With the lineup for both nights of WrestleMania weekend confirmed, it’s shaping up to be another exciting WrestleMania. With so many potential surprises and memorable moments in store, here are 10 bold predictions for what will take place at WrestleMania.
1. Austin Theory Defeats John Cena With AA
I think of the easier matches to predict at WrestleMania will be that Austin Theory defeats John Cena. Not only because Cena has no good reason to go over, bu that it is imperative for the young superstar in the making. Coming off the heels of Cena absolutely burying him on the microphone a few weeks ago, Theory requires not only a win at WrestleMania, but a win in convincing fashion. I can’t think of a better way to have Theory win than to defeat Cena with his own move.
Initially, I was thinking you could really stick it to him by making him tap out with the STF, but perhaps that’s a little too ambitious. Even though Cena is past his prime, he’s still Cena, and that aura “never giving up” is too engrained into his character for me to believe that would happen.
2. Sheamus Wins Elusive Intercontinental Championship
I just don’t think there is a better time for Sheamus to win the one championship that’s eluded his legendary career than at WrestleMania. There are plenty of reasons to give Sheamus the championship, be it his years of service, his consistency and the sheer fact that he deserves it. But perhaps I can think of no greater reason other than the fact that it can protect Gunther by having Sheamus pin McIntyre in this triple threat match.
It would be a pretty cool full-circle moment for Sheamus, as he has often talked about the championship that has eluded him from becoming a Grand Slam Champion, and I think the time is now to pull the trigger at WrestleMania. In an Intercontinental Championship match featuring three stars born outside of the United States, I think it’s time to finally add the last piece of gold to Sheamus’ championship mantle.
3. Trish Stratus Turns Heel
I believe it’s also important that Damage CNTRL picks up a victory at WrestleMania. They have been on the losing end of things more often than not, and they have lost their tag team championships to Becky Lynch and a retired Hall of Famer. If there are any aspirations for Damage CNTRL to be a prominent force on RAW, getting a win at WrestleMania over the Becky, Trish and Lita trio is vital.
In addition, I am predicting that they will get the win by having Trish Stratus turn on Becky Lynch and build up to a one on one match between the two some time in the future, perhaps at Summerslam, if it takes that long. It’s no secret that Trish and Litat are rivals, but Trish and Becky would be another sort of clash of generations women’s match that would keep in line with what WWE has been doing for the last few years.
4. Rollins Defeats Paul
Seth Rollins is in a bit of a WrestleMania slump, as he hasn’t won on WWE’s grandest stage since the last WrestleMania before the pandemic, WrestleMania 35 when he defeated Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship. Not only is he due for a WrestleMania victory, but he is especially due for a victory against Logan Paul since he has been KO’d twice en route to WrestleMania.
If there’s one thing Logan Paul has proven with his few years in WWE, it’s that he absolutely has a place in a WWE ring. His character, psychology and ring work perfectly coincide with your classic WWE heel, and I believe that he will tear it up in the ring with Seth Rollins on his birthday before eating a Curb Stomp, giving Rollins his redemption.
5. Lesnar Defeats Omos In Under 5 Minutes
WWE has done their damnedest to make Omos look like a huge threat and an intimidating monster. But I also find it very unlikely that Omos will defeat Lesnar at WrestleMania, even if Lesnar’s best days are behind him. I do believe Omos needs a signature victory to eventually put on his resume as he progresses as a singles star, but a part of me feels as though a win at WrestleMania would feel forced. Is Omos really ready to defeat a 10-time world champion and 2-time Royal Rumble winner at WrestleMania? A part of me considered it for a while, but I am expecting a short match at WrestleMania. I don’t think extended matches work in Omos’ favor, so I expect that they hit their big moves ever and Lesnar gets a decisive victory at WrestleMania via F-5.
6. LA Knight Gets Impromptu Match
WrestleMania in LA would not feel right if LA Knight did not get himself a match, right? Impromptu matches at WrestleMania are rare, but not unheard of. Is it out of the realm of possibility to suggest that on Night 1, LA Knight comes out, steals the mic and expresses disappointment that LA Knight wasn’t advertised, and calls out anyone in the locker room to try their luck at WrestleMania?
LA Knight’s stock has quickly risen since he was called up to the main roster of WWE, and while I don’t think much came out of his feud with Bray Wyatt, I do believe that a WrestleMania open challenge is just the thing that LA could use to spark a post WrestleMania run towards the mid-card, and in the future, towards the very top.
7. Bianca Belair Retains
I have been kind of going back and forth with this one. One the one hand, Bianca Belair has held the championship for about a year and it may be time to move in a different direction after all that time. Simultaneously, her opponent is a familiar adversary in a different incarnation. Asuka, who has taken on her KANA persona with menacing look face-paint. Is it time to put the championship on Asuka, who has recently been working with heel-like tendencies?
My hunch tells me that Bianca Belair, who already has two signature WrestleMania championship victories at WrestleMania, adds a third one at WrestleMania by defeating Asuka, and Asuka responds after the match by fully turning to the dark side by ruthlessly attacking Bianca after the match, setting up a future rematch where she eventually would de-throne Bianca.
8. A Clean Sweep for Judgement Day
Judgement Day at WrestleMania will be represented by Finn Balor, Rhea Ripley and Dominik Mysterio, all of whom have big matches against legendary future Hall of Famers.
