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If there’s one thing WWE fans have come to realise over the years, it’s that storylines are very rarely set in stone. One week a match is certain to happen, the next it’s been drastically changed and may not happen at all.
In recent years, for example, we could have seen Daniel Bryan vs. Sheamus at WrestleMania XXX and AJ Styles vs. Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania 33, but those matches didn’t happen and we witnessed Bryan’s WWE title win and Styles vs. Shane McMahon instead.
Whether it’s title changes or legends returning at the last minute, there always are changes in the build-up to WrestleMania events and fans have learned to expect the unexpected on WWE programming between January and April every year.
In this article, we attempt to predict what swerves we could see take place this year as WWE prepares for WrestleMania 34.
#5 Alexa Bliss loses the Raw Women’s title
Of all the current titles in WWE, the one most likely to change hands before WrestleMania 34 is the Raw Women’s Championship.
Alexa Bliss has been champion since defeating Sasha Banks for the title on Raw in August 2017 but she will have to defend it against Sasha, Bayley, Mandy Rose, Sonya Deville and Mickie James at Elimination Chamber.
The original plans for WrestleMania reportedly had Alexa taking on best friend Nia Jax in New Orleans, but that looks unlikely with Nia needing to defeat the unstoppable Asuka at Elimination Chamber to earn a title opportunity.
WWE has hinted at a match between Sasha and Bayley recently and it wouldn’t be a huge surprise to see the two former NXT champions revive their rivalry on the big stage in April, with one of them winning the title from Alexa inside the Chamber.
#4 Braun Strowman teams up with Ronda Rousey
For regular readers of WWE rumours, Braun Strowman teaming up with Ronda Rousey at WrestleMania 34 is hardly a swerve. However, based purely on current storylines, it most definitely counts as a swerve.
'The Monster Among Men' has been involved in the Universal Championship picture ever since SummerSlam 2017 and he will have another opportunity to become #1 contender for Brock Lesnar’s title when he takes part in his first Elimination Chamber match on 25 February.
Based on previous years of WWE storytelling, you’d imagine the increasingly popular Strowman to win the Chamber match and go on to finally topple Lesnar, at the fourth time of asking, at Wrestlemania, right?
Well, apparently not, because with Roman Reigns almost certain to face Lesnar, recent reports suggest Strowman could partner with the debuting Rousey at ‘Mania to take on Triple H and Stephanie McMahon in a tag match.
#3 Cruiserweight debut and/or return
On the 30 January episode of 205 Live, Daniel Bryan revealed Drake Maverick as the show’s first-ever General Manager.
Maverick, formerly known as Rockstar Spud in Impact Wrestling, immediately announced that there would be a 16-man tournament to crown a new Cruiserweight champion, culminating at WrestleMania 34.
Tyler Bate, Roderick Strong and Mark Andrews are among the surprise entrants so far, while Maverick has promised that we’ll see more unexpected names feature as the tournament progresses.
The biggest swerve WWE could pull would be the return of Neville, who is still with the company but hasn’t appeared since October 2017 after reportedly walking out of Raw. If that’s too much to ask, then how about the main-roster debut of NXT’s latest big-name signing, Ricochet?
#2 Kurt Angle faces Seth Rollins
If reports are to be believed, Seth Rollins was originally going to face Dean Ambrose at WrestleMania 34. However, due to injury, Ambrose could be sidelined for up to nine months and he’s certain to miss this year’s event in New Orleans.
Plan B was reportedly for Rollins to face his dysfunctional tag partner Jason Jordan, whose inept performances in recent weeks cost the duo their Raw Tag Team titles. However, due to another injury, Jordan is now doubtful for 'The Show of Shows'.
That leaves Rollins without a storyline or opponent, which leads us to believe that WWE could spring a surprise by having the Shield member take on another man lacking a ‘Mania opponent: Raw GM Kurt Angle.
'The Olympic Gold' medallist was originally rumoured to be facing Triple H but talk of a match between the two has gone quiet. Instead, fans wouldn’t mind seeing a battle with Rollins, one of WWE’s best current in-ring talents, and Angle at WrestleMania.
#1 Asuka moves to SmackDown Live
Until we know what Ronda Rousey’s intentions are for WrestleMania 34, nobody really knows what plans WWE has for the Raw and SmackDown Live women’s divisions.
Will Alexa Bliss still be Raw Women’s champion come WrestleMania? Who will Charlotte Flair face in the next few weeks? How will Sasha Banks, Bayley, Nia Jax and Becky Lynch fit on the ‘Mania card? And when will Carmella cash in her Money In The Bank briefcase?
So many questions, so little answers. Both women’s divisions are unpredictable right now and we’re still no closer to knowing whether Asuka will challenge for the Raw or SmackDown Women’s title at WrestleMania.
Rousey was previously rumoured to face Charlotte in New Orleans but if she is involved in a tag match instead, as we mentioned earlier, then we reckon another swerve is on the horizon and Asuka could move to SmackDown to take on 'The Queen'.
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