WrestleMania is this Sunday, although you probably would not know it based on the reprehensible booking coming up to this show. Aside from the Shane/Taker brawl that kicked off RAW this past Monday, WWE has given me little reason to tune in this Sunday. Yet with all of that said, this card looks like that it can produce a great show as it did last year. It’s also looking like one of the more deeper cards in recent years. On this show, you are getting Jericho/Styles, a ladder match, a street fight and a Hell In A Cell match all on one card. In the grand scheme of things, we can’t say that WWE hasn’t at least tried to put on a great card. Nothing about this show seems “ordinary” to me. What is out of the ordinary, however, is John Cena and Randy Orton not being on the cards after competing in every WrestleMania since 2004. In addition, Internet darlings Seth Rollins and Cesaro will also be out of action due to the injury bug. I believe WWE has done at least a respectable job of making do with what they had in regards to injuries. So allow me to go through each match and give you my predictions on the biggest bonanza of the year.
Battle of Supremacy: The New Day vs. The League of Nations
Originally this match was billed as a match for the tag titles, but it was then scrapped for reasons unknown. As stupid as it was for 7 people to compete over two tag team belts, I really don’t like WWE when they choose to advertise a title match and then just scrap it. To avoid this debacle, it would have been easier just for WWE to call up Enzo and Cass and have the standard tag team match instead of a 3 on 4 handicap. Nonetheless, it appears as though New Day has turned face, although their behavior has not changed at all. WWE has put them up against a team that is more insufferable than them, which makes the fans have to boo them. Personally, The New Day should stay heels. That’s what works for them, because that is their whole selling point. They are a bunch of trolls that are annoying on purpose. I’m not too interested in this match, because now that the tag titles aren’t on the line, there is no purpose for this to take place. If The New Day wins, it doesn’t really mean anything because they have already defeated all four members in the League of Nations in separate tag title matches and if The League of Nations wins, it doesn’t matter because not only would it be unimpressive since they have the numbers advantage, but they wouldn’t be the champions for beating them. Rumors have circulated that perhaps The Rock will assist The New Day to even up the odds, but I’d practice a little skepticism at that. I’m sure WWE has something much bigger in store advertising The Rock’s appearance more than a month prior. Not just to interfere in one of the lower matches on the card. I’ll go with New Day here. Just because I don’t see what The League of Nations has to gain.
Winner: The New Day
Daniel Bryan Memorial Intercontinental Championship Ladder Match: Kevin Owens (C) vs. Sin Cara vs. Sami Zayn vs. Zack Ryder vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. The Miz
Want a sense of how bad the injury situation has gotten for WWE? They had to put Zack Ryder in a match. Yes, that’s the point we’ve come to. I’m pretty sure that Neville was supposed to be the one in his place to take care of most of the high spots, but after a freak ankle injury, it looks like Zack stole his spot, which kinds of knock the match down a few pegs, but whatever. Anyways, no one with the exception of Sami Zayn has a reasonable chance of winning the belt, which is why I don’t understand why this wasn’t a singles match between these two as opposed to just sticking 5 other names just for the sake of doing it. Hell, a singles ladder match would have been fine as well. Kevin Owens is perhaps the best pure-bred heel on the roster right now, and I don’t see him dropping the IC belt. Zayn did pin him on Monday, and since we all know the champion has to look weak before a show so that he can pull of the victory, I see Owens retaining. If Owens loses the belt, it should be in a singles match, if any. Not in a ladder match where five other people are crowded in there. So, I am expecting Owens to retain the belt in his WrestleMania debut.
Winner: Kevin Owens
AJ Styles vs. Chris Jericho
AJ has been on the WWE roster for about 2 and a half months now, and it still hasn’t fully sunk in yet that he’s in WWE, let alone on their biggest show, WrestleMania. You can’t tell me you saw this match coming one year ago today. This match is sort of in the Seth Rollins/Randy Orton position of last year’s WrestleMania. If this match gets the time, this will be your best match of the night. Jericho and Styles have faced off on three separate occassions in the past, and all of them were very good, but I see some crazy potential in these two, and if both men are motivated to steal the show, then AJ Styles’ debut will involve the match of the night if you ask me. I see Styles picking up the win here in his WrestleMania debut, because it wouldn’t make sense to have Jericho go over and have Styles lose in his first big match and Jericho does not need the victory. I’m looking for this match to get around 12-15 minutes. Or at least it should. The bottom line is that these are two of the greatest wrestlers this world has seen, and while Jericho isn’t at his physical peak, he still wrestles a style that can be entertaining if paired with the right opponent. I have high expectations for this match. Let’s see what they can do when the stage is brighter.
Winner: AJ Styles
United States Championship – Kalisto (C) vs. Ryback
Apparently, this match will be part of the pre-show, but I still can’t fully confirm that. I don’t see how you can give Kallisto and Ryback a singles match while the clearly more deserving Kevin Owens gets stuck in the multi-man spotfest. This is your typical David/Goliath, Mysterio/Big Show type of thing. Ryback has taken shots at Kalisto regarding his height and that size matters. Ryback talks a pretty big game considering that he actually lost to Kalisto in a match that mattered (The Survivor Series tournament) so his trash talk doesn’t have a lot of substantiated premises. I don’t see Ryback going over here either, because that’s just how this thing always plays out. Little guy seems to have no chance, but lo and behold, he defies the odds. Just like John Cena. Kalisto has been a decent champion, but he needs to work with some higher profile mid-carders to boost him to the level that he needs to get if the crowd is to take him seriously. Ryback is okay, I guess, but this match isn’t WrestleMania worthy. I expect Kallisto to retain here and Ryback winning would be an upset, and would make ME upset, because Ryback should not be touching any titles at the present time.
