We’re just a few weeks away from WrestleMania 42, and the card is finally starting to come together. We officially have 12 announced matches, with a couple others that are being heavily teased. If recent history is any indication, it’s likely we’re going to get either 14 or 15 spread across the two days. That’ll leave room for a handful of additional superstars to get their moments, but even so, it’s becoming increasingly obvious that a ton of huge names are not going to make The Showcase Of The Immortals.

We’ll get a lot more clarity over the next week, but after last night’s Raw at Madison Square Garden, I thought it would make sense to check in on where we’re at. Let’s do a quick overview of what matches have already been announced, what matches I think have a chance to get added and who that would leave on the outside looking in.

What Matches Have Been Announced

Roman Reigns vs CM Punk for The World Heavyweight Championship

Cody Rhodes vs Randy Orton for The WWE Championship

Stephanie Vaquer vs Liv Morgan for The Women’s World Championship

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

AJ Lee vs Becky Lynch for The Women’s Intercontinental Championship

Penta vs JD McDonagh vs Je’Von Evans vs Rusev vs Dragon Lee For The Intercontinental Championship

Sami Zayn vs Trick Williams for The United States Championship

Nia Jax And Lash Legend vs Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss vs The Bella Twins vs Bayley and Lyra Valkyria for The Women’s Tag Team Championships

Oba Femi vs Brock Lesnar

Dominik Mysterio vs Finn Bálor

Seth Rollins vs Gunther

Drew McIntyre vs Jacob Fatu

What Matches Could Get Announced

I think there are two matches we are almost certainly going to get. Logan Paul and Austin Theory have been feuding with The Usos and LA Knight for weeks. Last night, streaming legend IShowSpeed interfered in their brawl and helped Paul and Theory. I think we’re going to get a 3v3 match at ‘Mania featuring these guys. I also think we’re going to get Iyo Sky vs Asuka or Iyo Sky vs Asuka vs Kairi Sane. Those three have been interacting on a regular basis for weeks now, and they’re clearly telling a story about Kairi eventually turning on Asuka. ‘Mania would be the place to do that, and Iyo is, in my opinion, way too over with the crowd to leave off the card. She’s reached that level.

I also think we’re probably going to get something with Jelly Roll on the WrestleMania card. He’s been a regular fixture on SmackDown the last few weeks. Rumors have swirled he may introduce Royce Keys as part of some kind of tag team program with The Miz and Kit Wilson. It’s also possible Danhausen could factor in somehow. I’m not sure what exactly the configuration and specifics are gonna be, but I do think Jelly is gonna get his ‘Mania moment, especially after he put over Drew McIntyre and Logan Paul at SummerSlam.

Beyond that, there are a few other matches that could sneak in. Tiffany Stratton and Giulia have been circling each other for awhile, with a still injured Chelsea Green on the periphery, as well as Kiana James. I figured some configuration would make the card for sure, but as each week goes by, I’m having more doubts. I also thought El Grande Americano vs El Grande Americano would make the card for sure, but given that feud is mega-over in AAA and only somewhat over in WWE, it’s possible they may want to save that for TripleMania instead of WrestleMania.

Who That Leaves On The Outside

Damian Priest and R-Truth recently won the tag team titles, but the SmackDown tag division has largely been ignored this year. Since there’s already a ladder match for the Intercontinental Championship and a big multi-woman match for the Women’s Tag Team Championships, I don’t really know that WWE is gonna throw something together for this division. I think they’re probably out, which especially sucks for Damian since he put on a low-key banger last year at 'Mania.

I’m also worried about Carmelo Hayes. He had a fantastic run as United States Champion but was, much to the frustration of fans, unceremoniously dethroned this past week. There’s some hope he could get added to Sami Zayn and Trick Williams’ match, but that would need to happen quickly. I have even less hope for Ilja Dragunov. It seemed like him and Melo were going to finally pay off their storyline at ‘Mania, but then they burned the match off on SmackDown a few weeks ago. Now Ilya is directionless with no clear path.

Raquel is another major head-scratcher. She’s been a huge part of Raw the past year and has taken big steps forward in her career. She beat Iyo earlier this week, as an example, and it wasn’t even a big surprise. There were rumors for a long time that she might get added to Liv and Stephanie’s ‘Mania match for The Women’s World Championship. That’s how high her stock has risen. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like that’s going to happen. I also suspect her Judgment Day running mate Roxanne Perez is going to be left out too.

The Wyatt Sicks and MFTs feuded for months, but it looks like that angle has gone cold at the worst possible moment. They’re likely all going to be left off the ‘Mania card, which is particularly rough for Solo Sikoa, considering his mic work has been on point for the last year. I really believe in him long-term (Tama Tonga too), but it looks like the timing isn’t going to work out this time around. Natalya and Maxxine’s feud also seems to have run out of steam ahead of ‘Mania and is probably going to get left off the card.

There are also a lot of notable names that don’t really even seem in consideration. Matt Cardona, Aleister Black and Zelina Vega all played a role in the Randy Orton/ Cody Rhodes feud, but their roles don’t look like they’ll carry forward to ‘Mania. Shinsuke Nakamura has mostly been used to further Tama Tonga’s character, but neither of them is likely to get on. Johnny Garagno is still working with his wife on the plotline about him being comatose, but there’s no antagonist to that story yet.

Tag teams like The Street Profits, The Motor City Machine Guns, Los Garza, Fraxiom, Otis and Tozawa, the Viking Raiders and the Creed Brothers haven’t had prominent storylines in a hot minute. The New Day and Grayson Waller have at least been regular fixtures on TV, but that hasn’t progressed into anything ‘Mania worthy yet. Rey Fénix was building some nice momentum with Andrade before his release and has kind of been stuck in the mud since then. They’ll likely all be off.

And then of course there are injuries. Bianca Belair, Bron Breakker, Bronson Reed, Sheamus, and Rey Mysterio would all likely be on the card if they were healthy, as would Naomi who has taken time off for her pregnancy. Their absence has shifted some major storylines in recent months, and it’s entirely possible if they were healthy and around, some other wrestlers on the outside may have been in because of the ripple effects.

To Sum Up

It might sound like I’m complaining about some people being left off the card, but the truth is WWE employs too many talented wrestlers to get everyone a moment. Huge names get left off every year. We don’t want multiple five hour nights, and we don’t want to shoehorn everyone into a battle royal just to say they were on. Spots on the card should be earned.

That being said, do I think it’s ridiculous if performers like Raquel and Carmelo Hayes who have done fantastic work over the last six months are left off? Yes, I do. I think WWE should find a way to get its most important performers on the card. Fortunately, there’s still a few weeks for WWE to find a way.

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

WrestleMania 42 is rapidly approaching, and as the WWE allegedly scrambles to find a reason to get butts in seats and generate more hype around the event, lots of rumors are circling about big names. We've heard since the Super Bowl that Bad Bunny might be appearing, and we've been waiting for Bianca Belair to return, and now there are updates on both.

Bad Bunny last appeared in the WWE when Backlash was in Puerto Rico in 2023, and he had a street fight against Damian Priest. As for Bianca, she's been out with a broken knuckle since after WrestleMania 41. Now, it's looking like one may be showing up to Las Vegas for a big match, and it may not be the person readers expect.

Bianca Belair Posts Update On Injured Finger

I think once the Royal Rumble came and went and Bianca Belair still hadn't returned to the WWE, wrestling fans began to be really concerned. She's approaching close to the year mark for being out with a broken knuckle, which may not sound all that bad to the average person. Unfortunately, Belair revealed it's much more complicated than one might think, and she just had surgery that will keep her off television and PLE's for a while:

This doesn't seem like a work, because what could the WWE stand to gain from Bianca Belair unexpectedly returning at WrestleMania 42? This injury is legit, and apparently it's going to take a while for her to get right and back in the company. Here's hoping for a speedy recovery, because she's too good and too much of an icon to be sidelined for this long.

A New Report Shares Update On Bad Bunny Returning To The WWE

Rumors about Bad Bunny returning to the WWE have gone on for weeks, with a lot of chatter and hope from other superstars that he'll be taking on Logan Paul. Now we have a meaningful update, courtesy of WrestleVotes radio on Fightful Select.

Word is that the WWE is talking with Bad Bunny's team about him appearing at WrestleMania 42, and that conversations are said to be "positive." I'm not too surprised to hear that, especially considering that the singer openly stated he wants to return.

Of course, even if Bad Bunny wants to return to the WWE, I'm sure there are a lot more factors at play than just his want. He has a whole team behind him, and is just on the heels of winning a Grammy and performing in one of the most-viewed Super Bowl halftime shows in NFL history. As wild as it is to say, he'd be doing the wrestling company a huge favor by showing up to its event on such short notice, especially with little time to prepare. It has to make sense for both sides, so I can understand why it isn't immediately a done deal.

WrestleMania 42 streams live on ESPN Unlimited on April 18th and 19th. We'll see how the two nights play out and what other unexpected faces end up showing up for a match.

With Black History Month fully underway, what better time to celebrate the greatness and accomplishments of some of WWE’s brightest, toughest, and most inspirational Black superstars? Over the years, we’ve seen titans like Mark Henry, Ron Simmons, and Jacqueline put on incredible matches and find a ton of success in and out of the ring. While we could celebrate what’s come before, what if we look towards the future by taking a look at some of WWE’s most promising stars in today’s era?

From up-and-coming superstars like Oba Femi and Je’Von Evans to transformative female wrestlers like Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill, there’s just so much to celebrate. That being said, let’s take a look at this current generation of Black superstars and where they could be going from here…

Oba Femi

Oba Femi’s name is one that comes up quite a lot on this site. From us saying the Nigerian superstar should have been one of John Cena’s final opponents to pitches for WWE to have him win the Royal Rumble, there’s no shortage of love for the former NXT Champion and soon-to-be main-roster wrestler. So, it should come as no surprise that we have him starting off this list.

Since making his debut a few years ago, Femi has taken the wrestling world by storm with his explosive in-ring capabilities, towering presence, and a level of charisma that isn’t too often found in modern wrestling. It will be interesting where he goes from here, as the sky is the limit for this star-in-the-making.

Jade Cargill

Back in the day, you just knew when someone was meant to be a wrestler. That can be said about WWE Women’s Champion Jade Cargill, who looks like the embodiment of a superstar. She towers over the competition, is absolutely jacked, and has been a part of some great programs since jumping over to WWE following a brief run in AEW a few years back.

She’s won the Queen of the Ring tournament, held the Women’s Tag-Team Championship two times with Bianca Belair (more on her later), and fought in the first non-title women’s singles match at WrestleMania in nearly 20 years. That says a lot about Cargill and her trajectory.

Je'Von Evans

Je'Von Evans, the "Young O.G." is another up-and-coming WWE superstar who has been making a name for himself over the past few years. Presented with the NXT Male Superstar of the Year and NXT Match of the Year awards in 2025, Evans is one of those once-in-a-generation stars, and he’s just getting started.

Since making his debut on Raw earlier this year, the 2024 Wrestling Observer Newsletter “Rookie of the Year,” has continued to wow and entertain with his versatile in-ring work, high-flying offense, and a level of natural charisma many of us wish we had. It’s going to be fun watching him evolve and mature in the ring these next few years.

Trick Williams

Though Trick Williams didn’t win the fatal four-way to face WWE Champion Drew McIntyre at the Royal Rumble, his just being there tells you where he stands in the company. Going up against Randy Orton, Damian Priest, and eventual winner Sami Zayn at Saturday Night’s Main Event, a week before the Rumble, proved that this two-time NXT Champion (and former TNA World Champion) is not only ready to go, but here to stay.

This guy is just so captivating, whether he’s in the ring or cutting a promo. He has “It” as old wrestling promoters would say. Fans get behind him (even if they don’t like him), he puts on great matches with just about anyone, and he’s just so dang cool. Strap the rocket to him!

Bianca Belair

Though she’s currently out with an injury (at the time of this writing, anyway), Bianca Belair remains one of the biggest WWE superstars the company has seen in years. A highly inspirational wrestler, a fierce competitor, and a WrestleMania main-eventer, Belair has done a little bit of everything in the past decade.

Back in 2020, we wrote about her being one of WWE’s biggest up-and-coming stars, and she has delivered on that time and time again. All of her matches have that big-time feel to them, and that’s thanks to Belair’s power, technical skill, and charisma, which is unmatched on the women’s roster. We just need her back in action, and now!

Naomi

Naomi has been taking time off since announcing her pregnancy shortly after SummerSlam 2025, so it’s hard to say when she’ll be back in action. That said, the multi-time women’s champion was on the best run of her career before she pressed pause, and it’s likely that she picks up where she left off when that eventual return takes place.

Over the years, Naomi has gone from being one of the Funkadactyls supporting former WWE superstar Brodus Clay to becoming one of the most electric wrestlers in the company. Her entrances with the light shows and wild dancing were in a league of their own, and her in-ring skills are nothing to overlook either. Time and time again, she’s proven she’s one of the best things about the company and wrestling at large.

Carmello Hayes

Here’s the thing: Carmelo Hayes has been putting on some of the best matches in all of wrestling since winning the United States Championship in a barn-burner of a match against Ilja Dragunov late last year. However, that’s just the latest from one of the most dynamic wrestlers in WWE.

Since making his WWE debut back in 2021, when he signed to NXT, Hayes has taken on some of the biggest, brightest, and most devastating wrestlers in the company, and he has the hardware to prove it. Multiple NXT North American Championship reigns, time as NXT Champion, and the winner of the 2025 Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal are just some of Hayes’ accomplishments. Can’t wait to see where he goes from here…

Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods

Last, but certainly not least, are Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods, known collectively as the New Day. Though these two repugnant heels will forever be in the bad graces of wrestling fans around the world for turning against Big E like that, there’s no denying their impact on the sport of professional wrestling over the past decade and change.

These guys have held all the different tag titles multiple times, hosted WrestleMania, had incredible in-ring moments, and have put so many eyes on the product. Sure, they are heels who should be booed whenever they’re on the mic, but again, these two have done so much over the years.

Obviously, there are so many wrestlers we had to leave off this list, but that doesn’t mean they’re not deserving of recognition this Black History Month.

The Royal Rumble is obviously a fantastic gimmick match, but I think the reason why it’s so popular is because it feels like the start of something. Yes, factually it begins the Road To WrestleMania, but informally, it also serves as a new beginning for every single WWE superstar. It doesn’t matter if they were buried at the bottom of the card or competing for championships in 2025. It’s a new day, and for everyone on the entire roster, it’s our first clue as to what we, as fans, can expect.

Yes, the biggest story is always about who wins and gets to fight for a championship at WrestleMania, but deeper than that, there are dozens and dozens of takeaways. For someone lower on the card and fighting for airtime, merely getting a spot in the Rumble can be a sign of hope that WWE plans on using that character moving forward. For someone in the midcard, an unexpectedly deep run can be a sign that they’re about to get a push. For uppercard guys, a notable conflict or heated elimination can be a sign of who they’re going to work with over the next few months or even into WrestleMania.

This article isn’t about subplots inside the Rumble though. It’s about predicting who is actually going to win the thing. As a fan, I’m stoked because it’s as wide open as last year when Jey Uso shocked everyone. This isn’t 2023 where everyone knew Cody Rhodes was going to come back and win. This isn’t 2024 where the fans were overwhelmingly pushing for Bayley. The women’s Rumble is extremely wide open with a a half dozen or so credible winners, and while Roman Reigns is the betting favorite for a variety of reasons, I’m going to pour some cold water on that later in the article.

Before I talk out what I think is going to happen, however, let’s take a quick look back at how my predictions have been going. I’ve made my guesses for every single PLE since WrestleMania 38, and while I’ve had my share of misses, I’ve also proven I’m right a lot more often than I’m wrong. Here's a look at the biggest events last year, plus my overall record...

Drew McIntyre (Champion) Vs Sami Zayn For The WWE Championship

I didn’t want any part of this match. I wrote an entire article pleading with WWE not to go down this road, but unfortunately, here we are in a lose-lose situation. We’ve all watched the plucky underdog Sami Zayn vow over and over again that he’ll win a World Championship at some point, and we’ve all watched him lose repeatedly in heartbreaking fashion, despite having some all-time crowd support. Now, we get to watch the same thing again.

Zayn is arguably the most popular WWE superstar in all of Saudi Arabia, and he is going to be cheered like a conquering hero with the Middle Eastern fans firmly behind him. As always, he’ll put on a spectacular match, but I just don’t see how WWE can take the title off Drew McIntyre this quickly. He just won it from Cody Rhodes, and while the Fed isn’t opposed to using brief transitional champions to move the belt from one babyface to another, I think Drew McIntyre should be a lot more than a transitional champion. Fans have wanted to see the belt back on him for years.

Maybe we’ll see Zayn lose this match and come back for The Royal Rumble, making him an even more sympathetic babyface. Maybe yet another loss in a key spot will facilitate a heel turn. There are a lot of options here, but I think the worst one among them all is taking the belt off Drew.

Predicted Winner: Drew McIntyre

Gunther Vs AJ Styles (Styles Must Retire From WWE If He Loses)

Back when Gunther and Styles first started feuding, I assumed the former was going to retire the latter at WrestleMania. Gunther has already taken out Goldberg and John Cena in their retirement matches, and it would be a great next step for his bruising and vicious Ring General to add Styles’ name to his list of victims. This feels way sooner than expected though.

WWE has been saying for months that 2026 would be AJ Styles’ last year, but it’s not even February yet! He can’t possibly go out this quickly, right? He can’t possibly be out of WWE before Mania, right?

Well, the truth is we don’t know. Rumors are swirling that Styles’ contract might be up in February. It’s also a bit weird to think about Styles having multiple retirement matches in the same year. Maybe he could beat Gunther and go out on his own terms later, but it feels like a setback for Gunther’s character to brag about retiring legends and then lose to a legend in his retirement match, even if he gets the win back later.

If this is really it for AJ Styles, I hope he goes out with his head held high after another all-time legendary match. The Phenomenal One will be remembered as one of the all-time great in-ring technicians. Like Kurt Angle, Bret Hart and others, he was able to work across a variety of styles and at many different paces, always making his opponent look great and always getting over with the fans. He’ll be missed.

Predicted Winner: Gunther

Women’s Royal Rumble

There’s no clear favorite in the women’s Royal Rumble, though I’d say the most chatter has been around Liv Morgan. The fan favorite leader of Judgment Day recently returned from injury and putting her in a huge WrestleMania program feels like the next step in her career. She absolutely has the mic skills to handle being in the spotlight, and it would create a lot of fun drama within Judgment Day since her longtime friend and stablemate Raquel has been feuding for the world title and could conceivably win it.

There’s also a lot of noise around Rhea Ripley and Iyo Sky. The Tag Team Champions are main event levels of over, and given how incredible their prior matches have been, many fans would like to see them work together in a program at WrestleMania. It wouldn’t need one of the big belts to draw interest, but putting the belt on one of them would turn it into a contender to main event one of the nights. The best way to do that would be to have one of them win the Rumble and have the other win the title at Elimination Chamber of an upcoming event.

There are also plenty of people who you could put into the outside chance category. Becky Lynch is doing the best work of her entire career, and despite being Intercontinental Champion, we could all buy her character entering and winning the Rumble and then vowing to become double champion at Mania. Tiffany Stratton was also world champion prior to her injury and is all kinds of over with the crowd. She could return and challenge current champ Jade Cargill who took her out, and it would all make sense as part of a long-term story. I’ll also throw out Asuka, Nia Jax, AJ Lee and even Chelsea Green, who is always a threat to move up the card given her popularity.

I’m going to go with Bianca Belair though. She’s been out with an injury for nine months, and WWE desperately needs her back. The program with Jade Cargill that’s been built and teased for years needs to be paid off and is the highest upside non-Rhea and Iyo program WWE has available in its women’s division. Yes, she’s won a Rumble before, but that was at a very different spot in her career. We don’t know for sure if she’ll be cleared to come back, but if she does, this is who I’m putting my money on.

Predicted Winner: Bianca Belair

Men’s Royal Rumble

Roman Reigns is the odds on favorite to win the Royal Rumble, and it’s easy to see why. With John Cena officially retired, he’s the biggest star with the biggest fanbase and the most aura on WWE’s entire roster. If The Rock isn’t going to be around, Roman being the face of WrestleMania 42 is the best way to attract casual fans and bring lapsed ones back into the fold, which is always a goal at The Showcase Of The Immortals. He’s also super over in Saudi Arabia, and it would feel redeeming to give him another Rumble win, given his 2015 victory was booed and is widely considered one of the biggest creative missteps in company history.

But until Roman proves he’s actually going to be around week in and week out, he should not be winning the Royal Rumble. Period. I love Roman, but what’s always going to matter more to WWE’s bottom line is creating good storylines and television that people are invested in. That requires characters who are going to be on the show every week to help build a real story, which can’t be done if he’s on six scattered episodes of television between now and Mania.

Roman is the biggest star of his generation. There is always going to be a spot at WrestleMania if he wants to work it, but if he wants to go back to being the guy, he needs to work a full schedule. Being the main character comes with responsibilities. If he wants to work a Brock Lesnar schedule to protect his body and/ or to try to give Hollywood a go, that's a perfectly reasonable choice. He just shouldn't be doing that and winning the Rumble.

To me, the highest upside proposition for WWE is to create a new star, and the best way to create a new star is to have Oba Femi walk into WWE and win the Royal Rumble in his first year. Triple H, Bruce Prichard and company clearly know what they have. He vacated the NXT Championship instead of losing it before coming to the main roster. They’ve been running regular vignettes to get the fans prepared for him, and his showcase match with Cody Rhodes at Saturday Night’s Main Event ended without a clear finish. Everyone is expecting him to get a big spotlight at the Rumble, but I’d like to see WWE do something truly daring and have him win.

I think Reigns and Femi are the two most likely contenders, but there are some other choices to consider too. Bron Breakker should be considered a real contender, as he seems on a collision course with CM Punk for The World Heavyweight Championship. Sami Zayn could easily lose his match to Drew McIntyre and then enter the Rumble for another chance, which the crowd would get very behind. Finn Bálor is about to turn babyface and the fans seem really eager to push him. LA Knight is still waiting for his big moment and was featured prominently in a recent Unreal episode. Cody Rhodes is Cody Rhodes and is always a threat to win any Rumble he’s in.

I'm going to go with my heart instead of my head here though. I'm going to take the outcome I think is best for WWE.

Predicted Winner: Oba Femi

I’ve been obsessed with behind-the-scenes WWE content ever since Miz and Mrs hit the air, but Netflix’s new docuseries chronicling the first part of the 2025 TV season just took this sort of content to a whole new level. While CinemaBlend loved a lot about Unreal, one thing that really stood out to me was Bianca Belair talking about her famous braid in the ring, it's origins, and one question the fans always have about her look.

While there are a lot of fun facts we know about Bianca Belair, many have wondered: Is what she’s doing with her long braid real or faked? Now the Unreal docuseries has hit Netflix's schedule, we have an answer.

Fans Always Ask: Does WWE Actually Use Sound Effects When Bianca Whips Her Braid?

Bianca knows her braid is a major topic of discussion on the Internet. For one, it's her signature, but she also admitted in the documentary series that she knows there have been fans who have hedged that the WWE has used sound effects to amplify her braid hitting her opponents. However, that's not the case.

She admitted in Netflix’s Unreal that she braids and oils up her hairdo herself for maximum impact, and nothing about what happens when she uses her hair as a weapon is faked for TV. In short, that s--t hurts.

Later, in Episode 5 of the Netflix series, the WWE star was prepping for her big Wrestlemania 2025 match with Rhea Ripley and Iyo Sky. Ahead of the event, she opened up to the TV series about how she actually styles her braid. Turns out, there's real strategy to getting it to make as much of a smacking noise as possible.

I was also surprised to learn her biggest concern when heading into a ring for a match has to do with her braid. She often worries she’ll get out there and slap someone around and the braid won’t make the famous noise she needs it to make. Ahead of this year's Wrestlemania, she confirmed the braid is the thing that “stresses” her out, noting it's gotta be "thick" for it to work best.

Prior to watching, I honestly was on team sound effect, because I didn’t realize hair could make that much of a cracking sound in real life. So, yeah, this tidbit was a bit surprising to me. After she braids the hair while getting ready, she gets it to a point where it basically acts like a whip or a rope. It can also hurt. There have been several memorable times women have been on the receiving end of Bianca’s braid and ended up with major marks on their bodies, and those marks were earned the hard way. That will likely remain true in upcoming WWE matches.

Previously, there was video of Bianca whipping her hair at Becky Lynch that made such a huge sound it went viral. This season, a tussle with Liv Morgan left a giant burn-looking mark on her stomach. After the match with Rhea and Iyo, Rhea had a nasty welt from the braid on her bicep. She and Bianca had joked before the match that if it left a welt, she’d mark it with a tattoo. Not sure if that came about, but both women seemingly knew the score going into the match.

Which leads me to the question: How did Bianca come up with the braid? Thanks to Unreal, we have an answer for that, too.

Bianca Belair Wears Her Hair In A Braid Thanks To Her Husband Montez Ford

Another cool story that came out of Netflix’s Unreal documentary has to do with the origins of Bianca’s braid. It was a look that Bianca tried out earlier in her career. It was probably going to be a one-off, but then her husband, Montez Ford, gave her a piece of advice:

The reason? It’s notable. He was right in saying no one else was doing it at the time. While Lyra Valkyria and some of the other women do have memorable hair, nothing is as consistent and memorable as Bianca’s braid. To my knowledge, she’s also the only person who uses her hairdo as a weapon, and this was all because of the one piece of advice Ford gave her early on:

It was sound advice, and probably a good thing she latched onto it. Girls now love to emulate the look. Belair even said at Wrestlemania that she met a gaggle of six young fans who’d all worn their hair in a braid like hers.

So, there you have it. The braid does legitimately hurt and its slapping sound is also authentic. None of that is faked in the ring. This is only one of many stories that came out behind-the-scenes in Unreal, including whether WWE wrestlers pee and poo themselves, so if you haven't given it a watch, I do recommend it.

Now, I just need to know if Rhea followed through and got a tattoo to commemorate the Wrestlemania match, which was my favorite match At Wrestlemania 40 (and maybe this year).

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

I can’t remember a premium live event of the Triple H era with this much uncertainty and chaos. Even if you put aside all the turmoil in Saudi Arabia-adjacent countries in the Middle East, which led to some WWE employees allegedly getting temporarily stranded in Qatar, we only had two finalized matches for Night Of Champions heading into Monday Night Raw, one of which promptly got cancelled. That’s right. Dirty Dominik Mysterio vs AJ Styles is off because of an injury issue, leaving John Cena and CM Punk as the sole match finalized more than a week before the event.

Fortunately, that’s a rematch a lot of us have been waiting more than a decade to see, and it’s not exactly like the rest of the card is an afterthought either. It may have taken way too long to get there, but I’m excited for the finalized Night Of Champions card. A lot of the matches, even if they weren’t made official weeks ago, have been quietly building for awhile like Solo Sikoa and Jacob Fatu, Rhea Ripley and Raquel Rodriguez and Sami Zayn and Karrion Kross.

I have a lot of theories as to what is going to happen, but before I get into those, here’s a quick look at how I’ve been doing with my predictions. As a reminder, I’ve given my thoughts ahead of every PLE since WrestleMania 38, and while I’m not exactly The Undertaker at WrestleMania, I’m still pretty pleased with this performance…

Randy Orton Vs Cody Rhodes In The King Of The Ring Final

Randy Orton has been pushed as the sentimental favorite by the commentary team, who have referenced him losing in the finals to Gunther under questionable circumstances last year. Given how over he is with the crowd and his status as a future Hall of Famer, he should always be considered a threat to win anything. It would tell a nice circular story to see him get a bit of redemption in the tournament, but I just don’t see it happening here.

The King Of The Ring winner is going to get a shot at either John Cena or Gunther in a World Championship match at SummerSlam. We just saw Orton lose to Cena a few months ago in a match no one thought he was going to win, and we watched him lose to Gunther multiple times last year. I definitely believe he has at least one more World Championship run in him before he retires, but none of the circumstances make sense for it to be right now.

Meanwhile, Cody Rhodes trying to win The WWE Championship back that he lost at WrestleMania seems like a SummerSlam main event to me. Whether Cena holds onto the title or CM Punk beats him, it doesn’t really matter. Rhodes versus either of those guys is a match fans want to see and one that would sell a lot of tickets.

Predicted Winner: Cody Rhodes

Jade Cargill Vs Asuka In The Queen Of The Ring Final

I’m a lot more conflicted on the ending here. I could make a good case for why either of these two should win. Asuka just returned from an injury that kept her out for over a year, and while she’s been a World Champion before, many WWE fans feel the company has never pushed her hard enough and for long enough. A win here would likely set up a match at SummerSlam with Iyo Sky. Given their shared history both inside and outside WWE, there’s all the ingredients to create a really intriguing storyline.

You could say the same thing for Jade Cargill. Well, sort of. There’s not really a compelling story there with WWE Women’s Champion Tiffany Stratton, but there certainly is with Naomi who holds the Money In The Bank briefcase. We’ve already seen multiple teases of Naomi almost cashing in on Tiffy Time, and if she does, Cargill would be the perfect opponent for her at SummerSlam. Plus, it would leave the door open for Bianca Belair to somehow get involved, or at least be an interested observer likely to feud with whoever wins.

I would love to see Asuka and Iyo Sky at SummerSlam, but I think WWE is going to see more upside in the Cargill, Naomi and Bianca Belair storyline. Plus, I kind of feel like we’re going to get Iyo and Rhea Ripey at SummerSlam; so, I’ve got to ride with Jade.

Predicted Winner: Jade Cargill

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

Credit to Solo Sikoa and the writers backstage for realizing his character wasn’t working. He had some aura after he was first called up to serve as Roman Reigns’ chief enforcer, but too many losses in key spots and the emergence of Jacob Fatu made it impossible to see him as a credible main eventer. Everyone involved could have tried to keep forcing it, but instead, they moved his character into a much more comedic direction.

That pivot has allowed him to show off his personality, which has a loveable and goofy energy like his brother Big Jim Uso. If Jey sticks with singles for a few more years, I could definitely see WWE finding a way to bring together Solo and Big Jim for a wacky tag team run that could get over big time with fans. I’d love to see that.

But all of that is also why he’s obviously going to lose here. Jacob Fatu is still on the serious path, and he has future WrestleMania main eventer potential. He’s been a dominant United States Champion, and losing to someone who is often depicted as hapless would be a big blow to his momentum. I guess we could see a storyline where JC Mateo interferes or another new Bloodline member debuts, but I just don’t get why you’d want Fatu to take a loss here.

Predicted Winner: Jacob Fatu

Rhea Ripley Vs Raquel Rodriguez In A Street Fight

Raquel is another performer who I think has really started to find her footing. There was some grumbling online when she was first paired with Liv Morgan and Judgment Day. To be honest, she seemed a little stiff and out of place during her first few appearances, but that’s definitely not the case anymore. She’s really started to get comfortable with her character, and she’s also low key delivered some of the best matches in the history of the women’s tag team division alongside Morgan. When they’re given time and good opponents, they can bring it.

It’s a credit to her that she feels like a believable opponent for Rhea Ripley, but let’s be honest, she’s not beating Rhea Bloody Ripley. Mamí is the biggest star in the history of women’s wrestling, and if she’s going to be in non-title programs, she needs to win an overwhelming majority of the feuds she’s involved in. That means beating Rodriguez here.

I think the better question isn’t who is going to win this match. It’s how much time is this match going to get. For Raquel’s sake, I’d love for this to get fifteen minutes or so and have some back-and-forth action. If Raquel has the upper hand for even 40% of this match, that’s a big win for her character and will make taking a loss here very worth it.

Predicted Winner: Rhea Ripley

Karrion Kross Vs Sami Zayn

Hardcore wrestling fans have gotten behind Karrion Kross in a big way over the last several months. He’s done some great work in limited minutes interacting with characters behind the scenes on Raw, and his social media game has been top notch, as he’s delivered several talking head promos and press conference appearances that have circulated widely on social media. His merchandise has started moving at head-turning rates, and the loudest fans online, or the IWC as they’re called, would love to see this be the start of a big Kross push.

Win or lose here, it feels like that’s happening. This match is his first at a premium live event since WrestleMania 40, and it’s his first singles match at a PLE since 2022. That’s a big vote of confidence, and it will hopefully lead to him and Scarlett getting re-signed and given more and more opportunities in big moments.

Whether or not he wins this match, however, likely has a lot more to do with Sami Zayn and what WWE wants to do with his character. Zayn’s run over the last several years has been the stuff dreams are made of. He became a prominent part of The Bloodline, main evented WrestleMania 39 and ended Gunther’s historic Intercontinental run at WrestleMania 40. Since then, however, he’s been stuck in the mud a little bit. The fans still love him, but he’s been unable to really get to a World Championship level, which he’s been loudly announcing he wants to do for more than a year.

There’s a scenario here where he wins and starts building back up in a conventional, babyface way to try and get another World Championship shot. Then again, there’s another scenario where he loses to Kross, who has been telling him he needs to get his hands dirty for months, and uses that as inspiration to turn heel. We’ll see.

Predicted Winner: Karrion Kross

John Cena (Champion) Vs CM Punk For The WWE Championship

I always thought CM Punk was going to be the guy to take the title off John Cena after he turned heel. They have so much shared history, and Punk is due for another run at the top. He’s earned a chance to be the face of WWE for a little while, but the vibes feel off here. I just don’t know that Triple H, Bruce Prichard and company would take the strap off Cena at an afternoon PPV in Saudi Arabia, especially with a two night SummerSlam outside New York City happening in a little more than a month.

It also feels a little early in Cena’s retirement tour for him to lose. They may want him to reestablish himself as a babyface before he goes, but he doesn’t need half a year to do that. I also don’t really get what he’d do at SummerSlam if he loses here. The only goal he ever talks about is leaving with the title. If he loses, it stands to reason he’d want to go after the title, not try and even the score with Solo Sikoa or something random like that.

I don’t know that this match is going to end whatever is going on between CM Punk and John Cena. It feels like there’s a lot more meat left on the bone, especially after Cena’s fantastic Pipe Bomb promo during Monday Night Raw. Punk needs a chance to answer back on the microphone. Because of that, I expect a finish that leaves the door open for more to happen.

Predicted Winner: John Cena

Night Of Champions will stream on Saturday afternoon on Peacock in The United States and in Netflix in most other countries. On both services, it's free with a paid subscription.

Most of the post-WrestleMania 41 conversation has been about the main event between Cody Rhodes and John Cena. I get it, but I also don’t want to talk about it anymore. Yeah, I wish things had gone down differently too, but there was enough that worked about WrestleMania that I’d prefer to take some time to celebrate the good.

Over the course of two nights, some WWE superstars worked together to deliver fantastic matches. The second night in particular had one of the hottest starts to a ‘Mania card I’ve ever seen. So, let’s celebrate that. Let’s get away from some of the negativity and talk about the superstars that really showed out.

Before we get there though, let me hype up a few honorable mentions. Jade Cargill vs Naomi was the toughest cut for sure. They were a strong sixth place in my opinion, but with just a little over nine minutes, they didn’t get quite enough time to get going. Liv and Raquel vs Bayley and Lyra was also a really solid match, though they were hampered by the same time issues and didn't even get nine minutes.

