John:\u00a0Welcome to the TJRWrestling WWE WrestleMania preview for what is the biggest professional wrestling (we don\u2019t have to say \u201csports entertainment\u201d here) event of the year. The show takes place this Sunday, April 8 from the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a massive show with 13 matches plus whatever is doing with John Cena and The Undertaker (we\u2019ll get to that), so I see no reason to write a lot in the intro because trust me our team is assembled to cover it all. What immediately came to mind looking at this card is that there are going to be a lot of title matches. I think it\u2019s going to be tough to pick some champions to retain because of how many challengers should be getting victories on this show. They can\u2019t all be title changes, though, so it\u2019s a matter of trying to pick out what champs might retain.<\/p>\n
Joining me for the preview are Kurt Zamora, Mike Holland and Matthew Phillips.<\/p>\n
Kurt: I love wrestling as much as anyone, but 7 hours is just too much to ask me to commit to. If this show can\u2019t entertain me for that long, no show ever will, because this card is as stacked as I\u2019ve ever seen. It has potential to be the best ever, but will it end up just losing steam by the end? I apologize in advance for predicting so many title changes, I know it\u2019s unlikely to play out this way, but I just didn\u2019t see any other results that made sense.<\/p>\n
(Note: All graphics are from WWE.com. The banner up top is courtesy of our friend Melo Man.)<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n<\/p>\n Cruiserweight Championship: Cedric Alexander vs. Mustafa Ali (Kickoff Match)\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n Kurt: Kudos to Triple H and anyone running 205 Live to allowing the two best talents in the tournament to be in the finals, and not make it be a traditional heel vs. face match. Ali blew me away at a live event last year and since then, I\u2019ve been really enjoying his work. Cedric is my favorite 205 talent and I couldn\u2019t be happier for him to be in this position. It sucks they\u2019ve got to probably be the first match of the evening, but they\u2019ll still have a hell of a match and you could do a lot worse on WrestleMania weekend.<\/p>\n Prediction: New Cruiserweight Champion, Cedric Alexander<\/p>\n Mike: The NXT rebranding after the ignominious departure of Enzo Amore is well underway, and the culmination of that time and effort is…once more relegated to the preshow. Before I give you my prediction for this match, let’s take a second and bow our heads in appreciation for the job Rockstar Spud has done in his GM makeover as the awfully named Drake Maverick. Does WWE get all their names from late night Cinemax? You decide.<\/p>\n As for this match itself, it’s a toss-up in the truest sense of the word. Alexander’s had major star potential since his introduction, and Ali has come on very strong of late and is showing some personality in recent weeks that I really like. I feel like Cedric gets the nod and is crowned champion. He was tremendous during the Cruiserweight Classic and has been searching for his moment since then. It comes here.<\/p>\n Winner: Cedric Alexander<\/p>\n Matthew: No joke, this match has a chance to be the best match on the card. If they execute anything close to the match they had on 205 Live just before the Cruiserweight Championship Tournament began, this could be a wonderful bit of work on this show. I\u2019m sure both guys want to top that critically heralded match from a few weeks ago, and I\u2019m excited to see what they can do.<\/p>\n As far as being on the kickoff show, this should be the main event of the kickoff. Instead I expect it to open the kickoff or to be sandwiched between the two Battle Royals. Again, I\u2019m not worried about their ability to deliver, I just want as many eyes on this match as possible. I\u2019m sure it\u2019ll be one of the best of the night and honestly, has been built very well by both Ali and Alexander. The Heart vs. The Soul of 205 Live was a nice touch.<\/p>\n Winner and New Cruiserweight Champion: Cedric Alexander (because while it could really go either way, Cedric seemed primed to win the belt before the untimely exit of the former Cruiserweight Champion)<\/p>\n John:\u00a0I wish these guys the best in a tough spot because last year\u2019s Cruiserweight Title match with Neville and Austin Aries took place as fans were still going to the stadium. I know this will be an awesome match to watch with some creative moves on both sides and some of the best high spots on the entire show. What sucks is the crowd may not react to it like they should. I\u2019m going with Ali to win just to be different. That\u2019s how I roll sometimes. It\u2019s really a coin toss type of match in terms of the winner. I hope 205 Live can develop some heels for these guys to feud with because right now there isn\u2019t much there.<\/p>\n Winner and New Cruiserweight Champion: Mustafa Ali<\/p>\n <\/p>\n<\/p>\n WrestleMania Women\u2019s Battle Royal (Kickoff Match)<\/em><\/p>\n Kurt: Unfortunately, the most interesting part of this match is going to be everyone discussing the fact that WWE thought it was a good idea to name this after Moolah. We just had the women\u2019s Royal Rumble, which was tremendous, and this is going to be that without the surprises, excitement, and incentive to win it all. I have no problem with the women getting what the men have, as everyone woman deserves a spot on the card as much as every guy does, but they\u2019ll find out what we already know from the guy\u2019s version\u2026 a big battle royal this soon after Royal Rumble, with far less stars, just isn\u2019t appealing.<\/p>\n Prediction: Becky Lynch<\/p>\n Mike: Given that there’s only been a dozen competitors announced for this match, there’s always a chance someone comes out of left field or NXT to win it. I will also take a bit of umbrage with WWE for blowing “historic” events out of proportion and then dumping them on the preshow. While WWE (and I) would like you to forget that the last time a bunch of women competitors fought in a battle royal at WrestleMania, it was Santino Marella in drag that won the day, history is in fact just that. Own it.