WWE Clash of Champions Predictions

This Sunday marks the first Raw exclusive PPV of the New Era. In addition to the brands having their own separate identities and rosters, they will now have more time to build their feuds with their own exclusive PPV’s going forward. The big four PPV’s will still feature both brands but as for the months that aren’t Royal Rumble, Wrestlemania, Summerslam or Survivor Series, each show will have their own exclusive PPV. This is the PPV where all the titles must be defended (as they should mostly all PPVs). The WWE brings back a classic familiar name from the past being dubbed the “Clash of Champions,” replacing WWE’s more recent name for this gimmick PPV “Night of Champions.” Maybe because it is a classic throwback to the WCW televised event “Clash of the Champions”, it makes me like the name “Clash of Champions” more.
Smackdowns first PPV, “Backlash” was a hell of a show crowning first ever and new champions. I expect Raw to not only be just as good but capable of exceeding Backlash. Smackdown may be the easier and more enjoyable show to watch on a weekly basis, but nobody can deny that Raw has a larger roster filled with more major names of the New Era. I mean they even have a Cruiserweight match that you know needs to deliver for the fans to get behind the division. If you looked at this card, knowing enough about todays current stars and you don’t watch Raw weekly, it looks pretty badass.
One thing I’m curious about is if there will be more than one Cruiserweight match. I mean maybe on for the kick off show featuring Cedric Alexander and Gran Metalik or something? The other thing I’m curious about is if there’ll be any appearance from stars such as Neville, Braun Strowman or Bo Dallas? Now with all of this in mind, lets get to the main show.

This match hasn’t been announced or anything, hence why there isn’t a match card picture for it. However, Enzo and Cass are one of the hottest acts not only on Raw right now but apart the entire WWE roster on both shows. I wouldn’t think they would leave them off the card of their first exclusive PPV of the new era. I mean I don’t know if it’ll be on the actual card or the kick off, but I do see Enzo and Cass facing off against The Shining Stars. I mean they have only been at each others throats for the past 3-4 weeks. It started the week after Big Cass, was involved in the big Fatal Four Way to crown and new Universal Champion. Yet, another reason you can’t keep Enzo and Cass off this show. Cass literally was a part of one of the most important matches of the Summer of 2016. I mean they have been losing to The Shining Stars for a couple of weeks in singles matches and didnt pick up a victory until this week on Raw with that dumb ten man tag team match but I think this pointless feud needs to come to an end. Where better than the Clash of Champions?
I’m not a huge fan of the Shining Stars gimmick. Don’t get me wrong they’re great wrestlers. I really dig Primo and Epico. However, their Puerto Rican time share selling gimmick gets zero reaction and for long time viewers, we ponder why they couldn’t have just gone back to being Primo and Epico after the end of the Los Matadors gimmick. Enzo and Cass are over as fuck. Unfortunately, because they’re two talented guys, nobody cares about The Shining Stars. If I had to choose a winner for this match that should happen for the sake of Enzo and Cass, it would be Enzo and Cass.
Prediction – Enzo & Cass

