WrestleMania XXX preview and predictions

 

So here we are again. Another WrestleMania. But this isn’t just any WrestleMania. This is the thirtieth WrestleMania. If ‘Mania XXV is anything to go by that means that it’s also the thirtieth anniversary of the event. Thankfully the anniversary tag doesn’t seem to have been brought up this year. It seems as though someone at WWE has learned to count. Or it’s been decided that WrestleMania XXX is a big enough deal to succeed without erroneous celebratory milestones being deployed.

‘Mania XXX is going to be a big deal. That’s obvious. Each year WWE does it’s darnedest to make WrestleMania more impressive, glitzy, memorable and spectacular than it was the year before. They don’t always succeed but it’s not for lack of trying. Everyone in the company pulls out all the stops for ‘Mania, from the wrestlers to the writing team to Kevin Dunn’s army of production staff. WrestleMania, as WWE’s flagship show, is intended to be the biggest spectacle of the wrestling world (and the non-wrestling world come to that) every year.

Something I’ve never written about when previewing a show before is the set design and colour scheme. This is largely because I only preview WWE shows and generally all we get is some fireworks and video packages. But WrestleManias are different. There’ll still be fireworks and video packages (obvs) but ‘Mania is the one show of the year at which top wrestlers get specially designed entrances and there’s a chance that the show will kick off with something other than the standard issue pyro.

What that could be for WrestleMania XXX is anyone’s guess. Production tsar Kevin Dunn has made a reputation over the last several years of concocting lavish sets and impressively choreographed sequences for WWE shows. The obvious thing would be a street carnival, seeing as the show’s being hosted in notorious party town New Orleans. Flamenco dancers, jazz trumpeters, and scantily clad women draped in feather boas and absurd headdresses would feel thematically appropriate. But who can say if Mr Dunn will take the obvious route. He may have something just as relevant but far less predictable in store. A safer bet is that the colour scheme will feature a lot of purple. Photos of the set released on Twitter confirms this but even without that the logo that’s been hanging from the rafters on RAW all year has been purple, tipping WWE’s hand.

But what most people (if not all people) reading this will be concerned with are the matches. That is, after all, why we tune into wrestling events. When looking at the WrestleMania card there’s one match that stands head and shoulders above all others. One that’s been months in the making. One that will feature one of the most popular WWE performers of recent years, who I’m sure will end up considering WrestleMania XXX as a significant milestone in their career.

I am of course talking about AJ Lee defending her Divas championship in the Vickie Guerrero Invitational. Ms Lee will defend her title against the thirteen other women who make up the promotion’s female main roster. That includes the Bella twins, the Funkadactyls, newcomer Emma, ballroom valet Summer Rae and AJ’s bodyguard Tamina. We are, I think, supposed to anticipate a showdown between AJ and Tamina which results in AJ finally receiving her comeuppance as a heel.

It would be more effective to deliver that in a singles match between an officially turned Tamina and cowering heel champ AJ but I can understand WWE taking this approach. They want to get as many people onto the card as they can, partly as an act of kindness and partly because they seem to enjoy loading up ‘Mania cards divisible by ten with every member of the roster possible. That and they couldn’t leave the cast of the immensely popular Total Divas on the sidelines while two women not featured on the show ate up a single spot between them. Oh, and the fact that Tamina versus AJ probably wouldn’t have been much good because a split hadn’t been sufficiently teased and so the crowd wouldn’t have been primed to want to see AJ take a pasting.

Multi-person matches like this are a devil to predict. They’re the ideal way to deliver a surprise. Come Sunday April 6 AJ will have held the championship for 294 days. That feels like a long enough reign to me. Switching the belt would get a great reaction and shake up the Divas division. As much as I like AJ and think she deserves the title a change is needed to stir up some interest in the division. A popular, talented performer can only hold the title for so long before someone else needs to take the reins to create fresh scenarios.

Almost anyone could relieve ‘The Black Widow’ of her butterfly-shaped hardware. Nikki Bella seems to have been set up as a female wrestler of significance in recent weeks. And in fairness she has improved in the ring so wouldn’t be the worst choice. Naomi is pushed as the best female athlete on the roster and has been given non-title wins over the champ on TV, the most recent being on the pre-‘Mania RAW. Reactions to her and dance partner Cameron are generally little more than tepid but a reign for her could be made to work, particularly if it were kept short. Tamina winning the belt would allow the division to have a “monster” champion, something it’s not ever had, at least during the modern era. That would also allow for the tried and tested breakup storyline that WWE seem to want to go with.

But of everyone in the match I’m going to go with Brie Bella. The second and current series of Total Divas will apparently climax with her getting hitched to Daniel Bryan. If he were to win the WWE championship (find out how likely I think that is below) it would allow TD to spin the finale as two champs tying the knot. That’s not particularly thrilling to me but I bet it is to TV execs. Far less importantly Brie is capable of decent matches when she puts her mind to it, so the in-ring quality of the Divas division wouldn’t take a catastrophic hit if she became its figurehead.

