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

1. Nope.

Shinsuke Nakamura Randy Orton Shane McMahon Daniel Bryan Kevin Owens Sami Zayn
WWE.com

Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan's conflicting facial expressions on the above image go some way to emphasising their respective roles as blue brand authority figures. With more swagger than the former World Champion carrying that very name, 'Shane-O-Mac' couldn't be more at home with the power, no matter how miniscule. With an incredulous grin, Bryan's mug reflects his complete indifference to the political machinations of WWE despite an undercurrent of frustration that the company won't clear him to perform.

Ironically, its both these contrasting emotions that heels Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens are trying to manipulate in their quest to rid the blue brand of 'The Boy Wonder'. As the more rational of the two and a former member of their independent brotherhood, Bryan stands as a voice of reason in between the sweaty angst of McMahon Jr and the self-involved chicanery of Owens and Zayn.

With their jobs on the line, there's absolutely no chance the pair will lose to Shinsuke Nakamura and Randy Orton here, though their inevitably tainted victory will undoubtedly leave more questions than answers between the tacitly tense referees. Might Bryan's shock 2018 return actually be on the cards after all? It would be yet another middle finger from WWE to its own audience, but Shane McMahon still needs a WrestleMania opponent....

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 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. Within the podcasting space, he also co-hosts Benno & Hamflett, In Your House! and Podcast Horseman: The BoJack Horseman Podcast. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, Fightful, POST Wrestling, 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