Welcome to the Mastermind Analysis review of WWE Clash of Champions 2016. The thoughts and opinions expressed below are those of The Mastermind only, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts and opinions of the entire F4R team. Let us know what you think in the comments, or by getting involved on Facebook! But for now, on with the show...
Pre-PPV Thoughts
Unlike Smackdown (with Backlash), the Raw brand doesn’t feel like it has anything to prove. They still act like the flagship show and are definitely still billed as such, so while it’s great to see the CoC name back in the picture, I can’t help but feel this could turn out to be a ‘going through the motions’ type show. There’s no doubt that Raw has some extremely gifted athletes to showcase at the Clash, but I don’t feel they have much to fight for, given the fact they have maintained their status as the number 1 brand. There’s been a number of big storyline advancements on Raw, so it almost feels like CoC is an afterthought. Had the Universal Title been decided in a longer tournament style, we could have had the new champ be crowned on PPV – imagine how special HHH handing Kevin Owens the title would have been then! Still, I’ll watch with an open mind…
Pre-Show
Nia Jax vs Alicia Fox
Prediction: While some could question if Nia Jax was ready for the main roster when she was called up, you can just as easily argue that she started showing real signs of improvement prior to the best day in her career. When matched with the likes of Bayley and Asuka, she was able to be part of a 20+ minute match without losing the interest of the crowd. I’m a big fan of squash matches on the main roster too, and I feel they will have helped Nia find her feet in front of the bigger crowds. That said, I can’t help but feel Alicia is going to lose this one, it’s just too obvious as far as I’m concerned. Maybe they’ll get 10 minutes, but regardless of the match time, Nia is going to win…
Match Analysis: This was exactly what I was expected - a glorified squash match. It's logical that Fox got in a little bit more offence than the regular job squad as she is a more established member of the roster, but Jax needed to win here to continue looking dominant. I hope they are able to drag out the time between now and when Jax fights for the Womens Championship then we could have a real David vs Goliath battle on our hands. I just hope that Jax isn't rushed through and thrown to the side like she was in the NXT Womens title picture.
[**]
Main Show
The New Day © vs The Club
Prediction: In a similar vein to Asuka in the NXT Womens division, I can’t help but feel The New Day are slowly running out of competition for their titles. Prior to all the testicle jokes, The Club were the obvious choice to take the gold and cement themselves as one of the best teams in the business. Unfortunately, that didn’t quite happen at SummerSlam. Because of the way The Club have been treated, I just don’t see them as likely winners here – which is a shame in many ways because there’s very few solid teams out there to step up. I’m going to cautiously side with New Day here, even though I don’t really want to.
Match Analysis: A nice hot opener from The New Day. As soon as they started their in-ring mic work, I immediately regretted wanting the Club to win. I loved the opening flurry from Gallows on the outside, taking out Big E and Xavier. With the interference from Francesca (naughty girl!) it gives the Club an excuse to continue the feud for another month or so, but New Day are in desperate need of believable challengers for their titles. I wasn't a fan of Samoa Joe being given numerous rematches for the NXT title against Balor, and I won't be chuffed with the Club getting a 3rd bite at the cherry... but I can't see any other direction at the moment.
[***]
TJ Perkins © vs Brian Kendrick
Prediction: Potentially the biggest shock of the summer was TJ Perkins winning the Cruiserweight Classic. Not to put him down, but he was never touted as a favourite, and wasn’t overly favoured by the commentary team. I have followed TJP since his introduction to the TNA roster way back in 2013, and I have always felt he was horrendously underutilised on the show, so I was so pleased for him when he won. He is up against another ex-TNA X-Division guy, but more importantly, an ex-WWE superstar who had a massive run as tag team champion. The fact that Daniel Bryan made him out to be the best wrestler ever, combined with his history, makes me think that Kendrick stands a chance of stealing the title from TJP… but my personal view is that champions always retain on their first defense (90% of the time anyway), so I’m going with TJP for the win. He beat Gargano, he beat Ibushi… no reason he can’t beat Kendrick too!
