Not one but two rumbles will happen at the annual Royal Rumble pay-per-view. Triple Z is here to discuss. Enzo Amore VS Cedric Alexander.... WaitWell this is awkward. When I started to write this article. This was still a match. A lot has happened since then. All I got to say is The Rise and Fall of Enzo Amore will make a great WWE documentary one day. The Uso's VS Chad Gable and Shelton BenjaminThis will be a solid 2 out of 3 falls matchup. I see SmackDown shaking up the title picture ahead of WrestleMania so I'm going with Gable and Benjamin to get a run with the titles. Winners: Gable & Benjamin Seth Rollins and Jason Jordan VS Sheamus and CesaroCesaro and Seth Rollins are being wasted in this match. Two awesome single stars are just duking it out in a tag division that can be rebuilt at any moment. Jason Jordan is a loss cause at this rate. Any momentum he had from being Kurt Angle's son is gone. I don't even think WWE knows what to do with him. Jordan's biggest opportunity will come with his run with Seth Rollins as he randomly fills in for the injured Dean Ambrose. If Jason Jordan can muster up some kind of excitement WWE will continue to push him to the moon. As for this match. It can really go either way. Like most of the matches on this card tonight. I think the odd duo will retain. Winners: Jason Jordan and Seth Rollins Brock Lesnar VS Braun Strowman VS KaneThe colossal triple threat match for the WWE Universal Championship. Brock Lesnar has to face off with two monsters on his way to WrestleMania. I don't consider Kane a threat in this match. Braun Strowman will make the most impact against Lesnar. This match will be relatively short due to multiple reasons. Lesnar's workload, Kane's age (even though he can still go. Not to mention he needs to keep campaigning to become the mayor...), The actual long Royal Rumble match, and the amount of other matches on the card. I don't see Lesnar dropping the title either. Braun should get the chance to be champion. He has been able to keep people engaged while watching RAW. Which is a tough task these days. His violent antics resonate with viewers who miss that era of WWE. Strowman will get a shot at the title one day but for now Brock Lesnar will carry the title until WrestleMania. Winner: Brock Lesnar AJ Styles VS Kevin Owens and Sami ZaynI don't follow SmackDown as much but I doubt we would get co-champions especially heading into WrestleMania. WWE seems like they are building for AJ Styles VS Shinsuke Nakamura at WrestleMania. So I'd assume they would stick with the original plans. If not the co-champion scenario could become very intriguing. Especially if it leads to Sami Zayn VS Kevin Owens for the WWE Championship. It is still incredible to me that WWE couldn't capture the magic of babyface Sami Zayn. He could of been another version of Daniel Bryan and that's what WWE needs right now. Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn will lose to AJ Styles at the Royal Rumble. All three workers in this match are awesome so I expect an incredible contest. Winner: AJ Styles 30 Woman Royal RumbleI'm actually excited for this. Like all good Royal Rumble matches I expect a few surprises. Although it's been denied, I have to assume that Ronda Rousey still shows up in the Royal Rumble. The MMA part-time star comes in and screws over all the hard-working wrestlers? Where have we seen this before? I wouldn't blame them either. If you had Ronda Rousey at your disposal are you going to make her lose to Nia Jax? No way, not a chance. I really want to pick Ronda Rousey despite multiple outlets denying her involvement. I'm just going to go with Asuka. Safe easy pick, and momentum is on her side. On another note I wouldn't be surprised if we end up seeing a part time winner like Nikki Bella, Brie Bella, Trish Stratus, Stephanie McMahon, or once again Ronda Rousey. Let's just stay safe and pick Asuka. Winner: Asuka Men's Royal RumbleFor the men's Royal Rumble I'm going to predict differently. This is for the first time I have changed up my style of predicting the Rumble since the blogs beginning in 2013. So I will have multiple picks. I'll explain my reasons behind each pick. A match of this size deserves multiple winning options.
Surprise Winner: Batista WWE still worries about star power at WrestleMania. Batista is still a magnificent draw. Although Batista has hinted at a WWE return, and that WWE was very interested in bringing him back. I don't think it will happen due to his movie star schedule. Promoting Avengers: Infinity War may not give Batista the time to come back to WWE. Still he seems like a good surprise winner. The Inevitable Winner: Roman Reigns Poor Roman Reigns always gets put into bad spots. Once again it is rumored that Roman Reigns will win the Royal Rumble. Ironically the last time he won the Royal Rumble the event was in Philadelphia. Roman Reigns won the iconic match. Will history repeat itself? I'm assuming yes just from a logic standpoint. WWE hasn't been very secretive about wanting Brock Lesnar VS Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 34 for the Universal Championship. So having Reigns winning the Royal Rumble would make sense for him to challenge Brock Lesnar again. This time with Roman Reigns defeating Lesnar clean in the ring. I feel like deep down fans like Roman Reigns but they don't like the fact WWE basically becomes predictable whenever he gets involved. Which is a true shame. SmackDown Live Winner: Shinsuke Nakamura Despite a rocky start on the main roster. The NXT standout looks to conquer WWE on its largest stage of the year. First he has to get through the Royal Rumble. Yes what a lovely ending this could be. The final three is Cena, Elias, and Nakamura. Nakamura eliminates the other two and the crowd starts to sing his music. Good ending right? RAW Surprise Winner: Finn Balor Triple H's chosen one. Balor winning would be electric. Similar to a Nakamura win where the crowd gets really involved. Also would get him a shot at the title he never lost. Lesnar VS Balor would be a huge match. Some fans hate the quote and quote unrealistic idea of Finn Balor beating Brock Lesnar. First let me remind you that this is WWE. Secondly, that Hogan beat a Giant. Third, what's wrong with underdog winners? Nothing. Everyone likes the upset. Finn winning would give fans something to be excited about. Wildcard Part-Time Winner: The Undertaker This is a realistic possibility. The cryptic promo on RAW 25 didn't give closure to anything yet it didn't start anything. So there is two routes I could see WWE going. Having him in the Rumble to confront Roman Reigns for beating him last year. The other would be a face off with John Cena. Taker VS Lesnar VS Reigns could end up being a wild match at Mania. The two men that where able to beat the deadman face off with him once again? Sign me up. Although Taker is so broken down that his performance would underachieve. Yet having two other guys to carry him could be a good thing. A lot of fans are clamoring for him to just stay away and retire. Some want him to come back and face Cena and have him lose. I say screw both of those options. Also screw the whole "go out on your back" tradition in pro wrestling. The Undertaker isn't just another pro wrestler. He's a icon and his uniqueness should allow him to have a final match and come out on top. I said last year that watching Reigns take him down was so painful. It felt like the movie Logan. The once great hero doesn't have it anymore and he finally goes away. Similar to the world of comics anything can happen in the WWE. So Taker returning and going out on top would allow his character to prevail. Undertaker was around to long to just go out like everyone else. So maybe this is his redemption road? So those are my five crazy picks for what is expected to be a wild Royal Rumble. The road starts here and it can only get better. Follow @TripleZ_87 Follow @ZWrestleTalk
1 Comment
RAW VS SMACKDOWN COLLIDE.Triple Z breaks down the landscape for WWE Survivor Series. Before I even begin to make predictions. Let me just state that I am impressed with WWE's booking for Survivor Series. Yes, that may be a ZWrestleTalk first! While at first I didn't think some of the changes were necessary I appreciated them. Sure, I wanted to see Jinder Mahal fight Brock Lesnar, but having AJ Styles take on The Beast will be way better. There is a good chance at "Match of the Year" between those two. Both classic Survivor Series teams were stacked. Which is unusual for the WWE event. Survivor Series has always been the four out of the big four. Most years Survivor Series turns out to be nothing. This year WWE sets out to prove the new legitimacy of the event. Enzo Amore VS KalistoCan Enzo keep his magic on the mic alive? Will that still be enough in this bizarre 205 Live division? Will the division ever get better? Kalisto and Enzo Amore continues WWE's uninspired effort with the Cruiserweights. I'm assuming WWE will keep the title on Enzo. Truly this division is unpredictable. The title essentially is a hot potato. Winner: Enzo Amore The Miz VS Baron CorbinAnother toss up... The Miz and Baron Corbin are continuing their dominant title reigns. I'm expecting a heavy RAW night. So for that reason only I'm going with Baron Corbin. Winner: Baron Corbin WOMEN'S 5 ON 5It really depends on who SmackDown fifth member becomes. I don't expect any jaw-dropping surprises with this one. Asuka will destroy out there. Unless a fluke happens where she gets disqualified or counted out. I don't see RAW losing this one. Winners: TEAM RAW Alexa Bliss VS Charlotte FlairCharlotte Flair has the edge going into this match. She is WWE's Women Division chosen one. Making history at WrestleMania and Hell in a Cell. WWE also has plans for her to fight Asuka in a big match. So who do you think is going to win this match? The chosen one or Alexa Bliss, who in her own right has made history herself. Becoming the first Women to hold the RAW and SmackDown Women's championships. Still I don't think she will be a match for Flair. WWE loves Charlotte Flair, and there is no way she will be losing this match. Winner: Charlotte Flair THE SHIELD VS THE NEW DAYWhen The Shield finally reunited. Fans were eager at the possible dream matches that were about to occur. Now we have our first of (hopefully) many dream matches with The Shield. The New Day are the longest reigning tag team champions in WWE history. The Shield consists of three former WWE champions. This match has all the potential to be a "Match of the Year" candidate. Also it has been fun to see The New Day channel back to their heel roots. That could be a development throughout the match. The New Day are not afraid to cheat. Could we see a Dusty finish against The Shield? The New Day have been beaten by worse opponents than The Shield. Leading me to believe that The Shield will reign supreme at Survivor Series. I can't see the newly reunited group taking a loss. Especially with how Ambrose, Rollins, and Reigns rank compared to Big E, Kofi, and Woods. This match should be tons of fun. I definitely see a possible "Match of the Year" right here. Winners: The Shield THE USO's VS THE BARSolid contest between the two teams. I see The Uso's getting past The Bar. Hopefully, Cesaro gets some singles opportunities soon. I expect this to be a shorter match. Winners: The Uso's TEAM RAW VS TEAM SMACKDOWNWWE didn't take the easy route with Survivor Series. They could've easily thrown together a five on five match with no effort. This looks spectacular from a match and entertainment standpoint. Let's break it down. TEAM RAW Kurt Angle Triple H Finn Balor Samoa Joe Braun Strowman That's a pretty epic Survivor Series squad. I mean you got two veterans in Angle and HHH. Then you have Balor, Joe, and Strowman as younger but break out talent. TEAM SMACKDOWN Shane McMahon Bobby Roode John Cena Randy Orton Shinsuke Nakamura To break this match down even more. There is five former WWE champions in this match. There is four former NXT champions in this match. This will be the first time Angle and Roode meet in the ring since the glory days of TNA. Nakamura will finally get a shot at Finn Balor. Triple H will be fighting his brother-in-law. The match is essentially a dream Survivor Series team match. So who wins this colossal match up with the stakes ever so high? I can't see Triple H and Kurt Angle jobbing. Those two are my sole survivors. This is just my prediction. WWE may go in the whole Shane McMahon wins direction but that's unlikely considering he hasn't won much since his return. I expect Team RAW to pull it off. The only thing that could possibly stop them is a returning Daniel Bryan but that in itself is unlikely. We can dream though right? Winners: Team RAW AJ STYLES VS BROCK LESNARMatch of the year? This is a contender for sure. Only basing it off of AJ's prior matches in the WWE. All have been phenomenal. Styles VS McMahon at WrestleMania was terrific, and Shane doesn't even wrestle full time. Let's hope Brock keeps up his end of the bargain. Go at least 20 minutes Brock. Styles beating Lesnar is a long shot. Although if WWE did want anyone to beat Lesnar this would be the time to do it. No championship is on the line and it's at a neutral event (RAW VS SMACKDOWN). So Lesnar losing this special events match wouldn't hurt him necessarily. Although I do expect WWE to protect The Beast at all cost. This meaning AJ Styles will go out there and do his best to conquer Brock Lesnar but will just come up short. I expect this match to go similar to Lesnar's matches with Samoa Joe and Braun Strowman. Where the opponent-in this case AJ Styles-dominates early in the match until Lesnar stuns him last second winning the match. Winner: Brock Lesnar I appreciate the effort WWE has put into Survivor Series this year. The event is now a must-watch. Exciting matches and potential storyline set ups for WrestleMania will begin at Survivor Series. I expect RAW to dominate in the bigger matches. SmackDown will win in the mid-card, tag team, and Women's championship matches. Showing that SmackDown is the brand that makes the stars, and that RAW is the brand that steals them away.
