The X-Factor: WrestleMania 35 predictions Submitted by Victor Mariscal on 04/07/2019 at 04:23 AM
Now, most of you have been inclined to say the road to this WrestleMania hasn’t been great. Well, how exactly would you book it? Why do you act like a bumpy road is a new thing? Shall I bring up Stone Cold Steve Austin’s road to WrestleMania XV? He won a Buried Alive match just to qualify for the Royal Rumble, and it was the main event of a PPV named after The Rock who didn’t get to headline it. Seems unfair to me.
We know the main event wouldn’t have Charlotte Flair if it was up to the smart fans. No one seemed to say out loud that her presence would improve the match quality now have they? “It should be a singles match”. Right, because tradition matters so much to you despite history.
One more point before I break the matches down. It’s often said NXT is miles ahead of the main product. That’s true in match quality, but what about everything else? Have you ever considered that NXT call ups don’t do well because the fans aren’t taking to them? Why is that? The casual fans are drawn to the entertainment side. NXT is a would-be indie promotion.
Ok, time to get to it.
Roman Reigns vs. Drew McIntyre Put the salt away people. Even if Drew loses he can still come out with his cred intact.
These are both Vince McMahon’s “Chosen ones”. Drew even had that moniker in his first run. Had it not been Seth, the Scottish psychopath would be out to tear Suplex City down.
It’s more than likely Reigns will get the win if only to signal that he’s back to top form. I’m sure some fan(s) will raise a sign saying he faked the leukemia. That’ll get taken away quick.
Winner: Roman Reigns
Falls Count Anywhere
Shane McMahon vs. The Miz And you thought this angle was gonna suck. The Miz is going to war with a McMahon, and it will be good.
This feud hit the right notes. The Miz as a good guy? It’s not terrible, but he’s been the cowardly heel for almost his entire time here. Yet, if he feuds with Daniel Bryan now he would be the hero hands-down.
Some of the bouts will sadly be piss breaks, but not this. We need a spot fest and they’re not going with a tag team ladder match for some asinine reason.
Winner: The Miz
No Holds Barred
Batista vs. Triple H “Oh boy, Triple H’s match will go 25 minutes and bore us to tears”, said everyone. Yeah, I know. I wanted to take that joke and turn it on its head.
With the stipulation, we might not be bored, but I’m sure it’ll drag its feet like always. The Game is insecure enough that he could fall to Batista to steal the spotlight away from Angle’s farewell match. He’s never defeated The Animal, who’s also in his farewell match. If only Triple H would take a cue from Angle. We don’t need a 51 year old on ‘roids thinking he could go like it’s 2001.
Six years ago in New Jersey HHH was in a No Holds Barred match against Brock Lesnar with his career at stake. Minus points for originality.
Sigh.
Winner: Triple H
Kurt Angle vs. Baron Corbin All the years you wished he wouldn’t show up. Now you’re hoping John Cena will save us from the loathsome Lone Wolf. JC must’ve had a good laugh when he read the comments on social media.
Storyline-wise, Corbin vs. Angle makes sense. History-wise, it should be Cena. His name was among the first people thought of.
No one likes you Corbie. We’re not gonna look back to your loss to Cena as a low point for you. Maybe AEW is hiring. Just don’t expect a fat paycheck.
Winner: Kurt Angle
AJ Styles vs. Randy Orton Creative should veer into this territory more often. Randy is the 3rd Gen wrestler who got handed things by virtue of his lineage. AJ had to toil in other smaller shows on his way to becoming the greatest all-rounder of this generation.
Many of the best matches in the last 3 years were his. As to who’s winning, it’s a coin flip.
Winner: AJ Styles
Women’s Tag Team Championships
Nia Jax & Tamina vs. Beth Phoenix and Natalya vs. The Iiconics vs. Sasha Banks & Bayley (C) Should’ve gone with 3 teams. Nobody wants Nia and Tamina around. The IIconics in-ring skill needs work but they’re entertaining as hell. As for Beth, I don’t have too big an issue with her, returning, but she had better deliver.
The dirt sheets have already telegraphed the result.
Winners: Sasha Banks and a Bayley
United States Championship
Rey Mysterio vs. Samoa Joe (C) Rey’s son Dominic is gonna be at ringside. What could possibly go wrong?
Dominic first got involved in his fathers world in 2005. Eddie Guerrero was driven mad that he couldn’t defeat Rey and despite a match stipulation, he revealed in July 2005 that he was Dominic’s father. The “I’m your Papi” shirt - which is still on sale as I just discovered - came from this. Rey won a ladder match to keep his son.
Count on Joey Samoey - channeling Y2J there - to make it personal. The crowd will support him anyway. In any event, I can’t see Rey leaving with gold. Not yet anyway.
Winner: Samoa Joe
Intercontinental Championship
Finn Bálor vs Bobby Lashley (C) THE DEMON COMETH!!
They’ve withheld the Demon King to protect his aura. You don’t really think he’s losing, do you?
Winner: Finn Bálor
WWE Championship
Kofi Kingston vs. Daniel Bryan (C) Kofi’s rise to the main event brought on talk that WWE has a race problem. Well, just how many men of African descent have held world titles? TNA had two, ROH had one, WCW had two, the OG ECW had none, and the NWA won’t recognize Bobo Brazil. If you count the WWE, World, and ECW titles, they’ve had five: The Rock, Booker T, Bobby Lashley, Ezekiel Jackson, and Mark Henry. Shall we keep talking about WWE’s race problem?
For once they showed restraint.
Daniel Bryan is Harvey Dent. Instead of dying a hero, he’s become the villain. He’s a sanctimonious dickhead who turned into the very thing he hated. You think if they tried the 18 second loss now, the fans would enjoy it?
Kofi’s time should’ve come 9 years ago. I would love to hear his old Jamaican theme when the pinfall comes. If not, I’ll live.
If I were Roman Reigns I would’ve had a little laugh at the boos Bryan got at the HOF.
Winner: Kofi Kingston
Universal Championship
Seth Rollins vs Brock Lesnar (C) Brock has pinned all three members of The Shield. Seth is the only one who wasn’t pinned in a singles match. Roman is the only one who has pinned him. Is that statistic about to change? We were so sure of the result last year.
This buildup had the misfortune of being hampered by Rollins’ sabbatical. It’s still Brock Lesnar people. He’s Floyd Mayweather. Casual fans watch his matches wondering, “is this the match he loses?”
If Styles is the #1 all-rounder now, Seth is 1a. Brock’s matches with big men have been disappointing. Rollins brought up that his bouts with AJ, Bryan, and Balor tested him. Don’t let us down guys
Winner: Seth Rollins
Raw and Smackdown Women’s Championships
Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte Flair (SD) vs. Ronda Rousey (Raw) And now we’re here.
If we’re being honest, this couldn’t have happened without Ronda. She helped Evolution’s ticket sales. It’s WrestleMania’s first female main event. They’re under enormous pressure to deliver.
We can say how convoluted the road was. Not like it would stop us from watching.
You never know what you want until you get it. Charlotte in the match will give it an added fire. She’s amazing people. It ain’t easy for her being in her fathers shadow. If she wasn’t a Flair, we wouldn’t be so salty.
Yet, they somehow misread their fans - AGAIN - and executed the wrong heel turn last year. I think some of us underestimated Becky’s appeal and connection with the audience. She’s a legit nice person who loves what she does. It’s her time, and they’ll have to make extra side plates for her.
I’m not worried about Ronda. She answered the call in New Orleans last year. This is what she loves.
