Earlier this month, I did my predictions for Backlash and got every single match correct. Ordinarily, that’s the sort of thing I’d jump on here and brag about Ethan Page style, but to be honest, it didn’t exactly take a Paul Heyman spoiler alert to make that happen. The Backlash card featured five matches with pretty obvious outcomes. There was no world in which red hot characters like Trick Williams and Danhausen were losing. The same cannot be said for Clash In Italy.

There is not a single match on the Clash In Italy card that I’m one hundred percent certain on, and four of the five feel like they could legitimately go either way. There’s real intrigue here, and that’s particularly exciting because it’s not exactly like we’re getting a bunch of midcard clashes. We’ve got three World Championships on the line, and the other two matches are Brock Lesnar vs Oba Femi and Becky Lynch vs Sol Ruca. We’re all gonna need to use the bathroom during those prolonged ESPN commercials because it’ll be a risk missing any of the in-ring action.

I also think there’s a chance we see at least one of those World Championships change hands, which is not something we often see outside of the major PLEs. From where I’m sitting, you could make a strong case that both Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns are in big danger, and I’m actually going to predict one of them is going to lose the title. I also think we’re going to see a big return. It should be an epic night.

Before I get into specifics though, you can take a look at my predictions record. My big 5-0 at Backlash helped push my win total even higher, but I’m a little nervous about how this is going to go. I’ve done predictions for every PLE since WrestleMania 38, and I can’t remember many with this many outcomes in doubt.

Rhea Ripley (Champion) Vs Jade Cargill For The WWE Women’s Championship

This is definitely the match I’m the most confident about. I think Rhea Ripley is going to retain here, but I want to shoutout Jade Cargill for a minute. She gave us her best match in WWE at WrestleMania, and the six woman tag she was a part of at Saturday Night’s Main Event was also terrific. She’s really coming into her own, and I really like the pairing with Michin and B Fab. For the first time in a long time, her character is really making sense to me. I’m back in and buying as much Jade Cargill stock as I can.

The problem for her right now is WWE is clearly working toward Rhea Ripley and Charlotte Flair. They’ve been giving us a lot of story around their shaky friendship, and it feels like the two are going to finally settle things at SummerSlam. That inevitable match makes a lot more sense if Rhea has the title and Charlotte is chasing after it. So, I think it’s very likely Rhea is going to retain.

If and when that happens, however, WWE needs to figure out something compelling for Jade to do. Maybe it’s worth moving her to Raw and having her go after Liv Morgan and her title. Jade and her backup dancers (positive comment) would be a perfect foil for Judgment Day

Predicted Winner: Rhea Ripley

Becky Lynch (Champion) vs Sol Ruca For The Intercontinental Championship

I don’t really think Sol Ruca is ready to win The Intercontinental Championship. Her in-ring potential is enormous. She’s put together some dynamic matches and appearances on the main roster, but she’s also still only middling on the mic and has had a few shaky moves in big moments. It seems odd to put a midcard belt on her already. I would definitely wait if I was booking the show.

But then again, I’m also not really sure I’d have her lose her first big program on the main roster.

I’m not saying Triple H and company have every new call-up immediately go undefeated en route to championships, but they normally slow build them using wins over lower card performers. Instead, Ruca was very quickly thrust into this program with Lynch where she’s looked, at times, like a future World Champion and, at times, like someone who has only been on the main roster for a month.

I think Lynch is probably going to retain in a way that continues their feud, but it’s also possible WWE gives Ruca a shock win and then tries to make her an immediate star.

Predicted Winner: Becky Lynch

Oba Femi vs Brock Lesnar

I’m definitely on team Brock Lesnar should have stayed retired. I thought his send-off at WrestleMania was absolutely perfect, both as a goodbye and as an announcement that Oba Femi has arrived and is the future of the entire business. Unfortunately, that alleged retirement didn’t last a month and here we are.

From where I’m sitting in the crowd, I don’t really get how bringing Lesnar back to lose again helps anyone. He already put Femi over. Putting him over a second time doesn’t multiply the impact of what happened at ‘Mania. So, to me, none of this makes sense unless Lesnar wins. I think he’s going to give Femi his first major loss on the main roster and then he’s going to officially retire Lesnar at SummerSlam. That’s the path that makes the most logical sense to me.

To be clear, I was hoping Femi was going to be an unstoppable juggernaut for years, sorta like Lesnar was decades ago when he first made the main roster. That's how I would have booked this, but now that Lesnar is back in the picture, I think it makes the most sense to give this match to the Beast and give Femi his first bit of adversity.

Predicted Winner: Brock Lesnar

Cody Rhodes (Champion) vs Gunther for The WWE Championship

Randy Orton hasn’t been seen since WrestleMania, which is weird because it certainly felt like this feud with Cody Rhodes was going to continue. So, what’s going on? There are really only three possibilities. Maybe WWE got spooked after all the backlash to the Pat McAfee stuff and decided to just pretend like this storyline never happened. Maybe the back injury Orton is dealing with really is significant enough that WWE decided to just move on without him. Or maybe they’re just biding their time so the inevitable rematch can come at SummerSlam.

The thing is, if that rematch is going to happen anytime soon, specifically at SummerSlam, it needs to be for the WWE Championship. Orton’s entire motivation for trying to beat Rhodes was to win another Championship. He was very specifically chasing number fifteen; so, if Cody no longer has the belt, it would make sense he’d return and go after that person, which would be a less intriguing story.

Whether Orton comes back at Clash In Italy or not, I think WWE is going to keep the belt on Rhodes because sooner rather than later, they’re going to get back to Orton and Rhodes. I’d love to see Gunther win The WWE Championship for the first time, but I think the higher upside possibility is to keep the belt on Cody, at least for now. I say WWE does that, and I predict we get a surprise appearance from Orton who is instrumental to the finish.

Predicted Winner: Cody Rhodes

Roman Reigns (Champion) vs Jacob Fatu For The World Heavyweight Championship

It’s not exactly a hot take to say fan excitement is down right now in WWE. There are some fun storylines and hot characters here or there, but the product feels a little safe and gasp, maybe even a bit boring. It could use an injection of surprise momentum… like say Jacob Fatu beating Roman Reigns’ ass and taking the Bloodline away from him.

We’ve already watched an all powerful Reigns build up his family, win every championship, get too cocky and get turned on by his own allies. We’ve also watched him feud with Solo’s rival Bloodline and put them down. I’d love to see Triple H and company take the story in another direction by having Reigns lose to Fatu and then disappear from television for a bit.

Fatu can play out weekly stories with Jimmy and Jey Uso, as well as Solo, Tama Tonga and company, and take everyone in a more unhinged and dangerous direction. Reigns could then return later in the summer to try and win everyone back.

I have no idea if WWE is going to let Reigns lose. He hasn’t taken many Ls in the last half decade, and WWE tends to prefer its major champions to have long title reigns. A loss here would go against pretty much everything we’ve seen Triple H do, but I really feel like it’s the right move for fans. We’ll see.

Predicted Winner: Jacob Fatu

Randy Orton played rumor-killer on social media after a report made the rounds claiming he was sidelined with a significant injury. The athlete, who hasn't been around since he lost to Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 42, provided some supposed clarity on why he's been out of the WWE since then.

This all started after a report from Wrestling Observer Radio alleged that Orton was sidelined with a significant back injury (via Sports Illustrated), and that the assumed injury is why he didn't win his 15th championship title at WrestleMania. However, the Viper seemed to dispute the news after replying to a since-deleted post sharing the news on X:

Hilarious response from Randy Orton, who makes it sound like he's taking time off from chasing a fifteenth championship so he can play more Elden Ring. I guess there's no better way to kill a rumor than to directly respond to it, even if he confirmed he had an injury.

WWE fans may be relieved to hear Randy Orton joke about the injury, given the issues he had with his back not that long ago. He was sidelined for a year from 2022 to late 2023 after getting back surgery, with some, including his own father, having doubts about his ability to return.

He's continued to perform in the WWE since, delivering RKO's to big names despite the popular finisher likely contributing to his back issues. It seems like a risky move for a living legend who hopes to continue wrestling until he turns fifty, which is still four years out.

Of course, wrestling fans are rooting for him to hit that milestone and remain in healthy enough shape to have another title run or two. Personally, I would love to see him surpass John Cena's record-breaking sixteenth championship, provided he has the health to do so.

Back injuries are no joke, and wrestling fans know how much they've impacted the quality of life of many former wrestlers. The late Hulk Hogan even said in his docuseries that if he could change one thing about his career, he'd opt out of doing the leg drop, due to how it slowly injured his back.

I understand that the RKO is a crowd-pleaser and possibly one of the most popular finishers in wrestling. That said, I'd sooner see Orton finish out his career on top and not miss significant chunks of time dealing with his back. Of course, it's not really up to anyone but Randy Orton to make that decision, so we'll see what he does once he bounces back from milking this injury.

Monday Night Raw streams live on Netflix on Mondays at 8:00 p.m. ET. I'm hype for Orton to eventually get back in action, whenever that may be, and finally get back to pursuing that 15th title.

WrestleMania 42 is over, and I don't think I need to repeat what fans were saying about Night One. The ads and match times were bad enough, and if that weren't upsetting enough, I think they got the main event result wrong. Randy Orton fell short of defeating Cody Rhodes, but there is still time for WWE to correct course going forward in the 2026 TV schedule.

I love Cody Rhodes, but what a waste to put Randy Orton back on the sidelines when he's doing some of the best character work of his career? Fortunately, I'm confident that this can be made right, and more importantly, be done the right way with the WWE seemingly having a better hold on the situation.

Now With The Storyline Reset, Randy Needs To Win At Backlash

Randy Orton and Cody Rhodes already had the perfect storyline, but it was negatively impacted by alleged interference by TKO CEO Ari Emmanuel, who requested Pat McAfee and Jelly Roll be worked into the main event. It only got worse when McAfee appeared on the show and declared that he and Randy would usher back in the Attitude Era if they won at WrestleMania 42. He also said that if Randy lost, he would exit the WWE "forever." Keep in mind, McAfee already said a month prior to that promo that he was done in the WWE.

Now, McAfee is out of the picture, and the WWE can reset and tell the story of Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton that it originally wanted to. Plus, we get the added perk of Orton embracing his heel persona once more, and even bringing back the iconic "Punt Kick" finisher he hasn't used in over a decade. Let's have them run it back, but make it about their decades in the business and less about celebrities.

Randy Could Get The Title Sooner, If Cody's Injury Leaves Him Unable To Wrestle

There's even a chance Randy could get the title sooner, as Cody Rhodes may potentially need to vacate the title after news circulated that he sustained a serious injury to his orbital bone. If that were the case, it's possible Orton could win the title in a tournament, or maybe he gets a rematch and "punts" Rhodes in his injured eye and takes the title so Rhodes can take some time off.

I'm more skeptical of the latter scenario, considering we're talking about Cody Rhodes. Let's not forget he wrestled Seth Rollins with a torn pec muscle, so unless he's medically barred from competing, he's probably going to be at Backlash.

The only scenario I wouldn't want is for Rhodes to be sidelined and take the title with him. No one wins in that scenario, and when even Roman Reigns committed to appearing full-time on television again, I can't imagine the WWE will be happy with Rhodes going part-time. At least, not when he has the title in hand, so let's do the right thing and put it on Randy. He still needs a few wins to reach my ultimate dream of shattering John Cena's championship record, and I need to see that.

We'll see what happens as the month continues, and what plans are in place for Backlash. I'm rooting for Randy to win a title once again, if only to see The Viper get some more time at the top before ultimately being dethroned by someone else.

The first night of WrestleMania 42 did not go as planned. The show was widely criticized on social media for how short the matches were, how long the commercials were and how prominently the celebrities were featured. Fortunately for WWE, the response to night two has been significantly more positive. That tracked with my own personal viewing experience too. I was disappointed with Saturday, and I absolutely loved Sunday.

Here’s the thing though. All those main criticisms of night one, in theory, could have applied to night two also. Most of the matches weren’t exactly forty-five minute masterclasses. There were, once again, too many commercials, and a celebrity played a very prominent role in one of the finishes. On paper, it has the same problems, but thanks to some key tweaks and strong individual performances, the second night felt so much better. Let’s talk about why.

The Matches Got The Right Length Of Time, Which Made A Big Difference

Night one featured seven matches, and four of them ended in less than nine minutes. Not every match needs twenty minutes, but each one needs to be long enough to tell a coherent story and build up anticipation and momentum. The problem with those four matches on night one is that they all felt like they could have been more with a little additional breathing room. Liv Morgan and Stephanie Vaquer especially seemed like they were just getting warmed up when it ended.

Night two featured six matches, and two of them went less than ten minutes. The first, Brock Lesnar and Oba Femi, was a car crash, big man style match that went just under five minutes and was exactly the length it should have been to make Oba look like the next big thing. The second short match, Trick Williams and Sami Zayn, maybe could have been better with a little more time, but it told a character-building story that elevated Williams and will allow Zayn to fully turn heel. It was right for what it was.

That’s the difference. There’s not some one size fits all formula to spreading out the WrestleMania time. It’s about treating each match as an individual entity and figuring out how long it needs to tell the story you’re trying to tell. Morgan and Vaquer got seven minutes, and it felt like something we would have seen on Raw. Rhea Ripley and Jade Cargill got ten minutes, and it felt like they delivered in a really meaningful way. The first match didn't get enough time. The second match got just the right amount of time.

The Celebrity Involvement Was An Enhancement, Not A Distraction

I want to be clear about something. Every celebrity that appeared at WrestleMania took their job seriously and performed as well as can be expected. IShowSpeed, Jelly Roll, Pat McAfee and Lil Yachty all hit their spots and delivered. Because of factors outside of their control, however, their involvements hit very differently with fans.

The first night featured IShowSpeed, Pat McAfee and Jelly Roll. Speed pulled off a wild ringpost frog splash onto the announcer’s table and had some clean in-ring moves, but his actual match, which was part of a six man tag, only went seven minutes. It also featured some sloppy in-ring work from the actual wrestlers and had a screwy finish that felt disjointed and overly goofy. I was impressed with him, but that match itself was poorly executed and awkward.

McAfee and Jelly Roll did their jobs too, but they faced an unhill battle because everyone was already frustrated with the Randy Orton and Cody Rhodes storyline they were a part of heading into ‘Mania. The two wrestlers have decades of history together, and fans wanted to see that explored in the lead-up. Instead, the build was mostly about McAfee’s return to wrestling, which would have been great as a midcard angle but felt desperate and off-tone for a WrestleMania main event. WWE smartly used Jelly Roll and McAfee to (mostly) cancel each other out at the beginning of the match, but there was just too much negative momentum.

On the other hand, Lil Yachty appeared on the second night, and he was a definite value add. He’s been coming out as Trick Williams’ hype man, and his presence feels very natural for a wrestler that’s positioning himself as a pop culture star. Yachty added something to the entrance, and he had a few confrontations outside the ring with Zayn that will help the latter continue his journey to being a full-blown heel.

The Midcard Got A Few Great Moments

Night one technically featured the Women’s Intercontinental Championship, but let’s be honest, Becky Lynch and AJ Lee are not mid-carders. The Women’s Tag Team Championship was also fought for, but once again, most of the women in the match (Charlotte Flair, Alexa Bliss, Brie Bella, Paige, Bayley, Nia Jax) don’t feel like mid-carders. They’re current or former main eventers who are currently in the tag team division.

Night two, however, gave moments to people who aren’t exactly in the main event scene, and they delivered the tone changes the show needed. First, we got an insane ladder match for the Intercontinental Championship that featured some of the craziest and most dangerous spots we’ll see on the main roster this year. Penta, JD McDonagh, Rusev, Dragon Lee, Je’Von Evans and even Rey Mysterio all bumped their asses off and got crazy in one of the best high spot matches I’ve ever seen. They all knew the assignment and delivered.

Second, we got a ridiculous segment between The Miz, Kit Wilson, Danhausen and John Cena that included little people, nut pouches and a cloud of smoke that didn’t work as intended. It was a mess in a really fun way and a good reminder that professional wrestling is supposed to hit different emotional beats. When WWE is at its best, it’s not just delivering great matches. It’s delivering comedy and weirdness too.

To Sum Up

The two nights of WrestleMania 42 sound a lot alike on paper. One will be remembered pretty negatively and one will be remembered very positively. It’s not because the talent on one night was better or because the basic structure was meaningfully different. It’s because the second night was put together much more thoughtfully. Matches were given the amount of time they needed to tell the story, which for many was just an extra two or three minutes. The celebrity that was used was integrated thoughtfully in a way that didn’t overshadow what happened. There was real balance with a midcard presence that included both goofy comedy and high-flying acrobatics.

In retrospect, this could have been a two night banger. If Liv and Stephanie had gotten a few more minutes... If the Usos and LA Knight vs The Vision and IShowSpeed was put together like a real match and not an excuse to generate a big moment… If some of the great midcard characters left off the card had been. included… If Jelly Roll and Pat McAfee had been incorporated more thoughtfully into a midcard program and Randy Orton and Cody Rhodes were allowed to tell the story we wanted to see… If only everything would have been treated a little more thoughtfully like it was on night 2, we could just be celebrating a fantastic ‘Mania instead of talking about the stark contrast.

With just days to go until WrestleMania 42, superstars are getting set for another two nights in Las Vegas for the biggest wrestling show on Earth. CinemaBlend has made our picks for who will win each match, and while it may surprise some, we have Randy Orton winning in the Night 2 Main Event.

It's a title change I'd welcome, even if I could've done without Pat McAfee being inserted into the whole thing. Regardless of that, I think we're past due for a new era for Randy Orton, and if I'm being honest, I think I'd like to see him ultimately go on to topple John Cena's record with the most championships in WWE history.

How Close Is Randy Orton To John Cena's Record?

Should Randy Orton win at WrestleMania 42, he'll be a fifteen-time champion. That only puts him two title wins away from defeating John Cena's record of seventeen. Orton is currently 46-years-old, and while he was sidelined and needed back surgery a couple of years ago, he's recovered and said he'd love to wrestle until he was 50.

That's plenty of time for him to win three more titles, and considering Orton is having one of the best runs of his pro wrestling career in WWE at the moment, I think there's an argument to make for pushing him to that number. The only real hurdle in his way is the WWE, which would probably rather keep John Cena's record intact for as long as possible, especially considering he just recently set it before retiring from pro wrestling.

Why I'm More Invested In Randy Orton Being WWE's Record-Setting Champion Compared To John Cena

I love John Cena and all he's done for the WWE in his career. That said, he's successfully transitioned out of the industry into Hollywood and has many accolades to hang his hat on. He'll continue to be a big name in movies and television beyond his WWE career.

Can the same be said for Randy Orton? A guy who has been in the WWE as long, and now longer than Cena? Not only that, he's maintained a relatively high position on the roster throughout the decades because he's Mr. consistent. Whether it's Monday Night Raw or Night of Champions, you're going to get the best Orton has.

And yet, memories and legacies tend to fade when talents finally hang up their boots, and Randy Orton is just too good to be forgotten. I think he needs the record more than Cena, and in truth, is representative of a life in WWE, having joined at 22. He's been a company workhorse for years and thrived in just about every situation he's been placed in. For that, shouldn't he be given the honor of being remembered as the best champion the WWE has ever seen?

That's just my opinion, and food for thought as the WWE heads into WrestleMania on Saturday, April 18th, and Sunday, April 19th on ESPN Unlimited. Fingers crossed this event overdelivers, and we get to see the beginning of what would be a great era celebrating Randy Orton.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Predicted Winner: The Usos and LA Knight

Jacob Fatu vs Drew McIntyre

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

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

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

Predicted Winner: Jacob Fatu

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

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

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

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

Predicted Winner: Liv Morgan

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

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

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

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

Predicted Winner: Becky Lynch

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

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

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

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

Predicted Winner: Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss

Seth Rollins vs Gunther

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

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

Predicted Winner: Gunther

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

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

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

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

Predicted Winner: Randy Orton

Oba Femi vs Brock Lesnar

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

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

Predicted Winner: Oba Femi

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

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

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

Predicted Winner: Penta

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

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

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

Predicted Winner: Rhea Ripley

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

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

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

Predicted Winner: Trick Williams

The Demon Finn Bálor vs Dominik Mysterio

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

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

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

Predicted Winner: Finn Bálor

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

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

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

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

Predicted Winner: Roman Reigns

When I first got back into wrestling after a multi-year break in 2009, I couldn’t get enough of the unhinged menace that was Randy Orton. This era of the “Viper,” which saw the third-generation wrestler evolve from a man with a great legacy to one of the most intense and dastardly heels, was unlike anything he’d done before. Then came WrestleMania 25, when it all came crashing down as Orton went into the unstoppable meat-grinder that was late 2000s Triple H in one of the most underwhelming main events of all time.

Randy Orton, who doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon, is currently in a similar situation: he’s wrestling a former stablemate for the WWE Championship at the two-night WrestleMania 42 and he’s in the middle of an outstanding heel run. In fact, this is the best he’s been since that 2009 feud. I just hope WWE doesn’t make the same old mistake… again.