Follow @TripleZ_87 Follow @ZWrestleTalk Triple Z returns to give his predictions for WWE's TLC. Sasha Banks VS Alicia FoxWait I'm predicting a Kickoff match? Something must not be right. Let's go with Fox because why not? Winner: Alicia Fox Rich Swann and Cedric Alexander VS Brian Kendrick and Jack GallagherI give WWE credit for trying to make something out of the Cruiserweights. Still fans aren't invested to the level they should be. I say the duo of Kendrick/Gallagher pull it off. Winners: Jack Gallagher and Brian Kendrick Asuka VS EmmaAsuka will squash Emma. There is nothing more to say. Winner: Asuka Enzo Amore VS KalistoEnzo Amore has used the real life heat to his advantage. Amore has created must watch TV during Monday Night RAW. Enzo didn't hold back while taking shots at Corey Graves ( A former wrestler turned commentator due to injuries.) I personally think Enzo should go after Big Cass. If Cass isn't paired with Enzo he is still limping around NXT. Enzo Amore is proving his worth to the Cruiserweight division. His matchup with Kalisto will be interesting. I believe that Amore will come out on top in this physical contest. Winner: Enzo Amore The Demon VS Sister AbigailYikes. Poor Finn Balor is stuck in the mid-card. Now he is fighting an even creepier version of Bray Wyatt. Was it a wasted opportunity to have Wyatt be Sister Abigail? HECK YEAH. Also why do this in a feud leading up to TLC? Save the Sister Abigail reveal for WrestleMania. Bray Wyatt being Sister Abigail is definitely a plot twist. It's a horrible plot twist. I'm sure there was some female wrestler who could of played the role. Why couldn't weird, auto-tuned, face paint Bray be called The Buzzard or something. Why does it have to be Sister Abigail? Speaking of Bray Wyatt. Let's hope his feud with Finn is finished. Let's get to BROKEN Matt Hardy VS Bray Wyatt the match we have all been waiting to see. I expect to see Sister Abigail go over but crazier things have happened. Winner: Sister Abigail Alexa Bliss VS Mickie JamesThis has been a exciting feud for the Women's Division. Mickie James is a formidable challenger for Alexa Bliss. I just can't see her dropping the title anytime soon. Especially with Asuka's arrival they are going to want a impressive champion for her to beat. Bliss would be that impressive champ. Mickie is going to give her a heck of a fight. Bliss will come out on top. Winner: Alexa Bliss Kane, The Miz, The Bar, and Braun Strowman VS The ShieldKane coming back to be in this match makes a lot of sense. That is shocking due to WWE's lack of story focus lately. Kane avenging the retirement of The Undertaker has the potential to be awesome. The Miz is getting to be in the main event which he deserves. Plus we got to see The Shield finally reunite. Maybe it would be the best for all three members of The Shield to stick together. I can't see The Shield losing even though there is five tough members in front of them.
Winners: The Shield Thanks for reading my WWE TLC BreakDownZ. Follow the site @ZWrestleTalk and you can personally follow me @TripleZ_87 WWE's No Mercy looks to thrill.ZWrestleTalk's Triple Z discusses WWE No Mercy. Who walks out of WWE No Mercy as champion? Will WWE force Roman Reigns into being the guy? Can Enzo Amore become the new king of the Cruiserweight division? ENZO AMORE VS NEVILLEAfter a nauseating feud with Big Cass. Enzo Amore is looking to begin a new chapter in his career. Despite the negativity surrounding him. WWE realizes Enzo Amore connects with the audience. The "IWC" doesn't count because they over-analyze things. Amore still can generate a pop and make cash for the company. Neville has showcased that he is a main event level heel. WWE really should transition him out of the Cruiserweight division. All good Cruiserweight's end up leaving the division to find more success. Eddie Guerrero and Rey Mysterio started as just Cruiserweight talents before being elevated to the main events. Neville had it differently going from NXT Champion to main roster/ mid-card star. Then he was shoved in the Cruiserweight's. I feel bad for the Cruiserweight's they wrestle the same freaking people every week. Yeah, there is a reason they have the division but it would be nice for the talent to get to work with different people. I'm going with the underdog pick just on the fact that Neville needs to move on to bigger things and I hope WWE realizes that. Also because I can't wait to see Enzo Amore run the Cruiserweight division. Winner: Enzo Amore Jason Jordan VS The MizThe Miz has been killing it week after week. The Miz has made a compelling argument on Monday nights. "Why isn't the show centered around him." He is the Intercontinental Champion and continues to be entertaining. The Miz is elevating the Intercontinental Championship. Heck, he even helped Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel get screen time every week. After his latest stint as Intercontinental Champion. The Miz along with his Miztourage should head for the WWE Universal Championship. Similar to what Edge and the Edgeheads did back on SmackDown in 2008. The Miz will continue to flourish. Jason Jordan has shown improvement in the recent weeks. I'm glad they are still acknowledging the Kurt Angle storyline. I feel without it splitting American Alpha up would be worthless. Jordan had high profile matches against John Cena and Roman Reigns. He has all the talent to be successful. Yet still needs to find a way to connect with the audience. Same thing can be said for Apollo Crews. The man has it all but until the Titus Worldwide. Did anyone care? Now Jordan needs to find that person to guide him. The best option would be Kurt Angle. I see Jason Jordan and The Miz giving us a phenomenal match. Which results in The Miz winning. I have a feeling Jordan will face him again real soon. Winner: The Miz FINN BALOR VS BRAY WYATTI feel bad for both talents. This "filler" feud has gone on for long enough. Bray Wyatt needs to be sent back to SmackDown. The creative team understood his character there. RAW has an abundance of talent. Bray just doesn't fit in with this roster. Every feud he does now is talking from the screen. Spooks his opponent. Defeat. Repeat. He is no longer a intimidating heel. Wyatt doesn't have a faction to bring fear. Balor on the other hand could be WWE's top guy. Yet he is stuck in the mid-card. When will we get his WWE Universal Championship reign? Hopefully sooner than later. Winner: Finn Balor DEAN AMBROSE AND SETH ROLLINS VS SHEAMUS AND CESAROJust a normal tag team rematch. I don't expect anything special to happen here. The RAW Tag Team division is on a downward spiral. Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose may be able to elevate the titles once again but it will be a uphill battle. The duo needs worthy opponents to face. Rollins/Amrbrose will continue their reign on RAW. Winner: Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose EMMA VS ALEXA BLISS VS SASHA BANKS VS NIA JAXThere will be no swerves. Alexa Bliss will walk out as champion. *The time this article was written Bayley wasn't included in the match, and I believe the outcome will remain the same.* Winner: Alexa Bliss JOHN CENA VS ROMAN REIGNSJohn Cena has made Roman Reigns look terrible in this feud. I have enjoyed every second of it. The promos have felt real from Cena. As he taps into the frustrations the WWE universe goes through. Cena brings up great points about Reigns.
I truly hope Cena wins. I truly do. The man has made this feud. WWE is going to put Roman Reigns over though. It's going to be calculated. The match may even be super exciting. Then the WWE reality will kick in. Cena will hit Reigns with a AA. We will see a kick out. This leads to a quick superman punch and a spear. Winner will be Roman Reigns. If WWE puts over Cena it means Reigns isn't the guy. WWE has put over a lot of talented superstars over John Cena. AJ Styles, Seth Rollins, and Kevin Owens to name a few. If Roman doesn't win the first encounter then it may be a rougher road ahead. The good thing for Roman is that WWE is literally in his back pocket. He will continue to get pushed. Even though he couldn't make himself entertaining in a feud with John Cena. Samoan bloodline once again saves the day. Winner: Roman Reigns BROCK LESNAR VS BRAUN STROWMANNow this is a main event. Isn't it crazy that John Cena VS Roman Reigns won't be a main event match? That's how crazy this card is. Lesnar is taking on another fresh talent. Great booking from WWE here. Will Brock drop the title? In his last defense of the year? The answer is yes. WWE has invested too much in Braun Strowman just to have him job to Brock Lesnar. Even though jobbing to Brock Lesnar isn't necessarily a bad thing. There is too much build up for Braun that having his momentum derailed wouldn't make sense. Also we need a unexpected Brock Lesnar return angle again. Braun losing this match up would be shocking.
