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In contrast to NXT TakeOver: New York last night, WrestleMania 35 will be a LONG show. 16 matches are on the card! That's a lot of time to manage. It wouldn't be surprising if this show lasted 8 hours, which is far too long.
Managing that time will be crucial. It's imperative to give the better matches a longer time and get the worse matches over with quickly.
With that in mind, here's what we might see tomorrow night.
#1 WrestleMania women's battle royal (~10 minutes)
Last year's battle royal lasted about 10 minutes, and that's about right for this year's, too. It shouldn't take that long for everyone to get their work in and for the important parts to shine through. There won't be many opportunities for a lot of people to stand out, anyway, so 10 minutes is about all the time that you need.
All eyes will certainly be on poor Asuka, but that probably suggests she'll come up just short at the end, which is fine enough. Winning the battle royal has historically been a curse. Better if she loses after running through the ring like a whirlwind.
#2 Buddy Murphy vs. Tony Nese (~12 minutes)
12 minutes is about the time that Cruiserweight title matches usually get, which is fine enough. They can do more in 12 minutes than many other people, especially if the contenders are named Buddy Murphy and Tony Nese.
This will be an explosive, high-intensity contest with rapid moves and reversals. Tony Nese is slightly favored to walk away as champion, just to freshen things up and potentially move Murphy on to Raw or SmackDown, but at the same time, it wouldn't be surprising if the purple brand keeps its title on his opponent. Buddy Murphy is nothing if not reliable.
#3 Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal (~15 minutes)
Since there will be more competitors in this match than the women's battle royal, it will need more time. Braun Strowman will obviously be the standout here, and people will be looking to see how he uses his strength to dominate things, though we might yet see more surprises.
Otherwise, there's not much going here, but it will be necessary to get everybody on the card. Unfortunately, there's more filler to go through here.
#4 Intercontinental Championship: Bobby Lashley vs. Finn Balor (~5-15 minutes)
This one is variable, given that we know the Demon will return. WWE can decide to take one of two routes - they can have Demon Balor squash Lashley like he did Corbin at SummerSlam, or he can have a competitive match, as seen with AJ Styles at TLC 2017.
Since I don't think WWE will be quite so eager to go the squash route with Lashley (as opposed to the heat magnet Corbin), I'm going to go with a competitive match, with the strength of Lashley coming close to, but not toppling, the Demon.
#5 SmackDown Tag Team Championship: The Usos (c) vs. Ricochet and Aleister Black vs. The Bar vs. Shinsuke Nakamura and Rusev (~10 minutes)
There are four talented teams in this match, and it might be last minute, but it's looking like it will be one of the best matches at a WrestleMania, if they give it enough time. With The Usos signing a new contract, I'm betting that WWE will.
This will be done at a blistering pace, and will contrast well with the filler and disappointing 5 minutes The Usos got to defend their titles last year. To tell the story in this match, 10 minutes will be required.
#6 Shane McMahon vs. The Miz (~15 minutes)
Shane McMahon matches usually last at least this long and with the build this has gotten, I expect things to remain the same here. The Miz will look for his revenge on behalf of his father and Shane McMahon will throw his usual horrible punches, but there will be enough time left for a crazy stunt or two.
#7 Triple H vs. Batista (~20 minutes)
And that's not including his 20-minute entrance.
All kidding aside, Triple H matches at WrestleMania usually go long, and I, unfortunately, don't expect that to change this time, even though it should. This is going to be tough to get through. For those of you watching live, now might be a good time to take care of loose ends, like getting food.
#8 AJ Styles vs. Randy Orton (~10 minutes)
Some matches will need to get cut and I expect this to be one of them. Fortunately, AJ Styles and Randy Orton won't need much time to light the place on fire. AJ Styles can put together a good match on a dime, and with Randy Orton's superb character work since last summer, he'll have the perfect foil. This is one of the matches that you shouldn't miss.