A similar match is the tag team championship match. Sibling champs Jimmy and Jey Uso will defend the titles they won on March 3 in Chicago against Los Matadores, The Real Americans and RybAxel. When I say similar I’m referring to the result rather than the content. It’s another instance of a bout that could be used to produce something surprising. Switching the titles is a good way of getting a loud reaction from the crowd (and while the crowd will be boisterous for the big matches it’s unlikely they’ll get overly worked up for undercard outings like this one) and would create some tension in the doubles division. If the Uso brothers are to become the reliable, ever-popular duo WWE clearly wants them to be they’re going to have to lose and regain the belts a time or two. Losing the belts encourages fans to continue supporting the lads in their quest (because champions can’t really go on a quest) and regaining them shows that the Usos didn’t fluke their first golden win.

Los Matadores may seem like a tandem that can be easily eliminated as potential winners but that’s not the case. With The Prime Time Players split and The Real Americans looking set to join them the matadors are one of the few regular tandems left on the books who could work a long series with the current champions. There’s a lot of merchandise potential in the pair and they can have good matches. WWE needs little more reason to give them the titles.

While The Real Americans seem on the cusp of a split, with Cesaro being the one who’ll go on to bigger and better things, it’s not impossible that they’ll get a tag title run beforehand. The right sequence of events could actually add to their parting of ways: one member could clear the ring of opposition at ‘Mania and get the winning pin fall with the other member responsible for losing the titles (to the Usos, Los Matadores or whoever) the following evening on RAW. With the difference in capability highlighted the guy who won the gold could turn on the guy who lost it. The story could work stretched to Extreme Rules but a one night reign would help to emphasise the different roles of the teammates in winning and losing the gold.

RybAxel are, like Los Matadores, likely to stay together. Unlike Los Matadores they don’t seem like they’ve got much of a chance at winning the titles. There’s nothing marketable about them, they’re unlikely to be turned into good guys, and the only reason they’re together is because WWE had nothing else for them to do. I think they’d be fun as the tag champs, mainly because Ryback’s character has become absurd, but it seems a long shot.

All of this said I’m going to predict an Uso victory. It took forever for them to be given the titles and I think they’ll hold on to them for quite a while before losing them, solidifying their position as a top team. Whoever wins this match has a fair chance at being one of the most action-packed of the night. It probably won’t last very long which should see the match amount to a swift progression of signature moves and high spots.

Sticking with tag team action The New Age Outlaws will team with Kane to take on The Shield. This one is something of a surprise to me. I was convinced at the start of the year that WWE were going to split The Shield in time for ‘Mania so as to present a triple threat match that would function as a launching pad for a Roman Reigns solo push. Reigns’ impressive outing at the Royal Rumble, eliminating a record twelve men and being the final man eliminated, only made me more certain of this.

I’m pleased Reigns has remained associated with Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins. While all three have singles potential they are currently better off being part of a team. They complement one another, disguise one another’s weaknesses, and enhance one another’s strengths. The trio is greater than the sum of their parts.

This match should be very good. Everyone has something to offer. Road Dogg and Billy Gunn can still bump around like they did in their prime, which will make their foes look good and encourage strong crowd reactions (which will be strong to begin with because people love The Shield). Rollins is seemingly inexhaustible and has proven very good at stringing together high-flying offensive sequences that bring crowds to their feet (and put a smile on Reigns’ face). Ambrose’s wild, magnetic personality draws people in, as does the peculiar way he performs otherwise basic moves (watch his drop kick). Kane, always pretty good when it comes to making his character work, has been a blast as Corporate Kane, unleashing a dazzling array of facial expressions. And Reigns, when kept in reserve for a hot tag that sets him up to take out everyone opposing him, is one of the most popular men on the roster. Not only that but The Shield have been together long enough now to know how to structure a sequence that lets everyone shine.

I favour the men in black for the win. ‘The Big Red Machine’ and his teammates are supporting rather than main cast these days. As three men who should play significant roles in WWE for years to come The Shield need the victory more. That and they’re the cohesive team. The only reason I can see for a Shield loss is to (re)start the split of the group. That’s not something I want to believe WWE are going to do any time soon.

The final undercard match is the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal. In storyline this was added to the card after Hulk Hogan spent an afternoon watching his WrestleMania III clash with Andre over and over again. That’s not especially relevant but I feel it’s worth mentioning because it conjurs an amusing image. There will be thirty entrants in the match, consisting of every man on the main roster not involved in a match elsewhere on the card. Except Bad News Barrett and Yoshi Tatsu (although it’s possible that Tatsu is no longer considered a main roster player).

