34 things that should happen at WrestleMania 34 - PART 1

The 34th edition of Wrestlemania is shaping up to be one thrilling experience that should satisfy every portion of WWE’s extensive fan base, as Vince McMahon and co are building up “the show of shows” to be successful PPV.

And by making certain things happen, the company can deliver a historic show and make every portion of the match card relevant. Therefore, in part one of this article, battle royales, potential ladder matches and shocking turns will all be addressed and how WWE should approach them.

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#1 The Andre - the Giant Memorial Battle Royal gets legitimised

Legitimate names raise the importance of a match

It is no secret that the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal has been WWE’s way of getting every mid-carder on the WrestleMania match card. However, over the years, the company has placed notable Superstars such as Baron Corbin, Killian Dain, and even Braun Strowman in the match.

And even with the inclusion of those superstars, this match hasn’t been able to feel more than a pre-show filler to fans.To give Andre the Giant’s prestigious bout more legitimacy, WWE needs to involve prominent stars and respected legends in this match.

The reason why this battle royal is not highly anticipated every year is due to WWE's lack of effort in giving a reason to this match, as it has not boosted any of the previous winner's careers. Instead, WWE should build this match as the last chance for legends to be in limelight and breakout stars to seize their chance at establishing themselves.

And by WWE mixing these two explosive elements of legends and young up and coming talents they could finally find their niche on how to properly utilise the Andre the Giant Memorable Battle Royal.

Therefore, by having legendary names such as Goldberg, The Dudley Boys and even Kane going up against the new wrestlers such as in Adam Cole, Lars Sullivan and Sanity, will surely raise the importance and credibility of this contest.

#2 The Samoan badass conquers the fray

A win for Samoa Joe is a win in the right direction for this match

When compiling a list of potential winners for the fifth annual Andre the Giant Memorable Battle Royal, many popular names dominate the list. However, while prominent names such as Rusev, Baron Corbin and Elias all dominate the potential winner's list, there is one Superstar who needs an explosive return to the company -- Samoa Joe. Needless to say, he will extremely benefit from this win.

"The Samoan submission machine" is currently on a hiatus from the squared circle due to an unfortunate injury. However, rumours have been circulating that the former NXT champion will be able to make his anticipated return to the wrestling ring before WrestleMania 34.

Taking that information into consideration, it is actually too late for WWE to build a narrative for Joe.Therefore, the Andre the Giant Memorable Battle Royal will be the best option for his triumphant return.

Having a megastar such as Samoa Joe win this match which has been previously won by underutilised talents such as Mojo Rawley, Baron Corbin, and Big Show, will certainly elevate the entire concept of this match.

As judging by Joe’s intense pursuit of Brock Lesnar in 2017, the trophy and match as a whole will get a lot of legitimacy form him. And as Joe is rumoured to take on Roman Reigns for the Universal Title after WrestleMania, this would be the best way to ignite his hot streak once again.

#3 Mustafa Ali and Cedric Alexander take the Cruiserweight Division to the next level

A show-stealing match

Ever since WWE announced that they are holding a Cruiserweight Classic tournament which would pit the best high flyers from around the world against each other, many wrestling aficionados couldn’t control their excitement.

And to the company's credit, they kept that excitement alive, as every match in the CWC tournament was a blistering success. However, it wouldn't take long before WWE's main roster creative team managed to send the entire division into obscurity in under a year.

Whether the cruiserweights were given the main spot on Raw, an entire show of 205 Live dedicated to their craft or pay-per-view prominence, WWE never knew how to manage these high flying wizards.

Therefore, it wouldn't take long before the division needed a reboot and with the release of former CW Champion Enzo Amore, 205 Live got that reboot, as the tournament for deciding the new Cruiserweight Champion has now reached the final stage.

The company has made the best possible choices for the competitors in the final, as pitting the two most gifted athletes against each other will give the entire product a major credibility boost.

Therefore, at WrestleMania 34, Mustafa Ali and Cedric Alexander need to pull out all the stops in their anticipated match, as the future of the division is at stake, as an excellent performance by both men can once again lead to the resurgence of 205 Live.

#4 Alexander reaches the summit

A dream that was materialised from the start

Now that the Cruiserweight Division has finally got the chance to rise to prominence once again, WWE cant waste this golden opportunity, as they need to reboot the division and revamp the cruiserweights' monotonous characters.