I’m also not going to include Randy Orton vs Joe Hendry, which was a ton of fun but in a more comedic and gimmicky sort of way. El Grande Americano and Rey Fénix also did their job, but with a last minute switch out and less than eight minutes of time, there was no way they could get up to the level needed to make this list.

5. Jacob Fatu Vs LA Knight

A lot of people felt like this match would feature some shenanigans that would lead into a feud between Jacob Fatu and Solo Sikoa, but sometimes you just need to let your rising stars grab a title and run with it. Fatu is a future WrestleMania main eventer. With all due respect to Bron Breakker, he’s the most exciting new star to make his main roster debut since Gunther. It was terrific to see him get his moment here.

But LA Knight deserves a lot of praise too. He held his own with the Samoan Werewolf and showed he’s perhaps one of the few mid-card guys on the roster who could keep the crowd on his side against Fatu. That’s no easy feat, nor were some of the more difficult moves pulled off during this match, particularly the moonsault into a BFT. Saturday, as a whole, had some struggles, but this was a clear bright spot.

4. Damian Priest Vs Drew McIntyre In A Sin City Street Fight

There were so many complaints about this match a month or so out from WrestleMania. Many fans felt Drew McIntyre deserved to be higher on the card and to be put in a more prominent position. I get that. I think he should be given another World Championship run ASAP, but put some respect on Damian Priest’s name. He’s one of the strongest and most reliable workers on the entire roster. He and Drew found a way to sell the program with consistent storytelling leading into ‘Mania, and they really delivered with a very good match here.

Both men willingly took some big bumps and consistent punishment throughout, but that was balanced well with some good combinations and more intricate sequences where they proved how capable they are as technical wrestlers. Plus, we got a fun viral moment from Drew McIntyre with another mid-match tweet and some excellent post-match selling from Damian Priest after the Claymore onto the chair. Job well done by everyone involved. Hopefully this’ll catapult Drew into another World Championship run and lead to Damian having another extended program with a top guy in the company.

3. Bron Breakker Vs Penta Vs Dominik Mysterio Vs Finn Bálor For The Intercontinental Championship

I think Dominik Mysterio celebrating his victory will be remembered as the single best and most memorable thing from this entire WrestleMania. He’s been doing fantastic heel work for years, and it’s been obvious for a long time that the boos he was getting were a sign of respect. He wasn’t getting go home heat. He was getting appreciated for his good work. So, job well done. I can’t say enough nice things about him or the moment he earned.

I can definitely say more nice things about the rest of this match too. It may have only been ten and a half minutes, but it was really fast-paced and well-constructed. Everyone got some really fun spots, and Carlito really delivered in his role too, as he interfered several times and took a very memorable spear spot from Bron Breakker. Also a big shout out is due for Penta who is an absolute star and to Finn Bálor who once again played the hard luck loser.

2. Seth Rollins Vs Roman Reigns Vs CM Punk

I wasn’t the world’s biggest fan of the night one crowd, but they really made this feel like a big fight atmosphere and stayed plugged in throughout the entire match, which was more than thirty minutes. Most of the credit for that, however, should go to the three performers, who wrestled like they knew this match was going to be watched and rewatched for decades to come. Every spot felt important, and every near fall felt like edge of your seat drama.

Unlike the night two main event finish which was also designed to be cinematic, this one really worked. The interaction between Paul Heyman and Roman Reigns after he betrayed CM Punk and later Paul Heyman and Seth Rollins after he betrayed Roman Reigns was fantastic. Everyone involved here has been in huge moments on the biggest stages in the past, and they really showed that experience here. At most ‘Manias this would have been the fight of the weekend.

1. Iyo Sky Vs Bianca Belair Vs Rhea Ripley For The Women’s World Championship

I just looked at the official time and am shocked this didn’t even go fifteen minutes. Each of the women got some really good extended interactions with each other, and each one did some really good character work and told a believable story. I particularly loved Bianca leaning into the boos and telling the fans they needed to be louder. It gave her character ownership over what was happening and made her look empowered.

The in-ring work was just fantastic too. There were so many combinations where one move flowed into another move, and it was beautiful to watch these three superstars all show off their various movesets which are unique and visually different from each other. Wrestling is best when there’s obvious variance, and this match featured so much of it.

Bianca, Rhea and Iyo are three of the greatest female superstars in the history of this business. All three of them sold out to make each other look as good as possible, and all three wrestled to improve the quality of the match, not to make themselves look good. I’ll remember this as one of my favorite ‘Mania matches ever, and I think there are a lot of people right there with me.

It’s finally WrestleMania week, and I could not be more fired up. The Royal Rumble might be my favorite PLE of the year, but WrestleMania is, without question, the most important. Whenever someone who’s not into professional wrestling asks me to explain what it’s all about, I always use ‘Mania as a starting point. It’s the one event every single person is at least vaguely aware of, and in very practical television terms, it works like the season finale.

A year’s worth of characters, storylines and builds are, in theory, supposed to pay off at WrestleMania. It’s the show that brings resolution to what we’ve already watched and lets us know who the main characters are going to be moving forward. In a more special way only wrestling fans understand, it’s also just really meaningful. It’s a big deal to even make the card, and everything you do at a ‘Mania counts. It’ll be re-watched and remembered for decades to come.

This year will be no exception. After decades in the business, playing the most popular good guy almost the entire time, John Cena has finally been given the chance to play a heel, and he’s taken full advantage of it in his feud with WWE’s top baby face Cody Rhodes. They’ll close night two of the show, but beyond that, there are a ton of other huge names on the card including Roman Reigns, CM Punk, Seth Rollins, Rhea Ripley, Bianca Belair, Randy Orton, Rey Mysterio, Drew McIntyre, Iyo Sky, Charlotte Flair, Gunther and more.

Before I get into what I think is going to happen, though, you can take a look at my track record predicting WrestleManias, as well as my overall record, as I’ve predicted every single WWE Premium Live Event for the last three years.

The War Raiders (Champions) Vs The New Day For The World Tag Team Championships

I don’t know what Triple H is doing here. I think fans on Twitter, with a few exceptions, have been a little too negative about this year’s WrestleMania build, but this is one program that I think everyone should be criticizing. The New Day were white hot when they first turned heel. The segment where they kicked Big E out was one of the best promos we’ve gotten in a long time, but then the writers waited way too long to actually do anything with them. They just had them give the same generic heel promo every week and even bizarrely had them lose some matches. Now they’re trying to heat them back up, but the spark just isn’t the same.

That being said, The War Raiders are among the best in-ring tag team workers on the entire WWE roster, and The New Day are future first ballot Hall of Famers. This match can and should still cook. I predict the crowd will be very hot for it by the end, with two possible results. Either The New Day will cheat to become tag team champs again, or they’ll lose the match as a result of interference from Big E. I’m going to go with the former, but keep your eyes open for the latter.

Predicted Winners: The New Day

Rey Fenix (Replacing Rey Mysterio) Vs El Grande Americano

UPDATE: Rey Mysterio suffered an injury on SmackDown and was replaced by Rey Fenix. It's hard for me to imagine WWE will give Rey Fenix his first singles loss this quickly after his debut, but I'm not 100% confident because we don't know if WWE is going to try and get back to the Rey Mysterio/ El Grande Americano storyline whenever he gets healthy. If Gable is unmasked here, that makes this more complicated.

Original Write-Up: In a really stupid but also amazing way, this match is a perfect encapsulation of what professional wrestling is all about. Rey Mysterio is a WWE Hall of Famer and arguably the most famous luchador of all-time, at least in The United States. In an effort to beat him, WWE mid-carder Chad Gable disappeared for several weeks, then returned as a masked luchador named El Grande Americano. He swears he’s not Chad Gable but is instead a totally different wrestler who has won every championship there is to win in Mexico.

In recent weeks, many WWE legends have tweeted about how unfair it is that El Grande Americano has a match and Chad Gable doesn’t. A recent crowd even gave us an all-time chant where half the people screamed that’s Chad Gable and the other half screamed no he’s not. The whole thing is beyond normal levels of stupid but also absolutely perfect in a really specific professional wrestling way.

Anyway, Rey Mysterio is going to win this. Afterwards, I suspect he’ll unmask El Grande Americano at the end, and we’ll just have to wait and see who is under there. It’s obviously gonna be Chad Gable, except, of course, if it’s not.

Predicted Winner: Rey Fenix

Jade Cargill Vs Naomi

It’s been a long time since we’ve gotten a non-title women’s singles match on the ‘Mania card, but this one has more than earned its spot thanks to a good story that’s built slowly over the last year and some particularly strong character work, especially from Naomi. At ‘Mania 40, Cargill, Naomi and Bianca Belair all teamed together for a dominant victory over Damage CTRL. In the time since, they’ve told a story of friendship and betrayal, in which both women separately teamed with friend Bianca Belair to win the tag team titles and a jealousy naturally grew from that, leading to Naomi eventually attacking Jade.

I suspect Jade will win this match. She’s been presented as a dominant, main event talent since she arrived in WWE. In fact, you could say she’s been one of the most protected superstars on the roster. A loss here would really hurt her standing, whereas it would only give Naomi more fuel to grow her bitter, resentful heel that’s really helped break her out over the past few months. In fact, I suspect WWE will strongly consider her when Money In The Bank rolls around for a possible victory there.

Predicted Winner: Jade Cargill

LA Knight (Champ) Vs Jacob Fatu For The United States Championship

What happens in this match entirely depends on what WWE wants to do with Jacob Fatu. Whether fans like it or not, Triple H and company seem to view LA Knight as an upper mid-carder, the type of superstar who cleans up against most of the roster but loses World Title level matches to the actual main eventers. So, win, lose or draw, he’ll continue dropping mid-carders on their heads and giving ‘em three the hard way.

Jacob Fatu, however, is almost certainly going to be in the main event picture sooner rather than later. Despite being a heel, the crowd clearly buzzes every time he comes to the ring. He’s just got an aura about him, and many fans and observers consider him a future WrestleMania main eventer. So, what does WWE want to do with that? They can have him beat LA Knight here and go on an extended run with The United States Championship where he, assumedly, looks really dominant against most of the roster, or they could have him lose in some underhanded way that helps him launch into his next feud. Most likely that would be through a botched interference attempt by his Bloodline mate Solo Sikoa.

Ultimately, I think they’re probably going to want him to win his first WrestleMania match and get his first taste of singles gold. So, I’m going to go with that. A loss is definitely possible though, but if it happens, expect it to be a loss that still keeps him looking really strong.

Predicted Winner: Jacob Fatu

Tiffany Stratton (Champion) Vs Charlotte Flair For The WWE Women’s Championship

Let’s just rip the band-aid off here. The build to this match has been a disaster. It’s impossible to know as a fan with no backstage connections exactly what’s been going on, but from my vantage point, it seems like Charlotte Flair intentionally tried to make Tiffany Stratton look bad on multiple occasions by going off script and stepping on her big lines until Stratton got sick of it and hit her back on live television with a few really personal insults.

All that mess has added a little buzz and excitement to the match, but it’s also made both of the women look bad. Flair has come off, at least to me, as unprofessional and unwilling to help one of the youngest women on the roster, and Tiffy has come off, at least to me, like someone inexperienced who was made World Champion before she was ready. There’s been no winner.

I have no idea what to expect on Saturday. Stratton and Flair and two of the best workers on the entire roster. So, there’s a chance they’ll finally work together and deliver an all-time fantastic match, or there’s a chance they’ll just keep trying to show each other up and it’ll be a disaster. It could go either way, as could the outcome. I originally thought WWE would have Flair put over Stratton to give her a huge win on a big stage and signal to the audience that they’re building around her, but she hasn’t looked ready for the moment in the past several weeks, stumbling over her words and seeming out of sorts. Would WWE really reward Charlotte for what’s happened here though? That doesn’t feel like the right message to send to the veterans in the locker room.

Predicted Winner: Tiffy Time

Gunther (Champion) Vs Jey Uso For The World Heavyweight Championship

Gunther is probably my favorite wrestler on the entire roster. He’s absolutely fantastic, and his promo this week on Raw really showed why he’s a future Hall of Famer. I would love to see him win here and really cement his legacy as an all-time villain, capable of stepping on any babyface, no matter how over they are with the crowd. But what happens to Jey Uso if he loses in another big moment?

WWE has invested a ton in Jey Uso and in this story. He won perhaps the most stacked Royal Rumble in history. After fans weren't fully getting on board with his program, they let Gunther beat down his brother Jimmy, to the point where he’s not being used at WrestleMania in order to try and build sympathy. They’ve given him personalized entrances and significant time on almost every episode of Raw for months.

That’s paid off in huge merchandise sales and a lot of YEET chants, but if he loses here, it’s almost certainly going to stop a lot of his momentum. He’s going to be thrown back down to the mid-card and probably end up back in a tag team with his brother. That’s far from the worst thing in the world, but there’s always time to do that later. If he’s going to make a singles run, it needs to be now, which is why he’s almost certainly going to win.

Predicted Winner: Jey Uso

Roman Reigns Vs CM Punk Vs Seth Rollins

Fans are divided as to how effective the build for this custody of Paul Heyman match has been, but you certainly can’t deny the star power. These three would all quite easily fit into a top ten of wrestlers who have most defined the post-Attitude Era, and they all share plenty of professional connections and personal life overlap.

You could make a case for why all three of these guys should emerge victorious here, but I think the best case belongs to Seth Rollins. He’s a lot less involved in the Paul Heyman stuff than the other two, and he could really use a win on a big stage like this. He spent all of last year’s WrestleMania putting other people over, despite being injured, and if CM Punk and Roman Reigns are going to continue feuding together, it would make the most sense for him to be the one to escape with a win.

Predicted Winner: Seth Rollins

Liv Morgan And Raquel Rodriguez (Champions) Vs Bayley And Lyra Valkyria For The WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship

It feels like the long-term story here is Bayley and Lyra Valkyria feuding over the Women’s Intercontinental Championship, not these teams feuding over the Women’s Tag Team Championship. We saw Bayley waffle on whether or not to shake Lyra’s hand when she lost a few weeks ago, and while they teamed in the ring pretty well together during the gauntlet match, it’s hard to think that’s not going to come into play in the future.

Plus, I don’t really see any reason why Judgment Day should lose here. There’s a good chance either Dom or Finn is going to win the Men’s Intercontinental Championship, and if one of them does, that plus these belts could really solidify Judgment Day moving back into prominence without Rhea Ripley or Damian Priest.

Predicted Winner: Liv & Raquel

AJ Styles Vs Logan Paul

I’m still not really sure what story these two are trying to tell. The announcers and Karrion Kross seem to be telling us the story is about the soul of wrestling, but AJ Styles and Logan Paul haven’t really gotten into that a ton of the microphone. Instead, it’s mostly seemed like a showcase match, but given the talent level of these two, that’s absolutely fine. Styles is arguably the best in-ring worker of his generation, and Paul has proven over and over again that he can really perform on a big stage.

Because there’s really not a ton of story here, it makes this match uniquely difficult to predict. Paul is obviously on the upswing of his career, while Styles doesn’t have a ton of WrestleManias left. That could work in either man’s favor though, as you can see Styles putting Paul over to help grow his career, or you can see Paul laying on his back for a hero who deserves another big WrestleMania moment. I’m going to go with AJ Styles because it feels like it’s been forever since he got a big win like this, but I’m not confident.

Predicted Winner: AJ Styles

Bron Breakker (Champion) Vs Penta Vs Dominik Mysterio Vs Finn Bálor For The Intercontinental Championship

You can’t rule any of these four out. Normally in a multi-man match like this, there are a few people who are quite obviously not winning, but that’s not the case here. Bron has looked unstoppable since winning back his Intercontinental Championship and is widely regarded as the young star with the brightest future in WWE. Penta is one of WWE’s hottest characters right now and getting star treatment, and it seems like WWE really wants to reenergize Judgment Day, which means a win for either Mysterio or Bálor is on the table. It could even lead to the two of them feuding with each other, which would provide a lot of stories for WWE to explore in the coming months.

I’m going to go with Dominik Mysterio. It’s probably because I would like to see him rewarded for all the great heel work he’s done over the past few years, but beyond that, I also think a title could really take his character to another level. He’s never going to be a dominant champion like Gunther or even Bron Breakker, but it’s easy to imagine a scenario in which he cheated to win and picked up a ton of victories over the next several months. That would only increase the generational heat already on him, and that could help turn WWE’s most reliable mid-card character into a star.

Predicted Winner: Dominik Mysterio

Damian Priest Vs Drew McIntyre

I’m a huge Damian Priest guy. I felt like he was a future World Champion the day he moved to the main roster, and I’ve been stoked to see how his career has gone so far. His cash in on Drew McIntyre last year was my single favorite moment of WrestleMania 40. He’s my guy, and this match isn’t going to change that.

But Drew McIntyre needs to win here. He is capable of being the biggest star in the entire company, and his work over the last year or two has been the best of his career. I think he can be WWE Champion again and really give us a memorable title reign. That starts with beating Priest here. Don’t get me wrong. I hope the match is really competitive and both men come out looking fantastic, but the result is obvious. McIntyre needs to win a feud and start building momentum.

Predicted Winner: Drew McIntyre

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

This is the most unpredictable match on the entire card in my opinion. You could easily look at this and say they’re going to tell the oldest triple threat story in the book. Rhea and Bianca are going to focus on each other, and that’ll allow Iyo to sneak in and claim victory while they’re distracted. That’s certainly possible.

You could also say Bianca is going to win this, given she has a great WrestleMania undefeated streak going, which the company could really turn into something down the road, and there’s an enticing opportunity to turn her heel, given she’s been booed throughout this program despite being a baby face. She could also slide right from this into a feud with Jade Cargill, which would be a big money opportunity for WWE to put on some title matches.

Or you could easily say Rhea is going to win this on account of her being the biggest female star in the history of the wrestling business. She’s been behaving like a heel during the entire feud, and the fans still cheer her at every turn because she’s a breakout star. You can’t blame WWE for wanting to put the belt on the biggest name in the division. Hulk Hogan, John Cena and others spent larger parts of their career as champ for that exact reason.

I’m going to go with Bianca because I really like keeping the streak in tact, but my confidence level is not very high here.

Predicted Winner: Bianca Belair

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

There are a fair number of fans who think Cody Rhodes is going to take this, but I just don’t see that. John Cena just gave us one of the biggest and most shocking heel turns in the history of the wrestling business. In order to keep his momentum going, he needs to win here. If he does all that and loses, he’s going to look like a fool, and I’m not sure he has enough appearances left this year to really get that momentum back.

I’m sure it’s going to be through cheating. I’m sure it’s going to be through underhanded tactics, but I would be shocked if John Cena didn’t walk out of WrestleMania as a champion. That would also allow him to break Ric Flair’s record for World Championships and give WWE a ton of really fun stories to tell for the rest of the year. Cena winning here is the obvious play, and I can’t wait to see it happen.

Predicted Winner: John Cena

Let’s just admit what we’re all hearing. Bianca Belair is getting booed. It feels harsh to say that so directly about a superstar that’ll go down as one of the greatest women in the history of wrestling, but we need to say it out loud so we can get on the same page and talk out what to do about it. She’s getting booed. It’s now happened with multiple crowds, and unless something changes, it’s just going to continue through WrestleMania 41. Despite being a babyface, WWE fans have decided she’s the villain of the triple threat, and I’d be outraged if it wasn’t so obvious it was going to happen the entire time.

Look: popularity in wrestling is always relative. You can be a super over performer, but if you’re less over than the person you’re working with, you might find yourself in a position to get booed. The crowd can only root for one person, and this Bianca Belair thing is a perfect example of that. Put her in the ring with just about anyone on the roster, and when she fires up, it sounds like the Ultimate Warrior when he would shake the ropes. Unfortunately, she’s been paired with the two specific women on the roster currently more over than her. We’ve got Rhea Ripley, arguably the most popular woman in the history of the wrestling business, and Iyo Sky, probably the best in-ring worker and most loveable underdog in the entire division.

So, in essence, WWE has taken its third most popular woman (sorry, Liv, Jade, Tiffy and Charlotte) and put her in a program with the first and second most popular women. Even worse, on paper, all three of them are babyfaces; so, it’s not like Gunther or John Cena where you can support their brilliance by directly booing them. In theory, all three of Bianca, Rhea and Iyo want cheers. So, WWE has essentially left it up to the crowd to decide.

That choice was never going to go well for Bianca, but the actual beats of the story somehow make it even worse . We could spend 30 minutes going over every detail, but the basic idea here is that Rhea and Bianca see each other as the threats, while Iyo, the actual champion, is seen by the two of them as an inconsequential annoyance. That means we’re getting a lot of segments that involve Rhea and Bianca arguing and Iyo getting pushed out of the way, making her seem like an even more sympathetic underdog, thus making it even more likely fans will cheer for her.

Now, you might be saying to yourself, who cares? Every major star in the history of the wrestling business has been booed at some point. Hulk Hogan quite literally got pelted with trash by fans during his infamous nWo heel turn, but that was the reaction he wanted. In the storyline, he was supposed to get booed. You could say the same thing about John Cena right now or Bret Hart after his Hall of Fame match with Stone Cold Steve Austin at WrestleMania 13.

No, the booing itself isn’t the problem. It’s that she’s being presented as a babyface while getting booed. That makes her appear weak and like she’s less than Rhea and Iyo. That’s the part that’s a big problem, and that’s the part that makes me question what the plan was here to begin with. You always want your top performers to be in control of the crowd and of the reaction they’re getting, and right now, Bianca seems very out of control.

To me, the obvious option here is for Bianca to lean into the boos, and in fairness to Triple H, Bruce Prichard and the rest of the creative staff, maybe that’s been the plan all along. Maybe Bianca will proactively turn on the crowd and dress them down for not supporting her. Or maybe she’ll win at WrestleMania via underhanded/ cheaty tactics and then lean into the boos, which will be even louder after that. If this is where everything is going, then please carry on and stick with the plan. An unscrupulous Bianca willing to do anything to win, who is furious at the fans for supporting Rhea and Iyo instead of her, is a character I desperately want to see. That could be an all-timer.

But I’m just not confident WWE is planning to go there. Bianca Belair has been a straight up babyface and presented as wholesomely as possible for years. It’s like she’s taken the jorts from John Cena, as the person little kids are meant to root for. We all thought she might turn heel during the Jade Cargill injury storyline, and yet, it was Naomi who turned out to be the perpetrator. Instead, she’s back to playing the same character she always has, and while that character works, it’s just not as over as Rhea or Iyo, nor was it as over as Asuka at WrestleMania 39 when she got some boos too.

There are some subtle signs WWE may want Rhea Ripley to be the one to turn heel. She taunted Bianca at ringside and was the first one to act like Iyo doesn’t deserve to be in the match. Her mannerisms and behaviors have definitely been a bit colder the last few weeks, but if WWE wants fans to boo her and cheer Bianca, they need to actually turn her heel. She needs to attack Iyo or beat up someone sympathetic backstage like Maxxine Dupri. She needs to do everything but literally ask the audience to boo her, otherwise they are just going to keep cheering for her, given her overall popularity.

I love Bianca Belair. She’s one of my favorite performers on the entire roster, and I was absolutely stoked to see how fantastic she was in her segments with Naomi and Jade after Elimination Chamber. It was the best character work of her entire career, and I thought the next step in her evolution. Unfortunately, she was pulled away from that program and pushed into this feud with Rhea and Iyo, and just a few weeks later, she’s losing momentum as the fans are making it clear they don’t like her as much as the other two. If those boos are going to be used as cannon fodder to build something new and exciting for her character, I’m all for it. Boo away. But if she’s just going to pretend like they’re not happening and keep coasting along as a babyface, then I can’t help but feel like the writers really let her down. I can’t help but feel like this is all WWE’s fault since it was so obvious from the beginning.

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.

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.

There are still plenty of upcoming WWE events on the way, but it's hard not to think about WrestleMania 41 as we inch closer to its arrival in May. Next year's PLE's and the Monday Night Raw and SmackDown shows on the 2025 TV schedule will give us an idea of who will get a chance to shine on the big two-night event, though I already have some predictions on who we will see.

I also have some humble requests for matches I would rather not see, in case the powers-that-be happen to be looking around the web for these opinions. There are some feuds I think deserve the opportunity to shine in Vegas, but there are more than a few that I have no interest in seeing occupy a spot on the card. Let's dive in.

Prediction: New Day vs. Big E

New Day shocked the world with a heel turn recently and blamed Big E for their fall from grace as the most dominant tag team in WWE history. With all the cheap shots they took at him for not returning after his devastating injury, it felt like a sign his in-ring return might not be that far off. Seeing as Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods rejected his offer to return to the faction as a manager, what would happen now if he was suddenly cleared to return to action?

I guess that Big E would return as a singles competitor, only to have his big return ruined by his former allies. This goes back and forth until finally, Adam Pearce has enough and sets up a 2 vs. 1 handicap match at WrestleMania. That, or Big E finds a new tag-team partner to team up with, but I think he's tough enough to take on both Woods and Kingston simultaneously.

Don't Want: Liv Morgan vs. Rhea Ripley For The Women's World Championship

The Women's World Championship title scene has been exclusively linked to Rhea Ripley and Liv Morgan through much of 2024, and while that feud has elevated the latter to the main event scene and made for some compelling storytelling, it's run its course. At some point, this title needs to stop being held hostage by this feud, and we need to work some more people into the mix as serious contenders.

While we don't have to worry about Dominik Mysterio's wife getting upset about the storyline, I think there's a real risk of fans getting burnout on these two if they aren't already. Plus, the women's main roster is too stacked to only gravitate around a few people. Let the belt move elsewhere if nothing else, but let these two finally end this feud.

Prediction: John Cena vs. Gunther For The Heavyweight Championship

Betting sites are saying John Cena is the favorite to win the Royal Rumble, and if that ends up being true, he gets his choice of a title shot at WrestleMania 41. Seeing as "The Champ" has confirmed this will be his final Mania match, it'd be surprising if he didn't attempt to pursue his record-breaking title win for what's now known as the Heavyweight Championship.

Gunther currently holds the Heavyweight Championship, and while that could change before WrestleMania 41, he'd be the perfect opponent for Cena. Can a legend past his prime defeat one of the most dominant and prideful champions on the main roster? I think it'll be a tall order for him and hopefully a more entertaining match than the poor performance he put on against Austin Theory in his past WrestleMania match. That said, I want to see it, and I think with his commitment to one final year in the WWE, Cena will be in shape and up to the challenge.

Don't Want: Gunther Vs. Goldberg For The Heavyweight Championship

Bill Goldberg has frequently talked about a retirement match throughout his 2024 interviews, and WWE's Bad Blood made it seem like the company is considering giving him one. The legend confronted Gunther when the champion called him out, but we haven't seen him since then. Is this because he will make an appearance at the Royal Rumble?

I have to echo the thoughts of CinemaBlend's Philip Sledge here: I don't want to see a Goldberg retirement match at WrestleMania 41. The WWE has given us a few of his matches in recent years, and none of them were all that great. Much like The Undertaker, I think he probably should've retired a few matches ago, and giving him a WrestleMania moment feels like a waste of a match spot.

Prediction: Jade Cargill vs. Bianca Belair

Since Jade Cargill and Bianca Belair first locked eyes in her Royal Rumble debut, wrestling fans have waited for this match to happen. The WWE didn't go that route immediately, making the two a bestie tag team that won the titles and had a weird run-in with the Boogeyman that still has me in stitches.

Then Jade was attacked, and I think we all suspect Bianca is the culprit here. She's one of the most dominant women in the ring, and while Cargill is strong, she hasn't exactly been the most polished performer since her debut. I could see Bianca trying to cut the dead weight and get back to her glory days as a singles competitor, ultimately leading to a feud with Jade once she learns it was her friend who took her out of commission.

Don't Want: Cody Rhodes vs. Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Championship

Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns are the top superstars in a stacked roster, and that's been the case for a couple of years now. These two have closed out the past two WrestleManias, which was phenomenal both times. The WWE will have these two take each other on once again, but is now the right time for that to happen?

I don't think so, and based on the way Roman Reigns has returned as a face wrestler, I think the company also agrees. He has to take down Solo Sikoa and the new iteration of the Bloodline first, and then he can worry about retaking his spot as "Head of the Table." Whether that's against Cody Rhodes, The Rock or maybe even someone else, we'll just have to wait and see.

WrestleMania 41 isn't happening in Las Vegas until Saturday, April 19th and Sunday, April 20th. Hopefully, as we get closer to the event, we'll get a better idea of what the match card will look like, and our picks for what should be on there will be included.

It took a little while for the Survivor Series card to come together, but now that it’s shifted into focus, there’s a lot here to get excited about. Three championships will be on the line, as well as two full War Games matches, both of which look like they’ll have major storyline implications as we head into WrestleMania season. That’s not bad for a PPV that’s, at times, struggled to find an identity over the last three plus decades.

Obviously, the major story is the reunion of the OG Bloodline. Fans were pretty convinced that Seth Rollins was going to be the fifth man on their team, but this past week, Paul Heyman reemerged after months off television and brought with him CM Punk to even the score against Solo Sikoa’s new Bloodline, which recently added Bronson Reed. Whatever happens in the match could tell us a lot about what Roman Reigns and more will doing in their WrestleMania program.

The same could be said for the women’s War Games match. What once seemed like a throwaway exhibition that included nearly all the top talent on the women’s roster has turned into a whodunit after Jade Cargill was attacked. Bayley is going to step in and replace her, but the who attacked Jade part will likely have major storyline implications for the next few months. Maybe we’ll get answers at Survivor Series.

And, of course, there are the three championship matches. I’ve got some theory as to what’s likely to happen in each of them, but first, let’s talk a look at how I’ve been doing on predictions lately…

LA Knight (Champ) Vs Shinsuke Nakamura For The United States Championship

I’m glad to see LA Knight defend his United States Championship on a PLE, but there hasn’t been nearly enough build for this match to burn it off already. Nakamura showed up a few weeks ago and has been attacking and haunting Knight since, but there hasn’t been enough back and forth to get me (or assumedly, other fans) excited. I’m still not even used to the idea of Nakamura being back, let alone ready to see him wrestle for The United States Championship.

All of that tells me Knight is almost certainly going to retain here. I don’t think it’s a guarantee he’s going to hold his title all the way until ‘Mania, but given how over he still is, you’d think if he’s going to lose the belt, it would be to someone with a lot of momentum and a proper build into the match. That hasn’t happened here.

I love Shinsuke. I was extremely excited when WWE gave him a new series of vignettes and allowed him to start speaking in Japanese. I was hoping they’d really build him into something when he first returned for some matches against Seth Rollins last year, but ultimately, he was just fed to Rollins. Now it seems like he’s just going to be fed to Knight and will likely disappear again.

Predicted Winner: LA Knight

Bron Breakker (Champion) Vs Sheamus Vs Ludwig Kaiser For The Intercontinental Championship

Two high potential mid-carders on the rise and a former main eventer looking to get another shot at glory. Doesn’t that description just scream triple threat for The Intercontinental Championship? This match was just added to the Survivor Series card during Monday Night Raw, but this feud, despite some stops and starts, has been building for months. We’ve seen these men interference in each other’s matches, drop some strong promos against each other and collectively fixate on The IC Championship for awhile.

You could make an easy case for all three of these guys to win. Ludwig Kaiser was told in no uncertain terms by Gunther go make his own legacy and find his own success. A win here would be a major step toward doing that, and it would put him on the same trajectory as his longtime buddy, who is now World Heavyweight Champion. In addition, it feels like we can’t go a week without another quote dropping from a wrestling legend talking about how much promise they see in Kaiser. The Undertaker had really positive things to say about him earlier this year. CM Punk just singled him out as a guy he’d like to work with. His future is really bright.

And, of course, Sheamus has a really obvious case here. The Intercontinental Championship is the one major prize in WWE he’s never won. He’s held all the other belts and had success at practically all the gimmick PPVs. At some point, he’s going to win this Championship, and it’s going to generate a huge pop from fans who want to celebrate all the success he’s had. But is now the moment to pull that trigger?

And then there’s Bron Breakker, who many call a future WrestleMania Main Eventer. He’s been really enjoyable as IC Champion, as some kind of tweener between heel and face. When he first won the title, I thought he’d hold it for a Gunther-like run, but he already dropped it and won it back during a feud with Jey Uso. What’s to say he couldn’t do that again?

Any of these three men could conceivably win, but I don’t think Kaiser is quite ready yet, and I think, when Sheamus wins this title, it’s going to be during a bigger moment. So, for now, I think Bron is going to hold onto the belt.

Predicted Winner: Bron Breakker.

Gunther (Champion) Vs Damian Priest For The World Heavyweight Championship

Most of the time when I’m doing these predictions, I’m thinking less about how we got here (although that matters) and more about what story I think WWE is going to want to tell moving forward. If this person wins, what type of storylines does that set up? Would they be more enticing than possible storylines the other person winning would set up? Well, when it comes to Gunther and Damian Priest, I can see two very distinct storylines. Let’s talk this out.

Scenario 1: Let’s say Damian Priest wins. That’s possible since he’s extremely over right now and getting the best crowd reactions of his career (at least outside of his 'Mania moment). A win would legitimize Damian Priest as a main event player in WWE, and it would likely lead into a feud with another main eventer for the WHC. Maybe Drew McIntyre or a hell Seth Rollins. In addition, it would also put Gunther into a crisis of confidence program. Priest has already been accusing Gunther of losing his aura, and taking an L here would mean he’s lost his last two PPV matches and three of his last six. Maybe he rebuilds himself and vows to win the Royal Rumble to prove he’s still got it?

Scenario 2: Let’s say Gunther wins. There won't be a lack of confidence afterwards. He’ll likely emerge from this match looking as strong as ever, and he’ll likely lean into that in upcoming promos. If he wins, I’d expect him to hold the title until WrestleMania and likely face someone like John Cena in a David vs Goliath type story, as the monster heel who no one thinks they can beat. Priest would fall a little bit down from the main event scene, but there are any number of suitable people he could feud with next.

Gunther has just done too much winning since he debuted on the main roster to bet against him. I just can’t pick against him here, but it’s a credit to how over Damian Priest has gotten that there is some doubt here.

Predicted Winner: Gunther

Nia Jax, Liv Morgan, Raquel Rodriguez, Tiffany Stratton And Candice LeRae vs Bianca Belair, Rhea Ripley, Iyo Sky, Naomi And Bayley

This originally felt like an old school Survivor Series match of random babyfaces and random heels. It’s the Hulkamaniacs vs The Heenan Family or whatever, battling for nothing more than the love of the game. After Jade Cargill was unexpectedly attacked, however, it’s turned into something more interesting. Most fans think the attacker is one of her former partners on the babyface team; so, will they attack someone else during the match or intentionally screw over their teammates? That’s what we’ll all be looking out for.

There’s also the possibility, of course, that someone outside this match attacked Jade Cargill, and if that’s the case, it’s possible we may see them show up in this match. I think the most likely option is Charlotte Flair, but we could also see Becky Lynch make a surprise appearance. That would likely put either woman into an immediate feud with Bianca Belair, who would likely want to defend her partner, or with Jade herself if she’s not out with injury as long as expected.

Regardless, all these scenarios point to the heels winning. Add that to the fact that both current women’s champions are on the heel side and the fact that we’ve seen everyone on the heels side get along super well in the lead up, and I'm confident we’re probably going to see a heel victory here (provided there's not any shadiness with Tiffany's Money In The Bank contract).

Predicted Winner: The Heels.

