WrestleMania 42 Analysis and Predictions

April 18, 2026 by njnonconformist Leave a Comment

It took a little while for it to feel like WrestleMania season this year. The build was lackluster and aimless. That is a likely reason, along with high ticket prices, why ticket sales are slow.

Unlike previous years, when we had angles like Cody Rhodes quest to finish his story, angst among the Bloodline, or the John Cena retirement tour, there was no long-term storytelling to be found this year.

We have two inevitable main events, Randy Orton vs. Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns vs. CM Punk. Yet they were both thrown together following the Royal Rumble and the Elimination Chamber. There was an opportunity to plant seeds for both matches a long time ago, but the WWE leaned on the familiar creative trap of just using the winners of the two PLE’s headed into WrestleMania as the main event participants.

Both storylines are leaning heavily into worked-shoot territory. Reigns and Punk dropped “pipe bombs” on each other, and both Rhodes and Punk took subtle shots at WWE executives and high WrestleMania ticket prices.

This may have spiced things up a tad among the Internet Wrestling Community marks, but don’t fall for any of it. Everything they are saying is heavily scripted. Cody Rhodes didn’t come out on his own and cut a promo on the CEO of TKO. He was following orders. There are two dead giveaways. First, Cody isn’t going to go out and get himself fired for going off script, and second, it’s professional wrestling. Go watch WWE Unreal on Netflix if you don’t believe me.

We were thrown a strange Pat McAfee heel turn, and a return of the recently retired John Cena as WrestleMania host. A handful of outsiders were brought in. Jelly Roll is a major celebrity tie-in, and IShowSpeed is a YouTuber popular (I guess) with kids.

This gives the event a bit of an elevated feeling. But if this WrestleMania is going to deliver it must be exciting from start to finish on both nights and provide unexpected moments. Too bad they already used the Paul Heyman double-heel turn last year. Here are my expert predictions for both nights.

WrestleMania 42 Saturday

The Vision (Logan Paul and Austin Theory) and IShowSpeed (with Paul Heyman) vs. The Usos (Jey Uso and Jimmy Uso) and LA Knight in a Six-man tag team match.

This is a great choice to kick off WrestleMania 42. It will be broadcast on the basic ESPN tier so expect the WWE to go all out to book this match strongly.

There is an amusing story about the non-wrestler IShowSpeed accidentally becoming a heel and being forced to team with The Vision. Logan Paul and Austin Theory have heat with the fans, and they’re taking on three of the most popular wrestlers on the roster today. Expect athleticism, humor, and high spots throughout the match. After his masterful performance at WrestleMania 41, expect Paul Heyman to attempt to upstage last year’s effort.

Prediction: Winners, The Vision and IShowSpeed

Jacob Fatu vs. Drew McIntyre in an Unsanctioned match

This match will also air on the basic ESPN tier. Drew and Jacob are two of the most interesting characters on the WWE roster, and the story behind this match is compelling.

They have been feuding for over six months. Jacob believes that Drew attacked him backstage at Smackdown last year, an accusation which Drew denies. We still don’t know if Drew is telling the truth or not, but they’ve attacked each other so many times since then, this match had an Unsanctioned stipulation attached to it. I would expect these stiff workers to perform some very creative and dangerous looking spots that take place both in and out of the ring.

Prediction: Winner, Jacob Fatu

Stephanie Vaquer (c) vs. Liv Morgan in a singles match for the Women’s World Championship

Stephanie Vauer and Liv Morgan are two of the bright spots on an otherwise dark women’s WWE roster. Vaquer is a solid in-ring worker and she works the crowd very well. Liv doesn’t have much credibility as a wrestler due to her size, but she makes up for it with strong heel work. They cut some good backstage segments over the past month to build heat for this match. If you are a fan of women’s matches, this is the one to keep an eye on.

Prediction: Winner and new Women’s World Champion, Liv Morgan

AJ Lee (c) vs. Becky Lynch in a singles match for the WWE Women’s Intercontinental Championship

For every complement I paid the previous match, I can give twice as many reasons why this one will absolutely suck.

WWE fans have very short memories. AJ Lee was absolutely horrible when she retired ten years ago. Her promos were cringeworthy and she could barely work a three-minute match. Interestingly enough, it’s hard to improve at something by taking ten years off from doing it. She is just as terrible as she always was.

It will be up to Becky to carry everything about this match. She is a veteran of a WrestleMania main event, so maybe she has enough juice to make this a passable match. I wouldn’t count on it.

Prediction: Winner and new WWE Women’s Intercontinental Champion, Becky Lynch

The Irresistible Forces (Nia Jax and Lash Legend) (c) vs. Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss vs. Bayley and Lyra Valkyria vs. The Bella Twins (Brie Bella and Nikki Bella) in a Fatal four-way tag team match for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship

I’ll present this one in stream of conciseness format. Charlotte Flair is wasted in this mess of a match. Nia Jax is stealthily one of the top five women on the WWE roster. The Bella Twins can’t wrestle or talk, they’re only in the Hall of Fame because they ~~are~~ were hot twins. Lyra Valkyria is an unsafe worker who folds under pressure. Who thought it would be a good idea to have three women’s matches in one night? This match is going to be bowling shoe-ugly.

Prediction: Winners and still WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions, The Irresistible Forces

Seth Rollins vs. Gunther

Hey look at that, a singles match pitting two of the best wrestlers in the business today that doesn’t need a stipulation to make it interesting. Now if only it had an interesting storyline behind it.

I can only theorize that this match was thrown together at the last minute because it was unclear if Seth Rollins would be medically cleared to compete after sustaining a rough shoulder injury at WWE Crown Jewel in 2025. The boilerplate conflict based on the “I need to prove that I’m a better wrestler than you” motivation they have for this match is creatively lazy.

Maybe there’s more to the outcome of this match than meets the eye. Guenther certainly is going to move forward with his demand that Paul Heyman owes him something down the line after Guenther saved Heyman from a near-attack by Rollins. But on Saturday, this has a chance to be the best match of the night, maybe of the whole weekend.

Prediction: Winner, Guenther

Cody Rhodes (c) vs. Randy Orton (with Pat McAfee) in a singles match for the Undisputed WWE Championship, and if Orton loses, McAfee will leave the professional wrestling industry permanently

Got all that? This could have been a much simpler story, but it’s taken some strange turns since Randy Orton was the surprise winner of WWE Elimination Chamber.

It started with Cody Rhodes giving Randy Orton to be himself in their match, absolving The Viper of any responsibility for whatever brutality he may unleash on Rhodes. Right on cue, Orton kicked Rhodes in the clackers and became a heel. Or so we thought.

In the weeks following, the live crowds would boo Cody and cheer Randy, no matter how much of a jerk he behaved like. It looked like the Cody Crybabies from two years ago suddenly decided they were done with their hero. This was probably not the reception anybody expected.

Then WWE inserted Pat McAfee into the feud to take Randy’s side and cut several worked-shoot promos about the state of the business. It really made no sense, and it still doesn’t. This story would have been fine without Pat.

Either way, there is a lot of potential for this to be a classic match. Rhodes and Orton are WrestleMania veterans who will want to cement their legacies with this match. But what I think would work well here is a double turn. If Cody gets his hand raised in that manner, it would be an unforgettable WrestleMania moment.

Prediction: Winner and still WWE Champion, Cody Rhodes

WrestleMania 42 Sunday

Oba Femi vs. Brock Lesnar

Oba Femi is a rookie sensation. The behemoth connected with the audience immediately and the fans can’t get enough of him. He is strong on the microphone, and he is an imposing physical specimen. He was booked strongly in this story, having gotten the upper hand against Brock in every interaction they’ve had. This will be a banger to lead off night two.

Prediction: Winner, Brock Lesnar

Penta (c) vs. Je’Von Evans vs. Dragon Lee vs. JD McDonagh vs. Rusev vs. Rey Mysterio in a six-pack ladder match for the WWE Intercontinental Championship

Well, they had to get all these guys on the show somehow. Cue the traditional WrestleMania six-pack ladder match. Five of the six competitors in this match are high-flyers. The other guy is the underachieving Rusev. This will be a forgettable match.

Prediction: Winner and new WWE Intercontinental Champion, Je’Von Evans

Jade Cargill (c) vs. Rhea Ripley in a singles match for the WWE Women’s Championship

Jade Cargill sucks. Rhea Ripley has been saddled with a terrible best friend storyline with Iyo Sky, who was fortunately left off the card. At least this gives Rhea something else to do.
Prediction: Winner and new WWE Women’s Champion, Rhea Ripley

Sami Zayn (c) vs. Trick Williams (with Lil Yachty) in a singles match for the WWE United States Championship

Much like the Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton situation, the crowd is treating the babyface (Sami Zayn) like a heel and treating the heel (Trick Williams) like the babyface. I’m not sure exactly why, but I think Sami should lean into it. He does his best work as a heel anyway.

Trick isn’t ready for a babyface run yet; he should stick with his current persona for a while. But he’s an exciting young talent and he should be ready for this moment.

Prediction: Winner and new WWE United States Champion, Trick Williams

“The Demon” Finn Bálor vs. Dominik Mysterio

Like Saturday night, the semi-main event is a singles match without a stipulation. This one has a much better storyline lead-in. These former Judgement Day stablemates split up and their animosity runs deep.

