WWE must hit homeruns with the go-home shows leading to WrestleMania 40

It’s finally here. WrestleMania week is upon us all. The biggest showcase in professional wrestling is bearing down this weekend and there’s a lot to look forward to at the event. But before WrestleMania 40 kicks off, there are three go-home shows set for this week. WWE must do everything possible to ensure that these shows hit hard and drive excitement over the top to build toward the weekend.

Monday Night Raw is up first and it is coming off a well-received episode last week. The Rock left Cody Rhodes bleeding. Seth Rollins, CM Punk, and Drew McIntyre had a big segment that hit more than two million viewers. Becky Lynch and Rhea Ripley went face-to-face once again, leading to them battling and Lynch landing a knockout blow on Dominick Mysterio.

WWE checked all the boxes with that show, creating a lot of anticipation around what the April 1 episode will feature. There’s a lot left to set in stone for the PPV, and fans can expect more to come out during this show.

WWE NXT is building toward NXT Stand & Deliver. With the spotlight firmly on Trick Williams versus Carmelo Hayes, that brand is also running on all cylinders. Stand & Deliver is shaping up to be a strong show, and this Tuesday’s episode must push a lot of that front and center. The “cool” thing to do online was to hate NXT because of the damage Vince McMahon did when he pushed NXT 2.0. But Shawn Michaels’s run leading the brand has produced some strong television while building the future of the roster. Stand & Deliver will be another moment where he proves that to be the case.

Then there’s SmackDown on Friday. The final day to set the tone before WrestleMania 40. Fans are wondering if there will be a battle royal of some sort for the women and men at this event, as has occurred in years past. The March 29 episode featured an iconic moment where Bianca Belair, Naomi, and Jade Cargill stood pointing at the WrestleMania sign, making it clear they would stand in the way of Damage CTRL interfering in the match between Bayley and IYO Sky.

This week’s episode will probably focus on all things Cody Rhodes, The Rock, and Roman Reigns – as it should. This is a huge moment for the promotion and should be the focus heading into the PLE. Expect SmackDown to feature much in the story development space as the promotion pushes over the finish line.

WWE has done a great job building to WrestleMania 40. Fans are excited for what the promotion will bring as it heads into the biggest night in wrestling. This is especially important as WWE goes out of its way to show that things are “different” in this age from a creative and presentation standpoint. The go-home shows are the last chance to make that known and these three nights should be exceptional for fans of the product.