UPDATED WWE WrestleMania 33 Match Card and Predictions

Well it’s that time of the year again for the biggest event on the WWE calendar – Wrestlemania. Now, I think it fair to say that over the past few years, Wrestlemania hasn’t been the biggest event of the year and has been massively overhyped by Vince and crew. So will WrestleMania 33 be any different to its predecessors?

First of all, it is worth mentioning that The New Day will be hosting the event, which is a good idea but it might get really annoying really quickly. There is only so much of unicorn horns and Big E waving his crotch around that I can realistically stand. It also shows that the New Day have probably finished their only real achievement in the WWE, which was to break the longest tag team champ record. That’s a shame, really. Also expect to see The Rock this year (he had a flamethrower last year for some really strange reason) and the return of a number of other legends. They always pull them out of their caves for Wrestlemania.

 

2017 ANDRE THE GIANT MEMORIAL BATTLE ROYAL

This is one of those matches that is perfect for either introducing someone from NXT or to bring back someone who is injured and give them some momentum as they head into the weekly shows. The winner of this match is really difficult to tell, but I strongly believe with Braun Strowman now being confirmed as one of the entries for this year’s battle royal and considering the push this guy has had over the last year, I’m pretty sure it will be on.

PREDICTION: BRAUN STROWMAN

 

RAW TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP

TRIPLE THREAT ladder MATCH

Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson (c) vs. Enzo and Big Cass vs. Sheamus and Cesaro

On paper this match has the potential to be one of the greatest matches at the event. Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson are the current champs that are walking into this match with an insane amount of momentum behind them. As the Bullet Club they conquered NJPW and remain over to an extent with the fans.

Enzo and Cass came onto the main roster with a huge amount of momentum and were genuinely loved by the fans, but in recent days, they seem to have fallen out of favour with the guys in charge. This is possibly down to the fact that Enzo has made a lot of mistakes during live shows and this is something Vince hates. Enzo was also made to look like a fool at The Royal Rumble. The only thing that may give them the chance is Big Cass is expected to have his inevitable singles push so they may let him have the Tag Team title to see what he does with it.

And finally, you have Sheamus and Cesaro who are possibly one of the most unlikely and awkward partnerships in the WWE, who still manage to pull of some amazing matches and use their differences to their advantages to win the crowd over. They held the belts for a short period of time and they made good champions, proving that odd partnerships work.

PREDICTION: ENZO AND CASS TO WIN THE BELTS

 

CRUISERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH

Neville (c) vs. Austin Aries

The Cruiserweight Division has been one of the greatest aspects of the weekly RAW show. These guys just go down to the ring and consistently put on decent matches for the fans and that is something that I am really fond of. Neville has been one of the best heel champs that the franchise has seen for some time and he really does have the momentum and the crowd support to carry this match.

However, his opponent, Austin Aries, is maybe one of the most over wrestlers on the Cruiserweight roster and many of the fans are anxious to see this man with some gold around his waist. Whether or not he will be a good champ remains to be seen, and I really do think that it is too early to put make him the champ.

PREDICTION: NEVILLE TO RETAIN

 

SMACKDOWN WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH

Alexa Bliss (c) vs. The Women’s Roster

This is a really bad booking decision for Smackdown because it confirms two things; that the Smackdown ladies are nowhere near as good as the RAW Ladies and that they don’t have anyone on the roster that they truly believe can put on a good show.

This is really just going to be a free-for-all and although Alex Bliss is a good champ, the belt will inevitably be dropped to someone going into the match with more momentum. Smackdown need something to desperately kick start their ladies division so that it is at least on par with their rival brand.

In my mind, Mickie James is the only wrestler who has the potential to increase the division standing and also the meaning of the belt because she has one thing that nobody else does – experience.

PREDICTION: MICKIE JAMES TO WIN

 

WWE INTERCONTINENTAL championship MATCH

Dean Ambrose (c) vs. Baron Corbin

This match has been in the works since Elimination Chamber and it really does have enough momentum and build up behind it to be a stellar match.

