Wrestlemania XXXIII: General Discussion & Reviews

[Jack-Hammer]

Since WrestleMania is just about 3 weeks off and we have several matches already made official, let's keep all future discussion regarding the event, card, fantasy matchups, etc. all here.

Confirmed for the card right now:

WWE Universal Championship - Goldberg vs. Brock Lesnar
WWE United States Championship - Chris Jericho vs. Kevin Owens
WWE Raw Women's Championship - Bayley vs. Sasha Banks vs. Charlotte Flair

Likely matches based on what we saw on Raw:

WWE Cruiserweight Championship - Neville vs. Austin Aries
WWE Raw Tag Team Championship - Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson vs. Enzo Amore & Big Cass vs. Cesaro & Sheamus
Singles Match - The Undertaker vs. Roman Reigns

Matches that are rumored to be going down:

WWE Championship - Bray Wyatt vs. Randy Orton
Singles Match - Shane McMahon vs. AJ Styles
Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal

They could always go the route of having the Cruiserweight Championship match be some multi man sort of match, but I'm thinking that there's a strong possibility of it being just between Neville and Aries considering that Neville has soundly beaten the top, more established guys in the division.

The Raw Tag Team Championship match may damn well be a real snoozer if they don't alter the usual paint by the numbers formula Vince likes for tag team matches. WrestleMania is the biggest show of the year, it's become the show of the triple threat, fatal fourway, etc. sort of match so that everyone can be on the card.

Taker delivered a chokeslam to Roman Reigns after Reigns declared that it was his "yard now" so their match is all but official at this point.

Given how it's looking right now, they're definitely gonna have to make the kickoff show feel like a bigger deal. Even if the match line ups for the three possible matches I named don't look quite like that, they'll still be on the card and that'll give Raw 6 matches and the rumored matches make a total of 9. Last year's WrestleMania went almost 5 hours, not including the 2 hour kickoff show, so if they're gonna keep that strategy then they might want to consider, in the future, making WrestleMania a 2 day thing because it's just too damn much wrestling for one day.

 

[aaronmb]

This'll probably be the first Mania that I just read about and just completely skip watching. It really baffles me how they have a good roster this year, yet it looks nearly as bad as last year.

 

[roipdh123]

Kickoff: Triple Tag Team Match for the WWE Raw Tag Team Championships
Enzo Amore and Big Cass def. The Club (C) & Sheamus and Cesaro.

Kickoff: 4th Annual 30 Man Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal
Luke Harper won by last eliminating both Rusev and Jinder Mahal.

Kickoff: Ladder Match for the WWE Cruiserweight Championship
Neville (C) def. Austin Aries.

Opening Match: Triple Threat Match for the WWE United States Championship
Samoa Joe (C) def. Sami Zayn and Braun Strowman.
My only "wilde" card. I really think Strowman, Joe and Zayn deserve better than the battle royal. Joe defeats Jericho on RAW by distraction from Owens to win the title. Strowman is put into a table by Joe. Joe then makes Zayn faint to the the coquina clutch to retain.

2.Fatal Four Way Match for the WWE SmackDown Womens Championship
Alexa Bliss (C) def. Becky Lynch, Mickie James and Natalya.

3.Falls Count Anywhere Match for the WWE Intercontinental Championship
Baron Corbin def. Dean Ambrose (C)

4.Singles Match
The Big Show def. Shaq

5.Singles Match
A.J. Styles def. Shane McMahon

6.Mixed Tag Team Match
John Cena and Nikki Bella def. The Miz and Maryse

7.No Holds Barred Match
Kevin Owens def. Chris Jericho

8.Singles Match for the WWE Championship
Randy Orton def. Bray Wyatt (C).

9.Triple Threat Match for the WWE Raw Womens Championship
Bayley (C) def. Sasha Banks and Charlotte.
Bayley pins Banks to retain. Banks heel turn on Bayley after the match.

10.Unsancionted Match
Seth Rollins def. Triple H
I will actually attempt to have Rollins beat Triple H in quick fashion. I actually think that they should have the match and announce it as Unsancionted. Then HHH's "friends" - Owens and Joe should come down, and then have Finn Balor return, and him and Rollins clean house. Balor does almost all the work, allowing Rollins to pin HHH after like 10 minutes of storytelling almost without coming to blows. This will defend Rollins, and also will give a reason for a future 1 on 1 rematch between Rollins and Trips, with Rollins healthier.

11.Singles Match for the WWE Universal Championship
Brock Lesnar def. Goldberg (C)
Goldberg kicks out of an F5. Lesnar kicks out of a jackhammer. Then hits a 2nd F5 to pin Goldberg clean.

