Predicting WrestleMania 33

Image Source: Wikipedia

Written By: Mark Armstrong

With WrestleMania 32 officially in the history books, the early speculation begins for WrestleMania 33. To be frank, the show isn't for nearly twelve months (obviously) and it will not even enter storylines until very late this year or in early 2017, but it's still interesting to consider what might go down on April 2 2017 at the Citrus Bowl Stadium in Orlando, Florida (which also hosted WM 24, which I attended).

I will base my predictions on the current roster and the most likely special guests at this point in time, since one cannot obviously not predict 100% who will be active a year from now (who imagined in early 2015 that AJ Styles would appear at the 2016 Mania?). So, here it goes ...

Main Event: The Undertaker vs. John Cena - Undertaker's retirement match

The match originally planned for WM 32 is bound to occur at Mania 33. By then, Taker will be 52 and even Cena will be almost 40. Therefore, this is probably the last realistic chance for a rarely-seen battle of headliners to occur. What's more, Undertaker has virtually nobody else to face now that Sting has retired, and given this and his age and physical condition, it's unfathomable that Undertaker will wrestle beyond WM 33. In fact, had Cena not been injured, it's entirely possible that Undertaker would have bowed out at AT&T Stadium.

The fact that this will be Undertaker's landmark final match ensures that it will be in the main event spot, and will be based on respect rather than a true grudge. I envision Undertaker announcing that he has nothing left to prove, only for Cena to come out and say "you've never beaten me at WrestleMania", or words to those effect. (Taker has beaten Cena in the past, but their last match was a Raw bout in 2006 which went to a non-finish; they last fought with a proper conclusion before Cena even won his first WWE Title in 2005.) Undertaker could win, but Cena winning wouldn't be a terrible result by any means given that Taker is bowing out after the match.

After the match, Taker and Cena will shake hands, with Undertaker giving his goodbyes to the audience whilst ever-so-slightly staying in character. The following night on Raw, Undertaker will get the big send-off with the entire locker room, the McMahons and many past faces coming out to give him an unforgettable farewell (in the same place where Ric Flair received such a ceremony, coincidentally). That will bring a fitting end to the incredible career of Undertaker, with Taker being the star inductee in the 2018 Hall Of Fame class.

WWE Title: Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins vs. Dean Ambrose

The long-anticipated Shield three-way will go down at Mania for the WWE Title. By this point, I foresee that Roman Reigns will have turned full-on heel, and with a now-babyface Rollins and Ambrose both earning a WWE Title shot (perhaps by co-winning the 2017 Royal Rumble) to face Reigns and invoke a Shield implosion.

As for other potential options: I can see the long-awaited matches pitting Reigns against Brock Lesnar (in a rematch from WM 31) and the returning Seth Rollins against Triple H both occurring at SummerSlam 2016. And assuming that Reigns remains in the title picture for years to come, I predict that WWE will actually save Reigns vs. John Cena for WrestleMania 34 in 2018, which will be the official passing of the torch by Cena and by which point Reigns might have been accepted as a headline babyface following his expected 2016-7 heel run.

The Rock vs. Triple H

With HHH vs. Rollins occurring at SummerSlam, that frees Tripper up to face his old rival The Rock at WrestleMania 33. This was originally meant to happen in some form at WM 32, before film commitments prevented this occurring. Hopefully, WWE and Rock will have this one agreed on paper long before Mania 33 (if they haven't already) so that the match which was originally teased back in 2014 and at WM 31 will finally happen in 2017.

Brock Lesnar vs. Batista

This all leaves Lesnar without an opponent based on the current main event scene. I imagine that the Suplex City gimmick and Lesnar in general will feel stale by this point (I personally feel that this effect has already begun), so Brock will require an adversary who will force him to bring more of a fight. This is a quandary which could be resolved by bringing back Batista for a blockbuster showdown, a fitting description considering how Batista's movie career has been blossoming in recent years.

