Hello, everybody, it’s me TWB, and here I am again for another predictions article, this time round I will running down this Sunday’s Clash of Champions PPV, which takes place inside the Silver, I mean Super, sorry the Thunderdome.
Before I go through the card I must say that the matches from the Smackdown brand to me are much more exciting and intriguing to talk about, whereas from the red brand we’re seeing rematches from previous PPV’s, episodes of Raw and with Retribution looming, I really am finding it difficult to find anything positive from the show on Monday night’s, perhaps only aside from the Drew and Orton storyline.
Anyway let’s move onto the actual predictions, and start with the kickoff show.
Asuka (C) Vs Zelina Vega – Raw Women’s Championship Match
So here’s the first criticism I have from Raw, why and how is the Raw Women’s Title being defended on the kickoff show, this is the same title that was being defended in the main event of Wrestlemania 35, and really was a key focal point of TV for the time that Becky Lynch was champion just a few months ago.
Whilst on paper Asuka Vs Vega may not sound the most entertaining of matches, if it had been properly booked and put on the main show, then people would care more about it. And even though Asuka is the outright favourite, with it happening on the kickoff is practically a clear sign that she is retaining.
Winner (still Raw Women’s Champion) – Asuka
Bobby Lashley (C) Vs Apollo Crews – United States Championship Match
The never-ending story continues, as this Sunday Bobby Lashley defends his US Title against former champion Apollo Crews, I for one really hope that by the end of their match it’ll be the last we’ll see of The Hurt Business against Crews and Ricochet, and perhaps it will be because it seems The Hurt Business are entering in a feud with Retribution.
Personally I’m finding the aforementioned faction led by MVP really the most entertaining part of Raw right now, the way they took their suits off to go into battle against Retribution was great, and I almost wish there was a crowd for that segment as I’m sure it would’ve gotten a huge pop. I’m going to pick Lashley for the win here, whilst Crews and Ricochet could enter the Tag division which desperately needs new teams.
Winner (still champion US Champion) – Bobby Lashley
Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler (C) Vs Ruby Riott and Liv Morgan (The Riott Squad) – Women’s Tag Team Championship Match
It still feels quite surreal that Sasha and Bayley are no longer Women’s Tag Team Champions, so it’s taken a while to get used to seeing Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler holding the Tag Titles, and I’m not quite sure I’ll be getting much more time seeing them carry them around, as I feel that Ruby Riott and Liv Morgan will become new champions on Sunday night.
There are a few reasons for my thinking behind this, firstly Nia and Shayna should both in the Raw Women’s Title picture feuding with one another but also Asuka, whilst Ruby and Liv can take the Tag Championships across the three brands, giving them a bit of credibility along the way.
Winners (new Women’s Tag Team Champions) – Ruby Riott and Liv Morgan
The Street Profits (C) Vs Angel Garza and Andrade – Raw Tag Team Championship Match
Last month, I said that I was done seeing Street Profits Vs Garza and Andrade, however once again these two teams take on each other on Sunday night. I’m genuinely confused what’s happening with Garza and Andrade, it looked like they were splitting up, however on Raw last week they were victorious in a Number One Contenders Triple Threat Tag Team Match which also featured Murphy and Rollins, and the duo of Humberto Carillo and Dominik Mysterio.
With us seeing this match over and over again it’s quite tough to pick who I think will walk out as Raw Tag Team Champions, but I’m going with Garza and Andrade, I feel they need the win more than the Street Profits, and perhaps fresh champions could reinvigorate the Tag division.
Winners (new Tag Team Champions) – Angel Garza and Andrade
AJ Styles Vs Jeff Hardy (C) Vs Sami Zayn – Ladder Match for the Intercontinental Championship
This will be the match of the night, and really the only reason I’ll probably stay awake on Sunday night. AJ Styles, Jeff Hardy and Sami Zayn are three of my favourite wrestlers right now so seeing them clash is something I’d never thought I’d see. I genuinely don’t care who wins because it’s just going to be a great bout. The added inclusion of it being a ladder match makes it, even more, must-see, no doubt we’ll see Jeff Hardy Swanton Bomb off one of the ladders onto one of his opponents.
I own an AJ Styles and Sami Zayn shirt and I haven’t decided yet which one I’ll wear. As I previously said I don’t care who wins, any three of them are perfect choices to hold the Intercontinental Championship, but I’m going to say Sami Zayn wins just for the sake of it, that decision could change though before Sunday night.