12.Singles Match. If The Undertaker loses he must retire.
Roman Reigns def. The Undertaker
They should have Roman officially turn heel, by cheating to defeat Taker. Then give Taker his final moment with the audience to cap off WrestleMania. He will be announced as the first inductee into the 2018 HOF the next night on Raw - coming full circle - being inducted in the place the streak ended.

 

[HeenanGorilla]

It might be a fine match, as last year's triple threat was great; but, was there any doubt Sasha would win last night to create the triple threat this year? So lazy and predictable. Again, she may very well be as deserving or more deserving than Charlotte or Bayley--I don't watch much--but the way WWE uses the triple threat option as a way out of making tough decisions bothers me. I'll certainly look forward to seeing what they do, but creative-wise, it seems lazy.

Also, must EVERYONE point to the WrestleMania sign? We get it. You're going to WrestleMania. The Rumble winner straight through....how many times does that sign get pointed to? Haha!

Just some pet peeves... I am looking forward to the show itself.

 

[The Life Of Pablo Ren]

Based on everything rumored we have a 15 match card. I'm not even including the Shaq/Show match which apparently may be back on? Plus the obligatory 20-30 minutes that are gonna be given to The New Day. When you take into account everything that makes WrestleMania, WrestleMania (the video packages, special entrances, musical performance, etc.) I don't see how this doesn't end up being a 5-6 hour main show unless they keep the matches at around 7-10 minutes. Or they cut out a lot of the talky talky BS in the pre-show and just stack it with matches. But then you run into a scenario where you might see guys like Dean Ambrose, Braun Strowman and Samoa Joe on the pre-show and that's not good. The WrestleMania pre-show is another one of those things where WWE views it as a big thing when in reality the fans view the pre-show as exactly what it is... the show before THE SHOW.

Honestly, a best case scenario for this year may just be to cut the traditional pre-show entirely. Open the doors up at 3-4, have everyone in their seats at 5 and just start the main show then. In the two hours that the pre-show would have taken up, you'll be able to knock out most if not all of the undercard and use the traditional 4 hours to focus on the "main event" matches.

If you're so desperate to get a pre-game type show in, then put one up a few hours before Mania or even the day before where it's just a few people giving their analysis of the matches at some studio in Stanford... you know like an ACTUAL pre-game. People can choose if and when they wanna watch, whether it's Saturday night or an hour before the show starts. And if they choose not to watch at all, it's okay because they won't miss anything.

 

[Deoxyribonucleic A.C.I.D.]

I have to give it to them. I got a little bit hyped. My hype level, as far as RAW goes, is as follows right now:
1) Y2J vs Owens
2) Aries vs Neville
3) Goldberg vs Lesnar
4) Undertaker vs Reigns
5) HHH vs Rollins

I still haven't gotten behind the Rollins vs HHH feud. Rollins missing from TV really hurts that one. Maybe a stipulation like No DQs will do it for me. I also didn't like how Undertaker vs Reigns began. But it's still early to judge that one.

Neville vs Aries was unexepted and it got me hyped. The F5 to Goldberg really did the job for me and got me back on track for this feud.

Owens vs Jericho is the biggest match on RAW for me. Entertaining build-up. Will be a great match and two amazing performers. What else can you ask?

I'll come back for Smackdown after tonight.

 

[Deoxyribonucleic A.C.I.D.]

Smackdown didn't really hooked me with their matches last night and failed to deliver compared to RAW. Where was Bray? There are only 3 shows left until Wrestlemania..

Miz/Cena needs to get more personal. Styles vs Shane just doesn't feel right and needs something behind it, like a stipulation, because it's Shane.

Also, why would Bray Wyatt just let Orton win the match after what he did? Some logic gaps here.

 

[The Life Of Pablo Ren]

Smackdown didn't really hooked me with their matches last night and failed to deliver compared to RAW. Where was Bray? There are only 3 shows left until Wrestlemania..

Miz/Cena needs to get more personal. Styles vs Shane just doesn't feel right and needs something behind it, like a stipulation, because it's Shane.

Also, why would Bray Wyatt just let Orton win the match after what he did? Some logic gaps here.

Agree for the most part except for Miz/Cena and your final point. I really like where Miz/Cena is going, I don't think it's gonna get any more personal than Miz saying Cena has stunted his career. I do though think they need to add an extra layer for Nikki and Maryse so they actually have a reason for being in the match (especially considering Maryse hasn't wrestled in... 5 years?)

And as for what you said about letting Orton win, shouldn't he want to face Orton? Is Bray a coward now? He should want revenge on Orton for burning down the compound. I half expected Bray to show up and actually help Orton win just to guarantee he would get Orton at WrestleMania. It would've been another nice turn in the story. I was kind of disappointed with how it actually went down.

 

[rge2010]

This Wrestlemania card looks stacked at the moment. Quite a few will appear on the pre show no doubt but below there are 15 matches that will very likely happen.

