The highly-anticipated tournament to crown a new WWE World Heavyweight Champion kicked off this week on Monday Night RAW, as the road to Survivor Series continued.
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Several first-round matches went down on the flagship show, with Roman Reigns defeating The Big Show, Kevin Owens toppling Titus O'Neil, Dolph Ziggler overcoming The Miz, Cesaro taking out Sheamus and Dean Ambrose outlasting Tyler Breeze.
The tournament will continue on SmackDown and the finals will be broadcast at Survivor Series on Nov. 22 in Atlanta. The tournament is taking place due to the serious knee injury suffered by Seth Rollins. Here are our projected results as the bracket continues to take shape.
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The updated #WWETitle Tournament Bracket: @TheDeanAmbrose advances to face @HEELZiggler! #RAWUK pic.twitter.com/lP5c6m5gaE
— WWE (@WWE) November 10, 2015
First Round
Alberto Del Rio vs. Stardust
The WWE has pushed Del Rio to the moon since his return, as evidenced by him defeating John Cena cleanly at Hell in a Cell. It would make no sense for him to fall to Stardust here.
The Pick: Del Rio
Ryback vs. Kalisto
This appears to be another mismatch as Kalisto is a tag team wrestler and Ryback is fresh off of a run with the Intercontinental Championship.
The Pick: Ryback
King Barrett vs. Neville
This one could pretty much go either way, but with the reigning King of the Ring's partner Sheamus losing on RAW, he too may fall to the wayside. With the winner meeting Owens next round, it makes sense for the babyface Neville to go over.
The Pick: Neville
Quarterfinals
Reigns vs. Cesaro
This matchup should be a lot of fun between two of the best babyfaces in the company. The WWE seems to have huge plans for the leader of the Roman Empire, so he'll likely advance over the Swiss Superman.
The Pick: Reigns
Del Rio vs. Ryback
With Del Rio being booked solidly upon his return and the winner of this match guaranteed to take on a babyface, the MexAmerica Champion will advance to the semis.
The Pick: Del Rio
Owens vs. Neville
This will be a fun match between two stars who blossomed in NXT. It could go either way, but the reigning Intercontinental Champion likely has the edge.
The Pick: Owens
Ambrose vs. Ziggler
Much like Reigns and Cesaro, this should also be a tremendous clash between two huge babyfaces. It's possible the winner of this is involved in a swerve later down the line in the tournament, but this is another one that could go either way. If there must be a winner, it appears the "Lunatic Fringe" should go over, possibly with outside help from Tyler Breeze.
The Pick: Ambrose
Semifinals
Reigns vs. Del Rio
This should be a great showcase matchup for both men. The WWE seems hell-bent on pushing Reigns once again, so he'll likely go over here.
The Pick: Reigns
Owens vs. Ambrose
This is another fresh matchup with great potential and could lead to a future storyline down the line. With Owens already holding a midcard title, the WWE won't be able to resist the narrative of two former Shield stablemates waging war over the richest prize in the game.
The Pick: Ambrose
Finals
Reigns vs. Ambrose
There's something fishy about this tournament, as it almost appears to be too predictable. The last time a tournament was held at Survivor Series, Reigns' cousin The Rock turned heel and won the WWE Championship for the first time. Someone might turn heel here and join The Authority to fill the void left by Rollins, but the WWE could also play it straight. While a heel Ambrose sounds like a lot of fun, the Reigns mega push may finally reach its climax at Survivor Series, whether he serves as a face or turns heel.
The Pick: Reigns
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