WWE's Clash of Champions, the occasion the place each title throughout the Raw and SmackDown manufacturers have to be defended, goes down this Sunday from the ThunderDome inside Orlando's Amway Center. Nine championship matches in complete will happen as half of this yr's stacked card.
The WWE championship can be defended when Drew McIntyre places the title up in opposition to Randy Orton in an ambulance match. This headliner happened after each males despatched the opposite to the hospital on the heels of McIntyre defeating Orton at SummerSlam. In the opposite world title match on the cardboard, the common championship can be on the road as Roman Reigns faces cousin Jey Uso.
On the ladies's facet, Bayley will defend the SmackDown title in opposition to Nikki Cross, who had additionally challenged for the title at Extreme Rules over the summer time. Meanwhile, Raw ladies's champion Asuka will battle Zelina Vega on the kickoff present.
Clash of Champions will start at 7 p.m. ET with the present anticipated to final roughly three hours, not counting the kickoff present, which begins one hour previous to the primary card at 6 p.m. CBS Sports can be with you your entire method on Sunday with dwell outcomes, highlights and evaluation.
Let's take a more in-depth have a look at who our CBS Sports specialists predict will come out on high at WWE Clash of Champions.
2020 WWE Clash of Champions predictions
Raw Women's Championship: Asuka (c) vs. Zelina Vega
Look, there's simply no method Asuka drops the title to Vega. WWE painted itself right into a nook the place each title wanted to be defended on this PPV, and it wanted an intermediate opponent for Asuka so it didn't waste an even bigger storyline on a brief feud. Vega's sudden resolution to wrestle once more and problem for the title -- to not point out this match being on the kickoff present -- is additional proof that there isn't any cause to consider the title will change palms. Asuka will win handily -- hopefully shortly -- and transfer on to raised issues (although it's good to see Vega wrestling once more). Pick: Asuka retains the title -- Adam Silverstein (additionally Brent Brookhouse)
SmackDown Tag Team Championship: Shinsuke Nakamura & Cesaro (c) vs. Lucha House Party
The story with Lucha House Party appears targeted on a breakup of the workforce, with Kalisto rising more and more pissed off each time his squad does not choose up a victory. A loss right here spurs that story ahead, and there hasn't actually been sufficient construct to a possible title loss for Nakamura and Cesaro. All that stated, the tag division is a multitude proper now, and it isn't out of the realm of chance that the titles do change palms, even when that appears unlikely. Pick: Nakamura & Cesaro retain the titles -- Brookhouse (additionally Silverstein)
Raw Tag Team Championship: The Street Profits (c) vs. Andrade & Angel Garza
Just as with SmackDown, Raw's tag division is a multitude. The Street Profits have had a protracted title run, holding the titles for greater than 200 days. Still, they've 5 title defenses throughout that point, and Clash of Champions will solely be the second time they've defended the belts since June. Andrade and Garza appeared to have damaged up as a workforce, but labored fantastic collectively in successful a triple menace to earn a title shot and their points could have been extra targeted on permitting Vega to interrupt off and do her personal factor. If nothing else, a title change right here would freshen issues up within the stale division. Pick: Andrade & Angel Garza win the titles -- Brookhouse (additionally Silverstein)
United States Championship: Bobby Lashley (c) vs. Apollo Crews
It feels method too early to take the title off Lashley after he received it from Crews at Payback. In almost a month since successful the belt, Lashley has but to defend it. While Crews has been a constant presence on Raw, Lashley and The Hurt Business are a real focus proper now. There's no viable cause to have Crews go over on this match and each cause on the earth to have Lashley stay champion. Pick: Bobby Lashley retains the title -- Brookhouse (additionally Silverstein)
Intercontinental Championship: Jeff Hardy (c) vs. AJ Styles vs. Sami Zayn (Ladder Match)
This is a troublesome name as a result of there are two good choices right here in Hardy and Zayn. Unfortunately, the title has been altering palms loads lately with nobody having longer than a two-month reign this yr. While taking the title off Hardy could also be a troublesome resolution, it could vault him into common championship rivalry. He could be an awesome foil for Roman Reigns. There are additionally a quantity of midcard faces to contend for the title, equivalent to Matt Riddle and Big E. Only again a couple of weeks, Zayn is already again to his outdated self, not simply on the mic however within the ring. His smug, condescending character successful this title with out having to pin Hardy -- possibly even lucking into it after Hardy and Styles take one another out -- could be a enjoyable second, and he would do an awesome job with it. Pick: Sami Zayn wins the title -- Silverstein (additionally Brookhouse)
WWE Championship: Drew McIntyre (c) vs. Randy Orton (Ambulance Match)
It's unlucky that McIntyre's coronation and full reign have come throughout the pandemic with out followers in attendance, however he is nonetheless executed a implausible job as WWE champion. However, Orton is the most well liked heel in your entire firm proper now, and he has nowhere additional to go because the reemerged Legend Killer if he doesn't finally take one of the 2 principal titles. With this being an Ambulance Match, there may be a straightforward out for McIntyre to lose with out being pinned. And contemplating the go-home Raw ended with McIntyre attacking Retribution, I might see a situation the place they need ... retribution. In a no-rules match like this, there are such a lot of methods for McIntyre to lose the title with out being harm character-wise that it makes probably the most sense to do it now, even when he wins it again from Orton in a couple of months. Pick: Randy Orton wins the title -- Silverstein (additionally Brookhouse)
Universal Championship: Roman Reigns (c) vs. Jey Uso
An unlucky byproduct of a present the place all titles should be defended is that many of the matches have little drama within the final result. The Reigns vs. Uso story is fascinating, however Reigns is not dropping the title to his cousin. That is as near a assure as you may get in a world title match. At least the journey to the end must be a enjoyable one. Pick: Roman Reigns retains the title -- Brookhouse (additionally Silverstein)
Note: The following matches had been scrapped from the present.
Women's Tag Team Championship: Shayna Baszler & Nia Jax (c) vs. The Riott Squad
Unlike the Raw ladies's title match, the Riott Squad are reliable contenders for these straps. I might see a change right here if the purpose was merely to make use of Baszler & Jax as transitional champions -- two wrestlers sturdy sufficient to beat Bayley & Sasha Banks however not adequate collectively to take down an actual workforce. Ultimately, although, I really feel like there's extra runway for Baszler & Jax collectively earlier than their apparent and eventual cut up. Pick: Shayna Baszler & Nia Jax retain the titles -- Silverstein (additionally Brookhouse)
SmackDown Women's Championship: Bayley (c) vs. Nikki Cross
The resolution to place Cross again in a title match after she did not win the championship over the summer time was odd, however actually extra a product of Bayley needing a stay-busy opponent as issues proceed to construct towards the larger program between Bayley and Sasha Banks. Cross is not successful the title right here, although WWE did a great job of altering the story of her problem to be that now she has a good struggle on her palms with out having to fret about Banks at ringside. Pick: Bayley retains the title -- Brookhouse (additionally Silverstein)
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