At the moment Samoa Joe, Brawn Strowman, Dolph Ziggler, Sami Zayn, Luke Harper, Rusev do not have matches. 3 of these will probably end up in the Battle Royal but Joe and Strowman you would think have matches planned.

American Alpha vs The Usos, Alexa Bliss vs Smackdown Roster and Andre Battle Royal all look most likely for the Pre Show.

Confirmed

UNIVERSAL TITLE - Goldberg (c) vs Brock Lesnar
WWE TITLE - Bray Wyatt (c) vs Randy Orton
US TITLE - Chris Jericho (c) vs Kevin Owens
RAW WOMENS TITLE - Bayley (c) vs Sasha vs Charlotte
SD WOMENS TITLE - Alexa (c) vs Smackdown Roster
ANDRE THE GIANT BATTLE ROYAL

Likely to happen

SINGLES MATCH - The Undertaker vs Roman Reigns
SINGLES MATCH - Shane McMahon vs AJ Styles
SINGLES MATCH - Triple H vs Seth Rollins
SINGLES MATCH - The Big Show vs Shaq
IC TITLE - Dean Ambrose (c) vs Baron Corbin
CRUISERWEIGHT TITLE - Neville (c) vs Austin Aries
MIXED TAG MATCH - John Cena/Nikki vs The Miz/Maryse
SD TAG TITLES - American Alpha vs The Usos
RAW TAG TITLES - Gallows/Anderson vs Enzo/Cass vs Cesaro/Sheamus

 

[Jack-Hammer]

At the moment Samoa Joe, Brawn Strowman, Dolph Ziggler, Sami Zayn, Luke Harper, Rusev do not have matches. 3 of these will probably end up in the Battle Royal but Joe and Strowman you would think have matches planned.

Aside from Samoa Joe, I think all these guys will wind up in the battle royal. I don't know if we'll have a full blown match with Rollins and Triple H, but I suspect that whatever goes down, Joe will play a big part of it. I may be completely wrong, it's simply that I get the feeling that Rollins will "call out" Triple H for a "fight" rather than a match. Given the nature of Rollins' injury, they may push the actual match back until SummerSlam as I don't see Rollins truly getting to Triple H without first getting past Samoa Joe.

I find myself hoping against hope that Show vs. Shaq is off, I just don't give two shits about it and I don't think a ton of other people do either. Between Goldberg and Lesnar, WWE already has more than enough people on the show who aren't very in-ring capable. I'm of the opinion they may be better off moving the weaker or, at the very least, less interesting matches to the kickoff show. After all, I don't really see the point of spending 2 hours recapping everything that's happened during WrestleMania season as there are so many potential matches on the card. For instance, the blue brand's tag team scene has kinda gotten lost in the shuffle this year so far, so I see it being on the kickoff show. Alexa Bliss defending against the blue brand's entire female roster, as of right now, gives the impression of a clusterfuck waiting to happen, so the kickoff show might work best. The Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal is primarily designed to have mid-card and lower card wrestlers take part in the WrestleMania payday, so the kickoff show is a perfect spot. I'd say that almost the entire Cruiserweight Division will be there as well so it'll save the need for a useless multi-man match. The Cruiserweight Championship match might go on the main card, depending on how the build continues to go in the next few weeks; so far, it's off to a good start but it could easily wind up on the kickoff show as well.

WrestleMania Kickoff Show
WWE SmackDown Women's Championship - Alexa Bliss (c) vs. All
WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship - American Alpha (c) vs. The Usos
Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal

WrestleMania Main Card
WWE Universal Championship - Goldberg (c) vs. Brock Lesnar
WWE Championship - Bray Wyatt (c) vs. Randy Orton
WWE Intercontinental Championship - Dean Ambrose (c) vs. Baron Corbin
WWE United States Championship - Chris Jericho (c) vs. Kevin Owens
WWE Raw Women's Championship - Bayley (c) vs. Sasha Banks vs. Charlotte Flair
WWE Raw Tag Team Championship - Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson (c) vs. Enzo Amore & Big Cass vs. Cesaro & Sheamus
Singles Match - The Undertaker vs. Roman Reigns
Singles Match - AJ Styles vs. Shane McMahon
Singles Match/Confrontation Segment - Seth Rollins, Triple H & Samoa Joe
Mixed Tag Team Match - John Cena & Nikki Bella vs. The Miz & Maryse

In my opinion, that looks like a pretty strong card overall. I have little to no hope for Goldberg vs. Lesnar, but it is what it is. I'm also dubious about Taker vs. Reigns just because I wonder how Taker can hold up in the ring this year. While I think Styles could be used much better, I have little doubt that Styles vs. Shane will be a much better match than Taker vs. Shane was last year. My gut instinct tells me that this will not be one of the all time great WrestleMania events, I'd very much like to be wrong about that but the main event of WrestleMania carries a lot of the energy for the show as a whole and I expect little to nothing from Goldberg vs. Lesnar.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

Agree for the most part except for Miz/Cena and your final point. I really like where Miz/Cena is going, I don't think it's gonna get any more personal than Miz saying Cena has stunted his career. I do though think they need to add an extra layer for Nikki and Maryse so they actually have a reason for being in the match (especially considering Maryse hasn't wrestled in... 5 years?)