AJ Styles vs. Kurt Angle

If Kurt Angle is ever going to have that one final WWE match, it surely has to be at WrestleMania 33. Orlando is an appropriate location, given Angle's long tenure in TNA. And AJ Styles would be a perfect opponent for Angle to deliver a classic match against an opponent with whom he is familiar, yet feels fresh for the WWE audience. Angle returning is not a guarantee by any means, but given Angle's age and physical condition (this is turning into a theme here), WM 33 is the last chance for it to realistically happen. And I bet Angle would jump at the chance, so it's up to WWE to make this a reality.

Women's Title: Sasha Banks vs. Bayley

As good as Charlotte, Becky Lynch and Paige are, to me there is only one option for a major, show-stealing Women's Title match at next year's WrestleMania, and that's Sasha Banks vs. Bayley, reigniting their classic women's matches at NXT Takeover events in 2015. Bayley will have debuted long before Mania, but this will be the stage for her to defeat Sasha and win the championship on the grandest stage of all.

Randy Orton vs. Kevin Owens

The Viper appears to be ever-so-slightly winding down his career, although he is by no means finished just yet. He may wrestle further down the card, though, meaning that an up-and-comer could be his Mania calling card. I'm going for Kevin Owens, who I see winning Money In The Bank in 2016 and cashing it in on Raw the night after Mania, or even after the Shield 3-way at Mania, to win the WWE Title.

Finn Balor w/ The Balor Club vs. Bray Wyatt vs. The Wyatt Family

Finn Balor's future looks to be on NXT for the foreseeable future, but he will surely be on the main roster by 2017. And given his somewhat dark Demon persona that he occasionally unleashes on the NXT audience, a possible opponent for his first Mania is the even darker Bray Wyatt, with both backed up by their future/current factions of the Balor Club and the Wyatt Family. Finn will win here, and will begin working towards a main event spot after Mania 33, leading to a truly big match for Balor at WM 34 in 2018.

Intercontinental Title Ladder Match

The IC Title Ladder tradition will continue after successful bouts at WM 31 and WM 32. Predicting the entrants at this point is virtually impossible, other than to speculate that an NXT call-up will probably be entered and might just win the title (Samoa Joe and Shinsuke Nakamura are possibilities, or the recently called-up Sami Zayn). I also predict that, by Mania 33, the IC Title will have finally been unified with the United States prize since there is no currently no need whatsoever to have both titles.

Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal

Another tradition that will continue at Mania, WWE this year did the smart thing of using this to both launch a new star and deliver some surprise entrants, meaning that we'll probably get the same formula at WM 33. An NXT call-up will probably win this one too, and along with expected entrants like Big Show and Kane (who both must surely be approaching their final Manias, perhaps in 2018), there will be some surprises too. Could this match host a surprise comeback by Hulk Hogan in a match named after Andre, thirty years after the two titans met at WrestleMania III?

Miscellaneous

Any other matches would likely occur on the Kick-Off Show and/or would be impossible to predict at this point (e.g. the WWE Tag Team Titles held by The New Day could be around anyone's waists by Mania 33, possibly the American Alpha combo of Chad Gable and Jason Jordan from NXT). A tag match, a match involving the other women on the main roster and some sort of filler bout will complete the line-up from a match standpoint. As for legend combos, how about for Rock vs. HHH if we get Mick Foley and Shawn Michaels in the respective corners with Stone Cold Steve Austin serving as special guest referee?

Hall Of Fame 2017

As for the 2017 Hall Of Fame class, it's impossible to fully predict the group at this point. I do see The Rock and/or Daniel Bryan leading the way, and surely inductions are due for The Honky Tonk Man and Demolition, the longest-reigning Intercontinental and Tag Team Champions respectively in company history. As for the others, I predict Sable as the female inductee, Floyd Mayweather as the celebrity inductee (Mayweather's WM appearance was also in Orlando), and who knows who else will be in it? That being said, it would be great for Owen Hart and/or the British Bulldog to finally get the posthumous inductions that they have long deserved.

WrestleMania 33 could certainly have the potential to be a landmark show. From the retirement of a true icon to the (hopefully) injury-free roster to the new stars getting their Mania debuts to possible reappearances by former greats, WM 33 could end up being the biggest and most memorable Mania of them all. It is obviously too early to make accurate predictions, but all of the above matches (especially the triple main event) are more than feasible. And with WWE looking to deliver a momentous show to follow the record-breaking WM 32, this line-up would ensure that WrestleMania 33 stands out as one of the greatest Manias ever, if not the greatest.

