10 WrestleMania 36 Match Predictions After Royal Rumble

The Royal Rumble has left us with a pretty stacked landscape in time for WrestleMania 36. The big show in Tampa, Florida is destined to be nothing short of memorable, with Hall of Fame superstars making their returns and fresh blood entering the title scenes. With the most pivotal pre-Mania event now past us, it’s time to run down our suspected card for WrestleMania 36.

We’re going to take a stab at predicting 10 matches that might be featured on this year’s card, analysing the current hierarchies of RAW and SmackDown Live whilst throwing in a few curve-balls for the biggest spectacle of 2020.

Make sure you throw down your own match predictions in the comments section below.

 

1. Roman Reigns vs The Fiend – Universal Championship

With Drew McIntyre setting his sights on Brock Lesnar’s WWE title, we’re left with the question of who is going to step up to challenge ‘The Fiend’ for his Universal Championship. Bray Wyatt left Daniel Bryan beaten and bruised after their brutal strap match at the Royal Rumble, so one might assume that DB is going to take a step away from the title scene for the time being. Looking at who is currently the top billed stars of SmackDown Live, there’s really only one name on everyone’s minds for this year’s number one contender; Roman Reigns.

Reigns comes in as the 2020 Rumble Runner-up, coming second to McIntyre in the men’s contest. Reigns was a strong favourite to win so they could set-up the intriguing match between Reigns and The Fiend. Of course, Reigns and Wyatt have tangled in the past, but never with such equal footing. The Fiend has been unstoppable since bursting out onto the scene over the Summer, rivalling even Brock Lesnar in terms of ring dominance.

The inevitable clash with Roman Reigns is quite possibly the only chance we’ll see The Fiend take a loss in the squared circle. Reigns has racked up victories over the likes of Brock Lesnar, John Cena and The Undertaker, which makes him the most viable option to defeat Wyatt’s latest incarnation.

I imagine we’ll see Reigns earn his opportunity to face Wyatt in the coming weeks, perhaps at the upcoming Fast Lane pay-per-view. Could this be the modern showdown of the unstoppable force and immovable object? Time will tell.

 

2. Edge vs Randy Orton

‘The Rated R Superstar’ stole the show as part of the Royal Rumble match. Edge left wrestling fans of all ages in tears as he emerged from the smoke to Alter Bridge’s banger and instantly sent the WWE Universe into a fantasy booking frenzy, thinking of all the different opponents Edge has yet to stand toe-to-toe with. AJ Styles, Kevin Owens, Andrade, Matt Riddle; so many foes for the former World Champ to create wrestling magic alongside.

As per this week’s episode of Monday Night RAW, it seems we’re witnessing the imminent implosion of Rated RKO. After only being reunited for 24 hours, Orton stabbed his former BFF in the back (again?) by delivering a huge RKO to Edge and potentially re-injuring his former teammate with a con-chair-to. A huge hint towards WWE’s first return feud for Edge.

Edge vs. Randy Orton is undoubtedly a WrestleMania worthy feud. Both men have a tonne of history that’s worth exploiting for this attraction match, not only from their days as a tag team but also from their rivalry over the Intercontinental Championship and brief stint in 2010. Both superstars had almost parallel singles careers in the 2000s, evolving into two of the company’s top heels throughout their various championship reigns.

Seeing them do battle one last time would be a massive treat for the WWE Universe. Edge and Orton are masterful storytellers and would definitely keep the thousands at WrestleMania in the palm of their hands throughout their singles bout.

 

3. Becky Lynch vs Shayna Baszler – RAW Women’s Championship

Shayna Baszler entered the Women’s Rumble match at number 30, instantly becoming a clear favourite to win the whole thing and go onto her first WrestleMania. Even though Shayna was bested by ‘The Queen’ in the final two, Baszler has inserted herself into the fray at the perfect time. Becky dispatched her biggest threat in Asuka, and is ready to step into a new rivalry.

Lynch and Baszler left their Survivor Series feud simmering on the back-burner while Shayna returned to NXT to battle Rhea Ripley and tie up some loose ends. Now Baszler is seemingly ready to leave the black and gold brand behind her, what better chance to prove who’s the more dominant female wrestler at WrestleMania?

