With 2016 drawing to a close, there is only one more WWE PPV on the horizon, and it is exclusive to the red brand, Raw. Roadblock: End of the Line will air this Sunday on December 18th, and there will be a number of high-profile clashes.
Chris Jericho and Seth Rollins will look to settle their bad blood. Sasha Banks and Charlotte will face off for the last time in a 30-minute iron man match for the Raw Women’s championship, Kevin Owens and Roman Reigns will fight over the coveted Universal Championship, with Reigns’ U.S. Championship not being on the line.
These matches and more will entice fans to tune in for the final WWE PPV of 2016, but the match card itself won’t be enough. WWE must implement a number of shocks at the PPV to end the year with a bang, as WWE fan interest often declines around this time.
Whether it is a much-anticipated debut, a spectacular return or a friendship imploding, here are 7 possible shocks we could see at Roadblock: End of the Line.
#7 Samoa Joe Screws Roman Reigns
When Samoa Joe recaptured the NXT title at NXT: Takeover Toronto, fans were disappointed upon the realisation that he would be staying with the developmental brand for the time being.
However, after losing the title back to Shinsuke Nakamura in Japan and losing their subsequent rematch in Australia, Joe now looks certain to emerge on the main roster very soon.
There is nothing left for the Samoan Submission Specialist to do in NXT, and while it isn’t yet known which brand he will join, he could make his presence known on Sunday as the newest member of Raw.
While there are many dream opponents for Joe on the Raw roster, a feud with Roman Reigns would be one of the best rivalries WWE could produce right now.
If Joe were to debut on Sunday by costing Reigns the Universal title, fans would go crazy, and a dream match between the two would be set up for the Royal Rumble with the U.S. Title on the line.
While WWE may be considering Joe for SD Live, a debut at Roadblock by screwing Roman Reigns out of the Universal title would be a fantastic shock to end the PPV.
#6 New Day survive again
Earlier this week, after surviving two gruelling triple threat tag matches on Raw, the New Day broke the record for the longest reigning Tag Team Champions in WWE history, breaking Demolition’s record of 478 days.
Now that this milestone has been achieved by the trio, many WWE fans expect them to drop the titles at Roadblock, with Cesaro and Sheamus poised to capture the gold.
While this may indeed happen, WWE often delay the inevitable, and they may just wait until a larger event like the Royal Rumble 2017 or Wrestlemania 33 comes around for New Day to finally drop the titles.
It would draw a bigger pop from a larger audience, and it would definitely be a fitting stage for the end of New Day’s historic title reign. If WWE do indeed have this mindset, the New Day may shockingly retain this Sunday despite all signs pointing to a Sheamus and Cesaro victory.
Check out the New Day’s survival in Raw’s main event earlier this week:
#5 Sami Zayn topples Braun Strowman
In many fans’ eyes (including mine), this is their most anticipated match on the show.
Despite no titles being on the line, Strowman and Zayn (alongside Mick Foley) have told a wonderful story heading into this bout, with Zayn’s never-say-die, underdog spirit clashing with Strowman’s vicious, monster-like ferocity.
A perfect David vs Goliath story, except for one difference. Unlike David, who was the victor, few fans expect Zayn to walk out victorious on Sunday, with Strowman being the clear favourite.
Therefore, it would be all the more shocking if Zayn managed to slay the monster.
While WWE rarely allow an underdog like Zayn to beat someone as big as Strowman, this would be the perfect time to do it. Wrestlemania 33 is approaching, and if Zayn were to overcome the ‘Monster of a Man’ in a huge victory, he could be catapulted to the main event scene by the time Wrestlemania 33 is upon us.
It would give the ‘Underdog from the Underground’ a huge jolt of momentum, and could set him up for a Daniel Bryan-esque rise to the top of WWE in early 2017. While WWE may think this would hurt Strowman’s credibility tremendously, he could easily gain his momentum back with a beatdown on a top babyface the next night.
If WWE want to implement a huge shock on Sunday, giving Zayn a huge underdog win over Strowman would be the ultimate swerve.
#4 The Queen returns to her throne (again)
While the Charlotte/Banks feud has been historic for women’s wrestling, it has definitely dragged on too long, considering it has been going on since July. Thankfully, Sunday’s iron man match between the two is the end of the rivalry, and no matter what the result is, there won’t be a rematch.
