Top 5: Ways To WWE Predict Outcomes
Wrestling is scripted, yes, but that doesn’t make it predictable. Daniel Leon brings you the top ways to figure out exactly what will happen next.

If we all stop and think for a moment, we can recall our early days as wrestling fans. The first few times we sat down to see real world gladiators battle in out in a 20x20 ring, taking in the sensations of this new environment we were discovering. It was exciting, it was memorable, there was a feeling that anything could happen.
As our love for professional wrestling grew and we followed it year after year, we became familiar with every aspect of WWE, from the talent, to the ring gear, to the backstage politics, and most importantly, we noticed typical behaviors in decision making from time to time. It is inevitable to not become somewhat jaded after years of following the product, the feeling that anything can happen at anytime isn’t as strong as it once was, but in it’s place, remains the ability to predict with fairly decent probability, the winners in most match ups.
As you read through this list, long time fans will no doubt identify with many of the examples. Of course time and again, the WWE will throw the fans a curve ball, going against these traditional guidelines in rational, so they are by no means a guarantee. However they provide a lot of insight into the booking mentality of World Wrestling Entertainment.
5. The Momentum Theory

One of the oldest theories I was taught as a young fan, was the momentum theory. The idea that anyone who loses their match on the show prior to the upcoming pay-per-view (RAW, SmackDown Live, etc) would then win at the PPV. So the loser of the upcoming match could gain the momentum on his opponent before the big show, and then lose, shifting the momentum back. Of course this doesn’t always apply to matches, it can play out in the form of a run in, or a backstage attack, and so on. Whoever has the last laugh on RAW or Smackdown, loses the PPV. We saw this most recently with this past Sunday’s SummerSlam main event for the Universal Championship. Brock Lesnar was basically made out to be guaranteed to lose the title to either Braun Strowman, Roman Reigns, or Samoa Joe. How did that play out? Still your reigning, defending, part time WWE Universal Champion, Brock Lesnar. So while not always a sure fire guarantee, this time tested theory still remains relevant today.
4. Injured Opponent

Anytime one of two people come out with a taped body part or selling some kind of injury, put a fork in them, they are done. Most of the time the person is a face, trying to showcase their resiliency and determination by fighting through an injury. As a young fan I would hope they would overcome and win the match despite the odds being stacked against them.
Now thinking about it, how does that make your opponent look when they lose to someone who isn’t even 100%? On the flip side, no one can hold it against a competitor for losing when they are less than 100%. Stands a reason to think a face would usually lose, but look good in the effort, while the heel, being a heel, wins taking every opportunity they can, including an injury.
3. Calling Attention to Negativity

There is an old rule in wrestling, magnify a persons positives while hiding their negatives. Example, Goldberg. Biggest, baddest guy in the room and could squash anyone in a minute, however couldn’t cut a promo to save his mama’s life. So the solution? Keep his in ring time limited to mask his inexperience while making him the silent type giving him mystique. You never call attention to a negative aspect of someone because that could be what starts a chain reaction that kills their entire character. That being said, in a rare instance when commentators make a reference to something negative, it’s usually because that is about to change.

Perfect example: Right before Mark Henry won the World Championship, the WWE kept referencing how Henry “couldn’t win the big one.” Of course, he eventually won the World Championship, making that claim no longer relevant. However had he not won, that statement could have killed any and all momentum he had. So keep this in mind in the future, whenever the deck is verbally stacked against someone, there very might well be a change in momentum in the near future.
2. The Start of a Push

Lets be honest, this is an old rule of thumb. Anytime a new character is introduced on television and they start competing, they usually have a good run of wins ranging from a few weeks to a few months, and in the extreme case you get someone like Asuka (thank you wrestling gods! Not you JBL).
In these situations you have to look at the first loss of a new character as a potential momentum killer (even if it isn’t), and thinking that way you can start to think if the opponent they are up against is worth a loss to and potentially hurting that momentum. This doesn’t mean every now and then you don’t get a Mike Kanellis, but the rule usually holds true.
1. The Start of a Title Run

This rule still applies today, however in recent memory we have seen a few title runs that have seemingly ended as quickly as they began (Examples: Tozawa losing his Cruiserweight Title to Neville in their rematch, AJ Styles losing his US Title to Kevin Owens, and again Owens losing to AJ Styles). That being said, typically, anytime someone wins a title it is the begin of a push for that wrestler, so this ties into the previous rule. Unless Vince is planning a swerve, you can usually expect a newly crowned champion to hold onto that title for a few months. This applies most to the WWE/Universal Title, as the company views too many title changes as damaging to the championship’s reputation. That’s why heavyweight championships seldom change, maybe 1–3 times a year.