It remains a mystery to me why they revealed that Finn would return to his Demon character ahead of time, it would have made for a fun surprise. Nonetheless, his opponent Dirty Dom will certainly have some tricks up his sleeve and will probably cheat better than anybody on the card.

Prediction: Winner, Dominik Mysterio

CM Punk (c) vs. Roman Reigns in a singles match for the World Heavyweight Championship

When CM Punk returned to the WWE, it was a foregone conclusion he would face Reigns at WrestleMania. It took several years to get here, but we’re finally going to see what these two can do together at a WrestleMania main event.

The days of the CM Punk “pipe bomb” being interesting are long past, but these two traded enough personal barbs over the past few weeks on Raw to build a good amount of animosity ahead of this matchup.

I don’t expect much chicanery or outside interference in this match as there weren’t any additional players attached to the storyline. Unlike Saturday’s main event, the WWE let this one stand with just the two competitors in the match.

Punk has wanted this spot for long enough, and Roman has been in this spot more than anyone in WrestleMania history. If this match isn’t remembered as a classic, they’ll have nobody by themselves to blame.

Prediction: Winner and new World Heavyweight Champion, Roman Reigns

What Else?

Although John Cena is back in the WWE as the WrestleMania 42 host, I wouldn’t expect him to get physically involved in a match. There would be no long-term payoff so it wouldn’t make sense. Maybe he’ll do a comedy bit or land an AA on a superstar who wasn’t booked on the show.

A wildcard could be Danhausen. What if he curses someone and causes them to lose?

Jelly Roll was featured plenty of times on TV in the Rhodes vs. Orton storyline. One would have to imagine he will find his way onto the show on Saturday.

The biggest question I have is why are there seven matches on Saturday, but only six on Sunday. Does this mean they’re going to run Sunday’s main event for a full hour? Or are they planning to add a match or some other encounter that would fill in the missing time?

Anyway, the possibilities are endless. All I really want to do at this point is sit back and enjoy the show.

Filed Under: WWE Tagged With: CM Punk, Cody Rhodes, Danhausen, Dominik Mysterio, Finn Bálor, Guenther, IShowSpeed, John Cena, Logan Paul, Pat McAfee, Paul Heyman, Penta, Randy Orton, Roman Reigns, Sami Zayn, Seth Rollins, Trick Williams, WrestleMania, WrestleMania 42, WWE

WrestleMania 41 Postscript

April 23, 2025 by njnonconformist Leave a Comment

WrestleMania 41 week has finally finished. It feels like WrestleMania runs longer than a seven game World Series. It is a lot of fun, but it is also a lot to take in.

My initial reaction to the Saturday and Sunday shows is that they were entertaining but fell short of perfection. There were some great matches and some fun moments. But there were one or two head-scratching moments that were a distraction.

With a few exceptions, it was a good weekend to be a bad guy. It is rare to have a WrestleMania end with the bad guy winning, but both main events featured just that. The heels thrived in the undercard, too.

We were led to believe the Saturday main event was a story about CM Punk, Seth Rollins, and Roman Reigns. But that match was all about WWE Hall of Famer Paul Heyman. Heyman started off dancing to Living Color as he walked CM Punk to the ring. He proceeded to off the rare feat of making two heel turns in a single match, turning on both CM Punk and Roman Reigns! Who saw that coming?

The Sunday main event won’t be remembered as a classic. The match’s major creative flaw was that The Rock failed to appear and interfere. Instead, Travis Scott was the heater. I never understood why Travis Scott was at the Elimination Chamber, and I don’t understand why he interfered in the match at WrestleMania. Nobody talks about him and his motivations, and he never cut a promo.

On the WrestleMania Sunday post show, Peter Rosenberg quipped that nobody will “put the match in The Louvre”. But the historic outcome remains, John Cena won his record-breaking 17^th world championship, breaking Ric Flair’s record of 16.

Elsewhere over the weekend, The New Day, Jacob Fatu, El Grande Americano, Drew McIntyre, Dominik Mysterio, and Logan Paul all won as heels. Dominik Mysterio got a huge babyface reaction to his win. It is almost as if the bad guys are the good guys in today’s WWE.

The only major heel to lose was Gunther in a fantastic match against Jey Uso. But don’t shed too many tears for him, his attack on Pat McAfee on the following Monday Night Raw will keep him very hot going forward.

The biggest takeaway from the weekend was it is apparent where the WWE is headed, and where it is not headed.

The company is clearly behind the John Cena retirement tour in 2025. Seth Rollins was anointed as another top star in the company with his main event win. Jey Uso is going to have a long run as the secondary champion. Dominik Mysterio is going to rule the mid-card with his Intercontinental Championship run. Bronn Breaker went from losing his championship to being a Paul Heyman Guy.

On the other end of things, Roman Reigns is now stuck in neutral, he no longer has Paul Heyman, The Bloodline, or a championship. Cody Rhodes, whom the fans willed to a championship win at WrestleMania Xl, was loudly booed during his match which he lost. These two feel like they are a long way from their “face of the company” tenures.

My breakdown of winners and losers is as follows.

Losers

The War Raiders: That was probably their last big match in WWE.
LA Knight: What is he going to do now that he is no longer a champion of any kind?
Charlotte Flair: Her comeback from injury was botched by the company, no way someone of her stature should have lost to Tiffany Stratton.
Roman Reigns: If he isn’t the top guy, where does he even go from here?
Bayley: I don’t know if her injury is real or not, but it sucks to get pulled from the WrestleMania card like that. It tells me her best days are behind her.
The woman in the front row: Steve Austin is either losing his ability to drive or was drunk when he hit that barrier knocking that woman to the ground. How much did she pay for that ticket?
Cody Rhodes: Is it me, or is he losing the crowd? That’s almost unfathomable considering where he was just one year ago when he finished his story. Maybe he needs to write a new one. I hear that being a heel is all the rage these days.
Solo Sikoa, Sami Zayn, and Braun Strowman: There was nowhere on either card for these guys?

Winners

The fans that no longer have to listen to “F!EIN”: That had to be the worst WrestleMania theme song of all time. That is not because I don’t like the genre. It is because it is objectively bad. It was just someone singing “FE!N” repeatedly. It didn’t have a hook or anything catchy to it at all. Give me Flo Rida or The Weeknd any day over this guy.
Jey Uso: He is an organic babyface that won gold at WrestleMania. A difficult feat to achieve these days.
Jacob Fatu: This guy came out of nowhere to win a WrestleMania championship match. He has a lot of upside potential.
El Grande Americano: The best luchador on the roster today!
Seth Rollins: Biggest win of his career, and a red-hot storyline going forward.
Iyo Sky: She looked terrible headed into WrestleMania but pulled off a big win in a surprisingly fun match.
Drew McIntyre: He always looks good no matter what he is asked to do.
Dominik Mysterio: A signature win for this Judgement Day member. He even managed to win over the crowd.
Joe Hendry: Whoever this guy is, he managed to have his WrestleMania moment even though he is not a WWE wrestler!
Logan Paul: Just keeps on winning.
John Cena: GOAT status with his 17^th championship win, and first as a bad guy

I am excited for the possibilities for the rest of 2025. There is a two-day SummerSlam in my home state of New Jersey and I expect excellence!

Filed Under: WWE Tagged With: Bronn Breaker, CM Punk, Cody Rhodes, Dominik Mysterio, Drew McIntyre, El Grande Americano, Gunther, Jacob Fatu, Jey Uso, Joe Hendry, John Cena, Logan Paul, Pat McAfee, Paul Heyman, Ric Flair, Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, The New Day, The Rock, Travis Scott, WrestleMania, WWE

WrestleMania 41 Analysis and Predictions

April 19, 2025 by njnonconformist Leave a Comment

The WWE hits Las Vegas this weekend for a two-night celebration of professional wrestling at its best. The WWE has such a glut of talent on the main roster that even fourteen matches over two nights do not have enough spots for some familiar names. There was room on the card for Nia Jax, Sami Zayn, Braun Strowman, or Solo Sikoa. But all that means is that we should expect the best of the best to attempt to collectively raise the bar from last year’s classic WrestleMania XL.

There are a lot of matches to analyze and predict so I will get right to it.

WrestleMania Saturday

The War Raiders (Erik and Ivar) (c) vs. The New Day (Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods) in a Tag team match for the World Tag Team Championship

Kingston and Woods were working with the most tired and overused gimmick we have seen in some years and were overdue for a change when they turned heel. Despite the necessity for a change, the heel turn landed with a thud and these guys are still boring and uninteresting.

The War Raiders endured a litany of name and gimmick changes under Vince McMahon’s direction in the beginning of their WWE run. They’ve finally settled on something that works for them, a straight-talking, badass duo. They will undoubtedly be excited for this opportunity and will bring their A game to the show.

Prediction: Winners and still World Tag Team Champions, The War Raiders

Rey Mysterio vs. El Grande Americano

Rey Mysterio is somehow still hanging on as a full-time performer in WWE. He is often referred to as the greatest luchador of all time. But he now has competition for that title as he faces off against El Grande Americano. This relative newcomer to the WWE is handling himself like a tenured veteran. This match will be a great demonstration of the lucha libre style of wrestling.

