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As we get closer and closer to WrestleMania 35, there is no denying that the match card for 'The Grandest Stage of Them All' will be absolutely stacked due to the amount of talent that there is on Raw and Smackdown. But either way, one thing is definitely guaranteed and it's the fact that there is potential for some great matches.
Last night's episode of Raw (14th January 2019) changed the landscape of WWE, as we saw many moments that will definitely impact the rumoured card for WrestleMania. Here are the earliest but realistic predictions for the match card of the WWE's biggest PPV event of the year.
Pre-show Matches
Match #1 Women's Battle Royal Match
At last year's WrestleMania 34 event, we saw the introduction of the first ever Fabolous Moolah Battle Royal match which would consist of every single woman on the WWE roster that wasn't already competing in a match. However, due to public backlash, the battle royal was renamed to the "Women's Battle Royal" match as we saw Naomi win the first one.
This match would again feature all the women such as Ember Moon, Mickie James, Natalya Naomi, Carmella, The Iconic Duo, etc. And we may also see the return of some legends such as Trish Stratus, Molly Holly and Lita. We will definitely witness Nia Jax and Tamina dominate the entire match as they will be the biggest women in this match.
One woman that will shine for definite is Ember Moon, as 2019 will most likely be the year that The Shenom rises. However, she shouldn't be the winner. The final two should come down to Nia Jax and Nikki Cross, who should without a doubt be assigned to the Smackdown brand to reunite with Sanity. The fans would be fully behind Cross to win the match, as she should throw Nia Jax over the top rope to win on her WrestleMania debut match.
Winner: Nikki Cross
Match #2. Lio Rush vs. Hideo Itami vs. Akira Tozawa (c) - Cruiserweight Championship Match
With Buddy Murphy being set to defend the Cruiserweight Championship against Kalisto, Hideo Itami and Akira Tozawa at Royal Rumble, it seems very likely that the Cruiserweight title will change hands as there doesn't seem to be any potential title switches on the show.
And the best possible option to finally become the Cruiserweight Champion would be none other than Akira Tozawa himself.
However, at WrestleMania, Itami's opponents should arrive in the form of Lio Rush and Akira Tozawa. Tozawa and Itami have plenty of history that can be explored further, and this can be the focus of this match. On the other hand, you have Lio Rush who is immensely developing his character whilst being paired up with Bobby Lashley. The reason why Murphy will not be in this match is due to the fact that by the time WrestleMania comes, he probably would have already had his rematch for the title in a losing effort.
This match will be fast paced and hard hitting, as we see three of the most talented Cruiserweight competitors take each other to their absolute limits. Expect Rush to take advantage of the carnage that Tozawa and Itami cause, with Itami nailing Tozawa with a GTS only for Rush to throw Itami out of the ring and pinning Tozawa to steal the championship away in the process. This is so that Rush can be a double champion with Lashley.
Winner and NEW Cruiserweight Champion: Lio Rush
Match #3. Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal Match
The annual Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal did wonders for Matt Hardy last year as we witnessed a shocking moment in Hardy receiving help from Bray Wyatt, especially after the two men had previously feuded. The duo then went onto become the Raw Tag Team Champions at The Greatest Royal Rumble 2018 event by defeating The Bar.
It seems as if WWE is going to be using this match to elevate superstars onto bigger things, and that is the correct way to go. This match will feature ALL the superstars who aren't already scheduled for a match, as well as the Cruiserweight superstars as well.
We will see superstars such as Jinder Mahal, Elias, Rey Mysterio, Sami Zayn, and many others. We will also see many of the big superstars such as Braun Strowman and Baron Corbin. These two will be the focus of the match due to Corbin being the reason why Strowman isn't against Brock Lesnar at Royal Rumble 2018 for the WWE Championship. Their feud will continue after Strowman returns from the injury he hasn't healed from.
The final two will come down to Strowman and Corbin, as we will see Corbin finally get his comeuppance as Strowman will destroy him and send him over the top rope to be this year's winner of The Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal. This will lead to a bigger push for Strowman and will give him some more momentum due to the fact that he wasn't able to compete against Lesnar.
Winner: Braun Strowman
Main Show Matches
Match #4. EC3 vs. Jeff Hardy vs. Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Mustafa Ali vs. Andrade Cien Almas vs. Rusev (c) - 6-Pack Challenge Match for the US Championship
The biggest multi-man match will come on the Smackdown side, as we see most likely see the US Championship be contested under 6-Pack Challenge rules. This will be done to get all the rising talent as well as the established superstars all in the same ring together to create a masterpiece.
