5 things WWE can do to catch fans off guard during WrestleMania season

The Road to WrestleMania 36 is finally upon us and we would all be lying if we said we weren’t at least a bit curious about what will happen this time around. In fact, between the jam-packed Royal Rumble match, the upcoming Elimination Chamber PPV, and The Fiend’s undefeated streak hanging in the balance, it’s pretty safe to say that anticipation is at an all-time high.

And why shouldn’t it be? This is the one time of the year where WWE takes everything they have and throw it against the wall. Dream matches, blockbuster title changes, and passing of the torch moments are all mainstays of this time of year and it should be very interesting to watch it all unfold over the next couple of months.

With that being said and The Road to WrestleMania about to kick off at The Royal Rumble, here are five ways WWE can catch fans off guard during WrestleMania season. As always, let us know your thoughts in the comments below and be sure to tell us what you want to see during the WrestleMania season.

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#5 Keep Roman Reigns out of the title picture

Does Roman Reigns even need a title shot right now?

Roman Reigns has become one of the biggest figures in pro wrestling over the last couple of years and his fanbase is only growing. Beyond that, he has reached a point in his career where he is almost universally beloved and will be accepted as the next top guy when the company ultimately decides to christen him as such.

With that being said and WWE pretty much having all the time in the world to execute this plan, why not hold off on it for a little bit? Sure, Roman Reigns winning the Universal Title at WrestleMania 36 would be a crowning achievement and would be a jaw-dropping end to The Fiend's streak, but it might also cause a lot of resentment.

That's why WWE would probably be much better off to keep him out of the title picture this time around and focus on building him up for the summer months of the year. At least that way, there's no fear of the WWE Universe starting to resent him again, The Fiend has a better chance of retaining his title, and Reigns can help WWE during their summer drought.

#4 Have Brock Lesnar defend his title in The Elimination Chamber

Brock Lesnar needs to defend his WWE Championship before WrestleMania

Brock Lesnar has had it quite easy since winning the WWE Title from Kofi Kingston on SmackDown, and one has to wonder when he will face a suitable challenger once again. Unfortunately for the WWE Universe, the company has elected not to have him defend his title at the Royal Rumble, which means that the title will not change hands.

With that being said and WWE needing to keep fans enraptured in the upcoming road to WrestleMania 36, why not force him to defend it in the Elimination Chamber PPV? At least that way, WWE can feature five RAW Superstars, get the title off of Lesnar if they want to, and set up something for everyone at WrestleMania 36.

Maybe WWE could even put Cain Velasquez in the Elimination Chamber match and then have him beat Lesnar for the belt in the closing seconds. This would set up a match between the two at WrestleMania 36 and create a situation where The Beast doesn't walk into the biggest PPV of the year with the title around his waist.

#3 Give King Corbin the Royal Rumble win

Baron Corbin would be a very controversial choice for Royal Rumble winner

Subverting expectations has been a staple of pro wrestling and storytelling for years, and it's a pretty useful storytelling device at times. It is the single biggest factor in Daniel Bryan's eventual WWE Title win at WrestleMania 30 and could be played up again with the right storyline this year.

Think about it! What if WWE were to shock the entire WWE Universe and give King Corbin the Royal Rumble victory? Not only would it leave everyone in absolute shock and anger at what they had just seen, but it would also leave them practically pining for another person to be added to the title picture.

Fortunately, the addition of a third person to a title match between The Fiend and King Corbin accomplishes a variety of things. The first is that it allows King Corbin to serve a critical heel role in the lead up to WrestleMania. Secondly, it allows fans to slowly get behind The Fiend or whoever else they stuff into the title match.

Finally, it could allow WWE to pull off a triple threat match, which will give the company a chance to take the title off of The Fiend and not affect his undefeated streak. Of course, it will come as a bit of a shock to no longer have The Fiend as Champion, but putting Corbin in the mix could be a great way to give Roman Reigns or someone else the title victory over The Fiend.

#2 Put the SmackDown Women's Title on Lacey Evans

It's time for WWE to put the SmackDown Women's Title on Lacey Evans

WWE needs to make bold moves on The Road to WrestleMania, so putting the SmackDown Women’s Title on Lacey Evans is indeed one. Of course, some in the WWE Universe are going to disagree, especially with her disastrous heel run in mind, but she is seemingly turning a big corner in regards to her character.

Beyond that, WWE is using their usual philosophy of making her feud with Bayley personal, which is only making things more interesting. In fact, between how tired fans are of Bayley and Sasha Banks running their mouths and the duo targeting Evans' daughter, it’s pretty obvious that the company wants to put the title on her.

If nothing else, Lacey Evans is a force to be reckoned with, a marketing juggernaut for WWE, and the next logical step in their heralded women’s revolution. She is also someone that can help build the division on SmackDown over the next couple of months and maybe even get a career-defining moment at this year’s edition of WrestleMania.

#1 Have The Undertaker challenge The Fiend

Undertaker versus The Fiend, who wins?

It’s no secret that WrestleMania season is a time for dream matches to happen, and while the company has many options when it comes to this, one of the most tempting is Undertaker versus The Fiend. Not only is that evident by the passing of the torch moment that it would signal for the company, but also by how invested the WWE Universe would be in it.

While some might think that Undertaker isn’t a good choice, especially since he has limited mobility, The Fiend’s move set features a lot of parlor tricks that could make up for that. In fact, between a majority of The Fiend’s matches being about enduring pain and The Undertaker having one of the most protected finishers in the business, it would be intriguing to watch.

Interestingly enough, WWE is rumored to be planning for The Fiend to take on The Undertaker’s brother Kane, which could lead to The Deadman interfering in the match. If nothing else, that would probably be the company’s best option for a WrestleMania match, especially with the other option being Roman Reigns, as it would create a very unique opportunity.

In the end, WWE can achieve this by putting King Corbin in the match, or just doing Undertaker versus The Fiend one on one. Either way, the company has a chance to make history with this encounter, so they need to take advantage of it.