WrestleMania 31

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 519 Minutes
Certificate: 15
Number Of Discs: 3
Studio: Fremantle Home Entertainment
Released: June 1 2015

It's that time of year again when you get to look back on the biggest show of the year with the home video release. This 3-disc set, as ever, brings together the WrestleMania event as well as this year's Hall Of Fame induction ceremony, in addition to a couple of extra features.

WM 31 was lauded at the time as being one of the best Manias ever, and an event which was far better than it had been predicted to be. Upon second viewing, however, while the event remains very entertaining, the context is lost watching it on DVD, so one would not know about the lacklustre build-up or the issues surrounding several matches, and the moments which were so surprising on the night lose their unpredictability when watching the event again because, well, you know that they're going to happen. Those gripes aside, however, WrestleMania 31 is still a thoroughly enjoyable four-hour slice of sports entertainment.

The Intercontinental Title Ladder match is better than I remembered it being, although I did say it was a really good bout at the time, and while it perhaps could have done with a truly timeless ladder "moment", the match is more than adequate as it is (or was). Randy Orton vs. Seth Rollins takes on different meaning knowing what is to come later on, but it is a very enjoyable clash (this is probably the match that Orton and CM Punk tried to have at WM 27 but couldn't quite achieve), and the match-winning RKO remains an incredible sight.

Sting vs. Triple H is a truly entertaining piece of nostalgia for those who followed wrestling during The Monday Night Wars era, as members of D-Generation X and the new World order do battle (and does that feel strange to watch now in light of recent events surrounding Hulk Hogan). That being said, the result is as nonsensical in hindsight as it was on the night, since it's obvious that the outcome's sole purpose was to "prove" that WWE and its stars were superior to WCW and its headliners. The subsequent backstage promo involving Daniel Bryan and a group of legends is fun but hard to watch as it marked the final on-screen appearance of the recently-passed Rowdy Roddy Piper.

The Divas tag team match is really odd to watch knowing that AJ Lee would leave WWE just days later; that the bout is built around her getting involved and punishing the Bellas en route to a win for her and Paige is strange unless you assume that WWE didn't know that AJ was about to retire (which is plausible, to be fair, since AJ competed on Raw the following night as well). John Cena vs. Rusev is a good match, but has been trumped in recent months by the Cena-Kevin Owens series. Also, the pro-USA video from before Cena's entrance is not here, presumably due to the cost of including said footage. That being said, from a match quality standpoint, Cena has had one of his best years since becoming United States Champion again, so it's good to see where that run began at WM 31.

We then get the Triple H-Stephanie-Rock-Ronda Rousey segment. This is as entertaining as it was on the night, but it does last a very long time and, in all honesty, you could have removed about five minutes from this and it wouldn't have made a difference. Next up is The Undertaker vs. Bray Wyatt in Taker's comeback. It felt unnecessary at the time and with Undertaker setting his sights on Brock Lesnar for SummerSlam, it's almost as if the match never happened. On the bright side, it is an enjoyable clash and proves that Undertaker isn't quite finished yet.

And so we come to the main event: Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns for the WWE World Heavyweight Title. All the talk beforehand was how this would receive horrendous crowd responses due to Brock possibly leaving WWE and Reigns being overpushed. Instead, Lesnar stayed with WWE and Reigns willingly took a brutal beating from the Beast, whilst firing back with hard blows of his own. This was a super-stiff and highly compelling match, but it will always be remembered for its ending where Seth Rollins became the first man to cash in Money In The Bank both during a match and at WrestleMania, leaving as the new WWE World Heavyweight Champion, a crown that he still holds at time of writing, nearly five months later.

So, that was the main card for WrestleMania 31. As stated, though, watching it on DVD causes it to lose its context and unpredictability, two of the elements which made the show so enjoyable at the time. Nevertheless, it remains a four-hour pro wrestling thrill ride and, whilst the lack of a true classic match means that it isn't quite a top five Mania as I had suggested a few months back, it is definitely in the top ten (incidentally, expect my rankings of Mania cards, matches etc in the run-up to WM 32 next year).