Randy Orton Is Just So Natural As An Unhinged Heel

Nothing against babyface Randy Orton, but the Viper has always been at his best (and having the most fun) as a heel. From his days in Evolution to leading Legacy to even being the Authority’s chosen champion in the Daniel Bryan feud, he’s just natural as a heel. This is especially true when he lets those voices in his head get the best of him and cause him to be unhinged.

We’re in that right now with his feud with WWE Champion Cody Rhodes, whom he turned heel against in March 2026 upon signing the contract for their big WrestleMania main event match. Mercilessly beating Rhodes to a bloody pulp, Orton was in rare form and looked like the silent killer that he was nearly 20 years ago. One of the best and bloodiest beatdowns in recent memory, Orton showed Rhodes and the wrestling world that he was back and crazier than ever…

I Just Hope They Don’t Waste It Like It’s WrestleMania 25 All Over Again

I’ve been loving this version of Randy Orton the past few weeks, but it has got me thinking about the Viper’s underwhelming match against Triple H at WrestleMania 25 all those years ago. The match, which had one of the most captivating and unbelievable builds that year, ultimately fell short of greatness (it was actually boring and unremarkable). It was another example of “LOL Triple H wins a long, uninspired, and formulaic match” that didn’t do anything for anyone and ended the show with a “meh.” Triple H kept the title, and Orton's punt-kicking of the McMahon family in the lead-up to the match was for nothing.

I hope this year is different. Ideally, I would love a situation where Orton wins the belt off his former protege and has one final run with the WWE Championship. However, I would be okay with Rhodes retaining if it led to a major change in his character and forced him to go all out to take down his former mentor. Both of those options are captivating and could lead to some cool programs in the short term and in the long term. I just don’t want a situation where Orton looks like a monster in the build, gets beaten clean by Rhodes, and we end the show with the American Nightmare hamming it up for the camera as fireworks shoot off behind him.

Maybe WWE learned its lesson from the forgettable WrestleMania 25 match. I really hope they did…

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

Last Friday, Drew McIntyre won the WWE Championship on a random episode of SmackDown. Fans really, really wanted to see the Scottish Warrior dethrone Cody Rhodes, but given he’s lost to him seven times in the past few months and only beaten him once by disqualification, most people assumed it was never going to happen, especially with WrestleMania approaching. Well, we were wrong. Triple H and the writing team decided to book a little chaos, and I couldn’t be happier.

No one has done better work in the wrestling business over the last few years than Drew McIntyre. Despite being booked to lose so many big matches and take some dumb character Ls, he’s somehow stayed over with fans and kept his aura. I can’t wait to see what his title reign looks like. Unfortunately, I’m pretty sure I know where WWE is going to go first. I think he’s about to enter a program with Sami Zayn, and I am not a fan.

We don’t know who Drew McIntyre’s first title defense will be against, but we do know when it’ll take place. SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis announced there will be four matches on next week’s SmackDown to determine the top contenders for the belt. The winners will face each other in a fatal fourway at Saturday Night’s Main Event, and the winner of that will face McIntyre at the Royal Rumble.

I’m excited because I love little mini tournaments with clear stakes like this, but looking over the field, I’m a little worried about what is likely going to happen. The matches are Randy Orton and The Miz, Matt Cardona and Trick Williams, Damian Priest and Solo Sikoa and Sami Zayn and Ilya Dragunov. Orton is definitely going to beat The Miz, Trick is probably going to beat Matt Cardona, Priest is definitely going to beat Solo Sikoa and Sami Zayn is definitely going to beat Ilya Dragunov. As much as I love Trick and see big things for him on the roster, I think a shot at the WWE Championship is a little over his head right now, given he’s been on the roster for ten minutes.

In theory, WWE could go with any of the other three. McIntyre needs to get his win back against Damian Priest. He beat the founding member of Judgment Day in a fun match at WrestleMania 41 despite fan skepticism, but he lost to him in the steel cage follow-up at Saturday Night’s Main Event. This wouldn’t be the most exciting feud in the world, but for me, it’s the best of the available options. Priest has had some good matches in big moments, and it would be nice to see him get a singles match at the Rumble. It would also be nice to see Drew just beat someone clean and announce his presence.

Another option would be to go with Randy Orton. WWE has been heavily teasing him wanting to win another world title, and putting the Viper in a big spot is never a bad idea. With John Cena officially retired, he’s the biggest legend WWE has appearing regularly, and a win over Orton would be a nice feather in McIntyre’s cap to show he should be taken seriously, especially after he didn’t win cleanly against Cody.

To be honest though, it feels really random. Yes, we’ve all wanted to see Orton go after the title, but mostly, we’ve wanted to see him go after Cody’s title. Given their history and how many times they teased a possible heel turn, that was the appealing element.

That leaves Sami Zayn, and this is the direction I think WWE is going to go in. First, he has a long history with McIntyre. WWE has brought up numerous times that he’s been unable to ever beat the current champ. In addition, the upcoming Saturday Night’s Main Event is taking place in Montreal, which is Zayn’s hometown. He famously lost to Roman Reigns at Elimination Chamber in 2023 in Montreal and got one of the hottest responses in the history of wrestling. Him winning this match would be electric.

In addition, the Royal Rumble this year is in Saudi Arabia, and the crowd there arguably loves Zayn more than any other WWE superstar. His family traces its roots back to Syria, and he speaks Arabic fluently. The atmosphere would be electric for a hypothetical match against McIntyre, as they try to root him to victory. It just makes so much sense to put Zayn in that spot, except, in my opinion, it doesn’t at all.

I want to see Zayn win a World Championship in WWE someday. I’m not a big fan of just handing out championship reigns to every person who has been over with the crowd for a decade, but trying to prove to himself that he can be world champion has been core to Zayn’s character for years. There have been times in which he’s been the hottest babyface on the entire roster. It would feel so good to give him that moment, but I don’t want it to come a few weeks after McIntyre finally won the title back. That would be such a blow to Drew’s character. Now is not the right time.

I also don’t want to see Zayn lose. How many times can we watch him get close to the championship, only to fall short? You can only tell the same story so many times before people get bored with it. I don’t think another loss in a big spot, even if the crowd is hot for his character, is good for him. We need to save this for a spot where it makes more sense.

Besides, Sami belongs in the Rumble match itself. The Saudi crowd would get behind him big time, and while he’s not the favorite, he’s someone with a non-zero chance of winning. Keeping him out to almost certainly lose in yet another heartbreaking spot to Drew feels like a giant missed opportunity. I guess it’s possible he could lose and come back later in the night to be in the Rumble too, but I don’t know if WWE would go down that route.

Sami Zayn winning in Montreal and then facing Drew McIntyre in Saudi is the best way to create a compelling short-term story. It would lead to some big moments, but long-term, I think that’s the wrong decision, especially for Sami’s character. I need to see him in the Rumble, and whenever we see him fight for a world championship next, I want to be able to fully root for him, not be conflicted because I’m worried about what a loss would do to Drew’s character.

Damian Priest isn’t the sexiest match-up option, but it makes the most sense for Drew’s character right now, and since I want WWE to tell the best story over the next six months, not the next six weeks, I’d much rather see him win than Sami Zayn.

John Cena went out on his back during his last match in the WWE, and while some fans are furious about it, it's overshadowing another headline regarding his opponent. Gunther has successfully retired a second future wrestling Hall of Famer, and put a stamp on the year in a way that his peers haven't. In some ways, it's unprecedented, but I also can't help but feel that it's also very familiar.

As we prepare for WrestleMania season and discuss the directions superstars could head, I have to talk about Gunther. I think the WWE is prepping to resurrect an old gimmick that worked out really well for one wrestling icon, and fans may have a new "legend killer" taking down their favorite wrestlers in the squared circle.

Is Gunther The New "Legend Killer" Of The WWE?

I don't think it's any coincidence that the WWE chose Gunther to retire Goldberg and John Cena in 2025. In a year when the main event scene was dominated by Seth Rollins, CM Punk, Cody Rhodes, and Roman Reigns, the WWE is still trying to find a way to continue building the Austrian wrestler up and give him some of the spotlight as one of their future faces of the brand.

It also feels like the beginning of a massive shift in the WWE in terms of the main roster. AJ Styles is currently planning on retiring in 2026, and there are reports from Wrestling Observer Newsletter that Brock Lesnar will do the same. A lot of iconic wrestlers are entering their late 40s and, apparently, retiring. I think it's possible the WWE is resurrecting the "Legend Killer" gimmick that formerly belonged to Randy Orton in order to help build up Gunther and send these people out. Will the 2026 TV schedule bring more nights where we see Gunther lay other greats to rest?

Why I Like The Idea Of Gunther Taking Randy Orton's Old Gimmick

I can understand that some people have mixed feelings about Gunther possibly becoming the de facto guy to retire older wrestlers. It's also worth noting that when Randy Orton took up the mantle decades ago, it was more about humiliating and humbling notable superstars like Shaun Michaels and Mick Foley, rather than ending their careers.

That said, it was the Legend Killer gimmick in which Randy Orton unveiled the iconic "RKO" and had some of his more memorable matches and feuds with other legends. While the title may be the same, it feels like Gunther is on a different path, though part of the result is similar. Gunther could be facing more legends, including Orton.

It wasn't that long ago that Randy Orton thought his career was finished after back surgery, but he's still chugging along. While the performer hasn't given a specific timeline as to when he'll hang up his boots, he's around the same age as a bunch of other guys who are either retiring or rumored to retire in the coming year.

John Cena's retirement tour was a big deal to the mainstream. While Orton's retirement may not get the same attention from a casual audience, for pro wrestling fans, it should be built up just as much. The WWE should make a spectacle out of when Orton hangs it up, considering he's been near or around the main event scene since his debut in 2002.

Not many in wrestling can say they've had the level of consistency in their careers, and how better to acknowledge that than with a Legend Killer vs. Legend Killer match? Unlike John Cena, I'm sure he'll have way fewer past rivals to choose from for his final matches, so why not build up Gunther for that send-off?

Monday Night Raw airs on Netflix on Mondays at 8:00 p.m. ET. I'm excited to see what's next for Gunther after this win, and who he'll face as we head into WrestleMania season.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Predicted Winner: Jade Cargill

Randy Orton And Jelly Roll Vs Drew McIntyre And Logan Paul

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

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

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

Predicted Winner: Randy Orton & Jelly Roll

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

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

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

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

Predicted Winner: Gunther

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

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

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

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

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

Predicted Winner: Charlotte Flair And Alexa Bliss

Roman Reigns And Jey Uso Vs Bron Breakker And Bronson Reed

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

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

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

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

Predicted Winner: Roman Reigns And Jey Uso

Sami Zayn Vs Karrion Kross

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

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

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

Predicted Winner: Sami Zayn

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

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

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

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

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

Predicted Winner: Naomi

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

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

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

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

Predicted Winner: Becky Lynch

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

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

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

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

Predicted Winner: Jacob Fatu

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

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

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

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

Predicted Winner: Dominik Mysterio

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

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

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

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

Predicted Winner: Andrade And Rey Fénix

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

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

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

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

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

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

Predicted Winner: Cody Rhodes

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.

I don’t want to get myself in trouble here by pulling a Bobby Heenan and prematurely bragging a little too aggressively, but historically, Backlash is the easiest PLE on WWE’s entire calendar to predict. I’m 14 and 4 over the last three years, and I’m hoping to improve on that winning percentage with another strong performance this year thanks to a crop of matches that mostly feel pretty straight forward.

It all comes down to where Backlash falls in WWE’s yearly calendar. Triple H, Bruce Prichard and the rest of the writers spend months setting up storylines and paying them off at WrestleMania. Then, less than a month later, we’re given another PLE, typically filled with a bunch of matches featuring newly crowned champions. I’m not saying WWE doesn’t ever give us a big WTF surprise, but in general, crowning a new champion and then having them lose the belt three weeks later doesn’t make a ton of sense. It’s a very late stages WCW move.

That being said, I do think we’re going to get one title change, and I do think we’re going to get some good matches the crowd will be hot for. This card might have some pretty obvious outcomes, but it also features some good workers and characters who are very over with the crowd. Plus, you can never go wrong with John Cena and Randy Orton going to war again.

You can check out a quick rundown of my recent and career record on WWE predictions below…

Pat McAfee Vs Gunther

Gunther is going to win this match. His character can survive the WrestleMania loss to Jey Uso without sacrificing much aura, but he can’t take back to back Ls to the Yeet Man and a broadcaster like Pat McAfee. It’s important Gunther comes out on top here, and ideally, comes out looking pretty strong.

It doesn’t need to be a squash match however, and it shouldn’t be. McAfee has proven in the past that he’s way better than you’d guess in the ring, and as a sympathetic babyface defending Michael Cole, he should at least be given some hope spots. I think there’s a real chance this ends up being a low key banger.

To me, the bigger question is whether this ends up writing McAfee off television for awhile. The former NFL punter typically takes an extended break during the year because of his football-related duties on ESPN. The sabbatical ordinarily doesn’t start until later in the summer, but given the timeframe, there’s certainly a possibility we could see Gunther “injure” the talking head to the point where he needs to step away for the rest of the year. That would certainly give The Ring General plenty of heat, and it would allow Pat some needed time off, as well as give Corey Graves the chance to return from NXT.

Predicted Winner: Gunther

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

I’ve been really impressed with Lyra Valkyria over the past few months, and I was especially impressed with her microphone work earlier this week on Raw. She’s also getting over with the crowd. You can hear it during her entrances. You can hear it during her matches. She’s not quite on that top level yet, but she’s really getting there. I think it was a great decision by Triple H to put the IC Championship on her and let her run with it.

But I don’t see how you bring back Becky Lynch to have her lose here. She’s one of the most popular female stars on the entire roster, and she’s been gone for an extended period of time. Her winning the Intercontinental Championship would also legitimize it in a way Lyra isn’t capable of doing at this point in her career. If you look back at the history of the men’s title, an overwhelming majority of the biggest names held the belt at some point in time, and it would be nice to start adding some legends to the women’s side as well.

Plus, it seems like we’re eventually going to get Becky and Bayley. Becky admitted she was the one who attacked Bayley and took her spot at WrestleMania, and those two are going to need to have a program to settle the score at some point. WWE is going to want Becky with as much momentum as possible when that program happens, and that means she needs to win her matches.

Predicted Winner: Becky Lynch

Dominik Mysterio (Champion) Vs Penta For The Intercontinental Championship

It’s hard to imagine the first few months of Penta’s WWE career going better than what we’ve gotten. He’s really won over the fans and become a big mid-card attraction. He also had his first WrestleMania match, which was extremely well received by fans and widely considered one of the best of the weekend.

Still, I don’t like his chances here though. He’s been feuding with both Judgment Day and Chad Gable/ El Grande Americano in recent weeks, and it seems like the long-term feud is going to be the one with El Grande Americano. That probably doesn’t need the Intercontinental Championship, as there’s plenty of built in excitement for that already. There’s even a possibility we could get a mask versus mask match between the two at some point.

Plus, Dominik Mysteiro just had a career highlight. His victory and post-match celebration was probably the best moment of the entire WrestleMania weekend. I’m not going to say a loss here would invalidate that, but it would make me really confused about where WWE is going with his character. He’s so hot right now, and a loss would only slow down that momentum. That being said, I don’t expect him to win clean here. Look for outside interference, random weapons or a referee bump. Something weird is going to happen, and he will not apologize for it.

Predicted Winner: Dominik Mysterio

Jacob Fatu (Champion) Vs Damian Priest Vs Drew McIntyre Vs LA Knight For The United States Championship

This match is probably the most exciting to me of any on the entire card. All four of these guys are super over with fans. McIntyre and Priest have both been world champions within the last year and change. Jacob Fatu is widely considered by fans to have future WrestleMania main event potential. LA Knight is sneaky still one of the most popular wrestlers on WWE’s entire roster. The crowd is going to be very hot for this match and rightfully so.

The most obvious choice here is to say Jacob Fatu is going to retain. He just won the title and is clearly ascending up the card. Weakening him so quickly doesn’t seem like it’s the right move, but it’s hard to know when his long-term plans aren’t clear. There’s a possibility he has a Gunther-like year-plus reign where he just dominates everyone at the mid-card level. Then again, it’s also possible that we’re finally going to get the long-awaited feud between Fatu and his sidekick Solo Sikoa. Many fans thought he’d lose at WrestleMania because of Solo and that would lead into an extended program between the two. That could still happen here.

If he does lose, it’s anyone’s guess as to who might win the title from him. LA Knight is probably the most obvious candidate, as he’s been involved in this title picture the longest and already has multiple reigns to his name. I wouldn’t mind seeing him on top again for a few more months.

This could also be a way to give Damian Priest direction. He was elevated to the main event scene last year with a big 'Mania moment and did a really nice job, but if we’re being honest, as much as I love him, he’s just not quite on that level. He’s a spectacular mid-carder or a halfway decent main event guy. I could see WWE putting this title on him again and letting him rule the mid-card. Drew McIntyre makes less sense to me, as he feels a little bit above this title, but if he’s not going to get booked to win a World Championship anytime soon, then this could be a way to give him something.

I’m going to stick with Jacob Fatu, but I have more doubt here than with most of the matches.

Predicted Winner: Jacob Fatu

John Cena (Champion) Vs Randy Orton For The WWE Championship

Deep down, we all know Randy Orton isn’t going to win this. I’m from St Louis. I love Randy Orton. It pains me in my soul to say he’s definitely going to lose out loud, but John Cena didn’t finally turn heel and beat Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania to lose a forty-five year old that’s lost a lot more big matches than he’s won over the last half decade. It’s just not going to happen.

Now, I think we’re going to get a terrific match. I think Cena is going to use some heelish tactics in order to win. I think there will be a moment or two where the crowd thinks Orton might win, but the upside of keeping the belt on Cena is just way higher. There are a lot more money matches to be had right now with the belt around his waist than on Orton’s.

I’m confident about a lot of these matches, but I’m the most confident about this one. Apart from teaching fans anything can happen, I don’t see a single reason why WWE would be better off with Orton as champion. So, expect Cena to win here.

Predicted Winner: John Cena

Despite his entrance theme stating otherwise, getting Joe Hendry to WrestleMania 41 took more effort than just "saying his name." The TNA Champion was a surprise addition to the night to fill in after Kevin Owens dropped out of his match, and his story detailing how the WWE kept his appearance proves how dedicated the company is to keeping things secret.

Slam Wrestling caught up with Joe Hendry after his big Mania moment, and he's thrilled about how it went, despite ending with him catching an RKO and losing to Randy Orton. Pro wrestling insiders weren't able to predict Hendry was Orton's mystery opponent, and the wrestlers revealed that's due in part to him appearing at WWE World as a special guest, and the wild way he was whisked into the arena:

Hendry also revealed that he wore sunglasses, a hoodie, and a medical mask to further conceal his identity, as I'm sure even a glimpse of his platinum-blonde hair or smile would have spoiled the surprise. Thanks to these efforts, the world was stunned when they saw him mug for the Peacock subscribers at home, who were hopefully waving their hands in unison with the crowd in attendance.

I am interested in that golf cart he rode to the arena in, and am wondering if it's the same one that struck a fan as Dominik Mysterio was being carted away from Night 2 of WrestleMania 41. Fortunately, there were no vehicular incidents mentioned by the Scottish wrestler when he talked about being whisked to Allegiant Stadium.

Joe Hendry's surprise involvement in WrestleMania 41 was a bright point of the two-night event, which has received a fair amount of criticism as of late. In some ways, I think the fact that WWE was able to hide Hendry's appearance gave more hope that Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson was also going to appear, though the wrestler-turned-actor was a no-show at the event. Instead, Travis Scott was brought out in his place, and apparently, he might continue to fill in for The People's Champ at future events.

As for what's next for Joe Hendry, he appeared at the first NXT show after WrestleMania 41, and it seems he's going to once again challenge for the title. Whether the WWE will ever book a TNA talent to win one of its titles remains to be seen, but I would think if anyone is going to do it, it's Hendry. Either that, or he's going to be one of John Cena's final opponents before the record-breaking champion retires, which might be just as much of an honor.

Monday Night Raw streams on Netflix on Mondays at 8:00 p.m. ET. Tune in to see what's in store for wrestlers and their stories as we get closer to Backlash, and gear up for another year of WWE wrestling.

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.

We are just days away from 2025, and the card for WrestleMania 41 is still a giant question mark. Fans assumed we’d see Seth Rollins vs CM Punk. That’s now happening during Raw’s first episode on Netflix. Fans assumed we’d see Liv Morgan vs Rhea Ripley. That’s now slated for Netflix too. Fans assumed we’d see either The Rock vs Roman Reigns or The Rock vs Cody Rhodes. Now rumors are swirling that The Rock might not even participate. It is chaos out here, which is leading to all kinds of wild fantasy booking, which has led me to a prediction I have to talk about involving John Cena and Cody Rhodes.

