In a little over 72 hours, we will bear witness to the ultimate thrill ride. World Wrestling Entertainment’s biggest show of the year, WrestleMania, will come to us from Orlando, Florida. Fan excitement is at its peak and many are trying to come up with potential finishes to all of the matches . Our staff at The Scrum Sports is no different. Here are some of our predictions for the matches at Wrestlemania.
Gene: Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal
There is really only one option for this and that’s Braun Strowman. WWE did one of the few things it excels at; they got a giant monster like heel over. Though the loss at Fastlane to Roman Reigns was incredibly short sighted by creative, of all of the competitors who have yet to win the battle royal, Strowman has the highest profile and truly needs to be thrown a bone for all of the hard work he’s done to improve his game over the past year.
Joel: Austin Aries vs. Neville (Cruiserweight Title)
If you look at the Vegas odds for this bout, it was considered an even split, which is why this match has the capability of stealing the show. Face it; Neville’s heel turn has done wonders for the Cruiserweight division. Neville has an uncanny ability to wrestle in a number of styles that are complimentary to his opponent’s strengths and weaknesses. Aries can do the same. This is precisely why this is going to be a dynamic contest. You have “The Greatest Man That Ever Lived” vying for the title on the grandest stage of them all, and to be frank, I think it’s too soon to crown him king. Let him chase it for several months like a CM Punk or a Christian. This is why the payoff will be so huge when it happens. I expect Neville to retain in a controversial fashion, but I hope they give this twenty or thirty minutes because it can steal the show and do wonders for a Cruiserweight division that needs fresh eyes on the product, or wide eyes after witnessing the product. Neville win the W here.
Nathan: Bray Wyatt vs. Randy Orton (WWE Championship)
The winner is going to be Randy Orton. Here is one of those cases where what I think will happen differs entirely with what I want to happen. My prediction is that Randy Orton wins the title. It’s the perfect end to a great plan. It’s exactly what Vince McMahon loves to see, and Randy would be a great “face” champion. Here’s what I want to happen. I think that Bray Wyatt’s title reign was long overdue, and to lose it now would be disappointing to Wyatt fans everywhere (including me). When Bray Wyatt came to the WWE he was billed as the new face of fear, someone who was going to challenge the Undertaker for the supernatural throne and strike fear into the hearts of a new generation of fans. Unfortunately an injury took away Bray’s momentum after a lackluster Wrestlemania match with the Undertaker. I think that it would be a smart move by WWE creative to take this opportunity to really push Bray as someone who dances with demons. Perhaps even introduce Sister Abigail in the “flesh” and have her involve herself in the match somehow. Have her appear from nothingness, from under the ring or even lowered from the ceiling. Or maybe even play the possession angle, where Bray is on the losing end of the match, then he goes off screen for a moment, and when he returns there is something different about him and he wins that way. Even though the business has been exposed I feel like some theatrics would still be accepted by the fans, if done well. I know that this is a prediction article and not wishful thinking, but this is what is great about sports entertainment. Throwing out your dream scenarios with your friends prior to a PPV are some of my fondest memories of the sport.
Marcus: Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson (c) vs. Enzo Amore and Big Cass vs. Cesaro and Sheamus (Raw Tag Team Championship
Gallows and Anderson finally met expectations and won the Tag Titles after seeming to be rudderless for quite some time given their talent, chemistry, resume, and attitude. Despite their legacy, which makes them credible successors to the void left by the retirement of the Dudley Boyz, The Club has no experience in this type of match in their fledgling WWE tenure, as do their opponents. Big Cass and Enzo Amore have virtually no chance since Cass is competing one on four since he’ll have to carry Enzo as usual. Of course, Enzo is a virtual guarantee to be more of a liability as usual since there’s no promo to cut and the scenario requires victory to be required by wrestling. The Jordan of Jargon and Cass should be disappointed yet again. Cesaro and Sheamus are the most credible threats to Gallows and Anderson. Theoretically, Cesaro’s versatility and strength make him the game breaker in this one.
Prediction: Gallows and Anderson retain*
*- This is assuming that the match goes untainted. The Hardy Boyz have rejoined the WWE and given their ongoing Twitter war, I wouldn’t be surprised if the match doesn’t see completion due to interference from them or that they somehow alter the match to such an extent that they lose. Speculation has only intensified that the Hardys will make their return at Wrestlemania.