Roman Reigns, Jey Uso, Jimmy Uso, Sami Zayn And CM Punk Vs Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga, Tonga Loa, Jacob Fatu and Bronson Reed

If this is a straightforward match, the babyfaces are going to win. Roman was just pinned by Solo during the six man tag team match at Crown Jewel, and while it’s important to build the heels up, you can’t tear down Roman and company too much. They need to stay looking strong. Plus, WWE isn’t going to want to make CM Punk, hot off landing a big TV role, look weak, and he’s involved on the side of the good guys now too.

But there’s also the possibility this isn’t going to be a straightforward match. We know Seth Rollins and Bronson Reed are still involved in this banger of a feud, and Seth has longstanding problems with Roman and Punk too. We know The Rock may return at some point, and it seems likely he’ll side with the bad guys when he does. There are a lot of theories going around that Paul Heyman might betray Roman, since the OTC apparently didn’t check on him a single time after his injury. There’s also lingering tension between Roman and Punk. A lot could go wrong.

This is definitely the match I’m most up in the air about, but I’m going to say the babyfaces stand tall and get the win here. That would put them on more equal footing and give WWE plenty of options of where to take the story moving forward.

Predicted Winner: The OG Bloodline + CM Punk

It seemed like our teams for the women’s side of Survivor Series War Games were pretty clear once Rhea Ripley returned from her injury. On the face side, it would be Bianca Belair, Jade Cargill, Naomi, Iyo Sky and Ripley against the heel team of Liv Morgan, Raquel Rodriguez, Nia Jax, Tiffany Stratton and Candice LeRae. We even got a group staredown and brawl inside the ring, but then, in a complete shock, we were shown Cargill smashed against the windshield of a car during the most recent episode of Smackdown.

WWE later announced she suffered a slew of injuries and said there’s “no timetable” for her return. There are unverified rumors the storyline may have been written in to account for a real injury, but either way, we’re likely going to see Bayley as her replacement in War Games and fans now have a mystery to solve. Fortunately, as a superfan of both wrestling and detective procedurals, now is my time to shine.

I think there are three good suspects and a few more longshot suspects. So, let’s tackle them one-by-one.

Naomi

At first glance, Naomi seems like a terrible suspect. After all, she’s maybe the most straight ahead babyface on the entire roster (apart from maybe Otis), and we’ve seen nothing but positive vibes between her, Bianca and Jade. The three women teamed together at WrestleMania for a dominating win, and we’ve also seen her maintain friendships under difficult circumstances, most prominently with Bayley.

But after a photo of her looking kinda suspect went viral amongst wrestling fans, she’s been on X defending herself so loudly and so aggressively that it’s starting to attract suspicion. She even said she expects her timeline to be “flooded with apologies” when her name is cleared. But is it going to be?

Despite being very close with Bianca and Jade, it’s worth pointing out that she’s the odd one out of the actual tag team. She’s clearly the third wheel in the friendship, and the other two are getting more press and more opportunities than she is. She’s also very close with Bayley, who has had plenty of problems with Bianca in the past.

Verdict: 15% Chance. I don’t think it’s Naomi. I’d consider her the least likely of the main suspects, but you could definitely build a logical case here of why it’s her.

Bianca Belair

Plugged-in wrestling fans have convinced themselves they know where this Jade and Bianca story is going eventually. One of them is going to turn on the other, and it’s going to set up a huge match at WrestleMania. I wish I could make some snarky comments about why everyone is off base, but I also think that’s been the plan all along with their tag team. Some of the best feuds of all time have involved tag team partners, and I was all-in on the plan to put them together and break them up.

So, it has to be her, right? Well, not so fast. If the goal is to have Jade and Bianca wrestle each other for the first time at WrestleMania, we’re way too early on the timeline. In fact, I said in my Crown Jewel predictions that they’d hold onto their Tag Team Championships for longer because it just didn’t make sense to break them up already. And, to be honest, I still think that. What are they going to drop angry promos on each other and interference in each other’s matches for five months before finally wrestling? No.

There’s the possibility, however, that this injury is going to lead to Jade being out a few months, and in that case, Bianca could be an ideal suspect. An “it was me” admission sometime around the Royal Rumble would allow these two to engage in a heated feud for a few months before fighting at WrestleMania.

Verdict: 25% Chance. I don’t think it’s Bianca. I think there are better ways to do a break-up than this, but if Jade is injured for real and they needed to write her off TV quickly while laying the groundwork for the Bianca feud when she returns, then it’s a possibility they improved to this.

Bayley

Bayley had the hottest run of her entire career earlier this year when she won The Royal Rumble, turned on Damage CTRL and beat Iyo Sky for The WWE Women’s Championship at WrestleMania 40. You could make a case that, at the moment she won, she was one of the most over stars on the entire roster, but the last six months or so haven’t really gone as well. That’s not to say she’s done anything wrong, but none of her storylines have really popped and her momentum has bled off. She needs a change.

Attacking Jade and going back to being a heel could provide the change she needs. It would also make sense with her character, as she’s had on-screen problems with Bianca for multiple years. It would also provide the most direct benefit to her, which would be getting her into the War Games match. I can’t imagine her character would have enjoyed watching the so-called faces team with Iyo Sky and pick her for their War Games team, given all the personal animosity she’s had with her too.

Verdict: 50% Chance. I think this is the most likely scenario. It makes the most sense from a character development standpoint. It would give Bayley something new to do, and it would give WWE a lot of options moving forward.

Other Possible Suspects

Ordinarily when someone gets attacked on Raw or SmackDown, it’s one of the heels on the roster. It’s the type of straightforward storytelling the wrestling business has been built on top of for a hundred years, but most of the time when it’s the most obvious candidate, the show just reveals it immediately and uses it to either draw heat or play up an injury angle. Can you believe Nia attacked Jade ahead of their match? It’s just like Liv Morgan to cheap shot her opponent before they even get into the ring. I hope Candice didn’t hurt Jade’s knee when she attacked her. That’s the sorta thing you’d expect to hear Michael Cole say on an almost weekly basis on SmackDown. So, while I wouldn’t definitively rule out any of the heels in the War Games match (Nia, Tiffany, Candice, Liv and Raquel), I don’t think it’s likely it was them either.

I’ll throw out another remote possibility though. What if it’s a woman that’s headed to the main roster sometime soon or returning from injury? There’s a ton of buzz around a bunch of people in NXT, most prominently Stephanie Vaquer and Giulia. There’s also Jordynne Grace from TNA, who many expect may come over to WWE in 2025. Any of those three women could conceivably step into the main event scene immediately and start a feud with Jade. There’s also a small possibility it could be Lash Legend and Jakara Jackson, who have recently feuded with Jade and Bianca for the tag titles.

Or it could be someone like Charlotte Flair or Becky Lynch. We're all expecting to see them at some point soon, and whenever they do pop up, it'll almost certainly be to enter into a feud with a big name. Jade Cargill would fit that bill, as would her partner Bianca.

Verdict: 10% Chance. I don’t necessarily love any of these possibilities enough to put forth on their own, but collectively, there’s enough here that they need to be taken into consideration.

Usually the only thing that Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill have to worry about backstage is which WWE athletes are coming after their women's tag-team championship title next. They've also done their best to avoid the ire of The Wyatt Sicks, who often cause a ruckus there, and likely will continue to do so at upcoming WWE events. Unfortunately, the duo had the life scared out of them by the social media content team, thanks to the unexpected appearance by The Boogeyman.

Though he hasn't been a regular part of the company's main roster since 2009, the former superstar known as one of the strangest wrestlers in WWE history does make the occasional appearance thanks to his Legends contract. With the Halloween season just around the corner, it seems The Boogeyman's services were needed to give Jade Cargill and Bianca Belair a scare during a mystery box touch challenge, and I think it worked a little too well, judging by the video below.

I know we spend so much time as wrestling fans debating what amounts to real and fake emotions from the performers, but I don't think there's any mistaking the champs' sheer terror on display in the video. I couldn't believe that The Boogeyman was able to keep it together as Bianca Belair was digging in his nose, and was able to fully convince them he wasn't a real person until the actual reveal happened.

I'm always so surprised when I see The Boogeyman back in the WWE, because he looks almost exactly the same as he did over twenty years ago. I'm sure the fact he wears face paint helps him maintain his youthful persona, and I should add that we only see the 60-year-old wrestler's head in the video. Still, he looks great!

The WWE does occasionally showcase its social media content on Monday Night Raw, and I wouldn't be surprised if we see this video air on the upcoming episode to acknowledge the Halloween season. If not that, I bet it might run during NXT's Halloween Havoc PLE, which is available to stream with a Peacock Premium Subscription. I wouldn't mind seeing The Boogeyman be a part of that show as well, but considering he's not affiliated with the developmental brand, I wouldn't count on it happening.

One thing I am counting on is to say the current women's tag-team champions perform at WrestleMania, likely in a match against each other. Bianca Belair is currently establishing herself as one of the most impactful women in professional wrestling, and Jade Cargill has shined ever since her eventual arrival in the company after leaving AEW. One would think they'd have to become enemies first to make that storyline viable, and with months to go ahead of WrestleMania 41, I'd be watching their story very closely for signs of tension between them.

Catch Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill on Monday Night Raw on USA on Mondays at 8:00 p.m. ET. There's just a couple more months of shows before the program makes the big jump to Netflix in 2025, and I'm so excited to see how it may look different.

The story of Bash In Berlin starts and ends with Gunther. The World Heavyweight Champion has viciously and repeatedly slapped his fellow wrestlers and WWE fans across the chest with his throwback chops since he was called up in 2022, and in just a few short years, he’s already established himself as one of the biggest stars on the roster. Now, he heads into Berlin as a conquering hometown hero, an Austrian performing inside Germany where he’s maintained residency for decades.

WWE hasn’t announced if Gunther and Randy Orton will main event the show, but regardless of where it sits on the card, the crowd is likely to be white hot, even if this feud hasn’t been given that much time to build. I also expect a particularly raucous crowd for at least two other matches, as Drew Mcintyre vs CM Punk and Damian Priest and Rhea Ripley vs Dominik Mysterio and Liv Morgan are locked in a standoff for hottest storyline in all of professional wrestling right now. Throw in dueling fan favorites Cody Rhodes and Kevin Owens squaring up in a rare face vs face WWE Championship Match and Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill trying to win their Tag Team Championships back from The Unholy Union, and it’s a pretty stacked card for a mid-tier PPV.

Before I get into what’s gonna happen, however, let’s run down how I’ve been doing at the prediction game.

CM Punk Vs Drew McIntyre In A Strap Match

CM Punk and Drew McIntyre is one of the hottest feuds in wrestling. Fans will be extremely into this match, maybe more into it than anything else on the card not involving Judgment Day, but a month ago, people were talking about this feud like it was one of the greatest non-title storylines in wrestling history. Go back and watch the introductions and opening bell to their match at SummerSlam. You only get that type of crowd buzz when fans are emotionally invested to a far greater degree than usual. 

But over the last month or so, it just hasn’t had that same spark. There haven’t been moments wrestling fans were jumping on social, desperate to talk about. It’s been good but hasn’t approached great. So, the goal of this match has to be to get the momentum going in the right direction again. This feud needs something more than the stolen bracelet. 

If Triple H, Bruce Prichard and the writers want to keep this going and find that magic again, they need to give CM Punk a clear one-up over Drew McIntyre that represents more than winning a match. We need something that will trigger Drew McIntyre and give him a reason to turn into the vindictive Scottish Warrior again. Maybe that involves doing something to his wife. Maybe that involves embarrassing him in a way he can’t laugh off. I don’t know what it is, but it needs to be great. If not, it’s likely this feud will continue losing momentum and ultimately be remembered very positively as highlights for these two men but not as an all-time masterpiece we’ll be talking about for decades.

Predicted Winner: CM Punk

Alba Fyre And Isla Dawn (Champions) Vs Bianca Belair And Jade Cargill For The Women’s Tag Team Championships

I don’t want to pat myself on the back too hard and have to get surgery like Randy Orton, but I’m typically pretty good at knowing where WWE is going. I have a solid record in predicting matches, and the ones I miss tend to be matches I go back and forth on and am very clearly not sure about ahead of time. But I have to admit I have no idea WTF WWE is doing with Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill. 

Earlier this year, they won the Tag Team Championships, and I assumed they would have about a nine month run where they would dominate everyone before they lost the belts in some kind of scandal and started feuding with each other. I still think the goal is eventually to get them to that feud, but they unceremoniously lost the titles barely a month after winning them and haven’t been successful in winning them back. Even more strangely, we haven’t seen any internal friction either. So, what’s the plan here? Are they going to keep trying and failing at winning the titles before they turn on each other? Are they going to win the championships back and then lose them again, which will create the dissension?

Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn are a perfectly nice tag team. I’m happy they’re getting a run at the top, and I’m sure they’ll put on a good match here. But the outcome of this match depends entirely on what WWE wants to do with Bianca and Jade, and I just don’t know what they want to do. I can’t see the vision yet in my mind; so, in the absence of that, I’m going to assume, since they’re far and away the bigger money team here, that they’re gonna recapture the titles.

Predicted Winners: Bianca And Jade

Terror Twins Damian Priest And Rhea Ripley Vs The Judgment Day’s Dominik Mysterio And Liv Morgan

I am very confident this feud will ultimately end with Rhea Ripley winning back her Women’s World Championship from Liv Morgan and Damian Priest getting the upperhand on Finn Bálor in a singles match. Ripley is on pace to be the biggest star in the history of women’s wrestling, and Damian Priest has been steadily winning over the crowd and turning himself into a main eventer since his cash-in at WrestleMania 40. They’re going to ultimately come out on top of the larger storyline, but I’m going back and forth as to whether that success will start here or not.

In a more conventional feud, you’d have to favor Ripley and Priest here. After all, Dominik turned on Rhea at SummerSlam and cost her the match against Liv, and Damian lost his World Heavyweight Championship to Gunther at the same event thanks to Judgment Day interference. The rules of wrestling would say they need to get even, particularly since they’re the white hot babyfaces, but it’s very likely this feud is going to continue for a long time, with the real prizes being singles matches down the road. This mixed tag team match is more of a beat in the story, rather than the destination. That means anything can happen, as the outcome is merely intended to set the table for whatever comes next.

I’m going to cautiously pick Priest and Rhea, as they need a bit of good news, but all options are on the table here.

Predicted Winner: Terror Twins

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

Cody Rhodes is going to win this match because WWE loves long title reigns and because Cody seems destined to wrestle The Rock at some point in the future for his championship. WWE teased that very heavily prior to The Rock returning to Hollywood, but let the record show I’d love to see Kevin Owens win here. 

That’s no shot at Cody Rhodes. I like Cody and have liked him way more than I ever expected I would when he first returned to WWE, but he needs a little bit of an edge added to his character. He’s felt a little dry since WrestleMania, and having him drop the title to Owens, particularly if it’s via some cheating, underhanded tactics that turns Owens heel, would be a great way to give us an energized and fired up Rhodes. In a perfect world, I’d love to see these two wrestle three times with Owens winning the first and Cody getting the best of him on the next two. 

That would keep Cody hot for whatever is coming next, but it would also add in an element of surprise and build a new layer to his character, who has barely lost at all since returning at WrestleMania 38. Alas, that’s almost certainly not going to happen though.

Predicted Winner: Cody Rhodes

Gunther (Champion) Vs Randy Orton For The World Heavyweight Championship

My co-worker Mick Joest is fired up about the possibility of seeing Randy Orton face a returning John Cena for a World Championship. It would give Cena a chance to set a new record and would give fans a match they’re clamoring for. I get it. I can see the vision, but it feels a little too early to pull the trigger on that. Perhaps more importantly, it also feels way too early to pull the title off Gunther.

Gunther is perhaps the wrestler with the highest approval rating of anyone in the entire business. He feels modern enough and is skilled enough that younger fans love him, and he’s got enough of a throwback vibe and larger than life character look that fans of older wrestling love him too. He’s a throwback that also feels cutting edge, and I just can’t see him taking only his second singles, non-DQ loss, less than a month after winning the title and in front of German fans who will no doubt give him a huge ovation.

I believe Randy Orton will rise to the top again. Maybe it’ll be to do something with John Cena, which would be super cool, but I don’t think this is the way WWE gets there. Not at the expense of Gunther.

Predicted Winner: Gunther

You can watch Bash At Berlin free with a Peacock subscription this Saturday at a special afternoon start time.

Pro wrestling is red-hot right now, with people lining up to attend upcoming WWE events to see their favorite superstars in action. It's not the only major organization seeing a surge in popularity as of late, however, as interest in the WNBA has surged this season thanks, in part, to the arrival of young superstar Caitlin Clark. The Indiana Fever guard has brought big crowds to her games all throughout college and the pros, and Bianca Belair had an idea for how the basketball player could bring even bigger crowds to the WWE.

Belair -- whose latest tag-team title loss at Clash at the Castle can be streamed with a Peacock Premium subscription -- spoke to ComicBook Nation shortly after it was announced that the WWE signed a massive partnership with the city of Indianapolis to host the 2025 Royal Rumble, a future SummerSlam and WrestleMania. Hometown heroes like NBA Pacers star and WWE superfan Tyrese Haliburton and commentator Pat McAfee are expected to be along for the ride. However, here's what Belair had to say when asked if Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark would also be included in the mix:

The Women's Royal Rumble isn't quite as old as the men's event, but it has really put in the work to make it just as much of a must-see event. In fact, CinemaBlend wrote about how the 2024 Women's match was one of the best yet, and what better way to chase that than by finding a way to put one of the most popular female athletes in the mix?

Professional athletes participating in big matches like this isn't new in the WWE. Countless celebrities have appeared at WrestleMania, for example, NFL stars George Kittle, Jason Kelce, and Rob Gronkowski have actively participated in matches. So, it's not unprecedented for well-known athletes and celebrities to show up in the ring.

I think what would be more complicated is convincing The Indiana Fever to allow Caitlin Clark to participate in such a physical event as the Royal Rumble. The six-foot guard would stand tall against the women's roster, but professional basketball players aren't really built to take the types of bumps a football player would. I would wager the WNBA team would not want the first pick of this year's draft getting locked into submissions or getting tossed from the ring.

The good news is there are plenty of other ways for Caitlin Clark to get involved with the WWE's upcoming plans in Indianapolis, and I'm sure there's no shortage of people behind the scenes of the wrestling organization trying to figure out how that can happen. Maybe she'll appear as an honorary mystery member of The Wyatt Sicks? It's probably not the best fit, but it seems like no wrestler wants to touch them right now, which is ideal for keeping Clark healthy to play basketball for the foreseeable future.

The 2025 Royal Rumble is currently scheduled for Saturday, February 1st. Tune in then to see if Caitlin Clark is a part of the fun, because we already know Bianca Belair will likely be competing. In the meantime, make sure to stay tuned to the 2024 TV schedule so you don't miss any upcoming WWE events or WNBA games.

I just finished watching Clash At The Castle. I wasn’t planning on hopping on and writing something. Normally I just write the predictions ahead of time, but what’s the point of being a wrestling fan if you can’t shout your opinions at everyone? And after this, I have so many opinions. What I thought was going to be a relatively predictable and tame premium live event turned out to be anything but as my brain in spinning in a ton of different directions.

Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill lost. I’m not sure I heard anyone other than Santi Zap predict that. The Chad Gable storyline is somehow even hotter after a fantastic finish led to a pissed off gif you’ll see on social media for years. Damian Priest miraculously turned what seemed like an all-time botch into one of the best performances of his career. Drew McIntyre looked like a Roman Reigns level star. There’s just so much to talk about. So, let me rundown my biggest takeaways…

Drew McIntyre Is A Carry The Company Level Star

Clash At The Castle was Drew McIntyre’s PPV. He was always going to main event the show, despite Cody Rhodes being on it, and his presence tonight showed exactly why. Yes, the hometown crowd helped, but whether he’s a hero or a face, wrestling in his home country or somewhere he has no connection to, he's in the midst of an all-time run right now. He has found the character he was born to play.

Everything about it just works. Whether it be stepping in front of Damian Priest during his introduction just to be a jerk… or kicking Priest while he was stuck in the ropes… or the look he gave CM Punk when he screwed him over as a fake referee… or whatever else you can think of he feels like a main event guy. He has the aura to be a legit WrestleMania main eventer in a way I’d argue less than 20 guys in the history of WWE ever have. He might have lost tonight, but that’s only because WWE has more interesting things to do with his character.

Damian Priest Deserves His Flowers

Not long into Priest and Drew McIntyre’s match, the interim Judgment Day leader got his foot stuck in the ropes after a risky aerial maneuver went wrong. I haven’t heard confirmation it was for sure a botch, but it’s hard to imagine WWE planning something that risky. And yet, he adapted and sold the hell out of what looked like a bad ankle injury, whether it was real or not, and delivered one of the best performances of his entire career. There were moments I legitimately thought the ref was going to throw up the X. And yet, by the end of the match, they were getting “This Is Awesome” chants from the crowd. 

I’m still not entirely sure what Damian Priest’s ceiling is. We all know he’s absolutely fantastic as the second lead in Judgment Day behind Rhea Ripley, a stable which, despite all it success, still has a ton of unfulfilled potential. We all know he’s probably not going to be the lead guy like Hulk Hogan or John Cena or Roman Reigns. But he’s really damn good and getting better by the week. His promos are getting way more natural. He’s starting to develop an aura about him and really find his confidence, and he just delivers a really good, dependable performance every time he’s in the ring. I’m sad for Drew that he lost again, but I’m really excited to see Damian continue to grow in his role. 

The Chad Gable/ Alpha Academy Storyline Needs To Be Pushed To The Moon

With all due respect to Dominik Mysterio and Liv Morgan and a handful of other contenders, the best program not involving Drew McIntyre, CM Punk and Damian Priest right now is Chad Gable and Alpha Academy (and Sami Zayn). Everyone is playing their part so well. Gable was born to play the role of the selfish, overbearing tyrant. Otis has once again tapped into the special connection he has with fans. Maxxine is terrific as the deer in headlights sidekick who needs protecting, especially with her walking boot, and of course, Sami Zayn is one of the greatest character workers in the history of WWE. Everything has gone right here.

Over the last few years, Gable and Alpha Academy have waffled back and forth between being a key B-plot on the show to being relegated to a few minutes here or there. Triple H, Bruce Prichard and the writers need to push now. This group should be getting a minimum of fifteen minutes every Raw to really develop some layers into what’s going on here and assumedly, add in other pieces.  

Bianca And Jade Lost. Now What?

I’m rattled. I knew WWE would break up Bianca and Jade at some point in the future, but I thought they’d be on cruise control with the tag titles for months. I thought maybe they’d start developing some tension around Survivor Series and we’d get a prolonged build to a WrestleMania match between the two of them. Apparently not.

So, what’s the plan here? There’s one scenario in which they turn on each other immediately and build to a match at SummerSlam. There’s another scenario in which we get a few months of them trying to make it work before the inevitable breakup. I’m unsure which path WWE is going to choose. We all knew their tag team would turn into a break-up and a feud at some point, but the fact that it’s all happening so quickly makes me wonder if WWE changed plans and decided they needed two of their biggest stars back in the World Title picture, especially because…

WWE Needs To Give Bayley Something

I want to be very clear that this is not about the fans rooting for Piper Niven. Their match took place in Scotland, and there was always a good chance Piper was going to get cheered because it’s her home country. I also want to be clear this is not because Bayley wasn’t good in the ring here. She was. I thought Piper and Bayley both delivered good performances. This is about a lot more than this match. It’s about the last few months and the lack of momentum Bayley seems to have.

I’m pretty sure an overwhelming majority of WWE fans, myself included, were rooting for Bayley at The Royal Rumble. I was so stoked to see her win after years of selfless performances in which she put over other people. I was also stoked to see her beat former stablemate Iyo Sky at WrestleMania 40 in a fantastic showing. But WWE hasn’t really done anything to develop her character since that moment. She doesn’t have any goals or motivations, and when she has been given a chance to speak, it’s been pretty forgettable, which sucks since she can be fantastic on the mic. 

I love Bayley. She’s one of the most talented women WWE has, but the writers need to give her something to do. She was the sympathetic, grieved party heading into WrestleMania in her battle against Damage CTRL, but now she's... just the champion whose a babyface with a goal. She needs a passionate promo or some interesting layers to her upcoming feud with Nia Jax. Watching Clash At The Castle, it was obvious how much more invested fans are in a bunch of other characters right now.

Let’s Talk About Cody Rhodes’ Future

After Cody Rhodes’ match with AJ Styles, he was attacked by The New Bloodline or The Other Bloodline or Bloodline 2.0 or whatever you want to call them. He was then saved by Kevin Owens and Randy Orton. It seems pretty obvious WWE is setting up a 3 on 3 match of Rhodes, Orton and Owens vs Tama Tonga, Tonga Loa and Solo Sikoa, probably at Money In The Bank. Initially, I thought we’d see some kind of interference there with The Rock that would likely set up a Summerslam Main Event between The Rock and Cody Rhodes, but now I’m not so sure. The Rock reportedly suffered an injury while he was filming his new movie, and also, Randy Orton seemed to be eyeing Cody’s title.

The last several years have been an extended babyface run for Randy Orton. He was in RKBro, a super over tag team with Matt Riddle. Then he got hurt. Then he returned at Survivor Series and has been getting huge crowd pops ever since, but he’s also The Viper and his career has been filled with plenty of backstabs and heel work. It might be time to give us another one, which could hypothetically lead into a major match at SummerSlam. 

Big Shouts For All The Scottish Wrestlers And The Scottish Crowd

What a blast it’s been to see WWE start spreading the wealth by taking its premium live events around the world. They’ve all delivered fabulous crowds, and Scotland was no exception today. Fans screamed, chanted and rooted on their hometown favorites, who all delivered terrific performances. Drew McIntyre was, of course, the most notable Scottish hero. He proved why he's one of the best in the world in a losing effort that should make his feud with CM Punk hotter than ever. He deserves to be the lead story, but all of the other Scottish performers were fantastic too.

Piper Niven was given a chance to shine against Bayley and had the crowd firmly on her side by the end of the match. She’s so nimble for her size and has great facial expressions. She’s also a perfect pair with the more flamboyant Chelsea Green, who pulled double duty as herself and her luchador sister after she was kicked out of the match. They both need to be on TV every week. Maybe, with the titles off Jade and Bianca, they’ll be given another tag title run, or maybe WWE saw enough here to start pushing Piper as a single. She’d be an ideal first champ if WWE ever decides to introduce a mid-card title for the women.

And of course we can’t forget about Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn. I can’t remember the last time I was this shocked by a result at a premium live event, but I don’t hate it at all. I think there’s a lot WWE can do with these characters. They just need consistent TV time and a little bit of street cred, and this performance gave them both in the night’s most touching moment, especially given the personal tragedy Isla Dawn recently suffered. She’s quietly one of the most talented women WWE has on their entire roster, and I’m ready to see her get more time to show it.

A little less than two years after the highly successful and well-regarded Clash At The Castle, WWE is returning to Great Britain for another premium live event. This one will take place in Scotland, and as such, all eyes are on superstar Drew McIntyre. The Scottish Warrior has really found his voice over the last six months or so, and his rabid hometown fans are expected to give him a hero’s welcome as he competes for The World Heavyweight Championship against Damian Priest. It should be a tremendous main event, but that’s far from the only tussle worth getting excited about.

The rest of the card is also really solid, at least for a mid-tier PPV. Bayley will be defending her title against Piper Niven, Chad Gable will look to finally win The Intercontinental Championship in yet another match with Sami Zayn, Cody Rhodes will be in action against AJ Styles, and Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill will put their tag titles on the line in a triple threat.

And you know what the best part is? There are two matches on the card that legitimately could go either way. Sometimes the mid-tier PPVs can be a little obvious in their outcomes, and certainly, we have a few of those matches here, but there are also two I keep going back and forth on.

Before we get to those, though, let’s take a look at my predictions history. I’ve been on quite a tear lately, going a combined 10-1 between Backlash France and King And Queen Of The Ring, but it’s about to get a whole lot harder. Here’s a quick snapshot…

Jade Cargill & Bianca Belair (Champs) Vs Shayna Baszler & Zoey Stark Vs Isla Dawn And Alba Fyre For The Women’s Tag Team Championships

I didn’t say every match on the card was hard to predict. There are several with very obvious results, and this one might be the most obvious of them all. I like Shayna Baszler and Zoey Stark. I think they could really be an intimidating duo of monster heels if WWE built them properly. I also think Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn deserve some promos and some real TV time to see if they can make their witches gimmick work, but we are nowhere close to the point of WWE even thinking about taking the tag titles off Jade and Bianca. 

At some point, they are almost certainly going to break up amidst tension that will spiral into at least a feud between the two mega-stars and probably a full-on WrestleMania match, but tag team splits rarely come out of nowhere. There’s almost always an extended period of bubbling tension, and right now, Jade and Bianca are still in the honeymoon phase of double team maneuvers, coordinated outfits and fun dance moves. So, yeah, they’re going to win and look good doing it too.

Predicted Winners: Jade Cargill And Bianca Belair

Bayley (Champ) Vs Piper Niven For The WWE Women’s Championship

How are we feeling about Bayley’s title run so far? Yeah… I feel the same way. She needs to find a feud with a little more juice, and despite maybe the strongest promo of Piper Niven’s career last week, this one isn’t it. There just hasn’t been enough time to build it, and with Nia Jax on the horizon, Niven hasn’t been presented as a credible threat. 

That doesn’t mean there aren’t any stakes here though. A good performance from Piper Niven could help WWE see her as a credible upper card player that should, at minimum, be given another big push alongside tag team partner/ mouthpiece Chelsea Green. And a good performance from Bayley could remind everyone why we were all so stoked about her winning The Royal Rumble and her WrestleMania match against Iyo Sky. She can be one of the most emotionally affecting performers in WWE and someone fans really want to root for and get behind in the ring, with the right storyline and dance partner.

Predicted Winner: Bayley

AJ Styles Vs Cody Rhodes (Champ) For The WWE Championship in an I Quit match.

I don’t think the original plan was to run AJ Styles and Cody Rhodes back again a few PPVs later, but after they put on one of WWE’s best matches in years at Backlash, fans started clamoring to see a follow-up. Styles’ Mark Henry-style fake retirement was a nice little touch to build animosity and draw heat to the storyline, but the ending still is no less unclear than it was when they met earlier this year. Cody Rhodes is going to win because WWE already heavily teased a showdown with The Rock for the title whenever he returns.

So, I guess that leaves us two points of interest here. The first is, of course, the quality of the wrestling match itself, which should be a banger. Sometimes wrestling fans, especially WWE fans, struggle to appreciate how special it is to see two legends put on a match at a premium live event, even if the outcome isn’t as uncertain as you’d hope. The second is whether we get any hint as to where AJ Styles might go from here. The future Hall of Famer still has it in the ring, but he’s also quickly approaching 50. Most wrestling fans, myself included, believe he has one more run to the top left in him, but with so much chaos at the top right now, WWE needs to find something else for him to do, preferably involving a feud he can win.

Predicted Winner: Cody Rhodes

Sami Zayn (Champ) Vs Chad Gable For The Intercontinental Championship

The first three predictions were easy. These last two are significantly harder. So, let’s talk this out and see where we land. On the one hand, Chad Gable is clearly due for a win. He’s been flirting with The Intercontinental Championship since last year, and it would be great to validate his recent heel turn with a win here. That would convince him being a scumbag was what he was missing for all those years, and it would allow him to believably double down on his new found heelish ways. Plus, it doesn’t feel realistic to give him another title shot anytime soon if he loses again. A man can only take so many Ls.

On the other hand, WWE has been teasing Otis turning on Gable for weeks. Fans are desperate to see the big man finally stand his ground and back the rest of Alpha Academy, who Gable routinely abuses on a weekly basis. Triple H and company are going to want to pay off that moment, which feels like it would be the culmination of this match. Plus, Sami Zayn is still mega-over, and as much as this outcome feels like a referendum on what WWE wants to do with Gable, there’s also the practical question of whether to keep the belt on Sami Zayn, which is never a bad idea given his popularity.

I think Otis is going to cost Chad Gable this match, which is going to convince Gable to fire Alpha Academy and bring The Creed Brothers on board. That’ll finally unlock his true potential and allow him to go on the first big singles win streak of his career. I think. That makes the most sense to me, but a Gable victory is very much in play here.

Predicted Winner Sami Zayn

Damian Priest (Champ) Vs Drew McIntyre For The World Heavyweight Championship

If you would have asked me who was winning this match a month ago, I would have reflexively said Drew McIntyre. It seemed really obvious at that point. The Scottish Warrior is on the best run of his career. This PPV is taking place not far from where he grew up, and the last time there was a Clash At The Castle, he got screwed in the main event by Roman Reigns and a debuting Solo Sikoa. It felt like WWE owed him, especially after his WrestleMania 40 win against Seth Freakin’ Rollins to win The World Heavyweight Championship was marred by CM Punk and a Damian Priest cash-in.

Circumstances have changed though. The winner of this match will be facing Gunther at SummerSlam, and Damian Priest, who initially seemed like an obvious transitional champion, has significantly improved on the microphone. He’s not there yet, but every week, it feels like he’s closer to having that champion aura. Plus, we all know Drew McIntyre’s next big program is going to be against the currently injured CM Punk. Involving Gunther in that seems… complicated and unnecessary. 

After Finn Bálor lost on Monday, Judgment Day’s members are banned from ringside, but you know who isn’t banned? CM Punk. I expect we’ll see him interfere in McIntyre’s match and somehow cost him, adding more heat to that program and allowing Damian Priest to continue as champion.

Predicted Winner: Damian Priest

You can catch Clash At The Castle this weekend. It’s streaming free in The United States with a Peacock subscription, and it’s available via other streaming methods around the world. 

Ask a WWE fan to name their favorite yearly Premium Live Events, and they’ll almost certainly rattle off at least a half dozen before even considering Backlash. It’s a problem of timing more than anything else. At its best, WrestleMania is a culmination of a year’s worth of storylines, and Backlash, the PPV after ‘Mania, is, well, what comes after. And what comes after is never going to be as exciting as WrestleMania or SummerSlam or any of the regular PPVs with built-in hooks like Royal Rumble, Survivor Series, Elimination Chamber and Money In The Bank.

That doesn’t mean Backlash France isn’t going to be worth watching, though. Last year’s edition in Puerto Rico had a terrific atmosphere and featured fantastic matches between Damian Priest and Bad Bunny and Bianca Belair and Iyo Sky. We also got that terrific moment with Zelina Vega getting a huge pop from the crowd, and there’s reason to believe we could get some really good matches this year too, as well as some forward progress on long-term plots.

From where I’m sitting, it seems like a relatively easy card to predict winners for, but getting too cocky in this predictions game never goes well. You can check out my up and down overall results below…

What follows are my full predictions for Backlash France. I’ll give you a sense of what I think is going to happen in the match and if I expect to see any interference, surprises or major character development, but as always, I’ll only judge myself for the purposes of wins and losses on the official prediction.

Randy Orton And Kevin Owens Vs Solo SIkoa And Tama Tonga

If you’re just looking at this match purely from a which-dudes-are-further-up-the-card perspective, Randy Orton and Kevin Owens should win this hands down. They’ve both been World Champions and are extremely over with the crowd. You could slide either into a program with Cody Rhodes or Damian Priest tomorrow and the audience would buy it, but there’s more in play here than just the resumes of everyone involved.

