The fact that this writer almost forgot to include this match on the card shows how little reason WWE has given fans to care about this match. While all 4 teams in this bout are talented, this match really doesn't have any interesting subplots, possible twists, or anything of the sort. As long as they have this gimmick, no matter how talented they are, the members of New Day are not going to get over. Los Matadores are solid wrestlers, but again, their gimmick holds them back. Not even a miniature bull can fix that (by the way, in what world is it okay to allow the bull to win matches? Natalya was trained in the Hart Dungeon, it's ridiculous to let her get pinned by a "bull" that's not even 4 feet tall). The Usos are talented and popular, but on the verge of getting stale unless Creative decides to change their routine up a little bit. Finally, Cesaro and Kidd are two of the most talented wrestlers on the roster, but without any true storyline, there's only so much they can do to make this match interesting. Being relegated to the kickoff show displays just how far the tag team division has fallen since Team Hell No.
Things to look forward to:
- A Cesaro Swing, perhaps?
While there certainly is nothing like a good battle royal, one of the main things that helps elevate events such as the Royal Rumble is the star power such matches contain. Unfortunately, as much as I like guys like Ryback, Rowan, Henry, Kane, etc., WWE really hasn't given us much of a reason to care about the match. For example, last week, at the penultimate Raw before Wrestlemania, Creative elected to have Kane and Mark Henry toss out a number of other superstars who were also in the Battle Royal. While Henry and Kane have certainly made immeasurable contributions to the business, and were both top stars at a point, their relevancy has waned over the past few years, and seeing the possibility of Henry or Kane leaving the battle royal victorious has left many fans unexcited about the bout.
Things to look forward to:
Seth Rollins vs. Randy Orton ‒ A
What do you get when you pit arguably the hottest heel in WWE right now against one of the company's perennially most over superstars? A superb grudge match filled with tension and drama. After brutally putting Orton on the shelf with a vicious curb stomp through the announce table 4 months ago, Mr. Money in the Bank Seth Rollins has slowly but surely developed into one of the most hateable men in the WWE today, doing all the little things right along with putting in superb performances like his spectacular showing at the Royal Rumble. Orton, on the other hand, is clearly ready and raring to go after being on the shelf for so long. WWE has done a great job in the past few weeks allowing Orton to channel some of his aggression towards Rollins (starting off with his excellent plot to fool Rollins for his first few weeks back) while still leaving fans wanting more. Come Wrestlemania, that is exactly what they will get. If we're lucky, this may not even be the biggest moment of the night for one of these two men, if you know what I mean...
Things to look forward to:
R-Truth vs. Luke Harper vs. Dean Ambrose vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. Daniel Bryan vs. Stardust vs. Bad News Barrett (Intercontinental Championship Ladder Match) ‒ A-
Some people have disparaged this storyline, saying that having the championship hot potato storyline takes away from the title's prestige and makes it look silly. However, this writer disagrees. If anything, the storyline simply served to get more eyes on the belt, something that's been sorely needed for quite a while now. While Bad News admittedly took a few more clean losses than necessary during that period of time, overall, the build for this match has been extremely entertaining, and most importantly, it's got people truly caring about the belt. In addition to this, not only are all the superstars in this match are extremely talented, but the outcome of this match is unpredictable as well. Let's review all of its participants:
R-Truth ‒ frankly, not a huge threat to come out of this with the title, but Truth has still got to be one of the most underrated wrestlers in the company. Not only is he surprisingly entertaining with his current rapper gimmick, but he's proven that he can even be a main event star if given a proper gimmick (see 2011 and his TNA days)
Luke Harper ‒ again, not a huge threat to win the title in the humble opinion of this author, but Harper is also massively underrated. One of the most versatile big men we've seen in years, along with a high-quality character that he plays very well, the former Wyatt Family disciple can certainly hold his own in this match.
Dean Ambrose ‒ quite possibly the 2nd or 3rd most popular superstar in the company right now, the Lunatic Fringe is a favorite to leave Santa Clara with some new white and gold bling come Sunday night. Expect him to be wildly over with the raucous Mania crowd and to create some unforgettable moments.
Dolph Ziggler ‒ again, possibly the 2nd or 3rd most over guy in the company right now, Ziggler also has to be a favorite to come out of this match with the title. Ziggler is sure to produce some show-stealing moments and hopefully make his star shine even brighter.
