By Jason Powell
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These predictions were made with no help from the betting lines because I’m not a dirty, rotten, filthy, stinking whore of a man. I’m guessing just like you are. Join me for live coverage of WWE No Mercy beginning with the Kickoff Show at 6CT/7ET. Dot Net Members will have exclusive access to the audio review that Jake Barnett and I will record after the show. Join us on the ad-free version of Prowrestling.net to gain access to over nine years of audio content via the Dot Net Members’ Signup Page.
Brock Lesnar vs. Braun Strowman for the WWE Universal Championship: Welcome to WrestleMania in September Part One. This is the most attractive match that WWE has to offer involving wrestlers currently on their main roster. I remain curious to see if WWE can actually top this match with the WrestleMania main event. My guess remains that Vince McMahon is hellbent on getting to Lesnar dropping the Universal Title to Roman Reigns at WrestleMania. So as much as I feel that Strowman should be the guy to beat Lesnar, my guess is that it’s being saved for Reigns. In other words, I’m going with Lesnar to retain the Universal Championship. If that’s the plan, the key will be how Strowman is protected. And while there’s been no foreshadowing, I can’t help but wonder when Bray Wyatt is going to target his former protege. I can’t say I have any interest in a Strowman vs. Wyatt feud, but it’s going to happen sooner or later. One way or another, I expect Strowman to look strong against Lesnar, yet I believe Brock escapes with the championship.
Brock Lesnar retains the WWE Universal Championship.
John Cena vs. Roman Reigns: Welcome to WrestleMania in September Part Two. If Reigns has a date with Lesnar at WrestleMania and we just saw Cena vs. Strowman on Raw, my guess is that WWE has something else in mind for Cena at WrestleMania. I continue to wonder if they will end up going with the long awaited Cena vs. Undertaker match. Yes, Taker appeared to retire at WrestleMania, but WWE framed it as a possible retirement the next night on Raw, meaning they left the door open for some reason when they could have been definitive. Cena badmouthed Taker while trying to tear down Reigns in a Raw verbal exchange by labeling him a broken down man with a bad hip. Will those words come back to haunt him here? Perhaps. Ultimately, though, this feels similar to the Rock vs. Cena feud in that it the end result will be Cena passing the torch to Reigns and endorsing him. Of course, Rock won the first match of the feud with Cena, so it doesn’t feel like a slam dunk that Reigns will be victorious in the first match against Cena if there is a clean finish. I don’t have a strong feeling about the outcome of this match and I like that, but if there is a clean finish then I suspect they will go with Cena to set up the need for a rematch.
John Cena wins.
Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose vs. Sheamus and Cesaro for the Raw Tag Titles: Jonny Fairplay made a good point in the latest Dot Net Weekly. No, really. The Survivor alumn noted that he didn’t see these teams playing hot potato with the tag titles simply because the Usos and New Day are playing that game with the Smackdown Tag Titles. Of course, that doesn’t mean WWE creative feels the same, but it’s a logical take. These teams work well together and this should be another good match.
Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose retain the Raw Tag Titles.
Finn Balor vs. Bray Wyatt: Another month, another Wyatt program that doesn’t feel as hot as it should. If they end up moving Wyatt into a program with Strowman then it would make sense for Wyatt to go over here. However, I have no clue if that’s in play given that they technically position Strowman as a heel. If not, then one can only hope that Balor gets the win and they move on from this feud before it overstays its welcome like most Wyatt feuds.
Finn Balor wins.
Alexa Bliss vs. Sasha Banks vs. Nia Jax vs. Emma vs. Bayley in a five-way for the Raw Women’s Championship: The multi-women matches are tiresome. Here’s hoping they get back to showcasing singles title matches and work harder to create good secondary programs for the women who are not in the title matches. No, a feud over hashtags doesn’t quality as good. I don’t have a strong feeling about the outcome of this match. When in doubt, go with the champion to retain.
Alexa Bliss retains the Raw Women’s Championship.
Neville vs. Enzo Amore for the WWE Cruiserweight Championship: Can Neville can carry Enzo to a quality match? Enzo takes quite the beating, so my guess is he works from underneath and gets some comeback near falls before putting over the face of the cruiserweight division.
Neville retains the WWE Cruiserweight Championship.
The Miz vs. Jason Jordan for the Intercontinental Championship: Jordan showed more of an edge on Raw when he complained to Kurt Angle about the way people look at him backstage and talk behind his back. Are they telling the story of frustration setting in for Jordan to set up an eventual heel turn? If so, then his frustration needs to continue to grow, meaning Miz cheats to win. That said, I’m not predicting any title changes on this show and my guess is that we don’t actually get through the night without one. If there is going to be a title change, this match and the women’s match seem to be the most likely possibilities.
The Miz retains the Intercontinental Championship.
Apollo Crews vs. Elias (Kickoff Show): Crews is talented, but he’s positioned as a glorified enhancement wrestler. Elias has impressed on the main roster so far and there’s no reason for him to put over a guy they don’t seem to have any plans for.
Elias wins.
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