Wrestlemania Predictions (It's never too early)

[Loss]

I think the more likely screwjob is Stephanie changing the triple threat match to elimination rules on the fly. They have made a big deal about how Orton or Batista could lose without even being involved in the finish. I could see Bryan pinning Orton and Stephanie quickly saying, "Just a reminder that this match is elimination rules." Then he'd have to pin Batista in the main event and the end result would be Bryan beating Evolution in a gauntlet match.

 

(I also think HHH vs Bryan should immediately precede the title match instead of having it earlier in the night.)

[Grimmas]

I think the more likely screwjob is Stephanie changing the triple threat match to elimination rules on the fly. They have made a big deal about how Orton or Batista could lose without even being involved in the finish. I could see Bryan pinning Orton and Stephanie quickly saying, "Just a reminder that this match is elimination rules." Then he'd have to pin Batista in the main event and the end result would be Bryan beating Evolution in a gauntlet match.

 

(I also think HHH vs Bryan should immediately precede the title match instead of having it earlier in the night.)

 

I know you haven't watched the WWE in years, but they constantly make a big deal about how the Champion doesn't have to be pinned to lose in triple threats. They talk about that for every muli-man match.

 

Not to say they won't go that way.

[(BP)]

I'm guessing Bryan over HHH, sledgehammer attack post match, then Taker/Brock and divas match. Have Bryan limp out, and then overcome the odds. I just don't think HHH can help himself from getting some heat back.

[Strummer]

As an aside this will most likely be Steph's first appearance in front of the live crowd at Mania since WM 18. She appeared in a backstage vignette at WM 23

[Jimmy Redman]

And WM22 too. (WM23 was the Trump/baby skit, WM22 was the family prayer skit, right? "Dear God, I don't like you, and you don't like me!")

[Strummer]

Forgot about 22. Yep

[Matt D]

WON is reporting that the Los Matadors are added to the tag. Brotherhood are left in the cold. Not sure if this is for Colon's sake or what. With all the guys out of the battle royal, you end up with people like Justin Gabriel in it.

[Kil]

If the Matadores are in the tag title match, that leaves four open spots in the battle royal. Here's guys listed on the roster who's available:

 

Darren Young

Xavier Woods

Alexander Rusev

 

I would assume these three will be in. Leaving one spot for the following..

 

Bad News Barrett

 

Probably will be on show to do his podium schtick, so doesn't need the slot.

 

Camacho

Curt Hawkins

JTG

Yoshi Tatsu

Tyson Kidd

Jason Albert (Tensai)

 

The "guys you didn't know were still in the WWE if you just watch Raw and SmackDown" brigade. Probably won't be one of them.

 

Ezekial Jackson

 

The "guy I seriously thought was released a long time ago." Probably not him.

 

Evan Bourne

 

The "guy who disappeared after injury and never came back." Maybe? If he's ever coming back, might be a good spot for that.

 

Hornswoggle

 

If this was a few years ago, maybe. But he doesn't appear regularly like he used to.

 

Alex Riley

 

Is an announcer, even though he's pictured in his ring gear on the website.

 

Hunico

 

They've finally stopped listing Epico and Primo, but he's still there as if we don't know. Speaking of which...

 

C.M. Punk

 

The Ultimate Surprise Entrant!!!!!!

 

And finally...

 

William Regal

 

YES.

[Matt D]

I assume they'll use a few NXT guys. Even if he's not ready yet, that'd be an awesome stage to debut Breeze's entrance.

[RWOOD]

Best prediction not likely to happen.

 

Bryan beats HHH, others, wins title. Faces embrace in the ring and celebrate, including Mick Foley, Bret Hart, whoever else might be there to make it cooler. Fans chant yes. Without fanfare or music, CM Punk shows up on the entrance stage almost unnoticed and sadly shakes his head as Bryan celebrates. Punk turns heel slowly and fueds with Bryan after fueds with and succeeds but is really beaten up by Brock Lesnar.

 

Why the fuck not right?

 

Bray Wyatt defeats John Cena cleanly in the middle of the ring. All of the "Cena sheep" from Wrestlemania XV carry Cena out Wyatt-style as Bray watches from his rocking chair.

 

Yea.

 

Undertaker defeats Brock Lesnar in a submission heavy brawl that is not announced as no holds barred but is. It is the match of the night and rivals the classicisity of Bret/Austin at XIII. Brock Lesnar gets Championship match anyway.

 

I invented a new word there?

 

Shield defeat New Age Outlaws and Kane soundly. Semi squash mostly resembling a tornato tag. It will not be as good as a handicapped match between Shield and Harper/Rowan would've been. Seth Rollins hits a kneedrop off the top after a Reigns superman punch and the crowd goes fucking wild.

 

The Real Americans win the tag team titles but break up right after and drop them back to the Usos the next night on RAW. They have a fued and Cesaro goes over with no 50/50 booking to go onto be heel fodder for Bryan. The match of the year ensues.

 

Divas Invitational: Honestly, I want Eva Marie to win. Everyone hates her, shes fucking sexy and can't wrestle worth a lick. She would be the perfect face of the Diva ranks. While I appreciate a return to "amazonian women dominating the divas division" and loved the sequence between Niaomi and Tamina on Main Event last night, who cares about that? If WWE Raw is the only place I can see Eva Marie on my TV aside from Total Divas I want to see her as much as possible because I am a heterosexual man who doesn't really care about womens wrestling and would rather laugh at it being bad wrestling and watch sexy women roll around than see good womens wrestling. I'm probably a minority in that opinion around here, but whatever...

