WWE Sunday Night's Main Event predictions: 4 big questions, including who wins Cody Rhodes vs. Randy Orton

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The first Sunday of the NFL season isn't for another week, but that doesn't mean we won't have some hard-hitting action this weekend, as WWE holds Sunday Night's Main Event at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia.

The quasi-PLE will feature two major non-title clashes between Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton as well as Oba Femi and Bron Breakker. Both matches should have significant impacts on “SmackDown” and “Raw” for the remainder of the year, respectively. 

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Uncrowned's Horsemen — Kel Dansby, Robert Jackman, Drake Riggs and Anthony Sulla-Heffinger — are here to break down those matches and the two (or three) others taking place this weekend.

Let's ride!

Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton are back at it again.WWE via Getty Images

Jackman: No, keep it going! This feels like the liveliest feud Rhodes has had in a while. This is exactly the kind of fireworks we were all hoping for back in the spring when WWE — or was it TKO? — made the inexcusable decision to turn Pat McAfee into the main character in the Rhodes-Orton storyline during the run-up to WrestleMania. So yeah, keep it going — and keep McAfee as far away as possible.

If you want a stipulation for later in the year, how about a Texas Bullrope Match? That's the stipulation they used for the Dusty Rhodes vs. Randy Orton match that took place 19 years ago. I mean, the promos would write themselves, right? Orton saying that Rhodes isn't half the man that his father was, and all that jazz. Incidentally, I noticed that WWE uploaded that match onto their YouTube channel earlier this summer. I wonder if that's a coincidence?

Riggs: No, it can't be, because it absolutely needs a stipulation match blow-off after this weekend with the hostility that's brewed. I mean, these men have been threatening to kill each other recently. That's about all the incentive one would need, right?

But in all seriousness, I’d be shocked if things ended here, and it shouldn't. Have Orton win on Sunday, pushing Rhodes toward a darker, edgier side, which ultimately leads to a rubber match win. Essentially, replay the Kevin Owens feud for Rhodes, but do something significant with it. A heel turn? That would be nice, but I won't hold my breath.

For the stipulation, it seems too easy to go with a Hell in a Cell or an I Quit match. Maybe even a Last Man Standing. Something classic that both men have experience in.

Dansby: No chance. Rhodes and Orton should end this thing as a true blood feud. There's simply too much history between the two for this to be the final chapter.

Robert nailed it here — Rhodes loves himself a strap match, and who better than Orton to bring that stipulation back for? Those two could tell an amazing story centered around literally being attached to each other for the entirety of the match, especially considering how connected their careers have been as sons of wrestling legends Dusty Rhodes and "Cowboy" Bob Orton.

There's something poetic about Rhodes and Orton settling their issues while physically tied together. Done correctly, it could be a violent conclusion to their feud while also serving as a fitting tribute to their fathers and the wrestling legacies both men inherited.

Sulla-Heffinger: Coming off Rhodes' win at WrestleMania 42, it only makes sense that Sunday's contest goes in Orton's favor and we get a rubber match sometime before the end of 2026. I'm not sure if Rhodes is going to take some time off to promote "Street Fighter," but it’d make sense that Orton lines up a shot at CM Punk for the Undisputed WWE Championship and Rhodes costs him, setting up the aforementioned final chapter in this feud.

As far as a stipulation, Hell in a Cell is usually reserved for these kinds of blow-off matches, but we just saw one between Oba Femi and Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam. Instead, I'd love to see a Last Man Standing match between these two.

Is this a future WrestleMania main event?WWE via Getty Images

Sulla-Heffinger: I suspect a lot of us will have the same answer here: Bronson Reed.

WWE could go the easiest route and have Reed return and just cause complete chaos and a DQ win for either man. The big question for me is who should Reed help, if anyone? 

Although he was previously aligned with Breakker in The Vision, having Reed attack Breakker gives WWE a clear opening to fully turn the latter babyface. This also sets up a solid, non-title program between the two and frees up Femi to make a run at Roman Reigns, whenever that may be.

If Reed attacks Femi, there is still room for Breakker to turn, saying that he never wanted help in taking out “The Ruler.” This road is a little more murky and keeps these three linked together for the foreseeable future, but certainly is a viable option.

