WWE Clash of Champions 2019 will be the stage where all championships will be defended. The following will prepare some early match card predictions for a PPV made for champions.
From WWE Raw, the officially announced matches so far are as follows: Seth Rollins (c) vs. Braun Strowman for the Universal Championship, and Rollins and Strowman (c) vs. Bobby Roode and Dolph Ziggler for the Raw Tag Team Championships.
From WWE SmackDown, the officially announced matches are as follows: (1) Kofi Kingston (c) vs. Randy Orton for the WWE Championship, (2) Bayley (c) vs. Charlotte Flair for the SmackDown Women’s Championship, (3) Shinsuke Nakamura (c) vs. The Miz for the Intercontinental Championship, and (4) The New Day (c) vs. The Revival for the SmackDown Tag Team Championships.
In terms of both brands, the King of the Ring Finals will also take place at this PPV, in which the Raw finalist will battle the SmackDown finalist.
Based on how the brackets will turn out, we could very well get this match for the finals of the King of the Ring Tournament: Baron Corbin vs. Ali.
In addition, since all championships must be defended, the kickoff show to this PPV will most likely be dominated by the Cruiserweight Championship and Women’s Tag Team Championships.
From 205 Live, Drew Gulak is scheduled to defend his Cruiserweight Championship against Humberto Carillo; he should be a safe bet to retain his championship.
Meanwhile, there have been circulating rumors of Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross defending their Women’s Tag Team Championships against one of the women’s tag teams on the main roster; they should be a safe bet to retain their championships too, unless they were to battle a returning Nia Jax and Tamina.
With that being said, let’s predict the Clash of Champions 2019 card, starting with the Universal Championship match between Seth Rollins and Braun Strowman.
Seth Rollins (c) vs. Braun Strowman [Universal Championship]
Although Seth Rollins recently won the Universal Championship back from Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam, he could be in jeopardy of losing the championship to the Monster Among Men, Braun Strowman. His rivalry with Strowman was awkwardly instigated when Strowman decided to save Rollins from an O.C. ambush on the Raw after SummerSlam.
Because of the save, United States Champion AJ Styles was furious, and challenged Strowman to a United States Championship match the following week. This match resulted in a disqualification and another O.C. ambush, in which Rollins returned the favor and saved Strowman.
These reciprocated saves put Strowman and Rollins on the same page, and they proceeded to shockingly dethrone Gallows and Anderson to become the new Raw Tag Team Champions.
Although they are now tag team partners, Strowman still has his eyes set on Rollins’ Universal Championship.
Last week on Raw, Rollins finally, yet reluctantly, accepted Strowman’s challenge for the Universal Championship at Clash of Champions. Rollins should be capable of defeating big men like Strowman, especially after slaying a big man like Brock Lesnar twice.
On the other hand, this is Strowman’s sixth Universal Championship opportunity since joining the main roster. He lost in these five past Universal Championship matches:
(1) Brock Lesnar (c) vs. Samoa Joe vs. Roman Reigns vs. Braun Strowman at SummerSlam 2017
(2) Brock Lesnar (c) vs. Braun Strowman at No Mercy 2017
(3) Brock Lesnar (c) vs. Kane vs. Braun Strowman at Royal Rumble 2018
(4) Roman Reigns (c) vs. Braun Strowman at Hell in a Cell 2018
(5) Brock Lesnar vs. Braun Strowman at Crown Jewel 2018 for the vacant Universal Championship relinquished by Roman Reigns at the time of his leukemia emergency.
In fact, Strowman was even supposed to have a Universal Championship match against Brock Lesnar at Royal Rumble 2019, but he got replaced by Finn Balor after destroying Vince McMahon’s limousine. It’s thereby safe to say that Strowman has lost way too many Universal Championship opportunities.
If he’s ever going to be taken seriously as the Monster Among Men, Strowman needs to win his title matches. His monster push has been long overdue, and a title win over Rollins at Clash of Champions is thereby necessary for him at this stage of his career.
As for his next challenger going forward, it has been rumored that the ”Fiend” Bray Wyatt will be challenging the universal champion at the next PPV, Hell in a Cell.
