The day hoards of wrestling fans have been eagerly waiting for is almost here and in a matter of hours, the world would witness the grandest spectacle in sports entertainment take center stage.
The general consensus heading into WrestleMania 32, unlike many other editions from the past, points to a major debacle adding to WWE woes.
With Roman Reigns being the soft target of hate, a poorly constructed undercard and the future implications regarding the marquee matches, things don't look all that sunny for the WWE.
A moment of crisis calls for head turning swerves and the Creative team would have ample up their sleeves in order to save a pay-per-view that is in danger of being counted amongst the worst.
With Seth Rollins saving last year's pay-per-view from falling flat on its face, WWE will be banking on swerves of a similar sort this time around too. So, here are the twists that WWE could deploy to save its grandest offering -- WrestleMania 32.
The Divas Title Match
We'll start off with the ladies on the card – who in a welcome change, have generated quite the hype for themselves leading up to the pay-per-view.
The Divas title match would be a great match without a doubt, but the outcome of the same, though, is quite predictable from a mile away. Sasha Banks is the clear frontrunner to walk out with the title, but what if WWE chooses to put the belt on Becky Lynch?
It wouldn't be as impactful as a Banks victory, but it surely is something that a majority of the fan base wouldn't expect.
Another scenario would be to have Sasha Banks win the title only to see an old foe come down to confront her during her post-match celebrations.
Bayley coming out to rekindle their rivalry from NXT would be seamless storytelling and a masterful move on WWE's part. The main roster fans deserve to experience the in-ring genius of the two and we can only hope WWE thinks the same.
Dean Ambrose Vs Brock Lesnar (No Holds Barred match)
Try going around asking fans what they’re looking forward to the most from this year’s WrestleMania and this potential slobber knocker of a bout would be the popular answer. Yes, the Hell In a Cell match is equally anticipated, but the dynamics in the Lesnar-Ambrose match are more appealing.
Ambrose Asylum meets Suplex City and you have an instant classic right there. But the burning question coming out of this match is who would walk out with his hands raised? WWE can’t afford to make Lesnar look weak and at the same applies to the Lunatic Fringe.
While the grapevines suggest a Wyatt interference at WrestleMania, it would be painstakingly predictable and not that ‘shocking’ as it’s meant to be. It can’t be denied that Ambrose needs someone to run in and help him conquer the Beast and if it can’t be Bray, it can very well be hardcore legends making their presence felt at the grand WrestleMania stage.
Mick Foley, Terry Funk, Tommy Dreamer and many others could make the bloodfest a nostalgic ride with overall. An unforgettable passing of the torch moment at WrestleMania is there to be written.
Another scenario would be to have Wyatts attack Lesnar with Ambrose getting the win with the help of the distraction – and in a twist that has me jumping in my seats – what if Ambrose and Lesnar join hands to take the Buzzards out.
The Beast can then show his respect to Ambrose that could mark a legit passing of the torch moment. This would be unlike any legend doing the honor and would be an apt way to put over Ambrose as the next top face of the company.
The Undertaker vs Shane McMahon (Hell In a Cell Match)
High hopes, stakes, stipulations and drama – this match has it all and also holds the key to the success of the pay-per-view. If Shane McMahon vs Undertaker doesn't live up to the hype, rest assured nothing can save WrestleMnaia 32 from going down as one of the worst.
As the whole pay-per-view is being built around this match, interference, run-ins and jaw-dropping spots are expected to blow the roof off the joint in Dallas. There are many scenarios that could happen in this case.
The obvious ones are potential interferences from John Cena to set up a WrestleMania 33 or SummerSlam match against the Undertaker and a rumored run-in by none other than Stone Cold Steve Austin. While both sound good on paper, what this match needs is a swerve of the highest order.
What if Shane and Vince sort out their differences and align with each other to take out the Undertaker? But how would they do that you ask? Vince signals to the back and out come the Bullet Club to take the Undertaker out and temporarily write him off TV.
Yes, this would mean Authority's reign continues, but what if Shane betrays Vince on the RAW after WrestleMania to reveal it being a work all this while. At the end, you have Shane in control of RAW and a promising new face stable in the Bullet Club to take things forward.
The rumored Goldberg return
When all is said and done, this may very well go down as a worthless rumor, but what if it isn’t? If it isn’t, then expect a historic event in the making.
It’s quite tough to accommodate Goldberg in the current picture, but there are ways WWE could have a nostalgia invoking moment.
As Sting recently called quits on his legendary career, WWE could get the Icon at the grandest stage of them all for an emotional segment. This is where Goldberg’s music hits and out comes the WCW standout to the complete shock of the fans in Dallas.
He could be joined by a host of other WCW legends to pay tribute to Stinger’s iconic career.
While Goldberg’s return could out shadow the tribute itself, it would be a good way to include the former WWE Champion in the proceedings if he’s indeed on his way back. And no, we aren’t too kicked up about a possible interference in the Lesnar match to settle old scores, considering how their previous encounter went.
Triple H vs Roman Reigns (WWE World Heavyweight Championship)
It’s just not right when the hyped main event turns out to be a major dud in the build-up phase, and when such a scenario happens for two years in succession, an intervention is necessary.
The most likely swerve is a Roman Reigns heel turn facilitated by the Samoan Superman turning on his cousin The Rock, and while it would save a career out of Reigns, the WWE can surely come up with better.
One scenario is to have Triple H retain his title, only to see Seth Rollins return to reclaim what’s rightfully his.
Another scenario would be to have Reigns turn heel by aligning with Vince McMahon, much to the shock of Triple H. And when everything seems to have been done and dusted, out comes Seth Rollins to save his mentor and kickstart a Triple H-Vince rivalry with Reigns as the heel champion and Rollins as the face.
The possibilities are endless and that’s exactly what might save this match from turning into an afterthought.
The undercard swerves
A lot is left to be desired when it comes to the remaining matches on the card, but WWE can control the damage by pulling off a rabbit out of their hands.
Anyone other than Kevin Owens or Sami Zayn winning the IC title at WrestleMania would come as a rude shock to the fans. While KO should win to continue his feud with Zayn, WWE could hand Zayn his WrestleMania moment with a prestigious Intercontinental Championship win.
When it comes to the United States Title, it would be an abomination if Ryback squashes his way in winning the title. But what would make things that much more intriguing would be to have Ryback to interfere in the Styles-Jericho match to set up a title feud with Styles.
The set up could also happen on the RAW after WrestleMania, and a face Styles vs heel champion Ryback sounds like a good feud on paper. In what could send the IWC into a frenzied state, the possibility of Samoa Joe making his main roster debut at WrestleMania to crash either Ryback or Kevin Owens’s part or be slotted into the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal match.
With Joe losing at Takeover Dallas, the eventual main roster call-up is imminent and it could very well happen at the greatest platform in sports entertainment.
