TJRWrestling WWE Clash of Champions: Gold Rush 2020 Preview (Nine Title Matches)

John: Welcome to the TJRWrestling WWE Clash of Champions: Gold Rush preview. I don’t know why WWE felt the need to throw “Gold Rush” in there, but they did. It’s a weird time in WWE because of the Retribution storyline dominating Raw, yet Retribution has no match on the show. I assume they’ll be on this show, though, in some capacity. Smackdown has been a bit better than Raw of late although I don’t think either show is really thriving at the moment.

Clash of Champions has the theme of every title being on the line, so some of the matches feel important while others feel like they are just there because the champion has to defend a title. I think WWE certainly could have booked some of the matches better. With that said, September is usually one of the slowest months of the year in WWE land, so it’s really not that different from most years.

Joining me for the preview are Alex Podgorski and Lance Augustine. Here are some thoughts from Alex, then we’ll get to the preview.

Alex: It’s a bit hard for me to be that excited for this show. I’m trying my best to stay positive, but this has been a pretty rough week for pro wrestling. We lost a true legend (RIP Animal), Dynamite was uncharacteristically disappointing, and RAW was a dumpster fire so out of control the smoke has reached us here in Canada.

There hasn’t been that much hype going into this show for…whatever reason. All the titles are on the line, and you can be sure there will be a random 24/7 Championship moment that will make five people laugh. I’m not trying to be negative out of malice or bitterness. It’s just hard to be that excited when the product itself could be so much better.

I just hope that WWE actually pulls off some decent surprises that actually make sense. Hopefully this show will end with a genuine and refreshing surprise, because the next main roster PPV is Hell in a Cell, and boy does that name leave a bad taste in my mouth.

(Note: All graphics are from WWE.)

Raw Women’s Championship: Asuka (c) vs. Zelina Vega (Kickoff Show)

Alex: Asuka might as well take the night off here. She’s facing Zelina Vega, who is not even a regular pro wrestler on the roster. She’s a manager, who managed to earn this shot by some convoluted and illogical sequence of events that isn’t worth me repeating here. Asuka won’t have any trouble here and will win in around ten minutes. Because to WWE, they’d rather have the manager – who, to reiterate, doesn’t wrestle regularly and therefore shouldn’t pose any threat to Asuka whatsoever – wrestle a long, semi-competitive match so that it doesn’t look like they’re putting a woman in a squash match like they did in the dark days of old. So while it would make sense for Asuka to demolish Vega quickly (because she’s Asuka, after all), that just won’t happen and this will be longer than it should be.

Winner and STILL RAW Women’s Champion: Asuka

Lance: Zelina Vega has been busy dealing with Andrade and Garza falling out, and yet still finds herself with a shot at the title. Asuka has been booked up and down since being pulled up, but obviously, she picked up a huge win over Sasha Banks to win the Raw Women’s Title. This should be a solid match throughout, but nothing spectacular. Asuka will walk away with her title reign still intact.

Winner and STILL Raw Women’s Champion: Asuka

John: This should be a win for Asuka and if it’s not I’ll be genuinely surprised. I don’t even remember Vega winning a match before beating Mickie James last week. I understand why the bosses like Vega since she’s a good talker that is an entertaining character. I just don’t think she’s at the level of the top women in WWE in terms of her talent in the ring. Maybe it’ll happen for her, but she’s not there yet. Anyway, Asuka is awesome and continues to be.

Winner: Asuka

Smackdown Tag Team Championships: Shinsuke Nakamura and Cesaro (c) vs. Lucha House Party (Kalisto, Lince Dorado and Gran Metalik)

Alex: WWE really is scraping the bottom of the barrel when it comes to their tag team division. It sucks considering both Cesaro and Nakamura are crazy awesome, yet here they are wrestling the 2020 equivalent of Los Conquistadores only without any cheeky humor. It makes zero sense for Cesaro and Nakamura to lose now, especially since their third wheel Sami Zayn is returning. To that end, I predict one of two things happening: either a) the champions retain using some generic cheap tactics; or b) Zayn causes a distraction and the champions retain via shenanigans, necessitating an extension of this ‘feud’. Either way, this match will probably go twelve to fifteen minutes and feature mostly stuff we’ve seen before. It won’t be bad, but it won’t be groundbreaking, either.