Winner: Braun Strowman Follow @TripleZ_87 Follow @ZWrestleTalk Triple Z is joined by Kramerica and Dom Bouchard for ZWrestleTalk's SummerSlam BreakDownZ. Triple Z: Well today I'm joined by ZWrestleTalk writer Dom Bouchard and former writer for PWP Nation Kramerica. Today we breakdown and give our predictions for one of the biggest WWE events of the year. Akira tozawa VS NevilleTriple Z: Akira Tozawa shocked the world and won the Cruiserweight title on Monday Night RAW. Neville who has been the best in the Cruiserweight division is looking for redemption. This match could legitimately go either way. Neville regaining the title would show his dominance in the small division. Yet if Tozawa retains the title at SummerSlam it would help elevate the Titus Worldwide stable that is currently being pushed on RAW. I feel that WWE will go with the latter and Tozawa will retain the Cruiserweight Championship. Winner: Akira Tozawa Dom: I truly think Neville is too good for the Cruiserweight division, so I think it will be his last match before moving back to the main roster. Tozawa retains in a fun match. Winner: Akira Tozawa Kramerica: I really liked the move of Tozawa getting the belt on RAW this past week. It was something sorely need to inject an iota of interest from the casual fan into the cruiserweights; which has thus far been a complete flop. The talent is there. Neville, Swan, Tozawa, Alexander, Gentleman Jack, Perkins, Ali, etc. But if the WWE thinks 205 Live is going to be enough to showcase these stars and get people excited they are very wrong; at least in my humble opinion. I would love to see guys like Enzo Amore, Chad Gable, and Kalisto moved over. Create something new and fresh. As far as this match goes though, Neville gets the strap back and allows the program with Tozawa to keep on going. Winner: Neville Alexa Bliss VS Sasha BanksTriple Z: This is probably going to be the best Women's match of the night. Hopefully WWE is still keeping the plan of building Sasha Banks VS Bayley for WrestleMania. Alexa Bliss has been the best overall performer in the Women's division on either brand. Although the Women's Revolution is coming to a screeching halt. It will be interesting to see how a match like this plays out. I don't see Sasha Banks beating Alexa Bliss. I also don't see this match going longer than ten minutes. Winner: Alexa Bliss Dom: The Bliss experience should continue for a while. Banks is getting closer to a heel turn. Winner: Alexa Bliss Kramerica: In the immortal words on Game of Thrones. SHAME! SHAME! SHAME! Look, I know on paper this match is sexy. Both Alexa and Sasha are immensely talented and have “the look”. But let’s be real, this match should be Alexa vs Nia. I am not a huge Nia Jaxx fan, never really have been, but you can’t deny she should be rolling over the women’s division Strowman-Style. But instead creative keeps booking her as a monster one week and then as completely beatable by someone less than half her size the next. I don’t get it. Sasha has had her time in the sun with the title this past year and Alexa is an amazing heel. I would keep the strap on her a little longer depending on A)How long Bayley is out for and B) Can we give Nia a legit shot. Winner: Alexa Bliss Finn Balor VS Bray WyattTriple Z: Do you really think that "Demon" Finn Balor is going to lose on pay-per-view? Especially to a talent that gets mishandled all the time? Finn is the guy. I don't see Wyatt pulling a upset either. The only feud that could get me interested in Bray Wyatt again would be if he went up against BROKEN Matt Hardy. Still that could be months or even years away. Finn's career is currently on stand-by. His last two feuds with Elias and now Bray have been stand-by feuds. WWE is waiting to put him back into the Universal Championship picture. Once guys like Lesnar and Strowman are removed from the title scene. I could see WWE inserting guys like Finn, Seth Rollins, and Cesaro. This feud doesn't really mean anything for both sides. That's why WWE will keep The Demon safe. Winner: Finn Balor Dom: The return of the Demon King. This one will be a great match and the entrances alone will be WrestleMania worthy. I expect Wyatt to move on to become the number one contender, so an upset win is in the cards. Winner: Bray Wyatt Kramerica: This has been an odd feud. I feel like nothing truly happened with it until this past week when Bray got the W and then poured that red….stuff…. all over Finn. That of course lead to Balor saying he would bust out the Demon character. We all saw this coming from a mile away. The Demon is something that SHOULD only be used sparingly. Summer Slam and Wrestlemania are the two biggest shows of the year so it makes sense that we get it here. Regardless, the build up to this match outside of go-home RAW has been poor. Bray doing his normal appearing and disappearing shtick. I’m a God….blah blah blah. I personally feel like Finn needs to be in a title picture. Seeing that he never lost the Universal Title he should perpetually be near the top of the food chain for some kind of gold. Maybe whomever wins the US Championship match can start a program with him. Finn wins, Bray continues his losing PPV ways. Winner: Finn Balor Big Show VS Big CassTriple Z: I think that the backstage aspect of this match is more exciting than the actual match. I feel fans are now more invested into the antics of Enzo Amore backstage rather then Big Cass getting pushed to the moon. The reason why Enzo and Cass worked well was because they weren't GREAT WRESTLERS. They were both entertainers. If you split them apart they can't put on good matches. Cass needed Enzo, and Enzo needed Cass. This isn't like American Alpha when you split Gable/Jordan and they are both potentially good singles prospects. Especially since Big Show having those amazing matches with Braun Strowman. I don't see Big Cass topping anything they pulled off. Although I'm sure this match will be a dumpster fire. Big Cass will win. WWE loves him now. WWE will use this as the "passing of the torch", which is ironic because I feel like Big Show has been "passing the torch" for years now. See this is a match I wish would get shortened. This is a match that can be five minutes at most. Winner: Big Cass Dom: Cass as a single wrestler is a losing battle, the kid is boring as hell and is green as grass. With that being said Cass wins. Winner: Big Cass Kramerica: This Big Cass-Enzo program should have ended after their first fight. It was obvious from the start who was going to have the bigger career out of the two. Enzo for as good as he is on the mic, is simply average in the ring. Hence me saying in an earlier prediction he should be moved to the cruiserweights. Reinvent himself somehow. But no, we have to bring the Big Show into the fray to play the protector. As many other wrestling fans/bloggers have said, at this point in Big Show’s career he should just be putting over younger talent. Cass should get the win here and if he got his hands on Enzo after bringing down the cage and left the two of them in a heap in the ring, I would be fine with it. Winner: Big Cass Randy Orton VS RusevTriple Z: The only way I see this going is Randy Orton beating Rusev. This match is thrown together out of nowhere. This is another match that doesn't need to go long. Winner: Randy Orton Dom: This is a match that could either jumpstart Rusev or kill his momentum. Hope he wins but I expect Orton to win a good brawl. Winner: Randy Orton Kramerica: It is amazing that for a match with these two names attached to it I have so little interest. Creative has thrown this match together like two stoners who created Hawaiian-style pizza. Which is disgusting by the way. Pineapple on pizza? Blasphemy. It’s clear that they had zero idea what to do with either of these two, especially Orton. He got beat for months by Mahal and Co. and now that his feud finally ended, it’s been like Bugs Bunny taking a wrong turn at Albuquerque. If you don’t get that joke, sorry, I’m old. Rusev could really use the win here. The man started off a beast when he was brought over from NXT, lost steam, got it back, and then got injured. He comes back, no longer has Lana, and is just wallowing in purgatory. However, because of it being Orton and WWE’s proclivity to almost always have the American beat a foreigner, I am going with Orton. Maybe they will surprise me. I hope so. Winner: Randy Orton The New Day VS The Uso'sTriple Z: I see The New Day staying champions on SmackDown Live until a worthy Tag Team comes to beat them. The Uso's are not that team. Although this feud has seen its highs in a unfiltered Rap Battle. I don't see how it could continue on for longer. Winners: The New Day Dom: This match has the potential to steal the show. Five unbelievable performers and I truly think Woods is now the best wrestler of The New Day. Back and forth war and Uso's regain the titles. Welcome to the Uso penitentiary. Winners: The Uso's Kramerica: The New Day/Usos rivalry has been unexpectedly good. I was upset when the Usos took the titles from American Alpha because I was such a huge fan of theirs out of NXT and the Usos have had their time in the spotlight. A lot of it. However, their character change has been a breath of fresh air. Getting them as unassociated with Reigns as possible has worked. I honestly didn’t know who would beat them until New Day moved over from RAW. Then the writing was on the wall. Ever since the rap battle things have been white hot again and they do have great in-ring chemistry. However, I still see creative giving the New Day the victory here and having both teams move on to something new. The tag team division on SmackDown desperately needs someone to step up. I am hoping that will be Breezango or The Ascension. Winner: The New Day AJ Styles VS Kevin OwensTriple Z: This has serious potential to be a exciting match up especially with Shane McMahon as referee. AJ Styles and Kevin Owens should have a very fast paced match up. Shane as referee could add for a potential twist or screw up. I still see Styles escaping Owens. Winner: AJ Styles Dom: I smell the feud of the year hitting a new stride as Shane will cost Kevin Owens the match. Shane and KO will end up as a WrestleMania match. AJ retains the United States Championship. Winner: AJ Styles Kramerica: If this is not the match of the night (with RAW Tag Titles being my other contender) I will be very disappointed. AJ and KO are the epitome of professional. Both excellent in the ring. Both great on the mic. Their story-telling and chemistry in the ring is normally that of two masters of their craft. Now you throw in Shane-O-Mac as the special guest ref and something is going to happen. You don’t make someone a special referee unless some type of shenanigans is gonna go down. I would love to see a Shane heel turn here, as he has been the darling of the crowd since making his return. However that would lead to animosity with AJ and we have been there, done that. Maybe it goes in the other direction and we end up with a KO-Shane program to Survivor Series. Not sure, either way this feud should end with SummerSlam and let these guys go in another direction. AJ retains. Winner: AJ Styles Naomi VS NatalyaTriple Z: WWE officials want Naomi to stay SmackDown Women's Champion so they can profit off of her glowing belt. Just for that reason I want to see Natalya beat Naomi. Other then Naomi's reign being boring. If WWE is giving title reigns to everyone that they feel bad for... Natalya should be next in line. Hey it would make for a good storyline on Total Divas. With WWE officials wanting to market the belt it's very obvious who the winner will be this Sunday. Winner: Naomi Dom: Easy win for Naomi. Hopefully she keeps the title until WrestleMania. Natalya is absolutely undeserving of a title shot. Winner: Naomi Kramerica: I don’t know and honestly I don’t care. The women’s division on SmackDown has been poorly written and produced. They have given me no reason to care about who wins this match other than I like Naomi’s glowing belt. Anyhow, Natalya has been around forever. She seemingly never has the title. Give the vet her turn. Sure. Whatever. Now if Carmella cashes in, then we have something slightly more interesting. We’ll see. Winner: Natalya Cesaro and Sheamus VS Dean Ambrose and Seth RollinsTriple Z: I'm going to be bold. Ambrose/Rollins win the titles. Sheamus and Cesaro have had a lengthy reign. Sheamus is supposedly taking some time off. So this would be the perfect time to switch the titles. WWE will ride this mini Shield reunion. Winners: Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose Dom: This is the second match that can and should steal the show. Sheamus and Dean have good chemistry, and Seth and Cesaro are two of the best wrestlers in the world. Five star match