WWE Roadblock 2016: Predicting Match Card, Most Likely Swerves at PPV

Roadblock: End of the Line closes out WWE's pay-per-view calendar for the year, but its matches are sure to have repercussions as the company heads into 2017. 

So far, three matches have been announced, with two of Raw's major titles—the Universal Championship and the Raw Women's Championship—at stake. The rest of the card is to be determined, but plenty of storylines have evolved over the last few weeks, allowing us to make educated guesses as to who will round out the Roadblock event. 

Here's a look at the announced matches for Roadblock: End of the Line, as well as those bouts likely to be added to the card:

• Kevin Owens vs. Roman Reigns for the WWE Universal Championship
• Sasha Banks vs. Charlotte Flair for the Raw Women's Championship (30-minute Iron Man match)
• Seth Rollins vs. Chris Jericho
• The New Day vs. Cesaro and Sheamus vs. Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows for the Raw Tag Team Championships*
• Sami Zayn vs. Braun Strowman*
• Rusev vs. Big Cass*
• Rich Swann vs. TJ Perkins vs. The Brian Kendrick for the WWE Cruiserweight Championship*
• Alicia Fox vs. Bayley (Kickoff match)*

Let's now take a look at the most likely swerves to occur at Roadblock: End of the Line.

Note: Asterisk denotes a match yet to be announced or booked.

Emmalina Starts a Feud with Bayley

Next week is the scheduled premiere of the repackaged Emmalina, which isn't soon enough for much of the WWE Universe. For more than two months, video packages have been touting her return to the ring, which is far too long.

We still don't know much about the Emmalina character and how she'll be portrayed, but Emma the Superstar is a great wrestler who's faced off against most of the women on the Raw roster. With all of the hype surrounding her, having Emmalina sit out the pay-per-view immediately after her return would be a waste. 

A secondary women's singles match would make the most sense, and Alicia Fox and Bayley are the only women on the Raw roster (not named Sasha Banks or Charlotte Flair) who are competing in the ring at the moment. 

That's not to say Emmalina will go over Bayley long-term. Instead, this could be a way for WWE to get the Emmalina character heat with the WWE Universe by taking on the biggest babyface in the women's division. A couple of well-timed wins, even in losing the feud, would help Emmalina generate crowd response in a way SmackDown Live's secondary heel, Carmella, never has. 

The New Day's Tag Team Title Reign Comes to an End

With Demolition's tag team title reign in sight, it would be shocking for WWE to take the titles from The New Day prior to Roadblock.

Instead, look for Monday night's Raw Tag Team Championship Triple Threat match to extend to Roadblock, with a new champion emerging following that event. 

The chinks have been showing in The New Day's armor for the last few weeks. First, the team was quickly eliminated from the Raw vs. SmackDown Survivor Series match. That has been followed by a number of losses and close calls in singles and non-title matches. 

The New Day's gimmick is entertaining, but it's been going on for nearly a year-and-a-half. WWE needs to freshen up the group, and having it chase the titles instead of being on top is something that can re-energize Kofi Kingston, Big E and Xavier Woods. 

Additionally, pitting them against more babyface teams, including Cesaro and Sheamus, would let them once again be the heels they were meant to be. 

Nia Jax Makes Her Presence Known Following Women's Championship Match

Let's make this known: Sasha Banks will walk out of Roadblock as the women's champion, handing Charlotte Flair her first pay-per-view singles loss. Should Roadblock be the final showdown between these two women, someone will have to pick up the mantle of being the No. 1 contender. 

Enter Nia Jax. 

Jax, who's been absent from WWE programming since the night following Survivor Series, needs to move on from squashing local competitors and taking on the lower rungs of the women's division. A series of matches against Banks would help expose Jax in a way she has yet to be showcased. 

Although she was eliminated and did not factor in the finish, Survivor Series and the build to that event was Jax's coming-out party. She showed she belonged among the elite women who were called up from NXT during the WWE draft. Battling Banks both in the ring and during promos would help Jax grow as a performer, something that can't be accomplished facing lesser opponents. 

Introducing her the night after Roadblock would seem matter-of-fact. Having Jax blister an exhausted Banks, who will have just finished a historic 30-minute Iron Man match against her bitter rival, would generate tremendous heat on the rookie. 

Look for Jax to make her statement at the final pay-per-view of 2016. 

Sami Zayn's PPV Match Against Braun Strowman Is His Last for the Raw Brand

For weeks, Sami Zayn has faced the wrath of commissioner Stephanie McMahon and general manager Mick Foley for not bringing the Intercontinental Championship to the flagship brand at Survivor Series against The Miz. 

The Underdog from the Underground has been fed to Braun Strowman on numerous occasions, and he found himself once again pinned by his nemesis, Kevin Owens, this past week on Raw. Eventually, this story of Zayn being management's punching bag will have to end.

It won't be surprising to see Zayn ask for another match against Strowman on next week's episode of Raw. But to get that rematch, he'll have to give something up. Foley hasn't been willing to allow Zayn in the ring against the larger competitor, so he'll have to be convinced. A self-added stipulation by Zayn—where he either wins against Strowman or leaves Raw—will be the final straw. 

WWE has shown it is all-in with Strowman, who shouldn't be losing to guys like Zayn. Another loss at Roadblock will be the final Raw match for Zayn for the time being. 

It's not as if Zayn won't have a landing spot, however. For weeks, SmackDown general manager Daniel Bryan has been teasing on social media that Zayn would be welcome to the blue brand. Expect to see Zayn on Tuesday nights when the new year starts.