What could have been. That’s what a lot of WWE fans are saying amidst rumors of what the original SummerSlam card was allegedly supposed to look like before Rhea Ripley got injured. The WWE Women’s Champion is officially missing what’s considered either the second or third biggest show of the year, and her absence apparently created a ripple effect that may have altered as many as three matches, one of which has people particularly worked up.

Let’s back up real quick and make sure we’re all on the same page. Rhea Ripley suffered a partially torn meniscus during her Clash In Italy match against Jade Cargill at the end of May. Because it wasn’t a full tear, WWE reportedly took a wait and see approach to figure out if the biggest star in the women’s division would be back for SummerSlam. If she healed up, the initial plan was allegedly for her to face either Alexa Bliss or rising star Jacy Jayne. Recently, however, they decided not to risk it and announced she would miss SummerSlam.

With Ripley unable to defend her title, WWE announced qualifying matches for a five-way ladder match to crown an Interim WWE Women’s Champion. We’re partially through those qualifiers right now, but we do know Tiffany Stratton and Jade Cargill are both in the match with three more slots left to be decided this week in the lead-up to the show. The thing is, if the rumors from Wrestlevotes and Fightful Select are to be believed, both Stratton and Cargill were scheduled for different matches at SummerSlam.

The first one is obvious. Cargill has been feuding pretty consistently with Charlotte Flair for quite a while. WWE has been teasing the two finally settling their differences, and it would have made all the sense in the world for them to have an official match at SummerSlam. It’s a shame we’re not going to see that, but fans aren’t super worked up about it because we’ll almost certainly get it at a big event in the future. Flair will likely be in the ladder match as well before it’s all said and done, and whatever happens there will only add more flavor to their clash whenever it happens.

Stratton’s match, however, feels like a much bigger loss. The plan was apparently for her to face incoming star Blake Monroe, who has only been seen in backstage segments and microphone work so far. Because Stratton is from the Minneapolis area and because there’s so much fan excitement to see Monroe actually get in the ring, the match would have been an opportunity to elevate the United States Women’s Championship, which Stratton currently holds and has been woefully underbooked. The belt wasn’t defended at WrestleMania, and there are a lot of fans who want to see it treated as a more important prize.

Many have taken to social media to complain about what’s going on with the United States Championship, and many have also expressed confusion as to why Stratton needed to be included in the ladder match at all. Obviously, given her popularity and roots in Minnesota, she was always going to appear on the card, but a lot of people, myself included, are confused about why WWE didn’t just keep her separated from the ladder match and move forward with the Blake Monroe stuff. Maybe they’re planning to let her win? Or maybe they just thought the hometown fans would be a little more invested in that match if she were in it?

Either way, it’s not a guarantee we’ll get back to the Stratton and Monroe stuff, and it’s very likely even if we do eventually get the tilt, fans won’t be as invested because it almost certainly won’t happen at a show as big as SummerSlam. That’s a missed opportunity, and it’ll go down as a big what-if, especially if Monroe ends up being as big of a star as we all hope.

Let’s just be honest. The Road To WrestleMania 42 hasn’t been as well-paved as planned this year. Injuries have piled up. There’s been a few questionable booking decisions, and fans are really in their feelings about the Cody Rhodes, Randy Orton and Pat McAfee situation. With the exception of Oba Femi and Brock Lesnar, you could make a case that not a single storyline has had a home run build, and yet, despite all that, there’s a chance WrestleMania 42 could still be a banger.

The dirty little secret about WrestleManias is that pre-show hype doesn’t necessarily translate to a well-reviewed show. Yes, you need hot characters paying off hot builds to get to that all-time great WrestleMania 17 level. I don’t think there’s anything WrestleMania 42 could be to get on that level at this point, but to please fans and be fondly remembered, you just need most of your matches to be fun to watch. Three or four bangers, a half dozen or so really good matches and most of the rest being pretty fun puts you in the top half pretty easily.

The good news for WWE is that there’s enough talent on this card to do that. In fact, if everyone performs even close to the level they’re capable of, this ‘Mania should be good. Problems with the build aside, a lot of wrestlers have been put in matches that, in theory, showcase their strengths, and I have a hard time believing Gunther and Seth Rollins or Stephanie Vaquer and Liv Morgan won’t over-deliver, whether I personally would have built them differently. Plus, throw in John Cena as host, and there's a lot to work with.

Before we get into the specifics though, let’s take a quick look at my track record on predictions from the most recent Big 4 PPVs, as well as my overall record dating back to WrestleMania 38...

Logan Paul, Austin Theory and IShowSpeed vs The Usos and LA Knight

Six man tag team matches with basically no stakes are notoriously hard to predict. I felt strongly that Paul and Theory needed to win the tag team titles to keep The Vision relevant, but now that they’ve done that, all possible outcomes are in play here. On the one hand, it’s appealing to pick IShowSpeed because, despite recent history, celebrities have a strong track record of winning at WrestleMania. On the other hand, it’s appealing to pick The Usos and LA Knight because the whole story here is how IShowSpeed doesn’t really seem to want to be aligned with Paul and Theory, who have kinda sorta forced him into this.

I think the most likely scenario is probably IShowSpeed turning on Theory and Paul and helping the babyfaces to a win, but you could tell me pretty much anything about this match and I’d believe it. You could tell me iShowSpeed is gonna stick around WWE and feud with Logan Paul, and I’d believe it. You could tell me Bron Breakker is going to return and help his stablemates win, and I’d believe it. You could tell me Danhausen is going to get involved and double down on his IShowSpeed curse to help the babyfaces win. No scenario is too outlandish here.

Predicted Winner: The Usos and LA Knight

Jacob Fatu vs Drew McIntyre

What a weird run it has been for Drew McIntyre. He’s the only person not named Cody Rhodes, John Cena or Roman Reigns in the last four years to hold the WWE Championship. His work with CM Punk is probably the best non-Bloodline feud WWE has given us in at least a half decade. He’s been a constant presence in key storylines, and yet, you could make the case that he really deserved more. In my opinion, he was the hottest character on the roster for almost a year, and many fans still have a sour taste in their mouth that he’s not walking into this ‘Mania as champion.

That being said, I think he’s probably going to lose here. Rumors are swirling that he’s going to take a break from programming for a bit to film the new Highlander movie, but even if he wasn’t, I’d have a hard time predicting him because of how mean he’s been to Jacob Fatu during this story. He’s repeatedly talked about Fatu’s past run-ins with the law in a way that’s felt demeaning and mean-spirited. That may not have mattered under Vince McMahon, but I think Triple H and company want to tell uplifting stories with broad messages like you can overcome your past.

Plus, WWE needs to heat Jacob Fatu back up again. I’m not saying he’s cold, but he’s been hotter and has more potential. I think fans would get behind him if WWE truly pushed him to the top of the card. This could be the time when that starts.

Predicted Winner: Jacob Fatu

Stephanie Vaquer (Champion) vs Liv Morgan For The Women’s World Championship

I really wish WWE would have devoted more time to this build because what we have gotten has been really good. Vaquer and Morgan have exchanged some fiery promos and gone at each other backstage in a way that’s felt personal and a little dangerous. Fans like both of the characters, and it sucks that one of them is going to lose and take a step back momentum wise.

To me, this all comes down to what Triple H and the writers want to do with Judgment Day. I love Vaquer and think she has an incredibly bright future in WWE, but to me, the most exciting long-term storyline WWE can tell involves Morgan and her Judgment Day stablemate Raquel Rodriguez. Putting the belt on Morgan and giving us an extended storyline of teases and an eventual turn on each other would be a fantastic program leading into SummerSlam.

The other possibility, of course, is that Rodriguez or her stablemate Roxanne Perez accidentally cost Morgan her chance at the title here and that leads into a storyline about Judgment Day fully imploding. That’s definitely on the table and would keep the belt on Vaquer, but that’s not the route I would take.

Predicted Winner: Liv Morgan

AJ Lee (Champion) vs Becky Lynch For The Women’s Intercontinental Championship

WWE has shown an openness to part-time champions in the past. Much has been made about Roman Reigns and his inconsistent schedule over the last few years, but even before him, the company has also gone down that same road with Brock Lesnar. AJ Lee, as beloved as she may be, however, doesn’t have that same level of cultural relevance or ability to move tickets.

I also think the Intercontinental Championship is fundamentally different than the World Titles. The whole point of the championship is it’s supposed to be defended on a regular basis, both on television and on premium live events. I don’t think having a part-time champion serves the division, and given what we’ve seen since her big return, there’s no reason to think AJ Lee is going to be around on a weekly basis post-Mania.

Because of that, I think this has to be Becky Lynch. She’s one of the biggest stars in the women’s division and has really helped elevate the Intercontinental Championship to a different level after it was introduced. I think there are a lot of fun stories she can tell if she gets the belt back, and I think giving her a second loss to AJ after she dropped the title to her initially does long-term damage to her character.

Predicted Winner: Becky Lynch

The Irresistible Forces (Nia Jax And Lash Legend) vs Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss vs Bayley and Lyra Valkyria vs The Bella Twins

I think there’s a title run at some point in the Bella Twins’ future, but I’m going to rule them out here because of how little they’ve been on TV in recent weeks. Nikki is rehabbing an injury that left her ‘Mania status in question for awhile, and it just feels like they haven’t been built enough to get their big moment. If I were WWE, I’d definitely save that for later.

I’m also less high on Bayley and Lyra Valkyria than most of the more vocal fans on social media. Yes, Bayley got a nice reaction in San Jose recently where she’s from, but Alexa and Charlotte are significantly more over with the average fan. I think their storyline needs to take priority. If WWE is going to keep them in the tag team division, they should put the belts on them. If they’re going to break them up and implode their relationship, they should put the belts on them first and give them another run of success so they can tease a will they or won’t they for awhile.

That being said, it’s also possible WWE could just be planning to move Charlotte and Alexa back to the singles division without breaking them up, saving that plotline for later. If that’s the case, then I would just keep the titles on Nia and Lash. They work well together as a pair of monster heels, and I think you could tell a fun story by turning them into an unbeatable duo with an extended title run.

Predicted Winner: Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss

Seth Rollins vs Gunther

This has match of the night written all over it. Rollins and Gunther are probably the two best in-ring performers WWE has, at least amongst those at the very top of the card, and the lack of a storyline here shouldn’t stop them from cooking in the ring. I expect a twenty minute war that plays into their size difference and allows both men to show off why they’re among the best in the world.

The original plan was reportedly for Gunther to retire Rey Mysterio and Rollins to feud with Bron Breakker, but injury concerns forced the last minute switch to working with each other. I don’t think WWE is going to want either of these guys to take a clean loss; so, my guess is we’re going to get a Gunther victory that’s related to some kind of interference from Bron Breakker. That would allow Rollins to move into an extended feud with the new leader of The Vision, and it would allow Gunther to continue looking like an unstoppable monster.

Predicted Winner: Gunther

Cody Rhodes (Champion) vs Randy Orton For The WWE Championship

No WrestleMania match has been talked about more than this one. Unfortunately, it’s mostly been for pretty negative reasons. The early build to the story was very underwhelming and suffered from a serious lack of depth and creativity. Seemingly in a panic, Pat McAfee (possibly on the orders of WWE’s parent company TKO) was introduced into the story, and his inclusion has not gone over well with wrestling fans, particularly those on social media. He’s felt to many like a distraction, given Rhodes and Orton have decades of shared storylines and personal history, and McAfee has none of that.

I don’t really know how WWE can get out of this cleanly. McAfee announced he would never participate in WWE programming again if Orton loses. I’m not sure that’s a promise WWE wants to make, given he’s got a long history of working commentary and TKO really wants to push WWE’s partnership with ESPN, a network McAfee has a morning show on. Then again, I’m also not sure WWE wants to double down on a storyline that’s clearly not working with a huge segment of fans. If Orton wins, it’s going to be weird if McAfee just disappears from television immediately, though I suppose that’s exactly what happened last year with Travis Scott.

This whole thing is a mess. There was a way to do this, with better planning and a more coherent storyline, that could have worked. That didn’t happen; so, now, WWE needs to choose the less bad of the options in front of them. I think that’s keeping the belt on Cody, but I think WWE is just gonna keep digging the whole deeper.

Predicted Winner: Randy Orton

Oba Femi vs Brock Lesnar

This has been the best build by a gigantic margin, and the story is as straight ahead as can be. Brock is the biggest, baddest dude on the playground and has been for decades. He called out everyone in the locker room, and Oba Femi stepped up and answered the call. In the time since, we’ve gotten a few brief physical exchanges, but in general, it’s just been two dudes using their natural charisma and connection with the fans to create hype.

Lesnar is widely expected to retire later this year, probably at SummerSlam in August. I hear the argument that you should keep him strong before his final match, which will probably be against Gunther, but personally, I think he needs to put Oba Femi over. WWE desperately needs to make some new stars. All four of the WrestleMania main eventers this year are 40 or older. Femi is 27 and looks to have near unlimited potential. In just a few short months, he’s gotten over with both hardcore and casual fans, and it’s not unreasonable to think he may be the favorite to win The Royal Rumble next year. Sometimes you need to do things for the future of the business.

Predicted Winner: Oba Femi

Penta (Champion) vs Je’Von Evans, Rey Mysterio, Dragon Lee, JD McDonagh and Rusev for The Intercontinental Championship in a Ladder Match

Just like Gunther and Seth Rollins from night one, this match is the odds on favorite to be the standout of night two. There’s so much in-ring talent here, and when you throw in the ladder match stipulation, there’s the potential for some truly insane high spots and choreographed sequences. Evans, Lee and McDonagh are also likely going to go all-out, as this’ll be the first time each has made the ‘Mania card.

Matches with this many people are always panic attack city for predictions, but I actually feel pretty good about Penta. There’s some buzz around Je’Von Evans online, but he’s still really nice to the roster and could use some more seasoning on his promos. Penta has maintained his white hot popularity for more than a year, and to me, there’s just no reason why you’d want to take the title off him. Plus, TKO is invested in growing AAA, and Penta is a legend over there, as well.

Predicted Winner: Penta

Jade Cargill (Champion) vs Rhea Ripley for The WWE Women’s Championship

This match is clearly the product of the original creative not working out. Cargill was almost certainly being positioned to work with Bianca Belair, but unfortunately, she’s had setbacks in her recovery from a severely broken finger. Ripley was likely going to work with Iyo Sky, either as a tag team or against each other, but at some point, the decision was made to put Cargill and Ripley together to essentially make the biggest available title match possible amongst the women who didn’t have a locked in match.

I think who wins, once again, likely comes down to Bianca Belair. If WWE is confident Belair is going to be back shortly, I think they’re going to keep the title on Cargill so we can finally get that long-anticipated program with as high of stakes as possible. If her future is uncertain, at least in the short-term, I think WWE is going to pivot and put the belt on Rhea Ripley. She’s the biggest star in the entire business, and while Cargill has been coming along in both her promos and in-ring work, I think the company is not going to want to keep its biggest female star title-less for much longer.

Predicted Winner: Rhea Ripley

Sami Zayn (Champion) vs Trick Williams for The United States Championship

This might be the easiest match to predict on the entire card. Trick Williams is a rising star. He’s getting main event level reactions from the crowd, and it feels like apart from The Miz, he’s doing more media appearances than anyone on the roster. Sami Zayn, on the other hand, seems to be in the middle of a slow heel turn. He’s getting booed out of the building and borderline cheating to win matches.

A win here would push Trick to the next level, and it would allow Zayn to disappear and return as the full-fledged heel many fans have been wanting for the better part of a year. It just makes so much business sense, and also, it would suck all of the energy out of WrestleMania if Zayn held onto the title. This would be such an easy way to give the crowd a win they’re clamoring for, which is desperately needed right now given how sour fans have been on creative lately.

Predicted Winner: Trick Williams

The Demon Finn Bálor vs Dominik Mysterio

A lot of predictors have gone broke over the last few years betting on Finn Bálor to win matches. Every time it feels like the fans are ready and the storyline is there for him to have a big moment, he somehow finds a way to lose again. It’s obvious the creatives just don’t see as much potential in him as the rest of us do. That being said, Finn has to win this match, right?

I feel like a broken record continuing to ride for him, but if he gets kicked out of Judgment Day, brings back his Demon persona and loses as the babyface to a Dominik Mysterio who has been crushed on screen by Danhausen, we probably need to have some hard conversations about his future at that point.

So, yeah, I’m going to ride with Finn Bálor one more time. It makes me really nervous given everything we’ve seen recently, but that right play is obviously for him to win this match. That gives WWE maximum options. He can continue to work against Judgment Day and try to dismantle the group from the outside. He can go out on his own and chase a midcard title. The path is there for something fun. Besides, a loss is not going to hurt Mysterio long-term.

Predicted Winner: Finn Bálor

CM Punk (Champion) Vs Roman Reigns For The World Heavyweight Championship

WWE is in a bit of a slump right now. Even the fans who aren’t vocally complaining about the product are definitely not at a passionate high point in their fandom. Something needs to change, and my guess is those involved are going to rewind the clock to try and do that. The high point during the TKO era has definitely been WrestleMania 40, which is the last moment Reigns was champion. I’m not saying it was all downhill from there, but clearly, the run up to that ‘Mania is what fans look back at the most fondly.

Reigns is the biggest star in the business, and while he’s definitely a part-timer these days, he certainly ramped up his appearances in the lead-up to this ‘Mania. My guess is WWE puts the title back on him, and he agrees to increase the number of times a month he’s on the show. I’m not saying he’s going to be around every week, but he might do 2/3rds of the time in exchange for another title run, which is enough for WWE to create stories around.

Plus, as much as I love CM Punk, he’s better when he’s fired up and chasing something. He’s been a fine champion, but it might give him a little extra jolt of something to lose the belt and be able to reposition himself in the coming months.

Predicted Winner: Roman Reigns

We’re less than two months away from WrestleMania 42, and it’s a big yikes right now. I’m not normally one of those social media trolls crying about the state of WWE during every rope break, but even I’m ready to admit we need to listen to the referee’s count. There’s a serious lack of hot characters and compelling storylines.

Ordinarily, Elimination Chamber is WWE’s last big chance to inject some momentum, but it’s hard to even see how they do that this year. There’s no John Cena heel turn coming. Jade Cargill is not returning to attack Naomi. We’re almost certainly not going to get a big, splashy moment, but with fourteen or fifteen matches to book in the next six weeks, I’m hopeful we can at least make some meaningful forward progress in smaller ways.

Let’s use CM Punk and Finn Bálor as an example. We all know Punk is going to win. WWE is already advertising his match with Roman Reigns at ‘Mania, but I suspect Triple H and company will use the match to give Bálor a new path, possibly in opposition to Dominik Mysterio. I think we’ll see something similar inside the Elimination Chamber with Alexa Bliss. I don’t think she’s going to win the match, but I do think we’ll get a key plot point in her story with Charlotte Flair.

I expect a lot of little things like that. I also think there’s a chance we could see WWE pull an all-time surprise with LA Knight (YEAH!).

Before I get to that though, here’s a quick look back at my predictions record. I’ve been doing these for every WWE PLE since WrestleMania 38. I’m not exactly a prime Hulk Hogan (that doesn’t work for me, brother), but I’ve been right a lot more than I’ve been wrong. You can check out some of the bigger recent events, plus my overall record...

Becky Lynch (Champion) vs AJ Lee For The Women’s Intercontinental Championship

Why is this not happening at WrestleMania? I get AJ Lee lives in Chicago. It makes sense to feature her on the card, but there’s no way WWE decided to use her here and not WrestleMania, right? I have to imagine she’s going to work both dates, and since Becky Lynch would still be the person she would probably work with at ‘Mania, I have to imagine AJ is going to win here, right?

My guess is AJ Lee wins this match, maybe by some kind of flukey means, and that sets up a WrestleMania rematch with a bigger stipulation. Maybe it’s Hell in a Cell. Maybe it’s a street fight. I’m not really sure of the specifics, but AJ Lee would have to walk in as champion or why else would she get another title shot barely a month after losing her match?

Besides, this is AJ Lee’s first singles match since returning to WWE. If they’re planning on keeping her character at a high level, she probably shouldn’t be losing her first match back in the fold.

Predicted Winner: AJ Lee

CM Punk (Champion) vs Finn Bálor For The World Heavyweight Championship

This might be the easiest match I have ever predicted in the history of doing these predictions. Right now, the biggest selling point for WrestleMania is CM Punk and Roman Reigns squaring off for The World Heavyweight Championship. They’ve already made the marketing materials. I love the chaos of an unexpected swerve, but a shock upset would make no sense here. Finn Bálor is going to lose.

That being said, I’m very hopeful he is going to lose in a way that will lead to him having something compelling to do at WrestleMania. The most likely scenario is Dominik Mysterio trying to help him and accidentally costing him the match, but it also might be as simple as he loses, gets roasted by Judgment Day and that causes him to quit the group. Maybe that leads to an IC Title match at ‘Mania or maybe that leads to a new storyline for him and JD McDonagh. Either way, instead of rooting for a straight up win, Bálor fans need to be rooting for something interesting for him to do.

Predicted Winner: CM Punk

Tiffany Stratton vs Rhea Ripley vs Kiana James vs Asuka vs Alexa Bliss vs Raquel Rodriguez In The Women’s Elimination Chamber For A Championship Match At WrestleMania

Now that the final Elimination Chamber qualifier is over, I'm jumping back in here to rewrite my paragraph. Raquel Rodriguez officially booked her ticket to Chicago, which was a bit of a question mark since Iyo Sky was also in the match. Her presence opens up some interesting possibilities I want to go over.

First, there's a chance Raquel could straight up win here. Liv Morgan seemed to pick Stephanie Vaquer as her WrestleMania opponent, but did she really? She just attacked her and walked out of the ring. What if Raquel wins here and says she also wants to face Raquel? That would create a really compelling triple threat storyline at a time where WWE really needs some of these stories to start popping off.

It's also quite interesting that Iyo Sky is not in the Elimination Chamber. I thought we might get some kind of crazy moment between her and BFF Rhea Ripley that could lead to a WrestleMania match between the two of them. The fact that she's not here probably means WWE doesn't want to see them cross each other and create conflict.

So, does that make Rhea a possible winner? Rhea Ripley is a possible winner every time she walks into the ring. She's one of the biggest stars in the company. None of the creative we've gotten for the last year has pointed to her facing Jade Cargill at 'Mania. Her entire storyline has revolved around Iyo Sky. It would be bizarre for the two of them not to interact, but since Bianca seems to be injured and was likely the OG Jade plan, it's possible the writers could decide to change course and just have Rhea win.

I also think there's a small possibility we could see Alexa Bliss win. We need some forward progress in her storyline with Charlotte Flair. The Queen has pretended to be happy for her tag team partner and BFF since she secured her spot in the Chamber, but would she continue to be happy if she got a title shot at 'Mania while Charlotte was left out in the cold? That could be a compelling storyline.

I'd personally prefer the Raquel angle, but I'm going to go with Tiffany Stratton. Jade injured her and took the title to end her run as champion, and the easiest pivot away from Bianca without creating a domino effect that messes up other storylines would be to have Tiffany Stratton win. I'm not sure fans would be overly excited for that match, but they're both main eventers with a ready made backstory that need something to do at 'Mania.

Predicted Winner: Tiffany Stratton

Randy Orton vs LA Knight vs Cody Rhodes vs Je’Von Evans vs Trick Williams vs Jey Uso In The Men’s Elimination Chamber For A Championship Match At WrestleMania

Who knows what’s going on with The WWE Championship? The current holder is Drew McIntyre, and he’s been calling Rhodes and Jacob Fatu both out in promos for weeks. He also attacked Randy Orton during the last episode of SmackDown. Many fans think WWE is trying to set up some kind of triple threat or fatal four way at WrestleMania. Maybe.

I think there are three possibilities here, one of which I want more than the others. The first is that the simplest solution is the one we’re going to get. Cody Rhodes has been the face of WWE for awhile, and it would be weird not to put him in a championship match at ‘Mania. He’s had an ongoing feud with Drew, and there’s a strong chance he’s just going to win and we’ll get the rematch we’ve all expected since Drew won the title.

The second possibility is that this multi-man match happens. Most likely, Cody still wins the Elimination Chamber, but thanks to some shenanigans, we end up with at least Jacob Fatu and maybe also Randy Orton all working together. That kind of sounds like a mess to me, but since WWE knows fans are down on Drew vs Cody, this may be the simplest pivot that allows Cody to still fight for a championship.

To me, the best answer is to go with someone random and unexpected, and while I love Trick Williams and see a ton of potential in Je'Von Evans, the answer is LA Knight. Fans have been dying to see him get his moment for three years now. He just keeps hanging around the main event scene, and despite losing every single big match, he’s remained incredibly over with the crowd. If WWE would give him some real momentum, fans would get behind him in a really big way.

I get Drew McIntyre and LA Knight isn’t a match for casuals who rarely watch the product, but right now, WWE needs storylines actual hardcore fans are invested in. They need to get anything hot, and we would all be hot for LA Knight finally getting his moment. This is the best way to inject some surprise and unexpected excitement into Mania season. Triple H and company can figure out something else to do with Cody Rhodes.

Is my preferred option actually going to happen? Probably not. I should pick Cody, but I feel so strongly that LA Knight is the right answer here that I'm picking LA Knight. YEAH!

Predicted Winner: LA Knight

There have certainly been WarGames matches with better builds than what we’re getting this year, but I’m not sure we have ever had more star power in a single match than what we’re getting on the men’s side this year. With all due respect to The Road Warriors, The Four Horsemen, Dusty Rhodes, Hulk Hogan and other legends who fought in the cage many times, the shared starpower here is extraordinary.

Roman Reigns, Cody Rhodes, CM Punk and Brock Lesnar are all at least in the conversation to be on a list of the 10 biggest stars in the history of the wrestling business. Jimmy and Jey Uso are one of the greatest tag teams in the history of the business, and Drew McIntyre is a slam dunk future first ballot WWE Hall of Famer.

Logan Paul has clearly fallen in love with the business and if he stays on his current trajectory, he’s also going to be and should be a Hall of Famer someday. Bron Breakker is widely considered the most promising wrestling prospect in the entire business and Bronson Reed likely has at least one reign in his future with a World Championship. There’s an outside chance every single person in this match could be in the WWE Hall of Fame some day.

Now, whether the story comes together in a meaningful way is unclear. There's a reason Survivor Series has slipped compared to the other Big 4 PLEs. We’ll have to see whether the match is written like a glorified greatest hits house show or proves to be a big character building step toward whatever we get at WrestleMania. Fingers crossed it’s the latter.

Regardless, the other matches should pay off some storylines with a bit more simmer. Stephanie Vaquer and Nikki Bella are going to pay off their friendship turned rivals storyline. John Cena and Dominik Mysterio are going to have their long-awaited rematch, which should feature a really hot crowd in Dom’s hometown of San Diego, and there’s a lot of swirling tension and long-building storylines intersecting in the women’s WarGames match.

Before I get into what’s probably going to happen though, here’s a look back at my track record in WWE predictions, which I’ve done for every PLE since WrestleMania 38. I've highlighted the bigger events this year, plus my overall tally...

Men's WarGames Match: Brock Lesnar, Drew McIntyre, Logan Paul, Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed vs Roman Reigns, Cody Rhodes, CM Punk, Jey Uso And Big Jim Uso

It’s hard picking a winner in a match like this when it’s unclear what story WWE is trying to tell. Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed vs all the babyfaces on the Raw roster has a been a recurring theme over the last several months. Their manager Paul Heyman has lingering bad blood with Roman Reigns and CM Punk. Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre have already had multiple world championship matches over the past few months and are still actively feuding. There are definitely story beats here and threads the writers can use, but they’re all pulling in a lot of different directions.

I’ve been saying for months that WWE needs to make The Vision stronger. They need to make Bronson Reed and Bron Breakker legitimate main event threats in the absence of former stable leader Seth Rollins. They’ve flirted with doing that a bit, as Reed picked up a huge win over Roman Reigns and Breakker seems likely to win The World Heavyweight Championship at some point, but they need to do more to get them there. They still feel a step behind the true main eventers in this match.

I’d like to think this will be their big breakout moment, but sometimes Triple H, Bruce Prichard and company have a hard time pulling the trigger. Drew McIntyre has felt ready to break out and be a World Champion again since his epic feud with CM Punk, but he just keeps losing in every big moment. LA Knight has been main event levels of over for literally years, and he’s still never won a World Championship. So, I don’t know. I want to say this is the moment the villains assert control and push WWE in an exciting new direction, but I’ll believe it when I see it.

Predicted Winner: The Good Guys

The Women’s WarGames Match: Charlotte Flair, Alexa Bliss, Rhea Ripley, Iyo Sky and AJ Lee Vs Becky Lynch, Kairi Sane, Asuka, Nia Jax and Lash Legend

Becky Lynch has been on one of the best runs of her entire career. I’m personally enjoying her more in this very moment than I ever have, and that’s saying a lot, given I think she’s one of the best female wrestlers ever. Asuka and Kairi Sane also have a nice little abusive plotline going that’ll probably end with the two of them having a WrestleMania match. I also like seeing Lash Legend on the main roster and think she’s a great fit working alongside Nia Jax, who has been mostly terrific since her re-hiring. I like this villains team.

But come’on. Whatever happens in this match will have to do with advancing the plot for the superstars on the faces. We’ve seen a lot of tension between Rhea Ripley and Charlotte Flair. Everyone is kinda expecting that, at some point, we’ll see a breakdown in the relationships of Charlotte and Alexa Bliss and Rhea and Iyo Sky. It’s entirely possible those will literally be WrestleMania matches too. I think it’s a little too early to see them turn on each other though; so, I’m going to be really basic here and say babyfaces stand tall.