and new champs. Believe in two thirds of the Shield. Winner: Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose Kramerica: My heart wants Ambrose/Rollins but my gut tells me Cesaro and Sheamus. Out of all the matches at Summer Slam, this is the one I am most torn about. The story-telling and slow burn of Ambrose and Rollins reuniting has been the best in WWE currently. As I look through the SS card, the only one that even comes close is the 4-way for the Universal Title. Ambrose playing the role of the “jilted lover” and Ambrose constantly attempting to prove that he has changed his ways. Both guys have been over with the crowd for years, but lets be honest, Ambrose needed this. Ever since he lost the World Title and had runs with the Miz for the IC belt his character had grown rather stale. Luckily he is very charismatic and has been able to fend off the crowd becoming indifferent. The reunion with Rollins is exactly what he needs and can also create a dynamic/dominant tag team. Of course there is the flip side of this whole thing. What if its all a ruse for Rollins or Ambrose to do a heel turn. Sheamus and Cesaro have filled in nicely to their heel “The Bar” characters. I think they have earned the right to hold on to the belts for a little longer as to not make their run seem like a sham, so they are my pick, but I would love to see the old Shield members take it as well. Winners: Cesaro and Sheamus John Cena VS Baron CorbinTriple Z: This sunday we get "Big Match John." If Shawn Michaels is Mr. WrestleMania then John Cena is Mr. SummerSlam. John Cena last year faced AJ Styles in a classic. The year before he took on Seth Rollins. In 2014, he had the memorable "Suplex City" match with Brock Lesnar. In 2013, Cena had his classic match with Daniel Bryan. Which would kickstart the famous Authority storyline. Although Cena hasn't won every match at SummerSlam he has had big time matches. Baron Corbin gets to join the ranks. I'm sure that these two will be able to put on a classic. I don't think Corbin will earn the victory over Cena yet. Cena still needs to win to prove his legitimacy. If he loses to all the up and coming stars it means he's basically becoming Chris Jericho. Which isn't a bad thing but I don't think that's a bad thing. I just don't see Baron Corbin beating Cena. Especially after Cena losing to Shinsuke Nakamura. Not to mention Baron Corbin losing his chance to cash-in Money in the Bank. WWE wants to extend this feud. Winner: John Cena Dom: This one should be a very boring match. As we all know Cena can have good matches against good wrestlers like AJ or KO, but here he is facing the Big Cass of SD Live. Cena wins this. Winner: John Cena Kramerica: Unless something truly out of the ordinary happens Cena wins. Because, John Cena. I have heard rumblings of Cena moving to RAW as a free agent. If he beats Corbin he has nothing else to really do on Smackdown. A program of Cena against any of Stroman/Joe/Reigns would be money. I don’t know if Baron Corbin has backstage heat or they have just lost faith in him with a title run, but you don’t lose your MITB contract the way he did without reasoning. Winner: John Cena Jinder Mahal VS Shinsuke NakamuraTriple Z: I have actually enjoyed the title reign of Jinder Mahal. It's been a breathe of fresh air. We have already seen the title reigns of Brock Lesnar and Randy Orton. Having a new guy out of nowhere run with the title has been interesting. Especially a guy with a backstory like Jinder Mahal. SmackDown Live does indeed create stars. Shinsuke Nakamura has been fast tracked into the championship scene. I don't think Nakamura will win the title this time around. I think WWE is going to keep the title on Jinder Mahal. Winner: Jinder Mahal Dom: The rise of the King of Strong Style is upon us. A long and magnificent title run culminating with a classic WrestleMania match against AJ Styles. Nakamura wins in very evenly fought match. Winner: Shinsuke Nakamura Kramerica: I love Nakamura. He was awesome in NXT and if you have the time to check out his older NJPW matches on Youtube, you should. Especially against AJ Styles, they are epic. HOWEVER (in Stephen A Smith voice), he has only been on the main roster for a few months and unlike Samoa Joe, a lot of casual US fans didn’t know him until New Japan really started to catch some steam in the states. Jinder has really grown into his role. Like REALLY has. Previous to him winning the number one contender spot and going on this current streak, there isn’t one person out there that would have thought this possible. A complete jobber stuck in 3MB and then dropped from the company and brought back? Wow have we been wrong. I see some sort of interference here by the Singh Brothers or whomever. I have Jinder winning but not cleanly and this feud continuing on. Great spotlight for Shinsuke though. Winner: Jinder Mahal Brock Lesnar VS Roman Reigns VS Braun Strowman VS Samoa Joe Triple Z: This is going to be a epic match. This match can go in multiple directions. The one angle no one is discussing is the possibility of The Shield reuniting to help Roman Reigns win the Universal Championship. Although that's a long shot. We still have Braun Strowman and Samoa Joe both worthy of holding the title. We have Brock Lesnar that we can never count out. I still think we are living in the world of Lesnar. I also think WWE's original plans of having Roman Reigns/Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 34 should be scrapped. Samoa Joe/Lesnar or Braun Strowman/Lesnar would be more exciting to see. I still see Lesnar being victorious in this vicious fatal four way.
Winner: Brock Lesnar Dom: This four way match will be the "Match of the Year." How couldn't it be. We have four ultra talented Heavyweight competitors in one match. This will be a slobberknocker for the ages. I predict Brock Lesnar will still retain the title. Winner: Brock Lesnar Kramerica: This is by far the hardest match on the card to call. I don’t think I’ve seen a Fatal Four way in a LONG time that I honestly had no idea who would come out the winner. When the match was first announced I was certain Lesner would come out on top. All the reports I have read had him retaining all the way to ‘Mania next year. But then came the real-life challenge from Bones Jones in the UFC. I think Lesner wants to do this; and Heyman’s ultimatum is his chance. Of course Brock can always come back after that fight. This leaves the other three. If Roman wins, the place will riot. No matter how many quality matches he has, people are just going to hate on him. Sorry, that’s the way it is. Strowman, in my opinion would be the fan’s choice, but I just don’t see him getting the strap yet. That should be a Wrestlemania moment. That leaves Joe. The veteran who has been in the business for 20+ years and has earned his stripes everywhere. He is respected in the locker room and by the fans. I can see him getting a nice run until Survivor Series or the Rumble. Winner: Samoa Joe Follow @ZWrestleTalk Follow @TripleZ_87 Follow @Seminole51 Follow @domghosthunter Triple Z gives his PPV predictions for WWE's Extreme Rules. Sasha Banks and Rich Swann VS Noam Dar and Alicia FoxI'm glad WWE is trying to introduce the Cruiserweights to the outside world. Alicia Fox and Noam Dar have been the best story in the Cruiserweight division. That's not saying much. Noam Dar isn't being used to his full potential. None of the cruiserweights are. Yet this match has a level of importance. It's a mixed tag match. WWE has been focusing on the Women's Revolution. This could help both Swann and Dar get some brownie points with WWE if they let Fox or Banks perform a move on them. Banks/Fox has been a solid bottom card feud. Banks has fallen from grace. Hopefully this is just a slow build to her going back to the top. Banks VS Alexa Bliss would be a wonderful feud. In this particular matchup I would have Fox/Dar go over. Due to the fact they have been together longer. WWE will probably have former Cruiserweight champion and former Women's champion beat Dar and Fox. It would only make sense. Winners: Sasha Banks and Rich Swann Austin Aries VS Neville (Submission Match)Even though most of the stipulations for Extreme Rules are weak. This one probably makes the most sense but gives away the winner. I can't imagine seeing Austin Aries lose to Neville three times. Austin Aries is great at submissions. Back in good ol' TNA one of his finishers was a submission. I believe Aries will make Neville tap. As the Cruiserweight Championship continues to be a hot potato. Although Neville did hold the title for a long time. Since the rebirth of the Cruiserweights there has been four champions. Aries would make that the fifth. Also as a sidenote. It's time for Aries and Neville to escape the purple brand. WWE needs to re-evaluate its current situation. Winner: Austin Aries The Hardy Boyz VS Cesaro and Sheamus (Steel Cage)Steel Cage matches to me could be boring. I think this one has the serious potential to be entertaining. Steel Cage matches are just hard to watch due to the camera angles. Plus sometimes the match has overdone and lazy spots. The Hardy Boyz have been on a absolute tear since the surprise return. Although the Broken Universe has been heavily teased. Once they get the rights back then the title reign will end. Winners: The Hardy Boyz Alexa Bliss VS Bayley (Kendo Stick on a Pole Match)This match at least fits the Extreme Rules mold. This has the potential to be an exciting matchup. No way WWE is stopping Bliss. She has been the best in both Women's divisions. She should keep the strap for a long time. Bayley still needs some rebuilding. Her character has taken quite the hit. WWE hasn't booked Bayley like they did in NXT. Maybe they are trying to recapture that magic again? Bayley was booked like an underdog in NXT. Fans gravitated towards her because she was the "lovable loser" and the "odd man out." Once she hit main roster she was booked like a mega star. Winning the WWE Women's Championship before WrestleMania and receiving a big push. Hopefully this feud with Bliss reignites the spark and the crowd reaction Bayley so desperately needs. Until then the era of Bliss will continue. Winner: Alexa Bliss Dean Ambrose VS The Miz (If Ambrose is disqualified, he will lose the Intercontinental Title)Speaking of stupid stipulations.... The event is called Extreme Rules yet your going to have a match and not let it get extreme? Seems kind of pointless to me. Why not have this goofy stipulation at any other WWE PPV. Like Great Balls of Fire? The Miz honestly deserves the title back at this point. Him and Maryse are great together. Dean Ambrose is another superstar who has fallen. He's definitely fixable but I don't think WWE wants to even mess with it. He went from being dominant in The Shield to the Lunatic Fringe and winning the WWE Championship. Now he's a watered down mid-carder version of himself. The Miz should win. The main word here is should. Yet I believe Ambrose will find a way to win. Winner: Dean Ambrose Roman Reigns VS Seth Rollins VS Finn Balor VS Bray Wyatt VS Samoa JoeSee this match has the most potential. Five former NXT guys are now on top of RAW. Finn Balor never lost the WWE Universal Championship. He's the most intriguing of the bunch. Balor has everything that would make him "The Guy" in WWE. Is WWE still in love with Roman Reigns? Yes, but they do see the potential in Finn. I don't think it has changed their stance on who they want to lead the future. Although it should definitely be considered. Finn Balor appeals to everyone and would get better crowd reaction than Roman. Plus they could get unique merchandise which would lead to better sales. Really that match is down between Roman and Finn unless WWE throws a curveball. Although it seems like SmackDown throws the curveball a lot more than RAW. Then we have the oddballs. We have Seth Rollins who has already faced Brock Lesnar. I don't think WWE should waste Brock's time with another person he has already worked with. Then we got Samoa Joe who could have a phenomenal match with Brock Lesnar. It's for sure a dream match. Plus Joe winning this match would solidify him as a main event player. The other oddball is Bray Wyatt who was striving and adding depth to his character on SmackDown all to be shipped to RAW for nothing... Wyatt hinted at feud last year with Lesnar. Could we end up seeing that forgotten feud being resolved? So we are looking at Finn or Roman winning this match. My bet would Finn Balor do to the Paul Heyman promo. Yet WWE loves Roman Reigns too much. So him winning would make perfect sense with their agenda. They want Reigns/Lesnar at WrestleMania 34 and what a way to start the feud then a match for the championship. Even though it may be the unpopular prediction I'm going with Reigns.
