• Bayley v Alexa Bliss for the SmackDown Women's Championship. Bayley must not lose here. She is a singles champion for the first time in two years and needs to build momentum. Bliss is a good foil, but with a patchy injury record of late, WWE will want to make sure she is physically back up to speed before they put a title back on her. All images courtesy of WWE
    Bayley v Alexa Bliss for the SmackDown Women's Championship. Bayley must not lose here. She is a singles champion for the first time in two years and needs to build momentum. Bliss is a good foil, but with a patchy injury record of late, WWE will want to make sure she is physically back up to speed before they put a title back on her. All images courtesy of WWE
  • Drew McIntyre to beat Roman Reigns. Very hard one to call. But given I believe the pay-off here is Shane McMahon v Roman Reigns for the WWE title at SummerSlam, this feud needs to make it to Extreme Rules. A Reigns win probably kills the feud stone dead, so McIntyre, with help from McMahon and Elias, cheat to deny Reigns and frustrate the former Shield man again.
    Drew McIntyre to beat Roman Reigns. Very hard one to call. But given I believe the pay-off here is Shane McMahon v Roman Reigns for the WWE title at SummerSlam, this feud needs to make it to Extreme Rules. A Reigns win probably kills the feud stone dead, so McIntyre, with help from McMahon and Elias, cheat to deny Reigns and frustrate the former Shield man again.
  • Kofi Kingston to beat Dolph Ziggler in a steel cage. As mentioned in main copy there is no way Ziggler is winning. Kingston is pushed to the limit but comes through to stay champion with the prospect of Shane McMahon looming.
    Kofi Kingston to beat Dolph Ziggler in a steel cage. As mentioned in main copy there is no way Ziggler is winning. Kingston is pushed to the limit but comes through to stay champion with the prospect of Shane McMahon looming.
  • Becky Lynch to beat Lacey Evans. Lynch has lost a lot of momentum, largely through poor booking, since her run up to winning the Royal Rumble. Evans is still very raw on the roster and it is too soon for her to be champion so Lynch retains and goes on to new opposition.
    Becky Lynch to beat Lacey Evans. Lynch has lost a lot of momentum, largely through poor booking, since her run up to winning the Royal Rumble. Evans is still very raw on the roster and it is too soon for her to be champion so Lynch retains and goes on to new opposition.
  • Seth Rollins to beat Baron Corbin. The question here is who is the special referee? If they hold out until June 23 it needs to be something special or a surprise return. Brock Lesnar has been mooted but that makes no sense as to why Corbin would want the Beast in the ring, with his Money in the Bank briefcase at hand, if he actually did win. He won't win though. Rollins retains, with a heel referee stacking the odds, but him still coming through to retain.
    Seth Rollins to beat Baron Corbin. The question here is who is the special referee? If they hold out until June 23 it needs to be something special or a surprise return. Brock Lesnar has been mooted but that makes no sense as to why Corbin would want the Beast in the ring, with his Money in the Bank briefcase at hand, if he actually did win. He won't win though. Rollins retains, with a heel referee stacking the odds, but him still coming through to retain.

Other Sport

Why Shane McMahon beating Kofi Kingston to be the next WWE World Heavyweight champion makes sense

It would be a big shock to have McMahon with the title, but it would be setting him for Roman Reigns in the long run

Graham Caygill

June 14, 2019

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Traditionally the months after WrestleMania can usually be a turgid time in WWE.

Everything has built up to a climax at the company's biggest show of the year and then it is about resetting things for the next year.

It has been a slow period this year, even more so then usual, but a very unexpected reality could be about to come about.

Shane McMahon could follow in his father Vince's footsteps and become WWE World Heavyweight champion.

Now, this writer does not approve of the fact that Shane has been the best booked, and most protected for good measure, heel on the main WWE roster in recent months.

But his 'best in the world' gimmick has dominated SmackDown. He has bested The Miz twice and in Saudi Arabia got a win, with considerable help from Drew McIntyre, over Roman Reigns.

Anyone else and this would be strong momentum for a title shot. So, why not Shane?

It would fit the storyline that he was that arrogant that he believed he was the best in the world and would book himself a title opportunity against Kofi Kingston.

Kingston will retain the WWE title against Dolph Ziggler at WWE Stomping Grounds on June 23 and will need a new opponent as he has beaten Daniel Bryan, Kevin Owens and Ziggler for the belt he won in New Jersey at WrestleMania 35.

Step forward Shane and the match can happen at Extreme Rules on July 14 in Philadelphia.

There, hopefully to protect Kingston as much as possible, Shane comes out on top, with help from McIntyre and Elias, to follow in Vince's footsteps, 20 years after the chairman of the WWE shocked the world by pinning Triple H, coincidentally on an episode of SmackDown.

Now Shane as champion would upset a lot of people on paper. He is not a regular member of the roster and his in-ring ability, when it does not involve jumping off something high up and inevitably through a table, does leave a lot to be desired.

But the end game would be Shane defending his championship belt against Reigns in a re-match of their Super ShowDown clash at SummerSlam on August 11.

WWE would want Reigns to be champion when the new Fox TV deal in the United States comes in during the autumn and he can win it here.

If this is booked right this could work well for Reigns. He has been well received as a face when up against a genuine heel, and the WWE audience will hate Shane wearing the title.

Plus it solves the problem of how to get the belt off Kingston and on to Reigns without them facing each other.

Kingston is one of the most popular faces on the roster, riding the wave of his feel-good moment in New Jersey, and WWE do not want Reigns to be the man to dethrone him, unless they are turning him heel, which is it hard to believe they would.

So Shane McMahon as champion, as horrible as it may sound on paper to some, could serve as a transitional title holder, before Reigns takes it from him.

Above in a picture gallery are some early predictions and talking points for Stomping Grounds. To move on to the next photo, click on the arrows, or if using a mobile device, simply swipe.

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