Predicted Winner: The Faces

Stephanie Vaquer (Champion) Vs Nikki Bella For The Women’s World Championship

Nikki Bella is only three years older than Charlotte Flair and is two years younger than Asuka, but she rose to prominence during a time when women’s wrestling was transitioning from an era that was mostly about personality and showmanship to an era that demands high level in-ring work. Bella is capable between the ropes and is partly responsible for the much higher expectations fans now have for women’s matches, but there are times in which she still feels more like a legend returning than a current WWE superstar.

That’s not a bad thing. I’ve loved all the recent runs we’ve gotten from Trish Stratus, as an example, but I never expected Trish to beat Tiffany Stratton when they fought for the title. Similarly, I don’t expect Nikki Bella to beat Stephanie Vaquer for the title. That doesn’t mean I can’t visualize a scenario in the future in which she’s World Champion again, but she needs to get the audience to buy in a little more and get just a hair faster and more aggressive in the ring to be on that main event level.

Once again to be clear, I absolutely love Nikki. I’m glad she’s back in WWE. I want to see her on my screen every week, but I think she’s going to need to get a storyline a little more over with the audience to pick up the momentum she needs to be seen on that top tier.

Predicted Winner: Stephanie Vaquer

John Cena (Champion) Vs Dominik Mysterio For The Intercontinental Championship

I think it’s easier to think about this match by working backwards. This will be, most likely, Cena’s second to last match in WWE. So, do we think he’ll defend the Intercontinental Championship during his last match? Do we think he’ll lose his last match? If so, do we think WWE would have him lose two consecutive matches to end his career?

I think that last question is the most important one. I know Sting won his retirement match and there are a lot of wrestling fans clamoring to see Cena go out on top, but I think he’s an old school guy and is going to want to go out on his back. I think he’ll probably lose to Gunther in one final send-off, which means, I think, he really needs to win here.

A loss is not going to hurt Dominik Mysterio, and in some ways, it might actually help elevate him. He’s emerged as one of the biggest stars in the entire wrestling business, and there’s no reason to think his cheat-to-win, heelish tactics will be forever limited to the midcard. He could absolutely be a world champion. At this point, he could even win the Royal Rumble. So, yeah, I think Cena is going to retain here in a wild match the crowd will be super hot for.

Predicted Winner: John Cena

There was a bit of grumbling from some fans when WWE announced SummerSlam was moving to two nights this year. To be honest, I was a little skeptical, as well, but looking at the card, I’m ready to lace my boots up and get in the ring. Twelve matches have already been announced, and given Triple H’s normal booking style, it’s a safe bet that at least five of them would not have made the card if it was taking place entirely on one night. That’s a win, especially because of how deep the roster is right now.

It has never been harder to make a WWE PLE than it is at this very moment. Between the modern preference for only including five to seven matches per night and arguably the most superstars over with the crowd since the Attitude Era, you really need to earn your way onto one of these big shows. That’s why for WrestleMania and now SummerSlam, it’s nice to have that second night to reward more deserving talent.

Between the two nights, more than forty superstars are going to be in action, and it’s likely we’ll get surprise appearances and/ or segments from a few more. The main event is, of course, the long-awaited WrestleMania 41 rematch between John Cena and Cody Rhodes for The WWE Championship, but beyond that, there’s also going to be an additional eight titles up for grabs, plus a tag match featuring Roman Reigns and a wild celebrity tag featuring Jelly Roll, Logan Paul, Randy Orton and Drew McIntyre.

Before I get into what I think is going to happen, here’s a look at my track record on predictions. I’ve been prognosticating ahead of every PLE since WrestleMania 38, and while my record is not exactly Hulk Hogan-like (RIP), it’s still enough to keep my contract getting picked up.

Tiffany Stratton (Champion) Vs Jade Cargill For The WWE Women’s Championship

There is perhaps no female superstar on the entire roster that fans are more divided on than Jade Cargill. She looks like a star. She executes specific moves in the ring like she’s a star. She has the aura and the charisma you want in a champion. She has the potential to be the face of the division, but it’s been more than a year and a half since her debut at the 2024 Royal Rumble and this is the first time she’s felt like a legitimate threat to win a singles championship.

That’s probably because there are times in the ring in which she seems to get a little lost, especially on the transitions between moves. There are times in which she seems a little reckless with her opponents. There are times in which it seems like WWE is protecting her with the way they put together her matches. There are times in which she hasn't been featured nearly as often as you'd think.

With all due respect to Tiffany Stratton, who has a long and bright future ahead of her, the outcome here is about Jade Cargill. She won Queen Of The Ring. She’s been beating everyone she’s been put in the ring with for months, usually in pretty dominating fashion. If WWE is going to pull the trigger on her, now feels like the moment. It feels like it’s time to rip off the band-aid and see if she can grow into the superstar we all know is there.

Predicted Winner: Jade Cargill

Randy Orton And Jelly Roll Vs Drew McIntyre And Logan Paul

More serious wrestling fans have had some complaints about this getting a spot on the SummerSlam card, but I’m supportive of mixing in celebrities, as long as they take it seriously. WrestleMania 1 was main evented by Mr. T, and we’ve seen some banger matches with non-wrestlers in recent years including Bad Bunny and Johnny Knoxville. By all accounts, Jelly Roll is putting in the work, and I loved seeing the recent segment the four stars did on Jimmy Kimmel Live.

I think we’re going to get a really fun match here. Drew McIntyre and Logan Paul should have a great time playing it up with the crowd during moments they have the momentum, and I think Jelly Roll is going to surprise fans with a really unexpected move he’s probably been training on in the performance center. Throw in a hot crowd, and this could overachieve big time.

That being said, we all know Jelly Roll and Randy Orton are going to win here. WWE typically rewards celebrities with a victory in these sorts of matches, and there’s no reason to think this one will be any different, especially because Logan Paul can eat a pin without really affecting the trajectory or popularity of his character.

Predicted Winner: Randy Orton & Jelly Roll

Gunther (Champion) VS CM Punk For The World Heavyweight Championship

I’m finding this to be one of the harder matches to pick on the entire card. On the one hand, it’s time for CM Punk to win a singles championship. He’s too over with the crowd and has done too much good work since his return not to be carrying around gold in the near future. He needs to be rewarded with a signature victory, especially after a terrific promo on Monday where he talked about how much he needs this.

On the other hand, however, that signature victory feels like it should be for The WWE Championship. With all due respect to Gunther and The World Heavyweight Championship, that’s clearly the secondary prize, and given Punk’s long history at the company, it would feel a lot more poetic if his big moment was with a championship he has so much good and bad history with.

It would also be nice to see Gunther get a big win on a big stage like this. He lost in big spots at the last two WrestleManias, and even though he got his victory back against Jey Uso, he’s still dealing with fans chanting “you tapped out.” My favorite Gunther is the one that dominates, and it would do a lot for his character if we got to watch him go over CM Punk clean here.

Predicted Winner: Gunther

Raquel Rodriguez And Roxanne Perez (Champions) Vs Alexa Bliss And Charlotte Flair For The WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships

Before I get into fawning over Alexa Bliss and Charlotte Flair, let me say a few words about Raquel and Roxanne. They’ve done a fantastic job of keeping this title relevant since Liv Morgan got injured. They’ve been contributing good weekly backstage segments and putting on banger matches (shoutout Sheamus) whenever their number has been called. Raquel is really starting to maximize her potential in the ring and has quietly been a part of several of the best women’s tag team matches in company history. Roxanne has found her place on the main roster and thrived within Judgment Day, and under normal circumstances, I’d advocate for them to hold onto the titles.

But there is something here with Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss that has main event potential, and the long-term upside is too high not to prioritize it. Like many fans, I wasn’t really sure where Flair could go after her poorly received program with Tiffany Stratton. She was getting the worst crowd responses of her entire career, and with so many talented women at the top of the card, I started wondering for the first time whether she’d ever be able to make it back on top.

Alexa Bliss has brought something new out of her though. The two have fantastic chemistry, and it has humanized Flair in a way we’ve never really seen from her. It’s made her really likeable, and fans gave her, arguably, the best reception of her entire career at Evolution. It’s been great for Bliss too, as she’s always had fantastic crowd support but hasn’t really been treated like a potential main eventer in a long time.

You could fantasy book a Charlotte and Alexa run a million different ways. Maybe they stay together for a year. Maybe they stay together for a few months. Maybe they remain friends over the long-term. Maybe they turn into bitter enemies. We all have our own opinions on how that should play out, but it’s pretty obvious the next step in their story needs to be winning these tag team championships and having a big moment together in the ring. That will make whatever comes later way more impactful.

Predicted Winner: Charlotte Flair And Alexa Bliss

Roman Reigns And Jey Uso Vs Bron Breakker And Bronson Reed

The safer move here is to put Roman Reigns and Jey Uso over. They’re the two biggest merch sellers in the entire company, and they get significantly bigger crowd reactions than Breakker and Reed. They’re the bigger stars, and both of them could benefit from a big win on a stage like this. I’d have to imagine that’s probably what WWE is going to do, especially after Breakker and Reed dominated them on this week’s Monday Night Raw, which is often a bad sign for winning at a PLE.

Let me just make the case for Breakker and Reed here real quick though. WWE clearly sees a huge future for both. They were put into a faction with Seth Rollins after ‘Mania, and even after he got hurt, they have been pushed just as hard alongside manager Paul Heyman. We’re meant to see them as the future of the company, and there would be no better way to signal that future is here than by letting them beat Roman Reigns on a big stage at SummerSlam.

Given Reigns has slowed down considerably over the past few years on appearances and he’s going to be filming the new Street Fighter movie, it’s unlikely WWE is going to push him back into the title picture in the near future. Jey Uso’s future is also a bit in doubt, as he had that remarkable singles run but doesn’t seem likely to be elevated back to that level in the near future. So, why can’t they lose again?

I’m going to predict Roman Reigns and Jey Uso are going to go over here because they’re Roman Reigns and Jey Uso, but I think the smarter long-term decision here would be to give Breakker and Reed a moment.

Predicted Winner: Roman Reigns And Jey Uso

Sami Zayn Vs Karrion Kross

No match more obviously benefited from SummerSlam being two nights than this one, but I am here for it. Kross has been getting over with fans in a big way, and it’s nice to see him rewarded with a singles match on a prestige card like this. But you still have to ask yourself, why is this here? Is it because we're about to get a huge moment of character development for Zayn?

Sami has arguably been the biggest straight-up babyface (other than Cody Rhodes) in the company for the past few years. He was the sympathetic hero to root for during the Bloodline storyline, and he got rewarded with career-defining moments at consecutive WrestleManias with his wins over The Usos and Gunther. Exactly where he goes from here is a big question, however.

The crowd still likes Zayn, but he’s not as hot as he once was. He’s been vowing for a long time that he’ll become World Champion some day. I’m sure fans would get behind that quest if WWE would push him hard enough, but with so many household names at the top of the card, it’s unclear if WWE has any plans on actually doing that. Kross has been telling Zayn for months that to get to the next level, he needs to essentially become a bad guy. There’s a chance we finally get that here. It would be a big risk for Zayn, but it could be a really unique way to reinvent his character by watching him cheat to win here, something he’d ordinarily never do.

Predicted Winner: Sami Zayn

Naomi (Champion) Vs Rhea Ripley Vs Iyo Sky For The Women’s World Championship

There’s really no bad outcome here. Rhea Ripley and Iyo Sky are both mega-over babyfaces that the crowd would love to see win the belt back, and Naomi is doing the best work of her entire career as the heel champion. You could tell a compelling story with any of these three winning the belt.

The case for Rhea is pretty simple. She’s the most popular woman in the history of the business, and while she’s had long runs as champion, she’s also done a lot of losing more recently. She’s been able to stomach those losses as they’ve involved outside interference or someone else eating the pin, but at some point, if you want fans to see you as dominant, you need to be dominant. Putting the belt on the most over performer is never a bad idea.

The case for Iyo is pretty clear too. The crowd loves her, and every single match she puts on is fantastic, no matter who her opponent is. She wasn’t really given enough storylines or weekly time the last time she had the belt, and it would be nice to put the strap back on her and lean in harder this time around.

Either of those possibilities works for me, but I’m still going to go with Naomi. I don’t think she’s going to be champion for six more months, but I do think she’s been too good to take the belt off her this quickly. She deserves at least a few more months with the title, and that starts with winning here. I don’t think it’ll be clean. It’ll probably involved some shady and underhanded tactics, but I think she’s probably going to walk out as champion.

Predicted Winner: Naomi

Becky Lynch (Champion) Vs Lyra Valkyria For The Women’s Intercontinental Championship

I think the big question is whether we see Bayley here. She gave a very somber interview on Raw where she talked about missing WrestleMania and now missing SummerSlam. I think we’re about to get a heel turn, and given how involved she has been in this entire program, it would make a lot of sense for it to happen here.

Now, how exactly a heel turn would work is complicated. She’s had matches with Becky and Lyra, though she clearly has more animosity toward Becky. Unfortunately, attacking Becky, given she’s a heel herself, wouldn’t exactly draw any heat from the crowd; so, my guess is she would just attack both of them, which would lead to a sequence of events that would see Lyra losing and Becky retaining.

Even if she doesn’t show up, I still think Becky is probably going to win here. The Intercontinental Championship picture has almost solely focused on these three women for months, and it’s time to get some fresh blood in there. If Lyra wins, we’re just going to get stuck in the same loop. So, look for her to lose and then possibly move to SmackDown with some new challengers being moved to Raw as future Becky opponents if there’s a draft.

Predicted Winner: Becky Lynch

Solo Sikoa (Champion) Vs Jacob Fatu For The United States Championship

Jacob Fatu is a star. WWE has started making speciality merchandise for Fatu that’s custom to different cities, and there have been a lot of reports that Triple H, Bruce Prichard and the other writers plan on really pushing him. That almost certainly starts with winning this match. I was shocked to see him lose the belt to Solo the first time, but I would be even more shocked to see him lose to the wannabe Tribal Chief twice. That doesn’t make any sense for his character.

Now, how WWE chooses to handle the match is an open question. Even though the match is in a steel cage, it’s likely Solo Sikoa is going to play the numbers game. Fatu obviously has my guy Big Jim Uso in his corner, but it feels like he’s going to need more firepower than that. Maybe that’ll come in the form of a returning Tama Tonga who could side with Fatu or maybe that’ll come via a new debuting character or maybe Fatu will just straight up win despite a numbers disadvantage, which would make him look as powerful as possible. We’ll see.

Even though he’s going to lose, I will give a quick shoutout to Solo though. He’s really found himself in this more comedic character, I’m excited to see what he does moving forward.

Predicted Winner: Jacob Fatu

Dominik Mysterio (Champion) Vs AJ Styles For The Intercontinental Championship

Rumors swirled recently that AJ Styles quietly signed a one year extension on his contract. I think WWE is going to want to give him some big moments before he retires, if this is, in fact, his last run, but I’m skeptical they’re going to have him beat Dominik Mysterio here. The current IC Champion got a prime Stone Cold pop during his recent appearance at AAA in Mexico, and his Honky Tonk Man style bit as the cowardly champion is currently working really well. It feels too early to bail on it.

I expect these two to put on a hell of a match. Styles is one of the best in-ring workers in the history of the business, and Mysterio has worked hard to improve to the point where he’s pretty good. With a hot crowd and the potential for some outside interference, I think this could be one of the most popular matches of the weekend.

It’s also the sort of thing where we could see a sketchy finish. Triple H doesn’t really like DQ finishes that negate a title change, but there’s a lot more meat on the bone of this feud that they may want to carry forward. I think Dominik is going to remain champion, but I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw these two again at an upcoming PLE.

Predicted Winner: Dominik Mysterio

The Wyatt Sicks (Champions) Vs DIY Vs The Street Profits Vs Fraxiom Vs The Motor City Machine Guns Vs Andrade And Rey Fénix For The WWE Tag Team Championship

Fans were furious when the SmackDown tag team division was left off the WrestleMania 41 card, and those complaints only got louder after DIY, The Street Profits and Motor City Machine Guns dropped an all-time classic TLC match in the days after the event. I still can’t believe they got passed over, but this SummerSlam placement is at least some consolation.

I have no idea if this will be able to live up to the last TLC match, but expect all six of these tag teams to put on a hell of an effort to try. For many, it will be the biggest match in the biggest spot of their entire careers, or at least close to it. They will go all out to prove they belong and go all out to prove how good the SmackDown tag division is. Expect some WTF high spots and a bunch of coordinated, high athleticism moves.

I have no idea who is going to win the match. You could make a legit case for every team participating. Part of me thinks the right answer is to default to the current champions, The Wyatt Sicks, but I’m having a hard time betting against Andrade and Rey Fénix. They clearly have the most momentum, and the crowd has really gotten into every one of their matches. It wouldn’t be surprised to see them rewarded in a big spot here.

Predicted Winner: Andrade And Rey Fénix

John Cena (Champion) Vs Cody Rhodes For The WWE Championship

John Cena, despite his promises, is not going to retire with The WWE Championship. He’s not gonna take the belt and go home because it doesn’t make any sense to end a championship lineage going back to the early 1960s. That means he’s going to lose at some point, but exactly when that’s going to be is an open question.

Cena will be around in some fashion for the rest of the year, which means WWE needs to decide whether to take the belt off him now and give him time for a final run as a babyface or to let him keep rolling as the heel champion. I would have definitely said they’d keep the belt on him a little longer before announcing the Cody rematch, but now I’m not so sure. In fact, I think there’s a chance WWE might be about to execute something far grander.

A double turn in wrestling is when one character goes into a match as the face or hero and another character goes into the match as a heel or villain, but afterwards, they emerge playing the opposite roles. The most famous example is Bret Hart and Stone Cold Steve Austin at WrestleMania 13, which was recently inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.

I think there’s a chance we get the same thing here. For months, we’ve been getting the occasional hints that Cena is being worn down by his role as the villain, that maybe he doesn’t want to be cheating to win in every match. At the same time, there have been hints that Cody Rhodes is more willing to get his hands dirty, that he’s maybe not as clean cut of a good guy as we thought. What if Cody cheated to win, Cena realized the error of his ways, and they each emerged from the match in a very different place?

I don’t know if the double turn is going to happen, but I do think Cody is going to win the championship. Yes, it feels early, but since I think Rhodes is going to be the one to dethrone Cena and I don’t see them wrestling again in a bigger spot, I have to think this is going to be the moment. I also think these two are going to have a great match, as they're going to be particularly motivated after the reception to their WrestleMania 41 match was less than ideal.

Predicted Winner: Cody Rhodes

After years of fan rumors and talent talking about it in interviews, WWE is finally bringing back Evolution. The women’s only PLE first showed up as a one-off back in 2018 meant to celebrate how far female wrestling had come. In the years since, the talent has taken another noticeable jump forward. The main roster now boasts more than a dozen women who are over with the crowd, and now seems like the perfect time to celebrate all that forward progress.

Not surprisingly, the card this time around is stacked and features more than a half dozen surefire future Hall of Famers, as well as multiple women that have already gotten inducted. In an ideal world, they would have gotten a little more time to build out the storylines here, but even with an abridged schedule, there’s still more than enough to get excited about.

Before I get into my theories of what’s going to happen, though, you can check out my record in predictions since I started doing this for every PLE starting at WrestleMania 38. The resume might not be good enough to get me into the Hall of Fame, but it’s certainly good enough to keep me near that main event scene. You can check out my scores for some of the bigger recent events, as well as an overall accounting.

Jacy Jayne (Champion) vs Jordynne Grace For The NXT Women’s Championship

Fair warning. I’m not an NXT expert. I watch every minute of WWE main roster programming every week, but I’m not nearly as committed to watching the stars of tomorrow develop. That being said, it’s quite obvious Triple H, Shawn Michaels and company consider Jordynne Grace a future star on the main roster. She’s gotten extended runs in the last two Royal Rumbles, and this feels like a great moment to remind fans who don’t watch NXT of what’s coming.

With all due respect to Jacy Jayne, who has plenty of potential on her own, this feels like a chance to anoint Jordynne Grace as the next coming. I expect her to win the title, look good doing it and tease fans for what’s coming between six months and a year from now when she’s inevitably called up to Raw or SmackDown.

Predicted Winner: Jordynne Grace

Iyo Sky (Champion) vs Rhea Ripley For The Women’s World Championship

I don’t know what the writers are doing with this storyline, and I’m not the only one. I think if you asked habitually online hardcore WWE fans what plot they’re most disappointed in right now, one of the top answers would be whatever is going on with Iyo Sky. She’s, of course, an absolute star and beat Rhea Ripley and Bianca Belair at WrestleMania… and then has been given almost nothing to do in the two and a half months since.

More specifically, she’s only wrestled three times, once in a draw against Stephanie Vaquer, once in a victory against Roxanne Perez and once in a victory in a tag match with Rhea Ripley against Roxanne and Giulia. That would be fine if she was in the middle of some elaborate storyline or giving promos every week, but for most of that time, she’s been a background character.

So, does that mean she’s going to lose? I don’t know. Iyo remains incredibly over with the fans. When she appears on television or wrestles, she gets huge responses, like as good as almost any woman on the roster that’s not named Rhea Ripley. There’s no obvious reason to take the title off of her, except for the facts that she’s not being used as a cornerstone of programming like a champ should and Rhea Ripley is the biggest female star in the history of the business which means there are obvious upsides to her holding the strap. I guess I’m going to pick Rhea, but I’m completely lost here.

Predicted Winner: Rhea Ripley

The Judgement Day (Champions) vs The Kabuki Warriors vs Alexa Bliss and Charlotte Flair vs Sol Ruca and Zaria For The Women’s Tag Team Championships

Let’s eliminate Sol Ruca and Zaria first. They should be proud they were put into this spot on a main roster PLE, but there are three potentially interesting stories to tell on the main roster with these belts. I don’t know why you’d send them down to NXT. I’m not totally ruling them out, but I think they’re definitely the least likely of the four teams.

As for the others, let’s start with the current champions Raquel Rodriguez and Roxanne Perez of Judgment Day. Until recently, the belts were held by Rodriguez and Liv Morgan, but the latter was injured, which necessitated some scrambling. Since then, we’ve been getting a lot of Raquel not really being sure if she can trust Roxanne or not. There’s one scenario here in which they lose this match and more aggressively turn on each other. There’s another scenario in which they increasingly get closer, only for Liv to return down the road and get mad about how Roxanne stole both her best friend and her title.

The highest upside for the titles, at least from a storyline standpoint, is probably putting them on Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss. The two have been flirting with joining forces for a month or so now, and their mistrust is finally starting to turn into a casual appreciation. They won their qualifying match on SmackDown and embraced afterwards. Obviously this is going to turn into a feud between the two at some point down the line, but whenever that happens, it’ll be better if we get to see the two work together and achieve something first. It’ll be better if we get a sustained run of them being friends, which’ll make a sustained run as enemies way more intriguing.

And you can’t discount The Kabuki Warriors. Asuka returned from an extended hiatus and lost in the finals of Queen Of The Ring. You’d have to imagine WWE will want to push her pretty hard now that she’s back. They’ve also been featuring Kairi Sane pretty regularly in singles matches on TV, as well; so, they’re clearly high on her enough to move up the card. They also feel more like a legit tag team than the other three; so, if Triple H and company actually want to relaunch this division, they’d be ideal champions to do that.

Unfortunately, the writers have never really proven they’re interested in developing the women’s tag team division. If they cared, Katana Chance and Kayden Carter never would have been cut, and The Secret Hervice wouldn’t be used to job every week to non-tag teams. So, I’m gonna go with Alexa and Charlotte because that’s the best way to make the tag belts matter.

Predicted Winner: Alexa and Charlotte

The Battle Royal

We don’t even know all the participants here, but we can rule many of them out based on the fact that the winner gets a title shot at Clash In Paris in August. Provided there aren’t any huge last minute surprises (like AJ Lee), the favorites are probably Nia Jax, Nikki Bella and Stephanie Vaquer, all of whom bring something very different to the table. Bella likely wouldn’t be a huge threat to actually win a world championship, unless she starts getting significantly bigger reactions from the crowd, but it would still be fun to see her involved in a main event program again.

Jax is the most believable as of this moment. She held a World Championship for parts of the last year and could be a believable threat to beat anyone, especially as a transitional champion. She won the battle royal at the first Evolution and is probably the safest choice. The most exciting would probably be Stephanie Vaquer. She’s still very new to the main roster but is getting incredible crowd pops every time she does anything. She’s more ready for the main event scene now than Tifffany Stratton was when she was elevated to it.

Predicted Winner: Stephanie Vaquer

Tiffany Stratton (Champion) Vs Trish Stratus For The WWE Women’s Championship

I love Trish. She’s one of the most important women in the history of WWE, and the fact that we have a women’s only PLE is a testament to the work of her, alongside Lita and other trailblazers. She’s not winning here though. She’s almost fifty and has given no indication she’s going to work a full-time WWE schedule.

That being said, that doesn’t mean Tiffy is just going to quietly win and move on here. This is a prime cash-in spot, and there’s definitely a chance Naomi uses it, especially because of how much sense it would make in the storyline. She’s currently feuding with Jade and has a match with her at Evolution that we’ll get to in a minute. Jade also has a guaranteed title shot at SummerSlam based on winning Queen Of The Ring. A victory here would give Naomi the championship and set up a rematch between the two at SummerSlam with much bigger stakes.

Predicted Winner: Tiffy Time

Naomi Vs Jade Cargill in a No Holds Barred Match

I’m expecting some shenanigans here because a clean result just doesn’t really make sense. Jade beat Naomi at WrestleMania 41 in clean fashion after an extended storyline. She then won Queen Of The Ring and has a title shot set up against Tiffany Stratton or whoever is holding the WWE Women’s Championship at SummerSlam. It doesn’t make any sense for her to lose here because it woudl stop some of her momentum heading into the biggest match of her career.

That being said, it doesn’t really make sense for Naomi to lose either. She won Money In the Bank and already took one clean loss to Jade. At some point, she’s going to cash in that briefcase, and if she’s gonna get a run as World Champion, it’s a lot more appealing to have her look at least semi-strong.

I think we’re going to see a return from Bianca Belair here. If she comes back and helps Jade beat Naomi, it won’t make either of the women look bad, and it’ll give us some new intrigue and new storylines to work into.

Predicted Winner: Jade Cargill

Becky Lynch (Champion) Vs Bayley Vs Lyra Valkyria

This is, by far, the match with the best build-in storyline. All three of these women have done a tremendous job of selling this match over the last several months, as their plots have intersected with each other to the point where there’s a really complicated and nuanced story here that many fans legit have hard feelings over. That’s compelling to watch as a viewer, but it makes it extremely hard as a predictor to figure out what’s going on. Any of these three women winning would make some level of sense.

To me, it feels like we need to make either Lyra or Bayley a heel. Some fans online are making a case that Lyra has subtly been turning to the darkside but I think it’s going to be Bayley. I think she’s going to cheat to win here, potentially in brutal fashion, and that’ll pave the way for this storyline to continue through SummerSlam, maybe in a straight up three way rematch.

Predicted Winner: Bayley

There are only four matches on the 2025 Money In The Bank card. To put that into perspective, there were eleven in 2019, plus one on the pre-show. Some of that has to do with head booker Triple H’s preference for longer bouts versus Vince McMahon’s preference to get more people on the card, but even so, I’m wondering where all the time is going.

The other Money In The Bank cards The Game has booked have had seven and five matches respectively, the latter of which included a nearly 25 minute six man tag team match with extended entrances and another contest with a failed cash-in. So, how is this going to work with only four matches? Every Money In The Bank ladder match of the Triple H era featuring both the men and women has been between 16 and 21 minutes long. So, once again, where is the time going?

Are we going to get something added to the card at the last minute, perhaps one set up on this week’s SmackDown? Are we going to get an unexpected return? Will we get an unannounced segment? I’m curious and desperate to find out, as long as the answer isn’t more commercials and time wasting.

Regardless, there is a lot of good stuff already locked in. We have all the pieces for what could be the greatest women’s Money In The Bank match in history. The Lyra Valkyria and Becky Lynch match should be a banger, and my mind is jumping back and forth between multiple intriguing possibilities for which dude is going to grab the briefcase. Throw in the tag with John Cena and Logan Paul vs Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso that should have major ramifications for both world championships and there’s a lot here to be excited about, even if nothing is added.

Before I go over each contest in detail and give my thoughts, here’s a look at how I’ve been doing since I started these predictions for every PLE with WrestleMania 38. I went 4 and 1 at Backlash and am hoping to continue my winning ways.

Lyra Valkyria (Champion) Vs Becky Lynch For The Women’s Intercontinental Championship

Before I get into what I think is going to happen in this match, I need to talk about Lyra Valkyria for a minute. I was a little skeptical when Triple H, Bruce Prichard and company made her the inaugural IC Champion. At the time, she was only over with a medium-sized percentage of the crowd, and while her in-ring work was good, it didn’t necessarily strike me as more than marginally better than the average woman in the division. Wrong. I was so wrong.

Lyra is one of the more talented women in the locker room, and she’s way better than expected on the microphone. She’s also legitimately over with a lot of the crowd, and you can hear it in the woo noises during her entrance. She has the potential to be a future world champion and I’m not happy about the thought of her title run ending here. It feels like there’s a lot more meat on the bone.

Unfortunately, I think it’s going to end here because that’s what makes sense for the storyline. Becky Lynch returned after an extended absence and took out Bayley ahead of WrestleMania so she could appear on the card. They’re going to need to pay that off with a feud sooner rather than later, especially with all the fan backlash, and it’s a lot more intriguing with the Intercontinental Championship. Plus, as much as I love Lyra, Becky holding the Intercontinental Championship, with all her accolades, would do a lot to legitimize the title.