Daniel Bryan ‒ easily the most popular superstar in the WWE right now (as he has been for the past years or so), Bryan is also a top contender to leave Mania with some new gold. While some argue that it may be a step down the card from the spot his popularity should warrant him (a fair argument), there's no debating the fact that putting the title on Bryan would help it return to prominence.
Stardust ‒ poor, poor Cody Rhodes. It seems like he just can't catch a break. From "Dashing" to disturbed to anti-Authority rebel to face-painted oddity, Cody has seemingly done it all (and done it all extremely well), but for some reason, it seems like the WWE still does not picture him as a top guy. Despite its undeniable appeal, they decided to scratch the brother vs. brother bout with Goldust for no apparent reason, and Stardust feels rather like a placeholder in this match.
Bad News Barrett ‒ finally, the champ. Bad News is a talented wrestkler who's got the look and the mic skills to succeed, but to be honest, his IC championship reign has felt rather bland so far. Expect a new champ come Sunday night.
Things to look forward to:
Bray Wyatt is simply on another level right now. When he grabs a microphone, he is able to do things that, barring Paul Heyman, simply no one else in the company can do. The fact that he has been able to carry a feud with the Undertaker, one of the most legendary superstars to ever set foot inside a WWE ring, without Taker even appearing once speaks volumes about his immense talent. While the match itself may be a slight disappointment wrestling-wise, since Taker isn't getting any younger and Wyatt isn't necessarily known for his technical prowess (although this writer does think that Wyatt is vastly underrated in the ring), this match will be all about the storytelling. In addition, for the first time in a very long while, there is a legitimate fear that Undertaker might lose at Wrestlemania. This, coupled with the fact that Bray Wyatt is simply amazing helps earn this feud the highest score of any on this list.
Things to look forward to:
- Mizdow potentially splitting from Miz
- Curtis Axel shining (#Axelmania... don't change the channel!)
- Whichever NXT superstar is put into the battle royal (I'm assuming Neville or Balor, but it could very well be Itami or Breeze) ‒ look for a strong showing from whomever it is
- A returning Sheamus? (possibly as a heel? One can hope...)
- Possibly Kofi's traditional battle royal cool spot?
Side note: What happened to the Goldust vs. Stardust feud? That could have been a solid mid-card feud, and frankly, I think both guys deserve it. Goldust has been going strong for years and years and he still looks great, and Cody has taken weird gimmick after weird gimmick and he's run with all of them. Both of these guys deserve better (particularly Cody right now - if he doesn't eventually end up becoming WWE World Heavyweight Champ, I will be majorly disappointed)
AJ Lee and Paige vs. Nikki and Brie Bella ‒ B
If it weren't for that Divas Championship match this past week on Raw, this grade would probably be considerably lower. However, it seems like WWE has finally realized that if you give some of your most talented Divas more than 5 minutes in the ring, plus a half decent storyline to work with, they can actually produce some pretty compelling television. Who knew?
On a serious note, however, the recent tensions between AJ and Paige finally boiling over this past Monday suddenly makes this story much more compelling. With WWE's two craziest, yet most popular (and probably most talented, along with Naomi and Natalya) Divas teaming up to take on the tyrannical Bellas (who, in the humble opinion of this author, have improved markedly as of late), this match has potential. Hopefully, WWE (and the fans) treat this as more than just a bathroom break, because it's certainly capable of being much more than that.
Things to look forward to:
- Tensions possibly boiling over between AJ and Paige
- The crowd actually being invested in a divas match (hopefully)
Rusev vs Cena (United States Championship) ‒ B
Frankly, for some reason, this author just isn't excited by this feud. Sure, it's produced some cool moments, and the crowd certainly loves to hate Rusev (both of which help salvage its grade), but this just isn't a match that the WWE has given us much of a reason to look forward to. Perhaps this is simply because John Cena has grown stale beyond repair, or maybe it's due to how much the US championship has been devalued over the past few years. Regardless, despite cool moments such as Rusev launching Cena over the announce table with gusto or Cena putting Rusev out cold with the STF, this matchup's lack of excitement and unpredictability prevent it from getting anything higher than a B.
