WWE presents Clash of Champions this Sunday, and as the name suggests, every championship on the main roster will be defended at the pay-per-view. In a very different approach to the normal pay-per-views, there is only one non-title match scheduled for the show, while the rest of the card is filled with championship encounters.
WWE is often given shtick for not booking secondary feuds on the roster, and it is often called out for only focusing on the championship feuds. The lead-up to the PPV was unsurprisingly the same, as the PPV is being presented as such.
We run-down the card for the PPV and analyze the match-ups with our thoughts and predictions.
WWE Cruiserweight Championship: Drew Gulak [c] vs Humberto Carillo vs Lince Dorado
The often-overlooked superstars of the 205 Live roster will once again battle on the PPV, with their match most likely to take place on the pre-show of the event.
Drew Gulak finally won the Cruiserweight Championship few months ago, and his run has been stellar so far. Humberto Carillo was rewarded for his exceptional showing in a Ten-Man Tag Team Match last month, while Lince Dorado, member of the Lucha House Party, was finally given a chance to perform as a singles competitor.
The match comprises of two high-flying luchadors and one hard-hitting individual. The match will treat us with Best of Both Worlds.
Prediction: Drew Gulak retains
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WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship: Nikki Cross & Alexa Bliss [c] vs Mandy Rose & Sonya Deville
The team of Rose and Deville finally received a shot at the championships. Both these individuals have stayed together ever since they debuted alongside Paige as the Absolution. WWE has done a great job of the Bliss-Cross team so far, and they would hope to continue their run in the extremely thin Women’s Tag-Team Division.
WWE has always pushed Alexa Bliss as a top star of the division, and it won’t be surprising to see her and Cross retaining the titles.
Prediction: Nikki Cross and Alexa Bliss retains
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WWE RAW Tag Team Championships: Seth Rollins & Braun Strowman [c] vs Robert Roode & Dolph Ziggler
On paper, this match sounds the most absurd of all the matches listed on the card. Two random tag-teams competing for the Tag-Team Championships is a weird sight. The current champions are scheduled to compete against each other for the Universal Championship later in the night, and hence, it wouldn’t be surprising to see them lose the titles against Roode & Ziggler.
A heel turn for Braun Strowman could be interesting, and it will setup things nicely for their match later in the night.
Prediction: Roode and Ziggler wins
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WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championships: The New Day [c] vs The Revival
New Day and Revival renew hostilities for this encounter. The Revival have aligned themselves with Randy Orton and have helped the Viper against the New Day trio.
Both the teams are insanely talented, and it should translate into a great match at the pay-per-view. Revival made their debut at the expense of New Day two years ago, and these two teams will finally clash this Sunday.
Prediction: The Revival wins
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WWE United States Championship: AJ Styles [c] vs Cedric Alexander
WWE is looking to push former Cruiserweight Champion, Cedric Alexander, as a major deal in the company, and it starts with a US title match-up against the Phenomenal One. Styles and his buddies Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson unleashed a vicious beatdown on Alexander, which resulted in the latter’s loss against Baron Corbin in the second round of King of the Ring tournament.
Alexander is still new on the roster and is yet to connect with the audiences in a proper manner. He will get his chances in the future and a run to the top is inevitable.
Prediction: AJ Styles retains
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WWE Intercontinental Championship: Shinsuke Nakamura [c] vs The Miz
The Miz finally returns to the IC title scene, after staying away from it for more than a year. In the recent years, Miz has become synonymous with the prestigious title, and helped to make the belt relevant in the company.
Nakamura has found a new accomplice in Sami Zayn, who’ll try to help the Japanese superstar retain the title using underhanded tactics. Miz has been advertised for SmackDown’s upcoming debut on FOX, and it would be fantastic to see him walk into the SmackDown side as the IC champion.
Prediction: The Miz wins
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WWE RAW Women’s Championship: Becky Lynch [c] vs Sasha Banks
In one of the most heated rivalries in recent memory, 4-time RAW Women’s Champion Sasha Banks will challenge the Man, Becky Lynch. Sasha’s return on post-Summerslam RAW episode followed by a shocking heel turn was a thrilling sight and led to a refreshing character change for Banks.
Becky Lynch is currently one of the biggest stars in the company, and similar to Miz, is advertised for SmackDown on FOX. She could very well lose the title to Banks, pack her bags, and move to SmackDown Live soon.
Prediction: Sasha Banks wins
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WWE SmackDown Women’s Championship: Bayley [c] vs Charlotte Flair
The remaining two members of the Four Horsewomen group will compete for the SmackDown Women’s Championship. Bayley seemingly turned heel last week, when she attacked Becky Lynch ruthlessly with a chair. She followed it up with a beatdown on Charlotte Flair the next night.
WWE usually ensures freshly turned superstars don’t lose their matches much, which could point towards a victory for Bayley.
Prediction: Bayley retains
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Roman Reigns vs Erick Rowan
The only non-title match of the evening, Roman Reigns finds himself in a singles match-up against a bizarre opponent in Erick Rowan. It was rumored for several weeks that Daniel Bryan will face Reigns at the PPV, which was eventually dropped in favor of Rowan. The storyline leading to this match-up has all sorts of problems associated with it, and it will reach its culmination at Clash of Champions.
It remains to be seen if WWE decide to go forward with the match, and Bryan isn’t involved in any fashion. Roman Reigns has lost only on a handful occasions on PPV, and he will once again be a major favorite against Rowan.
Prediction: Roman Reigns spears his way to victory
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WWE Universal Championship: Seth Rollins [c] vs Braun Strowman
The current RAW Tag Team Champions, Seth Rollins and Braun Strowman will compete for the top title on the red brand, with the winner set for a date with The Fiend at Hell in a Cell. There have been rumors of The Fiend showing up during the match and setting up a triple threat for the HIAC PPV but at the same time, WWE isn’t known for doing screwy finishes at PPVs.
With Seth Rollins vs Fiend being advertised for upcoming Live Events, expect Rollins to overcome Strowman in a hard-fought match. Strowman is highly likely to lose yet another Universal Championship match, after losing out to Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns on several occasions.
Prediction: Seth Rollins retains
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WWE Championship: Kofi Kingston [c] vs Randy Orton
A deeply personal rivalry between Kofi Kingston and Randy Orton will reach its culmination at Clash of Champions PPV. The false finish at SummerSlam led to this match-up, and both the superstars will be expected to give their one hundred percent.
This rivalry goes back a decade, and WWE has referenced their earlier rivalry on several occasions in the build-up. Expect a lot of callbacks and references to their previous matches, when both these superstars battle this Sunday.
Kofi Kingston is expected to face Brock Lesnar when SmackDown moves to FOX next month, and hence he should retain the title against the Viper.
Prediction: Kofi Kingston retains