Winners and STILL SmackDown Tag Team Champions: Shinsuke Nakamura and Cesaro

Lance: This is the type of match that makes you wonder why this company has so many titles. Cesaro will go down in WWE history as one of the biggest missed opportunities they ever had, but I will say his pairing with Nakamura has been a refreshing switch and has given him some new life. Lucha House Party also seems to be slightly on the outs, which is bizarre how many teams seem to have dissension within the ranks. I think it’s an easy win for Cesaro and Nakamura, and Lucha House Party will continue to fight amongst themselves.

Winner(s) and STILL Smackdown Tag Team Champions: Shinsuke Nakamura and Cesaro

John: The matches between these teams are always entertaining. They work well together with Nakamura and Cesaro as the crafty heels that can have good matches with anybody. The Lucha House Party guys have been teasing a split for weeks where it looks like Kalisto will break off on his own as a singles wrestler while Gran Metalik and Lince Dorado will probably remain a team. That’s my guess anyway. I’ll go with Cesaro and Nakamura winning after Kalisto does a cheap shot to Dorado (those two have had issues on TV including Smackdown this week), which leads to Cesaro/Nakamura retaining the titles. I wonder if WWE will push Heavy Machinery for the titles since they have yet to be champions and there just aren’t that many teams on Smackdown right now.

Winners: Shinsuke Nakamura and Cesaro

United States Championship: Bobby Lashley (c) vs. Apollo Crews

Alex: Really? Again?! While I’m happy they’re doing something with Crews, he really needs to move on. This rivalry has been boring and the story behind it lacks any emotional depth. I don’t see how winning the title at this point benefits either man, so I’m going with Lashley retaining. Rumors swirl that WWE plans on doing a Lashley vs. Lesnar match at some point, which means that Lashley will have to be built up into someone worthy of fighting ‘The Beast’. Plus, The Hurt Business appears to be gaining traction as a stable, while Crews just seems to be on the treadmill right now. And since this match doesn’t have a special stipulation, I don’t expect it to go more than ten minutes. I just hope Lashley uses the Dominator as his finisher again. That move was awesome and badass. And we don’t need two guys using the Spear as a finisher on the same show.

Winner and STILL United States Champion: Bobby Lashley

Lance: Lashley has been a part of The Hurt Business (average name) for a little bit now, and the stable has been gaining some steam as of late. They had a match against Retribution on Raw, which was weird because both teams have been portrayed as heels, and they picked up a DQ win. Crews has been involved with the faction recently, with Cedric Alexander turning on him to join the group. This is a rematch from Payback when Lashley beat Crews to win the US Title that he holds now. This will be a nice clash of styles with Crews moving quicker and Lashley hitting all the of the big spots. I can’t see them taking the belt off Lashley just yet, because The Hurt Business is just getting started with its role in the company.

Winner and STILL US Champion: Bobby Lashley

John: It’s a rematch between current champion Bobby Lashley and former champion Apollo Crews. If you read my Raw reviews weekly then you know I have enjoyed The Hurt Business as a group. I think Lashley has benefitted from it as much as anybody because he was not doing well before the group formed and now he looks like a legit top guy as he should be. Anyway, I like Lashley holding this title for a while. Crews had a decent run as champion, but I doubt he wins it back. Lashley is probably in for a title reign that lasts a few months more.

Winner: Bobby Lashley

Women’s Tag Team Championships: Shayna Baszler and Nia Jax (c) vs. Riott Squad (Ruby Riott and Liv Morgan)

Alex: I was pleasantly surprised at how Baszler and Jax’s title winning match turned out, so I’m hoping for at least an equally-good match here. Try as they might, there’s no way in hell the Riott Squad will be able to overcome both Jax and Baszler. They’re far less skilled than Bayley and Banks were, and I just don’t see a title change happening so soon. The odd-couple pairing of Baszler and Jax has worked so far, so it would be stupid for WWE to break that up so soon. I just hope they pull off another crazy finish like they did the last time. Who knows, maybe if that becomes their gimmick, these two can actually become worthwhile draws on the card.

Winners and STILL Women’s Tag Team Champions: Shayna Baszler and Nia Jax

Lance: Shayna Baszler and Nia Jax took the titles from Sasha Banks and Bayley at Payback in impressive fashion. They are obviously being groomed as a formidable tag team, and I think their reign will surprise people in its length. The Riott Squad are both solid wrestlers, but I just can’t see them dethroning these two. I’m thinking it will go back and forth, but I also wouldn’t be totally shocked if it’s a glorified squash match.

