One of the cooler things about Professional Wrestling, especially from a narrative view, is that it is an ever evolving, living story. One that began long ago, and will likely continue far into the future. Last year, we threw some predictions up on Facebook, and you guys seemed to dig it. Let’s see how we do predicting the plot points of this year’s Wrestlemania, essentially the end of season for the WWE.

Women’s Wrestlemania Battle Royale

Boy, I wish there was a little bit more behind this one. While it’s certainly nice that the majority of the Women’s Division will have a place on the show, with no implicit stakes, its hard to be excited. I guess it’s best to look for the obvious new players in the division, so I’m going to place my bet on an NXT Superstar, or an Icon in this case.

The Winner Is…

 

 

 The Andre The Giant Battle Royale

Though there is no huge story going on here either, at least The Andre has some history. The Men’s Division is already packed with potential contenders, so I think they’re going to go for crowd reaction here. I expect Matt Hardy and Elias to both do well in the match, with a lot of feel good action in between. I have a feeling that a certain Chosen One might make his return to ‘Mania as well. Ultimately, the return of this man with trump the rest.

The Winner is…

 

Cedric Alexander vs. Mustafa Ali for the WWE Cruiserweight Championship

205 Live is going through a rebirth of sorts, and here they will finally have a new champion to wave their flag after the…well, you probably already know that story. Cedric has already had the belt and I believe they want a fresh direction. Ali, though not big with the crowd has had the support of the company before.

The Winner Is…

 

Bobby Roode vs. Rusev vs. Jinder Mahal vs. Randy Orton (c) for the WWE United States Championship

Bobby Roode’s moment will come before the match even starts, when 70,000 plus sing along with his entrance. Roode, the consumate veteran deserves his moment at Wrestlemania, and he will get his first before even hitting the ring. This is also a nice nod to Mahal, who may have not been the people’s champion during his title run, but held the belt competently and consistently. Orton got this belt to complete his “Grand Slam”, furthering his already Hall of Fame career. None of the field have as much momentum as the former U.S. Champion, and one of the most charismatic superstars on the roster today.

Sunday will be Rusev Day.

The Winner Is…

Finn Balor vs. Seth Rollins vs. The Miz for the WWE Intercontinental Championship

With such a stacked roster on Raw, it has been hard for creative to give a real spotlight to all of those who deserve it. Any of these three men could be, and perhaps should be, Universal Champion. The more important thing is that they know it too. I expect this match to be the highlight of the night, both from physical and narrative perspectives. Yes, all three could be Universal Champion, but there is one man who has made the IC belt his own.

The Winner is…

The Bar (Sheamus and Cesaro) vs. Braun Strowman and Maybe Someone Else for the Raw Tag Team Titles

A good monster is hard to find, and good heels are meant to fall. While I think this match is a bit of an insult to Raw‘s Tag Division, I get that Strowman has the crowd’s eye and aiming him towards a belt makes a lot of sense. It is pretty hard for a monster like Braun to get to the level he has, and I suspect this could be a bit of an affirmation of his position in the company. I’m honestly not convinced he’s going to need that partner either.

The Winner Is…

 

The Bludgeon Brothers (Harper and Rowan) vs. The New Day ( Big E, Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston) vs. The Usos (Jimmy and Jey) (c) for the Smackdown Tag Team Titles

Some people have criticized this match for once again placing The Usos against The New Day, but I’m not complaining. Those two teams earned their place on the show and, even though The Bar are spectacular as a team, this one feels like the real World Tag bout. I suppose that The Bludgeon Brothers were thrown in to make it a little unique, but as much as I like them individually, I don’t think this gimmick is really connecting at the moment and I can’t help but feel they’ll just be there to block finishes. I hope they prove me wrong. Regardless, I think that this match will be used to affirm one teams position as tops in the whole of the company.

The Winners Are…

Nia Jax vs. Alexa Bliss (c) for the Raw Women’s Championship

I believe that Alexa Bliss is best complete package in WWE’s Women’s Division. She is the perfect heel, and an excellent performer. As I said before, it is a good heel’s job to eventually fall. The Nia Jax character was one designed to dominate. She has not done that as of yet. In fact, her character has been foiled again and again.

That is until she snapped.

Nia is now a baby-face machine, one who can no longer be dominated by the deception of heels.

An unstoppable force.

The Winner Is…

Asuka vs. Charlotte (c) for the Smackdown Women’s Title

The Streak against The Ace of the Women’s Division, and certainly the more promising match up physically, I expect a nice, long match here. Both deserve the opportunity to show there stuff and further the idea that they are the best female wrestlers in the world. To do that, they must take each other to the limit. They must be completely destroyed at match’s end. They will, and I think Asuka will have the belt…for a moment.

The Winner Is…

Daniel Bryan & Shane McMahon vs. Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn

Wow, so this is real. I really wish this was Miz vs. Bryan, but hey, maybe next year. There is no reason for Shane to win here, and no reason for Daniel Bryan to help a McMahon. I hope they go risky on this one and Bryan turns on his corporate oppressors once again, after performing in an impressive match with two of the best in the business.

The Winners Are…

The Authority (Triple H and Stephanie McMahon) vs. Kurt Angle and Ronda Rousey

I want to believe there is going to be a Rousey heel turn, and she joins The Authority, but I don’t.

The Winner Is…

John Cena vs. The Undertaker in a Theoretical Match

So, I’m pretty sure this is happening and, since neither have anything to gain, we have to look at it another way. The Undertaker has this, and maybe one more, left in his career. Cena is transitioning from the top guy to a legend, not unlike Taker is now. The torch can be passed as Cena’s commitments shrink.

Taker comes out to a live American Bad-Ass and The Winner Is…

Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar (c) for the WWE Universal Title

The attempt to cast Lesnar as the corporate champion and its failure are a clear example of how even a logical story can disintegrate if the crowd doesn’t accept it emotionally. The crowd knows Reigns isn’t the rebel they’re portraying him as and I can’t imagine how frustrating that must be. Reigns is a solid wrestler, and I feel like they’re killing his chances of breaking into the upper echelon. With Lesnar reportedly leaving, I expect another attempted… how does Meltzer say it…”Coronation” for Reigns. I don’t expect it to work, and maybe they’ll recognize that the next night on Raw.

The Winner Is…

Shinsuke Nakamura vs. AJ Styles (c) for the WWE World Championship

I wish this had more storyline behind it, but man is it cool to type that title. AJ is THE champion, the crowd’s choice and an absolute wonder in the ring. Nakamura is a man whose charisma overwhelms even his legendary in-ring ability. Regardless of where this is placed, this is the main event. It  is also clearly the WWE’s affirmation that they are going after the Japanese market. I think Nakamura is going to head to Raw after the shake-up, and since Styles is known all of the world, The Winner Is…