Source: WWE.com
WrestleMania 34 could be one of WWE’s Best
Following a successful Royal Rumble, the WWE is once again on the Road to WrestleMania. This year’s show will emanate from the Mercedes Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Superdome hosted WrestleMania XXX in 2014–a very entertaining, and shocking, ‘Mania.
Four years later, the WWE will return to the Superdome, this time boasting perhaps the greatest roster of any company in professional wrestling history. Given this, the company should be able to put together one of greatest WrestleManias of all time.
One match is officially announced. One is all but set in stone. The rest of the matches are up in the air. Let’s predict the WrestleMania 34 match card.
AJ Styles (c) vs Shinsuka Nakamura – WWE Championship
The WWE has done a great job of building this match. It’s reminiscent of Kurt Angle vs Brock Lesnar from WrestleMania XIX–no gimmicks, just wrestling. No doubt the pressure is on these two superstars to have a great match, but if anyone is capable of handling such pressure, it’s them.
At Money in the Bank last year, Styles and Nakamura faced off to a huge ovation. Following that, rumors of a Mania showdown between the two continued to swirl. It seemed at one point the dream match was in jeopardy. Nakamura began to flounder on SmackDown, following two lackluster feuds with Dolph Ziggler and Jinder Mahal.
Nakamura began to get his main-event groove back when he started teaming with Randy Orton. His involvement in a top SmackDown feud showed WWE still viewed him as important to their plans. As the Royal Rumble drew closer, the dream match was teased again, when Shin did the “too sweet” gesture to AJ’s title belt.
At the Royal Rumble, Styles fended off Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn. Later, Nakamura was the MVP of one of the best Rumble matches in years. The King of Strong Style wasted no time in making his championship match selection. The NJPW rematch for the ages is now set.
Photo by WWE’s Twitter
Charlotte (c) vs Asuka – SmackDown Women’s Championship
This should be a great match between two of WWE’s best booked women’s wrestlers. Charlotte has been dominant on pay-per-view since being called up, and Asuka’s undefeated NXT run provided countless memorable moments.
From a credibility standpoint, Charlotte makes perfect sense as Asuka’s Mania opponent. Charlotte possesses a level of athleticism unparalleled by almost anyone in WWE. When the spotlight shines bright, Charlotte rises to the occasion. At WrestleMania 32, her triple threat match with Sasha and Becky was placed in a very prominent position on the card, and the Queen rose to the occasion. The match was arguably the match of the night, and Charlotte’s moonsault to the outside was the highlight of the show.
As for Asuka, her run over the last two years has been nothing short of epic. Her series of matches with Ember Moon generated a ton of interest. Former WWE superstars like Kevin Nash and Scott Hall tweeted about the blowoff bout, and traveled to watch in-person. Asuka does not have a single blemish on her record. Will Charlotte provide the first?
This will be one of the most highly anticipated women’s matches in WWE history. I would not be shocked if it closes the show.
Credit: WWE.com
The Miz (c) vs Finn Balor – Intercontinental Championship
The Miz has been on an all time roll. Finn Balor looks to be back on track after several months doing nothing of note. With this bout, WrestleMania will have a high-profile IC Title match for the first time in years.
There are a lot of fun directions that a feud between these two can take. I can see the Miz making a lot of the same jabs at Balor that he did at Daniel Bryan. Look for the Miz to chirp Balor for wrestling in front of small crowds while he was main eventing Mania.
Additionally, I see the Miz talking about how much more charismatic he is than Balor. Miz may reference his A-list status, while mocking Finn’s basic black trunks and jacket. What Miz will come to realize, however, is that he’s not facing regular Finn Balor. He’s facing the Demon King. We have not seen Balor’s alter-ego in many months. On the grandest stage in wrestling, there is little doubt that the Demon King’s entrance will be extraordinary.
Miz seems bulletproof to losses, and losing the IC strap here only allows him to chase Chris Jericho’s Record. I see Balor picking up the win and capturing his first IC title.
Credit: WWE.com
Ronda Rousey and Braun Stroman vs Triple H and Stephanie McMahon
Ronda Rousey’s debut generated a ton of buzz. Many new eyeballs will be tuning in to see her make the move from UFC to WWE. With that in mind, this match is the smart choice for in-ring debut.
Triple H’s ensures that Rousey is not in danger of getting lost inside the squared circle. Say what you will about him and Stephanie, but they know how to perform well on wrestling’s biggest stage. Triple H, in particular, is a ring general who can ensure the match goes according to plan. This match will be laid out to highlight Ronda’s strong-points, while hiding any weaknesses.