Winner(s) and STILL Women’s Tag Team Champions: Shayna Baszler and Nia Jax

John: It’s good to see Riott and Morgan together again. At some point, I’m all for one or both of them getting a singles push. I think it makes sense, for now, to have them as viable threats for the tag team titles. If they were to win the titles here it would make me happy. I think it makes sense because WWE is going to need Baszler or Jax (or both) to go after Asuka for the Raw Women’s Title soon. I think Baszler and Jax retain here, but I’d like to see the Riott Squad as the next champions at some point in the near future.

Winners: Shayna Baszler and Nia Jax

Smackdown Women’s Championship: Bayley (c) vs. Nikki Cross

Alex: Of all the former NXT women to come to the main roster, Nikki Cross has been the hardest for me to understand. I just don’t get her gimmick. Is she legitimately crazy? Does she have an uncontrollable temper? Is she naïve in that ‘special’, Eugene-sort of way? Whatever the gimmick, I predict that Cross will win on this show. There are two ready-made feuds arising out of this match-up: Bayley vs. Sasha Banks and Cross vs. Alexa Bliss. Since Bayley turned on Sasha, I predict Sasha interferes in this match somehow, costing Bayley the match and the title. And since Bayley will have been champion for almost a full year, she’ll have the impetus to really want to tear Banks’s head off. Meanwhile, I don’t think Cross will be champion for long. I think she’ll act as a transitional champion to get the belt back onto Bliss because Bliss has a huge fan following and lots of support from WWE’s management. As a match, this will probably go around fifteen minutes and will feature Bayley being cocky and condescending before the token interference costs her. It’s not the most unique finish, but then again, this is a company that recycles stuff so much they should win an environmental award.

Winner and NEW SmackDown Women’s Champion: Nikki Cross

Lance: Bayley is on the outs with Sasha Banks now, which will play a role in the finish of this match, but we will get to that. Bayley has been impressive as Smackdown Women’s Champion and has held the belt for almost a calendar year. That is pretty unheard of in a company that once had Banks and Charlotte Flair exchange The Raw Women’s Title multiple times over the course of four weeks. Nikki Cross had a good alliance with Alexa Bliss to start the year and now she is getting a shot at the gold. She is a very underrated worker and this match should have some quality stuff in it. Banks will be involved in the finish, and ultimately, I think she will cost Bayley the title. I hope I am wrong because I don’t think a title reign like this should be ended with some shenanigans, but I am excited for the feud that will come after.

Winner and NEW Smackdown Women’s Champion: Nikki Cross

John: Here we ago again with this match that I have reviewed many times this year. It’s interesting that both of my friends above are picking Nikki Cross. I don’t see it happening. I do understand the logic of Sasha Banks showing up to cost Bayley the title and then Cross can feud against her “best friend” Alexa Bliss, who is turning into a Fiend disciple of sorts. I just feel like the only woman that should beat Bayley for the title is Banks.

With Hell in a Cell set as the next PPV in four weeks, it makes a lot of sense to do Bayley vs. Banks in a Hell in a Cell match and I think it could main event that show too. Whether Banks wins the title there or has to go the Royal Rumble-to-WrestleMania route is another story, but I think it makes logical sense to do Bayley vs. Banks at Hell in a Cell next month. What I think will happen here is that Bayley beats Cross, perhaps because Bliss “accidentally” costs Cross (if Bliss is there) and then after the match, I expect Banks to attack Bayley to show that Banks is healed from the knee/neck injury she has been selling. It’s another win for Bayley as she closes in on one year as champion (October 11) and then we get that Bayley/Banks feud that has had a very long build.

Winner: Bayley

Raw Tag Team Championships: Street Profits (Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins) (c) vs. Andrade and Angel Garza

Alex: Is RAW’s tag team division so threadbare that we have to have a rematch from SummerSlam on this show? Why yes, yes it is.

This will be another generic tag team title match featuring generic tag teams doing generic things. There won’t be any nuance at play here beyond the Street Profits doing a slightly different promo than the one at SummerSlam. I’m not a fan of either team and couldn’t care less who wins. WWE’s management isn’t big on tag teams and it shows, given the limited availability of challengers on the roster.

I guess in truth AEW wins here because at least their emphasis on tag team wrestling is more refreshing than what we have here.

Winners and STILL Taw Tag Team Champions: Street Profits (Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins)

Lance: The Street Profits are about as fun as you can get in wrestling. They are over the top, and their gimmick really works with fans in the building. Essentially, they are Private Party, but with them being showcased and getting themselves over. Garza has always been a great young wrestler and pairing him with Andrade was a solid move for both men. They had a match a couple of weeks ago on Raw which The Street Profits won after Garza and Andrade could not get on the same page. There has been a little more dissension as of late with Zelina Vega even walking out on the two when they couldn’t settle their differences. They are building to a singles feud, with the question being, is the implosion going to happen on this night? Either way, I think The Street Profits win and retain the titles.

