The traditional Survivor Series Match returns to the title-premium live event, with Cody Rhodes and Rey Mysterio leading the battle of Team USA vs. Team Mexico. Rhodes, branded with a United States-themed tattoo on his neck, is naturally looking forward to the cross-town showdown. That said, he has some concerns about it, too.
“To start off, let’s do Survivor Series where we just say, let’s go with Team USA vs. Team Mexico, right now it’s positive, but there’s room for some bumps along the way,” Rhodes said. “Not athletic,Seemingly referring to the actual tension between the countries. The US team cannot be good guys. We cannot. But are we? I have to spend three weeks doing commercials talking about how we’re going to beat Mexico. How to do it without any difficulty? You can’t. It’s impossible.”
In an attempt to prevent real-life issues from their WWE storyline, Rhodes stated that Team USAwhich currently consists of himself, CM Punk, and Je’Von Evans, supports all the other countries involved in the upcoming Survivor Series, WarGames PLE. This includes Mexico, Ireland and Samoa, the latter of which extends to the ancestry of members of The Bloodline.
“It’s a setup, but I’ll see how well I can navigate these waters,” Rhodes said. “If I can make it to Survivor Series in Houston, Texas, I think Team USA can be the bad guys here. I think we’re going to be a better team, I actually know we’re going to be a better team, but it’s a minefield.”
Half the roster for Team USA vs. Mexico has been filled so far. The representatives of the United States are looking for two more competitors to join them. Mysterio, meanwhile, will head into battle 2026 Men’s Money in the Bank winner with Penta and the names of three more stars.
Team USA “needed” Jevon Evans
According to Rhodes, his particular side “needed” Evans, who interestingly reigns as the WWE World Tag Team Champion alongside Penta.
“Buncey, athletically, what he can do now and kind of hanging out with Penta. They are champions. We have a house divided for Survivor Series,” Rhodes said. “He’s just the future of the business. I’ve been here before and talked about the Bron Breaker being the future of the business, but Bron is more traditional in terms of what you think of as a professional wrestler. If you come to a show and don’t enjoy watching Je’Von, that’s crazy.
Nicknamed the “Young OG,” Evans has built a reputation as one of WWE’s brightest and most flamboyant stars. That energy came to the fore in the recent Men’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match, where Evans’ high-flying and fearless mentality led to a number of memorable moments. One saw him ride up to the ring in an ambulance and immediately confront the Brawn Breaker. Another resulted in him being pushed off a ladder and crashing into the top of the same vehicle.
Evans ascended to the WWE main roster in early 2026 after a two-year run under the “WWE NXT” brand. He and Penta claimed the World Tag Team Championship by defeating Breaker and Austin Theory at WWE Crown Jewel.
“I want to spend some time (with Evans),” Rhodes added. “I don’t know how much longer I’m going to be in this business and have some time with him and try it out.”
If you use any of the quotes from this article, please credit “not sporty” with ah/t to Wrestling Inc. for transcription.