Wrestlemania 34 Predictions - 4/6/18

WWE Wrestlemania: Predictions
4/8/18
Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, LA

Match Card:

1. Kickoff Show: Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal
2. Kickoff Show: Wrestlemania Women's Battle Royal
3. Kickoff Show: Cruiserweight Championship: Cedric Alexander vs. Mustafa Ali
4. Daniel Bryan and Shane McMahon vs. Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn
5. Kurt Angle and Ronda Rousey vs. Triple H and Stephanie McMahon
6. Smackdown Tag Team Championship Triple Threat: The Usos (Jimmy and Jey) (c) vs. Bludgeon Brothers (Harper and Rowan) vs. New Day (Big E, Kofi Kingston, Xavier Woods)
7. Raw Tag Team Championship: Sheamus and Cesaro (c) vs. Braun Strowman and a mystery partner
8. Smackdown Women's Championship: Charlotte Flair (c) vs. Asuka
9. Raw Women's Championship: Alexa Bliss (c) vs. Nia Jax
10. United States Championship Fatal 4 Way: Randy Orton (c) vs. Bobby Roode vs. Jinder Mahal w/ Sunil Singh vs. Rusev 
11. Intercontinental Championship Triple Threat: The Miz (c) vs. Seth Rollins vs. Finn Balor
12. WWE Championship: AJ Styles (c) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
13. Universal Championship: Brock Lesnar (c) w/ Paul Heyman vs. Roman Reigns
14. Unadvertised: John Cena vs. The Undertaker

Predictions:

Wrestlemania 34 is probably one of the best match cards since Wrestlemania 30 featuring Daniel Bryan's title win and Undertaker's first loss at Wrestlemania. WWE's roster is stacked right now and they are making the most of it at the "grandest stage of them all". This truly feels like a culmination of storylines and a showcase of some of the top talent. While this does not apply to all matches, this Wrestlemania is going to be a great show.

So far, it looks like both Battle Royals will be on the Kickoff show, which is a good move. This is going to be a long night and fans will not care regardless for these matches, but it is better to get them out of the way early. Looking at the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal, the only participants that really stand out are "Broken" Matt Hardy, Baron Corbin, and Dolph Ziggler. Since Corbin already won, I don't see him taking this. Ziggler's return has been as significant as his departure, so that narrows down my prediction.

Prediction: Matt Hardy wins the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal

The biggest story going in to this match is the fact that WWE decided to change the name of the match. The second biggest story is the feud between Bayley and Sasha Banks. I can see Bayley taking this one in order to give the fans a "feel good" moment in the opening moments of the show and hopefully her character will get a fresh restart.

Prediction: Bayley wins the Women's Battle Royal

Speaking of fresh restarts, 205 Live feels like a completely different show. The additions to the roster as well as the tournament have made the show feel important. Matches actually seem to matter now and hopefully that trend will continue. I was surprised to see Mustafa Ali in this role as he was a background character since the Cruiserweight Classic. Cedric seems to be the man that management has their eye on and, given his experience, I believe he should be the one to lead 205 Live as they are still rebuilding.

Predictions: Cedric Alexander wins the Cruiserweight Championship

There have been much speculation as to who Strowman's partner will be. Popular names have been Bray Wyatt, Kane, Big Show, James Ellsworth, and even Alberto Del Rio (Alberto El Patron). This one is rather difficult to pick but I also feel the tag team division is a step down for Braun Strowman. While he plays the comedy role well, he should still be somewhat of a main event character. I am going with Bray Wyatt at his partner, due to the previous "Wyatt Family" connection and see them winning the tag team titles. 

Prediction: Braun Strowman and Bray Wyatt win the Raw Tag Team titles. 

I was a big fan of the Usos/Wyatt Family matches prior to the brand split and there is no doubt in my mind that this match could steal the show. These are the only 3 relevant teams on Smackdown Live (aside from maybe Gable and Benjamin) and I can see a title change here in order to place the Usos in a title chase. The logical team for the Usos to chase would be the Bludgeon Brothers. Harper and Rowan have been kept strong throughout their return and are the best choice to win this match.

Prediction: Bludgeon Brothers win the Smackdown Tag Team titles. 

In a similar situation to Braun Strowman, I see the Intercontinental title as a step down for both Rollins and Balor. Rollins won the world title three years ago and was a main event player. When he returned in 2016, he was the top babyface of the company, even as a heel. Now, he does not have any major storylines and is stuck in the midcard. Jason Jordan's injury might have halted his storyline, but he should still be in a different spot. Finn Balor, at 36 years old, might not have the support from management he needs and unless the Balor Club takes off, he might not move up the card. Miz is great in this role and he actually makes the title seem valuable. However, I feel he needs someone to chase the title on a consistent basis until they finally win it. Miz should keep the title here and keep his feud with either Balor or Rollins going.