I'm enjoying this as well, which is a big surprise to me. When I first read that this match was rumored to be going down, I was expecting some "sports entertainment" themed thing that's tongue in cheek where Cena & Nikki ultimately make Miz & Maryse look like a couple of inept fools. Thankfully, they're not going in that direction and they're treating it like a serious, personal feud between them.

I agree that Nikki & Maryse could use an additional layer, but the problem is that neither of them are particularly good on the mic. Maryse is better than she used to be, due in no small part to the fact that her accent isn't as thick as it once was and she's gotten an overall better hang on English, while Nikki's personality is somewhat bland. She's ultimately this smokin' hot brunette with killer curves who wears tube tops and booty shorts to wrestle in, not that there's anything wrong with that mind you, but neither of these two ladies have ever really displayed the sort of promo skills needed to really propel their interests in this feud beyond the "if you mess with my man, you mess with me" level.

The fact that they keep bringing up Cena not proposing to Nikki makes me think that Cena already has in real life but that they're going to play the story out to where Cena "proposes" to her in the ring after they win their match. It'd be appropriate if the rumors that this will be Nikki's last match are true.

 

[Psykohurricane55]

Love the card this year with all thoses markee matches on the card, it does make it look like a strong mania. We can forget that outside of all the matches that was listed on the last post, you probably will get a cruiserweight title match between neville and austin aries and some sort of multi person match either a cruiserweight ladder match for the number 1 contendership or a raw money in the bank match. And from what I've read, the shaq vs big show match hasn't been totally scrapped yet so we got that the look foward to.

Finally, I doubt they would put the battle royal on the pre show, last year, it prove to ne a really good buffer match between some of the big matches on the main card that if you put it on the pre show would that would give that role to the raw tag and wo, en's championship matches. You need to have at less one buffer match on the card to seperate some of the big matches at the end of the card and I see the battle royal serve this role again this year.

 

[That N Word]

UNIVERSAL TITLE - Goldberg (c) vs Brock Lesnar- Won't go longer than 10 minutes. Likely will get booed out the building. Brock Lesnar wins and gets cocky and calls another challenge. Finn Bálor returns at WrestleMania for for his rematch. Bálor beats Lesnar for the Universal Title likely will help from Goldberg. WrestleMania ends with Goldberg raising new Universal Champ Finn Bálor's hand up.

WWE TITLE - Bray Wyatt (c) vs Randy Orton (vs. AJ Styles)- These two put on a clinic but unfortunately Orton defeats Wyatt to win his 13th World Title. However, If AJ Styles is added I expect him to become a 2x Champ in a slow start to a babyface run.

US TITLE - Chris Jericho (c) vs Kevin Owens- Kevin Owens showcases his dominant side and and beats Jericho and takes him out in one of the best matches of the night.

RAW WOMENS TITLE - Bayley (c) vs Sasha vs Charlotte- Bayley retains in a pretty good one, and Sasha turns heel afterwards.

SD WOMENS TITLE - Alexa (c) vs Smackdown Roster- Will be the most forgettable match. Remember the last time they did this at WrestleMania XXX? Didn't go to well. Will likely be on the Kickoff Show. Other competitors will likely be Tamina, Eva, Carmella, Natalya, Becky, Mickie.

ANDRE THE GIANT BATTLE ROYAL- Braun Strowman wins after last eliminating The Big Show, who nods his approval to Strowman as sort of a passing of the torch. Wouldn't surprise me if Hogan returned in this match as a surprise entrant.

The Undertaker vs Roman Reigns- The match everybody will be talking about after WrestleMania (this Cena's Proposal, Sasha's heel turn,the return of Hulk Hogan,and Bálor shockingly winning the Universal Title.) Roman Reigns turns heel in the match by the way he brutally beats Taker down to defeat and retire The Deadman.

PINFALL OR SUBMISSION ONLY- Shane McMahon vs AJ Styles- Likely a stipulation where AJ gets added to the SmackDown Main Event if he wins. AJ defeats Shane in a clash full of heavy spots.

SETH ROLLINS CALLS OUT TRIPLE H- Seth Rollins calls out Triple H for a match but falls short to "The Game."

IC TITLE NO HOLDS BARRED - Dean Ambrose (c) vs Baron Corbin- Baron Corbin defeats Dean Ambrose to win his first title in WWE and go 2-0 at WrestleMania.