WWE has a great problem on its hands. There are way too many hot characters and big names right now to put everyone in a main event at WrestleMania. You could make at least a halfway decent case for each of Roman Reigns, Cody Rhodes, The Rock, Drew McIntyre, CM Punk, Seth Rollins, John Cena and Gunther to close one of the nights of the ‘Mania 41, but in all likelihood, only four of those people will get the honor. As WWE Champion and the biggest white meat babyface on the roster, you’d assume Rhodes would be guaranteed one of those spots, but the more I talk this out and move the pieces around, the less I’m sure about that, which is where John Cena could come in.

Before we get to him right now, though, let’s talk about where Cody Rhodes is at. The current WWE Champion is in the midst of, by far, his best feud since he won The WWE Championship at WrestleMania 40. Kevin Owens has stolen his Winged Eagle Championship and is now claiming he’s more deserving of the belt after Rhodes needed two referee bumps and a chair to beat him at the reboot of Saturday Night’s Main Event. The crowd is extremely engaged and will be really fired up whenever they meet again, but we are too far out from WrestleMania for this to be a real possibility for Cody. They’re not going to extend this for four months, and if they did, fans would probably turn on it.

So, he’s going to need someone else to work with at WrestleMania. The assumption for awhile has been that it’ll be Randy Orton. Maybe The Viper will turn on him, becoming the second friend to betray him after KO? That certainly sounds like a story I want to watch, but a WrestleMania Main Event? I’m not so sure about that. Orton hasn’t won a match on PPV since his Survivor Series WarGames return in 2023 that was overshadowed by CM Punk’s return the same night.

He hasn’t won a singles match on PPV since he beat Bray Wyatt in one of the most infuriating matches in WrestleMania history all the way back in 2021. He’s a legend and super over with the crowd, but what about this recent track record would make anyone think he could or should beat Rhodes? If WWE wants to give us Rhodes vs Orton, I’m fine with that, but unless it gets really hot in the build-up, I don’t see how it can main event either of the two nights.

But John Cena and Cody Rhodes certainly could. Wrestling journalist JD From NY mentioned the possibility in one of his recent videos. No one is talking about it because both Cena and Rhodes are babyfaces who the audience wants to root for. On the surface, it doesn’t really make sense. The crowd would probably root for Cena, given this is going to be his last WrestleMania and he’s trying to break the record for most World Championships. So, why would WWE want to subject its most natural babyface to the possibility of getting booed? Well, the dirty truth is they seem to already be opening up that door.

Look at Cody Rhodes’ actions over the last several months. First, he teamed with Roman Reigns, the man who injured several of his friends and ruled over the WWE with an iron fist. Second, WWE had several of his on-screen friends call him out for it, and he still teamed with Roman and ignored their concerns. Third, he willingly gave a Cross Rhodes to Kevin Owens onto a chair during their recent match, which is classic heel behavior. Fourth, WWE has had some of the commentators very loudly and forcibly paint Rhodes as a villain or accuse him of cheating.

The American Nightmare is obviously still a babyface at this point. He’s cheered like a second coming of 1994 Bret Hart everytime he comes out of the back, and he still talks about good old fashioned values and connects with the kids at ringside. He’s a babyface, but there are all these signs that he might not be as good as he seems. And in the history of WWE, there has never been more of a classic good guy than John Cena. The Make A Wish legend has spent his whole career preaching positive thinking and hard work, and he’s arguably the only character on the roster who has the good guy credentials to call Cody out. So, if they want to turn him toward the dark side, this is their chance to do it.

John Cena Vs Cody Rhodes is a slam dunk WrestleMania main event. It’s the type of thing you put on the poster and scream about as loudly as possible to promote the show. It would give John Cena a real storyline to sink his teeth into. Instead of a fun little nostalgia run where he plays the hits, it would give him a chance to write an entirely new chapter people remember fondly, just as The Rock did when he came back and turned heel at the beginning of this year.

It would also give Rhodes a chance to reinvent himself a little bit. All of the stuff with KO Is super hot right now, but that's directly related to calling Rhodes out over his behavior. Prior to that, all we got were some forgettable feuds and even some calls to take the belt off of him. This would give him the chance to pull off an all-time classic heel turn most fans wouldn't see coming.

I’m not saying WWE is going to do this, but the possibility is really intriguing. They’d be foolish not to consider it.

Triple H has mostly opted for smaller match cards on PLEs since he took over creative control from Vince McMahon, but you wouldn’t know that by looking at the card for this year’s Crown Jewel. The annual Saudi Arabia-based PPV has seven matches scheduled including a triple threat, a fatal four way tag team match and a six man tag team match. Not including managers, escorts and people who might show up to interfere, there’s currently twenty-five performers scheduled to actually compete in matches.

To be clear though, I’m not complaining. This card is several orders of magnitude better than what we normally get with the Saudi PPVs, and that starts with the central gimmick the show is being built around. Both the men and women’s divisions have two World Champions, one that typically competes on SmackDown and one that typically competes on Raw.

Those champions are going to wrestle without their individual titles on the line for the inaugural Crown Jewel Championship, which is a combination of bragging rights and the most blinged out championship belt I’ve ever seen. That means we’re getting Gunther vs Cody Rhodes and Nia Jax vs Liv Morgan.

We’re also going to get the next big chapter in The Bloodline Saga, which will feature a newly reunited Roman Reigns, Jimmy Uso and Jey Uso vs three members of The Bloodline, which could include Solo Sikoa, Jacob Fatu, Tama Tonga and Tonga Loa. Expect whatever happens there to lead into a Survivor Series WarGames match next month.

Before I get into what might happen, though, here’s a look back at how I’ve been doing on predictions. I’ve done them for every single PPV since WrestleMania 38, and with great embarrassment, I have to admit Bad Blood was the first time I’ve ever had a losing record. But that’s the way it goes in wrestling. Sometimes you need to take some Ls so you have further to build up on your redemption arc.

Randy Orton Vs Kevin Owens

There are already many wrestling fans trying to predict what Cody Rhodes is going to be doing at WrestleMania and how it could involve Randy Orton and Kevin Owens. Let’s put that aside for a minute and just review the most basic facts. Owens is not happy with Rhodes because he decided to team up with Roman Reigns, which is understandable given their shared history. Following a disagreement about it, Owens punched Rhodes in the face. Orton initially tried to play peacemaker but eventually sided with Cody, leading to this match that’s happening at Crown Jewel.

In theory, the real confrontation is between Owens and Rhodes, which means that’s probably the next match this is building toward. Only, if Orton wins, there’s not really a next match. Owens can’t progress to Rhodes if he loses to his buddy that’s standing in the way. So, I think KO needs to win here in order to keep this going… or Orton needs to also turn on Rhodes and turn this into a bigger thing.

Predicted Winner: KO

Seth Freakin' Rollins Vs Bronson Reed

Bronson Reed has been pushed harder over the last few months by Triple H and company than he has at any point in his WWE career. If he’s ever going to make the jump to the main event scene, now is the time to do it. He can’t repeatedly injure people on Raw and look like an absolute menace and then lose his first ever 1v1 match on a WWE main roster PPV. A win here, especially if it’s convincingly, would make him a legitimate contender for a world championship.

Whether or not that’s going to happen, however, is a big question mark. WWE definitely views Seth Rollins as one of its biggest stars, and he hasn’t won a match on PPV since Survivor Series 2023. That’s almost an entire year. It’s also very likely he’s going to end up in a WrestleMania match against CM Punk (possibly for the World Heavyweight Championship), and in a perfect world, you’d want those guys to both come in looking very strong.

Personally, I think there’s enough time to put Bronson Reed over here and still build Seth Rollins ahead of WrestleMania, but Triple H has proven over his last few years in charge that, while he’ll give fans the occasional upset, he mostly likes keeping the strongest guys in the company looking strong.

Predicted Winner: Seth Freakin’ Rollins

LA Knight (Champ) Vs Carmelo Hayes Vs Andrade For The United States Championship

Andrade and Carmelo Hayes have turned their in-ring chemistry into one of the best mid-card feuds going today. They’ve thrilled fans with six excellent matches (and one that was ended early via outside interference). Now LA Knight is involved and getting an opportunity to defend his championship on PPV with two guys who should be able to give him an excellent in-ring match.

Knight has definitely cooled off a bit since his peak when he was one of the most over guys in all of wrestling, but even having taken a step back, 95% of the people on WWE’s roster would be elated to be as over as him, including Andrade and Carmelo Hayes who have built their profiles and reputations but not fully found their connection with the crowd. I’m not sure how much longer LA Knight is going to hold The United States Championship for, but I have to think if he’s going to lose it, it’ll be in a bigger moment than this.

Predicted Winner: LA Knight

Bianca Belair And Jade Cargill (Champions) Vs Iyo Sky and Kairi Sane Vs Chelsea Green And Piper Niven Vs Lash Legend And Jakara Jackson For The Women’s Tag Team Championships

Forget all the Bloodline talk. Forget Cody Rhodes and who he might face at WrestleMania. With the possible exception of CM Punk and Seth Rollins dancing at ‘Mania, there is no prediction the wrestling community is more aligned with than Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill eventually turning on each other and feuding. Almost all of us are convinced that’s going to happen between now and WrestleMania.

The bigger question is definitely when the double-crossing or back-stabbing or tomfoolery or whatever you wanna call it is going to happen. I’ve watched a lot of wrestling in my day, and six months is an Earthquake-sized time to feud. That’s too much time. They can’t turn on each other yet. I suppose it’s possible we could start getting some seeds planted and sorta water those seeds for a few months before a full-on Rockers-style break-up happens, but this still feels too far out to me. So, I say WWE wants to keep these two on harmonious terms and that means keeping the belts.

Oh and by the way, I know some people have some thoughts about Bianca and Jade maybe not being a real tag team and holding these titles hostage to help their eventual feud. I get it. I like Kayden and Katana and a bunch of the other teams too, but it’s because of Jade and Bianca these titles are making PPVs on a semi-consistent basis. They are stars. All of the women in this match get to appear on PPV because they’re in the tag division.

Predicted Winner: Bianca Belair And Jade Cargill

Roman Reigns And The Usos Vs 3/4ths Of Solo Sikoa, Jacob Fatu, Tama Tonga And Tonga Loa

Earlier this month when I was writing my Bad Blood predictions, I said I expected Solo Sikoa and Jacob Fatu to beat Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes because WWE needed to build up the New Bloodline. For New Bloodline vs Old Bloodline to be a legitimate rivalry, the average fan needs to see the New Bloodline as a real threat. Well, that didn’t happen. Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes got the victory, and now, both Uso Brothers are officially back into the fold and ready to fight for the OG Bloodline, making Roman even stronger.

So, when exactly are we going to build up the New Bloodline? I get that The Rock is probably going to be reintroduced here at some point to swing the balance of power, but it’s unclear when exactly that might happen. Jacob Fatu, Solo Sikoa and Tama Tonga won a six man tag at Money In The Bank, but that wasn’t against anyone actually in the OG Bloodline. They really need a win here for legitimacy. I don’t think it makes sense for them to take another L, but it’s also hard to bet against Roman Reigns when he’s 29-4 over his last 33 PPV appearances. I’m going to predict New Bloodline, but I don’t feel good about it.

Predicted Winner: New Bloodline

Nia Jax Vs Liv Morgan For The Crown Jewel Championship

It’s Tiffy Time, or at least I think it’s going to be. The Money In The Bank winner has teased cashing in her briefcase on several occasions, but Crown Jewel is where it makes the most sense for her character and provides the most potential drama for the audience. That’s because, if she comes down to the ring, we won’t know whether it’s to betray her frenemy Nia Jax or to follow instructions and cash in on Liv Morgan.

Most fans seem to think she’s going to betray Nia, especially because the champ has been showing a recent preference for new BFF Candice LeRae. I’m not entirely sure about that, but it seems the most likely given Rhea and Liv Morgan don’t seem to be done with their feud, which is made a lot more interesting by Liv holding the championship. This would also set up a potential Survivor Series re-match between Stratton and Jax, which I think fans would be a lot more into than Stratton and Morgan.

Predicted Winner: Tiffany Stratton

Cody Rhodes Vs Gunther For The Crown Jewel Championship

The hot rumor for the last week or two has been that Goldberg will interfere here and cost Gunther the match, setting up a feud between the two down the road. There’s some evidence for this given Gunther previously made reference to Goldberg during a promo and had a confrontation with him at Bad Blood. I’m not really sure there’s a huge appetite for that among hardcore fans, but Goldberg is still a big name and a match with The Ring General would generate a ton of conversation and interest from casuals.

There’s also a possibility here that Kevin Owens or Randy Orton could interfere in this match to cost Cody, furthering the story of whatever is going on there. To me, that’s probably the more appealing play from a storyline perspective, as I’m more intrigued by whatever is going on there, but it’s honestly hard for me to bet against Cody Rhodes here because he’s the face of WWE. Roman Reigns might be the biggest star but Cody is the torch-bearer. He’s the one signing the autographs and showing up in the small towns. He’s the person WWE is building around, and it makes a lot of sense to give him the inaugural Crown Jewel Championship if you want to elevate it as much as possible.

Predicted Winner: Cody Rhodes

Reminder: Crown Jewel will take place at an earlier time on Saturday than usual because it's happening in Saudi Arabia. You can catch the match for free with a streaming subscription on Peacock or via other methods around the world.

Randy Orton is set for his biggest match since returning from injury, and it's happening at the upcoming WWE event Bash In Berlin. But his mind isn't solely focused on Gunther, thanks to recent comments made by Machine Gun Kelly, both two his face and on Logan Paul's podcast. Understandably, wrestling fans aren't sure what to make of this escalating situation.

MGK appeared on Impaulsive, and while talking to Paul about his career and life changes, he brought up an uncomfortable encounter he had with Randy Orton. The singer, whose engagement with actress Megan Fox has dominated headlines as of late, said that he recently cussed at Orton while supporting Logan Paul at a WWE event. In his words:

Paul was shocked to hear the story, saying he didn't know it happened. It seems he's not alone in that either, as Randy Orton eventually responded on Twitter suggesting that the rapper-turned-singer was lying about the exchange. Check out Orton's reply, as well as the responses by MGK in the picture below:

Initially, I was feeling pretty convinced this was some angle we'd see play out when we streamed Bash In Berlin with a Peacock subscription. It just seemed too perfect to have MGK talk smack about on Superstar on another WWE wrestler's podcast and that he'd randomly show up and screw Randy Orton out of a chance to beat Gunther. CinemaBlend's Mack Rawden didn't have that on his Bash In Berlin predictions, but it's something we've all seen before in WWE.

We've also seen Randy Orton get into feuds with celebrities online, lest we forget his iconic throwdown with rapper Soulja Boy. That ended up just being a war of words with no storyline to speak of in WWE, so I could also buy that's what is happening here. Much like me, wrestling fans are also torn on what is going on here. In any case, they're invested and want to see it play out further based on these comments:

• Pull a Eminem and ruin his career again - @Rapatillar
• Fake tough guy talking shit - @Schoonamatata
• So, when is the match between you two gonna be scheduled??? - @HTXPhantom12
• Weirdest beef ever even for WWE - @feelinfroggy181
• This gotta be a work, MGK gonna interfere and cost Randy his title shot @ReloadFilth_AU

I definitely get the sense this is a WWE angle, especially given Machine Gun Kelly's past with WWE. Let's not forget that the celebrity was working with the WWE long before Logan Paul joined the organization. After he performed at a Monday Night Raw in 2015, Kevin Owens power bombed him off the stage:

I'd hate to see Randy Orton lose to Gunther due to interference from any rappers or rockers, so I'm hoping the stuff with MGK has nothing to do with his feud. It's nice to see the superstar working full-time again, and he's reportedly in great health after nearly having to retire following back surgery.

Sure, he has time for a feud with MGK, but I'm really hoping his schedule is cleared for when John Cena's retirement tour begins. It would be great to see those two square off once more before the superstar hangs it up, but I'd rather not see Machine Gun Kelly anywhere near that moment.

As we head into Bash In Berlin on Saturday, August 31st, be sure to stick with CinemaBlend afterward for all the potential reactions and other newsworthy wrestling news that comes from it. Someone also may want to keep an eye out to see if MGK shows up in Berlin, as that could be a good clue as to how legitimate this feud really is.

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.

John Cena dropped the shocking announcement at Money In The Bank 2024 that he's actually, legitimately retiring and that 2025 will mark his final year in professional wrestling. He also confirmed plans for several upcoming WWE events, which means we will have plenty of opportunities to see him face off against other WWE superstars. I'm sure all fans have a dream list of opponents for Cena to take on before he hangs it up, and I'm no exception to that.

Be it PLE or just an episode of Monday Night Raw or SmackDown, Cena will have plenty of chances to chase that mythical record-breaking title reign he so desperately wants to achieve before leaving the world of WWE. Here are the top athletes I'd most like to see him take on with before leaving his shoes in the ring, and why each would mean more than any bouts against anybody left out of this list.

Cody Rhodes

Cody Rhodes has a long way to go before he reaches the heights of John Cena, but he's already put in a lot of work to be the best face that the WWE has boasted since The Champ. Rhodes is also similar to Cena in the sense that he was once a midcarder who rose to being the face of the company through hard work and stellar ring performance. I would love to see these two square off for some passing-of-the-torch moment, in which Cena concedes it'll be Cody's time to carry the good-guy flag within the WWE. 

Randy Orton

There was once a time in which hearing about Randy Orton and John Cena squaring off in the ring would make me roll my eyes. Let's be honest, we've seen this match a lot throughout Cena's career, and with good reason. Orton is just as much a legend of the WWE as his greatest rival, and has been around for the entirety of Cena's career. He's like the Sabretooth to Cena's Wolverine, and it wouldn't feel right if these guys didn't go to war at least once in his final run. 

The Rock

I don't know if you can call The Rock the greatest rival John Cena has ever had, but he's definitely in the top three. These two main evented WrestleMania not once, but twice in a lifetime. Their feuds carried the WWE into some interesting territory, at a point in which it became evident that two of the company's biggest stars ever weren't really fond of each other in real life. Fortunately, Cena and Rock squashed the beef years later, and with Rock taking Cena out at WrestleMania 40, we already have the stage set to justify their meeting once again. 

CM Punk

CM Punk is a guy who makes just about every feud special, but his in-ring promos played off of Cena's Boy Scout persona just too well. Punk has always been good at playing a Batman villain who knows the worst that'll happen is a trip to Arkham no matter what he does, so he goes for broke. With Punk back in the WWE and having the program of his career with Drew McIntyre right now, I'd love to see him direct that energy to Cena next. 

The Miz

Real wrestling fans know there's no one as consistent on the WWE roster as The Miz. Main event or mid-carder, he's thrived in the spotlight, and his recent title run with R-Truth showed he's still very viable champion material in the WWE. Plus, Miz and Cena enjoyed a pretty great feud back in his world title run, despite suffering a concussion in the main event of WrestleMania. If we're talking about running through all the best of Cena's greatest enemies in 2025, Miz should absolutely be included. 

R-Truth

Beyond the incredible work he's done over the years with his tag team with Miz, The Awesome Truth, there's a case for R-Truth to be one of the most fun matches John Cena could take on before retiring. While there once was a time when Truth was a legitimate rival to Cena, the character has reshaped his attitude in recent years and now refers to The Champ as his "childhood hero." Seeing the two have a match, complete with R-Truth performing Cena's "Five Moves Of Doom," would be an amazing match for the fans. 

Drew McIntyre

I think there's a case to make that Drew McIntyre is the greatest heel in the WWE right now. His arrogance and violent aggression have led to him rampaging through the roster, and after his failed Money In The Bank cash-in, some thought was a waste; he's madder than ever, however. John Cena has always been one to step up to bullies, and if there's anyone capable of delivering an "Attitude Adjustment" to a villain, it's him. 

Seth Rollins

Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, and Jon Moxley have led the world of pro wrestling for the past decade. Cena has faced Reigns quite a bit in recent years, and since Moxley is over in AEW, that leaves a showdown with Rollins next on the list. While they've worked as allies in the ring, Cena and Rollins haven't squared off since 2018, so we're past due to see them do battle once again. 

Joe Hendry

Joe Hendry isn't even officially in the WWE, but TNA has loaned him over to NXT in order to let audiences sing his Rock-inspired theme song, as well as to see one of the hottest up-and-comers in wrestling perform. His positive attitude and cheeky smile would make for a great match-up with Cena, assuming the WWE would allow it to happen. I'm not too sure how keen they'd be in having a legend take on another company's star, but I'd love to see it all the same. 

The John Cena retirement tour is set to kick off in 2025, though I wouldn't put it past him to make an early appearance before the end of 2024 to get the party started earlier. For now, we know he'll be on Monday Night Raw when it comes to Netflix, so make sure to have that Netflix subscription in order by next year. 

I’ve done predictions for every single WWE PPV since WrestleMania 38. That’s more than two years of educated guessing as to where WWE is going with its storylines, and I don’t remember a single event I felt more apprehensive going into. Normally, there’s at least a few near guarantees at every event. Not this one. I could make a legitimate case for either side of every single match, and it could potentially make sense for a long-term story Triple H, Bruce Prichard and company might be trying to tell. As a fan, it’s exhilarating. As a professional prognosticator, it’s terrifying.

