WWE Clash of Champions 2016: B/R Expert Match Predictions and Analysis
WWE Clash of Champions 2016 provides the Raw brand its first chance to impress in a show-specific pay-per-view, much as Backlash did for SmackDown Live on Sept. 11.
Unlike Backlash, which featured only six matches over the span of two-and-a-half hours, Clash of Champions has a more robust card, no doubt a product of Raw having an expanded roster. Whether that is a blessing or curse has yet to be decided. Part of Backlash's success was its ability to give more ring time to Superstars, thereby focusing more on the action inside the squared circle.
On paper, Sunday's card features an impressive lineup, with a solid mix of championship bouts and filler matches that should entertain. At the time of publication, the card includes:
- Alicia Fox vs. Nia Jax (Kickoff Show)
- Cesaro vs. Sheamus (Best-of-seven series, Match 7)
- Rusev vs. Roman Reigns (WWE United States Championship)
- The New Day vs. Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson (WWE Raw Tag Team Championships)
- Charlotte vs. Sasha Banks vs. Bayley (WWE Raw Women's Championship)
- Sami Zayn vs. Chris Jericho
- T.J. Perkins vs. Brian Kendrick (WWE Cruiserweight Championship)
- Kevin Owens vs. Seth Rollins (WWE Universal Championship)
There's always the possibility of another match or two being added. A number of Superstars are not yet booked for Sunday's pay-per-view, including Enzo Amore, Big Cass, Braun Strowman and Neville.
Who will walk out of Clash of Champions 2016 victorious? Will there be new champions come Monday night? Will Triple H once again involve himself in proceedings? Bleacher Report's panel of WWE experts is here to answer those questions and more.
Let's meet the team.
B/R Expert Panel Lineup
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We've got a pretty stacked lineup of Bleacher Report experts to answer the tough questions about the WWE landscape and provide predictions for each match at WWE Clash of Champions 2016.
The team includes:
- Kevin Berge (@TheBerge_)
- Anthony Mango (@ToeKneeManGo), founder of SmarkOutMoment.com and host of the podcast Smack Talk
- "The Doctor" Chris Mueller (@BR_Doctor)
- Ryan Dilbert (@ryandilbert), lead writer for @BR_WWE.
- Erik Beaston (@ErikBeaston)
- And yours truly, James Moffat (@jamesmoffat).
It's time to tie up those laces and get ready to rumble. The predictions start now.
Alicia Fox vs. Nia Jax (Kickoff Match)
2 of 11Q: Looking ahead, how should WWE book Nia Jax now she’s moved on from squashing local talent? Who is the best Superstar for her to feud with?
Kevin Berge (KB): I would like to see Nia Jax’s story blend with the leading women’s stories on Raw by having Charlotte force Dana Brooke to face Jax to prove herself. This could help both women develop, as Jax wins tougher matches and Brooke gets close to victories and eventually turns full face when she loses it with Charlotte.
Match Prediction: Nia Jax wins in dominant fashion.
Anthony Mango (AM): There's such a limited roster on Raw, making this incredibly difficult to decide. As soon as she's feuding with Sasha Banks, Bayley or Charlotte, she's already in the main event of the division, but it'd be too soon for such a feud for someone who still needs seasoning. Hopefully, Paige will return and can work with her for a while to not only help improve Jax's game but also offer a bit of a punishment for Paige's actions as of late.
Match Prediction: Nia Jax sweeps the floor with Alicia Fox, who stands no chance.
Chris Mueller (CM): She should wait a little longer before being thrown into the title picture. WWE should put her up against established talents such as Alicia Fox and have her build up an impressive streak before she moves onto the championship scene.
Match Prediction: Nia Jax.
Ryan Dilbert (RD): After Fox, Jax would benefit from a rivalry with Bayley. They have history in NXT that WWE can build on. Bayley's skill at playing the babyface in peril would help showcase Jax's beastly nature. Jax needs a legit challenge before moving up the ranks, and the hug-happy Superstar would be perfect for that.
