A returning favorite to the new blog! I don’t know if it’s worth it to repost years of previous predictions. Once the show is over, what’s the point? Maybe as a snapshot of where we thought things would go. That’s a debate for another day, today is time to debate tonight’s show.

Clash of (the) Champions features every WWE title on Raw or Smackdown (plus the 205 Live Cruiserweight title) defended. As if that’s not enough, there will be an extra match this year. This is a ridiculously packed show. Lets get to it.

As of writing, there has not been an announcement for which matches are on the pre-show. My guess is Cruiserweight, Intercontinental, and Smackdown tag title matches.

Seth Rollins and Braun Strowman (Raw tag team champs) vs. Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode. 

Seth and Braun face each other in the main event, but have to defend the tag titles as well. Most likely this match will go first thus setting up the Universal title match and providing a rest in between. While Ziggler and Roode were thrown together, they’ve made a good showing thus far. The story works better to have Seth and Braun argue over losing the titles, and take that anger and blame into the main event.

Winners and new champions: Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode.

The New Day (Smackdown tag team champions) vs. The Revival. 

Another match to build a World title match. These two teams got caught up in the greater Kofi Kingston vs. Randy Orton feud. With next month being Hell in a Cell, I think a giant 3 on 3 match in the cage with titles on the line could work. Because of how I expect another match to end I’ll pick a title change here to make that faction look strong.

Winners and new champions: The Revival.

Shinsuke Nakamura (Intercontinental champion) vs. The Miz. 

As soon as WWE started mentioning The Miz has won the title 8 times, just one behind Chris Jericho this result was written. With Jericho working for the competing AEW, WWE won’t want to promote a competitor as one of their greatest champions. Miz will win, tie the record, and lose it fairly soon just to break that record.

Winner and new champion: The Miz.

Drew Gulak (Cruiserweight champion) vs. Humberto Carillo vs. Lince Dorado. 

Not happening here. One, neither challenger has been built enough. Two, with 205 Live merging under the NXT banner it would make much more sense to feature a title defense on one of the live two hour NXT shows starting this Wednesday. Save a title change for the ratings spike.

Winner and still champion: Drew Gulak.

Roman Reigns vs. Erick Rowan. 

Rowan tried to take Reigns out. It didn’t work. Terrible writing followed. This match has to happen after all the work that went into the story, but this angle dies tonight.

Winner: Roman Reigns.

AJ Styles (US Champion) vs. Cedric Alexander. 

Alexander has looked great the past few weeks. Including a pin over Styles. Just enough to look like a threat. However, AJ is arguably the top heel on Raw and needs to look strong. Stronger. A win here, by any means, keeps his heat strong and does nothing to hurt Alexander.

Winner and still champion: AJ Styles.

Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross (Women’s tag team champions) vs. Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville. 

Bliss never needs a title again because she’s always a star on either show. Cross got elevated by this story. Mandy and Sonya have gotten better, and debuted a nasty new finisher. These two women could gain more with the titles than the current champions.

Winners and new champions: Fire and Desire.

Bayley (Smackdown Women’s champion) vs. Charlotte. 

I don’t think it’s time to take the belt off Bayley, especially with her recent heel turn. Charlotte has defeated Bayley before, but not this version of her. A disqualification is most likely, but in the end the title stays.

Winner by DQ: Charlotte. But still champion: Bayley.

Becky Lynch (Raw Women’s champion) vs. Sasha Banks. 

Why Sasha has been gone since WrestleMania. Whatever the truth is. That’s up to all of them. But rewarding someone, no matter what the truth is, with a title their first big match back sends the wrong message. Also, Becky getting the win over Sasha does more for her legacy.

Winner and still champion: Becky Lynch.

Kofi Kingston (Smackdown World champion) vs. Randy Orton. 

Something will happen in this match so that Kofi keeps the title but Randy has a good argument he should be champion. Foreign object, count out, ref bump, outside interference. Something will take place so Kofi gets the tainted victory and Orton is actually in the right to receive a rematch. Wanting such a situation to not happen again, Randy gets the rematch inside the Cell next month.

Still champion: Kofi Kingston. Winner: ???

Seth Rollins (Raw Universal champion) vs. Braun Strowman. 

I’m going to go nuts here. It’s already leaked that Bray Wyatt, “The Fiend”, gets the winner at next month’s Hell in a Cell. So why not have the scariest persona on the roster be a monster slayer? Braun eventually overpowers Seth and wins the match. The Fiend/Bray Wyatt makes his challenge. At Hell in a Cell, Braun is terrified of the Fiend. Because, let’s remember, Braun was once a member of the Wyatt Family. He has no power over Bray and even less over the worse Fiend persona. Braun puts up no fight and the Fiend is the new champ. But that’s for next month.

Winner and new champion: Braun Strowman.