With Seth Rollins also being rumored to face Drew McIntyre at the very same PPV, it makes sense that he won’t be wrestling with Bray Wyatt at all, and will most likely drop the championship to Strowman so that Strowman can battle his former Wyatt Family leader for the first time ever.
Prediction: Braun Strowman
Seth Rollins and Braun Strowman (c) vs. Robert Roode and Dolph Ziggler [Raw Tag Team Championships]
Speaking of Seth Rollins and Braun Strowman, they are doing double duty at Clash of Champions because they will also be defending their Raw Tag Team Championships against the recently formed alliance of Robert Roode and Dolph Ziggler.
The tag team division must have gone on vacation because there are two recently formed alliances battling for the Raw Tag Team Championships.
Legitimate tag teams, such as The OC, Lucha House Party, Viking Raiders, B Team, The Revival, Hawkins and Ryder, and Heavy Machinery all lost to the illegitimate tag team of Robert Roode and Dolph Ziggler in a tag team turmoil on Raw last week. Because of this victory, Roode and Ziggler have been announced the number one contenders.
According to Ziggler, he knew that he and Roode would be an unstoppable team because he “saw an extra twinkle in Roode’s eye that showed he wanted it just a little bit more than everyone else.”
It’s not allergy season yet, so it’s safe to say that Ziggler was being figurative when he saw that extra twinkle in Roode’s eyes.
Based on what Ziggler orated, Roode and Ziggler may seem like a random pair. However, Roode’s very first feud in the WWE was actually against Ziggler, and his perception of Roode back then was just a flashy entrance and a useless catchphrase.
It seems that perception has changed since then because that extra eye twinkle could lead them to victory at Clash of Champions when they battle Strowman and Rollins, who won’t be able to coexist with their grueling Universal Championship match occurring on the same night.
Expect Roode and Ziggler to pick an upset victory, thanks to some miscommunication and/or backstabbing between Rollins and Strowman.
Prediction: Bobby Roode and Dolph Ziggler
Becky Lynch (c) vs. Sasha Banks [Raw Women’s Championship]
Speaking of vacations, Sasha Banks was actually on vacation for four months, and her return to WWE television has been straight fire.
When she returned to the WWE, she received a warm welcome from the WWE Universe until she shockingly turned heel on Natalya and Becky Lynch
In fact, she even changed her hair color from pink to blue to signify her new beginnings. According to Michael Cole, no one is talking about Sasha Banks’ blue hair, but they are certainly buzzing about her epic return and heel turn.
Last week on Raw, Sasha Banks finally revealed why she attacked Raw Women’s Champion Becky Lynch. Although Banks did not candidly state that she was jealous of Lynch, she expressed her frustration of not being in the main event of WrestleMania, and instead being relegated to a low-rated women’s tag team championship match.
Considering that the prestige of the women’s tag team championships has been lackluster since Banks and Bayley dropped the titles to the IIconics at WrestleMania 35, it’s understandable why Banks is upset about not only being in that match, but also losing in that match.
For someone as talented as Banks, she deserves to be in top-notch feuds with the very best in the business, such as Raw Women’s Champion Becky Lynch.
This is why Lynch pontificated that Banks is the greatest wrestler on the roster to never be great. The fact of the matter is that Banks has not yet obtained the insurmountable success that justifies her impressive contributions to the WWE thus far. Hopefully, this brand new feud with Lynch will help bring that to light.
While Banks was gone for four months, Lynch was attempting to continue her momentum from her historic victory at WrestleMania 35 against Charlotte Flair and Ronda Rousey. However, she has been feuding with subordinate competitors, such as Lacey Evans and Natalya, who were not believable enough to defeat her.
In order to spur further excitement and prestige to the Raw Women’s Championship, Banks was the competition Lynch needed for her championship reign.
In fact, this is the most exciting and challenging feud Lynch has ever had since becoming Raw Women’s Champion.
Although Lynch deserved and earned the main event of WrestleMania, Banks has every right to be jealous about not being included in that match. She is a trailblazer in every sense of the word, for she has shattered and redefined every bar that has been raised.
When the WWE puts Sasha Banks out there, she delivers.