Things to look forward to:
Frankly, for some reason, this author just isn't excited by this feud. Sure, it's produced some cool moments, and the crowd certainly loves to hate Rusev (both of which help salvage its grade), but this just isn't a match that the WWE has given us much of a reason to look forward to. Perhaps this is simply because John Cena has grown stale beyond repair, or maybe it's due to how much the US championship has been devalued over the past few years. Regardless, despite cool moments such as Rusev launching Cena over the announce table with gusto or Cena putting Rusev out cold with the STF, this matchup's lack of excitement and unpredictability prevent it from getting anything higher than a B.
Things to look forward to:
- Rusev potentially becoming a true top star OR
- Rusev's undefeated streak finally ending
- The crowd's reaction to Lana (assuming she's there)
Triple H vs. Sting ‒ A-
Frankly, the star power alone in this match is more than enough to warrant an A. On one side, you have the Cerebral Assassin, the Game, one of the best in-ring storytellers of his generation, Triple H. On the other, you have arguably the best professional wrestler of all time to have never wrestled under a WWE banner (until now, at least) before, the Franchise, the Icon. However, one should also give credit where credit is due to Creative for not screwing this one up. Keeping Sting's appearances to a minimum has done hima world of good, so the 3 times he's appeared on Raw, it truly has felt like a special moment. That being said, however, there are a couple of things keeping this feud from receiving a solid A. Firstly, this writer personally didn't like how Sting's first words in the company were through a vignette. For me, that could have been done a lot better, perhaps even with Sting remaining silent up until the match itself (although, I'll admit, it was pretty neat to see him kicking off Raw). Secondly, it just doesn't feel right to me that, on the go-home episode of Raw before Wrestlemania, Stephanie confronted the Icon. Given Sting's aura and mystique, it just felt a little off to me to have someone directly confront him on the mic other than HHH. Regardless, overall, this match is shaping up to be a classic.
Things to look forward to:
- Sting wrestling. Duh
- Triple H's entrance
- Sting's entrance
- Use of the sledgehammer and the baseball bat
- The crowd should be super into this one
What do you get when you pit arguably the hottest heel in WWE right now against one of the company's perennially most over superstars? A superb grudge match filled with tension and drama. After brutally putting Orton on the shelf with a vicious curb stomp through the announce table 4 months ago, Mr. Money in the Bank Seth Rollins has slowly but surely developed into one of the most hateable men in the WWE today, doing all the little things right along with putting in superb performances like his spectacular showing at the Royal Rumble. Orton, on the other hand, is clearly ready and raring to go after being on the shelf for so long. WWE has done a great job in the past few weeks allowing Orton to channel some of his aggression towards Rollins (starting off with his excellent plot to fool Rollins for his first few weeks back) while still leaving fans wanting more. Come Wrestlemania, that is exactly what they will get. If we're lucky, this may not even be the biggest moment of the night for one of these two men, if you know what I mean...
Things to look forward to:
- Rollins just being awesome in general, as per usual
- Orton just being awesome in general, as per usual
R-Truth vs. Luke Harper vs. Dean Ambrose vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. Daniel Bryan vs. Stardust vs. Bad News Barrett (Intercontinental Championship Ladder Match) ‒ A-
Some people have disparaged this storyline, saying that having the championship hot potato storyline takes away from the title's prestige and makes it look silly. However, this writer disagrees. If anything, the storyline simply served to get more eyes on the belt, something that's been sorely needed for quite a while now. While Bad News admittedly took a few more clean losses than necessary during that period of time, overall, the build for this match has been extremely entertaining, and most importantly, it's got people truly caring about the belt. In addition to this, not only are all the superstars in this match are extremely talented, but the outcome of this match is unpredictable as well. Let's review all of its participants:
R-Truth ‒ frankly, not a huge threat to come out of this with the title, but Truth has still got to be one of the most underrated wrestlers in the company. Not only is he surprisingly entertaining with his current rapper gimmick, but he's proven that he can even be a main event star if given a proper gimmick (see 2011 and his TNA days)
Luke Harper ‒ again, not a huge threat to win the title in the humble opinion of this author, but Harper is also massively underrated. One of the most versatile big men we've seen in years, along with a high-quality character that he plays very well, the former Wyatt Family disciple can certainly hold his own in this match.
Dean Ambrose ‒ quite possibly the 2nd or 3rd most popular superstar in the company right now, the Lunatic Fringe is a favorite to leave Santa Clara with some new white and gold bling come Sunday night. Expect him to be wildly over with the raucous Mania crowd and to create some unforgettable moments.
