Despite how big the two-night extravaganza is, not every WWE Superstar manages to find a spot on the card for WrestleMania.
In fact, this year might see even more wrestlers not competing at The Showcase of the Immortals. Supposedly, Triple H wants a smaller card, for whatever reason.
However, we know we won’t get only the 4 official matches currently announced and nothing more. We’re looking at the range of 14-18 matches over the course of the weekend, I’d assume.
This post is going to track the Superstars who have nothing official going on at the moment that directly indicates they’ll be on the card. Do you think they’re going to find a way to get through this March to WrestleMania and find a spot on the lineup? Or do you think April 1 will come around and they’ll still be on the leftovers list?
Monday Night Raw Roster – Men
- Alpha Academy (Chad Gable & Otis) / Maximum Male Models (ma.cé & mån.sôör with Maxxine Dupri) – I can’t imagine the idea of Otis joining Maximum Male Models is going to go so far that they will book it for a featured spot at WrestleMania. I do anticipate all of these guys could be in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal, with Maxxine Dupri on the outside and nothing more. That’s about it.
- Akira Tozawa – At best, he’s competing in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal. That is, if they even have it. It might be on SmackDown for the third year in a row, or not happen whatsoever. For future reference, everyone in this category will just be labeled on this list with “ATGMBR?” as the same thoughts apply.
- Austin Theory / John Cena – This just hasn’t been announced yet, but we’re all anticipating it. (Update: The match is now official.)
- Baron Corbin – ATGMBR? Losing JBL doesn’t help his chances to find a dance partner for anything more than that. He’ll just be one of the losers of that match, if anything. That’s a shame.
- Bobby Lashley – Why on God’s green earth is The All Mighty feuding with Bray Wyatt??? This was incredibly random, seemingly has no purpose or logic to it, and isn’t going to end well. But it seems we’re just shy of it being confirmed, rather than that that was a swerve and something better is on the horizon.
- Bronson Reed – ATGMBR?
- Cedric Alexander & Shelton Benjamin – ATGMBR? Both might show up to interfere in either the Omos vs. Brock Lesnar match and/or Lashley vs. Wyatt. The Hurt Business reforming seems to be a thing.
- Dexter Lumis / Johnny Gargano – ATGMBR? What a waste.
- Dolph Ziggler / Mustafa Ali – ATGMBR? This feud isn’t going to be WrestleMania-worthy by any means.
- Edge / The Judgment Day (Damian Priest, Dominik Mysterio, Finn Balor) – Technically, Edge and Finn Balor haven’t settled on an official match. I’m anticipating Hell in a Cell. But when it comes to Damian Priest and Dominik Mysterio, those two could be in a tag team match against Rey Mysterio and someone (Bad Bunny?) or we could just get Rey against Dominik. Then, if that’s the case, I think Priest ends up inside the ATGMBR. He won’t get a singles match. (Update: Edge and Finn Balor is official.)
- Elias / Rick Boogs – ATGMBR? This tag team isn’t getting a title shot or another feud in the meantime that will find a spot at Mania.
- Gable Steveson – Technically speaking, he IS on the roster. I bet you didn’t remember that. At this point, I don’t anticipate him ever popping up. It just seems like his signing will turn out to be a dud after the health issues and all this time with his buzz fading away.
- Kevin Owens – If we don’t get Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn against The Usos for the tag titles, I don’t know what WWE Creative is smoking.
- Logan Paul / Seth Rollins – Technically, the match isn’t official yet. But we all know it will be. As soon as Monday Night Raw, this could be confirmed. (Update: This match is now official.)
- Matt Riddle – I don’t even think he’ll be in the ATGMBR. To be honest, I think WWE is mad at him and wants to punish him by having him miss WrestleMania, and he’ll only be back later in April, if not further beyond.
- The Miz – Technically, he’s on the card, but only as the host of the event. He doesn’t have a match.
- The O.C. (AJ Styles, Karl Anderson & Luke Gallows) – Styles is injured. Anderson and Gallows are probably ATGMBR-bound.
- Randy Orton – Injured.
- R-Truth – Injured.
- Robert Roode – Injured.
- The Street Profits (Angelo Dawkins & Montez Ford) – ATGMBR? It’s a shame these two aren’t in tag team title contention. If there were two sets of belts, I’m sure that would be the case.
