Oba Femi (-400) vs Brock Lesnar confirmed opening match

I called this one after Lesnar issued his open challenge. Femi has absolutely risen to the occasion here, physically getting the better of Lesnar in their limited confrontations. Top it off with an All-Pro promo from the Ruler on Raw and you have the perfect match to kick off the card. Smart move from WWE and ESPN to show this to the masses for free. This won’t be a technical masterpiece by any means. This will be hard hitting and brutal. Lesnar will make Femi a star here so it’s up to WWE to manage the monster push properly. A fun bout will see Oba conquer The Beast.
Prediction: Femi wins by pinfall in a banger

Finn Balor (-700) vs Dominick Mysterio

The return of the demon. It’s been too long and I am ready for it. I’m afraid this will be overbooked. Judgement Day will show up early and often. Dirty Dom is the most improved wrestler in the company. Let him cook. Balor is an absolute pro and would help Mysterio immensely if the match is allowed to go uninterrupted. Either way it will be a fun one. Both men deserve a push coming out of this.
Prediction: Balor by pinfall

United States Championship: Sami Zayn (c) vs Trick Williams (-400)

The odds tell a little bit of a story here. It would seem a title change is a foregone conclusion but -400 is not what I expected. Williams is ready to move on to Carmelo Hayes with the title as the focal point. Zayn has been seemingly ready to pivot into a heel role chasing the world championship. In a night of locks, this is the biggest lock of all. New champion crowned. Show stealer perhaps?
Prediction: Williams by pinfall

WWE Women’s Championship: Jade Cargill (c) vs Rhea Ripley (-200)

First toss up of the night. Cargill just doesn’t work for me. I don’t know why. Great look, good on the mic but her matches are repetitive and boring. Ripley will fix that issue as she’s incapable of having a bad match with anyone. Is the writing on the wall in regards to Cargill too strong to ignore? Yes. Will WWE take her out of the top spot for a while? Maybe. Rhea is reliable in the top spot. Cargill is a question mark. I think management is digging in. A clean victory is needed here but I’m just not confident in the booking. Interference ends this one.
Prediction: Cargill retains by DQ

Ladder match for the Intercontinental Championship

Penta (c) vs Je’von Evans (-150) vs Rey Mysterio vs Dragon Lee vs Rusev vs JD McDonagh

Another star making effort in the works, but will it pay off in a title win for Evans? The kid is next in line for greatness. Athletic beyond belief, the crowd loves him and he genuinely enjoys what he does out there. A shame for Penta though. He deserved this run with the title. I wish he would have been featured more prominently. Throw in the legend Rey Mysterio, the brute Rusev and two reliable workers in Lee and McDonagh and let them turn this into a showcase. The young lions are roaring. Femi, Trick and finally Evans? Yes. But no title. After the quick pace of Night One, this one needs 20-25 minutes. Please.

Prediction: Rusev (+1000) in a massive upset

World Heavyweight Championship: CM Punk (c) vs Roman Reigns (-400)

All signs point to a title change. All signs point to some kind of Bloodline reboot. All signs point to an audience revolt. Reigns is even more of a part timer now than he was when he was the champion. Punk is still incredibly over. He has challengers lined up for months. He’s still fresh unlike Cody Rhodes (if you watched you’d agree). I’ve used the word overbooked a few times already. WWE must resist the urge to turn this into a circus. Punk and Reigms have told a really great story. Don’t ruin it. Again, I don’t trust the booking. I don’t think any lessons were learned with Saturday’s main event. I hope I’m wrong but here we go again.

Prediction: Reigns spears his way to the title most probably with help.

And then, Oba Femi comes out. Game on.