Match Analysis: I realised one thing during this match... I was watching 2 former TNA X-Division champions going toe-to-toe in a WWE ring! As a long standing TNA fan, I am personally loving seeing the wealth of TNA talent ending up in WWE lately, showing that TNA maybe isn't a worthless company and actually has been home to, and nurtured, a number of wrestlers. The match itself didn't blow me away like the majority of the CWC tournament, and the crowd didn't seem as receptive as the Full Sail audience would have been. But the match was well put together. I feel the ending was maybe a little rushed - I like it when TJP applies the single leg of the knee bar, teases the tap out, and THEN wraps around the other leg to really crank it in for the win. I feel he maybe rushed into it down the final stretch, but still a very good first match from TJP, and a nice return for Kendrick.
[***]
Cesaro vs Sheamus
Prediction: Looking back at my SummerSlam blog post, I hoped that this series would not be booked as a standard no-stipulation series. As it turns out, they have burned through the entire 7 matches since SummerSlam, with very little fanfare. As someone who only watches the 1 Hour Raw catchup, I have missed the entire of the rest of the series which is a massive shame. I feel they should have drawn this out a bit longer and made each match feel like a big deal. I am not shocked in the slightest that we find ourselves at 3-3, and in all honest it could go either way. Given the fact that the winner will presumably get a shot at Kevin Owens, I will side with Cesaro to avoid a heel vs heel title match. That, and the fact that KO and Cesaro have fought loads before and hey, this is Raw, why give people new and exciting match-ups? That’s Shane’s calling card for SmackDown! Cesaro to win this one.
Match Analysis: I'm a little disappointed in the result, but not as much as the live crowd sounded. While some may see it as a deflating, anti-climatic end to the series... I see it as an intriguing penultimate chapter to the story. I was hoping Foley would come out to re-start the match, but when he didn't it made me realise that this was not the end for both these guys. I am now expecting either BOTH of them being added to the title picture, or a winner-takes-all match at the next PPV. I am a huge fan of both Sheamus and Cesaro - they are both extremely well rounded wrestlers with moves to excite the younger members of the audience, and others to pop the smarks in the crowd. If they both get a shot at the title, it would be a fair outcome after such an intense series of matches. This was an absolute slobberknocker!
[****]
Sami Zayn vs Chris Jericho
Prediction: I really feel for Sami Zayn. He was on fire before his injury in NXT, and then pretty soon after coming back, he was called up to the big leagues. Granted, his feud with Kevin Owens was stellar, but since that ended he’s struggled to be placed somewhere relevant. Here’s hoping that this match leads into Sami getting his hands on KO in a big way again. I’m going for Sami Zayn to win (despite believing he looks way better when he loses).
Match Analysis: Oh Sami... I feel so sorry for the guy. The crowd just weren't interested in him compared to Y2J. The WWE have really struggled with booking him in the underdog role he thrives in. The match was alright, nothing special but then neither man really had anything to fight for. I just wish WWE needs to figure out Sami Zayn, because he is one of the best performers they have and he's currently being wasted.
[***]
Charlotte © vs Sasha Banks vs Bayley
Prediction: After the booking decisions at Backlash which I found pleasantly suprising, I’m now open to the possibility of WWE making decisions I can be really pleased with. With that said, I’d hope that they push the reset button and put the belt back on Sasha now she’s had a few weeks to recover, rest, and enjoy her honeymoon. That said, there’s always a seed of doubt in the back of my mind that thinks they’ll continue in the old ways with Charlotte, but I’m going to hope they do the right thing and put it back where it belongs, with Sasha. In theory that can leave Charlotte to feud with Dana Brooke, and Sasha can feud with Bayley as everyone wants them to.
Match Analysis: Ah, and I started off so good... The match was OK again but nothing overly special. A lot of these new era womens matches have felt clunky in places and I put that down to the ladies trying to do too much. I feel a much simpler match pulled off perfectly, than a complicated match bumbling along. I'm not sure why Dana didn't get involved more in the match as it is no DQ. I don't like logic gaps in matches and Dana's lack of involvement is a big one. THis should have been 2 on 1 on 1. Disappointed that nothing seems to have taken any steps forward, but not a bad match.