It seems very likely the main plot of WWE at some point in the future is going to be The Rock and Roman Reigns in a battle for Bloodline supremacy. Solo Sikoa and Tama Tonga need to establish themselves as real intimidating threats in order to be a meaningful part of that storyline. That means winning matches, especially after Solo kicked Jimmy Uso out of The Bloodline and gave a speech about how winning matters. 

That being said, he never said anything about winning clean. So, expect The Bloodline to pick up the victory but expect them to do it with outside shenanigans, probably via interference from recent signee Jacob Fatu.

Predicted Winner: Solo And Tama

The Kabuki Warriors (Champions) Vs Bianca Belair And Jade Cargill For The Women’s Tag Team Championship

Betting against Bianca Belair is almost always a bad idea, and betting against Jade Cargill somehow seems even dumber. Alongside Naomi, they rolled over Dakota Kai and The Kabuki Warriors at WrestleMania 40, and it’s hard not to think they’ll do the same thing here. After all, Bianca was just the first overall pick in the draft, and Jade Cargill is being protected like a prime Hulk Hogan. WWE wouldn’t throw them together and have them lose, right?

Well, there are really two arguments for why they should lose. The first is to keep Damage CTRL and The Kabuki Warriors as strong as possible. Iyo Sky just lost her belt to Bayley at WrestleMania 40, and the other members got rolled in that aforementioned tag match. With Dakota Kai as a mouthpiece, Asuka, Kairi Sane and Iyo have so much potential, but in order to fulfill that, they need to win some big PPV matches in big moments. 

The second argument is about the future of Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill. No offense to the Women’s Tag Team Championship, but I think the plan is pretty clear that at some point we’re going to get Bianca and Jade in a feud with each other. That’s the type of high upside storyline that could main event a future PPV. Personally, I think it would be smarter to give them some tag success and keep them together for a few months before one of them turns, but there’s always the possibility Triple H and company get antsy and act now.

More than likely though, Bianca and Jade are going to roll here, and they’ll be made to look as unbeatable and dominant as possible.

Predicted Winner: Bianca Belair And Jade Cargill

Bayley (Champion) Vs Naomi Vs Tiffany Stratton For The WWE Women’s Championship

Damage CTRL is officially moving to Monday Night Raw, which means Bayley, for the first time in years, is going to embark on a storyline that doesn’t involve Iyo Sky and Dakota Kai. It’s sad in some ways, but in other ways, it was definitely needed. Bayley needs to find a voice for herself outside the faction she created, and hopefully, it starts here.

I think Tiffany Stratton will be one of the biggest stars in the company a few years from now, but it’s not Tiffy Time yet, nor is it Naomi’s moment to get back to the top of the card. I expect we’re going to get a really good match here filled with some fun spots and promises of the future, but Bayley can’t win the belt at WrestleMania and then immediately drop it to someone that wasn’t connected to that Damage CTRL storyline at all. That would do too much damage to her character, and ultimately, it would make putting her in such a prime spot at WrestleMania 40 really confusing in retrospect.

Predicted Winner: Bayley

Damian Priest (Champion) Vs Jey Uso For The World Heavyweight Championship

At its core, wrestling is about getting over with the crowd, and Jey Uso is so over with the crowd right now. His intro is arguably more popular than Seth Rollins’ at least currently, and his promos always get a steady stream of YEETs. To be honest, though, there’s something about Jey Uso that just doesn’t feel Main Event yet. His energy is that of a super over midcarder, and it didn’t help that his match against Jimmy Uso was widely considered to be the worst on the WrestleMania card. Plus, it seems likely his future is going to be wrapped up in The Bloodline storyline and probably a reunion with longtime frenemy Roman Reigns.

Damian Priest is also a bit in limbo right now. He had the best moment of his entire career at WrestleMania 40 and seemed likely to go on a fantastic run opposite his Terror Twin Rhea Ripley, but she’s now on the shelf for months and had to forfeit her title. Dominik Mysterio is also hurt, and WWE is teasing problems within Judgment Day on a weekly basis. I still think he needs to at least hold onto the belt until Clash At The Castle in June, when Drew McIntyre can presumably win it back, but there is a little doubt in my mind about whether he could lose here. I don’t think so, but the possibility definitely exists.

Predicted Winner: Damian Priest

Cody Rhodes (Champion) Vs Aj Styles For The WWE Championship

AJ Styles needs another run with a World Championship before he takes off his boots for the last time. He’s still one of WWE’s best workers in the ring, and while he’s mostly worked as a heel the last year or so, fans will get behind him again if they’re given a good reason. But c’mon. Cody Rhodes is not losing this belt.

Exactly how long The American Nightmare holds the gold is an open question that likely depends on how supportive fans remain, given they historically tire out at some point on rooting for the same babyface, but we’re definitely not there yet. The crowd still loses its mind every time his theme song hits, and he’s still putting on quality matches. Given AJ Styles’ workrate, this will almost certainly be another one, but the outcome is not in doubt. Cody is going to retain, and it would be an utter shock to see him lose at any point before at least SummerSlam.

Predicted Winner: Cody Rhodes

Can I admit something crazy? I attended WrestleMania 39 in person, and yet, I’m somehow even more excited to watch WrestleMania 40 on my television. It’s honestly not close. With new and better production techniques, several fantastic main event-level builds and The Rock maybe doing the best work of his entire freakin’ career, this year’s Showcase Of The Immortals has higher upside than any ‘Mania we’ve gotten in a long time.

Let’s run down everything to be excited about. I’ll obviously start with The Rock, who has rediscovered his love for wrestling and is in the middle of writing a key chapter in his already historic legacy. Instead of nostalgia, he gave us something entirely different, and it feels so fresh and modern. Then there’s Drew McIntyre, who is also doing the best work of his entire career. He’s found worthy opponents in CM Punk, who is as sharp on the mic as ever, and Seth Rollins, who has been WWE’s workhorse for the last year. 

If that’s not enough, I’ll just briefly go over some other things to be excited about: Roman Reigns trying to pass Hulk Hogan’s record and prove to The Rock he’s The Tribal Chief, Cody Rhodes trying to finally finish the story and pay off the fandom of the Cody Crybabies, Rhea Ripley continuing the most popular and dominant women’s run ever, Bayley finally getting her moment after years of selfless work, more Dominik vs Rey, R-Truth getting maybe the biggest pop of his entire career alongside The Miz, Gunther continuing his reign of terror, Sami Zayn and Chad Gable working some kind of intriguing mentor storyline, Bianca, Naomi and Jade joining forces, Uso Vs Uso, Becky trying to deliver another ‘Mania banger and so much more. 

So, yeah, there’s a lot to be excited about, but for me, there’s also a lot to be nervous about. There are some matches on the card that seem to have extremely likely outcomes, especially the main events, but there are also a lot of matches where WWE has multiple enticing paths forward. Hopefully I can settle on the right outcomes and improve my pretty solid overall record…

One final note before I begin as people ask me this sometimes, these are not what I think should happen. These are what I think Triple H, Bruce Prichard and company will choose to do based on nothing but deductive reasoning and my personal experiences of watching wrestling since I was a little kid.

Gunther (Champion) Vs Sami Zayn For The Intercontinental Championship

With all due respect to the all-time great Intercontinental Champions, Gunther is, I think by a pretty wide margin, the greatest IC Champ in history. WWE could use that to give Sami Zayn another really memorable ‘Mania moment after his win in the night one main event last year, but I don’t think they’re ready to take the title off Gunther yet. He’ll need to be in a big spot at Bash In Berlin in August, which means he either needs to still be holding this belt or to have freshly lost it. 

Look for Gunther to win but also look to see how Chad Gable may or may not get involved. Many thought this should have been the Alpha Academy leader’s spot at ‘Mania, and WWE has answered by putting him into some kind of coach role alongside Zayn. Maybe they’ll work together. Maybe the relationship will break down, or maybe whatever happens will propel Gable back into a program with Gunther post ‘Mania.

Predicted Winner: Gunther

The Pride (Bobby Lashley And The Street Profits) Vs The Final Testament (Karrion Kross And AOP)

Neither one of these factions has really popped as much as you would have expected. Lashley and The Street Profits were originally rolled out as heels, but the audience didn't want any part of booing them, nor were they ever given a convincing reason to boo them beyond beating a few babyfaces down. AOP was brought in to try and add a little juice to Karrion Kross, who has a great look and a ton of potential, but they haven't really been given anything to do beyond messing with The Pride.

That being said, WrestleMania 40 is an opportunity to turn all of that around. These teams are going to have a Philadelphia Street Fight, which means we'll likely see some big spots and the potential for some memorable moments. A really strong performance here could get both of these groups back on track. I suspect we'll see The Pride come out on top, but to reiterate, what's most important for both teams is a strong, memorable match fans are into.

Predicted Winner: The Pride

Rey Mysterio And Andrade Vs Dominik Mysterio And Santos Escobar

I thought I was done with my WrestleMania 40 predictions, but SmackDown unexpectedly changed things up a bit. Dragon Lee was attacked and replaced with Andrade, who turned face and joined LWO. My original prediction here had Santos and Dominik winning after Carlito turned on the LWO, pissed that Rey picked Dragon Lee as his partner instead of him.

Well, Mysterio has now chosen someone other than Carlito for a second time, which makes me even more confident about what's going to happen. I predict we'll find out later tonight that Carlito beat up Dragon Lee, and we'll see him turn on the LWO and take his rightful spot as a heel who spits in the face of people who aren't cool.

Predicted Winner: Santos Escobar And Dominik Mysterio

Bianca Belair, Jade Cargill And Naomi Vs Damage CTRL (Dakota Kai, Asuka And Kairi Sane)

Most people agree the original plan for Bianca Belair was to put her in a program with Charlotte Flair, but after The Queen got hurt, WWE pivoted and moved her to this tag match alongside Naomi and Cargill, who WWE is presenting as an absolute star. Images of the three women standing together and looking like rock stars flew around social media and were praised by fans as representation done right.

I suspect we’ll see those three cruise at WrestleMania, both because WWE is gonna want to protect Bianca Belair’s undefeated WrestleMania streak, which they did for years with The Undertaker, and because they’re not going to want either her or Jade Cargill to lose such a high profile match. That being said, there’s a small chance Damage CTRL could win here in some kind cheap fashion, probably to stir tension between Bianca and Jade and put them in a program together. I think it’s way too soon for that, but WWE has certainly jumped the gun plenty of times in the past.

Predicted Winner: Bianca, Jade and Naomi

LA Knight Vs AJ Styles

Opinions varied a bit on social media, but I loved the home invasion angle these two gave us. It finally gave this feud some much needed juice, and it has me looking forward to the rest of the build, as well as the match. I don’t want to get ahead of myself, but the match itself has the potential to be one of the best of LA Knight’s career. Even at his age, AJ Styles is one of WWE’s best in-ring workers, and with time to plan it out and enough time to cook, this should be a chance for Knight to show off his move set on the biggest platform of his career.

I think Knight is going to get a clean victory here and a well-deserved moment. Hopefully that’ll add the momentum he needs to move past the lower main event scene. That being said, put me on team AJ Styles needs one more World Title run. I’m not saying it should be tomorrow, but fans love him enough that if WWE did a one more time storyline, the people would loudly get behind him. He’s had a legendary career and deserves one more trip to the top.

Predicted Winner: LA Knight

Jimmy Uso Vs Jey Uso

When The Usos first split up and it became obvious WWE was going to make this a WrestleMania thing, I thought the writers would spend time building up both of the characters to make this seem like an even match. That hasn’t happened. Jey Uso has been fed wins and character-building losses (Yeet), while Jimmy Uso has been turned into comic relief and a stooge for Roman Reigns (No Yeet). 

That might sound like an insult, but I love Jimmy Uso. He makes me smile every time he’s on screen, and I think he’s doing good work. I think he’s going to have the chance to do great work when The Bloodline storyline turns into The Rock vs Roman Reigns. But from a kayfabe standpoint, Jey should dominate this match, which means we’ll probably get some interference. 

Full transparency: when I first published these predictions, I had Jey Uso winning. It felt like he's been on too good of a run for WWE to break that up, but I had to make some changes after WWE swapped out Dragon Lee for Andrade, and I decided to backpeddle and change to Jimmy Uso here. I just think WWE wants The Bloodline to look as strong as possible on night one, and there's no better way to do that than by Jimmy also winning his match.

Predicted Winner: Jimmy Uso

Logan Paul (Champion) Vs Randy Orton Vs Kevin Owens For The United States Championship

Why are Kevin Owens and Randy Orton getting along so well? WWE has teased the possibility of friction a few times, but it’s always been quickly resolved and back to being BFFs. That can’t continue, right? At some point, these two are going to need to turn on each other, and given it hasn’t happened yet, it probably means that’s going to be the story of the match. 

And if that is the story of the match, it’s a story as old as the wrestling business. With emotions hot, these two will focus on beating up each other, lose sight of Logan Paul and eventually lose because of it. I suspect that’s the outcome WWE wants anyway because Logan is in the middle of a nice little publicity-heavy run with The United States Championship, and if they stick with it, they can create a really big moment when he eventually does lose it at some point in the future.

Predicted Winner: Logan Paul

Judgment Day (Champions) Vs Awesome Truth Vs DIY Vs New Catch Republic Vs New Day Vs Austin Theory And Grayson Waller For The Tag Team Championships

Whether or not to split the WWE Tag Team Championships after they were unified by The Usos has been a heated argument amongst fans for more than a year. If WWE wants to do it, now is the time. The belts are being defended in a ladder match, which means, in theory, one team could grab one set of belts and another team could grab the other. I think there’s a distinct chance that’s going to happen, but there’s also a chance that could undermine R-Truth’s big moment.

The biggest story of this match is R-Truth’s resurgence. The longtime WWE comic relief side character returned from injury to do a few fun segments with Judgment Day, and it quickly turned into a favorite side plot among fans. Sensing an opportunity, WWE partnered him with The Miz to reunite Awesome Truth, and a lot of fans really want to see R-Truth to be the one to finally take the belts away from Judgment Day. I think that’s going to happen, and if it does, it’ll be one of the biggest pops of the entire weekend.

Predicted Winner: Awesome Truth

Rhea Ripley (Champion) Vs Becky Lynch For The Women’s World Championship

It feels weird to reflexively pick against Becky Lynch in such a high profile match, but taking the belt off Rhea Ripley right now makes no sense, unless it was the first part of some epic multi-year story the writers have already outlined out and she loves. I don’t see that happening, and once you throw in the fact that Becky’s contract is reportedly nearing its conclusion, it just seems overwhelmingly likely Rhea is going to win.

That being said, I do think Becky will re-sign with WWE either immediately or after taking some well-deserved time off. I do think she’ll be back on top of the division some day, and I do think these two are going to put on one of WrestleMania 40’s best matches. I think both wish their program was given more consideration to main event, and I think both want to remind everyone of how talented and capable they are.

Predicted Winner: Rhea Ripley

Iyo Sky (Champion Vs Bayley For The WWE Women’s Championship

I’ve definitely heard plenty of people making the argument that WWE is better off keeping the title on Iyo and extending the program with Bayley post-’Mania, but to be honest, I just don’t really see the benefit of that. I’d take a rematch and more back-and-forth for sure, but there’s no reason that can’t happen with the belt around Bayley’s waist. She’s been the unsung hero of the women’s division for years, putting other people over and making them look as strong as possible. If WWE has needed a heel, she’s been that. If WWE has needed a face, she’s been that. If they need her to host talk shows to hype other people up, she’s done that. She’s kind of like The Miz, which I say as a massive Miz fan paying a big compliment.

That being said, there’s some nonsense that could happen with Damage CTRL. They’ve taken a lot of high profile losses since the faction started, and the other three members are almost certainly going to lose to Bianca, Naomi and Jade. Having Iyo lose too wouldn’t be the best look, but I still think the highest ceiling outcome here is for Bayley to win to massive fanfare from the crowd. 

Predicted Winner: Bayley

Seth Freakin’ Rollins (Champion) Vs Drew McIntyre For The World Heavyweight Championship

Before I get into Drew McIntyre, I want to give Seth Freakin’ Rollins some praise first. He was the right champion when WWE relaunched The World Heavyweight Championship, and he’s put on a ton of good matches and had several good programs in an almost year long run with the belt. There’s a reason fans are still screaming his song at the top of their lungs, but it’s time to let Drew McIntyre run for awhile.

The Scottish Warrior has found the perfect character in his vindictive social media troll and anything to win badass, and putting the belt on him allows WWE to plan for two exciting programs down the road. First, McIntyre is obviously going to feud with CM Punk who he’s been clowning on a weekly basis for months, and then after that, it gives WWE a chance to potentially set up a WrestleMania program with Punk and Rollins for after that, at least if taking the title from McIntyre ever seems like a good idea.

There’s an outside chance we could see a Damian Priest cash-in during this match, but if that does happen, I think it would be after McIntyre gets at least the initial victory and a brief celebration.

Predicted Winner: Drew McIntyre

Roman Reigns And The Rock Vs Cody Rhodes And Seth Rollins

I don’t have the slightest idea what’s actually going to happen in this match. I don’t know how much time The Rock is going to spend in the ring, and I don’t know if other people are going to interfere. There are a thousand ways Triple H and company could go with the booking here, but the finish seems really obvious, right? If Cody and Seth win, The Bloodline are barred from ringside the next night. If Roman and The Rock win, anything goes. We all want the match to be anything goes, right?

What’s more interesting to me here is how The Rock looks in the ring. He’s been out of his mind fantastic on promos, but he wasn’t exactly Mr. Perfect in the ring during his initial run. The more he can show here, the more he can build himself as a believable threat to beat Cody Rhodes and/ or Roman Reigns down the road.

Predicted Winner: The Rock And Roman Reigns

Roman Reigns (Champion) Vs Cody Rhodes For The Undisputed WWE Universal Championship

People are predicting this will be the most over-booked match in WrestleMania history, and all I can say is I hope so. Reigns and Rhodes are both top notch characters and pretty solid in the ring, but to be honest, this card is littered with other people who can and will do more interesting things in the ring. For this match to be main event worthy, it needs to be a spectacle that’s fun to watch, and I think that’s exactly what we’re going to get here.

Ultimately, the decision for WWE is whether or not they want to advance the plot in a meaningful way. You can either let Cody Rhodes finish his story and take the belt off Roman Reigns, which he’s held for more than three years, or you can keep riding with Roman Reigns and do permanent harm to Cody’s character. That’s not to be overdramatic, but in what world would we want the same WrestleMania main event three years in a row? This is Cody’s chance, and he either takes it at the expense of Roman, or he doesn't and Roman takes his moment to keep building his legacy.

I think WWE is ready to go all in on Cody Rhodes and start showing a different side to Roman Reigns’ career, but there’s certainly some doubt in play here and a real possibility that The Tribal Chief stays on top.

Predicted Winner: Cody Rhodes

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.

So much can change in such a short amount of time in the wrestling business. Several months ago, it seemed pretty obvious we were heading toward a WrestleMania 40 that featured Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins and CM Punk, Gunther and Brock Lesnar, Charlotte Flair and Bianca Belair, Rhea Ripley And Becky Lynch and Iyo Sky and Bayley, among many others. Well, CM Punk and Charlotte Flair both got hurt. Brock Lesnar is off TV after being implicated in the Vince McMahon allegations, and oh yeah, The Rock has returned to WWE and now sits on the board of directors. So, quite a bit of the ‘Mania card is still TBD, and The Elimination Chamber will go a long way to providing some clarity.

It should also be quite entertaining. Continuing the trend we saw at The Royal Rumble, there are only four matches scheduled, which should allow all of them plenty of time to breathe. We have a women’s match that will see the winner face Rhea Ripley (or Nia Jax) at WrestleMania. We have a men’s match that will see the winner face Seth Rollins at WrestleMania. We’ll also see Judgment Day defend the tag belts and Rhea Ripley and Nia Jax battle for the Women’s World Championship and a segment involving Cody Rhodes, Seth Rollins and Grayson Waller. 

To be honest, I don’t remember ever being this confident about my predictions ahead of a premium live event. Last year, I forecasted every single match correctly at The Royal Rumble, Payback and Survivor Series, but there was plenty of doubt in some of those matches. On paper, all four of these matches seem to have pretty obvious outcomes, but the fact that every single one has a likely winner (at least in my mind) scares me a little bit. It doesn’t scare me enough to change my predictions though; so, fingers crossed I can put up some more wins on my career leaderboard seen below…

The Judgment Day (Damian Priest And Finn Bálor) Vs Pete Dunne And Tyler Bate For The Tag Team Championships

Triple H has always been a Pete Dunne fan. He put The Brawling Brutes in some high level spots back when he was playing Butch, and now, he’s gotten a nice little push here after he was repackaged as Pete Dunne. I suspect he, along with new partner Tyler Bate, are going to be given every opportunity to show what they can do in a competitive match, but let’s be realistic for a second. In what world does it make sense for The Judgment Day, in the middle of a super hot program with R-Truth and The Miz, to drop the tag titles at the premium live event before WrestleMania? It doesn’t.

Judgment Day are probably only on this card because none of the other men’s titles are being defended. Roman doesn’t defend on PPVs like this anymore. Seth Rollins is hurt. Gunther allegedly has immigration issues, and Logan Paul is working the elimination chamber match itself to try and win a shot at The World Heavyweight Championship. So, by process of elimination, we have Judgment Day defending the tag belts. That being said, I love Judgment Day, and it also makes sense to have them on the card because of their close connection with Rhea Ripley. So, the booking makes a lot of sense here. There’s just almost no doubt about the outcome. 

Predicted Winner: Judgment Day

Rhea Ripley Vs Nia Jax For The Women's World Championship

Nia Jax is on the best run of her entire career. She’s moving around the ring better than she ever has. Her promo work has gone from poor to average, and she’s right there in the zone with her character. WWE has rewarded all the good work by giving her a strong performance in The Royal Rumble and a some big wins, including one over Becky Lynch. I predict sometime in the next few years, she will get a short, multiple month run with one of the two major women’s championships, and I’ll actually be excited about it. That’s how much better she’s gotten! 

But Rhea Ripley is not losing The Women’s World Championship a month before WrestleMania 40, and she’s certainly not losing it in front of a hot home crowd in Australia. Just like with Judgment Day, that wouldn’t make any sense to the overall story they’re telling. Rhea is going to win because WWE is going to want her going into WrestleMania with the belt looking as strong as possible. Triple H and company are also going to want to keep Nia looking strong, as she’ll probably get a WrestleMania match, but Rhea is going to take the win here, almost certainly after picking up Nia Jax and giving her a Riptide.

Predicted Winner: Rhea Ripley

The Women's Elimination Chamber Match

Let’s run down who we’ve got here. There’s Liv Morgan, Tiffany Stratton, Bianca Belair, Becky Lynch, Raquel Rodriguez and Naomi. The winner is going to get a shot at Rhea Ripley (or Nia Jax) for The Women’s World Championship at WrestleMania, which will be either the first or second most prominent women’s match at ‘Mania, depending on how you feel about Bayley and Iyo Sky. So, whoever wins needs to be someone WWE wants to showcase at its biggest event of the year. As such, I think there are some people we can eliminate right away.

I love seeing Tiffany Stratton in such a big spot. She’s got a really bright future, but she’s been on the main roster for like two weeks. She is not winning this match. Neither is Raquel Rodriguez. I love Raquel. I’m really glad to see her back after an extended absence. I’m still high on her long-term potential, but she’s not wrestling Rhea at ‘Mania. I also don’t think we’re going to get Naomi either. She belongs in WWE, and I’m so happy she returned after leaving under less than ideal circumstances. She’ll be in plenty of big moments moving forward, but she’s not, in my opinion, on the level where you’d immediately throw her into a world title program without an obvious feud or backstory. 

So, that leaves Bianca Belair, Liv Morgan and Becky Lynch. WWE clearly wants to push Bianca to the moon. She and husband Montez Ford just launched their reality show on Hulu. She appeared at the WrestleMania press conference, and after Charlotte Flair got hurt, she’s in desperate need of someone to fight at The Showcase Of The Immortals. She’s definitely an outside threat to win this match, but given she’s on SmackDown, not Raw, and there hasn’t really been much build-up on her side ahead of this match, I think WWE will probably go in another direction with her at WrestleMania. Maybe they’ll just feed her Nia Jax or Tiffany Stratton and let her continue her winning streak.

Liv Morgan has the most obvious backstory here with Rhea Ripley, given they were formerly in a tag team together and Rhea previously injured Liv. There are some who would definitely say a ‘Mania match against Rhea Ripley is a bit of an overreach for her position on the card, but the crowd really loves Liv and WWE has put her in some high profile spots before, specifically winning Money In The Bank and cashing in on Ronda Rousey. She could absolutely win here.

But there’s a reason WWE had Becky Lynch staring down Rhea Ripley and calling her a bottom during the WrestleMania 40 press conference. She’s been the most consistent one on WWE programming talking about this match, and her story of needing to see whether she still has it and can beat Rhea is a perfect Mania program. I think she’s going to win here, though there’s more doubt in my mind about this than the other matches.

Predicted Winner: Becky Lynch

The Men's Elimination Chamber Match

If you haven’t been watching WWE programming for the last few months, this match might feel like a toss-up. Randy Orton, LA Knight, Drew McIntyre, Bobby Lashley, Kevin Owens and Logan Paul are all either former world champions or guys who have main evented PPVs fighting for a world championship in the last few years. Any could be put into a big spot at WrestleMania and not seem totally out of place, but if you have been watching WWE programming for the last few months, you’re aware of the fact that Drew McIntyre is on the best run of his entire career. He is right there in the zone with his heelish character and is the perfect choice to fight Seth Rollins now that CM Punk is off the table.

I’m not saying it’s not possible Randy Orton in particular could win this match, but it would be a tremendous shock if it wasn’t Drew McIntyre. So, instead of the overall outcome, I’m more focused on what else this match tries to do. For instance, I think we’re likely going to get a continuation of Kevin Owens and Logan Paul’s ongoing feud that will lead to the two hashing out their differences at WrestleMania. Orton and La Knight are also in need of something to do at ‘Mania. Maybe AJ Styles interferes in the match to cost LA Knight, and that sets up a program for them at WrestleMania. Or maybe LA Knight gets involved with Owens and Logan Paul, and we get a triple threat there. Maybe Solo Sikoa gets involved with Randy Orton, and it sets something up for them at WrestleMania. Maybe Karrion Kross shows up and does something to Bobby Lashley. WrestleMania is just six weeks or so after Elimination Chamber. These programs need to start coming together. I predict at least one will start coming together here.

Predicted Winner: Drew McIntyre

On February 24, 2014, the world of professional wrestling was forever changed with the launch of the WWE Network, a streaming service that would replace WWE’s pay-per-view model while also giving subscribers access to an unprecedented archive of old shows from promotions like WCW, AWA, WCCW, and more. Looking back, a lot is different in 2024 than it was when the network first launched.

The past 10 years have seen all kinds of changes to the way WWE reaches its audience (with more on the way), wrestlers have come, gone, and returned after reinventing themselves, and the women’s division has gone from being an afterthought to main event status at WrestleMania. But, that’s not all…

WWE Sold To Endeavor Group

In April 2023, word began to spread that WWE was in the process of being sold to Endeavour Group, the parent company of UFC and numerous other high-profile sports brands. Those rumors would prove to be true, and several months later, the two massive properties combined under the TKO umbrella, per ESPN. This new entity, which took much of the control out of the hands of Vince McMahon (more on him later), resulted in some major changes for WWE in both its corporate structure and presentation. And, this is just the beginning.

WWE Got In Business With Peacock

A couple of years before the TKO deal, WWE made waves when it was revealed that the wrestling company was moving its network to Peacock. Though the launch was a little buggy and some issues still remain, being able to access pretty much every major wrestling event from the past 50-plus years with a Peacock subscription has been a major win for both fans and the company. The easy access, large subscriber base, and the value outweigh the platform’s problems.

Vince McMahon Is Gone

A day that many thought would never come finally happened in January 2024 when Vince McMahon resigned from WWE and its parent company, TKO, following a string of controversies. The straw that broke the camel’s back was a lawsuit filed by a former employee alleging that McMahon, whose family started the promotion 71 years ago, had subjected her to sex trafficking and a number of other abuses, per The Wall Street Journal. Several days later, the man who revolutionized the sport was gone, per Variety.

Triple H Is Running Creative

After Vince McMahon’s initial retirement in July 2022, Triple H was put in charge of creative, ushering in a new era for the promotion, and the wrestling industry as a whole. Now going by his real name, Paul Levesque, the 14-time world champion and long-time booker for the NXT brand has implemented some major changes to the product, which has resulted in more fans being stoked about WWE and its wrestlers than any other time in the past 20 or so years. He went from playing the authority to being the authority, which is wild.

WWE Is Expanding To Netflix

For the past 31 years, Monday Night Raw, WWE’s flagship show, has been on cable, with the vast majority of that time being spent on the USA Network (it was broadcast on TNN/Spike TV from September 2000 to October 2005). However, that will change in January 2025 when WWE moves Raw to Netflix, a major shift. According to Deadline, this 10-year, $5 billion deal will bring the long running, weekly wrestling show to the massively popular streaming platform, meaning everyone with a Netflix subscription will be able to watch at least three hours of wrestling a week without cable. 

The Rock Is Heavily Involved (On Camera And Behind The Scenes)

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has been around sporadically over the years, but his involvement with WWE reached heights not seen since his feud with John Cena when he returned in early 2024. Not only is The Rock part of the hottest storyline heading into WrestleMania 40, but he’s also taken on a major behind-the-scenes role on the TKO board. Love him or hate him, having the “Brahma Bull” in the mix is a major win for everyone connected to WWE, especially the fans.

WWE Has Its Biggest Competitor Since WCW

Don’t get me wrong, WWE has always had competition in the form of TNA, ROH, and international promotions like NJPW (many of the company’s top stars got started in each of them), but none of those came close to what AEW has accomplished since 2019. For the first time since the dissolution of WCW nearly 20 years earlier, WWE had a major competitor, one that not only drew big stars from around the world but also gave WWE superstars another avenue. Sure, this isn’t “Monday Night War” territory, but you can’t say WWE hasn’t felt a need to improve the product because of Tony Khan’s company.

The Shield Have Turned Into The Biggest Stars In The World

The Shield (Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, and Dean Ambrose) didn’t make it to the halfway point of 2014 before falling apart after Rollins betrayed his brothers-in-arms and sided with the Authority, but all three members have since become the biggest stars in the world. Reigns is now the “Head of the Table” and is in the middle of a historic reign; Rollins has held the World Heavyweight Championship for nearly a year; and Ambrose, now going by Jon Moxley in AEW, has held titles all over the planet the past decade. We knew they were a big deal, but these three wrestlers changed the game.

Superstars Like Cody Rhodes, CM Punk, And Drew McIntyre Have Left, Reinvented Themselves, And Returned To WWE

In 2014, Cody Rhodes started his Stardust gimmick, Drew McIntyre was a member of the 3MB stable before being released, and CM Punk walked out on WWE and didn’t wrestle for nearly a decade. In the years that followed, Rhodes left WWE, became a major star in NJPW, and helped get AEW off the ground before returning; McIntyre reinvented himself in the indies and returned to NXT and worked his way back to the top; and CM Punk had a tumultuous journey back to WWE that included a short UFC run and a wild time in AEW. All three are major players in WWE these days and each paid their dues to get back to the top.

The Women's Division Has Become One Of The Biggest Aspects Of The Company

Over the past decade, no aspect of WWE has changed more than the Women’s Division. Long gone are the days of the Diva Searches, bra-and-panty matches, or degrading storylines that used female wrestlers as eye candy or punchlines. In the past six years, iconic female wrestlers like Becky Lynch, Bianca Belair, Charlotte Flair, Ronda Rousey, and Sasha Banks have headlined WrestleMania, entire premium live events have been centered around the division, and a women’s Royal Rumble match has been introduced. 

Wrestling is always evolving, which the past decade has proven time and time again. With the long list of upcoming WWE events like the highly-anticipated WrestleMania 40, it’s safe to say it’s just going to get better and better from here on out.

The 2024 Royal Rumble is officially in the books, and to be honest, it was a bit of a mixed bag. The Men’s Rumble was perfectly acceptable. It lacked big returns and memorable moments, but it was without obvious issues and got to where we needed to go with Cody Rhodes winning for a second consecutive year. Roman Reigns’ fatal four way match was overly long and never had any real doubt about the ending, but it was somewhat enjoyable and gave The Tribal Chief a mostly clean win. Kevin Owens and Logan Paul had a screwy finish, but it was a good match and did what it needed to do to extend the feud. 

Based on those three matches, this Rumble should be remembered as a below average event, at least when compared against other Rumbles, but thankfully, this one had a fourth match and it was the best on the card by an Andre The Giant sized margin. When I say the 2024 Women’s Royal Rumble was the best in history, there’s not a single shred of doubt in my mind. There are not enough positive things I can say. It told a good, coherent story that produced a compelling winner. It was filled with a ton of memorable spots. We got some great surprise returns/ debuts, and it continued and/ or set up a bunch of feuds we’re gonna see moving forward. It was everything you could ask for out of WWE’s second biggest yearly event, and while I would struggle to come up with five moments I loved from the Men’s Rumble, it was honestly hard to narrow down my favorites here to just 11. 

So, with all due respect to Natalya who once again showed how capable and steady she always is, Kaire Sane who almost gave us one of the wildest saves in Rumble history, Michael Cole who had way too much fun with Valhalla and her antlers, Liv Morgan who was great in her surprise return and every other woman who contributed in her own way to make this by far the best Women’s Rumble of all-time, here are 11 specific things I loved…

Naomi's Return Was Fantastic

People often think of the later spots as being the prime surprise return positions, but this was the perfect spot for Naomi. It allowed her to do her full entrance, which is among the best in the business, and it let the crowd really show her how much she’s been missed since she left under unfortunate circumstances more than a year ago. Her being overwhelmed by the love felt reminiscent of Zelina Vega in 2023, and she deserved every single cheer. Her performance in the actual Rumble itself was great too, as she lasted over an hour and eliminated two people.

Jordynne Grace Is A Star

I watch more wrestling than anyone I know in my personal life (all five hours of Smackdown and Raw and some AEW every week), but somehow that’s less than like half the wrestling people I follow on Twitter. As such, I was familiar with Jordynne Grace on like a name and face level, but I’d never actually seen her work in the ring. Well, she’s fantastic and seems like an easy person to root for. I cannot say enough positive things. She looks like a main event star that could believably beat any of the top WWE women, and it makes me want to find time to watch some TNA.

Nia Jax Is Having The Best Run Of Her Career

I get it. Nia Jax has been sloppy, caused some in-ring injuries and hasn’t always been believable on the microphone. Twitter’s collective disdain for her was at least somewhat understandable at one point in time, but if you remove your hater glasses and look at the last several months from an unbiased perspective, she’s been doing the best work of her career. Her match against Becky earlier this year on Raw was terrific, and she looked like an unstoppable, Kane-like force in this year’s Rumble. I’m really happy she’s back, and with real heat from the crowd, I wouldn’t be surprised to see her get a short, transitional champion type heel run with one of the two big belts at some point here soon.

Jade Cargill Looks Good In The Ring

All we’ve heard for months is that WWE was holding off on Jade Cargill so she could work on her in-ring wrestling. Well, I’m not saying being in a Rumble is the same thing as wrestling Kurt Angle for forty minutes, but she looked really good here. Obviously the big spot where she picked up Nia Jax and threw her out is going to get the bulk of the press, but outside of that, she looked more than capable in the ring, including in the complicated final spot that had a lot of moving parts. I was pumped to see her in a WWE ring before, and I’m even more pumped now.

