On Sunday, Tacoma plays host to WWE Stomping Grounds 2019. With numerous title matches, a steel cage clash, and mystery over a special guest referee, there’s a lot on the line for the show. Let’s make some predictions, shall we?
It’s the end of another month, so that means it’s time for the Worldwide Leader in Sports Entertainment to put on another pay per view event. WWE Stomping Grounds 2019 takes place inside the Tacoma Dome in Washington State on Sunday, June 23, 2019. You can also tune in to the WWE Network at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT if you haven’t grabbed a ticket one of the (many) available seats in the Pacific Northwest.
It’s a shame that ticket sales for a major event like this are lagging, at least based on past shows of this magnitude. When was the last truly bad WWE pay-per-view? Leaving out any of the international stadium shows like the Super ShowDown series, or any other shows airing from Jeddah, you have to go back over a year to Backlash in May 2018 — the first pay per view that stopped brand exclusivity — to find a real stinker.
Even with how creatively uneven WWE television has been recently, there’s some good matches set for Stomping Grounds this weekend. True, many of those good matches have taken place on recent pay per view events, because nothing says “excitement” quite like a rematch of a rematch of a rematch!
But a WWE Championship bout inside a steel cage is sure to produce some memorable moments. The Superstars of 205 Live have quietly been having a great run in the ring, and a triple threat match for the Cruiserweight Championship is a nice way to follow that up. Not to mention, the question of who will serve as the special guest referee for the Universal Championship match is still unanswered.
So let’s run down the full card for WWE Stomping Grounds 2019, including predictions for each of the matches. Sound off in the comments below to add your thoughts!
WWE Cruiserweight Championship Match: Tony Nese (c) vs. Akira Tozawa vs. Drew Gulak
As of this writing, there are nine matches announced for WWE Stomping Grounds 2019, with none set for the Kickoff Show. If I were a gambling man, I’d bet this match is going to be one of two on the Kickoff. The second? Probably something random with The Revival, like a rematch with Hawkins and Ryder even though we don’t do guaranteed championship rematches anymore.
Tony Nese has been doing some of the best work of his career as of late, including capturing the Cruiserweight Championship in front of his “hometown” crowd at WrestleMania 35. Still, it may be time to see a title change. With two formidable challengers, The Premier Athlete’s days as champ should come to an end in Tacoma.
As for the two challengers, it’s a duo with a fair amount of history. Akira Tozawa ran afoul of Drew Gulak when the latter campaigned for a “safer” 205 Live via a “No Fly Zone.” Tozawa earned his way into a championship match via a Fatal 5-Way match, but Drake Maverick neglected to make the title match official.
Gulak, however, returned to 205 Live – after a stopover in NXT – to defeat Tozawa in an impromptu match, leading to a Fatal Four-Way match where the two simultaneously pinned each other. Now we have a Triple Threat contest at Stomping Grounds due to the controversy.
Based on nothing more than my adoration for all things Gulak, I think it’s Drew’s time to hold the gold. He’s returned to his roots as a technical mastermind and vicious brawler, which has reinvigorated his in-ring work. My gut also tells me Gulak is going to pin/submit Tozawa, leading to a Nese-Gulak tilt in the not-so-distant future.
Winner (and new Cruiserweight Champion): Drew Gulak
Big E & Xavier Woods vs. Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn
The history between The New Day and Kevin Owens goes back to earlier this year, way before WrestleMania, even. In Vince McMahon’s quest to deny Kofi Kingston a chance to become WWE Champion, The Chairman of the Board brought KO back into the fold to replace Kofi in a title match against then-champion Daniel Bryan at Fastlane.
Initially, Owens seemed despondent at taking the spot from Kofi, and following Fastlane he even sided with Kofi and The New Day. When Big E went down with an injury, Owens stepped in as “Big O” to fill the void in the trio.
But a leopard never changes his spots, and as has been his modus operandi his entire career, Owens turned on Kingston and Xavier Woods. KO failed to beat Kofi for the WWE Championship at Money in the Bank, but he hasn’t been able to convince Big E of his innocence in an assault on the rehabbing powerhouse.