Winner(s) and STILL Raw Tag Team Champions: The Street Profits

John: This is a rematch from SummerSlam and you might think that Garza/Andrade are losing again, but I actually have them winning the titles. The story was that they couldn’t get along, now Zelina Vega has moved on from managing them and I think they’ll win the titles because of that. I also think of the long term plan in this division that will likely see Rey Mysterio and Dominik winning the titles at some point, so there needs to be a credible heel team as the champions. That’s what Garza/Andrade could be. The Street Profits have had a long run with the titles and if they retain, I certainly don’t mind that. I just think WWE is doing this match again because they are moving the titles onto the heels. It’s just a hunch anyway.

Winners AND NEW Raw Tag Team Champions: Andrade and Angel Garza

Intercontinental Championship Ladder Match: Jeff Hardy (c) vs. Sami Zayn (c?) vs. AJ Styles

Alex: Finally, a match with an interesting story behind it. The story here is that Zayn was stripped of the IC title due to the ongoing pandemic but never formally lost it in a match. And now he thinks that Hardy’s a phony champion and he’s the real champion. It’s like Razor Ramon vs. Shawn Michaels all over again, only without a live audience.

This will be the best match on the card, for sure. It features three highly-talented wrestlers in a high-risk stipulation for a championship. I predict lots of crazy, daredevil antics will happen here, especially since Jeff Hardy’s involved. That, coupled with Styles and Zayn being incredible wrestler in their own rights, will make this into a fun match that’ll probably go just over twenty minutes.

That said, you’d best watch this match on mute, because you can be sure Michael Cole will say ‘OH MY’ so many times that you’ll be wishing YOU were the one falling off a ladder.

As for the winner, I’m going with Zayn. His story has merit to it and there’s plenty for him to work with in future storylines. Plus, neither Styles nor Hardy need a midcard title at this point in their respective careers, whereas Zayn can make a lot out of being champion and finding new challengers to take on.

Winner and NEW Intercontinental Champion: Sami Zayn

Lance: This is an interesting matchup between 3 guys that believe they are the true Intercontinental Champion. Sami was the champ before COVID took over and having him come back to challenge the guys who were the champions in his absence was smart. Hardy and Styles have had some pretty good matches leading up to this and this one shouldn’t be much different. Jeff Hardy knows his way around ladder matches and all three of these guys are good workers so I am looking for some super solid work and this one has the potential to steal the show. As far as who wins the match, I think a case could be made for all three, but ultimately Jeff Hardy is the one who comes out on top after grabbing the belts from high above the ring.

Winner and Undisputed Intercontinental Champion: Jeff Hardy

John: This is my favorite match of the night. With that said, I don’t know if it will be as great as it would have been if they were younger. That’s not to say they are old, but Jeff Hardy and AJ Styles in their early 40s are not going to take the risks they took when they were in their 20s or early 30s. Sami is in his mid-30s and has had multiple major shoulder surgeries, so I doubt he’s going to take any huge bumps off the ladders. I think they’ll wrestle a very smart match, take bumps that aren’t crazy and use the ladders as weapons when needed. Any of them winning is fine with me because I really like all of them and have liked them for decades now. What makes the most sense is Jeff Hardy since he won the title recently, but if Styles won it back I’d love that and Zayn’s a lot of fun as a heel champion too. There’s really no bad choice here. I expect them to get around 15-20 minutes and it should be around a four star match. They’re great at what they do.

The last triple threat ladder match on a PPV saw Jimmy Uso tear his ACL at WrestleMania to put him on the shelf for eight months. Be careful out there, boys. I’m going with Jeff retaining because I think he’s going to have a decent run as the IC Champion although if Jeff loses then it could set him up for a feud with Roman Reigns. I just think Jeff’s IC Title run will last a few months longer.

Winner: Jeff Hardy

Universal Championship: Roman Reigns (c) vs. Jey Uso

Alex: It’s hard to justify why this match exists. No one walking this planet thinks Jey has a chance to beat his cousin, the mighty ROMAN REIGNS. And if someone out there somehow thinks he does, that person must’ve been the poor soul tasked with tasting WWE’s new wines and is stuck in a perpetual state of intoxication. There is simply no way that a tag team wrestler with an identical twin will beat the guy that WWE has been trying to make into the company ace for almost six full years.