The first ever Cruiserweight Championship match on a WWE PPV in nearly a decade. I know they want to keep this Cruiserweight Title lineage separate from the previous one which stretches back to the division in WCW, but that doesn’t mean my previous statement isn’t true. The current champion is the man with the Cinderella Story, TJ Perkins. One of the guys who was least expected to win the CWC Tournament but shocked the world when he did. Perkins has been wrestling since he was 13 and has wrestled all around the world. Yes, this may be TJ Perkins first WWE main roster PPV. Yes, this may be TJ Perkins first title defence since being crowned the Cruiserweight Champion last Wednesday in finale of the CWC Tournament. Yes, this may mean that TJ Perkins, the longest reigning Cruiserweight Champion of this lineage, must risk the honour to be called the longest reigning anything in the WWE if he loses this Sunday.
The man with the plan, The Brian Kendrick on the other hand doesn’t have these same concerns. The Wizard of Odd has wrestled on WWE PPVs, defended WWE titles and is known to be part of the longest reigning tag team champions on Smackdown along with his partner Paul London. Brian Kendrick is skilled, experienced and dealing with less nerves than TJ Perkins. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m a Kendrick fan and have been for years. I wouldn’t mind if Kendrick won the Cruiserweight Title some point down the road and I’m sure we will but he’s the type of star who could be to the division what Shawn Michaels was to the Raw roster from 2002-2010. He can put on amazing matches and feuds with wrestlers without every really having to win a title because he’s already credible enough. I do want to see Kendrick as champion but it’s just way too soon.
On the other hand, The Champion is supposed to be the face of the division. The only issue I have here is I think it’s too early to crown a new Cruiserweight Champion. WWE made the decision to put the strap on Perkins, so now they need to build up their champion to show strength in the division. Defeating the current Champion shouldn’t be easy but something that happens due to the high level of competition. This match is going to be spectacular, but it’s too early for the Cruiserweight Title to change hands. Unless they plan on putting the strap on Kendrick and have him run with the belt for the next 4-6 months minimum, it would be a bad idea. Plus, we already know Kendrick, a loss could really hurt TJ Perkins. Hell, we haven’t even technically seen TJ Perkins or the belt on Raw yet. I’m sure these two will meet again down the road, but as of now Perkins retains in a MOTY candidate. I’m excited for this match.
Prediction – TJ Perkins

This feud isn’t to help rebuild Alicia Fox, but to continue to build Nia Jax as a dominate force in the Raw Women’s division until she turns her sights on the Women’s Championship. I mean I expect a decent match with Alicia Fox getting some offence, but overall Nia Jax is going to defeat Foxxy. I don’t know whats next for Alicia Fox, but defeating Nia Jax makes no sense if they’re trying to build Jax as this unstoppable force that isn’t like most girls. If Alica Fox picks up the victory, it’ll only be because a self-inflicted DQ on Nia Jax due to another brutal beat down. I think within the next month or two, we stop with Nia Jax squash matches and we see Nia focus on the Womens Champion.
Prediction – Nia Jax

Image via WWE.com

In a match that almost happened but didn’t happen at Summerslam, Roman Reigns takes on Rusev for the United States Championship. This rivalry has been going for a couple of months. The last time we saw Rusev was at Summerslam when he was brutally attacked by Reigns. In reality Rusev was written off TV to go on his honeymoon with his wife Lana, but in WWE land he was taken out by Roman Reigns. Rusev returned a couple of weeks ago when Roman was wrestling Owens to earn himself a spot in the Clash of Champions main event, turning the Universal Championship match into a triple threat. Rusev caused Reigns the victory and attacked him brutally following the match. This week after Reigns overcame Owens in a cage match, both Owens and Rusev attacked Reigns again in a padlocked steel cage. Reigns might have been the predator trying to get a match with Rusev for the United States Championship before Summerslam, but now has easily become the prey. Rusev seeks revenge on Reigns for ruining his wife’s on air wedding celebration, poking fun at his masculinity and for taking him “out of action” for weeks.
In hindsight, both these guys have fallen in this mid card area from different spectrums of the card. Rusev rose to this position from the very bottom of the card. Ever since losing the US Title and rivalry against Cena last year, Rusev had struggled to regain the momentum he had when he first bursted on the scene. He went through a cringeworthy feud with Dolph Ziggler, where he was paired with Summer Rae who referred to him as “RuRu” while Ziggler made out with his now “real life” wife and then was a part of the semi-successful stable The League of Nations. It wasn’t until Rusev regained the United States title earlier this year, did he reagin that momentum back.
Roman Reigns on the other hand fell from the very top into this mid level of the card. Reigns has been teetering on the top of the card since the end half of 2014. He won the 2015 Royal Rumble, was in the main event of Wrestlemania 31, had feud with Bray Wyatt briefly, was put back into WWE Title picture, defended the WWE Title in the Royal Rumble, was in the main event of Wrestlemania 32 where he walked out a three time WWE Champion all in the span of 6 months. Roman Reigns was the top dog, Wait a minute, no…Roman Reigns was “the guy”. However the last few months things have not been going his way. Reigns lost the title, then was suspended for violating the wellness policy, failed to regain his championship, failed to win a shot at the new Universal Title and then failed to win the Universal Title in a Fatal Four Way just a three weeks ago. Hell, he got his match against Rusev at Summerslam and failed to win that either. Reigns is on a downward spiral but landed on a great opportunity to become the United States champion and prove to the fans that he is still “The Guy.” I don’t see this feud ending following this match. I do see Reigns walking out of Clash of Champions with the US Title and ending Rusev’s honeymoon period.
Prediction – Roman Reigns