Match Prediction: Jax will dominate. Anything else would be counterproductive to the story WWE is telling with her.
Erik Beaston (EB): WWE is doing the right thing by steadily building Jax. With Charlotte, Bayley and Sasha Banks embroiled in a three-way rivalry, and Dana Brooke waiting in the wings for a showdown with her mentor, it is a crowded title picture. After Clash of Champions, she should battle whichever babyface does not stick around the championship feud, be it The Boss or Bayley.
Match Prediction: Nia Jax.
James Moffat (JM): At this point, it makes sense to have her feud with someone she's familiar with. That would mean Bayley is the likely opponent. Sticking her with Alicia for a glorified squash match is fine, but Jax has no rapport with Paige, Sasha, Charlotte or even Dana Brooke to have anything more substantial. In Bayley, WWE has a ready-built narrative and a feud that could last more than a single pay-per-view.
Match Prediction: Nia Jax.
Cesaro vs. Sheamus (Best-of-7 Series Finale)
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On a scale of 1-10, rate your enjoyment of this series.
KB: I’m a solid 5 at this point. Cesaro and Sheamus are great performers, but they have not differentiated their matches enough as the series has gotten to the expected 3-3 decider. The only unique aspect has been Cesaro’s back injury. While more time at Clash of Champions should allow them their best opportunity for a show-stealing finale, the series has dragged.
Match Prediction: Cesaro takes match 7 and goes on to challenge Kevin Owens soon.
AM: As tempted as I am to go with the symbolic 7, I think I need to downgrade it to a 5. I love how there is something on the line, but I think the booking has been way off. As soon as Sheamus won the first three matches, it became obvious Cesaro would win the next three and that they'd settle it at Clash of Champions. If they had traded some wins back and forth, it would have been less predictable.
Match Prediction: Cesaro has the edge, but if Rusev loses the United States Championship, then Sheamus will win this.
CM: 7. I always like watching Sheamus and Cesaro wrestle, but it was too predictable Cesaro would end up fighting his way back from a 3-0 deficit. At least they have delivered in every outing.
Match Prediction: Cesaro wins.
RD: 8. Each bout has been different, but each has also built on the last. Cesaro's comeback has been a bit predictable, but these two continue to bring out the best in each other.
Match Prediction: Cesaro completes the comeback. It's the better story and a means to catapult The King of Swing into the universal title picture.
EB: 7. Yes, watching the same match every week can become monotonous, but Sheamus and Cesaro have done a great job of making every contest different while WWE Creative has booked a few clever finishes along the way. The 3-3 tie was never in question, but the ride to that point has been a million times more fun than I imagined it would be.
Match Prediction: Cesaro.
JM: As far as the in-ring product goes, a solid 8. These two have put on some really good matches. It's been predictable, and the decision to have this series go the full seven bouts was never in doubt.
Match Prediction: Cesaro.
Rusev vs. Roman Reigns (United States Championship)
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Q: At this point, is there anything Roman Reigns can do to win the support of his most vocal critics?
KB: The easy answer is turn him heel because the moment he goes full-on snarky heel, the crowd will probably start to adore him. That said, he has slowly been gaining back the crowd as he punches first and jokes less. Much like John Cena before him, it may just be a slow grind for Roman Reigns’ work to get him respect from the fans. He also just needs to take the time to continue to improve on the mic.
Match Prediction: Reigns wins by count-out with Rusev retaining the U.S. title.
AM: While it doesn't mean necessarily the same thing, he needs to turn heel. Reigns as a babyface character has been tainted too much despite having a lot of potential. The way the WWE Universe embraced Seth Rollins as a babyface just goes to show how much more naturally that fits and, at this point, the fans want to boo Reigns. WWE should make that what the mission is.
Match Prediction: Rusev will probably retain the title through some kind of shenanigans.
CM: Unfortunately, the only answer would be to turn him heel, which would defeat the purpose of the heel turn. If people are only going to cheer him if he is a bad guy, it'd create the same problem he has being booed as a babyface. The best thing for WWE to do is to keep him as a good guy until it decides to put The Shield back together for a day, then have Reigns be the one who turns on the group to launch his run as a heel.