[***]
Rusev © vs Roman Reigns
Prediction: Ugh, Roman Reigns… It feels like WWE have finally realised their Universe don’t want him pushed as the top dog, but since then he’s just been in a creative tail spin. He’s fought KO twice in the Raw main event, yet he’s challenging for the undercard title here? Personally I would much rather see Roman as the US Champ than the Universal Champ, but that doesn’t mean I want Rusev to lose this one. I’m going for Rusev to retain the title, and hopefully get a little character development out of Roman.
Match Analysis: Ugh!! My streak is dead!! And FFS Roman won... I despair... Roman sucks, and I don't want to see him as the champion. He has a chance now to develop some charachter and show who Roman Reigns really is, but I'm not confident there's anything more to him than we've already seen. Not happy with the outcome, despite another OK match. But the thing is... who really wants a bunch of OK matches?? We want amazing matches, and so far, nothing has come close to touching Sheamus and Cesaro. One more roll of the dice to go...
[***1/2]
Kevin Owens © vs Seth Rollins
Prediction: Ever since Seth Rollins returned from injury, I can’t help but feel a bit bored by his shtick. I would have much rather have him returned as a babyface from the get go. Have him pander to the audience, thank them for their support during his rehab etc. Instead, he came back as the same character that was injured all those months ago. Except the landscape has changed dramatically in that time, and he doesn’t really fit anymore. And now, they are trying to find a way to make him out to be the babyface of Raw, but it just feels wrong. I really hope KO retains. I am a massive KO mark, and feel he deserves everything he’s currently getting.
Match Analysis: Have I accidentally streamed an edition of Raw?? The match, again, wasn't bad... It just never made it out of 3rd gear. I'm not sure if the poor show is leaving the crowd with little to cheer about, or if the crowd were poor so the wrestlers didn't feel like pushing themselves... but it felt like a cruise-control PPV. Nothing really worth phoning home about from the main event, which was vastly overbooked yet not for any real reason. Bit of a waste of my evening really...
[***1/2]
Overall Show
I'm not sure which came first - the poor matches or the poor crowd. At one point in the womens match, I could have swore I heard an 'ECW' chant; they chanted for CM Punk in the US title match; and even the 'this is awesome' chant in the main event felt like an ironic jab and lasted the shortest of any TiA chant in history. I stated at the start that Raw didn't have anything to prove and they just coasted through the show. Disappointing really...
Unlike Smackdown (with Backlash), the Raw brand doesn’t feel like it has anything to prove. They still act like the flagship show and are definitely still billed as such, so while it’s great to see the CoC name back in the picture, I can’t help but feel this could turn out to be a ‘going through the motions’ type show. There’s no doubt that Raw has some extremely gifted athletes to showcase at the Clash, but I don’t feel they have much to fight for, given the fact they have maintained their status as the number 1 brand. There’s been a number of big storyline advancements on Raw, so it almost feels like CoC is an afterthought. Had the Universal Title been decided in a longer tournament style, we could have had the new champ be crowned on PPV – imagine how special HHH handing Kevin Owens the title would have been then! Still, I’ll watch with an open mind…
Pre-Show
Nia Jax vs Alicia Fox
Prediction: While some could question if Nia Jax was ready for the main roster when she was called up, you can just as easily argue that she started showing real signs of improvement prior to the best day in her career. When matched with the likes of Bayley and Asuka, she was able to be part of a 20+ minute match without losing the interest of the crowd. I’m a big fan of squash matches on the main roster too, and I feel they will have helped Nia find her feet in front of the bigger crowds. That said, I can’t help but feel Alicia is going to lose this one, it’s just too obvious as far as I’m concerned. Maybe they’ll get 10 minutes, but regardless of the match time, Nia is going to win…
Match Analysis: This was exactly what I was expected - a glorified squash match. It's logical that Fox got in a little bit more offence than the regular job squad as she is a more established member of the roster, but Jax needed to win here to continue looking dominant. I hope they are able to drag out the time between now and when Jax fights for the Womens Championship then we could have a real David vs Goliath battle on our hands. I just hope that Jax isn't rushed through and thrown to the side like she was in the NXT Womens title picture.