Image via WWE.com

It still worries me that this is the end of the Best out of 7 Series between these two guys, because I actually think it was thrown together so these two had something to do on Raw because creative had nothing else for them to do. There was no plan for either guy for four weeks, so they threw them in a series of matches. I assume they have some sort of a plan moving forward though because they made sure the finals landed on Clash of Champions, having one of the matches of the series happen on a live event in the UK to ensure that.
Honestly, I don’t really care much for Sheamus and never really have. I mean he’s a good worker but he just doesnt cut for me. The worst thing he ever did that ruined him for me forever was run away from the Nexus, a group of WWE rookie at the time, while he was the WWE Champion seeking John Cena for protection. Ever since that segment, Sheamus has been a zero to my ideal hero.
On the other hand, I fucking love Antonio Cesaro. Yeah, he still has a first name to me. The same goes for Adrian and Alexander too. Cesaro has suffered the same fate Ziggler has suffered for years, but the only difference is Ziggler is two time World Champion, where Cesaro struggles to even find himself in World Championship match opportunities. I know, I know. He’s been in number one contender matches and money in the bank matches but the company has never really got behind him enough to actually put the strap on him. Cesaro in my mind, is one of the best wrestlers on the world today. I honestly think he could have an amazing match with absolutely anybody. Put him in the ring with James Ellsworth, and I bet Ellsworth would have his first ever 4 to 5 star match. The biggest flaw Cesaro gets called out for, is not being able to connect with the fans, yet the fans feel connected to him. I still feel like Cesaro would have strived on Smackdown, and a part of me still wishes he was on that show. If you watched the exclusive WWE.com or WWE Network interviews after the brand extension, you’ll see Cesaro felt the same way. I still say if Cesaro does lose this best of 7 series, let him jump to Smackdown.
However, since I have no clue what either guy is going to do after Clash of Champions, I want Cesaro to win because I think Cesaro in a feud with Kevin Owen’s would be great for the upcoming PPV. The winner of this series is guaranteed a shot at the Universal Title, so its only fitting a babyface wins to face a heel champion. I mean Rollins could win the belt and Sheamus could win the series but who really would be excited for Rollins/Sheamus feud for the belt? Really? Let’s be completely honest here.
Prediction – Cesaro

These two teams have wrestled numerous times over the past few months and only few times where the tag titles were on the line. Their rivalry has been filled with skits, gags and testicles but it’s finally come back to Anderson and Gallows wanting to become the tag team champions. Not only that, but becoming the tag team champions by defeating the most over and longest reigning tag team champions of the modern era, The New Day. In my mind, Anderson and Gallows should have already been three months into their title reign already. They should have won the titles in the fatal four way at Money in the Bank. The New Day will continue to be over whether they have the titles or don’t have the titles. At this point, the titles are like minor props to their over all act, they’re almost non-existent at times. Gallows and Anderson need to be taken seriously after months of joking around about balls and retirement. The Club needs to start reigning over the Raw tag team division with dominance. The New Day, they need to just keep being the New Day but without the tag team copper. If the brand extension and this first exclusive PPV is the reboot of the New Era, its time for new champs. If Anderson and Gallows don’t win the titles this Sunday, I’m really losing hope in the WWE, not knowing what they have infant of them with The Club.
Prediction – Anderson & Gallows