I think it’s going to be via some kind of underhanded or devious means, but I like Becky Lynch to get the win here, for all the reasons stated above, plus the stupilation in the match that she can’t challenge for the IC Title again as long as Lyra is holding it.

Predicted Winner: Becky Lynch

John Cena And Logan Paul Vs Cody Rhodes And Jey Uso

Most matches are either about winning titles or generating momentum for a character. You can predict (with reasonable accuracy) who is going to win because you can predict which character is going to move higher on the card and which character is going to be pushed down lower on the card. Unfortunately, with random tag team matches like this, it’s not about who wins or loses. It’s about the storyline WWE is trying to set up.

I thought for sure we were going to get CM Punk and John Cena for The WWE Championship as the top bill at SummerSlam, but this match makes me feel like we’re working toward running Cena and Cody Rhodes back. If that’s the case, then I think it’s likely John Cena and Logan Paul are going to win this match. How does that math work out? Get ready for this conspiracy theory.

SummerSlam is not the next PLE on WWE’s calendar. That honor belongs to Night Of Champions. I think it’s very likely John Cena is going to wrestle there for the championship, given the poster is literally him holding the belt and the PPV is called Night Of Champions. With all due respect to Saudi Arabia, I don’t think WWE is going to burn John Cena vs Cody Rhodes’ rematch at an event in Asia that starts in the afternoon US time. If Cody wins here, particularly if he pins John Cena, he’d have a reasonable case to ask for an immediate rematch, but since I don’t think that rematch is coming for two months, I think it’s likely he’s going to lose here.

Plus, that would play into Jey Uso’s storyline with Gunther, as the latter has repeatedly criticized the former for getting involved in other people’s business and has said it’ll cost him his own title. The two are set to wrestle during Monday Night Raw this week, and it would make sense for the storyline if he was injured and beat up after losing here.

Predicted Winner: John Cena and Logan Paul.

The Men’s Money In The Bank Ladder Match Featuring Seth Rollins, LA Knight, Solo Sikoa, El Grande Americano, Penta and Andrade

There are two theories on how to book a MITB match. The first is to jam in as many people as possible with a legitimate chance to win. The second is to book strong workers with a variety of styles to make the most entertaining match possible, even if many don’t actually make sense to win. This is definitely a case of the second one. So, let’s start eliminating people who can’t win.

Andrade is a great worker and had a fantastic series with Carmelo Hayes last year, but he has almost no momentum right now. He’s also the least over with the crowd in this match by a mile. Penta is super over and does have a lot of momentum, but he really hasn’t interacted with people in the main event scene much at all. Typically we see MITB winners with prior experience having won a mid-card title before. That’s also a problem for El Grande Americano, whoever he is. His friend Chad Gable has won tag team gold before, but competing for a world championship seems too far a step up. Solo Sikoa has at least fought for The WWE Championship, but he’s more over as a comedy character and because of what he’s doing as a frenemy to Jacob Fatu.

That leaves two people with more than a random, WTF-was-that chance to win this year: Seth Rollins and LA Knight. Let’s start with Rollins. He’s the biggest name in the field by a mile, and he just launched a really buzzy faction with Paul Heyman, Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed. Most people expect him to win the World Heavyweight Championship back sooner rather than later, and winning here would be a great way to show he’s going to be an even bigger deal for the foreseeable future. You’d certainly think you wouldn’t want him to take such a high profile loss this early in the faction’s run, right?

Well, I’m not so sure. Rollins is currently feuding with CM Punk, and there’s still the Roman Reigns of it all hanging over everyone’s heads. He’s also Seth Rollins and doesn’t need the briefcase to elevate himself or to get a title shot. Plus, Triple H has shown that he sometimes likes building up a character by having them take some losses. Just ask Drew McIntyre, who we all thought was going to be champion by now.

LA Knight is an appealing option because he’s a more traditional Money In The Bank winner. He’s won mid-card championships and is super over with the crowd. We’ve all been waiting for him to ascend to that next level, and he probably needs the briefcase in order to do that. He’s not the type of guy who could just walk into Nick Aldis’ office and demand a World Heavyweight Championship match. Plus, he’s lost in close fashion the last two years, and if he’s ever going to get to that next level, now feels like the time to get there.

Predicted Winner: LA Knight

The Women’s Money In The Bank Ladder Match Featuring Rhea Ripley, Stephanie Vaquer, Roxanne Perez, Naomi, Alexa Bliss and Giulia.

This is, without question, the match I’m most excited about, and it’s not even close. The women’s division in WWE has never been this stacked, and this lineup is the perfect example of that. We’ve got the biggest female star in the history of the industry (Ripley), a no doubt first ballot Hall of Famer (Bliss), a likely Hall of Famer in the middle of the most exciting storyline of her career (Naomi) and three really promising recent NXT call-ups who all have world championship potential. Matches like this are why I watch wrestling.

With all due respect to Giulia, I’m going to eliminate her right away. She’s not winning because WWE has already tipped that she’s going after Zelina Vega and The Women’s United States Championship. I’m also going to, as much as it destroys my heart, eliminate Alexa Bliss. She is getting some of the biggest pops on the entire roster. I want Triple H to push her desperately, but nothing about her booking foretells a huge win like this. She wasn’t even on the ‘Mania card. I don’t get it, but Triple H just doesn’t use her as much as I would.

Roxanne Perez finished second in the Royal Rumble this past year and has an intriguing storyline going with Liv Morgan. If she won the briefcase here, it would make for some really interesting television, as we know Liv is desperate to get her hands on one of the big titles again. Stephanie Vaquer is also a compelling option because she’s been treated like a superstar since she was called up to the main roster. She’s getting bigger pops from the crowd than any recent NXT call-up, and while I don’t think it’s going to happen, it would be really cool to see them immediately elevate someone to the main event right after getting called up.

Both of those women (and Alexa Bliss who I will never stop rooting for) have live cards and are potential winners, but I think the most likely choices are Naomi and Rhea Ripley. Let’s do the Rhea part first. I don’t love her winning for the same reason I don’t love Seth Rollins winning. The briefcase has traditionally been used to elevate a talent to the next level, and winning here would do nothing for Rhea, apart from adding another accomplishment to her resume. She doesn’t need the briefcase to beat anyone clean though, and she doesn’t need the briefcase to get a title shot from her buddy Iyo Sky.

But Rhea needs to be involved in a major storyline, and this would be an easy way to give her something to do for awhile. She would also, no doubt, get her own custom briefcase style, and that would allow WWE to sell those, as well as new action figures of her holding the briefcase. A lot of fans want to see her do something else other than being champion, and this would let her chase a little bit while still being one of the main characters on Monday Night Raw.

At first glance, Naomi seems like a bit of an odd choice, given she’s feuding with Jade Cargill and Bianca Belair. Clearly, wherever her story is going involves them, but their storyline would be magnified if it involved a world championship. So, what if Naomi wins the briefcase, cashes in on Tiffany Stratton and then suddenly the strap makes the relationship between the three former friends that much more complicated? I want to watch that.

Predicted Winner: Naomi

Will Anyone Cash In Later In The Night?

Last year, Drew McIntyre cashed in the Money In The Bank briefcase he'd just won but was thwarted in his attempt by CM Punk. Fans were mixed on how they felt about burning the briefcase so quickly, but it definitely helped move the Drew and Punk story forward, which paid off in a big way down the road.

Prior to Drew, there is a history of people cashing in their briefcase the same night after winning, most recently Liv Morgan who got an all-time massive pop when she cashed in on Ronda Rousey back in 2022. The huge moment helped elevate Morgan's career in a transformative way and simultaneously pushed Rousey down the card in a way she never really recovered from.

I think it's very unlikely we see a cash-in this year on the women's side. Neither Iyo Sky nor Tiffany Stratton is wrestling at the event (at least as of now), and I don't think it really makes sense for either Ripley, Naomi or Roxanne to burn the briefcase so quickly if they do win.

The men's side, on the other hand, is more of a possibility. Both John Cena and Jey Uso are in action and each could be vulnerable to a cash-in from either Seth Rollins or LA Knight. My guess is, if it's going to happen quickly, it'll probably happen on Monday Night Raw during the previously scheduled match between Gunther and Jey Uso. That being said, it's certainly a possibility.

Prediction: We will NOT get a same day cash-in.

Alexa Bliss recently enjoyed her most significant moment since her surprise return during the 2025 Royal Rumble, as she qualified for the women's Money In The Bank ladder match set for June. As someone who has advocated for more TV time for Bliss at every possible moment, I'm thrilled. Another wrestling fan was quicker to voice their displeasure online, however, and his insult made it all the way to Bliss, who offered a pretty funny response.

Over on X, user @AmbrLeila went viral through wrestling social media for calling Bliss an "Old lady" who didn't deserve to win in comparison to Chelsea Green or Michin. The post received a lot of responses, including one from Alexa Bliss, who returned at the start of the year after a long absence due to her pregnancy:

Perhaps the funniest part of this exchange is the community note attached to the post that states Bliss was the youngest wrestler in the match. The 33-year-old is a year younger than Chelsea Green and three years younger than Michin.

It's good to see Alexa Bliss has a sense of humor about the tweet, and didn't go scorched Earth on the person for calling her "The Old Lady." Maybe she gives off older-era vibes because she's been on WWE's main roster since 2016, while Chelsea Green didn't really make a splash in the WWE until her return to the brand in 2023. Whatever the reasoning, it's a lesson for everyone to check their math before trying to call out anybody, much less a popular athlete.

Whether all fans like it or not, Alexa Bliss has officially qualified for the Women's Money In The Bank ladder match, marking her first major storyline in the WWE since her big return. It's something wrestling fans have waited on for some time, considering her connection to the late Bray Wyatt, who is currently being honored by his brother Bo Dallas and the rest of the Wyatt Sicks.

I definitely wonder if the Wyatt Sicks will factor into this match in any way, possibly by helping aid Bliss in securing the briefcase so she can have yet another title run in the WWE. That said, I can't help but think the optics would look bad if a bunch of male wrestlers prevented anyone but Bliss from winning, especially since the company rarely, if ever, allows intergender wrestling these days.

Of course, Nikki Cross could certainly show up and lend a hand. I'm sure Bliss would appreciate getting any advantage she can against a stacked women's roster.

All this to say I'm putting the wagon in front of the horse, as we don't know who all is competing in the women's Money In The Bank ladder match at this time. We'll have to tune into the following Monday Night Raw with our Netflix subscription to see who else is in the mix, and then maybe it'll be clearer who the WWE is eyeing to win this coveted briefcase that allows for a title shot.

WWE's Money In The Bank PLE is scheduled for Saturday, June 7th, and will be a night to remember. I'm hoping to see another same-night cash in, though I do hope that if that does happen, whoever does it successfully takes down a champion.

We’re less than two months away from WrestleMania, and there are only two confirmed matches. We’ll probably get somewhere in the neighborhood of fourteen at the actual show; so, Triple H and the writers have a lot of work to do in order to get there. Thankfully, I think they’re going to use the Elimination Chamber PLE to set up more than a few of them.

I say more than a few of them because we know the Chamber is going to set up two for sure. The winner of the men’s Chamber will face Cody Rhodes for the WWE Championship, and the winner of the women’s Chamber will face Rhea Ripley for the Women’s World Championship. Those are obviously the main event attractions, but some of the losers are likely going to be putting in character work and hitting story beats that help them get to their future WrestleMania matches too.

Because of that, I’m not only going to go through who I think is going to win these matches, I’m also going to go through some theories about what other stories might develop. Obviously, I’m not inside the writers room and don’t know exactly what the powers that be are planning with everyone, but I think there have been enough story beats to do some evidence-based speculation.

Before I get to that though, please gaze in awe and wonder at my upper midcard level record on predictions since I started doing them for every PLE since WrestleMania 38. Pretty impressive, huh? I’m like the Damian Priest of predictions. Maybe that’s too generous. I’m like the Bam Bam Bigelow of predictions. Actually, that might be even more generous. The British Bulldog of predictions? Why don’t you visualize your favorite upper midcarder.

Tiffany Stratton and Trish Stratus Vs Nia Jax and Candice LeRae

Tiffany Stratton is part of one of those two confirmed matches for WrestleMania. She’s going to be facing Charlotte Flair in what is easily the biggest showcase of her career. She’s also trying to prove she belongs in the main event scene permanently, and with all due respect to the other women in this match, that has to be the most important thing here, especially after she gave a pretty lackadaisical promo last week on SmackDown. WWE needs to remind everyone that she’s a rising star with a higher long-term potential than every woman on the roster not named Rhea or Bianca or maybe Iyo. Maybe.

So, in my mind, that’s the goal of this match. Let’s make Tiffy look like a future Hall of Famer, and as an added bonus, let’s give Canadian legend Trish Stratus another fantastic WWE memory by celebrating her 25th WWE anniversary with a win in Toronto’s famed Skydome. I suppose you could make a case that Charlotte could interfere here to cost the babyfaces the match and advance the storyline that way, but I just don’t buy it. To me, the play is Tiffy and Trishy winning clean.

That being said, one key thing to look out for in this match is whether it’ll hint at anything ‘Mania related for Nia, Trish or Candice. Nia has been a workhorse for the last year, having an extended run as champion and appearing in key plots basically the entire time. I personally think she’s too big of a star to leave off the card entirely, but Triple H has proven in the past that he’s not just gonna put someone on there for the sake of putting them on there, especially if they have a key match at a nearby PPV, as Nia herself found out when she main evented Elimination Chamber last year with Rhea Ripley and Damian Priest found out when he gave us a banger with Bad Bunny at Backlash in ‘23.

Predicted Winner: Tiffy And Trishy

Sami Zayn Vs Kevin Owens In An Unsanctioned Grudge Match

This is probably the most nuanced and interesting story WWE is telling right now, which is particularly impressive given Owens and Zayn have worked together in all capacities across multiple promotions for many years. I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised though, given these two are arguably the best actors and character workers WWE employs right now. They can convey emotions and make audiences feel things in a way most wrestlers on the roster just aren’t capable of.

Most fans are pretty convinced that this match is going to lead to a Kevin Owens and Randy Orton match at WrestleMania, given Owens injured Orton and hasn’t been seen on WWE programming since. I tend to agree, but there are two different ways to get there. The first would be Orton showing up, interfering in this match and helping Zayn win. The second would be Owens beating Zayn in some sort of horrifying and vicious way, which prompts Orton to show up and confront KO. I tend to think we’re going to get the latter for the simple reason that I want this match to have a real ending, and also, Owens needs a win desperately. He just took his lumps from Cody Rhodes for an extended feud. He needs to remind everyone he’s capable of winning huge matches in big spots.

Predicted Winner: Kevin Owens

The Women’s Elimination Chamber Featuring Bianca Belair, Naomi, Liv Morgan, Alexa Bliss, Roxanne Perez and Bayley.

Let’s eliminate some people who are absolutely not going to win this before we start the hard analysis. With all due respect to Bayley who is a future Hall of Famer and won a World Championship at WrestleMania 40, she is not going to win this. Her character has cooled off a ton since last year, and nothing about her recent booking indicates she’s a real threat here. I think we can also go ahead and eliminate Naomi. I feel the glow. I’m happy to see her on TV every week involved in a real storyline, but she’s not a believable threat to beat Rhea at WrestleMania. Plus, we still need to figure out what’s going on with Jade, which involves her.

Some NXT fans and people who like big surprises are pushing Roxanne Perez as a possible winner. She had a fantastic run at The Royal Rumble and broke the record for minutes spent in the match, but to be honest, she wasn’t exactly booked like a 1994 Diesel during that lengthy run. She had one total elimination the entire time, and she hasn’t exactly been presented like a main roster main eventer in the last month since then. She’s almost certainly not going to win. Instead, she’ll probably end up getting into a confrontation with Bayley, and that’ll chart their course for ‘Mania.

Now, the match we all want to see is Bianca Belair and Rhea Ripley. That’s a gift from the fantasy booking gods, and whenever it happens, it should main event at minimum the first night and maybe even the second night of ‘Mania. In my mind, those two are the most talented and best female superstars in the history of WWE, and we need that showcase match at some point for both of their legacies. But I want a full proper build for that match whenever it happens, and this Jade storyline is just dangling around Bianca’s neck. Too much time has been put into it not to get some kind of resolution. If she wins the Chamber, everyone is gonna spend the next month still wondering about Jade and what’s going on there. So, I think she’s out, but I do expect we'll see Jade make an appearance and officially set up their match. I predict she somehow storms her way into the cage and we have a moment wondering if she's gonna take out Naomi and Bianca or Liv.

That leaves Liv Morgan and Alexa Bliss. Liv seemed like the obvious choice to face Rhea nine months ago, but they ran this feud into the ground already. We saw them wrestle at SummerSlam. We saw them wrestle at Bad Blood. We saw them wrestle earlier this year at the Raw premiere on Netflix. We saw mixed tag matches involving the two of them plus Dominik Mysterio and Damian Priest. We saw tag matches involving Liv’s henchman Raquel Rodriguez. We’ve seen them together soooooooooo much that it’s hard to get excited about more, even though they’re two of the hottest characters on the entire roster.

But does Alexa Bliss really make sense? I’m a huge Alexa fan. I’ve been screaming about how WWE should use her in more prominent spots for years, and she arguably got the biggest pop at the entire Royal Rumble when she returned. I would love it if she won, but there’s nothing that really indicates to me that Triple H and company see her as someone who could believably beat Rhea Ripley at WrestleMania. There have been strong hints she’s going to be the last member of the Wyatt Sicks, and I’m not really sure how her winning here would play into that, unless she got really spooky and they tried to make her a believable threat to win via supernatural means.

As much as I’d love to pick Alexa Bliss, I just can’t do it. Liv is getting significant screentime each week, and with this Rhea and Iyo Sky title match coming up on Monday, there’s a chance we get some shenanigans there that turn the ‘Mania match into a triple threat, which would be more tolerable. In fact, that's exactly what I think is going to happen. Liv is going to win here and interfere in that match, which will cause Adam Pearce to make it a triple threat.

Predicted Winner: Liv Morgan

The Men’s Elimination Chamber Match Featuring John Cena, CM Punk, Drew McIntyre, Seth Rollins, Damian Priest and Logan Paul

Alright, let’s do the same thing we did for the Women’s Elimination Chamber and start eliminating people who are not going to win. Logan Paul is not facing Cody Rhodes in the main event of WrestleMania 41. Neither is Damian Priest. I think Seth Rollins would put on a fantastic match with Cody, given all their shared backstory and the fantastic segment we got on Raw this week, but Rollins is quite clearly going to do something with Roman Reigns. In fact, I think there’s a strong chance Roman could break into the Chamber and beat him half to death at the event. I think he’s out.

We got all kinds of rumors about how WWE saw Drew McIntyre as a top guy in the industry heading into this year, but he’s lost on roll-ups to Jey and Jimmy Uso this year. I get that they’re trying to tell a story about him beating himself, but come’on. You don’t typically have your WrestleMania main eventers lose matches to brothers with dueling catchphrases. Fans are so worked up about the whole thing that there are rumors WWE might amend his 'Mania plans, maybe to LA Knight, but there's been almost no talk about them amending the plans to include a World Championship match. I wouldn’t 100 percent rule him out, just as I wouldn't 100 percent rule out Seth, but their chances are very low. I think it's more likely he gets into it with Damian Priest, and that's the 'Mania plan.

That leaves John Cena and CM Punk. Rumors have swirled for months that WWE wants Cena and Cody in the main event at WrestleMania. On paper, that’s certainly the biggest match from a name recognition standpoint, but Cena has been on television like twice the entire year. He’s also been telling a story about how he hasn’t won a singles match in like a decade on WWE programming. He finished second at the Rumble and lost. I think his best story would be for him to finish second again here. Perhaps he can face someone like Logan Paul at WrestleMania and start building up momentum that way.

By process of elimination, that brings us to CM Punk. Truth be told, I wasn’t super into this as an option until The Rock showed up and gave his confusing promo on SmackDown about wanting Cody Rhodes’ soul. I have no idea if CM Punk would be willing to take The Rock up on his offer when Cody says no, but even if he doesn’t, WWE can use the favor Paul Heyman owes him as a storybeat to get Roman to do something related to The Rock. There are a bunch of options here, and given the run he’s been on, it also feels time to reward CM Punk with a loud victory against A-list opponents in a match like this.

Predicted Winner: CM Punk

How do you feel? Who do you think is going to win. Sound off in the comment section below and give us your predictions.

Warning! The following contains spoilers from the WWE's 2025 Royal Rumble. Stream it with a Peacock subscription, and read at your own risk!

WWE's Women's division opened up the 2025 Royal Rumble on Saturday night, February 1, and as usual, it didn't disappoint. We now know who is going to be one of our headliners for WrestleMania 41, as Charlotte Flair prevailed in a thrilling match. And while I'm ecstatic to see the champion get the win, there's one other feud this match set up that I'd love to see at an upcoming WWE event.

CinemaBlend is live at the Royal Rumble, and man, it is electric in Indianapolis. Credit to the women on the roster for opening up the show with a bang. Let's recap who won the big event, and discuss the jaw-dropping showdown we need to see in Las Vegas.

Charlotte Flair Won The 2025 Women's Royal Rumble

The queen has returned over a year after she tore her MCL, ACL, and meniscus in the ring. CinemaBlend had Charlotte Flair returning and winning the Royal Rumble in our predictions, but it didn't make it any less satisfying to see her punch that ticket to WrestleMania 41.

My current guess is we're going to see her have that fated rematch with Rhea Ripley after their electric match years ago, but I don't think it's out of the question she'd take on Tiffany Stratton either. In any case, it's great to see the queen again in the WWE.

Alexa Bliss Is Back, And It Looks Like She's Coming For Liv Morgan

After teasing her return for the past year, Alexa Bliss also has returned to the WWE, and was met with a thunderous ovation when she came out during the 2025 Royal Rumble. Alexa's outfit suggested she might be aligned with the Wyatt 6, or at least a kindred spirit, but it was her confrontation with Liv Morgan that will remain the conversation of the night.

Some have seen Liv Morgan as the person who took over Bliss' classic gimmick when the latter shifted to her supernatural persona years back. I personally think that Liv has made the character her own over the past year, but the comparisons are unavoidable. As such, it was thrilling to me to see them square off in the ring, and what's better, Liv was responsible for Alexa's elimination.

I'm all in on seeing Alexa Bliss vs. Liv Morgan at WrestleMania 41, and I think the 2025 Women's Royal Rumble set that up perfectly. That said, I think this might also be a tease to a greater feud in which we'll see the Wyatt 6 align with Bliss, and together, they'll all take on Judgment Day in Las Vegas. If that's the case, JD McDonagh better rest up from his gnarly injuries, because they'll need him for that battle.

Whatever happens, I'm over the moon to finally see Alexa Bliss back in the WWE. She's long been one of the most talented performers on the main roster, and I think we're in for a great WrestleMania match between her and Liv Morgan, at the very least. Let's hope she can escape with a win and maybe get a little help from the late Bray Wyatt, should his supernatural powers manifest in the ring again.

Stream the WWE's 2025 Royal Rumble live on Peacock, and continue to stick with CinemaBlend as we cover the event's highlights over the coming days. This is shaping up to be one of the greatest Rumbles in the company's history, so let's hope it stays on track.

This is the most excited I’ve been for a Royal Rumble in a long time. Unlike most recent years in which there were, at best, a small handful of wrestlers with even remote chances of winning, the 2025 version is wide open. Thanks to a surge in fan excitement and better creative than we’ve gotten in a long time, there are a ton of performers really over with the crowd right now. Many of them could pay off that excitement and win. It’s a fantastic time to be a wrestling fan ahead of what many hardcore wrestling fans consider to be the best event of the year.

But that, of course, makes my job as a predictor far more complicated. It was easy to grab the glory back in 2023 when every single wrestling fan with half a brain knew WWE was going to tap Cody Rhodes to return and win the Rumble, but this year is not going to be so easy. There's not an Attitude Era Stone Cold you can easily point to. Instead, there are more than a half dozen performers on both the men’s and women’s sides who I think have better than 10% chances to win. That never happens, and it has my brain trying to do Steiner Math to make sense of it all.

Before I write way too many words trying to talk it out, however, you can check out a quick rundown of my track record. I've picked winners for every single PLE since WrestleMania 38, and while I haven't been perfect, my record is more than good enough to put me in the upper mid-card. Here's a quick look at how I did in last year's Big 4, plus the first Saturday Night's Main Event earlier this year and my overall record.

Cody Rhodes (Champion) Vs Kevin Owens For The WWE Championship

Look: Kevin Owens has been fantastic during this entire feud. As a diehard wrestling fan who watches every single second of main roster WWE programming every year, I would be beyond hyped if he went into WrestleMania holding the WWE Championship. It would be a great next step for this feud, and it would be a great thank you for almost a decade of main event quality work he’s done. I would be all for it. Just imagine the promo battles between him and Cody if he had a real reason to gloat, and Cody had a real reason to be be furious. If only!

Unfortunately, the harsh truth about being a wrestling fan is that WWE isn’t setting WrestleMania up to please you. Instead, Triple H, Bruce Prichard and the powers that be are setting up WrestleMania to appeal to as many lapsed fans, casual fans and members of the mainstream press as possible. Rightly or wrongly, the goal is to create a pop culture extravaganza, and as much as I love Kevin Owens, he’s not selling as many t-shirts as Cody Rhodes, nor is he selling as many tickets as The Rock, CM Punk, John Cena, Roman Reigns, Rhea Ripley or Bianca Belair.

If this was SummerSlam or another post-WrestleMania PPV, I’d spend more time considering Kevin Owens. He’s just been so freakin’ good here, from carrying around the Winged Eagle Championship to accusing everyone else of betraying him and siding with Cody. It’s some of the best work of his career, but the timing is just all wrong. I think WWE is going to want Cody Rhodes walking into ‘Mania with the title, and that means poor Kevin Owens needs to take another L in a big moment.

Predicted Winner: Cody Rhodes

DIY Johnny Gargano And Tommaso Ciampa (Champions) Vs The Motor City Machine Guns For The WWE Tag Team Championships

I don’t typically like criticizing Triple H because his creative direction has revitalized WWE in a way I didn’t even realize was possible. The product, as a whole, is significantly better than it was a few years ago under Vince McMahon, but if you had to point to one area that’s struggled under his leadership, it would be the tag team division. There have been a few extended stretches where both belts were used to legitimize factions and further long-term storylines (Bloodline 2.0 and Judgment Day).

Those teams occasionally gave us banger matches, but they also sometimes went multiple episodes of Raw or SmackDown without even interacting with another tag team. That left the division feeling like an afterthought, which is probably how we’ve gotten to the point where this match is the first time either of the men’s tag team championships are being defended on a PLE since the ladder match at WrestleMania 40.

Fortunately, things seem to be turning around. On SmackDown, we’re getting consistent storybuilding every week that includes Pretty Deadly, Los Garza, DIY and Motor City Machine Guns, with the Street Profits lingering in the background, hopefully ready to emerge ahead of WrestleMania season. This match is evidence of that forward progress, and there’s a good chance it’ll be a banger, given we’re getting a rare 2 out of 3 falls match. Shoutout Demolition and Hart Foundation at SummerSlam '90!

I wouldn’t be shocked if Motor City Machine Guns won here, but I’m gonna pick DIY because it seems like they still have more stories to tell with the other tag teams on SmackDown. We’ve gotten a bunch of interactions with Pretty Deadly in particular that haven’t paid off yet, and that pay off seems like it’ll be a bigger deal if they’re still the tag team champions. Plus, there’s a good chance we could get babyface winners everywhere else on the card, and this would be a logical place to give the heels a victory.

Predicted Winner: DIY

The Women’s Royal Rumble

Just like on the men’s side, the women’s division is overflowing with people who could win this year. Let’s just run down some of the names: Bianca Belair, Nia Jax, Iyo Sky, Jade Cargill, Jordynne Grace, Charlotte Flair, Liv Morgan, Asuka, Alexa Bliss and Becky Lynch all have really solid cases for why they could conceivably have a world championship match at ‘Mania. So, let’s start thinking about it in reverse and start explaining why certain people probably aren’t going to win.

I’ll eliminate Liv Morgan because she just got out of an extended feud with Rhea Ripley, and while it would be fun to see her interact with Tiffany Stratton, I think WWE is going to want a new face up there. Plus, if she finishes second again, it would be a fun story.

I’ll also eliminate Nia Jax, as she just wrestled Rhea at Saturday Night’s Main Event and has been interacting with Tiffy Time for months. I’ll also eliminate Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill because I still think the plan is for them to do something together. The who attacked Jade angle is lingering over all our heads, and unless Jade is legitimately going to be out until after ‘Mania, I think Bianca needs to clear that up before she focuses on a singles title.

So, that leaves four people potentially returning from extended hiatuses (Charlotte, Becky, Asuka and Alexa), one person just joining the company (Jordynne) and one person who is quietly super over in the background (Iyo). I’m a huge Alexa Bliss fan, but I’ll go ahead and eliminate her because I don’t know that WWE would push her this hard, this quickly. She's been hinting she's coming back for months, but when she does, she might get put back with the Wyatts anyway. That's the same idea with Asuka too, as she wasn't at the top of the main event scene when she left and has some easy to tell storylines with Damage CTRL.

Next I'll eliminate Jordynne Grace. I love the idea of her winning the Rumble as basically a newcomer and then calling out Rhea Ripley in a promo after the match. That would be a fantastic shock victory and a great way to turn her into an immediate, overnight main event player with WWE fans. It's (probably) just too big of a risk though, given Triple H and company don’t know for sure how she’s gonna get over with mainstream WWE fans.