Prediction: Winner, El Grande Americano

Jade Cargill vs. Naomi

This match is barely fit for Smackdown, let alone WrestleMania. This feud is boring, and neither one of them is very good in the ring. These two are taking a spot that could be used by wrestlers that are compelling to watch.

Prediction: Winner, Naomi

LA Knight (c) vs. Jacob Fatu in a Singles match for the WWE United States Championship

LA Knight is good for his staccato catchphrase and not much else. His promos are short and sweet, and they resonate with the audience. But Jacob Fatu is force to be reckoned with. In his short time on the WWE main roster, this Bloodline member (where do they get so many of them?) has gotten over quickly with both his credible microphone work and his in-ring skills. This is a great opportunity for both guys to put on a signature WrestleMania match.

Prediction: Winner, and new United States Champion: Jacob Fatu

Tiffany Stratton (c) vs. Charlotte Flair in a Singles match for the WWE Women’s Championship

Many consider Charlotte Flair to be the women’s wrestling GOAT, yet somehow the WWE managed to botch her return from injury at the Royal Rumble. The crowd was not too pleased when she won the Royal Rumble match, punching her ticket to WrestleMania. Tiffany Stratton is the current champion but has not done much to distinguish herself. This program is so boring that the two of them had to dig into each other’s personal lives in a live segment just to get people talking.

Prediction: Winner and new WWE Women’s Champion, Charlotte Flair

Gunther (c) vs. Jey Uso in a Singles match for the World Heavyweight Championship

Jey Uso shocked the wrestling world when he eliminated John Cena from the Royal Rumble to clinch a WrestleMania championship match. Out of all the entrants in the Royal Rumble, Uso was the darkest of horses to have his hand raised. But this former WrestleMania main eventer has what it takes to carry a big match, and he has an army of fans behind him.

Gunther is a legitimate superstar in his own right. He built a reputation as a no-nonsense bruiser who is almost adorned in championship gold. Most importantly, he is easy to hate, and he is the perfect foil for the fan-favorite Uso. This should be the hardest-hitting and most physical match of the night.

Prediction: Winner and still World Heavyweight Champion, Guenther

Roman Reigns vs. CM Punk (with Paul Heyman) vs. Seth Rollins in a triple threat match

Leaving the company for ten years did nothing to help accelerate CM Punk’s timeline to main event WrestleMania, nor did his immediate injury upon his return in 2023. But here we are in 2025 and CM Punk is a WrestleMania main eventer for the first time.

This story behind this match blends a lot of real-world situations into the worked drama. Paul Heyman was a mentor, friend, and protector to Punk early in Punk’s career. Paul Heyman and Roman Reigns have a slightly less dramatized off-screen friendship to match their on-screen relationship. Seth Rollins harbors a grudge with CM Punk for leaving the company in 2013.

Heyman’s allegiances to Punk and Reigns will be tested. Rollins stands as the wildcard in this situation. These are three of the best wrestlers in the world right now and this match has instant classic written all over it.

Prediction: Winner, Roman Reigns

WrestleMania Sunday

Iyo Sky (c) vs. Bianca Belair vs. Rhea Ripley in a Triple threat match for the Women’s World Championship

While the triple-threat main event on Saturday night has the potential to be an instant-classic, this triple threat has the potential to be a disaster. The big difference is talent. The Saturday night main event has three of the best wrestlers in the world. This match has two of the best female wrestlers in the world, and one of the worst.

Bianca Belair already proved she can carry a WrestleMania match very capably when she main-evented WrestleMania Saturday at WrestleMania 37. Rhea Ripley dominates the women’s division right now and can stand with anybody. But Iyo Sky is a mess. She is undersized, cuts bad promos, and does not look like a credible threat against anybody. This is one of the bigger booking mistakes we have seen in the Triple H-era, and it would have been much better had they rolled with Belair vs. Ripley only.

Prediction: Winner, and new WWE Women’s World Champion, Rhea Ripley

Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez (c) vs. Bayley and Lyra Valkyria in a Tag team match for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship

I watch a lot of wrestling, and I still wouldn’t recognize Lyra Vaklyria if she bit me on the ass. Is that on me? Or does she just not make an impression? Maybe I haven’t given her enough of a chance, but I do not have high hopes for this match. It will be tough for these four that were thrown together to find some chemistry with each other and make it look good.

Prediction: Winners, and still WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions, Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez

AJ Styles vs. Logan Paul

This match is slightly lost in the WrestleMania shuffle but has a ton of promise. Styles and Paul are two of the very best the WWE has right now, but with the logjam of talent at the top they are stuck on the mid-card of WrestleMania Sunday.

In his short and part-time WWE run, Paul has mastered crowd psychology like a 15-year veteran, and his athleticism is unparalleled. Styles wrestled all over the world and has been to the top of the WWE himself. This could be a hidden gem on this WrestleMania card.

Prediction: Winner, Logan Paul

Bron Breakker (c) vs. Penta vs. Finn Bálor vs. Dominik Mysterio in a Fatal four-way match for the WWE Intercontinental Championship

This looks like one of those “let’s get everyone booked somehow” matches from afar. But under the surface, there is a compelling championship match between four entertaining wrestlers.

Breaker is off to a good start on the WWE main roster. He is still a little rough around the edges and has a bit of a ways to go, but his speed and athleticism have delivered some noticeable in-ring spots. I would not want to be on the receiving end of his 22mph spear.

Bálor and Mysterio are a bit of an unlikely duo but have undeniable chemistry in the Judgement Day. The jealousy and mistrust between the faction members is classic heel work.

The newcomer Penta is one of several luchadors on the roster but received an open-arms welcome by the WWE fans upon arrival. WWE fans always like new and Penta is fun to watch. This is a quick ascension to WrestleMania status for him so he should be motivated to try to steal the show in what should be an unpredictable match.

Prediction: Winner and new WWE Intercontinental Champion, Dominik Mysterio

Damian Priest vs. Drew McIntyre in a Sin City Street Fight

Much like Logan Paul and AJ Styles match, this match features two stars who could be in the main event themselves. Both are former champions and are known for putting on hard-hitting matches. If you want a preview of what you could see, check out the McIntyre vs. Punk Hell in a Cell match from 2024.

A Street Fight allows for a lot of creativity. Expect this match to go anywhere in the stadium, maybe even out to the Vegas Strip!

Prediction: Winner, Drew McIntyre

Randy Orton vs. TBA

Kevin Owens had to bow out of his announced match against Randy Orton due to a spinal injury that requires surgery. It is good to see Randy Orton still on the card with an open challenge match and I am looking forward to seeing who the surprise entrant is. An NXT callup? A top star left off the card like Sami Zayn, Braun Strowman, or Solo Sikoa? A Hall of Famer? Goldberg?

Prediction: Winner, the other guy

Cody Rhodes (c) vs. John Cena in a Singles match for the Undisputed WWE Championship

The reaction that John Cena has received since “The Heel Turn Heard ‘Round The World” has been amazing. His heel promos are so good that the audience can’t help but cheer him when they are over. With Cena set to retire in 2025, he has saved some of the best work for the end.

Cody Rhodes is hanging on as a babyface champion a year after finishing his story at WrestleMania XL in an epic main event against Roman Reigns. It is not easy to keep the crowds hot for a year as a babyface in today’s WWE, but Rhodes has connected with an audience that loves him.

This is Cena’s last WrestleMania match it it might be his biggest one ever. Rhodes is no stranger to WrestleMania events, having competed in two at WrestleMania XL and in the Sunday main event at WrestleMania 39. All the ingredients are in place for this match to punctuate an epic WrestleMania weekend in Las Vegas.

Prediction: Winner, and new Undisputed WWE Champion, John Cena

Filed Under: WWE Tagged With: AJ Styles, Bianca Belair, Bron Breakker, Charlotte Flair, CM Punk, Cody Rhodes, Damian Priest, Dominik Mysterio, Drew McIntyre, El Grande Americano, Fin Balor, Gunther, Jacob Fatu, Jey Uso, John Cena, LA Knight, Logan Paul, Paul Heyman, Randy Orton, Rey Mysterio, Rhey Ripley, Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, TBA, Triple H, WrestleMania, WWE

2024 Royal Rumble Analysis and Predictions

January 27, 2024 by njnonconformist Leave a Comment

The fans thought WrestleMania 39 had the perfect setup. A year prior at WrestleMania 38, Cody Rhodes returned to the WWE after a six-year absence, during which he competed in wrestling’s minor leagues. Gone were any of the lame gimmicks he was saddled with as a young wrestler and was finally a made man. He had one of the best years a superstar could have in the WWE and even a gruesome torn pectoral muscle injury did not stop his momentum. He won the Royal Rumble earned the WrestleMania main event spot for the WWE Championship against Roman Reigns.

There was no way he could lose, right? It was the perfect way to end Reigns’ dominant championship run. By giving the win and the title to Rhodes, it would fulfill his lifelong dream to win the title that eluded his father, WWE Hall of Famer “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes.

That was not what happened. Roman Reigns retained his title even after a year-long build that led us to believe Cody was going to win.