If 2015 was the year of the Four Horsewomen on NXT, than 2016 they moved that Womens Revolution to the main roster and made 2016 the year of the Four Horsewomen on the main roster. Charlotte has been your champion majority of this year. Sasha Banks has been a part of the title picture anytime she was around this year and finally had her first taste of being Womens Champion. Bayley may have fallen from the top in NXT but finally made her main roster debut a couple of months after a surprise appearance at Battleground as Sasha Banks partner. On top of it all, Becky Lynch has become the first ever Women’s Champion on the blue brand. Three of the four girls in Charlotte, Sasha Banks and Becky Lynch were heavily featured for Wrestlemania 32 and put on one of the best matches of the night crowning the first ever Women’s Champion of the new lineage. Forever ridding the WWE of that ugly butterfly design Divas Title.
Move forward 5 months, now we see Sasha Banks and Charlotte again in a triple threat match for the Women’s Title but this time against the other member of the Four Horsewomen, Bayley. First off, I still think Sasha Banks deserves a one-on-one rematch for the Women’s Title, but I’m not complaining about this triple threat. If it was Dana in the match instead of Bayley, my attitude might have been different. The Raw’s Women’s division has kind felt lacklustre on Raw’s weekly program since the Raw episode following the one where Sasha won the belt. It’s almost as if we know these girls can wrestle but Raw creative doesn’t know how to book them storyline wise where it keeps us intrigued. Their had been some issues out of their control though. For example, Sasha Banks possibly not being cleared to wrestle due to injuries which ultimately lead to the decision of Charlotte beating her at Summerslam and I could only assume calling Bayley up the main roster. However, she was cleared to return sooner as possible and now they have to make the most out this situation. Match-wise I think they did a great job. Story-wise, not so much, Sasha Banks and Bayley have basically been the backdrop to the tension building between Charlotte and Dana Brooke.
I have 110% faith that these girls are gonna give us the best match possible and try to steal the MOTN award from the men, but I hope they don’t try to over book the match. For example Sasha Banks vs. Charlotte on Raw (which I’m actually going to watch after I finish writing this), felt way more organic than Sasha Banks vs. Charlotte at Summerslam. At Summerslam it felt like they were trying to build to major spots they had planned for the match whereas on Raw it just felt like a well paced, a well told in ring story with amazing flow, topped with some memorable spots. Add Bayley into the mix in that style of match they had on Raw or even at Wrestlemania this year with Becky Balboa, and I am almost for sure that we are going to be witnessing a wrasslin clinic.
It’s odd that I’m always a little more hard on the Women’s division but it’s only because I want them to succeed really badly. Look how much I wrote about this one specific match. It’s because I really do care about the division. They’ve made it so far to fall backwards due to poor booking and creative. Charlotte and Sasha Banks fall into two of my top 5 favourite women wrestlers of the New Era, if not of all time. Therefore, I’m a bit more harder on them too. If someone asked me which match I wanted to steal the show most on this card it would be this match. I’d want this match to be just a little bitter than every other match on the card because I want everyone to feel the way I do about the division.
Anyway, originally I thought Charlotte would come out victorious in this match but considering her current angle with her protege Dana Brooke, I think she won’t walk out as champion this Sunday. I think Dana Brooke is going to fuck that up for her. Therefore, it leaves us with Bayley and Sasha Banks. Well first, I question is Sasha would have still been champion if it wasn’t for the fear that her nagging injuries weren’t going to allow doctors to clear her to wrestle. Secondly, it would be pretty cool to see Bayley win the title just to have Sasha turn heel to get her title from her ex best friend but that could also happen months down the road. It might be a little early for Bayley to win the title while casual fans that don’t watch NXT are still warming up to her. Plus, Bayley chasing the title is better than Bayley as the fighting champion to me. I would have Sasha Banks go over, and Bayley be her first contender for next month, while Charlotte deals with Dana. Then in a couple of months down the road, enter Nia Jax to feud with Sasha Banks, while Bayley battles a heel Paige. Okay, now I’m getting ahead of myself with my fantasy booking.
I predict “The Boss” Sasha Banks walks out of Clash of Champions a two-time Women’s Champion. I think you can bank on that.
Prediction – Sasha Banks