There’s yet to be any definite confirmation that Baszler’s Rumble appearance was any more than a quick cameo. We’ll see what goes down in the coming weeks, but Becky hasn’t really got any other challengers in the crosshairs, having defeated the majority of the RAW Women’s division throughout her tenure as the champ. ‘The Man’ may be given yet another opportunity to battle Rumble winner Charlotte Flair in another WrestleMania showdown, which would be of box-office calibre, but perhaps not the match fans want to see once again.

Baszler and Lynch has a lot of promise, it could turn into a gritty, physical scrap, or it could be a mat-classic. It’s something that needs to take place for the sake of both superstars, Baszler gets her first big WrestleMania feud and Becky can once again be one of the most talked about names heading into the Show of Shows.

 

4. Bayley vs Sasha Banks – SmackDown Women’s Championship

With the RAW Women’s Championship spoken for, where does this leave the SmackDown side of things? Bayley walked away from the Royal Rumble event still the Women’s Champion, and with no new challenger in sight, we can assume that the feud with Lacey Evans is going to continue for at least another few weeks. But after the rematch concludes, then what?

Sasha Banks has been mysteriously absent from all things wrestling over the past weekend, failing to appear in the Rumble match despite being a sure-gone favourite to win the whole thing. Banks wasn’t even at ringside to lend a helping hand to her pal Bayley.

Where there’s a lot of work that would need to be done to turn this best-friends-turned-enemies-again feud into a WrestleMania worthy match, I wouldn’t doubt Sasha and Bayley being able to pull it off. If WWE are determined to get Bayley over as a heel, then she’d need to double-cross Sasha in the build to their anticipated singles rematch. Sasha could easily enter ‘Mania as a babyface contender and Bayley needs to have a defining moment to solidify herself as a true villain.

This could indeed turn into a fantastic title match, I mean just think back to their classic from NXT: TakeOver Brooklyn. Will they get to put together a sequel on the grandest stage of them all?

 

5. Charlotte Flair vs Rhea Ripley/Bianca Belair – NXT Championship

So what does this all mean for the winner of the 2020 Women’s Royal Rumble? Charlotte Flair has made it pretty clear that she wants to keep her desired opponent close to the chest. ‘The Queen’ doesn’t have any pre-existing feuds set-up for WrestleMania this year, nor is there any particular urge to see her face either Bayley or Becky once again. With that in mind, what better time for NXT to be given the final nod of approval as a third brand by having Charlotte challenge their Women’s Champion to a match at WrestleMania?

It’s about time NXT make history by inserting themselves into a WrestleMania. Usually NXT get to steal the show with their WrestleMania weekend TakeOver event, which they’ll get to do once again at TakeOver: Tampa. But perhaps they could take yet another step further by allowing their two flagship champions to defend their respective titles on the WrestleMania card.

It’s currently up in the air as to who Charlotte Flair could step in the ring with at WrestleMania 36. Rhea Ripley is defending against Bianca Belair at TakeOver: Portland, and will presumably have a title match at TakeOver: Tampa. There are arguments for both superstars to be the one to step in the ring with ‘The Queen’. Belair had a great showing in the Rumble match, and Ripley is on the run of a lifetime as the current NXT Champion. But whoever ends up holding onto the title come WrestleMania day could indeed have quite the career-making match waiting for them on the grandest stage.

Charlotte’s NXT career might feel like a distant memory, but with WWE headliners like Finn Balor making the jump back down to Full Sail University, there’s nothing stopping Flair indulging in the greener pastures of NXT for one-night-only.

 

6. John Cena vs King Corbin

Rumours are floating that suggest we’ll be seeing John Cena make a huge return in time for WrestleMania 36. It’s been some time since we last saw the 16 time World Champion in a wrestling ring, and I’m sure absence has made the hearts of the WWE Universe grow fonder. Cena could easily insert himself into any championship picture, but at this point, it would make more sense for him to come in and give a big rub to a budding superstar by feuding with them in the run-up to ‘Mania.

A lot of fans have demanded matches with the likes of The Undertaker, Triple H, Daniel Bryan and even EC3, but personally I think it’s high-time Cena steps into the ring with King Corbin. One of the most despicable heels in WWE today has proved himself worthy of stringing a match together with main-eventers. He and Roman Reigns held the SmackDown main event scene down throughout the Winter season, why drop the ball with Corbin’s heat now by letting him fade into the background.

