The Usos vs. The Real Americans vs. Rybaxel vs. Los Matadores for the WWE Tag Team Championship
This match will happen on the pre-show, which has to be slightly disappointing for the people involved, particularly someone like Cesaro who has shined in the past few months. However, with the Network, there will be almost no difference in the feel between the two parts.
This match will come down to two teams, The Usos and The Real Americans. Sorry to the other two teams, but there's absolutely no way either walks out with the belts. Honestly, I could see this match going either way. The Usos were red-hot chasing the titles two months ago. However, since they won, they've been put on the back-burner, ending their feud with the New Age Outlaws, but not doing much since then. Meanwhile, The Real Americans have started to get face pops, largely due to Cesaro's growing popularity. It seemed like they were going to break up just a few weeks ago, but for whatever reason, the WWE decided to keep them together. Now, the WWE may have kept them together solely to give the Usos a decent opponent at Wrestlemania, but it does make you wonder if they might give the team one more run, maybe even a title run, before Cesaro goes off on his own.
However, I'm going with The Usos. I think that they were initially chalked up to get a big Wrestlemania moment before they decided to give them the titles in front of the Chicago crowd, so I think they stick with that. I also think that Cesaro breaks out sooner rather than later, and a tag run wouldn't do much for him. Plus, besides just slingshotting it back to the Usos, there isn't really anybody they can lose it to right now, and you'd think if they did win it, it would be a relatively short title reign. So I'll go with the Usos to get the crowd hot to start the show, and it's possible that we'll even see Cesaro break off here.
Winners: The Usos
The Shield vs. Kane and the New Age Outlaws
This match seems like an obvious winner at first glance, as there's no reason to give Kane or the Outlaws wins. Meanwhile, The Shield has grown into their face roles with no growing pains at all, and have quickly gotten some of the loudest cheers of the night. So looking at that, The Shield should win easily.
However, there is one reason I hesitate before giving the win to The Shield. I think most people realize that the reason The Shield has gone face is to give Roman Reigns a bigger boost, and that likely it will be Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins turning on him. I could potentially see them pulling that turn at Wrestlemania. People love The Shield, and 70,000 people booing Ambrose and Rollins would certainly be a moment to remember.
While I almost like the idea of it, I think that the WWE has something going strong with The Shield. With CM Punk out, they could really use another face that everyone loves besides Daniel Bryan. The Shield fits that role, so while I do think eventually Ambrose and Rollins turn on Reigns, I expect that to come in a few months.
Winners: The Shield
The Vickie Guerrero Divas Invitational for the Divas Championship
First off, I just need to point out how ridiculous it is to have a one-fall match with 14 people involved. I know the divas aren't exactly considered ring generals, but even the most seasoned wrestlers would have issues with a match like that. They couldn't really do a battle royal with the 30-man also on the card, but there had to be a better match than this.
Anyways, there are only a few possible winners I can see: Naomi, Tamina, one of the Bellas, or AJ. I'd say the Bellas are unlikely at this point. I think when one of the Bellas does get the belt, it will turn into a feud between the two fairly quickly into the reign. With them being pushed as the main attractions, and main faces, of Total Divas, I can't see that happening right now. Tamina would be interesting, but it seems a bit out-of-nowhere. I could see her winning the title after a bit more a build.
That brings it down to Naomi and AJ. I truly believe Naomi was slated to win the belt at one point. She was getting a good reaction from the crowd, and was actually putting on fairly decent matches. However, her injury really has derailed her momentum. Her pops are nowhere near what they were before her injury, and she seems a bit more careful in the ring. She could definitely regain that momentum, but I almost feel a win here would be anticlimactic, especially since AJ has held the belt for so long.
So, basically by process of elimination, I think AJ retains. I do think she loses the title in the next few months, but at the moment, there just isn't an obvious choice, and there should be a true face to take the belt from her. Would it shock me if she lost? No, but I think that it would be better if she loses in the upcoming months, instead of at Wrestlemania.
Winner: AJ
Undertaker vs Brock Lesnar
Undertaker and Brock Lesnar have had great matches in the past. Granted, it was a decade ago, but they know how to work together. The physicality of Brock can really mesh well with Undertaker, particularly with the way his matches have gone the past few years. So as long as Undertaker can still have matches as good as the past few years, this should at least equal last year's match with CM Punk. That being said, the result is not in doubt at all.