With Rusev being set to defend his US Championship against Nakamura at Royal Rumble, it's likely that we will see Rusev retain as he won the title on the Christmas 2018 edition of Smackdown. This match should feature EC3's WrestleMania debut, as he should be assigned to the Smackdown brand beforehand.
We have EC3, Nakamura and Rusev to play the more physical roles in the match, whereas the likes of Ali, Hardy, and Almas will be the high flying superstars that will take risks and amaze the WrestleMania crowd. This match could go anyway due to the talent that is involved, but the ending should come when Ali and Almas are battling it out in the ring for Zelina Vega to interfere and distract Ali, allowing Almas the opportunity to nail Ali with his finisher and win the US Championship via pinfall.
Winner and NEW US Champion: Andrade 'Cien' Almas
Match #5. The Bellas vs. The Boss 'n' Hug Connection (c) - WWE Women's Tag Team Championship Match
On the 14th January 2018 episode of Raw, it was announced that the first ever WWE Women's Tag Team Champion match will take place at Elimination Chamber, as 3 teams from Raw and Smackdown will battle inside the grueling structure in a quest to become the inaugural champions.
There is no denying that Sasha Banks and Bayley are being positioned to become the first ever champions, and it's likely that they will win the titles at Elimination Chamber. On the other hand, the winners will definitely need opponents for WrestleMania, and what better than to have The Bellas return again as heels to take on the new champions?
This could be the perfect match to establish The Boss 'n' Hug Connection as a solid tag team, and it would also give Sasha Banks her first ever WrestleMania moment as well as Bayley's second for the two women to walk into WrestleMania as the champions. The Bellas are the best heel tag team to put Banks and Bayley over in their first championship challenge. Nikki Bella and Brie Bella are established enough as well so they don't even need a win and they should be used to make Banks and Bayley look like a solid tag team.
Winners and STILL Women's Tag Team Champions: The Boss 'n' Hug Connection
Match #6/ The Bar vs. Shane McMahon & The Miz vs. The Usos vs. The New Day - Fatal 4 Way Tag Team Match for the Smackdown Tag Team Championship
The current Smackdown Tag Team Championship match that is scheduled for Royal Rumble is none other than The Bar defending against the newly formed team of Shane McMahon and The Miz. We might possibly see Miz turn on Shane during their match at Royal Rumble, but it also seems likely that the WWE may want to drag this tag team out until WrestleMania which is why they will gain the win at Royal Rumble due to The Miz cheating.
Another multi-team match at WrestleMania 35 for the Smackdown Tag Team Titles would most likely occur as this would get The Usos and The New Day involved as well. The focus would be on "The Best Tag Team In The World" as we would see Miz and Shane be very dysfunctional together, with Miz taking the easy way out and Shane always doing the right thing.
This match would come to an end with a miscommunication from Shane and Miz as Miz would refuse to tag Shane in the match, leading to Shane tagging himself in. The two men would then argue only for The Usos to Superkick Miz out of the ring, and do the same to Shane before covering him to become 6 times WWE Tag Team Champions.
This would allow Miz to take Shane out of action on the Smackdown after WrestleMania by turning on him, to build to a match between the two at Summerslam for the World Cup trophy.
Winners and NEW Smackdown Tag Team Champions: The Usos
Match #7. Dean Ambrose vs. Kevin Owens vs. Bobby Lashley (c) - Triple Threat Match for the Intercontinental Championship
On the 14th January 2019, we witnessed Bobby Lashley defeat Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins in a Triple Threat Match on Raw to become the new Intercontinental Champion. This is the first time that Lashley has won the title, and it is definitely a big step in boosting Lashley's credibility.
Kevin Owens is currently out of action right now after having surgery on his knee. The last we saw of Owens was when he was written out of television following a brutal attack from Lashley, as we witnessed a double turn. It's likely that Owens will make a return fuelled with revenge against Lashley as we will continue to see Owens as a babyface character.
On the other hand, Dean Ambrose will also be included in the match as he will look to regain his Intercontinental Championship. His issues with Lashley will be the fact that he took what was Ambrose's, and with Owens being added to the picture, it could make him another target for Ambrose.
The match would be very personal and brutal, as we would see the best out of all three superstars. However, Lashley will definitely be booked as a dominant Intercontinental Champion which is why he would pin Ambrose to retain the title so that Ambrose can eventually move onto bigger things. After the match, seeing Lashley and Rush stand tall holding the Intercontinental and Cruiserweight titles respectively, high in the air would showcase that they're here to stay.
