Vince McMahon strapped a jetpack to Team Cena vs. Team Authority's potential.
Star power and Survivor Series tradition were already set to power the headlining Elimination match when WWE added a narrative boost to it on Monday's Raw. Even if Triple H doesn't suit up and if Randy Orton is out shooting movies, that clash is flush with intrigue.
McMahon announced on Raw that if Team Authority lost, it would no longer be in charge of WWE.
And with that, victory is now critical. Every elimination means far more. Even the recruiting process becomes more dramatic.
This is no longer an exhibition; It's a battle for control.
Neither John Cena nor Triple H are going to take building their teams lightly. The Game already exuded desperation as he tried to wrangle Orton onto his team.
He was even willing to risk putting gasoline next to fire by trying to pair The Viper and Seth Rollins. In his mind, they just needed to take out some aggression and they would then be fine to team together.
He miscalculated the extent of Orton's rage. The Apex Predator attacked Rollins after the match, inciting a brawl and forcing Triple H to play mob boss and order a hit on his old rival and partner.
This match now means everything to Triple H. His kingdom is at stake.
That assures us that we won't see any low-level stars on his squad. It promises that the build to Survivor Series will be fantastic with Triple H constructing a cadre of predators and Cena seeking out the best warriors on the roster to take down a regime.
The story before McMahon's announcement was simply that The Authority was looking to punish Cena for rejecting entry into the group. There was tension to mine there, but the narrative now becomes one more akin to a rebellion.
Cena, Dolph Ziggler and whoever they get to fight alongside them have a chance to break down a group that has held WWE tight in its fists for over a year. It has a chance to free WWE. The babyfaces are suddenly the rebels from Star Wars with a shot at firing a deathblow at the Empire.
If Cena's team falls behind at Survivor Series, there won't just be the threat of defeat hanging over the heroes, but the threat of tyranny continuing.
Triple H would then still be free to order Kane and company to assault dissidents. He would still be able to book Handicap matches and play favorites.
Team Cena not only has a chance to end those injustices, but could shake up WWE's stories for months to come. The Authority has been a major part of the company's plots since SummerSlam 2013. WWE has leaned on the group, some would argue to the point of excess.
For fans tired of seeing the two smug executives saunter out to the ring every Monday, they have an added reason to cheer.
Rooting for Cena is rooting for change. If Team Authority falls, WWE is forced to try new avenues. Other heels will rise to fill the void.
Adding stakes of this kind has worked tremendously well in the past. There have only been two traditional Survivor Series Elimination matches that have inspired Dave Meltzer has to hand out four or more stars in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t ProFightDB.com).
Team Alliance vs. Team WWF in 2001 earned 4.5 stars. Team Bischoff vs. Team Austin in 2003 had a 4.25 star rating.
Both of those matches had great awards awaiting the winner and great penalties awaiting the loser.
The 2001 match decided the fate of the company. Either WWE or WCW would be forced to disband if their team lost. Survivor Series 2003's marquee Elimination match determined whether Steve Austin or Eric Bischoff would retain their job as Raw's general manager.
The stakes helped those bouts reach classic status.
This year's Survivor Series is borrowing from their playbook. Fans will be watching more intently as Team Cena tries to outlast Team Authority, a wrestling match now morphed into a potential overthrow of a corrupt force.
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