CRUISERWEIGHT TITLE - Neville (c) vs Austin Aries- Match Of The Night?! Austin Aries defeats Neville to win the Cruiserweight Championship

MIXED TAG MATCH - John Cena/Nikki vs The Miz/Maryse- Match could surprise us and end up being one of the best matches on the entire card. Mainly including the evolution of 3/4 performers over the last few years. Who knows? Maryse could still have it. Expect John Cena to propose to Nicki after they win in one of the most talked about Mania moments.

SD TAG TITLES - American Alpha vs The Usos- Second year in a row, Uso's work the pre-show and this year they fall to American Alpha. Who retains on the Grandest Stage.

RAW TAG TITLES - Gallows/Anderson vs Enzo/Cass vs Cesaro/Sheamus- Enzo/Cass gets their moment by defeating Gallows and Anderson to become new champs on the kickoff show.

Sami Zayn vs. Samoa Joe- Fourth and final Kickoff Show match. A better match than the one at Fastlane. This one sees

 

[JoeMallard]

UNIVERSAL TITLE - Goldberg (c) vs Brock Lesnar- Won't go longer than 10 minutes. Likely will get booed out the building. Brock Lesnar wins and gets cocky and calls another challenge. Finn Bálor returns at WrestleMania for for his rematch. Bálor beats Lesnar for the Universal Title likely will help from Goldberg. WrestleMania ends with Goldberg raising new Universal Champ Finn Bálor's hand up.

WWE TITLE - Bray Wyatt (c) vs Randy Orton (vs. AJ Styles)- These two put on a clinic but unfortunately Orton defeats Wyatt to win his 13th World Title. However, If AJ Styles is added I expect him to become a 2x Champ in a slow start to a babyface run.

US TITLE - Chris Jericho (c) vs Kevin Owens- Kevin Owens showcases his dominant side and and beats Jericho and takes him out in one of the best matches of the night.

RAW WOMENS TITLE - Bayley (c) vs Sasha vs Charlotte- Bayley retains in a pretty good one, and Sasha turns heel afterwards.

SD WOMENS TITLE - Alexa (c) vs Smackdown Roster- Will be the most forgettable match. Remember the last time they did this at WrestleMania XXX? Didn't go to well. Will likely be on the Kickoff Show. Other competitors will likely be Tamina, Eva, Carmella, Natalya, Becky, Mickie.

ANDRE THE GIANT BATTLE ROYAL- Braun Strowman wins after last eliminating The Big Show, who nods his approval to Strowman as sort of a passing of the torch. Wouldn't surprise me if Hogan returned in this match as a surprise entrant.

The Undertaker vs Roman Reigns- The match everybody will be talking about after WrestleMania (this Cena's Proposal, Sasha's heel turn,the return of Hulk Hogan,and Bálor shockingly winning the Universal Title.) Roman Reigns turns heel in the match by the way he brutally beats Taker down to defeat and retire The Deadman.

PINFALL OR SUBMISSION ONLY- Shane McMahon vs AJ Styles- Likely a stipulation where AJ gets added to the SmackDown Main Event if he wins. AJ defeats Shane in a clash full of heavy spots.

SETH ROLLINS CALLS OUT TRIPLE H- Seth Rollins calls out Triple H for a match but falls short to "The Game."

IC TITLE NO HOLDS BARRED - Dean Ambrose (c) vs Baron Corbin- Baron Corbin defeats Dean Ambrose to win his first title in WWE and go 2-0 at WrestleMania.

CRUISERWEIGHT TITLE - Neville (c) vs Austin Aries- Match Of The Night?! Austin Aries defeats Neville to win the Cruiserweight Championship

MIXED TAG MATCH - John Cena/Nikki vs The Miz/Maryse- Match could surprise us and end up being one of the best matches on the entire card. Mainly including the evolution of 3/4 performers over the last few years. Who knows? Maryse could still have it. Expect John Cena to propose to Nicki after they win in one of the most talked about Mania moments.

SD TAG TITLES - American Alpha vs The Usos- Second year in a row, Uso's work the pre-show and this year they fall to American Alpha. Who retains on the Grandest Stage.

RAW TAG TITLES - Gallows/Anderson vs Enzo/Cass vs Cesaro/Sheamus- Enzo/Cass gets their moment by defeating Gallows and Anderson to become new champs on the kickoff show.

Sami Zayn vs. Samoa Joe- Fourth and final Kickoff Show match. A better match than the one at Fastlane. This one sees

I'd do you one better, screw Goldberg helping Balor. If it happens, have Styles, Gallows and Anderson help him win.

 

[Psykohurricane55]

UNIVERSAL TITLE - Goldberg (c) vs Brock Lesnar- Won't go longer than 10 minutes. Likely will get booed out the building. Brock Lesnar wins and gets cocky and calls another challenge. Finn Bálor returns at WrestleMania for for his rematch. Bálor beats Lesnar for the Universal Title likely will help from Goldberg. WrestleMania ends with Goldberg raising new Universal Champ Finn Bálor's hand up.