Poor Sami Zayn has spent his entire main roster run thus far dealing with his former best friend Kevin Owens, or something to do with Kevin Owens. Even after defeating Owens a few months back to “end” their bitter rivalry he finds himself having to face off against Kevin Owens new best friend. Kevin Owens new best friend comes to Sami Zayn in the form of a gift…the Gift of Jericho that is. Now Jericho is going to make sure Sami Zayn doesn’t mess with his friend Kevin Owens while he’s the Universal Champion and to prove that he’s a better friend to Owens than Sami could ever be. Jericho will be brining “it” to Zayn this Sunday at Clash of Champions. On the other hand, Zayn wants Jericho to snap back into reality, remind him that Kevin Owens is a jerk and remind Jericho that he went from being a legendary icon to acting like complete moron.
Overall, I’m just happy that Sami Zayn is involved in a legitimate feud after doing pretty much nothing since beating Owens and being drafted to Raw. Originally, I though Zayn along with Cesaro would have been perfect on Smackdown. Raw would have survived without them, but I’m looking forward to this feud between these two Canadian stars. Jericho is still the best at what he does today and Zayn never fails to deliver in big match situations. I still think Zayn vs. Nakamura is the MOTY of 2016, but I could be a bit bias because I was there live. Yet, it is true that whenever Zayn is put into a big match, its good. Sami Zayn is highly under appreciated and often looked over but a feud with Jericho might be exactly what he needs to be taken more seriously on the Raw brand and hopefully he’ll be able to move away from feuds involving anything Kevin Owens. I do think this rivalry will continue in some fashion but the Underdog from the Underground will benefit from a victory here more than Jericho. 
Prediction – Sami Zayn

Finally the main event of the evening, a broken and confused Seth Rollins tries to dethrone the new appointed chosen one Kevin Owens. The recently redesigned and rebuilt Seth Rollins tries to reclaim his top spot as World Champion in the form of the Universal Championship. Putting his feelings of being betrayed by Triple aside, Rollins is going into Clash of Champions with the goal to prove to everyone that he’s able to get the job done all by himself with nobodies help. Kevin Owens on the other hand will be the first to remind Rollins that ever since he returned from injury, all he’s done is failed at everything he’s tried to accomplish. He regained his title only to lose it minutes after to Ambrose. He was not able to secure the WWE Championship to Raw in the Shield triple threat and he failed to defeat Finn Balor at Summerslam to become to the first ever Universal Champion. Owens claims that Rollins was redesigned, rebuilt and replaced. Rollins wants to prove everybody wrong.
Flip the story and you see that Kevin Owens is finally getting the respect and recognition that he deserves.The guys is a savage on the microphone and a beast in the ring. I personally like to refer to Kevin Owen’s as “Mr. Entertainment” because whether he’s on the mic or in the ring, he makes sure that everyone knows its the Kevin Owens Show when he’s present. Owens has to be one of the best heels today, and he makes it look effortless. He’s a bonafide prize fighter. From becoming the NXT Champion within months of his debut, to defeating John Cena clean in his first match on the main roster, in becoming a multiple time Intercontinental Champion to finally becoming the Universal Champion. I marked out hard when Owens won the title. The episode of Raw when Owens won the title had to be one of the best endings to Raw of 2016, if not the best. I’d have to do my research to be sure, but I am sure I was literally jumping when Owens went for the pinball.
The wildcard in this match has to be someone who was very influential in the ending of that particular Monday Night Raw, “The Game” himself Triple H. Triple H played a huge part of Kevin Owens being victorious in the Fatal Four Way to crown a new Universal Champion (even though Owen’s said he did 98% of the work), but we haven’t seen Triple H on Rawnsince. What was Triple H’s motive? If its against Rollins, will we see him again if Rollins is close to victory? He did backstab Rollins hitting him with a pedigree, before nodding to Kevin Owens to go for the pinfall. He even rose Owen’s arm after and shook his hand as if he accomplished exactly what he intended too. Personally, I think we’ll see Triple H (possibly even Stephanie & Foley) again this Sunday and he’s going to play a pivotal role in the outcome of the match. Regardless, I don’t see Seth Rollins walking out with the Universal title this Sunday. I believe things will escalate between Stephanie, Foley and himself following Clash of Champions because of Triple H involvement.
As for Kevin Owens, the Kevin Owens Show will continue to air on its regular time on Mondays on the USA Network.
Prediction – Kevin Owens

What do you think about my predictions for Clash of Champions? What are your predictions? Do you agree or disagree with my thoughts and ideas of what might happen on the show? Leave your comments and opinions below.