You could make a great case for any of the final three. Iyo Sky in particular has been a big favorite amongst fans. Many experts feel like she's gotten over with the crowd, despite taking some dumb losses in semi-big recent spots like the Intercontinental Tournament and the Speed Tournament. They think WWE was just biding their time before pulling the trigger in an unexpected moment, like say the Rumble. I'd love that, but most of the time when people lose, it's not because WWE is planning to bring them back stronger. I mean we've all been saying this about Finn Bálor for years, and where has that gotten us?

I also love Becky and think the crowd is gonna be super hot for her when she returns, but she wrestled Rhea at 'Mania last year and is capable of telling compelling stories outside the title picture. So, that leaves me with Charlotte Flair. WWE is gonna want to immediately insert her back into the main event scene, and she’s perfect for a generation vs generation program with Tiffany Stratton. I don’t know that the crowd will like it, but I think her winning puts the pieces in the best possible position for WrestleMania.

Predicted Winner: Charlotte Flair

The Men’s Royal Rumble

Just like with the women’s Rumble, I think the best way to do this is to go down the list of possible winners. I think the major players are Roman Reigns, CM Punk, John Cena, The Rock, Drew McIntyre and Seth Rollins. I also love Jacob Fatu as an unlikely darkhorse pick, given everyone would immediately buy him in the main event scene if he were suddenly catapulted into it. You could also throw Kevin Owens in there as a fun longshot, as well as Sami Zayn if Owens were to somehow beat Cody Rhodes earlier in the night. They’re not going to win, but we should at least say their names out loud, as well as Jey Uso (YEET) and Randy Orton, who you could kinda sorta make a stretch argument for.

Now, I’m going to eliminate Roman Reigns first because, while he’s the biggest star in the company outside The Rock, he’s also wrestled Cody in the main event the last two ‘Manias. We don’t want to see that match for a third time, even though the dynamics would be very different. I’m also going to eliminate The Rock because all evidence seems to point to him not being a part of this WrestleMania season. Maybe. I don't know. I don’t totally buy it. There’s a part of me that still thinks he’s going to unexpectedly come out during the Rumble and win, but I think the odds are too low to pick him.

I’m also going to eliminate Drew McIntyre, which suuuuuuuuuuuuccckkks. Until about a month ago, I was pretty convinced he was going to win the Rumble. WWE was starting to present him like a huge star, and he really seemed to be picking up momentum. Then he lost to Jey Uso on a rollup at the premiere of Raw on Netflix, and I lost hope he was going to get the push he deserves, at least prior to 'Mania.

I’d argue the two odds on favorites are CM Punk and John Cena, but personally, I just don’t see it (as I outlined more extensively here). I think both men tell much more compelling stories if they’re in the Elimination Chamber, desperate to get an opportunity for WrestleMania. Cena’s overall story arc has been about falling just short, and doing so again in the Rumble would really help that. WWE keeps shoving it down our throats that CM Punk is going to get a favor from Paul Heyman, but why would he need that favor if he wins the Rumble?

No, I’m going to with Seth Freakin’ Rollins. I think he wins the Rumble and challenges Gunther, which allows us to get a full month of who is Cody’s opponent going to be, with Cena, Punk and Roman all desperate to grab the spot. He's not the biggest name on this list, but I think he's the right play for Gunther and the right play for everyone else, as losing will only make their stories get more desperate over the next few months.

Predicted Winner: Seth Freakin’ Rollins.

You can check out the Royal Rumble when it streams live on Peacock in the United States on February 1st or on Netflix in most of the rest of the world. Viewing is free with a subscription.

It's been almost two years since Alexa Bliss showed off her skills in a WWE ring, as her pregnancy announcement led to a lengthy absence that could soon end at last. Bliss is sending cryptic messages on social media, leading wrestling fans to believe she may finally show up at upcoming WWE events somewhere within the 2025 TV schedule.

It all started on X, where the former multi-time women's champion posted a GIF of a woman with a magnifying glass, along with the caption "Where's Alexa...." That certainly makes the post feel specific to the WWE, considering her real name is Lexi Cabrera. Take a look at the tweet below:

While this could be bait for some other product announcement, or potentially even Bliss trolling her fanbase, I'm inclined to think she's actually returning to the WWE. After all, she's previously had opportunities to troll when the Wyatt Sicks were debuting and chose not to.

So when might we expect to see her in the WWE? I think there are a few options we should be keeping an eye out for.

The First Monday Night Raw On Netflix

It won't be long before the WWE makes Monday Night Raw available to those with a Netflix subscription, and there's a general expectation that the streaming debut will be quite a big episode. The WWE announced Cody Rhodes, Roman Reigns, Bianca Belair, and John Cena for that particular installment, and pop icon Travis Scott will also be there. Wouldn't this be a great time to reveal Alexa Bliss as the final member of the Wyatt Sicks?

The Royal Rumble

The Royal Rumble is an event where surprise returns are expected, and more often than not, it's easy to get a long-absent superstar into a feud with someone pretty quickly. We've written before about how Alexa Bliss is a spectacular wrestler, and I think whether she returns as a member of the Wyatt Sicks or not, she will thrive in just about any feud she is given.

I would love to see her competing in the women's main event scene, but given so few of the women she came up with are even currently wrestling in the company, I wonder if WWE has other plans for her.

A Post-WrestleMania 41 Comeback

There are still so many rumors circulating about big matches for WrestleMania 41, and it makes me wonder if there's just no time to bring Alexa Bliss back until after the big event. Starting Bliss' comeback after the big show would give her more time to shine in the spotlight and maybe make it feel less like she's shoe-horned into any feuds or factions operating for the past year or more. It's not my ideal scenario, but it's one I see happening.

Unfortunately, we can only speculate so much regarding Alexa Bliss' tweets, so we may have to keep watching new episodes of Monday Night Raw on USA on Mondays at 8:00 p.m. ET to see if any clues about her arrival surface. I'll be excited to see her back in action, and what the WWE has planned for her after that long absence.

The WWE is red-hot right now, and it also has the strongest main roster we've seen in decades. The roster is so strong, in fact, that there are major superstars waiting on the sidelines mainly because there's just not a lot of television time to go around. It's a good problem to have, but there are quite a few people I'm beginning to miss and wish would appear on television more often.

There are five hours of WWE television right now between Monday Night Raw and Smackdown, and another two hours on NXT. Not that I think any of these following superstars need to appear on the developmental show, but if it means more time to shine on television, I may be okay with seeing them back in the mix. Here's who I'm missing the most as we head into the back half of 2024.

AJ Styles

If you need any evidence that the current WWE main roster is deep, look no further than the fact that AJ Styles is currently off of television and hasn't been in a major angle since taking on Cody Rhodes at WWE Backlash. Never mind his numerous title runs in the WWE; the guy was considered the John Cena of TNA for the bulk of its run. If the WWE isn't trying to work him into a spot wherever it can, you know it has a pretty deep roster. I know Styles will come back eventually, but it's just wild to have seen him away for a while now and it not really impact the WWE at all.

Carmelo Hayes

Being called up from NXT to the main roster can be brutal. Carmelo Hayes was one of the top stars of the brand, and was crushing it there, but he's really struggled to find the same television time as some of his peers. I think it's a case of Hayes being considered a "top guy" type of performer, and there's just not any room at the top for him right now. As such, WWE would rather have him hang out to the side rather than eat pins in the midcard.

Charlotte Flair

It's been close to nine months since Charlotte Flair posted about getting surgery on her injured leg, and that was the timetable for her recovery time. The women's division has kept chugging along without her, and there are definitely more than a few challengers to her title as "queen." I'm hoping for Charlotte to make a big splash upon her return, and I wouldn't be surprised if she's the challenger for Nia Jax's future title defense, considering their close friendship over the years.

Pretty Deadly

If Pretty Deadly debuted in the WWE 10 years ago, they'd be at the top of the tag-team division. They're essentially a more polished version of Breezango from years prior, but is that kind of thing going to take off in the modern WWE? Every big-shot wrestler is ultra-serious these days, and even with a name like "Pretty Deadly," it feels like this will be a hard climate for them to thrive in anything more than comedy storylines. I'm hoping I'm wrong, though, and they get the titles sometime within the next year or so.

Ilja Dragunov

Ilja Dragunov is killing it every time he gets a chance to get in the ring on Monday Night Raw, so I don't understand why he's being used so sparingly to this point. His match with Gunther back when they were in NXT UK was a certified five-star match, and yet he's still messing around in the midcard and bring thrown into the mix at random against other talent with no rhyme or reason. I think he needs a huge push, and may eventually get it, but it's not happening fast enough.

Santos Escobar

When Santos Escobar turned heel on the LWO and took on Rey Mysterio, I figured it was his meal ticket to the top of the roster. Unfortunately, that feud came and went without much fanfare, and yet Escobar continues to prove on SmackDown that he's a top heel worthy of more recognition and screen time than he's currently getting. That may be strange to say considering he just went up against L.A. Knight for the United States title, but he's becoming the Karrion Kross of SmackDown without nearly as much time on television. If WWE gives him a chance to shine, I'm sure he'll rise to the occasion.

Kayden Carter and Katana Chance

When Kayden Carter and Katana Chance first won the tag-team titles back in December 2023, I thought they were about to set the women's tag division on fire. They had exactly one title defense before dropping the title a little over a month later to The Kabuki Warriors. Since then, they just haven't had any momentum, and I hate that. As one of the few earnest women's tag-team duos in the brand, they should be in the mix for the titles more so than two singles competitors who join forces to pursue the titles.

Alexa Bliss

We've been waiting, and waiting, for Alexa Bliss to return to the WWE after the birth of her child. When the Wyatt Sicks debuted, we assumed Bliss was dropping hints about joining them, but she's still at home. It's a shame because Bliss is still on the roster and legitimately still one of its greatest women performers. I would love to see her have some matches with some of the up-and-coming stars on this roster and maybe get another title shot in the next year.

Shinsuke Nakamura

Sometimes I feel like the WWE treats Shinsuke Nakamura like he's in the twilight of his career. In actuality, "The King of Strong Style" is the same age as Randy Orton and capable of putting on a few high-profile bangers a year, as he showed during his long feud with Seth Rollins. Now he's missing from WWE television, but making appearances at live shows on tour. I guess it's better than not working at all, but I can't help but think there should always be a place for Shinsuke.

Fortunately, there's no shortage of chances to appear on Monday Night Raw and SmackDown, so hopefully we'll see some of these stars pop up more often before the end of the year. In the meantime, many of their matches are available with a Peacock Premium subscription so check out some of their classic matches in previous PLEs.

The Wyatt Sicks arrived in the WWE, and made it clear they're not here to play games. After destroying the backstage with their debut, the group continues to haunt Monday Night Raw with no apparent intentions or longterm plans behind the chaos. To fans, it's been a lovely homage to the late Bray Wyatt, which has us all wondering if and/or when Alexa Bliss will return and join the spooky faction.

Alexa Bliss took time away from the WWE to compete on The Masked Singer, and after then missing WrestleMania 39, announced she was pregnant. The new mother has been on the sidelines since having her child, but with a year having passed since her pregnancy announcement, many are speculating she'll be the sixth member of The Wyatt Sicks. The upcoming WWE event Money in the Bank is just around the corner, so now is as great a time as any to check in on the superstar, and fortunately, we have an update.

Alexa Bliss Recently Shared An Update With Fans On Instagram

As WWE fans prepare for Money In The Bank this weekend, Alexa Bliss popped up in Stories on her Instagram page to share an update. It's not an update specific to wrestling in any way, unless you want to try and read between the lines in what posting a picture at home with messy hair may mean for this weekend:

Some may take this as a sign Alexa Bliss has no plans to return at Money In The Bank, but let's not be hasty here. Her chilling at home on Monday morning means nothing as to what she has planned for this Saturday or even Monday Night Raw. I'm sure she could get ready for a big return tonight if she really wanted to, though I would guess she's going to be watching the episode from home and maybe showing her daughter her past matches with a Peacock Premium subscription.

What might be most concerning here to those expecting to see her, however, is that Alexa Bliss is not showing any outward teases that she'll be at Money In The Bank. Like, if she was being enlisted by The Wyatt Sicks, wouldn't there be some weird glitches or easter eggs in her content? This is just a regular post from home and doesn't have Wyatt Sicks energy, in my opinion.

Will Alexa Bliss Join The Wyatt Sicks? 

While it doesn't appear like she'll show up anytime soon, I do still expect Alexa Bliss to emerge as the sixth member of The Wyatt Sicks. She was one of the WWE superstars most tied to Wyatt before his unexpected passing and was part of the controversial storyline in which he lost to Randy Orton at WrestleMania.

While he was absent, Bliss kept her character tied to his story, and fans were all about it. It would be shocking to see her have zero role in The Wyatt Sicks, but we can only speculate what the greater plan is for this faction.

Money In The Bank streams on Peacock on Saturday, July 6th, with the main card starting at 8:00 p.m. ET. Keep an eye peeled, and maybe all fingers crossed for a potential appearance by Alexa Bliss, and stick with CinemaBlend as we wait to see who will win those coveted briefcases.

As Uncle Howdy said when closing out the June 17 edition of Monday Night Raw, The Wyatt Sicks are finally here. But WWE fans couldn't help but notice something important: beyond the fact that a few superstars might be out of commission for upcoming WWE events after the group's attack, only five members of the new faction were present. It's long been rumored the group would consist of six total members, hence the "Wyatt Sicks" branding, and wrestling fans think they know who the last member is.

The problem, however, is that there doesn't seem to be a resounding consensus amongst the core fanbase regarding who that last member is. Sure, some guesses are garnering more support than others, but let's talk about who's being rumored to be the sixth membe, and why it could make sense for each to fill the role.

Alexa Bliss 

Alexa Bliss has been away from WWE for quite a while after taking time away for The Masked Singer and then finding out she was pregnant. With that said, it seems like one of wrestling's most exciting women's superstars is ready to make a big return, and given her ties to Bray Wyatt as a former partner, it feels like she'd be a natural fit as the sixth member.

Braun Strowman

It's already heavily speculated that Erick Rowan quietly rejoined WWE to play one of the Wyatt Sicks, and that looks like his body behind the mask of the Ramblin' Rabbit. Another member of the Wyatt family, Braun Strowman, appeared earlier in the night for WWE and would seemingly make sense as a sixth member. That said, Strowman seems to be finally picking up steam on Monday Night Raw with his gimmick, so I'm not sure how willing the WWE would be to make him one of the masked characters.

Bray Wyatt's Spirit

This whole faction is coming together in honor of the late superstar Bray Wyatt, who we all knew reveled in his role as the WWE's boogeyman. Wyatt used to routinely call on the paranormal to help him in his matches, and I could see Uncle Howdy, Wyatt's real-life brother Bo Dallas, using the metaphysical spirit of Wyatt to grant them strength and serve as the honorary member of the Wyatt Sicks.

Could Another Wrestler Play The Fiend? 

Another thought I had is that the role of The Fiend will be played by another wrestler, implying that it is the spirit of Bray Wyatt. Similar to how many people played Doink The Clown throughout the character's run, wrestlers could play The Fiend with the mask never coming off while performing. Or maybe, whenever someone puts on The Fiend mask, Wyatt can control them? There are so many Wyatt matches available with a Peacock Premium subscription that I'm sure superstars wouldn't have trouble emulating his style.

Whoever the final member ends up being, I'm not concerned. Based on the amount that went into that debut, it seems the WWE has taken the time to think and make sure they execute this angle properly, and I'm fully on board to see where the ride goes. Hell, we aren't even talking about CM Punk having no challenger after Drew McIntyre quit, so it's safe to say the creative team knows what it's doing.

Monday Night Raw airs on USA Network on Mondays at 8:00 p.m. ET. I'm eager to see the next move The Wyatt Sicks makes, but I wonder what their ceiling is in the WWE as a faction. Also, are they good guys or bad guys? I guess we will see!

I don’t have a time machine and I can’t see into the future, but I’m sure one day people will look back on our current era of WWE, and wrestling as a whole, as one of the greatest periods in the history of sports entertainment. The in-ring product, storylines, and a healthy amount of competition have led to some great moments and even greater changes in the past decade, and one area of WWE’s product that has gotten so much better is the women’s division.

Earlier this year I wrote about everything that has changed since the launch of the WWE Network in February 2014. In that article, I briefly touched on how the women’s division has become one of the strongest components of the company. But since I had to keep things brief at the time, I decided to go back and revisit some of the ways WWE’s exciting women’s division has improved and become the standard bearer for the industry as a whole. Well, now is that time…

The NXT Roster Completely Reshaped Women's Wrestling In WWE

As far as I’m concerned, some of WWE’s best wrestling in the past 20 years took place in NXT between 2014 and 2018, and a lot of the buzz surrounding the developmental brand was its stellar women’s division. Sasha Banks, Bayley, Charlotte Flair, and Becky Lynch, all of whom have won various championships on the main roster in the past, all got their start down in Florida, and little did we know at the time, they were reshaping women’s wrestling into how we know it today.

While the Divas division was still focusing more on models-turned-wrestlers than longtime fans of the sport, these four, and numerous others like Alexa Bliss, Carmella, Emma, and Paige gave their blood, sweat, and tears, waiting for their time to strike and usher in a new era. And they did just that…

The "Four Horsewomen" Brought Next-Level Matches To The Main Roster

Between 2015 and 2016, Sasha Banks, Bayley, Charlotte Flair, and Becky Lynch, also known as the “Four Horsewomen,” a reference to the legendary Four Horsemen, made their debuts on WWE’s main roster. While Bayley wouldn’t be fully in the mix until a year after her fellow NXT alums, the other three made an instant impact on the product and let fans of their work in developmental know it wasn’t going to be cast aside on Raw or SmackDown. Instead, it flourished.

The Divas Era officially came to an end at WrestleMania 32 in April 2016 when Flair defeated Banks and Lynch in a game-changing triple threat match for the new WWE Women’s Championship. And with that, the women's roster began to take over and get better by the day.

The Divas Championship Has Been Replaced By Two Prestigious Titles

The Divas Championship was around for the better part of a decade, with all but two years of its existence seeing it as the only women’s title on the WWE main roster. While there were some legendary champions to hold the belt over the years like Michelle McCool, AJ Lee, Paige, and even Charlotte Flair at the end of its run, the belt wasn’t always associated with great wrestling. 

Since then, the WWE Women’s Championship and the Women’s World Championship have been fought over in some major matches, including the main events of shows like WrestleMania, SummerSlam, and most recently, Elimination Chamber 2024, where Rhea Ripley defended the World Championship in her native Australia.

The Women's Roster Is So Deep

If you look at the official WWE roster, it’s not difficult to see that there are more women wrestling for the company than ever before. Between NXT, Raw, and SmackDown, there are a few dozen female wrestlers, enough to build their own show in the vein of the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling (GLOW) back in the ‘80s. Stables, tag teams within those stables, main event talent, mid-carders, up-and-comers, you name it, it’s there.

This stacked women’s roster is also something of a curse, however, as there are so many talented superstars but only two singles titles and a tag team championship on the main roster. And, like how WWE’s going to have to leave big stars off WrestleMania 40, there are only so many spaces to fill in the title picture. Well, unless the company introduces a much-needed midcard title for the division… 

Women's Royal Rumble, Elimination Chamber, And MITB Matches Have Leveled The Playing Field

Another thing that has made WWE so much fun to watch the past half-decade or so is the introduction of the Women’s Royal Rumble, Elimination Chamber, and Money in the Bank matches that were once reserved only for the male wrestlers on the roster. These marquee matches have leveled the playing field, so to speak, and have given even more women time to shine on some of the company’s biggest shows.

Long gone are the days of the “bra and panties” contest before the men’s rumble, the “Miss WrestleMania” pageants, and other various dated and disgusting gimmick matches that were so prevalent during the Attitude Era and Ruthless Aggression phase. It’s better this way, even when not talking about equality in the ring.

Wrestlers Like Rhea Ripley And Bianca Belair Have Been Able To Make Themselves Into Massive Stars

Back in February 2020, I wrote about six up-and-coming female wrestlers to watch out for in WWE, and two of those superstars – Rhea Ripley and Bianca Belair – have become some of the biggest stars the company, and the sport as a whole, has seen in years. Both of these wrestlers have held the various women’s titles for extended periods of time, taken part in high-profile WrestleMania main event matches (Belair headlined Night 1 of the 2022 “Showcase of the Immortals”), and developed beloved characters that connect with the fans.

These are just two examples of female wrestlers grabbing the proverbial brass rings and making names for themselves through grit, determination, and iconic moments in and outside of the ring.

More Respectful And Engaging Storylines Have Become The Norm

Perhaps the best thing to happen WWE’s women’s division over the past decade has been the inclusion of more respectful and engaging storylines, angles that have been given just as much time, consideration, and heat as anything with the male wrestlers. Becky Lynch becoming “The Man” and winning the first women’s main event match at WrestleMania 35,  Bayley’s current program going against her former Damage CTRL stable, and Asuka being treated as one of the most dominant forces in wrestling a few years ago are just three examples of this.

Sure, there have been some duds over the years, but that’s just part of wrestling, and everyone is prone to have something just not work or connect with the fans. But overall, the storylines and matches have resonated with the public for the most part, and that’s what really matters.

WWE is in a much better place today than it was a decade ago, and a lot of that is because of the strong women’s division. But as they say, the best is yet to come, and I think this is just the beginning. I just can’t wait to see what’s in store at some of the big upcoming WWE events like the two-night WrestleMania 40.

Alexa Bliss has been in and out of the WWE for various reasons over the past year, and thanks to some unexpected good news, she's going to miss some time again. Don't bank on seeing Bliss at any upcoming WWE shows in the immediate future, as the superstar announced she's expecting her first child with her husband and singer, Ryan Cabrera. Wrestling fans are undoubtedly happy for Bliss and this surprising news, though they may have concerns about what it means for her future in the organization.

Bliss took some time away from the WWE to appear on The Masked Singer Season 9, and despite a tease to CinemaBlend that she'd be present at WrestleMania 39, she did not appear at the pay-per-view. Bliss hasn't been on WWE television and will now miss even more time with her pregnancy, but the superstar assured The Messenger her job at the company is indeed safe. Bliss talked about the details of her absence as of late and a potential timeline of when she will return to the ring: 

Alexa Bliss has a tentative plan to start working toward a WWE return a month after the baby is born. The baby is expected in December, so it would seem like Alexa Bliss is out of the running for a return at the Royal Rumble unless she can bounce back for an in-ring return quickly. 

There's still a chance for her to return in time for WrestleMania 40, though with the prep time and story needed to justify her arrival, it may be more realistic to expect her return after it's over. Ultimately, this is all speculation, and I'm sure not even Alexa Bliss herself is 100% certain on when she'll be back in the WWE. 

Ryan Cabrera and Alexa Bliss are excited about their pregnancy, but stressed this was not something that they planned to happen in the current timefram. In fact, Bliss revealed she was in the middle of training to go back to the WWE when she found out:

It's interesting to hear that Alexa Bliss was in the middle of training for a return, given her link to Bray Wyatt and Uncle Howdy. Wyatt also disappeared from the WWE in the early months of 2023 and is reportedly dealing with an undisclosed illness that caused him to miss WrestleMania. It's a shame because Wyatt and Bliss haven't had a proper reunion since she betrayed him at WrestleMania 37, so my fingers are crossed that they'll get back to performing when the time is right. 

Monday Night Raw airs on USA Network on Mondays at 8:00 p.m. ET, and SmackDown is on Fox on Fridays at the same time. Now is a great time to tune in with the Money in the Bank qualifiers going down, so be sure to keep an eye on the key matches in the coming weeks. 

Are you one of those people who is constantly scheming and coming up with wild wrestling theories? Well, I am. The majority of them I never share with the public because they’re too detached from reality and would make me sound mentally unstable, but every once in awhile, I need to say a few out loud, mostly because I think there’s a tiny sliver of a chance they might happen and I’m gonna need credit for guessing them on the off chance they do. I should probably go to therapy about that, but we'll leave that to another day.

Anyway, to be absolutely clear and cover my ass from any negative feedback, these are not my WrestleMania 39 predictions, which I published in a separate article. Those are, for the most part, very business-like and sober. These are more mom had one too many glasses of wine theories. There's some minor evidence here, though, and I'm gonna spend the rest of this article presenting it and trying to convince myself.

Alpha Academy Will Win The Fatal 4-Way Tag Team Match, Setting Off A Run That Will End With Chad Gable As Mid-Card Champion

Chad Gable is one of the best losers in the history of WWE. He’s had some tag team championship glory, sure, but over the last year, he’s almost exclusively been used to put over other guys. He’s looked great doing it, and given how consistently he works with top talent, it’s obvious Triple H loves him. There’s also been some not so shy teases that Otis is about to leave Gable to join up with The Maximum Male Models.

So… my wild theory is in the middle of the Fatal 4-way match, Otis is going to get distracted and leave with The Maximum Male Models, which will leave Chad Gable by himself. Something inside him will snap, and he’ll go on an epic run by himself, beating the other 3 teams. Then afterwards, he’ll give a promo in which he vows never to lose again. This will set off a multiple month run through the mid-card that will end in him beating whoever eventually takes the title from Gunther. I love this theory because Chad Gable is great, and if you disagree, stick your finger to your lips and shoooooooooosh, 

Brock Lesnar Will Lose To Omos After The Hurt Business Reunites

Breaking up The Hurt Business was one of the worst creative decisions WWE has ever made. Bobby Lashley has done pretty well on his own. He’s really improved on the microphone, but there was something so intimidating about him with MVP, Shelton Benjamin and Cedric Alexander. Everyone is expecting this match to end with Lesnar F5ing Omos. It probably will, but what if Lashley shows up to help Omos and reunite with his former stablemates?

It would make sense given how their match ended at Elimination Chamber, and if Brock is going to take some time off, Lashley, with the backing of The Hurt Business and Omos, could step in as the SummerSlam challenger if Cody Rhodes wins at WrestleMania. I’d love to see The Hurt Business back together, and if Cody wins at ‘Mania but his run isn’t going as well as expected, Lashley could provide the perfect exit ramp at SummerSlam. But he needs a jolt to do that. Bringing back The Hurt Business would be a lightning bolt. Plus, for the thousandth time, they never should have broken up in the first place.

Alexa Bliss Will Order The Fiend To Attack Someone At WrestleMania

Alexa Bliss confirmed to CinemaBlend in an interview following her Masked Singer performance that she’ll be in the building at WrestleMania. The big question is what that means. WWE could inexplicably decide, for the second year in a row, not to use her. Or they could suddenly give us a ton of forward momentum in the staling Bray Wyatt plot. We haven’t seen Wyatt since he inexplicably disappeared from TV earlier this month. Rumors have been everywhere, but no one really knows what’s going on. Some claim there’s tension between The Eater Of Worlds and WWE over creative differences.

If they want to reset his character, the best way to do that may be through circling back to a plot WWE seemed to be setting up at the end of that poorly received WrestleMania 37 match with Randy Orton. Yes, it would be a little weird to circle back to that, but I don’t think fans hated it because it was a bad idea. I think they hated it because of how it was executed. Putting Alexa and Bray back together might be the best way to jumpstart both their careers and set up whatever the next chapter is. It wouldn’t explain why the match with Bobby Lashley was bailed on, but it would at least provide direction.

The Rock Will Cost Roman Reigns The Title And Set Up A Match At WrestleMania 40

Everyone was fixated on The Rock headlining WrestleMania this year since it was taking place in Hollywood and also because it made so much sense with The Bloodline story. But you know what also makes sense? Having one of the biggest movie stars in the world headline the 40th anniversary of WrestleMania? WWE has used the closing moments of WrestleMania to set up the following year’s match before, and with something like Roman and The Rock, which wouldn’t need the belts, that might actually make some sense.

A finish like this would also allow Roman Reigns to take some time off, and it would explain why, when he came back, he wouldn’t immediately seek a rematch with Cody Rhodes. He would be fixated on establishing dominance in his own family, and his story could exclusively focus on the disintegration of The Bloodline as he deals with The Usos, Solo and maybe some other family members that might pop up and have to choose sides. WWE ended night one of WrestleMania 38 on an incredible high with Stone Cold Steve Austin’s way better than it should have been match with Kevin Owens last year. Maybe this year will end night two on a high with The Rock. 

John Cena Will Beat Austin Theory, Then Hold An Open Challenge On Night 2 That’ll Be Answered By A New Signing

I’m pretty sure John Cena is coming back to give Austin Theory his stamp of approval and try to push him forward in his career. The twenty-five-year-old superstar has had his character reset by Triple H a little bit, but over the last few months, he’s been winning matches and looking good doing it. He’s back to holding The United States Championship, and while most fans really seem to recognize his potential and how good he is, he hasn’t found that connection yet that would take him to main event status. I think Cena is here to help that— but if he’s not, he could be here to facilitate a big moment.

Whether you like it or not, a lot of wrestling fans expect big surprises at major premium live events. Sometimes it feels like their perception of a show can be dramatically influenced by whether they got a surprise rush of adrenaline from seeing someone unexpected. There aren’t many places on the card where WWE could conceivably debut someone new, except maybe here. Cena is almost certainly not going to stick around to defend a title. So, if he wins, he needs to lose it quickly— and what better way to do that and give someone debuting a big first moment than by having Cena put him over?

To Sum Up

I don’t really believe any of these things are going to happen, and by really believe, I mean I wouldn't bet money on them without sizeable odds. But also, part of me believes they just might happen, and that’s why I needed to say something out loud. 