Enter KO’s long-time frenemy Sami Zayn – a “Wild Card Rule” addition from Raw – and we have ourselves a good old-fashioned tag team grudge match.
Although Owens and Zayn work much better as opponents and rivals than partners (at least in my opinion), they actually have the chemistry advantage over the five-time Tag Team champions. Yes, E and Woods have teamed together for roughly five years, but Owens and Zayn have a history that predates their WWE careers.
However, with the entire New Day a strong united front compared to Owens and Zayn being tenuous allies at best, I think E and Woods come out on top. Sami should return to Raw while the rest of the concerned parties move on to new feuds on SmackDown Live.
Winners: Big E & Xavier Woods
SmackDown Tag Team Championship Match: Daniel Bryan & Rowan (c) vs. Heavy Machinery
There’s a lot of beef in this fight, which is ironic since one half of the current champs is a vegetarian (and former vegan).
All kidding aside, Daniel Bryan’s run as “The Planet’s Champion” has been among the best of his life. He’s helping former Wyatt Family teammate Rowan regain a higher standing on the card simply by association. All the while, Bryan has yet to shy away from actually putting over Heavy Machinery.
Speaking of Otis and Tucker, they will be the true winners of this match regardless of the final outcome. In 2019, in an age of often bad weekly television on the part of WWE, many fans have become “pay-per-view only” watchers. Skipping Raw and SmackDown on a regular basis may actually be beneficial to your health (note: I’m legally obligated to tell you I’m not a doctor).
With the Steaks and Weights boys getting their first major match on a pay per view at WWE Stomping Grounds 2019, it’ll be the first time a number of fans will see what they can do. (Spoiler alert: they’re pretty great.) And win, lose, or draw, Otis and Tucker will get a lot of people talking about them, which will only lead to future opportunities for the duo.
That’s important, because I don’t think it’s time for Heavy Machinery to upgrade from cardboard to gold just yet. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE Tucky and the Doz, but Bryan and Rowan are going to leave Tacoma the same way they came in: as champions.
Winners (and still SmackDown Tag Team Champions): Daniel Bryan & Rowan
United States Championship Match: Samoa Joe (c) vs. Ricochet
If you’re looking for a match to steal the show, look no further. Ricochet is at his best not when he trades superhero poses with another flippy dude, but when he works opposite a solid base for his acrobatic maneuvers. All those matches on Raw against Cesaro are all the proof you need of that, since the Swiss Cyborg is arguably the best base in the world.
But Samoa Joe spent years working in Ring of Honor, a promotion known for its fast-paced action, and TNA, where he was a prominent member of the X-Division, which showcased an acrobatic, lucha libre style of wrestling. If anyone can be a base for a high flying superhero, it’s Joe.
The United States Championship has been hotly contested as of late, possibly due to the disappearing act Finn Bálor and the Intercontinental Championship have pulled off. You have to wonder how different this match would look if Rey Mysterio hadn’t suffered an injury that forced him to relinquish the championship.
The One and Only, Ricochet, has emerged as the number one contender since the title returned to Joe. It’s the highest-profile match for the former NXT North American Champion on the main roster to date, so he’ll definitely be bringing his A-game.
Much like Heavy Machinery, though, I think it’s too soon for Ricochet at this point. WWE Stomping Grounds 2019 should be a average-to-above average show, but when all is said and done it’ll likely be forgotten before too long. Why try and establish a new star on a show that no one will remember by the time SummerSlam rolls around?
I’m predicting Joe to walk out with the championship, perhaps due to some interference from Cesaro. I also wouldn’t be surprised if some of the other contenders for the title – The Miz, Lashley, or Braun Strowman – somehow get involved in the outcome, extending the war for the United States Championship.
Winner (and still United States Champion): Samoa Joe
Roman Reigns vs. Drew McIntyre
Real talk: this match would be one of the most hotly-anticipated of the night were it not for the Shane McMahon factor. WWE is putting two of its most talented Superstars into a WrestleMania rematch, without any additional pressure of being a championship match, or a main event, or anything.
