1 week Ago By Graham GSM Matthews
The return of Saturday Night's Main Event at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Long Island, NY on Saturday will be treated like a major happening, and rightfully so. While not a formal premium live event, the two-hour NBC prime-time special will have a special throwback vibe for its first installment in over 15 years. The five-match card will feature four championship bouts, scores being settled and history being made.
Cody Rhodes vs. Kevin Owens for the Undisputed WWE Championship will be the featured attraction of the evening. Triple H teasing bringing back the vintage "Winged Eagle" WWE title belt in an X post earlier this week has added extra excitement to their matchup.
The World Heavyweight Championship will also be up for grabs when Gunther defends against Finn Bálor and Damian Priest in a Triple Threat match. Although the title isn't expected to change hands, the upcoming talent exchange combined with the ongoing Judgment Day drama between Bálor and Priest could result in a surprise outcome. Here are the final card and predictions for every advertised match at Saturday Night's Main Event.
Gunther will face his biggest challenge to date as world heavyweight champion when he defends against Finn Bálor and Damian Priest in a Triple Threat match at Saturday Night's Main Event. The addition of Priest during Monday's Raw gives the contest a sense of unpredictability that it didn't have when it was strictly a singles matchup between Gunther and Bálor. Gunther beat Priest at SummerSlam and Survivor Series following interference from the Irishman, so this should be where he finally beats the friends-turned-foes decisively before moving on to other opponents.
Although the Bálor vs. Priest program has run its course, it likely won't be blown off until the two meet one-on-one again and the latter gives the former his comeuppance. WWE has firmly established The Prince as a stepping stone and thus there would be little value in him becoming champ at this point, especially if his reign was designed to be brief.
The upcoming "trade window" could see Bálor moved to SmackDown, effectively ending his rivalry with Priest and alignment with The Judgment Day. Regardless of where The Ring General winds up, though, it must be with the world title. Prediction: Gunther retains.
The latest chapter in the long-running rivalry between Sami Zayn and Drew McIntyre has also been added to the card for Saturday night. McIntyre resurfaced from his two-month hiatus from WWE TV on the Dec. 2 edition of Raw, targeting Zayn to close the show.
The Scot later explained he was disgusted over Zayn's willingness to team with the tyrannical Roman Reigns at Survivor Series and also revealed he was responsible for Jey Uso's backstage attack the same night of his return. Zayn vs. McIntyre is easily a WrestleMania-worthy affair, but WWE's decision to book the bout now is a strong indicator that both men are destined for different storylines at the next installment of The Show of Shows.
McIntyre hasn't won on a major stage since besting CM Punk at SummerSlam in early August, while Zayn is coming off a big WarGames win alongside the O.G. Bloodline at Survivor Series.
Therefore, this a must-win situation for McIntyre more than it is for Zayn. Zayn vs. Kevin Owens should be the endgame for WrestleMania 41 based on recent events, but McIntyre's Road to WrestleMania isn't quite as clear.
A definitive victory at Saturday Night's Main Event will at least be a solid step in the right direction. Prediction: Drew McIntyre wins. Iyo Sky originally earned a shot at the Women's World Championship way back on the post-Crown Jewel Raw in early November.
WWE held off on having her challenge Liv Morgan until after Survivor Series, where Sky's squad emerged victorious over Morgan's when Rhea Ripley pinned her rival. That made it clear that Morgan's heated rivalry with Ripley is the bigger focus in the Raw women's division at the moment. The Australian dethroning Morgan as women's world champion—ideally on Raw's Netflix premiere on Jan.
6—is expected to be inevitable, but it's possible the creative team swerves fans with a shock outcome instead. The remainder of the Ripley-Morgan storyline doesn't need the gold up for grabs. and Sky proved during her SmackDown stint that she can carry an entire division as champ.
Ripley could factor into the finish on Saturday night and aid Sky in taking the title, subsequently leading to Morgan wanting one more match with Ripley out of frustration. Ultimately, WWE will stick to the status quo and have Morgan retain so Ripley can be the one to get the belt back in the coming months. A Royal Rumble win for Sky wouldn't be completely out of the question, though.
Prediction: Liv Morgan retains. The quarterfinals of the Women's United States Championship Tournament featured a slew of excellent Triple Threat matches that saw Bayley, Chelsea Green, Michin and Tiffany Stratton all advance to the next round. With the semifinals set to go down on Friday's SmackDown, it's unknown what the finals will consist of at Saturday Night's Main Event.
The most realistic scenarios are Bayley vs. Stratton and Michin vs. Green.
The former would have more star power, but with Stratton still in possession of the Ms. Money in the Bank briefcase, Bayley winning would feel like a foregone conclusion. Michin and Green will benefit most from a midcard title for the women of the blue brand, and either would be a worthy candidate.
Michin previously beat Green in a Dumpster match to finish their feud, so Green avenging that loss and bouncing back by becoming the inaugural champ would make the most sense. Green is the perfect fit for the star-spangled prize right out of the gate. Prediction: Chelsea Green wins the Women's United States Championship.
Kevin Owens has given Cody Rhodes his best feud yet as undisputed WWE champion, meaning Saturday Night's Main Event shouldn't mark the end of their battles for the belt. The most logical way to keep them at odds would be for KO to walk out with the prize. Even if the reign was short-lived, Rhodes would be able to return to chase mode at least until the Royal Rumble.
Since taking over the reins of WWE's creative direction two years ago, Triple H has booked longer title reigns more often that not. It's safe to assume Rhodes won't lose his belt until WrestleMania 41 to ensure he's protected before then. Owens stealing the title can be the memorable moment that sets the tone for future installments of Saturday Night's Main Event, and although WWE hasn't hesitated to take certain risks in the past, it's bound to embark on the most predictable path with this one.
There can't be a rubber match if Rhodes retains for a second straight time, but WWE may not be too concerned with resuming this rivalry after Saturday. Prediction: Cody Rhodes retains. Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010.
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