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Now that 2019 is coming to a close, the WWE is preparing to kick-off to the Road to WrestleMania with the Royal Rumble PPV. While there will surely be a few matches for The Show of Shows set up in the eponymous match, WWE Superstars have been making challenges over social media for months now, and it's beginning to bleed over onto television.
From Randy Orton challenging The Rock (who turned down the offer) and later John Cena (who answered vaguely in a non-committal manner in Sports Illustrated) to Drew McIntyre's recent encounter on RAW with Orton, the smell of WrestleMania is in the air. Let's take a look at 12 matches that need to happen this upcoming April at WrestleMania 36.
#12 Buddy Murphy vs. Aleister Black
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While Aleister Black was able to defeat Buddy Murphy at the TLC event on December 15th, it does not mean that the feud won't continue. In fact, it would greatly benefit both men if it did. A rivalry between Aleister Black and Buddy Murphy, if done well, could elevate both men. They're both very strong speakers, great wrestlers, and carry themselves with poise yet it always feels like they're ready to let their aggression out with the snap of a finger.
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Following a long run at the top of 205 Live, Murphy was legitimized on the main card when he was briefly involved in the Roman Reigns "whodunit" story line earlier this year. WWE meanwhile, has had Black essentially begging people to come "knock on his door" and come looking for a fight. Murphy was the second man to do so. While the first chapter of this rivalry was written at TLC, there's plenty of room to build upon their conflict between now and April 5th. A match between the men at WrestleMania 36, no matter who wins or loses, raises the stock of both competitors. WrestleMania is supposed to be the culmination of long-term, epic rivalries. This pairing has big potential, and WWE would be wise to slow it down and let it burn for months until April is upon us.
#11 Street Profits vs. Authors of Pain
The Street Profits were beginning to build up a high profile on Monday Night RAW a number of weeks back, but things have cooled off for them recently. WWE isn't very big on tag team wrestling in general so it's not surprising that the promising team would seemingly fall off the face of the Earth. However, there still over 3 months until WrestleMania so there's plenty of time to build them back up for the Showcase of the Immortals. The Authors of Pain, on the other hand, are beginning to pick up the steam (or the smoke) that the Profits were rolling with.
The AOP have aligned themselves with Seth Rollins, which means they'll be used as part of the build to a very likely match between Rollins and Kevin Owens at the Royal Rumble. Owens gave the Street Profits his stamp of approval after the team's first match on RAW and even said he liked them so much that he wasn't even going to turn on them. Owens desperately needs some help right now, as Rollins and his heavies are leaving him lying every week. On top of that, different combinations of these six men could make for a lot of good TV and a lot of good matches in the weeks leading to the Rumble. After that, the two tag teams could continue their feud into The Grandest Stage of Them All, where it could culminate with the biggest match in the careers of the Authors of Pain and the Street Profits.
The Authors of Pain could definitely take the RAW Tag Team Championship from the Viking Raiders (perhaps at the Royal Rumble), leading to a classic big men vs. underdogs match at WrestleMania. AOP dominated both of their NXT matches 2 years ago, but the Profits are not the team today that they were back then.
#10 Money in the Bank Ladder Match
This may be an unpopular opinion because a lot of fans look forward to the yearly Money in the Bank PPV event, but this yearly ladder match was something that people got excited for every year at WrestleMania. It's time for the match to go back to its original home. The inaugural MITB match at WrestleMania 21 had only 6 participants, as did the second, which took place at WrestleMania 22. The match grew bigger and bigger as years went by and when they turned it into its own pay-per-view event, it became less special.
For the last two years, WWE has changed the format of the PPV to include only one men's ladder match along with one for the women, which is much more palatable than it was before. Bringing Money in the Bank back to its original home and with fewer participants (preferably the original 6 to keep away from overcrowding) does lead to a problem, however. You really can't do two of them at WrestleMania, especially when they're already doing two battle royals. People would likely complain, but WWE could alternate doing the men's and women's matches each year at WrestleMania, and having the other on an episode of RAW or SmackDown, which would almost certainly be a ratings-grabber.
