It’s time to go north of the border as we’re in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada for the match and as has been the case for a few years now, the show is centered around WarGames. We have a men’s and women’s edition, with the men’s centered around the Bloodline civil war, with CM Punk and Paul Heyman being added in to really spice things up. That should be enough to make the show work so let’s get to it.

Intercontinental Title: Bron Breakker(c) vs. Sheamus vs. Ludwig Kaiser

This is the continuing saga of Sheamus trying to finally win the Intercontinental Title, which has been set up for years now before WWE actually pulls the trigger. That opens up the possibility of WWE going there this time around, though I’m not sure if that is what they’re going to do. Breakker holding onto the title is certainly a possibility, but Kaiser has been ding some very nice work recently as well.

I think I’ll go with Breakker retaining here as you don’t want him losing the title again so soon, but at the same time, I wouldn’t be stunned to see Kaiser steal the belt. Sheamus almost has to win the title at some point, which could make for a heck of a WrestleMania moment if that is where they want to go. For now though, I’ll take Breakker to retain, as it’s the best option at the moment.

United States Title: LA Knight(c) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura

Here we have the other midcard title match, which is a bit less complicated, as Nakamura returned and went after the title, even misting Knight in the eyes. Knight isn’t happy and is ready to fight, as is Nakamura most of the time. Knight is in a weird place as he’s a fighting champion but this feud was just kind of dropped into place out of nowhere with little connection between them. On the other hand, Nakamura has been gone for months so he needs something to do.

I’m not sure what to do here but I’ll go with Knight retaining the title, possibly via DQ, as I don’t think this is it for the two of them. Knight shouldn’t be losing the title so soon but Nakamura shouldn’t be losing his first big match back. We’ll say Nakamura mists Knight again for the DQ to set up a rematch where Knight can go over clean, but for now they do something to extend the story.

Raw World Title: Gunther(c) vs. Damian Priest

This is a rematch from Summerslam where Gunther beat Priest for the title, albeit with help from Finn Balor. This time around it should be a bit more of a straight up match, though in this case Priest is getting inside Gunther’s head. Gunther seems to be questioning whether he can actually beat Priest, who has shown that he is capable of winning a fight rather than a match.

That being said, I can’t imagine the title changes here, as Gunther seems poised for some major matches going forward. We’ve already seen Priest having a major run with the belt so he can lose here to give Gunther the clean (well likely cleaner) win that he didn’t get at Summerslam. I’m not sure what is next for Priest at the moment, but he doesn’t need to get the title back. Yet.

Women’s WarGames

Now we get to the focal point of the show, as a pair of ragtag groups come together in the biggest team match that WWE has all year. Bayley is a last minute replacement for the (possibly) injured Jade Cargill and that has the radar going up. Someone attacked Cargill and there is a good chance that the attacker will be revealed during the match. That very well may cost the team, and odds are that’s where this goes.

I’ll take Team Jax to win here, likely through some kind of betrayal when the attacker reveals themselves. Bianca Belair herself would be a likely way to go (likely, not necessarily logical), with Naomi possibly taking the fall. Either way, this is going to be about what happened to Cargill and odds are we find out a big piece of that puzzle this week, especially with the last minute change having to take place.

Men’s WarGames

This is the big one though, as CM Punk and Paul Heyman are back to help cut off the Bloodline once and for all. I’m not sure how that is going to go, but at the end of the day it is going to be the latest chapter in the big drama. Heyman very well could turn on Reigns or they could fight off the Bloodline again. Either way, we could be in for something rather big, which is the point of the whole thing.

I think I’ll go with Reigns and company winning here, just because the team has been beaten down so many times lately. At some point they have to win something back and beating the Bloodline in WarGames would be a good place to start. I’m not sure where it goes from here, but for now, the Bloodline takes a loss, likely with one of the Tongas getting pinned to help preserve Sikoa’s status.

Overall Thoughts

This show is absolutely stacked, with three title matches and a pair of WarGames matches. That’s a pretty good lineup for one night and I want to see how it goes. We’re getting into the interesting time in WWE’s calendar as we have this, then two weeks before Saturday Night’s Main Event and then it is time to get ready for the Royal Rumble. This show is both part of the end and part of the beginning and the pieces are there for a rather awesome show if everything goes as planned.

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We’re back to one of the main four pay per views but things are only going so well for AEW right now. The promotion is focused on the Death Riders and various people trying to rise up against them, with Orange Cassidy getting the shot against Jon Moxley this week. Other than that, there are some grudge and title matches filling out the card, though it’s only looking so interesting. Let’s get to it.

Zero Hour: Big Boom AJ vs. QT Marshall

This is the Costco Guys match as AEW gets what I guess passes for a celebrity these days. I have a grand total of no idea who these people are and from their limited appearances, I have no reason to believe I’m going to be interested, but I’m also the definition of not the audience for something like this. That being said, this is also a great example of something that should be harmless.

Of course AJ wins here as there is no reason for him not to. Marshall is little more than a comedy goof and he’ll get beaten up by the kids here so AJ can win. I’m sure AEW will hype up the appearances from the social media celebrities and it’ll have a limited impact, but that is the kind of thing that has been done in wrestling for years. The match will be little more than a detail and that’s all it needs to be.

Zero Hour: Deonna Purrazzo vs. Anna Jay

This was added at the last minute, which is pretty normal around AEW, though in this case the two of them have had some issues lately. Jay turned down Purrazzo and the Vendetta’s offer to help her against Mariah May and now Purrazzo is ready to get some revenge. She’s also the home area star so there should be quite the crowd reaction, which is a bit of an odd choice for a villain.

I’ll go with Purrazzo to win here, as she is not only the hometown star but she also has Taya Valkyrie to help her out. The Vendetta hasn’t really done anything so giving the team a win here should make sense. While it would make sense for Jay to win here, as she’s lost lately and given her up and down win/loss record throughout her entire time in AEW, it should be Purrazzo going over.

Zero Hour: Beast Mortos vs. Komander vs. Dante Martin vs. Buddy Matthews

Ah there it is, as we have the match with no particular need to be on the show added at the last minute. It feels like little more than a Rampage main event and something similar probably has been more than once. If nothing else, it has been at least a week since we’ve seen Komander and that is just far too infrequently for someone who seemingly has to be around so often.

I’ll take Matthews to win here, as he’s the only one of the four who hasn’t been beaten into the ground. Mortos needs a win to boost himself back up a bit but that isn’t something you often see around here. Komander and Martin are pretty firmly stuck in their spots and not going anywhere, so there is pretty much no reason to believe that either of them has a chance. Matthews should win here, though he should have won multiple times before and rarely does so it’s fairly up in the air.

Jay White vs. Hangman Page

This is a match that should be one sided on paper, but the more I think about it, the less sure I am. White has come back and hit the ground running, doing some of his best singles work since coming to AEW. That being said, Page feels like he is taking quite the downgrade in this feud, as he went from headlining a pay per view to trading wins with White. It’s not terrible, but it feels like Page should be doing something better.