WWE TITLE - Bray Wyatt (c) vs Randy Orton (vs. AJ Styles)- These two put on a clinic but unfortunately Orton defeats Wyatt to win his 13th World Title. However, If AJ Styles is added I expect him to become a 2x Champ in a slow start to a babyface run.

US TITLE - Chris Jericho (c) vs Kevin Owens- Kevin Owens showcases his dominant side and and beats Jericho and takes him out in one of the best matches of the night.

RAW WOMENS TITLE - Bayley (c) vs Sasha vs Charlotte- Bayley retains in a pretty good one, and Sasha turns heel afterwards.

SD WOMENS TITLE - Alexa (c) vs Smackdown Roster- Will be the most forgettable match. Remember the last time they did this at WrestleMania XXX? Didn't go to well. Will likely be on the Kickoff Show. Other competitors will likely be Tamina, Eva, Carmella, Natalya, Becky, Mickie.

ANDRE THE GIANT BATTLE ROYAL- Braun Strowman wins after last eliminating The Big Show, who nods his approval to Strowman as sort of a passing of the torch. Wouldn't surprise me if Hogan returned in this match as a surprise entrant.

The Undertaker vs Roman Reigns- The match everybody will be talking about after WrestleMania (this Cena's Proposal, Sasha's heel turn,the return of Hulk Hogan,and Bálor shockingly winning the Universal Title.) Roman Reigns turns heel in the match by the way he brutally beats Taker down to defeat and retire The Deadman.

PINFALL OR SUBMISSION ONLY- Shane McMahon vs AJ Styles- Likely a stipulation where AJ gets added to the SmackDown Main Event if he wins. AJ defeats Shane in a clash full of heavy spots.

SETH ROLLINS CALLS OUT TRIPLE H- Seth Rollins calls out Triple H for a match but falls short to "The Game."

IC TITLE NO HOLDS BARRED - Dean Ambrose (c) vs Baron Corbin- Baron Corbin defeats Dean Ambrose to win his first title in WWE and go 2-0 at WrestleMania.

CRUISERWEIGHT TITLE - Neville (c) vs Austin Aries- Match Of The Night?! Austin Aries defeats Neville to win the Cruiserweight Championship

MIXED TAG MATCH - John Cena/Nikki vs The Miz/Maryse- Match could surprise us and end up being one of the best matches on the entire card. Mainly including the evolution of 3/4 performers over the last few years. Who knows? Maryse could still have it. Expect John Cena to propose to Nicki after they win in one of the most talked about Mania moments.

SD TAG TITLES - American Alpha vs The Usos- Second year in a row, Uso's work the pre-show and this year they fall to American Alpha. Who retains on the Grandest Stage.

RAW TAG TITLES - Gallows/Anderson vs Enzo/Cass vs Cesaro/Sheamus- Enzo/Cass gets their moment by defeating Gallows and Anderson to become new champs on the kickoff show.

Sami Zayn vs. Samoa Joe- Fourth and final Kickoff Show match. A better match than the one at Fastlane. This one sees

I like you idea for the main event, because I think if you want bàlor to be establish as a main event babyface, you need to have him get the rub from a big name and it doesn't get bigger then goldberg right now, plus it makes lesnar losing the title to bàlor believable because in a one on one setting, bàlor isn't a believable threat to lesnar. This become the same scenerio as what they did with lesnar and eddie guerrero.

 

[ShinChan]

UNIVERSAL TITLE - Goldberg (c) vs Brock Lesnar- Won't go longer than 10 minutes. Likely will get booed out the building. Brock Lesnar wins and gets cocky and calls another challenge. Finn Bálor returns at WrestleMania for for his rematch. Bálor beats Lesnar for the Universal Title likely will help from Goldberg. WrestleMania ends with Goldberg raising new Universal Champ Finn Bálor's hand up.

WWE TITLE - Bray Wyatt (c) vs Randy Orton (vs. AJ Styles)- These two put on a clinic but unfortunately Orton defeats Wyatt to win his 13th World Title. However, If AJ Styles is added I expect him to become a 2x Champ in a slow start to a babyface run.

US TITLE - Chris Jericho (c) vs Kevin Owens- Kevin Owens showcases his dominant side and and beats Jericho and takes him out in one of the best matches of the night.

RAW WOMENS TITLE - Bayley (c) vs Sasha vs Charlotte- Bayley retains in a pretty good one, and Sasha turns heel afterwards.