<\/p>\n In addition, the flap over naming the match in honor of Mae Young ended awkwardly when WWE just dumped it in a press release after understandable balking by their sponsors. I would have preferred they took the opportunity to salute another historic figure in the rise of women’s wrestling, and there are plenty of candidates. It feels like much less of a truly big deal and just another overstuffed match stuffed into the corner.<\/p>\n As for a winner, I’m going to go with someone deeply rooted in wrestling tradition and therefore worthy of the rub from winning a “first-ever” match: Natalya.<\/p>\n Winner: Natalya<\/p>\n Matthew: This match is essentially a showcase for the Bayley and Sasha feud right? I truly can\u2019t think of anybody else even having an interesting story heading into this thing. I guess the Riott Squad have beef with Becky and Naomi\u2026but that\u2019s not really that captivating. While I\u2019m sure there will be a couple surprises in this match (or at least there should be a couple), I expect the winner to either be Bayley or Sasha.<\/p>\n Winner: Sasha Banks (because if Sasha is turning heel, giving her this accolade to boast is a great tool for her heel toolkit)<\/p>\n John: There are talented people in the match, but aside from Bayley and Sasha Banks having issues there really isn\u2019t much to get excited about it in terms of storylines. Plus, doing two battle royals on a Kickoff Show is going to make them feel very repetitive. I\u2019ll go with Bayley winning by eliminating Sasha Banks at the end of it. They should have Banks attack her with the stupid looking trophy after the match too in order to get Banks over as a heel. That part could happen on Raw, though.<\/p>\n Winner: Bayley<\/p>\n <\/p>\n<\/p>\n Andre the Giant Men\u2019s Battle Royal (Kickoff Match)\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n Kurt: I thought with this being two days before the Andre documentary on HBO, that they would actually TRY to make this seem important. I was wrong. This year\u2019s participants are lacking even more than previous years because there are so many multiple man matches on the rest of the card. The previous four winners were three should\u2019ve been\u2019s and Mojo. WM30 should\u2019ve been Cesaro\u2019s breaking of the glass ceiling, but it wasn\u2019t. WM31 should\u2019ve been Damien Sandow\u2019s WrestleMania moment, but it wasn\u2019t. WM32 should\u2019ve been the huge push for Baron Corbin as he got called up from NXT, but it wasn\u2019t. Since picking this is such a crapshoot, I\u2019m going to predict what I think would be the most fun scenario. Curt Hawkins is in the middle of a losing streak approaching 200 losses. It would be fantastic to see him hang around in this battle royal and then at the end somehow sneak up on someone and steal the win. What better way to end a streak like that?<\/p>\n Prediction: Curt Hawkins<\/p>\n Mike: It’s once again the time of year where we as fans are expected to care about this match, particularly so this time around since HBO’s well-done movie has reinvigorated the amazing story of one of wrestling’s best legends, Andre the Giant. Unfortunately, the results have been less than inspiring since Cesaro bodyslammed the Big Show in one hell of a moment at WrestleMania 30. From that win to more recent victors like Baron Corbin and Mojo Rawley, it apparently exists to cram everyone available onto the roster in some way (a noble pursuit) and make big men relevant again (a McMahon family staple).<\/p>\n I don’t really see any of the announced names winning with the possible exception of Corbin again, so I’m going to go off the page. Given the news of recently signing a new contract that heavily implies a continuation of his in-ring career for WWE, I’m tempted to toast history and go with Big Show winning for the second time. Rather than dooming history by repeating it, though, I’ll hope for the best and pick a returning Big Cass to surprise the crowd and capture the trophy. Hopefully it’s more than eye candy for the mantle.<\/p>\n Winner: Big Cass<\/p>\n Matthew: I don\u2019t really care that much about this Battle Royal. While the Women\u2019s one has one major story heading into it, this one has none. There closest thing to an angle heading into this bout is Matt Hardy rechristening it the Humongous Wonder Number 8 Battle Royal. Weirdly he\u2019d be my favourite possible winner of this. Adding the trophy to House Hardy could yield many hilarious returns.<\/p>\n Speaking of returns, there will likely be a couple here. We will almost certainly at least see Big Cass return here and he\u2019d be the odds on favourite to win if you ask me. It\u2019d be a way to return with a bit of a bang and will get him off to a running start.<\/p>\n Winner: Big Cass (because Matt Hardy won\u2019t actually win this thing, which makes me a little sad)<\/p>\n John: I\u2019m not a fan of battle royals and I think the winner of this match needs to get more than the right to stand beside the Andre trophy for a few weeks on television. Give them a title short or something to make people care more. I thought about going with a surprise winner like Big Cass, Jeff Hardy, Samoa Joe. Big Show or possibly Jason Jordan if he\u2019s healthy, but I truly believe WWE has high hopes for Elias and they know that putting him over here could elevate him. That\u2019s my pick.<\/p>\n Winner: Elias<\/p>\n <\/p>\n<\/p>\n Smackdown Tag Team Championships: The Usos vs. The Bludgeon Brothers vs. The New Day\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n Kurt: It\u2019s not necessarily the match I\u2019m most excited for, but it is the match that has the participants I\u2019m most happy for. This is LONG overdue for The Usos. If you don\u2019t think of them this way already, it won\u2019t be long before you consider them one of the greatest tag teams in WWE history, if not all of wrestling. I just hope this isn\u2019t a squash match to showcase The Bludgeon Brothers. These three teams can clearly put on a hell of a bout, even if they\u2019re given just 10 minutes. Having said that, this match only has one result that makes sense.<\/p>\n Prediction: New Smackdown Tag Champions, The Bludgeon Brothers<\/p>\n Mike: I must confess a strange fascination with the latest incarnation of Luke Harper and Erick Rowan, as the hammer-wielding Bludgeon Brothers are a harkening back to a simpler, fun time when folks were named things like The Berzerker and The Mountie and came to the ring sporting their weapon of choice. What is perhaps lost in that nostalgia is that this team can really and truly go when given the opportunity, and they’ve gotten plenty of the short end of the stick since the Wyatt Family heyday.