PWP Contributor Brennan Daly gives his six months out, “way too early” predictions for WrestleMania 32!
We have seen so many classic matches in the past that have made WrestleMania year in and year out a must watch event. This year I fully expect the same thing as the WWE tries to pack AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Forbes has speculated that WrestleMania 32 could break the wrestling attendance record of 93,173 set at WrestleMania III and it seems reasonable that they could get 100,000+ in that stadium.
When I went through the entire roster to make sure that I got all the main guys in a match, it became harder than I thought. The show will be SOO big that there are several big name guys on the roster that will unfortunately be relegated to the Pre-Show. These guys include Rusev, Dolph Ziggler, Ryback, Stardust, Cesaro, Ronda Rousey and Sting (Injured).
I know the card looks like a dream but I believe that WWE will really go above and beyond next year.
Sami Zayn vs. Kevin Owens (United States Champion vs. Intercontinental Championship)
This feud began back at NXT TakeOver: Rival and continued on and off for about 5 months. Zayn’s injury caused the feud to quickly end before it hit its peak. We were never able to see the match that we all expected to be a Match of the Year contender. Why not give these two 20 minutes to put on the match we all know they are capable of having?
Most importantly, these two can help bring relevance to each title. I expect to see Zayn looking for redemption maybe at the Royal Rumble, costing Owens a shot at the WWE Title and reigniting their feud. I would like to see the WWE World Heavyweight Championship on the line, but its way too early in their careers to do so.
The New Day vs. The Dudley Boyz vs. The Usos vs. The Hardy Boyz (TLC Match for Tag Team Championships)
As I have said in my previous article, I am a big fan of The New Day and they are without a doubt the best thing WWE has going for them today. Add in The Dudley Boyz and we have seen two contrasting styles that actually feel like a legit tag team feud that will continue for at least the next couple of months.
This should give plenty of time for Jey Uso to comeback from his shoulder injury. The Usos have been the most consistent tag team for years and they will be right back in the title picture.
This might be the biggest stretch, but with the downfall of TNA and rumors picking up that this could be possible, it only makes sense for them to come back together. The Hardy’s are looking to work a limited schedule and they could help The New Day and The Usos become legit.
The match quality could be the best tag team match since the TLC Match at SummerSlam back in 2000. Past great teams vs. future great teams would allow for more feuds to come out of this match and that’s exactly what WWE needs.
Bray Wyatt vs. Sheamus
Sheamus is the current Money in The Bank and will cash in his briefcase soon. Sheamus having the briefcase has been a failure as he doesn’t feel or even look like WWE World Heavyweight Championship material.
It makes sense for him to lose whenever he cashes in and the guy to do so may as well be Bray Wyatt. What I can see is that Bray Wyatt will continue to get the cheers from the crowd and this could lead him to a more tweener character. He could keep his weird creepy promos much like Mankind did. Maybe this new persona could help him get the wins that we all want him to get.
Wyatt hasn’t gotten a big win since he fought Daniel Bryan and deserves one here.
Charlotte vs. Sasha Banks (Divas Championship)
The Divas Revolution has finally begun and the two at the forefront of the Revolution have been Charlotte and Sasha Banks.
Charlotte just won her first championship and will continue to be booked strong for the foreseeable future.
On the other hand, many people (including me) feel that the real best women’s wrestler is Sasha Banks. Banks hasn’t been involved in a serious storyline yet because they are building her slowly for her true moment to come on “The Grandest Stage of Them All.”
The two had excellent matches in NXT, including a one-on-one classic where Sasha defeated Charlotte to solidify her NXT Women’s Title reign. With even more experience under their belts since joining the WWE main roster, these two women could deliver the best women’s match ever seen.
At the biggest Pay-Per-View of the year, in front of the largest crowd in WWE history, you can be sure that they will pull out all the stops to make people sit up and acknowledge that women’s wrestling is the real deal.
Finn Balor vs. Randy Orton
Finn Balor is the best thing on NXT right now and there will be a time when WWE will have to call him up. The timing for this match makes sense for him because he should lose the NXT Title around the Royal Rumble.
Randy Orton is as popular as anyone, but the problem with him is that he is a boring baby face. I expect Orton to turn heel sometime early next year. “The Viper” vs. “The Demon” could tear down the house and they don’t need a title on the line to do so.
Both work well with just about anyone so the match quality would be as high as any other on the card.
