WWE returns to pay-per-view (PPV) — if your cable provider is carrying the event, of course — tomorrow night (Sun., June 23, 2019) live from the Tacoma Dome in Tacoma, Washington with its Stomping Grounds event starting at 6:00 pm ET with the Kickoff show leading right on into the main course at 7 pm ET on the WWE Network.
Set for the card: A lot of rematches!
Luckily for you Cagesiders, our staff of learned wrestling blowhards is here to help figure out just how the event is going to play out with predictions for each match on the card.
Let’s get to it.
Stomping Grounds predictions
Seth Rollins vs. Baron Corbin
Geno Mrosko: I’m so excited for the special guest referee to be Bob Lashley, and for it to have zero bearing on the outcome. Pick: Seth Rollins
Sean Rueter: Who cares about the match? I’m just tuning in for that sweet, sweet special guest referee reveal. Pick: Seth Rollins
Kyle Decker: In no world should Baron Corbin win this match. I suppose they can do the thing where he wins and Brock Lesnar immediately beats him for it. But even that wouldn’t make more sense than Brock just defeating Becky Lynch’s boyfriend for the title. Pick: Seth Rollins
Rev. Claire Elizabeth: Crom! I have never prayed to you before. I have no tongue for it. No one, not even you, will remember if we were good men or bad. Why we fought, or why we died. All that matters is that today, Baron Corbin does not become Universal Champion. That’s what’s important! Valor pleases you, Crom; so grant me one request. Grant me revenge! And if you do not listen, then to hell with you! Pick: Seth Rollins
Cain A. Knight: The primary reason why WWE’s product has been so terrible in the aftermath of WrestleMania 35 is because the top heels in the story since then are Shane McMahon, Baron Corbin, Dolph Ziggler, and Lacey Evans. And now here we are with Baron Corbin in a PPV main event. I hope the referee turns out to be the 24/7 champion and this match actually turns into a showcase for that title. But Vince will probably dip into his 1996 bag of tricks and pull out Fake Dean Ambrose. Pick: Seth Rollins
Kofi Kingston vs. Dolph Ziggler
Geno Mrosko: It really should have been Ziggler, at one point. We are no longer at that point. Pick: Kofi Kingston
Sean Rueter: You’re right, Dolph. I’ve never had your back. Still don’t. Pick: Kofi Kingston
Kyle Decker: This always felt like a filler feud for a couple months prior to a more legit challenger for Kofi. The bigger question is whether or not they stretch this out for one more show prior to SummerSlam. Pick: Kofi Kingston
Rev. Claire Elizabeth: We’re far enough into Kofi’s reign that my pessimism has worn off and I’m not expecting a loss until it feels meaningful, and Dolph Ziggler doing an awkward CM Punk cosplay with more whiny yelling doesn’t feel meaningful. Pick: Kofi Kingston
Cain A. Knight: I don’t know why WWE thinks they can beat a guy into the ground for 10 years and then expect the fans to believe he’s a credible threat for the top title. There was a time not too long ago when Kingston was also not a credible threat to the WWE Championship. But that changed after Kofi was booked like an ass-kicking top star for multiple months. WWE skipped that critical step with Ziggler, so he seems completely out of place here. Pick: Kofi Kingston
Becky Lynch vs. Lacey Evans
Geno Mrosko: Call me crazy, but it sure seems like they absolutely love Lacey. I don’t think they should do this, but I’m thinking they need something to shake things up a bit. Pick: Lacey Evans
Sean Rueter: The Lady may one day be a top act in the women’s division, but the last few weeks have proven that day is not yet here. Pick: Becky Lynch
Kyle Decker: Man, if Becky loses the title here, that would be some epic cutting the legs out from someone. To go from both titles at WrestleMania to no titles two PPVs later would be a terrible move. Doesn’t mean they won’t do it, but I’m hoping they realize how bad that would be. Pick: Becky Lynch
Rev. Claire Elizabeth: Damnit, I already did the Conan copy and paste. Although to be fair, I like Lacey rather more than I like Baron– her wardrobe is a little kooky sometimes, but she’s got a lot of potential. Aha, but there’s that word again, “potential.” As in, she ain’t there yet. Pick: Becky Lynch
Cain A. Knight: Becky’s momentum has seriously stalled during these severe post-WrestleMania doldrums, and it should be a high priority to turn that around. That means Lynch taps Evans out and moves on to a new challenger who is closer to her level. But does that person even exist on Raw right now? If not, then maybe Evans actually has a shot here. Pick: Becky Lynch
Bayley vs. Alexa Bliss
Geno Mrosko: They’ve shown time and again they’re willing to go out of their way to put the belt on Alexa. Why would that be different here? Pick: Alexa Bliss
Sean Rueter: Alexa and Nikki Cross are gonna feud at some point in the not too distant future, and her winning the SmackDown title doesn’t really help that. Pick: Bayley
Kyle Decker: It’s very very tough to ever bet against Alexa Bliss in a title match. Personally, I’d like to see a double turn – Bayley turning heel in a way that makes Alexa a face. Shake things up a bit. They probably won’t do this, but I’m picking the Hugger win anyway. Pick: Bayley
Rev. Claire Elizabeth: Nikki Cross good-naturedly tries to help her pal Alexa out, it backfires, Bayley retains, next. Pick: Bayley
Cain A. Knight: This is the most interesting match on the card. Bliss is doing great work on the mic, everything about Bayley’s presentation has a renewed vigor behind it, and Nikki Cross is even getting some TV time out of this story. Getting a break from Charlotte Flair in the championship scene is also a big help. Bayley needs this win more than Bliss, which means Bliss will probably win. I’ll remain optimistic. Pick: Bayley
Roman Reigns vs. Drew McIntyre
