WrestleMania XXX is scheduled to air this Sunday, April 6, from the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans. This is normally WWE’s biggest show of the year, but so far it seems like the Creative Team has really dropped the ball on promoting the event. The announcers on Raw and SmackDown talk about the upcoming pay-per-view, but they usually do so as it relates to the ever-annoying WWE App.
So here’s the projected card for the event, in the order that I believe the matches will go off. The confidence pick work thusly: it's basically just a percentage call on how confident I am in my prediction.
Pre-Show:
Fatal 4-Way for the Tag Team Championships
The Usos (c) vs. The Real Americans vs. Ryback & Curtis Axel vs. Los Matadores
WrestleMania XXX:
Triple H vs. Daniel Bryan (winner enters the main event)
Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal
Kane & the New Age Outlaws vs. The Shield
John Cena vs. Bray Wyatt
Vickie Guerrero Divas Championship Invitational
Brock Lesnar vs. The Undertaker
Randy Orton vs. Batista vs. TBA for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship
Predictions:
Fatal 4-Way for the Tag Team Championships
The Usos (c) vs. the Real Americans vs. Ryback & Curtis Axel vs. Los Matadores
It’s kind of sad that this match has been relegated to the pre-show, as the Usos are really good wrestlers. One half of the Real Americans, (don’t call him Antonio) Cesaro, is really getting over with the fans. I can’t see Los Matadores winning the titles, as they are primarily a comedy team. Ryback and Axel, affectionately known as RybAxel, likely won’t win either. The question is, does WWE intend to have Cesaro and teammate Jack Swagger part company, or not? If the answer to that question is “yes,” then the Usos will leave New Orleans with the Tag Team belts. If the answer is “no,” then we might see the Real Americans take the titles. I’m leaning towards the former, though.
Winner: The Usos (confidence in this pick is 75%)
Triple H vs. Daniel Bryan (Winner Enters the Main Event for the WWE Championship)
There’s a reason I think this match goes on first at WrestleMania…I think the main event will turn out to be a fatal 4-way bout for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. There is too much animosity built up between all four men for the WWE to squander it now. Bryan and Triple H have traded beat downs the last few weeks, and all of that comes to a head Sunday. I’m thinking there is some kind of screw-job finish in which Triple H wins, heaping even more heel heat on himself. At that point, some type of Authority figure (perhaps even Vince McMahon himself) comes out and tells Triple H that, because of the circumstances of his win, the title match main event will feature Orton, Batista, Triple H, and Daniel Bryan. Putting this match on first allows an older Triple H to rest and recuperate prior to going on again.
Winner: Either Triple H (dirty) or some kind of double count-out, double DQ situation (confidence: 90+%)
Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal
Rey Mysterio, Zack Ryder, Sin Cara, Great Khali, Darren Young, Brodus Clay, Justin Gabriel, R-Truth, Santino Marella, Mark Henry, Kofi Kingston, Christian, Cody Rhodes, Goldust, Sheamus, Jinder Mahal, Heath Slater, Drew McIntyre, Fandango, Dolph Ziggler, The Miz, Damien Sandow, Titus O'Neil, Big E, Alberto Del Rio, Big Show (four open spots remain)
While the Big Show looks to be the odd-on favorite to win this over-the-top-rope battle royal, I wouldn’t be surprised if the winner came from the four spots yet to be announced. It’s entirely possible that WWE chooses to fill those spots with younger guys from NXT. Bulgarian strongman Alexander Rusev is an obvious selection for one of the slots. Former NXT champion Bo Dallas is another possibility. There are several guys from the developmental circuit that could be used: Corey Graves, Viktor, Connor, Adrian Neville, Sami Zayn, Adam Rose, etc. That said, I have a feeling this comes down to Big Show vs Rusev, with the upstart rookie getting a big win on a grand stage.
Winner: Alexander Rusev (confidence 50%)
Kane & the New Age Outlaws vs. the Shield
The Shield’s talent is wasted in the match. Sorry, but it’s true. Kane and the NAO, unless they cheat like crazy, stand very little chance of upending the Shield. Reigns, Rollins, and Ambrose are working great as a newly-minted babyface group. I can’t imagine WWE would break them up so soon after turning them, so I think the Shield wins a match that will probably be booked closer than it would ever actually be.