Trevor: Chris Jericho © vs. Kevin Owens
This is a match that could easily steal the show at WrestleMania 33. Both guys are very savvy inside the squared circle, and the buildup for the match has been nothing short of perfect. When Owens turned on Jericho at the Festival of Friendship everyone knew a match was all but certain. Because of the angle with Owens, Jericho elected to extend his WWE contract numerous times. Now, one has to think could this be the last match for Jericho we will see this year? Or could he stick around a few more months to finish out this amazing angle? Either way Kevin Owens will be your new US Champ at WrestleMania 33 so you might as well DRINK IT IN MAAAAAAAN, but I hope Jericho doesn’t go quietly into the night following the showcase of the immortals.
Gene: The Miz & Maryse vs. John Cena & Nikki Bella:
Honestly, this match is for the Total Divas/Bellas crowd and is nothing more than a vehicle for the notoriety of Cena proposing to Nikki in the middle of the ring. As much as Miz has improved over the last year and as entertaining as he and Maryse are, they will unfortunately take an L to the face of the franchise.
Joel: Bayley vs. Charlotte vs. Sasha Banks vs. Nia Jax (Raw Women’s Title)
Anyone but Jax. Don’t get me wrong, she is an athlete that has all the upside in the world, but it’s too soon and she’s still learning the product and it shows as she works against some very capable women. Everyone will have Charlotte winning this or perhaps the champ retaining, I don’t. I see “The Boss” Sasha Banks walking out with the strap here, probably at the expense of her best friend, which will lead to some quality matches and the continuation of a classic rivalry. This could be a stellar contest, but the three ladies will be hindered by Nia’s inexperience unless they can a way to mask her weaknesses and keep her out of the match until she’s needed for high spots. Give the other three the time to work and fans of the product will enjoy what they have to offer. Sasha Banks should walk out with the strap here.
Nathan: Alexa Bliss vs. All available female talent (SmackDown Women’s Championship)
Pretty sure the winner will be Alexa Bliss. Alexa wins this match solely on the fact that there is no one as interesting as her in the Smackdown female locker room at the moment. She plays the heel role perfectly as well as having really great in ring skills. So that makes her the better choice over Carmella, Natalya and Mickie James in the heel department. The only other person who could keep the fan’s attention as the champion is Becky Lynch, but honestly I think Alexa elicits more of a response from the fans as a heel champion than Becky does as a face. Also, I think they keep the belt on Alexa until Naomi is ready to compete again. Naomi deserves a rematch, and the story would obviously be much better if she returned to challenge Bliss for the title. Now this prediction doesn’t take into account any surprise returns or debut appearances. It’s Wrestlemania so anything could happen, and I think that Smackdown could use a little boost when it comes to the female roster. Here’s a little more wishful thinking. Five feet of Fury, meet……EMBER MOON!!! Fingers crossed.
Marcus: Dean Ambrose (c) vs. Baron Corbin (Intercontinental Championship)
Dean Ambrose will certainly put up a fight but his track record against bruisers and in big matches for the part, won’t inspire upset hopes. This feud was ignited when he eliminated Corbin during a very dominant showing in the Elimination Chamber. Baron Corbin has been sensational since he got on the main roster after his tenure on NXT and has world champion potential should things pan out. This should be a great proving ground for Baron. Dean could also use this as a jumpstart as well. Given the upcoming draft, John Cena’s impending hiatus, and rumors of Roman Reigns joining Smackdown, The Lunatic Fringe could carve out a spot in the race for the World Title chase. Baron Corbin is taking this one.
Trevor: Roman Reigns vs. The Undertaker
Rumors are circulating this could be it for the Deadman, but to have him leave following a match with Reigns makes no sense. When Undertaker lost his streak to Brock Lesnar that would have been the perfect time, but of course Taker has come back numerous times since. The Undertaker at WrestleMania without the streak makes no sense. That was the whole mystique about him and his undefeated streak, but now they are going to force feed Roman Reigns once again to the WWE Universe. Reigns is a good talent inside the ring, but unlike the path Cena took once upon a time Reigns is being forced on the WWE Universe. Cena took a slower route back in the day, and for a while was universally cheered. Roman has not had a good reaction since the Royal Rumble nearly three years ago. Undertaker should go over, but we all know exactly what will happen.
Ryan: Brock Lesnar vs. Goldberg (Universal Championship):
Prediction: My heart has been so happy to have Goldberg back albeit part time. Even as champ when he’s on TV it’s for a lousy five minutes and most of the spots are subpar. The writing team, once again, has buried an angle that could have been much stronger even with the nostalgia of Goldberg. This match doesn’t need the championship – but alas – here we are. In my eyes, there’s no way Lesnar loses. The better question is how long could this match possibly go? Five minutes? That’d be a shocker.
Do you agree with our picks? Do you think they’re off by a country mile? Please respond in the comments and let us know what you think of the card, the buildup and potential finishes of this year’s Wrestlemania.