At WrestleMania 32 three years ago, she was in a show-stealing triple match against Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair, two superstars who were eventually in the very first women’s main event three years later. That triple threat match at WrestleMania 32 helped spark the women’s revolution, and all three of those women deserved to be in the main event.
However, only one of those three were left out of the eventual main event: Sasha Banks.
Banks has always made it known that her ultimate goal in WWE was to main event WrestleMania. She herself stated this in a 2018 interview: “If anyone main evented WrestleMania before me, it would break my heart. If it’s not me, I hope I laid the foundation or opened the doors for any women to get that moment. But I still pray to God it’s me.”
In this day and age, jealousy is inevitable and has become a part of life, but only some forms of jealousy can be considered justifiable. Banks’ jealousy will motivate her to not settle for less, work harder, and soon accomplish said ultimate goal by continuing to implement her prowess in the ring and on the mic, elevating the Raw Women’s Division, and most importantly developing her character in ways that will help the WWE Universe connect to her on a deeper level.
Consequently, Banks should definitely defeat Lynch to add some value to her return, solidify her heel turn, and cement her legacy as one of the greatest women’s wrestlers of all time.
As Michael Cole would vehemently scream out from the commentary table every Monday night on Raw, IT’S BOSS TIME!
Prediction: Sasha Banks
Roman Reigns and Buddy Murphy vs. Daniel Bryan and Rowan [Tag Match]
Liar! Liar! Pants on fire! There is definitely something worse than jealousy, and that’s lying! In fact, it seems that the Roman Reigns attempted murder storyline has turned into an act of perjury.
Two weeks ago on SmackDown Live, Daniel Bryan and Rowan revealed the individual who committed these felonies to Reigns, and it appeared to be Rowan’s doppelganger or evil twin. Many found this revelation to be disappointing, perplexing, and just downright outlandish.
Last week on SmackDown Live, Reigns cracked the case on Bryan and Rowan by revealing a video clip of the forklift attack that occurred a month ago from a different camera angle.
The clip showed a man in a black hoodie with a ginger beard and a body structure that equates to Rowan’s body structure pushing over crates onto Reigns and walking away in the background as the WWE personnel panicked for Reigns’ safety.
When Bryan saw this clip, he immediately lashed out at his tag team partner and angrily called him a liar. Rowan tried to explain that the individual in that clip was not him and was probably the doppelganger, but Bryan didn’t believe him anymore.
There’s no doubt that Rowan is in a tough spot here, but it didn’t look like the forklift incident on Reigns was a one-man job. On SmackDown Live, Bryan did say that he had nothing to do with this and someone must have told Rowan to do what he did.
The question remains: If Rowan was involved in this, who helped Rowan implement the felony? Is Daniel Bryan covering up for himself and possibly lying about actually being involved in this?
Considering Bryan’s character in the WWE, it doesn’t quite fit him to commit such a malignant act, but he has been Rowan’s tag team partner since the Royal Rumble in January so anything is possible.
In fact, after Daniel Bryan and Rowan lost the SmackDown Tag Team Championships to The New Day at WWE Extreme Rules in July, Rowan could have been looking for a new tag team partner behind Bryan’s back or reuniting with with his former Bludgeon Brother, Harper. Whoever Rowan decided to team up with behind Bryan’s back is probably the culprit behind this mess.
Rowan probably kept his recent behind-the-scene actions a secret because he found it difficult to betray Bryan.
Bludgeon Brothers did break up and drop their championships to The New Day on the SmackDown after SummerSlam in 2018 because of Rowan’s injury. It was probably difficult for Rowan to tell Bryan that he is reuniting with Harper since Bryan did help him get back on TV and take him under his wing when he was WWE Champion.
Since it’s clear that Rowan has something to do with the attacks on Reigns, Bryan and Reigns definitely owe Buddy Murphy an apology for manhandling him backstage.
Also, since Murphy was very much involved in this storyline and just got eliminated from the King of the Ring Tournament after losing to Ali and respectfully delivering a handshake after the match, he could be a convenient babyface tag team partner for Reigns if he were to battle Daniel Bryan and Rowan.
