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It’s time to think outside the box for what will happen in WWE this week. What could be on tap for the coming shows?
One of my favorite pastimes as a WWE fan is to try and guess what’s going to happen in the future. I don’t go out of my way to spoil myself. But trying to get into the heads of the creative department is a good way to kill some time.
SmackDown Live is marching towards Clash of Champions in a few weeks. Of course, the biggest story on Tuesdays involves precisely zero champions. Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn continue to thumb their nose at Daniel Bryan and Shane McMahon. Could something big be in store?
And on Raw, there’s a loooooooooong time before the next pay per view. We have to get through Christmas and the New Year before the Red Team will even sniff a major show. How will Kurt Angle and crew fill the void?
Here are this week’s bold predictions for WWE programming.
Cedric Alexander Wins Fatal Four Way
This one may not seem like such a bold prediction at first glance. After all, Cedric is one of the most popular stars on 205 Live. Why would it be surprising to picture him as a winner of a fatal four way match? Especially if the winner gets a chance to fight for the number one contendership to the Cruiserweight Championship?
Well, because the first such fatal four way match was won by Rich Swann, that’s why. With Cedric scheduled to face Mustafa Ali, Tony Nese and Drew Gulak, smart money would be on either Nese or Gulak. Swann is as big a babyface as there is, and the logical decision would be to have a heel win the second qualifier. Then Swann could go on to face Enzo Amore when the time is right.
But since when does logic come into play? Why not do a match between Swann and Cedric? Think of the quality of that contest. Ooh, I get goosebumps just thinking about it. Let them tear it up for 15 minutes or so, and give the crowd something to cheer for.
Plus, one would think Gulak would be the Zo Train member more likely to pull out a victory. And unless we’re getting Gulak vs. Enzo, that’s not the time for Drew to pick up a victory. Let him stay as a lackey for a bit longer. Go with Cedric, so there is no obvious winner with him and Swann.
Paige Doesn’t Actually Wrestle Yet
Earlier this week, it was announced that Paige would face Sasha Banks this week on Raw. After Absolution laid out Bayley and Mickie James backstage, it was Sasha’s turn for a whooping. Though The Boss fought valiantly rather than join the trio, the combination of Paige, Mandy Rose, and Sonya Deville proved to be too much.
The scheduled match is meant as a chance for payback from Sasha for the assault. But honestly, I don’t see Paige making her way back to action just yet. If WWE were smart, they’d position her big comeback match in a more visible spot. And don’t forget – Paige was booked for a six woman tag match just last week that never materialized.
My gut feeling is another bait and switch regarding Paige. She’ll make her way down to the ring with Rose and Deville, but will beg out of the match somehow. Maybe she’ll pull the “Sasha’s not on my level” card, and send in one of her cronies to fight her battle for her. It could also be seen as a kind of “baptism by fire” situation for one of the young rookies.
Or perhaps Bayley and Mickie will prevent the match from happening as payback for last week’s ambush. There’s a million reasons why Paige wouldn’t get into the ring. It’s just a matter of which one the creative team chooses.
Shane Finally Gets Some Revenge
Ever since the summer, Shane McMahon has been at odds with Kevin Owens. It may go even further back than that – KO’s arrival on SmackDown seemed to ignite the war that the two are stuck in right now. And by helping out Owens at Hell in a Cell, Sami Zayn has gotten involved in the mess as well. Factor in Daniel Bryan trying to fairly run a wrestling show without letting personal vendettas get in the way, and you have the makings of a disaster on your hands.
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Lately, it seems Owens and Zayn are constantly one step ahead of their bosses. From interfering at Survivor Series, to outsmarting Shane when the commissioner tried to punish the pair, the reunited best friends are seemingly untouchable.
But all good runs have to come to an end. Star Wars gave us Ewoks and prequels, Fonzie jumped over a shark in a leather jacket, and Michael Jordan played for the Wizards. This week, Shane will likely get some form of revenge on the duo. Perhaps he’ll finally get them separated, allowing Randy Orton another chance to take one – or both – of them out.
Why would that happen this week as opposed to next? Because if it happens now, it gives Owens and Zayn one more week before Clash of Champions to get the upper hand once again. And we all know in WWE, if you have the upper hand going into a pay per view, you lose at the pay per view,
Roman Reigns Gets Even
After a successful title defense in the first edition of the Intercontinental Championship Open Challenge, Roman Reigns was jumped by Samoa Joe on the ramp. Earlier in the night, Joe had made short work of Titus O’Neil, though the big man had put up a strong fight. And just for fun, Joe had also taken out Apollo Crews, who tried to stand up for his mentor.
This week, it would make sense for Reigns to get a bit of payback. We don’t know if the attack last week was Joe preemptively accepting the open challenge for this week. I doubt it, actually. But let’s not forget that the first chunk of Roman’s main roster career was built on sneak attacking unsuspecting victims,
With The Shield reunited but kind of not – Ambrose and Rollins are off doing their own thing now – Reigns may want to get back to that comfortable role. He’s finally getting the WWE Universe on his side again, so maybe he does what they want him to do – attack Joe. It may not be the most babyface thing to do, but it’s the most real-life, “you come at me and I come at you” booking possible.
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Plus, Joe started the whole thing. There’s nothing more noble than standing up for yourself against a bully. So rather than get a true installment of the open challenge, instead we’ll get Roman jumping Joe, whether backstage or out in the open. And then we can all wait the last 20 months or so until the story comes to a close at Royal Rumble.