The Mania-related extras are an energetic and fun four-way tag bout and the fairly good Andre Battle Royal, both from the WM 31 Pre-Show (it's hard to believe how Damien Sandow/Mizdow has been so ignored by WWE considering his popularity here). We also get promos by Cena and Rollins hyping up their Mania matches (or scheduled bout in Seth's case). The standout DVD extra, as always, is the Hall Of Fame ceremony, which is certainly an eventful and memorable one.

We begin with Rikishi, inducted by his sons The Uso's, which is entertaining enough if you ignore the fact that Rikishi ignored Too Cool's contributions to his career, despite that run being the one which got him in the HOF. Next up is Larry Zbyszko (inducted by Bruno Sammartino); Bruno's introduction is good but he never pauses for breath, while Larry finds it hard to cope and ends up repeating himself and making strange analogies in a very long-winded speech (fortunately, this Mania weekend is held in California; had it been in the New York area, Zbyszko would have been shredded by diehard fans for this overly long and at times nonsensical output).

Alundra Blayze (put in by Natalya) has a far more entertaining speech than one would have expected beforehand, before the most emotional HOF speech perhaps ever, as Connor "The Crusher" Michalek is named as the recipient of the first Warrior Award (Warrior's widow and Daniel Bryan provide the intros). Some at the time questioned whether WWE had correctly implemented the suggestion by Warrior at the 2014 HOF; I personally think Warrior would have been satisfied that Connor was honoured in this fashion; it really is the classic situation of something being so positive despite the circumstances being so negative. An unforgettable moment and required viewing for all wrestling fans, especially those who qualm over the most minor of wrestling-related issues.

The Bushwhackers' induction by John Laurinaitis is a lot of fun, although it's sad to see Butch in such poor physical health. Ric Flair's induction of Tatsumi Fujinami is relatively short, partly because Tatsumi is relatively unknown to modern fans outside Japan and partly because the ceremony has already been running way too long at this point (nearly three hours at this point, with three inductees still to go).

Then we get the long-awaited induction of Macho Man Randy Savage, with Hulk Hogan doing the introduction and Randy's brother Lanny "The Genius" Poffo accepting it on his behalf. Some expressed disappointment at the presentation on the night and a few were infuriated that it didn't close the ceremony, but let's face it: if Savage were still alive and on hand in person, there's no question that he would have been the true headliner and delivered a speech to remember. Under the circumstances, it was probably as good as could be realistically expected.

We then get Arnold Schwarzenegger being inducted by Triple H, which for a celebrity induction is again as good as one could hope for. The final inductee is Kevin Nash (note: not Diesel), presented by Shawn Michaels. HBK is very funny here (he jokes how he doesn't want to be the guy to make the HOF go long, over 3 1/2 hours into the show), and Nash is also a source of mirth with his self-deprecating lines (when he was repackaged in WCW as Oz, he wonders aloud why he couldn't have just received a note saying "You're fired"). Despite what some may think, Nash is a more than worthy inductee, and his entertaining speech is a good end to a Hall Of Fame ceremony that covered the entire quality spectrum. Like the Mania card it would be followed by, the 2015 HOF line-up was criticised beforehand but it ended up delivering a very enjoyable show on the night. As far as WWE Hall Of Fame induction ceremonies go, this is definitely one of the better presentations from an entertainment standpoint.

So what of the WrestleMania 31 DVD set as a whole? The best way I can describe it is that, to paraphrase Sheamus, you will be entertained. Every match is at least reasonable and each HOF induction is in some way watchable, and some of the bouts are very good, whilst a number of HOF speeches will always be remembered. And, of course, we get historical moments from Sting's debut (which morphs into DX vs. nWo) to Seth Rollins being the first man to cash in MITB at a Mania to the hugely-demanded Macho Man HOF induction. The one thing lacking on the main show is that five-star, genuine match of the year contender. And as entertaining as the HOF ceremony is, it lacks the appeal of the classes headlined by Hogan, Bruno or even Ultimate Warrior (plus its four-hour running time means that you're unlikely to watch it all in one sitting). And, as I said at the start, the DVD proves that WM 31 had more power watching it on the night under the context of the time period than as a standalone event in retrospect.