 

Battle Royal: Big Show will win and have a teary eyed moment with Hogan or one of the people who haven't been announced yet will win. I like the out-the-box thinking of Rusev but he hasn't had a match on WWE TV yet so I don't know. I would like to see stuff happen in this match to advance some storyline stuff but I don't think many stuffs will happen.

 

I'd like to see another singles match like BIg E going over Christian who finally gets his one more match since he missed out on Main Event because of a "slight concussion" according to Tom Phillips. I'd like to see it be a good match. I'd like to see it go on in the 2 hour preshow and be a reason why Big E doesn't win the battle royal... because, you know, he should.

 

Aside, I have really enjoyed the music choices for this years show. A lot better than Flo Rida and Machine Gun Kelly although I did enjoy the nostalgic Diddy performance and his slight nod to the Notorious BIG so close to NYC.

 

This will be the first Wrestlemania in a long time that will be looked at as serious and rightfully so. The Rock's presence, while it brought in lots of money and some mainstream attention, created an almost intolerable level of silliness that will be all but vanquished this year. The longterm storyline is intense and involves three hated heels that will be familiar and interesting to lapsed fans and the probably the best wrestler to make his Wrestlemania main event debut since Bret Hart. I also think that if the show goes off without a hitch it could draw in casual and lapsed fans who only turn into Wrestlemania. And I mean actually draw them in for the long haul until things go sour again which I'm sure will happen sometime again this year.

 

I am really excited for this show and I am earnestly hoping it goes great.

 

I am also aware that we live in the reality era, har har.

[Bierschwale]

If they go to the WWE Legend pool for the battle royal, it is unacceptable for them to not pick Haku.

[Alucard]

If the Matadores are in the tag title match, that leaves four open spots in the battle royal. Here's guys listed on the roster who's available:

 

Darren Young

Xavier Woods

Alexander Rusev

 

Darren Young is in. I think Rusev will be in and might win. Hope Woods is not in. Kinda surprised by the amount of guys that are never used in there like Justin Gabriel and Brodus Clay. Would much rather see some fun legend spots especially for an Andre tribute.

[anarchistxx]

How do Los Matadores get the Wrestlemania payday/rub instead of Goldust/Cody? Shame that they might just be tossed into the battle royal after the year they have had, deserved a major feud. They could easily have run a midcard angle with The Real Americans, built up a bit of hate and heat and had a ten minute blowoff at the big show, writers are so lazy.

[Loss]

Could be a political/good will thing with Carlos Colon and/or WWC.

[(BP)]

It's the Colon HOF induction, plus El Torito will have some wacky spot to give us a Wrestlemania Moment

[El-P]

Yay. More idiotic comedy instead of giving Goldust a WM match.

[(BP)]

If we want more Rhodes Bros we'll have to campaign for Mini Abismo Negro to get his old gig back as Mini Dust.

[Bierschwale]

The biggest problem is that the Rhodes Bros. would probably get a bigger pop than the Usos.

[goodhelmet]

I don't think so. Losing to the Suck Ass Outlaws and not giving them a storyline has really killed their momentum. I have no doubt a Goldust face in peril segment would get the crowd on their side but the Usos have that high risk energetic offense that gets over in large stadiums.

[Johnny Sorrow]

I see a potential Rhodes brothers seeds of a split thru battle royal shenanigans.

[goodhelmet]

The biggest problem with splitting the Rhodes is that both guys work better as faces. Cody is really good at cleaning house and Goldust is really good at building to the hot tag.

[Log]

The biggest problem with splitting the Rhodes is that both guys work better as faces. Cody is really good at cleaning house and Goldust is really good at building to the hot tag.

I agree, but I'd also love to see current-day Dustin work heel. He's so creative, it'd be fun to see the spots he'd come up with.

 

Can you even imagine how amazing a heel team of Goldust and Regal would be?

[Matt D]

 

The biggest problem with splitting the Rhodes is that both guys work better as faces. Cody is really good at cleaning house and Goldust is really good at building to the hot tag.

I agree, but I'd also love to see current-day Dustin work heel. He's so creative, it'd be fun to see the spots he'd come up with.

 

Can you even imagine how amazing a heel team of Goldust and Regal would be?

 

Looking back at Dustin's 95-96 as a heel, the only stuff that was really compelling was his tag work with Mankind. He was a bit too chinlock heavy and while his cut offs were pretty good, it just wasn't great stuff. He was best when the gimmick played into it heavily, like in the Ahmed KOTR match. I've seen a decent amount of Black Reign too and it's hard to say what he would have been able to do there with a bit more athletic ability. I do think his pacing was a bit better but he wasn't given a lot to work to work with either. At some point I suppose I have to revisit his heel run from 99 but that seems like a fool's errand. I suppose, sure, I'd be curious what Dustin could do in a heel run in the current environment.

[(BP)]

I remember his "born again" work with Venis being good, but he was really only heel there because of the attitude era crowds. Any other time in wrestling, he would've clearly been the face. It was still leagues better than the previous year of AFKAG stuff.

[Log]

Yeah, I was never impressed with his heel stuff before. I just think we're dealing with a totally different dude than the one from those times. I'd like to see what wily vet Dustin could do now.