[**]
Main Show
The New Day © vs The Club
Prediction: In a similar vein to Asuka in the NXT Womens division, I can’t help but feel The New Day are slowly running out of competition for their titles. Prior to all the testicle jokes, The Club were the obvious choice to take the gold and cement themselves as one of the best teams in the business. Unfortunately, that didn’t quite happen at SummerSlam. Because of the way The Club have been treated, I just don’t see them as likely winners here – which is a shame in many ways because there’s very few solid teams out there to step up. I’m going to cautiously side with New Day here, even though I don’t really want to.
Match Analysis: A nice hot opener from The New Day. As soon as they started their in-ring mic work, I immediately regretted wanting the Club to win. I loved the opening flurry from Gallows on the outside, taking out Big E and Xavier. With the interference from Francesca (naughty girl!) it gives the Club an excuse to continue the feud for another month or so, but New Day are in desperate need of believable challengers for their titles. I wasn't a fan of Samoa Joe being given numerous rematches for the NXT title against Balor, and I won't be chuffed with the Club getting a 3rd bite at the cherry... but I can't see any other direction at the moment.
[***]
TJ Perkins © vs Brian Kendrick
Prediction: Potentially the biggest shock of the summer was TJ Perkins winning the Cruiserweight Classic. Not to put him down, but he was never touted as a favourite, and wasn’t overly favoured by the commentary team. I have followed TJP since his introduction to the TNA roster way back in 2013, and I have always felt he was horrendously underutilised on the show, so I was so pleased for him when he won. He is up against another ex-TNA X-Division guy, but more importantly, an ex-WWE superstar who had a massive run as tag team champion. The fact that Daniel Bryan made him out to be the best wrestler ever, combined with his history, makes me think that Kendrick stands a chance of stealing the title from TJP… but my personal view is that champions always retain on their first defense (90% of the time anyway), so I’m going with TJP for the win. He beat Gargano, he beat Ibushi… no reason he can’t beat Kendrick too!
Match Analysis: I realised one thing during this match... I was watching 2 former TNA X-Division champions going toe-to-toe in a WWE ring! As a long standing TNA fan, I am personally loving seeing the wealth of TNA talent ending up in WWE lately, showing that TNA maybe isn't a worthless company and actually has been home to, and nurtured, a number of wrestlers. The match itself didn't blow me away like the majority of the CWC tournament, and the crowd didn't seem as receptive as the Full Sail audience would have been. But the match was well put together. I feel the ending was maybe a little rushed - I like it when TJP applies the single leg of the knee bar, teases the tap out, and THEN wraps around the other leg to really crank it in for the win. I feel he maybe rushed into it down the final stretch, but still a very good first match from TJP, and a nice return for Kendrick.
[***]
Cesaro vs Sheamus
Prediction: Looking back at my SummerSlam blog post, I hoped that this series would not be booked as a standard no-stipulation series. As it turns out, they have burned through the entire 7 matches since SummerSlam, with very little fanfare. As someone who only watches the 1 Hour Raw catchup, I have missed the entire of the rest of the series which is a massive shame. I feel they should have drawn this out a bit longer and made each match feel like a big deal. I am not shocked in the slightest that we find ourselves at 3-3, and in all honest it could go either way. Given the fact that the winner will presumably get a shot at Kevin Owens, I will side with Cesaro to avoid a heel vs heel title match. That, and the fact that KO and Cesaro have fought loads before and hey, this is Raw, why give people new and exciting match-ups? That’s Shane’s calling card for SmackDown! Cesaro to win this one.
Match Analysis: I'm a little disappointed in the result, but not as much as the live crowd sounded. While some may see it as a deflating, anti-climatic end to the series... I see it as an intriguing penultimate chapter to the story. I was hoping Foley would come out to re-start the match, but when he didn't it made me realise that this was not the end for both these guys. I am now expecting either BOTH of them being added to the title picture, or a winner-takes-all match at the next PPV. I am a huge fan of both Sheamus and Cesaro - they are both extremely well rounded wrestlers with moves to excite the younger members of the audience, and others to pop the smarks in the crowd. If they both get a shot at the title, it would be a fair outcome after such an intense series of matches. This was an absolute slobberknocker!
