As we wind down the final stretch on the Road to Wrestlemania, and the match card is nearly set in stone, it is time for us to let our minds wander to the land of "What if?". Every year, there are a number of matches that WWE fans want to see but the management decides to go a different route.
There's nothing much we can actually do about it because once Vince McMahon and co set their minds to something, there's no way in hell he's going to change regardless of what sort of fan backlash he experiences.
Seriously, how else do you think Roman Reigns is a babyface that overcomes the odds every single time? One can only hope that Triple H starts getting a bigger say in how the product is booked going forward.
Maybe then we would have seen some matches that we really had our hearts set on, this time around. So, without any further ado, here are 5 matches we really wanted to see at Wrestlemania 33. Warning: There’s a lot of AJ Styles coming up.
#5 AJ Styles vs. Shawn Michaels
This one came to light recently, and it’s not actually the WWE’s fault that it didn’t happen. Shawn Michaels revealed this week that the WWE offered him the opportunity to wrestle AJ Styles at Wrestlemania 33 but he turned them down.
The Heart Break Kid cited the fact that he’s retired and wouldn’t do the match justice but god damn, we would’ve loved to see this one happen regardless of how old he is. It would be the absolute dream to see him going up against AJ Styles.
They are both widely regarded as the best in-ring performers of their generation and it would have been an absolute treat to see them work this match. While Michaels says that he would’ve taken the match in a heartbeat if it was 10 years ago, I still believe that, with Styles, he can still work a Match of the Year candidate.
This is one match that we will never get to see, not only at Wrestlemania 33 but ever.
#4 Finn Balor vs. The Undertaker
If there was ever a Superstar for The Undertaker to pass the torch to, it would be Finn Balor. The Irishman embodies the spirit of The Deadman and is the ideal choice to carry on the mantle of the supernatural in the years to come.
Is there a better way for The Phenom to pass the torch on, than to have a battle against The Demon King on The Grandest Stage of Them All? It would be a truly epic match which would put Balor over in the best possible way.
This would’ve worked out even better as it would be the perfect return match for Balor, following his lengthy injury lay-off. Come back and have an epic match against The Undertaker? Yes, please!
Unfortunately, this looks like another match which we will never get to see, as it looks like ‘Taker will be retiring after Wrestlemania 33. Then again, we say that every year around WrestleMania season, so there might be hope yet.
#3 AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
Our second AJ Styles match on the list, and you can hardly be surprised to see him around so much, considering the lacklustre booking forced upon him in the form of Shane McMahon. But, the WWE could have truly salvaged this situation.
Shane could’ve chosen AJ’s old rival from New Japan Pro Wrestling, Shinsuke Nakamura, to fight against The Phenomenal One at WrestleMania 33, setting up one of the most hotly anticipated matches in the event’s history.
There is little doubt that the two will be able to tear the house down. Seriously, just go check out their match from NJPW’s Wrestle Kingdom 10 if you doubt me. It would also be the perfect main roster debut for The King of Strong Style – facing off against someone he has history with on the biggest stage available in the WWE.
#2 The Miz vs. Daniel Bryan
If you had told me in the build up to WrestleMania 32 that this would have been a match I really wanted at Wrestlemania 33, I would have made you check in to the loony bin. But, such has been Miz’s heel work over the past 12 months, that there is no doubt that he is one of the star performers on the roster today.
His explosive shoot promo against Daniel Bryan on an episode of Talking Smack gave him an immense boost and he has ridden that momentum perfectly. Through the last half of 2016, he has constantly mocked the SmackDown GM.
Now, I know that we’ll never see this match due to Bryan’s health issues but with the sheer amount of heat between the two men, this is one match that I really really really wanted to see at Wrestlemania 33.
#1 AJ Styles vs. Finn Balor
AJ Styles vs. Finn Balor is the perfect matchup. Everything about it is perfect. They are both amazing in the ring. They are both former leaders of Bullet Club during their time in New Japan Pro Wrestling. Hell, AJ even replaced Finn as the leader when Balor made the jump over into NXT.
They were both without a feud in the build up to Wrestlemania 33 after The Royal Rumble. It would’ve been the perfect Raw vs. Smackdown match that every single wrestling fan across the planet would tune in to.
The only solace here is that there is plenty of time in the future for this match to still happen.
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