This match is highly reliant on Daniel Bryan and Rowan working things out and sticking together despite the implosion that occurred between them on SmackDown. Bryan could very well be an innocent bystander in the scheme of things, but the mystery attacker could always screw over Reigns in this tag match to help Bryan and Rowan win at Clash of Champions.
Hopefully then, the mystery will be solved.
Prediction: Daniel Bryan and Rowan
AJ Styles (c) vs. Rey Mysterio [United States Championship]
Speaking of lying, AJ Styles lied, cheated, and stole last week on Raw when he successfully retained his United States Championship against Braun Strowman.
In honor of Eddie Guerrero, Styles fell hard on the mat to make the referee believe that Strowman whacked him with the steel chair, thereby retaining his championship by disqualification.
While AJ Styles had been busy defending his United States Championship against Braun Strowman on Raw for the past two weeks and considering his retirement once his contract with the WWE expires in 2024, Rey Mysterio had been thinking about retiring from in-ring competition in the WWE right now.
This luchador had surgery five times on his left knee, and he claims that the injuries may have caught up to him and hindered him from executing his premeditated moves.
Thankfully, before he was going to unveil his mask to signify the end of his career, his son, Dominic, stopped him from doing so and persuaded him to stay in the WWE a little longer.
Now, he is reportedly returning to Monday Night Raw this week, and it should be interesting to see where his next challenge lies.
As Mysterio said months ago, he has two main goals: (1) retrieve the United States Championship that he relinquished to Samoa Joe, and (2) defeat Andrade to avenge him for disrespectful taking off his mask. These goals are still unaccomplished.
Since Andrade is busy with the King of the Ring Tournament, Mysterio can focus on getting that United States Championship back. Thus, it is very likely that Mysterio will become the #1 contender when he returns to Monday Night Raw this week, and challenges Styles for the United States Championship at Clash of Champions.
If that match occurs, Mysterio should win the United States Championship to show that he still has his mojo. Considering that Gallows and Anderson already lost their Raw Tag Team Championships, Styles could be losing his United States Championship too.
Besides, it would be heart warming for Mysterio to win the United States Championship and make his family, especially his son, proud. He can then attempt to accomplish his second main goal and successfully defend his newly won United States Championship against Andrade at the next PPV, Hell in a Cell.
Prediction: Rey Mysterio
Kevin Owens vs. Elias, Drew McIntyre, and Shane McMahon [1-on-3 Handicap Match]
If Mysterio wins the United States Championship from AJ Styles, he would have a lot of responsibility on his plate in proving himself to his son.
Another superstar who has a lot of responsibility on his plate is Kevin Owens.
After defeating Shane McMahon and saving his own career at SummerSlam, Owens finds himself in some deep trouble. Shane McMahon did not take that loss lightly, and he is now making an effort to abuse his power and make Owens’ career miserable.
Three weeks ago on SmackDown Live, Shane McMahon fined Owens $100,000 for putting his hands on special enforcer Elias at SummerSlam. Knowing that he has a family to take care of and couldn’t afford such a fine, Owens decided to uncharacteristically apologize to Shane McMahon.
Although the apology was accepted and the fine was revoked, Shane McMahon proceeded to screw Owens out of the King of the Ring Tournament by becoming the special guest referee for Owens’ first round match against Elias and executing a fast three count in Elias’ favor.
This got under Owens’ skin, and he got his payback last week on SmackDown Live by delivering a Stunner to Elias and effectively costing Elias the 24/7 championship to Drake Maverick in the process.
Many questioned why Owens didn’t pin Elias to become the 24/7 champion. Quite frankly, it’s because he has too many familial responsibilities, and would hate to be rolled up by any WWE superstar at times away from work.
With Owens going back and forth with Elias and Shane McMahon, there could very well be a match in store for them at the PPV.
Considering that McIntyre is a Shane McMahon crony and was just eliminated from the King of the Ring Tournament after losing to Ricochet on Raw, he may assist Elias and Shane McMahon in making Owens’ career even more miserable.