But throw in “The Best in the Woooooooooooooooorld” and what should be a decent little snack tastes like deep-fried scat instead.
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For the most part, WWE and the creative team have done right by Roman Reigns since his return to action following a leukemia recurrence. He hasn’t been thrust into the spotlight unnaturally, or given a role beyond what situations dictate. Yes, he’s been a perpetual shifter in the “Wild Card Rule” and of course he was billed as the greatest SmackDown acquisition of all time.
Despite all that, it’s been business as usual for The Big Dog, and his feud with Drew McIntyre would be more of the same. McIntyre, though, has gone from one of the best parts of WWE and a surefire future Universal Champion to “McMahon Family lackey.” Sorry, Drew, it was a great run from April 2018-January 2019, but now things are very different.
I’m still expecting a good match – both Superstars are too good to drop the ball here – but it’ll ultimately be a pointless match in the grand scheme of things. Since this whole storyline revolves around Shane, he’ll end up being the most important participant in the match by the time it ends, which will negate anything good Reigns and McIntyre do before the Shane Show gets underway.
As far as a victor, it’s gotta be Reigns, right? Shane took the win a few weeks back in Jeddah, so a win by McIntyre severely harms the best thing to ever happen to SmackDown. Even with Reigns getting the W at WrestleMania, the endgame here has to be a Big Dog victory, to show how he can overcome not being at 100% to win a big match.
Winner: Roman Reigns
SmackDown Women’s Championship Match: Bayley (c) vs. Alexa Bliss
As bad as the last feud between Bayley and Alexa Bliss was – remember “This is Your Life”? Ugh! – this new version is much improved. It’s actually produced mostly watchable television over the past few weeks. Go figure!
There’s a lot of parallels between Bayley and Bliss here. Both are among the few to hold both the Raw Women’s Championship and the SmackDown Women’s Championship. Each Superstar won the Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match and cashed in her contract on the same night.
But while Alexa Bliss is bringing Nikki Cross to WWE Stomping Grounds 2019 to be in her corner, Bayley will presumably be flying solo. Her partner and friend – and co-holder of the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships – Sasha Banks has been MIA since WrestleMania. With the WWE Universe wondering when – or if – Sasha will return to WWE, could a return happen at Stomping Grounds?
It seems almost too obvious to actually happen — we all know WWE likes to swerve and do the unthinkable. But enough circular logic gets us to this point: It’s so obvious that it will happen that it can’t happen, so therefore it must happen to be shocking and surprising!
Even if Sasha Banks doesn’t return, the feud between Bayley and Bliss has been a breath of fresh air, and it should absolutely continue past Stomping Grounds. I think Bayley comes out on top, whether due to Sasha as an equalizer or Nikki Cross costing Alexa the victory — intentionally or not. And that’s the
tea
coffee.
Winner (and still SmackDown Women’s Champion): Bayley
Raw Women’s Championship Match: Becky Lynch (c) vs. Lacey Evans
In one of the few matches I’m, sadly, not really looking forward to, a Money in the Bank rematch pits Becky Lynch against Lacey Evans once again. As much as I love Becky and what she’s done lately, I am apathetic towards Evans. And to do this match again so soon seems like a classic case of “Roman Reigns Syndrome” in regards to Evans.
Whenever I have a conversation with other fans or writers about Evans, the general consensus is twofold: she was brought up to the main roster way too soon without a solid plan and her character is too one-dimensional to have any kind of connection with the crowd. Is that the kind of superstar we want as the face of the flagship show in the company?
But my main issue with Evans is how she’s been used. Yeah, the other things I mentioned above bother me, but it’s not like a make or break thing. She’s talented for sure, but could use a little more seasoning before getting launched into the main event. And the character itself has potential if it were to be given more time to develop.
Instead, the plan seems to be “get her on screen so everyone knows who she is, and then put her in the ring with Becky so osmosis takes care of the rest.”
Do I think Evans-Lynch could be great? Yeah — just not in 2019, or at least in June 2019. So we’ll get a perfectly average match in a spot that calls for something more. Conspiracy theorists might say it’s a way to cool off Becky after she took the WWE Universe by storm last summer through WrestleMania, but that’s nonsense.