Baron Corbin was the winner of the Andre the Giant memorial match last year and has since gone on to make a huge impact within the company. He has held his own against some of the best wrestlers the blue brand has to offer and his ‘Lone Wolf’ gimmick is maybe one of the main aspects this young man has going for him. However, he can also hold his own in the ring and was maybe one of the most surprising entries into the Elimination Chamber Match this year. Giving the belt to Corbin will allow the WWE to see how he carries himself as a champ and will possibly line him up for the WWE Championship belt at a later date.

Dean Ambrose has the misfortune to have been brought into the WWE at the wrong time. His gimmick and his style of wrestling would have blended nicely with the Attitude Era and even though I have a soft spot for him, his gimmick is just starting to wear thin. He needs a change to ensure he remains over with the fans, and a loss here would be the best opportunity to do so.

PREDICTION: CORBIN TO BECOME NEW CHAMP

 

JOHN CENA AND NIKKI BELLA VS. THE MIZ AND MARYSE

This is one of those matches that the WWE likes to put on every so often to try and keep the fans interested. It is basically just a marriage counselling session with wrestling. However, both The Miz and John Cena are fantastic wrestlers and The Miz was maybe the best heel champ of this year when he held the IC belt. And Cena is, well, Cena and they can’t have a Wrestlemania without The Man Who Can’t Be Seen.

PREDICTION: TEAM CENA TO WIN

 

WWE UNITED STATES CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH

Chris Jericho (c) vs. Kevin Owens

It is sad to see that the WWE buried Owens when he was obliterated by Goldberg at the last PPV. In my opinion, Owens still remains one of the best wrestlers on the roster. K.O’s bromance with Jericho was one of the best things on RAW for a long time and it is a shame that the WWE have killed it for the sake of a video game.

Jericho still remains one of the best wrestlers on the roster and he really can put on some amazing matches if he is booked with the right opponent. And Jericho is now the only person who can ensure that Owens’ potential and credibility does not crumble completely.

For Kevin Owens to retain any kind of self-preservation, he has to be given the US gold otherwise he will just fall down the card and will remain floundering in the mid-card. He still remains Main Event potential in my opinion, and Jericho really doesn’t need a win at Wrestlemania as he can already be counted as Hall of Fame material.

PREDICTION: OWENS TO BECOME CHAMP

 

RAW WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP FATAL-4-WAY MATCH

Bayley (c) vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Nia Jax vs. Sasha Banks

Whenever we look at past RAW Women’s title matches, it always seems to be the same four wrestlers who are fighting for the belt – the four that are included in this match.

Even though the Red Ladies are showing a lot more promise than their blue counterparts, I am quickly losing interest in the division because they do not offer us anything different. It always seems predictable and even though the division has a lot more potential, WWE don’t seem to be interested in pushing anyone else.

All four women have enough momentum behind them as they go into this match to take the belt. Bayley has proven to be a good champ and the build-up leading to this match was stellar (it needed to be).

PREDICTION: CHARLOTTE FLAIR TO WIN

 

SHANE MCMAHON vs. AJ STYLES

This match was something the WWE did not see coming and is maybe one of the matches I am most looking forward to on the card.

AJ Styles has been given an insane amount of respect and success since he has joined the WWE. He is the first and only former TNA champ to pick up the biggest belt in the business and he has consistently put on some amazing matches all year round. He is arguably the best wrestler on the roster and the amount of love the fans have for him is insane.

Shane O’Mac still holds a special place in my heart after I saw his match with Kurt Angle at Survivor Series and the amount of punishment he took was unreal. When he returned to the WWE, the pop he received from the fans was insane (hell, even I was cheering) and as the manager of the blue brand, he really has worked wonders to bring the least impressive of the two brands into the main spotlight (in some cases it has even been better than RAW).

But Shane is now wearing on a bit and Reigns nearly killed him at the Survivor series match, so the question that I have to ask is can Shane really afford to step into the ring and take another punishing match?