Balor VS Lesnar would be best case scenario. Also to the fans that say it wouldn't make sense. Rey Mysterio has defeated countless opponents that were stronger and bigger. Eddie Guerrero beat Brock Lesnar. So why can't Finn Balor beat Brock Lesnar? Why have fans all of sudden decided to treat "pro wrestling" like it's realistic. News flash pro wrestling has never been "realistic" despite what you think. Smaller guys have beaten bigger guys in the past. Also it's the WWE they don't care about logic. If WWE was based on logic. Lesnar would still be champion but the contenders would all be different. So making the WWE Championship only for heavyweights isn't fun for the fan. The reason is because that fan's favorite may never get the opportunity. Now because of guys like Rey, Eddie, and Daniel Bryan we can gladly root for the underdog. We can root for Sami Zayn, Finn Balor, and even Jinder Mahal. Wrestling is more fun when you check reality at the door. Some of you should try it sometime. Winner: Roman Reigns Follow @TripleZ_87 on Twitter. Follow @ZWrestleTalk on Twitter. Triple Z is back and ready to roll. He gives his predictions for WWE Payback with additional analysis. Enzo Amore and Big Cass VS Luke Gallows and Karl AndersonI don't know how to feel about this one. It's sad that this talent quartet is going to be on the "Kickoff" show. Yet it shows the amount of depth and talent WWE has. I've been calling a Enzo/Cass break up for months now. I think WWE will continue to plant those seeds. Gallows and Anderson need some victories to be elevated back into the title picture. Although there is a good possibility this duo could end up with Finn Balor in a certain club. WWE creative books these "Kickoff" matches weirdly. So my prediction may be wrong but I just have to go with my gut. Winners: Gallows and Anderson Miz TV with Finn Balor (Kickoff)Okay just add The Miz VS Finn Balor to the main card. This has the potential to be a good feud. I'm not a fan of The Miz moving to RAW but he's still with his wife so the gimmick is still going strong. Balor on the other hand is the one that got ultimately screwed. Wins the Universal Championship and is basically going to be WWE's guy and then he gets injured. I'm upset because now it's forgotten that he won the title. WWE has moved Brock Lesnar to champion and have added Braun Strowman and Roman Reigns to the title picture. This making it unlikely for Balor to win back the championship at SummerSlam or even perhaps WrestleMania. I believe this segment will be mostly fluff. Hopefully it leads into a match of some sort. Maybe we can get Ambrose VS Miz VS Balor for the Intercontinental Championship? Neville VS Austin AriesWWE's Cruiserweight division is failing miserably. Despite having great talent WWE segregates the group from interaction with other superstars making the division weird and isolated. Neville and Austin Aries are great wrestlers and it's a shame we won't get to see them battle other WWE superstars. These two could be competing for the top title right now. I mean it's sad that we can't see guys like Enzo Amore, Chris Jericho, Samoa Joe, Kalisto, Seth Rollins, Finn Balor, Dean Ambrose, and even Heath Slater interacting or fighting with the Cruiserweights. Maybe WWE should've created a Hardcore championship instead? WWE has a abundance of talent from the purple team and they aren't even being used. Cedric Alexander, Akira Tozawa, TJ Perkins, Gran Metalik, and Tony Nese to just name a couple. I feel like the Cruiserweights would of benefited being in NXT instead of RAW. Then when one Cruiserweight was ready they would just send him to the main roster and they would be treated like normal. WWE is running into the same problem with the U.K division. It's not popular enough to anchor an entire show. On paper a Cruiserweight, U.K, and Women's wrestling shows sound good, but in reality it's rough to write that amount of TV at a good consistent rate. WWE will be screwed if they treat the Women's Tournament like the Cruiserweight Classic. WWE already has loaded Women's divisions. Yeah, you could add in more talent but the same exact thing will happen. I was a true fan of the Cruiserweight division but over time the idea soured. It's a dreadful feeling when you loved something but now you don't. For Aries/Neville II and all that comes with it. I have a feeling WWE is going to put the strap on Aries. The title is a hot potato. Let's just hope WWE does the right thing. Winner: Austin Aries *Side Note* It also doesn't help when WWE can't strike a deal with two of the best Cruiserweights in the world in Zack Sabre Jr. and Kota Ibushi. Bayley VS Alexa BlissI have seen a lot of articles lately depicting Bayley as a bad babyface. These articles are incredibly stupid and completely miss the point. Bayley is a merch god and she attracts a totally different audience. I never saw young girls dress up as WWE superstars before Bayley. You really expect anyone on the cast of Total Divas to be a role model to the 4-12 age gap? Yet Bayley's appeal doesn't just stop at little girls. She is beloved by everyone. I feel like some of these new fans think turning someone heel will automatically change their character and the crowd will react positively. If Reigns turned heel you would still hate him. Bayley turning heel is basically WWE going "Hey let's burn some cash, maybe it will keep us warm?" This is exactly what is going on with Bayley. She was rushed into a crummy title picture. She had okay matches with WWE's Female Roman Reigns. They had a lackluster match at WrestleMania. They botched her winning moment by having her win the championship before the event. You know how Bayley got over in NXT? She lost. She couldn't pull off the big one. She was the fourth of the Four Horsewomen as they would say. It takes time for a character to get over. I feel like WWE is going to move Bayley into a "Daniel Bryan" like scenario. She's going to do everything to get back the title. The reason why? Alexa Bliss has been unstoppable lately and she's been nailing it every time she goes out. Payback will be no different. Bayley's "Road to Redemption" will start the day after. Bliss winning Sunday seems like the move. Winner: Alexa Bliss The Hardy Boyz VS Cesaro and SheamusThe Broken Universe is heading to the WWE. It was recently announced that WWE struck a deal with Anthem to use the characters. TNA is basically a example for every business student on "What not to do." (TNA changed to Impact Wrestling which merged with Jeff Jarrett failing GFW. They lost the Hardy Boyz to pick up Scott Steiner...) I mean right now Matt Hardy is playing it up on social media. He is now officially "TORN Matt Hardy" or "CONFLICTED Matt Hardy" to some. The Broken storyline will be fun. I also think that's the reason Bray Wyatt was drafted to RAW. Just to be deleted by the Emotion Evoker himself. I'll mark out for the possible dream scenario of Wyatt/Hardy. Hopefully Broken Universe characters like Senor Benjamin, King Maxel, Vanguard-1, and Reby Sky appear. Plus it will be interesting if WWE adopts the "Brother Nero" storyline. Now onto the match itself. Sheamus and Cesaro are very plain. Maybe it's because Cesaro would be so much better as a singles wrestler. WWE won't stop The Hardy Boyz momentum unless they are ready for "BROKEN" or if The Revival return. For now the Hardy Boyz will continue their dominance. Winners: The Hardy Boyz Chris Jericho VS Kevin OwensKevin Owens is going to win. Chris Jericho isn't heading to SmackDown. If I'm wrong I'm wrong. Winner: Kevin Owens Seth Rollins VS Samoa JoeThis is Samoa Joe's first big match on the main roster. He's facing a former WWE Champion in Seth Rollins. I'm expecting Samoa Joe to waste no time. This match will be brutal and I wouldn't be surprised if WWE plays up Seth's recent injury. Samoa Joe is going to take Seth Rollins to war. The match will end with Rollins passing out to a choke hold. Winner: Samoa Joe Randy Orton VS Bray WyattNow that it's no longer a WWE Championship match. This match should be all Wyatt. I mean how can Bray Wyatt lose in a "House of Horrors" match. The man is WWE's definition of horror. I expect this match to be pre-taped or take place in another part of the arena. The match will showcase Wyatt's strange magical elements and then some hardcore elements. The result will be Wyatt winning. Winner: Bray Wyatt Roman Reigns VS Braun StrowmanRoman Reigns and Braun Strowman is a match that I don't have to analyze that much. Braun is going to win in order to make him look strong for Brock. This is just simple logic. Braun is the future.
