Here is the Pulse Wrestling crew’s full preview and analysis!
WWE Championship
Jinder Mahal (c) (with The Singh Brothers) vs. Randy Orton
Spain: Well, the Jinder Mahal experiment has so far been a failure. Man’s the World Champ and is still a giant, veiny bitch. For God’s sake, he almost lost to Mojo Rawley a few weeks ago. I can’t see him keeping the belt if this is how he’s been portrayed. Orton takes the title back.
Winner (and new WWE Champion): Randy Orton
Schuerman – God help me, I’m loving Mahal as champion, Can he work a passable main event? Absolutely not! But his promos are out of this world, and I do NOT want to see the title back in Boreton’s hands.
Winner – Mahal
Michael – I just can’t deal with the one-note soft racism with this whole storyline and push. I think Mahal keeps the belt here so the briefcase winner can cash in on SmackDown.
Winner: Jinder Mahal
Sam – The Modern Day Maharajah, the man who set fire to the internet and ran away laughing, Jinder Mahal is winning this match and carrying on his reign as WWE Champion. I have enjoyed it so far – I have a weird fascination with these sort of reigns – and expect him to go into Summerslam with the belt in order to drop it to some patriotic babyface. Jinder has, credit due, excelled in his facials and aggression. He looks and acts the part, which is all you can ask from a basic heel. The Singh brothers will entertain and Jinder will execute his two moves for the win.
Winner: Mahal
JT: Well, the buildup for this match has been rubbish, Mahal has been booked as weakly as possible according to the official WWE ‘Evil Foreigner’ policy and Orton seems to be entering one of his frequent ‘don’t give a fuck’ phases, so my expectations for this match are staggeringly low. Jinder retains with the help of the Singh brothers.
Winner: Jinder Mahal
Widro – Mahal has not worked on top but there is little upside to going back to Orton so the experiment continues.
Winner: Mahal
Money in the Bank ladder match
Kevin Owens vs. AJ Styles vs. Baron Corbin vs. Sami Zayn vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
Spain: This, like the Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder match, has been nicely weighted. I honestly can’t tell who’s going to win. I think it would be better to have a heel holding the briefcase, as there’s far more tension when whoever can cash in is crafty enough to pick the perfect moment. For what it’s worth, I’ll say Kevin Owens: character-wise I can’t imagine a better person to fill the role right now.
Winner (and Mr Money in the Bank): Kevin Owens
Schuerman – Everyone seems to think this is a gimme for Corbin, but I just can’t see it. Two heel champions in a row would be against official WWE procedure, and he’s just not that over. Zayn would be a great choice, playing off his underdog role, but the “E just is not that smart.
Winner – Nakamura
Michael – I think they keep the Owens / Nakamura feud going, so neither of them will win. Ziggler won’t win but he’ll take the insane bumps. Corbin is still a ways away, but he will get to look like a monster here. Which leaves Zayn or Styles. I’d say Styles, but I think they like the underdog story too much, so…
Winner: Sami Zayn
Sam – The Money in the Bank ladder match is one I always get excited for, only to be disappointed in after watching. I can wish, I can dream, that AJ is winning it but let’s be honest – Corbin is winning here. He’ll skulk around Smackdown clutching it and will 100% decorate it in black tape and studs. He’ll cash in and be a bland, aggravating champion by years end.
Winner: Corbin
JT: To be honest this is the only match I’m really looking forward to. The MITB stipulation plays well to smaller wrestlers like AJ, Sami or Nakamura, but one can never discount the possibility of Vince pushing the biggest, least charismatic, most balding guy in the match…
Winner: Sami Zayn
Widro – Should be a fantastic match.
Winner: Corbin
WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship
The Usos (Jey and Jimmy Uso) (c) vs. The New Day (Big E, Kofi Kingston, and/or Xavier Woods)
Spain: I think that this thing has the potential to be a neat programme, and for that reason and that alone, I think the Usos need to have at least one successful title defence against the guys they may very well drop them to later. Add to that the fact that the Usos are still portrayed as a hell of a tag team, and there’s no rush to snatch the belts off them.