You can fact check me this weekend when the biggest show of the year airs. If you’re in The United States, you can check it out with a Peacock subscription or if you’re abroad, you can look into other ways to watch WrestleMania 39.

WrestleMania 39 is gearing up to be an absolutely stacked two nights with some awesome matches. For all the fun we already know about, there are always a few surprises in store for the audience in attendance and the many people watching the upcoming WWE event home. Naturally we don't know what such surprises are right now, but we could make some guesses about who is involved based on which big wrestlers haven't been confirmed for the event. 

Below, you'll find a list of the most likely wrestlers to make an appearance at WrestleMania 39. Granted, there are no guarantees, and there may be someone left off the list, but here's who is looking most likely or available in the limited time that we have left. 

Stone Cold Steve Austin

Stone Cold Steve Austin brought the house down with his surprise match at WrestleMania 38, so it's silly to think the WWE hasn't tried to court the legend for doing something again for WrestleMania 39. After all, even if Austin isn't willing to do a match, just an appearance can be enough to get people talking on social media and hype up the crowd in attendance. 

So far, Austin has claimed he hasn't been contacted for an appearance. With that being said, it seems like he might be playing coy, given the videos of him looking absolutely jacked in the months leading up to the event and the rumors he might be worked into a segment involving L.A. Knight. I certainly would love to see that happen, if only to hear the crowd alternate between "What" and "Yeah" chants. 

Randy Orton

Randy Orton quietly exited the WWE in 2022 for what fans first thought was a scheduled break. After about a month, however, it was reported that Orton suffered a back injury and there was no timetable on his return. The year ended with no sightings of Orton in the WWE, and fans began to worry the longtime WWE superstar could be out indefinitely. 

Fortunately, it's looking increasingly likely that Randy Orton is not only on the mend, but prepping for a return to the WWE. The superstar has been spotted in numerous photos as of late, and he's looking like he's in pretty good shape. It was also widely reported back in February that Orton rang up the guy that makes his boots for the WWE, which seemingly meant he was planning to make a return to the ring soon. There's no real plan for what The Viper might do, though we have an idea of who he might reappear alongside. 

Matt Riddle

Matt Riddle took some time away from the WWE after reportedly failing to comply with the WWE's wellness policy. He's spent some time in rehab since then and recently posted a photo of himself looking to be in good health. Could we be in for an RK-Bro reunion at WrestleMania 39? 

I'm personally hoping so, and given these two were about the most prominent tag-team on the roster before they both exited, I think it's a safe bet to think they'll be back in the WWE sooner rather than later. The question is really whether or not it'll happen at Mania, or maybe in the weeks after instead. 

AJ Styles

AJ Styles is always someone toward the top of WWE's plans for big events, but things changed right at the end of 2022. Styles suffered a broken ankle during an event, and as a result, he's been on the sidelines since then. The wrestler announced he didn't require surgery, but could be out of commission for a while. 

Styles noted in late February it could take up to four months for him to recover (via Sportskeeda). The wrestler was recently featured in a commercial for Snickers, though it's not entirely clear when that was filmed. In either case, I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if he made a surprise return at WrestleMania, and that there are plans for The Phenomenal One we don't know about. 

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson

We know for sure that Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson won't be taking on Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 39. The Rock didn't feel confident he'd be in shape for the main event, but that doesn't mean he won't be down to make an appearance in some capacity on one of the two nights. 

Dwayne Johnson is the biggest WWE star to make it as an actor in Hollywood. As such, it feels like a colossal waste of an opportunity if he isn't available to be involved in the festivities in some way. Of course, sometimes things just don't work out, so maybe it's not in the cards for Johnson to appear at WrestleMania this year. 

Alexa Bliss

Alexa Bliss hasn't appeared in the WWE a lot in 2023 so far, which led to fears that the company put one of its best wrestlers on the back burner. Of course, we've since learned that Bliss was treated for skin cancer, and she also performed on The Masked Singer, which helps explain why we've seen less of her as of late. Does this mean we'll finally see what became of her ongoing quiet feud with Uncle Howdy? 

CinemaBlend can confirm that Alexa Bliss will be at WrestleMania 39, but if she'll perform is a complicated question. Bray Wyatt's reported injury has made him a big question mark for the show, and if Wyatt is unavailable, does that mean Uncle Howdy is as well? If so, that could impact if Bliss is involved, which is a real shame. 

Gangrel

A blast from the past, Gangrel was a memorable vampiric character who had memorable stints in the WWE and other pro wrestling organizations, but hasn't been with the company in a long time. It looks like he may be making a return, as PWInsiderElite alleged he's being flown to WrestleMania 39 in order to take part in the match between Finn Balor and Edge. 

This would make sense considering he was in the Brood with Edge. With that said, Gangrel has been away from the WWE for quite a while, and while it's not unheard of for superstars with this type of gap in their stint to return, it doesn't happen often. 

Jay White

Jay White just left NJPW as one of its bigger stars and is looking to make a splash after moving back to the United States. He's a legit talent in the ring with the chance to become a superstar, and I wouldn't be surprised if both WWE and AEW have courted him with offers. 

The only downside of Jay White is that a mainstream WWE audience may not be as familiar with him, which would make a WrestleMania debut a good way to educate the masses. One match and folks would see what is special about White and why he could be one of the brand's top stars in a relatively short amount of time. Who knows where he'll go, though, as Tony Khan may have an edge considering White's already appeared on AEW television. 

FTR

If you're keeping up with the pro wrestling news cycle, you'll know AEW tag-team duo FTR hasn't exactly been quiet about the upcoming expiration of their contracts. This is set to happen in April, so there's a chance that we could be seeing them make their way back to the WWE under their previous tag-team name, The Revival. 

It seems like the WWE would welcome FTR with open arms, but it's still a question of how serious FTR is about leaving AEW. If Tony Khan passed on keeping them in the company, I would say their odds of a WWE debut are pretty high. Whether that will happen before WrestleMania 39, I have no idea. 

Make sure to stream WrestleMania 39 with a Peacock Premium subscription on Saturday, April 1st, and Sunday, April 2nd. Tune in for some surprises because, as we went over above, there are a lot of possibilities! 

The Masked Singer featured a WWE superstar on "Country Night," as Alexa Bliss was revealed after performing as the Axolotl. Bliss left it all on the stage but, unfortunately, was a one-and-done performer on the Fox series. Now, with her time on the program behind her, Bliss was kind enough to share with CinemaBlend what's next for her and an update on her status for WrestleMania 39. 

Wrestling fans might've heard that Alexa Bliss recently underwent surgery to remove skin cancer and, as such, could miss some time while recovering. According to Bliss herself, however, it's looking like her recovery time won't be all that long:

With that timeframe, Alexa Bliss should have her stitches out ahead of the official start of WrestleMania 39. So, if there's anything for her to do in the ring, it seems that she could be ready to face whatever challenge is presented to her. 

Of course, there's a question about what Alexa Bliss will do at WrestleMania 39. Perhaps her performance as Axolotl on The Masked Singer got in the way of building any angles for the event, though with filming being done so far in advance, that seems unlikely. CinemaBlend asked Bliss straight up whether or not she'll be at WrestleMania 39, and learned the following: 

Alexa Bliss will be at WrestleMania 39, but it's still a question of whether or not the WWE will use her in one of the two nights. As of writing, she's not on the match card or rumored to be wrestling anyone. With that said, there are still a few shows left to establish a feud or match for her on SmackDown or Monday Night Raw, so we can continue to monitor the situation and see. 

What seems most likely, based on where her story was headed prior to her absence, was that Alexa Bliss was going to re-team with Bray Wyatt and his new cohort Uncle Howdy. Unfortunately, there's a rumor circulating that Wyatt is dealing with an illness and may miss WrestleMania 39 as a result. Wyatt's opponent Bobby Lashley has revealed he'll be having a match at Mania regardless of what happens, which may not bode well for Wyatt showing up. 

It's hard to say if that would jeopardize Bliss' appearance at the event, but it's possible that's why things are still up in the air. In either case, there's no denying that there are still many people who want to see her at the event, so hopefully, that will happen. 

Those with a Hulu subscription can revisit Alexa Bliss' performance on The Masked Singer right now. Catch new episodes of Season 9 on Fox on Wednesdays at 8:00 p.m. ET, and have a blast guessing who is behind each mask. 

WWE superstar Alexa Bliss is on the mend after revealing she was recently diagnosed with skin cancer. Bliss, who has been absent from the WWE as of late, took to social media to state that she's had some cancerous marks removed, and revealed what's coming next for her.

Alexa Bliss originally announced in a since-deleted Instagram Story (via TMZ) that she was treated for skin cancer at the American Skin Institute. When fans on Twitter popped up asking for more details, Bliss was happy to give them. The superstar explained to one curious wrestling fan that it all started with a spot on her face, saying: 

Thankfully, it sounds like Alexa Bliss is now in the clear, as it were, though it's possible she'll have further appointments in the future. Bliss seems really positive following this procedure, though, so I wouldn't imagine there's any reason for fans to worry. 

As for whether or not Alexa Bliss will continue to be absent from upcoming WWE events, that's up in the air. While it's still unknown whether or not Bliss will be worked into the match card for WrestleMania 39, it does seem like this procedure won't take her out of action for too long based on Bliss' comments: 

My Health Alberta says that it can take 3 to 6 weeks for the skin to heal after skin cancer removal, which could impact what Alexa Bliss can do at WrestleMania 39. With the event less than two weeks away, it's possible that Bliss' involvement may be limited to a backstage segment, potentially involving Uncle Howdy and Bray Wyatt. 

Even before this information was known, however, there was a question of what role Alexa Bliss would have at WrestleMania 39, if any. As mentioned, it appeared that the WWE was setting up Bliss to be paired back with Bray Wyatt, but neither superstar has been present on Monday Night Raw or SmackDown as of late. Rumors have surfaced recently that Wyatt is dealing with an illness, so his status is up in the air. 

If Alexa Bliss is out of the mix for WrestleMania, she'll be one of quite a few notable WWE stars that could miss out on the event. Superstars like Randy Orton, Matt Riddle, and AJ Styles are all looking like they'll miss out on wrestling's biggest night for various reasons, in addition to everyone that's been mentioned so far. It's inevitable that stars get left by the wayside, even with two nights of matches. Hopefully, those that are cleared for action will get a chance to compete and make their own special WrestleMania moment. 

Anyone with a Peacock Premium subscription will be able to stream WrestleMania 39 on Saturday, April 1st, and Sunday, April 2nd. I'm absolutely thrilled about all the action on the way, and hoping there are still some surprises we don't know about on the way. 

We’re less than three weeks away from The Showcase Of The Immortals, and while the card isn’t completely finalized, the majority of the WrestleMania 39 matches are seemingly locked in or are at least being hinted at. The result is a ton of top wrestlers in really exciting positions ahead of the big event and a few big names that seemingly have nothing to do. One of those big names is Alexa Bliss, and while I initially assumed she would show up during Bray Wyatt’s match with Bobby Lashley to officially join whatever it is he has going on, I’m not so sure after her recent comments.

Over the past week or so, rumors have been swirling that Alexa Bliss is allegedly “on hiatus.” Longtime wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer made the comments in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, and they ran around pretty quickly, mostly because they seemed to make sense given we haven’t seen The Goddess since she lost to Bianca Belair at The Royal Rumble. According to Bliss, however, she’s not on hiatus. Here’s what she said in a tweet…

Some people on social media have been focusing on the part of her comment where she says she’s not on hiatus, but I’m far more interested in the “they know where to find me” part. To me, that says WWE is willfully choosing not to use her right now, and as an Alexa Bliss fan, I’m really concerned about that, especially as it relates to WrestleMania and especially given what happened last year.

Do you remember WrestleMania 38? WWE put on a card that featured sixteen matches and more than forty wrestlers and did not include Alexa Bliss. She had returned earlier in 2022 at Elimination Chamber, but for whatever reason, the writers decided she wasn’t needed for ‘Mania. Now, it looks like the exact same thing is happening. She was in a featured match at The Rumble earlier this year, and now, she’s apparently sitting at home and waiting for a phone call from Triple H and company.

In general, I’ve been quite happy with WWE’s product for the last year or so. WrestleMania 38 was excellent, and Triple H has mostly made good decisions since he took over for Vince McMahon last year. But that doesn’t mean they’ve gotten the most out of every character, and Alexa Bliss is, for me, the prime example of that. 

Let’s look back at the last couple of years quickly. First, she absolutely crushed her work with Bray Wyatt and Randy Orton. I know that storyline was divisive, but a ton of people (including me) loved it and she was great in it. But then it suddenly imploded and Bray Wyatt was released in the aftermath of that infuriating match at WrestleMania 37. She had a nice little run for a few months afterwards, but then we watched a long series of vignettes where her character went to therapy, seemingly to reboot her into something less macabre. 

That reboot sorta happened at Elimination Chamber 2022, and then she just disappeared again for months, missing WrestleMania 38. Then she returned to mostly provide backing support for Bianca Belair, before turning on her amidst teases about possibly going dark with the returning Bray Wyatt. But now she’s gone again, and it seems like she might miss WrestleMania 39, once again by creative choice.

Now, to be clear, I have no inside sources. Alexa Bliss could end up getting a match in the next few weeks (Ronda Rousey still needs an opponent) or she could end up getting involved in Bray Wyatt and Bobby Lashley. There are plenty of options here, but based on Bliss’ tweet, I think there’s a good chance she’ll just spend ‘Mania sitting at home. And, to me, that’s a huge mistake. Given we’re probably going to get seven or eight total hours of showtime, it’s simply wild that WWE thinks Alexa Bliss shouldn’t be involved in eight to twelve minutes of that. 

WrestleMania 39 streams for free with a Peacock subscription on Saturday April 1st and Sunday April 2nd. 

After a disastrous 2022 Men’s Royal Rumble that some legitimately think was the worst in the event’s history, last night was a good reminder of why the premium live event is the favorite for so many wrestling fans. Pat Patterson’s visionary take on the Battle Royal came back with a vengeance last night and delivered multiple record breaking runs, as well as some fun returns and great teases for WrestleMania season. It also gave us one of the coolest spots in the history of the event thanks to Logan Paul and Ricochet being absolute mad men.

I’m not saying the event was better than the ‘92 Rumble, but a lot of it was pretty damn good. So, let’s dive into the results, as well as the match ratings. I’ll also revisit my predictions, which by the way, were really freakin’ good. I don’t want to spend too much time patting myself on the back here, but I didn’t miss the entire night. Some of that is a credit to me, but to be honest, some of that is also because WWE took the safe, logical route, at least until that WTF conclusion after the Roman Reigns and Kevin Owens match.

Let’s break down each one of the matches…

Cody Rhodes Wins The Men’s Royal Rumble

I spent about thirty seconds with my jaw on the floor when they announced The Men’s Rumble was happening first, but as soon as Gunther’s music hit, I was over it and fully locked into the match. He was a great pick to go off first, and Sheamus was the right guy to go second. Their Clash At The Castle match was my favorite of 2022, and I’d love to see these brawlers chop each other again. 

Putting Sheamus and Gunther back together was just the first in many mini-stories The Men’s Rumble told. We also got a continuation of the Brock Lesnar and Bobby Lashley feud. We got some interactions with Seth Rollins and Logan Paul, which could lead to a really exciting WrestleMania match. We got more trolling from Dominik Mysterio when his dad Rey Mysterio didn’t come out. We got a lot of work between Edge and Judgment Day, as well as a possible wink at Judgment Day and The Street Profits. We got tons of teamwork between Sheamus and Drew McIntyre and lots of teases between Gunther and other monsters. 

And of course we got Cody Rhodes making his big return. I thought it was smart to keep him confined to later in the match, and I thought he looked really good out there. His interactions with Gunther at the end of the match were excellent, and fans were certainly excited to see him go over in the end, even if the result was a little obvious. 

Here’s a quick list of some other things I liked: The Logan Paul and Ricochet spot was a 10/10. I also loved Logan leaning into being a heel. That dude has unlimited potential. I liked the sequence with Gunther and Sheamus ducking shots and accidentally hitting The Miz. I loved seeing Booker T get one more moment, and of course Gunther setting the record for longest time in a single rumble at over 70 minutes.

Here’s a quick list of things I didn’t like: The Rey Mysterio spot was confusing and needed a little something from the announcers. I was really happy to have Pat McAfee back because he’s spectacular, but I thought he acknowledged being gone too often and played too frequently into what’s changed since he was last here with certain characters. I think they announced too many participants before The Rumble started, and I wish we had gotten at least one or two more blasts from the past. Also, I have nothing against Johnny Gargano, but he needs to get over on the main roster. What he did in NXT does not count with most fans, and while he’s extremely talented, he’s done nothing to this point to warrant surviving almost 30 minutes. 

Match Rating: 4 out of 5 stars. Really good Rumble. Will remember this very fondly, but not a ton of super memorable moments, and we all knew Cody was winning when we didn’t get Sami Zayn or The Rock.

Bray Wyatt Defeats LA Knight In The Mountain Dew Pitch Black Match

Anytime WWE has a product tie-in this aggressive, people are going to complain about it on Twitter. And I get it. It’s a bit odd to have a mentally deranged loose cannon like Bray Wyatt appearing in a match sponsored by a limited edition soft drink flavor, but unlike that time The Miz got eaten by zombies in a crossover match advertising some movie I can’t remember, I thought there was actually some redeemable value here.

Bray Wyatt’s face paint looked incredibly cool under the black light. I thought the pops of Mountain Dew green were pretty cool, and as a change-up to everything else going on, I thought it was a watchable five minutes. That’s better than I expected before the match started. We also got some Uncle Howdy after the match is over but absolutely no clarity on what the hell is going on there.

I also just want to reiterate real quick that LA Knight is an upper mid-card/ lower main event star. This should be the first of many key matches he’s in at WWE premium live events. In fact, I’d love to pitch him working a program with The Miz at WrestleMania. Those two dudes going at each other on promo would be tremendous, and The Miz could put him over for a big win on a PPV card. Just think about it, Triple H.

Match Rating: 2 out of 5 stars. Without question the worst match on the card, but it was harmless enough.

Bianca Belair Defeats Alexa Bliss For The Raw Women’s Championship

This wasn’t Bianca Belair and Becky Lynch at WrestleMania 38, but it did exactly what it needed to do. Alexa Bliss had some flashes of potential for another main event run, which she hasn’t shown in years. Bianca looked mostly in control as a physically dominating, long-term champion should, and we got some character development for Alexa, who is clearly returning to the fold with Bray Wyatt, at the end.

I wish they would have been given a little more than seven minutes and change to tell their story, but time is always going to be at a premium when you have two Rumble matches and an extended televised post-segment added to another match at the end of the card. So, given all that, I think this went well enough.

The real question is whether this is the end for Bianca and Alexa Bliss or whether we’ll get a rematch after Alexa fully joins forces with Bray and becomes darker and much more sinister. That could be a compelling program to run back, but it’ll likely depend on whether WWE is going to do Rhea and Bianca or Rhea and Charlotte Flair. I suspect they’ll do Bianca and Rhea, which would leave Alexa free to develop her character and build back up slowly, but we’ll have to wait and see.

Match Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars. This was a perfectly nice match that was mostly well-executed by both women, but given its length and what else was on the card, it won’t be super well-remembered down the road.

Rhea Ripley Wins The Women’s Royal Rumble

They gave us a little bit of doubt. Rhea Ripley was the heavy favorite in the minds of many prior to The Rumble, but after she was kayfabe injured during a post-elimination segment in The Men’s Rumble by Beth Phoenix and she came out at number one, the door opened for her to lose without losing any credibility. But she wouldn’t need the excuse. 

The Judgment Day heel started off the match with Liv Morgan, and the two women put on a dominating performance, winding up as the final two entrants after battling each other for over an hour. In between, we got a lot of good mini-stories, just like we saw in The Men’s Rumble. There was a pretty dominating segment in the middle in which Damage CTRL basically took over the match, eliminating a bunch of women between them and looking very much in control. That ultimately ended at the hands of Becky Lynch, which clearly telegraphed a program between Bayley and Becky that will almost certainly climax at WrestleMania 39.

The other big stories were Nia Jax, who made a surprise return at number 30 and Asuka, who debuted new facepaint and an updated look. Jax was gang eliminated by everyone in the ring pretty quickly, which is a clear signal she’s going to be treated with tremendous respect, and Asuka wound up finishing third. She lasted over a half hour and eliminated three women, a great sign for her too. Expect both of these women to do major damage and be involved in very key storylines this year.

Here’s a quick list of some of the things I liked: Rhea Ripley’s entire performance. Chelsea Green’s surprise return and almost immediate heave-ho, which gives a good sense of the character we’ll see from her. Damage CTRL’s mid-match dominance. Michelle McCool looking great in the ring, as per usual, and seeing Doudrop return to the Piper Niven character and having a nearly thirty minute run.

Here’s a quick list of some things I didn’t like: No Naomi. No Sasha Banks. No Forbidden Door. Not a ton of legend appearances, outside of Michelle McCool. Not enough big, well-choreographed spots. 

Match Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars. This was a very solid Rumble with a lot of good talent and some effective storytelling. I’d complain about both Rhea and Cody being really obvious winners, but they were both the best choices available, at least among those that entered The Rumble.

Roman Reigns Defeats Kevin Owens (And Sami Zayn Turns On The Bloodline)

This was never going to be the most exciting match in the world because I don’t know a single person who thought Roman Reigns would lose his titles before WrestleMania. That just didn’t make any sense storyline-wise. So, the only possible results we could get were a Roman Reigns victory or a screwy Kevin Owens win by countout or disqualification, which would have likely elicited anger and boos from the crowd. So, it was always going to be Roman Reigns.

And it was Roman Reigns in a pretty dominating performance. Kevin Owens got a few hope spots of course with a pop-up power bomb and a stunner. I’ll admit I lost my logic and fully immersed in the match a few times and felt my heart jump during a couple close call pinfalls, but in the end, Roman, of course, won in a solid main event match.

What always mattered most here though was The Bloodline storyline development, and what an absolute treat that turned out to be. We got a little during the match itself when the referee was knocked out and Reigns asked Sami to get him a chair. He hemmed and hawed for a bit and clearly felt bad. He eventually delivered but the delay allowed Owens to regain his strength and turn the tables. Roman was clearly pissed off, and after the match, he and the rest of The Bloodline handcuffed KO to the ring and beat him.

Sami was later given a chair to join in and instead of hitting KO, he turned on Roman and hit him with the chair in what elicited one of the loudest pops I have ever heard watching WWE. This thing was like Attitude Era levels of bedlam. Sami obviously got jumped by The Bloodline afterwards, but Jey Uso refused to be a part of it and left the ring, leaving the future of both The Usos, the most dominant tag team in WWE history, and The Bloodline, one of the most dominant factions in WWE history, in jeopardy. 

We always knew Sami and The Bloodline would turn on each other. That was only a question of when, but the Jey Uso wrinkle was completely unexpected and now creates so many future storyline possibilities. I cannot wait to watch it unfold. Will The Usos break up? Will they fight each other at WrestleMania? Will Jey put his tail between his legs and go back to The Bloodline? 

Match Rating: 5 out of 5 stars (if you’re including the post-segment). This Bloodline plot is the most emotionally nuanced and compelling storyline WWE has ever done, and everyone involved should be so proud of themselves. 

Predictions Revisited...

Here's a look back at my predictions from before the event. I added a bolded paragraph after each to talk about how I did.

Bray Wyatt Vs LA Knight In A Mountain Dew Pitch Black Match

Let me talk to you. LA Knight is a freakin’ star. That dude is capable of having a Miz-like career where he just rolls for ten years, mostly crushing the midcard and talking segments but occasionally popping into the main event picture. He’s spectacular on the microphone and knows how to work the crowd. He’s also pretty good in the ring, and I see a super bright future for him. Obviously, WWE does too, given he’s opposite Bray Wyatt in the big man’s first program after his return, and he was on Raw XXX doing segments with The Undertaker. 

That being said, it’s hard to imagine Bray Wyatt coming back to this much fanfare and then losing his first match. He needs to establish himself as a dominant force in the ring so he can compete in the main event scene if WWE wants to take him there, and a loss to LA Knight at this point puts him very far away from that goal. I guess there’s a chance we see some interference from Uncle Howdy or Alexa Bliss that forwards his storyline and costs him the victory, but I just don’t see it.

Prediction: Bray Wyatt 

How'd I Do?: Yeah, I mean this was the easiest prediction of the night. Bray was always going to roll coming back, and he did so in about 5 minutes. I still believe in LA Knight long-term in a big way though. 1/1

Bianca Belair Vs Alexa Bliss For The WWE Raw Women’s Championship

Bianca Belair is one of the most talented women in the history of the business. Every bit of success she’s had so far has been well-deserved, and I think her future is as bright or brighter than anyone else in the women’s division. But… if you really listen closely to the crowd response, she’s not quite as over as you’d think. Fans like her, don’t get me wrong. She gets a healthy round of applause. People are happy to see her— but are they as happy to see her as they are someone like Becky Lynch? No, they’re not.

I blame creative. Her feud with Bayley and Damage CTRL was okay, but it didn’t really have any complexities or nuances. Now, she’s in the middle of this semi-rushed feud with Alexa Bliss, and it’s, in my opinion, making her tepid reactions worse. Fans want to see Alexa Bliss, who has been spinning her tires for a bit, return to Bray Wyatt, and every time that gets teased, it’s only natural for fans to root for it— even if it means rooting against Bianca.

So, because Bianca is not as over as you’d hope right now and because there’s a lot of hype around Alexa Bliss’ future, I think all possibilities are on the table here. At first, I thought we might get an Alexa win thanks to some creepy Funhouse interference in order to keep Bianca looking strong, but now, I think we’ll get a close match and Bianca will retain thanks to that very interference. Look for Alexa to maybe be in position for a victory when Uncle Howdy comes out and lures her officially back into the fold with his creepy sinkhole energy. Then she can start rebuilding alongside Bray.

Prediction: Bianca Belair

How'd I Do? We didn't get any interference from Uncle Howdy or Bray Wyatt; so, not surprisingly, Bianca Belair rolled. I'm happy we got some character development at the end for her though, and I do think she's about to rebuild stronger with Bray. 2/2

Roman Reigns Vs Kevin Owens For The Undisputed WWE Universal Championship 

There are, at least in my mind, only two outcomes that matter here, at least outside of putting on an entertaining match for fans. 1. Roman Reigns needs to leave The Royal Rumble with his belts so we can get a proper climax at WrestleMania. 2. Whatever happens needs to progress the Kevin Owens/ Sami Zayn/ Bloodline story arc. 

If both of those requirements hold, then that means we almost certainly need to get interference and either Roman Reigns needs to win in any fashion or Kevin Owens needs to win by disqualification or countout. That makes the ending to this match more complicated to predict because we’re not going to get any final resolution. I’ll go with The Tribal Chief, but the only real surprise would be Kevin Owens winning the belts.

As for how the Bloodline plot will advance, I think we'll probably see Sami Zayn try to help Roman but end up costing him in a key spot in the match. That will further sew distrust between him, Reigns and Wise Man Paul Heyman, which can be explored over the next month or two on Smackdown.

Prediction: Roman Reigns

How'd I Do? As suspected, Roman Reigns rolled, but we ended up getting way more character development than I expected after the match. What a freakin' story this continues to be. 3/3

The 2023 Women’s Royal Rumble

While I think there are a couple of real good options to win The Men’s Royal Rumble, I think the Women’s Rumble is wide open. We’re not looking to continue any important feuds right now. We’re looking to put something entirely new in motion for The Road To WrestleMania, and considering that could be in a program with either Smackdown Champion Charlotte Flair or Raw Champion Bianca Belair (or Alexa Bliss), all options are on the table. Let’s run over some possibilities.

Becky Lynch could win, given she’s the most over women’s wrestler on the entire card. Bayley could win, given she could have a terrific feud opposite Charlotte Flair, especially in promo v promo segments, though I think Becky and Bayley will probably continue working together into 'Mania. 

Asuka could get another main event push, which she’s desperately needed for a while. Raquel, who has been quietly getting a pretty big push for a while, could take a massive step forward. Naomi could return to a monster pop and insert herself back into the main event picture. Sasha Banks could shock everyone and return in what would likely be the loudest surprise Rumble pop in the event’s history. Ronda Rousey could come back and intentionally piss off fans in a move that could generate the loudest boos in Rumble history.

There are so many good options, but I’ll take Rhea Ripley. The Judgment Day is a fantastic stable, and they desperately need some gold to add a little credibility. I’d love to see Rhea Ripley emerge as the full-on leader of the faction, and I’d love to see Damian Priest escorting her out to her matches as one of the most physically intimidating valets since a young Kevin Nash as Diesel used to back up Shawn Michaels. She has so much potential, and while I love seeing her work with the men in whatever Judgment Day is doing, I’m ready to see her emerge as a huge star in the women’s division.

Prediction: Rhea Ripley (hopefully in dominating fashion).

How'd I Do? I guessed Rhea Ripley would roll in dominating fashion, and she rolled in dominating fashion. She went wire to wire and had seven eliminations. 4/4

The 2023 Men’s Royal Rumble

There are technically a lot of potential options to win here, as I broke down in my piece ranking the most likely 2023 Royal Rumble winners, but from a storyline perspective, I think we’re down to three options that are much more likely than the rest: Cody Rhodes, Sami Zayn and The Rock. 

I think those are the three that make far more sense from a storyline perspective than the others. So, let’s briefly talk about why.

