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WWE's final pay-per-view of the year is Clash of Champions and the show is not one without consequence. As The Royal Rumble looms closer with the Road to WrestleMania on the way, the Clash of Champions event will do a lot to set up the stories leading to the Show Of Shows.
There are a lot of matches with high stakes in this event, but we've picked five of the top matches to break down a little bit as WWE rolls into the big show.
#1 Baron Corbin vs Bobby Roode vs Dolph Ziggler
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Bobby Roode is getting his first real taste at a championship opportunity on the main roster in this match and although he could certainly run with the US Title, Ziggler's story is the more interesting one here.
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Dolph Ziggler has been hinting he could be going elsewhere when his WWE contract is up and he's not happy about always being a guy who is looked at to put others over. If backstage tension found its way into this match it wouldn't be too surprising.
But the battle for the US Title might be a matter of who WWE sees leading the mid-card into 2018. Baron Corbin makes a good champion, but WWE could always find it time to have a Glorious champion or give something back to Ziggler as a "thank you" gift before he takes his final bow.
But in the end, it would be nice to see WWE give the US Title to Ziggler and let him run as a heel champ for a while.
Prediction: Dolph Ziggler def. Bobby Roode and Baron Corbin
#2 Charlotte Flair vs Natalya (SmackDown Women's Title)
These two women really want to prove they have what it takes and they're both representing outstanding legacies in pro wrestling while they do it. The lumberjack gimmick could present any number of different finishes in this one, but it's likely WWE will keep the title on Charlotte Flair.
As they roll into Royal Rumble, this feud could be kept up with another rematch in Philadelphia if WWE is going to hold a first-ever Women's Royal Rumble match. But there's always a possibility Carmella could throw a wrench in everybody's plans by cashing in her Money In The Bank briefcase and win SmackDown's top female prize out from under both of them. After all, it would be a perfect chance for her to do so because The Princess Of Staten Island will be at ringside anyway.
But in the end if you're not going to have Carmella cash in her briefcase, WWE seems to like having a Flair as champion, and who could blame them?
Prediction: Charlotte Flair def. Natalya
#3 Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn vs Randy Orton and Shinsuke Nakamura
Out of every match on the Clash Of Champions card, this one could have the longest lasting influence on SmackDown Live. If Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn fail to win, then they're supposedly fired from WWE but if they do pull off a victory then their reign with the Yep Movement will continue.
Judging by the fact that Sami Zayn is already booked for the Mixed Match Challenge and WWE Shop is selling Yep Movement t-shirts, Zayn and Owens have a pretty good chance in this one.
Daniel Bryan as a special guest referee is also plenty exciting as well leaving some to wonder if he's been secretly cleared to compete. We'll certainly know if Bryan can compete once more if he takes a bump in this match. After all, just because you're a referee, doesn't mean you're safe from friendly fire.
With so many signs pointing to them winning, it would be easy to say the Yep Movement has a pretty good chance in this one.
Prediction: Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn def. Randy Orton and Shinsuke Nakamura
#4 The Usos vs The New Day vs Chad Gable and Shelton Benjamin vs Rusev and Aiden English
This match boils down to a lot of things, primarily if WWE is going all-in with the Rusev Day concept. Rusev and English are the darkhorse team in this match and while their placement in the SmackDown Tag Team Title landscape might have been sudden, it's still well-deserved.
Chad Gable and Shelton Benjamin are both former Tag Team Champions, but they've never held the titles together. Their team is full of talent and the capability to run at the top so it's anyone's guess if WWE will give them a shot at carrying the top titles.
But The Usos are fighting champions and look great holding those titles. They also know how to win in high-pressure situations but The New Day is working their way toward breaking the record for most WWE Tag Team Championships and they're currently sitting at four wins. With the record at seven, a fifth title victory at Clash Of Champions could help The New Day start off 2018 with a lot to shake their booties about.
But in a match with so many bodies, it's so easy to see how this could turn into a Superkick Party for The Usos and all it would take is one splash from the top and Rikishi's sons would be walking away as champions.
Prediction: The Usos def. The New Day, Chad Gable & Shelton Benjamin and Rusev & Aiden English
#5 AJ Styles vs Jinder Mahal (WWE Championship Match)
AJ Styles just won his title in Manchester and hasn't really had a chance to defend it yet. His Survivor Series match against Brock Lesnar was stellar, but maybe that's all WWE needed Styles to do as SmackDown's top singles star?
Jinder Mahal does make a good champion and has intense heat wherever he goes with the WWE Championship. If you add in the fact that he still has the Singh Brothers firmly by his side, then AJ Styles might have his hands full.
The fact Styles has been able to fend off Mahal and associates in the past weeks could mean the writing is on the wall for the Modern Day Maharaja to triumph over his foe at Clash Of Champions. But if AJ Styles holds onto his WWE Championship then even bigger things might be in store for the Phenomenal One.
Allowing Styles to hold the WWE Championship rolling into WrestleMania could present an opportunity for Shinsuke Nakamura to win the Royal Rumble, thus setting up a dream match at WrestleMania 34.
Prediction: AJ Styles def. Jinder Mahal
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