WrestleMania 34, WWE.com
WrestleMania 33 may be over, but it’s never too soon to look at the WrestleMania 34 match card.
The journey to WrestleMania 34 has already begun. The show will take place in April 2018 at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, LA and have a similar feel that WrestleMania 33 did.
If it feels like the Show of Shows just took place in NOLA a short time ago, that’s because it did. The Sueprdome was the site of WrestleMania 30, which provided some of WWE’s most memorable moments. Daniel Bryan had his epic rise to the top, defeating Triple H, moving to the main event and winning the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Brock Lesnar also ended Undertaker’s historic WrestleMania Streak at 21-1.
There is a long road to get there, however, as we just finished up with WrestleMania 33 on Sunday night. This saw what may have been the Dead Man’s last match, Lesnar vs. Goldberg for the Universal Championship, Bray Wyatt vs. Randy Orton for the WWE Championship and AJ Styles vs. Shane McMahon, among other bouts. These made for great showcases in front of the packed Camping World Stadium in Orlando, FL, leaving us with moments we’ll never forget.
With that being over with, the attention turns to the 2018 match card. With an expanding roster and nine championships, it will mean we see about as many head-to-heads as we saw on Apr. 2. That includes stars of the past, present and future lining up to show their skills and entertain the crowded venue.
The speculation will start with the WrestleMania 34 main event, which won’t be known for a while. It could feature Superstars like Lesnar, Triple H, Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, AJ Styles, John Cena or other big names to close out the most meaningful match of the year.
So, let’s start looking at next year’s match card and see how we think it could look. Who will be in the headliner? What about for the Raw Women’s Championship?
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Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal
The Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal has become a staple of WrestleMania events. It’s not as meaningful as it once was in 2014, but remains a part of the show to allow those who wouldn’t normally get on the match card a chance at some air time.
In 2014, we saw Cesaro become the first-ever winner. It felt special and mattered, as he even went on to have Paul Heyman manage him for a few months.
2015 saw the Big Show finally get his long-awaited battle royal win. He barely missed out on just about all the other ones he competed in, like the Royal Rumble. So, for one night, Show received his chance to win one at WrestleMania 31.
In 2016, Baron Corbin made his first WWE main roster appearance and won the Andre the Giant Battle Royal. It was about as surprisingly great of a debut as you could give a Superstar.
So, who will win it all in 2018? Let’s wait for about five days before WrestleMania 34, which is about how early WWE started hyping this match for 33.
Credit: WWE.com
WWE Cruiserweight Championship Match
Neville vs. Jack Gallagher vs. Rich Swann vs. TJ Perkins vs. Brian Kendrick vs. Mustafa Ali vs. Austin Aries
It’s almost impossible to predict how the WWE Cruiserweight Championship picture will look by WrestleMania 34. The division has been in flux since debuting in September 2016, but slowly found its footing with Neville taking the helm in December. He went on to become the champion and have a WrestleMania 33 title defense.
Then, there’s Austin Aries, who has been the babyface fans have gotten behind. He’s only months into his stay on the WWE main roster, but where will he stand in the division in April 2018?
As for the other competitors we’re throwing in here — Jack Gallagher, TJ Perkins, Rich Swann, Brian Kendrick and Mustafa Ali — who knows if they’ll even be around by WrestleMania 34. They may be pushed out of the title scene and overlapped by any new faces WWE signs or calls up from NXT. At this time, though, they are some of the top members of the Cruiserweight division.
The WWE Cruiserweight Championship scene could and probably will look completely different for WrestleMania 34. Old faces will still be there, but expect some fresh blood to join who’s already there and make an impact. Will we still see Neville and Aries around by next year?
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Raw Tag Team Championship Match
The Hardys (c) vs. Enzo Amore and Big Cass
Matt and Jeff are going to captivate the WWE Universe with their “Broken” gimmick, if they’re allowed to use it. This will put them over and maybe make them the most popular tag team in the WWE, maybe even more than New Day at their peak in early 2016.
As for WrestleMania 34, one would think they’ll be there. If so, expect a title reign out of them. Maybe they face Enzo Amore and Big Cass, who received their big moment at WrestleMania 33. Seeing them get another landmark win (or even still being together by 2018), would be surprising, though. It’s also difficult to predict how WWE’s tag teams will look in 12 months, but we’re rolling with how things look right now.
