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Raw Defeats SmackDown in Women's 5-on-5 Elimination Match at 2021 WWE Survivor Series

Mike Chiari

Bianca Belair was the sole survivor as Team Raw defeated Team SmackDown in the traditional women's five-on-five elimination match at WWE Survivor Series on Sunday. 

The EST of WWE had to battle back from a 4-to-1 deficit after SmackDown ran roughshod over Raw to open the match. The team from the blue brand provided a helping hand after their infighting caused Sasha Banks to get eliminated.

From there, Belair went to work taking apart her opponents. She put the finishing touches on her comeback with a K.O.D. to Shotzi Blackheart.

The Raw and SmackDown women's and men's teams for the pay-per-view were announced Nov. 6 on Twitter, and it immediately became clear that there would be some combustible elements.

On the Raw side, Belair, Liv Morgan, Rhea Ripley, Carmella and Queen Zelina Vega were chosen to represent the red brand.

SmackDown countered with a talented and eclectic team made up of Banks, Shayna Baszler, Blackheart, Natalya and Aliyah. The team underwent a late change, though, when WWE official Sonya Deville replaced the main roster newcomer with Toni Storm.

While both teams included some of the best wrestlers the WWE women's division has to offer, they also contained the potential for some in-fighting.

Raw had a strong leader in Belair, but she had her work cut out for her, especially when it came to keeping Morgan and Carmella in check, as they have been engaged in a feud dating back to their time on SmackDown.

To make things even tougher for the red brand, all five team members faced each other in a Fatal 5-Way match on Nov. 8. Morgan won the bout to earn a Raw Women's Championship match against Becky Lynch.

The biggest potential issue for the blue brand related to Banks and Shotzi, who were engaged in a heated rivalry entering Survivor Series.

After losing a match to Charlotte Flair on the Oct. 29 edition of SmackDown, Shotzi snapped and turned heel by attacking The Boss. Given the format of Survivor Series, however, they had to try to put their differences aside.

It would have been easy for either team to implode Sunday, but Raw was better able to unite in the name of a common goal, leading to its victory.

Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below (warning: some language NSFW).

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