WWE Puts So Much Thought Into The Visual Presentation

Everyone had a lot to say about Kevin Dunn when he finally left WWE at the end of last year. During his four decade run in charge of WWE’s camerawork and visual presentation, he did a lot to frustrate fans with his obsessive cuts and outsized influence on creative, but he also set a standard that is unmatched in wrestling and live event production. It is because of him that WWE takes the time to think about the blocking of camera shots and the creation of moments that tell a story and can be used in perpetuity. If you watched the Women’s Rumble, you know exactly what I’m talking about, whether it be Jade and Bianca’s staredown, Becky’s disappointment after being eliminated or everyone staring at Bayley after losing. Just look at this shot below.

Kayden Carter And Katana Chance Have A Bright Future Despite Losing The Tag Titles

Kayden Carter and Katana Chance have been doing some great work on television over the past few months. Their intricate tag team maneuvers and fun choreography have felt almost Rockers-like, and they’ve gone from getting zero crowd reaction to getting genuine support and applause breaks in their matches. They were deservedly rewarded with a one month plus run with the Tag Team Championships that included a few defenses, but after their recent loss to The Kabuki Warriors, I was worried. Well, I can’t predict the future, but Triple H booked them well in the Rumble. They were responsible for eliminating Asuka and Kairi Sane, two huge names, and each lasted at least eleven minutes. WWE needs to give us a lot more of this team, and I think they will. 

Chelsea Green And Piper Niven Are Too Much Fun

Alright, full transparency. I was turning in this list and had Chelsea Green and Piper Niven in my honorable mentions, but I had to go back and give these two their own paragraph and change the number of entries to eleven. A great Royal Rumble hits all kinds of different emotional beats, and these two are just fantastic at bringing their own unique vibe to the table. It’s not always about who is going to win, and these two were involved in so many fun moments, whether it be Chelsea getting repeatedly squashed by everyone or Piper and Nia Jax doing some great work together. I hope these two continue to get a lot of screentime moving forward. 

It Might Be Tiffy Time Sooner Than We Thought

I don’t watch NXT every week. Those who do brag non stop about Tiffany Stratton. I’ve been impressed with what I’ve seen over the last year or so, but this Rumble makes me believe she’s ready right now. She was presented as a huge threat the entire time she was in the ring, played a huge role in Bianca’s elimination and ultimately finished fourth. I don’t know that we’re going to see her on the main roster starting Monday, but it’s going to be Tiffy Time sooner rather than later.

The Becky Lynch Doubting Herself Storyline Is Gonna Be An A+++++++

The Booker 101 course in wrestling says you need to have the characters you care about look as strong as possible, but sometimes having your biggest names go on a losing streak is a great way to bring something new out of their characters. We saw Becky Lynch go back down to NXT. We recently saw her lose to Nia Jax clean. She gave a promo where she admitted those doubts to Rhea Ripley. She’s clearly suffering from a crisis of confidence, and whether that leads to a match with Rhea at ‘Mania or something else high profile, I can’t wait to see how it plays out.

Bianca Belair Is So Freakin' Good

Some wrestling fans have been hard on Bianca over the last year because her character hasn’t developed a ton. A lot of fans even rooted for Asuka at ‘Mania. I get it. I’d love to see her find a real storyline she can wrap her braid around, but you can’t watch The Rumble and tell me she is not the present and future of the women’s division (along with Rhea). Everything she does looks so good, and while there were a lot of iron women who lasted a long time this year, none did as many power spots and exerted as much energy as she did. She’s a star, and I firmly believe we’ll see her win at least one more Rumble in her career.

Bayley Deserved This Win

Part The Miz, part Kevin Owens, part Cody Rhodes, Bayley is perhaps the most valuable wrestler on the entire women’s card. She’s able to be a believable main event caliber performer when the division needs her to be, and she’s capable of doing mid-card comedy when that’s what the division needs. She’s a professional wrestler’s professional wrestler, a jack of all trades, ace in the hole most valuable player who has always strived to contribute rather than put herself first. I’m so happy for her to get the biggest moment of her career, and I can’t wait for her to show everyone why she’s a first ballot hall of famer. 

You want to know how much I love The Royal Rumble? Every year when my wife buys her calendar for the new year, which she keeps all our plans in, I immediately have her add the Rumble. It’s too important. I can’t have her mistakenly making plans I’m emotionally obligated to attend. So, yeah, I’m pretty Seth Freakin’ Rollins excited about Saturday, partly because the Rumble is always exciting and partly because there are a lot of possible paths WWE could take in both the men’s and women’s editions.

Last year, I predicted we’d see Cody Rhodes win the men’s Rumble and Rhea Ripley win the women’s Rumble. Ordinarily I’d brag a little harder about calling both winners, but to be honest, those end results were pretty obvious. Cody was the conquering babyface returning from his injury and the obvious choice to face Roman Reigns at WrestleMania, and everyone who watched the product even occasionally knew Rhea Ripley was a massive star about to break out.

This year, however, there are a lot more question marks in the Rumbles, and even at the time of typing this sentence, I’m not one hundred percent sure who I’m choosing in either. That’s really exciting, at least for the wrestling fan portion of my identity. The predictor portion of my identity is terrified, but thankfully, we have a few matches with seemingly more obvious results to help my batting average. But first, let’s look at how I did in the Big 4 PPVs last year, as well as an overall total for every premium live event since WrestleMania 38…

I’m not sure I’m going to be able to improve those lofty stats here, but I am so excited to try. And the if I end up missing and get surprised, well, that’ll only make The Royal Rumble itself even more exciting. So, without further ado, here are my predictions…

Kevin Owens Vs Logan Paul (Champion) For The United States Championship

This match isn’t about Kevin Owens. He’s great and should always be in contention for holding championships. This match is about whether WWE wants Logan Paul to go into WrestleMania as champion. The upshot of that is obvious. He’s a social media megastar with a huge podcast that is going to encourage his fans to tune into The Showcase Of The Immortals. In addition, he’s a reviled heel who many hardcore fans would like to see lose. So, him holding the belt at WrestleMania gives WWE the chance to give someone (LA Knight) a huge moment by taking it off him at the biggest event of the year.

Now, there’s a case for Kevin Owens here too. He’s a future WWE Hall Of Famer who main evented the last two WrestleManias. He needs something compelling to do in April, and defending the United States Championship would allow him to do that. Unlike Paul, he’s also a weekly performer and assumedly, will be around more often to defend the belt moving forward, which is probably especially appealing given Roman Reigns is a part-time champion and Seth Rollins just blew out his knee.

I’m gonna go with Logan Paul. I think putting him in a big spot at WrestleMania is just too appealing, though I think it’s possible whatever that big spot is may end up involving Kevin Owens too in some kind of triple threat or multi-man title match.

Predicted Winner: Logan Paul

Roman Reigns (Champion) Vs LA Knight Vs Randy Orton Vs AJ Styles For The WWE Universal Championship

We all know Roman Reigns isn’t getting pinned here; so, I appreciate WWE trying to add some intrigue by including so many people in the match. That opens up the remote possibility Roman loses because two of these other dudes pin each other, but let’s be serious for a second. Roman has been the champion for more than three years. In what world would Triple H, Bruce Prichard and company take the title off Roman Reigns a few months before the main event of WrestleMania 40? Outside of an injury or some kind of backstage disagreement, it’s hard to even make a case for why that would make sense.

To me, the real question is whether Roman can win a match here without interference from Solo Sikoa. I’ve watched enough wrestling to know heels winning in a heelish way is part of the game, but sometimes it’s okay to just make the heel look as strong as possible. Roman is the top guy in the company, and none of these dudes are likely to work with him again, given he’ll be paired with Cody Rhodes, The Rock or both at WrestleMania; so, one of them can eat a clean pinfall without doing too much damage to their character. I’m gonna guess that person will be AJ Styles, given he’s not quite as hot right now as the other two, but we’ll see.

Predicted Winner: Roman Reigns

The Women's Royal Rumble

There are so many good options here. Let’s run them down, starting with Bayley. She makes the most sense from a storyline perspective. WWE has been teasing problems within Damage CTRL for awhile, particularly problems between Bayley and the rest of Damage CTRL. It seems likely at some point she is going to be booted out and Dakota Kai is going to become the new mouthpiece. If Bayley were to win The Rumble, she could shift gears and instead of challenging Rhea Ripley, challenge her current stablemate Iyo Sky. There’s a really good, easy to tell story there and an obvious WrestleMania match that I think will happen, regardless of who wins The Rumble.

Then there’s Becky Lynch. WWE gave us a confrontation between her and Rhea Ripley earlier this month, and that’s clearly a match WWE fans want to see. Becky has also been extremely selfless over the last year, spending time in NXT to help grow that program and putting on matches with a lot of female talent who haven’t been given a chance. She also put Nia Jax over on Raw, which really helped elevate her. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see her paid back.

Bianca Belair is also always a threat. She was recently announced as the coverwoman of 2K24 alongside Rhea Ripley. She seemed on a collision course to wrestle Charlotte Flair, but that’s off the table now after The Queen got injured. She needs something to do and is one of the most reliable main eventers the women’s roster has. She’s also won before and would love to be the first woman to win a second time.

There’s also Nia Jax, who has been pushed really hard in recent weeks. There’s a potentially returning Liv Morgan and a potentially returning Naomi. I don’t think any of those three are quite on a win The Royal Rumble level, but they would be fun surprises. You know who is on that level though? Sasha Banks. Rumors have been saying she’s likely headed to AEW, but with Triple H in charge of WWE now, it’s definitely possible that animosity is gone and she could return. Just ask yourself. If you were in charge and she was returning, would you book her to win The Rumble? Probably.

And then there’s Jade Cargill. WWE’s most exciting recent signing not named CM Punk was pushed heavily on television after she first arrived, but she’s been gone for awhile and has been quietly training. WWE could set her up as an immediate main event player if she won here.

The Internet seems to be rallying around Bayley. She would be a great choice and probably the most logical one, but I keep coming back to Becky Lynch. I think her match with Rhea is going to happen at WrestleMania, and I think WWE is going to pay off her selfless work this year with a second Rumble win.

Predicted Winner: Becky Lynch

The Men’s Royal Rumble

Part of the reason why I didn’t publish these predictions yesterday is because I was waiting to see what Seth Rollins was going to do after his recent injury. If he vacated his title, whether or not it was put up at The Rumble, it would have created all kinds of chaos, and it would have dramatically increased the possible winners. 

Think about it this way. There are two world champions in WWE. The winner of The Royal Rumble is going to wrestle one of those two at WrestleMania. If we know the champions are going to be Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins, then you’re essentially saying the winner of The Rumble is going to be one of their opponents. If Rollins was off the table, the possibilities would be endless. You’d have to start throwing in guys like Gunther, Drew McIntyre, Damian Priest, Brock Lesnar, Bobby Lashley, Sami Zayn and Randy Orton, but if Rollins is locked in, that means, by my estimation, there are only three options to win The Rumble and an unlikely wild card fourth option I'll get to later.

Roman Reigns is going to fight either Cody Rhodes, The Rock or both at WrestleMania. Seth Rollins is almost certainly going to fight CM Punk. That means the winner of The Rumble is going to be Cody, The Rock or CM Punk (probably). I think, of those three, The Rock is the least likely. The Tampa Bay crowd would be stoked to see him show up and enter The Rumble for sure, but I’m not sure people would really want to see him win. That honor should probably go to a more modern guy. So, it’s either Cody winning two years in a row or CM Punk. 

I’m gonna go with CM Punk. I think he’s the most logical choice. His probable match against Seth Rollins is likely his best chance ever to main event a WrestleMania, and I think the crowd would be happy to see him have that level of success. It would also provide another reminder to everyone in AEW that if you want to come over to WWE, there are potential huge opportunities.

If I was forced to come up with a fourth option, I would go with Gunther. He's ready to be in the world title picture. Maybe there's a world in which, if The Rock is going to wrestle Roman Reigns, WWE decides to have Cody Rhodes wrestle CM Punk, which leaves Gunther to deal with Seth Rollins. I think that's unlikely, but I'll throw it out into the universe just in case.

Predicted Winner: CM Punk

If you're in The United States, you can stream The Royal Rumble this Saturday night for free with a Peacock subscription. 

There are only two upcoming WWE main roster premium live events left in 2023: Crown Jewel and Survivor Series. After that, it’s on to The Royal Rumble in late January and the road to WrestleMania. As such, WWE is already hard at work moving around the pieces and setting up the storylines that will carry them through to WrestleMania 40. That doesn’t mean every wrestler is literally involved in a storyline they’ll carry through til April, but it does mean Triple H and company are already thinking about questions like who should hold the key belts at ‘Mania and which main event level superstars will be entered into the Rumble.

That’s why Crown Jewel is giving us 5 title matches with both of the men’s and women’s big belts on the line, as well as The United States Championship. It’s also why I think we’re going to get some actual title changes, as well as some advancements in major storylines that will be primary focuses for WWE over the next six or seven months. 

On a more personal note, I also hope Crown Jewel will be a big bounceback pay per view for me. Since I started doing my predictions back at WrestleMania 38, I’ve gone 94-35. Unfortunately at Fastlane, I went a miserable 2-3, which is the same record Austin Theory has at premium live events in 2023. I’ve got to be better than that or I’ll run the risk of slipping down the card and having to tag with Grayson Waller.

Here’s a quick look back at how I’ve done at some recent events…

I wish I could say I was extremely confident heading into Crown Jewel, but there are some tricky matches on here too. Fortunately, anytime there’s a lot of possible outcomes for matches, that typically means we’re in for a lively and unpredictable pay per view. Nonetheless, here’s my best attempt at guessing what’s going to happen…

Sami Zayn Vs JD McDonagh

I’m a big JD McDonagh guy. I’d like to see him be a more regular part of The Bloodline, and I’d like to see him presented as more of a credible threat. Unfortunately, it’s hard to imagine that credibility is going to start on the preshow of Crown Jewel, especially when the crowd will likely be very vocally behind Sami Zayn, who has long been open about his heritage and love for The Middle East.

The Judgment Day is always a threat to interfere and work some shenanigans, but once again, I just don’t really see that happening on the preshow. I think the plan is for Sami Zayn to be a contender for the big belts down the road, and that continued elevation to the main event doesn’t happen if he’s losing at premium live events to the weakest associate of Judgment Day.

Predicted Winner: Sami Zayn

Seth Freakin’ Rollins (Champion) Vs Drew McIntyre For The World Heavyweight Championship

Drew McIntyre has recently gotten some changes to his character. He’s essentially the same guy, but he’s just not going out of his way to be helpful. It’s like he exists in some kind of grey area between face and heel. He’s not going to beat up grandmothers or insult the audience for no apparent reason, but he’s also not going to lift a finger to help other people. He’s looking after number one, and that number one is the best version of the Drew character we’ve gotten since his loss to Roman Reigns at Clash At The Castle more than a year ago. 

So, on the one hand, I’d like to see WWE reward that forward progress with a big victory here. Drew has had a lot more notable losses in key spots than wins over the last few years, and at some point, he needs to win a title and/ or beat a major name or he’s going to lose the fresh momentum he’s created over the last month or two. I mean the poor guy hasn’t won at a premium live event since he beat Karrion Kross back at Crown Jewel in 2022. He’s due.

On the other hand, has he really done enough in this build to take the title off Seth Rollins? And should we be concerned about his alleged contract situation? Rollins has held The World Heavyweight Championship since May and defended the belt on five different premium live events since. I definitely don’t think we’re going to see Rollins have a multi-year run like Roman Reigns, but you shouldn’t take the belt off him unless there’s a better story to tell. And while I know there’s a story there with Drew somewhere, we just haven’t seen enough of it yet. So, I think they’re going to keep it on Seth and/ or we’re going to see a Damian Priest cash-in.

Predicted Winner: Seth Freakin’ Rollins

Rhea Ripley (Champion) Vs Nia Jax Vs Shayna Baszler Vs Zoey Stark Vs Raquel Rodriguez For The Women’s World Championship

I don’t have the exact numbers in front of me, but it’s hard to imagine anyone has gotten more screentime on Raw over the last six months than Rhea Ripley. A meaningful case could be made that she’s the main character on the entire show, and while it might be fun to watch her angrily chase the belt at some point, right now I’d prefer to see her continue to look dominant.

If there’s been one complaint about her current title run, it’s been that she hasn’t had enough meaningful feuds with other women on the roster. A lot of her screentime has been in service of handling Judgment Day business and/ or interacting with the top men on the roster. The build to this match has been a good step to alleviate some of those concerns, though. We’ve gotten quite a few segments of just mass chaos, especially involving Nia Jax, who has been presented as a real threat to win the title.

Will she though? I’ve gotta imagine this is going to continue to be Rhea. She’s at the top of the women’s division, and to me, that means she should continue holding the belt.

Predicted Winner: Rhea Ripley

John Cena Vs Solo Sikoa

I don’t like the idea of Solo losing here. I’d like to see him feud with Roman Reigns at some point in the future, and I’d like him looking as vicious and strong as possible when that happens. But poor John Cena also needs a singles win desperately. He’s been so selfless with putting guys over since he’s gotten older, but everytime he puts someone else over, it makes it seem like more of an inevitability that he’s going to lose big matches. That’s not in anyone’s best interests.

So, I think Cena is going to beat Solo here. It’ll probably be in a very protected fashion. It’ll probably involve Jim Uso screwing up and accidentally blowing it for Solo. Maybe he’ll run out and accidentally superkick him. Maybe he’ll accidentally distract the ref when Solo was about to win with a three count. Something weird is going to happen, and that’ll further accelerate the friction between Jimmy Uso and Roman Reigns.

Predicted Winner: John Cena

Iyo Sky (Champion) Vs Bianca Belair For The WWE Women’s Championship

Is Iyo Sky telling a championship story or is she telling a friction within Damage CTRL story? That’s what I have a hard time figuring out. I really like Iyo a lot. I’d buy her as a long-term champion, but sometimes it feels like Charlotte Flair and Bianca Belair are telling a story about trying to win a championship, and she’s telling a story about Damage CTRL maybe breaking up. That distinction matters because, if the real story here is between Charlotte and Bianca, then Iyo needs to lose the title at Crown Jewel, Survivor Series or The Royal Rumble. 

I’m also very interested to see what the reaction to Bianca is going to be. Iyo is technically a heel, but she has a history of getting cheered at PPVs, especially at Backlash. Bianca wasn’t getting the best receptions prior to her injury, but now that she’s back, maybe she’ll have the good will of fans again. Or maybe she’ll transition into being the heel some fans are hoping she’ll turn into. I don’t really know, and since I don’t really know, I’m going to default to Iyo holding onto the title.

Predicted Winner: Iyo Sky

Rey Mysterio (Champion) Vs Logan Paul For The United States Championship

Before Logan Paul debuted at WrestleMania 38, I would have been furious with a future version of myself for predicting he would win a legitimate WWE belt, but the dude just gets professional wrestling. I’m not saying he doesn’t have a lot to work on. He does. There’s a lot of distance between where he’s at and where he would need to get to in order to credibly hold one of WWE’s top two belts, but the question I’m asking myself is if The United States Championship would be better served around Logan Paul’s waist. Right now, I think the answer is yes.

Gunther has elevated The Intercontinental Championship to the point where it feels like a big prize almost everyone on the roster would love to have. The United States Championship hasn’t quite had that same momentum. Many of us hoped Austin Theory could get it to that next level, but his run with the belt felt like it was missing something. It’s been nice to see Rey Mysterio get some late career shine, but it feels like he’s got something else going with Bobby Lashley/ The Street Profits and The LWO that doesn’t need the title.

Besides, if Logan Paul does win the title, it sets up a potential clash with LA Knight, and I can already hear in my head how hot that crowd would be. Some people are looking to The Royal Rumble as the potential moment where LA Knight pays off all the crowd support he’s gotten the past six months, but I think what’s more likely is we’ll see him pay off that crowd support by kicking Logan Paul’s ass at WrestleMania 40 after what’s hopefully a six month run of heel greatness from the social media star.

Predicted Winner: Logan Paul

Cody Rhodes Vs Damian Priest

I’m not sure there are two people who have been involved in more Raw main event matches over the last year than Cody Rhodes and Damian Priest. They’ve worked together extensively, but I think Rhodes’ promo to end this past episode in which he accused Priest of being a follower is the most invested I’ve been in their shared storyline. 

We all know what Cody Rhodes is going to do. He’s going to go on to WrestleMania 40 and Main Event against Roman Reigns (unless The Rock gets involved). What Damian Priest’s future looks like is a lot more complicated. He fits in perfectly with The Judgment Day from a visual perspective, and he’s really found his niche inside the group as the muscle/ workhorse. He also has a fun, almost brother/ sister relationship with Rhea Ripley. But she’s also clearly the leader of the group, and standing next to her might put some kind of ceiling on his future development. That’s likely why there have been consistent rumors that WWE may have long-term plans to turn him into a babyface. I have no idea if that’s a good idea, but I do know Priest has many of the natural gifts needed to hold one of the two big titles. 

The most important priority, however, is to keep Cody Rhodes looking like the biggest babyface on the roster, and that starts by winning big matches at premium live events. So, barring injury or a desire to further some kind of storyline we don’t know about yet, I expect Cody to pick up a pinfall victory here.

Predicted Winner: Cody Rhodes

Roman Reigns (Champion) Vs LA Knight For The Undisputed WWE Universal Championship

I’ll give LA Knight a bit YEAH for being put in the biggest spot of his entire career, but it just doesn’t make sense for either Roman's story or his for the megastar to win the title here. There’s no point in immediately going from never having held a title in WWE to holding the biggest title there is. He already has the crowd. They’re aching for him to take a big step up and win a championship, but at this point, any championship will be a big step up. 

Cody Rhodes’ story is that he was able to accomplish everything in WWE except win the WWE title, which no one in his family has ever done. For him, The United States Championship and Intercontinental Championship don’t matter. He even recently won the Tag Team Titles (briefly), and while that was a lot of fun, that didn’t really matter either. That wasn’t where his story was going. But for LA Knight, his story is about gaining respect and progress, and he can do that by beating lesser people who aren’t Roman Reigns. Plus, there’s nothing that helps a babyface become more popular than encountering a little adversity now and again.

Predicted Winner: Roman Reigns

As with all of WWE's premium live events, you can stream in The United States with a Peacock subscription. Or, if you're outside the States, you can check it out on WWE network or wherever WWE streams locally. 

What was originally going to be King Of The Ring 2023 turned into Night Of Champions, and now, instead of the winner getting a crown, we’re getting a battle between Seth Freakin’ Rollins and AJ Styles to be crowned the new World Heavyweight Championship. I’m really excited to see where WWE goes with that match, and I’m also excited for the rest of the card.

The Saudi fans, as well as those of us watching at home, are getting five title matches, as well as Brock Lesnar and Cody Rhodes and Trish Stratus and Becky Lynch. That’s a strong card for a non-Big 4 premium live event, but unfortunately, most of the matches, at least on paper, seem to have pretty obvious winners. I went 6-1 in my Backlash predictions, and I’d be disappointed if I didn’t do at least that well this time around. Here’s a look back at how I’ve done so far this year, as well as my overall record…

There’s a sense on wrestling Twitter that for a show to be good, it needs some surprising results. Maybe. I love a good upset, but I’d rather have predictable results than giving out wins that don't make sense storywise. Plus, just because a certain person wins doesn't mean we can't get a good amount of character development, and I suspect we'll see some of that this weekend. Here's what I think will happen...

AJ Styles Vs Seth Freakin' Rollins For The World Heavyweight Championship

Seth Freakin’ Rollins is really hot right now, and AJ Styles is, well, that’s complicated. AJ Styles is AJ Freakin’ Styles, and he’ll always be some level of over. But he also recently returned from a serious injury and hasn’t really had a compelling storyline in awhile. So, from a purely what we’ve seen on television over the last six months standpoint, this should be a squash match.

But I’m never going to write off AJ Styles because he could get going again in a hurry if WWE would give him a little momentum. Plus, there are a lot of rumors around Seth Rollins’ role in Captain America 4, with some wondering if his movie star aspirations will cause WWE to second guess any potential plans to put this newly created title on him. Because of that, it’s not a guarantee Rollins wins here. But I still think it’s very likely. Fans have been screaming his theme song, and he’s unquestionably on a heater right now. Throw in the fact that AJ Styles and The OC would have to switch brands if he won and I think there’s at least an 80% chance Rollins takes the gold and then plays out one of the many fun possible scenarios.

I think the better questions are whether this will main event and how much time it’ll get. I think WWE should give it the hammer because it'll help fight the perception this title is less important than the ones Roman Reigns carries around, but I suspect it won’t main event because it’s not on par, at least not yet. I do think these two will get a lot of time to cook though, and there are few people in WWE I trust more to put on a good match than these two.

Predicted Winner: Seth Freakin’ Rollins

Roman Reigns And Solo Sikoa Vs Sami Zayn And Kevin Owens For The Tag Titles

Roman Reigns has won basically everything put in front of him for the last three years, and WWE has been very invested in making him seem like an unstoppable force. Even his loss to Seth Rollins at The 2022 Royal Rumble was by disqualification for essentially beating him up too much. So, you’d think he’d be a strong candidate to win here and become, to my knowledge, the first man to simultaneously hold four belts in WWE.

But I think giving him the Raw and Smackdown Tag Team Championships, in a time in which he’s working less than ever, is a bridge too far. He’s not going to defend these belts on a regular basis; so, if he won, he’d have to quickly drop them and if he was just quickly dropping them, what’s the point of even having him win them? The only scenario I could see would be if he won them, then immediately made a big show of forfeiting them and told The Usos he was just proving he could.

That’s more complicated than necessary though. So, I think, in order for the disintegration of The Bloodline plotline to continue, we’ll see Roman and Solo lose because of something The Usos did or did not do. That’ll create a bigger rift that can be explored in coming weeks, and Sami and Kevin will hold onto the tag titles.

Predicted Winner: Sami Zayn And Kevin Owens

Gunther Vs Mustafa Ali For The Intercontinental Championship

Gunther is going to win this match. If he doesn’t, it will make even less sense than Goldberg beating The Fiend in Saudi Arabia. The Ring General is on his way to being the greatest Intercontinental Champion of all-time and Mustafa Ali, while fantastic inside the ring, isn’t even remotely close to over. He’s getting almost zero crowd reaction when he comes out, probably because his current gimmick is trash. That's why he broke character to at least start a heartfelt promo on Raw before Brock Lesnar interrupted him. 

Because he’s really good in the ring, however, I expect Mustafa Ali to get some hope spots and put on a really good match. I don’t want it to be too competitive, as that wouldn’t make sense for Gunther, but seven minutes of high energy spots with one near fall sounds about right. Expect it to look something like Zelina Vega and Rhea Ripley at Backlash, though I don’t think we’ll see anywhere close to the same crowd reaction. Still, if Ali performs well and can get some crowd support, this could be a launching pad for some more screentime. That worked for Bronson Reed at Elimination Chamber. 

Predicted Winner: Gunther

Bianca Belair Vs Asuka For The Raw Women’s Championship

WWE needs to do something long-term with Bianca Belair. She has now been booed at two consecutive premium live events between WrestleMania and Backlash, and while I think she’ll get cheered here, I wouldn’t bet large amounts of money on it. And that’s the thing. If someone is supposed to be a yearlong babyface champion, you’d think huge rounds of applause would be a given. They’re not right now, not because she’s not great but because her character hasn’t seen any worthwhile storylines or real development in months. 

Because of that, I expect Belair to lose her title at some point soon. Maybe we’ll see a heel turn or Charlotte Flair will show up, embarrass her and take her title? Something has to change, but even so, it’s hard for me to imagine Belair losing the title after more than a year to a build that has no momentum whatsoever. What are Asuka and Belair even feuding over? She’s just the next challenger, and the crowd isn’t exactly hot for it, which sucks because Asuka is fantastic and there’s an alternate universe filled out with thoughtful character development in which this is a headliner of a major show. That's why I think there's a small chance she still could win but not nearly enough of a chance to pick her.

Predicted Winner: Bianca Belair

Cody Rhodes Vs Brock Lesnar

Brock Lesnar is one of the most dominant forces in WWE history, but that shine has started to come off a little bit over the last year or so. He’s lost a lot of big matches, and while it’s worth a shoutout to him for putting people over, the end result of all those losses has been a reduction of his character. You can’t just keep losing and remain The Beast forever, which is why I think he’ll score a win here off Cody Rhodes, probably by working the arm he injured on Raw earlier this week.

The American Nightmare got the best of him at Backlash. If Lesnar wins here, they can fight for a third time at SummerSlam or Money In The Bank before Brock heads back to his farm to take a few months off. He’d leave in a way that would allow fans to be hyped when he came back, and Rhodes would get the biggest wins of his WWE career against an all-time legend. 

Predicted Winner: Brock Lesnar

Rhea Ripley Vs Natalya For The Smackdown Women’s Championship

With all due respect to the newly promoted Cameron Grimes, Rhea Ripley is the one headed to the moon, and it wouldn’t shock me at all if ten years from now, we were talking about her being the greatest female wrestler in the history of the business. She’s got everything you’d hope for in a WWE superstar, and The Judgment Day, which has always had tremendous potential, feels like it’s getting even hotter, given Finn took out the rising Shinsuke Nakamura this week, Damian Priest is at an all-time high after his terrific performance at Backlash and Dominik Mysterio is still getting booed every time he tries to talk. 

So, no, Rhea Ripley will not be losing at Night Of Champions for about a thousand reasons including the fact that this match with Natalya has been given very little screentime to build. I do think they’ll get a nice little chunk of time though, and they should be able to put on a good match. I thought Natalya looked really good at Elimination Chamber earlier this year, and historically, she’s performed well when given someone talented to work opposite. So, look for a nice little back and forth, maybe around ten to twelve minutes, before Rhea takes over and wins cleanly.

Predicted Winner: Rhea Ripley

Trish Stratus Vs Becky Lynch

I’ve really enjoyed seeing Trish back on television every week. She’s a really good promo, and I like the angle of her wanting appreciation for pushing the women’s division forward. It’s a nice story that’s surpassed any of my expectations, but Becky Lynch is the future and shouldn’t be taking a loss from a woman getting close to 50, even if she’s an all-time legend who looks spectacular for her age.

My guess is this is the shortest match on the card. I think they’ll get around five minutes or so. Trish will get a hope spot. I think they’ll put it together in a fun way that engages the crowd, but ultimately, Becky is going to go over clean and looking like a top contender for one of the women’s championships. Assumedly, that’s where she’s going to end up long-term. The bigger question for me is whether Trish sticks around. I’d love to see her transition into an authority figure role opposite Adam Pearce, but we’ll see what happens. Either way, thanks for the past few months, Trish. It's felt both nostalgic and modern in the best ways. 

Predicted Winner: Becky Lynch

WWE is heading to Puerto Rico this weekend for Backlash, and Triple H and company are bringing a really exciting card with them. Barring any last minute changes, we’ll see seven matches on the slate, and not a single one is a repeat from WrestleMania. Even without Roman Reigns, the lineup of superstars is impressive too, as we’ll get appearances from Cody Rhodes, Brock Lesnar, Rhea Ripley, Bianca Belair, Sami Zayn, Kevin Owens, The Usos, Seth Rollins and more. Throw in host/ competitor Bad Bunny, and suddenly, this premium live event feels way more important than Backlash often does.

On a personal level, I’m also excited to get back on the prediction train. My WrestleMania 39 predictions were barely over .500, and I expect a whole lot more from myself. I need to put some wins on the board so I don't lose confidence and end up like Baron Corbin (at least before all of France cheered him like a prime Stone Cold). You can check out my record on predictions for some of the bigger and more recent premium live events, as well as my overall results below...

The takeaway there is you can kinda sorta trust my judgment. I'm right a lot more often than I'm wrong, but I'm still wrong a lot. So, if WWE ever convinces politicians to allow gambling, you probably shouldn't wager your mail-away Hulk Hogan Hasbro on any of my theories. 

Fortunately, this card seems a whole lot easier to predict than 'Mania. We don't have any last minute four tag team showcase matches, and some of the offerings here have (in my opinion) pretty obvious results. I like Zelina Vega, for example, but it would be insane for WWE to take the title off Rhea Ripley right now as she's rapidly ascending in popularity. Several other matches have the same sort of vibe. I explain that all and more in my takes below...

Matt Riddle, Kevin Owens And Sami Zayn vs Jimmy Uso, Jey Uso And Solo Sikoa

Six man tag matches are notoriously hard to predict because the storyline coming out of the match is ultimately more important than the result. So, for example, I think the storyline we’re going to see emerge here is Jimmy and Jey being a continued disappointment to Roman Reigns, furthering the friction in The Bloodline. So, that means either one of them will get pinned or they’ll get saved in a particularly obvious way by Solo Sikoa, thus furthering the narrative that Solo is Roman’s preferred relative and The Usos are black sheep. Ultimately, I think WWE will go a bit more pronounced and we’ll see The Usos straight up lose, probably after a dominating performance by Solo. 

The only variable I’ll throw in here is that WWE has been rather overtly teasing tension between Kevin Owens and Riddle. I think that will come into play long-term and possibly lead to Owens and Zayn losing their tag titles, but I don’t think it’ll factor into the outcome here. Maybe we’ll get a tease or two during the match itself, but that'll probably be a plotline explored more fully in upcoming TV episodes.

Predicted Winner: Matt Riddle, Kevin Owens And Sami Zayn

Rhea Ripley (Champion) Vs Zelina Vega For The Smackdown Women’s Championship

I like Zelina Vega. She’s extremely athletic. She can talk. She puts a ton of attention into her fun outfits, and I think she’s worked out really well with the L.W.O. I’d like to see more of her. That being said, come’on. She should get run over here at Backlash. I’m sure she’ll get a hope spot or two during the match, but if this isn’t a dominating victory for Rhea Ripley, that’s a mistake on WWE’s part.

The Judgment Day star is quickly ascending in popularity, and Ripley should be at the start of a long and spectacular reign after winning the title at WrestleMania. The only question for me is whether her brothers in The Judgment Day are beside her during that run. The crowd loves Rhea. She’s getting a ton of support while her main squeeze Dominik Mysterio is getting booed like he’s got a whole bag of candy is refusing to share. A grandma at a live event even told me recently she'd beat his ass herself. I think there are some fun ways the writers can creatively use that, but there’s also a distinct possibility they might just decide to split them up. It wasn’t lost on me that Zelina was grouped with The L.W.O. in the draft while Rhea was picked separately from everyone else in Judgment Day.

Predicted Winner: Rhea Ripley

Seth Freakin’ Rollins Vs Omos

I still believe in Omos long-term. He’s got a tremendous look, and there are some things he does very well in the ring for a man of his size, particularly kicking people in the face. But Seth Rollins is having a moment right now that only seems to be building. He’s in prime position to win the newly announced WWE World Heavyweight Championship, and Omos, well, Omos hasn’t won a match at a premium live event since Backlash 2022. That’s a year. He’s gone a whole ass year without winning on PPV.

To me, the real question here is whether this is going to be a squash. Omos very notably was not drafted and instead made a free agent. My guess is that means we’re going to see him take some time off and then return to wherever he’s most needed down the road. I’d love to see him join a tag team again, where he really excelled, but we’ll just have to wait and see. In the short-term, it’s gonna be nothing but sadness and heartbreak again as Rollins should go over quickly and cleanly.

