WWE Clash of Champions 2020: 3 possible finishes for Bayley vs. Nikki Cross

3. Bayley wins clean

Yes, I realize predicting a clean finish in a WWE match is analogous to expecting a Michael Bay movie to not have explosions or store-brand nationalism, but WWE could make a shenanigan-less Bayley/Cross match fit into Cross’ larger story with Bliss.

On the Sept. 18 SmackDown, WWE laid outlined the simple-yet-compelling premise for this match: can the white-meat babyface Cross finally best her dastardly archnemesis without sacrificing her morals. The creative team planted the seeds for this by having Lacey Evans question if Cross was “too nice” to get the job done and had Cross’ pal Bliss ask her what she planned to do differently to score that elusive fall over Bayley.

Of course, barring a drastic booking redirection, Cross isn’t expected to win the title at Clash of Champions, so a scenario in which she fights valiantly only to fall short again could lead to Bliss suggesting that she embrace a darker path, triggering either a heel turn for Cross or a split from Bliss while remaining a protagonist.

As for Bayley, the clean win over a solid challenger would further reinforce her status as the top women’s wrestler on SmackDown, which WWE needs to maintain to keep her feud with Banks at the level it should be.