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SmackDown Tag Team Championship Match
The Revival (c) vs. American Alpha
At NXT TakeOver: Dallas, The Revival and American Alpha put on one of the top tag team matches of 2016. They had an entertaining one at TakeOver: The End, too, but how about taking it to the main roster?
As of this writing, the Revival have yet to make their WWE debut. When they do, it will be taking arguably NXT’s greatest tag team of all time to the main roster. From the consistently great TakeOver matches, to getting over with the fans and winning the NXT Tag Team Championship twice, Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder have done it all. Their loss in Orlando shouldn’t deter their legacy either, as they hopefully move up in time.
American Alpha haven’t exactly succeeded since debuting. Yes, they won the SmackDown Tag Team Championship and held them for three months, but never received a character for the fans to get behind and haven’t had that standout moment since July. That will hopefully change on the road to WrestleMania 34, with their being 12 long months in between.
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Randy Orton vs. Samoa Joe
Randy Orton’s WrestleMania history is lengthy, as he’s been around these shows for over a decade. This includes being in a WWE Championship match with Bray Wyatt on Sunday night. They put on a fun showing, leaving us with the possible conclusion of this long feud.
As for Samoa Joe, his WWE debut came just two months before WrestleMania 33. That didn’t mean finding a way on to the card was impossible, but WWE didn’t give him a match to compete in. He had a presence, though, and made it felt.
Orton vs. Joe at WrestleMania 34 could be an interesting pairing. They’ve never gone head-to-head in a WWE TV match before, so it’s about as fresh as it can get. Some way want to see John Cena face Joe to go back on their 15-plus year history, but something like that doesn’t seem to be in WWE’s nature to do.
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Bray Wyatt vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
Another unique and never-before-seen match would see Bray Wyatt and Shinsuke Nakamura collide at WrestleMania 33. It’s contrasting styles, with Wyatt’s power and Nakamura’s finesse, which should make for something fun.
Wyatt’s WrestleMania history looks fantastic on paper with Cena, Orton and Undertaker. However, he mostly hasn’t come out successful. Being in the WWE Championship match helped, though, as well as his rise back to the main event in 2017.
With Nakamura, he has yet to make his WWE main roster debut. There’s not much left for him to do in NXT after losing at TakeOver: Orlando, and having two championship reigns. He’s wrestled the top stars of the brand, as well, and could use a new challenge on either Raw or SmackDown. When that happens is unknown, but it would be an upset if he’s not on the main roster by WrestleMania 34.
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Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn
Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn is the feud that will never die. From ROH, to NXT and the WWE main roster, it has gone on and Zayn, as Owens says, won’t “get out of my life!”
At some point, this should go to WrestleMania and be the end-all be-all for these two. Maybe there never will be a conclusion between them, but they need to take their rivalry to the Grandest Stage of Them all at least once.
A Zayn vs. Owens match would fit the WrestleMania mold. They have incredible chemistry, which has been seen all over the world, and can take that to the biggest stage to put on an unforgettable match. Those who have followed their feud for nearly a decade would have no complaints over this.
Owens vs. Zayn won’t main event a WrestleMania event, but as one of the top undercard bouts at the show? Count us in.
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John Cena vs. Braun Strowman
John Cena may be a part-timer, but he’ll be around for WrestleMania events until he can’t step into the ring anymore. He’s been a staple of them for over one decade and probably will be into his 40’s. So, to think he wouldn’t have a match at WrestleMania 34 is ludicrous.
Cena has faced stars of the past and future at the Show of Shows. This includes Triple H, Shawn Michaels, The Rock, Bray Wyatt and Rusev. Everyone wanted him to face The Undertaker, but that no longer looks like a possibility.
Often, WWE has placed Cena against a young, rising heel (Wyatt and Rusev). There just so happens to be another one coming up, and his name is Braun Strowman.
Strowman, despite his rapid rise up Raw, did not get a singles match at WrestleMania 33. Instead, he took part in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal, having a memorable performance. It’s only the first step for him, though, to a bout at Vince McMahon’s Biggest Show.
Of course, the only thing with Cena facing these rising heels is he always beats them. Those who want to see bigger and better things for Strowman may be disappointed, but it will be a major step up from being in a battle royal that lost its luster after one year.