There is a lot more that goes into deciding who gets to hold the WWE championship beyond a creative decision. The business impact of who is the champion is the major driver of the decision. Marketing, merchandising, television ratings, social media impressions, tickets sales, appeasement of the Saudi Royal Family, and the TKO stock price are all factors that supersede fans chants of “YOU DESERVE IT!”.

But a letdown like that is a creative opportunity. Coming out of WrestleMania 39, we thought that maybe Cody needed another year to really heat up and finally take Roman down on his next shot. Who else could possibly be the person to fill that spot?

Then, the returns happened. First, Randy Orton came back from a year-and-a-half injury-induced hiatus. On the same night, Hell froze over and CM Punk returned to the WWE to a hero’s welcome in his home city of Chicago. To top that all off, The Rock returned to Raw and referenced a challenge to Reigns. Suddenly, Rhodes found himself in a very crowded field of top-level talent fighting for that WrestleMania main event spot.

At no time in recent memory has the WWE been this stacked with talent. In addition to the aforementioned performers, there are several others that are plausible opponents for Reigns on WrestleMania Sunday. What about Kevin Owens who main evented two straight WrestleMania Saturdays? How about WWE Universal Champion Seth Rollins? He is certainly deserving of a WrestleMania main event spot. Bobby Lashley and Drew McIntyre, and AJ Styles are all former champions who could make a case as a formidable opponent for Reigns. LA Knight is a red-hot fan favorite who could surprise us all.

There are also a whole host of part-time performers who have main-event potential. How about Brock Lesnar, John Cena, Logan Paul, or even Bad Bunny?

This is not to mention that maybe the plan is for Reigns to drop the title at the Rumble so he can face off against the Rock with no title on the line!

The possibilities are endless. Typically, the Royal Rumble is a creative trap for the WWE that makes the finish somewhat predictable. But this year, there are going to be multiple stories to tell throughout the night. I can not remember a time that I knew less about WrestleMania season headed into the Royal Rumble than this year. I am psyched and I cannot wait to see it unfold! Until then, here are my predictions.

Roman Reigns (c) (with Paul Heyman) vs. Randy Orton vs. AJ Styles vs. LA Knight in a Fatal four-way match for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship

There is a big question hanging over this match. We know Reigns is going to compete in the main event on WrestleMania Sunday, but will he be defending the championship? Or will he face off against The Rock in a dream match with no title on the line?

It is a compelling theory, but the sticking point with me is that out of the other three in the match, I do not see someone hot enough to both end Reigns championship streak and carry the title to WrestleMania. All three of them look good right now, but just not good enough to be in that spot. I believe that Reigns will retain the title.

Prediction: Winner and still Undisputed WWE Universal Champion, Roman Reigns

Logan Paul (c) vs. Kevin Owens in a singles match or the WWE United States Championship

Logan Paul’s nascent career continues to impress. He has had fewer than ten matches, yet he looks like a ten-year veteran. He is taking on the always dependable and versatile Kevin Owens in what should be a very entertaining match.

Prediction: Winner and still WWE United States Champion, Logan Paul

Women’s Royal Rumble Match

The WWE Women’s division continues to disappoint despite the focus that has been placed on it. With Charlotte Flair on the shelf, the only talents right worth watching are Rhea Ripley and Bianca Belair. The rest are incapable of getting through a match without a botched spot. Expect this match to be a complete disappointment.

Prediction: Winner, Bianca Belair

Men’s Royal Rumble Match

This is going to be very unpredictable. As of the writing of this post, only about half of the participants have even been announced. Cody Rhodes and CM Punk would seem to be the favorites. But there will almost certainly be surprise participants that will have a chance of winning. I could very easily see The Rock, Brock Lesnar, or John Cena swoop in to take it. I’ll break out the announced competitors and possible surprise entrants as follows:

No Chance in Hell: Shinsuke Nakamura, Chad Gable, Otis, Akira Tozawa, Kofi Kingston, Santos Escobar, R-Truth, Carlito, Austin Theory

Possible Surprise Winner: Bobby Lashley, Drew McIntyre, Gunther, Damian Priest, Jimmy Uso

Odds-on Favorites: Cody Rhodes, CM Punk

Possible Surprise Entrants: Jey Uso, John Cena, Brock Lesnar, The Rock

Prediction: Winner, CM Punk

Filed Under: WWE Tagged With: Brock Lesnar, CM Punk, Cody Rhodes, John Cena, Kevin Owens, LA Knight, Logan Paul, Paul Heyman, Randy Orton, Roman Reigns, Royal Rumble, Seth Rollins, The Rock, WrestleMania, WWE

WrestleMania 39 Postscript

April 4, 2023 by njnonconformist Leave a Comment

All it took was one heel turn. Roman Reigns was a disaster as a babyface champion, and all of his WrestleMania main events were near dreadful affairs. In 2020 he took some time away from WWE and returned as the bad guy that we all wanted him to be. That moment set him up to finally live up to his potential as the best performer in the company.

The Bloodline saga was punctuated with two top-notch WrestleMania main events this year. There were plenty of other good matches that exceeded expectations, but this was The Bloodline show. Cody Rhodes won the fans over and was the betting favorite on offshore betting websites, but it was not meant to be for him. Roman Reigns was set to maintain his grip on the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship the whole time. The initial critical reaction was that Reigns vs. Rhodes was the greatest WrestleMania main event of all time. It might be a bit early to make that call, but it certainly felt like an important match that will be remembered fondly.

WrestleMania Sunday overcame two significant injuries to close the weekend on a strong note. Both nights were captivating from start to finish. Most of the undercard matches were wildly entertaining. Matches were kept simple, and they were based on storylines that resonated with the audience. The broadcast duo of Corey Graves and Michael Cole nailed it on commentary.

The critical acclaim for this WrestleMania is no doubt due to the creative direction of WWE content under the stewardship of Triple H. He clearly learned well under the tutelage of Vince McMahon but brought a fresh perspective to the approach of storyline and character development that connected with the fans.

There were more ups than downs, and many wrestlers came out of the weekend in a better place in their careers, having elevated their status through their performances, or by cementing indelible WrestleMania legacies. The winners far outnumbered the losers.

The Losers

Bobby Lashley: Got the short end of the stick when Bray Wyatt had to pull out of action. The big guy deserved a spot on the card and didn’t get it.
Dominik Mysterio: Come on, kid! If you are going to step up to your old man, you better beat him.
Shane McMahon: Legitimately tore his quadricep muscle seconds into his first in-ring action in over a year. Maybe his body is telling him something.
Gable Steveson: Remember Steveson being introduced to the crowd twice during WrestleMania 38? What happened to him since then?

The Winners

Austin Theory: Welcome to the big time, son. A victory over John Cena at WrestleMania is as good as it gets.
Logan Paul: Triple H said it best, “he has no business being this good”.
Seth “Freakin” Rollins: Seth can be counted on to work with anybody anywhere and make it look great. He continues to author a great WrestleMania legacy for himself.
Gunther: What a great Intercontinental Championship run for this ethnic heel. He got a late start to his main roster WWE career, let’s see what else he is capable of.
Sheamus: Just put this guy in the Hall of Fame now. Sheamus has quietly been one of the most important players in WWE over the course of his decade plus career.
Drew McIntyre: Drew carried the championship well during the closed-arena era for WWE. But his calling card of late has been his ability to capture a moment. He did just that, along with Sheamus and Gunther in this match.
Snoop Dogg: Does Snoop even know how to throw a working punch? Or run the ropes? Or drop a People’s Elbow? None of that stuff is easy! Well, he sure figured it out on the fly.
“The Demon” Finn Bálor: He recovered from a nasty cut that stopped the match and put on a show with Edge. This was the best WWE match the 41-year old has been involved in.
Edge: He is already in the Hall of Fame so it’s not like he needs to add to his legacy. But he sure did anyway. With Triple H retired, he got to take over the “cool entrance” spot with his Brood Edge character set to Slayer’s “South of Heaven”. Amazing!
Kevin Owens: If you are keeping score at home, this is the second WrestleMania main event in a row for the kid from Quebec who learned English from watching WWE programming. Is there a cooler story?
Sami Zayn: The MVP of the WWE was prominently featured in both WrestleMania main events. He knocked it out of the park this year.
The Usos: They already surpassed Demolition and The New Day with the length of their title run. But most importantly, they are the backbone of the Bloodline, and I don’t think Roman would be as good without them.
Solo Sikoa: This rookie played a critical role in the main event. He wasn’t a competitor in the match, but he hit his time cues perfectly and delivered the final blow to Cody before the match-ending spear from Roman. Solo played his part perfectly.
Paul Heyman: Roman Reigns is in the midst of one of the greatest championship runs ever, but Paul Heyman gets to wear the championship title belts to and from the ring. That pretty much makes him the coolest dude in WWE.
Cody Rhodes: He got his big WrestleMania main event and will be remembered for this match forever. This loss isn’t going to set him back, it is just another chapter in his story. Watch this space.
Roman Reigns: The face of the WWE is in his prime and delivered his best WrestleMania match yet. Look for him to be in this spot again next year in Philadelphia.