Winner and STILL Intercontinental Champion: Bobby Lashley
Match #8. The Revival vs. Authors of Pain vs. Chad Gable and Bobby Roode (c) - Raw Tag Team Championship Match
We are currently seeing Gable and Roode have great matches as the champions, and it also seems likely that The Revival will finally gain a chance to compete in a WrestleMania match this year. Gable and Roode also originally defeated AOP to gain the Raw Tag Team titles, but AOP has yet to have their rematch which suggests that they will also be Gable and Roode's challengers for the big PPV event.
We have seen The Revival and AOP involved in a Triple Threat Elimination Tag Match along with #DIY before in NXT Takeover: Orlando in a match that had the WWE Universe on fire. This match would see the same concept being put into play without the Elimination rules, but with Gable and Roode as champions.
There is no denying that these three tag teams would be able to put on a blockbuster match. We will see brutality from AOP, a methodical approach from The Revival as well as a mix of high flying and technicality skills from Gable and Roode. However, this match should come to an end when The Revival finally achieves their dreams by pinning Gable to win the Raw Tag Team titles for the first time in their careers.
Winners and NEW Raw Tag Team Champions: The Revival
Match #9. Drew McIntyre vs. John Cena
There is no denying that Drew McIntyre is destined for greatness right now, as he has been well protected from the moment he stepped foot onto Raw. He has had success as a tag team with Dolph Ziggler as the duo won the Raw Tag Team titles, and now he seems poised to break out as a singles competitor.
We have seen McIntyre and John Cena have many interactions on Raw, mostly with McIntyre interrupting Cena during promos. This could potentially be the signs of something a whole lot bigger, as a feud between the two men seems to be on the cards. A potential match between McIntyre and Cena would be huge for The Scottish Psychopath, as it will give him the big push that he needs to elevate him to the top.
Both men are Vince McMahon's chosen ones, however, it was Cena who lived up to Vince's expectations, unlike McIntyre. This could be fuel for McIntyre as he makes it his mission to not just defeat Cena, but to absolutely destroy him as he did to Kurt Angle. The match would end with both men looking strong, but McIntyre would absolutely pummel a bloodied Cena to gain the win possibly via pinfall or referee stoppage.
The reason why McIntyre should destroy Cena is that Cena is going to leave again due to his part-time contract and movie commitments, so this is the best way to make McIntyre truly look like The Scottish Psychopath whilst writing Cena off.
Winner via referee stoppage or pinfall: Drew McIntyre
Match #10. Charlotte vs. Asuka (c) - Smackdown Women's Championship Match
The next match would be a rematch from last year's WrestleMania as we would once again see Charlotte go head to head with Asuka, but this time, things would be completely different as it would be Asuka defending the Smackdown Women's Championship against Charlotte instead of the other way round.
Charlotte is rumored to face Ronda Rousey at WrestleMania. But due to that match already happening at Survivor Series, it's likely that WWE will put her into another marquee match with Asuka. When you put Charlotte into the main event with Ronda and a certain somebody else, who do you have that is credible enough to take on The Empress? And there is still potential in a storyline between Charlotte and Asuka as Charlotte was the one who broke Asuka's streak.
The Queen doesn't need to be in the main event of WrestleMania, which makes her the perfect foil for Asuka. This rematch would be a fantastic contest, as the best way to go would be to have Asuka avenge her loss from last year's WrestleMania to retain the title over Charlotte.
Winner and STILL Smackdown Women's Champion: Asuka
Match #11. Samoa Joe vs. Daniel Bryan (c) - WWE Championship Match
Daniel Bryan looks set to retain the WWE Championship in a match against AJ Styles at Royal Rumble 2019, and there are a few superstars who can go head to head with Bryan for WrestleMania 35. However, there doesn't seem to be a better option than Samoa Joe himself.
We have yet to see Joe and Bryan face off in an official one on one match in a WWE ring, and WrestleMania could be the best platform for that match to occur. With the "New Daniel Bryan" being all about saving the environment, Samoa Joe would be the perfect opponent as he opposes everything that Bryan stands for. Bryan could target Joe because of his lust for violence, and how that is "bad for the environment."
There is no doubt that these two would put on a show-stealing match, and Bryan's new character is one of the best things that we are seeing in the WWE today. This would be the best possible match for the man who claims to no longer be associated with The Yes Movement.
But despite the fact that Joe desperately needs the win, it would be Bryan who would come out on top to continue his entertaining title reign.
Winner and STILL WWE Champion: Daniel Bryan
Match #12. AJ Styles vs. Randy Orton
Despite the fact that AJ Styles is set to face Daniel Bryan for the WWE Championship at Royal Rumble 2019, it's clear that we won't see an end to Bryan's title reign any time soon. However, we have seen Vince McMahon attempt to bring out a more aggressive side of AJ Styles that we haven't seen before from him. It even led to AJ Styles headbutting Vince McMahon as Vince got what he wanted to see.
