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Thirty-five years ago, Vince McMahon made a bold decision. The wrestling empire he'd inherited from his father, formerly called the World Wide Wrestling Federation, was financially successful and delivered top quality events around the country, but he wanted more.
Vince McMahon had a vision to take pro wrestling out of its niche entertainment role and expand its fan base. He didn't just want good old fashioned 'rasslin,' he wanted to create something bigger than that; sports entertainment.
McMahon envisioned an event that brought not just major wrestling stars together but major celebrities as well, much like the Super Bowl or the World Series.
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He named this extravaganza WrestleMania, and everyone from Cyndi Lauper to Mr. T. to Liberace was part of the goings on.
WrestleMania was one of the earliest pro wrestling pay per views and was a mega success. Not only did existing wrestling fans watch the super show, but many new fans as well.
Fast forward to 2019 and there have been 34 WrestleManias in total. Some are iconic, such as Wrestlemania III where Andre the Giant clashed with Hulk Hogan, while others have largely faded from memory. Still, the tradition brings together millions of fans every year, and this year is no exception.
In just a few short days, WWE will present Wrestlemania 35. Here are predictions for the winners and losers, as well as analysis on what it all means.
#1 Kurt Angle probably won't face Baron Corbin as his final opponent
Sometimes the WWE makes decisions that initially people are critical of, but then turn out to have been right all along.
However, there are other times when pretty much everyone from fans to journalists to critics can agree that the company has botched a decision. Naming Baron Corbin as Kurt Angle's final opponent--ever--is one such decision.
Very rarely is the polarized world of pro wrestling fandom united on any one subject, but it's nigh impossible to find someone happy about Baron Corbin being picked as Angle's final opponent.
The WWE even acknowledged as much on their live broadcast, so it's quite possible that this is part of a larger storyline or angle (no pun intended.)
We're betting that someone will replace Corbin as Angle's final opponent to give the Olympic Gold Medalist the proper send off.
#2 The Andre the Giant memorial battle royal will be forgettable
Andre the Giant was a true icon in the world of sports entertainment. Known as much for the size of his heart as the size of his body, Andre wrestled all over the world against icons like Hulk Hogan, Antonio Inoki, and Stan Hansen.
He was also well known for being nigh-invincible in battle royals, as his seven foot five inch, five hundred pound frame was hard to lift over the top rope.
We can understand why WWE would want to honor Andre the Giant, and we can also understand that the memorial battle royal is intended to give many athletes who would otherwise miss out a Wrestlemania appearance.
However, if you look at the list of winners and what winning the match actually meant to them and their careers, the results are underwhelming. Mojo Rawley hardly appears on television, Baron Corbin has been in primarily a non-wrestling role, and Matt Hardy had to take time off for injury.
Perhaps if the stakes were higher than just bragging rights and a trophy, the memorial battle royal would have more meaning--a title shot down the line seems apropos.
#3 Buddy Murphy will retain his cruiserweight championship.
In what could be the sleeper match of the night, Buddy Murphy is set to defend his title against his, well, against his buddy Tony Nese, who won the right to be number one contender in a tournament.
These two men, like basically the entire 205 Live roster, are incredibly gifted athletes and ring technicians who can go move for move, hold for hold, against anyone in the world. Murphy has a slight experience edge but the two men are as evenly matched as any you will find in pro wrestling.
While we are sure Nese will be coming to fight, our prediction is that Buddy Murphy will walk out of Wrestlemania 35 with his title intact. The WWE has been building up Murphy for some time, and he's truly calmed down the tumultuous 205 Live division with his dominance.
#4 The Boss N Hug Connection will beat the odds and retain their women's tag team titles
The Women's Evolution in WWE has truly come full circle. First, there were women main eventing raw, then pay per views, and finally, we had an entire event dedicated only to the trailblazers of the division.
With the creation of the Women's tag team titles, WWE has gone all in on women's wrestling. What was once a joke, or worse, the punchline of a joke, is now one of the most fiercely competitive divisions in any wrestling promotion in the world.
Inaugural champions the Boss N Hug Connection--Bayley and Sasha Banks--have a tough task ahead of them as they must defend their titles against not one, not two, but three different teams.
Of the three opponents, it's easiest to predict that Natalya and Beth Phoenix probably won't win.
After all, Natalya is more of a singles star and Phoenix is a retired wife and mother. Tamina and Nia Jax are also not likely to win, just because they have the least heat/momentum heading into the event.
The IIconics have the best chance of any team to unseat Bayley and Sasha, but we're betting that the first ever champs will get a successful Wrestlemania title defense to help cement their legacy.
#5 Rey Mysterio will unseat Samoa Joe as United States champion
The match for the United States championship at Wrestlemania 35 is one of the most intriguing.
You have two storied veterans whose paths have not often crossed competing against each other at the largest stage pro wrestling has to offer. Samoa Joe is a well-traveled superstar who has been ROH World champion, Impact world champion and NXT champion.
Rey Mysterio has been wrestling even longer, and is one of the few grand slam WWE champions, having held every belt the promotion has to offer at one time or another.
