky Lynch <\/strong>vs SmackDown women\u2019s champion <strong>Charlotte Flair, <\/strong>and WWE champion <strong>Big E<\/strong> vs. WWE Universal champion <strong>Roman Reigns<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Lynch vs. Flair<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><a id=\"vu_jkst_SmtYylzrq5lmOA\" class=\"gie-single\" style=\"color: #a7a7a7; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal !important; border: none; display: inline-block;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.ie\/detail\/1180634686\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><script>window.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'vu_jkst_SmtYylzrq5lmOA',sig:'IOcMROVAjdN6FIbDrOzaFL7xS_XpAXvb2nK_zU82fbk=',w:'397px',h:'594px',items:'1180634686',caption: true ,tld:'ie',is360: false })});<\/script><script src='\/\/embed-cdn.gettyimages.com\/widgets.js' charset='utf-8' async><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Amongst the annals of stored WWE rivalries, that of Lynch and Flair is sure to go down alongside the 1990s saga of <strong>Bret Hart <\/strong>and <strong>Shawn Michaels. <\/strong>As with Hart and Michaels, the story of Lynch and Flair is one wherein professional rivalry and complicated <a href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/wrestling\/2021\/11\/11\/becky-lynch-charlotte-flair-real-life-heat\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">interpersonal ties<\/a> are inextricably interwoven. Lynch\u2019s heel turn launched her popularity into almost unprecedented heights for female pro wrestling talent, but hers\u2019 and Flair&#8217;s names were still linked in pro wrestling history in 2019 when they, along with <strong>Ronda Rousey,<\/strong> became the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2019\/03\/25\/from-takeover-to-wrestlemania-womens-revolution-hits-pinnacle-with-wrestlemania-35-main-event\/\" target=\"_self\">first women to main event <\/a><em>WrestleMania <\/em>at WrestleMania 35. Depicted as both friends and rivals, the two performers are synonymous with each other from their long and sometimes competitive association and many in-ring encounters.<\/p>\n<p>The specter of Lynch dogged Flair throughout mid-2021 when Lynch\u2019s return to work after parental leave was imminent and crowds were just being welcomed back to live WWE shows. Chants of \u201cWe want Becky!\u201d rang from the crowd during Flair\u2019s <em><a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2021\/07\/17\/wwe-money-in-the-bank-predictions-7-18-21\/\" target=\"_self\">Money in the Bank<\/a>\u00a0<\/em>match versus her rival for the Raw women&#8217;s championship,\u00a0<strong>Rhea Ripley.<\/strong> Since returning to active duty in WWE at August&#8217;s\u00a0<em>SummerSlam,<\/em> Lynch has focused most of her energies on\u00a0<strong>Bianca Belair,\u00a0<\/strong>but one more dance with Flair comes just as speculation about how the two performers feel about each other personally is once again a hot topic. WWE is clearly courting the intrigue by arranging this bout between the two as a Survivor Series headliner.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Charlotte Flair and Sasha Banks brawl during Women\u2019s Title exchange: SmackDown, Oct. 22, 2021\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/vLpCQ2FbUmM?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>The Raw championship is iconically linked to both women, pivotal as it was to their program with Rousey and their WrestleMania milestone, plus Lynch&#8217;s imminence afterward.\u00a0 The tension between the two when they swapped the Raw and SmackDown belts on October 22&#8217;s <em>Friday Night SmackDown<\/em> was palpable, and the segment continues to <a href=\"http:\/\/www.diva-dirt.com\/backstage-confrontation-reported-after-womens-title-exchange-in-smackdown-main-event\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">spark controversy and speculation<\/a> in the weeks that have followed.\u00a0 While they\u2019ve faced each other often in the past, the deep layers of their relationship and the audience\u2019s perception of, and speculation about it give their story a second wind. Flair\u2019s impressive athleticism and Lynch\u2019s engaging tenacity are sure to make their match a highlight of Survivor Series 2021, whilst audiences try to guess what\u2019s a shoot and what\u2019s a work in the Superstars\u2019 every word and gesture. This match needed little build-up, because the draw is the intrigue between Flair and Lynch themselves.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Who\u2019ll Win<\/strong>: With Lynch on top of the women\u2019s division, it&#8217;s unlikely she\u2019ll suffer a loss on a major pay-per-view. She\u2019ll take the victory, whilst Charlotte\u2019s loss will be fodder for taunts from her SmackDown rival, <strong>Sasha Banks.\u00a0<\/strong>As they are on different brands, this may be the last encounter for a while between Lynch and Flair, but WWE has certainly struck while the iron is hot by pairing the two up again after the belt swap brouhaha.