PREDICTION: AJ STYLES TO WIN

 

NON-SANCTIONED MATCH

TRIPLE H VS SETH ROLLINS

This feud has been brewing since Seth Rollins was overlooked by Trips for the Universal Championship. Once best buddies, this match will be seen as a run-in fest with many old faces coming back to the ring (think Sting vs. Trips at WrestleMania 31) but all that to one side, I think this will still be a stellar match. Seth Rollins and Triple H both have very different wrestling styles and this should serve to compliment them during its course.

However, my biggest concern is whether or not Rollins is fit enough to wrestle. He has been on the bench for a long time and has been marred by a number of injury issues and I think the last thing we want to see is The Architect benched again.

PREDICTION: TRIPLE H TO WIN

 

THE UNDERTAKER VS ROMAN REIGNS

This is without a shadow of a doubt the most important match on the card this year.

The Undertaker is a living legend and is also nearing retirement age. He is starting to show an insane amount of wear and tear in the ring and he injured himself at the Royal Rumble when he was eliminated. Although it will be a sad day for all wrestling fans when he hangs up his boots for the last time, the WWE need to be careful how they play this to ensure he remains a firm fan favourite.

Roman Reigns has had a tough old year. He is still no closer to being a fan favourite and was harshly voted the worst wrestler of 2016. The WWE have struggled to get him over at every turn and this will be the only chance for the WWE to have any kind of chance to do so.

Reigns must lose his match to the Undertaker – you cannot book this match any other way. But to ensure Reigns goes over with the fans, the WWE need to take this chance to turn him heel. If Reigns does pick up the win against the Undertaker, then you can be guaranteed that it will kill off any kind of love the fans have for him and will also make the Undertaker look like a jobber for Vince at his last Wrestlemania. Booking this match correctly is crucial to the success of the company in the coming months.

PREDICTION: THE UNDERTAKER TO WIN BUT REIGNS TURNS HEEL

 

WWE UNIVERSAL CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH

Goldberg (c) vs. Brock Lesnar

The Universal Championship belt is maybe the most hated belt in wrestling today and it holds no prestige whatsoever. It’s first ever champ vacated the belt due to injury and the other was hammered in less than two minutes by a part-timer.

Once again, this belt will be carried out by yet another part-timer. In one corner you have Brock Lesnar, who really shouldn’t be anywhere near this belt in reality and Goldberg, the man the WWE brought back to push their video game.

I think it is safe to say that the fans really don’t care who wins this match and I expect it to be a white-wash. Whatever the result of this, the consequences are going to be severe.

If Goldberg retains, then Kevin Owens looks weaker in the eyes of the fans, and he will be bumped further down the rankings and even further away from a main event slot. If Brock Lesnar wins, Kevin Owens looks like a jobber and Goldberg looks weak because he couldn’t repeat what he did at Survivor Series.

PREDICTION: BROCK LESNAR TO WIN

 

WWE CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH

Bray Wyatt (c) vs. Randy Orton

I didn’t think I would ever see Bray Wyatt with the WWE Championship around his waist, so to see him headline Wrestlemania is just amazing. He is by far my favourite wrestler on the roster at the moment and the work he has done to build up his character has been insane. It is also worth mentioning that he dropped a lot of weight to grab the title and it just shows the commitment this man has to his career and the company. Randy Orton has been part of some of the biggest stables in the industry and has a list of achievements as long as your arm and for someone who has been in the business a long time, he still has an amazing following.

This match has had an amazing amount of build-up as we go into Wrestlemania with everything from mind games to all out insults. Expect a run in from Luke Harper or even Eric Rowan and we cannot rule out the possibility that we may finally see Sister Abigail.

The result of this match can really go either way. If Bray wins, then he cements himself as a true main eventer and if Orton wins then it will set up his retirement run nicely with one last chance at holding the gold.

Either way, this has been one of the best booked main events at Wrestlemania we have seen for a while.

PREDICTION: ORTON TO WIN

So who have you guys got as we head to the granddaddy of them all?

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