10 HUGE WWE Clash Of Champions 2020 Predictions You Need To Know

2. Jeff Hardy (c) Vs. AJ Styles Vs. Sami Zayn

Jey Uso Roman Reigns
WWE.com

SmackDown's successes in the last couple of months haven't all been due to the amazing Roman Reigns character, but it has highlighted how - strictly from an fan enjoyment POV - WWE should still be more about pushing stars than just the brand.

With 'The Big Dog' doing interesting things on top (more on that in a moment), the whole show's gained an energy it sorely lacked with Braun Strowman as the steward. No longer requiring Sasha Banks and Bayley's angle to carry the whole broadcast, the booking has attempted to feature more characters in things that actually matter. Such as, astonishingly, the Intercontinental Championship.

The belt still felt like a prop during the initial verbal and physical battles between Jeff Hardy and AJ Styles, but the return of Sami Zayn has elevated its prestige to something worth killing each other for. Appropriate then that the ThunderDome's maiden ladder match will aim to crown an undisputed champion, just as WWE's first televised one did at WrestleMania X.

This one couldn't ever hit those heights, but Hardy seems keen to prove himself all over again trying, and both Styles and Zayn have shied away from some monster bumps in the past when it's at least been deemed in service of the story.

To the pained victor will go the spoils, though he'll then spend weeks angrily ranting that he never should have had to fight for it at all.

Winner - Sami Zayn

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 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 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, 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