Predicted Winner: Seth Freakin’ Rollins

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

I think this is one of the toughest matches on the card to predict. Triple H brought Austin Theory down in pretty embarrassing fashion when he first took over, but he used the opportunity to relaunch the character as a more serious and less gimmicky heel. In the time since, his booking has been strong, but in my opinion, his crowd reactions have only been pretty good. He’s generating heat and interest in what he’s doing. That’s all you ask of someone on the mid-card, but once you get closer to the top, how much heat and interest you’re drawing is the real question. Some level is expected, and for Theory, I don’t think his current level quite strong enough, which is why I think he’s vulnerable.

I could see this match going in any of the three possible directions. Bobby Lashley was screwed out of a match at WrestleMania and is certainly very well-liked by fans. I could see WWE throwing him a makegood here and letting him pick up a big premium live event win and another title run. Then again, I could also see Bronson Reed having a moment. Over the last several months, he’s gone from zero crowd interest to some notable buzz online to generating some real excitement in live crowds when he heads for the top ropes. I think he could be built into a really scary monster-heel if WWE would let him stack wins for a few months. Or they could just stick with Austin Theory, which is what I suspect they’ll do.

Predicted Winner: Austin Theory

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

I think Bianca is probably going to lose her championship sooner rather than later. Her crowd reactions have been only somewhat positive at times and were straight up bad at WrestleMania 39. She hasn’t had any real character development in a long time. She needs an injection of something fresh and different, but I don’t think it’s going to be during this match at Backlash. There just hasn’t been enough of a real build. 

Iyo Sky is a tremendous wrestler, and there have been a lot of hints about Damage CTRL’s future being uncertain. I think most fans expect them to break up at some point, but if WWE was going to do something big here, with maybe a break-up and Bianca Belair losing the title, you would think they would have been given real time to build this match. Instead, we got one interview segment during the third hour the week of the PPV. That’s just not enough, and frankly, the women's division needs a whole lot more.

Predicted Winner: Bianca Belair

Bad Bunny Vs Damian Priest

I have a hard time believing Bad Bunny is going to lose a San Juan Street Fight at a premium live event he’s also hosting in Puerto Rico. Unless he’s committing to another premium live event in the very near future (SummerSlam?) where we’ll get a rematch, I think he’s definitely going to win, but I suspect WWE added the San Juan Street Fight stipulation to protect Damian Priest. I think we’ll get interference or some kind of unusual weapon that will explain away how the Judgment Day star could lose to a professional singer.

That being said, as celebrities go, Bad Bunny is tremendous in the ring, and I can’t wait to see more of him this weekend. He’s extremely athletic and has a great appreciation for the business. I expect we’ll see at least one really sophisticated move and some really fluid and well-practiced in-ring work. I also think Damian Priest’s overall profile will ultimately be elevated by being in such a prime PPV spot with one of the world’s most popular singers. It’ll be a great way for him to show off what he can do, which is fantastic since I love Damian Priest and will rise to buy all the long-term stock. I think he’s capable of, at minimum, being a mid-card champion again and potentially even capable of being a more top tier guy.

Predicted Winner: Bad Bunny

Cody Rhodes Vs Brock Lesnar

I suspect Bad Bunny and Damian Priest will close the show, but in spirit and in spite of this not being for a championship, this is the main event of Backlash. I think we’ll see this match go off first, and I have to think this’ll end with a big victory for Cody Rhodes. It’s one thing to lose to Roman Reigns after interference at ‘Mania. It’s quite another to lose at two consecutive premium live events to the champion and then the perennial number one contender. You have to win matches to stay on top, and Cody needs to stay on top, unless Triple H, Bruce Prichard and everyone else in creative is planning to play a really long game with Cody. 

Plus, Brock Lesnar doesn’t need this. He beat up Omos at WrestleMania, and I suspect there’s a chance he steps away for awhile after this match. We were told during the draft that he has the right to appear on either brand moving forward, and WWE will likely use that flexibility to plug him in down the line wherever he makes the most sense whenever he returns. 

Predicted Winner: Cody Rhodes

2023 is rolling along, and there are plenty of upcoming WWE events on the horizon. For example, with WrestleMania 39 in the rearview, we're all looking ahead to SummerSlam 2023, which is generally regarded as the second most important premium live event of the year. Fists will fly in Detroit as Cody Rhodes, Roman Reigns and many others step into the ring, and the new poster gives us an idea of what matches we might see. 

The WWE has a slick logo for SummerSlam 2023, clearly inspired by "The Motor City" nickname for Detroit. Below you'll find the poster, which features Roman Reigns, Cody Rhodes, Rhea Ripley, Charlotte Flair, Bianca Belair, Brock Lesnar and Rey Mysterio:

Everyone is staring straight ahead in this poster, perhaps as not to give away who might be squaring off against who on the big night. With that said, the superstars featured are usually given a big role in the premium live event. With that in mind, here are some of the potential matchups I can see happening based on what's shown above.

Roman Rhodes Vs. Cody Rhodes Vs. Brock Lesnar For The Undisputed Championship

It didn't take long at all for the WWE to interject Brock Lesnar into Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes' feud, though in fairness, Brock and Roman have more history together. Whatever the case, it seems like Brock is very much in the main event picture again, and with Rhodes challenging him at Backlash, this feud could bleed into both men challenging Roman for his Undisputed Championship. A triple-threat match between them would be an epic match and one that would undoubtedly be Roman's greatest challenge yet. 

I've seen it proposed that in a triple-threat match, and each pinfall could count for each individual title. This would allow the WWE an opportunity to separate the championship titles but still potentially give Roman Reigns a chance to hold onto his Universal title. One would also think it'd be very hard for the Bloodline to take out both Brock Lesnar and Cody Rhodes throughout the match, so this could be a great nullifier to their constant aid in his title defenses. If ever there was a way for Roman to lose while still looking strong, this is it. 

Bianca Belair Vs. Rhea Ripley For Unified Women's Championship Match

The WWE has done something special with Roman Reigns' undisputed title run, and it's hard to imagine they aren't at least considering it for the women's division. If ever there was a time to do it, Rhea Ripley and Bianca Belair have the history and in-ring chemistry to put on a match that will be remembered for a long time. 

Of course, one would have to ask, is this a match that's too big for SummerSlam? I know I'm asking because a match with that high of stakes seems destined for WrestleMania 40. That said, SummerSlam has to maintain its reputation as one of the WWE's biggest events of the year, so maybe this will happen, and then something even bigger will be set up for WrestleMania, if that's possible. 

LWO Vs. Judgment Day

Rey Mysterio's resurrection of the Latino World Order has been an instant hit with the WWE audience, so it's hard to imagine that won't be a major part of his storyline for the next year. Of course, fans were also really into his ongoing feud with his son Dominik Mysterio and Judgment Day, so it's only natural that we'll eventually get a big PLE showdown between the two factions. 

SummerSlam seems like the right time for this showdown to happen, as the crowd is always down for a faction vs. faction tag match. I can't imagine anything substantial would be on the line for this match beyond honor, but so far, that's all that's needed to get the crowd rowdy when Rey and Dom are in the ring. 

Bianca Belair With Montez Ford Vs. Charlotte Flair And Andrade Intergender Tag Match

Bianca Belair and Charlotte Flair don't really need a story beyond the fact that they're two of the WWE's most talented in-ring performers. Any match between these two is guaranteed to be a classic. With that said, I think there's a unique opportunity for the WWE to do an awesome intergender tag match with both women, which would include bringing in their husbands, Montez Ford and Andrade El Idolo. 

Andrade is currently in AEW, but he's stated recently his contract is up very soon (via WrestlingInc.com). If he's looking to return to the WWE, there's an opportunity to position himself alongside his wife and be a part of some awesome intergender matchups like this, in addition to others. Of course, Andrade might like his position over at AEW more than what could be available for him as a singles competitor in WWE, so I can understand why he may ultimately re-sign with AEW. 

Rhea Ripley Vs. Rey Mysterio

Rhea Ripley gets a lot of comparisons to WWE legend Chyna, and while times have changed a lot since then, the WWE has still dipped its toes in the water of putting her in intergender matches. So far, she's only taken on smaller performers like Akira Tozawa, but now that she's champion, perhaps she's up for a greater challenge. Someone with more experience, and more accolades, like Rey Mysterio, would be an intergender challenge fitting for a champion like Ripley. 

It would also make sense for Rhea Ripley to target Rey Mysterio and attempt to restore Dom's lost honor as his "Mami." Truthfully, I think this could be the most random co-main event caliber match SummerSlam could do, but a big one nonetheless. It would definitely be one of the most high-profile intergender singles matches in a long time, and one for the ages. 

Cody Rhodes Vs. Roman Reigns For Undisputed Championship

It's entirely possible that Brock Lesnar is left out of the main event completely, and that Cody Rhodes will finally be granted his proper rematch opportunity against Roman Reigns. I don't think it's a stretch to believe considering his current path, and that the WWE will eventually have these two face off against each other again. Rhodes has to "complete the story" at some point, even if the WWE is a place where the story never ends. 

I think there's a good chance that Rhodes will get some sort of rematch against Roman at SummerSlam rather than them saving it for WrestleMania 40. After all, maybe Dwayne Johnson will finally be ready to commit to a match, or something else will be lined up for Roman by then. If that's the case, then it's best to get this feud out of the way, whatever that means for either wrestler. 

SummerSlam is set to stream for anyone with a Peacock Premium subscription on Saturday, August 5th. No doubt we will learn more about the actual matches planned for the PLE closer to the event, and I'm desperately hoping at least one of these matches is on the card. 

Heading into WrestleMania weekend, I planned to write an article about the best matches. I have in my notes Top 5 Matches Of WrestleMania 39, but sitting here, reflecting on all the spectacular wrestling we saw over the last two days, there was just no way I could keep this to five matches. In fact, there may have been more good-to-great matches on this card than any WrestleMania in history.

That's not to say every single thing we saw was a five star banger, but so many of the matches were either exactly what they needed to be or over-delivered in a big way. I'm so pleased with how the entire weekend turned out, and I'm ready to give out some flowers for jobs well done. So, without further ado, here are the 10 best matches WWE put on during WrestleMania 39...

10. Damage CTRL Vs Becky Lynch, Trish Stratus And Lita

Whenever WWE brings back legends for a big spot match, the name of the game is putting those legends into positions where they look good, even if they’re not quite as athletic as they once were. That involves careful planning, and this match was planned out so well. Damage CTRL did a lot of quick tags and intricate combination moves, while Becky battled on her own for awhile until both Trish and Lita were given their own sequences to look really good. 

I also loved how this match was a chance to show off how good Dakota Kai and Iyo Sky are in the ring. They were heavily involved in the action throughout, and while they sold really well to make the legends look good, they also got a chance to get their own moments, most prominently Iyo with a moonsault onto the outside. In the end, we got a Litasault, a Manhandle Slam and the faces went home with a nice little nostalgic moment. This match was exactly what it should have been. Job well done by everyone involved. 

Match Rating: 3.5/5

9. Edge Vs Finn Bálor In Hell In A Cell

Obviously the pacing of this match was screwed up by that monster head wound Finn Bálor got. That was an unfortunate fluke situation, and there’s nothing anyone can do about that. There are also some who are frustrated about the ending, as they feel Finn needed the win a lot more than Edge as he’s likely to be around longer. But even taking into account all of that, these two dudes just know how to put on a good wrestling match. They’ve got great chemistry, and some of the sequences looked really well put together.

I loved the spot where Edge trapped Finn in the corner. I loved the attempted Coup De Gras through the table. I loved the finish, even if I didn’t necessarily love the pick of the winner. Also, both entrances were also absolute fire and had the crowd really hyped up. In my mind, that counts as part of the match since you’re setting the scene, and the scene here was as good as any on the entire card.

Match Rating: 3.5/5

8. Asuka Vs Bianca Belair

Bianca Belair and Asuka have a really nice contrasting mix of styles. Belair really excels when she’s showing off raw power and athleticism, while Asuka is so clever and intricate with her reversals and submissions. It’s a different spin on the classic big guy vs little guy match, but it worked especially well with these two because Bianca is skilled and technical enough where she can sell those quick combinations and make them look great. 

During the match, we got some nice spots, good submission sequences and impressive feats of strength from Bianca. The momentum really built throughout it, and Belair was able to overcome a surprisingly negative crowd to get cheered for the finish. At your average WrestleMania, this probably would have been a top five match, but this year, we got so much great that Asuka and Bianca’s good is only good enough for eighth place. Job well done though.

Match Rating: 3.75/5

7. Logan Paul Vs Seth Rollins

We all knew this match was going to rule when it was announced. Seth Rollins might be the best in-ringer worker WWE has, and Logan Paul has as much natural talent as anyone I’ve seen. Well, spoiler alert: it ruled. Everyone will no doubt talk about Logan Paul’s frog splash onto the table with KSI in the Prime costume and with good reason. It was great, but most of what made this match great occurred in the quieter moments of ring psychology and standout individual moves and sequences. 

Logan Paul has all the tools to be WWE Champion some day, but he also likes doing a ton of different things. He podcasts. He boxes. He actively works at being a celebrity. As such, it’s unclear whether he’ll ever commit to the number of events he would need to in order to be seriously considered for a title run, but if he’s willing to do even 35 or 40 dates a year, it would be hard to say no. He’s overdelivered every single time, and his chemistry with Seth Rollins here was terrific. I'm so glad he's just leaning into the natural heel he is.

Match Rating: 4.0/5

6. Dominik Mysterio Vs Rey Mysterio

This is another match that wasn’t necessarily about any of the individual moves. It was about the larger story being told, and the crowd was red hot from the beginning, thanks to fantastic dueling entrances from Dominik (with cops) and from Rey (with Snoop Dogg to Eddie Guerrero’s music). I especially loved Dominik throwing a drink on his sister and getting slapped by his mom, but Rey whipping him with the belt was also top notch parenting.

I also love how this match clearly set up a future program with Bad Bunny when the pop star stole the chain from Dom. It seems likely we’ll get Rey Mysterio and Bad Bunny vs Dominik Mysterio and Damian Priest at WrestleMania Backlash, which Bad Bunny has already been announced as the host for. That’s a great example of setting up a longer-term story but still giving fans a satisfying conclusion at the actual event. This wasn’t an epic WCW cruiserweight bout in the late 90s, but it was exactly what it should have been. 

Match Rating: 4.0/5

5. The Men’s Fatal 4-Way Showcase Match

Just an absolute masterclass in how to put together an eight man tag team match. In only eight and a half minutes, every single team got multiple personalized moments to shine, and every single team somehow came away looking like a duo we’d all like to watch moving forward. The crowd was into the entire thing, and some of the spots will be remembered for a really long time. 

Here’s an incomplete list of highlights: Chad Gable doing a rolling German suplex on Braun Strowman. Ivar doing a moonsault off the top ropes. Angelo Dawkins derailing the Strowman Express mid-voyage. Ricochet’s shooting star press. The Viking Raiders’ just brutalizing Chad Gable, Ricochet and Montez Ford in quick succession. Braun landing a top rope frog splash. Otis ripping off his shirt to the delight of the crowd, and of course, Montez Ford’s top rope work to end the match. 

Most WrestleMania matches need a good build or some real stakes, but now and again, a really well-sequenced ten minutes of high energy wrestling can really get the job done. This was truly a showcase.

Match Rating: 4.25/5

4. Cody Rhodes Vs Roman Reigns

Wrestling fans are going to be debating this finish for years to come. Personally, I loved it. I wanted to see Cody go through some adversity and for Roman to stay on top. Others on social media or around me in the crowd clearly did not feel that way. But regardless, a good match is about a lot more than just the finish, and this match was fantastic. It was paced very slowly but in a way that milked all the emotional investment and interest from the crowd. The table spot was a great who is gonna take the bump tease, and a few of the false finishes at the end really felt like they could have been three counts.

I think the story around interference was also well done. The referee throwing Solo out created a really good crowd moment, and it was bedlam inside SoFi Stadium when Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens ran in to fight off The Usos. Cody may not have finished the story, but all of this created so much to build off for the next chapter. This’ll go down as a heavily-debated but also very well-appreciated main event. 

Match Rating: 4.5/5

3. Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn Vs The Usos

There are other matches on this list that had better spots or better technical precision, but not every match is about showing off unusual moves or high risk spots (though this match had some of both). The goal here was to tell the next chapter of The Bloodline story, and that next chapter was really damn good. You could feel the passion and the shared history in so many of the sequences, and the repeated finishes from Sami Zayn on Jey Uso was the best possible way to end it.

All four men in this match are incredibly over with the crowd, and all four are masters at knowing when to slow down and when to step on the gas. The initial sequence is a perfect example of that where we got staredowns and a tag-in before anyone even started fighting. The whole match built upon the tension the fans were already feeling and made the whole thing feel even more personal. Also, shoutout to The Usos for being a historically great tag team. Sami and Kevin have gotten most of the love over the last few months, but they make that whole thing go.

Match Rating: 4.75/5

2. Rhea Ripley And Charlotte Flair

If the goal here was to remind everyone that Charlotte Flair is probably the best woman ever and to show off Rhea Ripley’s almost unlimited potential: mission accomplished. This match slapped for more than twenty-three and a half minutes, and it was put together in a really thoughtful way too. There were multiple almost ref bumps that turned into finisher-driven false finishes, and the crowd’s energy level grew and grew with each near fall. By the end, fans were screaming like it was a night two main event, leaving WWE with an interesting Rhea decision to make long-term.

Fans will debate for years whether it should have gotten the honor to close the night, but ultimately, it doesn’t really matter. The match we got, when we got it, was a spectacular five star classic that put Rhea Ripley in the best possible position moving forward to pick up the torch and carry the women’s division for the next decade. Charlotte Flair was the only person who could have helped her with that, and we’re all lucky to have gotten to see it. 

Match Rating: 5/5

1. Gunther Vs Sheamus Vs Drew McIntyre

The great thing about WrestleMania 39 is there are legitimately like four matches you could pick as the best one and you’ll find some people to agree with you. For me, the match of the entire weekend was Gunther Vs Sheamus vs Drew McIntyre. There were, of course, a lot of chops, as you would expect, but there were also so many other fun and clever spots too. There were times Drew and Sheamus worked together. There were times they were adversarial. There were times Gunther looked utterly dominant, and there were times in which you thought he might really lose here.

Gunther and Sheamus have delivered every single time they’ve hooked up. The Clash At The Castle match was maybe the best of 2022. The six man tag with Imperium vs The Brawling Brutes was spectacular too. I was worried maybe adding Drew McIntyre here might screw up the formula, but we can all now confirm it did not. Drew was terrific here. By the end, it felt like fans were more cheering for their appreciation of the match than cheering for any specific outcome. This was the best WrestleMania gave us, and given how good WrestleMania 39 was, that makes this one of the best 'Mania matches ever.

Match Rating: 5/5

I just got back from night two of WrestleMania 39, and while it wasn’t as good as night one (read those takeaways here), there were still a lot of stand-out moments. The main event between Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes lived up to its potential. Gunther, Sheamus and Drew McIntyre put on an absolute banger, and many of the other matches worked pretty well too, most prominently Bianca Belair and Asuka and Finn Bálor and Edge.

Fans will be talking about all of it for the next year, but there are some major takeaways that need to be discussed earlier rather than later. So, let’s just focus on the absolutely huge ones for right now. Here are my five biggest takewaways from night two of WrestleMania 39.

Bianca Belair Can’t Be Pleased With That Crowd Reaction

Bianca and Asuka put on a really solid match. Depending on how you feel about Edge and Finn Bálor, I assume it was everyone’s third or fourth favorite of the night. That might not live up to the incredibly high stakes Bianca was hoping for, but it’s still another WrestleMania W for the EST, who is now 3-0 and has put on really good matches every time. Unfortunately, there are some reasons for her to be frustrated though. The crowd was very heavily rooting for Asuka and on a few occasions, even booed Bianca.

The question is why. Did they boo Bianca because they felt like this was Asuka’s big chance to get a push or did they boo Bianca because they’re sick of her winning and want to see some adversity and/ or a slight change to her character? I’m not really sure. WrestleMania fans are more plugged into the bigger picture than your average SmackDown crowd. So, this doesn’t necessarily mean anything, but at the same time, if I were Bianca Belair, I’d probably want to have some conversations about tweaking things up a little bit or at least being very thoughtful with who she feuds with next. You can’t be a babyface and establish a pattern of getting rooted against.

Lots Of Fans Are Questioning Why Certain Wrestlers Weren’t Used And Rightfully So

The WrestleMania card is always a very hotly debated topic, and this year, the questions are even louder thanks to a few rather interesting decisions. Most prominently, WWE decided not to use Bobby Lashley who is, by pretty much any definition, one of the ten biggest stars in the company. The original plan was for him to wrestle Bray Wyatt, but after that program went south under mysterious circumstances a few weeks ago, fans were waiting to see how the writers would adapt. Well, it turns out they had him win The Andre The Giant Battle Royal on SmackDown and just didn’t use him for WrestleMania, apart from a segment where he was introduced and waved at the crowd.

Also left on the cutting room floor was LA Knight, who is rapidly getting over with fans in a big way. When he was eliminated from the aforementioned Andre The Giant Battle Royal, there were very loud boos, as it was clear he was the favorite among fans in attendance. Rumors swirled online that maybe he would get something to do during the main card, but that never ended up happening. Instead, in addition to the previously announced card, we got two impromptu Miz matches. The first one was against Pat McAfee (with interference from George Kittle), and the second was against a combination of Shane McMahon and Snoop Dogg.

It was obvious someone was going to beat The Miz up given he was hosting WrestleMania, but many fans are confused why that role didn’t go to Lashley or LA Knight or why the second match happened at all when the time could have been given to one or both of them.

Triple H Is Not Gonna Change Titles For The Sake Of Changing Titles

We got a few title changes at WrestleMania with Rhea Ripley and Sami Zayn/ Kevin Owens winning, but a lot of the champions retained. Over the last six months or so, it’s become very clear that Triple H doesn’t want to play musical chairs with the championships. If someone is a good fit to hold the title, it seems like he’s going to keep the title on that person until there’s a better option to win it. That might sound like common sense, but promoters often fall in love with creating big, shocking moments, and one of the best ways to do that is by beating a champion.

Gunther, Roman and Bianca are all in the middle of extraordinary title runs. All three had very credible challenges who were over with the crowd, and all three held on to their titles. Roman is pushing three years. Bianca is officially over a year, and Gunther is the longest serving Intercontinental Champion this century. It doesn’t feel like that would have happened in WWE just a few short years ago. So, every superstar should be put on notice, that if you want to win a belt, you better be a really appealing option.

Gunther Is A Future World Champion

Has Gunther had a bad match in WWE yet? The Intercontinental Triple Threat absolutely slapped and ended with Gunther’s first WrestleMania victory. It wasn’t a squash match. All three men looked really good, but Gunther clearly came out looking the strongest. He also got a badass intro from Ludwig Kaiser, and while the fans respected his heel-ness and rooted against him, there were also a lot of applause breaks out of respect for how good he is in the ring.

I don’t know when Triple H will pull the trigger and move Gunther to the main event scene, but whenever that happens, there is a good chance he will win gold at the highest level quickly. Everything he does just looks fantastic, and it’s been awhile since WWE had a truly great monster heel that can brutalize people. I don’t think we’ll see him against Roman Reigns in the near future, but the main event push is coming at some point.

Roman Reigns Is Still The Biggest Star In Wrestling

WWE could have let Cody finish the story. They could have created an incredible feel good moment in which the son of Dusty Rhodes reached the mountaintop his father never could. It would have been a moment played in WrestleMania montages for decades to come, but instead, they elected to keep the title on Roman Reigns. Many of the fans inside the arena were furious, but the case to keep the belt on Roman is pretty strong too, which I outlined before 'Mania. He’s the biggest star in the entire company and in the wrestling business as a whole, and he was involved in the best storyline in the history of wrestling over the last year. 

Cody played a part in that story, to be clear, but it was mostly a shoehorned in part the last three months. He wasn’t involved in any of the storyline’s biggest moments, and ultimately, his story just wasn’t as compelling as continuing the one Roman is actively telling. Fortunately, it would be a shock if he didn’t get another chance down the road. Maybe this loss will fuel him to add a new dynamic to his character that will make him even stronger and more popular. Then, when they meet again, maybe he’ll be the obvious option at that point. We’ll just have to wait and see, but for now, it’s still Roman Reigns’ industry. Acknowledge him. 

Most fan and critic reviews of WrestleMania 38 were really strong thanks in part to a bunch of very good matches. Tops amongst those showcases for many was Bianca Belair’s terrific nearly twenty minute showdown with Becky Lynch. The two WWE superstars gave fans an all-time match off the back of a terrific build-up that was both extremely technical and at times, surprisingly stiff. The result will be watched for years to come, which is probably why she’s focused on living up to it.

CinemaBlend got a chance to speak with Bianca Belair ahead of her match with Asuka during the press day at WrestleMania, and I asked her if she was thinking about how much praise she got last year when she was putting together her match this year. She said it’s in the back of her mind. She feels like she “stole the show” alongside Becky last year, and she wants to do it again. Here’s a portion of her quote…

It’s important to have a little swagger as a professional wrestler, both because it helps you on the microphone and because it can drive you to do really special things in the ring. Bianca Belair has that swagger, and she backed it up both times she was on the WrestleMania card. She had a great match with Sasha Banks back in 2021 when they main evented, and she was somehow even better with Becky Lynch last year (and in the SummerSlam rematch). Obviously we’ll have to wait and see how the match goes with Asuka, but there are plenty of people who think The Empress Of Tomorrow is one of the most skilled wrestlers in the world. So, there’s certainly a chance it could be something special.

Bianca Belair won the Raw Women’s Championship at ‘Mania last year, and she has not looked back. She’s dominated the women’s division for the last year, and there are many fans who think she should keep on holding the belt. It’s easy to see why too. I never really considered going against Bianca in my WrestleMania 39 predictions. She’s got a great visual look, she’s getting stronger and stronger on the microphone, and she delivers really well-done matches. What else would you even want in a champion?

We don’t know where in the WrestleMania 39 card Bianca and Asuka will slot in, but we do know they’ll square off on Sunday during the second night at The Showcase Of The Immortals, which will close with Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes. Expect an incredible match or if Bianca has her way, the best match. Either way, you can watch the end result if you have a Peacock subscription. 

WrestleMania 39 is just about here, and the card is absolutely stacked. I’m so fired up about so many different matches. Of course there’s the possible end to The Bloodline story with Roman Reigns, The Usos, Sami Zayn, Kevin Owens and late addition Cody Rhodes, but even beyond those months-in-the-making matches, WWE has given fans an assortment of things to really be excited about.

I’m personally pumped for Austin Theory and John Cena, Rhea Ripley and Charlotte Flair and Rey and Dominik Mysterio to name a few, but it feels like I talk to five different people, and they all have different things they’re excited about, which is perfect. WrestleMania is meant to draw as many eyeballs as possible from casual and hardcore fans. It should be a celebration of all things wrestling: different styles, different emotional beats and different personalities.

I’ll do my best here to predict what’s going to happen. Not to brag, but last year, I went 11 and 4 in my WrestleMania 38 predictions (and have gone 56 and 21 since I started), and I’m hoping to do even better this year. I’ll outline who I think is going to win but also talk about the larger plotlines and what might be going through the minds of Triple H and the writers…

Austin Theory Vs John Cena For The United States Championship

The thing about wrestling for a championship belt is that if you win, you need to defend it, and at this point, there’s no reason to believe John Cena is sticking around in WWE to defend this belt. So, if he wins, it probably means he’s going to 1) wrestle for a surprise second time and lose during WrestleMania weekend or 2) drop it on an upcoming episode of Raw or Smackdown. Or more likely, it means he’s going to lose this long-rumored match. I’d love it if he won during the first match of night one, then held an open challenge and dropped it to a surprise person on night two (like LA Knight), but that seems a whole lot more complicated than just losing.

So, I think John Cena is going to lose. Being the great company man he is, I think he’s coming back to signal to fans that Austin Theory is a future star in the business (despite his post Money In The Bank booking), and there’s no better way to signal that than by losing a match for a belt he has a long history with at WrestleMania 39. I expect a fun, high energy match. I think Cena will get a lot of hope spots, but ultimately, I think he’s going to put Austin Theory over cleanly with his back on the mat. 

Predicted Winner: Austin Theory

Seth Freakin’ Rollins Vs Logan Paul

Logan Paul has full-on embraced his heelish inner-self, and it feels so right. He was never going to work, at least in the short-term, as a baby face, but now that he’s embraced the boos, he’s starting to feel more like a real part of the picture and not just a celebrity dropping by. The in-ring talent is there. The mic work is smooth and natural. He’s got the look. He’s got the charisma. The pieces are there to be WWE Champion someday, but in order to get there, he needs a ton of reps. He needs to expand his arsenal of moves, figure out how to sell promos with a less receptive crowd and improve the little things he hasn’t had time to develop yet. Whether or not he’s going to put in the time and make the commitment to wrestling in order to do that is anyone’s guess.

As for Seth Rollins, he’s getting a great crowd response. The fans are screaming his music, and he’s fully over as a baby face, which is wild given he was injuring Cody Rhodes with a sledgehammer less than a year ago. But it’s not really clear that he’s building toward anything. He’s doing fun work each week, but there’s not a sense of drive or long-term progression to his character. Add that to the fact that Logan Paul took a loss to Roman Reigns in Saudi Arabia last year, and I think WWE is gonna wanna put the social media star over here. You can’t pop up now and again and lose each time you pop up.

Predicted Winner: Logan Paul

Trish Stratus, Lita And Becky Lynch Vs Damage CTRL (Bayley, Iyo Sky And Dakota Kai)

I have a lot of mixed thoughts about this match; so, let me talk out both sides. On the one hand, wouldn’t it be nice to give Trish and Lita an awesome WrestleMania moment? Fans would absolutely love to see those two, along with favorite Becky Lynch, raise their arms in the air in victory. Given this match doesn’t really have like larger title implications, it could just exist as a fun one-off memory for everyone involved.

On the other hand, how many times can we watch Bayley lose? I love Bayley. I consider her to be one of the top women, but she hasn’t won a singles match at a premium live event since she beat Asuka at SummerSlam in 2020. When Damage CTRL formed last year, it looked positioned to dominate the women’s division, but with Iyo and Dakota losing the tag team belts and Bayley taking Ls all the time (including on TV recently to Rhea Ripley), this match almost feels like a referendum to whether they should stay near the top of the card. 

Predicted Winner: Damage CTRL

Bianca Belair Vs Asuka For The Raw Women’s Championship

I like both Bianca and Asuka a lot. I’ve enjoyed a ton of feuds both of these women have been in, but to be honest, the build to this match has been a little flat. Their shared in-ring segments have been kinda awkward at times, and I’m not sure anyone is really following the story they’re trying to tell. Of the title matches at WrestleMania 39, I would say this one has the least buzz around it.

And I just can’t see Bianca Belair, after this incredible title run, losing the belt in a match that doesn’t have much buzz around it. Champions shouldn’t lose the belt because it’s time for change. They should lose it because someone else is gaining more momentum than they have. Asuka is great, but I just don’t see her gaining momentum with fans right now, especially because she’s in this weird middle ground where she’s trying to become a heel but people aren’t really accepting the change and booing her (outside of when she does overtly heelish things). In another timeline with a different build, I could easily see Asuka winning here, but not right now and not with this very bland lead-in. 

Predicted Winner: Bianca Belair

Brock Lesnar Vs Omos

Some rumors have swirled about Brock Lesnar maybe taking a break after WrestleMania 39. That’s entirely possible given he feels outside the main event picture, which is unusual for his character, but even if he does step away, I have to think WWE is gonna want to keep him strong for a possible return down the road. Omos doesn’t seem like he’s building toward anything specific right now, and Brock Lesnar needs to stay a main event style attraction. Think of it this way: could you conceive a scenario in which Brock Lesnar could main event a future WrestleMania? Yes. Could you conceive the same for Omos? No. That’s why Brock Lesnar should win this match.

I think there’s a legit chance here we might see an Earthquake Vs Adam Bomb at WrestleMania X style squash match. Lesnar picking Omos up over his head and F5ing him is the moment we all want to see. I don’t think WWE needs to waste time getting there. I’d gladly take an action packed two or three minutes, ending in a viral moment than eight or nine minutes that could be a little awkward since neither guy is the most fluid in the ring.

Predicted Winner: Brock Lesnar

Showcase Match: Braun Strowman & Ricochet Vs The Viking Raiders Vs The Street Profits Vs Alpha Academy

Did WWE set this match up to get some talented and popular wrestlers on the ‘Mania card or are we going to get some long-term plot development out of this? I think the answer is a bit of both, and I think that long-term plot development is going to come in the form of friction between The Street Profits. I’m not saying they’re going to break up at WrestleMania, but I think the seeds of long-term issues are going to be planted here. We’ve already seen the longtime pair wrestle a lot more separately in recent months. Now feels like the time for a Shawn Michaels/ Marty Jannety style story that plays out over the course of a few months and ends with a singles match, maybe at SummerSlam?

As for who will win the match, I’m going to rule out The Street Profits because of the above theory, and I’m also going to rule out Alpha Academy, since they’ve mostly been used to put other teams over and also seem like they’re in the middle of a slow motion break up. So, that leaves The Viking Raiders and Strowman & Ricochet. I like both teams a lot. Triple H and the writing staff have kept The Viking Raiders looking particularly strong, but Strowman and Ricochet are very over with the crowd. I saw them at a live event recently, and they were getting huge pops from the crowd. I think they’re potential future tag team champions.

Predicted Winner: Braun Strowman & Ricochet

Showcase Match: Ronda Rousey & Shayna Baszler Vs Natalya & Shotzi Vs Liv Morgan & Raquel Rodriguez Vs Chelsea Green & Sonya Deville

First of all, I have no idea what happened to Carmella. WWE was clearly setting up a Carmella & Chelsea Green partnership and for them to take the last spot in this match. Now we're getting Chelsea Green & Sonya Deville. I'll miss Carmella, but I'm glad to see Sonya get a WrestleMania moment. She was great at placing the authority figure and was a really nice foil for Adam Pearce. They need to give her more opportunities to talk on TV.

That being said, this match has to be all about Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler, right? Ronda has obviously had some troubles over the last year getting over with the crowd, but she's still Ronda Rousey. I don't know what WWE is paying her, but it's too much to be on the undercard. So, they need to figure out how to make this experiment work and give her an angle fans will buy. I think they're going to keep trying and that'll start with a win here, but I wouldn't be shocked to see Liv & Raquel pick up the W either.

Predicted Winner: Ronda Rousey & Shayna Baszler

Edge Vs Finn Bálor In A Hell In A Cell Match

It looks like we’re going to get Bálor’s Demon vs Brood-style Edge here, and I’m all for it. Between that and the Hell In A Cell stipulation, it’s a fun way to make this match feel WrestleMania levels of important. Expect a strong match with a really high workrate and some fun spots. I don’t think we’ll get any crazy cage jumps, but I do think we’ll get a really tight and well put together 20 minutes in which both of these superstars show how talented they are.