Another benefit of only having 6 participants is that the WWE could focus on some rivalries between the Superstars before the show and likely have some spill over into the months after WrestleMania.
#9 Charlotte Flair vs. Shayna Baszler
Even though the WWE is doing it's best to create the narrative that NXT isn't still the developmental brand, it really is just that. Not as much as it used to be since it's now on national television up against a rival promotion, but it's still similar to what WWE's version of ECW was a decade ago. It's the place wrestlers go when WWE isn't ready to put them on the main roster, or when they don't have room for them on RAW or SmackDown. That's not a bad thing since great wrestlers came from ECW, and of course from NXT, but it's certainly true.
Shayna Baszler is one of only 9 women to have held the NXT Women's Championship since the title's inception 6 and a half years ago. She also holds two records: Shayna is the first woman to hold the championship twice, and she has held the title for the longest amount of time between her two reigns. She lost the title to Kairi Sane but the Japanese Superstar's reign was just over 2 months long. If not for that brief hiatus from holding the Title, Bazsler would have surpassed Asuka's record for longest single reign as NXT Women's Champion. Baszler recently lost the title to Rhea Ripley, which could signify a move to RAW or SmackDown very soon.
Charlotte's career accolades barely need explaining. She's the second-ever NXT Women's Champion, a 10-time Women's Champion during her time on RAW and SmackDown, won the first women's Hell in a Cell match and was in the first women's match to ever main event WrestleMania.
These women are pretty much tailor-made for each other. They're dominant, strong, extremely determined, and refuse to settle for being anything other than the very best. The women's division in NXT is becoming overcrowded and the women on the main roster could use a shot in the arm. Shayna is exactly the right Superstar for the job. This wpuld be a blockbuster match worthy of the grandest stage.
#8 Keith Lee vs. Roman Reigns
Keith Lee has been a standout in NXT from the moment he debuted on their weekly television show. It took a few months to see him participate in some proper matches and stories, and that's when he really started to shine. His matches with Dominik Dijakovic, both in NXT and in years prior on the independent scene, are largely what got the two men noticed as something special.
Lee has been pegged by wrestling fans as a future star for a few years, and now that he's in NXT, he's closer than ever before. Lee had an absolutely incredible performance at Survivor Series when it came down to him as the final man on Team NXT, and Roman Reigns as the final man for Team SmackDown. Afterwards a lot of people backstage, including Vince McMahon himself, were more enthusiastic about Lee than ever.
Roman was able to get the better of the powerhouse Superstar on that night, but Lee came very close to securing the victory for Team NXT. While they fist-bumped each other to show respect after the hard-fought match, there is definitely some unfinished business between both men. Keith must be chomping at the bit to get another opportunity to make The Big Dog "Bask in his Glory".
#7 Randy Orton vs. Kevin Owens
Since WWE has decided to pull the trigger on Kevin Owens being the first target of Seth Rollins upon his freshly minted heel turn, an Owens/Rollins match is certainly more likely for Royal Rumble than it is for WrestleMania.
Randy Orton seems to have finally transitioned into the baby-face role after a few months of straddling the line. He's currently being pulled in two different directions as both AJ Styles and The O.C. want to take him down, but also Drew McIntyre has been calling him out as well. The WWE held off on doing some matches at TLC, presumably to show case them on the Road to WrestleMania. This means that Orton and Styles will probably take their beef into the Royal Rumble match, and Orton could find himself face-to-face with McIntyre shortly thereafter.
Once that's all done, it would be stellar to see another Orton make another heel turn, even if it's just for one match. Owens is using the Stunner and Orton, of course, has the RKO. Let Randy go after someone who can't help himself and needs aid, and have Owens chase him off. Then they can play off of the young guy versus veteran story, as well as the Stunner versus RKO idea. It's a classic WrestleMania-style rivalry that writes itself -- it's one of the short-term feuds that could actually work, because its a simple idea and doesn't need to be drawn out.