<\/p>\n That’s why I’m glad (for once) to see this being made a triple threat match. Everyone knows the classic battles between The Usos and The New Day, and this has a chance to be a show stealer on a card loaded with options. While early returns would favor the Bludgeons hammering out a win, I envision a scenario where the Usos retain without beating the big men. I don’t see them going down the road again of Usos chasing TND, so the Bludgeons can bide their time until their number gets called.<\/p>\n Winners (and STILL Smackdown Tag Team Champions): The Usos<\/p>\n Matthew: One of these teams is not like the others. Is it a problem that in a grouping of teams that includes The New Day, that The Bludgeon Brothers are the most cartoonish? I truly can\u2019t take them seriously, despite my affinity for Luke Harper as a performer. I really wish they had come up with something a little less, what\u2019s the word\u2026 stupid, as a gimmick for Harper and Rowan.<\/p>\n Cartoonish quality of the Bludgeon Brother aside, this could and honestly should be a wonderful match. All these teams can work. The Usos have been great for quite some time now, The New Day have been fun as usual, and if you ignore the paper mache \u201cmallets\u201d The Bludgeon Brothers never actually Bludgeon people with, their in-ring work has been strong and hard hitting.<\/p>\n As far as who will win, I still have dream of The New Day setting their sights on singles Championships (to be more specific, THE singles Championship) and honestly don\u2019t expect them being given the Tag Belts here. It really comes down to The Usos and Bludgeon Brothers (I feel really goofy having to type that so much). I could see them wanting to crown new Champions because The Usos have had such a lengthy run. I could try to reason out why The Usos should and could retain. They\u2019ve been so wonderful, but I just think the WWE will think it\u2019s time for a change.<\/p>\n Winners and New Smackdown Tag Team Champions: The Bludgeon Brothers (because the WWE hopes we will take this goofball Kane cosplay gimmick seriously)<\/p>\n John:\u00a0The match should be pretty good with The Usos and New Day selling for the power moves of the Bludgeon Brothers very well. Don\u2019t forget that when Harper and Rowan were in the Wyatt Family a few years ago they had several great matches with The Usos as well, so there is good chemistry there. I\u2019m going with The Usos mainly because I am predicting so many title matches on this card that I feel like at least one championship match should see the champs retain and this is where it fits.<\/p>\n Winners: The Usos<\/p>\n <\/p>\n<\/p>\n Raw Women\u2019s Championship: Alexa Bliss vs. Nia Jax\u00a0<\/p>\n Kurt: Kudos to both women on the build to this match. I have really loved seeing the transformation of Nia and Alexa looks as confident as she did on Smackdown when she was at her best. I\u2019m sure it helps when you\u2019re competing against your best friend in real life. There\u2019s a confidence in each other that can only make them better. That\u2019s another kudos to them as it\u2019s no surprise they\u2019re best friends in real life (WWE didn\u2019t even bother separating them at the WM35 press conference in NY) but yet, on TV they\u2019ve made the feelings against one another feel real.<\/p>\n I don\u2019t remember the last time I picked against Alexa, simply because I didn\u2019t feel there was ever a right time for her to drop the title due to lacking \u201creal\u201d contenders, but now is that time. Nia is right on the verge of that next level. When I attended Raw in Dallas, the reaction Nia got when she came after Alexa was amazing. People want to see her destroy Alexa. Don\u2019t try and get cute and end up making Nia look stupid. Give it a straightforward finish with Nia decisively winning.<\/p>\n Prediction: New Raw Women\u2019s Champion, Nia Jax<\/p>\n Mike: I have found the Alexa Bliss\/Nia Jax\/Mickie James storyline largely unsettling. I get that it’s perhaps a natural story to tell, but it’s so clich\u00e9-ridden that it feels overdone before it even begins. Doesn’t every WWE women’s feud consist of best friends breaking up? In addition to that, using Jax’s body as a critical focal point cheapens the talent and the writing in a way I didn’t think possible. Has it not occurred to the powers that be that having James right on the sidelines as a testament to how the stories haven’t grown is more than a little ironic and sad? It appears not.<\/p>\n I’ll climb down off the soapbox to discuss the actual match now, which to me is as close to an automatic win at WrestleMania as you can get. Bliss has been a decent enough champion, and she’s been a tour de force in full-on heel mode, but Nia has suffered the slings and arrows long enough. Jax’s time in the sun is overdue, and how better to right that wrong than to administer much-needed justice to the Mean Girl? Hopefully it’s enough of a moment to overcome the tawdry scriptwriting plague.<\/p>\n Winner (and NEW Raw Women’s Champion): Nia Jax<\/p>\n Matthew: I\u2019ve really liked the build of this match for a multitude of reasons. Firstly, I never ever bought Nia Jax as an evil monster. Then when I became more acquainted with her real personality in behind the scenes footage, it became clear why I was never sold. She really is a very sweet, kind, and lovely person. Why they had her trying to be a monster is lost on me.<\/p>\n The story here is simple, with Bliss using Nia as her heavy, while Nia believed they had a genuine friendship. Now it might have been a bit better had Alexa actually used Nia more to help her continue her reign, but that\u2019s nitpicking. The overall story and message that they\u2019re going for is a good one that I support, despite their writers not being quite sophisticated enough to present it in a more emotionally resonant manner. Nia was used for her size by the mean girl Alexa, who mocked her for her weight behind her back. Nia wants to get back at the user and the mean girl. I hope the match will exceed my expectations. Both are fine workers, but I don\u2019t expect anything great here.