SmackDown Live has set the bar high since the WWE Draft and has already hosted their first WWE Network special. Now, it’s the turn of Monday Night Raw as they get set to host the Clash of Champions

It’s the renamed Night of Champions pay-per-view that is using a WCW event name but it’s still a fine pay-per-view event. The WWE has given its fans a stacked card where every Monday Night Raw championship is up for grabs. 

From TJ Perkins’ first defense of the Cruiserweight Championship to the main event of Kevin Owens and Seth Rollins, every match will be looking to steal the show and it’s up to Team Red to match SmackDown’s new standards.

Pre-Show: Nia Jax - Alicia Fox

Alicia Fox is a rather underrated performer who can do some nice things in the ring but going up against Nia Jax will be a near impossible task. Jax isn’t like most girls and she’s set about continuing on her path of destruction. 

Both Fox and Jax have got their licks in during episodes of Monday Night Raw but this match should finally give some credence to who has the upper hand. Fox has that unpredictable nature that could cause Jax a few problems but she’ll have to avoid being rag dolled, yet again, by the Women’s branch of the Samoan dynasty. 

Sami Zayn - Chris Jericho

Chris Jericho may have tried to give Sami Zayn The Gift of Jericho but Zayn won’t drink it in. Jericho’s attempt to bait the Underdog from the Underground on an episode of The Highlight Reel worked and he’s unleashed a fiery side of the usually happy and smiley Zayn. 

Is it personal? Quite possibly. Both men ultimately want to get their hands on the WWE Universal Championship and that’s what links them, the holder, Kevin Owens. Owens has, at one point, been the best friend of both men and that’s what Jericho has been using to attack Zayn. 

Zayn got the upper hand on Monday Night Raw when his team scored the win over Jericho’s team in a massive tag team match but can he go one better and defeat the wily veteran on Sunday night? He’ll have to go into his bag of tricks to try and pull this one out.

Photo: WWE.com

Cesaro vs. Sheamus - Match Seven of the Best of Seven series

Sheamus has blown a 3-0 lead in this best of seven series.

Cesaro was on the brink of losing and Sheamus was on the brink of a title shot, so where has it all gone wrong? Well, it’s a classic case of cockiness from the former WWE Champion who thought it was all but over.

Cesaro is scrappy and not somebody you want to fight when his back is against the wall. Yes, he’s a fantastic technical wrestler but he’s also a physical brawler and he can match Sheamus blow for blow.

The momentum is with the Swiss Superman but can he win just one more and get a huge title opportunity or will Sheamus use his cunning to put himself back in the big time? We’ll find out Sunday. 

WWE Cruiserweight Championship: T.J. Perkins (C) vs. Brian Kendrick

The Brian Kendrick is on a roll. He had a great showing in the WWE Cruiserweight Classic and he’s back on Monday Night Raw, it’s all looking up for him. Now, he has a title shot against TJ Perkins. 

Perkins is the surprise winner of the CWC but he’s not somebody to be taken lightly. His past and pedigree are well documented but this is the biggest stage of his career, he is going to have to up his game yet again. It’s only been two weeks since he won the WWE Cruiserweight Championship and he won’t want to lose it here.

He and Kendrick should make for a great match up as two differing styles clash and it certainly a match that has the WWE Universe buzzing. 

WWE.com

Women's Championship: Charlotte (c) - Sasha Banks - Bayley 

Three of the Four Horsewomen go head to head in a match that the WWE Universe is mightily excited for. Charlotte, the champion, is on a hot streak and doesn’t look like dropping the championship anytime soon but in a Triple Threat match, she doesn’t have to be pinned to lose.

We have The Boss, Sasha Banks, who is looking to reclaim the championship after letting it slip away a few weeks ago. The Boss can flip the switch at any time and immediately become focused on the task at hand. Recently, she has leaned more towards being friendly with Bayley but she won’t have any problems with making her friend tap out if she can reclaim her title.

This is a huge opportunity for Bayley and she shouldn’t be counted out. The former NXT Women’s Champion is finally getting her chance at the big time and won’t want to let this chance slip away. Sure, she’ll get more shots in the future but not many bigger than this. 

Tag Team Championship: New Day (c) - Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson

The New Day and The Club are going to do it again with Gallows and Anderson looking to finally get their hands on the titles. Can they do it? Absolutely but they have to turn it on and go back to the well and the things that made them such a menace in Japan.

This match probably depends on who defends the titles for the New Day. If it’s Kofi and Big E you have to favor the reigning champions but if Xavier Woods is tasked with defending the belts, The Club may be taking the titles home.

Photo: WWE.com

United States Championship: Rusev (c) - Roman Reigns

Rusev has been a brilliant United States Champion and has been able to get into Roman Reigns’ head quite easily. Reigns may hit hard but Rusev hits harder and makes his opponents tap even quicker. The former WWE Champion clearly has his eyes on a bigger prize than Rusev’s United States Championship and that could play a factor on Sunday. 

Will Reigns’ obsession with Seth Rollins and the WWE Universal Championship cost him? 

One interesting tidbit for this match up is the absence of Rusev’s wife, Lana. Whenever Rusev needs her by his side, she’s there and has helped him pick up some of the biggest wins of his career. The WWE Universe should expect her to play a role in this match once again.

Universal Championship: Kevin Owens (c) - Seth Rollins

It’s Kevin Owens’ first big title defense since becoming Universal Champion and he couldn’t have a bigger task at hand. Seth Rollins is looking to become the man yet again and it’s hard to stop him when he’s focused.

Owens doesn’t care about that and he’ll look the match in the easiest way possible. It only takes one pop-up powerbomb for him to get the pinfall but Rollins has shown he can reverse that move with ease.

This has match of the night written all over it and rightly so. 

VAVEL Logo
About the author
Connor Bennett
Everton editor for VAVEL UK - contributing since 2015. Premier League accredited journalist. Journalism graduate from Liverpool. Writing about Football, eSports and the NFL. Email: [email protected] | Twitter: ConnorBennett14