Winner: Braun Strowman I hope you enjoyed my WWE Payback BreakdownZ Please comment down below! Follow @TripleZ_87 Follow @ZWrestleTalk Triple Z is joined by Joshua Gibbs for WWE WrestleMania 33 BreakDownZ Triple Z: Today on ZWrestleTalk we are trying something new. We are doing a conversational "BreakDownZ" where me and my two special guests will interact more as we predict the show. WrestleMania is the biggest event of the year so ZWrestleTalk needed to do something big. Today joining me is Fansided's Joshua Gibbs. Josh: Thanks for having me, Zach. Triple Z: The first match we are going to break down for you is the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal. I don't know about you guys but this is all Braun Strowman. He has nothing going on at WrestleMania! Andre the Giant Memorial Battle RoyalJosh: The Andre the Giant match has become one giant (pun intended) "who cares?" What has winning the trophy done for anyone? Cesaro was already over when he won the inaugural bout at WrestleMania 30. Did Big Show get a push when he won the next year? Did Corbin see any results in the aftermath of his winning? His feud with Ambrose leading into WrestleMania 33 only manifested itself recently so unless you want to tell the winner the payoff will be in another year I don't see much incentive to win. My point is that winning this trophy doesn't become synonymous with their identity in the same way as winning a title belt or Money in the Bank or even the Royal Rumble. There is no reward other than the trophy itself. Sadly, this match has become a way for WWE to incorporate the lost souls of their company into the equivalent of a participation ribbon for the biggest show of the year. I do agree that Strowman (provided he announces his involvement) should be the odds on favorite but not just because of his size. Before his sacrifice upon the altar of Reigns, Strowman was being pushed hard by WWE and quite frankly I think he deserves better. All that being said, this trophy is still in its infancy, so perhaps we just need the right kind of champion to give it any kind of gravitas. While Strowman may indeed win this year, I don't see him as the trophy's spokesman since his strength is clearly in the ring and not on the mic but someone else could make it more meaningful. I know it's a long shot, but 'd love to see someone like Gentleman Jack Gallagher win this match. He seems like the last guy who could win a match named after one of the most physically imposing men the company has ever seen and that's precisely why he should. Keep in mind that this match wasn't created simply to allow the largest men in WWE to compete for their own prize. For those who knew him, Andre the Giant is remembered more for his big heart than his big body and this trophy has sought to embody that larger-than-life spirit, albeit with mixed results. The trophy is 5 feet tall and Gallagher stands at 5'8 so the image of those two standing next to each other would be comical in itself but add in Gallagher's smugness coupled with his unique and incredibly athletic in-ring ability and you have a champion fans would be proud to cheer on. Triple Z: Josh you make some incredible points. Jack Gallagher would be a interesting pick for the battle royal. PICKS: ZACH : Braun Strowman Josh: Jack Gallagher New Day Hosts WrestleManiaTriple Z: Let's circle back around now. The New Day is hosting WrestleMania. Probably one of the most charismatic groups in WWE history. What do you think they are going to do guys? I'm feeling something will be teased about the Broken Hardy's. Maybe I'm just getting my hopes up. Maybe they finally reveal the "New Day Pops." I mean their slogan for the "New Day Pops" now has a double meaning behind it. Josh: I'm somewhat puzzled as to why New Day has been relegated to merely a hosting role. Since breaking Demolition's 28 year old record back in December and becoming the longest reigning tag team in WWE history, New Day has been somewhat lost. The downside of breaking these records is that the gimmick has likely become somewhat stale, especially after 483 days. In keeping with the typical WWE formula, New Day broke the record and then lost the titles almost immediately. Since then they have been asked to step aside which may be more about letting someone else have a turn than anything else. I think the reason why New Day was taken away is that WWE is trying to push Enzo and Cass as the top babyface team on RAW and anyone who goes against New Day gets the heat, intentionally or not. The only way to ensure you keep Enzo and Cass on the good side of these battles is to keep New Day away from in-ring competition. The long shadow cast by New Day has been happening since last year's WrestleMania. In the main event between Triple H and Roman Reigns the crowd was chanting, "Roman sucks", in the same rhythm as "New Day rocks" and that had to boil Vince's blood. As usual, the tag team division in WWE has taken a back seat to pretty much everything and it's treading water on both shows. We are getting a Triple Threat match for the RAW Tag Team Championship with Gallows and Anderson vs. Enzo and Cass vs. Cesaro and Sheamus. As of now, the Smackdown titles aren't scheduled to be defended but I'm sure that will change this week. Even with the Usos pulling an upset of American Alpha and winning the belts last week it's not enough to generate real interest in the division. There simply isn't anything new. This lack of excitement may be why the WWE and Hardy seems to be on a collision course. The hype surrounding the Hardy Boys' "will they or won't they" will be at a fever pitch if they lose their tag team titles at the ROH show they are scheduled for just before WrestleMania. There is no way Vince would allow them on WWE if they were holding the belts of a rival promotion. If they lose the belts, fans will go crazy speculating on whether or not they will appear at WrestleMania or RAW. And they may be needed more than ever since WWE can't seem to walk and chew gum at the same time. Apparently we can't have a good balance between singles competition, women's championships and tag team action.One or more of these always suffers when the others are being pushed. A good friend of mine posited an amazing scenario involving the Hardys. Since Camping World Stadium is open air, you can play with the space more so than in a traditional arena. He asked, what if during WrestleMania we saw Vanguard 1 swoop over the crowd and hover near New Day or the Usos or American Alpha. The JumboTron shows the "Terminator-like" display which lists their tag team name but also lists them as "Obsolete". Before it flies away another mission parameter comes up that says "Mission: April 3d, RAW: DELETE!" While this scenario is only fan boy fiction for now, it would undoubtedly generate a huge amount of interest for RAW and give fans something new and exciting to cheer for as we move into the next season of WWE. I see the Hardys as more likely to appear on Smackdown than anything else since they need the most help in this regard. Triple Z: The possibilities with Vanguard 1 are endless. The New Day being regulated to host seems like a weird decision. Yet it's better then them losing a throwaway match at WrestleMania. While were talking about tag teams lets cover both tag matches that are happening at WrestleMania 33. First up is for the RAW Tag Team Championships. Enzo and Big Cass VS Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows VS Sheamus and CesaroTriple Z: We have Gallows and Anderson, the underutilized duo from Japan, is finally being utilized on RAW. We got the makeshift team of Cesaro and Sheamus. They have been dreadful to watch the last couple of months. The waste of Cesaro's time and talent. One of the dumbest moves WWE Creative has done since the draft. Finally we have Enzo and Cass. The same tag team that dominated the streets in NXT. Now are faced with the main roster problems. There are two big problems with Enzo and Cass right now. 1. Enzo Amore is becoming a mockery. WWE wants him to be the next Santino Marella. Nothing against Santino as he was an entertaining character it would be awful to see one of the best talkers in the game be regulated to a comedy act. 2. Vince McMahon is enthralled with Big Cass. Vince loves his giants. The sad part is that Vince probably wants Cass to have a even better singles career. Their recent push to the top could be a warning sign. Vince may want this team to reach the top only to have them fall from grace. My prediction for this RAW Tag Team Match is Enzo and Cass. Just from a crowd standpoint this decision would make the most sense. Even though it is ladder match I still see them winning.
Josh: I've never been overly impressed with Enzo as a wrestler. He's not very unique and he botches more moves than a main roster guy should. His greatest asset is his mouth which would be fine if he was a manager or commentator but he and Cass are essentially the Master Blaster of RAW Town. We can see the writing on the wall for the team to disband since Vince is obsessed with big guys and I fear that Enzo will have nowhere to go since most of his routine involves references to his bigger half.
Josh: I'd agree with this. I think it's been a long time coming for them to have the titles, even with Enzo being the very weak link in their chain. A win at WM33 followed by a few good segments on RAW as our NEEEWWWW tag team champs will set up the break up. Personally, I'd like to see it happen sooner rather than later. Make it come from out of nowhere like with The Shield. Cass turns on Enzo (or vice versa) because now that they have won tag team gold they need to break out on their own and go for the Universal Title. You know, since WWE still wants us to think it's on par with the WWE Championship even though it is not. PICKS: JOSH: ENZO AND CASS ZACH: ENZO AND CASS Baron Corbin VS Dean AmbroseTriple Z: I just can't believe that SmackDown Live won't even have a tag team match at WrestleMania. You can totally tell what brand they favor. Speaking of SmackDown, what do you think about Corbin/Ambrose? This match seems like a cool down to me. Realistically I see Corbin walking out as champion. Any other angle they could do Josh? Josh: I won't be surprised if they develop something on Smackdown tonight but it will surprise me if the titles aren't defended at all, even on the pre-show. That in itself would be a huge insult to the brand. Your titles aren't prestigious enough to be showcased at the biggest event of the year. Let's keep it real; the pre-show is basically a house show and it's not the place to put someone you want the fans to take seriously. While I wish the Corbin/Ambrose feud had more time to simmer, I'm glad to see The Lone Wolf getting some love from the WWE. He and Ambrose have been at odds since Ambrose pinned him first at the Elimination Chamber back in Feb. I liked the forklift incident backstage because it reminded me of the old school RAW is WAR brawls that routinely occurred in places other than the ring. I'd like to see Corbin walk out the champ here because Ambrose needs something to kickstart the next level of his character. He's been IC champ since Jan and unfortunately that belt hasn't really elevated his performance as much as it could have. Ambrose draws well with crowds, especially at house shows in smaller markets, so WWE has a definite interest in keeping him as one of Smackdown's main guys. I'm just happy he got away from James Ellsworth. That guy is career kryptonite. PICKS: JOSH: DEAN AMBROSE ZACH: BARON CORBIN Austin Aries VS NevilleTriple Z: Now onto another flailing part of the WWE product. The Cruiserweight Division! We got an exciting match up! Austin Aries VS Neville but the bigger issue is, will they get enough time? I see Austin Aries walking out as champion. At least they have built the feud that way. The Cruiserweight Championship is a hot potato. I have said this since the beginning. Of course this match is on the pre show. Josh: Even though it's on the pre-show, I expect a main event style match from these two. Neville has been the best thing the CW division had when he turned heel, but even that has worn stale without any real threat to his title. Austin represents the most likely example of that change and I won't be surprised when he wins. I'm still concerned with the Andre the Giant battle royal. We still don't have a full roster so I fear that names will just be haphazardly announced over the next few days as Vince scrolls down the roster and sees who doesn't have a spot. Curtis Axel? Sure. R-Truth? Why not? They recently announced The Shining Stars into the mix, which gets me about as excited as a root canal. Interesting side note: their catchphrase referencing Puerto Rico ("the Shining Star of the Caribbean") was an actual tagline used by the United States during the Cold War in an effort to promote Puerto Rico as an exotic alternative vacation destination to the communist-controlled island of Cuba. Their gimmick is somewhat tongue-in-cheek due to the real life social and political issues plaguing Puerto Rico which have turned the once prosperous paradise