WWE WrestleMania may not seem “right around the corner,” but April 2, 2017, will be here before we know it. And while we have a Royal Rumble and four more brand specific pay-per-view events to come, part of the fun of being a wrestling fan on the Internet is speculating about WrestleMania!
So what will we see at “the granddaddy of them all?” While some of it has been rumoured, this is pure speculation at its finest—one man’s opinion of where storylines could be headed. These speculative matches are rooted in realism, meaning they could happen when considering the current state of the WWE.
So read on to see what could happen in Orlando at WrestleMania 33, and comment with your own projections!
#1 WWE World Championship Match – The Undertaker (champion) vs. John Cena
This one hurts a little because it means AJ Styles has to lose the WWE World Championship to The Undertaker. It’s been widely reported that The Undertaker could face AJ Styles at the Royal Rumble, but we also have Fastlane and Elimination Chamber on the Road To WrestleMania.
I don’t expect John Cena to win the Royal Rumble because his match against Taker would build itself. This match is a major draw, and one of the few dream Undertaker matches not yet seen at WrestleMania.
Projected Result – The Undertaker defeats John Cena to retain the WWE World Championship, only to immediately vacate it and announce that he will retire at the 2017 Survivor Series.
#2 WWE Universal Championship – Kevin Owens (champion) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Finn Balor
Kevin Owens has been on an amazing run since capturing the WWE Universal Championship, and I expect that to continue through WrestleMania 33. His two opponents here would have very different paths to their title shot.
Finn Balor became the first ever WWE Universal Champion by defeating Seth Rollins at the 2016 SummerSlam, only to vacate the title the following night due to injury. Having never lost the title, he has a legitimate claim to this match, and I see Mick Foley giving it to him. This just might be Balor’s first match back from injury.
Shinsuke Nakamura just lost the NXT Championship at Takeover: Toronto, and is likely to lose his rematch in Japan. If so, that would clear the way for a surprise Royal Rumble debut, and an even bigger surprise Royal Rumble win! The precedent is there, and it can be seen in his opponents as well.
Kevin Owens won his main roster debut in a big way, against John Cena (while still holding the NXT Championship). Finn Balor debuted by winning a four-way match and cleanly pinning Roman Reigns to get to the SummerSlam Universal Championship Match, proceeding to beat Seth Rollins to win the title.
The WWE is not shy about debuting major NXT stars in a big way, and Nakamura in this match only enhances the global demand for WrestleMania 33.
Projected Result – Finn Balor regains the WWE Universal Championship.
#3 The Club – AJ Styles, Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson vs. The Shield – Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose
The WWE planted the seeds for this match-up at Survivor Series, and if you take a step back and think about it, this one is obvious. With the influx of talent from NXT, the WWE is going to have a hard time fitting everyone onto the card. This really helps their cause.
This match also satisfies the hardcore fans, who want to see Gallows and Anderson do something meaningful, as well as giving fans the Shield reunion they so desperately wanted to see.
Possible Alteration – The WWE decides to add The New Day to this match, making it a Triple Threat Match.
Projected Result – The Shield, created by the WWE, defeats The Club...not created by the WWE. Karl Anderson takes the fall, because Karl Anderson always takes the fall!
#4 Brock Lesnar vs. Goldberg
At this point, anything else would be egregious on the part of the WWE. The return of Goldberg to the WWE couldn’t have gone any better, with a build that kept fans on the edge of their seats and a victory that still has everyone buzzing.
Goldberg’s next stop is the Royal Rumble, and Brock Lesnar is going with him. However, unless the WWE really wants John Cena, The Undertaker, Brock Lesnar and Goldberg fighting for their world championships at WrestleMania, neither man will be winning.
Lesnar should eliminate Goldberg and go on to challenge him to a rematch at WrestleMania 33, Goldberg’s last. It’s also possible that it’s Goldberg who eliminates “The Beast”, leading to Lesnar’s challenge for revenge. Either way, this should coincide with Goldberg’s Hall Of Fame induction in Orlando.
Projected Result – Brock Lesnar defeats, and retires, Goldberg.
#5 Women’s Championship Challenge – Charlotte Flair vs. Becky Lynch vs. Asuka
The WWE is in a rough spot as there are far too many women to fit onto the card at WrestleMania. I see this one along with a Sasha Banks vs. Bayley match on the pre-show. But this match is quite bold in its prediction.
Charlotte Flair would enter as the Raw Women’s Champion, Becky Lynch is likely to lose the Smackdown Women’s Championship to Alexa Bliss at TLC but regain it before WrestleMania, and Asuka continues to dominate the NXT women’s division as their champion.
With the NXT women’s division in shambles, Asuka moves up to the main roster, still holding the NXT Women’s Championship. She’s put into a triple threat match, called the “Championship Challenge.”
Both main roster titles are on the line, meaning some brand alignment is at stake. If Asuka wins one of them, she moves to that brand, allowing NXT to rebuild their division through another tournament.
Projected Result – Asuka gains the fall over Becky Lynch, capturing the Smackdown Women’s Championship and immediately moving to Smackdown.
#6 Triple H vs. Shane McMahon
Until the moment Brock Lesnar was destroyed “old school Monday Nitro style” by Goldberg, many assumed a Brock Lesnar vs. Shane McMahon match was in the cards for WrestleMania 33. There was nothing to substantiate this thought, other than the visions of greatness this match could provide. It still can, just at SummerSlam.
Stephanie and Shane McMahon, have been doing their best to play nice, but it’s obvious that this can breakdown at the drop of a hat. Stephanie isn’t going to wrestle Shane at WrestleMania, which opens the door for her husband Triple H to do it instead.
Triple H has a nose for WrestleMania, an event whose history he is a tremendous part of. A showdown with Shane sounds exactly like what Triple H would do, and the WWE Universe would love every second of it.
Projected Result – Shane McMahon takes the beating of a lifetime, but overcomes Triple H after hitting a spectacular Coast-To-Coast.
What matches do you see happening at WrestleMania 33? Leave your thoughts in the comments!
For latest WWE News, live coverage and rumours visit our Sportskeeda WWE section. Also if you are attending a WWE Live event or have a news tip for us drop us an email at fightclub (at) sportskeeda (dot) com.
What makes Sting special? His first AEW opponent opens up RIGHT HERE.