Seeing as Banks only recaptured the gold less than three weeks ago, it would be baffling if WWE decided to give Charlotte her fourth reign with the title. However, WWE have made this mistake twice before, as Banks’ first two reigns were cut short by the Queen earlier this year.
Far too often, WWE don’t plan ahead of time, and decisions are often made on the day of the show. This was the case at Hell in a Cell, where Vince McMahon decided at the last minute that Charlotte should recapture the title in Banks’ hometown.
This means that WWE may decide before Sunday that they plan to have Charlotte as champion heading into the Royal Rumble, and the Queen could once again walk away victorious.
While this would be a horrible decision (like at Hell in a Cell), it would certainly be a shock, and in this high-profile women’s match, WWE may feel a title change is necessary for the Roadblock PPV. Charlotte is also unbeaten on PPV (in singles action), so they may want to save her first loss for a big PPV like Wrestlemania.
#3 Triple H attacks Seth Rollins
It seems that for every Raw PPV so far, Triple H returning to attack Seth Rollins has been rumoured. However, it has never come to fruition, with Triple H still remaining off our TV screens after costing Rollins the Universal Title back in August.
But, in recent weeks, Rollins has been calling out ‘The Game’, and the much-anticipated feud looks set to re-emerge as we edge closer to Wrestlemania 33. HHH could make an appearance as soon as this Sunday, and although there isn’t a title on the line, Rollins’ match with Chris Jericho is almost a must-win for ‘The Man’.
If Triple H were to emerge and distract Rollins, costing him the match, it would be a big shock that would certainly lead to a huge pop from the crowd. While another loss on PPV for Rollins isn’t recommended (he is currently 1-5 this year), it may be necessary to kick-start his rivalry with Triple H.
If WWE are hesitant to give Rollins another PPV loss, they could always have ‘The Game’ attack Rollins after he is victorious, giving fans a wild brawl once the match is over rather than a cheap interference.
While WWE may wait till the Royal Rumble for Triple H to return, an attack on Seth Rollins at Roadblock this Sunday would be an awesome shock for fans.
Check out Triple H’s first attack on Rollins back on the August 29th edition of Raw:
#2 TJ Perkins turns heel
Ever since he lost the Cruiserweight Championship to the Brian Kendrick at Hell in a Cell, TJ Perkins has been floundering. Stuck in lacklustre matches and losing clean to both Kendrick and Rich Swann in recent weeks, Perkins has somehow made his way back into Cruiserweight title contention.
Nobody sees the ‘Fil-Am Flash’ as a credible challenger, even after a clean win over Swann on the most recent episode of 205 Live. In recent weeks, a heel turn has been teased, with Perkins stating that he won’t stop until he gets his title back, even if his ‘friend’ Swann is in the way.
Also read: 5 things that should not happen at Roadblock: End of the Line
WWE may just have a heel turn up their sleeves for Perkins, who could possibly brutalise Swann to win the title or attack Swann after losing the match. This would be a nice change for the Cruiserweight division and would benefit Perkins greatly as he has been floundering as a face.
It would also be a smart shock to implement for the PPV, as it would have fans talking about the Cruiserweight division for once.
#1 Roman Reigns: Double Champion
When Roman Reigns captured the United States Title from Rusev at Clash of Champions, fans rejoiced, hoping that Reigns could elevate the title to its former prestige, much like John Cena did throughout 2015.
Instead, the U.S. title has been largely ignored, and Reigns has moved back up to the main event scene despite holding the mid card championship. Although the boos aren’t as loud as they once were (post-Wrestlemania 32, for example), Reigns still receives fairly negative reactions, and they usually get worse at PPV events.
At Survivor Series, even in a Shield reunion, jeers could still be heard for the Roman Empire. Still, WWE have gone full speed ahead with Reigns before despite negative reactions (Wrestlemania 32, anyone?) across the board, and they may just do it again.
‘The Big Dog’ hasn’t been world champion since June, and WWE (specifically Vince McMahon) may feel that it is time to crown him once again, but this time as a double champion. While WWE may have plans for Reigns as U.S. champion going forward, they may just give Reigns the Universal title as well.
While it wouldn’t necessarily be a good shock for most fans, it would certainly be a huge shock if we saw Reigns crowned double champion as Roadblock: End of the Line goes off the air.
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