I’ll go with Page winning here to end the feud, as he could easily be moved into the main event scene again. While there is a chance that White wins here and Page teams up with Swerve Strickland to fight off the Bang Bang Gang, Page needs the win here more. If nothing else he needs to it move him on to something bigger, and in theory that is what happens here.

Will Ospreay vs. Kyle Fletcher

For the life of me I do not get why Ospreay is still stuck with the Don Callis Family feud, yet here we are in what should be the blowoff to the whole thing. AEW has tried as hard as they can to make Fletcher into a bigger thing and while it has certainly not been a failure, Ospreay still feels like a far bigger star and should win here to allow him to move on to anything else.

For the sake of my sanity, I’ll go with Ospreay winning here, even if the Family interfering to extend the feud would not surprise me in the slightest. Ospreay is someone who should be coming after Jon Moxley and the World Title, but first he has to get through this. It feels like that has been the case for most of his AEW run and it would be nice to see him get out of that cycle for once.

TBS Title: Mercedes Mone(c) vs. Kris Statlander

This story has been more about Mone treating Kamille like a loser and in theory that could lead to the two splitting in the near future. That could set up Kamille taking the title away from Mone down the line, which would mean that Mone needs to retain it here. That’s not the most thrilling story and certainly isn’t doing Kamille any favors at the moment, but it should make things easier to predict here.

For now, I can’t imagine Mone losing the title as it seems like AEW wants her to have some kind of an epic reign. At some point she is going to lose the title and it might be to Kamille down the line, but for now she is going to beat Statlander to retain. Statlander needs a win of some kind, but for now it looks like she is going to lose as Mone continues to not be anywhere near as special as AEW seems to see her.

TNT Title: Jack Perry(c) vs. Daniel Garcia

For the first time in a good while, I actually have some hope about Perry losing the title. Garcia is another name AEW seems interested in pushing as a big deal and at some point that means he is going to have to win something. I’m not sure if it is going to be the TNT Title, but it would not shock me to see AEW go in that direction. If nothing else, a break from Perry as champion could be quite the benefit.

Unfortunately, I don’t think that’s where AEW is going to go as I’ll take Perry to retain the title. AEW seems to think he’s some kind of great character and a huge deal, so for some reason that is what we are going to see or the time being. The match should be good and Garcia should win, but ultimately this feels like another case of Perry being the unstoppable force who leaves with the title. Again.

International Title: Konosuke Takeshita(c) vs. Ricochet

And now we have the video game match of the show which has all of the potential to be incredibly fun. These two could absolutely tear the house down and I could go for seeing what they have the chance to do. Takeshita finally won a title and is now getting the chance to show what he can do on top. Ricochet is someone who can have a heck of a match with anyone and there is a chance to do something great here.

I’ll go with Takeshita to retain here, as there is almost no reason to have him lose the title so soon. Ricochet probably shouldn’t be losing another high profile match so quickly into his time in AEW, but losing to Takeshita is hardly a bad thing. At the end o the day, Takeshita is someone that AEW should be getting behind and it would be nice to see him getting a win on the big stage here, especially over a talent like Ricochet.

Tag Team Titles: Private Party(c) vs. House Of Black vs. Outrunners vs. Acclaimed

This has the potential to be the big wild party match with everyone going nuts and getting in all of their usual stuff. That should make for a rather fun showcase, even though the match is rather light on villains. The question here is what the twist might be, as there is little reason to believe that things are going to go off without a hitch. Well and who leaves with the titles of course.

Despite Private Party not exactly feeling like a great team before they won the tiles, I’ll take them to retain here, likely with FTR turning on the Outrunners to cost them the titles. It should make for a good match either way, and the kind of entertaining match that the show needs. I could see the House winning the titles, but this feels like Private Party getting a pay per view win rather than the usual on television.

Maxwell Jacob Friedman vs. Roderick Strong

I have no idea why this match is taking place. The Adam Cole vs. MJF feud is long since dead but for some reason we are now going to see MJF vs. Cole’s most of the time friend. Strong’s backstory involving his parents was dropped into this feud at the last minute and it didn’t exactly feel right. I’m not sure how well the match is going to go, but the story definitely needs a boost.

There is no reason for MJF to lose here as he still has the showdown with Cole coming, so I’ll go with MJF getting the win. At the end of the day, MJF has been gone for a long time now and he is going to need a win to boost him up before the likely match at World’s End, as AEW would love to do that whole “it’s been a year since the stunning betrayal” deal. That doesn’t make for a good story, but it’s likely the story we’re getting.

Swerve Strickland vs. Bobby Lashley

I saved one of the best for near the end as this has been the match that interests me the most. Lashley is the new monster but Strickland has been stepping his game up to fight him. This included a heck of a segment this week on Dynamite with Strickland taking Lashley and the rest of the Hurt Syndicate out to stand tall. That made him look like a star, but that might be it.

I just can’t imagine Lashley losing his first big match so we’ll go with the logical choice of him taking Strickland out here. There is a good chance that the feud continues with Strickland getting some help, possibly in the form of Hangman Page, to make things that much more nutty. For now though, Lashley needs to win, with Strickland giving it his all in defeat.

AEW World Title: Jon Moxley(c) vs. Orange Cassidy

And then there’s this, which just does not feel special. The Death Riders have been dominating the promotion for the last few months and it does not feel like we are anywhere close to that story being over. Cassidy is the first challenger to the title and while he is someone who could be a threat to Moxley, there is a heck of a gap between that and actually winning the title.

There is almost no chance that Cassidy wins here, as Moxley gets to claim another victim and move on to something else, possibly Darby Allin, down the line. The Death Riders are going to be the big focus of the company for a good while to come, and that includes them winning here. Hopefully something big happens in the match, as otherwise it just isn’t feeling that important.

Overall Thoughts

This show isn’t terrible, but it also isn’t jumping off the page. There are a few matches that I want to see, but I’m having a hard time getting interested in where things go after. That has been the case with AEW for a good while and unfortunately I’m not sure I can see it changing. A lot of this show feels like it is designed to set up things for later, and that doesn’t make for the most interesting show from here. Odds are it will be good as most AEW pay per views are, but the whole promotion needs something fresh and soon.

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I’m not sure how to act like I’m interested in this show as there just very much here that I want to see. The show’s main matches are designed around titles that are going to be kept on display at the WWE Experience in Saudi Arabia while the Bloodline match seems to be more about getting us ready or Survivor Series. That doesn’t leave much to get excited about but maybe I can talk my way there. Let’s get to it.

Seth Rollins vs. Bronson Reed

This is all about Rollins getting revenge on Reed for attacking him a few months ago, resulting in Rollins being left out of action. They’ve been fighting since Rollins got back and this week saw Reed damage Rollins’ ribs. That should make for a big fight, as Rollins is often good at coming back from big odds to win in the end. That is of course assuming it’s the way they go.

I think I’ll take Reed to win here, as he can go a long way with beating Rollins and getting the biggest victory of his career. On the other hand, a Rollins win really diminishes Reed, who is getting over as a monster. There is some potential to this one though and it’s probably the match I’m looking forward to the most. They could do something good here and hopefully it sees Reed getting a heck of an upgrade.