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Big E vs Roman Reigns<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><a id=\"K7dly78TQWNOQLK6BY_1wg\" class=\"gie-single\" style=\"color: #a7a7a7; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal !important; border: none; display: inline-block;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.ie\/detail\/1236034763\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><script>window.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'K7dly78TQWNOQLK6BY_1wg',sig:'4PJ74hRSzUkjz4kXFRSjYHlU4O729jZ9DyaJ56pDZec=',w:'594px',h:'396px',items:'1236034763',caption: true ,tld:'ie',is360: false })});<\/script><script src='\/\/embed-cdn.gettyimages.com\/widgets.js' charset='utf-8' async><\/script><\/p>\n<p>The champion vs. champion match between Big E and Roman Reigns is an extension of the renewed rivalry between <strong>The New Day<\/strong> and <strong>The Bloodline.<\/strong> This development was first teased even before WWE\u2019s draft landed <strong>Kofi Kingston<\/strong> and <strong>Xavier Woods <\/strong>\u00a0in <strong>Jey Uso\u2019s <\/strong>and <strong>Jimmy Uso\u2019s<\/strong> crosshairs on SmackDown. The Bloodline and New Day faced off on September 20\u2019s Raw, with the Bloodline scoring the win largely due to interference from a raging <strong>Bobby Lashley.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Roman Reigns leads a Bloodline beatdown of The New Day: SmackDown, Nov. 5, 2021\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/CpTXjIikKzY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2021\/09\/13\/big-e-wins-wwe-championship\/\" target=\"_self\">Big E\u2019s WWE championship reign<\/a> has been met with ardent enthusiasm from WWE fans, but storyline wise its spinning into butter. There is perhaps no more familiar or likeable WWE Superstar, and therein lies the problem: its hard to credibly believe in someone as Falstaffian as Big E having enmity with anyone, nor is it possible to tap into retroactive continuity to drum up an unsettled score from his past, such as<em> AEW <\/em>crafted with <strong>Eddie Kingston\u2019s<\/strong> and <strong>CM Punk<\/strong>\u2019s war of words over Punk\u2019s perceived slights towards Kingston on the indie circuit back in the day, ahead of their own ppv event\u00a0<em>Full Gear.<\/em> While Big E has been a singles competitor before and first attained the Intercontinental Championship back in 2014, he is far more well known as a member of the New Day, and whatever rivalries he has been involved in have been in that context.\u00a0As <strong>Kevin Owens<\/strong> and <strong>Seth Rollins <\/strong>run through each other battling to be Big E\u2019s antagonist for the WWE championship, Big E is still operating as a tangential member of the New Day in this encounter against Reigns.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Who\u2019ll Win<\/strong>: As with Lynch in the women\u2019s division, Roman Reigns is undisputedly on top of the company. So much of his \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2021\/08\/30\/roman-reigns-365-days-universal-champion\/\" target=\"_self\">Tribal Chief<\/a>\u201d character\u2019s credibility depends upon his invincibility in the ring, juxtaposed with moments of doubt and the struggle to visibly repress it. There isn\u2019t much chance that even WWE will dent the polish of one of pro wrestling\u2019s most compelling characters at the moment when they rely so heavily on Reigns for weekly television views. Reigns will win on pay per view as he usually does, but Big E is also a valued asset and will have some impressive spots showing off his prodigious strength and newfound competitive grit. Its highly likely that rather than a clear cut loss for Big E, the match will end inconclusively in a fray between factions, the New Day and the Bloodline.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>November 21\u2019s Survivor Series event marks another installment in one of World Wrestling Entertainment\u2019s longest running pay per view series. However, its received little build up or fanfare on WWE\u2019s flagship shows, Monday Night Raw and Friday Night SmackDown, until two key match-ups to be featured at the event were announced this week. True to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3715,"featured_media":104277,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[25,26,4,3],"tags":[163,552,403,1724,1723,553,77,325,551],"class_list":["post-104152","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-raw","category-smackdown","category-wwe","category-wwe-universe","tag-becky-lynch","tag-big-e","tag-charlotte-flair","tag-jey-uso","tag-jimmy-uso","tag-kofi-kingston","tag-roman-reigns","tag-survivor-series","tag-xavier-woods"],"modified_by":"Alex Richards, LWOF Editor","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/104152","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3715"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=104152"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/104152\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/104277"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=104152"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=104152"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=104152"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}