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It's safe to say that WrestleMania 35 has had one of the worst builds in modern history, although that's not uncommon when discussing this decade. Most of the matches feel like afterthoughts, and in many respects, this WrestleMania feels like an 8 hour edition of Raw rather than the Showcase of the Immortals. I wish everyone luck sitting through it live.
Nevertheless, WrestleMania 35 is important in one sense. It has the potential to act as a renaissance event, where it could hit a badly needed reset button on WWE's content and present us with a better future. The McMahon-promised "new era" has already proven to be more of the same. Hopefully, WrestleMania 35 will deliver a better result, though we certainly have a right to be cynical about it, given how poorly the last few WrestleManias have been booked.
Many of the matches are pointless, but some matter a lot. Here's what should happen if we're to get a better future instead of more of the same.
#1 Asuka must dominate the Women's battle royal
Winning this match means nothing, and indeed, is often a curse, so it's probably better if Asuka loses. Winning the meaningless battle royal isn't a consolation prize for being screwed out of a WrestleMania title match.
However, the battle royal can position Asuka to get back in the title picture. To do this, she should be the Asuka everyone loves to see - the destructive whirlwind that takes no prisoners. If Asuka is allowed to be her best self in this match, she can regain some of the momentum she lost on her long road back to prominence.
Having a performance like that and then coming up short won't matter. Nobody cares about who wins the battle royal, but Asuka can make a maximum impression in the hostilities.
#2 Tony Nese wins the Cruiserweight Championship
Tony Nese's story heading into WrestleMania 35 has been well-told. 205 Live has certainly done right by him as he heads into The Show of Shows and the biggest match of his career. If anyone should take the title from Buddy Murphy at this juncture, it's him.
Of course, Murphy losing the title would be a net negative for 205 Live. It's far from hyperbole to say that his rediscovery has been the best thing that the purple brand has ever done. Yet, now he feels too big for WWE's forgotten brand. If Mustafa Ali got the chance to move up, by right, Buddy Murphy should too. Murphy's loss would be bad for 205, but the best thing for him, which is what matters most.
#3 The Usos retain the SmackDown Tag Team Titles
There's a decent chance The Usos drop their titles on Sunday, given their nebulous contract status, but it wouldn't be the right thing for SmackDown at this juncture. The Bar just had a reign, Nakamura and Rusev feel very much like they're there to get pinned, and Black and Ricochet, possibly the favorites to win, should not.
Black and Ricochet are better as singles stars, and they should set out on that course rather than being stuck as a tag team for too long. If the tag team division had been better, things might be different, but fans have been so conditioned to not care about doubles acts that staying as a team for too long will hurt the NXT standouts.
#4 The Miz beats Shane McMahon
The last thing anyone needs is for Shane McMahon to beat a full-time star, especially given how this angle has unfolded. Miz needs to win to retain his credibility. A move to Raw is likely, so why not do it in triumph? Miz is an asset to any brand's midcard, and brings far more to the table than Shane McMahon.
A triumphant and refreshed Miz could do well to revive the fortunes of the red brand, which has been stagnant for a year.
#5 Samoa Joe retains the United States Championship
The United States Championship badly needs a turnaround in its fortunes, and Samoa Joe is just the man for the job. His match with Rey Mysterio is already the most exciting that title has seen in a long time.
It's far from the right time for him to drop it. On the contrary, he should reign for a while longer. With opponents like Aleister Black and Ricochet now around, his reign certainly has the potential to be rich.
#6 Drew McIntyre beats Roman Reigns
The story writes itself. Roman Reigns beat cancer, so there's no reason why he shouldn't beat a far lesser opponent at WrestleMania, right?
Well, how about not?
In an intelligent swerve, for once, Drew McIntyre should win on Sunday night.
It would be the right decision for two reasons. First, it keeps Roman Reigns from being perceived as getting pushed to the moon. WWE needs to do everything it can to keep the goodwill around him going, to make his eventual re-entry to the title scene more organic and cathartic.
Second, by beating Roman Reigns, Drew McIntyre would get the biggest win of his career, and cement his credibility as a force to be reckoned with, immediately putting him in title contention.
#7 Kofi Kingston wins the WWE Championship
I can't believe I'm saying this, but everything about this build has been unbelievable, and Kofi Kingston needs to win the WWE Championship on Sunday. With the way he's been built up, he can't not win.
Sure, it seems like the classic WWE thing to do to make him suffer a heartbreaking loss, especially in the context of two other babyface victories that need to happen, but if WrestleMania 35 is to be a true renaissance event, all three fan favorites need to emerge victorious Sunday night, starting with Kofi.
#8 Seth Rollins wins the Universal Championship
If anything needs to happen this Sunday night, it's this. More than any other result, Seth Rollins must walk out of MetLife as Universal Championship. That title needs to be reset more than any other. For the past two years, Raw's main event picture has been in a dark age, and if the show is to revive its fortunes, it needs to start with this.
Even more than a Becky win or a Kofi win, Seth needs to win. If a fresh start is to be the mantra after WrestleMania, make it this more than anything else.
#9 Becky Lynch wins the main event by pinning or submitting Ronda Rousey
The rise of Becky Lynch has been the most prominent story in WWE over the past year, and to finalize it, she not only needs to win on Sunday night, she needs to beat Ronda Rousey cleanly to do it.
No matter how much WWE has tried to justify her presence, Charlotte still feels like the third wheel, and the feud between her and Becky has reached the point of diminishing returns.
Becky Lynch needs to capitalize on her red hot rise by beating Ronda Rousey cleanly on the biggest stage, which will cement her as the leading player in the division, and one that the fans wanted first, rather than a Vince McMahon project.