Jackman: To be blunt, I wouldn't be doing this match in the first place. As you've recognized in the question, there's a massive risk in having either of these men take the pin. Either you end up ruining Femi's invincible aura that he has bathed in since SummerSlam, or you do further damage to the standing of Breakker — a man who’s already had a bummer of a year, all things considered.

Of course, the expectation is they'll do neither of those things and opt for some kind of asterisk finish. The obvious play would be to have Bronson Reed return, thus helping Breakker overpower Femi in a way that doesn't make "The Ruler" look weak. But surely the laws of wrestling gravity would end up luring Femi and Breakker into the inevitable rematch and then you're right back to square one in having to choose someone to take the L.

Honestly, I'd rather see Femi beating some old hands like Drew McIntyre or Seth Rollins to really underline his champion-in-waiting credentials. Yes, I know he's already beaten Brock Lesnar, but you can't just ride those coattails for the next six months.

Riggs: The easiest way to do that with two guys like this is simple: Repeat the exact — and I mean the exact — formula in Femi’s Lesnar rematch.

Have Femi eat 10 spears if he has to, have Breakker kick out of at least one Fall From Grace — elevating or, in Femi case, maintaining their mutual strengths. However, this match has a DQ finish written all over it, as Breakker probably does hit an absurd amount of spears on Oba without being able to put him away — then Bronson Reed returns to hit the Tsunami assault we’re accustomed to seeing, thus giving Femi the DQ win.

Dansby: I wouldn't.

Sometimes it's OK for someone to lose to somebody who's simply better than them on that night. If anything, that loss can put a chip on their shoulder and create a story for the future.

I'd keep Femi dominant right now and file away Breakker finally overcoming “The Ruler” for later. A babyface Breakker chasing the one man he could never beat is a story that could eventually headline WrestleMania.

Unfortunately, WWE will probably use this as the beginning of Breakker’s exit from The Vision. Austin Theory has carved out a great role for himself and should become the leader of the group moving forward. A returning Bronson Reed, who is absolutely JACKED now, would also be the perfect person to cost Breakker the match and hit him with a Tsunami afterward. Let The Vision completely turn on Breakker and send him off on his own.

Lil Yachty vs. Baron Corbin is the match everyone asked for. Right? (Right?!?)WWE via Getty Images

Jackman: That does feel like the likely direction at the moment. If you've been listening to the Uncrowned Wrestling Show, you'll have heard Jason Solomon talking about the fact that they haven't taken the white fur off the United States Championship. To his mind, that's an obvious indication that the gold is heading back to Williams before long.

Obviously, that would make a mockery of all those reports after SummerSlam about how taking the belt off Williams was about moving him on to bigger and better things. Weren't there whispers that he was even a favorite to win Money in the Bank this year? What happened to that? That isn't to say the reporting was wrong at the time, but we all know how quickly things can change in WWE, and for quite mercurial reasons too.

Then again, given how crowded the Undisputed Championship field is on Friday nights, maybe it's better to give Williams back his U.S. title in the meantime. That will at least ensure he's getting regular television time on "SmackDown" and keeping his credentials strong for his inevitable push.

Dansby: Does anyone else just not care about this story?

Pushing Corbin to this degree makes very little sense to me right now, but here we are. Williams regaining the U.S. Championship doesn't do much for me either.

It's finally time to pull the trigger on Carmelo Hayes. Give Melo the championship back, let him establish himself with another strong run, and then start pushing him further up the card. He's talented enough to eventually be in the world title picture, and I'd rather use the U.S. Championship as a launching pad for Melo than continue going backward.

Hey WWE, remember this guy?WWE via Getty Images

Sulla-Heffinger: To be blunt, no.

I understand how it may seem counterintuitive to have Williams lose two championship matches in a little over a month and then expect him to move up into the main-event scene, but I think that is exactly what should happen.

Yes, the Undisputed WWE Championship picture is incredibly crowded right now, but if you don't think for a second that WWE is going to slap white fur on the Money in the Bank briefcase and start selling those everywhere humanly possible, you don't get how merchandising works.

