WWE SmackDown 5 Predictions: Shinsuke Nakamura Overcomes

5. Bobby Roode Defeats Dolph Ziggler

The last two-out-of-three falls match on WWE Television occurred a couple of weeks ago on 205 Live when Rich Swann defeated TJ Perkins to end their abysmally built feud. The match itself featured crisp wrestling from two of WWE’s most underrated performers, but the result was a bit of a head-scratcher. Perkins, who was the first Cruiserweight Champion, lost in convincing 2-0 fashion, and that was that.

Bobby Roode challenged Dolph Ziggler to a two-out-of-three falls match on last week’s episode of SmackDown Live, so this is the blow-off match to a feud that nobody had a chance to care about. Ziggler and Roode showed excellent chemistry on house shows and on SmackDown two weeks ago, though they had only a so-so match at Hell in a Cell after being forced to work in front of a lifeless crowd following Jinder Mahal’s title defense.

This match between Roode and Ziggler has all the makings of one of Ziggler’s trademark show-stealers. Their styles are a bit different, since Ziggler is usually better in fast-paced matches, whereas Roode’s style is more about slowly burning in-ring psychology that peaks with a frenetic finish. However, Ziggler’s style has become slower over the past few months as he’s solidified his role as the grizzled, veteran heel.

After Ziggler won a couple of weeks ago to keep fans on their toes and even the score, expect a convincing win from Roode tonight. A 2-0 victory is a real possibility, though the WWE main roster tends to shy away from these one-sided results.