Winner (and still WWE SmackDown Tag Team Champions): The Usos
Schuerman – The Usos are just SO 2014, and their promos are out of this world horrendous. They reinvented themselves with the heel turn, but they are a mid-card team at best.
Winner – The New Day
Michael – I actually like the work the Usos have been doing recently. And I am still burned out on the New Day. I’m not sure, but I’ll guess and go with …
Winner: Usos
Sam – I have loved the Usos ever since the heel turn and have been uninterested in the New Day ever since they formed. Let’s hope it’s a win for Jimmy and Jey.
Winner: Usos
JT: Wow. Two tag teams who have wrestled about a million times before are facing each other again. Wake me when it’s over.
Winner: New Day
Widro – Hard to tell what the plans are for the tag division, but I could see New Day taking it then going on to face a heel American Alpha.
Winners: New Day
Women’s Money in the Bank ladder match
Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Natalya vs. Tamina vs. Carmella (with James Ellsworth)
Spain: This is the one I can’t predict. Partly because it’s the first-ever and so it’s difficult to say what would work in such a small roster, and also because there is a bright side to anyone winning it. Tamina would be a constant and very real threat, particularly if they gave her a more dominant streak. Carmella would be the perfect opportunist, and Natalya would work in that position too. Becky’s interesting, as I can’t quite see how her personality might match up with the opportunity to cash in whenever. Charlotte would be a great option: she could be a face briefcase holder who’s still smart and ruthless enough to use it whenever. I think Charlotte could do the best with it, and cashing in on a disadvantaged Naomi would be a powerful moment for the Women’s Division.
Winner (and Ms. Money in the Bank): Charlotte
Schuerman – If anyone but Charlotte of Becky wins this, this was a complete waste of time and effort. Charlotte is the obvious star of the show, and may not need the title. Let’s give it to Becky for now.
Winner – Becky Lynch
Michael – I am not sure how good this will be, but it could be fun. Ellsworth takes the big bump here. And I think the briefcase is won by a heel.
Winner: Natalya
Sam – This one could be fantastic if the women work hard and work snug. Charlotte is the only woman really likely to win, as she has been given every accolade and success on a silver platter. Not that she doesn’t deserve success: she has already made her case as one of the greatest female wrestlers in America’s history. I am tentatively looking forward to this match.
Winner: Charlotte
JT: Why does the Women’s MITB match only have 4 contenders when the guys have six? SEXIST. Could WWE possibly surprise us with the shock debut (and inevitable win) of Asuka? Probably not, but I can dream.
Winner: Charlotte
Widro – This could be a good match but also a trainwreck. I would like to see Becky get the win but I think they go with Charlotte.
Winner: Charlotte
WWE SmackDown Women’s Championship
Naomi (c) vs. Lana
Spain: This goes hand-in-hand with my prediction for the Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder match, and my choice of Charlotte to win that works best with Naomi. I hope Lana can have a great match and bolster the Women’s Division: with so few participants I’d love to avoid any dead weight. But I think this should be a victory for Naomi: let her have a good run before Charlotte mercilessly ends it.
Winner (and still WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion): Naomi
Schuerman – If Lana does anything more than a snapmare and a chinlock, consider it a victory.
Winner – Naomi
Michael – I am not sure anyone wants to see Lana in this role. This should be sloppy and ugly, but they’ll make it look competitive. But after a rough while, the winner will be …
Winner: Naomi. After the match, Natalya will come down and cash in he briefcase, lock in the sharpshooter and win the belt.
Sam – I won’t lie – I have no idea about this feud and therefore won’t give my thoughts. I skip anything involving Naomi and have no interest in Lana wrestling.
Winner: N/A
JT: So Lana is a wrestler now? Okay. And her first major match is on a PPV? That seems… ill advised. But whatever.
Winner: Naomi
Winner: They keep trying to do something other than evil Russian manager with Lana, I’ll go with a surprise change.
Winner: Lana