But that’s the name of the game. Sometimes I’m wrestling a metaphorical jobber and cruising to an easy victory like I’m Yokozuna on an early 90s episode of WWE Superstars, and sometimes I’m fighting for airtime amidst 87 other people in the nWo like I’m Scott Norton on a late 90s episode of WCW Monday Nitro. Regardless, the PPV card should be highly entertaining. Money In The Bank matches are, as a general rule, more exciting when the outcome is in doubt, and there’s plenty of doubt in both of the title matches. In addition, Damian Priest and Seth Freakin’ Rollins’ match carries huge ramifications for both men, and beyond that, we’ve got Bron Breakker wrestling for his first singles title on the main roster and the next chapter of The Bloodline Saga, which has been cooking.

Before I’m forced to pick a side on all these matches, however, let me pat myself on the back and present my predictions history…

Cody Rhodes, Randy Orton And Kevin Owens Vs 3 Members Of The Bloodline

So, my first instinct here is to say The Bloodline needs to win. Jacob Fatu can’t possibly lose his first match, given all the hype around him, right? The problem is we don’t technically know if Jacob Fatu will even be in this match, and also, we all know Roman Reigns is going to return at some point. Paul Heyman getting powerbombed through a table last Friday would seem to accelerate that timeline. Plus, Solo Sikoa and Tama Tonga beat Randy Orton and KO at Backlash France. They can’t just keep winning over and over again, right?

Well, I still think they’re probably going to. Rumors have been swirling for awhile that Cody Rhodes and Solo Sikoa may be the plan for SummerSlam, and that plan makes a lot more sense if The Bloodline gets another victory here. In addition, as much as WWE tries to push Money In The Bank as being one of the so-called Big 5 PLEs, it’s clearly a step behind SummerSlam. Roman’s return would be a lot more impactful there.

I’m not extremely confident about this match, but it’s certainly the one I’m most confident about. I’m going to somewhat assertively say The Bloodline wins.

Predicted Winner: The Bloodline

Sami Zayn (Champion) Vs Bron Breakker For The Intercontinental Championship

I’m not quite sure what the original plan was here. Sheamus, Ludwig Kaiser and Bron Breakker were all feuding and were building something pretty fun that was loosely connected to Sami Zayn’s Intercontinental Championship. I was thinking we might see a multi-man match here at Money In The Bank for the belt, but Kaiser was recently injured. He still got a taped segment on this week’s Raw, but the MITB match is just Bron Breakker and Sami Zayn. Given how much they have been building Bron and making him look like a terrifying beast, I cannot imagine him losing clean here. So, the options are he either wins the belt, probably in a good match, not a squash, or one of Sheamus or Kaiser interferes and costs him the match. 

My guess is the WWE writers are going to want to reincorporate Zayn into the upcoming Bloodline Civil War storyline, given how well that worked the first time. That doesn’t necessarily mean he needs to lose the title right now. After all, Roman hasn’t even returned yet, but even so, losing to Bron right now would be a great way to build a new star. So, I think they’re going to do that, unless the plan is for Chad Gable to win Money In The Bank and then cash in his briefcase for the IC Title. 

Predicted Winner: Bron Breakker

Women's Money In The Bank Ladder Match

Last year, Iyo Sky was a strong favorite to win Money In The Bank. Given the internal tension with Damage CTRL at the time, the storyline was right there, and while it was satisfying for fans, it wasn’t exactly some huge shock she won. This year, there’s tension again within Damage CTRL, but Sky is not the prohibitive favorite again. WWE can definitely choose to run the tension between her and Bayley back and give her the briefcase, but that’s just one of several viable options in a wide open Money In The Bank field that’s perhaps the most unpredictable in years.

If you’re the type of wrestling fan who is habitually on wrestling Twitter, you likely know the favorite in the minds of many hardcore fans is Chelsea Green. She’s been fantastic in her role since returning at the 2023 Royal Rumble. Despite playing a heel, she’s very over with the crowd, and given her mic skills and general personality, it’s easy to imagine her having the most fun with the briefcase. Unfortunately, she’s done almost nothing but lose matches since she arrived in WWE, however, and it’s hard to imagine her as a World Champion. Maybe that’s the point and she’d be the first woman to fail in her cash-in attempt. Maybe.

Another strong maybe is Tiffany Stratton. She’s arguably the most talented NXT call-up on the women’s side since Bianca Belair and Rhea Ripley, and many fans really want to see her have a big moment. Money In The Bank has long been about building new stars, and building her into a star has to be high on WWE’s agenda. Plus, we’ve seen a lot of interplay with her and Nia Jax, and given Nia is facing Bayley for the title at SummerSlam, adding in the briefcase would add another fun dimension to their relationship. Maybe they go there.

Or maybe this is finally the moment they invest in Naomi. She’s been getting consistent TV time since returning, but she’s never felt on the main event level. Maybe this is the moment where they decide to really push her. Or maybe WWE is even more invested in Lyra Valkyria than any of us realize. She got all the way to the finals in the Queen Of The Ring tournament and is currently feuding with Damage CTRL She needs to get a little more charismatic on the mic, but she’s getting there and has been superb in the ring. Maybe. Or maybe we’re in for a real surprise and it’ll be Zoey Stark. That’s unlikely given the lack of a push she’s gotten basically since Trish left, but she’s extremely capable. Maybe.

Predicted Winner: Tiffany Stratton

Men's Money In The Bank Ladder Match

Let’s eliminate the people who have no chance or almost no chance right off the top. I love Carmelo Hayes. I think he’s got a really bright future, but he doesn’t have any real momentum going on, apart from every smart fan realizing his incredible potential. His only goal here should be looking good and having a few fun spots. The same thing could likely be said for Andrade. If WWE ever decides to really get behind him, watch out. He’s one of the best mixes of raw power and athleticism on the entire roster, and he’s extremely charismatic, even if his promos are shorter and delivered with an accent. With all due respect to WWE Speed, we haven’t seen enough storybeats to make this seem believable. I also don’t buy LA Knight. He’s certainly over enough with the crowd, but his character arc seems destined to collide with Logan Paul at SummerSlam. He doesn’t need the belt for that. He had a much better case last year.

So, that leaves us with Jey Uso, Chad Gable and Drew McIntyre (since Finn Bálor shockingly was not added to this match). Instead of thinking about who should win this match, I often find it easier to think about who WWE could tell the best story with if they had the briefcase. That’s where I struggle with Jey Uso. He just wrestled and lost to World Heavyweight Champion Damian Priest at Backlash France. He previously wrestled and lost to Gunther earlier this year, who is wrestling for that title at SummerSlam. It doesn’t make any story sense to have him feud with Cody Rhodes. Yes, he’s incredibly over with fans right now, but unless WWE sees him as a good long-term antagonist to Gunther, I don’t really see how him having the briefcase would work.

So, that leaves us with Chad Gable and Drew McIntyre. I think most fans are expecting CM Punk to show up and cost Drew McIntyre the briefcase, meaning it would be a fantastic swerve if he perseveres through that and wins. That would set up some really interesting dynamics around SummerSlam, as it would hover the threat of a cash-in over the Gunther match against either Damian Priest or Seth Freakin’ Rollins, and it brings up the possibility McIntyre could could feature multiple times the same night. That’s for sure the highest upside, most plot relevant way to use Money In The Bank this year.

But WWE could also look at that and say Drew McIntyre doesn’t need it. His story with CM Punk is one of the best non-title feuds we’ve seen in decades. Fans are white hot for these two to finally get in the ring, and when they do, it doesn’t need the title. I’m not even sure if the title amplifies it that much. A blood feud is more about seeking vengenance, not winning a prize. So, that would point toward Chad Gable. I know it’s highly unusual (at least outside of Austin Theory), but WWE may decide to use the briefcase this year as a plot device for the Intercontinental Championship. Gabel has been vigoriously pursuing it for what feels like a year at this point, and the briefcase could be what he needs to finally win it. That would keep Money In The Bank from affecting any world title plots, and it would really add an element of intrigue around The IC title, which has a history of ebbing and flowing in importance.

Predicted Winner: Chad Gable

Damian Priest (Champion) Vs Seth Freakin’ Rollins For The World Heavyweight Championship

I believe in Damian Priest. I know there’s some chatter on the Internet at times about how he’s not quite ready for a world title, and I can see that viewpoint. He’s definitely learning on the job, especially on the microphone, as he’s delivering the longest and most complicated promos of his career. But he will have 30 second stretches where he sounds like one of the biggest stars on the roster. He will have moments where you can see just how high his ceiling is. I want WWE to explore that more, especially since we just got 9 months from Seth as champion. It was nice to see him have another moment on top, but it didn’t leave me immediately wishing to relive the experience. At this point, Priest has only been champion for like 3 months. I want him to have a longer run.

But it’s also easy to see the argument for Seth Freakin’ Rollins. Whoever wins this match is going to face Gunther at SummerSlam. That’ll be one of WWE’s most high profile matches on the entire card, and the biggest moment to date of The Ring General’s career. You already know at this point in the article that I love Damian Priest. He’s my guy, but he’s also not Seth Rollins. He wasn’t in The Shield and doesn’t have multiple World Championships to his name. If WWE is trying to sell the card, especially if Roman Reigns and The Rock, among others, aren’t going to be advertised, then Seth Rollins vs Gunther is likely way more appealing to casual fans.

So, it could go either way. Ultimately, my pick here is going to mostly rely on the other stipulation as part of the match. If Damian Priest wins, Seth can’t challenge for the title again as long as Priest is World Champion. If Seth Rollins wins, Damian Priest needs to leave Judgment Day. Between Liv, Rhea and Dominik drama and Finn and Damian not getting along, it feels like Judgment Day, despite holding multiple titles, is starting to implode. There’s a lot to explore there, and Priest losing would really accelerate all that drama, but to me, that feels like ripping a band-aid off way too quickly. Rhea Ripley isn’t even back from injury yet. Isn’t Triple H going to want her to have a say in whether Priest stays or goes? Plus, Gunther is probably going to win the title at SummerSlam or in a rematch at Bash In Berlin; so, even if Rollins loses, it’s likely he’ll be able to challenge for the belt again within a few months. 

Predicted Winner: Damian Priest

You can catch WWE Money In The Bank on Saturday night. It'll be streaming for free with a Peacock subscription, and there are also other options, depending on where you live in the world.

Days after he put in a fantastic performance in a losing effort at Backlash France, Randy Orton was asked how long he plans to continue to wrestle for. The WWE legend gave an extremely honest and thoughtful answer that touched on not only his own health but also the state of the business and how much things have changed since Vince McMahon left. Spoiler alert: he’s much happier and it’s probably going to lengthen his career.

The quotes came from a larger conversation he had with YouTube channel Adam’s Apple while he was in an airport. The Viper was asked a number of questions, but his most interesting answer was far and away the one about his future. He said he was in a rough place before he got spinal fusion surgery a year and a half ago, but he’s now feeling “great” and hoping he can wrestle until he’s at least 50. He didn’t think that was possible under Vince McMahon, but with Triple H now in charge, he’s able to get time off when he needs it because the new regime isn’t focused on guys “running their dicks into the ground.” You can read an excerpt of his quote below…

Let’s talk about this middle finger toward Vince McMahon. You don’t need to look far to find stories of WWE’s former owner lacking in sympathy for struggling or injured performers, but even given that reputation, it’s jarring to hear someone like Randy Orton, arguably a top ten performer in the company’s history, talk about how his dick was being run into the ground. In fact, he apparently wasn’t even comfortable asking for time off to nurse minor or nagging injuries, which has changed completely since Triple H took over.

Later in the same interview, Orton said there have already been two occasions since his return at Survivor Series in November where he was injured and asked the new head of creative if he could take a week off. Both times he got an immediate yes, which has Orton feeling like he can use that to manage his body and wrestle at a high level for another six years. Here’s some more of his quote…

Like other professional athletes, wrestlers are almost always nursing injuries. I’m sure if you talked to everyone on the WWE roster, it would be hard to find anyone who is 100% healthy. But showing up and wrestling through it every week is not always the right answer. It might seem like a good short-term solution, but long-term, it can take years off people’s careers. It sounds like Orton doesn’t think those conversations were being handled correctly or even happening before, but it’s great to hear they are now. 

It’s been a blast having Randy Orton back, and it’s been a blast to see him as a baby face, seemingly having the time of his life alongside Kevin Owens. I’m sure he’s going to turn to the dark side at some point because he’s Randy Orton and that’s just what he does, but whenever it happens, it’ll be that much more meaningful because of all the great times he’s had with the crowd.

Whenever he does retire, I hope he goes out on his own terms, whenever he wants, with a healthy body that allows him to hang out with his family for decades to come. 

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

Vince McMahon officially left the WWE in any capacity in the wake of a high-profile lawsuit, but the long-term effects on the wrestling company and its former owner still remain to be seen. After the Royal Rumble was almost impacted via brand sponsorships, more stars have reacted to McMahon's news with their own takes. Randy Orton and John Cena, two men who flourished over the past two decades under McMahon's guiding rule, are two of the latest to offer up their personal feelings about the situation.

Randy Orton On Vince McMahon

Ahead of his appearance at the upcoming WWE event Elimination Chamber, Randy Orton spoke to the New York Post about the disturbing allegations of sex trafficking lodged by former employee Janel Grant, who previously went unnamed when the investigation into Vince McMahon's undisclosed settlements first began. Orton confirmed he's aware of the situation, and admitted the conflicting feelings that he's wrestled with as someone who worked for, and was aided by, McMahon quite a lot over the years. As he put it: 

While Randy Orton was sidelined recovering from surgery during the initial in-house investigation into Vince McMahon, he followed what was happening in the news. As someone who has been in the organization since he was 22, the now 43-year-old Orton admitted he's struggling to come to terms with the allegations because of his own mistakes and transgressions that McMahon helped him get past throughout his career. The superstar acknowledged that the same someone can be responsible for both making bad decisions as well as keeping the veteran wrestler active enough to allow him to be on the road to WrestleMania 40. 

John Cena On Vince McMahon

John Cena struggled with the same issues that Orton talked about when speaking about McMahon's current status on The Howard Stern Show. John Cena, who returned to Hollywood post-strikes, was asked by Stern how to handle dealing with a friend who has been accused of something so terrible, and The Prototype said (via Wrestling Observer):

John Cena isn't condoning Vince McMahon's actions, obviously, but is signaling that he intends to potentially stick by the side of his friend and former boss until more comes out of the investigations. Wrestling fans may remember that McMahon strutted out to the ring with Cena at the initial height of allegations made against him, as part of a celebration on Monday Night Raw for the wrestler's legacy. 

Cena seems to have the same respect for Vince McMahon as Randy Orton and intends to remain supportive during the ongoing lawsuit. Cena explained his reasoning for that in light of the troubling situation and how this matches up with what he's said in the past:

John Cena's words seemed to indicate he'll wait and see how the legal process plays out, but that he still has love for Vince McMahon until then. As such, he will reach out and support him in the midst of the turmoil while waiting for the outcome, whatever it may be. 

John Cena might be back in Hollywood, but Randy Orton can be seen in the ring on SmackDown on Fridays at 8:00 p.m. ET. Those with a Peacock subscription can look into the dozens of matches they've had against each other over the years while we wait for more information on the ongoing situation with Vince McMahon. 

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

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's a big match for Judgment Day at Survivor Series, and the faction stacked the odds in their favor for the upcoming WWE event by adding Drew McIntyre to their ranks. While Jey Uso, Cody Rhodes, Seth Rollins and Sami Zayn were unsure who would join their team, fans were thrilled. It turned out the rumors of Randy Orton's return were legit, and the wrestling brand wasn't too subtle about it on Monday Night Raw. Unfortunately, the organization fumbled the ball when it came to announcing The Viper's return, and I'm a bit mad about it. 

Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled I'll get to see Randy Orton back in action when I use my Peacock Premium subscription to watch Survivor Series this weekend. However, I can't help but feel miffed about Raw bungling his return. For those who missed it, here's the official video that the WWE used to announce the return of one of its most revered superstars: 

I mean no disrespect to Cody Rhodes here, because he merely did what he does best. He hyped up the crowd and, in the moment, one could've gotten the impression that The Viper was going to pop up right behind the Judgment Day and deliver an RKO. The problem started when Rhodes confirmed who was coming, which sent the crowd into a fever pitch, before Monday Night Raw's broadcast cut to Blake Shelton singing on Barmaggedon. I mean, what was the point of confirming the wrestler's return without having him in the building to appear before the crowd?

When it comes to occasions like these, many of us are used to a certain trend that sees superstars appearing when their music hits following a tease. So because of that, I was stunned when it didn't happen with Randy Orton. That crowd was red hot and ready to blow the roof off the stadium for him, and with good reason. Orton's been sidelined indefinitely with a back injury since June 2022 and has slowly been working his way back after reportedly undergoing surgery. There's been significant doubt regarding whether the legend would even return, with his father, Cowboy Bob Orton, updating fans that doctors told him not to. 

Considering the 43-year-old wrestler is a legend with over twenty championship title wins, I can respect the World Wrestling Entertainment wanting to hold off on actually having him appear in the flesh until he steps out on the ramp at Survivor Series in Chicago. If that was the case, however, then why not just continue to tease it as a mystery return during Monday Night Raw and the upcoming SmackDown until the big night? 

One possible reason is that the company is trying its best to remove any notion that CM Punk has signed with the WWE and will make a grand entrance at Survivor Series Chicago. Explicitly revealing Randy Orton as the competitor would remove speculation that Punk is going to join that match, though it does nothing to address the teases connected to who Shinsuke Nakamura is challenging. At this point, it's hard to feel bad for the entertainment conglomerate, if it never actually signed the superstar, considering all the blatant references that hinted at his return. 

The point I'm making here is that the WWE has been really good about giving fans a reason to turn up for Monday Night Raw and SmackDown as of late, thanks to title matches and quality appearances. The Legend Killer's confirmation on the show felt like a way to get a cheap pop without delivering the goods, which feels unfair for those who attended. With WrestleMania 40 and so many reveals on the way, I'd hate for this to become a trend that the company sticks with. 

Tune in to Survivor Series to see Randy Orton and many others compete in WarGames and other matches on Saturday, November 25th at 8:00 p.m. ET. It should be a fun night with lots of action and hopefully, a few surprises as well. 

The WWE has no shortage of talent on Monday Night Raw and SmackDown, but there's a growing list of superstars on the sidelines that fans would love to see return from injury. Shortly after a promising update on Bray Wyatt's eventual return to the company made the rounds, an update on Randy Orton arrived. And unfortunately, the news on The Viper's in-ring return is less positive, based on what's being alleged. 

Fightful Select reported an update on Randy Orton, and it's not exactly great news. Per the news outlet, Orton is apparently not being factored into any creative plans for the WWE at this moment, and he's still working on getting clearance to return to training. The site had the following to say exactly:

At the very least, it's comforting to hear that Randy Orton wants to return to the ring and is getting back in shape. Yet beyond that, these sentiments probably won't leave too many fans feeling all that enthusiastic about his future. Doctors aren't encouraging Orton to return to the ring after he was sidelined by a lower back fusion. And as stated, it's unclear as to how the injury could impact him or get re-aggravated should he start competing again.

"The Legend Killer" has been a part of the WWE since 2001 and has been a major draw for the organization. But with the 43-year-old star's current situation, there's certainly a question of his health and quality of life in the long term should he re-injure himself. It's understandable why it's taking so long for doctors to grant him any clearance, especially considering the fact that he has an iconic finishing move that requires him to land directly on his back.

If the WWE really doesn't have plans for Randy Orton, it doesn't seem vital to rush him back to the ring. Sure, Matt Riddle (who's provided fans with hope on Orton in the past) could certainly benefit from seeing his tag-team partner return to Monday Night Raw. But ultimately, there doesn't need to be a perfect moment for one of the industry's living legends to return. Because of his status, Orton's comeback will be an event in and of itself, regardless if it happens during an upcoming WWE event like Survivor Series or a random episode of Raw or SmackDown. Here's hoping his recovery progresses smoothly and that he does find a way back to the company when he's ready -- and still interested in competing.

Monday Night Raw airs on USA Network on Mondays at 8:00 p.m. ET, and SmackDown is on Fridays on Fox at the same time.

The WWE is prepping for its Night of Champions PLE, and fans are back to wondering if this will be the event that could finally bring Randy Orton back into the ring. Orton has been absent from events since late 2022, so that he could have surgery to address an alleged back injury, but many have held out hope hope that he'll surface at an upcoming WWE event in 2023. We now have a better idea of where things stand with Orton thanks to his father, Cowboy Bob Orton, but his update has me scratching my head. 

Bob Orton Jr. spoke to Sportskeeda about his son Randy Orton's rehabilitation, knowing that everyone is wondering about when he might return. The WWE legend laid out his perspective on the current situation, and addressed if Randy will return, saying:

So he could possibly come back if he wanted, which may or may not be the case, though it would supposedly be against medical advice. Not the clearest take, but still interesting. 

