Yes ladies and gentlemen it is time for the annual pay-per-view that is “grandest stage of them all”, as the company who trademarked the phrase Sports Entertainment is so fond of saying, repeatedly. The cynic in me wants to complain about the poorly executed build up for Undertaker and Brock Lesnar match, and the notion of having one battle royal and one Divas pseudo-Battle Royal (but to win you must pin the opponent), and the quickly thrown together tag team fatal four way match, and the… well you get the picture. Yet the fan in me would like to think that Paul Levesque, his wife Stephanie and Father-in-law will reward the fans who have been so patient with the Daniel Bryan storyline.
After all, couldn’t we be forgiven if we’d have become disgruntled and given up on it, considering the Sports Entertain companies history of disappointing fans? There is also of course the very recent exhibits A (Dolph Ziggler) and B (Cody Rhodes). Who after overwhelming fan response have been booked back into supporting mid-card face roles. To the benefit of Bryan Danielson of course, but again I think fans could have been forgiven if they’d have assumed that the “Yes movement” was going to turn into another short lived “top face while John Cena was out” run.
We may never know what the real plans for his storyline would have been, it seems so long ago that Bryan was dropped back into a seemingly- thrown together feud with The Wyatt Family. The culmination of which, try as they might, was disappointing to say the least. It did produce one above-average and one epic match between Bray Wyatt and Daniel Bryan. But what if the overwhelming majority of live crowds had given up on the Bryan character after one too many carpets being pulled out from under him? The WWE would be stuck with a main event no-one cared about and a re-shuffling of the final few months leading to their biggest PPV of the year.
They toyed with disaster a bit didn’t they? But the fans wouldn’t let it die. They cheered and chanted and in some cases booed so vehemently that the folks ‘behind the curtain’ couldn’t help but listen. There are those who laugh at the “smarks” and say that this was Hunters way of building heat for Daniel Bryan, and trolling the fans as well. Fair enough, but this happened AFTER the re-introduction of Dave Bautista. A move that landed with such a thud it made both the Gobbledy Gooker and the Shockmaster look like genius storylines.
Luckily enough for them, for Danielson and for us fans it’s worked out okay… so far.
Oh! One other thing… where the fuck is C.M. Punk!?
- Fatal Four Way Tag Match ft. The Usos vs The Real Americans vs Ryback/Curtis Axel vs Los Matadors: Okay, let’s be honest here and say that the bullfighter gimmick was crap and they are only in a WM match to get a big payday after being saddled with it. Ryback/Axel? Scratching my head at that. So honestly it’s between Jimmy and Jay and Cesaro and Swagger.
Mike’s Prediction-The Usos retain in a manner that causes Cesaro and Swagger to break up after the loss.
Chris’ Prediction: The Uso’s; The pre show match and one that doesn’t really do anything for me, not due to the talent involved but more to do with how the tag division has been pushed over the last few years. Sure, I enjoy watching the Usos who are a legitimately good tag team but the rest? Los Matadores SHOULD be a fun, exciting team but they aren’t. Rybaxel make me sad and The Real Americans are better as singles wrestlers.
Larry’s Prediction: Look t that hair Jimmy ‘as…what I could do with that ‘air!
- Divas Championship Invatational ft. AJ Lee and no-one else of any importance.
Mike’s Prediction: If AJ loses we riot!
Chris’ Prediction: AJ Lee: If they actually built legitimate feuds or even cared enough about the divas to put a match on that lasted longer than 3 minutes……so would I, but I don’t.
Larry’s Prediction: Where’s Paige?! All I wanted was a little love from.. erm.. FROM Paige!
- John Cena vs Bray Wyatt;
Mike’s Prediction: The smart money is on Cena to win as the heel can always get his heat back by getting in a post-match beat down. But I for one would like to see this storyline carry over, so let’s see a double dq, which would then lead us to 3-on-1 match at the next ppv.
Chris’ Prediction: Double DQ; John Cena can’t lose to a relative newcomer at WrestleMania can he? Can he? Well, I think that he can BUT he won’t. I’m a Cena fan, I think in the right match he can excel and I think that Wyatt has really raised his game recently. Cena doesn’t need the title, Cena doesn’t need to win, Cena just needs to be focused and motivated. This is a watershed moment for Bray Wyatt, if he can pull this off and have a WM moment WITH CENA…..he’ll truly be on his way to superstardom.
