Tag: WWE predictions

WWE Clash in Paris preview & predictions: The final Peacock PLE

Posted on by Ian Carey

WWE presents Clash in Paris Sunday (2 PM Eastern start time with a noon pre-show start) in what will be the final main roster premium live event on Peacock as the promotion moves its PLE content to ESPN beginning next month.

According to this week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter, nearly 30,000 tickets have been distributed. If the crowd is anything like 2024’s Backlash in France, it should be a fun atmosphere. That’s good, because the crowd could end up being the most noteworthy part of this show.

With WWE continuing to run Saturday Night’s Main Event specials on Peacock, Clash in Paris isn’t a complete lame duck show, but WWE’s priority is next month’s Wrestlepalooza on ESPN.

Clash in Paris won’t be a PLE-level noteworthy event, but there should still be some fun matches. Below are preview, predictions, and betting odds for each:

John Cena vs. Logan Paul

Babyface Cena is a -700 favorite.

I’d actually give him much higher odds considering they are building toward Cena vs. Brock Lesnar for the September 20th show. I’d go as much as -1500 and am genuinely surprised his odds aren’t closer to Roman Reigns’ chances against Bronson Reed.

Perhaps the reason Cena is not as heavy a betting favorite as others on the card is the possibility of Lesnar interfering and costing him the match. But even in that situation, beating Cena before the Lesnar match would be a pretty strange call.

Cena will win clean, but the real question is whether Lesnar shows up. That might depend entirely on whether Lesnar personally feels like flying all the way to Paris.

Prediction: John Cena

WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins defends against CM Punk, LA Knight and Jey Uso in a four-way

Rollins is a -3000 favorite to retain and barring a mid-match injury (a legitimate one this time), he absolutely will.

This is definitely a lame duck World Heavyweight Championship match. With it being a four-way, you can have Rollins retain and keep everyone relatively strong in the process. A harder question is who will take the pin. One of your top three babyfaces is going to do it, but it can be after multiple finishers, chicanery, and the like.

Knight has the next highest odds at +600, but he isn’t getting his first World title win here. Punk has +900 odds (but that’s not happening either) and Uso is at +1000.

Rollins will win via dirty underhanded bad guy tactics and then will laugh maniacally about it.

Prediction: Seth Rollins retains

Roman Reigns vs. Bronson Reed

The Tribal Chief is a -1500 favorite to defeat The Tribal Thief and the owner of the shoe-la-fala in Reed.

Wrestlers stealing the shoes off other wrestlers could become more prevalent moving forward. I don’t know that there is any type of sponsorship deal between Nike and WWE regarding the Jordan-brand sneakers Reed now wears around his neck, but I’m sure Nick Khan is working on it.

This will be Reigns’ first singles match since the January Raw Netflix debut when he defeated Solo Sikoa. It feels like he could use a few wins. He’ll win this one but I think this feud continues after, especially if Khan does get a Nike deal done in time.

Prediction: Roman Reigns

WWE Women’s Intercontinental Champion Becky Lynch defends against Nikki Bella

Lynch is a -1500 favorite to retain and that seems about right.

There is one factor regarding her title reign that at least creates some room to believe Bella could win. Season two of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy is set to start filming soon and while there’s been no announcement that Lynch is returning, she did say in an interview that she expects to be part of the cast. That would mean her schedule could become limited in the near future.

And if Lynch gets over in the Star Trek universe (or one of its many parallel dimensions), The Man probably won’t be coming around as often for much longer.

I just can’t see her dropping the belt to Bella even if that is the case, though as they’ll find someone else for her to drop it to on Raw.

Prediction: Becky Lynch retains

Rusev vs. Sheamus in a Good Ol’ Donnybrook match

Rusev is a -300 favorite to beat his former League of Nations stablemate.

With this being his first feud since returning in April, I think Rusev needs to win what I’m assuming is the blowoff match on Sunday. They’ve exchanged wins and had a double countout on Raw, so Paris will likely to decide the winner of the program.

Sheamus losing won’t hurt him as much as it would hurt Rusev to lose his first big PLE match back. It really depends on where on the card WWE plans to use the former Miro moving forward. They might not have that figured out yet.

Prediction: Rusev

WWE Tag Team Champions The Wyatt Sicks defend against The Street Profits

With the Street Profits just having qualified for a title shot on Friday, betting odds aren’t yet available for this match, but I’m expecting the Wyatt Sicks to retain.