- Tommaso Ciampa – Injured.
My prediction, as far as March 2 is concerned, is that the men on the WWE Raw roster who stand the best chance of wrestling on the actual WrestleMania card (ie, night 1 and night 2, not the SmackDown preceding or the Raw to follow) are only a handful above.
Theory/Cena, Paul/Rollins, Balor/Edge, Mysterio, Lashley and Owens are all I’m comfortable saying will for sure find a spot on the card.
Monday Night Raw Roster – Women
- Alexa Bliss – What is going on with her disappearance? I have no idea. But the more time that goes by and the more Wyatt is randomly feuding with Lashley and not doing anything with the Uncle Howdy character, I’m assuming Bliss is sitting out WrestleMania. At best, she shows up to cost Wyatt the match and we’re back at WrestleMania 37. Yikes.
- Damage CTRL (Bayley, Dakota Kai & Iyo Sky) / Becky Lynch and Lita – I fully expect Bayley to fight Trish Stratus. Lynch and Lita will defend the tag titles against Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler, but Kai and Sky could very well be in that match, too. If not, those two will just interfere in Bayley’s match. (Update: Damage CTRL will face Becky Lynch, Lita and Trish Stratus)
- Candice LeRae / Nikki Cross – Something is going on here between these two. However, just like Lumis and Gargano, I don’t think this is going to lead to a spot at WrestleMania. It seems like it is just a Raw storyline playing out. Maybe they team up and get inserted into the tag title match if WWE goes for another mass grouping like they’ve done before, but I doubt it.
- Carmella – At most, she’s put in a tag team with Chelsea Green and they fight for the tag titles in the above mentioned scenario. But I don’t think that’s going to happen.
- Chelsea Green – See Carmella. Maybe she just has a backstage segment complaining that she’s not on the WrestleMania card.
- Dana Brooke – Sadly for her, Dana is one of the few people I’m 100% confident will not find a spot on the card, unless there’s a women’s battle royal. Even if they go with a lot of tag teams fighting for those belts, she doesn’t have a partner right now.
- Michin – She won’t be doing anything at all, I’m assuming.
- Piper Niven – Niven had a chance to be built up for something, but she doesn’t have a feud at the moment and it isn’t going to happen in March.
- Tamina Snuka – Nope. Nothing at all going on right now.
Lynch and Lita are guaranteed to be on the card in some fashion, along with Damage CTRL. No one else seems to stand much of a chance.
Friday Night SmackDown Roster – Men
- The Bloodline (Jey Uso, Jimmy Uso, Solo Sikoa) – The Usos will assuredly defend their tag titles. Sikoa, though, is someone I think WWE will relegate to just accompanying them and/or Roman Reigns. I don’t think he’ll be wrestling at WrestleMania itself, but he’s a STRONG contender to win the ATGMBR if they have it.
- Braun Strowman – ATGMBR?
- The Brawling Brutes (Butch & Ridge Holland) / The Banger Bros (Drew McIntyre & Sheamus) – ATGMBR for Butch and Ridge. I expect McIntyre and Sheamus to be fighting Gunther for the Intercontinental Championship. (Update: McIntyre and Sheamus are settling on who fights Gunther for the IC title)
- Bray Wyatt – As mentioned, he’s been paired off with Bobby Lashley, for whatever reason. Ugh.
- Hit Row (Ashante “Thee” Adonis & Top Dolla with B-Fab) – ATGMBR?
- Imperium (Giovanni Vinci, Gunther & Ludwig Kaiser) – ATGMBR for Kaiser and Vinci. Gunther, as mentioned, will definitely defend his Intercontinental Championship, and I expect it will be against McIntyre and/or Sheamus. (Update: Gunther is confirmed to defend his title against Sheamus and McIntyre)
- Karrion Kross (with Scarlett) – ATGMBR? I would have booked him against Wyatt instead of Lashley, personally.
- LA Knight – ATGMBR? He’s one of my top potential picks to win it, if they have it.
- Legado del Fantasma (Cruz Del Toro, Joaquin Wilde, Santos Escobar with Zelina Vega) – ATGMBR? With Escobar showing Rey Mysterio so much respect lately, I think he’ll be used as a stepping stone (unfortunately) for The Judgment Day over this month and that’s about it. Maybe he teams with Rey to fight Dominik and Priest? Del Toro and Wilde, though, won’t be involved.