<\/p>\n Winner and Still Raw Women\u2019s Champion: Alexa Bliss (because the chase for Nia should be a little longer in my opinion)<\/p>\n John: This could have been built up a lot better. Jax got a title shot because Bliss made fun of her. Really? It\u2019s weak. People should earn title matches and most of the time, WWE does it the right way. Jax lost to Asuka multiple times (including a match to earn a title match at the last Raw PPV), yet she got a title match anyway. Does the creative team even care? I don\u2019t know. They\u2019re busy coming up stupid lines about \u201cblubber\u201d to try to get heat, yet all it does is make people groan at how bad the writing can be sometimes.<\/p>\n This match is simple. Jax wins in under five minutes. It may even be under three minutes. I expect Bliss to get her ass kicked, then Mickie James will try to help her and she\u2019ll get beat up to her. I will boo that, of course. Anyway, Jax should get the win and her first title in WWE here.<\/p>\n Winner and New Raw Women\u2019s Champion: Nia Jax<\/p>\n <\/p>\n<\/p>\n Raw Tag Team Championships: Sheamus & Cesaro vs. Braun Strowman and ???\u00a0<\/p>\n Kurt: I love Braun Strowman. He\u2019s my favorite thing on Raw by a mile. I do not, however, like how much he made the entire tag division look like trash. A division that has The Revival and The Club in it, should not be made to look like jobbers like that. That was the price paid though when WWE realized they didn\u2019t have a match for Braun at Mania. What a travesty that would\u2019ve been if Braun was put in the battle royal for the second year in a row.<\/p>\n The rumors have been all over the place for Braun\u2019s partner: Rey Mysterio, Bray Wyatt, James Storm, Elias, just to name a few. The next step in Braun\u2019s progression is to put some gold around his waist, so he and whomever he picks, needs to win. Then you can have The Bar chase them for a bit while you rebuild the division behind them.<\/p>\n Prediction: New Raw Tag Team Champions, Braun Strowman & ???<\/p>\n Mike: One of the odder matches on this mega-card is the Raw Tag Team Title clash, which answers the question of what to do with Braun Strowman while the adults have their party in the other room. WWE has stopped and started far too many times with Strowman, who is admittedly more than a little cartoonish but also frequently the most entertaining and over aspect of weekly WWE programming. Since the title picture has been sketched out for a while, the best option for the “monster among men” was to have him and a mystery partner challenge the always-solid Bar for their belts.<\/p>\n To be honest, I find the whole partner thing ludicrous and not in a good way. Strowman should win the belts like he won the right to challenge for them, by decimating anything in his path in short order and putting a title in each of those hands. It’s more than a little ridiculous for one guy to dethrone two solid workers, but this is WWE and Strowman is tipping over vehicles nightly. Subtlety is not a strong suit or even in the wardrobe at all. Strowman wins by himself. The partner is a MacGuffin.<\/p>\n Winners (and NEW Raw Tag Team Champions): Braun Strowman and Braun Strowman’s Not Finished With You<\/p>\n Matthew: I don\u2019t much care for this bout. I really like Braun but can\u2019t really get myself excited for The Bar anymore. The mystery behind Braun\u2019s partner is a bit of mystery that\u2019s fun. That being said, I can count on one hand the times the WWE has introduced a mystery and the payoff was satisfying. They should have built this feud on Sheamus\/Cesaro mocking Braun for not being able to find a partner, because nobody could ever love a monster as grotesque and awful as him. Even have them bring up the fact that they were enemies that became partners because they are both more likable than Braun.<\/p>\n So who will the mystery partner be? I would want it to be James Ellsworth. Bring that whole thing full circle. It\u2019s basically a handicap match that Braun wins on his own, and in the future when they have to drop the titles, Ellsworth can eat the fall. I could also see them using Big Show in this spot. A monster team of Show and Braun would be fun as a spectacle. I could even see them going with Bray, returning as a babyface and re-aligning with Braun. There are a lot of possibilities, but none of them are spectacular.<\/p>\n Winner and New Raw Tag Team Champions: Braun and Big Show (because I\u2019m guessing Big Show will be his partner)<\/p>\n John: I think Strowman\u2019s partner will be a guy he was already associated with in WWE before: Bray Wyatt. When Strowman started he was in the Wyatt Family. However, Wyatt lost that Ultimate Deletion match to Matt Hardy a few weeks ago and was tossed into the \u201cLake of Reincarnation,\u201d which is another way of telling fans that he will undergo some changes. I think the change for Wyatt will be a face turn because the fans have wanted to cheer him for years anyway and the heel run wasn\u2019t going anywhere, so they might as well try him out as a face to see if he can get some momentum. Plus, Strowman and Wyatt are close friends, so I\u2019m sure they will love it.<\/p>\n On a show with a lot of title changes, here\u2019s another one. I just don\u2019t see how Braun can have a mystery partner and then lose the match. I like Sheamus and Cesaro as champs, though. They can probably win the titles back again in a few weeks.<\/p>\n Winners and New Raw Tag Team Champions: Braun Strowman and partner (Bray Wyatt) <\/p>\n <\/p>\n<\/p>\n United States Championship: Randy Orton vs. Bobby Roode vs. Jinder Mahal vs. Rusev\u00a0<\/p>\n Kurt: I\u2019m happy for Rusev. It\u2019s good to know that somehow, someway, his soaring popularity led to something better for him at Mania than just the battle royal. Bobby Roode as a face just isn\u2019t doing it for me. I feel he\u2019s lost everything he had in NXT. You can see it on his face that he doesn\u2019t feel comfortable in this role. Orton as US champ has been cool since it\u2019s his first time as champ, so it feels fresh. Jinder is Jinder. It feels too soon for a title change as Orton does help keep that title elevated and makes it feel important, however how can I pick against Rusev when WrestleMania happens to fall on Rusev Day?