Match Prediction: Reigns wins the U.S. title.
RD: A heel turn and a stay on the midcard. Being babyface is ill-fitting while fans continue to boo him.
Match Prediction: Rusev retains. This feud feels like it will last several months. Dethroning The Bulgarian Brute is better saved for the climax of this story.
EB: Ask John Cena, who continues to be booed a decade after his rise to prominence. At some point, the harshest of his critics will reverse course and suddenly laud him for his consistency in big matches. Just like Cena. The boos will never subside completely, but Reigns will one day be respected. Unfortunately for him, it could be a long road to that point, and it definitely will not begin Sunday at Clash of Champions.
Match Prediction: Roman Reigns.
JM: I don't think even a heel turn will silence Reigns' biggest critics. If he does turn, there will always be another complaint, whether it's about his lack of in-ring dynamic or his flak jacket or his crappy entrance theme. Reigns won't ever win, but that's OK. WWE isn't looking to sway the vocal minority. As long as kids still like him and merchandise moves, Reigns will be a top guy.
Match Prediction: Rusev retains, setting up a rematch at Hell in a Cell.
The New Day vs. Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows (WWE Tag Team Championships)
5 of 11Q: Are Gallows and Anderson the most misused Superstars on the Raw roster?
KB: When you bring on two of the hardest hitting heavyweights in the world and make them a bunch of genital and fart joke-throwing doctors, it’s pretty hard to top that kind of mishandling. Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows should be no-nonsense monsters who refuse to play to The New Day’s joking nature. Somehow, they got lost somewhere along the way thanks to poor writing. Hopefully WWE has seen its error though, as Anderson and Gallows are still credible enough for now.
Match Prediction: Gallows and Anderson end The New Day’s record-setting reign.
AM: If they aren't at the top of the list, they're certainly close to it. Ever since losing AJ Styles following the brand split in the summer, Gallows and Anderson have been struggling to avoid irrelevancy. Their attempts at humorous segments bombed, and their number of losses continue to hurt their credibility. It's time for them to become threats and to be taken seriously, rather than trying to be entertaining in the same way The New Day, Enzo Amore and Big Cass are.
Match Prediction: Gallows and Anderson become the new champions.
CM: In some ways, yes. They have been given a lot of time in front of the camera, but the material they have been working with has been mediocre at best. Hopefully a run with the titles will help elevate their profile in WWE.
Match Prediction: Anderson and Gallows win the tag titles.
RD: Easily. WWE has derailed two potential badasses, hurt them with losses and tried to make them comedians for some reason.
Match Prediction: Gallows and Anderson become the new champs. WWE will likely want to shake things up with the tag team division after The New Day's long reign.
EB: Yes. Trying to make badasses from New Japan into third-rate comedy personas is an awful way to try and get the performers over. The writing team’s inability to create intriguing characters for the hot free agents has set them back. No push will make up for the fact they are uninteresting shells of the dangerous duo that made them such a coveted act in the first place.
Match Prediction: Gallows and Anderson.
JM: Absolutely. For a team that came into WWE with pedigree and having had success elsewhere, Gallows and Anderson are mightily pedestrian championship challengers. That's not on the duo; that's on WWE. The company has monsters on its hands if it ever unleashed them. Until that happens, don't expect them to be anything more than also-rans in WWE.
Match Prediction: The New Day retains.
Bonus Question No. 1
6 of 11Q: Since helping Kevin Owens win the WWE Universal Championship, Triple H has been completely absent from WWE programming. How should WWE best maximize The Game on broadcasts moving forward?
KB: Raw has been too focused lately on personalities who are not the weekly performers. If Triple H is going to be around, he should only be on television when he’s building up his likely match with Seth Rollins. Infrequent appearances to screw Rollins work, keeping his intentions mysterious until he’s ready to reveal his reasoning. Just keep The Game away from an authority role again.