Women’s Tag Team Titles: Bianca Belair/Jade Cargill(c) vs. Piper Niven/Chelsea Green vs. Meta Four vs. Damage CTRL

I’m not sure how they managed to make it work but WWE has put together something resembling a women’s tag division. It doesn’t have a bunch of depth, but this feels like something better than what they’ve been doing in recent years. For now, I’ll certainly take that, as we could be getting something going with these belts after trying to make it work forever.

As for a winner….I almost want to say Meta Four but I’ll go with a pick I expect to be wrong and says Green/Niven. Damage CTRL feels like it’s been done and Belair/Cargill can lose the titles without taking much damage as a result. Meta Four winning could give them quite the elevation, but Green has more than earned some kind of a reward after everything she’s done so I’ll take a wild shot with them.

US Title: LA Knight(c) vs. Andrade vs. Carmelo Hayes

This hasn’t been the smoothest build as Knight has felt like a villain throughout most of it, but he’s just kind of a jerk in general so it’s not the biggest switch. Andrade and Hayes have been fighting for months so giving both of them a title shot works as well. That means the title could go in a number of ways, but as you might have guessed, I can’t picture it going in more than one.

I’ll go with Knight to retain here, as there is little reason to think he’s only going to be the champion for about three months. Hayes and Andrade are both capable challengers, but this feels like a way for Knight to beat both of them at once and get to brag about it. That’s the best way to go, as Knight should be holding the title for a lot longer. Just find something else for the other two do from here though, as it’s time to move on.

Randy Orton vs. Kevin Owens

This is a grudge match as Owens is mad about Orton and Cody Rhodes being willing to work with Roman Reigns after all the years of battling against him. It’s kind of an interesting long form look at how some people aren’t going to be forgiving after everything that has taken place. You don’t get that kind of an idea very often but it’s working well here, as it rather suits Owens.

This one shouldn’t be that complicated as Owens is going to have to go after Rhodes at some point, so he’ll nee to beat Orton on the way there. I’m not seeing any reason for Orton to win here, as Owens has a bigger story going on. You can easily reheat for his major match with Orton down the line. For now though, this needs to be Owens wrecking Orton, which he is certainly capable of doing.

Bloodline vs. Roman Reigns/Usos

At least Reigns and the Usos don’t have some kind of special name yet. This is another match where it feels like we’re just having to get through this on the way to the bigger story later on. The Usos and Reigns are back together and trying to fight off the new Bloodline, which is probably not going to go that well for them just yet. The big issue they’re facing is probably the main point of the story coming up.

In case it’s somehow unclear, this is going to be the Bloodline, who will likely win thanks to their numbers advantage. Reigns and the Usos are going to need a fourth and there shouldn’t be much of a secret about who that’s going to be. Until Sami Zayn can join them though, Reigns and the Usos are going to be in trouble and that will result in a loss here, likely thanks to Jacob Fatu (or whoever doesn’t wrestle).

Women’s Crown Jewel Title: Nia Jax vs. Liv Morgan

I can’t believe they’re actually going through this this, as it doesn’t see that even Rhea Ripley being healthy wouldn’t have shaken this up. The only good thing here is the tease of Tiffany Stratton cashing in the Money In The Bank briefcase as it opens up some actual stakes which could matter after this show is over. That isn’t enough to make me want to see the match, but it does help things out a bit.

I’ll take Jax to win here, as Morgan beating her (even as she has before) is more than a stretch. At the same time, I don’t think Stratton will successfully cash in, as WWE likes to tease something like that so much. Ultimately though, Jax continues her path of destruction as we continue to wait for someone to challenger her. Like Jade Cargill in a few months maybe.

Men’s Crown Jewel Title: Gunther vs. Cody Rhodes

Odds are this headlines (it’s this or the six man) and I’m still not able to get into it. This is the kind of match that should be headlining a big pay per view with some real stakes but, instead, it’s the old Battle For Brand Supremacy style match and that’s not something that has worked most o the time. It really isn’t here, as both of them feel like they’re just getting through this to move on to something else.

Give me Gunther to win here I guess, as Rhodes could have some kind of interference to cut him off (Owens springs to mind). The wrestling itself should be good, but it still feels rather dumb to have one of them lose for the sake of a ring (because they don’t even take the belt with them). I really could go with a better reason for them to be fighting, but I’ll go with Gunther collecting another piece of hardware with the win.

Overall Thoughts

The more I think about this show, the more I’m thinking it’s just a show that we have to get through before we get on to Survivor Series. I get that it’s all about making the Saudis happy and all that jazz, but dang could they come up with something a bit more interesting to make us sit through instead? For now, I’m sure the wrestling will be adequate at worst, but I’m looking forward to moving on to anything else.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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We’re back on pay per view and that could make for a good show, as AEW has a pretty good record on these things. At the same time though, this show hasn’t exactly looked the strongest on paper and that isn’t instilling me with hope. It would be nice to see this show exceed expectations, but there are only a few matches on the top that are feeling important. Let’s get to it.

Zero Hour: Ring Of Honor TV Title: Atlantis Jr.(c) vs. Brian Cage

This was announced a few weeks ago on ROH’s weekly show and it has been barely been mentioned since, with Cage throwing in a quick promo this week and that’s about it. In this case we have Atlantis Jr. having been champion for a few months now and not exactly feeling important. That still puts him ahead of Cage, who hasn’t done anything significant in the better part of ever.

I’ll go with Atlantis Jr. retaining here, as there is just no reason to believe that Cage is going to win anything on his own. I’m not sure why Atlantis Jr. is still holding the title, but for some reason he’s coming up on four months as champion without doing anything important. This should be a fine enough way to warm things up, even if it is the least hyped title match I’ve seen since last week’s Ring Of Honor.

Zero Hour: MxM Collection vs. The Acclaimed

Here we at least have something from the regular AEW TV shows and in that case we could be seeing something interesting as the Collection has said they are going to have someone in their corner. That could go in a variety of ways as they are going to be counteracting Billy Gunn, which is no easy task. Or it could be a complete disappointment, ala the whole Max Caster jacket reveal.

I’ll go with the Collection winning thanks to the person they have in their corner, as they need a win far more than the Acclaimed, who have nothing going on at the moment. This is pretty much entirely built around who might be in the Collection’s corner, as there is just nothing else going on that would make this match work. It would be nice to keep it short and to the point, which is where the Zero Hour show detail gives me some hope.

Zero Hour: Anna Jay vs. Harley Cameron

So Jay is back after her sojourn in Japan and is supposed to be all extra skilled and deadly now. While she has done a few different things, she hasn’t shown herself to be anything that much better than her previous time in the company. She needs to be consistently pushed if AEW wants to turn her into something serious, and facing Cameron is not going to help that in any way.

Of course I’ll take Jay here, as Cameron is just there for the sake of making her look good. That should work well, but it’s not likely to be the match that takes Jay up to the next level. It’s nice to see her getting a win on a bigger show, but Jay is firmly in a place where she needs to be pushed harder or it is going to wind up being in the exact same problem she has had for years.