Prior to his injury around Hell In A Cell last year, Cody Rhodes seemed well on his way to finally winning the WWE Championship that has eluded him and his father. He was getting great crowd responses and it only seemed like a matter of time before he’d be put in a big spot for the historic title. Unfortunately, he got injured and what once seemed like a sure thing, now seems like more of a question mark. My read is fans want to see him continue his storyline for sure, but that doesn’t mean it’s going to happen right away, especially because fans may want to see two other stories Roman Reigns could tell more.

The first is with The Rock. The WWE legend and Hollywood mega-star has been at the center of rumors around a possible WrestleMania return. Those whispers have gotten a little cold water poured on them lately (allegedly because The Rock is worried about being in good enough cardio shape), but I think there’s still a decent chance he’s in for ‘Mania, especially after how well Stone Cold’s return went over last year. If he is going to show up, there’s no better place to start that program than at The Royal Rumble, and if he does show up,  it's hard to imagine him losing.

And finally, we have Sami Zayn. The Honorary Uce is the most popular person on WWE’s roster right now, and he’s involved in the most popular storyline. Fans would lose their minds if he won The Rumble, but whether or not WWE sees him as a WrestleMania main event star is another conversation entirely. Is he capable of moving tickets? Is he capable of generating crossover interest from casual or non-wrestling fans? I guess we’ll find out if WWE has the confidence he can.

Prediction: I’m sticking with Cody Rhodes

How'd I Do? This was a lot harder to predict when I thought we were going to get Sami Zayn and potentially The Rock in The Royal Rumble. Cody was still the pick, but without those two, he was the obvious pick. So, I'm happy I got it right, but this was less impressive than most years would be. 5/5

Survivor Series has evolved quite a bit over the years. When the annual premium live event was first launched in the late 1980s, all of the matches were in a team versus team format. There wasn’t any real stakes because it ultimately didn’t matter long-term if Rowdy Roddy Piper’s good guy team defeated Rick Rude’s bad guy team. It was just a fun little night of wrestling with an enjoyable gimmick.

Unfortunately, a fun little night of wrestling that typically didn’t have any title matches or guarantees of long-term storytelling didn’t sell as well on pay-per-view as WrestleMania or the Royal Rumble. So, the format has slowly become more and more like a traditional premium live event over the years. With Triple H in charge now, however, Survivor Series is about to undergo another evolution.

This year, the two traditional 5 v 5 Survivor Series matches are being evolved into WarGames, which is a throwback to late Jim Crockett/ early WCW. It’s been used pretty extensively in NXT and features two teams battling it out in a double ring cage. Participants are added one at a time until all ten members are involved and the match technically begins. It should be incredible. I’ll give you my thoughts on what is likely to happen in each match, but first, here’s a look at how my predictions have been going so far this year…

I'm normally pretty confident when I do these predictions, and for obvious reasons given even Kurt Angle would be impressed with my performance so far this year, but matches with a lot of participants are historically very hard to predict. If Roman Reigns and Drew McIntyre are wrestling 1 v 1, you can think through all the implications of each man winning in different fashions. You can think about what a win or loss would do for the future story WWE is trying to tell. You can ask yourself is McIntyre finally going to be the one to beat Roman Reigns and take his titles.

In this case, however, Drew McIntyre can just pin an Uso without any effect on the strength or weakness of Roman Reigns' character, just as Reigns could deliver 10 Superman punches to Butch or Ridge Holland without impacting McIntyre's long-term trajectory in the slightest.

Alas, not every prediction is meant to be easy though. So, here's my best guesses as to what might happen tomorrow night, which you can watch on Peacock, which is currently 99 cents as part of a Black Friday deal...

Seth Freakin' Rollins (Champion) Vs Bobby Lashley Vs Austin Theory For The United States Championship

In just a few short months, Seth Rollins has gone from hated heel, responsible for putting number one babyface Cody Rhodes on the shelf for almost a year, to one of the most popular faces in the company. He still doesn't always act like a face, but that's part of the complicated character he has created, and it hasn't stopped fans from singing his infectious theme song. 

Typically you don't want to take a belt from someone who is ascending, and Rollins is very much ascending right now. He's, however, a very unique character in that his appeal doesn't necessarily relate to his relative win-loss record. Fans are drown to his maniacal energy, which is great when he's winning but also great when he's losing.

Bobby Lashley's last appearance at Crown Jewel was in a lopsided beatdown of Brock Lesnar that he somehow lost. The match's inventive booking kept both men looking strong, and honestly, I think that's the storyline most fans care about for him, not whether he has the US Title. Austin Theory's primary storyline, however, is very interlinked with the US Title, which he lost his Money In The Bank briefcase trying to cash in thanks to Lashley. He's had a few very strong promos in recent weeks and could be due for a push. 

Prediction: This match could go in a lot of directions, but I think we'll see Seth Rollins come out on top.

Ronda Rousey (Champion) Vs Shotzi For The Smackdown Women's Championship

I think this is the easiest prediction of the night by a country mile. Much has been made about Ronda Rousey's character over the last six months. She wasn't really working as a babyface, and fans were clearly getting a bit frustrated, as was Rousey. She's been in a much better place since she turned heel, though, and while there's still a lot of room for growth, I think she's on the right path.

Shotzi has a nice look and some talent, but she is not over with the fans right now. Don't let some corners of wrestling twitter fool you. What matters is the response she gets when her music hits and/ or when she does something impactful in the ring, and the noise and level of care just isn't there yet.

That doesn't mean Shotzi can't get there at some point. Every single match, even a loss, is a chance to get the crowd to care, and the easiest way to get the crowd to care is by working with the main eventers on the roster. That's Ronda Rousey. I really hope Shotzi turns in a terrific performance this weekend, but it would be a huge overreach by Triple H to put the belt on her at this point, even though he clearly likes her.

Prediction: Ronda Rousey should win this, but hopefully it's a fun match that helps prove Shotzi can keep progressing.

AJ Styles Vs Finn Bálor

This match is a bit complicated to predict given the massive entourages both of these men are currently bringing out with them. All of the side characters are very down to interfere, and it would be a shock if we got any kind of clean result. I expect, whatever happens, for this feud to continue well past Survivor Series, which is okay with me given I've been enjoying it.

That being said, AJ Styles needs to win this match. He is a legend, a clear first ballot WWE Hall of Famer, and he has not won a match at a premium live event since he teamed with Omos to beat The Viking Raiders all the way back at Money In The Back 2021. Come'on. That's ridiculous. Credit to him for putting guys over, but that streak of bad results needs to end.

Besides, a good feud with two teams like this needs to feel balanced. Styles lost in a 6 man tag to The Judgment Day back at Hell In The Cell, and he also lost in a six man tag to The Judgment Day earlier this month at Crown Jewel. We need some balance here, and his new support system in The OC should help that.

Predicted Result: AJ Styles amidst some kind of chaotic interference.

Bianca Belair, Alexa Bliss, Asuka, Mia Yim And A Mystery Partner Vs Bayley, Dakota Kai, Iyo Sky, Rhea Ripley And Nikki Cross (Women's WarGames)

I really wish I knew who the mystery partner was going to be. If it's a returning babyface like Sasha Banks or Naomi, who haven't been around in months, you'd have to think they would help put the babyfaces over in a huge moment the crowd could get behind. If it's just a random woman on the roster like Candice LeRae, I don't really think the mystery element matters to whatever the final result is. If it ends up being Becky Lynch or Charlotte Flair, a huge name that sometimes plays a character that's more morally ambiguous, it opens up the possibility for her to double-cross her own team. Then again, that possibility is there with Alexa Bliss too, as some expert her to get back with Bray Wyatt.

I think the women's division, at least with the players on the field right now, stops and ends with Bianca Belair. She is an absolute star, and I don't think she's even come close to reaching her potential. So, the question I'm looking at is what is Triple H setting her up to do over the next few months? Is she going to continue feuding with Bayley? Is she going to do a program with whoever the mystery person coming in will be? Or is he finally going to set up Rhea Ripley and Bianca Belair?

Rhea Ripley and Bianca Belair, to me, could headline any premium live event WWE has. That is the match in the women's division I want to see more than any other, but it seems like Triple H is instead teasing Mia Yim and Rhea Ripley. So, I'm going to guess the mystery partner (maybe Becky, maybe Charlotte) double-crosses Bayley and sets up a program. 

Predicted Result: Damage CTRL + Rhea Ripley and Nikki Cross get the win, thanks in part to the mystery partner. 

Sheamus, Drew McIntyre, Kevin Owens, Ridge Holland And Butch Vs Roman Reigns, The Usos, Sami Zayn and Solo Sikoa

Is Survivor Series the time to finally progress the Jey Uso and Sami Zayn storyline? The intra-Bloodline feud has been the most popular story in wrestling for a few months and with good reason. Everyone involved, including Roman Reigns and Jimmy Uso who have taken on more supporting roles, have played their parts perfectly. Now, with longtime friend Kevin Owens on the other side of this match, many are wondering if Zayn is finally going to turn on the Bloodline?

Timing in wrestling is very important. You don't want to linger on the same story for so long fans get annoyed by it, but you also want to fully maximize the potential of something that is really working. Some day Sami Zayn is almost certainly going to turn on The Bloodline and become a massive babyface when he does, but I'm just not sure the time is right. I think there's more ground to explore with everyone kept together.

That being said, I still think Sami and Jey's issues are going to somehow play into the finish of the match. I think one of them will cost the Bloodline here, and we'll deal with the fallout of the loss for another month in some classic behind the scenes segments. There's plenty of time for Sami to turn and partner with Kevin Owens later.

Predicted Result: Sheamus, Drew McIntyre, Kevin Owens, Ridge Holland and Butch.

Whether you’re excited about Logan Paul and Roman Reigns or not, there is a lot to look forward to on the Crown Jewel card. WWE is returning to Saudi Arabia this weekend, and they’re bringing 8 matches, most of which have the potential to be really good, really fun or both. 

In the lead-up, there were some nervous moments about whether the event would happen, given some recent threats in the Middle East, but as of Friday morning, it looks like everyone is ready to get in the ring and put on a show.

As per usual, I feel really good about the likely outcome for some matches, and i’ve spent all week going back-and-forth on a few others. I went 4 and 2 on my Extreme Rules guesses, and I feel like I’m starting to understand what new headman Triple H is trying to do. That being said, even if the long-term story is pretty clear, that doesn’t mean there aren’t multiple ways to get there. So, I’ll cross my fingers and do the best I can.

Alexa Bliss & Asuka (Champions) Vs Dakota Kai And Iyo Sky For The Women’s Tag Team Championships

Why did Alexa Bliss and Asuka win the titles on Raw, less than a week ahead of Crown Jewel? What was the motivation behind that decision? If there’s going to be a match during a premium live event, it’s a really weird move to have the exact same match on free TV the week before. So, what the hell is going on here? That’s ultimately the key to figuring out what’s likely to happen in Saudi Arabia.. 

My guess is long-term WWE wants the belts to be on Dakota Kai and Iyo Sky, but they don’t want this feud to seem so one-sided. If Dakota and Iyo won the belts initially in the tag tournament, then won the three way match at Clash At The Castle and then won again at Crown Jewel, it would all be so lopsided. Giving Alexa Bliss and Asuka another loss to Damage CTRL would have made them look really weak. Having them win on Monday and drop the belts back at the premium live event, however, is going to come off as more of a back-and-forth, anyone could win type thing. So, I think that’s going to happen.

Prediction: Dakota Kai and Iyo Sky.

AJ Styles, Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson Vs Finn Bálor, Damian Priest and Dominik Mysterio (With Rhea Ripley)

AJ Styles hasn’t won a match at a premium live event since July of 2021. I mean come’on. He’s AJ freaking Styles. I know he’s not at the top of his prime anymore, but he’s still over with fans and still damn good in the ring. No one is technically owed anything in WWE, as certain people’s WrestleMania records indicate, but the more someone loses in big moments, the less fans are going to take them as a serious threat. That’s already happening with AJ. He needs to start building some momentum.

I don’t love seeing another loss her for The Judgment Day, but given Finn was able to take home a victory in an I Quit match over Edge at Extreme Rules, I think that stable is doing just fine. It should take another big step forward too whenever we start seeing Rhea in singles action in the women’s division, as she should be an immediate threat for one of the major titles. So, yeah, even though six person tag matches are notoriously hard to predict, I’m going to go with Styles, Gallows and Anderson. 

Prediction: Styles, Gallows and Anderson.

Braun Strowman Vs Omos (With MVP)

Is Braun Strowman going to use Omos to take a step forward in his career or is Omos going to use Braun Strowman to take a step forward? Well, given Strowman recently returned to some pretty big crowd pops and Omos has been largely stuck in the mud, doing a whole lot of nothing, since his losses to Bobby Lashley, it seems like Braun Strowman is the pretty clear answer here. A victory over another monster would make him look even stronger, and it would likely vault him back into the title picture.

As for Omos, I’d like to see him return to the tag division. He’s still really imposing physically. Some of his work in the ring, especially his big boots, are compelling enough. He just doesn’t have the move set at this point in his career to be able to make longer matches interesting. Paired with the right person, he could start to rebuild a mystique. That’s a project for another day. First he needs to get his ass kicked to help out Braun Strowman.

Prediction: Braun Strowman.

Drew McIntyre Vs Karrion Kross (With Scarlett)

We’re about to find out exactly how much Triple H likes Karrion Kross. We all know he’s a favorite of the new head of creative. He was quick to bring him back once he was in charge, and he gave him the win over Drew McIntyre at Extreme Rules, albeit with some interference via mace in the eyes from Scarlett. Now Kross is going at it with McIntyre again in a steel cage at Crown Jewel, and what happens will likely tell us a lot about Kross’ short-term future.

If he’s able to beat McIntyre, he’s going to enter the absolute top of WWE’s card. Two consecutive victories over someone of Drew’s caliber, even if they’re a bit sketchy, means you’re a threat to Roman Reigns and a title shot is probably coming at some point. I think it’s more likely, however, that we’re going to see a McIntyre win, which would just continue the feud and likely set up a match at Survivor Series or another upcoming WWE premium live event.

Prediction: Drew McIntyre

Bianca Belair (Champion) Vs Bayley For The Raw Women’s Championship

I like Bayley a lot, but I have not connected with this version of her quite as much since she’s come back. That seems to be a common refrain I’ve heard from other fans too. That’s not to say she’s not doing good work, but there’s a difference between doing good work and doing work that’s good enough that it should be rewarded with major championships. I just don’t think anything she’s doing right now is over enough to support that.

I don’t think Triple H is ready to stop pushing Damage CTRL though. That’s why I think he’s going to have Dakota and Iyo win the tag titles back. Then, when Bayley loses here, it’s not going to seem like such an indictment of the entire faction. They’ll just end up one and one on the night. Another loss here would also allow Bayley a way out of this feud. Bianca could move on to other things, and Bayley could work with someone else in a feud to try and refine this character a bit. Plus, even outside of Bayley, Bianca is freaking awesome, and she deserves to keep the title.

Prediction: Bianca Belair

The Usos (Champions) Vs The Brawling Brutes (Butch And Ridge) For The Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship

Are the Brawling Brutes over as a tag team or are they simply over when they’re wrestling alongside Sheamus? The six man tag match with Imperium at Extreme Rules was an absolute banger, and the crowd seemed to respond really well to everything to everything Butch and Ridge were doing. This’ll be a really interesting test to see how much fans view them as legitimate outside of Sheamus, who I suspect probably won’t be in attendance given we haven’t seen him since The Usos injured his arm.

I think The Usos are going to retain here because I think however their run ends is going to involve Sami Zayn, who is white hot right now. He’s been steadily working promos with The Usos for months, but he won’t be in attendance at Crown Jewel given the political situation. That being said, a really good match the crowd is into could go a long way to helping the Brawling Brutes stay in meaningful storylines, perhaps even one that does eventually see them claim the Tag Titles.

Prediction: The Usos

Brock Lesnar Vs Bobby Lashley

Hell yes. These two giants are going to unload on each other, and it should be a vicious good time. It should also be a good reminder that with the right match-up, it makes no difference whatsoever if there’s a title on the line. Some fights need that extra boost a belt gives to amp up the legitimacy, but Brock Lesnar and Bobby Lashley need no such help. 

They had a good match at Royal Rumble, which was overshadowed by Roman Reigns’ interference. Lashley ultimately took home the victory, and he’s looking for a second win here. I don’t think that’s going to happen. Lesnar has lost too many high profile matches in a row for my taste. It’s important he remains strong, and a loss for Lashley wouldn’t be a huge deal since that would just even the score this year with Lesnar. I feel pretty good about this, unless there’s a heel turn swerve and Lashley reunites with MVP. That’s always a possibility, which would tip the balance.

Prediction: Brock Lesnar.

Roman Reigns (Champion) Vs Logan Paul For The Undisputed WWE Universal Championship

WWE has been working hard to sell the one big right hand narrative. They’ve been telling anyone and everyone who will listen that Logan Paul has metal pins in his hand, which amplifies his punches. They also let him knock out poor Jey Uso with a right hand to remind fans of how dangerous he can be. I appreciate they have to sell an angle here, but it would be absolutely ridiculous to have Logan Paul end Roman’s epic run. I’ll take it a step further and say it would be infuriating, and I say that as someone who thinks Logan Paul has a ton of promise. 

I don’t care about whose turn it is. The wrestling business isn’t about whose turn it is. Time spent doesn’t mean you should win titles, and a lack of time doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be eligible. But Paul is simply not over enough with the fans who actually watch wrestling to support a win of this magnitude. That being said, if he puts in a really strong losing effort, likely one that involves a hope spot where he lands a huge right hand and gets a 2+ count, this match could go a long way to legitimizing him as a wrestling threat down the road.

Prediction: Roman Reigns

WWE is about to hold its first stadium show in Europe since SummerSlam ‘92. That one, held in Wembley in front of 80,000, featured an all-time great match between Bret Hart and British Bulldog, as well as appearances by Randy Savage, Ultimate Warrior, Shawn Michaels, The Undertaker, Ted Dibiase and Legion Of Doom, among others. So, absolutely no pressure at all to compete with that.

Fortunately, the card for Clash At The Castle, which will be held in Cardiff, has plenty of big names attached to it too, including Roman Reigns, Drew McIntyre, Seth Rollins, Bianca Belair, Edge, Rey Mysterio, Alexa Bliss, Bayley and more. Perhaps more importantly, it also features several matches with a high likelihood to produce good wrestling. What outcomes it will deliver, however, is anyone’s guess.

Clash At The Castle will mark only the second premium live event Triple H has been in charge of since Vince McMahon’s unexpected retirement, and thus far, he’s proven to be a bit of a wildcard. Just ask Raquel Rodriguez and Aaliyah, who are the current WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions. A little unpredictability (not late 90s WCW levels of unpredictability) is really exciting as a fan. It makes my job harder, but given I’ve gone 32 and 10 since I started doing this, I’m embracing the challenge.

Matt Riddle Vs Seth Freakin Rollins

With all due respect to Riddle, who is a perfectly nice wrestler that’s over with the crowd, what matters most here is what WWE wants to do with Seth Freakin’ Rollins. He’s not the biggest star in the company, but for many including this writer, he’s the single best wrestler working today, at least if you’re taking an aggregate of in-ring ability, mic work, character work and connection to the fans. His win/loss record over the past few years in big matches, however, doesn’t exactly reflect that. He’s won 7 total matches at premium live events since the start of 2020. 7! That’s on 23 appearances! Yeah, some of these were Money In The Bank matches and Royal Rumbles, but others were losses to people like Cesaro. No offense to Cesaro, but come’on.

So, what matters here is how Triple H wants to use Rollins in the mid-term. Vince McMahon, at least for the last few years, has used him to lose great matches that help elevate his opponents. We all saw how well that worked for Cody Rhodes earlier this year in three consecutive premium live events. Maybe Triple H intends to use Rollins in the same way. I hope not. I want to see Seth start building momentum back up, and I think the right place to start is Riddle.

If Vince McMahon were still in charge, he'd pick Riddle here in a heartbeat. He’s a super athletic guy with MMA credentials who is popular with fans and seems to sell a lot of merchandise (with an assist from Randy Orton). But I have to hope Triple H wants more for Seth Rollins than that. Yes, the win would do a lot for Matt Riddle, but it would also do a lot for Seth Freakin’ Rollins in making fans once again see him as a legit threat for one of the big belts.

Predicted Winner: Seth Freakin' Rollins

Gunther (Champion) (With Ludwig Kaiser) Vs Sheamus (With Ridge Holland And Butch) For The WWE Intercontinental Championship

Oh hell yeah. These two monsters are going to beat the hell out of each other in what has fight-of-the-night backhand chopped all over it. I can’t wait to see them throw haymakers, and I can’t wait to see Gunther in the biggest match of his WWE career thus far. His Ring General presentation has been near perfect since he was elevated to the main roster, and Sheamus is, without question, his biggest real threat to date.

It’s also nice to see the Intercontinental Belt in a big premium live event spot. There were 18 matches at WrestleMania 38, and somehow none of them featured the IC Title. That’s madness given the importance it has held at various points in WWE’s history, and this feels like a big step toward helping it regain at least some of its former glory.

I’m leaning toward Gunther here, but I’m leaning more strongly toward this being an extended feud with a rematch at Extreme Rules. Can you imagine these two going at it without disqualifications? Hopefully Triple H can. I also think there’s a strong likelihood that one of the three combined cornermen is going to turn on their boss. That would keep both men strong, and it would allow someone, most likely Butch, to be a little more active.

Predicted Winner: Gunther

Edge and Rey Mysterio (With Dominik Mysterio) Vs The Judgment Day (With Rhea Ripley)

I’m still on board with The Judgment Day! Yes, losing Edge sucked and was a big step back, but Rhea Ripley, Damian Priest and Finn Balor still combine to make a really formidable trio. I’d love to see Rhea fighting for WWE Women’s Titles with these two dudes in her corner. I’d also love to see Priest and Balor be legitimate contenders for the tag titles or for mid-card belts. I don’t want this faction to just fizzle out, but they need some forward momentum!

I think that might be where Edge and Rey Mysterio come in. The crowd would certainly love to see those two veterans get the win, but I think Triple H is going to use this opportunity to inject some momentum into Judgment Day and maybe turn Dominik Mysterio heel in the process. I suspect we’ll see him turn on his father in a climactic moment or more subtly, do something that costs his dad’s team the match that may or may not be intentional. I would prefer the latter way because it would set up weeks of programs with his dad where his loyalty was questioned and we’d wonder as an audience what’s gonna happen long-term.

Of course it’s also possible Dominik’s fate is another round of relentless bullying from Rhea Ripley who has done everything but give him a wedgie so far. Another humiliation could distract the elder Mysterio, which could cost the team the match. I’m not really sure, but I feel pretty good about a Judgment Day win here. Then again, it’s also possible I’m blinded by my love of Judgment Day and just don’t want to think about them losing here, which might be another nail in the coffin of this faction.

Predicted Winner: Judgment Day

Liv Morgan (Champion) Vs Shayna Baszler For The SmackDown Women’s Championship

Who is the last WWE Champion who has been booked to look this weak? I feel like Morgan’s entire reign has been her getting attacked or beaten up by Ronda Rousey, attacked or beaten up by Shayna Baszler and/ or winning matches in a really weak fashion. She won the belt via a cash-in at Money In The Bank on a hobbled Rousey. Then she successfully defended the belt, I guess, by pinfall, even though she clearly tapped out before the three count. Throw in a steady stream of promos acknowledging she’s an underdog in her own matches, and the resulting picture doesn’t exactly resemble Diesel at the ‘94 Rumble. 

None of this is to take anything away from Liv Morgan. She’s a great mid-card character, and it was a ton of fun to see her cash-in and get a moment on top. I’m not even opposed to seeing her carry the belt a little longer, but it’s hard to imagine WWE keeping her as long-term champ, especially with Ronda’s long-awaited heel turn going over well with fans and possible returns of Charlotte Flair and maybe Sasha Banks. Will Shayna be the one to dethrone her? I don’t know. Triple H is a well known Shayna guy, but until recently, she was basically an afterthought in the women’s division.

If Vince were still around, this would be a sure-fire Liv Morgan win. I still think she’s probably going to take it in a clean victory that will elevate her character at least for a little while, but I’m not nearly as confident.

Predicted Winner: Liv Morgan

Bianca Belair, Alexa Bliss And Asuka Vs Bayley, Dakota Kai And Iyo Sky

Tag team matches like this with three people on a side are notoriously hard to predict because it doesn’t really matter who wins. I mean, maybe that’s a bit of an overstatement, but it’s unlikely anyone’s character here is going to significantly rise or fall based on the outcome. So, the point of these types of matches usually is to set up angles moving forward, and the angles here seem really obvious based on the last month. Bayley and Bianca Belair are going to feud for the WWE Raw Women’s Championship and Alexa Bliss and Asuka and Dakota Kai and Iyo Sky are going to feud over the Women’s Tag Team Titles, which neither of them currently hold.

I wouldn’t be surprised with just about any outcome here, including someone else interfering and joining Bayley, Dakota and Iyo’s stable, which rumors claim will be called Damage CTRL. Ultimately, however, I’m going to predict Bianca, Alexa and Asuka for two reasons. First, Iyo and Dakota recently beat Alexa and Asuka in the women’s tag team tournament. Often times there is an effort to bring some level of balance to these types of long-term feuds. Second, I’m predicting Rollins, Gunther and Judgment Day are all going to win. I love seeing some victories for the heels, but another win here just feels like too much. 

Predicted Winner: Bianca, Alexa and Asuka

Roman Reigns (Champ) (With Paul Heyman) Vs Drew McIntyre For The Undisputed WWE Universal Championship

Thirty years ago, SummerSlam ‘92 ended with The British Bulldog winning the Intercontinental Championship off Bret Hart in front of a hometown crowd. The moment was one of the best in SummerSlam history and the best in the Bulldog’s terrific wrestling career. Many are speculating Clash At The Castle may give the same moment to Drew McIntyre. The Scottish Warrior carried WWE through much of the pandemic, but as crowds have returned, it’s mostly been Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar who have gotten the attention. Is that about to change?

Roman Reigns has been Universal Champion for two years and has held both belts since WrestleMania. He’s still tremendously over with the crowd and from my vantage point, the biggest attraction in all of wrestling, but he also recently pulled back his schedule to work significantly fewer dates. It’s hard to imagine WWE is going to want someone who is gone for weeks or even months at a time to hold both of the big belts, even if he’s the most over superstar in the company.

I think this is Drew’s moment. I think when we look back on Drew’s career, Clash At The Castle is going to, hopefully, be the first thing any of us think about. I think he’s going to end Roman’s epic run, and I can’t wait to see it.

Predicted Winner: Drew McIntyre 

We’re just a day away from the 2022 edition of Money In The Bank and what the show lacks in star power, it makes up for in what the hell is going to happen-ness. Given the injuries to Randy Orton and Cody Rhodes, as well as the increasingly part-time status of Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar, now suddenly feels like the time for a more unsung member of the roster to grab the briefcase and get a well-deserved cash-in moment down the road.

The women’s Money In The Bank ladder match also looks particularly intriguing with a mix of huge names like Becky Lynch, Asuka and Alexa Bliss, as well as emerging forces who WWE seem to be pushing including Raquel Rodriguez, Liv Morgan and the returning Lacey Evans. There are a lot of different directions Bruce Prichard and the writers could go, which means there are a ton of different possible outcomes. That should make for an exciting premium live event, even if the biggest names on the roster aren’t there for a variety of reasons.

That being said, I still think some finishes are a lot more likely than others, and I’m here to put my "Genius" hat on and tell you which ones are most likely to happen. Ordinarily, I’d be a little more John Cena humble and a little less Bobby Heenan confident, but I correctly predicted every single match at Hell In A Cell. Every. Single. One. As such, I’m flying high and filled with all kinds of false confidence. So, without further ado, here’s what I think is going to happen at Money In The Bank…

The Usos (Champions) Vs The Street Profits For The Undisputed Tag Team Titles

The Usos have been champions for almost 350 days. That’s an insane run in the tag team division, but unlike their cousin/Bloodline leader Roman Reigns, they are not booked to look unstoppable. In fact, the two routinely lose singles matches, get the worse end of confrontations and lose non-title matches. They are made to look really beatable. They just don’t get beat because they’re still really over with the crowd/great on the mic/the best available option.

I like the Street Profits, but I’m not really into putting someone over for the sake of change. Thankfully, WWE doesn’t seem to be into that either lately, at least apart from the Intercontinental Championship, which may have suddenly found some stability with Gunther. The Street Profits are certainly over with fans, who will gladly shout “We Want The Smoke,” but in no universe are they anywhere as close to over as RK-Bro. I’m not even sure they’re as over as The Alpha Academy, who, by the way, I’m shamelessly in the tank for.

I guess, at least from my perspective, if you’re gonna put the tag titles on a team for almost a year, the team taking those belts should be REALLY OVER with fans or the change should be serving some kind of larger narrative (the tag team breaking up, etc). Neither of those conditions are in play here; so, I would look for The Usos to retain, though they'll likely drop at an upcoming WWE premium live event.

Predicted Winner: The Usos

Ronda Rousey (Champion) Vs Natalya For The Smackdown Women’s Championship

I think the build-up to this match, quick as it has been, is the best Ronda Rousey has been since she returned to WWE at the Royal Rumble. Their promo last week on Smackdown where Natalya dressed up as Ronda, and Ronda came out and threw some shade was really fun. There have also been some colorful exchanges on Twitter, some of which have been so stiff it has led people to wonder whether there is real animosity. I’d still like to see Ronda paired with a manager at some point, but huge steps in the right direction are happening, even if some of the more jaded members of wrestling Twitter won’t admit it.