There have been a lot of title changes in this division lately, and the titles being held by the group that doesn’t wrestle much feels like the format they’re going to stick with for now. Also, The Wyatts have an attraction at Universal Studios debuting this weekend as part of its annual Halloween-themed season. I’m not saying that’s a reason WWE wouldn’t have them drop the titles, but these days it’s all about keeping the sponsors happy. Maybe someone will go through a Slim Jim table.

Prediction: The Wyatts retain

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WWE Evolution preview & predictions: ‘Liv Morgan’s injured, but we did our best’

Posted on by Ian Carey

Image: WWE

It wasn’t a smooth riding leading into WWE Evolution, but there are some decent matches lined up for Sunday’s premium live event.

Of all the people WWE likely didn’t want to get injured before the PLE, it was Liv Morgan. It was either going to be her against Nikki Bella or she and Raquel Rodriguez against Nikki & Brie Bella in the main event. Either way, it would have been the featured angle heading into the show, the one used to sell tickets and such.

Morgan not being on the show hurts, but so does not having Bella in a marquee match. I think some fans underestimate how big of stars the Bellas are. Their Bella Army is massive but not necessarily tied to wrestling all the time. They follow Nikki and Brie wherever they go and there would be far more buzz about Evolution if Nikki hadn’t been relegated to the battle royal.

Still, some good matches and interesting stories could take place on Sunday. Below are previews and predictions for each match at Evolution:

WWE Women’s Champion Tiffany Stratton defends against Trish Stratus

Stratton is a -2000 favorite to retain and I certainly wouldn’t bet against that.

It’s not hard to figure out why the oddsmakers are so certain Stratton will win. Stratus is a returning legend and while that’s fun for now, she’s not going to be back for the long haul. I don’t think too many fans are going into this one thinking she has a shot. Stratton will win clean.

Naomi cashing in the Money in the Bank briefcase could be teased here, but I’m not sure it will happen. If she does attempt it, I’d expect Stratus to help Stratton fight her off before the two babyfaces share a passing of the torch moment in the ring together.

Prediction: Tiffany Stratton retains

WWE Women’s World Champion IYO SKY defends against Rhea Ripley

It was good sportsmanship of SKY to pick Rhea Ripley as her title challenger for Evolution, but it’s likely going to cost her the championship.

Ripley is listed as a -500 favorite to win and I would even go higher than that. There could always be some outside hijinxs to cause an upset, but I think it’s time to put the belt back on Ripley and I believe WWE knows this as well.

Similar to the other babyface vs. babyface World title match on the show, it will likely be a clean finish and there could be an angle at the end when they fight off some interfering heels such as Roxanne Perez & Raquel Rodriguez.

Prediction: Rhea Ripley wins the title

WWE Women’s Intercontinental Champion Becky Lynch defends against Bayley and Lyra Valkyria in a three-way

Lynch is listed as a -2000 favorite to retain and she probably will, but those odds are too high for me.

Obviously, it’s a triple threat match for a title and Lynch is the only heel in there so this appears to be set up for her to retain by stealing a pin or some other type of under-handed chicanery.

Triple H doesn’t always do things right by the book, however. This is the guy who will have the babyface team get the advantage in WarGames matches after all, so just because it’s set up like this doesn’t necessarily mean Lynch will win.

Bayley (+350) hasn’t exactly been a true blue babyface leading up to this match, either. She could easily do something underhanded to get the win and it wouldn’t be inconsistent with how she’s been acting lately. There is a big part of me that thinks she could do exactly that, leading to Lynch and Valkyria (+600) both blaming the other and continuing their feud without the Intercontinental title involved.

Is it as likely as Lynch stealing a pin to get a cheap win? Probably not.

Prediction: Becky Lynch retains

NXT Women’s Champion Jacy Jayne defends against Jordynne Grace

As of this writing, Grace is a -250 favorite to win the NXT Women’s Championship at Evolution but I would rate her as a much heavier favorite than that.

This match currently has the closest odds of any on the show. I feel pretty confident Grace is walking away with the title, however, likely after Blake Monroe helps her fend off Jayne’s run-in buddies.

With Giulia and Stephanie Vaquer up on the main roster, this is Grace’s division now and her crowning takes place at Evolution. I’m not certain how long of a reign she will have as she probably can’t be kept away from the main roster for much longer either. And Monroe is right there to take the title off her when that time comes.

Prediction: Jordynne Grace wins the title

WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Raquel Rodriguez & Roxanne Perez defend against Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss, Asuka & Kairi Sane, and Sol Ruca & Zaria in a four-way

The oddsmakers have Rodriguez and Perez listed as -500 favorites to retain.