AM: Somehow, in some fashion, Triple H needs to interfere in the Universal Championship match and cost Seth Rollins the win. It's inevitable he and Rollins will go at it down the line, and the more fuel added to the fire, the better that program will be.
CM: He should be kept off television until it’s time for Stephanie McMahon to reveal herself as the same conniving heel she has always been instead of the fair-and-balanced Stephanie she has been playing for the past few months. I would say to wait until at least the next pay-per-view with both brands to bring him back again.
RD: He has to explain himself, for one. Once his motivations for turning on his protege are clear, WWE should proceed with a Rollins-Triple H feud. That could be stellar and a means to cement Rollins' megastar status.
EB: The air of mystery surrounding his actions has made the storyline more interesting. Seth Rollins has planted seeds that perhaps Stephanie and Triple H are not on the same page as far as their plans for Raw go. That creates tension and a layered storyline going forward. Fewer appearances and more mystery designed to get stars such as Rollins and Owens over is exactly how Triple H’s star power and name value can best be maximized.
JM: WWE should stretch this out as long as it can. A once-in-a-while run-in by The Game would be ideal, but only if it's going to mean something. The slow play would work best here, having the two finally meet at WrestleMania 33 in Orlando. That means Triple H will interfere on Sunday.
Charlotte vs. Sasha Banks vs. Bayley (WWE Women’s Championship)
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Q: With the PWInsider-reported impending return of Paige and speculation that Emma may be jumping on board with Raw (h/t Top Rope Press), is Raw’s women’s division too top-heavy?
KB: SmackDown has proved that every woman on the roster can be used and developed at the same time. Raw’s problem is it is too narrowly focused with the division. Every woman should be able to have regular representation, even if it is through appearances once every few weeks. Before Raw starts worrying about Paige and Emma returning, it is time to decide what to do with Alicia Fox and Summer Rae. There’s no issue with the division as long as the roster is being utilized.
Match Prediction: Charlotte retains by stealing the win from Sasha.
AM: There can never be too many members of the roster if WWE properly balances them out. As mentioned before with Nia Jax, Paige's spot could be the midcard of Raw's women's division to work with her rather than being in the title hunt upon her return. Emma should definitely head over to SmackDown, though, as she'll have more room to explore character changes on that brand.
Match Prediction: Charlotte will retain when Sasha Banks and Bayley become too preoccupied with each other.
CM: Not at all. In fact, having more believable competition makes the division more exciting and competitive. Champions need to defeat people who could reasonably beat them for the belt to be seen as credible, and the more of those talents, the better the champion can be made to look.
Match Prediction: Charlotte retains.
RD: The makeup of the division forces WWE to be creative, to tell a variety of stories and find ways to have wrestlers lose without depleting all of their momentum. It's not a safe bet the company will be able to pull that off.
Match Prediction: Charlotte. Banks is likely to claim the championship soon, but it makes more sense to do it in one-on-one action for maximum effect.
EB: No, but there is a caveat. If Raw expands its women’s division to include multiple rivalries, with women getting more than one or two segments on the three-hour broadcast, then this is an easy “no.” If the writing staff continues to be stingy with the time it spends on the female talent, it should be more generous in terms of spreading out its Superstars among the two rosters.
Match Prediction: Charlotte.
JM: I think the issue is usage of talent. Right now, the Raw creative team is lumping Superstars into one storyline. If it chose to weave multiple stories together, there would be a much more successful and entertaining division. Paige and Emma's returns (were they both to stay on Raw) wouldn't change that. Both women would, however, flourish more in the environment on SmackDown.
Match Prediction: Charlotte retains.
Sami Zayn vs. Chris Jericho
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Q: B/R’s Ryan Dilbert recently wrote about trades that would benefit both Raw and SmackDown. In your opinion, which Raw Superstar would benefit most from a brand switch?
KB: SmackDown has shown itself to be better at developing characters and stories while Raw is more about the spectacles and matches week to week. With that in mind, Darren Young is at a desperate point in his career, and his character work needs to sell the audience on him. SmackDown is the place where Young and his mentor, Bob Backlund, could tell stories and sell the audience on them.