That being said, I don’t really think the outcome of this match is in doubt. I like seeing Natalya get a little main event run, but nothing about her presentation for the last year has made her seem like a credible threat to beat Ronda or worthy of a run as a top tier champion. I just don’t think you can go from feuding with Aliyah to rocking the SmackDown Women’s Championship in six months. That’s too much of an abrupt u-turn, even for WWE. 

I’d love to see a compelling match here though. This is a nice chance for Rousey to work with a veteran who should sell for her and make her look good, and it’s a chance for Natalya to remind everyone what she’s capable of. She’s been in tons of big matches, held major titles and once lasted 56 minutes in the Rumble. She’s capable of a lot. Maybe this is the springboard she needs to get a bigger role moving forward, especially with Charlotte Flair off and Sasha Banks and Naomi still in limbo.

Predicted Winner: Ronda Rousey

Theory (Champion) Vs Bobby Lashley For The United States Championship

I originally thought WWE was building toward John Cena and Theory. I thought they’d wrestle at Summerslam for the United States Championship, Cena would knock him down a peg, and we’d get a run for a few months with Cena as a mid-card champ. What a fantasy that (probably) turned out to be. The locker room leader showed up on Monday Night Raw for his 20th anniversary flowers. He even teased one more run, but he was also clear he had no idea when that would be. Unless there was some next level lying going on, I’m no longer expecting him to work SummerSlam, which means all possibilities are suddenly open.

It’s clear WWE writers love Austin Theory. He’s gotten numerous high profile matches and segments with his mentor Vince McMahon. They also put the US title on him, which should take on increasingly more importance with the Universal and WWE belts united under Roman Reigns. I get it. The crowd hates him in a good way. He’s so ripped he’s doing Rick Rude style posedowns, and he’s still in his early 20s. The future is really bright. But then again, WWE is really invested in Bobby Lashley right now too. He’s moved on from his Omos feud, and he’s getting main event treatment during his entrances.

My confidence level isn’t very high with this match, which is why I’m predicting shenanigans! I think Bobby Lashley takes the victory, but he does it by either disqualification or countout. Maybe we’ll see some interference from Chad Gable and/or Otis. Then I think WWE will spend the next month trying to build this up bigger before a rematch at SummerSlam with some kind of non-DQ stipulation

Predicted Winner: Bobby Lashley

Bianca Belair (Champion) vs Carmella For The Raw Women’s Championship

Let’s start with Carmella. She is a perfectly nice heel, and I like having her character around. She knows what she’s there for, works the crowd pretty well and is a nice in-ring performer. I also like listening to her husband Corey Graves be a shameless homer while commenting on her matches. None of this should be taken as a shot at Carmella. But come’on. Her beating Bianca would be as infuriating as Goldberg beating The Fiend in Saudi Arabia.

Bianca Belair is a star. She is an absolute freaking star. I recently rewatched her match with Becky Lynch at ‘Mania 38, and it’s far and away the best match from an event that had a ton of good matches. I’m not saying she needs to hold the belt for the next ten years, but she should only be losing, in my opinion, on rare occasions to elite level talents like Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair and maybe, maybe Rhea Ripley. 

I would have loved to see that last match. That was the original plan here, but with Ripley out with an injury, we’re getting Carmella. To me, the only real question is how strong WWE will want Bianca to look. There’s a world in which I could see this being a squash. Then again, there’s another world in which I could see them getting 15-20 minutes to do some really athletic and cool stuff. I’d prefer the latter, but as long as Bianca Belair’s hand goes up at the end, it’ll be fine with me.

Predicted Winner: Bianca Belair

Women’s Money In The Bank Match Featuring Becky Lynch, Asuka, Alexa Bliss, Liv Morgan, Lacey Evans, Raquel Rodriguez And Shotzi

Predicting the winner of a Money In The Bank match is closer to predicting the winner of a Royal Rumble than it is a traditional main event. There are so many competitors and so many different places WWE could go with the storyline. Plus, unlike in a standard match, losing isn’t necessarily a step backwards for someone’s character. In that way, it’s less about who WWE wants to protect and more about who WWE wants to elevate and create storylines for, which opens up so many possibilities.

Let’s start with Becky Lynch. Everything she’s doing right now is working, and she’s maybe my favorite person on the entire WWE roster. Her recent storyline has dealt with her character coming to terms with taking a lot of Ls, and taking an L here seems like the next logical step. Sure, it would be fun to watch her carting around the briefcase and taunting everyone, but in my opinion, she doesn’t need it. At all. I would watch her character fight jobbers every week or do avant garde promos about life. 

So, that leaves everyone else. WWE is clearly pushing Raquel Rodriguez and Lacey Evans, but to be honest, I don’t think either is that over with the crowd yet. I like Shotzi and think there’s talent there, but just being in this match is a nice exposure win for her. So, that leaves Liv Morgan, Alexa Bliss and Asuka. I love Alexa Bliss and would love to see her shoot back up to the main event, but recent televised wins over the likes of Nikki ASH, Doudrop and Sonya Deville don’t seem like the start of a big push. So, Asuka or Liv Morgan? I like Liv Morgan. She’s had recent big wins against Rhea Ripley and Alexa Bliss, and this could be a big chance to get to another tier.

Predicted Winner: Liv Morgan

Men’s Money In The Bank Match Featuring Drew McIntyre, Sheamus, Riddle, Seth Freakin’ Rollins, Omos, Sami Zayn and TBD

I’m writing these predictions before Smackdown, which means we still don’t know who the last Money In The Bank participant will be. I reserve the right to change my pick if it turns out to be a prime Bret Hart, but barring that, I feel really, really good about Seth Freakin' Rollins. He’s been incredible for the entire year. His current unhinged lunatic character is a delight to watch every week, and he deserves so much credit for how well he put over Cody Rhodes.

Yes, I know the WWE Universe was primed to embrace Cody Rhodes when he came back for a variety of reasons, the most important of which is the man himself is so easy to root for, but getting over in wrestling requires another character with the charisma to push back. Seth Rollins was that for three consecutive premium live events, including Hell In A Cell where Cody fought injured, and the two put on a match that will be remembered for decades. I’d love to see that rewarded.

Besides, who the hell else is it going to be? Sami Zayn is a great heel and a really fun character, but this is way too big of a step up. He needs to stay in the mid-card. Omos obviously has the look and could get there someday, but nothing about his matches with Bobby Lashley proved he’s ready. Drew McIntyre has already been announced as the main event challenger at Clash In The Castle in September. There’s no point in him having the briefcase. Plus, I’m pretty sure him and Sheamus are going to somehow screw each other over and then fight at SummerSlam. That leaves Riddle and the other person to be added. I love Riddle and he’s over with the crowd, but he just got his shot at Roman Reigns on Smackdown.

Predicted Winner: Seth Freakin’ Rollins 

The WWE is working out what’s next for Cody Rhodes and a number of superstars following the conclusion of WrestleMania 38, but there’s one high-profile athlete whose continuous absence from television as of late has fans growing concerned. Those that were confused by the WWE’s decision to exclude Alexa Bliss’ from its biggest event of 2022 will be more confused than ever, as the latest reported details regarding her absence have emerged.

Alexa Bliss had a major match at Elimination Chamber (which Peacock premium subscribers can watch now) that came after weeks of scripted vignettes concerning her attempts to abandon her prior persona and evil doll Lilly. Despite her participation in that match, Fightful Select reported that there was no substantial creative direction planned for her character, and that Bliss herself made it clear she wasn’t happy about that in the days following the event. 

The report goes on to state that while Alexa Bliss wasn’t involved in plans for WrestleMania 38, creative staff received word that she was willing to work the two-night event if something was offered for her character. It’s alleged that a plan came about for her to play some role in Bianca Belair and Becky Lynch’s title match, but the idea was reportedly abandoned before long. It isn’t clear if the idea was shot down by creatives, Bliss herself, or anyone else. 

Alexa Bliss reportedly had her lack of WrestleMania plans set in stone back in February, and the report notes that the WWE’s interest in booking the superstar lessened following her vignettes, but doesn’t expound on that connection any further. It’s also said that Alexa Bliss allegedly voiced her displeasure to Vince McMahon directly over how her character is being used, but obviously, nothing has changed as of late. 

If there’s any good news in report, it’s that Alexa Bliss is allegedly still regarded as the second biggest babyface on Monday Night Raw’s internal depth chart. Given that, it appears as though her value in the company is still highin one capacity or another, even if she isn’t featured on television at the moment. I would think it’s fair to assume her recent wedding could play a factor in her latest absence, and could keep her away from the brand's events even longer while she’s on her honeymoon. 

The downside for Alexa Bliss, however, is that the WWE women’s roster is as loaded with top talent as it's ever been. Bliss is well-loved by fans and talented, sure, but she's also just one of several popular women’s superstars struggling to find screentime in the division. Even so, it’s baffling to think one of WWE’s biggest female athletes of the past few years is struggling to find a slot in the company, and it’s even more confusing the WWE hasn’t made a place for her yet, and that none of this is being addressed very meaningfully in the meantime.

WWE’s Monday Night Raw airs on the USA network on Mondays at 8:00 p.m. ET. Hopefully, Alexa Bliss will be back in the fold on the show soon and hopefully set on a path that gets her back into the title picture. 

WWE star Alexa Bliss got married this weekend to longtime boyfriend Ryan Cabrera, and by all accounts, the Palm Desert wedding was a well-attended and amazing affair. The guest list included a ton of celebrities both from the worlds of music and professional wrestling. Among the former were N Sync members Joey Fatone, Chris Kirkpatrick and Lance Bass, as well as members of O Town, Bowling For Soup and more. Among the latter were tons of both current and former WWE stars. 

Thankfully, numerous celebrities who attended the big event have dropped pictures on social media, as well as Instagram stories. They paint the picture of friends catching up and having the best time while celebrating a rock star wedding in a beautiful setting. The bride looked beautiful in what was described to People as a mesh corset bodice with rhinestones, beaded applique and drapey sleeves made of lace. You can check out the dress in a gorgeous photo she took with reality star and part-time WWE performer Maryse, who is, of course, married to The Miz…

Bliss is, of course, close to a lot of other WWE stars, and many were out in full force, especially from the women’s division. Liv Morgan was in attendance, though she reportedly was seen dress shopping after concerns her bag wouldn't arrive in time. Former WWE stars Nia Jax and Lana were on hand, as well as quite a few others including Kayla Braxton and Sonja Deville. You can check out Deville’s gorgeous look below…

Kayla Braxton dropped her own set of pictures from the event too, and she looked like she was having the best time. She took a delightful photo goofing around with Alexa Bliss after the ceremony, which the bride responded to, letting everyone know her tongue looked weird because she’d just been eating ice cream. 

That makes sense given in absence of a cake, the couple reportedly had four different ice cream flavors for guests to enjoy. All were from Ben & Jerry’s. And for those who didn’t feel like ice cream or just wanted to indulge in something more, the ceremony reportedly also featured brownie brittle, popcorn and a specialty candy bar. You can check out Braxton and Bliss with her ice cream tongue below…

There’s not nearly enough time to get to all the pictures that the couple’s famous friends dropped. Fortunately, Liv Morgan dropped a whole album that includes a ton of really fun shots featuring the wrestlers in attendance. You can scroll through and check it out below...

It’s been a busy week for WWE. In addition to WrestleMania, which was widely considered a very successful event filled with numerous spectacular matches, WWE starlet Carmella also got married in the aftermath of the event to WWE color commentator Corey Graves. Their nuptials too were a star-studdend affair filled with lots of WWE stars in attendance. You can find pictures of that event all over social media.

As for Alexa Bliss, it’s unclear when she might return to WWE programming. She’s mostly been off TV, apart from a well-received performance at Elimination Chamber. Whenever she does return, however, you’d have to assume WWE will thrust her back into the main event scene, as she’s one of the more popular performers on the roster. 

Alexa Bliss is one of the most talented people on WWE’s entire roster. Her in-ring movements are very natural and fluid. She’s athletic enough to move around and do bigger spots. Her microphone work is good. She’s willing to get Mick Foley levels of weird with her characters, which is a huge positive for those of us who want a wrestling show to hit different emotional beats. She’s terrific, except I’m starting to get worried WWE is forgetting that.

I say I’m starting to get worried because I don’t actually know what’s going on. I don’t work for WWE, and I’m not Dave Meltzer or Sean Ross Sapp. I’m just a guy watching the show, and from my vantage point, it seems like WWE, after a long layoff, brought back Alexa Bliss at Elimination Chamber and then absent an idea of what to do with her, told her to take some more time off. 

Maybe there’s something bigger going on here. She’s about to get married. Maybe there’s some kind of agreement I don’t know about related to that. Maybe there’s an injury that just hasn’t been very widely reported. Maybe there’s bigger plans for her to return at some point and be immediately thrust back into the main event. Maybe. Maybe. Maybe. It has to be something because the alternative is just absurd.

The alternative, of course, would be that WWE has simply decided it doesn’t need Alexa Bliss, and she’s not worth incorporating into the current storylines. I mean, can you even get through that sentence with a straight face? Forty-seven people had matches at WrestleMania, and that doesn’t even include valets, managers or Damian Priest who stood menacingly on an apron. Let’s ignore Logan Paul and Johnny Knoxville because WWE is gonna work some celebrities into ‘Mania, and they were both great. You’re telling me there’s forty-five people on the WWE roster fans would rather watch than Alexa Bliss? Come’on.

I’m not going to run people down here because ‘Mania was for the most part great, and everyone really tried their best. But there aren’t fifteen people on the entire roster who are more appealing to fans and deliver better performances than Alexa Bliss, and a lot of us are going to be really mad if the writers don't figure out a way to incorporate her back into the fold and give her something compelling to do. It’s not her fault WWE made some terrible creative decisions with the Fiend/Randy Orton storyline, incorporated her and then soured on it after whatever the hell that was at WrestleMania 37.

The WWE Women’s Division has never been stronger than it is right now, but that doesn’t mean you can let one of your most talented performers just sit on the sidelines because you have other good people. Bring her in to help grow this thing even bigger. If you don’t see her as a main event contender, throw her on a tag team. There’s real momentum in the women’s tag division right now with quite a few credible teams. Give her a partner and let them go to work. Sign me up for Bayley and Alexa Bliss against Sasha Banks and Naomi at an upcoming premium live event for the tag titles. 

Or use Alexa to finally launch a mid-card women’s belt! It’s long past time the women were given another strap to compete for. Hold a tournament to give out the new championship. That would be a terrific centerpiece for a mid-level premium live event sometime this year, and there are so many talented women right now who would be perfect fits to feud over that newly created title.

I don’t know exactly what WWE should do with Alexa Bliss. I don't know how she should be packaged. I don’t know who she should feud with or what belts she should be going after. All I know is WWE programming is better when Alexa Bliss is on it, and there seems to be an implication that her being away is WWE's decision. If so, that's outrageous. She’s a spectacular wrestler, and as fans, we need to make sure WWE doesn’t forget that. 

The WWE women’s division is better now than it has ever been before, and unlike the dreaded Diva era that never really put an emphasis on in-ring talent and engaging feuds, the current group of female wrestlers are given opportunities to prove themselves. In the past few years, the roster's biggest stars have transformed the division, and wrestling as a whole, by putting on electrifying WrestleMania main event matches.

But, in addition to being some of the most talented up-and-coming names in wrestling, these stars are also some of the most entertaining members of the roster and have the full package. Here are just some of the names who have revolutionized WWE in one way or another. 

Bianca Belair

Over the past two years, Bianca Belair has won a Royal Rumble match, made history with Sasha Banks as being the first two Black women to main event WrestleMania (where she won the SmackDown Women’s Championship), and received praise from the likes of ESPN and Sports Illustrated.

But, it’s the intangibles that make Belair stick out with her charismatic personality, unique style (both in terms of fashion and in-ring ability), and that signature hair, which has become her trademark throughout her career. And with a big match at WrestleMania 38 against Becky Lynch, this is just the beginning.

Ronda Rousey

There are few names in WWE, professional wrestling, or combat sports in general that get as much attention as Ronda Rousey, and her return to the company in one of the craziest moments of the 2022 Royal Rumble is proof of that. Love her or hate her, Rousey is one of those once-in-a-generation stars who doesn’t have to speak, wrestle a match, or do anything but point at the WrestleMania sign to make a statement.

Even before the former UFC champion signed with WWE and wrestled her first match at WrestleMania 34, she won over with fans and had them eating out of her hand. Essentially the female Brock Lesnar, Rousey not only brings star power to WWE, she can back it up as well.

Becky Lynch

It doesn’t matter if she’s a heel or babyface, “The Man” or “Big Time Becks,” Becky Lynch is a WWE superstar who is consistently entertaining both in and out of the ring. A member of the “Four Horsewomen of Wrestling,” Lynch’s list of accomplishments in the past few years makes her one of the company’s biggest stars, regardless of gender.

Although Lynch’s run in NXT wasn’t as successful as her contemporaries and she was often left out of some of the big feuds that superstars like Charlotte Flair and Sasha Banks initially had on the main roster, Lynch transformed herself into a “Stone Cold” Steve Austin-like persona with “The Man” character in 2018. And, she hasn’t looked back since.

Charlotte Flair

If there is one member of the entire WWE roster that has the “It” factor more than anyone else (male or female), it would have to be Charlotte Flair. This should come as no surprise considering she’s the daughter of Ric Flair. Unlike a lot of second-generation wrestlers who have ridden on their parents’ coattails and never broke out on their own, Flair has created a legacy of her own these past 10 years.

The look, the walk, the move-set, the long list of achievements that seems to grow by the day, everything about Flair makes her not only the most successful woman wrestler of her generation but also the most entertaining, especially when she’s pulling off her heel persona.

Alexa Bliss

Alexa Bliss, who was responsible for one of the craziest Elimination Chamber moments, is one of those WWE superstars who can make the most out of everything that is thrown her way. Need someone to be a snarky heel who thinks she’s better than everyone? Give it to Bliss. How about a demented character in the vein of Harley Quinn? She can do that, too. Basically, there’s nothing the “Five Feet of Fury” can’t (and won’t) do.

Despite this, and despite being one of the most entertaining and dynamic wrestlers with WWE, Bliss is currently off of TV, which doesn’t make a whole lot of sense unless there’s some injury not being disclosed. When she does make her return, who knows what she’ll throw at us.

Sasha Banks

Sasha Banks, the five-time Raw Women’s Champion, Slammy Award winner, and one of the stars of The Mandalorian Season 2, has accomplished a lot throughout her career so far, and she has done it with more style and swagger than just about anyone wrestling today. Whether she’s dominating in the ring or killing it on the mic, she does everything flawlessly.

Just look at some of the biggest WWE feuds in recent memory and you’ll see Banks in more than a few of them. A lot of that has to do with the former NXT champion connecting with fans in a way most dream of and few can pull off. I mean, just watch her entrance and try not to be entertained.

Rhea Ripley

Since making her WWE debut in the 2017 Mae Young Classic, Rhea Ripley has established herself as one of the most dominant, unique, and entertaining members of the women’s roster and been a part of some high-profile matches with the likes of Charlotte Flair and Asuka, whom she defeated at WrestleMania 37.

One of the best things about Ripley is the fact that she doesn’t look like anyone else on the roster and uses her size, strength, and presence to overwhelm her opponents and work the crowd, creating a superstar with limitless potential.

Naomi

One of the most talented and underrated WWE superstars, Naomi has been nothing but entertaining since making her main roster debut in 2012 as member of The Funkadactyls, and she hasn’t stopped since. During that time, Naomi has been effective as both a heel and babyface, though she has much more success forming a connection with the crowd as the latter.

Just watch her eye-catching entrance with the techno, blacklights, and colorful ring attire. It’s impossible to not be entertained by that. And that is only matched by her in-ring skills, which includes some insane acrobatics and high-flying offense.

Liv Morgan

Liv Morgan is another member of the WWE roster who has been able to get a whole lot out of what few opportunities she has been afforded, and has quickly made herself into a star-in-the-making, especially with her brief program with Becky Lynch at the start of 2022.

More than capable in the ring and having the ability to make different personas work during her stint in WWE, Morgan has a lot of small aspects about her character that are so interesting and brilliant at times that you can’t help but watch whenever she’s on screen.

Asuka

And then there is Asuka, who, despite not being on TV for quite some time, remains one of the most interesting wrestlers in the world. It has been said time and time again that Asuka just has “It” and continues to make a case for her being one of the best of the best.

With her flashy entrance attire, unmatched skills in the ring, and hilarious personality, there’s just so much about Asuka that makes her so much fun to watch. If Asuka continues to grow like she has the past few years, there’s nothing she can’t do.

If you want to see these entertaining  women wrestlers and others like them, sign up for a Peacock Premium subscription so you don't miss any of the big WWE events on the horizon.

WrestleMania 38 is just around the corner for the WWE, and there’s a lot of chatter about what’s going to happen during the company’s biggest show of the year. We’ve heard rumors that some major match is planned, Cody Rhodes will return to WWE, and even that Vince McMahon is planning a match with Pat McAfee. All of those rumors are wild, but not quite as wild as this latest one that claims a major superstar is allegedly not involved in the two-day event. The current word is Alexa Bliss doesn’t have anything planned for WrestleMania, and I’m so confused. 

According to a recent report, the WWE does not have anything planned for Alexa Bliss until after WrestleMania 38. PWInsider reported the news, and at a time when it seems like the WWE is still working on potential matches to fill out a two-night PPV, one of its biggest available women’s superstars is reportedly not attached. 

The report, assuming it’s true, is quite baffling. Alexa Bliss isn’t just one of the top women working in the WWE presently, but the organization just spent weeks repackaging her character and running segments of her therapy sessions on Monday Night Raw. Bliss made a return to action at WWE’s Elimination Chamber pay-per-view and had a strong showing in her match. 

Since then, however, she’s been off of television and even missed out on making an appearance in her hometown of Columbus, Ohio, when the WWE was there. Bliss made a post on Twitter around that time that seemed to indicate she was just as confused as everyone else.

Alexa Bliss is just one major player in the WWE’s stacked women’s division, and to be completely fair, not the only deserving wrestler currently out of the WrestleMania spotlight. Bayley is also reportedly scheduled to make a return after WrestleMania, after recovering from an ACL injury. Asuka is another big name that hasn’t been around as of late and was recovering from shoulder surgery. 

Alexa Bliss did step away from the WWE last year, but given that she’s performed in the ring as recently as a couple of weeks ago, it seems safe to assume she’s available to compete. Unfortunately, it seems the WWE is really intent on hyping up Charlotte Flair’s match with Ronda Rousey, as well as Becky Lynch and Bianca Belair’s major title matches. Both of those are worthy matches on their own, but with such talent waiting in the wings, it would be surprising if the WWE isn’t trying to find more for its most talented women stars to do. It’s disappointing to think we may have to wait another year to see Bliss get another big run in the WWE, assuming that’s the plan. 

WrestleMania 38 streams on Peacock on Saturday, April 2, and Sunday, April 3. The coming weeks should provide more details on whether there’s a place for Alexa Bliss at the show or not, but until then, fans can check out her best matches with a Peacock premium subscription. 

The WWE’s Royal Rumble had a lot of surprises (and fire-related drama), but there was one surprise some might’ve expected to happen that didn’t. Alexa Bliss, who’s appearing on Monday Night Raw via scripted segments, did not return during the pay-per-view event as a surprise entrant. She’s since continued to appear in scripted segments, though, which may have some wondering when she’ll eventually return to the ring.

Now, there's been a reported update on that front, which comes to us via Fightful Select. According to the report, Alexa Bliss (who took a chunk of time off following her loss to Charlotte Flair in 2021) filmed nine segments for the WWE in which she sat in therapy as a psychiatrist attempted to “cure” her of her former persona. The segments see Alexa reckoning with her creepy doll, Lilly, and other things, but they haven’t really progressed too far in terms of story. This report alleges that fans have seen two of those segments, so it’s possible she’ll return following the airing of the next seven. 

Of course, there’s a possibility some of the segments won't be aired or that multiple air on one night. Essentially, it's unclear when they might see the light of day, though Fightful Select confirmed this was the long-term plan for the wrestling staple. That is to say, it wasn’t expected that she’d return and compete in the Royal Rumble, which is believable considering the event centered around Ronda Rousey’s return and win. 

Alexa Bliss’ return is something the wrestling fandom is watching, as she’s consistently been considered one of the top women wrestlers in the WWE. Even her latest supernatural persona was a hit supposedly, though its ties to released superstar Bray Wyatt made the gimmick seemingly directionless. That’s likely the reason for the league wanting to switch things up and create skits in which she abandons the persona. 

In its place, the WWE reportedly plans to return Alexa Bliss to her Goddess persona. It’s believed this will be the same persona she adapted during her dominant championship runs. Bliss holds the distinction of possessing multiple WWE belts in her career thus far and is the second-ever women’s Triple Crown champion. 

Given her accolades and popularity, I’d assume the WWE wants to bring her back into the ring sometime before WrestleMania 38. With less than two months to go before the big event, one has to think the WWE has the time to make that happen. The is the question, however, of where she’d fit into the program, as at least one major women’s match for the event is already confirmed. I suppose she could inject herself into a feud between Charlotte Flair and Ronda Rousey, which would be an incredible match. Of course, it’s impossible to say whether or not it’ll actually happen, especially considering how quickly plans can change in the WWE. 

Catch Alexa Bliss’ therapy sessions on Monday Night Raw, which airs over on USA on Mondays at 8:00 p.m. ET. Of course, one can catch up on a lot of previous wrestling events with a Peacock premium subscription, which is something all wrestling fans should have.

Alexa Bliss returned to WWE after some time away for personal reasons, but not exactly in the way fans probably expected. The WWE featured Bliss in a series of pre-taped segments, in which she’s undergoing treatments in therapy for her “problem.” Fans have wondered where the whole thing is going, especially since Bliss is still seen in her supernatural creepy girl gimmick, but it seems like we may now have an answer thanks to a recent trademark filing by the company. (And thankfully not one with ties to Nazis.)

It appears that the WWE is finally ready to shed Alexa Bliss’ creepy persona, given a recent trademark filing indicated the return of a previous gimmick used before her character change. WrestlingNews.co reported the new filing is for “THE GODDESS,” which is a nickname Bliss previously used during her championship runs before her character took a turn in connection with the ousted superstar Bray Wyatt. 

The WWE seemingly teased that this change could happen during Bliss’ last match of 2021, where she took on Charlotte Flair for the women’s championship. Ahead of the match, Flair remarked that she missed the “old Alexa,” which led to speculation the WWE would eventually drop the gimmick.

It also didn’t help that Alexa Bliss faced an unearned backlash following Bray Wyatt’s exit from the WWE. Fans began to chant for Wyatt during her matches, and his abrupt departure possibly forced WWE's creative team to abandon any and all storylines that would have been developing for the duo after his loss at WrestleMania. In many ways, Bliss' gimmick was a reminder of Wyatt's WWE run, so it makes sense the company might want to move on from that. 

Alexa Bliss’ creepy gimmick was popular, to be sure, but it’s more than fair to say just about every gimmick Bliss had in the WWE to this point has gone over well with fans. With the return of her Goddess gimmick, the WWE might be ready to spend less time putting Bliss in segments and more time getting her back into title contention within the women’s division. Bliss is considered one of the most skilled female athletes within the company, and this change might put her back in the ring with talents like Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair and actually walking away with title belts. 

As for when The Goddess gimmick could officially return, it seems possible Alexa Bliss' upcoming Royal Rumble match will be the ideal team to bring back that goddess glory. Bliss is considered one of the favorites to win the match, which would be a great way to kick off her return to form, as well as another championship run. At the very least, it could put her in the title picture ahead of WrestleMania and guarantee her a match on the big night. 

WWE’s 2022 version of the Royal Rumble will stream on Saturday, January 29th at 8:00 p.m. ET on Peacock (and exclusive wrestling content is just one reason why Peacock is worth the premium subscription). Tune in to see which Alexa shows up to the pay-per-view, and how she'll fare in the women’s match.

WWE superstar Alexa Bliss is currently away from the company, but unlike many WWE wrestlers in 2021, she will definitely be back at some point with her job intact. While we don’t know how or when Bliss will return to the main roster, it’s looking like the superstar has left some clues about what the plans are based on some of her recent social media posts. 

Alexa Bliss reportedly took time away from the WWE due to a sinus surgery, which would tie into why she lost her title match against the increasingly polarizing Charlotte Flair. Recovery time for such a procedure can take several weeks, and it's possible that waiting longer is best for someone in such a physically demanding job. Since Bliss last wrestled in late September, it’s looking more and more likely she will be back before the end of 2021. In fact, one could foresee her big return happening ahead of the Christmas shopping season, especially after Bliss shared an Instagram post advertising a holiday-themed variant of her creepy doll Lilly that's now available for purchase on the WWE Shop.

Even Lilly is getting ready for cheerier holidays after making such a splash during Halloween, which I think could tell us a lot about what’s going on with Alexa Bliss. To start, one has to believe that Bliss is on a timetable to appear back on WWE television to help promote the Holiday Lilly merch for gift-giving fans. Now is the perfect time to go hard on holiday shopping, and while the wrestling org could (and probably will) promo Lilly's merriment in a similar static fashion during Raw and SmackDown, the visual doesn’t hit quite as well without the eye-grabbing superstar responsible for the doll also on screen.

Alexa Bliss’ prolonged time off television, as well as the athlete's own social media posts, led to speculation that the WWE could be repackaging her character and possibly abandoning her gimmick as the Harley Quinn-esque supernatural wrestler. If the WWE is still planning on selling multiple versions of Lilly (which apparently sell well), I wouldn’t think those theories hold much (holy) water anymore. It doesn’t seem like Bliss is hinting at her character going in other narrative directions either, as her recent posts showcase the fan-favorite persona she was rocking just before she left. 