Credit: WWE.com
SmackDown Women’s Championship Match
Asuka (c) vs. Charlotte
Charlotte Flair’s spot in the WWE Women’s division will probably always be at the top for however long she remains with the company. Her dominant run from September 2015 to February 2017 cemented her status with the multiple title reigns, winning the new WWE Women’s Championship at WrestleMania 32 and even being in the first women’s Hell in a Cell match. So, expect her to be at the top by the time WrestleMania 34 approaches.
A newcomer to the WWE Women’s division — whenever it happens in 2017 — will be Asuka. It could be the night after WrestleMania 33 or sometime later this year, but at some point, it should happen. When it does, she’ll claim a top spot in the division and became a mainstay, continuing her dominance from NXT. Don’t be surprised if that includes an early championship run too.
Pairing Asuka and Charlotte at WrestleMania 34 could set up a match of two of the most dominant women in WWE. They’ve each trailblazed their own path to greatness, and could go head-to-head in New Orleans to see who the real alpha female is.
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Raw Women’s Championship Match
Bayley (c) vs. Becky Lynch vs. Sasha Banks
It would be the second time in three years of having a Triple Threat match for a Women’s championship at WrestleMania, but with WWE giving more room for the men, this may be the case again. That may mean throwing three talents like Bayley, Becky Lynch and Sasha Banks into the mix for the Raw Women’s Championship.
Banks would be the only woman part of the Triple Threat in each year. She’s consistently been part of the title picture, so her placement wouldn’t be much of a surprise in 2018.
Becky Lynch is similar, as she’s been in the title picture since early 2016. This continued into the brand split, leading to her staying around the SmackDown Women’s Championship for nine months.
Bayley is the newest woman to the main roster, even though she came up the night after SummerSlam 2016. Expect her to keep a top spot for WrestleMania 34, maybe even being a titleholder for the second consecutive year.
Bayley vs. Banks vs. Lynch is just the latest incarnation of the Four Horsewomen being in a WrestleMania title match. It might not look exactly like this in 2018, but maybe something similar.
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WWE Championship Match
AJ Styles vs. Finn Balor vs. Seth Rollins
While it’s difficult to know how WWE’s landscape will look in 2018, it’s just as tough to analyze if Superstars will switch brands. There’s always the chance for inter-promotional matches, though, which could make something like this possible.
AJ Styles vs. Finn Balor vs. Seth Rollins is one of those “dream” matches. WWE tends to back away from doing these at WrestleMania events anymore, especially over the past three years (depends on what you thought of Sting vs. Triple H in 2015). However, will the company break that trend and put together something that could be a Match of the Year candidate?
Styles and Balor have indirect history. They were both Bullet Club’s leaders in New Japan Pro Wrestling, but at different times. Styles took over for Balor, when he left in 2014 for the WWE.
With Rollins, he’s collided with the Phenomenal One before, as in the mid-2000’s. So, this would pretty much be a fresh matchup for him.
There’s plenty of potential for this Triple Threat, especially as a WWE Championship match. These three would tear the roof off the Mercedes-Benz Superdome and steal the show. Hopefully, they get an opportunity, whether it’s like this Triple Threat or in another incarnation.
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WWE Universal Championship Match
Brock Lesnar (c) vs. Roman Reigns
Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns became the first rumored match for WrestleMania 34, and is the planned main event for the show. So, we’ll roll with it as the headliner in our match card projections.
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Lesnar vs. Reigns at WrestleMania isn’t an old concept — they faced off in 2015 at the 31st Showcase of the Immortals, putting on a hard-hitting main event for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Their business never finished, though, as Seth Rollins interfered to cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase. He pinned Reigns and became the champion.
Plans always change in the WWE, so this may not be the main event in 12 months, or even tomorrow. Even if this doesn’t happen, however, expect the Big Dog to receive a prominent spot on the WrestleMania 34 card.
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As for Lesnar, it’s going to be interesting with his contract entering its final year. He’ll wrap it up with WrestleMania 34, unless it’s extended in the time between. The guy is still a big draw for WWE, so unless his asking price doesn’t become worth it anymore (or if he wants to hang up the boots), then look for something to be tried to keep him around.