The biggest pay-per-view of the year is just days away. WWE has lined up a stacked card due to the sheer importance of the show and with a crowd of more than 100,000 expected for the show, this edition of WrestleMania is guaranteed to go into the history books no matter what. Eleven matches have been booked by WWE so far and four of them would feature in the pre-show.
A returning Shane McMahon, a ladder match involving Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens, the reception of Roman Reigns, the triple threat Divas match, and much more makes this an exciting match card. With that said, here is the complete analysis and predictions for the pay-per-view.
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Ryback vs. Kalisto (United States Championship)
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Do the fans even care about this match? This is another classic example of WWE’s sloppy booking. Both Kalisto and Ryback certainly do not have the momentum to carry a match on their own and WWE entrusted them with a major mid card championship. The United States title might not be as important as it used to be in the good old days, but still, it is something that WWE should’ve used better.
This match could go either way. There were rumors about WWE looking to push Ryback as the next top heel so he is likely to come out with a win along with a full blown heel turn by viciously beating up Kalisto.
Prediction: Ryback wins.
Andre The Giant Battle Royal
Initially, we thought that the purpose of Andre the Giant Battle Royal was to put over young talent. The inaugural edition did just that as Cesaro won. The second edition, however, was entirely opposite with Big Show winning the trophy. Show had no benefit of winning the same and the match seemed more like a filler in the match card.
This year, WWE will have a stacked list for the battle royal and it would be interesting to see whether WWE would continue the trend from WrestleMania 31 or go by what they did at WrestleMania 30. The name of Braun Strowman has been discussed for quite some time now and he is a favorite to walk out as the winner. Mark Henry is another possible name the show would be in his hometown.
Predicted Winner: Braun Strowman
The Usos vs. The Dudley Boys
The Usos vs. The Dudley Boys was a match that deserved to be on the main card of WrestleMania. It had all the right ingredients to be a sure shot success story but as WWE was not interested in making this into a major tag team storyline, we are currently staring at an irrelevant match. Booking it for the pre-show has further degraded its importance.
As far as the match is concerned, Usos and Dudleys could deliver a solid battle. It would be a torch passing match even without the tag titles on the line. Usos are likely to come out as the winners even though it might not matter in the larger context.
Predictions: Usos Win
Total Divas vs. Team BAD and Blonde
The idea of having a second Divas match on the WrestleMania card is exciting. It shows that WWE is indeed raising the stakes for the women and although it is a match that was quickly put together, there are some interesting subplots here.
One of them would be the in-ring debut of Lana. Everyone would love to know how she’ll perform and this makes the match exciting. The performance of Emma is another factor worth looking forward to. She is filled with talent and she is not going to let her chance pass by. Eva Marie, meanwhile, is probably the most polarizing sub plot in the match. The baby faces are likely to get the win here as it would be a happy ending for this filler match.
Prediction: Total Divas win
Charlotte vs. Becky Lynch vs. Sasha Banks (Divas title match)
The Divas Championship would be on the line in this excellent triple threat match. Although these three have delivered the goods during their time in NXT, performing at WrestleMania is a different story. And that too, it is going to be the biggest WrestleMania till date with an audience of more than 100,000 expected.
There is no question about the talent of these women and it is their time to represent the entire women’s revolution that is going in the WWE. All three are worthy of walking out as the champion but to kick start a new era in the division, it would be great if Sasha Banks wins the title.
Prediction: Sasha Banks wins.
AJ Styles vs. Chris Jericho
The first feud of AJ Styles in WWE had a lot of expectation and it is safe to say that this one met almost all of it. The experience of Chris Jericho was crucial throughout the storyline and he managed to build himself as the top heel in WWE on part with Kevin Owens. This, in turn, helped AJ Styles to get over among the fans and his first WrestleMania appearance is well hyped due to the same.
These two come along with a ton of in-ring experience and this match is almost impossible to flop. AJ Styles losing is a possibility but WWE might not let that happen considering that he has a long road ahead of him.
Prediction: AJ Styles wins.
New Day vs. League of Nations
The tag team championship of New Day will not be on the line during this match, which was something surprising. At present, WWE has booked this as a handicap match but there is a slight chance of New Day finding a fourth member to level the field. A special entrance from New Day can be expected. Also, New Day would be entertaining as always, which is another plus point of the match.
WWE is looking to push New Day as full-fledged baby faces after WrestleMania and a win against League of Nations would be crucial for the same. League of Nations winning would be an upset and at the same time would be irrelevant.
Prediction: New Day wins.
Kevin Owens (c) vs. Sami Zayn vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. Zack Ryder vs. Sin Cara vs. The Miz vs. Stardust (Intercontinental Championship Match)
This is probably an underrated match in the WrestleMania card. The Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn feud is certainly the stand out subplot. We know what these two could do with ladders and if any sequence of their epic match is replicated, the fans will go nuts. Seeing Zack Ryder at WrestleMania will be a feel good moment for the fans.
Apart from these two factors, the other superstars feel like extras. And this is why there are only two potential winners in this match, Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn. WWE would be looking to build up a feud between the two after this match and for that, Zayn needs to win the title.
Prediction: Sami Zayn wins.
Dean Ambrose vs. Brock Lesnar
No matter what the outcome of this match, these two men are going to punish each other to the core. Dean Ambrose has some healthy experience in these type of matches thanks to his CZW days while Brock Lesnar is a legitimate badass who has torn through opponents in UFC. The combination is deadly and Paul Heyman on ring side is always an add-on strength for everyone.
The constraint for this match, however, is the PG product of WWE. Such matches would’ve been a bloody affair if it had happened five years back, but in the current environment, the match would be worked under a lot of pressure but we are bound to see something special here. As for the winner, Brock Lesnar losing to Ambrose at WrestleMania just two years after his legendary achievement does not make sense.
Prediction: Brock Lesnar wins.
Shane McMahon vs. Undertaker
Hands down, this is perhaps the most exciting match in the WrestleMania card. The returning Shane McMahon vs. Undertaker inside a Hell in a Cell was enough to sell the whole scenario, but on top of it, WWE added the power struggle which made the match more interesting. Now, everyone wants to know whether Shane would get control over Monday Night Raw or not.
There is a certain amount of hope associated with this match. A portion of the fans see Shane as the savior but at the same time, they don’t want the Undertaker to lose. But something has to give at WrestleMania. It is one of the most difficult matches in the card to predict, but the Shane is a slight favorite considering the potential his win has.
Prediction: Shane McMahon wins
Roman Reigns vs. Triple H (WWE World heavyweight championship)
This match is expected to be the show stopper of this year’s WrestleMania. Although the dynamics are perfect on paper, this is actually the most volatile matchup in the WWE roster. WWE has been trying to push Reigns as the top baby face of the company for almost two years now without any fruition and their lack of investment in the storyline are to blame.
Unless WWE comes up with a major twist, this match is going to be a forgettable outing for both Roman Reigns and Triple H. Reigns is going to win the championship for sure but the question is: how will he do it? Will he doing with the help of Vince McMahon and have a heel turn? It is an interesting choice as anything normal would bomb.
Prediction: Roman Reigns wins
