5 things to watch out for at WWE WrestleMania 34

WrestleMania 34
This year's WrestleMania is absolutely packed, so what should you be setting your sights on?

WWE WrestleMania 34 is coming our way this Sunday, April 8th at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana.

It is always the biggest show of the year and the most important pay-per-view to check out, as it indicates the current state of WWE's roster and the future directions the company will be going for the rest of the year and onward.

Pretty much every minute of the broadcast is going to be influential, and it's safe to say you're missing out on a lot if you miss out on anything at all.

Obviously, there are the more important matches like the WWE Championship and Ronda Rousey's appearance, but those go without being said and have been run down time and time again for months.

What about those other elements that are lurking behind the scenes? What else is going to happen on this card that we should be paying attention to, besides what's right in front of us?

With a little bit of foresight and some guesswork mixed with logical deductive reasoning, we can try to distinguish some extra things to watch out for that are coming our way at this year's extravaganza.

Here's a look at five things to pay attention to and look out for when it comes to WrestleMania 34.


#5 The Roman Reigns crowd reaction

Roman Reigns
Roman Reigns and the crowd are almost never a good mix

WWE has spent the past few years telling its audience that no matter what, the powers that be are 100 percent dead set on Roman Reigns being "the guy" for the future.

They've done everything in their power to make him seem like it on paper, by having him accomplish everything there is to accomplish, break records, and perpetually be in the main event of WrestleMania.

Whether you agree or disagree with this decision, it's undeniable that a good portion of the fanbase rejects the idea and has fervently opposed it for a long enough time that it's amazing to see WWE do so little to try to offset that.

This time around, their attempts to win back the audience were an effort to make Reigns the anti-McMahon character while painting Brock Lesnar as the one WWE really values and gives special treatment to.

There were elements of reality and elements of pure fiction in the mix, and while some people have turned their perspectives and started to give Reigns a more positive reaction, others were quick to chant "you deserve it" when he was stretchered out of the arena on Raw.

There's no doubt WWE wants Reigns to be cheered during his match at WrestleMania, but there's also no doubt WWE will not get the reaction they're hoping for, as this will likely be mixed at best, if not another scenario where The Big Dog is booed incessantly.

Watch out for the way the crowd reacts to him during this match. If it's a boo/boo situation, or boos for Reigns and cheers for Lesnar, it will be an interesting insight into what we have in store for ourselves over the next few months.

Reigns is going to win the Universal Championship and hold it no matter what the crowd does, but if the reaction is just as bad as it's always been, if not worse, it will definitely have at least some effect on the way he's booked the following night on Raw and in future feuds for the title.

#4 Tons and tons of title changes

WrestleMania 34 Cruiserweight Championship
At the very least, this one is an absolute guarantee, as the belt is currently vacated

On an average, more titles change hands at WrestleMania than any other pay-per-view throughout the year, as every belt is on the line and it's a great time to hit the reset button.

This year in particular, there is a very solid chance every single title ends up in the hands of somebody new.

Out of all of them, the one that is probably the safest is the United States Championship, currently held by Randy Orton, although it's not too crazy a scenario for Rusev, Jinder Mahal or Bobby Roode to capture the title.

Everything else is almost a guarantee and the crowning of new champions looks to be upon us in rapid succession.

Watch out for Roman Reigns, Shinsuke Nakamura, Asuka, Nia Jax, Cedric Alexander or Mustafa Ali, Finn Balor or Seth Rollins and new tag team champions on both Raw and SmackDown to be walking out of New Orleans with the belts in their possession.

This will also be particularly interesting to keep in mind when looking at the upcoming draft or Superstar Shake-Up that will happen soon after WrestleMania, meaning these men and women holding their brand's respective titles are probably safe in the moves.

#3 Surprise entrants in Battle Royals

Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal
We could be in for some giant surprises in this year's Battle Royal matches!

WWE never, ever releases the full breakdown of competitors for the Royal Rumble or any battle royals in advance, as they don't have to be set in stone ahead of time like a tournament bracket.

Instead, they tend to use these types of matches to throw anybody onto the card at WrestleMania who doesn't already have something else to do and isn't too injured to compete.

In the past, people from NXT have made the temporary jump up to the main roster to fill in a spot or two, as well as legends like DDP returning just to hang out.

This year, since there are two matches of this type, you can expect to see lots of people from the NXT women's roster participating in the Women's Battle Royal and at least a few surprises in the fifth annual Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal.

Perhaps injured people like Samoa Joe and Big Cass can return here? Maybe someone from outside WWE's current roster lineup like Rey Mysterio will make an appearance?

Be on the lookout for anybody out of the norm to show up here, as it's almost a given that it will be happening in at least one, if not both of these matches.

#2 A heel turn for Bayley or Sasha Banks

Bayley and Sasha Banks
This sure doesn't look like a friendship that is going strong, does it?

It's been teased for weeks upon weeks, but WWE will finally pull the trigger on a heel turn for either Bayley or Sasha Banks at WrestleMania.

The entire nature of this story has essentially revolved around playing with the audience's expectations and having the viewers try to guess which one is going to officially turn on the other one and continue down that dark path.

Recently, it has been Sasha who has taken a more villainous approach to her attitude, but this could be a misdirect just to set up a Bayley turn and attempt to shock the crowd.

Look out for either the winner to be victorious by cheating or for the loser to lash out in anger after coming up short.

If it's Bayley who turns, it will spark an entirely different dynamic for her than what we're used to, and if it's Banks, she'll be reverting back to a persona she hasn't played around with for several years.

Either way, at least one of these women will see a refreshing change of pace for their character starting at this event.

#1 Carmella's Money in the Bank contract

Carmella
Ms. Money in the Bank could be cashing in her title shot at WrestleMania 34

Back in June 2017 when Carmella won the first-ever women's Money in the Bank, her original problem was trying to justify her victory, as it came about with considerable help from James Ellsworth.

Since reaffirming the briefcase as hers, she's spent the last few months mostly hanging out and doing nothing, with the occasional cash-in attempt just to remind audiences that she still has that option on the table.

Technically speaking, she does have two more months to utilize this gimmick, but her time is certainly starting to wear out and she may be in panic mode, particularly with Asuka setting her sights on the title.

Don't be surprised if WWE goes all-in on Asuka here by having Carmella cash in her Money in the Bank contract on the new champion, only to come up short and give The Empress of Tomorrow yet another victory in the record books.

Alternatively, if WWE decides to play around with the rules a little, Carmella could try to use her title shot for the Raw Women's Championship with some kind of clarification afterward that there are no rules stating it has to be applied to SmackDown only.

Carmella is not leaving WrestleMania with either championship, but she could very well try her best to capitalize on a weakened opponent in an attempt to do what Seth Rollins did at WrestleMania 31.

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Edited by Raunak J
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