Correctly predicting a winner in this match is practically impossible. WWE could do almost anything with it. They could use it to bring attention to someone not currently doing very much, like Titus O’Neil or Sin Cara. They could give the nod to The Miz to keep his thoroughly unimpressive but nonetheless real WrestleMania winning streak alive (and as it’s something they’ve had ‘The Awesome One’ draw attention to in the past I don’t think this possibility can be completely ruled out). Sheamus, as one of the few significant names not to be involved in a significant match, could be booked to win the thing. There are lots of directions WWE could take.

The one I’m predicting they’ll go in is the big man victory. Andre the Giant’s gimmick was that he always won battle royals. It would probably be seen as a fitting tribute to him to have one of the larger men on the roster take home the trophy here. That leaves us with The Great Khali, Mark Henry and Big Show to choose from. Henry is more of a monster than a giant, so I‘d rule him out. Khali is a limited comedy performer who doesn’t even seem worthy of this “honour”, so he can be ruled out too. Which leaves me with ‘The World’s Largest Athlete’. Which doesn’t seem too ridiculous. He is not only a wrestling giant but a wrestling giant who was routinely compared to Andre during the early years of his career. He was even billed as Andre’s son in WCW. It would feel appropriate for him to win here, and that’s about as good a reason as any to pick a win when you have thirty men to choose from.

Interestingly three spots remain open for the battle royal. I’m hoping WWE fills them with deserving cameos. Chris Jericho is an obvious name to throw out, as is Rob Van Dam. Although it should be noted that Alexander Rusev hasn’t been confirmed for anything at WrestleMania and this would be a good way of getting him some ring time. I wouldn’t be that surprised if he won it. It would give him a strong start to his career.

Speaking of the battle royal, John Cena originally announced that he would be an entrant. That was a laugh. Anyone who believed Cena would share his ‘Mania XXX match with twenty-nine other guys hasn’t been following WWE for very long. His mind was changed when Bray Wyatt rocked up and started running him down, prompting him to issue a challenge to ‘The Eater of Worlds’ which was accepted.

Cena versus Wyatt is a strange pairing. Cena is the clean cut valiant babyface. Wyatt is an unkempt swamp preacher shadowed by two fellow undesirables. Cena is the company’s top star. Wyatt has been on the main roster for less than a year. That they’ve been put together indicates that Cena’s role is becoming less about continually regaining and losing the WWE championship and more about helping to establish new stars. As the top boy he’s the best placed person to accomplish that feat: even a cheated victory over Cena can help a rising name to stand out.

Questions of quality could potentially be raised regarding this bout. Cena is regarded as a limited worker and Wyatt has yet to win people over. I think there’s every chance they’ll do produce something great. Cena had the best year of his career in the ring last year and has shown that he’s willing to sell for and play fearful when confronted by Wyatt and his boys over the last two months. Meanwhile Wyatt is coming off of back-to-back match of the night performances on the last two WWE pay-per-views. Yes he was in the ring with Daniel Bryan and The Shield but he was a passenger in neither match. He pulled his weight with crisp, charismatic performances.

Those last two performances indicate that WWE has big plans for Wyatt. He defeated both Bryan and The Shield clean, getting the win in the six man tag after hitting Sister Abigail on Reigns. It could just be that he was being built up with wins so that he was a more impressive man for Cena to defeat on ‘The Grandest Stage of Them All’ but I don’t want to believe WWE is that short-sighted. At just twenty-six Wyatt could be a money maker for years to come, but he has to be solidified as a star first. There’s no clearer way of saying someone is a big deal in WWE than having them pin John Cena. It doesn’t need to be clean, and it probably won’t be, but Bray winning is the result WWE to go with in this match. Cena can get his wins in the feud at a later date.

Mentioning Cena feels like a natural way to bring up Hulk Hogan. He will be the host of this year’s ‘Mania. What that entails is not exactly clear, a deliberate move so that WWE is not obligated to do anything particular with him and can chop and change his role on the card depending on their whims at the time. He will presumably kick off the show with a promo referencing his past at the event. Introducing the battle royal or the main event, or presenting the title belts to the winner of the main event, wouldn’t be unexpected either.

What I don’t want is someone interrupting ‘The Hulkster’. As he can’t take any bumps such a confrontation would end with Hogan flattening whoever was daring to share his spotlight. That would almost certainly be a young heel (I’ve already noted Bad News Barrett is not currently scheduled to appear on the show). Taking a pasting for a sixty-year-old man who’s shrunk four inches since his prime isn’t going to help anyone’s career prospects.