Do I think Lacey could win this match? No, but I still wouldn’t be surprised if it happened. If Becky spends the rest of the summer on the chase, it may not be the worst thing — especially if the Sassy Southern Belle loses the title at SummerSlam in the Great White North. That’s just too ironic to pass up, so if I was booking it, that’s what I’d do.
Winner (and new Raw Women’s Champion): Lacey Evans
WWE Championship Steel Cage Match: Kofi Kingston (c) vs. Dolph Ziggler
Let’s get this right out of the way: there is not a chance in hell that Dolph Ziggler leaves Tacoma with the WWE Championship. Kofi Kingston has had a good run with the title so far, the fans are solidly behind him and Ziggler is honestly not much more than a placeholder opponent. So don’t think he’s winning the title.
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Sure, it’s a little odd that Ziggler, brought in for Super ShowDown at the eleventh hour, is getting a second WWE Championship match. But considering he’s faced Kofi as many times as the earth has revolved around the sun. Alright, that’s an exaggeration — per Cagematch, Kofi and Dolph have had 26 previous televised singles matches, with 10 of those being title matches.
And though Dolph has the overall advantage 14-12, Kofi has won 7 of the championship bouts — maybe that’s why Kingston has compared his rivalry with Ziggler to that between Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels. It seems different in 2019 than it did in 2011, though — back then, Ziggler seemed like the star and Kofi would max out in midcard purgatory.
The steel cage stipulation may be the x-factor here, but I still don’t see it having any impact on the outcome. It keeps New Day from interfering — which, apparently, Ziggler finds necessary — and allows for some more extreme action. But I could use the Eye of Agamotto and look at 14,000,605 different outcomes, and I’d be hard-pressed to even find one where Dolph wins.
Winner (and still WWE Champion): Kofi Kingston
Universal Championship Match: Seth Rollins (c) vs. Baron Corbin; Special Guest Referee TBD
In the presumable main event of WWE Stomping Grounds 2019, Boring Carbin — darn it, let me try that again…
In the presumable main event of WWE Stomping Grounds 2019, Baron Corbin (nailed it!) gets yet another shot at Seth Rollins and the Universal Championship. The wrinkle this time: Corbin gets to pick his own special guest referee, since WWE officials are too concerned about the rules to let an Applebee’s manager obliterate his opponent with a steel chair.
Of course, Rollins lives to BURN IT DOWN, so anyone who has the slightest connection to Corbin has become a target. Rollins “threatened” Eric Young out of becoming the special referee, the B-Team was assaulted for meeting with Corbin, and Elias was a victim of mere association.
With all the unknowns and chaos surrounding the coveted role of official, let’s look at some names who might fit the bill:
- Drew McIntyre: depending on how his match with Reigns earlier in the night goes.
- Bobby Lashley: he hasn’t been doing anything else, and he’s got history with Corbin and the Universal Championship.
- Elias: musicians never learn.
- Shane McMahon: would Rollins dare assault the boss? (Probably.)
- Vince McMahon: see above.
- Bray Wyatt: not because Corbin picks him, but he — as The Fiend — takes out Corbin’s pick and replaces him.
- Brock Lesnar: possibly the biggest surprise of the bunch, but since he’s still holding onto his Money in the Bank boombox, he could theoretically destroy both Corbin and Rollins — legally, as he’d need to call for the disqualification — before winning the match himself. (Whether or not he counts the pinfall himself is still up in the air.)
Frankly, Lesnar is the only one who even remotely makes sense as the referee, so it’ll probably be someone else. But it’s just the kind of decision Corbin would make, since he’s not forward thinking enough to realize Brock would take him out, too. Either way, I’d guess this is precisely when WWE would choose to have Lesnar finally cash in, because it’s so out of left field.
Winner (and still Universal Champion): Seth Rollins; Brock Lesnar successfully cashes in Money in the Bank contract to become the new Universal Champion
What do you think will happen at WWE Stomping Grounds 2019?