WWE Roadblock 2016: Updated Match Card, Predictions for Entire PPV
WWE Roadblock: End of the Line is the final major event of the year for WWE, with Raw putting its top championships on the line and setting major rivals in conflict with one another. It will be a night when each Superstar on the Raw roster will try to end the year on a high note.
On Sunday, three faces will clash with heels they have long wanted to silence, as Big Cass will battle Rusev, Sami Zayn will take a shot at the unstoppable Braun Strowman and Seth Rollins will try to give Chris Jericho his just desserts. Meanwhile, four major championships will hang in the balance.
Rich Swann will face his toughest test to date when he battles former champions The Brian Kendrick and TJ Perkins. The New Day will once more battle the odd pairing of Cesaro and Sheamus. Kevin Owens will have to face Roman Reigns alone and attempt to keep his Universal Championship. Most prominently, Sasha Banks and Charlotte Flair will reach the final stage of their feud in an Iron Man match.
Here is the current Roadblock: End of the Line card:
- Rusev vs. Big Cass (pre-show)
- Sami Zayn vs. Braun Strowman (10-minute time limit)
- Rich Swann vs. The Brian Kendrick vs. TJ Perkins (Cruiserweight Championship)
- The New Day vs. Cesaro and Sheamus (Raw Tag Team Championship)
- Chris Jericho vs. Seth Rollins
- Kevin Owens vs. Roman Reigns (Universal Championship)
- Sasha Banks vs. Charlotte Flair (Raw Women's Champioship, 30-minute Iron Man match)
With so much on the line, it would be difficult for Roadblock: End of the Line to be anything short of a great event. However, WWE will need to make certain it makes these last few matches count, as every result is crucial to the success of Raw going forward.
The following are predictions for every match at Roadblock, including basic breakdowns of the stories to this point and the reasons why each result is likely.
Rusev vs. Big Cass (Pre-Show)
1 of 7
Enzo Amore and Big Cass are always about fun and games, but they may have directed their fun in the wrong direction with Rusev. Now Amore is injured, and Big Cass is left to fight on his own against a monster who has multiple championships to his name.
When Cass locked Amore out of the locker room with no clothes, Amore let the wrong woman see all of him. Rusev took offense to Amore's supposed sexual advance, and The Realest Guy in the Room has taken the full brunt of Rusev's fury since. Cass has grown tired of the one-sided nature of the feud between the two and inserted himself into the fight, battling Rusev for the sake of his humiliated friend.
Cass has few major victories to his name, so a win over Rusev could launch his solo career. He may be too preoccupied with punishing the man who hurt his partner, though. Rusev took this match out of confidence, not out of fear of Cass, so a loss will only hurt him.
Rusev usually goes on streaks of victories and defeats. His feud with Amore and Cass feels like a vehicle to continue the slow development of Cass as a solo star. Having Amore return and distract Rusev will help protect the former champion in a loss and give this feud more legs.
Prediction: Cass defeats Rusev, thanks to a timely distraction from a returning Amore.
Sami Zayn vs. Braun Strowman (10-Minute Time Limit)
2 of 7
David vs. Goliath is one of the most iconic stories ever told, and WWE has used it for inspiration for decades with its diverse wrestling roster. Braun Strowman is a special kind of Goliath with an impossible mix of speed and power at 6'8" and 385 pounds that has made him unstoppable since separating from Bray Wyatt.
While others have cowered in fear at the challenge of Strowman, Sami Zayn demanded his shot at the big man. Even as Strowman injured and humiliated Zayn, he got back up and demanded another match. Countering general manager Mick Foley's protectiveness, Zayn was willing to be traded to SmackDown if he couldn't get this shot at Strowman one-on-one.
The last time these two faced off, it was a massacre that lasted only a few minutes. Now, Zayn will be looking to prove he can survive inside the ring for a full 10 minutes against Strowman. Just doing that would be a remarkable feat, but The Underdog from the Underground will also try to prove he can actually defeat Strowman to put to rest Foley's concerns over Zayn's well-being.
WWE has been quite protective of Strowman to date, and there is no reason that won't continue. Still, Zayn needs to gain some measure of victory over Strowman. This would be a perfect opportunity for Zayn to send Strowman reeling but not take the victory, thanks to the time limit.
Prediction: Strowman vs. Zayn goes to a draw after the latter lasts the full 10 minutes.
Rich Swann vs. The Brian Kendrick vs. TJ Perkins (Cruiserweight Championship)
3 of 7
Since the introduction of the cruiserweight division on Raw, three men have held the Cruiserweight Championship. The first, TJ Perkins, went through the Cruiserweight Classic to capture the gold before his former friend, The Brian Kendrick, betrayed him and cheated him out of the gold. Perkins' closest friend in the division, Rich Swann, was able to then outshine Kendrick and take the title.
The three former and current friends are the best of the best in the division, and they now all have one shot at the gold. Each man in the trio has had the edge on one of his competitors. Swann has had Kendrick's number every time they have clashed. Kendrick has found ways to defeat Perkins repeatedly. Perkins, meanwhile, has made the current champion tap out in the middle of the ring, which makes this a complicated affair.
