After the huge success of Backlash, WWE is all set to put together their second brand-specific pay-per-view this Sunday night. Clash of Champions, which is exclusive to Monday Night Raw, will be headlined by the WWE Universal championship match between Seth Rollins and Kevin Owens.
SmackDown is widely considered to be ahead of Raw in terms of the content that the shows deliver and Clash of Champions will be a chance for Raw to prove otherwise.
They do have a solid match card in place for the pay-per-view with eight matches, out of which, five will be championship matches. Here is the analysis of the match card along with predictions.
Alicia Fox vs. Nia Jax
After a long squash party, Nia Jax will get a legitimate opponent in the form of Alicia Fox. Alicia is a proven performer and has some quality experience to show off, but don't expect this to alter the way Nia is booked.
This would be just another squash match for Nia with minimal offence coming from the side of Alicia.
The intention of the match would be to give Nia a taste on how it would be to perform with experienced women on the big stage and it could also be considered as some sort of a test. The biggest question should be: where should Nia go after she wins at Clash of Champions.
Prediction: Is it necessary to make one here?
New Day vs. Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows (WWE Tag Team Championships)
The tag team championship feud was one of those that went under the radar due to things happening around. During the initial phase, both teams showcased their comedic timings and entertainment quotient, but as we moved forward, WWE failed to come up with creative segments which in turn made the fans complain.
But all of these will be put to one side at Clash of Champions as the in-ring performance will take centre stage again. New Day's championship reign has been a long one but at the same time, they have not bored the fans.
This makes the match hard to predict but with Survivor Series at the horizon, Anderson and Gallows could just steal a win.
Prediction: Anderson and Gallows win
Brian Kendrick vs. TJ Perkins (WWE Cruiserweight championship)
The new class of cruiserweights will get their first taste of pay-per-view this Sunday night at Clash of Champions. The Cruiserweight Classic winner and reigning Cruiserweight champion, TJ Perkins will defend his championship against WWE veteran Brian Kendrick.
The match comes in without much of a storyline backup but the in-ring action is something that will excel.
Cruiserweights not having a story to tell apart from their in-ring performance is something WWE should look into in the near future. When it comes to predictions, TJ Perkins is the favourite by light years. WWE wouldn’t want to make their inaugural CWC winner look weak in his first title defense itself.
Prediction: TJ Perkins wins
Cesaro vs. Sheamus
The last match of the best-of-seven series between Cesaro and Sheamus takes place at Clash of champions. While the idea of such series is indeed exciting, for some reason or the other, these two lost their steam midway. Of course, it did keep them busy for weeks, but seven matches were apparently a bit too much for the fans.
The series, however, comes to an end this Sunday night and with the score tied at 3-3, it is a winner takes it all match. The biggest problem here would be the giving something new for the fans.
In a short span, they have seen six Cesaro - Sheamus matches and both superstars will have to work hard to bring something new to the table. A win would complete the underdog return of Cesaro and it is the biggest possibility as well.
Prediction: Cesaro wins
Sami Zayn vs. Chris Jericho
Chris Jericho is one of those rare personalities in the wrestling business that gets better with age. Jericho is still one of the most entertaining superstars in the roster but at Clash of champions, it will be about putting over Sami Zayn. Zayn has been booked in a roller coaster manner by WWE for the past few months and is in desperate need of a win.
Jericho, on the other hand, has enough creative juices flowing through his veins to cover up his loss. This factor alone makes Zayn the favorite to walk out of Clash of champions as the winner. Either way, this one is a match worth tuning into.
Prediction: Sami Zayn wins.
Roman Reigns vs. Rusev (United States championship)
The United States championship will be on the line when Rusev and Roman Reigns battle it out at Clash of Champions. These two were supposed to face off against each other at SummerSlam but a pre-match brawl forced the match to be called off. After weeks and weeks of build-up, the match will finally happen this Sunday night.
The reaction that Reigns gets still has not be sorted out and WWE could see the United States championship as a path to redemption. Also, the title reign of Rusev has been stale lately, so a win for Reigns will certainly freshen things up for everyone involved.
Prediction: Roman Reigns wins
Bayley vs. Charlotte vs. Sasha Banks (WWE Women’s championship)
This is a mouthwatering affair for the women wrestling fans. Sasha, Charlotte and Bayley are wrestlers who have proven their brilliance and a three-way involving them is bound to deliver. The back injury of Sasha Banks was played out this past week and this might be a huge factor during the match as well.
In fact, this back injury could be Bayley's ticket to the championship.
Bayley is the only woman in the match who has not won the WWE Women's championship and the fans would be happy if she gets her special moment at Clash of Champions. It is clearly not good for the championship to have quick changes but then again, Charlotte's win only came due to the injury that Sasha was suffering from.
Prediction: Bayley wins
Kevin Owens vs. Seth Rollins (WWE Universal championship)
While the exciting chemistry of Kevin Owens and Seth Rollins will indeed be one of the things that will make up this match, there is a huge shadow of Triple H coming in as a subplot. It was with the help of Triple H that Owens won the WWE Universal Championship in the first place, and Rollins apparently has unfinished business with The Game.
This will be the first major title defence for Owens after winning the title and as WWE would want to make his strong and as the Rollins - Triple H feud would not require any championship, Owens is the most likely winner in this match.
Prediction: Kevin Owens wins