Winner: Undertaker
Andre The Giant Battle Royal
This match is an interesting one to predict, simply because we don't know exactly what they plan on doing with the match. Do they plan on just making this an attraction, and not really incorporate it into any storylines, or will they use it as something a wrestler can build on, and springboard from. Without knowing that, it's hard to predict exactly who will win, but I've narrowed it down to a few candidates of the wrestlers named so far, though it could very easily be one of the three surprises.
The Big Show is the favorite at this point, and in my mind has been the favorite since the beginning. This would fall under the attraction category if he won. ... at least I think, but it would be a nice moment for Big Show, who hasn't had a ton of true Wrestlemania moments in his career (winning the IC title over Cody Rhodes is probably his biggest win). Plus, it would be somewhat poetic to have the the man who debuted as the "Son of Andre the Giant" win the Andre Battle Royal.
Sheamus is another likely candidate. WWE wants to push him, and he's been stuck in neutral somewhat since his return at the Royal Rumble. He could use this as a jumping point to get that momentum moving again. The problem with him is that he doesn't need the credibility, and as a face, he wouldn't be someone who used the win to rub it in people's faces for the next year. So while he could win, if they're using this to push someone, there are better options. Of course, Sheamus would be a viable candidate if it was just an attraction as well.
That brings me to my third candidate, which is a wildcard. Alexander Rusev hasn't done anything physical since debuting at the Royal Rumble. He's been on most of the shows, letting Lana talk, and keeping him in people's minds, but he hasn't shown any sort of dominance. What better way to give this guy instant-credibility than allowing him to beat win a battle royal with 29 others, including names like Big Show and Sheamus? This, in my mind, would be the best way to use the Battle Royal, to push someone who needs the boost, but I'm really not sure that the WWE will view it that way.
It honestly comes down to Show and Rusev to me, and while I don't feel particularly confident about it, I'll lean towards Big Show. But I do expect Rusev to impress, and hopefully start a feud with someone, during the match.
Winner: The Big Show
Daniel Bryan vs. Triple H
Finally, the part of the show that everyone has been talking about. I think this will be the second match on the card, as I expect them to get at least a half hour, and they'll need a breather before the main event. This match might be the hardest to pick on the show. Don't get me wrong, Daniel Bryan will make the main event, but I could see a few twists during the night before he gets there.
I truly believe the main event is going to be a Fatal Fourway. At this point, with all the interactions between all four of the wrestlers, it makes no sense to not have all four in the final match. The question is how they get there. There are two main ways I can see. The first is that Triple H cheats to win, and Hulk Hogan uses his guest host powers to add Daniel Bryan to the match. The second is that there's some sort of no-contest.
I'm leaning towards the latter here, specifically a double-countout. Unless Hogan came out immediately after the match, they can't allow the crowd to get too rowdy if they think Daniel Bryan isn't in the main event. A double-countout or neither competitor being able to answer the 10 count just seems cleaner to me. So I believe that's the way they'll go.
Winner: No-contest
Randy Orton vs. Batista vs. ???? for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship
I'm going into this assuming this will be a Fatal Fourway. Unlike most people, I truly believe you can make a case for each wrestler winning, including Triple H. I'll quickly rundown the possibilities here.
Daniel Bryan is obvious. This has been his storyline since August, and it makes perfect sense to finally overcome all his demons at Wrestlemania. This would be a classic build, and the idea of 70,000 people screaming YES at the end of the night is one that has to be appealing to the WWE.
Many people believe the plan was to give Batista the title here from the moment they signed him. Some even believe that it was written into his contract. I personally think his heel turn makes it very unlikely that he takes the belt, but if it was a situation where Triple H helped him, declaring that HE was the new face of the WWE? That's not completely unreasonable.
Randy Orton retaining isn't an outrageous possibility. In his storyline, it would be him proving himself to Triple H, and it would give Orton a big win at Wrestlemania. He did beat John Cena and Triple H at Wrestlemania 24, but his Wrestlemania resume is a bit lackluster otherwise, including a loss to Triple H at Wrestlemania 25 when everyone expected him to win. So just from that standpoint, I could see him winning.
And then there's Triple H. It would absolutely enrage people if he won, but as far as opening possibilities for the future months, is there a more intriguing candidate to win? He'd be an unbelievably hated heel, quite possibly one of the biggest in history, and depending on how he won, it could start new storylines. Let's just say, hypothetically, that he reforms a version of Evolution at the end of Wrestlemania? This could be with Orton or Batista, or with others, like say, a recently turned heel Ambrose and Rollins. Now, this idea is an unbelievable longshot, but you can't say that it wouldn't be intriguing. However, the outrage it would cause at the moment I think makes in incredibly unlikely.
