WrestleMania is set to feature 3 separate title storylines and matches, each of which clearly necessitates that one superstar leave “The Grandest Stage of Them All” as a new world champion.
WrestleMania, and the Raw and SmackDown shows which follow it, are perhaps the biggest times of the year for WWE to buck our expectations.
WrestleMania is the place where sure-fire outcomes are oftentimes flipped on their head, and fans are frequently left shocked in their seats.
From Brock Lesnar ending Undertaker’s undefeated streak at WrestleMania 30 to Seth Rollins’ Money In The Bank cash-in at WrestleMania 31, it’s usually best to expect the unexpected on ‘The Grandest Stage of Them All’.
Nevertheless, there are some outcomes which are so entrenched in the current storyline expectations that any deviation from them would almost assuredly be seen as a categorical mistake by many fans.
These outcomes, whether based in emotion or a pure lack of options, practically have to happen in order to ensure a WrestleMania that was perceived to be successful by large swaths of the WWE’s fan base.
We’ve seen these kind of storylines and matches in the past before. Daniel Bryan’s assent to the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 30 is one recent, and particularly evocative, example of such an angle.
If Bryan hadn’t won the title, then fans across the board would likely have felt duped, unfulfilled, or simply angry.
While sometimes these feelings can be a benefit to WWE, especially when building memorable heel turns for example, in cases like Bryan’s it’s best to go with the result that’s right in front of everyone. The expectations are just too great to ignore.
At WrestleMania 35 this year, there just so happens to be 3 instances where WWE has built expectations so high for storylines that only one singular outcome can truly emerge as the optimal conclusion, starting with the WWE Championship match itself.
3. Kofi Kingston Defeats Daniel Bryan to Become WWE Champion
Kofi Kingston’s push to the top of WWE has been perhaps the hottest storyline in all of professional wrestling over the last month. Fan support for Kingston has reached a state we typically don’t see in WWE anymore, with almost universal backing for Kingston to earn his long-desired first WWE Championship win.
As such, any other result at WrestleMania other than a Kingston win would likely be a tremendous let-down.
Daniel Bryan, with his hemp belt and intense admonishments of what he perceives as WWE audience’s wasteful behaviors, has been a tremendous champion thus far. He’s been a real revelation as a heel, and deserves to stay in the main event scene for a long time to come.
In fact, against any other opponent on the roster right now, a strong case could likely be made for Bryan retaining. Against Kofi Kingston however, Daniel Bryan’s reign doesn’t have a leg to stand on.
Kingston’s support has reached that level we saw with Bryan himself at WrestleMania 30. It’s undeniable. He needs to pick up this win, plain and simple.
While some people have posed an unexpected twist, one that would subvert any feelings of anger towards the match’s outcome to a certain superstar, it just doesn’t make any sense to execute right now.
A Big E heel turn, no matter how long it’s been discussed by fans, hasn’t been teased in any way by WWE. The entirety of The New Day have done everything in their power to get Kingston his title match.
On top of that, a freebird-rule title reign is not entirely out of the question, as The New Day have frequently said that success for one of the group’s members is success for the entire team itself.
Perhaps later on in Kingston’s title reign we could see a heel turn, potentially after Big E were to almost cost Kingston the belt in some way.
For now though, the only outcome this match can logically and emotionally justify is a Kofi Kingston victory.
Seth Rollins Captures the Universal Championship by Defeating Brock Lesnar
Fans are sick and tired of Brock Lesnar’s title reign. That’s the brass tax of the situation. It’s not even sick and tired in a heel sort of way either. No, there’s a palpable feeling among many fans that Lesnar just needs to go.
Lesnar’s reign has dragged down Raw’s top title for long enough. He’s far too infrequently on TV to be a major champion, and has been part of some increasingly stale reality era storyline to attempt to justify that lack of on-screen time for practically a year now.
Although we’ve been down this road many times before with Lesnar, this time change really needs to occur. There’s no story left, almost no opponents left, nothing left for Lesnar’s reign that could excite an audience.
No matter how you feel about Seth Rollins right now, someone just has to get the Universal Title off of Brock Lesnar.
Hopefully after WrestleMania, WWE can then start the process of rebuilding Raw’s title as the top belt in the company that it’s likely meant to be by giving Rollins an exceptional reign as champion.
There are plenty of opponents in the company that would make incredible challengers for Rollins both on Raw currently, and that could move to the red brand as part of the up-coming Superstar Shake-Up.
Any of those opponents, whether they are A.J. Styles, Finn Balor, Daniel Bryan, or any of the many other worthy challengers, could then provide a rivalry which begins to erase some of the negative memories people associate with the Universal Championship as a result of Lesnar’s never-ending title reign.
For any of that to occur though, the first step has to be taken by ‘The BeastSlayer’ living up to his new moniker on April 7th.
Becky Lynch Bests Both Ronda Rousey and Charlotte Flair to Earn the Raw (And Likely SmackDown) Women’s Championships.
Going into WrestleMania season, I would bet this was the most anticipated feud for wrestling fans to follow. However, looking back on this entire rivalry, it’s been more of a mess than anything else.
The main event triple threat match at WrestleMania, which is still almost guaranteed to be show-stopper fans will talk about for years to come, was booked through a series of increasingly complex and befuddling angles.
At this point, the initial storyline feud between these three competitors has bifurcated so many times that it’s mind-boggling.
Between Becky Lynch’s on-and-off again role in the match, Ronda Rousey’s heel turn if you want to call it that right now, and Charlotte Flair’s recent title win over Asuka which likely signifies a unification occuring at WrestleMania, WWE has turned what was initially a red-hot rivalry into a muddled mess.
That’s part of the reason why Becky Lynch is the only one who can walk out of WrestleMania as champion. To put an end to this fractured storyline, and provide a clear path forward for WWE’s women’s divisions, Lynch must win the titles.
A face win is a proven way to end a storyline once and for all. The hero walks away triumphant, and everyone goes home happy. Becky Lynch’s win would achieve that, leaving WWE ample time to sort out all the angles Flair and Rousey are now stuck in.
My hope would be that post-WrestleMania, Flair would then face off against Asuka again to determine the number 1 contender for Lynch’s likely unified title. Asuka could then get her win back from Flair, and go on to challenge Lynch at the next series of pay-per-views.
It would be a simple way to erase a good portion of the damage WWE has seemingly done to the women’s division by clearing up all of the confusion surrounding the top of the card. Lynch no longer has to pursue the belts, Flair can have a bit of a reset, and Rousey can have a simple path to either take time away from WWE or continue her likely on-going feud with The McMahon’s.
Additionally, as if it even needs mentioned anymore at this point, a Lynch win would put the title on one of the most popular superstars in WWE today. Essentially, the superstar who has become the face of WWE would be a champion once again
At the end of the day, Becky Lynch standing tall at the end of WrestleMania ensures that the future of the women’s division is clear and bright as ever.
When it’s all said and done, if WWE executes these 3 title changes, they practically guarantee that a successful WrestleMania was had. All of the storylines reach their logical conclusions, fans leave happy, and a clear path forward for WWE is created.
Unfortunately, I’m also acutely aware that all 3 of these title changes inherently necessitate a face wins. Hopefully, WWE can look past any potential concerns about a face-heavy top of the card to book the outcomes that will work best for everyone involved.