The next highest odds are Bliss and Flair at +300 who are my picks to win. I don’t know if their story needs the titles, but they need a reason to continue teaming together and winning the belts accomplishes that.

I read Flair’s Players Tribune article and I listen to a lot of her interviews. It’s clear she really wants to be liked. You can tell it would mean a lot to her. There is pain there, too. Some of it from being a celebrity who is criticized constantly, some of it from her brother Reid’s passing, and some of it from her failed marriages. I don’t know how much real life is feeding into the on-screen story, but it almost seems as though Bliss’ character sees what’s happening with Ashley Fliehr too.

I’m interested in seeing where this goes. If the story blends in real life and becomes about a constantly criticized celebrity trying to find peace, I’m down for it. It seems like a very relevant story for our times.

Asuka and Sane are listed as +500 underdogs and Sol Ruca and Zaria at +900. I’ve really enjoyed Ruca and Zaria so far and, obviously, the Kabuki Warriors are great, so this should be a fun match.

Prediction: Alexa Bliss & Charlotte Flair win the titles

No holds barred: Jade Cargill vs. Naomi

Cargill is listed as a -2000 favorite and I don’t disagree with that at all.

WWE sees a big star in Cargill and I don’t think she is going to lose a singles match (other than a MITB cash-in scenario) in a long, long time. This won’t be a squash match, however. They will want Naomi to make this a competitive bout. That’s likely why it’s no holds barred.

Naomi will use various weapons, including her MITB briefcase, but in the end, Cargill will just be too much for her.

Cargill likely defeats Naomi here, but Naomi likely cashes in sometime soon, probably around SummerSlam, setting up a rematch.

Prediction: Jade Cargill

Battle royal for a title shot at Clash in Paris — Nikki Bella, Stephanie Vaquer, Natalya, Maxxine Dupri, Nia Jax, Ivy Nile confirmed entrants

There are no odds listed for this match but if Nikki Bella doesn’t win, I will be very surprised.

The winner of this bout gets a title shot at Clash in Paris and that seems like a fitting spot for The Bellas to be in the spotlight. There will be surprises, legends returning, and the whole nine yards. It will be a chance for the live crowd to cheer names that they haven’t seen in years while getting as many names as possible on the card.

Prediction: Nikki Bella

WWE Night of Champions preview & predictions: Is John Cena’s heel run nearing its end?

Posted on by Ian Carey

Image: WWE

The days leading up to Saturday’s WWE Night of Champions have been eventful, though not for any reason related to wrestling.

Rather than unpack complex global conflicts in a wrestling preview, I’ll just note that “world events” have created “obstacles” for Night of Champions (1 PM Eastern Saturday on Peacock/Netflix). But there was never much chance WWE would pull out unless they were told, in no uncertain terms, not to go. Saudi Arabia is WWE’s second-largest revenue source, and unless non-negotiable trade or travel restrictions are in place, the show was always happening.

Regarding the venue, this is the first time WWE will be running an event from the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh which officially opened last year. Similar to Natalya, the stadium holds multiple Guinness Book of World Records including for being the largest covered football stadium in the world and having the largest seating capacity for an indoor covered stadium.

In terms of the actual show itself, there are several matches at Night of Champions worth paying attention to.

Below are previews, predictions and betting odds for each.

WWE Night of Champions 2025 predictions

WWE Champion John Cena defends against CM Punk

Cena is currently a -3000 favorite to retain the title and there is little reason to go against those odds.

While the title retention is likely, there are signs his heel turn and title reign may not last much longer. He got cheered heavily when delivering his version of Punk’s “pipe bomb promo” on SmackDown last week, and those cheers were coming from a crowd which seemed ready to play along with the story and boo him when the segment started. However, as it continued, it seems the fans couldn’t help but cheer him on.

Even the fans who used to boo Cena have come around. Perhaps they’ve grown up, maybe had kids, and are better able to see the positive impact he’s had on this industry, even if his in-ring skills don’t measure up to everyone’s expectations.

But in a business that has been embarrassed by several less-than-savory characters who have become rich and famous through it, Cena stands out for all the right reasons. He’s never going to embarrass wrestling the way others in his position have. The fans who cheered for Cena as kids won’t grow up to be disappointed when they find out who the real Cena is as has happened with other top babyfaces.