Paige vs. Natayla vs. Nikki Bella
Another women’s match? Yes, that’s what I thought at first. Being given a lot of TV time as of late, Nikki Bella, Natalya and Paige have to be on the card somehow.
I see the three women fighting over who is the true star on the show Total Divas. Paige and Natalya’s relationship has been brought up the last two weeks on how they are best friends, it only seems right that they be put in a rivalry.
Nikki Bella has intense brutal skills and being a former champion makes her a shoe-in to be in a WrestleMania storyline. All three are capable of putting on a good match so a nice filler match wouldn’t be all that bad. Don’t be surprised to see two women’s matches at WrestleMania because they can’t hype up the Divas only to bring them back down again.
Well…actually they can, but hopefully they won’t.
Undertaker vs. John Cena
Undertaker (the most durable main event guy in company history) going out in his home state needs to face the guy who is only slightly behind Bruno Sammartino for longest time as top dog. The two had a brief feud that led to a DQ match in 2006, but haven’t met since.
Undertaker is at the age where he needs to work with someone who can really carry the match. Cena has proven with his US Title Open Challenge that he is in a league of his own and has actually gotten better in the ring.
Keep in mind that when Cena has something to prove, he can really go and he’d clearly be motivated here to be at his best and help Undertaker go out on a high note. I wouldn’t care who won this match, but seeing the Deadman go out in a great match is what is most important.
The Rocks vs. Triple H (Stone Cold Guest Referee)
The seeds for this have been planted since last years WrestleMania encounter. The Rock vs. Triple H, while not quite as huge as Rock vs. Brock, could also be big in it’s own right.
The rivalry between The Rock and Triple H during the Attitude Era was awesome. The two never faced off one-on-one on “The Grandest Stage of Them All.”
Eventually, The Authority angle will have to die as we thought it was done when Dolph Ziggler and even Sting tried to get rid of The Authority. If done right, The Rock could comeback at some point and stop whatever The Authority are trying to do.
It would make sense for him to backup Roman Reigns as Triple H and Stephanie McMahon have made it clear that they don’t like him.
It’s WrestleMania 32 so throwing two WWE legends together again would for sure sell tickets. You can bet your ass that you would see a Stone Cold Stunner too.
Brock Lesnar vs. Daniel Bryan (In an “I Quit” match and If Bryan Loses he must Retire)
My boy Daniel Bryan will comeback at some point. As of late, he has been injury prone and his career unfortunately is winding down.
Bryan should be given his wish of facing the “The Beast” at WrestleMania. If he is indeed considering retiring, the easy booking would be for Heyman to continuously play up the fact that Bryan is injured. Bryan’s doctors have advised him against wrestling, but the natural competitor in Bryan would think that he still can go.
We would learn that the doctors have told the athlete that one more injury would be the end of his career for certain. Lesnar is about to face the Undertaker in a Hell in a Cell, I could see him breaking the Undertaker’s arm to put an end to this feud. Being the man to beat the Deadman again, he would come into this feud saying that he could break Bryan’s neck.
This is a dream match for me, as I think this could be very similar to Angle vs. Lesnar at WrestleMania 19.
Dean Ambrose vs. Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins (WWE World Heavyweight Championship)
The match that everyone expects must go down at WrestleMania 32.
Seth Rollins has been a pretty good champion and I would like to see him hold the belt all the way until WrestleMania.
In doing so, it will make the title seem more prestigious for whoever takes it off him.
Right now there are only a couple of people on the roster who actually make sense to put the title on. Being the biggest (literally) WrestleMania, it has to be the show that gives us a new superstar. The two superstars who need to be in the Main Event are Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns.
I am not a fan of screwy finishes but at the Royal Rumble, I would like to see the last men be Ambrose and Reigns. As they realize that they are the last two they shake hands and both point to the WrestleMania sign showing that they are going to go all out to get into the Main Event. Both hit their finishers on each other and somehow both land on the floor with their feet hitting at the same time.
One of the two is given the win (preferably Ambrose) and it sets up for a back and forth feud as Reigns has a legit beef that it should of actually been a tie. Ambrose begins to act as a heel saying that he is the rightful winner and that Reigns should stop being a baby.
In showing a darker side, Ambrose could line himself up with The Authority. I would like him to be the new “Face of the WWE” because Rollins beat Triple H at the Royal Rumble.
All three deserve to be in the Main Event and Triple H decides that it is best for business to settle who the best in The Shield really is at WrestleMania 32.