<\/p>\n Prediction: New US Champion, Rusev<\/p>\n Mike: The more, the merrier? Not always. In a loaded baked potato of a match that makes me reach for the Pepto while visions of Randy Orton and Jinder Mahal make the cookies approach tossage, Orton’s title goes on the line against three challengers because, well, yeah. Orton would be a natural choice to retain, but his feud with Roode didn’t really do much for me and it looks like it’s time to move on. Roode’s entry onto the main roster was perfectly timed and exciting, but since then it’s been just another NXT callup leading to the inevitable doldrums of boredom.<\/p>\n That’s why my pick for this match is Rusev, and I was convinced of it the second he was added to this match. Rusev has broken the fourth wall a bit and gotten most of the audience to love “Rusev Day” regardless of his heel status, and that’s a powerful thing in wrestling. When the chant is over in matches that have nothing to do with the Bulgarian Brute, it’s time to do something about it. He’s been a solid citizen and a trooper and deserves the US Title. This time he will be applauded for it.<\/p>\n Winner (and NEW United States Champion): Rusev<\/p>\n Matthew: I could pretend to care about this, but I won\u2019t. I couldn\u2019t care any less who wins this match, or about watching it. Three of the dullest performers and characters in the WWE right now collide, with Rusev in this one. And while I understand the popularity of Rusev (he\u2019s very charismatic and is such a fun performer), I\u2019m not quite as enamoured with the whole Rusev Day thing, only because it\u2019s in many ways New Day adjacent.<\/p>\n I don\u2019t really have anything else to say\u2026<\/p>\n Winner and New United States Champion: Bobby Roode (but I don\u2019t really care)<\/p>\n John: I think Rusev was put into this match because somebody in WWE creative finally listened to the crowd that chanted \u201cRusev Day\u201d for that man and figured it was time to get the US Title back on him. While I hope Rusev receives a bigger push to the main event level later in the year, having him win the US Title at WrestleMania would be cool to see. Orton really doesn\u2019t need a long run with this title. Bobby Roode already had it and probably needs a heel turn post WM than anything else. I\u2019m fine with Jinder Mahal in the match because he got a massive push last year, so he deserves a decent spot at WrestleMania.<\/p>\n If Rusev doesn\u2019t win then my second pick would be Mahal, but I\u2019m going with Rusev. I also believe that WWE will embrace the \u201cRusev Day\u201d chants and they will start pushing Rusev as more of a face after this.<\/p>\n Winner and New US Champion: Rusev<\/p>\n <\/p>\n<\/p>\n Intercontinental Championship: The Miz vs. Finn Balor vs. Seth Rollins\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n Kurt: Not to spoil my WWE Championship prediction, but I feel that whomever captures the IC title between Balor and Rollins will stay on Raw, and the other will trade spots with AJ Styles and go to SD Live. Personally, I\u2019d like to se Balor be the person who goes to Smackdown as I think he can fill AJ\u2019s spot better than Rollins can. Rollins is great, people love him, but he\u2019s been on top before. I think the fans would want to see someone that hasn\u2019t been on top before, be that top guy. Congrats to Miz and Maryse on the birth of their first child and I hope after a stellar match here, he\u2019ll be given some time to spend at home with his family. That\u2019s why a title change is necessary and Rollins fits the mold of what a true IC Champion should be.<\/p>\n Prediction: New IC Champion, Seth Rollins<\/p>\n Mike: The crowd is sure to be amped for this one as The Miz puts his title on the line against two of the more popular wrestlers on the roster right now in Finn Balor and Seth Rollins. It seems like forever ago that those two were battling over a far richer prize, but times being what they are, we need to settle for this and I would fully expect it to deliver the goods. We’ve all seen this story before, two guys working together (sort of) against a common goal and Miz playing his part to the hilt by trying to drive a wedge between them in defense of his championship. Just because it’s a repeat doesn’t mean it won’t be very good.<\/p>\n You can make a clear case for either challenger as champion, but in these types of matches I generally tend to split the difference and vote for the champ to retain. Miz is in the midst of history and there’s no reason to take the title back from him so soon after he reclaimed it. I’d love to see some of the principals further up the card in the near future, but we’ll have to settle for now.<\/p>\n Winner (and STILL Intercontinental Champion): The Miz<\/p>\n Matthew: This is much better than the Smackdown mid-card title match. Finn and Seth have demonstrated their ability to put on a show when they get in the ring together and The Miz is one of the very best characters in all of the WWE right now. You put together the in-ring prowess of Balor and Rollins and combine it with the superb character work and storytelling ability of The Miz, and you have the elements necessary to put on a nice, memorable Wrestlemania mid-card match.<\/p>\n The real question is who needs this win and this title right now? One person who doesn\u2019t quite need it right now is The Miz. Yes, there\u2019s the element of him going for the record as the longest reigning Intercontinental Champion, but in all honesty, I would have bigger plans for The Miz, especially with Daniel Bryan being cleared to compete again.<\/p>\n Conventional wisdom says go with Finn, but I would tap him as the initial challenger Roman Reigns once he wins the Universal Championship. Therefore\u2026<\/p>\n Winner and New Intercontinental Champion: Seth Rollins (because he could elevate that title for a little while by putting on incredible wrestling matches with it on the line)<\/p>\n John: This match should be excellent even though I am tired of triple threat matches. The good thing about this one is they are all very good performers and you know it\u2019s going to be a good match, so I\u2019m not going to complain about that. As much as I like The Miz as IC Champion, it\u2019s probably time to end this current reign and I can see him getting it back later in the year to have him beat the record for most days as the IC Champion.<\/p>\n I\u2019m picking Balor over Rollins because Rollins beat Balor clean on Raw. Plus, I think Rollins is going to be moved to Smackdown in the Superstar Shakeup post-WrestleMania while Balor will stay here he is, so it\u2019s better to put the title on Balor.