The only real question here comes down to how the match actually proceeds. Yes, Reigns will win, that’s a fact. But will it be a competitive match or a squash? And will there be some sort of underlying morality play going on with Jey trying to ‘get his cousin back’, or will it be a typical main event match without any character nuance? Either way, the match will feel different, but will likely be forgotten in a few weeks anyway, unfortunately.

Winner and STILL Universal Champion: Roman Reigns

Lance: I will get this out of the way early so there is no confusion. Jey Uso is not winning this match. Now, in saying that, I still think it will be competitive. Jey is in the same position that Kofi Kingston was a few years ago in that he has been with the company for a lot of years and they rewarded him with a shot at the big belt. Being related to Reigns doesn’t hurt his case either. I have thoroughly enjoyed Reigns since the heel turn and having him team with Heyman was a smart idea.

I like to make my championship predictions a little longer and have some in-depth thoughts, but this is as cut and dry as it gets. This isn’t something I could see going on for several months. This may be a one and done until they move Reigns onto his next big feud. Reigns will be champion for the foreseeable future, and I am alright with it, which is something I never thought I would see myself writing.

Winner and STILL Universal Champion: Roman Reigns

John: I have enjoyed the way WWE has set up this match. I posted the video above from Smackdown this week because it was terrific in terms of explaining the family dynamic. Roman and Jey are cousins that are as close as family, but now that the Universal Title is on the line, Reigns is going to do anything to keep the title. We saw how Smackdown ended with Reigns decking Jey with a Superman Punch when Jey wasn’t expecting it. That was the definition of a heel move and the ThunderDome crowd was booing Reigns. Were they told to and was some of the noise fake? Probably, but it worked anyway.

We all know Jey isn’t winning, but I think it’s a clever story to tell because it shows how willing Reigns (the “Tribal Chief” according to Paul Heyman) is to beat up his own family to keep the Universal Title. That makes the title feel more important because we, as fans, know how much it means to Roman. I think this will be something in the 10-13 minute range, Jey is going to get a decent amount of offense and might get some nearfalls, but Reigns is going to put him away. What I wonder is long term as Reigns remains a heel, if WWE puts Jey with him and then when Jimmy comes back in early 2020, the family can be a dominant heel group. I’d love to see that. I’ve enjoyed heel Roman so far and I think this title run is going to last until WrestleMania, if not longer.

Winner: Roman Reigns

WWE Championship Ambulance Match: Drew McIntyre (c) vs. Randy Orton

(The winner is the first man to place his opponent in the ambulance and close the doors.)

Alex: I’m going with a rather bold prediction here. Instead of there being a clear-cut winner in this match, there will be a non-finish due to interference from Keith Lee. He has been on the odd man out in this three-way rivalry between himself, Orton and McIntyre. And to prove that he’s as deserving of the main event spot as both of them (and to rebuild him as a threat after several weeks of shenanigans), he’ll interfere in this match. As Orton and McIntyre will be brutalizing each other, Lee will interfere and drop both of them with his finisher. He’ll decimate both of them so badly that the referee will stop the match and put both Orton and McIntyre (who have histories of supposed injuries from each other) in separate ambulances at the same time. This way, there can be a final and decisive match between the three of them at Hell in a Cell in a month.

Is this wishful thinking? Maybe. But for once, it’s better to try and predict that something better than expected will happen instead of predicting the same old and still being disappointed in the results.

Winner: No Contest, Drew McIntyre retains on technicality

Lance: Drew McIntyre’s entire reign as WWE Champion has been during a time where no fans have been in the building, yet I feel like he has done a really good job making the most of it. He beat Brock Lesnar at Wrestlemania and since then has been feuding with the likes of Seth Rollins, and Randy Orton, which isn’t too shabby for a guy who was once part of the Three Man Band! Baby! Randy Orton has also been working his ass off as of late, and I have actually been a big fan of where they are going with this feud. They had a match for the title at Summerslam, in which Mcintyre won, and that leads me to believe a title change will be on the horizon. Do I feel completely confident in an Orton title reign at this point? No, but I do think you would have some fresh matchups with some younger guys down the line. Perhaps even a Keith Lee match sooner then we might think. My only hope with a title switch is that McIntyre will have a reign as champion when fans can get behind him because I think the pop at Wrestlemania would have been gigantic and he missed his opportunity to enjoy that in all it’s glory. I am going back and forth, but I do think Orton wins after a competitive match slamming the door of the ambulance, and on McIntyre’s title reign.

