So, Wrestlemania is here.
Personally speaking, I feel that this pay-per-view should’ve been pushed back to August and either replaced or been combined with Summerslam. However, I’m not going blast WWE for the decision they made as this situation came out of nowhere for everyone and the company made the choice that they believed was right.
In terms of spoilers, not every match advertised is set to take place. There are no match results here. Only predictions; however, if you’ve been adamantly trying to avoid the latest changes made to the card then I suggest you don’t read any further.
As always, these are simply my predictions, so smashing your computer is completely unnecessary. Let’s get started with the first match:
Street Profits vs. Austin Theory and Angel Garza (Raw Tag Team Championships)
Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins just won the belts, so I see no reason to kill their momentum, especially to a makeshift tag team like Theory and Garza.
Winner: Street Profits will be retain the RAW Tag Team titles
The Miz and Morrison vs. The Usos vs. The New Day (SmackDown Tag Team Championship Ladder match)
This is one of the scheduled matches that has been changed. While the participants haven’t been confirmed, Morrison vs. Jey or Jimmy Uso vs. a member of The New Day in a three-way ladder match for the Tag Team titles is reportedly the new match set for the event.
Granted, this doesn’t make sense, so it’s possible that I’m wrong here and it’s a different bout; however, the advertised one will not happen due to The Miz being unable to wrestle. Should the triple threat match happen, then I expect Morrison to retain. While the USO’s will regain the belts down the line, I just don’t think that the titles will change hands on this night due to the circumstances around it.
It’s a shame that the original match-up won’t happen as this could’ve ended up being as good or better than the Triangle Ladder between The Hardys, Dudleys, and Edge & Christian at WrestleMania 2000. Damn you coronavirus!
Winner: John Morrison retains the SmackDown Tag Team Championships
The Kabuki Warriors vs. Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross (Women's Tag Team Championships)
While I believe that Asuka and Kairi Sane deserve a WrestleMania moment, there’s nothing for the champs to do should they keep the straps. The Kabuki Warriors have beaten every tag team on the roster – including Bliss and Cross – and the company doesn’t seem to be in a hurry to grow the division.
There’s been no new female tag team debuts on the main roster and NXT, and with so many talented women who are essentially used as enhancement talent down in the developmental brand (Santana Garrett and Deonna Purrazzo, for example), it would’ve be wise to start forming female tag teams and establishing them down in the black and gold brand.
However, that’s not the case, so Cross and Bliss will win the straps here. While the challengers won’t offer anything new to the floundering division, it does open up Sane and Asuka to become singles wrestlers again. This could be good news as both are stars and will help enhance the singles division, or Asuka and Sane could end up just being a forgotten number for either the RAW or Smackdown champs. Hopefully, it’s not the latter.
Winner: Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross win the Women’s Tag Team titles
Elias vs. King Corbin
I still think WWE is in building up mode with the former United States Champion, even though he retired Kurt Angle last year – which is barely mentioned anymore - main evented several pay-per-views following WrestleMania 35, and won the 2019 King of the Ring tournament. Honestly, I expect the King to win the Universal Championship by WrestleMania 37. Like everything else here, I could easily be wrong; however, me and my crew have been buying pitchforks and torches for the rebellion, just in case.
Winner: King Corbin
Otis vs. Dolph Ziggler
While Otis seems like the obvious choice here, the culprit that sabotaged his date with Mandy Rose has yet to be revealed, thus officials may extend this feud by giving Ziggler a cheap win. Granted, the revelation could happen on the Smackdown before WrestleMania; however, I feel that Sonya Deville will aid Dolph to victory, exposing herself as the person who ruined Rose’s date with Otis.
Winner: Dolph Ziggler
Aleister Black vs. Bobby Lashley
I’ve heard rumors that Lashley is currently under quarantine; however, the match is still being advertised as we speak. This is nothing more than a glorified squash for the former NXT Champion. It’s nice that Black is receiving a push; however, I just wish the company would come up with a compelling storyline with him. Hopefully that will be the case following WrestleMania.
Winner: Aleister Black
Bayley vs. Naomi vs. Tamina vs. Lacey Evans vs. Sasha Banks (SmackDown Women's Championship)
I’m going to go with Sasha Banks on this one. Reportedly, the original plan was for “The Boss” to face Bayley at this year’s show; however, the match-up was ultimately scrapped since officials thought that four weeks wasn’t enough time to build a match between the two.
I can see Banks beating either Naomi, Tamina, or Lacey Evans, with Bayley’s jealously slowly building up over time. The official match may take place at Summerslam, though I can see these two colliding during one of the summer pay-per-views, with a controversial ending to drive the story into second gear.
It wouldn’t surprise me if Naomi or Evans walked out victorious with the belt; however, I feel officials really want to do a Banks/Bayley feud correctly, so…
Winner: Sasha Banks wins the SmackDown Women's Championship
The Undertaker vs. AJ Styles (Boneyard match)
Based off the booking, Styles should easily win this match. The former WWE Champion looked like a chump against Taker at Super Showdown, and again at Elimination Chamber; however, I get the feeling that the “Deadman” is walking out of this match the winner.
I don’t know what a Boneyard match is. It’s possible that it’s just a Buried Alive match with a different name; however, officials have failed to explain the rules. While Styles could get the win with the help of Gallows and Anderson, Taker has made quick work of Styles’ evil henchmen before, so I don’t see how things will change on the grandest stage of them all.
Another possibility could see an outside inference aid Styles with the victory, which could be reminiscent of Kane helping Vince McMahon win his buried alive match against Taker at Survivor Series 2003. Anything is possible, but my gut is telling me that the winner will be…
Winner: The Undertaker
Sami Zayn vs. Daniel Bryan (Intercontinental Championship)
This should be a great match; I just wish the build wasn’t last minute. There are two directions that this match could go: A) Daniel Bryan beats Sami Zayn clean or B) Drew Gulak screws Daniel Bryan over by costing him the IC title match.