When you look at the situation, you realize that Mysterio has the better odds of walking out of Wrestlemania 35 as the victor.
Recently Mysterio's son Dominic--who has been training as a wrestler--was re-introduced to the WWE Universe. Dominic will be ringside, which provides that much more inspiration for a Mysterio win.
#6 Batista will retire Triple H
On paper, the combined ages of these men measure near the triple digits, making one instinctively cringe.
But just because Triple H and Batista are no longer in their physical primes doesn't mean this match won't be pure madness from bell to bell.
Batista has kept himself in phenomenal shape and has trained in MMA as well as weight lifting to keep himself ready for a return to the ring. Triple H in his forties still has a better body than many men half his age, and he's the cerebral Assassin to boot.
While the fans will probably be rooting for Triple H to win after Batista's heinous attack on the seventy-year-old Nature Boy Ric Flair, we're betting that Triple H will go out on his back.
The Game has largely been a nonwrestling performer for much of the past several years, only coming out to play for mega-events like Crown Jewel and Wrestlemania.
Losing to Batista will provide a nice storyline exit for Triple H, who can then concentrate fully on his real-life WWE duties.
#7 Kofi Kingston will not win the WWE Title from Daniel Bryan
Kofi Kingston's sudden rise to main event talent has been one of the most successful and rapid elevations that WWE has perpetrated in many years.
Kingston was chosen as a replacement for Ali, who had been injured prior to the Elimination Chamber event. WWE made the wise booking decision to not just shove Kofi into the match, but to have him compete in a gauntlet to prove his worthiness.
Much to WWE's surprise, if not the fandom's, the crowd was enormously supportive of Kofi Kingston.
Almost overnight, he went from being the most overshadowed member of the New Day to being a no-questions-asked main event talent with legions of vocal and loyal fans.
Despite WWE's success at building him up, we don't see him walking away with the title. Daniel Bryan is just beginning his heel run with the championship, and a Kofi victory would derail all of that momentum. But Kofi fans should not fret; Kingston will likely be wearing the 'big belt' by the year's end.
#8 Shane McMahon will risk life and limb to defeat the Miz
There have been many, many, many examples of nepotism and favoritism in the world of pro wrestling. Cowboy Bill Watts pushed his son Erik Watts to the moon in spite of Erik being, at best, mediocre talent.
Dusty Rhodes booked himself to be world champion on several occasions in the NWA. But one man who has not benefited from a world champion wrestling career due to family connections is Shane McMahon.
In fact, despite Shane O'Mac's insane amount of athletic ability, he was kept out of the ring for the most part because he is Vince McMahon's son.
But that doesn't mean that Shane doesn't get his chances to shine. There are highlight reels aplenty that show Shane McMahon diving off of any and every platform he can find to pummel his opponents.
This is likely to happen again at WrestleMania 35, where you can be sure--win or lose--that Shane McMahon will be taking heart-stopping risks in his quest to defeat the Miz.
#9 Seth Rollins won't be able to overcome the Beast Incarnate
When it comes to Brock Lesnar, it seems that everyone is constantly predicting him to lose his title.
Fans and critics scour the dirt sheets looking for any clue as to his contractual status, hoping to find ammunition for their predictions. "Lesnar to return to UFC!" the headline reads, and instantly everyone thinks Brock is leaving WWE and dropping his title to boot.
Last year at Wrestlemania 34, everyone just knew that Lesnar would lose his Universal Title to Roman Reigns. Instead, Brock Lesnar dominated the Big Dog and put him through a table to retain his championship. He even busted open Reigns with vicious blows.
So no matter what his contractual status is, you can bet that Brock Lesnar has a better than average chance of overcoming Seth Rollins at Wrestlemania 35.
WWE will be keen to keep Lesnar around if at all possible, and keeping the belt around his waist just goes with the territory.
#10 "The Man" will walk out of Wrestlemania 35 as "The Champ"
So who is WWE's biggest star these days? Is it the recently returned Roman Reigns, the Big Dog who has been the top man in the company for years? Is it Brock Lesnar, the former UFC champ and Universal champion who rarely tastes defeat in the squared circle? Or is it AJ Styles, the international phenomenon who has tasted unlikely WWE success in his middle age?
The answer is 'none of the above'. Without a shadow of a doubt, the biggest star in WWE right now is "The Man" Becky Lynch, the fearless Irish Lass Kicker who languished for years on the roster as her more successful brethren like Bayley and Charlotte went on to the main event picture.
However, Lynch has re-invented herself as the ultimate anti-hero, drawing comparisons to Stone Cold Steve Austin's meteoric rise during the Attitude Era. Lynch's social media posts generate just the right level and type of heat, and when it comes to the in-ring talent she's one of the best--male or female--in the world.
Given that Lynch is the top star in the company, there is an excellent chance she will be walking out of Wrestlemania 35 as the Man, the icon, and the champion.
There you have it; Ten predictions and analyses of Wrestlemania 35. What are your predictions for the big event? Please comment and let us know, and as always thanks for reading!
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