[****]
Sami Zayn vs Chris Jericho
Prediction: I really feel for Sami Zayn. He was on fire before his injury in NXT, and then pretty soon after coming back, he was called up to the big leagues. Granted, his feud with Kevin Owens was stellar, but since that ended he’s struggled to be placed somewhere relevant. Here’s hoping that this match leads into Sami getting his hands on KO in a big way again. I’m going for Sami Zayn to win (despite believing he looks way better when he loses).
Match Analysis: Oh Sami... I feel so sorry for the guy. The crowd just weren't interested in him compared to Y2J. The WWE have really struggled with booking him in the underdog role he thrives in. The match was alright, nothing special but then neither man really had anything to fight for. I just wish WWE needs to figure out Sami Zayn, because he is one of the best performers they have and he's currently being wasted.
[***]
Charlotte © vs Sasha Banks vs Bayley
Prediction: After the booking decisions at Backlash which I found pleasantly suprising, I’m now open to the possibility of WWE making decisions I can be really pleased with. With that said, I’d hope that they push the reset button and put the belt back on Sasha now she’s had a few weeks to recover, rest, and enjoy her honeymoon. That said, there’s always a seed of doubt in the back of my mind that thinks they’ll continue in the old ways with Charlotte, but I’m going to hope they do the right thing and put it back where it belongs, with Sasha. In theory that can leave Charlotte to feud with Dana Brooke, and Sasha can feud with Bayley as everyone wants them to.
Match Analysis: Ah, and I started off so good... The match was OK again but nothing overly special. A lot of these new era womens matches have felt clunky in places and I put that down to the ladies trying to do too much. I feel a much simpler match pulled off perfectly, than a complicated match bumbling along. I'm not sure why Dana didn't get involved more in the match as it is no DQ. I don't like logic gaps in matches and Dana's lack of involvement is a big one. THis should have been 2 on 1 on 1. Disappointed that nothing seems to have taken any steps forward, but not a bad match.
[***]
Rusev © vs Roman Reigns
Prediction: Ugh, Roman Reigns… It feels like WWE have finally realised their Universe don’t want him pushed as the top dog, but since then he’s just been in a creative tail spin. He’s fought KO twice in the Raw main event, yet he’s challenging for the undercard title here? Personally I would much rather see Roman as the US Champ than the Universal Champ, but that doesn’t mean I want Rusev to lose this one. I’m going for Rusev to retain the title, and hopefully get a little character development out of Roman.
Match Analysis: Ugh!! My streak is dead!! And FFS Roman won... I despair... Roman sucks, and I don't want to see him as the champion. He has a chance now to develop some charachter and show who Roman Reigns really is, but I'm not confident there's anything more to him than we've already seen. Not happy with the outcome, despite another OK match. But the thing is... who really wants a bunch of OK matches?? We want amazing matches, and so far, nothing has come close to touching Sheamus and Cesaro. One more roll of the dice to go...
[***1/2]
Kevin Owens © vs Seth Rollins
Prediction: Ever since Seth Rollins returned from injury, I can’t help but feel a bit bored by his shtick. I would have much rather have him returned as a babyface from the get go. Have him pander to the audience, thank them for their support during his rehab etc. Instead, he came back as the same character that was injured all those months ago. Except the landscape has changed dramatically in that time, and he doesn’t really fit anymore. And now, they are trying to find a way to make him out to be the babyface of Raw, but it just feels wrong. I really hope KO retains. I am a massive KO mark, and feel he deserves everything he’s currently getting.
Match Analysis: Have I accidentally streamed an edition of Raw?? The match, again, wasn't bad... It just never made it out of 3rd gear. I'm not sure if the poor show is leaving the crowd with little to cheer about, or if the crowd were poor so the wrestlers didn't feel like pushing themselves... but it felt like a cruise-control PPV. Nothing really worth phoning home about from the main event, which was vastly overbooked yet not for any real reason. Bit of a waste of my evening really...
[***1/2]
Overall Show
I'm not sure which came first - the poor matches or the poor crowd. At one point in the womens match, I could have swore I heard an 'ECW' chant; they chanted for CM Punk in the US title match; and even the 'this is awesome' chant in the main event felt like an ironic jab and lasted the shortest of any TiA chant in history. I stated at the start that Raw didn't have anything to prove and they just coasted through the show. Disappointing really...