If Randy Orton is indeed training, that'd presumably mean he's making efforts to at least see if he can return to the WWE from an athletic standpoint. That much seemed clear when photos of Orton surfaced back in February and showed the wrestler in great shape. Of course, the size of his biceps doesn't relate to the strength of his back, so there's no telling how ready Orton is to resume the grind of the WWE. Had he been comfortable enough to show up for WrestleMania 39, which we predicted could happen, he probably would have made the jump. Alas, we're still waiting. 

There's also a question of whether or not the WWE's doctors would clear him to wrestle. If Cowboy Bob Orton is correct about doctors advising against an in-ring return, there's a chance the WWE won't clear him to perform. If that's the case, it may not make a difference whether or not Orton wants to return or not. 

One key concern doctors might have is Orton reinjuring his back by using his signature finisher, the RKO. Orton's finisher is one of the most celebrated in the WWE for its unique nature and hype execution, but it requires Orton to land on his back. Once or twice may not be so damaging, but if Orton is wrestling at the rate he was before his exit, the odds are high of him doing it several times a week. 

As a wrestling fan, I definitely want to see Randy Orton back in the ring. I can't help but feel conflicted on this news, however, and would hate to see Orton rush his way back into the ring only to exit again with another injury that's worse. I also think all wrestlers should prioritize their overall physical health over their careers rather than risk potential permanent injury. 

Cowboy Bob Orton noted that his son doesn't really need to return to the WWE to live a comfortable life, and he's right. Randy Orton has spent the majority of his career toward the top of the roster, and after 20+ years of wrestling and apparently video games, he is a 14-time WWE champion in addition to all his other titles. There's nothing left for Orton to prove if he wants to retire and walk away from it all, but it doesn't sound like this is the end for him just yet. 

Monday Night Raw airs on USA Network on Mondays at 8:00 p.m. ET and SmackDown on Fox on Fridays at the same time. We'll keep an eye out for "The Viper" to make an appearance and hope that we'll get more updates on the wrestler's future in the coming weeks. 

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

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

Stone Cold Steve Austin

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

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

Randy Orton

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

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

Matt Riddle

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

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

AJ Styles

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

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

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson

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

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

Alexa Bliss

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

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

Gangrel

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

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

Jay White

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

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

FTR

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

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

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

Ric Flair once again let some juicy info slip out when speaking on his podcast, but this latest instance had nothing to do with Hulk Hogan's health or a feud with a top WWE superstar. The wrestling legend has now revealed that he might be coming back to TV in the near future, though not necessarily via the wrestling ring, as he claims Netflix and more are interested in teaming up on a new show featuring the significant others of WWE and AEW superstars that should appeal to fans of the Real Housewives shows and similar fare.

Flair talked about the potential new series on his To Be The Man podcast with Conrad Thompson. The wrestler prefaced the statement by saying he hoped he wasn't "breaking news," but that Netflix and Fox were among interested parties in potentially picking up a reality series he's a part of that follows the wives of WWE and AEW superstars. And it sounds like they've already put together some footage to show off.

Flair mentioned the project would invovle his wife, Wendy Barlow, as well as the wives of WWE superstars Randy Orton and Kurt Angle, Kim Orton and Giovanna Yannotti, respectively. AEW superstar Jack Hager's wife, Catalina White, was also mentioned as a participant, while Jeff Jarrett's wife, whom Flair referred to as "Karen Angle" due to her former marriage to the Olympian, may or may not be involved. But it looks like the footage has been seen and shown, and here's all Ric Flair had to say about it: 

According to Ric Flair, this wrestling reality show would follow all of the aforementioned women, but it's obviously possible-going-on-likely that all of their pro-wrestler hubbies would also pop up. Not to mention their children, depending on what the scope of the show is. It seems as though everyone mentioned would be the core lineup if the show went to series, though the lineup of participants could always change if Netflix, Fox, or any other studio would order it to series and want to make alterations.

Right now, there's no official word on whether or not this project will get picked up by Netflix, Fox, or any other interested party. It's fair to say that there is an audience that enjoys the Real Housewives franchise, however, as well as an audience that enjoys wrestling reality shows, with Netflix now fully engulfed in cranking out unscripted content. It only seems natural to blend these elements together, even if it lands somewhere else.

Nikki and Brie Bella have proven wrestling reality shows work with their prolonged reality television careers on Total Bellas and other shows, and USA Network still continues to air Miz & Mrs. The WWE has helped produce these shows and will likely continue to do so as long as there's an audience that will tune in and continue to watch it. 

With that being said, it doesn't appear as though the project Ric Flair and his wife are involved in has any affiliation with the WWE or the AEW proper, or else it likely wouldn't involve cross-branding in such a way. It also speaks to why Netflix and Fox are reportedly involved instead of an NBCU platform (where WWE is licensed) or a Warner Bros. Discovery platform (which is tied to AEW). NBCU also has Bravo's Real Housewives franchise under its umbrella, so this would be somewhat competitive programming in more than one way.

Should this "Housewives of Wrestling" project get a series order, one can only imagine how it may differ from other Housewives shows on the market. So many wrestling stories are centered around the wild things that happen to wrestlers while they're traveling on the road or flying in a plane. We don't hear a ton about their wives or the families that remain at home or behind the scenes, so this could be a great peek behind the curtain at the fun and stress that they all endure. And if it ends up being a parody like Kevin Hart's Real Husbands of Hollywood, that'd be fun, too.

Wrestling fans will no doubt be using their Peacock Premium subscriptions to stream the WWE's Elimination Chamber on Saturday, February 18th. Tune in for what should be a great pay-per-view, and keep an ear out for any "housewives" chatter relating to WWE and AEW superstars. 

It wasn't that long ago that Randy Orton and Matt Riddle's tag team RK-Bro was one of the most popular duos in the WWE. Alas, Riddle was forced to compete solo when Orton stepped away from the WWE with an alleged back injury, but then Riddle himself disappeared from shows after rumors saying he'd been suspended and entered rehab. Both men were at the center of positive updates on social media over the weekend, thus giving wrestling fans hope that RK-Bro could resurface at upcoming WWE events. 

A lot has been reported about Matt Riddle in recent months, as widespread rumors alleged the popular athlete was pulled from WWE TV appearances, and was then sent to rehab after violating the company's wellness policy in December for the second time (via WrestlingHeadlines.com). The WWE hasn't confirmed this outright, but Riddle seemed to indicate this is the case after referring to his "recovery" in a recent Instagram upload, which also showcased the stoner-friendly wrestler's new look. 

For those that might've missed the subtle change to Riddle's appearance, he's showing off his new grills in the second photo. I'm assuming the teeth caps won't be a big part of his in-ring persona if and when he returns, as they could be a safety risk while taking hits to the face. In any case, it's great to see him in all-smiles mode after what has potentially been a trying struggle behind the scenes. 

As previously mentioned, Riddle was working without Randy Orton in the WWE for some time, following reports alleging the WWE legend was out indefinitely with a back injury that sounded pretty serious. Orton has yet to reappear in the WWE since April of 2022, but it looks like "The Viper" might be eyeing a return judging from how jacked he looked when inspiring smiles and excitement during his recent visit to the Boone Center in Saint Peters, Missouri. Check out the celebratory Facebook post, if you can read the words in the shadow of Orton's biceps.

That doesn't look like the face of a wrestler dealing with unbearable pain, though looks can be deceiving. After all, it wasn't that long ago that Hulk Hogan's rep denied allegations about his health based on rumor chatter, so perhaps a photo of a shredded Randy Orton with fans shouldn't be used to suggest he might be eyeing a return to the company. But it's still a promising sign that he's moving forward rather than backwards in terms of his health.

And if best bros Randy Orton and Matt Riddle are ever ready to return to the WWE, one would think they'd be welcomed by fans with open arms as a tag team again. As The Uso's future as undisputed tag-team champions hangs is the balance due to in-fighting, now would be as good of a time as any for RK-Bro to make an unexpected comeback and regain their status as two of the biggest names in the company.

Realistically, though, there are only a couple of months to go before WrestleMania 39, and with time dwindling down before matches need to be set in stone, it's possible we won't see either athlete until the Monday Night Raw episode that follows this year's WrestleMania, which might be for the best. Assuming what has been rumored about Matt Riddle and Randy Orton is true, they both could sooner benefit from a proper comeback that's built up by careful planning, rather than immediately jumping back into the spotlight yet again. Fans don't necessarily need them back right this second, though there are plenty of  their matches to look back on and enjoy in the meantime with a Peacock Premium subscription.

Monday Night Raw airs on USA Network on Mondays at 8:00 p.m. ET, which is the most likely place we'd see either superstar. Tune in to see if either wrestler will make an appearance in the coming weeks, and whether RK-Bro will have a wondrous reunion when they do.

Is there anything more exciting than the lead-up to the Royal Rumble? It’s like the start of the holiday season and is filled with so much hope, anticipation, and excitement as it kicks off the “Road to WrestleMania.” Watching the annual 30-man (and now 30-woman) over-the-top battle royal, one of the “Big Four” of WWE premium live events, is a great way to enjoy professional wresting, even if your viewing party is more interested in watching stars from the Attitude Era and other generations get a nostalgia boost.

Another fun thing to do each year as we work our way to the big event is speculate on who will be making their big return as a surprise entrant. That being said, we have put together a list of 10 WWE superstars who stand a good chance at walking through the curtain at the 2023 Royal Rumble.                                                                      

The Rock 

It has been 10 years since Dwayne Johnson, a.k.a. The Rock, last wrestled a sanctioned WWE match (Let’s just forget the whole WrestleMania 32 situation). And while there has always been speculation about the return of “The People’s Champion,” the rumor mill has been going to the extreme in recent months about The Rock coming back for the 2023 Royal Rumble, winning, and challenging his cousin, Roman Reigns, to a title match at WrestleMania 39 in Hollywood.

Do we want to see another part-timer come back and end one of the best championship reigns in modern wrestling history? No, but hearing “If you smell…” near the end of the Men’s Royal Rumble match would be electric, to say the very least.

Cody Rhodes

Cody Rhodes, who made his long-awaited return to WWE at WrestleMania 38 in April 2022, is another wrestler we would all like to see show up in the 2023 Royal Rumble. Earlier this month, we listed “The American Nightmare” as the most likely candidate to win the match and punch his ticket to SoFi Stadium to challenge Roman Reigns in April. 

It’s about time for Rhodes to return, as “the son of a son of a plumber” has been out of action since putting on a five-star classic against Seth Rollins at Hell in a Cell 2022, a grueling bout he fought with a torn pectoral muscle, we should add.

Randy Orton

Another injured WWE superstar from a multi-generational wrestling family we’d like to see return for the 2023 Royal Rumble is Randy Orton, who has been out of action since May 2022 with a nasty back injury. Orton was in the middle of one of his most entertaining runs in recent years as part of the RK-Bro tag team alongside Riddle (another wrestler we’d like to see, but who isn’t slated to return until February at the earliest).

Orton has had a great deal of success in the Royal Rumble throughout his 20-year WWE career, winning the 30-man battle royal in 2009 and 2017.

Naomi

Although we most likely won’t be seeing Sasha Banks in the 2023 Royal Rumble after she made her NJPW debut as Mercedes Moné at Wrestle Kingdom 17, it wouldn’t be all that surprising to see her former tag team partner, Naomi, return to WWE months after the pair walked out on the company with the Women’s Tag Team Championship in May 2022.

The two-time SmackDown Women’s Champion has a list of accomplishments to her name in WWE, but one that has long alluded her is a Royal Rumble victory and shot to be in one of the headlining matches on WrestleMania. It should also be noted she has been in every Women’s Royal Rumble since the match’s 2018 debut.

Edge

WWE Hall of Famer Edge has been out of action since suffering a loss to Finn Balor in a physical “I Quit” match at Extreme Rules in October 2022. And while there have been no signs that he’ll return for Royal Rumble, it’s hard to imagine the big event going down without Edge appearing and making life difficult for Balor and his former Judgment Day stablemates.

Like his former Rated-RKO partner Randy Orton, Edge is a two-time Royal Rumble winner, having outlasted 29 other WWE superstars in 2010 and 2021, the latter of which came just one year after he returned from retirement.

Carmella

Carmella, another decorated member of the WWE Women’s roster has been out of action since August 2022, and would make a great addition to the upcoming Women’s Royal Rumble match. 

The former SmackDown Women’s Champion and Money in the Bank winner revealed on Instagram in October 2022 that she had an ectopic pregnancy, which resulted in a miscarriage of her child with husband and WWE commentator Corey Graves. We would all love to see her yell out “Mella is money” come late January, but it’s completely understandable if she still needs more time to recover.

Drew McIntyre

Former WWE Champion Drew McIntyre has been out of action since rupturing his eardrum at Survivor Series WarGames in November 2022, but there’s good reason to believe he’ll be back sooner rather than later.

He wouldn’t necessarily have to win the match (McIntyre was the 2022 Royal Rumble victor), but a strong outing that could set up a good feud for the two-time WWE Champion could go a long way as we kick off the “Road to WrestleMania.”

Rey Mysterio

Rey Mysterio, one of the best Latino wrestlers working today, hasn’t wrestled on WWE TV since Fall 2022, though he did appear in those hilarious videos of his son, Dominik, crashing Thanksgiving and Christmas family gatherings. How great would it be to see the masked cruiserweight show up and get revenge on Dominik and the Judgment Day during the 2023 Royal Rumble, kicking off a proper feud for the father and son heading into WrestleMania?

Mysterio has an incredible list of accomplishments in WWE, including being the 2006 Royal Rumble winner, in which he competed for 62 minutes, a WWE record 17 years later.

Natalya

It has been a little more than two months since Natalya was on the receiving end of a brutal onslaught by former SmackDown Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler, and hasn’t been seen since. Since then, Rousey has lost her title to a returning Charlotte Flair, and will more than likely be a heavy favorite to win the 2023 Royal Rumble, that is if Natalya doesn’t make a comeback and spoil things for the former UFC champ.

Natalya could very well make a nice run in the Rumble if she returns, especially considering she lasted 56 minutes during the 2019 event.

Logan Paul

And then there is Logan Paul, who has done a lot in his brief WWE tenure, but a Royal Rumble entrance is not one of them. Paul has been out of action since messing up his knee during Crown Jewel in November 2022, but who’s to say that’s going to stop him from stealing the show once again.

This is a situation where we don’t necessarily want the embattled social media personality to win the match and headline WrestleMania 39, but he’s one hell of an entertainer in the ring and could add some excitement to the mid-portion of the 30-man match.

There are other possibilities for returns during the 2023 Royal Rumble, including legends like Stone Cold Steven Austin, other former superstars like John Morrison, and even nostalgic wrestlers like X-Pac or D’Lo Brown. If you want to see who returns at the 2023 Royal Rumble (as well as watch other upcoming WWE events), you can do so with a Peacock Premium subscription. 

WrestleMania might generate most of the mainstream crossover headlines, but to me and a great many wrestling fans, there is no better or more exciting premium live event each year than WWE’s Royal Rumble. The battle royal variation has been held every year since 1988, and during those thirty-five years, it has launched countless storylines and helped to propel numerous wrestlers into the main event scene. For the winners, it also often becomes one of the biggest moments of their careers.

If you were writing about all-time legend Ric Flair’s career accomplishments, how long would it take you to get to winning the 92 Rumble? My guess is not very long, and the same could be said for so many others. In fact, the winner’s list is a murderers' row of historical greats like Flair, Hulk Hogan, Steve Austin, The Rock and Bret Hart. So, who will add their name to those ranks?

Well, much to the delight of WWE fans, there are actually a lot of options this year. There are a handful of people with spectacular cases to win the Rumble. There are a handful more with pretty solid cases, and there are a few more that would be a super fun swerve. But which will Triple H and WWE’s writing staff actually pick? 

Will it be the (probably) returning Cody Rhodes? Will it be a celebrity like The Rock? Will it be someone from Roman Reigns’ own bloodline like Sami Zayn or Jey Uso? What about a rising star like Gunther? I’ve picked who I think are the 20 most likely possibilities and ranked them. Now SHOOOOOOOSSSSHHHH and let me get to my picks...

20. The Miz

You’d have to give me a thousand to one odds on The Miz winning The Royal Rumble to put any money down, but I’m putting him on this list because he’s one of the few people on the entire roster that consistently generates heat from the crowd. Always has and probably always will. That means something. The fact that we can all visualize The Miz winning The Rumble and spending the next two months on television bragging about how awesome he is, only to get heckled and screamed at by the crowd means something. He’s just capable of playing out any storyline, whether it’s a Money In The Bank briefcase, a feud with a new celebrity or a ridiculous, borderline stupid midcard plot.

I’d love to see The Miz have one more run with the big belt. I’m not saying he needs to have some epic year long reign, but he could do a lot with two or three months on top of the ticket. I think he might get his chance at some point too, but it’ll be after Roman Reigns drops at least one of the belts and the creative possibilities open up a bit more. 

19. John Cena

Rumor has it WWE wants Roman Reigns and Dwayne Johnson to potentially face off at WrestleMania 39 given it’s in Los Angeles. That sounds like a great plan, but if The Rock isn’t ready to drop the People’s Elbow for whatever reason, do you know who else is a big star in Hollywood? The Face of WWE John Cena. He got in the ring on the last Smackdown of 2022 and delivered WWE its best ratings in years. That dude loves wrestling, and you know he’d be down to play a key role in WrestleMania if his schedule allows it. 

Cena has won 2 Royal Rumbles in the past, and it would certainly go over with some fans to see him surprise everyone and deliver some five knuckle shuffles. But, to me, it’s not smart to give a storyline as important as the Royal Rumble winner to someone who isn’t going to be around long-term. Even if Cena were to agree to stay for the Road To WrestleMania between late January and April, he’d almost certainly be leaving after ‘Mania to go back to Hollywood. Plus, even though it’s always a joy to see him come back, it’s not quite as special as some of the other former guys, given he’s done plenty of appearances and runs since he first left. As such, I'd rather see WWE pay off the rumors and have him fight Austin Theory. 

18. Austin Theory

A lot of people predicted Austin Theory would fall on hard times after Vince McMahon left. For a little while, that fall from grace seemed like it was happening too. He lost quite a few matches and dropped his Money In The Bank briefcase trying to cash it in on the United States Championship. His follow-up explanation promo was excellent, however, and he’s been feuding with Bobby Lashley and Seth Rollins in the time since, which is great news. 

Whether you think McMahon was pushing Theory too hard or not, the dude has so much natural talent. He’s terrific inside the ring, and his microphone work is already better than 2/3rds of the people in the company. He’s one of the biggest long-term assets WWE has, and I’m really glad Triple H is recognizing that and keeping him involved in key storylines, as well as letting him hold the United States Championship. I think it’s far too soon to give him a Rumble victory, but the fact that he’s even on this list is a credit to where he’s at.

17. Bobby Lashley

Bobby Lashley and a handful of other guys like Drew McIntyre and Sheamus are victims of Roman Reigns’ over the top success. Were he only holding one of the belts, the other one would undoubtedly be held by one of the other main eventers and another would likely be actively feuding for the title. Since Roman holds both belts, however, there are less total people involved in the title picture.

Lashley still gets a terrific pop when he comes out though, and he’s one of the few guys on the roster who feels like he could beat anyone on any given day. I’d personally like to see him back with MVP and The Hurt Business, which they've been teasing. That would give his character a bit more direction and maybe lead to another title push down the road. I don't think he'll win The Rumble, but it could be a chance for him to take a bit step forward and get some character development. 

16. CM Punk

I don’t know what I’m doing here. CM Punk probably shouldn’t be on this list. I don’t even know if his well-documented issues with AEW have been resolved to the point where he could make an appearance even if he wanted to. But part of the goal of The Royal Rumble is to generate buzz for WrestleMania, and I can’t imagine anything else that would generate more buzz than a surprise appearance by CM Punk. Wrestling Twitter would be unstoppable for weeks. 

Even if you set aside all the possible legal issues, though, I wouldn’t put CM Punk much higher than this because I don’t think having him win the Rumble necessarily makes sense. CM Punk back in WWE is the story. He doesn’t need to win the Rumble to generate buzz, and I don’t think you’d go from 0 to 60 and book him with Roman Reigns at ‘Mania. He could wrestle a mid-carder who is over like The Miz and get a gigantic fan response. Stone Cold Steve Austin and Kevin Owens didn’t need a championship match to create a moment last year.

15. Roman Reigns

Wait, is Roman Reigns going to enter the Royal Rumble? Probably not. The champion rarely participates in the Rumble, but it happens on occasion and a Roman Reigns win would solve a lot of problems regarding his WrestleMania opponent. Rumors have swirled for awhile that WWE’s preference would be to have him face The Rock, but as champion, he is going to need to face whoever wins the Rumble, unless there’s some shenanigans later on that might piss off fans. If Reigns were to win himself, however, he could pick his own opponent and choose his cousin The Rock. 