Winner (new Intercontinetal Champion) – Sami Zayn
Cesaro and Nakamura (C) Vs Lucha House Party – Smackdown Tag Team Championship Match
It hasn’t quite gotten to the level of what’s happening in the Raw Tag Team Title picture, but it’s slowly getting there, as it feels these two teams have been feuding for a while now, but realistically there are not many other teams on Smackdown that could challenge for the Tag Titles.
Over the course of the last few weeks since the return of Kalisto we’ve seen a bit of dissension of the Lucha House Party and I wouldn’t be shocked if that’s what causes them to lose on Sunday, therefore I’m saying that the Tag Champs, Cesaro and Nakamura retain.
Winners (still Tag Team Champions) – Cesaro and Nakamura
Bayley (C) Vs Nikki Cross – Smackdown Women’s Championship Match
Whilst this match is pretty easy to predict, the two key stories revolving around it I’m really enjoying. Bayley is no longer Bayley Dos Straps, and she no longer has her best friend Sasha Banks in her corner, whereas Nikki Cross best friend Alexa Bliss has seemingly turned towards the dark side, since becoming a little let’s say fiendish.
My guess is that Bayley retains thanks to Bliss costing Cross, this then allows those two to have a feud, whilst Bayley goes into a rivalry with Sasha Banks, which I think starts with their match inside Hell In A Cell.
Winner (still Smackdown Women’s Champion) – Bayley
Drew McIntyre (C) Vs Randy Orton – Ambulance Match for the WWE Championship
This has been a really enjoyable storyline, that I feel will probably conclude on Sunday night, but I will look back on it fondly as being one of the top rivalries during the pandemic era of WWE and arguably one of the best title feuds we’ve seen in a while.
Much like their match at Summerslam, I must say it’s really difficult to predict who will be walking out of Clash of Champions as WWE Champion. On Raw Orton had the last laugh, after he RKO’d Drew, to stand tall to close the show. Now using normal WWE logic, that’ll mean that Drew would retain, and I think it makes most sense that he will.
Winner (still WWE Champion) – Drew McIntyre
Bit of added prediction I guess for what Drew could do next, I’m not sure who’d he face at Hell In A Cell assuming that is the next PPV, but at Survivor Series if it’s still champion Vs champion him Vs heel Roman Reigns could be a great main event.
Roman Reigns (C) Vs Jey Uso – WWE Universal Champion
Finally, I have a Universal Champion to get behind, I have loved seeing Roman Reigns being back on our TV since he made his return at Summerslam, and then him winning the title in the fashion that he did at Payback was incredibly unique and it really solidified him as the top heel on Smackdown.
If you told me just a few weeks ago that Jey Uso would be main eventing a WWE PPV for the Universal Championship, I really wouldn’t have believed you, but here we are, and if he has a good performance on Sunday night maybe he’ll get a bit of a singles-push whilst Jimmy Uso remains out injured.
I think Roman winning is a dead cert, but ultimately it’s the manner of the victory that’ll be important, there are two routes that you can go here, either the Brock/Cena Summerslam 2014 one, where Reigns completely squashes Jey.
What would be my preference you have Jey get off to a fast start, hitting Suicide Dives and Superkicks, then connecting with a ‘Uso Splash’ but Reigns kicks out at 1, from there Roman controls the match and gets the eventual win, I think with that second option you have Roman be taken off guard by Jey’s initial offence but as Reigns gets into it he gets more and more aggressive and hits consecutive Spears for the victory.
Winner (still WWE Universal Champion) – Roman Reigns
A bit now on I guess the rumours that surfaced this week on the possibility of The Rock Vs Roman Reigns taking place at Wrestlemania, to me that is the one match, I want to see The Rock return for and it can only take place in the main event of Wrestlemania, the mainstream media appeal it’ll have would be huge.
You have the biggest Hollywood star in the world taking on the top star of WWE, then you add the family connections to it, but also the most important thing would be if there’s a crowd and I’m sure if there is then the noise inside the stadium would be off the charts.
That’s it for my Clash Of Champions predictions, do you agree? Let us know! I hope you all enjoy the show, join me @callumowen98 and @sltdwrestling on Twitter for more wrestling-related content.
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