I’ve heard a lot of people say they think Edge will go over since he’s probably nearing retirement, but I just don’t think this win does as much for him as it does for Bálor. The goal of wrestling is to set up what is next. The Judgment Day is hot right now. All four performers are at the top of their games, and there’s a strong chance Rhea Ripley will emerge from ‘Mania as The Smackdown Women’s Champion. To me, the most important thing here is The Judgment Day looking as strong as possible because that stable could be incredible with a few minor tweaks.

Predicted Winner: Finn Bálor

Dominik Mysterio vs Rey Mysterio

If you would have told me a year ago that we would get Rey Mysterio and Dominik Mysterio at WrestleMania, I would not have been very excited. I know because a year ago, there were persistent rumors Vince McMahon wanted to break up the father son duo and push them into a feud, and I could not bring myself to care. Well, here we are, and I am absolutely hyped for this match. It’s one of my most anticipated showdowns on the entire card. Dominik Mysterio is on an epic heel run right now. He’s getting booed like a prime Ted Dibiase, and he’s a perfect for for The Judgment Day.

The expectation here from many is that Rey will finally teach his son a lesson and show him the meaning of respect, but I think a Rey Mysterio win would suck all the energy out of the feud. I’d like to see Dom go over here (obviously via some outrageous cheating) and these two could continue their back-and-forth for awhile. I don’t think Dom needs the feud anymore to stay relevant given how over he is as a heel, but if you have a ready made storyline fans want to see, you may as well use it.

Predicted Winner: Dominik Mysterio

Gunther Vs Sheamus Vs Drew McIntyre For The Intercontinental Championship

There are some fans who think Sheamus and Drew McIntyre were both put into this match to liven it up a little bit. Maybe. But personally, I think this is a triple threat because it gives WWE the opportunity to take the belt off Gunther without him actually losing. They referenced this on Smackdown during the contract signing, and it feels like that’s where this is going to go. Then, after Gunther loses, he can start working his way up to the main event scene, given he’s the best young unstoppable monster heel WWE has had since Yokozuna.

If Gunther is going to lose, I think the more likely candidate to win is Sheamus. He’s never held The Intercontinental Championship before, and this would give him a really nice moment, especially after he’s revitalized his career over the last year. Look for him to pin Drew McIntyre and then for the two of them to probably wrestle each other at WrestleMania Backlash with Gunther bowing out because he has his eyes on a bigger prize.

Predicted Winner: Sheamus

Charlotte Flair Vs Rhea Ripley For The Smackdown Women’s Championship

I love Charlotte Flair, but come’on. Rhea Ripley is on a rocketship right now. The fans are behind her. Charlotte already beat her once at WrestleMania. It is her time to carry the women’s division in WWE forward, and that starts at WrestleMania. I am confident in a fair number of these predictions, but there is none I’m more confident in than Rhea winning (with the exception of maybe Brock squashing Omos). 

Plus. I still think Charlotte Flair works better as a heel. She’s a talented enough wrestler and showman that she can technically do either. She’s probably better at being a top babyface than 90% of the roster as an example, but she really shines as a heel. That’s what she needs to get back to. I’d love to see her take a loss to Rhea and then turn heel to be the next challenger to Bianca maybe at SummerSlam. Expect a really strong match but for Rhea to ultimately prevail. I think she’ll do it cleanly too without Judgment Day interference.

Predicted Winner: Rhea Ripley

The Usos vs Sami Zayn And Kevin Owens For The Undisputed Tag Team Championships

With all due respect to Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes and everything else on the card, this has been the A-plot storyline over the last year. More often than not, The Usos and Sami Zayn in particular have been driving the weekly shows fans have been watching, and there will likely be more emotional investment from fans in this match than any other across either night. The payoff here was built one fantastic segment at a time, to the point where many fans are openly talking about how sad they are it may be ending.

Pretty much everyone I’ve talked to expects Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens to win here. We’ve watched them (in particular Sami) try to climb up the mountain for months. He got really close to the top in that fantastic match at Elimination Chamber in Montreal. This is the moment where he finally gets a happy ending, or at least an unapologetically happy plot point if the storyline continues. Ordinarily, I’d be worried about a potential swerve since so many people think they know where this is going, but sometimes you just need to give fans what they want. Shoutout to The Usos though who have been tremendous during this championship run. They’re no doubt first ballot Hall of Famers with a lot of career left.

Predicted Winner: Sami Zayn & Kevin Owens

Roman Reigns Vs Cody Rhodes For The Undisputed WWE Universal Championship

Everyone acts like it’s such a sure thing that Cody is going to be the one to finally beat Roman Reigns and take his titles, but I’m not so sure about that. Roman and Cody have done a nice enough job of building a story over the past few months, but I personally think Cody’s story would be a lot more compelling if he lost and had to climb the ladder again. Yes, he went through a ton of hardships when he was in WWE originally, then switched to AEW and then switched back, but for those who might be newer to wrestling, he’s just a guy who has done nothing but win since he got back. I think Cody’s story is one of perseverance and overcoming challenges. Yes, he got injured last year and came back, but I’d like to see him experience some real losses.

I’m also just not ready for Roman Reigns’ time on top to be finished. He’s been the best heel champion WWE has ever had, and three years in, he’s still the biggest attraction. You can feel it on TV and you can feel it in the building during live events. He’s still got tremendous heat, and there are so many additional matches I’d like to see him have with the title: starting with Jey Uso. How fun would it be to watch Roman, still champion, absolutely lay into Jey and Jimmy about losing their titles and being weak? In a perfect world, I’d love to see Cody lose, fight his way back up the card, win The Royal Rumble again and try to finally get over the hill next year. Meanwhile, Roman can slowly lose member after member of The Bloodline until he’s completely on his own next year. Cody can take the titles then, but not now. Not yet. 

Predicted Winner: Roman Reigns

Other Predictions About Bray Wyatt, Bobby Lashley, The Miz, LA Knight And More

I have no idea what's going on with Bray Wyatt, but as of right now, I have to believe he's off the WrestleMania 39 card. It feels like something strange is going on behind the scenes or an injury (both of which have been rumored). I'd love to think this is a storyline swerve leading to a big surprise, but if this is all a work, I can't imagine you'd tease a Bray vs Bobby Lashley match, do a few promos and then say nothing about it for weeks. 

But I still think WWE will find a way to work Bobby Lashley into the WrestleMania card. Fans have been freaking out about how he was added to the Andre The Giant Battle Royal on SmackDown with a lot of talent that isn't going to be on the big show. Yes, that's a little worrying, but I don't see how you have Bobby Lashley available and don't use him at WrestleMania. That just doesn't make sense to me. So, I expect we'll see him issue an open challenge or something. 

The other person not on the card right now who I think will make a WrestleMania impact is LA Knight. He's been saying for weeks you can't have an LA WrestleMania without LA Knight, and given how much he's getting over with fans, I agree. Maybe that means doing something with Bobby Lashley. Maybe that means getting a quick segment on the microphone. I don't know how it'll happen, but he needs to do something. Good work that fans like should be rewarded.

And finally, I fully expect The Miz, who is hosting WrestleMania, to have at least one segment that ends in tragedy for The A-Lister. That's in keeping with his character, and it'll provide a little bit of levity at some point between matches. Maybe that beatdown come via a surprise celebrity or legend appearance or maybe that'll come from LA Knight or Bobby Lashley if they're not worked into the card another way. It could also be a cheap way to introduce a new character or a surprise hire and get them over with fans. Regardless, expect The Miz to eat someone's finisher at some point. 

WrestleMania 39 is on the way, and with not that long left before WWE's biggest nights of the year, we're finding out who will face who in the ring. There have also been a number of rumors and hints on Monday Night Raw and SmackDown about who else may have a match. 

Anyone looking for a rundown of who will and will likely square off on one of WrestleMania 39's two nights has come to the right place. Check out this updated list confirming who will take on who, as well a list of some of the most heavily speculated matches. 

Matches Confirmed To Be Happening

Roman Reigns (c) Vs. Cody Rhodes For The Undisputed WWE Universal Championship

"The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes returned and won the 2023 Royal Rumble, giving him the right to challenge Roman Reigns for the Universal Undisputed WWE Championship. WrestleMania 39's main event will see the Tribal Chief put his impressive streak on the line against a challenger who returned to the WWE after traveling the world and changing pro wrestling forever. Make no mistake, this will be an epic match, no matter who wins. 

Charlotte Flair (c) Vs. Rhea Ripley For The SmackDown Women's Championship

Rhea Ripley became the first woman in WWE history to win the Royal Rumble in the number one spot, and now she's coming for the queen of WWE: Charlotte Flair. Rhea is on a hot streak and looking like the strongest woman on the roster, but she's going up against one of the most successful women's champions the brand has ever known. Can the up-and-comer take down the established champion, or will Flair's experience prove too much for Ripley?

Bianca Belair (c) Vs. Asuka For The Raw Women's Championship

Bianca Belair has had an impressive year as champion, but she's in for her biggest challenge yet with Asuka. The veteran has been on a hot streak since she adopted a new clown persona and could use a green mist to bring The EST's major reign to an end. Belair hasn't been champ for a year for no reason, however, so I think Asuka has her work cut out for her.  

Brock Lesnar Vs. Omos

WWE is literally saying "Bobby Who" by instead booking Brock Lesnar with someone he hasn't squared off against in a long time: Omos. MVP managed to goad The Beast into agreeing to a match at WrestleMania 39, and it should be an absolute brawl. Omos has racked up a number of wins on smaller competitors on the roster, but taking on a similarly sized opponent like Lesnar should prove a challenge for him. He'll have to get creative to win, and knowing MVP, I'd be shocked if there wasn't some plan.  

Austin Theory (c) Vs. John Cena For The United States Championship

Austin Theory had a tough 2022 after winning the Money In The Bank briefcase, but his fortune turned around when he won the United States Championship. Since that moment, he's done a lot to show that he's someone who deserves a spot near the top of the WWE, but he's still not quite there yet. Beating someone like John Cena would go a long way to prove his legitimacy, but as Cena suggested in their face-to-face at the Monday Night Raw in Boston, it could also set him back quite a bit. 

Damage CTRL Vs. Becky Lynch, Lita, And Trish Stratus

Damage CTRL's Iyo Sky and Dakota Kai dominated the Women's tag-team scene in the WWE, but all that came grinding to a halt when Becky Lynch and Lita took the titles off of them on Monday Night Raw. Now, the entirety of Damage CTRL is out for revenge, and Trish Stratus threw herself into the mix to even the odds and make this a superstar throwdown for the ages. 

Finn Balor Vs. Edge

Finn Balor became the de facto leader of Judgment Day after they turned on Edge, and it has been a helluva run for the faction since. With that said, Edge and Finn definitely have some unsettled beef ahead of WrestleMania 39, and Edge gave a thrilling challenge Balor couldn't pass up. The two will settle this feud in a Hell in a Cell match, and I can't wait to see how this plays out. 

Gunther (c) Vs. Sheamus Vs. Drew McIntyre For The Intercontinental Championship

Gunther's run as Intercontinental Champion has been quite a ride, but now the Ring General will face his toughest challenge since being called up to the WWE's main roster. Sheamus and Drew McIntyre will take on the champion in a triple threat match, which will put the star at a major disadvantage. Can the up-and-coming champion escape with his title against these two proven champions? 

Seth Rollins Vs. Logan Paul

Logan Paul has had an impressive run in the WWE thus far, but he might've poked the bear one too many times. Sure, Logan Paul gave Roman Reigns a helluva match, but it's fair to say Reigns underestimated Paul's abilities. Seth Rollins won't make the same mistake when they meet in the ring, and will likely give Paul his most memorable WrestleMania moment to date. 

Rey Mysterio Vs. Dominik Mysterio

Rey and Dominik Mysterio's feud started way back when they were targeted by Judgment Day, and Dom was smitten by Rhea Ripley. Ever since then, he and his "Mami" have terrorized Rey and his family, and it even escalated to the point where Dom was arrested for causing a ruckus in their house. Dom has goaded his old man for a fight this whole time, and while it took a while, Rey finally accepted. 

Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens Vs. The Usos (c) For The Undisputed Tag Titles

The Bloodline has been targeting Sami Zayn ever since he protected Kevin Owens from Roman Reigns. For a while, it seemed possible Zayn could get a major WrestleMania moment against the Tribal Chief, but with that firmly in the rearview, the WWE will re-align Zayn and Owens against the Usos. Under normal circumstances, I'd say the longtime friends aren't in a good place to take on the tag-team champs, but the Uso's recent tiff does make it feel like they'll be out of sync for this massive showdown. 

Matches Rumored Or Teased To Be Happening

Bobby Lashley Vs. Bray Wyatt

Bray Wyatt promised he'd target the winner of Bobby Lashley and Brock Lesnar's match at Elimination Chamber, and he's seemingly decided he's going after "Bobby Who" as of late. Wyatt had a strong showing against L.A. Knight earlier this year, but taking on Lashley, even with all of his supernatural tricks, feels like a tall order for Wyatt. Could Lashley be the person who puts an end to Wyatt and his mysterious cohort Uncle Howdy? 

Those with a Peacock Premium subscription can stream WWE's WrestleMania 39 on Saturday, April 1st, and on Sunday, April 2nd. Hopefully, there are some more surprises the organization is keeping under wraps. We'll update as they get confirmed.

In February 2020, we published an article breaking down six up-and-coming female WWE superstars that could one day lead the Women’s Division. Near the top of that list was Bianca Belair, who, at the time, we called a “star in the making.” Three years later, Belair is not only a multi-time Raw Women’s Champion and Royal Rumble winner, she’s also one of the most beloved wrestlers in the world, with multiple accolades, decorations, and outstanding matches.

As we look toward the future for one of the WWE’s biggest and brightest stars, especially with another major WrestleMania match on the horizon, it also wouldn’t hurt to take a look at Belair's career up to this point and the various accomplishments of hers that have propelled her to superstardom in a surprisingly short amount of time. Here are six awesome facts about the incredibly entertaining Bianca Belair, the EST of WWE, the Raw Women’s Champion. 

Bianca Belair Was An All-SEC Track Star At The University Of Tennessee 

Long before she was main-eventing WrestleMania, setting records in the Royal Rumble, using her trademark ponytail to beat the crap out of Becky Lynch, or even thinking about becoming a professional wrestler, Bianca Belair, whose real name is Bianca Blair Crawford, was a standout collegiate hurdler at various colleges throughout the American South. In a 2017 ESPN profile on Belair, it was pointed out that Blair spent parts of her six-year track career competing for the University of South Carolina, Texas A&M, and the University of Tennessee, where she became an All-American and All-SEC athlete for her accomplishments on the track.

But as she told ESPN in the sprawling chronicle of her athletic career, Belair didn’t have aspirations of continuing her track career as a professional athlete, describing it as a chapter she “needed to close and move on from.”

After A Medical Condition Sidelined Her Crossfit Dreams, Belair Was Given A WWE Tryout

Once she finished her track career at the University of Tennessee, Belair initially set her sights on the CrossFit workout craze, going as far as the regional circuit before being sidelined by a condition called shifting rib syndrome. Belair told ESPN (the same profile as above) that nothing could be done about it, though she went to “a million doctors and chiropractors” in search of a cure. When one door closed, however, another opened for the future WWE world champion.

When speaking at Front Office Sports’ “Trailblazing Pros on Breaking Barriers” panel (via Pro Wrestling Illustrated) in June 2022, Belair explained that her fortunes changed when WWE Hall of Famer Mark Henry contacted her saying he could get her a tryout. Though Henry was impressed with Belair, he made it clear that there would be no favors and she’d have to earn her spot. She did just that after two tryouts. 

Bianca Belair Is The Longest Reigning African-American World Champion In WWE History

At the time of this writing, Belair has been the Raw Women’s Champion for a little more than 300 days, placing her behind only WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns (800+ days) when it comes to longest-reigning current champions, according to WWE. Not only is this put Belair near the longest reigning Raw Women’s Champion (that honor still belongs to Becky Lynch), it also make the EST of WWE the longest reigning African-American World Champion in the company’s history.

Back in October 2022, when Belair crossed the 200-day mark, WrestleOps (via Fightful) pointed out that her reign, which started at WrestleMania 38 that April, was the longest single reign by an African American singles world champion in the company's history. This means she eclipsed names like The Rock, Mark Henry, and Belair’s longtime rival, Sasha Banks. Speaking of which…

Bianca Belair And Sasha Banks Became The First African-American Women To Main Event WrestleMania

After spending more than a year behind closed doors, WWE finally opened up to fans with the two-day WrestleMania 37 in April 2021, which provided an incredible weekend of wrestling and some of the most iconic moments in recent memory. This included the SmackDown Women’s Championship match between defending champion Sasha Banks and challenger Bianca Belair, which ended up being a near-perfect match and an incredible way to close out the first night of the event.

On top of that, the match ended up becoming part of history, as it was the first time in the history of WrestleMania where two African-American women faced off in the main event, according to WWE. 

Pro Wrestling Illustrated Named Bianca Belair The Top Female Wrestler In The World In 2021

Each year, Professional Wrestling Illustrated publishes the PWI Women’s 150 (the same concept as the PWI Men’s 500) highlighting the best and brightest female wrestlers in the world. In 2021, five years after making her professional debut, Belair was named the best female wrestler in the world, beating out the likes of Utami Hayashishita, Deonna Purrazzo, Britt Baker, and Thunder Rosa in the Top 5. 

The following year, ESPN named Belair “Female Wrestler of the Year” in its annual wrestling awards. In the breakdown of her 2022, which included an outstanding pair of matches against Becky Lynch at WrestleMania 38 and SummerSlam, ESPN writer Marc Raimondi described the Raw Women’s Champion as “an up-and-comer no longer,” instead referring to her as a “full-fledged superstar.” 

Bianca Belair Has Been Vocal And Honest About Her Mental Health Struggles

The topic of mental health in sports has become a major point of focus in recent years, especially when gold medal-winning U.S. Women’s gymnast Simone Biles pulled out of the 2021 Olympics due to mental strain. During an August 2021 appearance on Out of Character with Ryan Satin, then-SmackDown Women’s Champion Belair opened up about her own struggles as a college athlete and the track coach who put her mental health above everything else: 

Belair went on to further applaud Biles for having the strength and courage to stand up and show the world that athletes are humans and that mental health is so important.

Hopefully, this gives you a better understanding of the woman, life, and stories behind Bianca Belair, the EST of WWE. If you want to see her in action, either previous matches or at any of the upcoming WWE events, you can do so with a Peacock Premium subscription, which gives you access to thousands of hours of wrestling content from yesterday and today.

Rhea Ripley has spent much of the past year removed from the women's storylines in the WWE, but now she's back and on a mission. The Judgment Day member just secured a massive win in the 2023 Women's Royal Rumble match, thus establishing her dominance as the fourth-ever competitor to win after entering from the starting position. Rhea Ripley will be in the main event of WrestleMania 39, but will she challenge Bianca Belair or Charlotte Flair? 

There's no easy road for Rhea Ripley here, as it's hard to peg either current champion as an ideal matchup. With that in mind, let's review some key things to consider regarding why Ripley may be favored in one matchup over another, and which one the fans might like to see the most. 

Why Rhea Ripley Should Challenge Bianca Belair

Bianca Belair, the "EST of WWE" is fresh off of her win against Alexa Bliss, and it seemed pretty convincing. With that said, it's fair to say that Bliss was distracted by all of that Bray Wyatt and Uncle Howdy nonsense, so Belair's decisive win at the 2023 Royal Rumble might feel overstated. 

From a story-telling perspective, Rhea Ripley has the competitive edge on Bianca Belair. Ripley was the person who won the NXT championship off of Belair years ago, though Belair has definitely gotten the upper hand in years since. It's also worth noting that while Bianca Belair had an impressive win at the 2021 Royal Rumble after winning as the third entrant, Ripley just bested that with her win in the one slot. 

There's a case to be made that Rhea Ripley is the more dominant competitor of the two, even if Bianca Belair of them has been Raw Women's Champion for 300 days and counting. Keep in mind that Rhea Ripley recently demolished Akira Tozawa in an almost-unheard-of intergender match not long ago. Belair has done a lot in the past year, but Ripley is doing things that wrestling fans haven't really seen since Chyna's run. 

Why Rhea Ripley Might Avoid Bianca Belair

Rhea Ripley may feel confident in her accolades and track record against Bianca Belair, but she shouldn't be overconfident. Bianca Belair's long title reign has been met with significant challenges, and I'd argue she's faced more quality opponents than any other champion in the WWE has faced in the past year. 

Bianca Belair has notched decisive title match wins against the likes of Becky Lynch, Bayley, and Asuka, all within the past year. She's on a hot streak that Rhea Ripley would be foolish not to consider and may opt out of testing her at WrestleMania 39. 

Why Fans Would Want To See Rhea Ripley Vs. Bianca Belair

There's always something magical about seeing two former NXT colleagues meet up again in the WWE, and that's exactly the appeal here. Bianca Belair and Rhea Ripley are two of the remaining major women's superstars that don't have a definitive rival. It's fair to say that both are still relatively young in their WWE careers, so why not set these two up to square off now and in the years to come? I know that I wouldn't complain to see Ripley vs. Belair at a few upcoming WWE events in 2023. 

Why Rhea Ripley Should Challenge Charlotte Flair

Charlotte Flair only just returned to the WWE after a long time away getting married and dealing with other stuff. Now she's back, and some might think it's business as usual considering how quickly she became champion again. The fact of the matter is, however, that the women's division has changed a good deal in a short time, and there are more big names coming for her crown than ever before. 

Rhea Ripley has lost a few title matches to Charlotte Flair in the past, but she was a different wrestler then. Since aligning with Judgment Day, she's been on a whole other level in terms of her physicality and brutality. Charlotte Flair is a fierce competitor, but I'm not sure she's ready for what Ripley would be bringing her way if they fought.

And let's also remember that the Judgment Day is a big plus for Rhea Ripley in terms of winning a match against Charlotte Flair. For as dominant as Flair is, she's not really a champion that has a lot of allies. Sure, she can hold her own against just anyone in the ring, but can Flair pull out a win against Ripley with Finn Balor, Damian Priest, and Dominik Mysterio at ringside protecting her? I doubt it. 

Why Rhea Ripley Might Avoid Charlotte Flair 

The idea of advocating for anyone to challenge Charlotte Flair, even as I wrote it, sounds absolutely wild. Flair has quickly established herself as one of the greatest women to have ever graced the WWE, and quite literally helped change the landscape of women's wrestling as we know it. 

One doesn't simply become a 14-time Women's champion, and Charlotte Flair has signaled she isn't even close to done. Sure, she's been away for a bit, but that just means she's eager to hand out another ass-kicking and put to rest any speculation that she is the reigning queen of the WWE. 

Why Fans Would Want To See Rhea Ripley Vs. Charlotte Flair

Charlotte Flair has had some iconic title matches in her career, but I'd say facing someone like where Rhea Ripley is at now is something new. People are often comparing Ripley to Chyna, and while I'd argue she's something unique to that, it's been a long time since anyone like Chyna has been in the WWE. 

My point being is that Rhea Ripley is a young talent who seems like she may very well be a generational talent that stands out on the WWE's roster for years to come. Sure, we've seen Ripley and Charlotte Flair have a match before, but have we seen Rhea Ripley fresh off a dominating performance at the 2023 Royal Rumble? This is one of those legendary match-ups that define moments in a career. Whether it's Flair who retains against the fearsome Ripley or Ripley who topples the champ and ushers in a new era of domination, this one feels like a classic in the making. 

Of course, we won't know who Rhea Ripley is challenging until she announces her choice. Tune into Monday Night Raw on USA Network at 8:00 p.m. ET to see if she mentions it there, or wait for SmackDown on Fox on Friday at the same time to see if it happens then. 

In a few short days, 60 WWE Superstars will enter the Men’s and Women’s Royal Rumble matches and compete for the opportunity to challenge for a championship of their choosing at WrestleMania 39. Over the course of the past few weeks, a growing list of wrestlers have announced plans to enter the two over-the-top battle royals, but only one male and one female superstar will stand atop the turnbuckle, point to the massive sign hanging from the rafters of the AlamoDome, and earn a spot at the upcoming two-day event.

Before we look to what the future holds for Cody Rhodes, Liv Morgan, Seth “Freakin” Rollins, Rhea Ripley, and other superstars who will be in the match, it wouldn’t hurt to take a step back and see how winning the Royal Rumble affected the last 10 winners (going back to 2018). We’re here to answer questions about championship matches, title reigns, and others dealing with the immediate and long term impact of winning the Rumble.

Shinsuke Nakamura (2018)

In January 2018, Shinsuke Nakamura, the “King of Strong Style,” won the Royal Rumble match in his first attempt, earning a title match against WWE Champion (and former NJPW foe) AJ Styles at WrestleMania 34.

Following a losing effort in an otherwise outstanding match that played on his history with Styles, the fan-favorite Nakamura turned heel with a low blow, which resulted in a drawn-out feud between the two. The two-time NXT Champion would go on to find success in WWE’s midcard, winning the US and Intercontinental Championships two times apiece, yet never reaching the levels of his first year on the SmackDown brand.

Asuka (2018)

Asuka, who was unbeaten in WWE at the time of her Royal Rumble debut (which happened to be the first women’s version of the event), outperformed the likes of Becky Lynch, Sasha Banks, and Trish Stratus to earn a title match against SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair at in 2018.

Though she came up short in her match against Flair, Asuka would ride a wave of success throughout 2018, a year that was capped by winning the SmackDown Women’s Championship that December. Since then, Asuka has remained one of WWE’s biggest stars, winning the Raw Women’s Championship on two occasions, the 2020 Money in the Bank, and other accolades.

Becky Lynch (2019)

After adopting the moniker “The Man” in late 2018, Becky Lynch went on a run on the same level as Daniel Bryan’s 2013-2014, the “Summer of Punk,” and Attitude Era “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, which continued on into 2019 by winning the Women’s Royal Rumble match.

Lynch would go on to face SmackDown Women’s Champion and Raw Women’s Champion, Ronda Rousey, in a historic WrestleMania 35 triple threat match, the first all-female match to headline the “Showcase of the Immortals,” and win in decisive fashion. ”Becky Two Belts” would go on to break multiple records throughout her title reign, which would only come to an end after announcing her pregnancy in 2020, per ESPN.

Seth Rollins (2019)

Seth Rollins, Becky Lynch’s real-life husband, also had an incredible showing at the 2019 Royal Rumble, winning the Men’s contest and a title opportunity against Brock Lesnar with the Universal Championship on the line.

After defeating him in the WrestleMania 35 opener, Rollins would go on to play back-and-forth for the Universal Championship with Lesnar that summer before losing it for good to The Fiend later that year. Though he hasn’t held the top title since, Rollins has remained a hot commodity, especially with his 2022 feud with Cody Rhodes.

Charlotte Flair (2020)

In January 2020, Charlotte Flair added another achievement to her resume: Royal Rumble winner. But instead of challenging longtime rivals Becky Lynch (Raw Women’s Champion) and Bayley (SmackDown Women’s Champion), Flair turned her attention to NXT Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley at WrestleMania 36.

Night Two of the 2020 event opened with the second-generation WWE superstar winning and claiming the NXT title for the first time since leaving the brand nearly five years earlier. Since then, Flair has continued to be one of the most successful wrestlers in the world, winning multiple championships and high-profile feuds.

Drew McIntyre (2020)

Drew McIntyre, who was once viewed as “The Chosen One” in Vince McMahon’s eyes, made an incredible comeback in the years after first being let go by the company, culminating in a career-defining performance at the 2020 Royal Rumble.

McIntyre would go on to successfully challenge WWE Champion Brock Lesnar to a headlining match at WrestleMania 36, but what was supposed to be a big match ended up being the start of a muted title reign in which he never defended the title in front of a live crowd. Things would turn around for McIntyre down the line, including a great showing against WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns at Clash at the Castle 2022, and it could keep getting better with a dominant performance at Royal Rumble 2023.

Bianca Belair (2021)

One year after eliminating eight other wrestlers, Bianca Belair won the 2021 Women’s Royal Rumble, proving to the world that she was the “EST of WWE” and was here to stay. A little more than two months later, Belair proved herself once again by defeating Sasha Banks to capture the SmackDown Women’s Championship at WrestleMania 37.

Despite a quick loss to a returning Becky Lynch at SummerSlam later that year, Belair had a banner year, which was capped off by being named the top-ranked wrestler on the Pro Wrestling Illustrated “Women’s 150” list. And, she hasn’t stopped since.

Edge (2021)

One year after returning at the 2020 Royal Rumble, Edge capped off one of the most remarkable career turnarounds in modern history (he was out for 10 years with a neck injury) by winning the 2021 Men’s match. 

Though he wasn’t successful in his triple threat match against Daniel Bryan and Universal Champion Roman Reigns, Edge did help the “Tribal Chief” put on one of the best matches of his career.

Ronda Rousey (2022)

Following a nearly three-year absence from WWE, Ronda Rousey returned at the explosive (literally) 2022 Royal Rumble, which she won to earn a shot against SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania 38.

Though her attempt at defeating Flair was unsuccessful, she would go on to defeat her longtime foe at WrestleMania Backlash the following month. Rousey would go on to lose, win, and lose the SmackDown Women’s Championship in the second half of 2022, with the most recent and final loss being against a returning Flair on the final SmackDown of the year.

Brock Lesnar (2022)

Despite only being in the 2022 Royal Rumble for a little more than two minutes, Brock Lesnar eliminated five superstars on his path to victory, which earned him another crack at Roman Reigns in a WrestleMania 38 main event match.

Lesnar would go on to win the WWE Championship at Elimination Chamber 2022, which made his third WrestleMania contest against Reigns “Winner Takes All.” The “Beast Incarnate” would end up losing the bout, but the pair would meet again in a “Last Man Standing” match to conclude their feud at SummerSlam 2022, with Reigns ultimately winning.

Only time will tell what the future holds for upcoming winners of the 2023 Royal Rumble, but the only way to know for sure is by watching the big show, and other upcoming WWE events, on Peacock Premium.

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

If we’re just talking honestly amongst friends, I’m not the biggest fan of Extreme Rules as a premium live event concept. An added stipulation doesn’t necessarily mean a better match, and a healthy percentage of the time, it actively means a worse match as wrestlers struggle to do something they have less experience with. So, when Extreme Rules was first announced for October, I sorta shrugged my shoulders and felt indifferent. Other upcoming WWE premium live events Crown Jewel and Survivor Series, now in WarGames format, felt like the obvious priority, and I figured this would be a bit of a snooze.

As the card has come together, however, my excitement level has moved pretty steadily in the right direction. I’m not saying it’s WrestleMania 17, but there’s the potential for quite a few bangers on this card. Riddle vs Seth Rollins! The Brawling Brutes vs Imperium! Bayley vs Bianca Belair in the first women’s ladder match for a title! We’re also going to get some clarity from Triple H and the writers as to where a few characters might be going in the long-term. We should get a sense of who is gonna stick it out in the main event scene and who might get dropped to the mid-card. These things were a bit easier to predict under Vince McMahon, but I feel like I’m starting to get a handle on Triple H and how he views the roster.

As for predictions, I’m currently 35 and 13 on the year, but I was a disappointing 3 and 3 at Clash At The Castle. I’m looking to bounce back with authority, like Angelo Dawkins hitting the ropes when he’s about to jump out of the ring. I’ll also add a little section at the end for returns since there are rumors everywhere about the White Rabbit and more potential reveals. Let’s go!

Liv Morgan (Champion) Vs Ronda Rousey In An Extreme Rules Match For The Smackdown Women’s Championship

Is Ronda Rousey a heel or a babyface? Does she know? Does WWE know? She definitely had a heel turn at SummerSlam. I assume the plan was to push her as an indestructible force of evil, but fans were so happy about the heel turn that they started cheering her, even when she did things like attack WWE officials. So, she’s in some kind of middle ground, and I have no idea who WWE even wants fans to root for in this match anymore.

There’s a bit of that same where-are-we-going-with-this energy around Liv Morgan right now too. The fan favorite won the belt at Money In The Bank to an absolutely monster pop, but she hasn’t exactly looked like early 90s Undertaker during her time as champion. Even when she’s wrestled mid-carders like Lacey Evans, she’s gotten beat up for a good portion of the match before winning like a heroic underdog. Nothing about her reign has been dominant at all.

I don’t really know that WWE has figured out how to use Ronda Rousey yet, but I suspect we’re done with Liv Morgan as champion. Ronda is just way more believable at the top of the division, and I really can’t imagine Triple H having the former UFC Champion lose to Liv Morgan, of all people, for a third time. 

Predicted Winner: Ronda Rousey

Matt Riddle Vs Seth Freakin Rollins In A Fight Pit Match

There’s a pretty clear fork in the road here. If WWE goes left and has Seth Rollins win, he’s going to continue ascending. He already has a match scheduled on Monday Night Raw this coming week for the United States Championship against Bobby Lashley, and if he beats Riddle, I think that’s going to be his new full program. He’ll move on from his work with Riddle and probably start a full program with Lashley. Maybe we’ll get a screwy finish on Monday, and the two will feud for awhile and maybe even fight for the belt at Crown Jewel in November.

If WWE goes right and Matt Riddle wins, this feud is going to continue. We’ll have to get a third match, which will likely take place at Crown Jewel, and these two will continue disrupting each other’s matches until that happens. I’ll also have to lower Seth Rollins pretty sharply on my list of WWE wrestlers most likely to beat Roman Reigns and take his titles because if you’re losing matches to Riddle, you’re not anywhere close to winning the WWE Universal Undisputed Championship.

Seth Rollins is one of the best and most important wrestlers WWE has. It’s obvious Triple H gets that, but what’s unclear is whether that importance is going to translate to getting back in the main event title picture or simply having very entertaining feuds with key guys in the upper mid-card. I hope to see him continue to ascend to the top of the division, but we’ll see.

Predicted Winner: Seth Freakin’ Rollins

Drew McIntyre Vs Karrion Kross (With Scarlett) In A Strap Match

We haven’t really gotten to see Karrion Kross fight anyone of note since his return. He’s mostly attacked people, done black and white promos and fought jobbers that make him look as strong as possible. If he were fighting anyone in the mid-card or below at Extreme Rules, I’d have to assume he was going to pick up a big win and continue looking like a monster. But Drew McIntyre isn’t exactly Madcap Moss. He lost to Roman Reigns at Clash At The Castle and making him take another L on a second consecutive premium live event would mean something.

A loss for Karrion Kross would mean something for his future too. What’s the end goal here in Triple H’s mind? During his time in NXT, many thought WWE would build Kross into a major force, but then he lost his main roster debut to Jeff Hardy and was released not that long after. Now he’s back under Triple H and immediately moved into the main event picture. A win here over Drew McIntyre would position him as a credible challenger to Roman Reigns. But is he over enough with the crowd? Is it all too fast and too soon?

I’m not super confident about this match, but I just think the possible harm here to Drew McIntyre is too great for him to lose. Unless he’s planning to go away for a few months and take some well-deserved time off, I think he’s going to pick up the victory.

Predicted Winner: Drew McIntyre

Bianca Belair (Champion) Vs Bayley In A Ladder Match For The Raw Women’s Championship

I like Bayley a lot. I was really fired up to see her return at SummerSlam, and I was also happy to see Dakota Kai and Iyo Sky. Damage CTRL is a nice little stable, and I especially like Kai and Sky as tag team champions. But I don’t think Bayley has done nearly enough since her return to dethrone Bianca as women’s champion. There’s just not enough buzz around Damage CTRL. Bayley generates some heat and some angry crowd chants, but I think that’s more residual appreciation for her body of work than anything she’s specifically done over the past two months.

