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WrestleMania 35 is tonight, and undoubtedly, the lengthy show time will make it difficult to watch for many viewers, even those in good time zones, like residents of the U.S. West Coast. With 16 matches on the card, it's almost as big a test of the endurance of the fans as it is of the wrestlers.
If you decide to pick and choose what you watch, which matches are worth paying attention to? Which matches are probably best off skipped? How will they go down? Although there are always some surprises, here's how things look going in as far as match quality goes.
#16 WrestleMania Women's Battle Royal
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Battle royals are always messes, especially without the tension that comes from the Royal Rumble stipulation. What makes the women's battle royal worse is that many of the competitors involved are sloppy themselves. Asuka will be the point of focus, but she's only one competitor in a sea of weak ones.
There's still hope for some surprises from NXT like Kairi Sane and Io Shirai to give us some hints of future dream matches, but that's not apparent at this point.
Fortunately, this will be on the pre-show, so it's easy to miss.
#15 Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal
Not that far ahead of the women's version, the men's battle royal will be better because it will host better workers on the whole than the women's, and Braun Strowman will put on shows of strength which are always fun to watch.
Just don't expect them to be fun enough to make this match anything you'd want to go out of your way to see. The battle royal is pre-show fodder for a reason.
If only there were higher stakes involved, this could be better and more worth investing your time in.
#14 The Revival vs. Kurt Hawkins and Zack Ryder
The horrible year for the Raw titles continues, as this will no doubt be a mostly filler match. There is a point of intrigue with Zack Ryder being near his home town, and Kurt Hawkins' losing streak possibly coming to an end at last, but this will no doubt be the weakest title match on the card.
I'm sure The Revival are less than thrilled about their opponents for WrestleMania, especially with Aleister Black and Ricochet in another tag title match.
#13 Triple H vs. Batista
Triple H matches at WrestleMania are usually lackluster. Last year was very much the exception to the rule. With The Game and Batista both about 50, this has every chance of reverting to form.
We can expect a slow, plodding match. Added on top of Triple H's lengthy entrance, it will feel even slower. The stipulation that Triple H's career on the line makes this somewhat more interesting, but it likely suggests he'll win and Batista will once again go on a lengthy if not permanent, hiatus.
#12 The Boss 'N' Hug Connection vs. The IIconics vs. Nia Jax and Tamina vs. Natalya and Beth Phoenix
This match would have been much better if it was just Boss 'N' Hug vs. Beth Phoenix and Natalya. There's no reason why it shouldn't be. Nia Jax and Tamina already lost cleanly at Fastlane and the IIconics feel like a complete afterthought.
Alas, they've been added, which means that much of the match will be of low quality.
It should reach an exciting crescendo when Sasha Banks and Bayley finally do battle with the Hall of Famer, but not enough to save it compared to other matches on the card.
#11 Kurt Angle vs. Baron Corbin
Kurt Angle's retirement match should have been better than this. Most fans are probably still hoping that John Cena is lurking and will emerge at the very last minute. Alas, WWE chose the least exciting opponent imaginable in Baron Corbin.
The physical limitations of both men and the lack of spectacle make for the prospect of a disappointing last stand for the Olympic Hero. Angle's sendoff should be something to remember, but the match itself should not.
#10 Samoa Joe vs. Rey Mysterio
Here's where things begin to an uptick in quality. Samoa Joe and Rey Mysterio should make for a good match, but I don't think they'll get a lot of time to do so, which will make it less than it might have been. Nevertheless, seeing how Joe's brutal style clashes with Mysterio's high speed should be interesting.
Expect Joe to power through and see his reign continue.
#9 Roman Reigns vs. Drew McIntyre
Roman Reigns' triumphant return to WrestleMania should make for a good spectacle, but there's otherwise not much build here. It will be a fun brawl, but there's the prospect of better brawls elsewhere.