<\/p>\n Winner and New Intercontinental Champion: Finn Balor<\/p>\n <\/p>\n<\/p>\n John Cena vs. The Undertaker?<\/em><\/p>\n (The match is not official. There’s a PWInsider report saying there may not be a match and it may just be an angle.)<\/p>\n Kurt: Whatever happens on the show involving these two men, it all boils down to the fact that you can\u2019t have Cena put down Undertaker as strongly as he did on the mic, and not have Undertaker answer the challenge. Whether that becomes a fight, or a spectacle of some sorts. For example, those two in the ring about to face off and then some alliance of people come out to try and make a name for themselves, only to have Cena and Taker take them out together.<\/p>\n The booking behind this has been suspect to say the least and IF Taker is wrestling in this match, he clearly doesn\u2019t have many matches left, and deserved much better in the booking of a WrestleMania match, a show he\u2019s synonymous with. I don\u2019t have a prediction per se for this match; I just had those thoughts I wanted to jot down.<\/p>\n Mike: This has been a puzzling angle to be sure. Having John Cena go through the motions of pretending he won’t be wrestling at the WWE’s most important event has been awkward at best and painful at worst, and the building drama of having him wrestle Kane and make hackneyed impressionistic pleas to the camera week after week has been the world’s worst fever dream. When Cena’s promos are good, they’re very good; when they’re forced, they’re this. I’m on record as a giant fan of Taker’s career but also not in the camp of caring enough about his training videos to piece together what’s going to occur. Sometimes Paul really is dead and nobody is the walrus.<\/p>\n I can’t imagine they go through with this giant show without giving Cena his moment, so I’d put the smart money on this match going down. If they wrestle, I have to figure Cena wins and that inspires him to get back on the horse. The suspension of disbelief required for this approaches critical mass. It will be a nice moment to see this two in the ring together. Then the match will happen.<\/p>\n Winner: John Cena<\/p>\n Matthew: I\u2019m not incredibly excited about the prospect of these two having a match, nor have I been since it was first rumoured. With that said, I have morbidly enjoyed the build up to this\u2026 match\u2026 confrontation\u2026 angle? Whatever it\u2019s called, it\u2019s been so over the top that I\u2019ve had a good time with it. I was hoping it would culminate on Raw, but it seems we\u2019re saving it until Wrestlemania. I\u2019m not sure how I feel about that?<\/p>\n On one hand, it\u2019s different. If Undertaker arrives and calls out Cena at Wrestlemania from the crowd, that would be kind of cool. On the other-hand, a cool angle on Raw would have been really fun, and the route they have chosen might be too cute.<\/p>\n One thing I\u2019m hopeful of is that they let the Deadman version of The Undertaker stay dead. The Character left his gear in the ring and that to me signified the end of it. I\u2019ll be disappointed if I see it\u00a0on Sunday. I want Brawling Biker, American Bad Ass Undertaker to fight John Cena. None of the mystical stuff. It\u2019s the best way to go.<\/p>\n Winner: The Undertaker (if there is a match\u2026 we don\u2019t really know at this point)<\/p>\n John: The first week where Cena did a promo ripping on The Undertaker was great. The other three weeks of it was a stupid waste of time if the plan was for The Undertaker to stay home and not show up at all. Whoever thought this was the right way to build up a match or a confrontation got it wrong. I know that this year\u2019s WrestleMania doesn\u2019t \u201cneed\u201d this match, but if this match was promoted the right way it would be a big deal. Instead, we are going into it not knowing if there will be a match or simply a confrontation.<\/p>\n Why not have Undertaker accept the match? They don\u2019t even have to wrestle that much. If they just stood in the ring staring at eachother they would have had the crowd chanting \u201cthis is awesome\u201d for them. It\u2019s easy. If there\u2019s a match, I\u2019ll go with The Undertaker to win. If there\u2019s not a match, I hope this segment is passable because there\u2019s a chance it could be a stinker.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n<\/p>\n Smackdown Women\u2019s Championship: Charlotte Flair vs. Asuka\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n Kurt: All the press may be on Ronda Rousey, but this is the biggest match involving women on the card, and possibly the biggest match in WWE women\u2019s wrestling history. If it wasn\u2019t for Daniel Bryan, this would be the match I\u2019m most excited to see. I grow to be a bigger Charlotte fan every time she comes to the ring and Asuka is just someone you can\u2019t take your eyes off when she\u2019s in the ring. She\u2019s so good, so fluid, she leaves you wondering if you really just saw that.<\/p>\n With the amount of title changes I see, this is one match where the champion retaining makes sense, but having said that, I don\u2019t think you can end Asuka\u2019s streak before she wins a title on the main roster. It\u2019s for that fact only that I can make a prediction on this match that is truly a toss-up. I also think that Carmella will unsuccessfully cash in her MITB in this match officially as well.<\/p>\n Prediction: New Smackdown Women\u2019s Champion, Asuka<\/p>\n Mike: Repeating Asuka’s NXT run has been money for WWE. They have played every card right in their hand so far, and that’s a rarity, so let’s take a second and appreciate it. What’s doubly surprising is that Asuka is a character that Vince and friends rarely seem to get behind: an emotional worker with limited English who wins over the crowd in spite of not being like anything many of them have seen before. Sound like another championship challenger that’s wrestling later? Not a coincidence.<\/p>\n Charlotte is a more than capable hand, but there is zero reason to see WWE pulling a swerve and ending Asuka’s reign with a loss in her biggest match to date. They didn’t have her win the Rumble and the Mixed Match Challenge just to cough up the football at the goal line. This was the right call in terms of opponents and winning allows Asuka to go up against some fresh matchups. As for Carmella cashing in the briefcase? It would be STELLAR writing and nuclear heat. I think WWE plays it safe however.