Winner and NEW WWE Champion: Randy Orton

John: I’m going with a new WWE Champion. Their match at SummerSlam was very good, so I would have liked to see a regular match again, but that’s not what we’re getting. As soon as the Ambulance Match was rumored, that told me that the title change was coming. I think both of these guys have been the best two male performers in WWE this year on Raw, Smackdown or NXT. Randy and Drew have done very well in terms of match quality, promos and some entertaining moments during a difficult time with no fans in the building for the last six months. With that said, the stipulation that exists for an Ambulance Match with no rules suggests to me that it’s time for the heel Orton to win his 14th WWE Title. Not only that, but I think the Retribution group is going to show up, they’re going to attack both guys (or maybe just McIntyre) and Orton is going to capitalize on that to win in cheap fashion. Then WWE can do an Orton/McIntyre rematch at Hell in a Cell and they could even add Keith Lee to it. The idea of HIAC is to prevent interference, so if there’s interference in this match, it makes sense to build to the rematch at HIAC. Makes sense? I think so.

I expect this to go in the 15-20 minute range, they’ll probably have several teases of being put in the ambulance and then ultimately I think Orton wins because of the Retribution group showing up to cause some chaos. It will be a very cheap title win rather than a decisive win because I think WWE wants to keep McIntyre strong, which they should do because he’s great. I just think it is Orton’s time now.

Winner AND NEW WWE Champion: Randy Orton

BONUS TOPICS!

The Match I’m Looking Forward To The Most

Alex: Either the Intercontinental Championship Ladder match or the WWE Championship (the latter just to see if my wild prediction has any chance of coming true).

Lance: I will go with Orton vs. McIntyre.

John: The IC Title Ladder Match because I think it will be the best and I’m a big fan of all three guys. I’m intrigued by how they book McIntyre vs. Orton too.

The Match I Care About The Least

Alex: Either the US title match or the RAW Tag Team title match. Neither story is that captivating. I wish both champions would move on to something fresh.

Lance: Smackdown Tag Title Match.

John: Probably Asuka vs. Zelina Vega and not because of Asuka. It’s just a weak build and WWE knows that, which is why it’s on the Kickoff Show.

Longest Match

Alex: Either the IC Ladder match or the Ambulance match. Both are crazy stipulation matches, and those usually go the longest on any card. One or both will go twenty to twenty-five minutes in length.

Lance: It’s a toss-up between The Ambulance Match and The Ladder Match. I will go with The Ambulance Match, but not by much.

John: I’ll go with the McIntyre/Orton Ambulance Match at around 20 minutes.

Shortest Match

Alex: The Raw Tag Team Title match. It won’t go more than eight to ten minutes.

Lance: Asuka vs. Vega.

John: Asuka over Zelina Vega in about six minutes. On the main card, Bobby Lashley beating Apollo Crews in about eight minutes.

Excitement Level on a Scale of 1-10 (1 being low, 10 being high)

Alex: 5 – There’s just not much here in terms of genuine excitement for me to rate this show any higher. Almost every match has a predictable outcome, and some matches simply shouldn’t happen because they either don’t make sense or because we’ve seen them before. I really hate to steal someone else’s joke, you’re probably going to need something strong to get through this show. But if you’re not down for that and want to see some good wrestling, check out my Five-star and almost-five-star match review series. At least with that the wrestling is (almost) always fantastic.

Lance: I gotta go with a 6.5 on this one. The show is going to have a lot of predictable finishes, and I only think 2 of the 9 matches will have the title changing hands which doesn’t make for much fun. So it’s a mixed bag about being excited for some parts of the show, but dreading some of it as well.

John: It’s a 6 for me. It could be a better show if they put more effort into some of the matches. Looking up and down the card, there are so many rematches or things that don’t feel fresh. Most of the big matches are built up well, but some of the others are just there because WWE remembered they need to put all the titles on the line on this show. I think the Ladder Match will be great, the Ambulance Match should be very good although I think the finish will hurt it because I don’t expect a clean ending and then some of the other matches are just good, but nothing too excited about. I hope the show exceeds expectations. I just don’t think it will.

In Closing

John: I’ll be back with a review of WWE Clash of Champions: Gold Rush on TJRWrestling.net on Sunday that will most likely be live, so check that out during the show or after it’s over.

If you want to send an email, send it to me at mrjohncanton@gmail.com as well. Thanks for reading.