But overall, this is an extremely fun and enjoyable wrestling DVD set. With a great WrestleMania and a memorable Hall Of Fame event, you can't really go wrong. It may have been slightly overrated at the time, but this year's WrestleMania weekend proves to be a series of shows that you simply must have in your collection. Not the best WM ever but it isn't too far off; buy this DVD set today.

(Incidentally, you can click here to read my original report of the WrestleMania 31 event at the time that it was held.)

Overall Rating: 9/10 - Outstanding

Predicting WrestleMania 32

Image Source: ProWrestling.com

Written By: Mark Armstrong

After a lacklustre build-up and somewhat disappointing card for WrestleMania 31, the onus is on WWE to rebound when it comes to WrestleMania 32, especially given their hopes of breaking the all-time company attendance record at AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Texas. But what can WWE do to ensure that Mania 32 is a vast improvement on this year's offering?

The first thing is to deliver a match that fans truly want to see and, right now, there is no bigger dream match which could realistically happen than The Undertaker vs. Sting. This is a bout that people have wanted to see for many years, and with Undertaker fast approaching retirement and with Sting on a part-time basis himself, not only is WM 32 the best chance to hold this match, it may be the last chance. Plus, it is in Taker's home state, the Streak not being a factor means that the result could go either way, and it would be the perfect send-off for both, making what could be a double retirement match a massive potential draw.

A big criticism of this year's WM is the poor build-up, so I think this should be nipped in the bud for Mania 32 by having a Sting promo on Raw the night after WM 31 be interrupted by The Undertaker, where the WM 32 challenge is made. Even if Sting doesn't accept it immediately, there is then a year (like with John Cena vs. The Rock at WM 28) to build this epic encounter up, and accelerate the hype in the final few weeks before the dream match becomes a reality at WrestleMania 32.

The second potential "draw" is a bout which has already been teased for a "future WrestleMania". Triple H vs. The Rock would be Rock's first singles match since WM 29, and could even mark a send-off for both wrestlers here too. The story could be that HHH loses authority over the spring, so he decides to resume his in-ring career and becomes WWE Champion again at SummerSlam or Survivor Series. After losing the title (probably back to Roman Reigns), Triple H makes a vow to prove he's the greatest of all-time by winning the Royal Rumble in 2016, and he looks strong ... until he's interrupted by The Rock who is a surprise entrant! Cue a Rock elimination of HHH, a subsequent HHH screwjob on Rock and a feud to determine who really is the greatest of all-time which culminates at WM 32.

As it's in Texas, it is only right that an attempt is made to bring in Stone Cold Steve Austin, who could referee the HHH-Rock match. However, the more exciting prospect would be for Stone Cold to compete here in "one more match", and as this show would be 13 years on from his last bout, this event would be the final chance where there is a glimmer of hope that Stone Cold might return. But who would he face?

The dream match would be Austin vs. Hulk Hogan, although their combined ages suggest that this ship has now passed. Stone Cold vs. John Cena would be big, very big in fact. But I think the perfect opponent for the Texas Rattlesnake would be Brock Lesnar. The Beast Incarnate would be guaranteed to get booed against Austin, the two have never met, and it could feed off the 2002 walk-out of Stone Cold before a scheduled match with Brock. A late summer/autumn confrontation could plant the seeds for what would ideally be an Anything Goes match, and what would undoubtedly be one of the most anticipated WrestleMania encounters of all-time.

Assuming that Austin doesn't wrestle, and that Lesnar sticks around, there are a couple of great potential opponents for him. Randy Orton is the best candidate; still young enough to dominate for years to come, he could seek out Brock, a man he has never faced on PPV, with a vision to once again be The Legend Killer and to kill the legend of the man who ended The Streak.