It seems as if big things are being planned for Styles when it comes to WrestleMania 35, so we could potentially see Randy Orton either cost Styles out of the WWE Championship at Royal Rumble, or Vince could potentially choose Orton as Styles' WrestleMania opponent which would explain why he wanted to see a more dominant side to Styles.
We have yet to see Styles vs. Orton in a major PPV match, and it is the perfect opportunity for the two men to compete at WrestleMania. The Viper vs. The Phenomenal would create an awesome storyline, especially with Orton as a heel. Due to the different styles of both men, this match would be awesome as it would end with Styles successfully defeating Orton by nailing him with a Styles Clash before covering him for the win.
Winner: AJ Styles
Match #13. Seth Rollins vs. Brock Lesnar (c)- Universal Championship Match
Over the last couple of weeks on Raw, we have seen Triple H attempt to bring back the "old Seth Rollins" as it has led to The Kingslayer causing nothing but destruction on Raw. The rumored plans for Rollins at WrestleMania are that Rollins is being scheduled for a marquee one on one match with The Beast himself.
After the year that Seth Rollins had in 2018, there is nobody more deserving of this opportunity than himself. In addition to this, it is rumored that Rollins is also being scheduled to win the 2019 Royal Rumble match which is another deserved moment for him.
Some say that Rollins has been a boring superstar as of late, but how can that be possible if he is always putting on the best matches on Raw? And it's not just that, but the fact that he consistently comes out to loud ovations every single week is something that can't be ignored.
With Brock Lesnar also preferring to face the technical superstars such as Bryan and Styles, there is no doubt that his motivation to put on the best match possible with Rollins would be at an all-time high. And Rollins taking the Universal Championship away from Lesnar, the title that he has been chasing for 3 years would be best for business.
Winner and NEW Universal Champion: Seth Rollins
Match #14. The Undertaker vs. Finn Balor - The Deadman vs. The Demon
With Finn Balor being set to finally face Brock Lesnar in a match at Royal Rumble 2019 that the entire world has been craving to see, we will definitely see a fantastic match as Lesnar has been rumored to prefer working with talents such as Balor. We probably won't see Balor win the title, but the match against Lesnar could definitely make or break for him in terms of gaining momentum for WrestleMania.
And what better way for Balor to make a huge mark on The Grandest Stage of them All by facing The Undertaker himself? Balor has stated in an interview with Inside The Ropes that his dream WrestleMania matches would be against "The Undertaker" or "The Beast" (Brock Lesnar.) With Balor facing Lesnar at Royal Rumble, it's unlikely that he will face The Beast again at WrestleMania.
On the other hand, we've also seen Balor tweet a picture of himself hitting a Coup De Grace on The Undertaker, further fuelling the rumors that he will face The Deadman at WrestleMania. If this match was to ever happen, Balor would definitely be able to carry The Undertaker to a good match, and it would be a great way to have Balor win and come out of this match looking like a million bucks.
But the best way for Demon Balor to also go over after this match would be to have Balor defeat Taker, only for The Deadman to "pass the torch" to The Demon after the match with a staredown as well as a nod of approval. This would be the best way to get Balor over whilst protecting The Phenom if he was going to return to the ring again, and the fans would definitely eat it up as both men would look strong.
Winner: Finn Balor
Match #15. Becky Lynch vs. Ronda Rousey (c) - Raw Women's Championship Match
And finally, in the main event, we have none other than Becky Lynch taking on Ronda Rousey for the Raw Women's Championship. As stated in this article earlier, the rumors are for Charlotte to be included in this match.
Charlotte has bad blood with Rousey and Lynch, but with the potential for The Queen to be involved in another marquee match with Asuka that makes perfect sense, what would be the point of shoe-horning her into the main event of WrestleMania 35 just for the sake for The Queen being in the main event match?
Becky Lynch has done what it takes to have a singles WrestleMania main event match as she has organically risen to the top. There is no person in the WWE who is as over as she is right now, and she is currently in line to take on Asuka for the Smackdown Women's Championship at Royal Rumble 2019. It's likely that Lynch will lose this match, but it wouldn't stall her momentum at all.
With Ronda Rousey dominating the majority of 2018 as the Raw Women's Champion, she seems to be in contention to do the same thing in 2019 until WrestleMania where she will meet her biggest challenge. The Man Vs. The Baddest Women on the Planet is a tagline for the ages, but WrestleMania 35 should be the platform where Lynch's status as The Man is solidified.
Winner and NEW Raw Women's Champion: Becky Lynch
If there are any other matches that you would like to see on the Wrestlemania 35 card, then drop your opinions on the comment section below. Thank you for reading!
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