If Owens were to battle Elias, Drew McIntyre, and Shane McMahon in a 1-on-3 handicap match, the numbers game would be too much for him. Thanks to 50:50 booking, Elias, McIntyre, and McMahon would simply get their revenge on Owens for his consecutive victories over them at SmackVille, SmackDown Live, and SummerSlam respectively.
That way, Elias and McIntyre could actually benefit with a key victory after forming an alliance with Shane McMahon for many months.
Once this match is complete, McIntyre and Elias can go their separate paths while Owens and McMahon most likely culminate their feud at next month’s PPV from which they are known to have a lot of history, Hell in a Cell.
Prediction: Elias, Drew McIntyre, and Shane McMahon
Shinsuke Nakamura (c) (w/Sami Zayn) vs. The Miz [IC Championship]
It is true that with great power comes great responsibility. It is also true that with great mastery comes great artistry, as Shinsuke Nakamura and Sami Zayn have come to understand and appreciate in recent weeks.
After dethroning Finn Balor for the Intercontinental Championship at Extreme Rules in July, Shinsuke Nakamura has been defending his championship against the likes of Apollo Crews and Ali from SmackDown Live. Now, the King of Strong Style crosses paths with the King of Soft Style from Raw.
Nakamura is the King of Strong Style because he approaches professional wrestling as if it was a combat sport. More specifically, he uses martial arts tactics to take out his opponent while focusing on swift strikes and submissions.
Meanwhile, The Miz is the King of Soft Style because he approaches professional wrestling as if it’s a cat and mouse game. He is the mouse trying to capture the cheese that he made delicious, just like he is trying to capture the Intercontinental Championship that he made prestigious.
The Miz is essentially Jerry from the cartoon “Tom and Jerry” because he has been working smart and using his mind rather than his strength to nefariously win championships his entire career.
As a heel, that mind set worked perfectly; now that he is a babyface, it doesn’t work too well anymore and has therefore resulted in him losing plenty matches lately.
Speaking of losing plenty matches lately, Sami Zayn had been subjected to this misfortune, and thereby snapped when he was eliminated from the King of the Ring Tournament by Cedric Alexander. The Miz then hosted a Miz TV segment two weeks ago on SmackDown Live to question Zayn’s state of mind.
Zayn, who is truly a master at his promos, then revealed that he will be taking a more altruistic approach to his career by becoming the spokesperson for Nakamura, who proceeded to attack The Miz and start a feud.
Now that The Miz was eliminated from the King of the Ring Tournament by Baron Corbin, he’s free to battle Nakamura for the Intercontinental Championship at Clash of Champions.
Nakamura should be the safe bet to retain the Intercontinental Championship because his new artistic alliance with Zayn must gain momentum in order to come to fruition at some point down the line.
Hopefully, this momentum will lead to an NXT Takeover: Dallas 2016 throwback match between Zayn and Nakamura. Only time will tell, but the stakes would be even higher with the two masterful artists fighting for the Intercontinental Championship sooner rather than later.
Prediction: Shinsuke Nakamura
Bayley (c) vs. Charlotte Flair [SmackDown Women’s Championship]
While there’s lots of talk about the kings of any style, we must not lose sight of the queens. Ever since Bayley cashed in her MITB briefcase to dethrone Charlotte Flair and become SmackDown Women’s Champion, the WWE Universe knew that this feud was bound to occur.
However, Bayley has delayed Charlotte’s opportunity because she feels that Charlotte has gotten enough opportunities while there are many superstars on the SmackDown Women’s Division who have received zilch.
Since becoming champion, she has battled and defeated many Raw superstars, including Alexa Bliss, Nikki Cross, and Lacey Evans.
Quite frankly, she has only defeated one SmackDown superstar who goes by the name of Ember Moon. Bayley feels that she needs to battle more SmackDown superstars, like Zelina Vega, Mickie James, and Liv Morgan because her ultimate goal is to elevate the SmackDown Women’s Division, not Raw’s.
In order to do that effectively, she must get past Charlotte Flair, who is already a nine-time Women’s Champion. Indeed, defeating Charlotte Flair in her hometown of Charlotte, North Carolina would be a difficult task for The Huggable One, but she still has unfinished business with the SmackDown Women’s Championship.