It's also unpredictable. Either one of these guys can feasibly win, so this will make for a nice sprint.
#9 Kurt Angle vs. Baron Corbin (~10 minutes)
10 minutes is actually being generous, because it's clear that, even though this is a retirement match, Kurt Angle and Baron Corbin can't be expected to go on for long. It would get bogged down quickly. Kurt Angle isn't his old self (or he wouldn't be retiring) and Baron Corbin is Baron Corbin - not the most exciting competitor in the world.
Kurt Angle will get his emotional sendoff, but unfortunately, it won't be in a spectacular sendoff like Shawn Michaels and Ric Flair - unless John Cena shows up from out of nowhere.
#10 United States Championship: Samoa Joe (c) vs. Rey Mysterio (~8 minutes)
If any title match will get less than 10 minutes on the main card it will be this one (and another one we'll get into later).
Fortunately, Samoa Joe and Rey Mysterio don't need much time. They're good enough to do with less than 10 minutes. In that time, Joe will brutalize, Mysterio will use his high speed and agility offense, and then one of them will emerge the victor (probably Samoa Joe).
Less time would actually do this match some service.
#11 Roman Reigns vs. Drew McIntyre (~10 minutes)
This match, too, won't need a long time, and 10 minutes should be about right. Roman Reigns and Drew McIntyre will beat the hell out of each other and that isn't a story that needs much more than 10 minutes.
Roman Reigns would seem the likely winner, but you never know. WWE might pull off a shocker, especially with McIntyre's Universal title aspirations. The result might depend on another result later in the night.
#12 Women's Tag Team Championship: Boss 'N' Hug Connection (c) vs. The IIconics vs. Nia Jax and Tamina vs. Beth Phoenix and Natalya (~12 minutes)
That's how long these women's matches usually go, and Beth Phoenix's return to the ring will add a point of spectacle to build to, so this match could make better use of some extra time than some other matches on the bloated card.
Sasha Banks and Bayley will certainly retain, but it will be a fun journey to get there. Seeing them square off against Beth Phoenix will be the highlight of this match, and will lead to some measure of anticipation.
#13 WWE Championship: Daniel Bryan (c) vs. Kofi Kingston (~15 minutes)
Kofimania is the most emotional story on the card, and this match will consequently get the time it needs to tell it. It's a clash of one guy who's fighting "against all odds" against another guy who did the same thing five years ago, but has since gone on to be the arrogant champion.
The match will end in one of two ways - a cathartic triumph or a heartbreak after the challenger came so close. Either way, it's by far the most interesting match tomorrow night has to offer. It's just a shame we'll have to get through so much to get to it.
#14 Raw Tag Team Championship: The Revival (c) vs. Zack Ryder and Kurt Hawkins (~6 minutes)
This match screams "late show cooldown match." Nevertheless, there will be some intrigue with Zack Ryder being near his hometown and with Kurt Hawkins' 2.5-year losing streak potentially coming to an end.
Either way, though, this match won't need a long time to tell those stories. It's a bit of a disservice to The Revival, but even after becoming champions, they've been booked horribly.
#15 Universal Championship: Brock Lesnar (c) vs. Seth Rollins (~8 minutes)
Brock Lesnar title defenses usually don't last long these days. It isn't that hard to do the same match over and over again, after all. All we can hope for is that they make the right decision for once and that this tedium ends.
#16 Winner take all: Ronda Rousey (c) vs. Charlotte Flair (c) vs. Becky Lynch (~20 minutes)
Finally, there's the main event. This will be a complicated match, and with three elements in it all needing to get their spots in, it will probably be the longest match on the show. 20 minutes is a good estimate.
Charlotte and Ronda both stand as obstacles in the way of the people's champion, Becky. It will be a slow story of Becky overcoming those obstacles as the match unfolds. To do this, more time will be given, with Becky probably emerging the victor at the end in a great moment of triumph.
