The following editorial was written by Tyler Treese and does not reflect the opinions of WrestleZone as a whole. We encourage you all to discuss Tyler’s thoughts in the comments section at the bottom of this post and follow him on Twitter @tylertreese.
WWE Stomping Grounds takes place this weekend and I wouldn’t blame anyone for not being excited. The card is filled with a bunch of rematches, many of which took place at WWE Super ShowDown, and it screams to be the definition of a filler event. However, it shouldn’t be dismissed completely as there are some exciting match-ups.
Let’s take a look at all nine matches on the card in our WWE Stomping Grounds preview!
WWE Stomping Grounds Preview | Daniel Bryan and Rowan (c) vs. Heavy Machinery
This tag team match is a fresh one if only because Daniel Bryan refused to work Super ShowDown in Saudi Arabia. As such, I’m actually looking forward to what will be Heavy Machinery’s biggest WWE match to date. I expect Bryan and his large partner to retain against these two brutes, but it should be a good time had by all.
WWE Stomping Grounds Preview | Tony Nese (c) vs. Akira Tozawa vs. Drew Gulak
205 Live always puts on a solid show and effort, but most people just don’t watch nor care about it. This triple threat match won’t change that, sadly. It should be an enjoyable effort by all three men, but if the crowd doesn’t care then a match can only be so good. All of the skill in the world doesn’t matter if people aren’t invested.
WWE Stomping Grounds Preview | The New Day (Big E and Xavier Woods) vs. Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn
This is a smart addition as it ties into the feud between Kofi Kingston and Dolph Ziggler. Whoever wins this match will give their side some much needed momentum going into the title match later tonight. All four men are great inside the ring and if the match is given some time then this should wind up being one of the pay-per-view’s highlights.
WWE Stomping Grounds Preview | Samoa Joe (c) vs. Ricochet
This might wind up stealing the show. Not only is this the freshest singles championship bout on the card, but both Samoa Joe and Ricochet are fantastic performers that the crowd cares about. Ricochet is quickly becoming one of the top babyfaces on the roster, and nobody plays a heel better than Joe. This might not wind up being Ricochet’s crowning moment, but perhaps he gets his first main roster championship.
WWE Stomping Grounds Preview | Kofi Kingston (c) vs. Dolph Ziggler
Nobody was hotter than Kofi Kingston after WrestleMania 35, so now he’s in a repetitive feud with Dolph Ziggler and Kevin Owens. I really hope that this is their last match, even if WWE is advertising Ziggler to get another championship opportunity already. This feud has really done nothing for me, and it doesn’t help that we just saw this at Super ShowDown.
WWE Stomping Grounds Preview | Seth Rollins (c) vs. Baron Corbin
This has an opportunity to be interesting if only because of the special referee stipulation. I’m interested in seeing who it winds up being, and they made the right call to make it a mystery. I’ll probably wind up being underwhelmed by the final decision, but at least we can be hopeful up until the event. As for the match itself, Corbin is better inside the ring than he gets credit for and I suspect this will be a fun encounter just like at Super ShowDown even if the bigger question is if “The Beast” is looming.
WWE Stomping Grounds Preview | Becky Lynch (c) vs. Lacey Evans
Speaking of feuds that just won’t end, I haven’t been invested in Lynch vs. Evans for well over a month now. Lynch was supposed to become a superstar after WrestleMania, but her crowning moment has led to her feuding with a newcomer without accolades for several months. This sucks and hopefully we can move on after this match.
WWE Stomping Grounds Preview | Roman Reigns vs. Drew McIntyre
Remember how this was supposed to be settled at WrestleMania? Psych, I guess. McIntyre looks like a star but the booking just hasn’t backed him up. He’s come up short in all of the biggest spots. Either that will change here or Reigns will win and then move back onto Shane McMahon, who nobody thinks could actually beat up Reigns.
WWE Stomping Grounds Preview | Bayley (c) vs. Alexa Bliss
This feud was horrendous when it took place in the past (remember that terrible Bayley: This Is Your Life segment?), but it’s been one of the few highlights of WWE television lately. Nikki Cross has been making this far more interesting and all characters have done a great job acting out their roles. I’m really interested in how this develops and if Bliss can convince Cross to help her out during the match itself.