Match Prediction: Sami Zayn takes the win clean.
AM: Anybody can make it on any show if WWE gives them the proper time, the right amount of wins and a gimmick that fits them in a way the audience appreciates, but one person who is going nowhere fast on Raw is Neville. For whatever reason, he went from being drafted on the main show to essentially not existing. On SmackDown, he could at least be in contention for the Intercontinental Championship, if not in the tag team division were he paired up with someone.
Match Prediction: Sami Zayn gets the win.
CM: Sami Zayn. He is deserving of a top spot, but there is too much competition on Raw for him to break through after the way he lost to Kevin Owens so many times. He needs a fresh start with some new competition.
Match Prediction: Sami Zayn.
RD: Paige. She's bound to be behind Sasha Banks, Charlotte, Bayley and Nia Jax in the pecking order as part of Raw. On SmackDown, she could immediately be a top contender in a roster filled with rookies.
Match Prediction: Zayn has to win. He needs the momentum in the worst way.
EB: The easy answer here is Cesaro. The Swiss Superman seems lost in the shuffle, even if he wins the best-of-seven series with Sheamus and earns a title shot. He was crystal clear about not being satisfied with his place on Raw back when he landed on the brand in the draft. Sending him to SmackDown would afford him opportunities he does not have on Monday nights, if only because of the sheer volume of talent log-jammed at the top of the card.
Match Prediction: Sami Zayn.
JM: The question becomes, who would truly be elevated by a move? Would Cesaro really be in the main event? Probably not. Does Sami Zayn get a crack at The Miz? Maybe, but we've seen that before. Call me ridiculous, but Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson could be bona fide stars with AJ Styles on SmackDown. The tag division on SmackDown is lacking an overwhelming presence, of which Raw's tag division has a surplus. Heath Slater is a tag team champion for crying out loud! Anderson and Gallows could truly benefit from the move.
Match Prediction: Chris Jericho.
T.J. Perkins vs. Brian Kendrick (WWE Cruiserweight Championship)
9 of 11Q: Did WWE get it right by having Brian Kendrick win the No. 1 Contender’s Fatal 4-Way on Monday Night Raw?
KB: They absolutely got it right. We saw a group of cruiserweights who are both immensely talented and nervous in the spotlight. The younger pack need time to develop before they can run with the division. Brian Kendrick is a veteran who has been here before, and he was fantastic on Monday. He and T.J. Perkins will put on an intense veteran clash to continue the division’s rising momentum.
Match Prediction: T.J. Perkins retains.
AM: Absolutely. Brian Kendrick is the one star in the cruiserweight division casual WWE fans might actually recognize if they didn't check out the tournament. Not only does that help with star power, but it also means his previous experience could be a valuable asset for Perkins, as Kendrick could show him the ropes in many ways. Even something as simple as pay-per-view run times and card structures will be new to Perkins but old hat for Kendrick. He'll be the heel to offset Perkins' role as the top babyface and put him over so he starts off with a bang.
Match Prediction: T.J. Perkins retains the championship.
CM: Absolutely. He is the only established talent the majority of the WWE Universe will see as a viable challenger for the title. Having him in the match makes the title seem more important, and having him put Perkins over will give the champion some momentum heading into his next defense.
Match Prediction: T.J. Perkins retains.
RD: Indeed. The more familiar Kendrick is a smart foil for Perkins, someone casual fans don't know yet. Plus, working with the veteran will be a great learning experience for the champ.
Match Prediction: Perkins slips by Kendrick. It's too early for a title change. Perkins hasn't even debuted on Raw.
EB: Yes, if only because Kendrick is an established name. With such a short turnaround, there is not enough time for WWE Creative to tell the stories of the other cruiserweights and convince fans to care about them.
Match Prediction: T.J. Perkins.
JM: Probably, but does T.J. Perkins vs. Brian Kendrick get me excited about the cruiserweight division? Not really. I would have liked to see WWE Creative hold off on putting a Cruiserweight Championship match on the first pay-per-view, instead using the new proceeding weeks to build the division and its stars. Sure, Kendrick is a fine choice to put against Perkins, and they'll likely have a very good match. But as for the long-term success of the division, this match means little.