Filed Under: WWE Tagged With: Austin Theory, Cody Rhodes, Drew McIntyre, Edge, Finn Bálor, Gunther, Kevin Owens, Logan Paul, Paul Heyman, Roman Reigns, Sami Zayn, Seth "Freakin" Rollins, Sheamus, Snoop Dogg, Solo Sikoa, The Bloodline, The Usos, Triple H, Vince McMahon, WrestleMania, WWE

WrestleMania 39 Analysis and Predictions

March 31, 2023 by njnonconformist Leave a Comment

WrestleMania 39 will be of historic significance, but not because of what happens in the ring. It will be the first WrestleMania without Vince McMahon at the helm of the creative direction of the show. Triple H has overseen the on-screen product since SummerSlam in August. He has had an immediate positive impact on what we have seen on Raw and Smackdown. Here are a few of the improvements under Triple H’s regime which are apparent up and down the card:

An investment in long-term storylines that are engaging and meaningful.
Championship reigns are longer and more important.
Giving pushes to NXT call-ups that would have been previously discarded under McMahon.
Re-signing performers who never should have been fired in the first place.

The Bloodline storyline was the best angle I can think of in years. It lasted for months, made you want to tune in to find out where it would go next, and elevated everyone involved, especially Sami Zayn and The Usos. Shakespeare couldn’t have written it better. It was such a good story that its outcome will be prominently featured both Saturday and Sunday night.

The rest of the card is also centered around solid storytelling and will complement the main events well. There is a lot to cover, so what you need to know about each match is as follows.

WrestleMania host, The Miz

There is not much of an obvious direction where this is going to head, but it is clear that Miz is hosting both nights. Maybe he will set up an angle on Saturday that pays off on Sunday. Maybe he even ends up in a match somehow. Maybe he gets involved with a returning superstar or a celebrity. Your guess is as good as mine.

Saturday Night

Austin Theory (c) vs. John Cena in a Singles match for the WWE United States Championship

WrestleMania was once John Cena’s show, now it belongs to Roman Reigns and Cena is just a participant. But he Cena not so far removed from his heyday making this a great opportunity for Austin Theory. There may have been some truth to the promo Cena cut on Theory that Theory is not ready for the WrestleMania spotlight. But Theory is young and has the look and the tools to be successful, and Cena is known for making young talent look good.

Prediction: Winner and still WWE United States Champion, Austin Theory

Seth “Freakin” Rollins vs. Logan Paul

Logan Paul’s early work in the WWE has been unprecedented. In his very limited set of appearances as a part-timer, he has impressed both on the microphone and in the ring in the biggest spots imaginable. He wowed the crowds at WrestleMania and at Crown Jewel, and he has made seamless transitions from heel to babyface and back to heel. Paul being matched up with the talented veteran Seth Rollins should be a treat for fans and an opportunity for a WrestleMania moment for both individuals.

Prediction: Winner, Logan Paul

Trish Stratus, Lita, and Becky Lynch vs. Damage CTRL (Bayley, Dakota Kai, and Iyo Sky) in a six-woman tag team match

Not even two hall-of-famers can save this from being a complete disaster. Trish Stratus wasn’t capable of working a match without a blown spot when she was in her prime as a full-time competitor so don’t expect her to be better in retirement. The Damage CTRL gimmick is displeasing and needs to be wound down in a hurry.

Prediction: Winners, Trish Stratus, Lita, and Becky Lynch

Braun Strowman and Ricochet vs. The Street Profits (Angelo Dawkins and Montez Ford) vs. Alpha Academy (Chad Gable and Otis) vs. The Viking Raiders (Erik and Ivar) (with Valhalla) in a Men’s WrestleMania Showcase fatal four-way tag team match

Try saying that one fast. This is a typical “let’s get everyone on the WrestleMania card” tag team match. They tend to be uglier than a bowling shoe. Everyone will try to get one big spot in before they quickly get pinned. The only thing that can save this match is a heel turn.

Prediction: Winners, Alpha Academy

Charlotte Flair (c) vs. Rhea Ripley

Rhea Ripley complements the rest of the Judgement Day faction members very well, and her work with Dominik Mysterio got her hot and afforded her the opportunity to take on Charlotte Flair for the championship. Given that it is the only women’s match of the night, one would hope that they give it their best effort.

Prediction: Winner, Charlotte Flair

The Usos (Jey Uso and Jimmy Uso) (c) vs. Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn in a tag team match the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship

Sami Zayn might be the WWE MVP these days, but don’t overlook how well the Usos have played their parts in this saga. The twins were given a chance to show their individuality and turned Zayn from a trusted friend to a foe. Kevin Owens — star of last year’s WrestleMania Saturday main event – is dependable in his role as always. This should be the main event on Saturday, but even if it isn’t, it will be the most important match on the card.

Prediction: Winners and new champions, Owens and Zayn

Rey Mysterio vs. Dominik Mysterio

I always say that professional wrestling is at its best in a one-on-one grudge match. And what kind of grudge match is better than father versus son? Dominik and the Judgement Day have tormented Rey for months and the payoff happens on Saturday, on the night after Rey is inducted into the Hall of Fame. What better way for Rey’s WrestleMania weekend to end than to have him job to his own son?

Prediction: Winner, Rey Mysterio

Sunday Night

Gunther (c) vs. Sheamus vs. Drew McIntyre in a triple threat match for the WWE Intercontinental Championship

Quite often, the Intercontinental Championship match at WrestleMania is either over-booked or an afterthought. Neither is the case this year. These three brawlers have already worked together and have great chemistry. This is going to look like it hurts because it actually will hurt.

Prediction: Winner and still WWE Intercontinental Champion, Gunther

Edge vs. “The Demon” Finn Bálor in a Hell in a Cell match

We have not seen a Hell in a Cell match since the Hell in a Cell premium live event was eliminated, and that is a good thing. It cheapened the HIAC gimmick to have it on the calendar every year. It is much better to bring it out when the situation warrants it. This is a situation that warrants it.

Edge is likely to wrap things up very soon and call it a career again. This could be his swan song, one last emotional and violent match at WrestleMania. Finn Bálor is still searching for a signature in-ring moment in the WWE, and he is teasing bringing back his “demon” gimmick for this match Expect the two of them to create WrestleMania memories.

Prediction: Winner, Finn Bálor

Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez vs. Natalya and Shotzi vs. Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler vs. Chelsea Green and Sonya Deville in a Women’s WrestleMania Showcase fatal four-way tag team match

If they were going to have an over-booked men’s fatal four-way on Saturday, might as well showcase an even worse women’s fatal four-way on Sunday. If you are experiencing WrestleMania fatigue by Sunday night, this is your opportunity to flip through the channels, you won’t miss anything important.

Prediction: Winners, Ronda Rousey and Shana Baszler

Bianca Belair (c) vs. Asuka in a singles match for the WWE Raw Women’s Championship

Belair was a participant in what is considered by most to be the best Women’s WrestleMania match of all time against Sasha Banks two years ago. She typically saves her best work for premium live events. If you must watch one of the women’s matches on this card, this would be it.

Prediction: Winner and new WWE Raw Women’s Champion, Asuka

Brock Lesnar vs. Omos (with MVP)

This is a cold pairing for Brock Lesnar who did not have an obvious main-event level opponent for this year’s Showcase of The Immortals. Lesnar has done some of his best work these past two years. Omos still is struggling to sell credibly for his opponents, which is a critical skill for a monster heel to master. With any luck, Lesnar can make Omos look good but it will be an uphill battle.

Prediction: Winner, Brock Lesnar

Roman Reigns (c) (with Paul Heyman) vs. Cody Rhodes in a singles match for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship

Roman Reigns has completely transformed himself from the “Ruiner of the WrestleMania Main Event” to the unquestionable number one star of the company in just a few short years. The Tribal Chief has connected with the audience in a way he was unable to earlier in his career, and it is making his matches must-see events. He is enhanced by the talents surrounding him in The Bloodline, and he enhances the superstars he competes against.

Cody Rhodes took an unusual path to this year’s WrestleMania. Since the inception of AEW, he is the only talent who has switched from WWE to AEW, and then back to WWE. He played the companies off of each other to his own advantage, elevating his status as a performer each time. Despite the setback of a significant injury in 2022, Cody was able to ride the wave of momentum he is on to the main event of WrestleMania while doing nothing flashy. He is not the most gifted wrestler, and his promos are centered around true stories about himself and his family. It worked for him, he connected with the audience and they want to see him in this spot.

It should be an enjoyable and emotional match, but this one is tough to call, there is a compelling case for both of them to have their hand raised as champion.

Prediction: Winner and still Undisputed WWE Universal Champion, Roman Reigns

Filed Under: WWE Tagged With: Austin Theory, Brock Lesnar, Cody Rhodes, Dominik Mysterio, Drew McIntyre, Edge, Finn Bálor, Gunther, John Cena, Kevin Owens, Logan Paul, Omos, Paul Heyman, Rey Mysterio, Roman Reigns, Sami Zayn, Seth "Freakin" Rollins, Sheamus, The Bloodline, The Miz, The Usos, WrestleMania, WWE

WrestleMania 38 Sunday: Analysis and Predictions

April 3, 2022 by njnonconformist Leave a Comment

If WrestleMania 38 was just the Saturday card, it would have left everyone satisfied. Every performer on the Sunday show is going to have a hard time following the matches that took place on Saturday. It was a near-flawless show that exemplified professional wrestling at its finest.