Like Sasha Banks, Bayley has not reached her full potential since joining the main roster.
She had a forgettable Raw Women’s Championship reign that ended at the hands of Alexa Bliss at Payback 2017 in Bayley’s hometown of San Jose, California. She cannot afford to have a forgettable SmackDown Women’s Championship reign too.
Bayley is a trendsetter who proves doubters wrong, and she needs this victory over Charlotte Flair to reestablish herself as the main eventer she truly deserves to be.
In fact, if Bayley does accomplish the incredulous feat of defeating Charlotte Flair, she could be considered the new “Queen of the Ring.” All hail Queen Bayley!
Prediction: Queen Bayley
Baron Corbin vs. Ali [King Of The Ring Finals]
Speaking of Queen of the Ring, there has been a King of the Ring Tournament in recent weeks. The following advancements to the second round of the King of the Ring Tournament occurred in the last two weeks on Raw and SmackDown:
(1) Samoa Joe defeated Cesaro via submission with the Coquina Clutch.
(2) Ricochet defeated Drew McIntyre via pinfall with the 630 Splash.
(3) Cedric Alexander defeated Sami Zayn via pinfall with the Lumbar Check.
(4) Baron Corbin defeated The Miz via pinfall with the End of Days.
(5) Elias defeated Kevin Owens via pinfall, thanks to special guest referee Shane McMahon.
(6) Ali defeated Buddy Murphy via pinfall with the 450 Splash.
(7) Chad Gable defeated Shelton Benjamin via pinfall with Sunset Flip Powerbomb.
(8) Andrade defeated Apollo Crews via pinfall with the Hammerlock DDT.
All of the matches for the tournament have been spectacular thus far, and these performances exemplify what King of the Ring should be all about. It is foreseeable that the final four in this tournament will be (1) Ricochet, (2) Baron Corbin, (3) Andrade, and (4) Ali.
The Raw finalist will battle the SmackDown finalist at Clash of Champions. If the babyface-heel dynamics are maintained appropriately, the final match-up could be either: (1) Ricochet vs. Andrade or (2) Ali vs. Baron Corbin.
Considering that many are afraid of Corbin becoming the King of the Ring, he seems to be the perfect heel for the finals of the King of the Ring Tournament. Albeit Andrade needs the win more than Corbin does, he still has that feud with Mysterio to worry about and does not necessarily have to become King of the Ring at this stage of his career.
As for the babyfaces, either Ricochet or Ali would be fitting for the finals since many fans are fond of their aerial maneuvers and fast-paced offense. However, Ricochet has already earned a fast start to his main roster career with a short but sweet United States Champion reign.
Ali needs this win more, especially after being screwed out of both the WWE championship and Intercontinental Championship pictures since getting called up from 205 Live to the main roster.
Thus, Ali and Corbin should be in the finals of the King of the Ring Tournament. Furthermore, Ali should be our next King of the Ring.
Hopefully, this victory will guarantee him a title match of his choosing. Preferably, he should choose the WWE Championship so that he can rewrite his story in a feud with Kofi Kingston and Randy Orton, and prove why he should have never been replaced in that WWE Championship Elimination Chamber match in February 2019.
Prediction: King Ali
The New Day (c) vs. The Revival [SmackDown Tag Team Championships]
Speaking of the King of the Ring Tournament, Xavier Woods has continuously talked about how he has dreamed of participating in that tournament, but was heartbroken since he was sadly not included due to his tag team championship duties with Big E.
Unlike the Raw Tag Team Division, it’s great to see that the SmackDown Tag Team Division is not on vacation because two established, legitimate, exceptional tag teams are officially fighting for the SmackDown Tag Team Championships at Clash of Champions.
The Revival has made it known that The New Day never defeated them in tag team action, and they proved that when they pinned The New Day in 6-man tag team action three weeks ago.
Since Randy Orton is in a WWE Championship rivalry with Kingston, The Revival joined forces with Orton to create a stable very similar to another stable of Orton’s known as ‘Legacy’ from 2010 when Orton was teamed up with Cody Rhodes and Ted Dibiase.