Geno Mrosko: This wasn’t altogether interesting at WrestleMania and it’s somehow worse now with Shane McMahon’s involvement. This is hurt by the fact that it’s just a set up match for Reigns vs. McMahon. McIntyre deserves better. Pick: Roman Reigns
Sean Rueter: The story hasn’t gotten better since they fought at WrestleMania 35, so hopefully the match will be memorable, which… I think I liked their ‘Mania match? But that was a long night and everything main roster WWE’s done since that’s not the 24/7 title or Firefly Funhouse kind of runs together for me and I really don’t remember much about except that the Big Dog won. Anyway, guessing they keep piling on Romey en route to a big overcoming moment at SummerSlam, so interference from The Revival and/or Shane O’Mack gets the big Scot his win back. Pick: Drew McIntyre
Kyle Decker: Drew’s not going to beat Reigns. I mean, he’s no Shane McMahon. Pick: Roman Reigns
Rev. Claire Elizabeth: The Big Dog is the only good dog, and the Scottish Psychopath hasn’t had a moral center to his character since he was leading the charge against WWE back in his Evolve days. Easy peasy. Pick: Roman Reigns
Cain A. Knight: The Shane McMahon story is killing the product and needs to end ASAP. McIntyre could really use this win, but it would be a very bad look for Reigns to lose consecutive pay-per-view matches against Shane McMahon and his lackeys. Vince McMahon seems to think Shane McMahon is a bigger star than McIntyre, so I guess Reigns gets the win here to prove he deserves another match with Shane. Pick: Roman Reigns
Samoa Joe vs. Ricochet
Geno Mrosko: They seem to grow hot and cold on Ricochet depending on what week it is. I’ll guess they’re hot on him this week. Pick: Ricochet
Sean Rueter: This should be the start of a good feud, which doesn’t really help me with a prediction. The champ could retain using underhanded means, or get caught with a flash pin. Either would continue their issue. Since we just hot potato-ed the red, white and blue belt, let’s go with the first option. Pick: Samoa Joe
Kyle Decker: I can see WWE shaking things up by putting the belt on the exciting newcomer in hopes to reignite a little bit more interest in their product. Joe’s title reign has been a dud anyway. Pick: Ricochet
Rev. Claire Elizabeth: Supposedly there was that plan to use Money in the Bank to really make a new guy. Clearly that’s off the table, but maybe the One and Only can be the beneficiary of similar tactics against Samoa Joe here. Pick: Ricochet
Cain A. Knight: These guys might just deliver the best match of the night. Over the last two months I have seen Ricochet get pinned by Robert Roode, Baron Corbin, and Cesaro, so he’s probably the underdog here. I hope Ricochet has been working on his surprise roll-up skills, because that move is always Joe’s biggest weakness. Pick: Samoa Joe
Daniel Bryan & Rowan vs. Heavy Machinery
Geno Mrosko: I can’t imagine a title change here, but crazier things have happened! Yeah, I can’t even talk myself into it, no matter how much I love Otis. Pick: Bryan & Big Flannel
Sean Rueter: Surely they won’t take the straps off The Planet’s Tag Team Champions in the midst of a Tag Team Evolution. Plus, Otis & Tucky already have the Yolo County belts, which I think might be more prestigious at this point, anyway. Pick: Daniel Bryan & Rowan
Kyle Decker: Love me some Otis, but they need Bryan anchoring down the division. Can enjoy Otis (and the other guy I guess) as much without the straps as we can with them. Pick: Daniel Bryan and Rowan
Rev. Claire Elizabeth: I like Heavy Machinery and all, but this is no time for a change— Bryan and Rowan haven’t even been able to make the tag titles all nice and renewable yet! Pick: Daniel Bryan & Erick Rowan
Cain A. Knight: Bryan and Otis are here so this match should be pretty entertaining, especially in front of a crowd that will worship Bryan. The singles scene desperately needs Daniel Bryan’s presence again, so I hope the babyfaces walk out as the champs. I don’t think WWE is going to pull that trigger just yet. Pick: Daniel Bryan & Rowan
The New Day vs. Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn
Geno Mrosko: We’re really just here until Owens and Zayn turn on each other again. Which, that’s somehow already long overdue. Pick: New Day
Sean Rueter: My man Large Epsilon was winning on Twitter while he was out, and I think that win streak continues here. What? It makes as much sense as anything else. Pick: New Day
Kyle Decker: Kevin and Sami have been taking some Ls as of late so they’ll turn it around here. It’d be good to legitimize them and maybe use them on SmackDown’s tag title scene (despite Sami being on Raw but none of that matters any more). Beating the New Day would be a good way to make them look good. Pick: Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn
Rev. Claire Elizabeth: Literally there are less picks in for Owens and Zayn as I write this, so I’m just playing the odds. Pick: Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn
Cain A. Knight: This is one of those matches where it doesn’t matter who wins. Just sit back, enjoy four impressive wrestlers doing their thing, and try to forget that the heels just got swept in a two out of three falls match on both Raw and SmackDown this week. Pick: New Day
Tony Nese vs. Akira Tozawa vs. Drew Gulak
Geno Mrosko: Pick: Tony Nese
Sean Rueter: Now that he’s stopped trying to make 205 Live better and is just in it for himself, it’s clearly the Philadelphia Stretcher’s time. Pick: Drew Gulak
Kyle Decker: I still don’t watch 205 Live, but it’s crazy that Gulak hasn’t won that title yet. Pick: Drew Gulak
Rev. Claire Elizabeth: I’ve seen what Drew Gulak is capable of when he takes the governor off. This is his time. Pick: Drew Gulak
Cain A. Knight: I’ve been going back and forth on this one all week long and have lost way too many hours of sleep trying to figure it out. Pick: Drew Gulak
That’s how we see the card playing out.
You?