Ring Of Honor World Title: Mark Briscoe(c) vs. Chris Jericho

Yes Jericho is still getting another title shot and no you should not be surprised by that in the slightest. This is what happens with Jericho over and over and he is doing it again here, with a title he already won a few years ago. Jericho has invoked the name of Mark’s brother Jay to really make this serious and thankfully Mark has been able to carry things a bit further from here.

While Briscoe has done absolutely nothing in his six months as champion, there is no reason to put the title on Jericho. If nothing else, AEW needs to get away from Jericho, who has been around and near titles so frequently that it is little more than a running joke. That being said, yeah I think he’ll win it here, because it’s just kind of what Jericho does. Even if he doesn’t win, it’s hard to believe he’ll take a step back, so just go with Jericho winning here as it cuts out all of the middle nonsense.

Darby Allin vs. Brody King

This is the third match in a feud that has been going on for over a year and while it is kind of good, it feels like a major step down for Allin. After he was stupid enough to put his completely earned World Title match on the line, he then loses to Jon Moxley and is left facing one third of a trio rather than in some kind of a big match. Sure he’ll get a big reaction because he’s Allin and he’s near his hometown, but there is still something missing.

I’ll take Allin to win here, as there is absolutely no reason for King to win. This should be Allin throwing himself around like a pinball against the monster King and that should work out rather well. After this though, Allin needs to do something significant, as otherwise he is running the risk of dropping way too far down the ladder. Beating King won’t fix things, but it will at least give him a win.

TNT Title: Jack Perry(c) vs. Katsuyori Shibata

We’ll get this one out of the way as it might be the most obvious result on the entire show. AEW has made it clear that they are going to do whatever they need to do to make Perry into the most amazing, toughest star in wrestling today and beating Shibata is the next way to go. Shibata feels like someone who is thrown out there to make Perry look better and that is what we’re looking at here.

Naturally I’ll take Perry to win here, as he is clearly the next big project for AEW and he is going to get another win here over someone of Shibata’s status. Perry can win here and move on to his next victim before we hopefully get to someone to take the title off of him. That isn’t going to be Shibata, who is only there to make Perry look like a star, because that is what AEW wants to do.

Tag Team Titles: Young Bucks(c) vs. Private Party

Ok so when I said the TNT Title match might be the most obvious result, I had completely forgotten about this one. This is a match that is being built around the memory of Private Party beating the Bucks in a total fluke FIVE YEARS AGO. The fact that Private Party has done absolutely nothing important since then should tell you everything that you need to know about this match.

Of course it’s going to be the Bucks winning here, giving the fans the most obvious result imaginable. There has never been a reason to believe Private Party was going to win here and while they’ll likely put in a hard fight, the Bucks aren’t going to lose their big, epic reign here. I’m not sure who is going to the titles from the Bucks, but it isn’t going to be a team who has been as nothing as Private Party for so long.

International Title: Will Ospreay(c) vs. Ricochet vs. Konosuke Takeshita

NOW we’re getting somewhere as this could go in all three different directions. Ospreay has issues with both challengers, Ricochet is brand new and could use the win and Takeshita is LONG overdue to win something. When you factor in that Ospreay has lost more than a few times, there is a real chance that he loses here again. That makes things a lot more intriguing and I’m not sure who to pick.

I guess I’ll take Ospreay to win, but my goodness I could go for Takeshita getting the title here. The best thing here is that any of the three are viable options to win the whole thing and that is not something you often see. There is a very good chance that this match steals the show and I’m rather looking forward to what is going to happen. That isn’t something that is going to happen very often on this show and I like what’s going on with this one.

Women’s Title: Mariah May(c) vs. Willow Nightingale

So here we have the latest attempt to have Nightingale win a title (and keep it for any significant time). Nightingale is one of the most lovable stars in all of wrestling and there is almost nothing to dislike about her. At the same time though, it is hard to imagine May losing to anyone not named Toni Storm, or at least not losing until Storm is back. Nightingale is a star, but I’m not sure she’s ready for this spot.

As much as I’d love to see Nightingale pull this off, it is hard to fathom that she gets the title here, which is why I’ll take May. That isn’t the worst idea, but dang Nightingale getting so close and having her one title reign be used to make Mercedes Mone a champion was rough. May wins here and gets to keep her title reign going while hope continues to spring eternal for Nightingale.

Hangman Page vs. Jay White

So White made his return recently and wanted revenge on Page, but that might not be enough here. Page is coming off winning a pay per view main event match over a former World Champion. While White is a former World Champion in his own right, he’s not feeling anywhere near Page’s level at the moment. That should make for a pretty clear result and that is what I think we’ll be seeing.

I’ll go with Page here, as while I like White, there is no reason to believe he has any kind of a chance against Page. Ultimately, Page very well could be the next big thing in the main event scene, though facing White after last month’s war against Swerve Strickland does feel like a downgrade. For now though, Page will be getting another win over a name and that should tide him over until Full Gear.

Hologram vs. The Beast Mortos

This is 2/3 falls, in theory so that Hologram can get credit for two wins or some other such nonsense. Hologram is yet another project for AEW and while he has won a bunch of matches, he hasn’t really done anything significant, it does make sense to put him on pay per view. It doesn’t make sense to have him face someone like Mortos, who was put into a bigger story on Dynamite with Jake Roberts coming on board.

Roberts or no Roberts though, there is no way that Hologram is going to lose his first match in this spot. I’m not even sure I can imagine him losing a fall, at least by pin or submission. This should go to Hologram, but after this, can we please move him on to something a bit more interesting? He has enough wins under his feet to move on but he has to beat Mortos first, which he will here.

AEW World Title: Bryan Danielson(c) vs. Jon Moxley

Believe it or not, Moxley is back in the World Title scene and is talking about how awesome and tough and violent he really is. It’s something we’ve seen time after time and there is nothing that makes this one stand out, to the point where he already has a lot of the same backup this time around. Apparently he has a secret leader this time though, and it wouldn’t shock me to see the big reveal here.

As annoying as it is, I’ll go with Moxley to win here, as it feels like the biggest story in AEW at the moment. Give us the big reveal, let Moxley have his title reign (again) and do whatever he’s talking about this time. Danielson will likely come back later on in some way, but for now, Moxley seems to be the big focal point and we’ll get to hear him talk about how tough and intense he is for months to come.

Overall Thoughts

There are matches on this show that have me interested, but it would be so much better as a seven or eight match card rather than almost twice that long. There is stuff on here which just does not belong on pay per view and matches like that are going to make for a very long show when this thing is pushing four hours. I’m interested in some matches on this show, but it isn’t the strongest pay per view card, which is something I’m saying more and more regularly on the things.

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For some reason, WWE has decided to bring this one back and I’m really not sure why. Bad Blood was never anything more than one of those shows that you mostly forgot ever existed and it hasn’t been around in over twenty years. Now we’re getting a fresh version with a pretty big card and that could make for a rather nice show. It almost has to be better than the last time they brought this thing back. Let’s get to it.

Raw Women’s Title: Liv Morgan(c) vs. Rhea Ripley

The catch here is that Dominik Mysterio will be suspended above the ring in a shark cage. That could open up a few options, as the question isn’t so much will he cheat but rather how, along with will he have someone helping him. That has to be done though, as otherwise Ripley would destroy Morgan in all of eight seconds. This is still one of the biggest feuds on Raw at the moment, but I’m not sure where it goes next.

