WWE Clash of Champions 2020 – Predictions

Here are our WWE Clash of Champions 2020 Predictions.

WWE Championship Ambulance Match

Drew McIntyre (c) vs Randy Orton

The bookies are somewhat split on this one; you’ll get very short odds for either wrestler so probably one to avoid when looking where to spend your cash. However, it’s the stipulation here that I find very interesting, as well as the fact that they’re returning to Orton yet as again as the challenger for Drew.

By making it a match where the hero doesn’t ‘really’ need to lose to lose his title (falling randomly into an ambulance isn’t the peak of sporting achievement), I think this falls into the long rumoured title change to Orton which has been discussed for several months. If you look back at their previous matches, I’ve always predicted McIntyre to win (even when Orton was bookie’s favourite) but this time it’s different.

Why return to Orton? Why make it a match which Drew doesn’t really have to lose? Or even a match which Orton doesn’t have to really win (I seem to recall Mike Awesome losing a WCW Ambulance match by falling through the roof… and it’s not beyond the realm of possibility that Drew could be thrown into the ambulance by a Dabo-Kato (sic?), BRAUN Strowman, Bray Wyatt or even a clumsy Keith Lee)

I think Drew will get the title back sooner rather than later (ala. Austin / Kane) but the sign posts ere are all a little too obvious.

Prediction: Randy Orton Wins

WWE Universal Championship

Roman Reigns (c) vs Jey Uso

Let’s get the obvious out of the way here; Jey Uso is not about to become Universal Champion. It’s a rare time I’ll be black and white in my predictions. That said, Jey could still win the “match” – a Roman Reigns’ DQ in particular is not out of the question because this match has one aim – establish the “new” Roman Reigns.

It’s very much a ‘story’ match – it could be over very quick, but more likely we’ll see a brutal dismantling is Uso with Roman “going too far”. I think it will be telling the role which Paul Heyman plays in this match – my gut says he’ll take a very passive role given the new dynamic between Roman and Paul.

I’m going to make a bold prediction here; it’s not Paul Heyman who plays a role in the finish… it’s Jimmy Uso. The other Uso injured his knee at Wrestlemania, putting him on the shelf for “6-9” months which – as maths will tell you – was a little under 6 months ago. It would be a great twist for Jimmy Uso to cost his brother the match and join his cousin as a new heel unit. Those then facing Roman will find it hard to tell whether they’re near the “good” or “bad” Uso before we eventually find out it was Roman’s plan all along and both Usos are wrong ‘uns. Fantasy Booking in the last paragraph aside, Roman to win here.

Prediction: Roman Reigns Wins

WWE Smackdown Women’s Championship

Bayley (c) vs Nikki Cross

WWE have now ‘pulled the trigger’ on the Bayley / Banks break-up, therefore it’s hard to see Bayley dropping the belt before their inevitable match-up (where one presumably sees Sasha ending Bayley’s lengthy title reign). Add to this that Cross is still engaged with a feud against her former partner (now Zombie) Alexa Bliss, I think the finish of the match is obvious.

Normally there could be an argument for a title switch here; put the belt on Cross – promoting her – and make the Cross/Bliss feud for the title and have Banks/Bayley as more of a blood feud between two partners who had everything and lost it all. However, the sheer length of the title reign which Bayley has put together makes me think the belt really should be involved in the climax of the Bayley / Sasha feud.

Sasha and/or Bliss will almost certainly be involved in the finish and post-match of this one, so expect shenanigans-a-plenty (sensible booking would then give us a Banks / Cross vs Bayley / Bliss tag match in the near future) but I’m predicting that Bayley leaves here as champion with Survivor Series the more likely conclusion to her epic title reign.

Prediction: Bayley Wins

WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship

Shayna Baszler & Nia Jax (c) vs The Riott Squad

I think that the Baszler / Jax team is one of the better booking decisions which WWE has done recently (I appreciate that it’s not the highest bar to get over). WWE has long wanted to do something with Jax and Baszler is one of the best women wrestlers on the roster – yet neither are close to either singles title at the moment. Putting them in a tag team not only gives them something productive to do, but helps each individual separately.

By teaming with Shayna, Jax now has someone who can carry the lion’s share of the match, keeping Jax’s involvement limited and therefore more special and – well – better. By teaming with Nia, Baszler gets the ‘star power rub’ and gets linked to an act with proven support from the higher-ups in WWE (which can only be a good thing for her)

What I’m saying is that I really like this team – at very least, the concept of them. As such, I’m predicting a retention of the titles here. The recently reformed Riott Squad have enough legitimacy as an act to give Jaxzler a boost and they should look strong in victory here.

