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WrestleMania season is almost upon us and the rumoured match card for this year’s annual extravaganza is among the most exciting WWE has put together in a long time.
The WWE Championship and Universal Championship matches appear to be set in stone, while the outcome of the first-ever women’s Royal Rumble is almost certain to produce the first one-on-one encounter between two female Superstars at WrestleMania for 11 years.
In this article, we take a look at the five biggest matches that are rumoured to be taking place in New Orleans on 8 April.
#5 Roman Reigns vs Brock Lesnar
In a repeat of the headline match at WrestleMania 31, it’s been rumoured for the last year that Roman Reigns will challenge Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship in the main event of WrestleMania 34.
It’s been clear over the last few months that WWE is building to a match between the two, with Lesnar defeating Samoa Joe and Braun Strowman in title matches on pay-per-view and Reigns picking up statement victories over The Undertaker and John Cena.
“The Beast” is expected to depart WWE in 2018 and, unlike their meeting at WrestleMania 31, “The Big Dog” is expected to gain a rare clean victory against the former UFC star at "The Show of Shows" to win his first Universal title.
Expect Reigns to earn the championship match at the Raw-exclusive Elimination Chamber pay-per-view in February, as opposed to him winning the Royal Rumble – that didn’t go down so well last time the Rumble was in Philadelphia.
#4 Triple H vs Kurt Angle
The 5-on-5 men’s elimination match at Survivor Series was among the most underwhelming finishes to a WWE pay-per-view in years, but at least it gave us some idea of who Triple H could be facing at WrestleMania.
“The Game” double-crossed Braun Strowman by attacking teammate Kurt Angle in the closing stages of the match, with various reports since claiming that the storyline will lead to him facing Angle, not Strowman, in a high-profile battle in New Orleans.
As is often the case with HHH’s WrestleMania feuds, this one has been very stop-start since Survivor Series and there has hardly been any mention of the 14-time World champion on Raw of late.
Like with his last three WrestleMania matches – against Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns and Sting – expect “The King of Kings” to return to our screens soon to build up a match against Raw’s General Manager.
#3 Charlotte Flair vs Ronda Rousey
When the first-ever women’s Royal Rumble was announced by Stephanie McMahon on Raw in December 2017, MMA fighter Ronda Rousey was immediately seen as many people’s favourite to win the match.
The UFC star is a long-time WWE fan, even appearing in a segment with The Rock, Triple H and Stephanie at WrestleMania 31, and she is expected to make her first appearance as an in-ring performer for the company at the Rumble.
There has been speculation over the last year that WWE could look to have a match between MMA’s "Four Horsewomen" (Ronda, Shayna Baszler, Marina Shafir and Jessamyn Duke) and WWE’s "Four Horsewomen" (Charlotte Flair, Sasha Banks, Becky Lynch and Bayley), but talk of that dream match has quietened recently.
If reports are true and Ronda wins the Rumble, it would likely set up a match with Charlotte at WrestleMania 34. The SmackDown Women’s champion is one of the best female performers in all of WWE and has often said how her dream ‘Mania match would be with the former UFC champion.
#2 AJ Styles vs Shinsuke Nakamura
WWE has plenty of dream matches they could decide to add to the WrestleMania 34 card, but none will appeal to die-hard professional wrestling fans more than a battle between AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura.
The two SmackDown Live Superstars were rivals during their time in NJPW, with their feud culminating in a 24-minute classic at Wrestle Kingdom 10 in 2016, but they have never met in a one-on-one match in WWE.
The company has teased a feud between the two men on multiple occasions, most notably at Money In The Bank in 2017 and when fans chanted “WrestleMania! WrestleMania!” during a European tour (video embedded above) as they stood across the ring from each other.
Nakamura is among the favourites to win the Royal Rumble match, while Styles is expected to keep hold of the WWE Championship until WrestleMania, so this dream match looks like it could well go ahead.
#1 The Undertaker vs John Cena
It appeared as though WWE fans had seen the last of The Undertaker when he laid his hat, gloves and coat down in the middle of the ring canvas following his defeat to Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 33.
However, “The Deadman” will appear on Raw’s 25th-anniversary episode on 22 January and is expected to announce that he will have one final match at WrestleMania 34 in New Orleans – the same city where ‘The Streak’ was ended by Brock Lesnar four years ago.
‘Taker’s real-life friends Jerry Lawler and Bruce Prichard have mentioned recently how he looks better physically now than he has in years, adding further weight to the speculation that his in-ring career isn’t yet over.
If that’s the case, then expect his final match to be against John Cena. The WrestleMania icon has never met Cena on the grandest stage and reportedly asked Vince McMahon if they could do battle at last year’s show, only for Vince to choose Roman Reigns as his opponent instead.
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