Cena could be the perfect option for Corbin’s WrestleMania opponent. Not only would fans eat up seeing Corbin ripped apart in Cena’s promos, but also the WrestleMania match itself where ‘The King’ might finally get his comeuppance from a true hero to the WWE Universe.

 

7. Finn Balor vs Adam Cole vs Tommaso Ciampa vs Johnny Gargano – NXT Championship

If the Women’s NXT Championship is going to be included on the WrestleMania card this year, then surely the men’s NXT Championship will follow suit. This could truly be the year that NXT emerges as one of WWE’s biggest products by being heavily featured at WrestleMania 36. Should Charlotte Flair be stepping into the ring with whoever ends up as NXT Women’s Champion, then Adam Cole could definitely steal the show with a match of his own with some of the biggest superstars on the roster.

I see Adam Cole holding onto the gold until WrestleMania weekend, managing to dispatch of Tommaso Ciampa and whoever else happens to step up to the leader of The Undisputed Era. I personally think that TakeOver: Tampa should be used as a means of setting up a big multi-man contest at WrestleMania with a selection of contendership matches.

When thinking of who’s ready to represent NXT on the big stage, then there’s three names that immediately jump to mind. Finn Balor, Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano; the three biggest singles stars that aren’t Adam Cole.

Finn Balor would easily fit into the WrestleMania grandeur, having had experience in the past two years. Ciampa and Gargano are both over enough to be well-received on the big stage and would be the ideal ambassadors for NXT’s first dance at ‘Mania. This could very much capture the minds of every fan that tunes into WrestleMania and sell NXT to the few that aren’t aware of the incredible performers on the formerly developmental roster.

 

8. Daniel Bryan vs Shinsuke Nakamura – Intercontinental Championship

Daniel Bryan might be walking away from his Universal Championship feud with The Fiend in defeat, but that doesn’t mean we won’t be seeing DB at WrestleMania this year. Since Bryan’s return to the ring, the majority of his fantasy matches have been ticked off, but there’s one opponent left for him on SmackDown Live; Shinsuke Nakamura.

Bryan has always been keen on the hard-hitting strong style of Japanese wrestling, and whether he’s being used to his full potential or not, Shinsuke is one of the bastions of that style in WWE. With him still managing to cling onto the Intercontinental Championship in what has become a rather forgettable title reign, Nakamura could easily slot himself onto the card this year as part of a big title defence against the WWE’s eco warrior.

This match might not scream WrestleMania attraction to the more casual fans but to those that have been interested in independent wrestling and enjoy a good few fists and forearms being thrown about, then this could definitely be a huge draw for them and perhaps one of the more critically acclaimed Intercontinental title matches in recent memory.

 

9. Kevin Owens, Aleister Black & The Viking Raiders vs Seth Rollins, Buddy Murphy & AOP

A meandering feud on Monday Night RAW is the clash between the warring factions led by Seth Rollins and Kevin Owens. As it stands, there doesn’t seem to be an end in sight. With Samoa Joe now taken out of the picture with a legitimate injury, it leaves for a perfectly orchestrated 8-man tag match to take place at WrestleMania to finally put an end to this developing rivalry.

Perhaps there should be some sort of stipulation or consequence put into the mix to make this slightly more interesting, there’s a lot of talent involved in this feud that quite frankly could be doing a little better than they are heading into the biggest show of the year.

Regardless, this could be a fun match from a wrestling perspective. Getting to see the likes of Aleister Black and Buddy Murphy, Kevin Owens and Seth Rollins do their thing on the big stage could lead to absolute magic.

 

10. John Morrison & The Miz vs The New Day – SmackDown Tag Team Championship

John Morrison hasn’t quite had the superstar’s return that everyone expected him to have, but he has entered a fairly promising tag feud with The New Day. The current SmackDown Live Tag Champions might be taking a little bit of a step back from the huge stint of  last year’s ‘KofiMania’, but this match should be pretty intriguing to say the least.

Miz and Morrison teaming once again can only lead to wonderful stuff, both performers and characters have developed tenfold and could put on one hell of a tag match with Big E and Kofi come WrestleMania. The Tag title scene might not be the most interesting on the main roster, but this is definitely a step in the right direction heading into WrestleMania.