The road to WrestleMania has begun and the most exciting season for WWE fans is underway. With WrestleMania just two months away, WWE is bringing all its resources to make the event a noteworthy PPV for many wrestling fans. One of the major ingredients for putting forth a great WrestleMania for the fans is the card or lineup for the event.
According to Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the card for the grandest stage is almost finalised. An updated list of the lineup for the event is making the rounds on Reddit. The lineup has garnered some mixed reviews from fans. Below is the lineup for the most exciting night in pro-wrestling.
#1 Bill Goldberg vs Brock Lesnar for the Universal Title
The ultimate showdown between the two of the most exciting names in the history of pro-wrestling will most likely be the main event for the night. In order to make things interesting, it looks like WWE has decided to make the match a contest for the Universal Title. Yet again, the part-timers will be the main event at WrestleMania. Looks like CM Punk’s anger at the company was well-found.
#2 The Undertaker vs Roman Reigns
We saw the seeds of this rivalry being sown at The Royal Rumble. Rumours state that Vince McMahon intended to schedule this match for some time. Considering Undertaker’s condition, this could be the last opportunity to have this match and Vince is not going to let this opportunity pass by. The idea behind this match is the proverbial passing of the torch moment and we can expect Cole to speak about it quite a bit during the match.
There is also another speculation making the rounds that this might be WWE’s answer to many fans’ call to turn Roman heel. WWE will try to jumpstart Roman’s heel run with the nuclear heat Roman might get for beating Taker at WrestleMania and experts predict that this might be the start of an incredible heel run for Roman Reigns.
#3 HHH vs Seth Rollins
While this match has been anticipated for quite a while, the actuality of this match happening is quite slim. The match is reportedly in jeopardy now due to Rollins’ injury at the hands of Samoa Joe this Monday. The showdown between the mentor and protege is a match that fans will be eager to witness. But the probability of it happening is reportedly very slim.
#4 Bray Wyatt vs Randy Orton for the WWE Title
The showdown between the Wyatt family members at the grandest stage was the reason behind Randy Orton winning the Royal Rumble. Bray Wyatt is expected to capture the title at the Elimination Chamber match and head into WrestleMania as the champion. The much-awaited year of The Wyatts is rumored to start at this year’s WrestleMania.
#5 Chris Jericho vs Kevin Owens
This bout could be for the United States Championship if Jericho doesn’t lose his title at the Fastlane PPV. Jericho is reportedly taking some time off from the WWE to finish up his commitments with his band, Fozzy after WrestleMania. We can expect Owens to walk out of the event with the belt.
#6 John Cena & Nikki Bella vs The Miz & Maryse
WWE is reportedly planning for an inter-gender tag match for this year’s WrestleMania. The match is rumoured to be for the unofficial title of “The ‘IT’ Couple” of WWE. The rivalry will likely start right after the Elimination Chamber PPV.
#7 Big Show vs Shaquille O’Neil
If the list is true, this match would be the most unexciting match in the list. While the other matches in the list may garner mixed reactions from fans, this match will surely be looked upon negatively considering that WWE is wasting quite a bit of talent to squeeze this match into the card. If WWE intends to have a giant vs giant confrontation, they could at least go ahead with Big Show vs Braun Strowman. The huge push Strowman is getting will be worthless if Strowman is not on the WrestleMania cards.
#8 Charlotte vs Bayley vs Nia Jax vs Sasha Banks for the Raw Women’s Title
The lone women’s match listed as of now for the show is the rumoured Fatal 4 Way for the Raw Women’s Championship. Sasha is rumored to turn heel at the end of the match and embark on a rivalry with Bayley. The match would most likely be filled with high spots as the women would most likely deliver a flamboyant performance.
Apart from the above-listed matches, a bout between Shane McMahon and AJ Styles is rumoured to be on the cards as well. The rivalry between Shane and Styles will probably gain traction in the upcoming weeks.
Sportskeeda’s Take
While the card may satisfy the casual wrestling fans, the die-hard fans of the product will be left seething. Talented names like Dean Ambrose, Sami Zayn, Baron Corbin, Dolph Ziggler, Neville and many others are not on the proposed list of matches for the night. The most likely scenario is that these names might be put in a group match on a pre-show match just to placate the fans.
Yet another problem with this card is that there is no mention of either the Cruiserweight division or the Tag Team division in the cards. These kind of misses will not help both the divisions to progress to the next level. Also, the SmackDown Women’s Championship or the Intercontinental Championship is conveniently being ignored from the cards. WWE’s approach is sure to anger quite a bit of ardent fans.
From the looks of it, HHH vs Rollins will be the only match that could deliver a stellar bout. Now that the match is in jeopardy, the responsibility falls on Taker and Reigns to put smiles on the faces of the audience. While both talents have the capability to deliver a stellar bout, the result might not sit well with fans. Jericho vs Owens or the Fatal 4 Way can also pull off a great bout if they were given the proper time for it.
On the whole, it might be good for fans to expect less from this year’s WrestleMania. Forget about putting on a show that rivals Wrestle Kingdom, we will be fortunate indeed if they can deliver us a show that doesn’t make us doze in our seats.
One of Samoa Joe's colleagues had harsh words for him HERE