Let me put things another way. At some point, Becky Lynch is going to return. At some point, Charlotte Flair is going to return. At some point, Rhea Ripley is going to wrestle women in singles competition again. I’d like to hope Sasha Banks and Naomi will return at some point too. When these women do and they have their runs at the title, doesn’t it make sense for those runs to be against Bianca Belair? I could certainly buy Bayley as a more interesting champion than either Liv Morgan or Ronda Rousey, but putting her over Bianca Belair? Come’on.

I expect this to be a super entertaining match with a lot of outside interference from Damage CTRL and potentially Alexa Bliss and Asuka, but I think any result other than Bianca Belair climbing that ladder and pulling down the title would be a mistake.

Predicted Winner: Bianca Belair

Edge Vs Finn Bálor In An I Quit Match

Rumors have been swirling for a bit that Finn Bálor may be getting a big push from WWE. That tracks with some of the results we’ve seen recently. He picked up the pinfall over AJ Styles (and Rey Mysterio) in a tag match alongside Damian Priest on Monday Night Raw last week, and he’s also snagged singles victories recently over Matt Riddle and Rey Mysterio. It also feels like Judgment Day has been more prominently featured the last month in key TV spots. A victory over Edge at Extreme Rules would certainly continue that momentum and push him further up the card.

But where would that leave Edge? How many premium live events does he have left in this run? He’s reportedly planning on retiring in August of 2023. It seems unlikely he’ll make a real run at Roman Reigns in that timeframe; so, the goal will likely be to get his character into a few high leverage feuds and let him exit with a nice moment to go out on. I can’t imagine when he first launched Judgment Day he would have been happy about the trajectory that followed, especially if it includes a loss to Finn Bálor in an I Quit match, but that’s probably the best outcome right now from a storyline perspective.

Predicted Winner: Finn Bálor

The Brawling Brutes Vs Imperium In A Good Old Fashioned Donnybrook Match

Six man tags are notoriously hard to predict because there aren’t any real stakes. Sure, it’s technically better for each team if they win the match, but it’s not like Butch pinning Ludwig Kaiser is going to have a long-term effect on Gunther’s trajectory in WWE. As such, the only real goal here is to deliver an entertaining match, and I would be shocked if this wasn’t one of the best matches of the entire night.

I thought Sheamus and Gunther quite clearly had the match of the night at Clash At The Castle, and everytime these groups, in any combination, have gotten into the ring together, the fans have been really into it. Without any disqualifications, I would expect to see a lot of weapons, and at least a few extremely brutal spots. I expect the crowd to be going wild by the end.

I’m probably the least confident in this prediction versus any other match, but I’m going to say the Brawling Brutes, simply because Sheamus just lost to Gunther at Clash and I suspect he’s also going to lose to Gunther on Smackdown, meaning it would provide better balance if The Brutes took this one.

Predicted Winner: The Brawling Brutes

Bonus Return Predictions

Everyone is expecting Bray Wyatt to pay off the White Rabbit and return at Extreme Rules. I was initially skeptical, but on Smackdown, WWE directly said the tease was going to be paid off at Extreme Rules. Whether it's Bray Wyatt or someone else, however, it's unclear if that means the White Rabbit will actually get involved in a match or simply show up. My guess is it's Bray Wyatt, and he comes out at the end following the McIntyre/ Karrion Kross match.

I also think we’re going to get the return of Charlotte Flair. I think she’ll come out to confront Bianca Belair after she beats Bayley and that sets up a program the two of them will work over the next few months. 

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 

SummerSlam drove a tractor through Nashville last night and gave WWE fans our first premium live event without Vince McMahon calling the shots. We’re officially living in a Triple H era now. I am here for it, and if the live crowd and Twitter’s reactions are any indication, most fans are here for it too. After all, it’s easy to be invested when the product is good, and more often than not last night, the product was very good.

At its most basic, wrestling is always about telling a story. Sometimes that story is self-contained within the match, but more often than not, the match is simply a portion of a larger story being told. We saw that quite a bit last night at SummerSlam, and we now have a better idea where some characters and storylines may be going from here.

So, on that note, let’s talk about the biggest takeaways from SummerSlam. Let’s talk about where WWE seems to be heading with some of these personalities, and let’s give a few people their flowers for putting on some incredible performances.

Becky Lynch Is A Face Now

I loved Becky’s time as a heel. She was an unhinged mess, and she played the role without any reservations. I’ll fondly remember everything she’s done this year, but I’m ready to root for her again. I think a lot of fans are in the same place too. During the post-match showdown where she joined Bianca Belair against Bayley, Dakota Kai and Io Shirai, she was already getting Becky chants from people sitting ringside.

Last night seemed to be implying we’ll be getting Becky and Bianca working together against this new heel stable, but I’m not entirely convinced that’ll happen over the long haul. Maybe we’ll see Becky move to Smackdown to work with Ronda. Speaking of which…

Ronda Rousey Is A Heel Now

I have no idea if this has been planned for weeks or if Triple H forced this after he took over, but this has been the obvious direction for Ronda’s character for like two months. She was not getting over as a face. Her microphone work was leaving a lot to be desired, and she was having trouble shifting between intensity and positive interactions with the fans. After she got booed as a face at Money In The Bank when it seemed like Liz Morgan’s cash-in was going to fail, we officially passed the point of no return.

But now I’m excited again and I think you should be too! The wrestling world has collectively focused on some of Ronda’s issues over the past few months, but we can’t forget how many incredible positives she brings into the ring too! She works a very believable and rough-looking style. She’s naturally athletic and unlike a lot of other famous faces on WWE’s roster, is willing to work as a regular performer showing up on TV most weeks. As a merciless aggressor who just attacks everyone in her path, she could be the most feared woman on the roster again. This is a fresh start, and I’m here for it!

Logan Paul Is A Potential Future WWE Champion

I really liked everything Logan Paul did at WrestleMania. I loved everything he did here. And that’s coming from a total hater. I wrote an entire article earlier this week about how stupid it was to make him a face in this match against The Miz. I thought it made no sense and couldn’t see any way the crowd would cheer for the social media influencer turned superstar. Well, I was wrong. The match ended with the crowd giving him a huge pop thanks in part to a giant frog splash from the top ropes to the announcer’s table.

I don’t know what Logan Paul’s future is in WWE. We know he signed an extended contract, but it’s an open question as to whether that means he’s scheduled to do an extended run where he’s on television every week. He would need that level of repetition to improve enough in the ring and get over with fans enough to be a possible world champion, but the ceiling is so high with this dude. I mean… that was his second real match. It’s unbelievable. I’m not saying he’s going to be WWE Champion, but if he decides this is something he wants to do and commits, he’ll get there.

The Miz Is Really Freaking Good And People Need To Put Respect On His Name

How many times does this dude need to over-deliver before we admit how good he is? Logan Paul was only taking part in his second real WWE match ever. The crowd was very skittish and almost apprehensive going into it because they weren’t sure whether to root for or boo the YouTuber, as he’s a heelish baby face. Plus, because of Paul’s busy schedule, the two have only shared the screen to try and build the match a few times total since WrestleMania. And yet, these dudes went over fourteen minutes. And even more impressively, Logan Paul got an eruption of cheers after the match ended 

Most people are going to point to Logan Paul’s frog splash from the top rope to the announcer’s table and rightfully so. That was a thing of beauty. But this match doesn’t work without a great story being told in the ring. This match doesn’t work without The Miz very quickly establishing a great rhythm and chemistry with a dude who has almost no WWE wrestling experience. This match doesn’t work without The Miz being one of the few performers in all of wrestling with a strong enough heel background to get boos against Logan Paul. This guy is a first ballot Hall of Famer, and he does a great job with whatever material he has to work with. Also, I’d like to give a quick shoutout to Maryse, who always helps elevate The Miz to another level.

Brock Lesnar Can Come Back Anytime He Wants

Brock Freaking Lesnar, man. Because of all the injuries on WWE’s roster, Brock Lesnar was one of the few people who could have main evented SummerSlam with Roman Reigns and gotten fans excited. Obviously that excitement was muted because they just faced each other at WrestleMania, but people love Brock and were excited for this main event, even if they complained on Twitter. I was excited too, but I was also worried. I was pretty sure Brock was going to lose so Roman had the belt at Clash At The Castle, but I didn’t want any part of seeing Brock lose again. If you’re positioned to be an unstoppable force, you can’t keep getting stopped.

But I somehow left this man event after another Brock Lesnar loss even more excited to see Brock Lesnar again. The dude is just an electric factory. He knows exactly how long he should talk on the microphone. He has so much freaking fun in the ring, and because there were so many shenanigans going on at ringside and he ended up buried under a pile of rubble, I didn’t really think that loss hurt him so much. I think most people will just remember that absurd tractor lift. That’s not to say I want him to take another L against Roman, but if WWE announced he was going to be around for the next six months, I’d be ecstatic. He's awesome, and I would watch him feud with anyone on the roster. 

The Future Of The Women’s Division Is So Exciting

I have no idea if WWE will be able to fix its issues with Sasha Banks and Naomi. I really hope they do, but I don’t think any of us know the full story of what’s going on behind the scenes there. But whether they come back or not, I am all-in on the women’s division right now. It is absolutely stacked. Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair, Bianca Belair, Rhea Ripley, Asuka, Alexa Bliss, Ronda Rousey and Liv Morgan is collectively the most exciting crop of performers in the history of wrestling, and that’s not even including a half dozen or more extremely capable mid-card women who play their roles well. Now we can throw in Bayley, Io Shirai and Dakota Kai, who all returned at SummerSlam, and there is not enough time on weekly programming to tell all the stories I want to see.

I hope Triple H brings back the women’s tag team belts. I hope he mixes up the deck enough to give all these women chances to work with each other. I hope a ton of other things, but mostly, I’m going to shut my mouth and trust Triple H to do this division justice. The future has never been brighter, and I cannot freaking wait to see what it’s going to deliver.

This is normally the part of the article where I’d excitedly talk about how you should be pumped for SummerSlam because it’s one of the biggest upcoming events on WWE’s calendar. In all honesty, though, the biggest reason I’m excited for SummerSlam this year is because it’s the first premium live event without Vince McMahon. Regardless of how you feel about the departed WWE founder, that’s exciting because none of us have any idea what’s about to happen. He’s had the final say on which performers to push and which performers to bury for the entirety of WWE’s historic run. Now Triple H is in charge of where things are going, and he’s going to see the same ring from a different perspective.

As a fan, I’m incredibly fired up. Setting aside the upsetting sexual misconduct allegations and purely looking at the in-ring product, I tend to come down in the middle on Vince McMahon. He’s been involved in or responsible for booking many of the greatest moments in the history of this business, but he also very clearly has a specific style and prefers certain wrestlers, even if better storylines could have been told elsewhere. Now we have someone new in charge who is going to see things in an entirely different way, which means the expected outcomes are out the window.

As a premium live event prediction writer, I’m terrified. Since I started doing these every month with WrestleMania 38, I’ve successfully picked 26 matches and only missed 8. That’s pretty damn good, especially considering two of my misses were Theory being added to the Money In The Bank match right before it happened and that New Day vs Sheamus and Ridge match which lasted about 90 seconds because of time issues at ‘Mania. But that was me trying to think like Vince and Bruce Prichard. I’m not really sure how to think like Triple H, especially since I’m only an occasional NXT viewer. But there’s no point in whining, complaining or making excuses. I’ve got more forecaster hat on, and I’m ready to get to it…

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

There’s nothing people love more than talking about how Montez Ford is a rising star. Even Angelo Dawkins said the other day that he’ll be a world champion at some point, but in order for that to happen, he needs to have some forward momentum. It’s great to see The Street Profits in prominent positions on TV every week, but some sort of forward progress needs to be made here. They can’t just be tag team contenders for another year.

So, in my opinion, the logical thing to do is either have The Street Profits win the belts and extend the feud with The Usos or they should lose and break up. One of them should blame the other, and they should move on to singles careers. It would be a nightmare if they fell down the card and were having dance-offs with Jinder Mahal and Shanky (no offense to them). 

Given, if they were going to break up, I would think WWE would tease it a bit more, I’m going to go with them winning the title here, with The Usos finally dropping the belts. If that does happen, though, huge shoutout to The Usos. They've been tremendous during this entire run and need to remain in prominent positions regardless.

Predicted Winner: The Street Profits

Pat McAfee Vs Happy Corbin

A lot of these matches are hard to predict. This one is not. Pat McAfee is all kinds of over with the crowd. I’m not saying he’s mid-80s Hulk Hogan or prime Stone Cold, but he’s the most over full-time announcer I can ever remember. Add that to the fact that people love booing Happy Corbin, and it seems pretty obvious what WWE needs to do.

Putting McAfee over here, especially in a fun way, would be a huge injection of momentum into the crowd. It would give them a reason to cheer (and sing along if he comes out to “Seven Nation Army”), and a loss would be very deflating, especially since Vince McMahon booked himself to beat McAfee at ‘Mania as a way to set up the Austin surprise. 

That’s not to say I advocate making every booking decision based on the crowd. Sometimes you need to swerve, but swerves are best when they help achieve a long-term goal. Happy Corbin just lost to Madcap Moss. He seems destined to stick around the mid-card. A win here does nothing for him. So, expect McAfee in a fun match the crowd is really into.

Predicted Winner: Pat McAfee

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

I have no idea who will be most affected by Triple H running the show. What I do know, however, is that on paper, no character should be more affected by Vince McMahon’s departure than Theory. For months, he’s been painted as Vince’s henchman and the next golden child. Roman Reigns referenced this on Monday Night Raw when he said Theory’s “daddy” is gone. Whether Triple H sees the same thing in the incredibly talented twenty-four year old is an open question.

As it pertains to this particular match, however, I think there’s a pretty obvious outcome, whether McMahon is here or not. Theory has signaled very directly for weeks that he’s going to cash in his Money In The Bank contract after the Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar match against whoever wins, which will be at the end of SummerSlam. When he does that, I don’t think it makes sense for him to have the United States Championship. I know WWE has been consolidating a lot of the belts, but it would be wild to put the United States Championship, the WWE Championship and the Universal Championship all on Theory. He’s not 1998 Goldberg.

So, I think, for purely storyline purposes, it makes the most sense for Theory to charge to the ring with his contract without the United States Championship. Plus, I just really don’t see WWE wanting Lashley to take a clean loss to Austin Theory. I see how talented he is. I believe in him long-term, but he’s like a hundred pounds lighter and way too much of a sniveling heel at this point.

Predicted Winner: Bobby Lashley

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

Were all the cheers when Liv Morgan ran down to the ring at Money In The Bank because people wanted to see her finally become champion or were they because people were ready to see Ronda Rousey lose? I think it was a little of both, and that presents a big problem for Triple H and the writers to solve moving forward. Something needs to change about Ronda Rousey’s presentation. She can’t be a main event face and be getting openly rooted against, even in a face versus face match-up. It’s okay for the crowd to be split, but from the sound of it, they weren’t very split at all at Money In The Bank. 90% or more of the crowd was rooting for Liv.

But that shouldn’t come as a shock given how indifferent fans have been to most of her promos. 

Let’s just be honest. Ronda hasn’t connected in the way anyone hoped since she returned at the Royal Rumble in January, but there is still time to fix this. It takes most people a few tries to really connect with the crowd. Just ask Roman Reigns or John Cena. She needs a manager. Or she needs a different visual presentation, or, in my opinion, she needs to turn heel, possibly with a manager. I predict that’s going to happen here. I think Liv Morgan makes it a better than expected match. I think she starts getting the crowd on her side. I think she starts getting the upper hand and Ronda cheats in some kind of meaningful way to win. Maybe she cuts a promo afterwards telling the fans off and saying she’s gonna do whatever she wants? That’s my hope anyway.

Predicted Winner: Ronda Rousey

Logan Paul Vs The Miz

Logan Paul is going to beat The Miz because this win does nothing for The Miz and it does everything to establish Logan Paul as a serious player in WWE over the next few years. The Miz has moved up and down the card for a decade and a half. He’ll be fine losing here, especially considering how famous Logan Paul is.

What I’m far more interested in is whether Logan Paul leaves his match as a heel or a face. Right now, he’s supposed to be a baby face, which makes about as much sense as trying to make a late 80s Bobby Heenan a baby face. Some guys are born to wear the black hat. To me, he’s the cheating, smirking embodiment of a heel. It’s just so obvious. Look at this insane motion graphic he made earlier this week. Heel. Heel. Heel. It’s hard to imagine WWE fans fully embracing him with cheers anytime in the near future.

Maybe Triple H gets that. Maybe he’ll use this opportunity to solidify Logan Paul as a heel and give him some real jerk store momentum coming out of it. Or maybe they’re determined to power through and try to eventually get him over. I don’t know. Regardless, I feel confident he’ll walk out as a winner hopefully in a fun match.

Predicted Winner: Logan Paul

The Mysterios Vs The Judgment Day

This all comes down to what the future of Judgment Day is going to look like. Two months ago, they were an incredibly hot stable that seemed destined for big things. Then Edge got thrown out and replaced by Finn Balor in a move that’s confusing from both a real and kayfabe perspective. Then Rhea Ripley was off television for what felt like a month, and suddenly, Damian Priest and Balor were feuding with the Mysterios in lower card action. Life comes at you fast.

I still think The Judgment Day can and should be a kick-ass stable. All three of the performers can wrestle really well. They’ve got a pretty cool look. I want WWE to keep fighting through, but there seem to be plenty of others on the internet who think the writers should wash their hands with it and let all three performers go back to doing their own things. How Triple H feels is anyone’s guess. If he wants to wash his hands of it, the best thing to do would be for the team to lose clean to the Mysterios.

I don’t think that’s going to happen. My guess is either Rhea Ripley will interfere and win the match for Judgment Day or Edge will make a surprise return and screw over Judgment Day, as their inevitable confrontation is coming at some point. Without a ton of confidence, I’ll go with Edge showing up, which would launch a feud between him and probably Balor moving forward.

Predicted Winner: The Mysterios

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

I’m so freaking excited for this match. Both of these women are generational talents and somehow still improving every month. Their chemistry together is really fluid and natural, and with all due respect to Cody Rhodes and Seth Freakin Rollins, their match at WrestleMania was the best of the entire event for my money. We’re so lucky to be able to watch them slug it out again. 

Now, what’s going to happen is anyone’s guess. They’re without question the top two women in the entire division. Either could go on a two year long run with the belt and totally deserve it. So, the question is really which of the two spectacular options does Triple H want to take. If he keeps the belt on Bianca, I think he needs to move Lynch to Smackdown and let her grab the title from Ronda or Liv or push her into some sort of other compelling feud worthy of her talent. 

If she wins, then Bianca is obviously going to need a rematch, and this feud is just going to continue. On the one hand, I would love that. On the other hand, it would be nice to see them do other things, especially since Charlotte and Bayley are going to return at some point, Alexa Bliss seems to ready to jump back into the main event picture and with Vince McMahon gone, it’s possible we could get Sasha and/ or Naomi back. For those reasons, I think Bianca is going to win, and we’re going to move on from this feud for a bit.

Predicted Winner: Bianca Belair

Roman Reigns (Champion) Vs Brock Lesnar For The Undisputed WWE Universal Championship

I have mixed feelings on doing Roman and Brock again. I don’t mind it so much from a purely watching the match standpoint. In fact, I’m kind of excited. It’s not going to be Kurt Angle and Bret Hart, but it’s always compelling in an Andre The Giant and Hulk Hogan kind of way. Plus, I’d rather have an opponent for Roman that could actually win. If he was wrestling Riddle or Kevin Owens or whoever, there wouldn’t be much doubt about the match’s outcome. No offense to those dudes, who are great, but WWE isn’t going to put two belts on them. 

The reason I’m not more excited, however, at least beyond we just saw this at WrestleMania 38, is that I don’t want either one of these guys taking a loss. It undermines Brock’s character to have him take a second consecutive L to Roman Reigns on a big stage, and it’s kind of stupid, in my opinion, to keep the belt on Roman for two years and then drop it to a part-timer like Lesnar. This should have been Cody’s moment or maybe Randy Orton or maybe Bray Wyatt in a surprise return.

So, who is going to win? Well, considering both Roman and Brock are essentially part-timers right now, let me reframe this question. Who does WWE want to face Drew McIntyre (or Sheamus but really, Drew McIntyre) in the main event at Clash At The Castle? It’s hard for me not to think that answer is Roman Reigns, and while I don’t love Drew being the one to end Roman’s run, him winning the belt in Europe would be such a great callback moment to British Bulldog in 1992. So, I’m going to say Roman retrains, but I’m not confident.

Predicted Winner: Roman Reigns

Whoever Wins (Champion) Vs Theory For The Undisputed WWE Universal Championship

It’s not just that WWE has been teasing this cash-in for weeks. They’ve been outright saying it. Theory has made it very clear he’s going to cash in as soon as this match is over, assumedly on a winner that’s just gotten the hell beaten out of them. As we know, Money In The Bank cash-ins succeed an overwhelming majority of the time. 

This one is going to fail. I know Theory is a rising star. He’s done a great job of generating heat with this contract. His future is really bright, but Clash At The Castle needs a main event of either Roman Reigns vs Drew McIntyre or Brock Lesnar vs Drew McIntyre. Theory is just not at that point in his career. Besides, the audience loves to hate him, and watching him try to cash-in and lose would be such a great way to end SummerSlam.

Predicted Winner: Cash-In Fails And Either Roman Reigns Or Brock Lesnar Retains.

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 

We’re just days away from 2022’s edition of Hell In A Cell, and unfortunately for WWE, much of the chatter has been more about who is not on the card. Roman Reigns, Brock Lesnar, Ronda Rousey, Drew McIntyre, Randy Orton, Charlotte Flair and many others are all absent. Recent high profile walkouts Sasha Banks and Naomi are also, of course, nowhere to be found either. 

Fortunately for those of us that would like to see some great wrestling, WWE has a really deep roster, and while all the biggest names aren’t here, many of the ones capable of delivering the best matches are. Seth Rollins, Cody Rhodes, Becky Lynch, Bianca Belair and Asuka are all on the card and capable of delivering something special. So, the haters can hit me with what chants all they want, but I’m still excited for this weekend.

So, let’s stomp a mudhole up and down this card Stone Cold style. We’ll go through each of the matches, and I’ll not only tell you who I think is going to win, I’ll even tell you where I think the storyline might be going afterwards. I don’t have any inside sources. Vince McMahon isn’t asking me for my ideas, but as a point of pride, I did predictions for WrestleMania and predictions for WrestleMania Backlash and am a combined 14 and 7. That’s not quite main event status, but it’s right there knocking on the door, like a prime Million Dollar Man Ted Dibiase. 

Bobby Lashley vs Omos & MVP

This is the third consecutive premium live event that Lashley and Omos are fighting at, and this needs to be the end of it. Some things have worked; other things have not. It’s been a fine enough program, but I think we should all move on. Omos’ entire identity can’t be wrapped up in hating Lashley, and if Lashley is going to get back in the main event picture, now is the time. Roman Reigns is taking some time away. Brock Lesnar hasn’t been around since ‘Mania. Randy Orton seemingly has a kayfabe back injury.

As such, I expect to see Lashley take care of (hurt) business against Omos and MVP. Given it’s a handicap match and Omos is a massive human being, he’ll probably have to fight from behind and get a little good fortune, but if he wants to move back up the card, he needs to win here. I suspect he does and we see Omos return to the tag team scene or start a program with one of the other scary dudes WWE is building like Veer Mahaan or Gunther.

Predicted Winner: Bobby Lashley

Theory (Champ) Vs Mustafa Ali For The United States Championship

I think there’s a case to be made here for both of these guys. Let’s start with Mustafa Ali. He was off television for awhile thanks to a prolonged feud with WWE management that included him publicly asking for his release. He’s been back a little over a month and has been working a program with Theory in which he’s had to endure lots of unfair things like The Miz as guest referee. Now he’s finally about to get his fair shake with a straight up match, and it would make sense to pay that off with a victory. It would also signal to Naomi and Sasha Banks that just because you publicly feud with the company doesn’t mean you can’t be welcomed back and win titles.

But where would a loss to Mustafa Ali put Theory? The company clearly considers him to be a future star. He’s repeatedly referred to as Mr. McMahon’s protege on air, and he got a high profile match at WrestleMania 38. He’s now US Champion, and there are some lingering rumors about a possible match with John Cena at SummerSlam. Can you really have John Cena wrestle a guy who lost to Pat McAfee and Mustafa Ali during recent premium live events?

No. And while that match with Cena may or may not happen, I think WWE is a lot more invested in building Austin Theory. I think he wins, but there’s no reason this can’t be a skilled and highly competitive match of the night contender that would also elevate Mustafa’s status with fans and the company. Every big match is an opportunity, even if you’re putting someone else over.

Predicted Winner: Theory

Ezekiel Vs Kevin Owens

The Ezekiel vs Elias/ are they the same person storyline has been so much more fun than it had any right to be. Kevin Owens just jumps in and fully commits to whatever he’s doing, and giving him a chance to work alongside Chad Gable has been a delight. I’m invested in this storyline, which is high praise for something that is objectively so stupid.

I’m not really sure who WWE is going to have win here because I’m not sure what the plan for Ezekiel is long-term. Is he going to eventually be accepted as Elias’ brother and just be a normal character on the show – like as in, he has matches and segments where his identity doesn’t come up? It’s not as if gimmick changes are uncommon in wrestling. He could just be Ezekiel long-term. Or is the identity of Ezekiel always going to be, predominantly, about his true identity and who his brother is. If so, the character himself is probably two arm drops down on a Brutus The Barber Beefcake sleeper hold.

My guess is Kevin Owens takes the win here, and while he’s celebrating on Raw on Monday, Elias comes out to confront Kevin Owens and challenge him to a match, injecting a new round of life into the storyline. At least that’s how I would write it.

Predicted Winner: Kevin Owens.

Madcap Moss Vs Happy Corbin

A late addition! This article has already been rolling for a day, but I had to jump back in here and add Madcap Moss vs Happy Corbin. It probably would have made more sense to throw this prediction on the top of the article or on the bottom, but since it feels like the most midcard match that has ever mid-carded, I decided to throw it in the middle. Seemed fitting.

After a few weeks off with his kayfabe injury, Madcap Moss returned on Smackdown last night with a new attitude and new gear. The suspenders are gone, and he's no longer willing to take anyone's crap. The crowd seemed semi into it, and really into it whenever Happy Corbin was on the receiving end. I still think the jury is out on whether Madcap Moss is really over with the crowd or Corbin is just so despised as a heel (in a good way) that anyone delivering him punishment will be cheered like Riddle flipping his flip flops off. 

Regardless of what I think, however, it seems like WWE is really trying to push Madcap. A win here would elevate him to go do something else, and it could also give us another Sad Corbin period, which could provide some fun moments with his character as he slowly loses his self confidence again.

Predicted Winner: Madcap Moss

Finn Balor, AJ Styles and Liv Morgan vs Edge, Damian Priest and Rhea Ripley.

This has been a good, back-and-forth feud over the past month or so. Everyone involved is a skilled worker, and there’s been enough variance in results and finishes to make the outcome here compelling. Regardless of what happens, I really hope both three person groups stay together for awhile.

That being said, I still think the end result here is reliant on how high the WWE writers see Edge going with Judgment Day. If they’re going to want him in the main title picture, it’s important to keep this stable looking really strong. That would also help Rhea Ripley and maybe Damian Priest too. I could envision a future in which Edge was fighting for the WWE Championship, Rhea was the women’s champion and Priest had some kind of mid-card belt. Then again, I could also see a future in which everyone involved here is doing something totally unrelated in six months.

I think they’re going to keep Judgment Day strong and will give them the victory, maybe with Rhea pinning Liv Morgan. There's something here with this stable, beyond just Edge yelling at the crowd that they're sheep each week. I think they're slowly finding it, and I'd like to see the trio get stronger.

Predicted Winner: Judgment Day.

Cody Rhodes Vs Seth Freakin’ Rollins

Seth Rollins is doing incredible work right now. His manic, unhinged energy is must-watch TV, and his in-ring work is still elite. I’m glad he always has a relevant storyline, but it’s also kind of frustrating that WWE so often uses him to make other guys look good. 

That’s been the case during his feud with Cody Rhodes. The superstars have delivered two spectacular performances at WrestleMania 38 and WrestleMania Backlash. It seems ridiculous to give Cody three consecutive wins, but having Seth win means this feud will need to extend. And I don’t think WWE is going to want to extend it anymore. I’ve loved these matches, but I don’t even want to see them wrestle on four consecutive premium live events.

Cody needs to keep building toward his eventual match for the WWE title that’ll likely happen next year at WrestleMania. I think it’s going to be a slow burn, with a Royal Rumble victory that will allow them to tease out his chance at glory for months. But even so, he needs to move on and start wrestling other people, and that means he needs a victory here.

Predicted Winner: Cody Rhodes

Bianca Belair (Champ) Vs Becky Lynch Vs Asuka For The Raw Women’s Championship

Even with Charlotte Flair being off for awhile, some uncertainty surrounding Ronda Rousey and whatever is going on with Sasha and Naomi, the women’s division in WWE remains really compelling and really strong. This triple threat match should be incredible, and whether it goes on last or not, it should be considered the main event. Belair and Lynch delivered, in my opinion, the best match at WrestleMania 38, and Asuka should be an exciting shake-up to this sort of rematch. 

You could certainly make a case for any of these superstars to walk out of Chicago with the title, but personally, I think Asuka makes the least amount of sense. She’s hasn’t been back from injury that long, and I think there’s a lot more story to be told between Lynch and Belair. Their feud started at SummerSlam when Lynch made a surprise return and squashed her. Belair got her vengeance and won the title back at WrestleMania 38. I think it makes sense for the two to face off again at SummerSlam and put a nice little bow on this feud.

I’m not entirely sure who is going to win between Lynch and Belair. I think one of them will pin Asuka, and they’ll extend the program to SummerSlam. My guess is Belair retains the title and stays champion until then, but we’ll see.

Predicted Winner: Bianca Belair

WrestleMania 38, aka “The Most Stupendous Two-Night Event in WrestleMania History” is in the books, closing the chapter on WWE’s biggest and busiest stretch of the year. But now that the dust has settled, new champions have been crowned, and the world is done reacting to Wee Man body-slamming Sami Zayn and Stone Cold Steve Austin wrestling his first match in 19 years, now seems about the right time to look at some of the most consequential stars of the night and speculate on what’s next for them.

With Roman Reigns defeating Brock Lesnar to become the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion, Cody Rhodes making his long-awaited return, and several members of the Women’s roster at a crossroads, there are a lot of different directions we could take as we start the slow march to WrestleMania 39 next year.

Roman Reigns

Roman Reigns continued the most dominant run in modern WWE history at WrestleMania 38 when he defeated longtime rival Brock Lesnar become the first Unified WWE Universal Champion in a grueling, albeit brief, Night Two main event. But the future remains uncertain for “Top Dog” and “Tribal Chief” of WWE, especially if those rumors, like the one from Wrestling Inc. about Reigns reportedly sustaining a tricep injury during the fight, prove to be true.

But this could be a blessing in disguise, as it would give Reigns an opportunity to drop both titles without losing a match and set up some kind of big return down the road, perhaps that long-speculated match against The Rock. I mean, WrestleMania 39 is in Los Angeles next year, and there will need to be a massive main event of this magnitude. 

Cody Rhodes

After several months of speculation, Cody Rhodes finally returned to WWE during Night One of WrestleMania 38 where he was revealed to be Seth Rollins’ mystery opponent. For the first time in six years, “The American Nightmare” stepped into a WWE ring and gave one of the best performances of the night. And following his decisive victory on the “Grandest Stage of Them All,” the future looks bright for the son of a “son of a plumber.”

Having built up a nice brand for himself in AEW (as well as other promotions around the world), Rhodes could be inserted into the WWE Universal Championship picture immediately. But if a title shot isn’t in the cards for him, Rhodes could turn his match against Rollins into a nice program.

Bianca Belair

Nearly eight months after losing the SmackDown Women’s Championship to a returning Becky Lynch at SummerSlam 2021, Bianca Belair got her revenge and beat “Big Time Becks” to win the Raw Women’s Championship at WrestleMania 38. If we go off wrestling logic then we should expect to see Belair defending her title against Lynch (via the rematch clause) at WrestleMania Backlash in May, but you never know.

If Belair and Lynch do meet up again at WWE’s next big show, hopefully it ends with a decisive victory for the newly minted Women’s Champion and is nothing more than the first stop on a reign that should last until next year’s WrestleMania, especially considering how her Raw Women’s Championship was cut short after a few months in 2021.

Ronda Rousey

It seemed like Ronda Rousey, who returned and earned a title shot at Royal Rumble 2022, was going to defeat SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania 38. But as we found out in the co-main event of Night One, that didn’t happen and the former UFC Champion’s future is a little unclear, especially with word that she wasn’t happy about her place on the card, a rumor that she has since denied on Twitter.

If that is all just internet wrestling dirt sheet hearsay and Rousey sticks around for the long-haul, it would be fun to see her challenge for one of the two titles or set up a feud with Asuka, who will hopefully be returning to WWE TV post-WrestleMania. If not that, then maybe Rousey could reform the Four Horsewomen with Shayna Baszler and dominate the midcard for a while.

Edge

The singles match between Edge and AJ Styles at Night Two of WrestleMania 38 was the longest match on the card and featured an ending that could potentially have the biggest impact moving forward. In the final moments of the hard-fought battle, Damian Priest appeared at ringside to distract AJ Styles, which allowed Edge to counter the Phenomenal Forearm with a spear and a 1-2-3 victory.

Following the match, Priest knelt down in a show of respect to Edge before both started laughing menacingly. This looks like, at minimum, the formation of a new heel tag team (Edge has a great deal of experience with this), or potentially a new faction. Could this be The Brood 2.0? 

Becky Lynch

Not including the 18 months she was away from WWE to give birth to her first child, Becky Lynch was a champion of some form every day she was on the active roster. That all changed when “Big Time Becks” was defeated by Bianca Belair at WrestleMania 38. But even though Lynch doesn’t have the gold around her waist for the first time in three years, this doesn’t mean we’ve seen the last of one of the most entertaining WWE superstars. 

Once we get the rematch situation out of the way, there are plenty of directions Lynch could take in the future, perhaps even a program with Alexa Bliss or Bayley, both of whom should be returning soon. We probably won’t get a match between “The Man” and Charlotte Flair for quite some time, if at all, but could very well be the next big WrestleMania match between the two.

Brock Lesnar

With Brock Lesnar having lost the WWE Championship to Roman Reigns in their title unification match at WrestleMania 38, there’s a good chance the “Beast Incarnate” hangs up his boots for a few months and goes back to his life of seclusion on his remote farm in Saskatchewan. Unless something changes, we probably won’t see Lesnar in action until SummerSlam in July and won’t see him on TV until a few weeks before the big show, if he’s on the card.

In the event Lesnar does return for the summer, we’ll probably see him continue his feud with Roman Reigns if the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion isn’t actually injured or is back by then. But who knows, maybe Lesnar will come out of his self-imposed isolation and take out his revenge on whomever Paul Heyman (who betrayed him at Royal Rumble 2022) takes under his wing next.

Only time will tell what happens to these WWE superstars and the dozens of others who participated in WrestleMania 38. One thing that is for certain is that you can watch them in action with a Peacock Premium subscription.