We are now a few weeks removed from Wrestlemania 30. Usually around this time, I like to throw out ideas for the following year’s Wrestlemania. I usually update this after SummerSlam and Survivor Series as well. Just for fun, lets take a look back at my predicted matches for Wrestlemania 30 after Wrestlemania 29.
Tag Team Titles: Christian & Chris Jericho vs Rey Mysterio & Alberto del Rio
Seth Rollins vs Dean Ambrose vs Roman Reigns
#1 Contender Match: Ryback vs Wade Barrett vs Cesaro vs Kofi Kingston
World Heavyweight Championship: Randy Orton (c) vs Daniel Bryan
Sheamus vs Brock Lesnar
The Rock vs Dolph Ziggler
The Undertaker vs John Cena
WWE Championship: Triple H (c) vs CM Punk
Hey, I kind of got the Bryan/Orton match right. And HHH/Punk was suppose to happen. And just thinking about The Rock vs Dolph Ziggler now is laughable. But who would have thought Dolph would be booked so poorly after winning the World Title?
So, what do I think is in store for next year? Here you go:
Pre-Show: Andre the Giant Battle Royal
-I don’t know if this is really going to be happening at every Wrestlemania like the WWE said. I do, however, don’t think that the WWE will abandon the idea after one year. Especially with Money in the Bank still having its own “Special Event.” The WWE could do the same thing they did with Cesaro this year. So who might be some early favorites? I think you have to look at Mojo Rawley, Alexander Rusev and Bad News Barrett. Rusev and Barrett might be in line for pushes this year though. Depending on if they are called up, I could also see Colin Cassady getting a shot if he is called up with Enzo Amore. I think those guys will get over. I moved the match to the pre-show because there really isn’t a lot of room for this match on the card I have laid out.
Divas Championship: Paige (c) vs Emma
-This might just be hoping that Emma is no longer linked to Santino by this time next year. Sooner or later someone in the WWE will realize that Emma is a respectable wrestler. Hopefully these two can put on a match similar to what they have on NXT. I could see them forming a partnership, then one of them turning heel. I would presume that would be Paige.
Intercontinental Championship: Seth Rollins (c) vs Sami Zayn
-I think every member of The Shield will be main event players some day. But they can’t all main event right away. Seth Rollins might take the longest of the three to get there, even though he has been the standout performer of the group for the last month. But I could see the WWE giving Rollins the IC Title and the WWE trying to bring some respectability back to the Title. Rollins could go out every night and have solid 10-15 minute matches with anyone in the ring. Here he goes out and wrestles Sami Zayn. If I’m booking I have Zayn win and Rollins move on to the main event scene after.
Randy Orton, Batista, and Sheamus vs The Undertaker, Sting and Kane
-Sheamus seems like someone who is in line for a heel turn down the line. As others have pointed out, he could join Evolution once Batista takes some time off for a few months. He fits the role of Batista perferctly in that group. Sheamus has grown stale as a face and if they aren’t going to turn John Cena heel, Sheamus is probably the next best option. If Taker can’t wrestle a full match, then this is the next best option for him. Let Sting and Kane do most of the work and Taker hits all of his big moves in one short time span. It would be a good final swan song for the face in the match. I would assume this would be their final match.
Bray Wyatt vs Triple H
-Sooner or later, Bray Wyatt is going to force a face turn with the WWE. I think the crowd is going to cause it. I still prefer Bray as a heel but the WWE may be forced to react. Bray pretty much wouldn’t even have to change his character. Let him keep doing the same promos. I can see the Wyatts getting into a program with HHH and/or Evolution later in the year, leading to a one-on-one match between Bray and HHH at Wrestlemania. Triple H needs to be in the role of putting people over now in his career.
Brock Lesnar vs Cesaro
-It might be tough to keep these two apart for a year. But I think if the WWE really put some effort into it, they could hold off on this match until Wrestlemania. Brock might not come back again until the fall. But no matter when he comes back, I think Brock is getting a run with the WWE Title. But does he go into Wrestlemania with it? I don’t think so. Lesnar and the WWE Title Match are two big enough matches by themselves. They should be kept separate. What I could see happening is Lesnar winning the Title at Survivor Series. Heyman slowly starts paying less attention to Cesaro, which causes Cesaro to be taken out by Lesnar. At Elimination Chamber, Cesaro returns and costs Lesnar the Title. That sets up their match here. With Lesnar now having broken The Streak, he should be used to make someone at the next Wrestlemania. He shouldn’t face The Rock in a dream match.
Daniel Bryan vs CM Punk
-I’m still not fully convinced that CM Punk is coming back. If he does, it will be on his terms. And I’m sure he would love to comeback and put on a wrestling clinic with Daniel Bryan at Wrestlemania. It’s another story that could write itself. Punk costs Bryan a shot at the Title by causing his elimination at the Royal Rumble. Punk can talk about Bryan stealing his top spot, and how Bryan sold out to the WWE and the fans. Punk can talk about how he did that and it ended up backfiring on him. Bryan can come right back, talking about how he won the fans over and never felt like he should be handed something like Punk. I’m sure Punk wouldn’t even mind Bryan bringing up him walking out.
The Rock vs Dean Ambrose
-Yeah, this is going to be where you say I go off the deep end. And you are probably right. But I like to take at least one wild guess at a match when I do these. And this is mine. Originally, I was going to put Daniel Bryan in this spot. But if The Rock is going into the WWE Hall of Fame, he has to be the face. That leaves a limited number of people to put in this spot. You could put Bray Wyatt here, but it would end up being almost an exact copy of his feud with Cena this year. You aren’t going to do Rock vs Cena or Punk again. And like last year, I maintain that people like The Rock should be used to make top stars. And here would be your opportunity. Ambrose is a very good promo and I’m pretty sure he can hold his own with The Rock. I really think by this time next year, Ambrose will be close to the top heel in the WWE. There’s no reason he shouldn’t be. The WWE needs to be willing to take risks like these. This will probably be The Rock’s last Wrestlemania. Let him make a new star in the process.
WWE Championship: John Cena (c) vs Roman Reigns
-This plays off my scenario that I mentioned above. At Elimination Chamber, Cesaro causes Brock Lesnar to lose the WWE Championship. And John Cena picks up the win. He goes on to main event Wrestlemania 31 against the winner of the Royal Rumble, Roman Reigns. Reigns has come along a lot since his debut with the Shield. He debuted and many thought he was the weak link. But he has grown into a solid performer. He is much more comfortable on the mic and he’s developed a unique offensive move set. What the WWE needs to do is not ruin him. They need to keep Reigns like he is now. I consider him a Goldberg-lite type of character. If Reigns is going to be the next mega star in the WWE, there is no better way to establish that then to have him beat the current mega star.
So there’s my card. What would yours be?
Until Next Time,
Justin C
Follow Me On Twitter @JCWonka