Which is why, when all is said and done, I believe Daniel Bryan will get his moment at Wrestlemania. Two years ago, he lost to Sheamus in 18 seconds, and this year, he finally gets that back, and wins the title, sending the crowd home happy. We'll have to see where it goes from there, but it's hard to see the WWE passing up just the image of all those fans celebrating.
Winner: Daniel Bryan
John Cena Vs Bray Wyatt
On paper, this didn’t seem an atrocious idea when it was first booked three months ago. However, it has since transformed into an overly awkward feud in which the creative dynamics are left in tatters. WWE again showed short sightedness and probably wish they could change this booking just like they did with other aspects of the card.
The problem is, neither Cena or Wyatt are up to the task of doing their job properly. Cena is meant to be the sympathetic hero, but in reality is giving fans joy at his woes. Wyatt is meant to be a disturbing bad guy, but is instead playing up to the cheers he finds himself getting. That’s going to give the Mania 30 match serious problems, because there’s a pretty good chance the story becomes more about the crowd as opposed to the in-ring action. Cena is going to get loudly booed in an awkward and embarrassing way. He won’t be turning heel, but he will inevitably be re-cast as a heel by the crowd when he pins Bray. The boos will be magnificent and we might even get trash thrown in the ring.
The in-ring action itself should be good. Cena is a veteran worker and usually puts in an exciting match, at his best he’s always great to watch. Cena does his finest work when paired with a solid opponent, Bray is certainly that if his Rumble match with Bryan was anything to go by. That was the match of the year so far, Wyatt’s work was unbelievably good. The in-ring action at Mania 30 should be equally epic, but the crowd could kill it. The winner will most likely be Cena. He didn’t go through all of these beat-downs and being cost the title to then lose. Wyatt will be elevated through association with Cena and then return to the mid-card to hopefully continue the faction war with The Shield, who will be waiting in the wings after seeing off Kane and the Authority. Perhaps the Shield will even help save Cena from a Wyatt family beatdown, that’d be a great way to set up an Extreme Rules Shield vs Wyatt match. The other speculation has Hulk Hogan getting involved for a save, also a strong possibility.
Winner: John Cena
This match will happen on the pre-show, which has to be slightly disappointing for the people involved, particularly someone like Cesaro who has shined in the past few months. However, with the Network, there will be almost no difference in the feel between the two parts.
This match will come down to two teams, The Usos and The Real Americans. Sorry to the other two teams, but there's absolutely no way either walks out with the belts. Honestly, I could see this match going either way. The Usos were red-hot chasing the titles two months ago. However, since they won, they've been put on the back-burner, ending their feud with the New Age Outlaws, but not doing much since then. Meanwhile, The Real Americans have started to get face pops, largely due to Cesaro's growing popularity. It seemed like they were going to break up just a few weeks ago, but for whatever reason, the WWE decided to keep them together. Now, the WWE may have kept them together solely to give the Usos a decent opponent at Wrestlemania, but it does make you wonder if they might give the team one more run, maybe even a title run, before Cesaro goes off on his own.
However, I'm going with The Usos. I think that they were initially chalked up to get a big Wrestlemania moment before they decided to give them the titles in front of the Chicago crowd, so I think they stick with that. I also think that Cesaro breaks out sooner rather than later, and a tag run wouldn't do much for him. Plus, besides just slingshotting it back to the Usos, there isn't really anybody they can lose it to right now, and you'd think if they did win it, it would be a relatively short title reign. So I'll go with the Usos to get the crowd hot to start the show, and it's possible that we'll even see Cesaro break off here.
Winners: The Usos
The Shield vs. Kane and the New Age Outlaws
This match seems like an obvious winner at first glance, as there's no reason to give Kane or the Outlaws wins. Meanwhile, The Shield has grown into their face roles with no growing pains at all, and have quickly gotten some of the loudest cheers of the night. So looking at that, The Shield should win easily.
However, there is one reason I hesitate before giving the win to The Shield. I think most people realize that the reason The Shield has gone face is to give Roman Reigns a bigger boost, and that likely it will be Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins turning on him. I could potentially see them pulling that turn at Wrestlemania. People love The Shield, and 70,000 people booing Ambrose and Rollins would certainly be a moment to remember.
