WWE Clash of Champions 2017: Matches & Predictions

There’s just one more PPV that the WWE will deliver in 2017.

And that special event will be presented by the Blue Brand and it’s an evening dedicated to its champions. An old WCW staple has been transformed into an annual WWE PPV that’s now being presented as Clash of Champions. In a WWE Championship rematch, newly crowned champion AJ Styles will do battle with the former title holder Jinder Mahal. Also on the card are title defenses by United States Champion Baron Corbin, Women’s Champion Charlotte and Tag Team Champions The Usos. Along with those major championship bouts, Randy Orton will align with Shinsuke Nakamura to take on Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn in a tag team match with massive ramifications.

Now that all the matches have been announced, it’s time to delve into who I think will walk away as the winners.

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Zack Ryder vs. Mojo Rawley

Predictions & Winner: The Hype Bros are no more! And not a single soul gave one solitary damn. It’s so strange to see Rawley getting some sort of singles push months after his Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal victory. The guy honestly isn’t all that good, so I can see why the powers that be decided to throw him back into a tag team for a while before their eventual breakup. Ryder’s just going to a sacrificial lamb for Rawley here. Let’s just keep it moving…

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Randy Orton and Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn (Tag Team Match with Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan as Special Guest Referees; If Owens and Zayn Lose, They’ll be Fired from WWE)

Predictions & Winners: Shane O’Mac’s been wanting to get some measure of revenge against the Canadian heel duo of Owens and Zayn since HIAC 2017. Things really came to a head between both parties when Owens and Zayn ran out to assault Shane during the main event of Survivor Series 2017. Ever since then, Shane and Daniel Bryan haven’t really been seeing eye to eye on the best way to handle their pissed off roster members. Their solution? Forcing both men to fight for their jobs against the team of Randy Orton and Shinsuke Nakamura. Now we all know that there’s no way WWE would realistically release two of their hottest Superstars. Especially due to the results of a random tag team match at a B-level PPV. This one will turn out a decent offering in the ring, but the outcome can be seen a mile away. Owens and Zayn will pull away with the unsurprising win and continue to be a thorn in Shane McMahon’s side.

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The Usos (Jey Uso and Jimmy Uso) (c) vs. The New Day (Big E, Kofi Kingston, and/or Xavier Woods) vs. Chad Gable and Shelton Benjamin vs. Rusev and Aiden English (Fatal 4-Way Tag Team Match for the WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship)

Predictions & Winners: Now I was totally fine with this tag team championship match when it featured just three duos. But I’m highly anticipating this match now that Aiden English and the man who inspired one of the best holidays in recent memory have been added. Just look at the lineup here – there’s The Usos, who have arguably been the best tag team of 2017. Then there’s The New Day, who’ve been responsible for putting on some of the best matches against The Usos. Third on the list are Chad Gable and Shelton Benjamin, an always solid addition to any tag team championship contest. And finally, RUSEV DAY! I’m a fan of all four teams featured here and I’d be completely fine with any of them getting the titles here. But in all honesty, The Usos are still hot and right in the middle of owning the Blue Brand’s tag team division. They’re retaining here and I can’t see them dropping the titles until next year’s Royal Rumble.

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Charlotte Flair (c) vs. Natalya (Lumberjack Match for the WWE SmackDown Women’s Championship)

Predictions & Winner: Natalya ended up losing her SD Women’s Championship to Charlotte a few days before she was supposed to face Alexa Bliss at Survivor Series 2017. Their ongoing beef resulted in both women locking up in a title rematch. But that bout got interrupted by the incoming NXT women’s trio of Ruby Riott, Liv Morgan and Sarah Logan. They’ve been butting their heads into anything revolving around the women’s division and doing their best to take down their biggest stars.

Charlotte’s now in a whole lot of trouble now that she’s taking on Natalya in a Lumberjack Match for the title. Naomi’s not a part of the match proceedings due to her injury, so the women who’ll be pacing around the ring are nothing but heels – The Riott Squad, Carmella, Lana and Tamina. The odds are against Charlotte, no doubt. But she’ll find a way to retain her championship. Natalya’s betting on Carmella, Lana and Tamina to help her out. But her snarky attitude will cause them to turn on her, plus The Riott Squad will tear into her and Charlotte equally. In the end though, Charlotte will shake off all the damage done to her and manage to defeat Natalya once again.

Breezango (Fandango and Tyler Breeze) vs. The Bludgeon Brothers (Harper and Rowan)

Predictions & Winners: The case has finally been solved! Turns out Breezango’s mystery attackers all this time were Harper and Rowan. The Bludgeon Brothers made their return a few weeks ago and have been on a tear ever since. Even though it would make a lot of sense for Breeze and Fandango to vanquish their longtime foes and give us some closure on their whole vignette focused storyline, that’s not going to be the case here. The Bludgeon Brothers are back for blood and that means two pretty boy crime solvers are next on their list of victims. Prepare for a squash of epic proportions, folks!

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Baron Corbin (c) vs. Bobby Roode vs. Dolph Ziggler (Triple Threat Match for the WWE United States Championship)

Predictions & Winner: At first, this US Championship match was set up to pit the rising Bobby Roode against current title holder Baron Corbin. Then out of the clear blue, Dolph Ziggler (an individual that Roode trounced during a previous feud) got inserted. Now you see, I used to love the guy. But the past year or so have soured me on Ziggler. So now I’m of the belief that he’d be better off working on the indies or in NJPW.

Anyways, I’m sure this match will be a fun little brawl. Corbin’s been improving (slowly…) in the ring, the crowd still loves Roode and Ziggler can always be counted on to bring up the entertainment value of any match he’s in. My gut feeling is that WWE wants to keep Roode strong and rush him to greatness much faster than his fellow NXT call up’s. From now until WrestleMania 34, Roode’s going to get a bigger rocket ship strapped to his “GLORIOUS!!!” back. I’m betting on him to claim the US Championship and go on a run that’ll set him up nicely for a prime spot at next year’s ‘Mania.

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AJ Styles (c) vs. Jinder Mahal (WWE Championship)

Predictions & Winner: AJ Styles is a prime candidate for 2017 Wrestler of the Year. Besides his amazing in-ring bouts against a variety of opponents, we have him to thank for ending one of the worst WWE Championship reigns of all time. Styles gave Jinder Mahal his one and only worthwhile match during the entirety of his title reign. Before then, viewers of SD Live were subjected to monotonous promos, horribly racist jokes about a certain Japanese “Artist” and some of the most mundane matches they’ve ever seen.

I trust that AJ will work overtime once again to make this title rematch with Jinder worth sitting through. The “Don’t Hinder the Jinder” experiment was a massive failure. I think WWE finally realizes that, which is why they’re only giving Jinder this rematch cause it makes storyline sense. AJ’s going to retain all the way up until ‘Mania 34 and hopefully defend his title against an old NJPW rival (you guys know who I’m alluding to). As for Jinder, I could see him making a play for next year’s Royal Rumble or whatever.

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