WWE Clash Of Champions 2016: 8 Things They Must Get Right
Sunday's show could be excellent or underwhelming; WWE need to weigh their options carefully.
Just as Backlash seems like a distant memory, Clash of Champions - Raw's first brand-exclusive pay per view - is right around the corner. This Sunday will see a (pretty damn impressive) eight-match card, including Kevin Owens vs. Seth Rollins for the WWE Universal Championship, and Rusev vs. Roman Reigns for the US Title.
But what can WWE do to ensure that the show lives up to its SmackDown predecessor? Backlash surprised many with its quality, despite having a rather thin line-up on paper. Clash of Champions is faced with the opposite problem: the card looks good, but can it deliver this weekend?
There are certainly enough big, marquee matches to suggest so. The Raw Women's Championship match could be fantastic if given enough time, with Charlotte, Sasha Banks and Bayley all squaring off for the gold. Wrestling purists will also be eager to see the first title defence of TJ Perkins, who was crowned Cruiserweight Champion after winning the Network-exclusive Cruiserweight Classic earlier this month.
On the other hand, as we all know by now, even the most promising shows can let us down. Here are eight things WWE must nail in order to maximise Clash of Champions' potential.
8. Don't Bury Rusev
By 'bury', I don't mean have Rusev beat Roman clean or anything like that, but whether he retains or loses the US Championship, WWE must find a way to keep the Bulgarian Brute strong.
There's no shame in losing to Roman, of course. His Achilles heel has been established as Seth Rollins, and that's pretty much it. However, should Reigns walk out of Clash of Champions with the belt, Rusev should absolutely go down swinging.
One of my biggest fears for this Sunday's event is an easy win for Reigns, as Rusev is too talented to be held down like that.