SD WOMENS TITLE - Alexa (c) vs Smackdown Roster- Will be the most forgettable match. Remember the last time they did this at WrestleMania XXX? Didn't go to well. Will likely be on the Kickoff Show. Other competitors will likely be Tamina, Eva, Carmella, Natalya, Becky, Mickie.

ANDRE THE GIANT BATTLE ROYAL- Braun Strowman wins after last eliminating The Big Show, who nods his approval to Strowman as sort of a passing of the torch. Wouldn't surprise me if Hogan returned in this match as a surprise entrant.

The Undertaker vs Roman Reigns- The match everybody will be talking about after WrestleMania (this Cena's Proposal, Sasha's heel turn,the return of Hulk Hogan,and Bálor shockingly winning the Universal Title.) Roman Reigns turns heel in the match by the way he brutally beats Taker down to defeat and retire The Deadman.

PINFALL OR SUBMISSION ONLY- Shane McMahon vs AJ Styles- Likely a stipulation where AJ gets added to the SmackDown Main Event if he wins. AJ defeats Shane in a clash full of heavy spots.

SETH ROLLINS CALLS OUT TRIPLE H- Seth Rollins calls out Triple H for a match but falls short to "The Game."

IC TITLE NO HOLDS BARRED - Dean Ambrose (c) vs Baron Corbin- Baron Corbin defeats Dean Ambrose to win his first title in WWE and go 2-0 at WrestleMania.

CRUISERWEIGHT TITLE - Neville (c) vs Austin Aries- Match Of The Night?! Austin Aries defeats Neville to win the Cruiserweight Championship

MIXED TAG MATCH - John Cena/Nikki vs The Miz/Maryse- Match could surprise us and end up being one of the best matches on the entire card. Mainly including the evolution of 3/4 performers over the last few years. Who knows? Maryse could still have it. Expect John Cena to propose to Nicki after they win in one of the most talked about Mania moments.

SD TAG TITLES - American Alpha vs The Usos- Second year in a row, Uso's work the pre-show and this year they fall to American Alpha. Who retains on the Grandest Stage.

RAW TAG TITLES - Gallows/Anderson vs Enzo/Cass vs Cesaro/Sheamus- Enzo/Cass gets their moment by defeating Gallows and Anderson to become new champs on the kickoff show.

Sami Zayn vs. Samoa Joe- Fourth and final Kickoff Show match. A better match than the one at Fastlane. This one sees

I'm assuming that both Finn Balor and Goldberg are babyfaces and Brock Lesnar is a heel. So, why would you make two babyfaces collectively beat a heel like Brock Lesnar? I know that Brock Lesnar is the conquering heel and what not. But isn't using the numbers game a heelish thing to do? Basically, Finn Balor needed help from Goldberg to defeat Brock Lesnar. That's not what a babyface should do.

 

[That N Word]

I'm assuming that both Finn Balor and Goldberg are babyfaces and Brock Lesnar is a heel. So, why would you make two babyfaces collectively beat a heel like Brock Lesnar? I know that Brock Lesnar is the conquering heel and what not. But isn't using the numbers game a heelish thing to do? Basically, Finn Balor needed help from Goldberg to defeat Brock Lesnar. That's not what a babyface should do.

Because it protects Lesnar and the "Taker/Goldberg" rub. It gives Goldberg a final chance to screw Brock and a final pop, Bálor gets his WrestleMania moment. But when you really think about it...It probably would make more sense to let "The Demon King" beat Brock clean to evolve and establish that character as something to fear.

 

[ShinChan]

Because it protects Lesnar and the "Taker/Goldberg" rub. It gives Goldberg a final chance to screw Brock and a final pop, Bálor gets his WrestleMania moment. But when you really think about it...It probably would make more sense to let "The Demon King" beat Brock clean to evolve and establish that character as something to fear.

It would also make Balor look like a stupid if he takes help from Goldberg to beat Brock Lesnar. He's a babyface and so is Goldberg. That won't be a Wrestlemania moment.

Defeating Brock clean immediately increases the credibility of that wrestler. Also, Balor could turn heel in future and then defeat Brock Lesnar with the help of Balor Club. I hope that Bullet Club does have its presence felt in WWE.

 

[That N Word]

It would also make Balor look like a stupid if he takes help from Goldberg to beat Brock Lesnar. He's a babyface and so is Goldberg. That won't be a Wrestlemania moment.

Defeating Brock clean immediately increases the credibility of that wrestler. Also, Balor could turn heel in future and then defeat Brock Lesnar with the help of Balor Club. I hope that Bullet Club does have its presence felt in WWE.

