eWrestlingNews.com journalist Ryan Clark recently published an article with rumored matches WWE is planning to book for WrestleMania XXX.. Here is a quick breakdown of the tentative card scheduled for April 6, 2014:
– John Cena vs. Hulk Hogan
– The Undertaker vs. Sting or Brock Lesnar
– Goldberg vs. Ryback
– CM Punk vs. Randy Orton
– Shawn Michaels vs. Daniel Bryan
– Goldust vs. Cody Rhodes
On paper, if WWE can sign Hogan, Sting and Goldberg, the above card looks tremendous. It’s the milestone 30th edition of the annual classic, so WWE certainly needs to go all-out and do everything in their power to make the lineup for the show as special as possible.
John Cena vs. Hulk Hogan
Cena vs. Hogan is a blockbuster match that would feature the top guy of a previous generation challenging the top guy of the current generation. It feels like an appropriate main event. For the last few years, WWE has tried to put on special main events for the show. Matches that could only be seen at an event with as much prestige as WrestleMania.
I’ve already shared my in-depth thoughts on a Cena vs. Hogan match, which you can check out if interested by reading the following eWrestlingNews.com editorial.
The Undertaker vs. Sting or Brock Lesnar
The Undertaker’s WrestleMania undefeated streak is the stuff of legend. It’s very apropos considering the legendary status Undertaker has cemented during his impressively lengthy run with the promotion. The question when it comes to Undertaker and the matches rumored for WMXXX is which opponent is more intriguing? Would you rather see Undertaker vs. Sting, or Undertaker vs. Brock Lesnar? Personally, I’d rather see the latter.
When you think about WWE there is one guy who has always been around: The Undertaker. When you think of WCW or any top competitor to WWE, you think of Sting. No man has made a name for himself as much as Sting without once stepping into a WWE ring. So that showdown is interesting on that level. Both guys have a dark and ominous character with a unique look. The problem with Undertaker vs. Sting is match quality. Undertaker can pull off amazing matches, especially at WrestleMania, with the proper opponent. The bottom line, however, is the guy is well past his prime. Sting is far past his prime, and at times look horrendous in the ring. WWE could certainly provide enough bells and whistles in the match that it would likely be pleasing to those watching, but with Cena and Hogan planned as the headline attraction, how many matches at the top of the card can a viewing audience tolerate that isn’t quality wrestling?
Undertaker vs. Lesnar isn’t guaranteed to be a catch-as-catch-can classic by any means, but with Lesnar you have a larger variety of options when putting a match together. Plus, who can forget the infamous “you wanna do it?” showdown between Undertaker and Lesnar at UFC 121? I don’t know about you, but ever since that brief sign of legitimate tension between those two, I’ve been dieing to see it played out in some form and fashion, culminating with some sort of physicality. Anytime real-life drama ensues it always makes for great television. Look at the Shawn Michaels vs. Bret Hart rivalry in the 1990s, or the more recent example between John Cena and The Rock. Great stuff.
Goldberg vs. Ryback
This match doesn’t really do anything for me. It’s almost guaranteed to suck in terms of in-ring quality. Anyone remember Goldberg vs. Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania XX?
The only intrigue behind Goldberg vs. Ryback is the fact that fans jump down Ryback’s throat for being somewhat of a “Goldberg rip-off.” Neither guy can cut a great promo and neither are known for their stellar in-ring abilities. It’s basically two guys who have a cool look fumbling and bumbling around in a ring doing power-guy spots. The only cool factor in matching these two up is watching how the crowd reacts. It definitely serves as a cool little undercard match, but other than the initial nostalgia of seeing Goldberg back in the wrestling world, there isn’t a lot to this one.
CM Punk vs. Randy Orton
Anything with CM Punk involved is almost guaranteed to be entertaining. The guy always finds a cool angle to a story and gets the most mileage out of it. Both guys can perform once the bell rings and each have a unique ability on the microphone. They have excellent storytelling abilities, both verbally and physically.
There’s not a lot that can be said about this one until we see which direction they choose to go with it, but it’s definitely a solid pairing. Obviously fans would rather see the CM Punk vs. Steve Austin dream-match played out at WrestleMania XXX, but it doesn’t appear as if Austin is willing to lace up his black boots for one more big one.
Shawn Michaels vs. Daniel Bryan
This one is very unlikely to happen. Ryan Clark’s article notes that “Shawn Michaels has denied the possibility of wrestling again, however there are people within WWE who wholeheartedly believe that he will face Daniel Bryan on the show.” If you believe those “people within WWE” and run with the idea that this will actually happen, it’s definitely going to be a good one.
The match itself on paper appears to be the best possible in-ring work of any other match rumored for the show. The story behind it is so simple, but certainly effective. We’ve seen it a thousand times in the past in different forms of sports and entertainment. The student versus the teacher. Everyone knows the story about Michaels helping Bryan learn to wrestle early in his career. Everyone knows that Bryan is finally emerging as a legitimate star in WWE. The question here is will HBK come out of retirement, and if he does, is he going to put Bryan over? Bryan can’t afford to keep losing when matched with top guys. He’s not the type of Superstar, not yet at least, that can continue to lose the “big one” each time out. Other guys such as John Cena and Triple H can lose ten pay-per-view matches in a row and still be a top Superstar in the company. Bryan simply isn’t at that level yet. A win over “Mr. WrestleMania” at WrestleMania, however, could definitely go a long way in boosting Bryan to that level.
Goldust vs. Cody Rhodes
This is another story that has been told time and time again. Brother versus brother. We’ve seen it in the past with Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart and Jeff Hardy vs. Matt Hardy. It’s an easy story to tell that anyone with a sibling of the same sex can relate to.
Since returning to WWE, Goldust’s ring work has been impressive to say the least. Cody Rhodes is an emerging star in WWE that needs something to help get him over that hump. A win done the right way over Goldust could be the beginning of Rhodes’ ascension through the ranks in WWE. The match itself would no doubt be fun to watch, and I don’t see how even the worst creative minds behind-the-scenes could screw up the build to this one.
What else should be done at WrestleMania XXX?
Obviously these are only rumors at this point and there are still many other Superstars that would need to be factored into the lineup. Triple H isn’t on this list. Big Show, Kane, Alberto Del Rio, The Wyatt Family, The Shield and many others aren’t mentioned in this early look at the rumored card. If WWE can pull off the majority of the aforementioned matches, WrestleMania XXX is well on its’ way to becoming the major show that it should be. It will be interesting as we get closer to the April 6th date to see how things develop, and of course eWrestlingNews.com will keep you updated as the landmark event approaches.
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