There is no lack of star power lined up for WrestleMania Sunday, and there is a good mix of grudge matches and title matches. It is going to be capped with a title unification match between the two top stars in the WWE. If WrestleMania must be two nights, at least there is a lot to look forward to tonight.

The New Day (Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston) vs. Sheamus and Ridge Holland (with Butch)

This match is behind the eight-ball to begin with because Big E will not be able to compete in it, having suffered a broken neck on Smackdown in an accidental botched spot with Ridge Holland. Big E would have been the biggest star of the bunch, and it cost Butch his opportunity to be in the match. Instead, he will be the heater on the outside.

The New Day gimmick certainly has staying power and is still over with WWE fans. Sheamus and Ridge Holland are a much newer pairing, and Holland is in a good spot here with a chance to show that he can hang with this veteran group. Butch is the odd man out but should at least get a spot to draw some heat for himself.

Prediction: Winners, Sheamus and Ridge Holland

Queen Zelina and Carmella (c) vs. Sasha Banks and Naomi vs. Rhea Ripley and Liv Morgan vs. Natalya and Shayna Baszler in a fatal four-way tag team match for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship

Try to say that one fast. This is the lone overbooked “let’s get everybody on the WrestleMania card” match of the weekend. These matches are always confusing and help nobody look good. This will give me an opportunity to catch up on my DVR queue while the show is still on.

Prediction: This match is going to suck

Johnny Knoxville vs. Sami Zayn in an Anything Goes match

Logan Paul crushed it on WrestleMania Saturday. Can Johnny Knoxville do the same? The Anything Goes stipulation opens a creative channel to introduce multiple Jackass-type stunts into the match. It also protects Knoxville if he can not wrestle at a competent level.

Prediction: Winner, Sami Zayn

Pat McAfee vs. Austin Theory

I caught Pat McAfee wrestling in a War Games match on NXT and was very impressed with how he carried himself. He does not have too many matches on his professional resume, but he has shown he can rise to the occasion. Austin Theory is among the youngest competitors at WrestleMania 38. He is going to want to prove he has long-term potential to be a WrestleMania star.

McAfee has a great deal of name recognition outside the WWE as a sportscaster to begin with. This is an obvious spot for the WWE to give him a few highlight-worthy spots and a victory to draw some mainstream recognition.

Prediction: Winner, Pat McAfee

RK-Bro (Randy Orton and Riddle) (c) vs. The Street Profits (Angelo Dawkins and Montez Ford) vs. Alpha Academy (Chad Gable and Otis) in a triple threat tag team match for the WWE Raw Tag Team Championship

SHOOOSH!!! This one is not quite as bad as the women’s fatal four-way championship match, but there is going to be a lot going on that will distract from the individual talents. These are three very capable tag teams, and you must hope that their performances do not get lost in the shuffle.

Randy Orton is a former WrestleMania main-eventer who has slid down the card as a babyface tag-team wrestler. It seems logical that at some point he is going to backstab Riddle and turn heel. What better time and place than WrestleMania?

Prediction: Winners and new WWE Raw Tag Team Champions, Alpha Academy.

Edge vs. AJ Styles

A grudge match between two veterans with nothing titles or stipulations on the line? Yes, please! Edge working heel for the first time since his surprise return to the WWE? Yes, please! This one has match of the night potential.

Prediction: Winner, Edge

Bobby Lashley vs. Omos

It is good that Bobby Lashley made the WrestleMania card after it looked like he was suffering from some sort of injury that limited his participation at Elimination Chamber and saw him surrender the championship. Unfortunately, there was not much of a build for this match. But Bobby is one of the top stars in WWE today and it should be fun to watch these ridiculously large human beings do battle.

Prediction: Winner, Bobby Lashley

Brock Lesnar (WWE Champion) vs. Roman Reigns (Universal Champion) (with Paul Heyman) in a Winner Takes All match to unify the WWE Championship and WWE Universal Championship

This is the third time we have seen this exact same WrestleMania main event. But it is the first time that Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar have been positioned properly. Roman Reigns is finally the arrogant heel that the fans wanted him to be, and Brock is the “cowboy with a strange mohawk and ponytail” that is somehow working out very well for him.

There is a clear good guy versus bad guy dynamic in this match, and there is a title unification on the line. What more could you really ask for in a WrestleMania main event?

Prediction: Winner and Unified Champion, Roman Reigns

Filed Under: WWE Tagged With: AJ Styles, Austin Theory, Bobby Lashley, Brock Lesnar, Butch, Edge, Johnny Knoxville, Omos, Pat McAfee, Paul Heyman, Randy Orton, Riddle, Ridge Holland, Roman Reigns, Sheamus, The New Day, WrestleMania, WWE

WrestleMania 37 Night 2 Analysis and Predictions

April 11, 2021 by njnonconformist Leave a Comment

Two nights of WrestleMania? Best weekend ever? Or too much wrestling?

After watching last night’s card, I believe the WWE has fixed the “overcrowding” situation it used to have when WrestleMania was one night. There was only one over-booked match that was in place to get people on the card. Most of the matches were plain singles or tag team matches that were not rushed. While there were not too many surprises in the outcomes, most of them were very entertaining from start to finish.

Saturday’s show will be a tough act for Sunday’s show to follow. I think I would have been happy if last night was the entire WrestleMania card, but I am happy to watch again tonight. Here are my match predictions.

Riddle (c) vs. Sheamus in a Singles match for the WWE United States Championship

I have always been the kind of wrestling fan that found most of the babyfaces to be annoying. Riddle is my worst nightmare. I do not know what they are thinking with this guy. All I can hope for is that Sheamus shoves Riddle’s scooter down his own throat, and then kicks Riddle’s head into the 19^th row.

Prediction: Winner and new WWE United States Champion, Sheamus

Asuka (c) vs. Rhea Ripley in a Singles match for the WWE Raw Women’s Championship

Rhea Ripley’s gimmick seems to be to show up from NXT just before WrestleMania and get herself a major brand title shot. Not sure why this keeps happening to her, she does not bring much to the table. Asuka certainly does not bring anything to the table either.

Prediction: This match is going to suck

The Fiend (with Alexa Bliss) vs. Randy Orton

Big E (c) vs. Apollo Crews Nigerian Drum Fight for the WWE Intercontinental Championship

This is a head-scratching development. These guys were perfectly capable of carrying a babyface/heel feud centered over the Intercontinental Championship as they were. For some reason, Apollo Crews decided he was going to turn into an ethnic heel and develop a fake accent just a few weeks ago. There is nothing stranger than when a WWE Superstar gains or loses an accent, just ask Kofi Kingston.

Whatever a Nigerian Drum Match is supposed to be does not sound like it is WrestleMania-worthy. But these terrible creative decisions can not take away from the fact that these are two of the best wrestlers on the roster today. Hopefully, they can make chicken salad out of chicken scratch and turn in a memorable match.

Prediction: Winner and new WWE Intercontinental Champion, Apollo Crews

Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn (with Logan Paul)

Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn are trying to challenge Randy Orton and John Cena for the longest feud ever. These guys know each other well and are both performing at a high level right now. They are going to have to get Logan Paul involved in the match somehow, hopefully in a way that does not interfere with the story the two professionals are trying to tell.

Prediction: Winner, Sami Zayn

Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler (c) (with Reginald) vs. Tag Team Turmoil winners in a Tag team match for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship

The makeshift team of Natalya and Tamina was the puzzling choice to win Saturday night’s race-to-the-bottom turmoil match to earn a shot at the Women’s Tag Team Championship on Sunday. With any luck the title match is better, but I would not count on it.

Prediction: This match is going to suck

The Fiend (with Alexa Bliss) vs. Randy Orton

Randy Orton and Bray Wyatt are at it again at WrestleMania and hopefully this time their match is better than the aborted mess that was their WrestleMania 33 match. The 2017 version of Bray Wyatt was floundering, and the special effects used in the match were anything other than scary. Now that Bray Wyatt is working as his “Fiend” alter-ego and his television exposure has been kept to a minimum, his work is stronger than ever. Given the involvement from Alexa Bliss and some creative camera work and special effects in the fan-less WWE Thunderdome, the build for this match has been one of the only standout storylines on WWE television right now.

Randy Orton is a versatile performer and seems to be in his element dealing with the supernatural aspect of Wyatt’s character. These guys are going to want to erase the memory of their first WrestleMania match and deliver a match to remember this time around.

Prediction: Winner, Randy Orton

Roman Reigns (c) (with Paul Heyman) vs. Edge vs. Daniel Bryan in a Triple Threat match for the WWE Universal Championship

For years I complained that Roman Reigns was a talentless disaster that ruined every single WrestleMania main event he was in. He was miscast as a babyface, his promos and catchphrases were cringe-worthy, and his in-ring psychology defied logic. Then he disappeared the week before WrestleMania 36, forfeiting his spot in a championship match with Goldberg and stayed off WWE television for months.

Then something strange happened. Reigns pivoted into a heel and finally became a talent worth taking an interest in. His brooding mannerisms are much more suited towards being the arrogant “Head of the Table” than whatever the “Big Dog” was supposed to be.