Instagram posts aren’t exactly definitive proof of anything, of course, especially when it comes to the WWE. At the same time, I'm not seeing anything here that indicates Alexa Bliss will change her character’s persona when she returns, or that the WWE is unhappy with her gimmick. And given how heavily geared to wrestling her social media posts have been very recently, it's logical to think she'll be back on our TVs very soon.

Some of the fan chatter regarding Bliss' potential persona troubles with the WWE stem from the fact the gimmick is tied to former WWE superstar Bray Wyatt. Bliss betrayed Wyatt at WrestleMania 37, which seemingly set up a feud for the two whenever Wyatt returned from the loss. As WWE fans know, Wyatt never returned, which seemingly left Bliss’ story in limbo. Now, it seems like the WWE is fine letting Bliss and Lilly remain a team regardless of any severed ties with Wyatt. Fans will undoubtedly have their thoughts about that, but as long as it’s something Bliss wants to do, I’m not sure it’s a problem. 

Alexa Bliss is still currently off WWE television, obviously, but perhaps there’s a chance she’ll return in time for the Survivor Series pay-per-view set to air live on Peacock Sunday, November 21st. We’ll likely know more as the date draws closer, as matches are still being set for one of the brand’s biggest events of the year.

WWE superstar Alexa Bliss has been in the news a lot lately after rumors surfaced saying she'd be stepping away from television following her loss to Charlotte Flair at Extreme Rules. Some wondered if this, combined with Lilly being destroyed, marked the end of "creepy Alexa," or if the hiatus was meant to rebuild momentum. A new report makes it appear neither is the cause for her absence, however, even as Bliss seemingly fed into the character-based speculation with a cryptic post of an Albert Einstein quote. At this point, it's still a guessing game regarding what connects to what.

Rumors of Alexa Bliss' absence from WWE television were seemingly proven in part by her absence on Monday Night Raw, though the hiatus apparently has nothing to do with her current gimmick. PWInsider.com reported that Bliss was taking time away from WWE for medical purposes, and was written off television because she's set to have a sinus surgery. (It's perhaps also noteworthy that Sheamus recently announced he's having sinus surgery and is expected to miss a few weeks from WWE as a result.) No timetable has been given on Bliss' reported surgery or the recovery time.

If Bliss is indeed getting surgery of any sort, she hasn't offered up that information up to fans as Sheamus did. Instead, Bliss' latest social media post spotlight a famous quote from Albert Einstein, and without any personal commentary, which feels fairly cryptic given the randomness of the posting.

I'm not sure what that quote would mean in relation to sinus surgery, but I would wager Alexa Bliss didn't have that in mind when she sent the message. Rather, the Einstein post could be a veiled message to fans about the status of her character, considering how her match with Charlotte Flair ended at Extreme Rules. Flair defeated Bliss and then rubbed salt in the room by tearing her disturbing doll Lilly to shreds. Bliss sobbed violently over the loss of her doll and that was the last fans saw of her.

A big part of Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss' feud was rooted in Flair being upset at how Bliss' changed from a developing badass to a spooky goth kid. It was Flair's goal to beat Bliss in the ring, and potentially convince her to drop her creepy persona and revert to the sassy dominant wrestler she once was. The storyline and rumored absence led some to speculate that WWE creatives decided to shed Bliss' gimmick, with plans to bring her back a few months later with a persona disconnected from her current one.

Alexa Bliss' latest gimmick was largely tied to released wrestler Bray Wyatt, so it seemed plausible that could be something that happens. Bliss sharing this Albert Einstein quote, however, leads me to believe she's subtly letting fans know that Lilly and her creepiness aren't being entirely eradicated, and that they may return in some form whenever she does. It could also be entirely unrelated, considering a lot of what we know so far is primarily unofficial reports and speculation. We may just have to wait and see what's up with Alexa when she finally returns to television.

WWE's upcoming draft is set to kick off on Friday, October 1st, during SmackDown on Fox, and will conclude Monday, October 4th, during Monday Night Raw on USA. Stick with CinemaBlend for more WWE content, such as our recent list of the most memorable cameos by wrestlers in movies.

Alexa Bliss has had a wild 2021 compared to other wrestlers, and her story has been all over the place. She went from betraying her comrade Bray Wyatt to taking on what seemed to be potential title opportunities, and now in the aftermath of WWE's Extreme Rules pay-per-view, we're at the point where Bliss will reportedly take time away from TV soon. The move would be a surprising one, and if it turns out to be legit, I have to ask why that's the case.

The superstar’s latest match against Charlotte Flair could be a clue, as their feud centered around Flair’s allegation that Alexa Bliss had lost her way in the midst of a promising rise. Some WWE fans thought the match with Flair was Bliss getting a long-awaited shot at the Raw Women’s Championship, but the match's result and subsequent report from WrestlingInc.com could suggest the opposite. Flair destroyed Bliss’ creepy doll Lilly to punctuate the victory, leaving Bliss to weep over Lilly's remains before exiting the ring with them.

At first, the loss didn’t seem like anything too terrible, since beloved wrestlers lose all the time, and Charlotte Flair’s destruction of Lilly was completely on-brand for a heel. But with the as-yet-unconfirmed rumor that Bliss will be away from television for a while, one has to wonder if this means that WWE is now officially laying Alexa’s “creepy girl” gimmick to rest in order to revert her back to the sassy and less disturbed wrestler she was prior to it.

It’s worth noting that once Bray Wyatt was officially out of WWE, not very much about Alexa Bliss’ gimmick made sense contextually, considering Bliss tied her latest persona to the Sister Abigail gimmick first mentioned during the Wyatt Family stable’s run. Alexa has struggled to shake Wyatt’s gimmick from her persona and was jeered by crowds with “We Want Wyatt” chants in the weeks following his release from WWE. But it's not like everybody hated Bliss' efforts in recent months.

Alexa Bliss was a successful and popular wrestler before she got tied up in her current gimmick, so it’s not hard to believe she’ll be just fine without it. At the same time, the WWE and Bliss have made a point to mention Lilly dolls have sold well, and destroying the gimmick so soon would likely mean destroying revenue to be made with Lilly-esque merch ahead of the holiday shopping season. This is what has me back and forth on whether Alexa will shed her gimmick entirely, or if this supposed time away from television would be more to get audiences excited about her again.

WWE wrestlers take mini-hiatuses away from television all the time, so it’s also possible that Alexa Bliss may have been planning for a little vacation for a while now. Extreme Rules did take place in Bliss’ billed hometown of Columbus, Ohio, so it would be an excellent spot for her to hop off the tour and spend some well-deserved time off. But as we wait to see if and how the organization addresses this rumor, I also won't be surprised if Bliss pops up on Raw and the impending draft, with or without Lilly 2.0 at her side.

Monday Night Raw airs on USA Mondays at 8:00 p.m. ET. Continue to stick with CinemaBlend for more happening in the wrestling world, including why it seemed obvious that Roman Reigns wasn’t going to drop his title at the latest pay-per-view.

Alexa Bliss' WWE run in the last couple of months has been bittersweet. On the one hand, it would appear her possessed persona is about as popular as it has ever been, but there's no denying her character has been impacted by the unexpected release of Bray Wyatt. It's fine for fans to chant for the departed superstar during Bliss' matches, but she will not stand for slander from trolls attempting to come after her on social media.

Alexa Bliss recently proved her brawling skills aren't just present in the ring after a WWE fan commented on a post from the WWE Network regarding Bliss' 2017 championship title. The fan responded to the moment pointing out that Bliss hasn't been in the women's title hunt as of late, and then criticized how the WWE has booked Bliss, who clearly seemed to take offense to that comment. She shared the fan's message on her own profile and responded with the following:

Alexa Bliss' tweet essentially seemed to state that even if some fans don't like her latest persona, there are plenty of others out there who absolutely do. The replica of Bliss' possessed Lilly is a hot commodity in the WWE store, especially at a time when fans were unable to buy the doll in person for so many months, and it seems like fans are all about owning it for themselves. And while she didn't exactly defend the WWE's decisions in relation to her own preferences, she definitely made her point.

To the commenter's credit, their criticisms were aimed more squarely on the WWE than Alexa Bliss herself, but it certainly wasn't complimentary to her. In any case, Bliss' change in character has certainly been a hotly contested issue amongst fans who remember her run from years ago, consdiering she's still viewed as one of the best in-ring talents the WWE has. Her change in persona from heel wrestler to supernatural heel wrestler has shifted over time and made Bliss less of a face in the women's title picture due to her other storylines.

At least, that was the case until recently. The Monday Night Raw following SummerSlam featured Alexa Bliss coming face to face with Raw's current Women's Champ Charlotte Flair, which is presumably setting the stage for a title opportunity. Perhaps if Alexa wins the women's championship, it would silence the Lilly haters, though there's no guarantee of that happening. After all, Bliss' character is a spin on a character originally made popular by Bray Wyatt, who was rarely primed for success with his notable personas, despite red-hot popularity with the fans. Hopefully this won't be the case with Bliss, but one can never know in the WWE.

Monday Night Raw airs on USA on Mondays at 8:00 p.m. ET. For more news on what's happening in pro wrestling, read up on how CM Punk recently teased Daniel Bryan's arrival in AEW, which would be another big blow to the WWE.

Warning! The following contains spoilers from WWE's SummerSlam 2021 pay-per-view. Read at your own risk!

WWE hosted one of its biggest pay-per-views of the year this past Saturday and, once SummerSlam 2021 ended, there was a lot to talk about regarding how the event played out. We saw the surprise return of many WWE superstars, a few title changes, and some other surprises that have inspired a lot of questions that we're eager to learn the answers to.

The popular adage is that "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas," but that won't be the case here. With that in mind, let's talk about some of the big questions I have following SummerSlam and some brief speculation on what could happen in the coming weeks on Monday Night Raw and SmackDown.

When Will Bianca Belair And Becky Lynch Have An Actual Match?

Becky Lynch's (sort of) unexpected return and then squash of Bianca Belair was unquestionably the shock of SummerSlam. On the one hand, fans were happy to see Lynch back in the WWE. On the other, Bianca Belair has done a lot to earn the respect of fans, and many were excited about her title reign. Many were already upset at the initial news that Sasha Banks had been pulled from Belair's title match and replaced with Carmella, but having Becky make a surprising return and steal the title after a punch and one move? That's devastating.

It's especially tough because we know how meaningful Becky Lynch is to the WWE and fans. It was only a matter of time before she was handed the title, but squashing Bianca Belair like she was nothing (even if it was a fake handshake cheap shot) felt like the wrong way to play this. I would've much preferred for Belair to squash Carmella and then do a stare-down with Lynch or for the two to have had an actual match that helped keep Belair relevant in the months to come. Ultimately, I'm hoping the two get an actual match on an upcoming SmackDown or that this feud carries into another pay-per-view showdown.

When Will We See Brock Lesnar Again?

Roman Reigns' defeat of John Cena was painfully predictable, especially when Reigns claimed he'd leave the WWE if he lost. What some fans may not have expected was that Brock Lesnar actually did return for SummerSlam, albeit for a small segment at the end of the show. Lesnar arrived at SummerSlam, danced around a bit in the ring, and Reigns ultimately backed down, refusing to do a second title match that night with The Beast Incarnate. Honestly, I don't blame Lesnar for trying, as it worked for Becky Lynch earlier in the night!

As is always the case with Brock Lesnar, though, it's hard to know when to expect him again. The WWE rules of talent appearances rarely apply to Lesnar, and the guy can win a title and go months without appearing again. Followingn Summerslam, I would assume he'll make an appearance on the SmackDown to confront Roman Reigns and their shared advocate, Paul Heyman, but is this all a build for a match at Extreme Rules in a month? Lesnar vs. Reigns feels more like a Survivor Series-caliber match-up to me, but I could be totally wrong, considering that's two months out. Could we actually see these two square off in a title match in September?

Will Goldberg And Bobby Lashley’s Feud Conclude With That Goofy Ending?

Goldberg and Bobby Lashley's SummerSlam match was also a rather predictable showdown, as few expected Lashley to drop his title to the part-timer, Goldberg. In fact, I expected to see Goldberg quietly get written off following his SummerSlam loss, though doing so will create a rather flat ending if that's the case. Goldberg's 15-year-old son, Gage, rushed the ring to try and attack Lashley and protect his father from further damage, only to be put in The Hurt Lock by the wrestler.

My assumption is the WWE expected the crowd to be appalled at Bobby Lashley's attack on a child, but Allegiant Stadium erupted in thunderous applause. What then resulted was Lashley realizing his mistake and releasing the "unconscious" boy, and MVP explained in a panicked voice that Lashley didn't mean to do that. The crowd continued to cheer as Goldberg and his son both laid in a heap in the ring, resulting in the most comical moment I've seen in the WWE in some time. My guess is the WWE may edit the crowd noise in replays to better service the story, especially if this feud is meant to continue. Otherwise, this feud concludes with the crowd cheering on Lashley as he submits a child after beating his father, which really takes the wind out of the whole story.

Does The WWE Have A Plan For Alexa Bliss Following Bray Wyatt’s Exit?

I hate that Alexa Bliss has been the most targeted superstar by fans at live shows following Bray Wyatt's exit, but I also get the sense the WWE doesn't know quite what to do with her now that he's gone. SummerSlam featured Bliss serving a beatdown to Eva Marie, but with none of her supernatural powers or any of the stuff we've seen in previous months. Obviously, she didn't need them because Eva Marie's whole gimmick is that she's not actually a good wrestler, but Bliss was more or less a side character in a story that was really all about Eva Marie and her sidekick, Doudrop.

This feud didn't need Alexa Bliss for Doudrop to humiliate Eva Marie following her loss, and it seemed like Bliss was on the road to a title shot or something else in the months following WrestleMania. With the reports that Wyatt was expected to return at SummerSlam ahead of his firing, I now can't help but think that his exit derailed plans for her character, which is a shame. I hate to say it, but it may just be time for Bliss to drop the supernatural act that was tied to Wyatt and just return to being a damn good wrestler.

Will AJ Styles And Omos Stay In The Tag Team Scene?

AJ Styles and Omos lost the Raw tag-team titles to RK-Bro at SummerSlam, which has me wondering what the long-term plan is for the duo. Obviously, every tag team gets their mandatory rematch and, if that match is good, the WWE may just book it a few more times, but I'm not so certain that will happen. The tag-team division is chock full of talent at the moment, whereas the singles division could certainly use both AJ and Omos in the mix to shake things up.

Obviously, AJ Styles is "phenomenal" anywhere the WWE puts him on the roster, but Omos could also help hype a rather lackluster singles division on Monday Night Raw. Bobby Lashley is going to need a new opponent following his squash of Goldberg, and I don't think we've had Drew McIntyre away from Lashley long enough to get nostalgic for those matches again. Even if it's a squash match, I'd love to see Omos go up against Lashley just to shake things up, or even Styles! I can't imagine the WWE still needs either cluttering up an already stacked tag-team division, but I won't even begin to act like I know what the WWE wants.

Who Will Big E Cash In Against?

Brock Lesnar's return to challenge Roman Reigns laid out the clear start of a feud, but where does that leave Big E? Mr. Money In The Bank still has the opportunity to cash in for a title shot, but would doing it against the winner of a bout between his fellow SmackDown wrestler Roman Reigns and his presumed challenger Brock Lesnar be the best decision? Seth Rollins would say yes, but if I'm thinking that in terms of WWE storytelling, his odds of winning a title are better elsewhere.

Picture this, Big E arrives on Monday Night Raw and cashes in on Bobby Lashley at an opportune time. Sure, Lashley may have Langston outclassed in one-on-one, but what if Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston arrive from the back in the eleventh hour and help their best friend get his first WWE Championship? It would be amazing, and then the New Day would be reunited once again, with Big E as the WWE Champion. I'd much rather see that over Big E attempting a cash-in solo against Roman Reigns or Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship so, hopefully, the WWE is on the same page.

Monday Night Raw airs on USA Mondays at 8:00 p.m. ET, and SmackDown can be seen on Fox Fridays at the same time. Keep with CinemaBlend for all things related to the WWE, including the recent comments about the possibility of the company exchanging ownership in the near future.

The WWE has repeatedly shocked fans in 2021 by ousting more than a few high-profile superstars from its roster, but arguably nothing has been as surprising as the news that arrived on July 30, when the wrestling organization announced 12-year veteran and former champion Bray Wyatt was being released. Why would the company give the axe to a wrestler that has unquestionably been of the most beloved brawlers in recent years? Now, coupled with Wyatt's former colleague Alexa Bliss sharing her reaction with the internet, some rumors have surfaced regarding The Fiend's release.

As far as an "official" reason for why Bray Wyatt was released, Fightful.com (via ewrestling.com) reported that the WWE's Head of Talent Relations John Laurinaitis phoned Wyatt (real name Windham Rotunda) and told him he'd been released due to budget cuts. This would make sense from a practicality standpoint, as many of the other recently released WWE talent have noted the same factor sparking their firings, and it's no secret the WWE lost out on tons of money after being forced to halt their touring and live shows throughout the bulk of 2020 and early 2021. Still, it doesn't fully explain why Wyatt of all people was sacrificed, especially just before one of its biggest events of the year, SummerSlam 2021.

But it allegedly wasn't only about budgetary reasons, as the rumor mill also points to creative disagreements. Playing into past rumors, the WWE reportedly wanted to bring Bray Wyatt back in August, presumably for SummerSlam, but it's claimed that Wyatt was being protective over exactly how his character returned, and that he was upset with some of the ideas that the creative team proposed to him. That said, it was also noted that no one from the WWE's creative team spoke to Wyatt personally, so it's presumed that these opinions were shared in passing but possibly weren't addressed directly. And that probably wouldn't surprise a lot of wrestling fans that have consistently been frustrated with how Wyatt has been utilized by the WWE in the past, most notably for the fact that he rarely ever comes out on top in his various rivalries.

In fact, the last time audiences saw Bray Wyatt on television was when he was betrayed by his possessed partner-in-crime Alexa Bliss during his big match at WrestleMania 37 against Randy Orton. Bliss (real name Lexi Kaufman) posted a response to the news of Wyatt's release on Twitter, but then quickly locked down her page soon after. Here's what her message stated:

Bliss' reaction, as well as those of many other WWE stars, proves just how sudden and unexpected Bray Wyatt's release was, and is a sign that the working relationship between Wyatt and the WWE is officially kaput, at least for now. Of course, wrestlers can come and go from the company at a moment's notice, so its possible audiences may see him again in a completely different federation, especially given the amount of talent that the AEW has allegedly gathered in recent weeks.

Monday Night Raw airs on USA on Mondays at 8:00 p.m. ET. Continue to stick with CinemaBlend for more details that may emerge on Bray Wyatt, and for more rumors about what's happening for SummerSlam.

Warning! The following contains spoilers for the episode of Monday Night Raw, which aired Monday, May 17. Read at your own risk!

Alexa Bliss teased a couple of weeks ago that her doll Lily would soon be unleashed on the WWE women's roster, which made it seem like Monday Night Raw was preparing for Bliss to make a run at a women's title. Of course, many assumed it would be the Raw Women's Championship, but is there a chance she's actually going for the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship instead?

That's certainly a question fans should be asking after the latest Monday Night Raw, which saw the Women's Tag Team Championship up for grabs in a match between champions Natalya and Tamina and challengers Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler. Alexa, who interviewed the champs earlier in the night, also was there but observed the match from outside the ring.

Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler put up a good fight, but ultimately the two fell to the champs when a burst of flame shot up from one of the ring posts and seemingly blinded the duo's manager Reginald. Baszler was stunned by the event, and Natalya seized the opportunity and scored the pinfall before the challenger knew what hit her. Alexa Bliss's laughter could be heard over the loudspeakers in the arena not long after, which removed any doubt that she and Lily had a role in the interruption.

Sure, the interference ultimately helped Natalya and Tamina retain the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship, but why did the creepy Alexa Bliss needlessly inject herself into this match? As mentioned earlier, it seemed she'd have her eyes set on the Raw Women's Championship. None of these women are in contention for that title, but two of them do hold the tag titles. I believe it's possible Alexa interfered so that she could get a chance at the title at an upcoming pay-per-view.

It sounds ludicrous, especially when one considers that Alexa burned the bridge with her only real ally, Bray Wyatt, back at WrestleMania 37. It's unfathomable that any wrestler in the WWE would want to tag-team with her, let alone share the titles with her creepy self. That is, of course, unless her tag partner has been hiding in plain sight this entire time.

Yes, I'm suggesting that Alexa Bliss is about to tag-team with her demented doll Lily. Lily wouldn't be much of a physical presence in the ring, but her overall creep factor is a major plus. I should also note that I'm not entirely sure whether or not Lily or Alexa was responsible for that spontaneous pillar of fire, but if it was Lily, more of those shenanigans would certainly make her a viable tag-partner for Alexa.

Another take is that Lily really is just a doll, and Alexa's twisted mind has unlocked a supernatural potential so great that she could easily demolish the tag-team champions and defend the titles on her own. It's certainly an unexpected direction for the WWE to take if Alexa does end up pursuing the tag titles with Lily, but an interesting one. I won't say if it's a bad or good idea just yet, but I do appreciate the potential twist of the WWE giving Alexa a different route than the obvious path many expected if that's what's happening here.

Monday Night Raw airs on USA Mondays at 8:00 p.m. ET. We've got plenty of questions about what's happening in the WWE as of late, so be sure to read up on our opinion of Daniel Bryan and why his SmackDown banishment should ultimately send him to Raw.

WWE superstar Alexa Bliss has taken a dark turn over the past year, and lately, it seems as though the character will get far more deranged before she gets any "better." After she robbed The Fiend of a possible victory at WrestleMania 37, Bliss is now chilling out on Monday Night Raw with her new friend who is all sorts of creepy and hilarious at the same time. And Bliss' Lily doll definitely isn't the first time the WWE has won fans over with an inanimate object.

Lily has a lot of evil energy, and it's just the kind of energy that could turn an inanimate object into into something amazingly popular within the WWE. That may sound crazy, but pro wrestling has a way of taking non-living objects and imbuing them with personalities that end up making as big a splash with fans as the wrestlers themselves. Let's take a look at these new and old faves, some of which undoubtedly played a role in the respective wrestlers' success.

Lily

Alexa Bliss was once thought to be an ally of Bray Wyatt, though her actions at WrestleMania 37 have thrown that all into question. Afterward, Bliss appeared on Monday Night Raw with a new "friend" by the name of Lily, who vaguely resembles her owner, though more so if Bliss was actually a horror movie creepster than a professional wrestler. Those hard teeth glued to Lily's face definitely add a shudder-worthy factor, since I'm not entirely convinced they aren't actual human teeth.

Alexa Bliss will soon unleash Lily on the roster, and while we don't totally know what that means just yet, we know Bliss is capable of pulling off some weird stuff with her new persona. With Lily by her side, I don't think it's crazy to think Bliss will have a decent chance to conquer the women's division, or at least to get right up to that point before Bray Wyatt resurfaces for a little payback. Who knows, though? Maybe Wyatt will take that slight against him in stride, and the two will return to being besties. Lily might be able to convince him better than anyone else.

Mr. Socko

If you ask any group of WWE fans about their favorite Mick Foley persona, you're probably going to get all different answers, with Mankind, Dude Love and Cactus Jack as the standouts. Ultimately, I think we can all agree that Foley is, plainly and simply, one of the best to ever pro wrestle, but I will always personally have Mankind at the top of my list, in part because of Mr. Socko. The idea that the mentally loopy Mankind made himself a little sock puppet friend as a coping mechanism seems ridiculous, but it became one of those kooky ideas that 100% helped sell the derangement of the character while also creating a lovable and sympathetic side to Foley's bizarre persona.

Plus, what better way for Mick Foley's Mankind to sell the Mandible Claw than with a secondary character doing the clawing? As a kid, shoving a hand in someone's mouth didn't seem all THAT devastating, gross as it is. But adding a disgusting sock to the situation makes it completely understandable why opponents would be overwhelmed to the point of potentially passing out from the stench. (So funny.) Honestly, the only fate that seemed worse in the Attitude Era was getting a Stink Face from Rikishi, but I can't really say I'd have an easy time picking the better option.

The Undertaker's Urn

The Undertaker's urn was one of the more mystical items gracing the WWE through the '90s, as it was purportedly a source of the wrestler's power. To this day, it's hard to explain exactly how the urn and its contents granted The Undertaker his strength and ability to suddenly pop right up just when you think he's knocked out, but we just know that when Paul Bearer had the urn in his possession, The Phenom became a much more proficient and deadly wrestler. Without it, he was still a hulking dude, obviously, but not nearly as motivated and badass as when it was nearby.

While the urn was a big part of The Undertaker's gimmick throughout the bulk of his career, the WWE moved away from it in his final years prior to retirement. Perhaps it was CM Punk's implication the ashes contained the deceased Paul Bearer (real name Bill Moody), or simply the fact that Bearer was the character who really sold the power of the relic. In either case, Taker continued his career without it, and somehow managed to be just as mystical and deadly in the process.

Head

It's hard to talk about the Attitude Era without mentioning one of the most popular props of that boundary-pushing span: Al Snow's Head. The disembodied top of a female mannequin that accompanied Al Snow just about everywhere he went, Head was Al's confidant and...possibly...his lover. Head was also massively over with the fanbase, which jubilantly chanted "Head, Head, Head" whenever Snow was on screen or headed to the ring. WWE writers took advantage of that by spicing Snow's theme song up with dialogue that included "What does everybody want," and other bits that encouraged dirty-minded fans to chant it non-stop.

Head didn't elevate Al Snow to the levels of greatness celebrated by Mick Foley and The Undertaker, to be sure, but Snow's WWE run with Head was surprisingly fun and memorable right up until it/she was impaled by Prince Albert. Head was replaced by a Chihuahua named Pepper, for a storyline where even the WWE acknowledged that things were taken a bit too far. Sadly for WWE fans, Head didn't make a comeback until Snow left the company and returned briefly to ECW. Maybe Head could make an appearance at Raw throwback show in the future? Sitting in the crowd all alone, perhaps, just waiting for someone to pick it up.

Francesca

The New Day will go down in WWE history as a faction that won the fanbase over so much that the tag team literally made the things they were associated with more popular. This includes unicorns, pancakes, Booty-O's, and of course, Xavier Woods' beloved trombone Francesca. The instrument was vital in pumping up the crowd for the "New Day Rocks" chant, and it served as a wonderful distraction that won the faction a good deal of matches in their early run.

The original Francesca was destroyed by Chris Jericho, the jerk, and has since been replaced by Francesca II: Turbo. Unfortunately, Francesca hasn't been utilized quite as successfully or as often in matches ever since Big E Langston parted ways from the trio and joined the SmackDown roster. Hopefully, though, the WWE will put the three together again and let them operate at the full power we know they can.

Will Lily be as iconic as some of the other items on this list, or just a super-nightmarish flash in the pan? We can only continue to watch Monday Night Raw on USA every Monday night at 8:00 p.m. ET to find out. For more on the world of WWE, keep yourself busy with the best WWE documentaries to watch on Peacock.

Wrestling fans were more than a little upset following The Fiend's latest loss at WrestleMania 37, and apparently, they weren't alone in that sentiment. Bray Wyatt had a message for the world in the hours following his tragic loss, and his cryptic post may mean bad things for his partnership with Alexa Bliss.

As those who watched WrestleMania 37 know, Wyatt's alter ego The Fiend was moments away from victory over Randy Orton when Bliss interrupted the proceedings. The distraction gave Orton just enough of an opening to hit his patented RKO on The Fiend and pin him yet again during WrestleMania. The Fiend and Bliss had a staredown not long after the match, though no words were exchanged before they both disappeared. With that said, this picture posted by Bray Wyatt on Twitter on Monday may have said all he needed to say.

The picture is based on the biblical story of Samson and Delilah, in which the strong Samson is tricked by a woman hired by his enemies. My interpretation is that Bray Wyatt believes that Alexa Bliss' interference was an intentional distraction and one that was meant to help Randy Orton win the match. If that were the case, then it would seem Wyatt is done with Bliss, and the two will no longer be partnered up.

Of course, just because Bray Wyatt believes he was betrayed by Alexa Bliss doesn't mean it's the truth. The Wyatt family lore is nuanced in a bunch of weird supernatural stuff, and I, along with many other WWE fans, think this could be the start to Bliss becoming the mythical Sister Abigail. This could lead to some deeper understanding between the two and even more weirdness down the stretch.

The problem some fans may have with that is while Bray Wyatt's angles and stories are often entertaining, the WWE has more or less made him the punching bag for most major stars. His WrestleMania record is 1-4, and it's getting to a point where any amount of hype is hard to justify when Wyatt rarely holds any WWE titles or accolades across the brand.

Of course, perhaps with this latest twist with Alexa Bliss, there's some missing piece to The Fiend transformation that can finally transform him into the destructive supernatural force the WWE created with The Undertaker. It's safe to say Wyatt has inherited the keys to the kingdom as the brand's resident boogeyman (not to be confused with The Boogeyman). However, the lack of a dominant record has hindered that experience along the way. Perhaps this embarrassing defeat at WrestleMania 37 is the start of a new dominant era, and we'll all eventually thank heavens that WWE decided to pull that stunt with Bliss after all.

More answers on Bray Wyatt and Alexa Bliss may come on Monday Night Raw, which airs on USA Mondays at 8:00 p.m. ET. For more on WWE, check out the speculation that a prominent UFC name may soon join the WWE after being called out by one of its superstars.