The only reason I don’t have this higher, however, is that WWE needs to be careful about how dominant they make the Tribal Chief. Yes, Reigns is the biggest story in wrestling right now and for good reason. He’s a freakin’ star, and it’s obvious how over he still is every single time he shows up. Every bit of his extended title run has been deserved, but he’s not a prime Stone Cold Steve Austin and he hasn’t proven popular enough to change the overall fortunes of the wrestling business. He’s simply a huge star in the middle of a brilliant run, and in my opinion, putting both belts on him and having him win the Rumble is just asking fans to start turning on him. Wrestling is bigger than any one performer.

14. Jey Uso

Jey Uso has done some of the best work of his entire career over the past few years. His character, with a scared deference to Roman Reigns and at first a mistrust and later an embrace of Sami Zayn, is so complicated and well-developed. Wrestling stories don’t normally dig this deep emotionally, and other wrestlers should take a lesson from him on how to do character work. It’s been excellent.

Now, is that going to translate into a Rumble victory? Probably not. The Usos have their own storylines with the Undisputed Tag Team Championships, and I’m sure there are other stories Triple H would rather tell. That being said, the fact that you could so easily course out a compelling narrative here is a testament to everyone involved in the Bloodline. Imagine if Jey won. What would Jimmy’s reaction be? What would Sami’s reaction be? How about Roman? I would love to watch it.

13. Logan Paul 

I’m not sure what to do with Logan Paul or how highly I should be rating him on a list like this, but given the timeframe on his injury, he should be coming back somewhere around The Royal Rumble. And given how spectacularly he has overperformed in his three matches and how much star power he brings with him, he always has to be considered a contender for something bigger. Such a huge push like this would likely involve him having to make a commitment to do wrestling full-time. That seems unlikely, but he reportedly did redo his contract to make a bigger commitment and work more dates. So, we’ll see.

I think what’s more likely going to happen, if he comes back from injury at The Rumble, is we’ll see him go on a nice little run, eliminate a few people and then start a feud with either one of the people who eliminated him or someone he eliminated. I’d expect a high mid-carder like Damian Priest, who would seem more physically imposing than The Miz but is also someone WWE would conceivably let him beat at WrestleMania. 

12. Sheamus

Talk about a career renaissance. Sheamus seemed destined to keep sliding down the mid-card until he found new life alongside Ridge Holland and Butch over the last year as the Brawling Brutes. They went from getting like two and a half minutes against The New Day at ‘Mania 38 to main eventing Survivor Series War Games against The Bloodline. That tremendous run also included a match of the year candidate for Sheamus against Gunther at Clash At The Castle, as well as an incredible 3 v 3 match at Extreme Rules with Imperium. 

Absent any clear stories to tell, Sheamus would be an excellent candidate to win his second Royal Rumble this year. And some years there aren’t any clear stories to tell. But that’s not this year. WWE is overflowing with possible directions to go in, and I think a Sheamus arc just isn’t going to look as appealing. That being said, I fully expect The Celtic Warrior to do some damage and get some nice little moments. He’s earned it.

11. Braun Strowman

I don’t know what to make of Braun Strowman since he returned to WWE. He’s getting really good pops and engagement with the crowd, but he feels quite detached from the main event scene and the storylines going on there. He’s currently feuding with Gunther, but it’s hard for me to imagine Gunther losing the Intercontinental Championship anytime soon. So, if he comes out on the wrong end of that feud, can he really progress to the main event? That doesn’t seem to logically track. So, he’ll probably end up with a feud with a higher end performer outside the main event scene like Bobby Lashley, Drew McIntyre or Sheamus.

That being said, I’m not going to write him off on The Rumble. He, of course, won the unofficial Greatest Rumble in Saudi Arabia and should always be viewed as a threat to win anytime he’s in the ring, no matter who it’s against. I suspect we’ll probably see him come in like a house of fire, only to get gang eliminated Omos-style by 5 or 6 people working together. That’ll keep him looking strong.

10. Randy Orton

We don’t know exactly when Randy Orton might return from his back injury. I tend to think he won’t be around for The Rumble, but if “Voices” hits over the loud speaker, people will lose their freakin’ minds in the crowd. He was white hot over when he got injured and had to step away back in May, and if you want to know how over he still is, watch how much bigger of a reaction his tag team partner Riddle was getting when he did one of Orton’s moves versus one of his own.

There are lots of fans who probably have different preferences for who they’d like to see win The Rumble. We’ll get to most of these candidates in a minute, but I think it’s a testament to Orton that I think pretty much everyone would be happy with him winning. They might prefer Cody Rhodes or The Rock or Sami Zayn or some of these contenders later, but I think an Orton return and win would bring a smile to every single person’s face.

9. Drew McIntyre

I’m still a bit shocked WWE didn’t put Drew McIntyre over at Clash At The Castle. So much seemed to be lining up in his favor. Roman Reigns was stepping back and doing less appearances. He was in front of a ravenous home crowd that wanted to give him his British Bulldog at SummerSlam '92 moment. Given how he essentially carried WWE during lockdown, many felt he deserved a big thank you moment in front of a live audience. But it wasn’t to be. He lost, which begs an obvious question: then why would he win the Royal Rumble?

Wrestling is about creating moments and then paying them off. You put in months of prep work to create a match the crowd is invested in. The winner of The Rumble will face Roman Reigns at WrestleMania in the main event, and it’s impossible to imagine that moment could possibly be bigger than the Clash At The Castle one. So, it just doesn’t seem like a good option. That being said, he’s Drew McIntyre, one of the biggest stars the company has, and he’s going to be a threat to win any Rumble he’s in.

8. Brock Lesnar

I have no reason to think Brock Lesnar is going to show up at The Rumble, except that he’s either the biggest or second biggest star WWE has and The Rumble is the second biggest event of the year. He, of course, won the last installment to set up the main event of WrestleMania 38, but it’s hard to imagine Triple H and company will want to tell the same main event story again this year. I love both, but WWE has only run back the same main event a few times in ‘Mania’s history, mostly recently with The Rock vs John Cena back in 2013.

But Brock Lesnar is Brock Lesnar. Every single person employed by the company wishes they had his resume and pop culture crossover appeal, and he’s always going to be a threat to main event any single card he agrees to participate in. I assume he’s going to be at WrestleMania, which means he’ll need something very important to do. I don’t think it’ll be main eventing again with Roman Reigns, but I’m not going to write the possibility off, especially after how awesome SummerSlam '22 was.

7. Bray Wyatt

Bray Wyatt has a separate match at The Royal Rumble against LA Knight, who, by the way, is terrific and should keep getting pushed. I don’t expect to see Wyatt in the actual Rumble because I think they want to take a lot more time with the Uncle Howdy storyline. Figuring out what’s going on with him and where his character is headed long-term feels a lot more important than The Rumble. But you can’t ever count out guys who are extremely buzzy and over with the crowd. Apart from dudes returning, is there anyone else who would get a bigger reaction if their music hit during The Rumble? I don’t think so.

Wrestling is about a lot more than just the main event though. You need to fill the rest of the card, and in that way, Wyatt figuring out what the hell is going on with him since his return is a huge asset. It seemingly exists outside the standard hierarchy and doesn’t need other A-list performers to matter. It’s not the main event, but the fans care deeply about what’s going on. WWE is going to want to extend that as long as it can, because if and when it combines with the main event/Roman Reigns, then there are less total things on the show fans are interested in.

6. Kevin Owens

Kevin Owens is due to wrestle Roman Reigns in a big spot. The two have been feuding as part of the ongoing Sami Zayn Bloodline story for awhile, and it feels like their confrontation is coming to a head… which is why they’re booked to wrestle each other at The Royal Rumble. Were it not for that match, Owens would be even higher on this list. He did a spectacular job during his main event match with Stone Cold during night one of WrestleMania 38, and WWE could certainly trust him if he was put into a big spot again this year. Here’s the case for it.

Kevin Owens loses during the first match at The Royal Rumble, probably via Bloodline interference. Then he shocks everyone by returning during The Rumble, shouting about how he’s going to get vengeance and another crack at Roman Reigns. He wins The Rumble and then spends the next few months on TV assembling his own backing support to keep The Bloodline away during ‘Mania. It’s a pretty worthwhile story. It’s just not as good as the next ones (and also probably too close to what WWE did last year with Lesnar at The Rumble).

5. Seth Rollins

Seth Freakin' Rollins is getting huge reactions from the crowd in the middle of a feud for the United States Championship. Imagine how much more magnified those reactions would be if the Visionary was on the road to the main event at WrestleMania. Fans would be screaming his theme song and cheering every little thing he was doing in the ring. And he’s doing so much right in the ring. That’s the best thing about Seth Rollins. He’s spectacular on the microphone. He’s very fundamentally sound in the ring. He can do all the flippy flops, as Braun Strowman would say, but he also choreographs his match out in such a way that it allows him to be a spectacular troll and create tons of little winks to the audience.

Seth Rollins is, for me, the absolute best wrestler on the planet. He does so many things well, and I’d love to see him rewarded with another big moment like winning The Rumble and main eventing WrestleMania. It’s probably not going to happen because it doesn’t play into a current storyline, but it would be so cool to see him and Roman Reigns work ‘Mania given their long Shield past and Rollins’ beloved Money In The Bank cash-in at WrestleMania 31.

4. Gunther

Gunther is the monster heel to end all monster heels. He’s a throwback from another era that somehow fits perfectly into this one too. He’s must watch television every single time he’s on, and his entire presentation with Imperium works so freakin’ well. I think he’s going to have multiple extended reigns with one of the big belts during his time in WWE, and I think if all goes well, he could go down as an all-time legend of the sport.

Plus, with the prestige of the Intercontinental Championship restored thanks to tons of great matches from Gunther, it would be a delight to see ‘Mania main evented by another WWE Champion vs Intercontinental Championship match like at WrestleMania 6 with Ultimate Warrior vs Hulk Hogan. I can just imagine the promos where Roman Reigns talks about how he’s going to win every belt the company has before he’s done, and I can imagine Gunther staring right back at him. 

3. The Rock

We’ve all heard the rumors. WWE and The Rock apparently have a shared interest in him main eventing WrestleMania 39 which just so happens to take place in Los Angeles. The obvious match would have him wrestling his cousin Roman Reigns to see who the real Head Of The Table is. Unfortunately, that’s currently complicated for logistical reasons. Roman Reigns holds both of the major WWE titles, which means, barring a change in circumstance, he will be facing the Rumble winner at ‘Mania. That leaves WWE with three choices if they want Reigns and The Rock to happen: Reigns can lose one or both of the belts, he can wrestle once on each night or The Rock can win The Royal Rumble.

The Rock won the Royal Rumble all the way back in 2000. I don’t necessarily love the idea of having him win The Rumble again this year, given he’s not likely to be around after ‘Mania, but if The Rock is willing to come back and work for a few months to set up a truly epic main event to remember at Hollywood WrestleMania, I think most fans would sign up for that in a second. Besides, it’s not like everyone loved The Rock because he did all the moves perfectly in the ring. No one is expecting him to look like a prime Mr. Perfect. The People’s Elbow is maybe the dumbest signature move ever, but it all works because of his charisma, which he’s only improved since becoming a movie star. So, I have full confidence he can still put on a hell of a match in his own way.

2. Sami Zayn

What was Sami Zayn doing last year at the Royal Rumble? Oh, that’s right. He was in a feud with Johnny Knoxville from Jackass. I loved it, by the way. It was a lot of fun and later led to one of WrestleMania 38’s most memorable matches (and an epic Wee Man bodyslam), but we both know damn well that was the most mid-card storyline ever to exist on the mid-card. It was fabulous and I wouldn’t change a thing, but it didn’t even have a vague relationship to anything at the top of the card.

You know what’s not mid-card city? Winning the freakin’ Royal Rumble. And we are all sitting ringside in a world in which Sami Zayn could possibly win The Royal Rumble. He’s easily one of the most over guys on the entire roster, and he’s spent the last few months slowly proving his loyalty to Roman Reigns. Him winning The Royal Rumble would be a pretty natural extension of that storyline. Imagine he wins and Roman laughs in his face and is super dismissive. Or maybe he tells him he needs to lay down and lose on purpose or give up his title shot? There are so many options. All of them good.

1. Cody Rhodes

Since practically the moment Cody Rhodes got hurt around Hell In A Cell, more long-term focused wrestling fans were pointing to a possible return at The Royal Rumble. The storyline seemed to write itself. The prodigal son returned home to WWE with a goal of capturing the title that eluded both him and his father. He got over with the crowd, rattled off wins and seemed destined for his chance at Roman Reigns. Then he got hurt and was out for months. What could possibly be more perfect than having him return at Royal Rumble, win and get a title shot at WrestleMania? How could anything top that? 

If Dwayne Johnson wasn’t possibly coming back with an eye to Main Event WrestleMania 39. If the Sami Zayn/ Jey Uso/ Roman Reigns Ucey storyline wasn’t the hottest thing in wrestling right now. If the entire world wasn’t looking at this event and thinking damn, Cody makes a lot of sense to win here, possibly creating pressure on the writing team to swerve. If people weren’t singing Seth Rollins’ theme song. If Gunther wasn’t engineered in a lab to be an all-time talented monster heel. If. If. If. If all of those options weren’t options, it would for sure be him. But they are options and really good ones.

I think Cody Rhodes is the right man to win the Rumble, and all signs point to him returning. I want that for him and his career, and I think it makes the most sense given the story told over the last year. I think he’s the most likely of every one of these possibilities outlined above. He belongs in this spot. But would I risk large amounts of money on it? No. Because there are just so many good choices this year. 

Some things you might be wondering before we wrap this up...

Where's Riddle? 

The original version of this list included Riddle. He might technically be out of rehab and available for The Royal Rumble, but I refuse to believe WWE would reward him for an alleged failed drug test by putting him over in The Rumble. That doesn’t make any sense at all. Had that not happened, however, he would have been somewhere in the 10-15 range. 

And what about AJ Styles?

I also removed AJ Styles given his recent ankle injury. I remain convinced he has one more big push left, but given he’s been stuck around the mid-card, he would have been near the bottom of the list but still on it because he's AJ Styles. 

Also... about some other people who didn't make the list:

I am high on some other people who didn’t make the final list like Finn Bálor, Montez Ford, Bron Breakker and Karrion Kross, but it was just too difficult to mentally make a case for why they were better candidates than the others on the list. I'll also shout out Chad Gable who is an absolute delight and deserves better than putting people over every week.

The Royal Rumble is the next upcoming premium live event in WWE's calendar. It'll take place on January 28th, 2023, and it can be watched with a Peacock subscription. Premium starts at only $4.99 a month, which, as anyone who ever ordered a pay per view from WWE can tell you, is a spectacular price. 

The WWE is really struggling to keep its biggest stars in the ring on a consistent basis, as it seems that more and more wrestlers are away for various reasons. Now, on the heels of Cody Rhodes pausing his magnificent return to the WWE to repair a freaky-looking torn pec, it sounds like yet another major superstar will spend more time away dealing with an injury. Randy Orton, who hasn’t been on television for almost a month now, is at the center of reports claiming he's likely the next to be sidelined from action for a while. 

Randy Orton was last seen on TV when RK-Bro lost their tag-team titles to The Usos on SmackDown back on May 20th. Fans initially suspected Orton was just taking scheduled time off, but recent reports from Fightful Select imply that WWE execs fear that he might be out for the rest of the year. Orton is allegedly suffering from a back injury that was possibly plaguing him even before he left. 

The WWE legend reportedly had some “work” done in an attempt to improve his back ahead of the tag-team title unification match, but it’s unclear what that means exactly. It’s unknown at this time what injury Orton might be suffering from specifically, but he's apparently getting worse, and there are said to be worries that he'll need surgery. If that’s the case, Orton will likely be sidelined for the rest of 2022. 

It’s understandable why anyone within the WWE would be nervous about losing Randy Orton for the rest of any given year, especially with the recent rumors about Roman Reigns’ upcoming opponents. Reigns, who hasn’t been prominent on TV or pay-per-views much as of late, is reportedly scheduled to defend the Universal and WWE titles at SummerSlam. Previous rumors mentioned Orton was his planned opponent for that matchup, but if "The Viper" is out for the rest of the year, another opponent will need to be found. 

Rumors that Randy Orton might be injured are hard to hear. The wrestler celebrated the 20th anniversary of his WWE debut this year and enjoyed a helluva babyface run with his tag-team partner Riddle. For him to be gone the rest of the year would hurt RK-Bro, which is one of the most entertaining tag teams in wrestling as of late. Right now, it's alleged that Riddle could take on the plans WWE had for Orton if he can't return, which might be interesting to see. 

It’s also worth mentioning that losing someone like Randy Orton also vastly reduces the pool of main event talent that the WWE has available at the moment. Roman Reigns isn’t doing a lot of shows, Cody Rhodes is injured, Charlotte Flair is taking time off, and Sasha Banks and Naomi haven’t been on the small screen since their suspension. This is to say that the brand is hurting for available star power, which might give some fans pause about attending live events in the near future.

Fortunately, there’s still a good number of available talent for fans to see, and even a guaranteed appearance by John Cena is just around the corner. All these injuries and absences, however, might cause a stir in previous behind-the-scenes plans as far as what the WWE originally planned for storylines. This means unexpected wrestlers could get opportunities in the near future, so it’ll be interesting to see who rises in the ranks in the coming weeks. 

Though WWE superstar Randy Orton may have stepped away from televised events, anyone with a Peacock premium subscription can revisit the litany of his matches that are streaming on the platform whenever they wish. In the meantime, continue to keep an eye on what’s happening on Monday Night Raw and SmackDown, as it could help clue in who’s taking home that briefcase at the Money in the Bank pay-per-view. 

The WWE has gotten a lot of mileage out of the tag-team RK-Bro, and that’s thanks in large part to the wonderful chemistry of Randy Orton and Riddle. The two appear destined for a shot at taking control of both tag-team titles, though that might never happen based on new rumors swirling about. Unfortunately, certain claims have surfaced pointing to the wrestling organization allegedly working towards breaking up RK-Bro and inciting a feud between the two. 

There’s apparently growing evidence that RK-Bro might split, and the "proof" lies in their recently televised matches. WrestlingNews.co brought up the duo’s latest title defense on Monday Night Raw, in which they nearly lost the match due to a “miscommunication.” Tag teams getting out of sync are often precursors to a gamechanging split, and while such instances are not always a guarantee, it can hint at the start of trouble brewing between two athletes.

Another potentially big sign of trouble with RK-Bro's future is Riddle’s increased use of the RKO, a finisher that's served as Randy Orton’s signature move for decades. Orton noted on Raw Talk that Riddle needs to return to his own finisher, the “Bro Derek,” and while he said the following in a joking matter, it’s clear there's some growing tension between the lines: 

It sounds like Randy Orton is growing a bit envious of his tag-team partner (it’s the camel incident all over again), and WWE fans know historically that Orton’s character doesn’t like to feel like anything less than the top dog. Should Riddle start to cast a shadow on his partner's spotlight a bit too much, I think we’ll soon see The Viper make the core turn turn kick off a feud between the two.

The WWE reportedly always planned for a feud between Riddle and Randy Orton, but those ideas were stalled when their odd-couple dynamic quickly made the pair one of the most popular tag teams in the WWE. Splitting them now would ultimately allow both superstars to return to singles competition, and could even bump Riddle into main event status following this successful tag-team pairing. 

Earlier rumors made it sound like the WWE contemplated letting Riddle win the Royal Rumble earlier this year, and with Roman Reigns taking some time away from the WWE in the near future, the main event scene could potentially see some growth via new champions. Riddle might not be the choice for the WWE or Universal Championships just yet (even if he is deserving), but a feud with Orton, in addition to others like Seth Rollins and Cody Rhodes, could solidify him as a true main event contender. 

Of course, Randy Orton has and will likely remain towards the top of the WWE for the rest of his career. Breaking up the tag team allows him to continue working with other top talent, but in a singles capacity rather than a tag team. Orton is a great tag-team partner, but anyone with a Peacock premium subscription can look up his best singles matches and confirm that is where he truly shines in the WWE. As sad as it might be for fans to see RK-Bro split, this might be the best way forward for both men in the long run. 

Monday Night Raw airs on USA on Mondays at 8:00 p.m. ET. Now is the time to keep a close eye on RK-Bro for hints as to whether the WWE will split them up before they unify the tag-team titles, or we’re all just reading too deeply into a potential split. 

We’re only days away from WrestleMania Backlash, which means it’s time to put my forecasting hat on (think 80s era Slick) and make some predictions about what’s going to happen. For some of the matches, that feels pretty easy based on the storylines we’ve seen so far and what makes sense to develop moving forward. For other matches, however, it’s not exactly Drew McIntyre and Happy Corbin levels of obvious. I’m not even sure Vince McMahon and company are a hundred percent on who is gonna win all the slobberknockers yet.