Larry’s Prediction: Bray Wyatt is my beard’s spirit animal!
- The Shield vs The New Age Outlaws & Kane ft. one of the most over “factions” in the business against two old friends of the boss and a guy who has been poorly booked most of his career.
Mike’s Prediction: if The Shield loses we riot! Please do not break up The Shield yet, please. Build it ‘til Summer Slam, then let Rollins and Ambrose turn on Reigns.
Chris’ Prediction: The Shield; This is a match that pits old versus new, or should that be almost dead versus new. I LOVED the NAO 15 years ago but they are just taking the spot of younger, more agile players (The Real Americans?) As for Kane……bored. The Shield are great but should always be Heels in my opinion but anything involving Dean Ambrose delights me. I would have preferred a continued build of the Shield versus the Wyatts but what can you do.
Larry’s Prediction: The Shield, always The Shield… and Reign’s hair no!?
- Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal ft. The Big Show and a bunch of other guys…
Mike’s Prediction: If Paul White doesn’t win then… it’ll be stupid and a waste of time
Chris’ Prediction: Terrific way for everyone to get a payday but ultimately if Big Show doesn’t win then what’s the point? The guy was billed as Andre’s son when in WCW, so this is a no brainer.
Larry’s Prediction: Poor Andre, to have to live with that awful head of hair… and no beard either
- Triple H vs Daniel Bryan ft. the Trollmaster and the former American Dragon and Best In The World;
Mike’s Prediction: Daniel Bryan beats Triple H via schoolboy or roll-up or basic sunset-flip… leading to Triple H flipping out, hitting Bryan with a sledgehammer and then making the main event a no dq match between Orton, Batista and Daniel Bryan.
Chris’ Prediction: Daniel Bryan; Triple H putting himself over at Mania, surely that wont happen…..will it? Daniel Bryan HAS to get to the Main Event and to be honest, he pretty much has to win it. Let’s put this faux management bullshit storyline behind us. It could go to a disqualification but ultimately Bryan needs to be in the main event, where Triple H could cost him the title but that’s another story.
Larry’s Prediction: If it isn’t Bryan then Triple H has made the biggest miscalculation since bringing in Batista… wait… what? Disaster
- Undertaker vs Brock Lesnar ft. yawwwwwn… Can’t recall a less intriguing Undertaker Wrestlemania match… No way it reaches the heights of the matches either had recently with C.M. Punk. That said here’s hoping they leave this match ground based with a lot of amateur wrestling style. Think back to the Undertaker vs. Kurt Angle matches, we need that with a strong power finish.
Mike’s Prediction: Undertaker wins after taking Lesnar’s F5 and then a top-rope F5. Lesnar taps to the triangle choke.
Chris’ Prediction: The Undertaker; I questioned Lesner as the Undertaker’s opponent when it was announced and I still have my doubts about the match. The Undertaker is now in a peripheral state of injury and Lesner is a stiff monster. There is no real background to this match; there can’t really be for a part time wrestler and one that has one match a year. I fear this match could be an abortion.
Larry’s Prediction: Undertaker, period
- Orton vs Batista vs Bryan ft. two guys that the fans can’t be arsed about and the most over wrestler since Stone Cold Steve Austin.
Mike’s Prediction: Daniel Bryan wins but only after Triple H tries to interject himself trying to stop Bryan. “Cult Of Personality” hits and a refreshed C.M. Punk runs down the ramp, stopping Triple H. Simultaneously he helps Bryan beat Orton by eliminating Batista from the mix. Daniel Bryan holds both belts aloft with seventy five thousand fans chanting “Yes! Yes! Yes!”, and Punk jumps in the ring to celebrate with his long time friend. He then kicks Bryan in the gut, hauls him up on his shoulders and gives him the Go To Sleep! This kicks off a year long feud culminating in the main event for WM XXXI.
Chris’ Prediction: Here we go, the big one. It’s one that really could go a number of ways. Interference from Triple H could make this a no contest; he could turn on Orton or just do his best to stop Bryan. Looking at it, Batista winning should not really be an option. His return his been the biggest botch since Barry Windham was given the Stalker gimmick. Ultimately, Bryan HAS to win or it will be mayhem.
Larry’s Prediction: Agree with both the lads. Gotta be Bryan.
So there you have it…
Will it be 
or this 
?
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