Yeah I was just about to say that he should start a full heel run. Not with Bullet Club though. I was going to say as a full fledged demonic character. It's original and unique. And I'm not talking similar to Kane's. Sort of like the way I had him in the WCWF. Only problem is WWE wouldn't let him be nowhere near as violent.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

Based on last night's Raw, a few happenings are clear. For one, Big Show vs. Shaq is officially off as Show announced last night his intention to be the first 2 time winner of the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal. Big Show worked really, really hard to get himself into the best physical shape he's been in since he first started wrestling and one of the chief reasons for that is because of the proposed match with Shaquille O'Neal. However, once Big Show lost clean to Braun Strowman on Raw a few weeks back, I thought it was a clear sign that the match wasn't going to happen as WWE would want to protect Show going into a WrestleMania match with a celebrity, especially one of Shaq's status. As to why the match fell through, my guess is that Shaq ultimately wanted too much money or he's let himself go downhill and is in pretty lousy shape. Either one is plausible as there've been rumors that Shaq has put on a lot of weight and you know he'd want a lot of money to do this thing. Personally, I'm extremely glad this match is off because I simply have no desire or interest; I especially have no real desire to see another WWE wrestler made to look like a trained monkey against a celebrity.
The second thing coming off last night is, as many of us already suspected, Seth Rollins is cleared to wrestle. During his confrontation with Triple H a few weeks back in which he told Hunter he'd "be at WrestleMania", the likelihood that he'd been medically cleared already was high. Of course, it was no guarantee since they hadn't gotten physical and this led to all kinds of speculation ranging from Rollins ambushing Triple H at WrestleMania to someone coming to Rollins' aid when he called Trips out, etc. However, given that his brawl with Triple H saw the two getting extremely physical, including Rollins taking several shots to the knee with his own crutch and being put in a knee bar submission, it was confirmed that Rollins is not only cleared but he and Trips will have a match at WrestleMania. If Rollins knee wasn't at 100%, they wouldn't have gone through with the angle last night in a helluva closing segment

 

[XXJJ]

It feels like they are way too many matches going on for WM. Their are rumors now they might do Stephanie vs Noelle Foley at Mania. Vince is running the risk that the crowd just gets fatigued and disinterested midway through Mania.

WM is like the Superbowl of wrestling. I don't think everybody has to be part of the show. If you can't make the cut thats too bad. Half the talent in these battle royals, tag matches and triple threats aren't even over. Every year it feels like the ppv just gets longer.

 

[The Fabulous Rougeau's]

It feels like they are way too many matches going on for WM. Their are rumors now they might do Stephanie vs Noelle Foley at Mania. Vince is running the risk that the crowd just gets fatigued and disinterested midway through Mania.

WM is like the Superbowl of wrestling. I don't think everybody has to be part of the show. If you can't make the cut thats too bad. Half the talent in these battle royals, tag matches and triple threats aren't even over. Every year it feels like the ppv just gets longer.

I know what you mean. When I sit and begin to piece together what I expect the card to look like I come up with 15 matches. I point to Mania's like 6 that featured alot of matches but around a third of that card had matches that were 5 minutes or less. With the way WWE handles Mania's currently it's tough to envision them having that many short matches which creates the issue above.

 

[XXJJ]

I know what you mean. When I sit and begin to piece together what I expect the card to look like I come up with 15 matches. I point to Mania's like 6 that featured alot of matches but around a third of that card had matches that were 5 minutes or less. With the way WWE handles Mania's currently it's tough to envision them having that many short matches which creates the issue above.

Goldberg vs Brock Lesnar Raw Title Match
Bray Wyatt vs Randy Orton Smackdown title match
Triple H vs Seth Rollins
Undertaker vs Roman Reigns
John Cena/ Nikki Bella vs The Miz & Maryse
AJ Styles vs Shane Mcmahon
Kevin Owens vs Chris Jericho - US title
Dean Ambrose vs Baron Corbin - IC title

That is 8 matches and those angles have been the main focus of Raw & SD leading up to WM... Let New Day host and add a little comic relief and thats your ppv. Everything else feels unnecessary.

 

[JoeMallard]

Goldberg vs Brock Lesnar Raw Title Match
Bray Wyatt vs Randy Orton Smackdown title match
Triple H vs Seth Rollins
Undertaker vs Roman Reigns
John Cena/ Nikki Bella vs The Miz & Maryse
AJ Styles vs Shane Mcmahon
Kevin Owens vs Chris Jericho - US title
Dean Ambrose vs Baron Corbin - IC title

That is 8 matches and those angles have been the main focus of Raw & SD leading up to WM... Let New Day host and add a little comic relief and thats your ppv. Everything else feels unnecessary.

I think that will be the actual main card and the rest of the matches will be on the pre show.

 

[XXJJ]

I think that will be the actual main card and the rest of the matches will be on the pre show.

Thats kind of the problem though. If you are throwing out 6 or 7 more matches during the pre show or whatever they call it.. that is a lot of wrestling to sit through for the live crowd. Pre shows IMO are just meant for throwing out a quick match or 2 to get the crowd pumped up. I don't think thats whats going on here.