The ultimate thrill ride that is Wrestlemania happens tomorrow so it’s time to give my predictions on what should… and what WILL happen at The Show of Shows.
4th Annual Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal
Main competitors: Braun Strowman, Sami Zayn, The Big Show, Dolph Ziggler, Mojo Rawley, The Usos
Backstory: What started as a gimmick has now become an annual showcase used to propel a number of wrestlers for a push. Cesaro got a push after winning the inaugural showcase in 2014 while Baron Corbin was the surprise winner last year. Corbin’s win has propelled him to a featured match with Dean Ambrose for the Intercontinental Title on Sunday.
So who will benefit this year? A number of candidates could use the push. Dolph Ziggler has been on a holding pattern since turning heel. Sami Zayn, the crowd favorite who can’t seem to get over the hump, is looking for his Wrestlemania moment. The Big Show would like to cap off a likely HOF career with a win. And then there’s the monster among men Braun Strowman. He may be in need of it most since being fed to Roman Reigns at Fastlane.
Who Should Win: Zayn. He’s too talented & too over to continue floundering in the midcard scene.
Who WILL Win: Strowman. WWE has invested too much in him and now he’s over as a monster heel.
Neville vs. Austin Aries(Cruiserweight Championship)
Backstory: After the Cruiserweight Classic got rave reviews, the division has been floundering since. The lack of character development & sufficient time for the division to tell stories in the ring has hampered the division. Despite that, Neville has been a revelation since turning heel & capturing the title. The self-titled King of the Cruiserweights laid waste to the division & told everyone that no one could compete with him. Enter Austin Aries. After an eye injury that nearly derailed his career, Aries returned to challenge the throne. It’s been an engaging story – one that should be on the main card instead of the pre-show. Look for these two to make management regret relegating them to the undercard.
Who Should Win: Neville. He has put this division on his back & kept it relevant.
Who WILL Win: Neville.’
SmackDown Women’s Championship
Competitors: Alexa Bliss(Champion), Naomi, Becky Lynch, Carmella, Mickie James, Natayla
Backstory: After Naomi was forced to give up the title 9 days after winning it at Elimination Chamber, it seemed as if creative didn’t have a back up plan in place. The result of Naomi’s injury was a muddled mess filled with no real buildup & no character development. The Blue Brand’s women’s division up until Elimination Chamber had been one of the reasons SD Live was beating RAW in the ratings.
Bliss is set to defend her title against Naomi & the rest of the division. No stipulation has been given as of yet which makes me wonder how could creative have dropped the ball so badly. That said, the ladies will try their best to make lemonade out of lemons.
Who Should Win: Naomi. She never lost the title, she’s over with the fans, the division needs a 2nd credible babyface & the fact this match has been moved to the main card suggests that she will get her redemption story in her hometown.
Who WILL Win: Naomi.
Dean Ambrose vs. Baron Corbin(Intercontinental Championship)
Backstory: Since winning the Andre The Giant Battle Royal Corbin has been on a mission to inflict pain on anyone he meets and gain championship gold in the process. He had an opportunity at Elimination Chamber but was eliminated by Ambrose. This set off the Lone Wolf & he has been hell bent on destroying Ambrose ever since. Ambrose hasn’t defended the title since beating The Miz and one has to wonder if he is taking Baron Corbin seriously enough.
Who Should Win: Corbin. He’s a young star who has grown by leaps & bounds in the ring & on the mic. I think he is a young Barry Windham in the making. A title run will be good for him.
Who WILL Win: Baron Corbin.
RAW Tag Team Championship(Ladder Match)
Competitors: Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson(Champions), Enzo Amore & Big Cass, Sheamus & Cesaro
Backstory: The tag team division has lacked intrigue since the end of The New Day’s historic 483 day reign. Cesaro & Sheamus’ month long run did little to excite while The Club’s run with the belts was less than exciting… until last Monday when the champs decided to ambush their competitors with ladders. Sheamus’ injury caused him to need stitches above his right eye. This match looks to have some big spots & some unsettling violence. It could be a potential show stealer.
Who Should Win: The Club. Since becoming darker & more violent characters the champs have thrived. A sustained title run should help to continue that narrative.
Who WILL Win: Enzo & Cass. The uber-over babyfaces have been stuck in neutral as of late. A title win should help reinvigorate their act.
John Cena & Nikki Bella vs. The Miz & Maryse
Backstory: John Cena eliminated The Miz at Elimination Chamber. Miz returned the favor 3 weeks later at a #1 Contender’s match. What has transpired as been some of the best mic work & satirical humor in recent memory. The Miz & Maryse have been ruthless with their spoof of Total Bellas. They parodied Cena & Bella to great laughs. The heels have been cheered because the belief is that John Cena DOES pull strings & buries people. Nikki Bella DOES get special treatment because she dates Cena. Real life has intertwined with kayfabe and it’s been stellar. As for the match itself, look for the guys to carry most of the match.
Who Should Win: Miz & Maryse. Other than AJ Styles & Chris Jericho NO ONE has had a better run since the brand split than The Miz. He deserves better placement in the main event scene.