While I almost like the idea of it, I think that the WWE has something going strong with The Shield. With CM Punk out, they could really use another face that everyone loves besides Daniel Bryan. The Shield fits that role, so while I do think eventually Ambrose and Rollins turn on Reigns, I expect that to come in a few months.
Winners: The Shield
The Vickie Guerrero Divas Invitational for the Divas Championship
First off, I just need to point out how ridiculous it is to have a one-fall match with 14 people involved. I know the divas aren't exactly considered ring generals, but even the most seasoned wrestlers would have issues with a match like that. They couldn't really do a battle royal with the 30-man also on the card, but there had to be a better match than this.
Anyways, there are only a few possible winners I can see: Naomi, Tamina, one of the Bellas, or AJ. I'd say the Bellas are unlikely at this point. I think when one of the Bellas does get the belt, it will turn into a feud between the two fairly quickly into the reign. With them being pushed as the main attractions, and main faces, of Total Divas, I can't see that happening right now. Tamina would be interesting, but it seems a bit out-of-nowhere. I could see her winning the title after a bit more a build.
That brings it down to Naomi and AJ. I truly believe Naomi was slated to win the belt at one point. She was getting a good reaction from the crowd, and was actually putting on fairly decent matches. However, her injury really has derailed her momentum. Her pops are nowhere near what they were before her injury, and she seems a bit more careful in the ring. She could definitely regain that momentum, but I almost feel a win here would be anticlimactic, especially since AJ has held the belt for so long.
So, basically by process of elimination, I think AJ retains. I do think she loses the title in the next few months, but at the moment, there just isn't an obvious choice, and there should be a true face to take the belt from her. Would it shock me if she lost? No, but I think that it would be better if she loses in the upcoming months, instead of at Wrestlemania.
Winner: AJ
Undertaker vs Brock Lesnar
Undertaker and Brock Lesnar have had great matches in the past. Granted, it was a decade ago, but they know how to work together. The physicality of Brock can really mesh well with Undertaker, particularly with the way his matches have gone the past few years. So as long as Undertaker can still have matches as good as the past few years, this should at least equal last year's match with CM Punk. That being said, the result is not in doubt at all.
Winner: Undertaker
Andre The Giant Battle Royal
This match is an interesting one to predict, simply because we don't know exactly what they plan on doing with the match. Do they plan on just making this an attraction, and not really incorporate it into any storylines, or will they use it as something a wrestler can build on, and springboard from. Without knowing that, it's hard to predict exactly who will win, but I've narrowed it down to a few candidates of the wrestlers named so far, though it could very easily be one of the three surprises.
The Big Show is the favorite at this point, and in my mind has been the favorite since the beginning. This would fall under the attraction category if he won. ... at least I think, but it would be a nice moment for Big Show, who hasn't had a ton of true Wrestlemania moments in his career (winning the IC title over Cody Rhodes is probably his biggest win). Plus, it would be somewhat poetic to have the the man who debuted as the "Son of Andre the Giant" win the Andre Battle Royal.
Sheamus is another likely candidate. WWE wants to push him, and he's been stuck in neutral somewhat since his return at the Royal Rumble. He could use this as a jumping point to get that momentum moving again. The problem with him is that he doesn't need the credibility, and as a face, he wouldn't be someone who used the win to rub it in people's faces for the next year. So while he could win, if they're using this to push someone, there are better options. Of course, Sheamus would be a viable candidate if it was just an attraction as well.
That brings me to my third candidate, which is a wildcard. Alexander Rusev hasn't done anything physical since debuting at the Royal Rumble. He's been on most of the shows, letting Lana talk, and keeping him in people's minds, but he hasn't shown any sort of dominance. What better way to give this guy instant-credibility than allowing him to beat win a battle royal with 29 others, including names like Big Show and Sheamus? This, in my mind, would be the best way to use the Battle Royal, to push someone who needs the boost, but I'm really not sure that the WWE will view it that way.
It honestly comes down to Show and Rusev to me, and while I don't feel particularly confident about it, I'll lean towards Big Show. But I do expect Rusev to impress, and hopefully start a feud with someone, during the match.
Winner: The Big Show
Daniel Bryan vs. Triple H
Finally, the part of the show that everyone has been talking about. I think this will be the second match on the card, as I expect them to get at least a half hour, and they'll need a breather before the main event. This match might be the hardest to pick on the show. Don't get me wrong, Daniel Bryan will make the main event, but I could see a few twists during the night before he gets there.
