First Half of WWE Clash of Champions Card Outshines Co-Main Event

by Matt George – Sports 1140 KHTK 

Clash of Champions, a Smack Down exclusive pay-per-view, where every championship on the show (United States, Tag Team, Women’s, and WWE) is defended. Despite being considered the “B show” compared to the stacked roster of Monday Night RAW, the Clash of Champions card was more than enough to draw fans and keep them invested.

The show opened with Dolph Ziggler, Bobby Rood, and Baron Corbin; a triple-threat match for the United States Championship. The crowd was invested in the match from the start, largely in part to Rood’s interactive entrance. You would’ve had to have used two hands to count the amount of times the match could have ended, with all three superstars throwing the best that they had at each other in a very smooth and exciting combination of signatures and finishers. Dolph Ziggler remains, to this day, one of the best in-ring performers in the WWE based off his ability to sell moves and his fearless physicality. He was rewarded with the victory, and the belt, after hitting the zig-zag on Corbin and pinning him.

If the Usos are in a match, it always has the chance to steal the show. Combine them with the New Day, and the now very over Rusev & Aiden English (which is fantastic), the show stealing is expected. Smack Down’s tag team division stands leagues above RAW’s because of matches like this. These three teams, plus the team of Chad Gable & Shelton Benjamin, met in a fatal four-way tag team match and it didn’t disappoint.

The match was hectic at times, with too much going on for even the WWE camera crew to keep track of, but the conclusion more than delivered. Smart move by the WWE to keep the titles in the hands of the Usos, who are easily the best in-ring tag team in the company.

They may not be walking out with the belts, but tonight was a massive victory for Rusev & English, who had the entire TD Garden in Boston behind them. Also, Chad Gable earned some well-deserved respect after his beautiful chain of German suplexes towards the end of the match.

I still don’t understand the Riott Squad. Why Liv Morgan and Sarah Logan would blindly follow Ruby Riott as their better and leader is beyond me. Anyway, they and the other women on the Smack Down roster surrounded the ring for a lumberjack Women’s Championship match between Natalya and Charlotte Flair. Charlotte won, of course, hopefully removing Natalya from the championship picture for a while. The lumberjacks fought almost as hard as commentators Corey Graves and Byron Saxton did (arguing for literally the entire match). Rumor has it, things are now set up nicely for a potential bout between Charlotte and Rhonda Rousey. Interesting.

Despite not being the final match of the night, the tag-team match between Kevin Owens, Sami Zayne, Randy Orton, and Shinsuke Nakamura, featuring Daniel Bryan and Shane McMahon as special guest referees, was the main event. Especially with the stipulation that, if Owens and Zayne lose, they are fired from the WWE. The storyline leading to this match allowed for multiple acceptable endings.

The match itself wasn’t great. Kevin Owens’ big mouth and improv, plus the confusion of the two referees, drew all the attention away from the actual action. Shane and Daniel clashed about counts, favoritism, and ring territory, resulting in a pissed of quick count by Daniel, giving Owens and Zayne the victory. So, did Daniel Bryan turn heel? Doesn’t feel like it. Shane has seemed like more of the bad guy in this storyline, at least for the last few weeks. Ultimately the match finish was very predictable, and the wrestling wasn’t great. But the fallout in the coming weeks on Smack Down should be entertaining.

As for the “technical” main event, AJ Styles vs Jinder Mahal for the WWE Championship felt a little underwhelming. Say what you want about Mahal, I don’t see the goon from the Three-Man Band anymore. His look, size, and villain-like physique are perfect for his role. And, call me crazy, but I have enjoyed him in the championship picture. It took some time, but I came around. As has much of the WWE Universe, it would seem.

The match was good, not great. The wrestling was sharp, good back and forth, but a dull storyline took away from what could have been. The Singh brothers got involved, Styles survived Jinder’s finisher, forced him to tap to the calf crusher submission move, and walked out of Boston still the champ. With the loss, and the end of the WWE’s tour in India, I would expect this to be the end of Mahal’s push. If so, he deserves a lot of credit for his performance, and I sincerely hope the WWE doesn’t go back to burying him in mediocrity.

The WWE was hoping for their storylines to carry them through this pay-per-view. Instead, it was the first half of the card that made Clash of Champions good. Hard to ask for too much more from a Smack Down exclusive. Now let the WrestleMania storylines begin!

Newsletter