<\/p>\n Winner (and NEW Smackdown Women’s Champion): Asuka<\/p>\n Matthew: This will be a cool match. Is there anything else to really say? They haven\u2019t really interacted much on the road to Wrestlemania. They\u2019ve more or less been on different shows the entire build. So there\u2019s not much to discuss on that front.<\/p>\n The match itself will be really good I\u2019d expect. Asuka is the best worker on the Women\u2019s roster, and Charlotte is the most athletic (hot take: while a great athlete, she\u2019s the 4th most interesting character\/performer out of the Four Horsewomen). It\u2019s a good matchup. Maybe there will be some Carmella shenanigans. That\u2019s about all I got for you here.<\/p>\n Winner and New Smackdown Women\u2019s Champion: Asuka (because The Streak!)<\/p>\n John: The story is weak here. It\u2019s a face vs. face match with Charlotte as the most pushed woman on the main roster for the last two years while Asuka hasn\u2019t lost a match since she started in NXT in October 2015. It\u2019s their first ever singles match although they did wrestle eachother in a tag match in the Mixed Match Challenge last Tuesday as a nice preview of what\u2019s to come.<\/p>\n This could be one of the best women\u2019s matches in WWE history if they get time (I expect it to get close to 20 minutes if not more) and if they build it up with believable nearfalls while utilizing their submissions. Sometimes in Charlotte\u2019s matches she does a great job of working on the legs to set up the Figure Eight submission and other times she doesn\u2019t do it at all, so I hope they keep psychology in mind. That helps the story. The winner is a no doubter because I think Asuka\u2019s streak should continue. I would be surprised if Asuka lost.<\/p>\n After the match is over, I think Carmella will try to cash in the Money in the Bank briefcase on an exhausted Asuka. However, Asuka will kick out of a pin attempt and beat Carmella with the Asuka Lock. I think Asuka\u2019s in for a very long run as Smackdown Women\u2019s Champion.<\/p>\n Winner and New Smackdown Women\u2019s Champion: Asuka<\/p>\n <\/p>\n<\/p>\n Daniel Bryan and Shane McMahon vs. Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens<\/em><\/p>\n (If Zayn\/Owens lose they are still fired, but if they win they get their jobs back.)<\/p>\n Kurt: Daniel Bryan is in a match at WrestleMania. Let that sink in. To say this is the match I\u2019m most excited for, would be an understatement. I had convinced myself this would never happen. I was there live in Dallas, the day that Daniel was cleared, and as crazy is this is going to sound, the 9-10,000 fans that night when Daniel unleashed some of his offense on KO and Sami, were louder than the 100,000 fans I was with at WrestleMania 32 in the same neighborhood. There\u2019s just something about Daniel that brings out that type of emotion in the fans.<\/p>\n It\u2019s legitimately crazy how Shane\u2019s own health is a back page story compared to the return of Daniel. No one is sure of what\u2019s legit and what isn\u2019t, but what can\u2019t be debated is Shane was in the hospital for something. This match has all sorts of intrigue and that\u2019s before we get to the brilliance of KO and Sami. I knew Sami needed a change when he turned heel, but I don\u2019t know that anyone could\u2019ve expected him to be this good at the role. I\u2019m sure that Shane will ludicrously turn heel on Daniel and that\u2019s how KO and Sami will win and keep their jobs, but there is no way I can in good conscious, pick against Daniel Bryan in his return. This is the win we all need.<\/p>\n Prediction: Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan<\/p>\n Mike: Why is it that matches with McMahons in them get the best builds? I’m big with the rhetorical questions in this preview. If you’re looking for prospective WrestleMania “moments,” I can’t imagine they get any bigger than Daniel Bryan returning to the ring following his battle with concussion issues. It says something about the wrestler and the man himself that he has inspired such crowd reactions without even getting physically involved until the last couple weeks, and I fully expect a good part of this match to be a remembrance of how energizing it is watching one hell of a wrestle return to the craft he loves. Inspiring and truly emotional.<\/p>\n As for the match itself, given Shane McMahon’s recent medical concerns I don’t expect him to be carrying the mail here. This to me is a classic case of something existing just to set the stage for something to come. The best play would be giving us a bunch of tremendous Bryan\/Owens\/Zayn matches to salivate over, and naturally that can’t be done if the latter two remain “fired.” Having Bryan straight up lose would be an enormous gaffe, though, so plans have to be made. Enter Shane.<\/p>\n I have to confess I see the intelligence of the rumored plan of having Shane turn on Bryan, thus enabling DB to begin his long quest for vengeance while the new GM is crowned. I think an even better strategy, though, would be art imitating life in an ironic way by Bryan throwing in the towel for Shane when the baddies refuse to stop dishing out abuse. This would bring an even more emotional context to the whole thing, and set the stage for Shane’s role to be further reduced while Bryan gets his retribution. Powerful stuff? YES!<\/p>\n Winners: Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens<\/p>\n Matthew: One of the matches I\u2019m most excited for, though I think it\u2019s absolutely crazy that Shane has been cleared to compete here given his health in the last couple weeks. I could see them doing some kind of angle that puts Shane out of commission and has Bryan wrestling what ultimately resembles a handicap match.<\/p>\n I\u2019m eager to see Bryan back in a wrestling ring. Wearing his ring gear and doing what he does best, which is putting on a wrestling clinic. I couldn\u2019t think of better opponents either. Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens are perfect counterparts for Bryan here. The in-ring work will be wonderful and regardless of how much Shane can do, the other three will be more than capable of carrying the lion\u2019s share of the match.