While it is a feel-good story that Edge was able to return to the ring after being forced into retirement due to a neck injury, his reemergence has been a complete debacle. His WrestleMania 36 match with Randy Orton was among the worst on the card, a thirty-minute exercise in how many times they could hit each other over the head with a heavy object. Not much longer after that, Edge was lost to injury in a development that surprised nobody. While he was able to win the Royal Rumble and secure a title match at WrestleMania, it seemed like the match was lacking something big.

Cue everyone’s favorite underdog, Daniel Bryan. Bryan was the main event winner that WWE management did not even want on the card at WrestleMania XXX. After being forced into early retirement himself and making a miracle comeback, Bryan is now being asked to spring into action to spice up the action for the main event of WrestleMania 37. There has not been a career arc like this in WWE history!

For the first time in his career, Roman Reigns will be in a WrestleMania main event worth watching. Bryan knows his days are numbered and will look to make this a match to remember. This not only has match of the night potential, but it could also go down as a WrestleMania classic.

Prediction: Winner and new WWE Universal Champion, Daniel Bryan

Filed Under: WWE Tagged With: Apollo Crews, Asuka, Big E, Bray Wyatt, Daniel Bryan, Edge, Paul Heyman, Randy Orton, Rhea Ripley, Riddle, Roman Reigns, Sheamus, WrestleMania, WWE

WWE Survivor Series Analysis and Predictions

November 20, 2016 by njnonconformist Leave a Comment

“As far as I’m concerned, everybody on Smackdown is dead to me.” Among my circle of friends who are fans of WWE, this has been the going sentiment since the brand split in July. None of us are really excited about another brand split and we can’t understand why the WWE is repeating an experiment that has already failed. We didn’t buy into the phony competition between the two brands the first time the WWE tried this and we aren’t buying it now. Most of us are suffering from WWE fatigue from having to watch two shows to keep up with what is going on, or just not watching Smackdown at all. This is not what the WWE wanted. They really think we have enough time to watch three hours of Raw, two hours of Smackdown, and maybe a three to four hour pay-per-view each week!

The brand split comes into play at the Survivor Series as three matches on the will feature talents from both shows competing against each other. Instead of the traditional babyface vs. heel Survivor Series teams that we have seen in the past, allegiances are based on brand. Teams are now a confusing mess of good and bad guys that don’t have a compelling reason to care about each other. In fact, in some cases, the card just looks plain silly.

For example, on Team Smackdown for the 5-on-5 elimination men’s match, Bray Wyatt and Randy Orton are on a team with Dean Ambrose. It just looks outright silly to see Bray Wyatt in a blue Smackdown t-shirt and acting like he cares about the match and his teammates. It also doesn’t make much sense for the Randy Orton storyline, having recently joined up with the Wyatt Family. This doesn’t really cement his status as a member of an outsider heel faction if he is suddenly teaming up with several babyfaces he should be in a rivalry with instead.

On the other side of this match on Team Raw there is an even more ridiculous scenario with Roman Reigns teaming with Seth Rollins. What possible reason could these to have to get along as teammates following Rollins’ betrayal of The Shield two years ago? Why are they suddenly cooperating with each other? Where is the logic behind this?

The overall issue with the three Survivor Series matches on the card is the fact that we won’t be able to really decide which teams to root for. The fans don’t really care about Smackdown vs. Raw, we just care about good guys vs. bad guys. And we want to decide who the good and bad guys are, not be told who they are (see Roman Reigns for example). The best thing to hope for is some entertaining spots in these matches and hope the storylines progress on individual levels. As such, I’m not going to attempt to predict who will win or lose these matches.

There are some things to look for with the rest of the card, certainly highlighted by the return of Goldberg to face Brock Lesnar. There is also a chance that we will see The Undertaker return in some capacity, and we may also see the beginnings of some WrestleMania storylines. Let’s take a look at the remaining matches.

The Brian Kendrick (c) vs. Kalisto in a singles match for the WWE Cruiserweight Championship; if Kalisto wins, the title and the cruiserweight division will transfer to SmackDown

That certainly is some stipulation! I have no idea why it’s needed. Do the fans really care which show the cruiserweight division competes in? Is this stipulation going to somehow enhance this match? Can’t Kendrick and Kalisto have a championship match without having to worry where they show up for work this week?

The Cruiserweight division seemed to do well on its own when it kicked off this summer with the Cruiserweight Classic specials on the WWE Network. It was marketable to a niche set of WWE fans that appreciate the type of fast-paced and high-flying action that the cruiserweights deliver. It had a mix of young and veteran talent, and was well received by the fans.

When the division made it to Raw, it has gotten lost in the shuffle. It doesn’t pair well with the rest of the roster, and in many cases, it is illogical in the sense that there are other competitors that compete at under 205 pounds but are not obligated to only compete as cruiserweights. Maybe it needs more time to settle in, but the division doesn’t work well for me right now.

This match will be a typical cruiserweight match with lots of quick spots and back-and-forth action. Look for Kalisto to attempt to defy gravity, and hopefully for Kendrick to use some sort of underhanded means to gain an advantage in the match.

Prediction: Winner and still Cruiserweight Champion, The Brian Kendrick

The Miz (c) (with Maryse) vs. Sami Zayn in a singles match for the WWE Intercontinental Championship; if Zayn wins, the title will transfer to Raw

Here we go again with another Raw vs. Smackdown angle, this one around the prestigious Intercontinental title. The Miz surprisingly won the title from Dolph Ziggler on Raw and was inserted into this match at the last minute. I’m not sure I understand the logic behind this, especially since Ziggler was the one who issued the challenge to the Raw roster to defend the title against one of them. Then again, there isn’t much logic to what we’ve seen lately in the run up to Survivor Series, so what’s the difference?

The title pictures are a muddled mess between the two brands. It’s hard to tell what is what. The only obvious ones are the Smackdown Women’s and Tag Team Championships because they are named after their own brand. But the Intercontinental title isn’t named after a brand so somehow it floats in the middle of things.

What is important to me is the prestige of the IC title itself. Some of the greatest wrestlers of all time have proudly worn the IC championship belt, and it often has been misused in the past decade or so with forgettable and brief championship runs. The Miz is one of the best IC champions we have seen in a long time and has held the title for most of the last six months since the Raw after WrestleMania. He is a dependable heel, and cuts some of the best promos in the business. The fans genuinely hate the guy and that in turn helps his opponents look better as they chase the title.

Sami Zayn continues to underwhelm audiences all over the world. Having been known as a Kevin Owens ally prior to their WWE runs, Zayn has been outshined by the more talented Owens in every way. His matches and his promos are average at best and he really hasn’t done much to distinguish himself. It would be a disservice to see him win the IC title. The title works best when the talent is already over before winning the belt. It doesn’t work very well when the title is used to get the talent over.

I wouldn’t expect this match to be remembered as a classic. One thing for sure, Maryse will certainly interject herself in the match in an attempt to help Miz gain an advantage. Other than that, this will probably be a pedestrian effort and an average match.

Prediction: Winner and still Intercontinental Champion, The Miz

Brock Lesnar vs. Goldberg

At least this match has nothing to do with Raw vs. Smackdown!

I had the privilege of attending WrestleMania XX in person in 2004 at Madison Square Garden. The worst match of the night was Brock Lesnar vs. Goldberg. Stone Cold Steve Austin was the guest referee, and even he couldn’t bring any excitement to the match. At some point during the match, a fan in the upper deck dressed up as Hulk Hogan started posing to the crowd, and he got bigger cheers then either of the two combatants in the match. It was a forgettable affair, not suitable for WrestleMania, and both men left the WWE immediately after WrestleMania XX.

For some reason, in Goldberg’s first match after a 12-year absence, we get the exact same matchup for his return. The placing of this matchup tells you a lot about what WWE things of Goldberg. His first match back is at Survivor Series, not WrestleMania. The rivalry had a short build, and it started with an ESPN interview in which Goldberg said he’d like to grant Lesnar a rematch.

The build has been shaky at best. Even Paul Heyman himself has struggled to get the crowds to treat Goldberg as the babyface and Lesnar as the heel. His promos were designed to get the crowd to chant “Goldberg” and more often than not, the crowd cheered “Goldberg sucks!” instead. It didn’t help that the WWE tried to push this angle in Lesnar’s home state of Minnesota.

It would be a huge mistake for Goldberg to win this match. The WWE painted themselves into a corner when Lesnar ended The Streak at WrestleMania XXX. Once Lesnar made The Undertaker 21 and 1, they set him up for a future as a destroyer that can’t be beat. If Lesnar loses to a man who is in his late 40’s and hasn’t wrestled in 12 years, it invalidates everything they built for him as The Conqueror.

One final note about Goldberg, he was advertised as “The Greatest WCW Champion” upon his WWE return. Did the person who wrote this line think we’d forget about Ric Flair? Please!

There’s not much of a need for me to predict what this match is going to look like. Pull up their match at WrestleMania XX on the WWE Network and see how bad the first one was for yourself. Is the rematch somehow going to be any better? I would doubt it.