Without doubt the most obvious outcome on the card is The Undertaker’s match. At this point it’s inconceivable that ‘The Dead Man’ will lose at WrestleMania. I don’t think any doubt will be cast on the outcome of any of his ‘Mania performances until he announces his final one. And he will announce his final one ahead of time because The Streak has become such an important part of modern WrestleMania lore that WWE would want to milk that final appearance for all it’s worth. That can only be done if people know ahead of time that no matter the outcome ‘Taker will be making his final in-ring appearance. Without that foreknowledge ‘The Dead Man’ cannot be given the send-off he deserves on the show he has become synonymous with. As I’ve written many times before I think that final appearance, whenever it comes, will be opposite John Cena.

WM30 will see ‘The Phenom’ opposed by Brock Lesnar. The build-up to the match has been subpar, both in the short- and long-term. Short-term we saw both Undertaker and Lesnar return on the February 24 RAW and engage in… a contract signing. ‘Taker did stab a pen into Lesnar’s hand and choke slam him through a table but on the whole it was a less than impressive start. Things haven’t been helped since with the rivalry progressing primarily via Paul Heyman promos covering the same base points, which have failed to make for exciting television. The nineties-style magical altercations involving caskets and druids haven’t made me eager to see the match either. Nor has Lesnar’s sole dominant performance on the March 31 RAW.

Luckily for WWE The Undertaker is not a man who requires a lot of hype for his ‘Mania matches now. His recent track record of producing the best bout on the show and seeing how well he can do convincing viewers that he may lose are the attractions now. But something has to be put on TV before the match to inform and remind people it’s happening.

It would have been nice if WWE had reminded people that ‘The Beast’ has defeated Undertaker before, just never at WrestleMania. It would have made Heyman’s promos more varied and lent a sliver of credibility to Lesnar’s boast that he will break wrestling’s most impressive record. There’s still time for those wins to be mentioned in the pre-match hype videos but it would have been far more effective mentioned early on.

The top two matches are entwined with one another. At some point before the main event Triple H and Daniel Bryan will face one another and the winner will progress to the WWE championship match involving number one contender Batista and champion Randy Orton. The roots of Bryan v Triple H can be traced back to SummerSlam, and while it’s not been their plan all along to have the two face off in a singles encounter here it’s fitting that they’ve ended up doing so. ‘The Game’ is the man who cost Bryan his first WWE championship after mere minutes and the man who stripped him of his second WWE championship after a day. There is a clear reason for the two to oppose one another and the tension has been heightened by Triple H’s months of refusal (he first said no in August of last year) to wrestle Bryan.

On a more basic level this match works because it is the company’s most popular star, chosen by the people rather than selected and pushed as such by management, against the embodiment of the WWE system. It’s a dynamic that I think WWE have searched for, whether they’ve known it or not, since the McMahon-Austin feud in the nineties: an authority figure who can actually get into the ring and wrestle a compelling, satisfying, high quality match. This match allows the fans’ avatar to give the systems’ avatar a good kicking and emerge triumphant. The system can literally be beaten.

I want to believe that’s what will happen. There’s a niggling feeling at the back of my mind that WWE will get this wrong at the last minute and have Triple H beat Bryan, win the championship, and then face him in a rematch for the gold at Extreme Rules. Or that they will stubbornly go with what was probably their original plan and have Batista win. Or that they will harken back to a few months ago and have Orton “beat the odds” again. Any of these scenarios would be bad. Bryan’s story needs to peak at WrestleMania, in front of WWE’s largest, most passionate audience of the year, many of whom will be the same people who helped popularise the “Yes!” chant two years ago at WrestleMania XXVIII. This is WWE’s grandest stage and it has to be where Daniel Bryan finally gets his reward for months of struggle.

I expect both Bryan v Triple and the headline triple threat match will be of high quality. Bryan is such a popular figure that he and ‘The King of Kings’ could tear the house down having just a basic match. Neither man would be happy with the basics though: they will want the best match possible. The main event will have one man who can, when he chooses, be a superb worker in Randy Orton and one man who is the most loathed heel on the planet in Batista. They guarantee match quality and heat respectively, although there is some overlap in that ‘The Viper’ is an effective heel in his own right and ‘The Animal’ can, on occasion, produce a match that is above average.

Either triple threat would be a good wrestling match, but only one will satisfy fans. A Triple H main event would be drowned in boos, catcalls and irreverent chants. A Bryan main event would be bathed in cheers, “Yes!” chants and explosions of positivity whenever Bryan hits a move. I’m sure WWE won’t pass up the chance to give Bryan a career highlight like that. More importantly I don’t think they’ll risk alienating their fans in such a high profile environment. WrestleMania XXX will be Daniel Bryan’s night. And it’s a night he’s more than earned.

Predictions summary:

Daniel Bryan to defeat Randy Orton and Batista for the WWE championship
Daniel Bryan to defeat Triple H
The Undertaker to defeat Brock Lesnar
Bray Wyatt to defeat John Cena
Big Show to win the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal
The Shield to defeat Kane and The New Age Outlaws
The Usos to retain the tag team championship
Brie Bella to win the Divas championship