Dolph Ziggler ‒ again, possibly the 2nd or 3rd most over guy in the company right now, Ziggler also has to be a favorite to come out of this match with the title. Ziggler is sure to produce some show-stealing moments and hopefully make his star shine even brighter.
Daniel Bryan ‒ easily the most popular superstar in the WWE right now (as he has been for the past years or so), Bryan is also a top contender to leave Mania with some new gold. While some argue that it may be a step down the card from the spot his popularity should warrant him (a fair argument), there's no debating the fact that putting the title on Bryan would help it return to prominence.
Stardust ‒ poor, poor Cody Rhodes. It seems like he just can't catch a break. From "Dashing" to disturbed to anti-Authority rebel to face-painted oddity, Cody has seemingly done it all (and done it all extremely well), but for some reason, it seems like the WWE still does not picture him as a top guy. Despite its undeniable appeal, they decided to scratch the brother vs. brother bout with Goldust for no apparent reason, and Stardust feels rather like a placeholder in this match.
Bad News Barrett ‒ finally, the champ. Bad News is a talented wrestkler who's got the look and the mic skills to succeed, but to be honest, his IC championship reign has felt rather bland so far. Expect a new champ come Sunday night.
Things to look forward to:
- Some insane ladder spots
- WWE's 3 most over babyfaces in the same match ‒ the crowd is gonna be pumped
- Most likely a new champ
Bray Wyatt is simply on another level right now. When he grabs a microphone, he is able to do things that, barring Paul Heyman, simply no one else in the company can do. The fact that he has been able to carry a feud with the Undertaker, one of the most legendary superstars to ever set foot inside a WWE ring, without Taker even appearing once speaks volumes about his immense talent. While the match itself may be a slight disappointment wrestling-wise, since Taker isn't getting any younger and Wyatt isn't necessarily known for his technical prowess (although this writer does think that Wyatt is vastly underrated in the ring), this match will be all about the storytelling. In addition, for the first time in a very long while, there is a legitimate fear that Undertaker might lose at Wrestlemania. This, coupled with the fact that Bray Wyatt is simply amazing helps earn this feud the highest score of any on this list.
Things to look forward to:
- An genuine element of unpredictability about an Undertaker match at Wrestlemania for the first time in years
- Bray Wyatt showing that he is a true top star
- Wyatt family reunion? (Okay, this one's wishful thinking, but a guy can always hope...)
Brock Lesnar vs Roman Reigns (WWE World Heavyweight Championship Match) ‒ B+
If it weren't for Paul Heyman, this grade would probably be considerably lower. However, Lesnar's advocate has done an absolutely phenomenal job of selling this match as a marquee bout, a bout that fans cannot afford to miss. With quality promo after quality promo after quality promo, Heyman has almost single-handedly made fans care about this feud, painting Roman Reigns as a butt-kicking Samoan who's ready to impress, and painting Brock Lesnar as ‒ well,the Beast Incarnate. However, one thing in particular is preventing this buildup from receiving anything higher than a B+. On the go-home Raw before Mania, the Lesnar-Reigns confrontation closed out the show, giving WWE a superb opportunity to ramp up excitement for the Show of Shows to a fever pitch. However, instead of giving the Universe a tantalizing brawl between the two heavyweights leaving them wanting more, or even an epic staredown, Creative decided to have them play tug-of-war with the belt like two little kids. Lesnar has sent people for the hospital for much less than that, leading many fans to wonder why he resorted to engaging in that misguided tug-of-war instead of F-5ing Reigns all the way to Santa Clara. Instead, these two men who are supposed to be beastly butt-kickers were made to look like two spoiled brats fighting over a shiny new toy, leaving fans with a sour taste in their mouths right before the Wrestlemania.
Things to look forward to:
- Brock Lesnar hitting Roman Reigns with German suplex after German suplex after German suplex
- Crowd's reaction to each competitor
- Potentially the moment where Reigns was truly cemented as the man to follow John Cena
- Money in the Bank cash-in? (given the destructive nature of both these men, a situation could easily arise in which Mr. Money in the Bank Seth Rollins takes advantage to become the next WWE World Heavyweight Champion)
Question? Agree? Disagree? Feel free to leave any feedback in the comment section below.
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