But alas, I’ll power through. My predictions for WrestleMania 38 actually went pretty well. I was 11/15 on my guesses which isn’t bad given a few bizarre decisions WWE made like having New Day lose after Big E broke his freakin’ neck. This premium live event I’m not quite as confident about, but I’ve got some theories and a few matches I’m gonna squash like I'm Veer Mahaan delivering vicious clotheslines. So, let’s sprint out of the back Ultimate Warrior style and get into it…

Charlotte Flair (Champion) vs Ronda Rousey in an I Quit Match

This is, without question, the match I’m most intrigued about on the card, at least from a where-is-this-going standpoint. Ronda Rousey is a huge name and a terrific athlete. She usually gets a big initial pop when her music hits, and at times, she looks good in the ring. She should be the type of star you build premium live events around, but something isn’t totally clicking right now. Something needs to change about the way she’s being presented. Maybe a manager or a heel turn or something.

If WWE still looks at Ronda Rousey as a star that could be one of its biggest draws, I don’t think you can make her lose an I Quit match to Charlotte Flair. Submissions are her thing, and she already lost, albeit in a protected way, at ‘Mania to Flair. Two consecutive losses, the second by her preferred style, would probably drop her to the mid-card given there are so many talented women right now they’re outrageously just leaving Alexa Bliss on the sidelines. But not losing means winning and winning means picking up the SmackDown Women’s Championship. Should they really be giving the belt to someone in the midst of a run that’s not really working that well?

I don’t know. I think the right move, from a short-term analysis perspective, is to keep the belt on Charlotte. She’s better and you shouldn’t reward someone with a belt that’s only marginally over with fans. The right long-term decision, however, is to salvage Ronda if you can. She could still be a star. Sometimes it does work. I’d love to see WWE give her a manager and turn her heel in some fashion during this match, which would allow her to change her attitude and presentation. I think she’ll win, but I don’t think we’ll get the hell turn that's really needed.

Predicted Winner: Ronda Rousey via submission.

Happy Corbin Vs Madcap Moss

Madcap Moss is way more over with live event fans than I ever would have guessed. He’s gotten some real pops from the crowd, but I personally think those pops have more to do with people hating Happy Corbin than anything he’s really doing. Corbin is quietly one of the best heels the company has, and if he’s getting clowned, people are going to root big for whoever is clowning him. So, my preference here is that Corbin wins. I want to keep him relatively strong. I’m not saying he should be fighting Roman Reigns at an upcoming premium live event, but I’d love to see him stick around the mid-card and maybe have a run with one of the lesser belts. He can draw boos, and fans would get behind screaming at him for a few months while he brags about how cool he is.  

But I’m worried WWE may try to build Madcap. I’m not saying it’s impossible he could get over outside of Corbin’s orbit, but I just don’t think one joke followed by obnoxious laughing is enough of a gimmick. He’s a pretty good wrestler and has a terrific build. There’s an alternate presentation that could definitely work, but this current one with all the random thumbs up gestures after big moves isn't working for me. It seems like it’s doing it for the WWE writers though; so, there's a real shot he could win. I’m going to predict Corbin because I’m a shameless and biased superfan of everything he’s doing, but I don’t feel good about this prediction at all.

Predicted Winner: Corbin via pinfall.

Bobby Lashley vs Omos

It seems like WWE is burying Omos. They had him lose clean to Bobby Lashley at WrestleMania. Then, after giving him MVP as a manager which seemed like a potential win, they had him lose, of all things, an arm wrestling contest. If you had big, long-term hopes for a gigantic, physically imposing dude, it doesn’t seem like you’d have him lose arm wrestling matches on TV, right? 

I think it’s as simple as this: if Omos loses, something about him has to change. He needs to disappear for awhile, get repackaged or move back to the tag division. His whole identity right now is hating Bobby Lashley, even using his old manager, and Lashley already beat him clean at ‘Mania. If he beats him again, Omos is going to lose whatever mystique he has left and not really serve any kind of purpose.

Unfortunately for Omos, however, I think he is going to lose, and I don't even think it's going to be competitive. Lashley is going to beat him up and then put him in the Hurt Lock. WWE seems to want to build Lashley back into a main event contender, and he’s not going to do that continuing his feud with Omos. So, I think Omos gets rolled and then we see a repackaging, which I'm fine with. Omos has an amazing look, but he needs to get a bit smoother in the ring.

Predicted Winner: Bobby Lashley via submission. 

AJ Styles Vs Edge

Damian Priest played a key role in Styles and Edge’s WrestleMania match, but he’s banned from ringside this time around thanks to a recent loss to Styles where that was a stipulation. There have been rumors for a month or so about more people being added to their new stable Judgment Day, but that hasn’t happened so far. I predict we finally get that mystery third person, and that mystery third person (not Hulk Hogan, probably Rhea Ripley) interferes in the match and gets Edge the win. 

At least that’s what makes sense to me. I think Edge needs this win the most. AJ Styles may have a partnership brewing with Finn Balor. They could head to the tag team ranks and compete for those titles without a big momentum loss since that would be a new thing. Edge losing would seemingly pump the brakes on this very recent build they’re putting a lot of time into. So, unless the writers are losing confidence in Judgment Day, I think Edge needs to win or at least lose like he’s an Attitude Era main eventer that needs three consecutive finishers and a referee distraction to go down.

Predicted Winner: Edge via pinfall.

Cody Rhodes vs Seth Freakin’ Rollins

Cody is getting a superhero welcome every time he’s on TV. Crowds are chanting his name, and WWE is giving him a main event entrance presentation, as well as ample time on the microphone. The writers are also building a storyline about how he’s going to capture the WWE Championship for the first time for his dad, the American Dream Dusty Rhodes. It’s all getting over even better than expected with fans and barring an injury, will probably climax with that title shot against Roman or someone else at a huge upcoming premium live event.

Because of that, I just don’t see how you stop his momentum and have him lose at WrestleMania Backlash. Seth Freakin Rollins is great. His chaotic laughter and endless trolling are still over with fans. They’re still singing along with his catchy theme, but he doesn’t need this win. Plus, if he were to win, that means they’d have to wrestle a third time, and while the ‘Mania match was great, I think we all want to see Cody bounce around and work with some other people. So, I suspect they put on the best match of the Backlash card, but it ultimately ends the same way as the first time with a Cody victory.

Predicted Winner: Cody Rhodes via pinfall.

Drew McIntyre And RK-Bro vs The Bloodline (Roman Reigns And The Usos)

What happened here? We were going to get RK-Bro and The Usos to combine the tag titles. Now we have a six man tag match, the purpose of which seems to be delaying RK-Bro vs The Usos and Drew McIntyre vs Roman Reigns to later premium live events. I’m not saying that’s not a smart business decision or that this match won’t be fun to watch, but it feels like the stakes here are zero. No matter what happens, these teams will just continue feuding. So, unless Randy Orton gives Riddle the Sweet Chin Music and throws him into a barbershop window, the outcome is about as important as any random six man tag on SmackDown.

I’ve gotta choose a winner though, and since I think The Bloodline will come out on top in this larger feud eventually (unless WWE wants McIntyre to main event the European PPV Clash At The Castle with the title), I’m going to say RK-Bro and McIntyre get the better of this one. Roman definitely won’t get pinned, but i think the Bloodline goes down.

Predicted Winners: Drew McIntyre and RK-Bro via pinfall (Orton on Jey)

Other Predictions

This doesn't feel like enough matches, especially on the women's side. There are simply too many amazing women in WWE right now to get one match on a premium live event card. So, I suspect another match will be added tomorrow on SmackDown or we'll get some kind of major plot advancement. Maybe we'll finally see the long-awaited return of Bayley or we'll figure out whatever is going on with Alexa Bliss. Or maybe we'll get Rhea and Liv or Becky and Asuka, though they may be saving those for other events.

I'm not sure if you've been following Ezekiel. He's Elias' younger brother, who is definitely not Elias. He's been building some steam lately in programs with Kevin Owens and Chad Gable. I think there's a chance he gets something to do here too. Maybe we get a fun video package that cuts back and forth between Ezekiel and Elias in the same location without ever showing them together?

Randy Orton recently celebrated his 20th anniversary in the WWE on Monday Night Raw, marking a pretty legendary run for the stellar athlete. But after a night of RKO’s and congratulations from other stars in the company like Cody Rhodes, it was time for the real party to begin. After Orton settled down in his tour bus, the superstar celebrated in the same way that many folks around the world have been spending their time as of late, by playing the widely acclaimed video game Elden Ring. It turns out Orton is pretty good at the game, although that's probably an understatement 

For anyone out of the loop, Elden Ring is a popular game at the moment with a notoriously high difficulty curve, as crafted by the team at From Software, the makers of punishingly difficult games like Dark Souls. Randy Orton doesn’t immediately strike me as the type of guy to be into the fantasy storylines and lore of the game — not that many WWE superstars scream "RPG exploration hounds" — and I’d imagine others were shocked to discover the game has been a major part of his downtime outside of the ring. Check out how he offhandedly revealed his Elden Ring mastery on Twitter, after a fan disputing the distance it takes to travel from Knoxville, Tennessee, to St. Louis, Missouri. 

While it might have felt more fitting to see Randy Orton tearing things up on WWE 2K22, it’s a bit surprising to see him owning up to being not just an Elden Ring fan, but an Elden Ring pro. It's not wholly surprising in general, since the game was released to rave reviews, with George R.R. Martin’s involvement in the story undoubtedly helping draw further hype among newcomers to From's franchises. 

For anyone who might have assumed he just picked it up to putter around with for casual play here and there, that's certainly not the case.  Another fan asked Orton his rank or current level in the game, and the number Orton gave was absolutely jaw-dropping. 

Reaching Level 527 in Elden Ring is wild. To beat the game on a first run, most recommendations suggest being at level 120, while Randy Orton’s rank suggests he’s progressed well beyond that point and has possibly restarted the game under “new game+” mode a couple of times to further escalate to that lofty number. I’ve personally played over 50 hours and am only around level 122, so I can’t imagine how long and often Orton has played Elden Ring. Assuming he wasn't kidding, that is.

And of course, there are probably a few WWE and gaming fans wondering if Randy Orton used extraneous exploits to achieve that high of a level in Elden Ring. Starting at level 319, a player can level up if they possess over one million “runes," which are collected after enemies are defeated, and maintaining those runes requires not dying in-game. And that number climbs higher with each successive level. 

Assuming Randy Orton is accurate about his level, he’s spent around 551,076,409 runes leveling his character. There’s really no expressing to a non-gamer just how impressive that feat is, but I guess we should only expect perfection from someone like him. After all, Orton’s stayed at the top of WWE’s roster almost throughout the entirety of his career by consistently putting on some killer matches, is it any surprise he’d dominate and become an Elden Lord just as easily? Now, if only we could get From Software to add in an RKO finisher in the game to honor him, because this is something that really needs acknowledgment. 

As awesome as that feat is, Randy Orton is no doubt even more proud and pumped to be acknowledged for his accolades in his 20 years in the WWE, which Peacock premium subscribers can revisit at their leisure. Those who haven’t kept up on his work might be a bit surprised to see his tag-team partner Riddle and their odd-couple pairing in RK-Bro. The tag team is easily one of the best things on WWE television right now (especially that camel story), and it seems like the two men really like each other. In short, if you’re an old wrestling fan but a current Elden Ring fan who just popped in to read about Orton’s achievements in the game, now might be the time to jump back into watching the WWE. 

Monday Night Raw airs over on USA on Mondays at 8:00 p.m. ET. Catch The Viper Randy Orton and all sorts of other superstars there, though, probably not playing video games. 

It’s been a chaotic build to WrestleMania 38. We’re now just days away from the biggest wrestling show of the year, and the majority of the card is locked into place like a figure-four from a prime Ric Flair . The big match is, of course, Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns who will be going title v title in a unification match. I'm still skeptical of WWE's decision here to give the winner one unified belt. I'd rather they be defended separately on each show, but alas, no one answers my emails.

Putting that insult aside, there’s a lot of intrigue up and down the card in both the men’s and women’s divisions. Right now there are fourteen matches scheduled for WrestleMania 38, as well as a Stone Cold Steve Austin appearance, which may be a real match or may just be a guy opening a can of whoopass during a talk show segment. I’m going to go through my predictions for all of it, which I would like to point out is what I think is going to happen, not what I want to happen. If it were what I wanted, we'd have a more positive outcome for Happy Corbin, who I inexplicably love for reasons I can't really explain.

WrestleMania 38 Night 1 Predictions

Becky Lynch (Champion) vs Bianca Belair for the Raw Women’s Championship

Big Time Becks made a surprise return at SummerSlam last year and squashed Bianca in 26 seconds. I still have no idea why this seemed like a good idea, as Belair is a rising star, was over with fans and had so much momentum at the time. Whatever. Someone thought it was a good idea, and it certainly elevated Lynch. I’ve moved on and can’t argue about this more. Anyway, she’s held a major belt ever since, and while she’s had matches with Belair, this is surely the biggest stage.

I like Bianca here. I think a showcase win would help her character move on from looking like Adam Bomb at WrestleMania X, and I think it’s time to give Becky something else to do besides defend this title and get whipped with hair. I don’t think it’ll be a squash, but I expect to see a clean pinfall and a title change.

Predicted Winner: Bianca Belair via pinfall.

Rey Mysterio And Dominik Mysterio vs The Miz and Logan Paul

The obvious pick here is Mysterio & Mysterio. Once The Miz stole Rey’s mask, there was a sense of like… Rey can’t lose this now. He’s got to defend his honor, right? But I’m not so sure anymore. The Miz lost clean on Monday, and I just feel like this story is a lot more interesting if he comes out on top. Plus, there are persistent rumors that Logan Paul may join the WWE Creative Team if this goes well. I’m not sure most wrestling fans are with me here, but I actually think, at least on paper, he’s a terrific fit for WWE long-term. 

Crowd reaction was skeptical during his recent segment where he gushed about Cleveland in Cleveland (at least compared to The Miz who still has it, by the way), but his mic work is quite good for someone who hasn’t interacted with a live wrestling crowd that many times. He’s a terrific athlete. He’s also a very natural heel given some fans already have negative feeling about him due to his pop culture image. I don’t know. This might be the stupidest guess of this entire predictions article, but I’ve talked myself into The Miz and Logan Paul. Maybe it'll spark some kind of Mysterio v Mysterio feud or maybe a story about Dominik earning his mask, which Moonsaulted around a little on Twitter.

Predicted Winners: The Miz and Logan Paul via pinfall (The Miz on Dominik).

Drew McIntyre vs Happy Corbin (With Madcap Moss)

This has to be McIntyre, right? It feels like he’s about to be built again. He finished second in the Rumble. He’s been winning pretty convincingly for the most part on TV. It feels like they talk about his sword more than some of the mid-tier guys on the roster. Its name is Angela by the way, in case the repeated reminders haven't stuck yet. I also have no real data for this, but it just feels like many of his intros are getting longer. Plus, we’ve been getting teases of a fracture in the dynamic between Moss and Corbin. There’s a real possibility Madcap could turn on Happy at ‘Mania.

That being said, I need to take a few seconds to gush about Happy Corbin. Love this dude. I get excited every time he comes on my TV. Something just works, and I need him to stick around the midcard. Just give him 10 to 15 minutes each week to brag about himself, beat up on a jobber or act like a coward against bigger opponents. I’ll also take some travel montages or some vignettes of him being an out of place rube. I suspect he’ll roll into a feud with Madcap Moss after he takes an L here, which I feel fine enough about. 

Predicted Winners: Drew McIntrye via pinfall. 

The Usos (Champions) vs Shinsuke Nakamura and Rick Boogs For The Smackdown Tag Team Championship

I like The Usos. I’ve enjoyed their extended reign, even if it involves some standing around behind Roman Reigns, but you can just feel WWE pushing Rick Boogs. He’s looked really strong lately and delivered some particularly aggressive Boogs Cruises. They’ve also been giving him a lot of pre-match time to interact with the crowd and do his call and response thing. Also, to lift people. He has lifted so many people. But the crowd keeps counting; so, I’ve got no problem with him doing it. We'd all lift people over our heads if we were capable and everyone around us chanted to 10 each time. Plus, Shinsuke is great. Pushing Shinsuke is a good idea basically every time. 

So, no offense to The Usos here, who I think should stay in the title picture, but the times they are a-changin. Boogs is over with most fans. His dynamic plays well with Shinsuke. I think we'll see some new champions. Also, from a storyline perspective, The Usos losing the belts is going to create interesting television with Roman, whether he wins or not. All of them down big together could be fun. Then again, him roasting them and stirring up resentment because he now has both belts and they have zero would also be fun.

Predicted Winners: Shinsuke Nakamura and Rick Boogs via pinfall (Boogs on Jey).

The New Day vs Sheamus And Ridge Holland (With Butch)

This feels like it has to be a New Day victory. Given Big E’s injury and the less than stellar record the team has historically had at WrestleMania, I think the obvious right move is giving them the victory. Butch is going to interfere. If this were a random TV episode, I'd assume his henchman-like ways would be the difference, but at a huge show like this, I think his interference will backfire, allowing The New Day to come out on top. Maybe there will be a quick interview where they dedicate the victory to Big E and tell him to get well soon.

I’m also interested in what’s going to happen with Sheamus, Ridge and Butch after they lose this match. Are they going to continue as a threesome? Are they going to start their own little mini-feud? Will we get a Sheamus, Ridge and Butch triple threat match? That could be a premium live event undercard. But nah. I don't think so. I think Sheamus will keep bringing in talent and form a stable. He’s still really good in the ring, but his strong mic work means he could be a fit to manage, as well. I'd love to see him as the leader of a gang that gets mad and does the job himself every once in awhile.

Predicted Winners: The New Day via pinfall (Kofi on Ridge).

Seth Freakin Rollins vs A Mystery Opponent

Everybody thinks this is going to be Cody Rhodes. I think it’s going to be Cody Rhodes, and if it is Cody Rhodes, he’s going to win a really close and exciting match. WWE is going to want to immediately introduce him at the main event or near main event level, and to do that, he both needs to look very good and he needs to win. So, I suspect we’ll see a really exciting match with lots of fun spots. Rollins will do fun Seth Rollins things, but Rhodes will prevail in the end.

Of course there’s always the chance this isn’t Cody Rhodes, and if it’s not, then who the hell knows what is going to happen here. The internet has been buzzing about it being Shane McMahon as the ultimate swerve/ middle finger to fans. Just imagine the chorus of boos. That would be an all-time troll job, but I don’t think WWE is going to willingly take that heat or give McMahon a prime ‘Mania match, especially after his appearance at the Royal Rumble allegedly caused backstage heat. I could see it being a surprise return like Bray Wyatt or someone on that level, but I’ll stick with Rhodes.

Predicted Winner: Cody Rhodes via pinfall.

Charlotte Flair (Champion) vs Ronda Rousey for the Smackdown Women's Championship

Rousey isn’t quite there on the microphone yet, but I think she’s improving and is definitely still over with fans. It’s hard to imagine she’d return to WWE, get this much screentime and not wind up with the belt. Plus, with the WWE women’s division deeper and better than it’s ever been (especially if/ when Bayley and Asuka return), it’s going to need shake-ups and changes. Putting the belt on Ronda would shuffle the deck, and it would allow Charlotte Flair to transition into a different storyline, hopefully one with an opponent that can more easily push back on the mic. 

I really hope they give this match time to breathe and really tell a story. I don’t want to see a squash. I want a good wrestling match that tells a story worthy of the extended build-up we’ve gotten and Ronda’s return. I think we’ll get it, and I think it’ll end in an ankle lock given how much that’s been directly discussed on the air. That should push Ronda's character into a more compelling direction post-Mania, and fingers crossed, it allows her to keep developing because she could be great.

Predicted Winner: Ronda Rousey via submission.

The KO Show With Stone Cold Steve Austin

Kevin Owens has been crushing it during this entire build-up to WrestleMania. His mic work has been stupendous (points to WM sign…), and his recent trolling of the crowd when he came out to Stone Cold’s music made the heel part of my soul happy. KO is one of the best wrestlers working today, and I can’t wait to see him interact with the Rattlesnake. He’s earned this moment. 

That being said, I have no idea what to expect out of this segment and/ or possible match. It's either going to be a few minutes of chit-chat, followed by a Stunner, middle fingers and cans of whoopass, all of which KO will oversell in the best way like a prime Mr. Perfect, or it'll turn into a real match. If that happens, fans will lose their minds, and one of the all-time greats will get a chance to give us one more all-time great match. I hope that happens, but anything Stone Cold wants to give us is a welcome surprise in my book. So, no predictions here.

Predicted Winner: I lied. I think it'll be a real match and Stone Cold will give us about 4 to 6 A- minutes, which will feel like an A+. 

WrestleMania 38 Night 2 Predictions

Queen Zelina & Carmella (Champions) vs Rhea Ripley & Liv Morgan vs Sasha Banks & Naomi vs Natlya & Shayna Baszler For The Women’s Tag Team Championship

I don’t know when the last time I was fired up about the women’s tag team division was, but I’m ecstatic at the amount of talent that’s been injected in lately. More than half of these women could be competing for the top belts, and we’re already starting to see some real chemistry develop, especially between Liv Morgan and Rhea Ripley, who are a delight and already have a banger hybrid entrance theme. How cool would it be if we had a really fun, high energy women’s tag match on most episodes of WWE programming? The talent is there, especially after Bayley and Asuka return. Just stick with it… and maybe give at least a few of these teams fun names.