#6 Rhea Ripley vs. Becky Lynch
Rhea Ripley is the new NXT Women's Champion. She's on top of the world right now. While she received the hero's celebration upon unseating Shayna Baszler on NXT, she is still a brash young woman looking to stir up as much trouble as possible. Being a current champion in NXT hasn't stopped people from storming the main roster in the past. Kevin Owens did just that in 2015 when he attacked US Champion John Cena while still carrying the NXT Championship.
Becky Lynch is sitting at the very top of the mountain, just begging someone to come and try to knock her off. She is probably going to avenge her loss to Asuka from last year's Royal Rumble when the two meet this year at the same PPV this year. After Lynch collects her final debt, who will be the one to step up to The Man next? Why not let these two finish what they started when they met on NXT a few weeks back?
Ripley's stock has never been higher and she certainly seems to be on her way to becoming the next face of the women's division in WWE. A WrestleMania match pitting the RAW Women's Champion against the NXT Women's Champion would be one heck of a glimpse into the future.
#5 Daniel Bryan vs. The Miz
While The Miz and Daniel Bryan find themselves with a common enemy at the moment, it's not likely these two rivals will play nice after their battle with Bray Wyatt is done. These two men have hated each other since the first inception of NXT, and 2020 will likely be no different from 2010. After a likely triple threat match that sees The Fiend defend the Universal Championship against both men at Royal Rumble, the rift between Bryan and Miz will open into a chasm once again.
It's time for this feud to receive its proper place in the annals of WrestleMania. The Miz is in his element when playing the role of the bad guy. Bryan on the other hand, as great as he can be as a heel, is already fully back into the Yes Movement. After the Royal Rumble, these two can pick up right where they left off -- when Bryan returned as the General Manager of SmackDown Live a few years back and hosted the popular Talking Smack post-show. He and Miz had some encounters that were more exciting and intense than anything WWE has done in years.
After Bryan and Miz fail to take the belt from Wyatt in January, Miz will blame Bryan for stealing another opportunity -- not only at the glory of being champion, but also for robbing Miz of the chance to defend his family's honor.
WWE will always have Daniel Bryan vs. The Miz available at all times. As long as both men are healthy they can feud with each other, and chances are it would never get boring. Few men in history have had chemistry like these two, and possibly no other pairing in the history of the company have made fans feel the sheer hatred they have for each other. This is a WrestleMania match 10 years in the making. It's time to do it.
#4 John Cena vs. Samoa Joe
It seemed like a match between Samoa Joe and John Cena, whose paths crossed in California very early on in their respective careers, had been just on the precipice of happening before WWE shied away from it. This year, it's time. Joe is bring primed for a big run, and Cena has stated that he doesn't intend to miss his first WrestleMania since he appeared for the first time way back in 2003.
The table is set for them to collide. Cena hasn't had a proper match since his clash with Rusev way back at WrestleMania 31 in 2015. That's 4 WrestleMania events in a row without a real John Cena match. He was injured in 2016 but did make an appearance at WrestleMania 32. In 2017 he teamed with Nikki Bella in a tag match against The Miz and Maryse, a match that only happened in order to allow them to create the proposal that followed. He spent most of the build to WrestleMania 34 calling out The Undertaker before eventually losing to him in under 3 minutes, and didn't have a match this year at all. Instead the WWE Universe was treated to the surprise return of the Dr. of Thuganomics when he interrupted an Elias concert.
This will be Samoa Joe's 4th opportunity to be part of WrestleMania, and the only match he's had was a one-minute squash over Rey Mysterio at WrestleMania 35 earlier this year. It's high time for Joe to have his WrestleMania moment, and John Cena is a dream opponent. There's no reason that this match shouldn't happen.
#3 Seth Rollins vs. CM Punk
From the very moment CM Punk showed up on WWE Backstage a few short weeks ago, the hottest news among wrestling fans became "Punk is back, and he's going after Rollins at WrestleMania!"
