WWE Clash of Champions 2016: Match Card, Potential Spoilers, Predictions, More

WWE Clash of Champions 2016 on Sunday will be all about beginnings. 

The Kevin Owens era will kick off on Raw's inaugural brand-exclusive pay-per-view, the bruiser headlining a WWE pay-per-view for the first time. Sunday's show will also see the introduction of the Cruiserweight Championship and the dancing, hard-kicking champ T.J. Perkins.

And it may just be the night Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson taste WWE gold for the first time.

The Club is among the many challengers hoping for victory. Both Bayley and Sasha Banks will be after Charlotte's Women's Championship. Roman Reigns will seek his first U.S. title reign. Seth Rollins is hoping to dethrone Owens as universal champ.

The match card promises a number of thrillers, but signs point to just two Superstars snatching championships away from their rivals.

News, Potential Spoilers

The rivalry between The Shining Stars and Enzo Amore and Big Cass has yet to afford them a spot on the PPV card, but that may change.

According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t Marc Middleton of PWMania), Amore and Cass vs. The Shining Stars could be added to the show. The timing of the PPV would dictate whether they join the fray on Sunday.

Luke Harper could emerge from the shadows to lay waste to someone. After tearing up his knee in March, he's ready to compete once more.

Ryan Satin of Pro Wrestling Sheet reported: "Sources with direct knowledge tell us he's officially been cleared for action." In addition, Dave Meltzer mentioned on Figure Four Online that Harper was backstage during Monday's Raw.

Harper appears to be on his way back to the ring, whether that is at Clash of Champions or soon after.

Match Card

• Alicia Fox vs. Nia Jax (Pre-show)
• T.J. Perkins vs. Brian Kendrick (Cruiserweight Championship)
• Cesaro vs. Sheamus (Final match of best-of-seven Series)
• Sami Zayn vs. Chris Jericho
• Rusev vs. Roman Reigns (United States Championship)
• The New Day vs. Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson (Tag Team Championships)
• Charlotte vs. Sasha Banks vs. Bayley (Women's Championship)
• Kevin Owens vs. Seth Rollins (Universal Championship)

Quick Predictions

• Jax over Fox.
• Perkins over Kendrick.
• Cesaro over Sheamus.
• Zayn over Jericho.
• Rusev over Reigns.
• Gallows and Anderson over The New Day.
• Charlotte over Banks and Bayley.
• Owens over Rollins.

Match Previews, Picks

Fox Fed to Jax

Nia Jax is a wrecking ball. Fox is the wall awaiting demolition. This won't be long or competitive.

WWE has built up Jax as a force of nature since drafting her to Raw in July. Fox is the first real opponent she has had after swallowing jobbers whole for weeks.

Fox may get in a few shots or two, but this promises to showcase Jax as a monster.

The Cruiserweights Collide

After winning the Cruiserweight Classic tournament and the title belt that came with it, Perkins is set to make his WWE PPV debut.

The confident speedster will take on a veteran experiencing a career renaissance. Brian Kendrick is back after several years away from WWE. He has returned a better storyteller, a focused, intense predator on the prowl.

Both of these men produced some excellent bouts during the CWC. Chances are, they kick off the arrival of the cruiserweight division with something memorable. Expect high-speed action and some technical wizardry.

The only logical move is to have Perkins go over here. This is his coming-out party. It's too early for him to fall.

Cesaro vs. Sheamus VII

Cesaro is one win away from making a comeback for the ages. After going down 0-3 against Sheamus, The Swiss Superman is tied 3-3 with the Irish bruiser.

The more intriguing story is to have Cesaro complete his journey. 

Count on WWE trying to make it look as if The King of Swing will go down before he charges back and takes the seventh match. A rise up the ranks is in the works for the athletic marvel. Cesaro will use Sheamus as a stepping stone to the Universal Championship picture.

Zayn Makes a Statement

Chris Jericho will do for Sami Zayn what he has done for Fandango, Dean Ambrose and AJ Styles in the recent past: take a loss to help catapult a younger star.

At Battleground, Zayn looked as hot as he has since arriving on the main roster early in 2016. He knocked off Owens in a terrific match. The momentum he garnered that night has mostly dissipated, though.

Credit: WWE.com

It's time to get Zayn rolling once more. Look for him to take down Jericho in the first of several PPV matches between the pair.

The Bulgarian Brute Prevails

Rusev and Roman Reigns' SummerSlam match never started. The Big Dog attacked the heel before the bell, breaking his rib with a trademark spear. Reigns went off to seek the Universal Championship for a while, but he is now back tangling with the U.S. champ.

Crowning Reigns would feel too hurried here. There hasn't been enough buildup to that moment.

Reigns is likely to take that belt off the powerhouse, but not on this try. WWE could deliver tons more drama in the coming weeks should Reigns first fail.

New Champs

The New Day has slowed. The once white-hot squad hasn't had a great rivalry to keep its reign must-watch. WWE is likely to shake things up with a title change.

Claiming the tag team gold on Sunday could help Gallows and Anderson gain the traction they have failed to thus far. And sending The New Day reeling for the first time in recent memory would give the trio a new dynamic to work with.

Expectations for this bout should be low thanks to the feud being so underwhelming to this point. The action should be strong, but there won't be much story to build on.

Charlotte Clings to the Gold

The Triple Threat match for the women's title will steal the show at Clash of Champions.

Charlotte, Banks and Bayley have history aplenty with each other. Their chemistry has been strong in both NXT and WWE. And both Banks and Charlotte have shown in recent matchups they will wreck their bodies in order to be the talk of a PPV.

The champ will retain here after a strong showing.

It's too early to flip the title back to Banks. Bayley's first championship reign should come after a longer buildup.

Charlotte's subservient protege, Dana Brooke, is likely to force her way into this contest. Her increasingly tenuous relationship with the champ will be a key subplot. 

Universal Championship Clash

When Triple H showed up on the night after SummerSlam to attack Rollins and clear the path for Owens to win the title, the WWE fanbase was stunned. That won't be the case when he gets involved here. One can hear his footsteps already.

Triple H's betrayal of Rollins has been a major part of this storyline. That will continue at Clash of Champions, when The Architect will again be robbed of a victory.

The Game's rivalry with Rollins will explode after he makes sure Owens stays champ. And while those two battle, KO will be free to take on challenges from Zayn and Cesaro in the near future. 

Owens' first headlining bout promises to be a good one too. He is a top-notch performer with plenty to prove, paired up with one of WWE's best workers today. Add some Triple H-centric drama, and that's a recipe for something memorable.