NFL
By: Andrew “Fish” Fain
Usually I go ahead and break down the entire card, tell you my predictions and why I made them. Hell, I may even tell you how I would write the storyline if I was part of the WWE creative team. The problem is when I write one of those columns, I never give the biggest matches enough space or devote enough time to them. So, for the show of shows, I will go into specifics about what I consider the best 5 matches on the card, and then will give you just a quick prediction about the whole card.
Before I begin, I do have to say that it is not WrestleMania that l look forward to the most. Nor is it the Hall of Fame inductions on Saturday night, or any of the other festivities that accompany the biggest show of the year. No, the best part about the entire WrestleMania celebration is the Monday Night Raw the day AFTER the big show. It is always the best Raw of the year and it is usually chock full of surprises, and this year will be no different.
Such names as Samoa Joe, Doc Gallows, Kurt Angle, Jeff Hardy and Finn Balor are all rumored to either debut or return to the WWE main roster that night. Add that to the likelihood that Seth Rollins among others may be returning from injury, and Monday Night is looking like the kind of Raw episode we used to get back when the WWE gave a damn.
But I digress, onto the show of shows.
AJ Styles vs Chris Jericho
I know we have seen this match three times already in the last 6 weeks, but I will tell you, this one has the best chance to steal the show. Pairing Styles and Jericho was one of the best things creative could have done. Turning Jericho heel was a stroke of genius as well, considering there are few that play that role as well as Jericho. He is excellent on the stick, and nobody can whine quite like Y2J. That being said, if you thought the first 3 matches between these two were something, you ain’t seen nothing yet. I just hope they give them the time they deserve to have this match. I predict that Styles will beat Y2J with a Styles Clash, just to finally show off that move properly. This is one of the most must see matches on the card.
7 Man Intercontinental Ladder Match
Kevin Owens v Zach Ryder v Sin Cara v Stardust v Dolph Ziggler v Sammy Zayne v The Miz
Considering the kind of Ladder Matches WrestleMania has given us in the past (Edge/Christian v Hardy Boyz v Dudly Boys) this one has a lot to live up to. You may wonder what Zach Ryder is doing amongst this group, well he is taking the place of Neville who had the unfortunate timing of fracturing his ankle 3 weeks ago. That being said, I have no doubt that this will be a show stopper as well. You may not see a Salina Del Sol off the top of a ladder, or even a Twist of Fate, but there is no question these guys can put on quite the show. In the end, Kevin Owens will be just about to win and get thwarted by Sammy Zayne which will set up their feud for weeks to come. That will give the Showstopper Dolph Ziggler the opportunity to get the belt. It will be a win he richly deserves as he is a tireless worker who they have pretty much buried. Ziggler will be the new Intercontinental Champion when all is said and done.
Dean Ambrose vs Brock Lesnar – No Holds Barred Street Fight
For pure brutality, THIS is the match to watch. There will not be a whole lot of technical wrestling going on. This is the opposite of what a Brett Hart v Kurt Angle match would be. I think there will be blood, there will be suplexes (at least 15 on Ambrose) and I think that Ambrose has the kind of foolishness and determination not to let it stop him. Of course the deciding factor in this match will be the appearance of the Wyatts. They already have it out for Lesnar, and since they are not prominent on the card, this is the spot they will make the biggest impact. Lesnar will be made to look like the beast he is, and unstoppable, but in the end I think Paul Heyman plays the ultimate trump card and helps Ambrose defeat his beast. Dean Ambrose, though barely able to stand afterwards, will win this match thanks to the Wyatts and Paul Heyman.
Roman Reigns vs Triple H – World Heavyweight Championship
Do not think for a second that this will be anything but a slugfest. Roman Reigns has come a long way as a wrestler and there may be no better person to put him in there with than Triple H. I will almost guarantee there will be blood, there will be interference from someone (Possibly HBK) and it will be a knockdown drag out brawl. Both men will give it all they have and will leave it all on the mat. It will be a match truly worthy of WrestleMania. I firmly believe the finish will see Triple H about to hit a Pedigree on Reigns, only for him to turn it into a big back body drop. When Triple H finally gets to his feet, he will be speared by Reigns, and Roman Reigns will be the NEW Heavyweight Champion. His cousin the Rock will come to the ring to celebrate with him, only to also be speared by Reigns. This is the way they turn Reigns heel. You can believe that on RAW on Monday Night, Seth Rollins will be after Reigns for the title, only this time, Rollins will be the face. This will be the best way to get Reigns over, when he finally makes a face turn months down the line, and enable him to become the face of the company as Vince wants him to be.
Shane McMahon vs Undertaker Hell in a Cell
Shane wins and he gets control of RAW and this will be the last Mania for Taker
The one thing I can almost guarantee from this match is that Shane-o-Mac will do the corner leap to the other side into a trash can placed on Takers head. That being said, this is one of the toughest matches to call. I mean, think about it, it makes no sense to bring Shane back only to have him lose and disappear again. But at the same time, what does it mean for Takers legacy if he loses HIS match at WrestleMania to a guy who hasn’t wrestled in 7 years? I think this match will be won cleanly. There is no doubt in my mind that Vince will get involved, and if my hunch is right, so will John Cena. It could go one of two ways, either Shane wins thanks to help from outside “friends” or Taker starts beating him so badly that Vince calls off the match making it a no contest. Of course, if the latter happens I am not sure what that means for the future of RAW or the Undertaker for that matter. The more I think about it, the more I am sure that Taker will pretty much dominate the entire match, until Shane gets some help (since it is a No DQ in the Cell), and with that help Shane wins the match. I also believe with his new found control he will reinstate the Undertaker so he can have one more Mania moment.
So there you have it. The five best matches at the showcase of the immortals. Just so you don’t feel ripped off, the Usos, Kalisto (retaining), Mark Henry and Sasha Banks (Diva’s Title) will all come away winners as well.
This will go down as one of the better Mania’s of all time, but not a Top 3 in my belief. But what it will setup is an INCREDIBLE RAW on Monday Night. Let’s hope as they look towards WrestleMania XXXIII in Orlando that injuries do not play as big a factor as they have this year.