As much as I want to say Ripley gets the title back here, I’m not sure if it’s a big enough stage. Therefore, we’ll say Morgan escapes again, even if it feels completely wrong to say that. At some point, Ripley is going to absolutely crush Morgan and get the title back, though it almost has to take place soon. I’m thinking they squeeze one more match out of it though, with Morgan retaining here through some kind of screwiness.

Smackdown Women’s Title: Nia Jax(c) vs. Bayley

This is the only other title match on the show and it’s a rematch from about two months ago at Summerslam when Jax took the title from Bayley. Just like last time, Tiffany Stratton and the Money In The Bank briefcase are hanging around but that is still a get out of title reign free card. Bayley isn’t feeling like a big challenger, but there aren’t many other options at the moment.

I can’t imagine Jax losing the title so soon and Bayley isn’t feeling like a strong challenger in the first place, so yeah Jax retains here. Maybe they do something ridiculous like having Naomi turn on Bayley, but there is no reason to change the title here. Stratton can cash-in later, with or without success, but that isn’t something I can imagine happening here. Teases of course, though not an actual title change.

Finn Balor vs. Damian Priest

Here we have a grudge match as Judgment Day and the Terror Twins explode. Priest has been wanting to get his hands on Balor for a good while now and there are going to be more than a few lackeys there to help save Balor. While Balor isn’t quite as vulnerable as Morgan, he loses is Priest can even the odds enough, which very well could end this feud once and for all.

I’m thinking that’s exactly what happens, as Priest beats Balor and finally gets to move on. Priest is already a former World Champion and could easily be moved back into the main event picture with a nice win here. Judgment Day is already losing steam and I’m not sure how much longer it needs to stay around. Priest should win here and hopefully be done with the whole thing.

CM Punk vs. Drew McIntyre

This is the Cell match and somehow reportedly not the main event. That would seem to be the kind of match that would headline the show, but in this case there is a good chance that it opens the show for the sake of saving some time. Punk vs. McIntyre has been the runaway Feud Of The Year so far and if they can stick the landing here, the whole thing goes even higher up the all time list. But who wins?

I keep going back and forth on this one, but I think I’ll go with Punk winning. It’s the good guy (ok the better of the two rather than the good) winning in the end and McIntyre can come back later to do something else. Punk can take a bit of a hiatus and move on to something else as he only has a limited time in the ring to go. I could be wrong here, but I’ll take Punk going over here.

Cody Rhodes/Roman Reigns vs. Bloodline

This is the main event and that makes me think something big is going to happen here. Reigns vs. Rhodes III almost has to be in the cards sooner than later but I don’t think that’s a WrestleMania match again. We can get there later though, as this is about the forces combining to face their shared enemy. That makes me wonder how we get through the match, though one result seems more likely than anything else.

Barring some big interference, I can’t imagine Reigns or Rhodes taking a fall here. That leaves either some kind of a double DQ finish or some kind of major return, perhaps the Rock, who has to be back sooner or later. That being said, I’ll go with Rhodes pinning Sikoa and then…whatever happening next. Rhodes vs. Reigns III certainly seems possible though and we might be seeing that as a result, but for now, the new Mega Powers win.

Overall Thoughts

This is the definition of a one two punch on top, as there is a heck of a drop between the top two matches and the three underneath. If those two matches deliver then we are going to be in for a huge show, though it’s likely to take its sweet time as well. I’m interested enough in the show, but it’s going to depend on what happens during/after that tag match, because it almost has to be the big moment on the show, which is looking pretty nice.

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It’s been a bit of a hectic week so unfortunately I’m going to have to do a short form preview.

Zero Hour

I’ll go with Top Flight/Action Andretti to win the three way and the Bang Bang Gang to beat Cage Of Agony, the latter being on the grounds of it’s the Bang Bang Gang vs. Cage If Agony.

All Out

I’m going to go with all of the champions retaining. Mercedes Mone is still way too early, the Young Bucks aren’t about to lose, Kazuchika Okada is going to lose in a big showdown rather than a four way, Ospreay has lost enough recently and even AEW isn’t nutty enough to make Jack Perry a World Champion.

I’ll take Kris Statlander winning the street fight with Willow Nightingale. It doesn’t feel like this story is done yet and that means the villain needs to win.

MJF beats Daniel Garcia. As much as AEW wants Garcia to be a thing, they would be nuts to have him beat MJF.

Finally, Hangman Page has to beat Swerve Strickland. Yes it would be two losses in a row for Strickland, but at some point Page has to actually beat him. Even after burning down Swerve’s house.

Overall, the show has hooked me in a lot more in the last week. It feels more like a pay per view than last year’s lame edition and I’ll certainly take that. On a sidenote: there are five title matches and four of them involve people with a chance to become double champions. That’s as much of an AEW problem as I can imagine and is so ridiculous that it’s almost funny.

It’s time to go international again and in this case we’re in Germany for another European pay per view. The show is likely to be headlined by an Austrian defending the World Heavyweight Title but it’s close enough to be the big featured attraction. Granted it is one of the five matches on the card so hopefully it lives up to the hype. Let’s get to it.

Women’s Tag Team Titles: Isla Dawn/Alba Fyre(c) vs. Bianca Belair/Jade Cargill

Now on paper, this should seem to be a pretty one sided idea, but that’s a trap I’ve fallen into far too many times before. The more I think about this, the more I think it’s a case of how WWE wants to present the titles going forward. If they want the belts to actually matter, they need some more regular teams holding the belts rather than the latest dream team, which seems to be what would happen if Belair and Cargill get the belts back.

In a prediction I’m sure will go wrong, I’ll actually say the champions retain here, either through Belair and Cargill turning on one another (unlikely) or through some kind of shenanigans (more likely). Dawn and Fyre have held the titles for a bit now and it would do the belts a lot of good to keep them on the champs for a bit. The longest reign with this version of the titles is about six months. Taking them off the current champions in about two and a half isn’t going to do them any good, so the champions retaining is the right move. It might not be what happens, but it makes the most sense.

Smackdown World Title: Cody Rhodes(c) vs. Kevin Owens

It’s weird to have this title listed so early on but is anyone buying this as a big time main event? The return of Roman Reigns has changed a lot on SmackDown and while Rhodes vs. Owens should be good, it isn’t exactly the kind of match that feels must see. Odds are we’ll see something more important next time, possibly with Solo Sikoa also involved, but for now, it should get them through.

Naturally Rhodes retains here, though the question is whether or not the match ends clean. I’m not sure I can imagine Owens turning heel after all of this, though they are certainly teasing the idea. This week’s Smackdown also saw Owens mentioning that Rhodes has a knee injury, which is some great storytelling with the will he/won’t he deal. But yeah, there is a grand total of no way Owens gets the title here so go with what makes sense as Rhodes retains, possibly with some more things taking place at the same time.