I truly believe the main event is going to be a Fatal Fourway. At this point, with all the interactions between all four of the wrestlers, it makes no sense to not have all four in the final match. The question is how they get there. There are two main ways I can see. The first is that Triple H cheats to win, and Hulk Hogan uses his guest host powers to add Daniel Bryan to the match. The second is that there's some sort of no-contest.
I'm leaning towards the latter here, specifically a double-countout. Unless Hogan came out immediately after the match, they can't allow the crowd to get too rowdy if they think Daniel Bryan isn't in the main event. A double-countout or neither competitor being able to answer the 10 count just seems cleaner to me. So I believe that's the way they'll go.
Winner: No-contest
Randy Orton vs. Batista vs. ???? for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship
I'm going into this assuming this will be a Fatal Fourway. Unlike most people, I truly believe you can make a case for each wrestler winning, including Triple H. I'll quickly rundown the possibilities here.
Daniel Bryan is obvious. This has been his storyline since August, and it makes perfect sense to finally overcome all his demons at Wrestlemania. This would be a classic build, and the idea of 70,000 people screaming YES at the end of the night is one that has to be appealing to the WWE.
Many people believe the plan was to give Batista the title here from the moment they signed him. Some even believe that it was written into his contract. I personally think his heel turn makes it very unlikely that he takes the belt, but if it was a situation where Triple H helped him, declaring that HE was the new face of the WWE? That's not completely unreasonable.
Randy Orton retaining isn't an outrageous possibility. In his storyline, it would be him proving himself to Triple H, and it would give Orton a big win at Wrestlemania. He did beat John Cena and Triple H at Wrestlemania 24, but his Wrestlemania resume is a bit lackluster otherwise, including a loss to Triple H at Wrestlemania 25 when everyone expected him to win. So just from that standpoint, I could see him winning.
And then there's Triple H. It would absolutely enrage people if he won, but as far as opening possibilities for the future months, is there a more intriguing candidate to win? He'd be an unbelievably hated heel, quite possibly one of the biggest in history, and depending on how he won, it could start new storylines. Let's just say, hypothetically, that he reforms a version of Evolution at the end of Wrestlemania? This could be with Orton or Batista, or with others, like say, a recently turned heel Ambrose and Rollins. Now, this idea is an unbelievable longshot, but you can't say that it wouldn't be intriguing. However, the outrage it would cause at the moment I think makes in incredibly unlikely.
Which is why, when all is said and done, I believe Daniel Bryan will get his moment at Wrestlemania. Two years ago, he lost to Sheamus in 18 seconds, and this year, he finally gets that back, and wins the title, sending the crowd home happy. We'll have to see where it goes from there, but it's hard to see the WWE passing up just the image of all those fans celebrating.
Winner: Daniel Bryan
John Cena Vs Bray Wyatt
On paper, this didn’t seem an atrocious idea when it was first booked three months ago. However, it has since transformed into an overly awkward feud in which the creative dynamics are left in tatters. WWE again showed short sightedness and probably wish they could change this booking just like they did with other aspects of the card.
The problem is, neither Cena or Wyatt are up to the task of doing their job properly. Cena is meant to be the sympathetic hero, but in reality is giving fans joy at his woes. Wyatt is meant to be a disturbing bad guy, but is instead playing up to the cheers he finds himself getting. That’s going to give the Mania 30 match serious problems, because there’s a pretty good chance the story becomes more about the crowd as opposed to the in-ring action. Cena is going to get loudly booed in an awkward and embarrassing way. He won’t be turning heel, but he will inevitably be re-cast as a heel by the crowd when he pins Bray. The boos will be magnificent and we might even get trash thrown in the ring.
The in-ring action itself should be good. Cena is a veteran worker and usually puts in an exciting match, at his best he’s always great to watch. Cena does his finest work when paired with a solid opponent, Bray is certainly that if his Rumble match with Bryan was anything to go by. That was the match of the year so far, Wyatt’s work was unbelievably good. The in-ring action at Mania 30 should be equally epic, but the crowd could kill it. The winner will most likely be Cena. He didn’t go through all of these beat-downs and being cost the title to then lose. Wyatt will be elevated through association with Cena and then return to the mid-card to hopefully continue the faction war with The Shield, who will be waiting in the wings after seeing off Kane and the Authority. Perhaps the Shield will even help save Cena from a Wyatt family beatdown, that’d be a great way to set up an Extreme Rules Shield vs Wyatt match. The other speculation has Hulk Hogan getting involved for a save, also a strong possibility.
Winner: John Cena