into an economic disaster with a looming great depression. PICKS: JOSH: AUSTIN ARIES ZACH: AUSTIN ARIES Alexa Bliss VS EverybodyTriple Z: Did you really expect anything different for the Andre the Giant Battle Royal? It's what you described it earlier. It's the participation trophy for WWE Superstars. It means nothing to anybody. It's just a match that gets romanticized with a big trophy and honorable name. Now we got Alexa Bliss VS Everybody. Any surprises here? Currently we have Mickie James, Natalya, Becky Lynch, and Carmella stepping up to the plate. I feel like this is another attempt on WWE's part to show they are "progressive" instead of actually building up a one on one match. We have to stuff all the ladies onto the card. This is shown for both sides. On RAW we have a Fatal Four Way and for SmackDown we are going to get a fairly large match. Josh: It's sad that a trophy named after one of the most beloved superstars of all time gets treated with such disdain. Andre's legacy deserves better than this. I wonder if the WWE realized just recently that they have no real opponent for Alex Bliss. Instead they have made it some weird 6 woman free for all because, hey, why not? It's lazy storytelling. If these feuds had been a long time coming with each woman joining at certain times for specific reasons, each one tying to each other then it could have been something fantastic. Instead, Naomi comes back at the last minute and says "Hey guys! I'm in this match now! Everybody ok with that?" And where's the management? Where is DB or Shane to step in and say "No, YOU don't decide when you get a title shot." Why is the SD women's championship treated like a volunteer signup sheet at your local middle school. Do you want a chance to be champion but not really earn the opportunity? Just put your name on this list and you get an automatic shot at the biggest show of the year. RAW has done a slightly better job at putting their match together as we saw a fatal four way coming for a while now. Their biggest issue is the mic work for these women which isn't just bad; it's downright distracting. Their interactions don't seem natural at all and the dialogue is so clichéd that the entire angle would be a disaster if not for the solid in-ring performances that follow. Zach: I have Naomi walking out as champion what about you? Josh: If there was a sense of justice then Natalya would win. She has done so much for the company and received little in return in the way of anything significant. She was the Divas champion one time and that was 7 years ago. Since then she has spent most of her career elevating other women and acting more as a mentor which is all well and good but she deserves more credit than she receives. Unfortunately, I agree that Naomi will win back the title she technically didn't lose in the first place. WWE loves a cheap pop, and her hometown of Orlando will definitely give that to Naomi when she wins. PICKS: JOSH: NAOMI ZACH: NAOMI The Miz and Maryse VS John Cena and Nikki BellaZach: Having Naomi win would definitely fire up the crowd. Continuing with the SmackDown theme what about John Cena and Nikki Bella VS The Miz and Maryse. What do you think happens? I say John Cena and Nikki Bella win obviously. Josh: At first I hated the idea of this match but Miz and Cena have done such a fantastic job of selling it. Their segment on Smackdown the other night was incredible and reminded me of the Miz/Bryan segment on Talking Smack a few months ago. Both men were so convincing that they effectively blurred the lines between real and kayfabe which is exactly what makes this match compelling. Cena proved why he is the biggest star in the WWE and has been for a decade. Not Goldberg. Not Lesnar. This is not my opinion; it's a fact. Miz proved that he's incredibly undervalued by fans and can really turn things up to 11 when put into the right feud. I'm honestly not expecting much from Nikki and Maryse because I've never been a Bellas fan. I think they are terrible wrestlers and even worse on the mic. The real drama will come when Cena and Miz are doing their best to one up each other on the biggest stage of the year. These two guys both have competitive spirits and both will want to give their absolute best performances. More than just a Cena victory I think the stage is set for a Cena proposal to Nikki. Whether or not Nikki is in on it or not is up for debate but I think it's a forgone conclusion at this point. Zach: Good point bringing up that Cena is a bigger star then Goldberg and Lesnar. So why isn't WWE putting him in the main even this year? Having him in this tag team match just proves he's a team player. Cena is a company man. I think this match will be exciting due to the theatrics of it all. The marriage proposal will be up in the air though. Everybody is expecting it. I won't believe it until I see it. PICKS: JOSH: CENA AND NIKKI ZACH: CENA AND NIKKI Kevin Owens VS Chris JerichoZach: Kevin Owens and Chris Jericho. This feud is one of the longer arcs that was prepared for WrestleMania. The build up to the match has been exciting. I can't pick with my heart. Kevin Owens is going to win this match. Despite Chris Jericho having a great run in WWE. Making Owens the United States Champion will help WWE justify their decision for having Owens lose the Universal Championship. I'm expecting a solid match between these two. Kevin Owens will have his hand raised by the referee. Josh: I think Owens and Jericho could steal the show. You've got everything you want in a pro wrestling match. Drama. Talent. Uncertainty. Each man had their own reasons why they will or won't win and fans will be split between them. There's no clear favorite and we will be satisfied with either man winning. It's a can't lose match for fans which makes it all the more fun to watch. I'm going with KO. He's the long term plan for WWE. I love Jericho and he's a future HOFer for sure but he doesn't need this win to solidify his legacy. PICKS: JOSH: KEVIN OWENS ZACH: KEVIN OWENS Sasha Banks VS Bayley VS Charlotte Flair VS Nia JaxZach: Lazy booking decisions on WWE's part. This match is just a showcase. No true rivalry, or build up. Bayley will probably retain but who cares? I wanted Banks/Bayley on the grandest stage of them all. Yet WWE decides to do a participation match. WWE has a weird fascination with Charlotte Flair. I've said this many times but she is basically the "Roman Reigns" of the Women's division. Bayley retaining will make the most sense. WWE likes keeping it safe. The true wildcard in this match is Nia Jax. WWE may let her walk out with the title. For my prediction though I'm sticking with Bayley. Josh: RAW women's. I wanna say it's too early to take the belt away from Bayley but this could be the way to turn Sasha heel. That's been the rumor for awhile and screwing Bayley out of her belt using some underhanded moves would set up a good feud for them going forward. Whatever happens I just don't want another boring Charlotte reign. YAWN. So my vote is for Sasha to win and turn. PICKS: JOSH: SASHA BANKS ZACH: BAYLEY Shane McMahon VS AJ StylesZach: Two years in a row. Shane McMahon has had an interesting opponent at WrestleMania. I'm assuming this match will be a "No Holds Barred" match. Shane works best inside the hardcore element. I couldn't see him going toe to toe with AJ. There is one thing for sure. This match will be awesome. This match will be better then Shane/Taker last year. That match from last year was a disaster. When you have a part time Superstar in Shane McMahon carrying The Undertaker you know you've screwed up. AJ Styles and Shane McMahon will be a match for the thrill seekers. Bold prediction: Shane McMahon will jump off the roller coaster set. I think Shane will fight his heart out. AJ Styles will still pick up the victory. Hopefully they give these two time to tell a story. Out of all the matches that need to be short this is one that doesn't need to be. Josh: Shane and Styles. Blech. I hate everything about this match. It's dumb. The storyline is dumb. The plot is dumb. Anything other than Styles completely destroying Shane is dumb. It's a lose/lose for Styles. If he wins, congrats, you beat the 40+ year old son of the boss who had wrestled once in 7 years. If he loses, same reasons apply. PICKS: JOSH: AJ STYLES ZACH: AJ STYLES Seth Rollins VS Triple HZach: KING OF KINGS VS THE KINGSLAYER THE CEREBRAL ASSASSIN VS THE MAN THE CREATOR VS THE ARCHITECT I literally cannot wait for this match. Seth Rollins VS Triple H is the match we were robbed of last year. This year we won't be robbed of that match. This will be an absolute battle. There is only one outcome though. Seth Rollins standing tall over his creator Triple H. The student will beat the master. Josh: Triple H and Rollins could be a lot of fun. I don't think Rollins is "reinjured" because there is no way WWE would risk one of their biggest stars being out another 8-9 months. If he wasn't fully healed he wouldn't be in this match but that doesn't mean they won't keep selling it. Just like last year, HHH exists to put over the new talent, not bury them. I have Rollins winning. PICKS: JOSH: SETH ROLLINS ZACH: SETH ROLLINS Bray Wyatt VS Randy OrtonZach: Randy Orton winning the Royal Rumble still makes no sense. It's whatever at this rate but looking back on it. It didn't make any sense. Everybody is leaning towards Bray Wyatt. I disagree, and it's with good judgement. WWE loves Randy Orton. Why do you think he won the Royal Rumble this year? Orton is going to walk out as champion. Orton winning would complete this SmackDown Live story arc. Josh: Wyatt and Orton is a lot like Triple H and Rollins. Orton is the crafty veteran and Wyatt is the (relative) new guy. Wyatt shouldn't lose his belt this quickly because who knows when he'll get another chance to be champ. It's a crime that it took this long. I'm hoping for a longer stay in the cult of Wyatt. PICKS: JOSH: BRAY WYATT ZACH: RANDY ORTON Goldberg VS Brock LesnarZach: I find it comical. Goldberg VS Brock Lesnar in 2017. The reason why this match is no longer the main event is because the result has already been leaked. Goldberg has been telling people that he's taking a long break after WrestleMania. After these insider leaks came out. Reports began to fly in saying WWE changed their minds with this match. WWE now wants Goldberg to continue as champion. I don't see this happening. This match is a big toss up. I'm going to be bold with this prediction. Now that WWE moved Reigns/Taker to the main event. I think WWE will want a happy outcome in this match. Especially now that the night is going to end with Reigns dismantling the Deadman. Goldberg will wrestle Brock for eight minutes. Goldberg will win with a spear and a jackhammer. The crowd will be once again shocked. Josh: Goldberg and Lesnar. I've been hearing the same rumors that things may be changed since fans "know" Lesnar is going to win. A Goldberg win would be surprising but would also bury one of your biggest names. As of now Goldberg doesn't have a long term contract with WWE so is it worth making Lesnar look weak? That might affect him long term. I could see some interference so Lesnar gets the win but not clean. WWE isn't above that to save face for either man. I'm still going with Lesnar. PICKS: JOSH: BROCK LESNAR ZACH: GOLDBERG The Undertaker VS Roman ReignsZach: Roman Reigns is going to end The Undertaker's career. That felt very weird to type. Taker's retirement is long overdue. It's just sad to see him go out on his back. I actually feel bad for Roman Reigns. He has to carry a match with The Undertaker. Taker is a crippled shell of his former self. The man should've retired at WrestleMania 32. Yet I have the eerie feeling that he is chasing redemption. I have a feeling WWE/Taker want him to wrestle at WrestleMania 34. It would be in the same location where the streak ended. Four years after the shocking moment. I just don't think Taker has it in him anymore. That's why I think this will be his final match. Now you may ask… Will this help Roman Reigns get over??? Roman Reigns is already a dominant heel. Anyone who thinks he's still a baby face is dumb. I don't think anything or anybody could get Reigns over. He's just not the guy. He was thrusted into a position that he really can't handle. Maybe him beating Taker will boost his career but I sincerely doubt it. Josh: Taker and Reigns is another toss up. My heart wants to say Taker but my head says Reigns. We all know Vince is so high on Reigns he might as well adopt him. A win against Taker would boost his resume but fans would absolutely hate it, which has never stopped Vince before. Undertaker needs hip surgery so we know this will be his last match for awhile, maybe ever. Hip surgery isn't something a 50+ wrestler comes back from so saying this is UTs last match may not be crying wolf. A loss for Reigns buries him further down the pecking order and Vince wants him to headline WM 34. For that reason I'll go with Reigns. PICKS: JOSH: ROMAN REIGNS ZACH: ROMAN REIGNS Who should be the next guest on Triple Z's conversational BreakDownZ. Let us know down in the comments.