Terror Twins vs. Judgment Day

This might not be the main event, but it is certainly one of the matches with the most heat. The fans are going to go nuts at the idea of Rhea Ripley getting to hurt Dominik Mysterio, which is the entire point of the whole thing. It is going to be an absolutely insane moment when it finally happens, but I’m not sure if we are going to see the big Riptide take place here or later.

I can’t see a way the Twins lose here as they are the fresh new team with the fans being into pretty much anything they do. This should be the match where Ripley gets a pin on Morgan to set up another title match between the two, even if that is little more than an appetizer. This is still all about Ripley vs. Mysterio and we’ll get to that in due time, but the Twins go over here, as they get to continue their dominant start.

CM Punk vs. Drew McIntyre

They already had their big showdown earlier this month at Summerslam and now it’s time for the rematch where things can get a bit more violent. In this case that means a strap match of the four corners variety, which opens up a few more options. Punk is still coming for revenge and odds are he’ll get it here, but it depends on just how far he is going to be able to go with it.

I’ll take Punk winning here, as the stipulation is the perfect way for him to get some revenge and set up a rubber match between the two where McIntyre can defeat him for good (at least in theory). These two are going to beat the fire out of each other and there are going to be some awesome moments so I’ll take what I can get here. This could be rather good, with Punk winning to get some of his momentum back.

Raw World Title: Gunther(c) vs. Randy Orton

Like this could be anything else. This is the big featured match of the card as Gunther gets the closest thing he’ll have to a homecoming as World Heavyweight Champion. It helps that some fans are already cheering him due to how good he is, so hopefully he receives a nice moment for his first title defense. The story here is that Orton’s shoulder was up during King Of The Ring, but now things are a bit more about Gunther than Orton.

While there is always the chance that WWE will go with Orton, there is no way that Gunther, whose whole deal is long title reigns, is going to drop the title four weeks later. The good thing is that Orton is enough of a legend with the big weapon available that it feels like there is a chance, but this is absolutely more about Gunther than Orton. Gunther gets his clean win over Orton to retain, despite at least one RKO in the process.

Overall Thoughts

This is pretty much in line with some of the other international events: it’s much more about WWE getting to say that they have been to another country and giving the fans a chance to go nuts for people they don’t get to see very often. The show should be fine, but it’s hard to believe that anything major is going to happen. That’s not a bad thing though, even if a five match card still feels wrong.

This is the biggest AEW show of the year, if nothing due to the outstanding atmosphere. Last year’s edition looked like a Wrestlemania level event and that is a hard trick to pull off. The crowd is going to be a bit smaller this time, but the card is feeling a bit bigger. It’s not exactly perfect, but I’m curious enough to see what we’ll be getting on this size of a stage. Let’s get to it.

Zero Hour: Kris Statlander/Stokely Hathaway vs. Willow Nightingale/Tomohiro Ishii

This is part of the long running Statlander vs. Nightingale feud and the winning team gets to name the stipulation for their match next month at All Out. That could make things interesting here as it could go either way. You could have Nightingale pick a match where she can get revenge, or you could have Statlander pick a match where she is a heavy favorite. Either way it likely winds up being some kind of a hardcore match, but how do we get there?

I’ll go with Statlander and Hathaway winning here, as Ishii can torment Hathaway without getting the win. This feels like a way for Hathaway to steal a pin on Nightingale for some humiliation before she comes back and gets revenge on both of them next time. The Hathaway stuff should be funny, but he and Statlander win to stack the beck against Nightingale in the blowoff.

Zero Hour: Dustin Rhodes/Von Erichs/Katsuyori Shibata/Sammy Guevara vs. Kingdom/Cage Of Agony

And here is your “we’re just throwing stuff out there” match, as Dustin Rhodes and the Von Erichs apparently must be on EVERY POSSIBLE SHOW. I’ve made no secret of the fact that I’m not a fan of how much they’ve been around, just because I’m tired of seeing them over and over. The match will be the Ring Of Honor showcase, which just has to happen because reasons, even if I’m not sure how much interest Ring Of Honor could possibly have.

There is zero reason to believe that the villains will win here as Texas gets to annex England once and for all. The cage Of Agony could not be treated as bigger loses and I can’t imagine the Kingdom gets a win on a stage like this. It feels like another big thank you to Rhodes, because apparently being a double champion in his late 50s while having him appear more than he has in years just isn’t enough. But yeah, the good guys win.

Tag Team Titles: Young Bucks(c) vs. FTR vs. Acclaimed

This is the closest thing to a rematch that we have from last year, as the Bucks manage to have their second title defense in four months as champions. It doesn’t help that FTR doesn’t have much of a claim to a title match and the Bucks could not be more ice cold if they moved into a freezer. On top of that, the Acclaimed isn’t exactly on fire either, and that leaves one option.

I’ll take the Bucks to win here as they get their win back after putting FTR over last year. It’s not a result that needs to happen, but for some reason AEW seems to think that there is something to the Bucks as some o the top heels in the company. This isn’t something I’m looking forward to, making it rather similar to most of what the Bucks have been doing during their title reign.

Trios Titles: Patriarchy(c) vs. Bang Bang Gang vs. House Of Black vs. Pac/Blackpool Combat Club

This is a ladder match, marking the third ladder match on pay per view out of five shows this year. As usual, I would wonder what would happen if any other gimmick was used that much, but that’s another problem. The other issue here is THAT’S A LOT OF PEOPLE in one match, especially when Pac and the Club are pretty clearly there because they have nothing else going on.

That being said, I’ll go with the Patriarchy to retain here, as there is little reason for it to go another way. Christian Cage has been great in his role and it would be a shame for them to lose the titles so soon. The Gang and the House have both held the titles recently enough, leaving either the champs to retain or the makeshift team to win. Either is possible, but I’ll hope for some sanity with the Patriarchy holding the belts.

FTW Title: Chris Jericho(c) vs. Hook

Remember when Ricky Starks beat Jericho and then had to jump through a bunch of hoops to get his rematch so he could do it again? That’s exactly what we have again here and somehow it’s even less interesting. I know Jericho has some defenders (mainly himself) but it’s really not working for me so far. There is a really good chance that this wraps up the feud and we move on to Jericho doing something even bigger, because that’s just kind of how Jericho rolls in AEW.

I’ll go with Hook getting the big win here, which he certainly needs more than Jericho. At the same time, I don’t expect Jericho to be downgraded whatsoever after the match while Hook continues to do the same stuff he’s been doing for months. This whole feud has felt like such a waste of time but I guess the idea is Jericho puts Hook over on the big stage in the end. It doesn’t make up for everything, but it’s better than nothing.

TNT Title: Jack Perry(c) vs. Darby Allin

Why does Perry want this to be a Coffin Match? Other than trying to be the cool heel that he SO CLEARLY ALREADY IS (because Perry is obviously the most amazing heel ever), why would he want that stipulation? On top of that, the bigger question is whether or not Perry will make a glass reference, because that is the kind of thing that can’t be let go no matter what happens.

Normally I would go Allin here but he seems to have bigger fish to fry with the World Title match in about a month at Grand Slam. Allin can lose via some shenanigans here, or perhaps by doing something really stupid to cost him the match, but odds are Perry wins. For reasons I still can’t fathom, AEW sees something special in him and odds are here gets a big win here.