Prediction: Baszler & Jax Win

WWE Smackdown Tag Team Championship

Shinsuke Nakamura & Cesaro (c) vs Lucha House Party

Feels like a fairly safe bet here for Nakasaro to retain their titles against a Lucha House Party team who have been heading for an implosion for a while. On RAW a week ago, they couldn’t seem to get on the same page – seemingly needing one another to remind how to wrestle. This is on top of the fact that all three have had rumours about them looking for an exit away from WWE. There seems to be no reason – outside of “eh, it’s WWE” – for anything but a solid championship defence here.

Like Baszler / Jax, this team of Cesaro and Nakamura seems to be good use for both men – only this case both men really should be doing more. It’s long rumoured the reasons why they aren’t doing.

There’s no obvious challenge to them after this, but this match isn’t about the Smackdown Tag Titles, this is about the next step in the LHP story – presumably with a Kalisto heel turn on his partners. Like Cesaro / Nakamura, the Lucha House Party can all do more as singles – especially the former Samuray del Sol.

Prediction: Cesaro & Nakamura Win

WWE Intercontinental Championship

Jeff Hardy (c) vs Sami Zayn vs AJ Styles

This match really feels like the kinda thing someone put together on an old EWR game 10 years ago. Styles vs Hardy vs El Generico for the IC Title? You couldn’t write it…

Should be match of the night this one. Hardy and Zayn aren’t always “on”, but with the ever-reliable AJ Styles also involved, we could get something special. Assuming all three are “up for it” then this could be a very, very good match indeed.

Of the three, it’s Styles who I feel is the least likely to leave with (both?) belts. He needs it least, so the sensible money is on either Hardy or Zayn. Between the two, I think Sami is the most likely victor… *just*

Don’t forget, were it not for his absence during the initial covid outbreak then Sami wouldn’t have been stripped of his title – leading to Styles reign and Hardy then eventually capturing it. A Zayn win essentially re-sets back to pre-Corona times which could well be the idea if there was an idea for Sami Zayn : Intercontinental Champion. Like I said, it’s not a guarantee, I’d put a Hardy defence almost neck and neck to “solidify” the belts and it’s not like I’d have expected Zayn to still be champion now, but I think there’s a longer plan in place for the former El Generico.

Prediction: Sami Zayn Wins

WWE Raw Tag Team Championship

The Street Profits vs Andrade & Angel Garza

Ahead of the four team ‘qualifier’ for this match between Rollins/Murphy, Dominik/Humberto and Andrade/Garza, this is the match that I thought was least likely to see. It feels like we’ve been having this match for months. The Street Profits haven’t defended the titles on PPV against a team that doesn’t include Angel Garza since Elimination Chamber… in March.

With Ivar on the shelf, the already depleted RAW Tag scene is even more sparse. WWE has continually been going back to Andrade / Garza as challengers of the month because in part there’s a no-one else and in part because Garza and Andrade really need to be doing something more than they are.

The story has been mixed – are Garza and Andrade on the same page or not – and this has been a big issue in people really getting behind this.

As we’re now 6 months into the lockdown of Garza & Andrade being the only RAW Tag Title challengers, one has to assume this is the time to change the belts – if to try and give *someone* new a run at them; even Profits chasing them is slightly different.

Prediction: Andrade & Angel Garza

WWE Raw Women’s Championship

Asuka (c) vs Zelina Vega

I love Zelina Vega as a manager. Her work with Andrade & Garza has been a big boost to both men and I’d happily have her with a Hennan Family-esque crew. Instead, we’ve got her as Asuka’s challenger of the week and I can’t say I’ve seen enough of Vega in-ring to have strong feelings either way.

Asuka is Asuka though and there’s barely anyone on the planet who I think The Empress of Tomorrow couldn’t carry to ‘something’ watchable. Vega is a charismatic and athletic performer though, so fingers crossed for a pleasantly surprising match.

Gotta assume this is going to be a quick one. The short build-up feels more like to give both performers something to do, and I think it will be quite early on the card. Give us someone new for Asuka to face, have her bulldoze through Vega and then onto something new. We’ve had shocks before, but I don’t think this will be one of them.

Prediction: Asuka Wins