Additionally, this match is good for Rousey because she will be joining forces with WWE’s hottest superstar. Braun is very over with the fans, and it’s a great call to have him join up with the former UFC star, as opposed to a Cena or Roman. The last thing WWE wants is for any boos to reign down on their big, new signing.
The tag team element of the match means that Ronda can stick to the spots she’s comfortable with. Look for her to pick up the win via submission. From there, Ronda is likely to move into her first singles feud. Perhaps she will challenge one of the championship match winners.
Source: WWE.com
Alexa Bliss (c) vs Nia Jax – Raw Women’s Championship
Nia Jax is done with games. Fed up with being so dominant, for so long, and not having any gold, she will look to take the title from her one-time friend. Alexa may try to talk her way out of this match, but this time, she will not be able to escape the wrath of Nia.
While this match may not generate the interest or suspense of its SmackDown counterpart, it still is a logical choice for Mania. Both Bliss and Jax are very over with the crowd. Both are also good on the mic, so the promos in this feud should be great. Let’s hope the angle can stay focused on the title, and not devolve into an awkward mess like Alexa’s feud with Bayley. In other words, let’s keep it about the title, and not involve sophomoric bullying.
I am getting a Summerslam ’88 vibe for this match. I feel Nia will be the Ultimate Warrior to Alexa’s Honkytonk Man. Jax will win the title cleanly, and definitively, in just a few minutes. Nia has been a strong crowd favorite as of late. She will likely get a decent pop for finally winning the big one here. I have a feeling, however, that we won’t have heard the last of the Goddess.
WWE.com
The Undertaker vs John Cena
They say a picture’s worth 1000 words. The picture in this case is the WWE 24 shot of the Undertaker after his WrestleMania 33 bout with Roman Reigns. The eyes of that man, as he heads backstage, show disappointment. His supposed “last match” did not go well. There were a number of botches that took the crowd out of the action. Simply put, Taker wants a do-over.
A match with John Cena will provide Taker the opportunity to end his career with a classic. For the most part, Cena’s WrestleMania matches have been epics. After a string of disappointing Mania bouts, Taker wants to get back to that same epic status. The crowd will be hyped, and we are likely to witness some heart-stopping near falls.
In my view, the best angle for this match is to have Undertaker announce in advance that it’s his last. A career-threatening match oftentimes ensures the result is not in doubt (see WM 24, and 26). Taker should say he’s calling it a career after WrestleMania 34–win, lose, or draw. The drama then, is whether he will go out on top, or on his back.
The WWE has yet to set this match up officially, and it’s unclear if this match will even happen. But it makes sense, and they could easily set it up.
Credit: WWE.com
Bayley vs Sasha Banks
In addition to main eventing for the first time, women will set another first at WrestleMania. For the first time in the show’s 34 years, there will be three women’s matches on the card. This will be a remarkable accomplishment, and a true testament to how far the WWE’s women’s division has come over the last few years.
Sasha, fresh off a heel turn, has a ready-made program with friend-turned-foe Bayley. The two have history. They took part in the epic Iron-Woman match in NXT. Presently, there is a building issue between the two. Sasha, frustrated that Asuka, Nia, and others have passed her by in the championship rankings, will take on a more serious tone. The first step in this? Turning on, and looking to take out, her long time friend.
#TeamHug vs #TeamBoss makes for an intriguing WrestleMania match. I would have it open the show, to hype the crowd right from the start. The only potential problem I see is the crowd not being ready to boo a heel Sasha. As we have seen before, a bad Boss is a cool boss, and it will be interesting to see if a more no-nonsense Banks will be cheered in New Orleans.
Credit: WWE.com
Brock Lesnar (c) vs Roman Reigns – WWE Universal Championship
Ok, ok, it’s happening. Much has been (correctly) written on the negatives of this WrestleMania rematch. Rather than sound like a broken record, I’ll try to focus on the positives.
Roman and Brock’s WrestleMania 31 match was very good. If the two superstars can equal, or duplicate their efforts from Silicon Valley, we should see an intense, hard-hitting affair. It is a Brock match, so, as we’ve seen, some bending of PG protocol is allowed.
The build to this match has been well-done, and logical. Brock’s F5 has been rebuilt as a world-beater. Long gone are the days of opponents kicking out of the move. Thus, if the BIG DOGG kicks out of the finisher in New Orleans, it will be a big deal. Additionally, the WWE has managed to keep these two apart since SummerSlam. In the modern era, with 3 hour Raws, and 1-2 pay-per-views a month, that’s remarkable.
If my prediction of Charlotte and Asuka closing the show is true, we will at least be spared another WrestleMania ending with Roman being booed, and the commentators awkwardly trying to handle this. This year there will be no cash-in surprise. Roman will be beating Brock clean in the middle of the ring.