Women’s Title: Toni Storm(c) vs. Mariah May

This is one of the more personal feuds on the show but unfortunately it reached its peak about a month ago and now they are limping to the finish. Storm has held the title for what feels like forever and May seems ready to move into the spotlight, but other than that big attack, they haven’t really done much that makes me want to see them fight. It should be intense, especially if Storm is playing it more straight, but I’m not sure how much they can do.

This is May’s to win as there is no reason to keep the title on Storm after everything she has already done as champion. May has a good bit of star power and deserves the win, while Storm can move on to….I have no idea actually, but she’ll probably be gone for a bit before she gets there. I can’t imagine May losing here as there is no reason for her to, so we’ll say the title changes hands.

Casino Gauntlet

I’m not sure what to do here as I don’t know most of the people in the match. The one thing I do know is that the rules have apparently been changed to make this more or less Money In The Bank, because THAT is something AEW needs. We only know a handful of the people involved, but there is one name that stands out above the rest and seems to be a likely candidate.

In short, this has to be Hangman Page right? He is the bigger singles star (in AEW) of the Elite/their associates and it wouldn’t shock me to see him winning here to have a chance at stealing the World Title from Swerve Strickland. While there is a chance that he does it to end the show, I’ll assume he saves it for later, meaning he has to win it first, which is what we’ll go with here.

TBS Title: Mercedes Mone(c) vs. Britt Baker

This has been an interesting feud in the last few weeks, even if the match itself might not have the most drama. Mone is still treated as one of the biggest stars in the company and certainly in the women’s division but Baker is one of the most successful women AEW has ever seen. That makes for a more interesting match and it certainly feels big, which is exactly what this needs to be.

That being said, there is almost no way that Mone is going to lose the title so far. Mone hasn’t exactly hit the ground running so far in AEW and needs a major win. That is exactly what she can do here, perhaps with an assist from Kamille. What matters the most here though is that she gets the win over Baker, who can move on to something else after the loss. Money on the other hand gets to keep telling us how big of a star she is while actually having a win to back it up so….progress?

American Title: Maxwell Jacob Friedman vs. Will Ospreay

On paper, this should be one of the easiest matches on the card, but the fact that I’m not sure about the result has me wondering. While Ospreay winning the title seems like the obvious way to go, he’s in there against someone who is on another level in MJF. There is a chance that MJF does retain through some shenanigans, but it is almost hard to fathom Ospreay losing another major pay per view match.

I’ll go with the safe pick here and say Ospreay gets the title back here in front of his home country crowd, as it makes a lot more sense. At the end of the day, this one could go either way but one of the ways fits a lot better than the other. Ospreay is near the top of the popularity charts in AEW and a big win could move him up to an even higher level, which would be quite the accomplishment.

AEW World Title: Swerve Strickland(c) vs. Bryan Danielson

Now we have what is starting to feel like a big main event as it’s title vs. career, even if Strickland has gone from a pretty likable face over the summer into a full on villain again seemingly overnight. While it would seem that Danielson winning for the big feel good moment would be the way to go, his neck and overall health is just enough to make me wonder if things are going in another way. That’s a good trick to pull off and AEW has managed to do it.

That being said, I don’t think I can go with the idea of Danielson losing again, so we’ll say he gets the World Title in the big moment. There is almost no chance he keeps it long (I’ve got Nigel McGuinness costing him the title at Grand Slam, setting up Danielson’s retirement match with McGuinness at WrestleDream) but that has never stopped a great moment before. Danielson wins the title here, as he absolutely should.

Overall Thoughts

The more I think about this show, the more I’m talking myself into being excited about it. There are some problems with the card (WAY too many people being one of them), but the idea of Danielson having one more major World Title win is a good way to go. This week’s Dynamite did a lot of good for the show and if they can live up to the hype, we could be in for something strong, but more importantly, special.

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We’re back to one of the biggest shows of the year and it’s another stadium version, which should make things that much more interesting. The show has been well built up and we could be in for quite the night if things go as they have planned. We have six title matches and a major grudge match, the latter of which might be the most interesting thing on the show. Let’s get to it.

Smackdown Women’s Title: Bayley(c) vs. Nia Jax

We’ll start with what feels like the most obvious result, as Jax has been built up as the unstoppable force, while Bayley is the plucky champion who believes she can stop the monster. That’s a nice way to believe but it doesn’t feel like it is based in reality. Jax is being pushed as unbeatable right now and there is a good chance that it means we’ll be seeing a title change here.

Naturally I’ll go with Jax winning, as a mixture of WWE’s weird obsession with her and the fact that her cousin helps run the place does not bode well for Bayley’s chances. I could see Tiffany Stratton cashing in on Jax here, but it wouldn’t shock me to see it shut down. Either way, Bayley gets Annihilated and Jax gets to be the queen of everything, because that’s just what we have to see happen.

Intercontinental Title: Sami Zayn(c) vs. Bron Breakker

This is a rematch from last month at Money In The Bank where Zayn won in something of an upset. Now Breakker wants another shot on the bigger stage and has been wrecking people left and right on his way back to the title. In theory that should mean it is time for him to get the big win, but beating Zayn is one of those things that is often talked about but rarely happens.

I can’t imagine they’ll have Breakker lose at back to back pay per views though so I’ll say the title changes. Breakker is someone who feels like he could be one of the next big things around here and he is going to need a major win on the main roster do that. Beating Zayn in a major spot is a great way to go and there is no reason to believe that he loses again. Breakker wins here, as he should.

US Title: Logan Paul(c) vs. LA Knight

Here we have another weird situation as Paul is doing rather well in his role as champion but he doesn’t really have anything else to do. He already got his shot at Cody Rhodes and came up short, so there is no reason to go back there again. At the same time, Knight almost desperately needs to win a title, because he is long past the point where he has lost too much. That makes for an interesting situation, and there is pretty much only one way out.

Knight pretty much has to win here so we’ll go with that, even in Paul’s hometown. Paul is someone who has already firmly established himself as a big deal while Knight has always been the one who comes up short. Give him the win here and let him move up a bit, which is long overdue. The reign doesn’t even need to be long, but it needs to start at some point, which is what happens here as Knight wins.

Raw World Title: Damian Priest(c) vs. Gunther

Maybe I’m overthinking this, but the more I think about it, the more I think Priest might retain. The idea being Priest’s reign is that he is in over his head and should lose the title but then he just keeps hanging onto it. That hasn’t been a bad thing so far, though this isn’t quite the same kind of match. Gunther is a different animal, but there is one more thing that gives me caution.

In a pick I’m sure is going to be wrong, I’ll say Priest retains here, likely through Judgment Day shenanigans. For once that isn’t something the champion wants, leading to a rematch later this month in Berlin where Gunther gets the big win. You can screw Gunther over and turn him into more of a monster while Priest gets to further what should be a face turn and everything works. Or Gunther just smashes him and wins. I’ll say Priest wins, but not with the most confidence.