There are enough fans out there who want to give Cena his flowers before he retires that WWE may pivot and end things early. However, it won’t happen at Night of Champions and he’ll eventually drop the belt back to Cody Rhodes, not Punk. But Cena vs. Punk for the last time ever is a big match to make on a show WWE will be paid a lot of money for.

As for the possibility of R-Truth getting involved here and furthering his storyline with Cena, I don’t know. It probably comes down to if Ron Killings wants to be there or not, but regardless, he and Cena aren’t through yet.

Prediction: John Cena wins & retains

King of the Ring finals: Cody Rhodes vs. Randy Orton

Rhodes is listed as a -700 favorite to beat his former Legacy stablemate.

Rhodes winning the King of the Ring and going on to take the title back from Cena at SummerSlam seems like a nice way to wrap up Cena’s heel turn and get the belt back on your number one babyface. It also could be a good place to start planting the seeds of an Orton heel turn and feud with Rhodes.

Last year, Orton’s match with Gunther in the King of the Ring finals ended in controversy when Orton’s shoulder appeared to be off the mat during the pin. Ultimately, this led to Orton challenging Gunther for the title at Bash in Berlin. I wonder if a similar controversial ending here could send Orton’s character down a path that ultimately leads to him targeting Rhodes later as well.

Prediction: Rhodes becomes 2025 King of the Ring

Queen of the Ring finals: Jade Cargill vs. Asuka

Cargill is currently listed as a -500 favorite to win Queen of the Ring, but I’d honestly give her much higher odds than that.

With Cargill, WWE sees a star in the making and likely was hoping she would be in a main event role months ago. This is a chance to finally move her into a bigger spotlight. She will only ever be paired with great wrestlers on her rise (like Roxanne Perez and Asuka) so that will probably work out okay.

A Cargill win would set her up for a match against Tiffany Stratton at SummerSlam with Naomi and the Money in the Bank briefcase looming in the background. Bianca Belair will also likely have a role to play here too.

But nothing to do with the title will take place at Night of Champions. Cargill will get a clean victory over Asuka that commentary will put over as the biggest test for her yet.

Prediction: Jade Cargill becomes 2025 Queen of the Ring

Sami Zayn vs. Karrion Kross

Zayn is currently a -250 favorite to beat Kross, but I’d give him higher odds than that.

I think Kross probably will get, at least, one victory over Zayn as the story plays out but I don’t believe that will take place here. WWE will want to give the Saudi fans a chance to cheer Zayn on to victory.

Ignoring any political discussion regarding the nature of the events in Saudi, one thing I have grown to really appreciate about them is the fans. When WWE first began running these shows, it seemed like the audience didn’t know much about wrestling, but that’s definitely not the case anymore. These are fun crowds who are knowledgeable on the product and Zayn is their guy. They LOVE him and you can see on Sami’s face how much he loves performing there and being their favorite. Sami’s connection with this audience is really heartwarming, inspiring, and a bunch of other words that basically mean the same thing.

On the other hand though, Kross has been gaining momentum since WrestleMania and has turned it into a singles match on a PLE. I can see people thinking that Kross will win here because he needs to be established a bit more, but I just don’t think they are going to beat Sami in Saudi just yet.

Prediction: Sami Zayn

Women’s Street Fight: Rhea Ripley vs. Raquel Rodriguez

Ripley is currently listed as a -700 favorite to defeat Rodriguez which sounds about right.

With Liv Morgan getting shoulder surgery, plans for several performers have changed. Morgan’s planned match with Nikki Bella at Evolution 2 is off the table now and reports have Morgan replaced by Roxanne Perez in her team with Rodriguez. The growing partnership between Perez and Rodriguez could be on display here, especially since it’s a street fight.

Even though WWE will want to establish Perez and Rodriguez as a dominant force, I still don’t think they will beat Ripley here. It doesn’t feel like a big enough match for someone with Ripley’s star power to lose.

Prediction: Rhea Ripley

United States Champion Jacob Fatu defends against Solo Sikoa

Fatu is currently a -220 favorite to retain the United States title, but I’m going against the grain and picking Sikoa to win the title.

Granted, WWE realizes Fatu is the bigger star and the one the fans have latched onto, but don’t discredit Sikoa’s performances as this angle has played out. He looks more comfortable playing his current character opposite Fatu than he has since he got called up to the main roster.

The other thing working for Sikoa here is the pending debut of Hikuleo. This seems like a perfect opportunity for a new member of his Bloodline to debut and help Sikoa to a title win.

Prediction: Solo Sikoa wins the United States Championship

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