Prediction: The Miz retains the Intercontinental title

The U.S. title match is one of the matches I am least looking forward to. The buildup has been pretty standard but it does not make good television. The tag matches involving Jinder have been dragging on television and I doubt management will give him the title. Orton just won the title and the RKO will get a great pop, so he is my pick for this match. 

Prediction: Randy Orton retains the U.S. title. 

Alexa Bliss has become of the best promos on Raw and she has a great partner in Nia Jax. Despite being significantly smaller than Jax, she has made Jax a sympathetic character that fans can connect with. It's interesting to see Mickie James on her side as she was in Jax's shoes during her previous run with the company. I think the feud is great but it is too early to take the title off of Bliss. This feud can stretch out a little more and there is no challenger ready for Alexa following this. 

Prediction: Alexa  Bliss retains the Raw women's title. 

Of the two women's title matches, this is the one that fans are anticipating the most. Despite the weak buildup, this match has a rare "big fight feel" to it. Charlotte is regarded as the best women's wrestler in the business while Asuka's undefeated streak has gotten her incredibly over. Asuka won the first ever women's Royal Rumble and should not lose her Wrestlemania match. 

Prediction: Asuka wins the Smackdown Women's title. 

The biggest story for wrestling fans going in to this show is the return of Daniel Bryan. Fans knew how badly Daniel Bryan wanted to wrestle again and could not wait for his contract to expire so he could return to ROH or wrestle for NJPW. However, WWE did the unthinkable and cleared him to compete. The storyline with Owens and Zayn has taken up the bulk of television time on Smackdown and this feels like the proper culmination of that storyline. Daniel Bryan losing his return in a tag match seems reasonable and extending this storyline might lead to a great match between Bryan and Owens. 

Prediction: Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn win. 

This is the match that WWE's investors want to see. Ronda Rousey is a big signing for the company and will get them a lot of media attention. The storyline between The Authority and Kurt Angle has been built well but I am tired of seeing Stephanie and Hunter in charge. They take away a lot of credibility from people like Kurt Angle who never have a chance to shine against them. Ronda Rousey is not someone that The Authority will put down so there is no way she will be losing here. They will keep Rousey strong for the duration of her tenure until it is time for her to get someone over. 

Prediction: Ronda Rousey and Kurt Angle win. 

Since Nakamura and AJ Styles' signing in 2016, fans could not wait for these two to clash. No one expected it would be a featured match, let alone a featured match at Wrestlemania for the WWE Championship. This match might be the best one on the entire show. With Nakamura winning the Rumble, he needs to win the title in order to remain a top guy. AJ Styles won't lose anything in defeat and can easily bounce back. A rematch between these two would also make for a strong pay per view following Wrestlemania. 

Prediction: Shinsuke Nakamura wins the WWE Championship. 

For years, WWE wanted Roman Reigns to be the guy to defeat Brock Lesnar at Wrestlemania. Giving Reigns the win against Undertaker last year seemed like the obvious foreshadowing that Reigns would face Brock here. However, the storyline instead has seen Reigns fed up with Lesnar's part time status and lack of regard for the business. Reigns delivered his promos well but the crowd is still not firmly behind him. I see the Wrestlemania crowd cheering Brock more than Reigns but that crowd does not stick around for the entire year. Therefore, Roman Reigns is WWE's guy and he is the right guy to win the title here. 

Prediction: Roman Reigns wins the Universal title. 

While this match has not been officially announced, I do believe we will get this match. At the very least, there will be a confrontation between John Cena and The Undertaker which I believe will lead to a match. The feud has been teased and there is no way WWE will not deliver on The Undertaker after weeks of John Cena putting him down. There has also been speculation of the "American Badass" returning, fueled by the induction of Kid Rock into the Hall of Fame. I do not think this version of Taker will return in full but I do believe we will get some combination of the "Deadman" and "American Badass". That said, there is no way he will lose consecutive Wrestlemania matches.

Prediction: The Undertaker will defeat John Cena.

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WWE Royal Rumble

WWE Royal Rumble
1/28/18
Wells Fargo Arena, Philadelphia, PA

Quick Results:

1. WWE Championship Handicap Match: AJ Styles (c) defeated Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn to retain the championship. 
2. Smackdown Tag Team Championship 2 out of 3 Falls: The Usos (Jimmy and Jey) (c) defeated Chad Gable and Shelton Benjamin in two straight falls to retain the titles. 
3. Royal Rumble Match: Shinsuke Nakamura last eliminated Roman Reigns to win the match. 
4. Raw Tag Team Championship: Sheamus and Cesaro defeated Seth Rollins and Jason Jordan (c) to win the titles. 
5. Universal Championship Triple Threat Match: Brock Lesnar (c) w/ Paul Heyman defeated Kane and Braun Strowman to retain the title. 
6. Royal Rumble Match: Asuka last eliminated Nikki Bella to win the match. 