Raw Women’s Title: Liv Morgan(c) vs. Rhea Ripley

Here we have one of the more interesting matches on the card as it is all about the soap opera side. The question remains centered around Dominik Mysterio’s status, which seemed to shift in recent weeks. Now it seems that Mysterio and Ripley are fine and Morgan has been left out in the cold. That comes off as too simple to be true and we might see that this weekend.

I’m thinking that Mysterio officially turns on Ripley here to side with Morgan, allowing her to retain. At the same time it would not shock me to see Morgan drop Mysterio immediately because she just wanted to break him rather than wanting him for herself, but that would just be a bonus. While there is always the chance that Ripley crushes Morgan to get her title back, I’m thinking Morgan gets what she wants here while Ripley gets her heart broken instead.

CM Punk vs. Drew McIntyre

This is the grudge match on the show and quite possibly the best thing on the entire card. These two cannot stand each other and have gone after the other for months but they have not been able to have an actual match. Hopefully everything goes well here on the health and safety side, because Punk’s next injury very well may be the last one of his career. Assuming he can stay healthy, he can keep going from here, which brings up the result.

I’m going with McIntyre here, even with Seth Rollins as guest referee. Punk has gotten the better of McIntyre too many times now and McIntyre can only get so angry at Punk anymore. McIntyre needs to win here, either with or without Rollins’ help, as there is almost guaranteed to be a rematch of some sort. This should be a great start though, and it will be very nice to have Punk back in the ring.

Smackdown World Title: Cody Rhodes(c) vs. Solo Sikoa

This match got a big boost on Smackdown as it is now under Bloodline Rules. That should help with making things a bit more suited to Sikoa, as I’m not sure how well he could have carried his half of a traditional main event. As has been the case elsewhere on the show, this doesn’t so much feel like the big event but rather a piece of a much larger story, which is due to one person.

I’ll take Rhodes to win here one way or another, as not only is it far too early for him to lose the belt, but it also could set up the return of Roman Reigns. Sikoa has hinted at Reigns’ return, and if Sikoa loses, Reigns can throw the “losses have consequences” line right back in his face. That’s the big step forward though, which is impressive when you consider that it’s likely to be the main event of Summerslam. But yeah, Rhodes wins and Reigns is back sooner than later to go after Sikoa.

Overall Thoughts

For a show that only has seven matches at the moment, they have doe a great job of making the show feel packed. There is a little bit of everything here and if the big stuff goes well, we could be in for an outstanding show. That is the hard part, but at least they have done a good job of setting the stage for success.

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We’re already back to another big time NXT show and in this case the card is feeling a bit weak. There are some big names on here but it’s not exactly looking like a great card. It’s also coming at the end of the big WWE weekend in the same venue and that could be a problem for the fans. Hopefully the wrestlers can overcome the issue so let’s get to it.

Kickoff Show: Karmen Petrovic/Arianna Grace vs. Jacy Jayne/Jazmyn Nyx

This was added at the last minute this week on NXT and it makes for a perfectly fine choice for a warm up match. Grace and Petrovic are your latest oddball team, while Jayne and Nyx are the resident midcard villains. That should make for a good enough match as Nyx and Jayne are rather annoying together and Grace if agreeing to help Petrovic because….well because Grace doesn’t get it a lot of the time.

I’ll go with Petrovic and Grace to win here, as NXT certainly loves its random pairings who wind up being good together. Jayne and Nyx are the kind of team who can bounce back after a loss without much trouble and they very well may have to do it again here. The match isn’t likely going to be anything special, but for a glorified tV match, it should be perfectly acceptable.

North American Title: Oba Femi(c) vs. Wes Lee

This is the David vs. Goliath match as you have the monster Femi defending against Lee, who isn’t exactly a big guy in the first place but has the big heart to fight for his title. That’s a story that has worked forever in wrestling and always will. Lee is going to have some fans behind him and if they can get into his near falls and hope spots, we could be in for a heck of a reception.

I can’t see a way Femi loses the title here, as there isn’t much of a reason for Lee to get the belt back. He’s already held it for such a long time and having him beat Femi would seem rather counterproductive. Go with what makes sense here, which is having Femi win by mostly destroying Lee in the end. It has the potential to be fun, but Femi needs to hold onto the title.

Women’s North American Title: Kelani Jordan(c) vs. Sol Ruda

The title is still pretty much brand new and there is only so much that you can get out of a title that has only been defended so many times. Jordan winning the title via a ladder match is still working against her as she is still trying to show just how good she is. Another win might help that, but I’m not sure if this is going to be a big enough opponent to make that happen.

I’ll go with Jordan retaining here, as Ruca is an athletic marvel, but she’ll be popular for a long time due to the cool finisher with the Sol Snatcher. Jordan feels like ore of a long term project and having her win here would be a bit of a boost. NXT is going to need to work to really establish the title and that is going to take time, along with a string of wins. Jordan can add to that here.

Tag Team Titles: Axiom/Nathan Frazer(c) vs. Chase U

This is a story of two teams who aren’t in the best places at the moment. Axiom and Frazer are arguing over whether or not they should focus on being a team or on Frazer’s singles career. At the same time, Chase U is having to deal with cheating from Ridge Holland, who is not allowed to be around for the match. That makes for a complicated situation for the titles, which could make the ending a bit more clear.

I’ll take the champions to retain here, as it feels like they need a win to keep things going well while Chase U will have issues without the cheating being around. I’m not sure if that makes a ton of sense, but it should make enough sense for what we have here. The match itself should be good and while I’d love to see Chase U winning the titles back, I don’t think I can see it happening here.

Women’s Title: Roxanne Perez(c) vs. Lola Vice

This was set up by a rather emotional speech from Vice, which is odd as she has been incredibly cocky in the previous weeks. Vince has talked about wanting to do this or her mother and her heritage, which is one of those things that should make for a layup win, though it isn’t like Vice needed that in the first place. Perez is a rather awesome champion, but I’m not sure if that is enough.

In this case, I’ll go with it being enough for Vice, who seems to be the perfect choice for the next big star in the division. Perez has already shown how good she is and there is little reason for her to hold onto the title. Vice’s emotional speech should be enough to get her there, as NXT has certainly built her up for the last few months and that should be a sign that she is getting the big win.

NXT Title: Trick Williams(c) vs. Shawn Spears vs. Ethan Page vs. Je’Von Evans

While this match is the main event and certainly has a lot of people involved, I’m not sure if I would call it a match that feels big. It really comes off as Williams defending against three people who happen to be in the match with him rather than great challengers. He’s already beaten Page so there isn’t even much drama in one of the three. That makes for a bit of an issue and it also should lead to the obvious.

As you might have guessed, I’ll take Williams to retain here, as I can’t imagine any real reason for him to lose the title. Williams is the biggest star in the promotion and there is no reason to take the title from him right now. While I’d like to believe there is a chance that NXT could lose their minds and give Evans the title so soon, it feels like it should be Williams winning in what would be the right move.

Overall Thoughts

I wasn’t overly interested in this card when I started looking at the whole thing and that isn’t much better now. It just isn’t that interesting of a show and while it could still very well wind up working out, it feels like a show that is there because it has to be. Maybe they will outperform their hype (it certainly wouldn’t be the first time) but this isn’t one of their strongest efforts, at least on the way in.