The mid-card was always just a temporary stop for Williams. With Punk, Rhodes, Owens, Zayn and Orton all in the mix near the top of the card, what better way for WWE to instantly build a new main-event star than to have Williams cash in on any of these veterans?

Riggs: Not so fast! Let's not forget that Yachty's fellow rap star buddy Quavo is also going to be a part of Sunday Night's Main Event, making this the new home of celebrity appearances after that last Madison Square Garden show.

You're out of your mind if you don't expect Quavo to be involved in that match, since he and Yachty have a relationship. But this will be a classic case of evening the odds by pairing Quavo with Corbin to somehow help Yachty fail and move Williams onto bigger and better things. At least hopefully. This feud arguably never should’ve started in the first place.

Charlotte Flair, Alexa Bliss and Tatum Paxley vs. Jade Cargill, Michin and B-Fab rounds out Sunday's card.WWE via Getty Images

Riggs: Why would you guys do this to me? I don't know how you overbook a six-person tag match, but WWE will always find a way.

Let's go with, for some inexplicable reason, Fatal Influence gets involved to try and cause a ruckus for either side. Ultimately, their attempt backfires, leading to some big multi-person spots outside, while leaving B-Fab in the ring to get taken out by Paxley for the pin.

I don't really know why WWE is keeping these six tied together either, but it’d be really fun to push the odd trio of faces toward the tag titles to become the first women's team to apply the Freebird rule.

Dansby: Interference from Lil Yachty?

I'm joking, but WWE does love a good wacky finish. At this point, I'd almost be more surprised if somebody won this match clean than if it ended in complete chaos. The most logical way to create that chaos is to add another member to Jade Cargill's group. This feels like the perfect spot for an NXT call-up who needs some time to grow into a role on the main roster without immediately being thrown into the deep end.

Give me Lola Vice.

Have her show up unexpectedly, align herself with Jade and cost Tatum Paxley's team the match. It gives the finish the shenanigans WWE clearly wants while also using the moment to introduce another fresh face to the main roster.

Is a Lola Vice (left) call-up coming?WWE via Getty Images

Sulla-Heffinger: The Charlotte Flair-Alexa Bliss pairing has been one of the best women's tag-team stories in the division's relatively short history. That being said, it's time to split them up.

With a new personality in the mix and the perceived tension between Flair and Paxley, what better swerve than to have Bliss get jealous and attack Paxley, potentially during a moment where she seems to be vibing particularly well in the match with Flair?

Of the three, Bliss would benefit most from a turn and some heat, offering a bit of a refresh for her character and the potential to shake up the women's division.

Jackman: Job application time! Let's see. Well, they're obviously playing up the whole "tensions between Flair and Paxley," albeit in quite an interesting way that doesn't just boil down to a battle of egos. Why not have Paxley get the pinfall in some kind of semi-spooky way like Bliss used to? Obviously, Bliss would be delighted for her, but then you can have Flair being the skeptic who doubts the whole thing afterward. That pulls Bliss and Paxley closer together while setting the stage for Flair to get her on way, maybe embarking on a singles feud with the newcomer Paxley.

Hmm, I can see Triple H's brow furrowing like I've suggested booking a nine-match PLE with no celebrity cutaways. Maybe it's time to let the professionals plan this one after all.

  • Cody Rhodes (Dansby) vs. Randy Orton (Jackman, Riggs, Sulla-Heffinger)

  • Oba Femi (Dansby, Riggs) vs.Bron Breakker (Sulla-Heffinger, Jackman)

  • Charlotte Flair, Alexa Bliss and Tatum Paxley (Jackman, Riggs) vs. Jade Cargill, Michin and B-Fab(Dansby, Sulla-Heffinger)

  • Baron Corbin (Riggs) vs. Lil Yachty (Dansby, Jackman, Sulla-Heffinger)

  • United States Championship match: Baron Corbin (c.) (Dansby, Riggs, Sulla-Heffinger) vs. Trick Williams (if necessary) (Jackman)

  • Robert Jackman: 64-26

  • Anthony Sulla-Heffinger: 62-28

  • Drake Riggs: 56-34

  • Kel Dansby: 55-35

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