Gone are the days when WrestleMania used to be a pure wrestling show. In today’s world, with the number of casual wrestling fans who tune in to watch The Show of Shows, the WWE is inclined to provide enough entertainment other than the usual fare of wrestling matches.
Wrestlemania 33 will be no different. In this era of reality television and with the WWE hoping to rope in new viewers, they are constantly on the lookout for new non-wrestling segments, which will appeal to the masses.
Just like the decision to switch over to PG, everything Vince McMahon does is to make the WWE as mainstream as possible. It’s all about leveraging the show to make more money. If you’re looking for a pure wrestling show like Wrestle Kingdom 11, then WrestleMania is not the place to be.
So, without any further ado, let’s take a look at 5 non-wrestling segments we could see at WrestleMania 33:
#1 The New Day segments
Despite being the longest reigning Tag Team Champions in WWE history, we will not see The New Day wrestle at Wrestlemania 33. While that may seem like a bad thing initially, dig a little deeper and it becomes abundantly clear why.
The New Day have achieved immense popularity and are near the top of the list for merchandise sales. With their natural charisma and ability to connect with the crowd, it seems like every new marketing gimmick the trio bring out is a success.
Therefore, it is of little surprise that Xavier Woods, Big E, and Kofi Kingston have been chosen as the hosts for this year’s Show of Shows. While there were some rumours that they might be pulled following Woods’ involvement in the Paigegate scandal, that doesn’t seem to be the case.
The three of them will probably be part of a number of non-wrestling segments throughout the show, but for the sake of this list, I’m including all of them in just one single entry to make all of our lives easier.
#2 WWE legends segment
Last year we had Mick Foley, Shawn Michaels, and Stone Cold Steve Austin make a surprise appearance as the three legends banded together to take out The League of Nations after the latter’s match against The New Day at WrestleMania 32.
We can expect something similar this time around as well. It’s a great way to get the crowd pumped and reenergized partway through the show, and give some WWE legends another moment in the spotlight.
There's no way these old-timers will come out for a match but for a quick non-wrestling segment? Sounds just about the perfect way to relive some of your glory years. Just hope the WWE stop burying promising talent for this purpose, though.
#3 The Rock segment
If The Rock was going to have an actual match at Wrestlemania 33, it probably would have been advertised for months in order to capitalise on his popularity. So, there’s no way that the highest paid actor in Hollywood is going to be wrestling on The Grandest Stage of Them All.
What we can expect, though, is a non-wrestling segment involving The Great One. The Rock always makes an appearance at Wrestlemania, and there is little doubt that he will be present in Orlando this year.
Unless it is yet another random squash match like last year, Dwayne Johnson should be enjoying a wrestling-free time at the WWE’s biggest event of the year. Maybe something like that fun little backstage rivalry segment he had with Triple H and Stephanie McMahon. Some banter between The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin, anyone?
#4 Kurt Angle segment
Kurt Angle will be the biggest name to be inducted into the 2017 WWE Hall of Fame. One of the greatest wrestlers to ever step foot into the ring, it will be one of the most deserved inductions in the history of the WWE. But, Angle doesn’t want it to end just there. He feels he still has more to give.
While the WWE might not be comfortable with letting him wrestle unless they’re absolutely sure of his physical conditioning, they will be more than willing to give him the opportunity to return to a WWE ring in some other capacity.
This is the reason there have been so many rumours linking the Olympic Gold Medalist with the position of Raw General Manager. These rumours have only gained steam following the sacking of Mick Foley as GM for the red brand.
If this is indeed the case, we can almost definitely expect Angle to make an appearance at ‘Mania to build this up. It sure will be great to see Kurt Angle back where he belongs.
#5 John Cena and Nikki Bella segment
Almost every rumour surrounding the intergender tag team match pitting John Cena and Nikki Bella vs. The Miz and Maryse seems to be centred around the fact that Cena is expected to propose to his long-term girlfriend after the match.
This is indeed a possibility as the WWE looks to capitalise on the popularity of The Face that Runs the Place as well as Nikki’s lead role on Total Bellas and Total Divas to create a non-wrestling segment which will be adored by every casual wrestling fan in attendance.
It might not be the best thing for pro-wrestling but it is definitely best for business.
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