8 HUGE WWE Clash Of Champions 2017 Predictions You Need To Know

Golden Opportunities

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WWE.com

Following Kurt Angle's unexpected wrestling return in October and an entire November to remember with the Survivor Series build, WWE has unfortunately reverted to type with a December to forget.

Intriguing things are afoot on the blue brand, with a continuation of Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn's irritation of Shane McMahon carrying enough clout to justify a tag team main event for the last supercard of 2017. Yes, the highest stakes on a card called 'Clash Of Champions' relate to how two referees will behave in a match with no titles on the line. But whilst this would ordinarily be an indictment of the treatment of the straps, it instead merely reflects the overall malaise currently permeating through the blue brand.

The Champions in question are largely in rude health, with AJ Styles, Charlotte, Baron Corbin and The Usos inarguably the rightful stewards of their respective divisions. However, the company have played fast and loose with all the belts in recent times, and it seems highly unlikely that at least one won't change possession as the company looks to end the year on some sort of artificial high.

The company as a whole looks a little in need of a holiday rest, but there's none forthcoming. The Tuesday gang won't be required to work Christmas Night like their Raw counterparts, but they'll lose half the occasion travelling to the Boxing Day SmackDown. Gifts all round for fans then, but can any B-grade pay-per-view really be just what you always wanted?

8. Stay Hyped?

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WWE.com

Perhaps the only folk with less investment in the Zack Ryder/Mojo Rawley storyline than the audience are the WWE writers themselves.

An extremely protracted split ostensibly in order to afford it the focus it deserved (?), the eventual severance between the pair passed with barely a whisper. That's particularly good going for two of the loudest and most obnoxious performers in company history.

The win here, as if it even matters, goes to Mojo Rawley, but it's hard to see where either goes from here. Rawley's push already looks D.O.A if there's somehow not time on a WWE Network-era pay-per-view for the first contest between a separated tag team, whilst Ryder should probably start perhaps channel some of his salary into a high-interest ISA rather than the latest rare Brutus Beefcake action figure to land on eBay.

There's been less of the annual company talent purges in recent years, but the axe nonetheless still swings, and if either man wants to be a winner in 2018, an almost-impossibly huge performance is required in this empty-arena (or arena-emptying) scuffle.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 7 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 30 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz", Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 50,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett