WWE SmackDown on FOX: 5 last-minute predictions for the premiere episode
The first episode of WWE SmackDown on FOX takes place at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California on Friday, October 4.
Four matches have been announced for the milestone episode, including a WWE Championship encounter between Kofi Kingston and Brock Lesnar.
Another high-stakes match will see Kevin Owens take on Shane McMahon in a ladder match, with the stipulation stating that the loser will no longer be allowed to work in WWE.
Elsewhere, two days before the Hell In A Cell pay-per-view, Becky Lynch will team with Charlotte Flair to face Bayley and Sasha Banks, while Roman Reigns is set to go one-on-one with Erick Rowan.
The following legends have also been announced for the show: The Rock, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, The Undertaker, Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, Goldberg, Kurt Angle, Lita, Mick Foley, Booker T, Trish Stratus, Jerry Lawler, Mark Henry and Sting.
In this article, let’s try to predict the outcome of every match and segment that has been confirmed so far.
#5 Roman Reigns vs. Erick Rowan
Erick Rowan handed Roman Reigns a rare one-on-one defeat when he received help from the returning Luke Harper to defeat “The Big Dog” in a No Disqualification match at the Clash of Champions pay-per-view in September.
Since then, Daniel Bryan has surprisingly aligned with Reigns to take on the former Wyatt Family members, setting up a match between the two duos at this Sunday’s Hell In A Cell event.
Before that match takes place, either Reigns or Rowan will gain the upper hand for their team heading into Sunday by picking up a win on the debut episode of SmackDown on FOX.
History suggests that Reigns will win – he has only lost four singles matches in the last 18 months – but it is worth noting that Rowan has not been defeated one-on-one in a televised match since March.
In past prediction articles, the safe bet would have been to predict a disqualification finish. However, if WWE’s matches on FOX really are going to have a more sports-centric approach, Reigns vs. Rowan will surely need to have a clear winner.
With that in mind, let’s go for Reigns.
Prediction: Roman Reigns def. Erick Rowan