Blog:

I assumed the Smackdown tag title match would be the "hot open" to the show so I was surprised to see the WWE title match on first. I was not a fan of this move but it did not matter in the end given the finish, as it looks like this feud with continue. The match was entertaining and it doesn't look like Owens was seriously injured while working this match. He might be a bit banged up but he performed well here. The finish with AJ pinning the illegal man was interesting but I am personally getting tired of seeing Owens and Zayn in the main event scene. 

The finish of the Smackdown tag title match was a bit shocking. The Usos won in two straight falls. The first fall went pretty long but the second fall happened soon after. While the match wasn't bad, it was hard to get into, as I don't think anyone bought Gable and Benjamin winning here. 

The men's Royal Rumble was the best rumble match in recent years. The surprise entrants (Rey Mysterio, the Hurricane, Andrade "Cien" Almas, and Adam Cole) were great. Hurricane put on a little weight but Rey Mysterio looked to be in phenomenal shape, leading to speculation about a full time return. I like the idea of filling the rumble with NXT talent as well as talent from the past, but Aleister Black should have been here instead of Cole, given his victory. The other "surprise" entrant, Dolph Ziggler was the only downside to this match. He returned at #30 and got a decent pop but did nothing in the match before quickly getting eliminated. They did an angle with Ziggler relinquishing the title, that got a little interest, and did nothing with it. Aside from that, the rest of the match was very good. The face off featuring Cena, Orton, and Mysterio against Balor, Nakamura, and Reigns got a great reaction from the crowd and was my favorite moment in this match. The crowd was great too, as they were there to enjoy the show and not "hijack" it. The crowd cheered heavily for Rusev but did not boo the rest of the match once he was eliminated. Rather, they cheered for who they liked and booed for who they disliked, rather than choosing to hate the show. 

WWE also seems to finally be listening to fans and committed to pushing Nakamura. The fans really did not want Roman Reigns to win and rather than shoving him down the fans throats, they will give him a different road to Wrestlemania. As for Nakamura, fans will get the Wrestle Kingdom rematch at Wrestlemania, as he will be facing AJ Styles. There is no doubt that this match will steal the show. 

The Raw tag title match got little to no reaction due to the crowd being exhausted from the Rumble. There was a story here with Rollins working most of the match due to injury but the crowd was just not into it. I like that the tag titles are back on Sheamus and Cesaro but Sheamus did not need to be eliminated in 2 seconds during the Royal Rumble match. This could have been a spot given to Curt Hawkins but not to a former Royal Rumble winner who is wrestling for a championship on this show. 

The Universal title match also suffered the same effects although not as bad. The fans were into this match but were also anticipating the women's Rumble match. Brock Lesnar pinning Kane was a given and it looks like Strowman will be kept in the title hunt. Strowman is still very much over but WWE needs to strike while the iron is hot, otherwise he will turn into Bray Wyatt and lose every big program he is in until the fans no longer care. 

I was excited for the women's rumble for many reasons. The novelty of this being the first ever women's rumble, the possible nostalgia returns and NXT entrants, and of course, the suspense of who the winner will be. Starting the match with Becky and Sasha was a good surprise as it started the match off hot. The next few entrants really showcased that while the women's roster has numbers, it lacks a lot of depth. Lita's return was done well and I was surprised to see her pull off a Moonsault (and even the Twist of Fate). Her time in the Rumble didn't need to be long. Kairi Sane was another surprise entrant here and her time in the Rumble was not really memorable. The other surprise entrants were Torrie Wilson, Michelle McCool, Kelly Kelly, Ember Moon, Beth Phoenix, the Bella Twins, and Trish Stratus. I was looking forward to a staredown between Trish and Asuka which we didn't get, however we got two moments which I really loved. First, Asuka had an exchange with Ember Moon, who had her arm wrapped up. Asuka mocked her injury, which would have been a heel move but Asuka can get away with it. The other moment was a great throwback between Mickie James and Trish Stratus. The match getting down to Asuka and Nikki Bella made it obvious that Asuka would win but the Basement Dropkick from the apron was a clever finish to the match. 

The only thing I did not like about the women's rumble was that a lot of wrestlers who were still in the match were recovering outside of the ring. While this is a good tactic for a heel to gain an advantage or for a babyface to get sympathy, this served no purpose. It made it hard to keep track of who was still in the match. While there was criticism over Torrie Wilson being in the match despite her lack of in ring credibility, there is no doubt that she was the most over woman on Smackdown during the initial brand split. 

Ronda Rousey's appearance was great and I am sure it got a lot of media coverage. I am glad she was not in the actual match and I am curious as to where this goes. 

Overall this was a two match show, as the other matches were just there to fill the card. However, both world title matches were good but were overshadowed by the rumbles. 

Match of the Night: Men's Royal Rumble

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