Follow @TripleZ_87 Follow @ChiefJosheola Triple Z breaks down and predicts WWE Fastlane. WWE Fastlane is looking like a good card. We got Goldberg VS Kevin Owens. I'm sure something with Seth Rollins is in store. It's the last pay-per-view until WrestleMania. WWE really has to hit it out of the ball park. Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows VS Enzo Amore and Big CassWith The New Day hosting WrestleMania 33. It looks like they will be out of the title picture. It's a good sign that WWE is letting The New Day host WrestleMania. The New Day joins The Rock and Hulk Hogan in that esteemed class of WrestleMania hosts. Gallows and Anderson are a dominant duo. Enzo and Cass are fan-favorites that have suffered quite a comedic downfall. WWE is currently trying to make Enzo Amore the new Santino Marella. Enzo is too talented to be Santino Marella. Nothing against Santino but Enzo/Cass are the team WWE needs. Enzo translates well into pop culture and Cass is a dominant force. Enzo has also created a new vocabulary which could sell tons of merch (Sawft for example). I think WWE will hold off on Enzo and Cass winning the titles until WrestleMania. Hopefully WWE keeps Enzo serious. The former Bullet Club members have finally found their way in WWE. They had it all along but now WWE is utilizing the duo properly. Anderson/Gallows will pick up a cheap win at Fastlane this Sunday. Winners: Anderson and Gallows Bayley VS Charlotte FlairI want to believe that WWE is setting up Bayley/Banks for WrestleMania. Yet, WWE is so in love with Charlotte Flair. I believe this contest will end in a double count out. So WWE can protect Charlotte's PPV streak yet keep moving forward with Bayley as chap ion. WWE's smartest strategy would be doing a heel Sasha Banks VS Bayley at WrestleMania. I think that match has the potential to steal the show. WWE shouldn't be doing these big Women's matches. Where it is a six man tag just because they want to really prove they had a "Women's Revolution." WWE, we understand your proud of this movement. You honestly should be. Even though you ignored history that came before this it's still all good. I don't want to see Bayley VS Charlotte VS Sasha Banks. I want to just see a classic between Sasha Banks and Bayley on the grandest stage of them all. WWE has overdone the whole "Women's Revolution" card. I mean all the good female wrestlers would still be in NXT right now if it wasn't for AJ Lee speaking up. Yet, Stephanie McMahon will get the credit of creating this "revolution." Winner: DOUBLE COUNT OUT Neville VS Jack GallagherI'm impressed with the new direction of the Cruiserweights. I still feel like TJ Perkins got totally screwed. The division is now normalized. Hopefully it will fade out of its purple period and just become a normal part of the show. Jack Gallagher is a flamboyant character. I have always been a fan of British wrestlers and their gimmicks. I especially enjoyed WWE's UK Tournament because of the British wrestlers and their gimmicks. Neville is currently on a roll and it doesn't look like he will be stopping soon. I don't see Neville dropping the title until WrestleMania. My biggest pet peeve with the Cruiserweight division is that it limits these guys. I mean Neville could've been WWE World Champion by now. Guys like Jack Gallagher, TJ Perkins, and Mustafa Ali could do well outside the Cruiserweight division. It's sad WWE will never give them that opportunity. That's why I'm hoping Austin Aries doesn't end up in this division. I don't want to see him limited just to this division. I This match in general will probably get more time then usual. Fastlane currently only has six matches on the card. It will be interesting to see if they announce any more match ups Monday night. I hope not because if they don't Neville/ Gallagher will get some time to shine. I think the matchup will be back and forth, probably will hint at Gallagher winning until Neville just finishes him off. Winner: Neville Roman Reigns VS Braun StrowmanThe Undertaker. The Undertaker. The Undertaker. The Undertaker is going to interfere in this match. He's still mad over Roman Reigns eliminating him at the Royal Rumble. The Deadman is going to come out and screw over Reigns. Very similar to what he did to Brock Lesnar at Battleground 2015. This will allow Braun Strowman to pick up the victory. This will also send Reigns into a frenzy. Leading to Reigns/Undertaker at WrestleMania. I never thought I would say this but I feel bad for Roman Reigns. This year he's going to have to carry a shell of The Undertaker at WrestleMania. Taker, I'm a huge fan but it's time to retire your tarnishing your legacy at this point. Reigns VS Strowman should be a exciting match up until the interference. Winner: Braun Strowman Kevin Owens VS GoldbergThis will be a quick prediction. The match will be no more then 10 minutes. Goldberg will win and something will be hinted between Owens and Jericho. Goldberg will become your new WWE Universal Champion. So your first three Universal Champions are; Finn Balor, Kevin Owens, and Goldberg. Interesting right? A match like Goldberg VS Brock Lesnar doesn't need the title but WWE wants them to have the title so they can put it in the main event.
Goldberg essentially is going to squash Kevin Owens. It's going to be hard for the IWC to watch. Winner: Goldberg Well there you have it those are my predictions for WWE Fastlane. Thanks for reading and comment below. Next time we will be back with Wrestling with Ideas Zach McGibbon and Fansided's Joshua Gibbs to break down WrestleMania 33. Follow @TripleZ_87 Follow @ZWrestleTalk Triple Z predicts this year's Royal Rumble pay-per-view. WWE is preparing one of the most stacked Royal Rumble matches ever. We have Goldberg, Brock Lesnar, and The Undertaker just to name a few. Also WWE is known for Rumble surprises. Could we possible see a Cruiserweight in the Royal Rumble? What about one of the standouts from the U.K Tournament. Triple H is also promising that no one will be able to predict the outcome of this Rumble match. Which isn't a good thing for wrestling websites that do prediction posts... Nia Jax VS Sasha BanksNia Jax squashes Sasha Banks. Not more to this story. Winner: Nia Jax Sheamus and Cesaro VS Luke Gallows and Karl AndersonThis is a very interesting kickoff match. Gallows and Anderson have been on a roll as of late. This team is long overdue for a championship run. Now with The New Day out of the picture it's time. Sheamus and Cesaro have been weak champions let alone a weak team. Easily one of Mick Foley's biggest GM flops so far. (Yeah I know WWE creative makes all the decisions but it's just easier to blame Mick Foley, the character). Cesaro is more than capable to be a top star on any show. It's ridiculous that he has to play sidekick with Sheamus. Hopefully when WWE does their brand shakeup Cesaro gets moved to SmackDown all alone. It's time for Gallows and Anderson to get a run with the titles. Winners: Gallows and Anderson Rich Swann VS NevilleRich Swann is great and all, but Neville is going to take his title away. The WWE Universe is impressed with Neville's recent heel turn. I feel like his recent momentum will elevate him into winning the championship this Sunday. Ever since Neville's recent rebirth he has carried the Cruiserweight division to new heights. Once he returned there was actual functioning storyline going on. We now have Neville/Swann, Gallagher/Ariya Daivari, and Dar/Fox/Alexander love triangle. 205 Live is now working and the Cruiserweight's have finally adapted to the WWE. Winner: Neville Charlotte VS BayleyCharlotte isn't dropping the title at the Royal Rumble. Not until, WrestleMania. This match probably won't get any time. Even though the event itself is six hours. Bayley winning at WrestleMania would be a lock for most companies. WWE though is different. The same company that basically made Sasha Banks look like a loser on pay-per-view. Countless of times to the point where she wasn't a legitimate contender anymore. Charlotte is walking away champion at the Royal Rumble. Winner: Charlotte Naomi, Nikki Bella, and Becky Lynch VS Alexa Bliss, Natalya, and Mickie JamesThat awkward moment when you realize SmackDown has the better Women's division. RAW, despite having three of the four horsewoman doesn't have a well rounded roster like SmackDown Live. Plus with the addition of Mickie James this division goes over the top. In terms of this match. It's really a "throwaway" match. WWE didn't want Bliss/Lynch at the Royal Rumble due to time. Also they wanted to utilize the other feuds from SmackDown. So they shoved them all together in a six man tag match. I think you have Alexa Bliss win here so she continues to look strong. Winners: Alexa Bliss, Natalya, and Mickie James Roman Reigns VS Kevin OwensNow onto this disaster. I mean maybe I would enjoy this feud more without the ugly red-headed step title. The Universal Championship looks so bad in comparison to the WWE World Championship. Besides the title issues… we have a gimmick match. A "No Disqualifications Match with Chris Jericho Hanging From A Shark Cage" literally something that came out of the brain of Jim Cornette. It's such a oddball gimmick match. I don't think WWE will let KO continue being champion. I think with the rumors of Goldberg winning the Royal Rumble. WWE is going to put over Roman Reigns. Even if Roman doesn't end up facing Goldberg he will have that title heading into WrestleMania. I don't know if that is the smartest decision on WWE's part. Roman Reigns has been a polarizing figure. WWE fans were in distraught about him winning in the main event last year. Something that even myself included hated. Does WWE really want WrestleMania 33 to have the same bad outcome? No they don't. So hopefully they will book Roman differently for the fans and for Roman. Either way it looks like "The Kevin Owens Show" is coming to an end. So he can embark on a feud with Chris Jericho. Something WWE needs to capitalize on before its to late. This match-up should go back and forth similar to their Hell in a Cell match. I think Roman Reigns will find a way to finish Kevin Owens off quickly. Winner: Roman Reigns AJ Styles VS John CenaThe "ZWrestleTalk's 2016 Rivalry of the Year" will engage in another exciting chapter. John Cena will finally get a chance to even up the score with AJ Styles. Cena is going after his 16th title reign. Which would end up tying Ric Flair's record. WWE is still very unclear with which direction they will be going with for the Royal Rumble. My best prediction would be John Cena tying Ric Flair's record. Styles and Cena will go back and forth. Cena has been discussed to be in a key match at WrestleMania this year. AJ Styles is rumored to be fighting Shane McMahon at the event. So Cena really is the only option. Winner: John Cena Royal Rumble MatchThis year's Royal Rumble match is stacked. Hopefully someone who has never won the Rumble before wins. WWE can go in multiple directions with this match. Undertaker is currently the "fan-favorite" to win. As Randy Orton, Goldberg, and Braun Strowman are on WWE's radar to win. Now we can discuss the people who aren't mentioned as legitimate favorites or threats in the Royal Rumble. Chris Jericho who will likely embark on a feud with Kevin Owens. Sami Zayn who is the underdog from the underground. WWE has been building him as a "lovable loser." Brock Lesnar is still a beast. Wouldn't be a surprise to see Lesnar make a elimination spree leading him to victory. We also have to include the NXT factor. The returning Finn Bàlor could possibly win the Royal Rumble. This would lead Bàlor on his way to reclaiming his WWE Universal Championship that he never lost. Samoa Joe isn't currently active in NXT leading many insiders to believe he is main roster bound. Joe would be a interesting pick do to the fact, we haven't had a true monster win the Royal Rumble in years. Then if Shinsuke Nakamura loses to Bobby Roode… his Royal Rumble stock increases dramatically. Nakamura could win the entire thing if he enters the Royal Rumble. Not to mention the possibility of Kurt Angle entering and winning the Royal Rumble. I haven't remembered a Royal Rumble in recent history with so many favorites. I don't see WWE booking Randy Orton to win the Royal Rumble. You just don't have all those stars in this match and not give it to one of them. That's why I'm going with Goldberg. The man came back for a "emotional sendoff" which ended up becoming "A chance to be a hero again." Goldberg stated he wants another run with the championship. Trust me, Goldberg is a huge draw. Friends of mine who don't keep up with wrestling anymore were curious and excited to see Goldberg return. WWE is positioning him to win the Royal Rumble which makes sense. The man is in amazing shape and is also scheduled to fight at WWE Fastlane. It's rumored that Brock Lesnar will take on Goldberg at Fastlane. This match would definitely sell a more troubled event. I also predicted Roman Reigns winning the championship at the Royal Rumble. So Goldberg winning the actual Rumble match would lead us to the "Dream Match Nobody Ever Though Of." Goldberg VS Roman Reigns for the WWE Universal Championship is a headlining match for WrestleMania. You have this hero in Goldberg that has a killer instinct and then you got Roman Reigns the man who is trying to become Goldberg. Both use the spear move. I think Roman Reigns would have better psychology with Goldberg also. Both men are the hard-hitting types. Also a match like Reigns VS Goldberg is what WrestleMania is all about. It's the showcase of the immortals. It's where dream matches happen. It's where we see veterans of the past come out to fight. It's truly a spectacular event. Hopefully this year can rekindle the spark WrestleMania once had. After WWE's awful misfiring of WrestleMania 32. Goldberg is going to win the Royal Rumble match. Some will complain and some will whine and cry. I would not be surprised to see Goldberg come out at like number 23. Something were he comes out later so he doesn't have to be in the match as long. Either way, I'm pumped to see what this Rumble has in store for us.
Winner: Goldberg Thanks for reading my Royal Rumble BreakDownZ Follow @TripleZ_87 on Twitter. Follow @ZWrestleTalk on Twitter for Royal Rumble news, scoops, and wrestling "Woj Bombs" |
Details
Triple ZI created ZWrestleTalk. On this page I give my PPV predictions for Wrestling Events (Usually just WWE) Archives
April 2022
Categories
All
|