Another worthy opponent for Brock would be Daniel Bryan. This was a match people wanted to see at WM this year, but of course it didn't happen. However, if all the stars aligned, the perfect opponent for Bryan would be ... Kurt Angle! Angle only signed a one-year contract at TNA and is adamant he will retire there, but it has surely crossed his mind that he could round off his career with one huge WrestleMania match. That could be at Mania 32, and the ideal opponent for a technical classic would be Daniel Bryan. It is even possible that Bryan will have turned heel by then and is bragging that he can beat anybody at WrestleMania, but maybe not Kurt Angle who after a shocking return could make the challenge. Admittedly, such a match is very unlikely, but it's nice to dream.

Amongst the top stars, that leaves John Cena, Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins. I can see a Reigns vs. Cena match for the WWE Title at WM 32, where Cena chases the chance to equal Ric Flair's all-time record. If Reigns does take off as the new face of WWE, Cena could even take the Stone-Cold-at-WM-X7 route and join the Authority mid-match to make that happen, executing that long-awaited heel turn in the process before what could be the company's biggest crowd ever, which would be a Mania moment close in impact to the end of The Streak. Cena has almost run out of opponents; Reigns is the only option, at least for a fresh match, and the heel turn would create a ton of fresh options. Alternatively, assuming that Kurt Angle doesn't return, Cena could face Daniel Bryan, where the heel turn could still happen, and Reigns could defend the WWE Title against Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose in a Triple Threat match which, of course, brings together the former members of The Shield.

Elsewhere, I don't see that much changing in terms of personnel. I see the Money In The Bank Ladder match returning proper to WrestleMania, which could consist of Rollins and Ambrose if they're not in the main event, and Bray Wyatt, Cesaro, Adrian Neville (who could have arrived on Raw by then), Sami Zayn (ditto), Samoa Joe (if he comes to WWE) and Chris Jericho (in one final WM appearance). For those wondering about Dolph Ziggler, he could defend the Intercontinental Title against a new threat to WWE, the by-then former NXT Champion Kevin Owens. The card could be rounded off by the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal (anyone's guess as to who would win), some sort of Divas Title bout (Charlotte could triumph in that, winning her first WWE Divas Title in the process) and a Tag Team Title match of some description (The Usos could win, but I don't see them lasting as a team much longer after that).

The 2016 Hall Of Fame class could be headlined by anybody in theory. I would suggest that The Undertaker would be perfect given the location, but I would sooner see Sting go first as I would prefer Undertaker to be officially retired before going in; the magic of his character would be lost if he gave a teary-eyed speech 24 hours before a match. The secondary inductee could be Sting's old friend Lex Luger (multi-time WCW Champ); the Diva inductee could be Sable (a big Attitude Era name and the wife of Brock Lesnar); the celebrity inductee could be Lawrence Taylor (since he actually won a WM main event); the tag team inductees could be Demolition (the longest-reigning Tag Champs in WWE history); and the class could be rounded off by The Fabulous Freebirds (given the Texas location) and maybe Christian (who apparently is retired).

As for the road to WM: Taker-Sting being announced the night after this year's Mania would create an immediate buzz. The HHH-Rock feud could develop over the summer and into the autumn, as could Austin-Lesnar or Orton-Lesnar (by the way, Orton could face someone different like Bray Wyatt or Samoa Joe if he doesn't fight Brock, and their MITB spot could go elsewhere). The Reigns experiment and continuous struggle for Daniel Bryan could set up their big matches in late 2015/early 2016, with a star-studded Royal Rumble being used to set up the aforementioned big matches and, if it happened, a February return for Kurt Angle would be an unbelievable moment and would increase anticipation for WM even more.

Whatever happens, WWE must realise that the build-up to WrestleMania 31 has been largely substandard, diluting interest in what was already a hit-and-miss line-up. And if WWE plans to set a new all-time company attendance record at WrestleMania 32, the build-up has to make it feel like the biggest show of all-time, and the card also has to reflect this. I think that the plan outlined above would be the perfect way for these goals to be achieved, and for WrestleMania 32 to go down as the biggest and maybe even the best show in WWE history.

What are your thoughts on what could or should happen regarding WrestleMania 32? Leave your comments below!