This might be a breakout moment for Drew McIntyre. He's yet to have that one huge signature win on the main roster. Yet, it also feels like standard booking to have Roman Reigns win after his cancer comeback.
That adds some intrigue, but not enough to send it higher.
#8 Shane McMahon vs. The Miz
This match has had a surprisingly good build going in - much better than most of the other matches on the card. Shane McMahon's limitations will make themselves felt, however, especially if this gets the longer time I expect it to.
The Miz will be able to carry him, but not to the level that AJ Styles did two years ago.
Nevertheless, with the falls count anywhere stipulation, we should see some crazy stunts, which is what Shane does best.
#7 Bobby Lashley vs. Finn Balor
The return of the Demon should make this a fun show. It can either be a satisfying squash or a contest between the sheer strength of Lashley and the high speed, psychological, and unconventional warfare of the Demon.
It should be a well-worked match either way. Bobby Lashley hasn't exactly been exciting since his return a year ago, but this is the best context for him, especially with Lio Rush presenting the possibility of shenanigans.
#6 Brock Lesnar vs. Seth Rollins
Don't expect a repeat of this. We know enough about how Brock Lesnar matches go to get a reasonable idea of this.
It will be exciting at the moment as people eagerly anticipate whether or not the Universal title will finally be liberated from the doldrums, but that's also where the danger comes.
This match will depend entirely on the ending. If Seth Rollins wins, it will be a success. If he loses, it will be a failure worse than any other on the card. It's the most important match because it will be the biggest determinant of the future, so there's a big room for error.
#5 AJ Styles vs. Randy Orton
This was a small preview of things to come. Randy Orton is a much better character now. AJ Styles is AJ Styles. It's a first time ever marquee match on pay per view. Yeah, this match should be one of the night's highlights if it gets the right amount of time.
We'll have to see how Randy Orton's sadism comes through and how AJ Styles will fight against it, but it's definitely one of the most intriguing matches on the show, and should be no matter how it goes.
#4 Buddy Murphy vs. Tony Nese
Pre-Show this might be, but it's still a better prospect than most of the other matches on the card. Buddy Murphy has been one of WWE's biggest success stories since he went to 205 Live. Tony Nese has put together an outstanding catalog this year. Their friendship is up in smoke. It's a good story and we know what these guys can do.
Murphy's future also makes for a point of intrigue in this match. It feels like he's grown too big for 205 and should move on to Raw or SmackDown, but it also wouldn't be surprising to see him retain to continue to headline the brand.
#3 The Usos vs. Shinsuke Nakamura and Rusev vs. The Bar vs. Aleister Black and Ricochet
It's The Usos, The Bar, and two of the "NXT 6" in their WrestleMania debut. Of course, it's going to be good. Shinsuke Nakamura and Rusev might be ice cold, but they're still solid and capable.
The only question remaining is how much time this gets if it gets enough, there's no reason why it shouldn't be a match of the night contender. Since The Usos just signed a new contract, I think they'll get rewarded with the time they didn't get last year.
#2 Ronda Rousey vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Becky Lynch
Much like the Universal title match, everything about this one depends on how it ends. Becky Lynch has been the biggest story in WWE over the past year and this should be the culmination of that story. The work rate will be fine, but that doesn't matter nearly as much.
If Becky wins, the main event will be a success (especially if she taps out Ronda Rousey to do it). If she loses, the main event will be a catastrophe - not the best look for this "historic" occasion. I'm assuming that the right thing will happen, but you can never be sure in a company that loves "heat" and booking "swerves" for the sake of it.
#1 Daniel Bryan vs. Kofi Kingston
The main event it might not be, but this match has completely overshadowed everything else. Kofimania has been the best thing in WWE in 2018 so far. It will be more emotional than any other match on the card. Kofi Kingston is in much the same situation Daniel Bryan - the arrogant heel - was in five years ago.
This match will end with either another epic catharsis or an epic heartbreak. Either way, of all the matches on the card. This is the one you won't want to miss.