While the division has had its fair share of weak and controversial champions since its inception, the only way the division can revive itself is through a strong champion at the helm of 205 Live.

From a weak inaugural champion in TJP to controversial ones in Enzo Amore and Rich Swann, the division has not had a strong champion ever since Neville had walked out the company. Therefore, the only man on the 205 Live roster that can elevate the division out of that state is Cedric Alexander.

Athletically gifted and if booked right, Alexander can prove to be the best possible option for the Cruiserweight division moving forward. Ever since Cedric Alexander's emotional exit from the CWC back in 2016, WWE has been planting seeds for his coronation as champion one day.

Now that Alexander has paid his dues on 205 Live, made a natural connection with the WWE Universe and has produced outstanding performance after outstanding performance, he needs to finally cement his place at the summit of 205 Live and that needs to happen at Wrestlemania.

#5 The first ever Wrestlemania Women’s Battle Royal is star-studded

The formulae for success here is: Past vs Present vs Future

Ever since WWE announced that the first-ever WrestleMania Women’s Battle Royal will be taking place at "the showcase of the immortals" this year, many were excited to finally see all the women on the company's roster get a chance to shine.

While some were excited, many were outraged with the name being attached to this special bout, and ever since WWE has now moved away from that controversy, the question is, how does the company book this match?

Battle’s Royal's at Wrestlemania mean one thing, expendable wrestlers being thrown over the top rope until a winner is decided, and while that is the case most of the time, WWE has an opportunity to make the first ever Wrestlemania Women's' Battle Royal mean more than a pre-show filler.

Therefore, the only way to make this bout prestigious is to make it star-studded, and while most would think that star-studded means veterans wrestlers added to this match to give it some importance, it would actually mean having the three generations of women wrestlers in the company colliding.

To be more accurate it would be the past vs the present vs the future. The WrestleMania card has some of the most valuable women wrestles going into the event without no narrative. Therefore, that will allow confrontations such as Trish Stratus, Mickie James and Beth Phoenix vs Becky Lynch, Sasha Banks and Bayley vs Nikki cross, Ember Moon and Shayna Baszler. WWE has an opportunity to create something special with this match and shouldn't pass up this concept.

#6 Sasha Banks and Bayley shock the world

A deviation from the norm

Ever since Sasha Banks kicked Bayley off the Elimination Chamber pod, many wrestling aficionados were delighted that they would finally witness the intense feud of Banks vs Bayley which has been building up for the better part of last year.

Fans assumed that this heated programme would culminate at WrestleMania, however, WWE chose to delay it further and now the match of Sasha banks vs Bayley that would’ve been a landmark in women wrestling is left off Wrestlemania 34.

While most of the WWE Universe would be quick to criticise the company for preventing such a historic showdown, with such a bloated WrestleMania card and not enough time to craft a truly heated build, WWE is right in holding it off.

However, the company can produce the next step in their story at WrestleMania with a bold move. Many expect the WrestleMania Women's Battle Royal to be exciting but a largely uneventful bout, WWE should swerve fans in a way they never expected.

That is by having Banks and Bayley stand as the last two women left in the match and instead of predictably destroying each other, they should shock the world by eliminating themselves at the exact same time, thus, becoming co-winners of the match.

While that will a confusing move to many, it is a genius way to progress this story of Banks and Bayley, as it defies all the cliches that come with a rivalry like this. As that decision creates a cliffhanger and the best utilisation of a battle royal that many think is unnecessary.

#7 The IC Title match open Wrestlemania 34

A hot crowd with hot stars creates an energetic environment

When determining which match on the WrestleMania card has a solid narrative, vibrant characters and excellent in-ring workers, the IC Title match comes to fit that description perfectly, and that is why it is the ideal match to open the show.

Finn Balor vs Seth Rollins vs The Miz has the potential to be the match of the night at Wrestlemania, as these competitors have proven in the past they can create magic with one another. As the IC Title has become more of a mainstay on Raw during the Universal Title's absence, many wrestling aficionados have grown to respect the belt under Miz's outstanding reign.

And with all three former World Champion's going at it for the right to hold the championship, it instantly elevates the credibility of the belt from pre-show filler of last year to main roster show stealer this year.

