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Pro Wrestling

Survivor Series Critical To Former Wyatt Family Members

By @sdmeyers1

Luke Harper

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Although the card for Survivor Series is one of the weakest in the recent history of the WWE, the event could represent a turning point in the careers of two former members of the Wyatt Family, Luke Harper and Erick Rowan.

When the Wyatt Family split up last month, leader Bray Wyatt “set free” his two followers. In the world of professional wrestling, almost all groups or tandems disintegrate with the individuals going against one another. So far, this has not been the case with the Wyatts, as Bray has gone on his own path against Dean Ambrose.

Harper and Rowan’s future was unclear for some time until they sided with Team Authority and Team Cena, respectively, for the Survivor Series main event. Harper attacked Dolph Ziggler backstage two weeks ago on Raw, and then presented the beaten Ziggler to The Authority to pledge his allegiance to Triple H and Stephanie McMahon. Last week, Harper defeated Ziggler to capture the Intercontinental Championship.

For Rowan, his sporadic appearances have been bizarre and gave no indication of his direction, until the conclusion of Monday’s Raw, when he surprisingly sided with John Cena.

As a result, the pay-per-view will provide a breakthrough opportunity for both competitors to shine outside of the shadow of Bray Wyatt. Although Rowan and especially Harper put on solid performances as part of the family, both clearly were playing second fiddle to their leader.

With the incredibly weak state of the current WWE roster, though, both men have a chance to cement their spots in the upper echelon of the company. It will be critical that they have good showings at Survivor Series, however.

Obviously, Cena, Seth Rollins, Rusev and Ryback enter the match with considerable momentum, and they are the headliners of their respective teams. Despite this, Harper and Rowan should receive significant time to show their skills in the ring, as well as carve their paths for future storylines.

Harper could continue his feud with Ziggler over the championship, which could produce a series of spectacular contests. What role Rowan will play, though, remains a mystery. At this point, Rowan has yet to establish himself as a clear-cut face or heel. He could target his former brethren, Harper, he could go after The Authority or he could ultimately turn on Team Cena.

Both competitors are intriguing for different reasons, but it’s crucial that they don’t become afterthoughts by the conclusion of the five-on-five elimination match.

Just like all three members of The Shield excelled after their split, the Wyatt Family can achieve the same success. Bray Wyatt is destined to be in the main-event picture for years to come, but the outlook for Harper and Rowan could largely be dictated by their roles at Survivor Series.

Sean Meyers is a professional wrestling writer for RantSports. Follow him on Twitter and “Like” him on Facebook.

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