First up, we have Dominik, who will finally go one on one against his father, 2023 WWE Hall of Fame Inductee, Rey Mysterio. This match has been a slow burn, starting all the way back to Clash at the Castle in September, when Dominik would finally turn on his father after being influenced by Judgement Day. Since then, Rey Mysterio, one of WWE’s most notable pacifists, would refuse Dominik’s demands for a match for weeks on end, despite weekly, ruthless verbal insults regarding his parenting, manhood and career. Not only until Dominik introduced his mother into the equation where Rey was finally sent over the top.
I have liked the burn to this feud because it played right into Mysterio’s character qualities. He doesn’t pick fights, he believes in honor, and he isn’t the kind of person that would want to fight his own son unless when pushed too far. Dominik himself, while still has plenty of room to grow, has shown great character development and has garnered confidence as a singles competitor on his own. I believe Rey Mysterio will do the honors of putting his son over at WrestleMania to help catapult his career, while his own is on the wind-down.
Up next we have Rhea Ripley, who is due for a rematch against Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania. This is, as Rhea put it, a clash of legacy vs. destiny. Charlotte Flair is the incumbent, 14 time Women’s Champion, who has done everything you could possibly imagine for a female superstar in this industry. She is the bar of the women’s division, and one of WWE’s most prolific and consistent big-stage performer. However, it was in an empty training facility where Charlotte Flair would rack up one of her signature WrestleMania victories, by defeating then NXT Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley for her championship despite being on the main roster.
It was a learning lesson for the young, ambitious Ripley, who had aspirations of a huge WrestleMania moment before the COVID pandemic halted everything. Three years later, Rhea is a heel with a darker persona, and has vowed to gain her retribution for that moment at WrestleMania, and there’s no reason to suggest she won’t get it. She won the Royal Rumble from the #1 slot, has dominated her opponents, has gained new theme music, and is firing on all cylinders at the moment. I believe it is a formality that Rhea Ripley will leave WrestleMania as the new SmackDown Women’s Champion.
And finally, we have the face of Judgement Day, Finn Balor, who will bring back The Demon persona inside the confines of Hell In a Cell against the originator of Judgement Day, Edge. This Hell In a Cell match is a pick ’em in the truest sense, because both stars have reasons for winning. You could say Edge gets the win because Balor already made him say “I Quit”, was initially taken out by Balor when he started the faction and that the faces are the ones who usually wins Hell In a Cell grudge matches.
On the flipside, you could say Balor needs the win more because Edge has pinned him more times during their feud, and requires the victory to maintain the strength of The Demon character. If you recall, the last time The Demon made an appearance was Extreme Rules 2021, when he lost to Roman Reigns for the Universal Championship in an Extreme Rules match…..by virtue of a top rope malfunction. Maybe Edge just needs to fix the ropes and his victory is assured. It’s quite clear at this point that The Demon is a special attraction reserved for special feuds and events. And The Demon inside Hell In A Cell just seems like an excellent fit. I honestly can’t say who will win, but if I have to make a bet right now, give me Finn.
Judgement Day has really found their stride the last few months, and I believe leaving WrestleMania weekend with Ripley as the new SmackDown Women’s Champion, Dominik defeating his father, and Balor conquering Edge would be the perfect way to keep the momentum going and take them to new heights.
9. Randy Orton Returns
I don’t know in what form, I don’t know if it will be in a match, I don’t know know if he will interfere, but Randy Orton, who we have not seen since he and Riddle lost their tag team championships to The Usos, is in Los Angeles for WrestleMania weekend, and I believe he will receive one of the louder pops of the night.
Again, how he does so will be anyone’s guess. But his return has been a long-time coming, and whatever he does will be big in some way. We shall see.
10. The Bloodline Loses Everything
Over 900 days for Roman Reigns as Universal Champion, over 600 days for The Usos as SmackDown Tag Team Champions, and nearly as a year for Roman being WWE Champion and The Usos being RAW Tag Team Champions respectively. I think the time for the Bloodline to lose everything will come at WrestleMania. I believe it’s time to pull the trigger. First, The Usos will defend their tag team championships against Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn in a match that is rumored to main event Night 1 tomorrow. This is being dubbed “the biggest tag team match of all time”. I can’t say I wholeheartedly disagree. If in fact this goes on last tomorrow night, it be the first time a tag team match will main event a Wrestlemania. Considering the broad scope of the story and the length of The Usos’ reign, it definitely feels like a tag team match of historic proportions. The natural conclusion to this story is Owens and Zayn riding off into the sunset, best friends, turned rivals, turned allies to take down one of the best tag teams in WWE history and take home all the gold.
As for Reigns and Cody, I am significantly less confident in Roman losing, simply because Roman is a case where I need to see it to believe it. There have been plenty of times over the course of the 900+ days of his reign on top where I could have been convinced he would win and he still retained. This Sunday will be no different. I do not believe Roman will lose until he does, but my head is tilling me that this Sunday is the moment to pull the trigger. Now, is there an outside chance The Rock makes his way down to the ring, interferes and costs Cody the title? Sure. But the cracks in the Bloodline have taken shape. And this Sunday is when the damn breaks.