Who WILL Win: Cena & Bella. For this to work, Cena must propose(even if it’s kayfabe) to Nikki Bella. If not, then this looks like 2 megastars getting preferential treatment before they both take lengthy hiatuses.
RAW Women’s Championship(Fatal 4-Way)
Competitors: Bayley(Champion), Sasha Banks, Charlotte, Nia Jax
Backstory:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcz1d_bJp6Q
Who Should Win: Sasha Banks. The heel turn would be perfect and Banks can return to the arrogant Boss role that got her super over on NXT.
Who WILL Win: Charlotte. Look for the Queen to regain her throne. The company is hell bent on giving her almost as many title reigns as her father. It also doesn’t hurt that she’s the best women’s wrestler… by far.
AJ Styles vs. Shane McMahon
Backstory: AJ Styles is a man without a plan. He lost the WWE Title to John Cena at Royal Rumble. He was eliminated by Bray Wyatt for the title at Elimination Chamber. Finally, he was bested by Randy Orton for the chance to face Bray Wyatt at WrestleMania. Fuming, Styles ranted that management wanted him to fail even after he’s carried SmackDown Live on his back since the brand split. He also felt jaded because he feels he should be in the main event at WrestleMania. He’s specifically gone after SD Live commissioner Shane McMahon. AJ then took things to the next level by viciously attacking Shane in the parking lot.
The problem with this storyline is that the WWE Universe COMPLETELY agrees with AJ. He IS the face of SmackDown. His 5 month run with the WWE title was impressive and he puts on 5-star matches in his sleep. He should be main eventing WrestleMania. Simply put, he is the face that runs the place.
Who Should Win: AJ Styles.
Who WILL Win: AJ Styles… but going forward creative will need to give him a real storyline to work with. He is, after all, the best wrestler on the planet.
Kevin Owens vs. Chris Jericho(U.S. Championship)
Backstory:
Who Should Win: Kevin Owens. The time is now for Owens to be the cold, heartless predator that made him a superstar in NXT. A U.S. Title run will give the title legitimacy – something the title has lacked since John Cena dropped the belt.
Who WILL Win: Kevin Owens
Bray Wyatt vs. Randy Orton(WWE Championship)
Backstory: What began as a psychological war between Wyatt & Orton became an unlikely partnership as Orton pledged himself to the Wyatt Family. Orton would win The Royal Rumble in January & 2 weeks later Wyatt would capture his 1st ever WWE Championship. Orton pledged that he would not fight Wyatt… only to burn the Wyatt compound to the ground along with the remains of Sister Abigail. Now this psychological war has taken on a supernatural edge. This match promises to be violent… and creepy.
Who Should Win: Bray Wyatt. The Era of Wyatt should be allowed to continue. Wyatt needs this win as he is winless at The Showcase of the Immortals. Wyatt has lost high profile matches to John Cena & The Undertaker and then was on the losing end in a ridiculous segment with The Rock. To undermine him now would be a crushing blow to the momentum he’s had since the brand split.
Who WILL win: Randy Orton. Orton’s WrestleMania record is 5-7 including 1-3 in title matches. While Orton doesn’t need the rub this bizarre yet entertaining story needs a conclusion. The logical conclusion is Orton finishing his destruction of the Wyatt Family.
The Undertaker Vs. Roman Reigns
Backstory:
Who Should Win: The Undertaker. If this is indeed The Deadman’s last ride, it should be one where he goes out on top. Reigns doesn’t need the rub nor will the fans accept a Reigns win unless it involves a massive heel turn. The Undertaker deserves a top notch sendoff and one last win at The Showcase of the Immortals should be that sendoff.
Who WILL Win: Roman Reigns. The WWE, despite the Universe’s boisterous objections, will keep Reigns as their John Cena 2.0. Their stubbornness will make for one of the worst moments at WrestleMania.
Seth Rollins Vs. Triple H(Non-Sanctioned Match)
Backstory:
Who Should Win: Seth Rollins. This redemption story has been 3 years in the making. The added caveat of Rollins’ knee injury will make the redemption story even better when he overcomes his former mentor.
Who WILL Win: Seth Rollins. Despite the expected interference from Samoa Joe(and possibly Finn Balor), I think Rollins will overcome the odds to take out The Game.
Brock Lesnar vs. Goldberg(Universal Championship)
Backstory:
Who Should Win: Brock Lesnar. The logical end is for Lesnar to be The Beast Incarnate and conquer the hero. The reality is that Goldberg’s contract runs out tomorrow. Goldberg’s run was always intended to be a temporary run and given the fact that Goldberg is 50 and has yet to have a match last longer than 90 seconds suggests he doesn’t have an extended run in him.
Who WILL Win: Lesnar. The setup is for Lesnar to hold the belt until SummerSlam at the earliest & possibly WrestleMania 34 at the latest. This is a problem because Lesnar will disappear with the title for large chunks of time.
Let me know what you think of my predictions….
About Author