So here's the thing about that -- both men are denying it. Punk has made it clear that he works for FOX, not WWE. He has also stated that while he has an open mind and you can "never say never", he claims to have had zero contact with WWE, especially in terms of returning to the ring. If it did happen, they would have to line his pockets quite handsomely.
Seth Rollins appeared on Backstage a few weeks ago and said that in his mind, the match is "not in the cards", especially since Punk decided not to show up on the week that Rollins was announced as a guest on the show.
Granted, there are no guarantees in wrestling, maybe even more so than there are no guarantees in life. This is different from the brief period of time that saw people heavily speculate that Punk was going to have a match with Stone Cold Steve Austin, and those two only had two interactions, which were brief -- and one of them was an interview about a different match. In this case, Punk and Rollins have been at it for 6 weeks now. They haven't actually stood toe-to-toe, eye-to-eye yet, and WWE has been wise to avoid that. Seth keeps blowing Punk off, and Punk keeps taking shots at Seth. There's no way they would continue with all of this if it wasn't going somewhere, right?
Well, to be fair, WWE may be only tangentially involved in any of this in the first place. Punk can say pretty much whatever he wants on Backstage, and so can any Superstar. Twitter is also a free-for-all. Until this hits an episode of RAW in a meaningful way, it still may be a pipe dream -- but pipe dreams are what this is all about.
#2 "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt vs. Ricochet
Bray Wyatt is a SmackDown wrestler and Ricochet performs on RAW, but does that really mean anything? In theory, Ricochet could win the Royal Rumble match and then decide that he wants a shot at the Universal Championship because he's WWE's resident Superhero and believes that he's the only man who can defeat The Fiend. Heck, he could even make that statement without winning the Rumble. It's WrestleMania, so what's stopping them?
The story almost writes itself. Ricochet would be a heavy underdog to actually win the match, but that's not a reason to not put it on the card. You can delve deep into the superhuman side of Ricochet and the subhuman side of The Fiend. Bray Wyatt can praise Ricochet and tell him that he truly does look at him as a hero just like Superman or Spiderman, and even invite him into the Firefly Fun House to meet all of his friends, because they're big fans of his.
WrestleMania is all about the spectacle -- the entrances alone in this match could create a spectacle like no other -- especially if the match is placed at an appropriate time for the sky to be dark above the stadium in Tampa. Although if they do have the match before it's dark, it might prove difficult to bathe the ring in the red lighting. Either way, this is a WrestleMania-level comic book match, and it would also likely give Wyatt his first taste of victory at WrestleMania, something that his career has sorely been lacking.
#1 Brock Lesnar vs. Kofi Kingston
In what may indeed be the most disappointing moment of the entire year of 2019, Kofi Kingston lost the WWE Championship to Brock Lesnar in a matter of seconds. The first episode of SmackDown on FOX promised a WWE Championship match -- we got one, and even got a title change -- but it came at the expense of an 11-year journey, which was crushed under the giant boot of Lesnar in the most unceremonious manner possible.
Out of all the matches on this list, Lesnar vs. Kingston is probably the least likely. That's part of the reason why it jumped all the way to the top spot on this list. KofiMania was gigantic leading into WrestleMania 35. While it's unlikely for the WWE Universe to get behind the elder statesman of The New Day in the same manner they did in early 2019, that doesn't mean the ground can't swell for Kofi in a big way en route to earning a rematch against Lesnar.
The best way to do it? How about Kofi checks another thing off the bucket list: winning the Royal Rumble match. This works out very well if WWE is continuing the trend of allowing the winner to choose the champion from either brand, which should always be the case. Theoretically it's the only way Kofi would have a chance to gain revenge on Brock and also regain the title he fought so valiantly and for so long to capture.
Kofi Kingston has been the guy to watch every year in the Rumble match. His creative ways to save himself (sometimes with a little help from his friends) have become a Royal Rumble staple over the years -- what if this time, his big save happens when he's one of the only two men left in the ring? His spectacular feat could be followed by him earning the final elimination from the match to punch his ticket. It's an interesting thought. While unlikely, this match is certainly not completely out of the equation.