Match Prediction: T.J. Perkins.
Kevin Owens vs. Seth Rollins (WWE Universal Championship)
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Q: B/R’s recently Donald Wood wrote that Raw “is in good hands with The Architect as its face.” With that said, do you think Seth Rollins is a believable babyface character?
KB: Seth Rollins wrestles a style that seems more suited for a babyface role, but he has always been much stronger cutting promos as a heel, coming off less interesting as a face. It’s been a while since he was last a face though, so as long he can find his groove on the mic, he should have no problem working the style. Plus he’s been a crowd favorite for a while, no matter how much he insulted the audience.
Match Prediction: Kevin Owens retains thanks to another Triple H appearance.
AM: Very much so. The trick with Rollins is the crowd was already supportive of him, so all WWE needs to do is schedule him to fight bad guys and he's a babyface by default. His character doesn't need to change at all except for not booking him as a coward who runs from his matches. When WWE meddles too much and tries too hard, it often shows, but with Rollins, he's hit that stride where this is his character, and the fans accept that.
Match Prediction: Kevin Owens is going to retain the championship through some kind of interference from Triple H.
CM: I think it is going to take work, but the crowd is already prepared to cheer for him again. His in-ring work is second to none, and he was very popular during The Shield’s babyface run. Working against those in charge will help Rollins make the transition, so WWE is already taking the right steps toward making his turn easier to swallow.
Match Prediction: Kevin Owens retains.
RD: He could be. We need to see some heroism from him. He is far too much like his old, arrogant-jerk self right now.
Match Prediction: Owens wins via help from Triple H.
EB: Seth Rollins is believable as a babyface if they do not attempt to make him a clone of John Cena and Roman Reigns. Monday night, he teased he is still the same selfish villain he was for the better part of two years but also revealed that he cannot wait to make life a living hell for Stephanie McMahon once he wins back the title. As the tweener, he has the opportunity to be the cool babyface rather than some cookie-cutter good guy who bores audiences with his one-dimensional personality.
Match Prediction: Kevin Owens.
JM: Nothing about Seth Rollins screams either heel or babyface to me. And that's OK because he's so darn good at what he does. But that doesn't mean I want WWE to start pushing Rollins as a face. Let him grow into it organically. WWE can't get campy with Rollins; he needs to remain the smarmy Superstar he is.
Match Prediction: Kevin Owens retains, Triple H gets involved some way, somehow.
Bonus Question No. 2
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Q: Which Superstar are you most disappointed is NOT on the card for WWE Clash of Champions?
KB: Enzo and Cass may just be the most over performers on the entire Raw roster. It’s possible they are the most over act in all of WWE. They were paired with The Shining Stars recently just to make sure they stayed on TV, but now they’re not on the Clash of Champions card? It just feels wrong not to have Enzo and Cass competing on every Raw PPV.
AM: At this point in time, Enzo Amore and Big Cass don't have a match, which is just criminal. At the very least, they should be squashing The Shining Stars on the pre-show, but if they don't have anything to do at all, I don't know what's going through the creative team's thought process.
CM: Enzo and Cass. They were on fire, but it looks like WWE has slowed their push a little in recent weeks. Hopefully, it’s just temporary and they are put into the hunt for the tag titles sooner than later.
RD: Neville. He has had no direction for ages. Hopefully, he finds a home as a cornerstone of the cruiserweight division.
EB: Enzo Amore and Big Cass. While it is entirely possible that a match against The Shining Stars ends up on the card, not having the hottest act in WWE on the lineup is a major misstep from WWE Creative.
JM: Most people will probably say Enzo and Cass, but I don't need to see them face The Shining Stars on a pay-per-view. So how about Braun Strowman? After five weeks of squash matches, one would think Strowman would get a somewhat legitimate opponent, maybe in the form of an open challenge. There are plenty of guys on the roster (Titus O'Neil, Goldust and Curtis Axel) who could answer the call.
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