Considering that The Revival is a Raw tag team, they are not going to win the SmackDown Tag Team Championships, but they could still win the match by disqualification or countout. In order to keep their momentum with Orton going as a top heel stable, a victory is necessary for The Revival.
Hopefully, this inconclusive victory will extend their feud into Hell in a Cell, where The New Day can conclusively defeat The Revival for the very first time and successfully retain their tag team championships.
As for Kingston and Orton, there’s trouble in paradise.
Prediction: The Revival (by DQ or Countout)
Kofi Kingston (c) vs. Randy Orton [WWE Championship]
Speaking of Kofi Kingston and Randy Orton, they have the best feud going into Clash of Championship, and are more than deserving of main eventing the PPV. Considering that Kofi Kingston has not main evented a single PPV since becoming WWE Champion, now is the best time to pull the trigger.
Needless to say, his feuds with Daniel Bryan, Dolph Ziggler, and Samoa Joe are nothing compared to his history with Randy Orton. Back in 2010, Orton called Kingston ‘stupid’ in the ring since Kingston botched the finish to their match.
Today, they meet again and reignite their decade-old rivalry but with higher stakes. The WWE’s most prized possession, the WWE Championship, is on the line between two foes who hate each other’s guts in storyline.
At SummerSlam 2019, their championship match sadly ended inconclusively as Orton decided to lay his eyes on Kingston’s family and make that the new centerpiece of their storyline. Last week on SmackDown Live, Orton continued the focus on Kingston’s family when he mentioned that Kingston’s son wrote Orton a letter and slipped it under the door of his hotel room.
Although Orton mentioned that he rarely reads his fan mail, he was very interested in this one since he claimed it was written with heart. The letter indicated that Kai was pleading for Orton to stop hurting his father since his father cried at night thinking about it.
Orton clearly used this letter to taunt Kingston and play mind games; since they are all in the same hotel, Orton even threatened Kingston that he would pay his son a visit to reply to the letter. It seems that this rivalry has become extremely personal, thanks to the vindictive persona of the Viper, Randy Orton.
Without a shadow of a doubt, there’s no better superstar to dethrone Kingston than his greatest arch nemesis. These two did a great job at selling their feud to the WWE Universe; this investment in storyline as well as the history to back up the tensions between them have made this rivalry one of the most renown in sports entertainment today.
In order to facilitate even more intrigue in this storyline, history should repeat itself with an Orton victory with some potential help from the Revival. As Orton said, he didn’t have to wiggle his butt or fake a Jamaican accent to become WWE Champion, like Kingston did; all he had to do was be Randy Orton.
If Orton could deliver on his promise, this will add more fuel to Kingston’s fire and swerve the WWE universe into wondering whether Kingston would ever win back the WWE Championship.
Since Kingston is a one of the most beloved babyface heroes on the roster, this fear of him never getting back into the WWE title picture would be beneficial for the development of his character, as well as with his connection with the crowd in the long run.
How? WWE fans get behind a babyface who perseveres when his back is against the wall. Yes, Kingston retaining the WWE Championship against main event superstars for a long period of time is a good thing, but it does not mean as much if none of the superstars he battles seem like actual threats to his championship reign.
At this point in time, most WWE fans foresee Kingston as a one-hit wonder who will end up holding that WWE Championship for a long time, dropping it to one of the main event superstars on the roster, and never getting back into that main event scene ever again.
However, if Kingston loses the title to Orton and wins it back at the next PPV to become a two-time WWE champion, he will no longer be seen as that one-hit wonder and would become a more established main event superstar in the eyes of the common viewer.
Although it may sound counterintuitive, the only way Kingston could enhance the crowd’s investment in his championship run is by losing to Orton, so that Orton is seen as an actual threat to his championship and main event status.
More objectively, Orton dethroning Kingston now would even add some truth to the recent rumors of Kingston and Orton’s rivalry being extended to Hell in a Cell in October, which is when Kingston could win the championship back.
Consequently, at Clash of Champions, there won’t be trouble in paradise because coconuts on a tropical Jamaican island inconveniently ran out of water. At Clash of Champions, the fun is over because of the three most destructive letters in sports entertainment: RKO!
Prediction: Randy Orton