Prediction: Winner, Brock Lesnar

Filed Under: WWE Tagged With: Bray Wyatt, Brock Lesnar, Dean Ambrose, Goldberg, Paul Heyman, Randy Orton, Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, Survivor Series, The Brian Kendrick, The Miz, Undertaker, WWE, WWE Network

WrestleMania 32 Analysis and Predictions (part 3 of 3)

April 3, 2016 by njnonconformist Leave a Comment

The first WrestleMania in 1985 was based around one main event featuring Hulk Hogan and Mr. T. There were other matches on the card and several celebrity appearances, but the main event was really the only draw that made the event successful. In order for WrestleMania to grow into the global phenomenon that is capable of selling out football stadiums that it is today, it had to feature more than just one main event to make the card special.

WrestleMania 32 will feature three main event-level matches that have been heavily hyped and advertised these past few months. They will feature an interesting mix of legends who wrestle part time, full time competitors, the boss’ son, and a featured babyface that has been panned by the critics over the past two years. Any one of these three matches has potential to be top-10 all-time great WrestleMania match, or perhaps even take a shot at being the best ever.

This is my final of three blog posts on WrestleMania 32 and it will feature my expert analysis and picks for the main event matches. If you are going to be betting on any of these matches, you’ll want to pay close attention!

Dean Ambrose vs. Brock Lesnar in a No Holds Barred Street Fight

Any match with Brock Lesnar in the WWE is a main event. Brock is a once-in-a-generation gifted athlete and is among the best in-ring workers we have ever seen in the WWE. He looks like was chiseled out of stone and displays feats of strength in his matches that are almost unbelievable. Unfortunately, he is not in the WWE title hunt this year like he deserves, but he is still going to put on a wrestling clinic at WrestleMania 32. Of course, always at his side, his advocate Paul Heyman is certainly going to cut an entertaining promo during the show that is going to bring the crowd to their feet.

His opponent, Dean Ambrose, has been a surprise success on his own since The Shield broke up two years ago. When he first came up, it seemed like he was destined to wrestle as a heel for his entire career but the crowd has taken to his “lunatic fringe” gimmick and he has worked in several pay-per-view main events as a solo competitor. This match is a better spot for Ambrose than it is for Lesnar as it really gives Ambrose a chance to elevate his status with the WWE fans if he delivers an unforgettable performance. A lot of critics have been calling for Ambrose to make a career-defining statement in this match and I think he has a chance of doing it.

The build for this match has been entertaining. The creative angle of making it a street fight was done to give Ambrose the appearance of having a chance to win as there is no way he could beat brock in a straight wrestling match. Ambrose has filmed several vignettes with hardcore legends such as Cactus Jack and Chainsaw Charlie, with each of them “passing the hardcore torch” to the younger Ambrose by giving him their favorite weapons of choice. Of course, Ambrose isn’t going to saw Lesnar’s arm off with Charlie’s Chainsaw, but it was certainly funny watching those segments.

This match is going to be wild and will feature Ambrose and Lesnar using all kind of prop weapons against each other. It is going to be a stiff looking all-out brawl between the two and it could steal the show if these two can bring the best out of each other.

Prediction: Winner, Brock Lesnar

Shane McMahon vs. The Undertaker in a Hell in a Cell match; if Shane wins, he will get control of Raw and Undertaker will be barred from competing at WrestleMania again.

This is the match that nobody saw coming headed into the final stretch of WrestleMania season. The memories of a lackluster FastLane pay-per-view were quickly erased when on the opening segment of the next night’s Raw, Shane McMahon made his return to WWE programming after a seven-year absence and was put in a high-stakes match against the Undertaker at WrestleMania in a Hell in a Cell. This caught almost all observers off guard as almost nobody guessed that McMahon was going to be this year’s opponent for The Undertaker.

Shane McMahon is competing for the opportunity to take control of the company away from his father and sister. The narrative for this match was somewhat hastily implemented and it is almost bizarre in the sense as it is somewhat unclear what The Undertaker’s motivation was to compete against McMahon, but when the stipulation was added that if he loses to McMahon he can no longer compete at future WrestleManias, it gave him something to fight for.

Shane McMahon will always be admired by the fans because his resume of in-ring accomplishments from the Attitude Era are staggering. He shed the notion that he was only part of the show because he was the boss’ son by taking death-defying bumps in almost all of his matches. He displayed a surprising amount of talent and wrestling ability for someone who didn’t look like an athlete. His willingness to lay his body on the line and take risks earned him respect and admiration from all observers of the sport.

The Undertaker has the best WrestleMania resume of any performer in WWE history. Despite the fact that his legendary winning streak ended at WrestleMania XXX, he still boasts a 22-1 win/loss record at WrestleMania and has set a mark that will likely never be matched. His WrestleMania matches, especially towards the end of his streak, would look and feel more important than the actual WWE title matches on the same card. His match against Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania XXV is widely recognized as the greatest WrestleMania match of all time. There aren’t enough superlatives to describe The Deadman’s WrestleMania accomplishments.

The Hell in a Cell stipulation will add an element of surprise and danger to this match. The HIAC structure became legendary when The Undertaker threw Mankind off the top of the cage in one of the most iconic moments in WWE history. Nobody has ever been able to top that moment, but HIAC matches when done well have told dramatic and brutal stories. Given the fact that Shane McMahon and The Undertaker are the participants in this particular HIAC match, it is a safe bet that this match could become an instant classic and be remembered as one of the best ever. McMahon is likely going to damn near commit suicide in an attempt to wow the Dallas crowd.

I believe there are a few tells here that indicate the winner of match is going to be The Undertaker. First off, it doesn’t seem likely that Shane McMahon is going to quit his day job and return to the WWE in a full-time capacity. It also isn’t likely that The Undertaker is going to retire from WrestleMania competition any time soon. He can still perform at a high level and has been advertised for future matches later this month in Europe. If they are going to retire The Undertaker from WrestleMania, they might as well retire him for good.

Prediction: Winner, The Undertaker

Triple H (c) vs. Roman Reigns in a Singles match for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship

The likely outcome of this match is a moment that most WWE fans have been dreading for the last two years. Vince McMahon’s insistence that Roman Reigns is the next face of the company is one of the biggest mysteries that WWE fans have pondered in years. We clamor for pretty much anybody else on the card to be the top babyface champion in the company, yet we are met with Vince McMahon’s intransigent attitude on the matter. His putting Roman Reigns in the WrestleMania main event for the second straight year is an example of his truculent stance against the fans. It is as if he decided years ago that Reigns was going to be the top guy in the company and he is going to give it to us whether we like it or not.

The problem the fans have with Roman Reigns isn’t that he is the chosen one. The problem we have is very simple; Roman Reigns isn’t a very good wrestler. He lacks basic in-ring psychology, never seemingly knowing when to sell an injury or when to make a comeback. His offensive move set lacks excitement (who pops for the Superman Punch?) and he applies his biggest moves at the least appropriate times. Most importantly, he lacks the ability to captivate the audience when he cuts a promo. He is uninteresting and unable to properly emote.

This is not a case where a wrestler isn’t ready for the big time and needs time to develop. Reigns was given the exact opportunity that Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose were to develop and get over with the crowd. The sole problem that Roman Reigns has is that he is just not very good and he does not appear likely to ever improve.

Likely due to the rash of injuries and other extenuating circumstances in the WWE, Triple H had to insert himself in the main event picture to make this match interesting. The WWE COO rarely wrestles anymore, but he always competes in a high profile match at WrestleMania. This year, in his 20^th WrestleMania, he enters the main event as WWE champion. Given injuries to Seth Rollins and John Cena in particular, there weren’t too many people left that could credibly carry the title to the WrestleMania main event against Reigns.

Despite the fact that Roman Reigns is booked as the babyface and Triple H is booked as the heel in this match, the crowd have been audibly behind Triple H and not Roman Reigns. Triple H received a huge ovation from the crowd when he viciously pounded Reign’s bloody face into the Raw announce table shortly after this match was announced. It was a classic cowardly heel maneuver and yet the crowd loved it. Conversely, nobody seemed to care when Reigns got his revenge several weeks later on Triple H by delivering him a beating of his own. Both crowd reactions indicated less the fact that the fans are supporters of Triple H, and it is more likely that they are just solidly opposed to Roman Reigns and will support anybody who challenges him.

Triple H is one of the best WrestleMania competitors the WWE has ever known and can always be counted on to deliver a memorable match. He is in his mid-40s and trains like a man half his age. He is seemingly still at his peak and will have to deliver the match of his life in order to carry the inferior Roman Reigns through this match. The stakes are high and if Roman Reigns is going to be our babyface champion for the near future, this match is going to have to be top-notch. If Reigns is ever going to get over, Triple H is going to have to act as the catalyst to make this change in attitude towards Reigns happen.

Prediction: Winner and new WWE World Heavyweight Champion, Roman Reigns

And with that, there is nothing else left to do than sit back and enjoy the 6-hour extravaganza on the WWE Network today, hoping for the best. Enjoy the show!

Filed Under: WWE Tagged With: Brock Lesnar, Cactus Jack, Chainsaw Charlie, Dean Ambrose, Hulk Hogan, Mankind, Mr. T, Paul Heyman, Roman Reigns, Shane McMahon, Triple H, Undertaker, Vince McMahon, WrestleMania, WWE