There’s a reason why Gulak and Bryan are paired together, and I doubt that both men will form a tag team following WrestleMania 36. A Gulak and Bryan feud in the coming months could be great and since my heart is telling me that their match at Elimination Chamber won’t be their last…
Winner: Sami Zayn retains the Intercontinental Championship thanks to Drew Gulak
Bray Wyatt vs. John Cena (Firefly Fun House match)
Call me a man with bad taste, but I didn’t hate the Randy Orton and Bray Wyatt house of horrors match in 2017 (though I despised their WrestleMania 33 encounter). The match is intriguing and if done correctly, this could be really fun.
I’m going with The Fiend/Bray Wyatt here. For the most part, Wyatt has credited the former multi-time World Champion as the man responsible for The Fiend character coming alive after their WrestleMania 30 battle. Wyatt blames Cena for his downfall and The Fiend is all about avenging previous losses, well, except from Goldberg.
There’s no gain for Cena if he wins here. The 42-year-old’s days inside the ring are numbered and The Fiend needs a big victory following his quick loss to Goldberg at Super Showdown.
Winner: “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt
Kevin Owens vs. Seth Rollins
Kevin Owens needs a big win in this feud. Thus far, Rollins has been getting the upper hand against the former Universal Champion in various combinations of multi-man matches; however, I can see a case for Rollins walking out victorious. Should McIntyre defeat Brock Lesnar, then I could see Rollins vs. McIntyre for the WWE Championship at Summerslam. Granted, The “Monday Night Messiah” can easily win some type of tournament or contender match to bounce back from his WrestleMania loss, and Owens hasn’t had a big win since his feud with Shane McMahon, so…
Winner: Kevin Owens
Edge vs. Randy Orton (Last Man Standing match)
I groaned when I first heard that these two would be feuding again as I remember their lackluster rivalry back in 2010; however, the build has been top notch and I'm very excited to see what these two can do inside the ring. This is Edge’s first match back and Orton doesn’t need the win. While officials can always give Orton a cheap victory to extend this rivalry, I feel that this is a one and done match. Therefore…
Winner: Edge
Rhea Ripley vs. Charlotte (NXT Women's Championship)
The only gain from Charlotte winning is to boost ratings for NXT; however, the former Women’s Champion hasn’t made much of a difference during the Wednesday night wars so I feel that excuse is pointless. Flair will be fine if she losses, so giving Ripley the rub should be the most important thing when booking this match. Hopefully, this will be a back-and-forth, 50/50 contest instead of the tiring, heel dominates 90% of the match before the babyface makes his/her comeback and edges out a win in the end.
Winner: Rhea Ripley retains the NXT Women’s Championship
Roman Reigns vs. Goldberg (Universal Championship)
Another match that’s been changed, but oddly advertised despite Triple H and Reigns himself already spilling the beans. Surely, an angle will take place on Smackdown that will write Reigns out of the WrestleMania match; however, you would think that officials would’ve told Reigns and Triple H to keep their mouths shut until the change was confirmed.
Reportedly, Braun Strowman will fight Goldberg at WrestleMania 36. Look, if this was pre-WrestleMania 34 Strowman then I would’ve been an advocate for the big man to defeat Goldberg and win the Universal Championship.
However, following that ill-advised heel turn in back in the fall of 2018, Strowman hasn’t been the same and the company has seemingly lost faith in making the 36-year-old a future top star. He’s lost every WWE or Universal Championship opportunity that’s come his way, and Strowman just doesn’t have that specialness about him anymore.
Strowman is also coming off a loss to Sami Zayn, Cesaro, and Shinsuke Nakamura at Elimination Chamber, and while all three men are very talented, the company have essentially made them glorified jobbers. Even if Strowman walks out victorious, he’ll most likely be a transitional champion. I hate to be so negative on a guy who should’ve been a world champion by now; however, Strowman has little to no momentum, and despite Goldberg originally set to being a transitional champion himself, I don’t see the point in the title changing hands here.
Winner: Goldberg retains the Universal Championship
Becky Lynch vs. Shayna Baszler (Raw Women's Championship)
It’s time for Lynch to drop the belt. Granted, officials can easily call up talents like Io Shirai, Bianca Belair, or Rhea Ripley; however, if officials want fans to take Baszler seriously then she has to beat Becky Lynch. It’s possible that Ronda Rousey helps Lynch drop the belt; however, I hope that’s not the plan. Baszler has been built up as a badass, so she should win clean and dominate the women’s division up until Summerslam at least.
If Lynch wins, then officials have changed their tune of the former NXT Women’s Champion and most likely, the RAW Women’s Champion won’t drop the belt until a singles match against Rousey, Ripley, or Flair (again) happens.
Winner: Shayna Baszler captures the RAW Women’s Championship
Brock Lesnar vs. Drew McIntyre (WWE Championship)
It’s McIntyre’s time, no ifs, ands, or buts about it. I’ve been surprised at how over Drew was following his big win at the Royal Rumble; however, the credit should also go to the booking of the United Kingdom native, which has made him look like a million bucks thus far.
Brock Lesnar doesn’t need the win. I understand that the moment of McIntyre celebrating with 70,000 plus fans has been ruined; however, if officials pull a WrestleMania 34 and have Lesnar stand tall, then it could easily kill his momentum amongst fans. Drew McIntyre slays the beast and wins the WWE Championship. That should be the only result.
Winner: Drew McIntyre captures the WWE Championship
Thank you for reading. Feel free to drop your predictions in the comments section. Stay safe and enjoy WrestleMania 36!