Somehow the WWE always manages to bring everything together when WrestleMania comes around.
Despite the fact that several top superstars are out with injuries, WrestleMania 32 is one of the strongest cards from top to bottom in recent memory. It’s a testament to how WWE is able to handle injuries but the company could do a better job in preventing them.
However, that debate is for another time because this Sunday in Dallas, Texas the 32nd incarnation of WrestleMania will take place in front of at least 93,000 fans.
There are a whopping 11 matches on this year card – with three on the preshow and eight on the main card – so let’s break down what will happen at WWE’s biggest show of the year.
Preshow:
Kalisto (c) vs. Ryback for the United States Championship
Unfortunately the buildup to this title match has been more than lackluster because neither of these men have the chops on the mic to cut it. Regardless of who wins the United States Championship has once again fallen into irrelevant territory and that’s not good.
Pick: Kalisto
The Total Divas (Brie Bella, Paige, Natalya, Alicia Fox and Eva Marie) vs. B.A.D. & Blonde (Lana, Summer Rae, Naomi, Emma and Tamina)
WWE clearly organized this match in order to have every single diva on the card. Unsurprisingly there is little anticipation for this match and the only highlight might be how much boos Eva Marie receives during this bout.
Pick: B.A.D. & Blonde
The Usos (Jimmy and Jey Uso) vs. The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray and D-Von Dudley)
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It’s refreshing to see a straight up tag team match on a WrestleMania card but not in this way. This match isn’t for the tag team titles or really anything of note. The Dudley Boyz wanted to have a match at WrestleMania and the powers that be delivered.
Pick: The Dudley Boyz
Main Card:
Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal
WWE hasn’t announced who will be in this match, but we do know that there will be at least 20 superstars vying for the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal trophy. It’s really anyone’s guess who will win this match let alone who will even participate.
Pick: Mark Henry
AJ Styles vs. Chris Jericho
Chris Jericho deserves a lot of credit for making the fans care about this rubber match. He’s really notched up his performance of late and has actually received some actual heat from fans. It may be just because of the constant “AJ Styles” chants that Jericho has said the past couple of weeks that has hit a nerve. WrestleMania is where this feud should end and both of these competitors will put on a solid match.
Pick: AJ Styles
Kevin Owens (c) vs. Sami Zayn vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. Zack Ryder vs. Sin Cara vs. The Miz vs. Stardust in a ladder match for the Intercontinental Championship
The annual multi-man ladder match will once again feature the Intercontinental Championship as the prize. In the past, these ladder matches have had a tendency to steal the show and this might very well be the case again this year. The Owens-Zayn rivalry has hit a bump since the Royal Rumble but this may be where it picks up again. Then again the WWE might throw a wrench into things and a dark horse might come away with the belt.
Pick: Kevin Owens
Charlotte (c) vs. Sasha Banks vs. Becky Lynch for the Divas Championship
This match will tell a lot about what WWE really thinks about the Divas Division. Like I stated in my previous column, this match has the most potential to steal the show. All three women are accomplished wrestlers and have proven to put on great matches. The only way that this match can be derailed if it’s not given adequate time and that would be a shame.
Pick: Charlotte
The New Day (Kofi Kingston, Big E and Xavier Woods) vs. The League of Nations (King Barrett, Sheamus, Alberto Del Rio and Rusev)
Just a couple of weeks ago this match was actually for the tag team titles. Instead, this match is just for bragging rights about which stable is better (We don’t need a match to know it’s The New Day). However, there are rumors swirling about that something big will happen during this match. It’s all speculation about what might occur but The New Day should come out as winners.
Pick: The New Day
Shane McMahon vs. The Undertake in a Hell in a Cell
This is another match that could potentially steal the show. Shane McMahon has always had a penchant for pushing the boundaries and that won’t change at WrestleMania. The stipulation for this match is if Shane wins then he gets control of RAW. Some fans have speculated that Shane might win because he’ll get the opportunity to take over the company. It’s highly doubtful in my opinion that The Undertaker will lose a second WrestleMania match in just three years.
Pick: The Undertaker
Brock Lesnar vs. Dean Ambrose in a Street Fight
If this isn’t the most brutal match of the night then something is wrong with the WWE. Ambrose already has enough toys to literally fill a wagon as he demonstrated on this past week’s RAW. I fully expect Lesnar to bound Ambrose into a bloody pulp and it will be awesome. People in the front row might want to watch out for weapons and blood.
Pick: Brock Lesnar
Triple H (c) vs. Roman Reigns in a No Disqualification match for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship
The match that fans have been agonizing over for weeks. It’s beyond clear to anyone with two eyes that Roman Reigns won’t be over with the crowd anytime soon. The recently added no DQ stipulation definitely adds some intrigue to the match. Is this foreshadowing of a potential heel turn for Reigns? Who knows? This might just be another way of stacking the odds against Reigns and making him even more unbeatable than he already looks.
Pick: Roman Reigns
Thomas Romero-Salas is the culture editor for the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at culture@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @ThomasRomeroS.