Winner: Kalisto
Divas Championship – Charlotte (C) vs. Sasha Banks vs. Becky Lynch
Becky and Sasha need to agree on one thing before the match begins. Attack Ric Flair. You’d think they would get the message by now. Anyways, three of the four horsewomen facing off at Wrestlemanai is something that shows what a long way these three have traveled to WWE’s biggest stage. Sasha has picked up a pinfall victory over Charlotte while Becky has yet to look like a credible challenger. That is why I am picking Becky to win this Sunday. Now, I want Sasha to win, but since the end of last year, Becky Lynch has yet to look strong in any fashion and has sort of gone under the radar. Becky has had chance after chance at Charlotte’s title but has yet to produce. If Sasha would be the one to take the belt off of Charlotte, I believe this would be just a singles match between these two. But the fact that Becky remains in there tells me that there is at least a chance. Becky doesn’t have the charisma or the appeal of Sasha, but what she does have is energy and great wrestling ability. I would definitely tune into a Sasha/Lynch feud after WrestleMania. Charlotte doesn’t appear to have much chance of retaining past this Sunday. She’s just been so dreadful as a champion. Her matches have been bland, she speaks as though she is in slow motion and she can’t stop reminding us that he’s related to arguably the best wrestler to have ever lived. Maybe it’s because of the current WWE style, but I’m ready to move in a different direction here. Again, I really want Sasha to win, but in terms of who I believe will win? I’m taking Becky. Those who tend to look weak on TV are the ones who benefit on PPV. Could be wrong, and it isn’t a popular pick, but that’s what I’ll do.
Winner: Becky Lynch
Hell In A Cell – Shane McMahon vs. The Undertaker
In addition, to AJ Styles, one man you all certainly didn’t believe would be on this card was the forgotten McMahon, Shane-o-Mac. There are rumors going around that this match will end up being the main event, and I find it really hard to believe. Triple H and Roman Reigns have received more attention and has had much more focus and brutality to it. And besides, Shane McMahon vs. The Undertaker in a WrestleMania main event? What am I missing here? Now, Vince broke the news that if Undertaker somehow manages to lose this match, he will be wrestling in his last WrestleMania. So in other words, Vince spoiled the ending to this match with that stipulation. Are you all trying to tell me that the man who will end Undertaker’s appearances at WrestleMania will be Shane McMahon? Now I’d love for Shane to control RAW. Beats The Authority’s opening 20 minute promos and ending speeches every week, but if Undertaker’s WrestleMania career is on the line, I refuse to believe that Shane will be the one to end it. The appeal of Shane is not his wrestling ability but more so his dare-devil like attitude as he exhibited this past Monday. His willingness to put his body through any amount of pain. He may be much older now, but his spirit remains in tact and I believe we will see at the very least, 1 memorable spot in this match. Could be Shane flying off the top of the cell. Or it could be something vicious inside the cell. I believe he certainly has something up his sleeve for this Sunday. Just not a victory.
Winner: The Undertaker
No Holds Barred Street Fight: Dean Ambrose vs. Brock Lesnar
For me, this is the hardest match of the night to predict. Since The Shield split, Dean has yet to pick up that one signature victory to put him over the top, and this Sunday is his chance. Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins has both enjoyed huge success since leaving, while Dean had a meandering Intercontinental Title reign and nothing more. This is a match that he needs to win badly. But will he? Brock Lesnar is still the beast incarnate, and losing clean to Dean may take away some of that aura. Dean has been collecting weapons from legends in the past that he will probably not use because like Roman reminded us the other day, it’s a kid’s show. But I do expect to see a damn good fight. There will be no wrestling here. Expect something along the lines of John Cena and Brock Lesnar at Extreme Rules 2012. So can Dean pull off the upset and win? I think he will. See, Lesnar has looked pretty damn dominant since he returned in WWE, with notable victories against The Undertaker and John Cena. I don’t think a loss here would hurt him all that bad because it is a no holds barred match. Dean needs a high profile win like no one’s business, and Sunday presents the perfect opportunity. Think of it. Lesnar has ended Undertaker’s streak, destroyed John Cena and has left a pile of destruction in his wake since returning. Dean beating him one on one instead of Lesnar beating Ambrose in a match that won’t matter for him would be huge. So I look for Dean to pull off the upset.
Winner: Dean Ambrose
WWE World Heavyweight Championship: Triple H (C) vs. Roman Reigns
Sadly, there will be no Seth Rollins with a MITB briefcase to run down the WrestleMania aisle to prevent Roman from winning the title. This year, Roman Reigns will stand and triumph, and we will all complain about it. Thus feud really started after TLC when Roman lay waste to Triple H after he got screwed once again. But then, Roman went on to win the title next night. Then, Triple H came back at the Royal Rumble and took the belt off Roman once again. And here we are. Now, Roman Reigns has ascended to the top 2 times. One reign lasted 5 minutes and 15 seconds. The other was nothing worth writing home about. So, Roman is looking for the third time to be the charm. As much as it pains me to say it, Triple H has WWE Champion past WrestleMania wouldn’t make sense. Roman Reigns on the other hand has been screwed time and time again, and this Sunday, no matter how bad we don’t want to see it, it will happen. Will The Rock interfere in the main event on his behalf? Will Stone Cold or Shawn Michaels be announced as a special guest referee at the last minute? Could there be perhaps a Roman heel turn (which I am banking for)? I am not sure if any of those things will happen, but one thing you can bet money on is that everyone’s favorite Samoan to boo will walk out as a 3 time WWE Champion. Rollins, you can’t return soon enough.
Winner: Roman Reigns
Agree? Disagree? Wish I’d go have sex with myself? Let me know. Until, next time folks.