With a hot crowd, a hot heel and two hot babyfaces WWE have the opportunity to top the fantastic opener of the last years Wrestlemania match, as this one has a more consistent story to be told with thrilling in-ring action, that might set the bar for the entire show.

#8 The Club help Balor win the IC Title

Finn Balor's resurgence

Although WWE have done a fantastic job of creating this match with three competitors that all have an equal chance of winning, the problem lies in choosing a Superstar that needs this win the most. Each of these former World Champions requires a huge victory going into the rest of the year.

While The Miz is the most logical winner here as he has made the belt prestigious over the last few years, Seth Rollins needs to rise to prominence once again.

However, after cooling down significantly over the years, neither of them desperately need this victory. The man that has had an up and down main roster tenure, has been criminally underutilised and has lost tons of credibility, is Finn Balor.

While The Miz can recover from this loss and Seth Rollins has rumoured World Championship feuds on the horizon, Balor cant recover from this potential loss. Therefore, while Finn Balor winning will give him a huge Wrestlemania moment, Balor doesn't need a Wrestlemania moment but a game-changing story that will help to shape his career.

And that will be possible with The Club assisting Balor to shockingly win this bout. Even though it is surprising to realise that Bullet Club originals Finn Balor, Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows are in the WWE, it is more surprising to realise that the company has utilised them poorly for years now.

However, with a proper storyline and good booking, WWE can turn The Club into a top tier heel fraction with logical reasoning. The possible reason for Balor using "the good brothers" to win the match could be him being tired of coming up short and now The Club takes what they want in WWE. And this new found aggression can impact the rest of the show.

#9 The Smackdown Live Tag Team Championship match becomes a triple threat ladder match

A match that truly summarises this whole narrative

For many months, the tag team scene on SmackDown Live had no depth beyond the excellent rivalry of The Usos vs The New Day. However, the Bludgeon Brothers came into the picture and WWE have the formulae for one of the greatest tag team matches at WrestleMania in the last decade.

WWE ignited this rivalry at the 2018 Fastlane PPV when Harper and Rowan attacked The Usos and The New Day, which made this feud even more personal and violent than most expected it to be.

And by pairing these three world-class tag teams in a match at WrestleMania, WWE made a good decision as these teams all have excellent chemistry and can craft a splendid match together, and with that brilliant, in ring decision, WWE made a brilliant narrative choice as well.

Each of these teams' motivation is exceptionally well outlined and The Usos are looking to make an impact on the WrestleMania main show for the first time in almost a decade. The New Day is striving to cement their legacy as one of the greatest trios in WWE history, and The Bludgeon Brothers are looking to finally assert themselves as the most dominant force in WWE.

In all those cases these superstars are doing the exact same thing, they are reaching, striving and hoping to seize their goals, even if that comes at the expense of the other team. And when describing a match where superstars are shooting for their goals and will do whatever it takes to stop the other opponents from clenching it, the ladder match is an ideal fit.

Here WWE can produce one of the greatest tag team matches of the last decade, with thrilling in-ring action and correct motivations, as these teams are reaching for the Tag Team Titles and they will take each other out to attain it.

#10 The Usos prevail while The New Day crash

Trouble in paradise?

Out of the three separate narratives that make up this match, there is one story that stands out as necessary for WWE to complete, and that is the decade-long struggle of The Usos trying to make it to the WrestleMania main card.

The Usos have addressed their previous preshow outings for the last eight years with complete anger, frustration and disappointment, that is why seeing the Samoan brothers finally accomplish their goal and reigning supreme on the main show will be an essential moment in their careers.

And while The Usos may finally achieve their purpose, their greatest foes, The New Day must finally show signs of a break. The New Day has been going strong as a trio for almost four years now, and while they have still sustained most of their fanbase, most of their white-hot momentum has faded away.

While many would expect another heel turn from the 4 time Tag Team Champions to elevate them back to prominence, it wouldn't progress any of their personal narratives going forward. Therefore, after a gruelling ladder match, The Usos reign supreme as the team to beat in WWE, while Big E, Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods reflect over their future as a team.

From there on out WWE can decide whether to split The New Day up immediately or build on the group's frustrations, even more, leading to a break. Therefore, leaving a cliffhanger that would be addressed on SmackDown Live.