- Los Lotharios (Angel Garza & Humberto Carrillo) – ATGMBR?
- Madcap Moss – ATGMBR?
- The New Day (Big E, Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods) – Obviously, Big E is still injured. Kingston and Woods will likely just be in the ATGMBR. They don’t have any other feuds going on and I don’t think we’ll see something rushed for them, sadly. I would have preferred them staying NXT tag team champions to wrestle at Stand & Deliver.
- Rey Mysterio – He’s got to be fighting Dominik in some capacity. Whether he’s flying solo or in a tag team match, that HAS to happen.
- Ricochet – ATGMBR?
- Sami Zayn – Teaming up with Owens against The Usos is the only answer I’ll accept. Over this month, Zayn and Owens will bury the hatchet.
- Shanky – ATGMBR? Even that feels like a stretch for him right now. Is he even still employed, or is he a release that’s fallen through the cracks since WWE doesn’t announce firings anymore?
- Shinsuke Nakamura – ATGMBR?
- The Viking Raiders (Erik & Ivar with Valhalla) – ATGMBR?
The Usos and Zayn are guarantees. Sikoa will definitely at least show up to be interference, but I don’t think he’ll have a match. Gunther will assuredly defend his belt, and I think McIntyre and Sheamus are safe bets to be involved there. Rey, we’ve already covered, and that might be it.
Friday Night SmackDown Roster – Women
- Aliyah – Supposedly, she isn’t injured anymore, but they just haven’t bothered to put her on TV for weeks. That’s strange.
- B-Fab – Not a chance she gets a match. Sorry.
- Emma – Zero chance she develops a feud and gets a spot at Mania.
- Lacey Evans – All these attempts to get Evans going just keep failing. WWE gives her a few weeks of vignettes, then has her wrestle 2 matches and takes her off television for a month or so. Maybe it’s time to throw in the towel?
- Liv Morgan – I’m surprised WWE doesn’t have anything for Morgan to do, or hasn’t hinted at it. I do think there’s a chance she gets a tag team partner and gets thrown in that match, but that seems like a stretch the closer we get to Mania. (Update: Morgan will be in the Fatal 4-Way women’s tag team match.)
- Naomi – M.I.A. and may never return.
- Natalya – At best, she teams with someone like Morgan or Raquel Rodriguez or Tegan Nox to be in the tag title match, since she keeps hovering around Rousey and Baszler. But I don’t think that will happen.
- Raquel Rodriguez – I would have banked on Raquel being a priority for Mania this year. It’s looking more and more likely she won’t appear at all, though. Maybe the tag team route, as mentioned, but I’m not sold on it. (Update: Raquel will be in the Fatal 4-Way women’s tag team match.)
- Ronda Rousey / Shayna Baszler – They’ll fight Lynch and Lita (and whoever else, if others are involved) and win the tag titles. It will happen.
- Shotzi Blackheart – Seemingly no chance at getting something set up for WrestleMania by now.
- Sonya Deville – Sadly, at most, she’ll be complaining about Adam Pearce in a backstage segment or something.
- Tegan Nox – Either she teams with Nattie or Morgan, or she does nothing at all. I’m banking more on the latter.
- Valhalla – Since I don’t even think The Viking Raiders are finding a spot on the card, Valhalla certainly won’t.
- Xia Li – The rule of thumb seems to be that Xia Li can only appear on every 5-8 weeks of television. Why they brought her up to the main roster just to have her sit in catering is beyond me.
- Zelina Vega – With the Escobar storyline going on, I don’t think we’ll see Vega at all leading up to WrestleMania beyond just standing ringside and staying quiet, unless they have plans to sacrifice her to Rhea Ripley in a squash.
Rousey and Baszler are the only women I think you can expect to see from SmackDown added to the WrestleMania card. While there are still some big enough names that arguably should be wrestling on either night, WWE is running out of time to set something up for them.
What do you think WWE will end up doing with these wrestlers?
Who are you most hoping finds a spot on the card?
Drop your predictions and thoughts and fantasy booking ideas in the comments below!