The cruiserweight division is still in need of a quality showing, particularly on pay-per-view. Roadblock will put all three of the division's top men at conflict, and it could be their chance to steal the show and make a statement on the future of the division. Even though the championship has shifted hands many times lately, whoever wins here should be designated to lead the division for a while.
Swann only recently captured the Cruiserweight Championship, and both of his opponents have held that gold. In order to help build up the division and its championship, Swann should win, although the result can also be used to further develop the division. If Swann steals a win from Perkins, it could help turn TJP heel on his friend in the long run.
Prediction: Swann wins by stealing a pinfall from Perkins on Kendrick.
The New Day vs. Cesaro and Sheamus (Raw Tag Team Championship)
4 of 7
The New Day broke a record that stood for 27 years by holding the Raw Tag Team Championships for more than 478 days. In an age when championships often change hands every few months, this was a remarkable feat. The New Day, though, cannot just sit back, as it still needs to defend its championships against the best on Raw.
Foley saw something in Cesaro and Sheamus that no one else did—a cohesion that could make them one of the true dominant tag teams. Slowly, the two Superstars have found a common ground, and they are the only team that has come close to dethroning the champions. Thanks to a victory at Tribute to the Troops, they will get one more shot at the gold.
With the record now broken, it would be easy to say that The New Day has nothing left to fight for. This is not true. Every day it holds the belts, it further solidifies its claim as one of the best tag teams in WWE history. Cesaro and Sheamus, though, may be on their last opportunity, and a loss at Roadblock could leave them with nothing to show for after months of togetherness.
The New Day has been a fun trio to watch, but its title reign has run its course. Cesaro and Sheamus need this win in order to become a viable tag team, so this should be their breakout moment. Hopefully both teams pull through and put on top-notch performances to sell this as a changing of the guard.
Prediction: Cesaro and Sheamus defeat The New Day to end its reign.
Chris Jericho vs. Seth Rollins
5 of 7
Seth Rollins has declared his mission to destroy the machine that once made him a star, and that destruction begins with Chris Jericho, who has often stood in Rollins' way. Y2J, though, has his own goals in facing Rollins, hoping to put down this young upstart.
This began as rivalry by association, with Jericho wanting to aid his best friend, Kevin Owens, in continuing to hold the Universal Championship. Jericho even went as far as to interfere in Rollins' title matches to make certain KO continued to stay on top. Rollins finally saw that he needed to get rid of Jericho before he could take on Owens.
Both of these men are on the cusp of title contention with their own beefs with current champion Owens. Whoever wins could gain a future title opportunity. Jericho has seemingly turned his back on Owens for good, and he will be forced to go out and once more fight alone in a match that he will want and need to win.
There are big plans for Rollins in regard to Triple H as we head into WrestleMania season. He will need to remain strong, and Jericho has always been willing to take a loss to promote another talent. Rollins can take this victory as his first successful step toward The Game.
Prediction: Rollins defeats Jericho with a Pedigree to set up one last match against Owens.
Kevin Owens vs. Roman Reigns (WWE Universal Championship)
6 of 7
Few men have had a more vicious and one-track focus on becoming world champion than Roman Reigns has. Even after capturing the United States Championship, Reigns immediately turned back to Kevin Owens and the Universal Championship. Now, Reigns will look to do what his former Shield brother, Seth Rollins, did before him and hold two singles championships at the same time.
Owens has held the Universal Championship for about 110 days, and he has always had Chris Jericho at his side to defend his gold. If he wants to stay champion past Roadblock, though, he will go on alone against one of the most dominant men in WWE. These two champions will clash in a physical battle of true heavyweights.
While Reigns can still walk out of this match a champion after a loss, being universal champion is the top honor on Raw. Both men are fighting for their own legacies. Owens is still looking to solidify himself in the main event scene, and a loss to Reigns could send him plummeting back down into the midcard.
With Reigns already holding the United States Championship, he has no reason to capture the Universal Championship. The main question is how Owens will win, given that Jericho won't be supporting him. The best option is for KO to steal the win, thanks to some dirty tactics behind the referee's back.
Prediction: Owens defeats Reigns on his own via multiple dirty tactics.
Sasha Banks vs. Charlotte Flair (Raw Women's Championship, Iron Man Match)
7 of 7
They have done it all. The women's revolution began over a year ago as a testament to the impact female wrestlers could have if they were given a chance. Sasha Banks and Charlotte Flair took hold of their opportunities, and they have now been the main event of multiple major WWE events and have fought in stipulation matches never before given to women.
Flair and Banks both pride themselves as being the faces of the women's revolution, but that title is defined by who holds the Raw Women's Championship. Now, they will fight once more for the gold in an Iron Man match that will determine the truly dominant woman in WWE.
This match is a culmination of months of buildup. Not even mentioning their history together in NXT, The Boss and The Queen have been fighting for the gold since WrestleMania 32. The winner here will not only be champion; she will also solidify her name as the better woman in this heated rivalry. Rarely do stakes get higher than this, which is why this match should be the main event of Roadblock.
The trend of this feud would indicate that Banks will lose the championship again. However, this match is meant to end this rivalry. In order for it to end cleanly, Banks must successfully defend her championship. By having the two go all the way to overtime, both will come out of this match looking strong.
Prediction: Banks defeats Flair by a score of 2-1 in overtime.
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