Winner: the Shield (Rollins pins Kane after a Reigns spear) (confidence 90%)
John Cena (with Hulk Hogan) vs. Bray Wyatt (with Harper & Rowan)
This is the match I’ve been waiting on. This is the match with the best build (sorry, Triple H vs Bryan). Bray Wyatt’s promos have delivered every step of the way. Cena’s demeanor has taken on an air of intensity not seen in a long time. Wyatt has talked about his desire to end Cena’s legacy, and reveal the true nature of John Cena to all his fans. During his promo on the 31 March episode of Raw, Wyatt finally alluded to Cena’s mostly child fan base, rattling off a long line about focusing on gardens and ignoring landfills and being forced to see things for what they really are, which he finished with a mockingly goofy grin and the line “Do I have your attention now, kids?” Cena attacked Wyatt after Wyatt’s match later in the night, and delivered a promo of his own, unleashing some of the intensity that’s been lacking. But I fear that WWE will take the easy road out and pull a standard Cena, which means Cena will be beaten within an inch of his life, only to charge back and defeat Wyatt cleanly, making it look easy. I really hope Bray Wyatt wins, as Cena is at the point in his career where it is more beneficial to himself and the company to start putting younger guys over. But if Cena is to win, this is how I want it to go down. I want Bray Wyatt to demolish Cena. Maybe with interference, maybe on his own. I’d even like Wyatt to hit the Sister Abigail on Cena to finish him off…and then Wyatt lies down and pulls an unconscious Cena on top of him. The referee counts three, and Wyatt stands up, celebrating as Cena’s music plays. The next night on Raw Wyatt can begin talking up how Cena’s legacy is crumbling. Even though Cena “won” at WrestleMania, we all know who the victor is.
Winner: Bray Wyatt (regardless of outcome) (no confidence pick)
Vickie Guerrero Divas Championship Invitational
AJ Lee (c) vs. Nikki Bella, vs. Brie Bella vs. Tamina Snuka vs. Natalya vs. Eva Marie vs. Layla vs. Cameron vs. Naomi vs. Aksana vs. Summer Rae vs. Emma vs. Alicia Fox vs. Rosa Mendes
This will be chaos, confusion, and (unfortunately) tons of bad wrestling. WWE long ago gave up on the idea of female wrestlers and decided instead that they would rather have models who could occasionally wrestle. AJ has been a long-reigning champion, but her days look numbered, as SmackDown GM Vickie Guerrero has truly stacked the deck against her. There are several competitors here capable of carrying the title, but I see this one coming down to AJ, Brie Bella, Summer Rae, and Emma. AJ is likely losing the title, so she’s out. Summer Rae is a heel, so she’s out (unless Creative is breaking her apart from Fandango). Brie Bella is Daniel Bryan’s fiancée, so her winning would be interesting…especially if the rest of the evening plays out as I think it will. Honestly, though, I would put my money on Emma. She’s arguably the best wrestler of the bunch, at least until Paige is called up to the main roster.
Winner: Emma (confidence 50%)
Brock Lesnar (with Paul Heyman) vs. the Undertaker
Arguably the worst promoted Undertaker match in the last seven years…This feud technically began way back when Brock Lesnar was still a UFC champion. He and Taker had a staredown at a UFC event. In the WWE, this feud began when Lesnar was gifted an “open contract” for any match he wanted at WrestleMania. Instead of booking himself into the main event title match, Lesnar and Heyman took this as an insult and threatened to leave…until the Undertaker appeared. Lesnar signed the contract and poked Taker in the chest with the pen. Taker took the pen, stabbed Lesnar in the hand, and then signed the contract in Lesnar’s blood. Okay, that last bit didn’t happen. We’re in the PG Era, no one bleeds now, no matter how hard you hit them. Taker once again upstaged Lesnar by using the old "here's an empty casket, no wait, I'm actually in the casket" trick. Lesnar finally got revenge on the last Raw before WrestleMania, but it may just be too little too late. Everyone knows that WWE is looking to next year's WrestleMania for a dream match for Undertaker, so Brock Lesnar basically has no chance in this match. By the way, the dream match for WrestleMania 31 is Undertaker vs. Sting.
Winner: the Undertaker (22-0) (confidence 100%)
Randy Orton (c) vs. Batista vs. TBA for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship
I truly think this becomes a fatal 4-way match, and I’ll explain why. Randy Orton has not gotten the job done as champion, though this is far more the fault of Creative and booking than Orton. Batista never got over the way WWE believed he would. From winning a Royal Rumble that did NOT feature Daniel Bryan to a forced heel-turn to account for the amount of boos he was receiving, Batista has been on the short end since coming back. Daniel Bryan is the most over guy I’ve seen since a wrestler named Stone Cold Steve Austin was guzzling beers over 12 years ago. His rabid fan base has been clamoring for an ultimate payoff to his story ever since Triple H turned on him at SummerSlam and basically handed the title to Orton. Triple H is bent on stopping Daniel Bryan, even if it means claiming the WWE World Heavyweight Championship for himself. For me, there is only one logical conclusion to this match, and that is Daniel Bryan winning the titles, and holding the belts in the air while 65,000+ fans chant “Yes,” all while Bryan stands over a fallen Triple H. Let’s be honest, neither Orton nor Batista can fill in as the primary villainous foil for Daniel Bryan. That honor goes to the Game.
Winner: and new WWE World Heavyweight Champion…Daniel Bryan! (confidence 89%, a solid B-Plus)
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