<\/p>\n Now there\u2019s the possibility of an angle here. How do you work the match where Zayn and Owens stay on Smackdown? Daniel could turn heel, but why? He\u2019s the biggest babyface on the roster at this point. Zayn and Owens could beat Shane to win the match. It\u2019s a possibility, but I feel like New Orleans is clamouring for a Bryan return victory.<\/p>\n Winners: Daniel Bryan and Shane McMahon (because Zayn and Owens can always return to Raw\u2026plus the stipulation might not even mean anything, much like Shane\/Undertaker from a couple years ago)<\/p>\n John: This match has three of my favorite people in WWE in it\u2026plus Shane McMahon. I don\u2019t mind Shane that much, but as a Canadian I\u2019m a huge supporter of my fellow Canucks Owens and Zayn and I love the fact that they have succeeded as a heel team. Daniel Bryan\u2019s return has been the best part of WWE this year and I really hope he\u2019s able to wrestle for years without any serious injuries to sideline him. He deserves that.<\/p>\n If this was a regular match I would say that Shane and Daniel should win easily. However, with the stipulation they have in place for the match, I\u2019m going with Shane turning heel on Daniel to give Kevin and Sami their jobs back. It\u2019s not like Bryan must win his first match back. The story will be that Shane fires Bryan as GM, Shane is the heel boss and Bryan will be against the heel authority figure like he has been against in the past. It\u2019s the formula that WWE loves to do. If Zayn and Owens lose, they can still go to Raw or find some other way back on Smackdown (like if there is a new GM for example), but I like the heel turn story better.<\/p>\n I\u2019m excited about this match just from a fan perspective and the crowd reaction to Bryan. He is the most likable guy in WWE, so it\u2019s going to be fun to hear those fans in New Orleans cheering him on just as they did when I was there four years ago. In terms of crowd reactions, this may be the loudest match of the night.<\/p>\n Winners: Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens<\/p>\n <\/p>\n<\/p>\n Triple H and Stephanie McMahon vs. Kurt Angle and Ronda Rousey\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n Kurt: When Ronda Rousey finds the true balance she needs between being genuinely happy to be living her dream and being the badass Ronda Rousey that everyone is expecting from her, she\u2019ll be unstoppable in this profession. Even as a diehard Rousey fan, she\u2019s had far more cringe-worthy moments than I expected. She\u2019s even more rehearsed than Roman was during his \u201csufferin\u2019 succotash\u201d days, and I don\u2019t want to see the crowd turn on her like they did him. A strong part of me thinks it\u2019s a ploy from everyone working with her, and all the training she\u2019s doing with Kurt, is going to be revealed in a big way in this match. She\u2019s going to look and act like the \u201cbaddest woman on the planet\u201d.<\/p>\n The other reason I really want this to work is because it\u2019s about damn time Stephanie gets her comeuppance. Stephanie is fantastic on the mic and really a great heel, but everyone hates her on TV for the fact that the men can\u2019t do anything about it. She belittles them to the point of no return, but then there\u2019s no payoff. With Ronda, there\u2019s a payoff. Being the female \u201cAustin vs. McMahon\u201d maybe isn\u2019t feasible, but it still could be fantastic television. I wouldn\u2019t mind Stephanie on TV if I know there\u2019s a chance she\u2019s going to end up with egg on her face.<\/p>\n Prediction: Ronda Rousey & Kurt Angle<\/p>\n Mike: This match is an attention-grabber to be sure, but I’m not as interested in it as most folks likely are. I’d much rather Rousey was taking on some active competition instead of furthering a storyline that was really created for The Rock. It feels thrown together, and the idea of having Kurt Angle suddenly reveal shocking truths about how The Authority feels regarding Ronda was underwhelming to put it nicely. I am sure that we’ll get some fun moments in this thing, but it’s all for show really. I’d much rather Kurt went nuts during the match, was stripped of his GM tag, and could get down to brass tracks and get some dream matches in already.<\/p>\n Triple H (to his credit) is no stranger to losing at WrestleMania, and that will continue this weekend. It’s Captain Obvious territory to tell you that Ronda didn’t get brought into the WWE with such fanfare and acclaim to promptly lose her first match. A much more interesting and difficult challenge will be transitioning her into full-fledged wrestling star capable of more than some Hot Topic Roddy Piper attire and a menacing scowl.<\/p>\n As for the match itself? If I was plotting it out, I would have Rousey make Triple H submit to the armbar. It’s overt and schmaltzy, sure, but it really gets the message across that women are to be treated as equals in both wrestling and the world at large, and now is the time to resonate that. In addition, think of the press attention for that ending! Trips has shown an openness to doing business in a different way, and allowing his momentary embarrassment to quickly give way to the rise of a budding superstar is…you guessed it, best for business.<\/p>\n Winners: Kurt Angle and Ronda Rousey<\/p>\n Matthew: This match could be a cluster****. Not saying it will be, but there are a great deal of unreliable elements in here, as far as wrestling and storytelling proficiency. I\u2019m of course talking Stephanie, Kurt (at this point in his career) and Ronda. This thing might be a very sloppy affair.<\/p>\n I would say the only thing you can be sure of is a Ronda victory, but I\u2019ve seen Triple H win way too many matches he shouldn\u2019t have to say any of his opponents will have a sure win. That said, I think they want Ronda\u2019s first match to be successful, and having her be the first woman to vanquish Stephanie McMahon in combat is a good place to start.<\/p>\n Winners: Ronda Rousey and Kurt Angle (because Ronda needs to start off on the right foot, but there\u2019s money in her being heel down the line)<\/p>\n John: I know this match is really about Rousey, but I\u2019m happy to see Angle back in the WrestleMania ring for the first time since 2006. It really shouldn\u2019t have taken him 12 years to be in a match at WrestleMania. That\u2019s just how it goes, though. I\u2019m excited for Angle working with Triple H again because of the great matches they had nearly two decades ago and I assume they will work 90% of the match.<\/p>\n