It feels like this has to be either Rhea and Liv or Sasha and Naomi. No offense to the other teams here who are perfectly fine, but there's real upside for the entire division if it's the right twosome. I don't want the women's tag division to dissolve into nothing again! My money is on Sasha and Naomi, but that’s mostly because they were the initial surprise team that jumped into the division. Plus, Sasha Banks is Sasha Banks, and giving her a belt is almost always a good decision.

Predicted Winners: Sasha Banks and Naomi via submission.

Johnny Knoxville vs Sami Zayn

I was at the Royal Rumble earlier this year, and the pop Johnny Knoxville got from the crowd was very real and very loud, easily one of the biggest of the night. Throw in the fact that celebrities normally win WrestleMania matches, plus how tremendous Sami Zayn is at expressing shock and outrage, and this feels like a pretty definite Knoxville victory. Key qualifier here though: they need to keep Zayn semi-credible. That dude is a treasure. He should stay in the Intercontinental Championship picture moving forward. So, I suspect the win will involve outside interference from the Jackass guys or some other type of tomfoolery. 

The Anything Goes wrinkle certainly opens up a lot of possibilities. Given the celebrity involvement, I wouldn’t expect to see a terribly long match, but it should be goofy and fun. Plus we all know Knoxville has taken gnarlier bumps than anyone on the roster. That WTF is he going to do element adds a little more drama than we normally see from celeb matches too.

Predicted Winner: Johnny Knoxville via pinfall.

Pat McAfee vs Austin Theory

Boy this match really got dropped on us like a Vader Bomb, huh? It feels like it was put together to have another attraction that'll generate some steam. Pat McAfee is terrific on commentary and a damn good athlete. He's also very over right now. Austin Theory is a rising star, who is doing segments with Vince McMahon. He was put in the Elimination Chamber and picked to face Brock Lesnar at MSG. They're obviously higher than a Montez Ford frog splash on both. So, they thought let's feature 'em at 'Mania.

That's not the worst plan I've ever heard. I'm a little worried for Austin Theory long-term though. I know McAfee is a more agile than say Michael Cole, but it still feels weak for Theory to lose straight-up to an announcer with little in-ring experience. But is there really a scenario where they're gonna have a character like Theory beat Pat McAfee? The crowd would boo into the next match. They'd be throwing things on stage like when Hulk Hogan went heel. So, I think something untoward is going to happen here. I predict Shane McMahon interferences setting up some kind of mentor vs real son storyline. 

Predicted Winner: Pat McAfee via pinfall.

RK-Bro (Champions) vs Alpha Academy vs The Street Profits For The Raw Tag Team Championship

I don’t really think there’s a wrong answer here in terms of where WWE wants to go. All three of these teams are both very talented and over with the crowd. I also love each on a personal level. The weekly RK-Bro and Alpha Academy challenges were all kind of goofy fun, and the long-term potential of The Street Profits is enormous. All three of these teams have the talent and look to be on major premium live event cards for years to come. I probably like Alpha Academy the best because I can’t get enough of Chad Gable, but I’m truly fine with any outcome.

My gut tells me the WWE writers are going to use the end of this match to break-up RK-Bro. I know Randy Orton has talked about how happy he is and how much fun he’s having, but someone at WWE, whether it’s Vince McMahon or Bruce Prichard, loves breaking up a good tag team. So, I think RK-Bro breaks up after the match or we at least see major cracks form, which they’ve sorta been teasing.

Predicted Winner: The Alpha Academy via pinfall (Otis on Riddle).

Edge vs AJ Styles

I think the more important wrestler in the equation here is Edge. What is WWE’s long-term plans with Edge (and that blue light)? Do they want him on the mid-card or are they hoping to elevate him back to main event status? If they want him to be a major player and compete for the soon-to-be Unified Title, then I think he needs to win. He needs to establish himself as a mega-heel and come off looking really crazy and powerful. If they’re content with him leaving at the mid-card level, then what’s probably more important is just that this is a great wrestling match that fans enjoy.

I personally think they’ve still got big plans for Edge. He may not have fully capitalized off his 2021 Royal Rumble win, but that doesn’t mean he can’t still make it back to the top of the card. He’s in good shape. His mic work lately has been unhinged in a good, in-character way. I think they'll push him again.

Predicted Winner: Edge via pinfall.

Bobby Lashley vs Omos

I think most people are expecting Bobby Lashley to put an end to Omos’ dominance. That makes the most sense on paper. I mean… what’s the alternative? You rushed Bobby Lashley, a former champion who technically beat Brock Lesnar, back to lose to an inexperienced wrestler that’s been fighting handicapped matches on Raw? Why would you do that? You could have gotten Omos to the next level by turning in a dominant ‘Mania performance against someone like Damian Priest (who by the way, should be fighting Finn Balor this weekend but whatever).

But let’s say that is happening. Let’s say WWE brought Lashley back to get viciously punished by Omos. I mean… how scary would Omos look? You would immediately think he’s in line for a shot at the Unified Title at an upcoming premium live event, right? I don’t buy it, but maybe…

Predicted Winner: Bobby Lashley via pinfall.

Brock Lesnar (Champion) vs Roman Reigns (Champion) For Both Belts

Until recently, I was convinced Roman Reigns was going to win. I’ve been so convinced that I’ve been really dismissive of Brock Lesnar’s chances every single time I’ve referenced the match. But Lesnar has been tremendous the past few weeks. His mic work last Monday on Raw was so freakin’ good. I mean no one likes Paul Heyman more than I do. That dude is one of my favorite managers ever (shoutout Bobby Heenan), but Lesnar has been so smooth on the mic lately, I’m honestly starting to wish he would have ditched Heyman sooner. Cowboy Brock is all kinds of over, and his interaction with the crowd lately has felt effortless. It’s like he’s suddenly figured it all out. I don’t know how anyone wants to stop that momentum right now.

Roman Reigns, however, is also great. He’s been the best thing going in all of wrestling for the past few years. Unifying the belts and beating a legend like Lesnar while doing it would propel him into another tier of all-time greats. I really want that for him. I thought for sure he was going to get it, but I don’t know anymore. How long is Lesnar sticking around for? What’s the plan after the titles are unified? All of this would help provide clarity. Absent that, I’m going to stick with Reigns, but my confidence here is very low.

Predicted Winner: Roman Reigns via pinfall. 

Other Random Predictions:

I think we're going to see Alexa Bliss do something. I mean, what the hell is going on here? She's one of the best wrestlers on the entire roster. She doesn't seem to be injured. She needs to be at WrestleMania doing something productive.

I think a former WWE star other than Cody Rhodes is going to return. I don't know who it'll be, but I think someone shows up and sets Twitter on fire.

I think Steve Austin looks damn good and falls right back into the Stone Cold character like nothing changed.

WrestleMania is typically sold on its main event (or multiple headlining matches as of late), but for every John Cena vs. The Rock match and Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar saga that caps off the “Showcase of the Immortals,” there have been multiple great opening contests that are just as impactful. Over the years, we’ve seen heated fights between the Hart brothers, death-defying ladder matches involving some of the biggest stars, and other great WWE opening matches that have set the tone for their respective shows.

Below is a breakdown of 10 of the best WrestleMania opening matches, as well as a direct link to the shows on which they took place on the WWE Network on Peacock. There’s a lot to unpack in a short amount of time, so let’s jerk that curtain and get the show started.

Seth Rollins Vs. Finn Balor Vs. The Miz (WrestleMania 34)

WWE didn’t waste any time getting WrestleMania 34 going with a triple threat match that saw The Miz defend his Intercontinental Championship against Seth Rollins and Finn Balor. This instant classic gave the event a nice pace and provided for some great moments from each of the competitors over the course of 15 minutes. With multiple near-falls, shifts in momentum, and a strong sampling of each wrestler’s respective movesets, everyone came out of this one looking like a winner, especially Seth Rollins, who became a Grand Slam Champion with his first IC Title victory.

Stream WrestleMania 34 on Peacock.

AJ Styles Vs. Shane McMahon (WrestleMania 33)

Say what you will about Shane McMahon, but the fourth-generation wrestling figure knows how to put on a show with a death defying stunt, especially whenever he steps into the ring at WrestleMania. This was the case at WrestleMania 33, where the part-time wrestler squared-off against AJ Styles in an opening match that was way better than anyone expected. On top of the typical Shane O’Mac moves like the “Coast-to-Coast” and “Leap of Faith,” McMahon also pulled out a shooting star press in his attempt to defeat Styles, but it just wasn’t enough to best the “Phenomenal One.”

Stream WrestleMania 33 on Peacock.

WrestleMania 32 Intercontinental Championship Ladder Match

WrestleMania 32 was a slog of a show, and honestly felt like it would never end, especially the second half with multiple matches more than 25 minutes in length. But, it didn’t start out that way. No, the show started with one of the best ladder matches in recent memory with an amazing spectacle that saw Zack Ryder win his first Intercontinental Championship against Kevin Owens, Dolph Ziggler, The Miz, Sami Zayn, Sin Cara, and Stardust. In just 15 minutes, each of the competitors had their moment to shine with some painful bumps and countless offensive maneuvers involving the steel ladders.

Stream WrestleMania 32 on Peacock.

WrestleMania 31 Intercontinental Championship Ladder Match

WWE caught lightning in a bottle with the Intercontinental Championship ladder match that opened WrestleMania 31, a seven-man affair that saw Daniel Bryan defeat Bad News Barrett, Dean Ambrose, Dolph Ziggler, Luke Harper, R-Truth, and Stardust to capture his first IC strap and first title since being forced to vacate the WWE World Heavyweight Championship the previous year. The fast-paced match did a great job of setting the tone for the show as a whole and also gave several of the company’s biggest fan-favorites an opportunity to work together and make history.

Stream WrestleMania 31 on Peacock.

Daniel Bryan Vs. Triple H (WrestleMania 30)

WrestleMania 30 was mostly built around Daniel Bryan’s quest to win the WWE World Heavyweight Championship and defeat The Authority, and he did both of those in the same night. In order for Bryan, who was the hottest thing in professional wrestling at the time, to get into the main event match for all the gold, he first had to defeat Triple H in a singles match. This technical and back-and-forth match was hotly anticipated for months (Triple H cost Bryan the title at SummerSlam 2013), and told a tremendous wrestling story that set up the final chapter later that night.

Stream WrestleMania 30 on Peacock.

The Shield Vs. Randy Orton, Sheamus And Big Show (WrestleMania 29)

Five months after debuting at Survivor Series 2012, The Shield was given the opportunity to prove itself on the biggest stage: WrestleMania 29. A couple of years before the group’s members would become main event talent, Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins, and Roman Reigns went up against Randy Orton, Sheamus, and Big Show in a moment that felt like WWE’s version of the NWO invasion in WCW 17 years earlier. The unified front that was The Shield used their opponents’ lack of communication against them and proved they were an unstoppable force that was here to stay.

Stream WrestleMania 29 on Peacock.

Money In The Bank Ladder Match (WrestleMania 25)

Before Money in the Bank was given its own show, the match was held at WrestleMania each year, with one of the best being the eight-man ladder match that kicked off the 25th annual big event. The match, which saw CM Punk beat out a selection of the best up-and-coming and established stars, did a great job of getting the crowd into the show and provided some of the night’s biggest moments, like Shelton Benjamin diving from atop a ladder onto the rest of competitors down below. It was everything you’d want in an opener and more.

Stream WrestleMania 25 on Peacock.

Rey Mysterio Vs. Eddie Guerrero (WrestleMania 21)

Rey Mysterio and Eddie Guerrero met in the WrestleMania 21 opening match, which would be the latter’s final appearance at the “Granddaddy of them All” prior to his death in November 2006. The two tag-team partners put on a fast-paced and highly technical showing that felt a lot like their iconic encounter at Halloween Havoc 1996, and showed that they were still two of the best.

Stream WrestleMania 21 on Peacock.

John Cena Vs. Big Show (WrestleMania 20)

It is only fitting that John Cena, one of the greatest of all time, would make his WrestleMania debut in the world’s most famous arena: Madison Square Garden. Cena’s WrestleMania 20 opening match against United States Champion, Big Show, was one of the rising star’s biggest moments and showed the world that he was more than a flavor of the week. From the opening freestyle promo, to the Patrick Ewing Knicks jersey, to his strength in the ring, this one had it all.

Stream WrestleMania 20 on Peacock.

Owen Hart Vs. Bret Hart (WrestleMania 10)

WrestleMania 10 started off with one of the best matches of the night, year, and decade with the one-on-one fight between brothers Bret and Owen Hart, who put on a 20-minute clinic in front of a full house at Madison Square Garden. This bitter back-and-forth was the most personal of the matches on the card that night and arguably the best (if not tied with Razor Ramon and Shawn Michaels). The way the wrestlers played into their sibling rivalry was nothing short of masterful, and both came out looking better than before. 

Stream WrestleMania 10 on Peacock.

How will the opening matches at the two-night WrestleMania 38 compare to these? You’ll have to watch the big show yourself on April 2 and 3, but only if you have a Peacock Premium subscription.

The WWE delivered yet another quality show to wrestling fans in Saudi Arabia with Crown Jewel 2021, and the event provided quite a few moments that viewers won’t forget for some time. Among them was a hilarious entrance in which Matt Riddle, one-half of the tag-team duo RK-Bro, rode to the ring on the back of a camel. Now, nearly a month after the event, we’re learning that his partner Randy Orton also wanted in on the camel-riding action, but CEO Vince McMahon had one of his silly notions and shut the idea down. 

Matt Riddle recently talked about having swell time atop a camel at the WWE’s Crown Jewel pay-per-view, and told Metro many positive things about the experience. Riddle added that his tag-team partner and fellow WWE icon Randy Orton wasn’t too thrilled about how things played out for him, though, and it seems tied to the fact that hhis camel-riding request got a no from Vince McMahon. In his words:

There’s something hilarious about the idea that Randy Orton, known throughout his career as a “Legend Killer” and one of the toughest guys in the product, would be visibly upset that he wasn’t allowed to ride a camel. Of course, it’s because of his legacy and character within the WWE that Vince McMahon balked at the idea of him doing so. Then again, is there a rule saying someone can’t ride a camel if they’re a certain level of intimidating? 

Vince McMahon is known for some weird quirks, but it’s hard to disagree with his logic here. Matt Riddle riding a camel is one of the most memorable moments of Crown Jewel 2021, and it was over the top because it was only something that he did. 

While it probably wouldn't make anyone question their reality to see Randy Orton riding a camel, at least in the proper setting and not in the middle of a Canadian mall or something, Riddle’s goofy quasi-stoner persona made his entrance so much more hilarious because of all the questions that came with it. Having both of them taking animals to the ring would’ve watered down the overall effect, though it still probably would’ve been cool to see. Perhaps Orton will get to fly in on an eagle or get some other cool moment at Survivor Series to make up for McMahon's decision-making? 

Matt Riddle and Randy Orton appear on Monday Night Raw over at USA Mondays at 8:00 p.m. ET. I’m sure we won’t see either saddling up a camel anytime soon, but I do wonder what other surprises this odd couple tag-team has in store for its audience as their run continues.

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Since its inception in June 2009, the annual WWE Extreme Rules event is one of the best shows of the year, showcasing some of the more brutal matches and painful moments that are reminiscent of the Attitude Era and late ‘90s Extreme Championship Wrestling. Over the years, fans have watched as Brock Lesnar challenged John Cena in his first match in nearly a decade, witnessed Seth Rollins dive from the crowd onto multiple opponents, and other extreme moments. With Extreme Rules 2021 right around the corner, now is the perfect time to take a break and look back on some of the great moments from the event’s storied history.

John Cena Punches Brock Lesnar With His Chain-Wrapped Fist (Extreme Rules 2012)

Extreme Rules 2012, which took place at the famed Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois back in May 2012, is often regarded as not only as one of the best editions of the annual pay-per-view event but also one of the most memorable WWE shows of the modern era. With awesome matches like the two-out-of-three falls contest between Daniel Bryan and Sheamus, and the Chicago Street Fight between CM Punk and Chris Jericho, the main event Extreme Rules match between John Cena and a returning Brock Lesnar had to be great.

This match had something for everyone: technical mat-based wrestling, stiff punches, and plenty of weapons, including a steel chain that Cena wrapped around his fist before he punched a charging Lesnar. That blow was enough for Cena to put Lesnar in the Attitude Adjustment (on a set of ring steps) and get the 1-2-3.

Seth Rollins Jumps Off The Balcony Onto Evolution (Extreme Rules 2014)

Extreme Rules 2014 is another bright spot in the event’s history, and one of the reasons for that is the six-man tag team match between The Shield and Evolution. Although this wasn’t an Extreme Rules match, the two competing factions used the entire arena as their battlefield, where they waged war against one another.

Near the end of the match, Triple H and Randy Orton isolated Dean Ambrose from his teammates in the crowd and started putting a beating down on him while Batista took care of Roman Reigns in the ring. But, Evolution forgot about Seth Rollins (just one month before he turned against his longtime allies). As the camera pans up, you see Rollins standing on a balcony in the crowd just moments before he jumps off and takes out Triple H and Orton in spectacular fashion. Reigns is able to make quick work of the future Guardians of the Galaxy star in the ring, and The Shield claims another victory.

Randy Orton Brings Back The ‘Punt Kick’ Against Big Show (Extreme Rules 2013)

Extreme Rules 2013, a.k.a. the final edition of the event to be held exclusively on pay-per-view before the inception of the WWE Network (which has since been replaced with WWE Network on Peacock), is mostly remembered for being the night all three members of The Shield became champions (Dean Ambrose won the U.S. Title, while Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins captured the Tag Team Championship), but it was also the night Randy Orton brought back his feared “Punt Kick” against Big Show in The Viper’s hometown of St. Louis.

The only Extreme Rules match on the card, the one-on-one bout against the two WWE veterans was a hard-hitting affair that saw them resort to various weapons and situations in an attempt to get the upper hand. When Randy Orton couldn’t take down Big Show with two RKOs, he pulled out his old finishing move: the Punt Kick. Following a swift kick to the head, Big Show was out and Orton got the pinfall victory.

Ryback Tackles John Cena Through The Stage (Extreme Rules 2013)

Ryback is nothing but a distant memory for some WWE fans, and an unknown for others, but there was a stretch of time early in the heavyweight's run where he was one of the most exciting wrestlers on WWE TV. During his peak, Ryback was put into a feud with John Cena and one of the highlights of the brief rivalry was the Last Man Standing match at Extreme Rules 2013.

The painful match between the two beefed-up superstars was hard-hitting, and featured its fair share of memorable moments. The biggest of those, one that made Ryback look like an absolute beast, took place when Ryback tackled John Cena through a stage panel. That panel didn’t stand a chance, as the duo busted through it on their way to the ground. The match, however, ended in a no contest.

Everything About Jeff Hardy And Edge’s Championship Ladder Match (Extreme Rules 2009)

Extreme Rules made its debut in June 2009 and featured a Ladder match between Jeff Hardy and World Heavyweight Champion Edge. Going into the match, the WWE superstars had a shared history that went all the way back to October 1999, and both are still in the list of the top five who’ve competed in most matches of that type. Despite the high expectations going in, the bitter rivals did not disappoint.

Everything about this match is still great 12 years later. After beating each other on ladders, with ladders, and around ladders, the match finally ends with Edge getting stuck in one of them, allowing Jeff Hardy to climb up and claim his first World Heavyweight Championship.

Daniel Bryan Performs A Flying Headbutt From A Forklift (Extreme Rules 2014)

The main match between WWE World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan and his former tag team partner, Kane, at Extreme Rules 2014 took place just one month after Bryan took home the gold in the electrifying WrestleMania 30 main event, and served as his first and only title defense before he relinquished the championship to undergo neck surgery.

This match had a ton of insane moments, like Kane lighting a table on fire and attempting to throw Daniel Bryan through it, and the use of random luggage in a parking garage, before Bryan used a forklift to carry Kane back to the ring. With a prone Kane in the ring, Bryan jumps off the forklift and delivers a flying headbutt. It didn't make any sense, but was it awesome!

Bonus: Rey Mysterio ‘Loses His Eye’ (Extreme Rules 2020)

Okay, before wrapping things up, I have to talk about the “Eye for an Eye” match between Seth Rollins and Rey Mysterio at The Horror Show at Extreme Rules from July 2020. In a year that saw spectacles like the Boneyard match and whatever went on between John Cena and Bray Wyatt at WrestleMania 36, Mysterio losing his eye was truly something to behold. I mean, the stipulation was that the match would go on until one of the competitors lost an eye, and that did in fact happen (wink, wink) after Rollins dragged Mysterio’s face along the ringside steps. The cherry on top came when Rollins lost his lunch at ringside.

Those were some of the greatest and most painful moments from WWE Extreme Rules so far. Who knows, maybe this list will get a little longer once WWE Extreme Rules 2021 airs live, Sunday, September 26, on Peacock.

Well, if you needed a reason to watch WWE Raw tonight, here it is. New Day legend and current Money In The Bank holder Big E has announced he will be cashing in his contract tonight for a shot at the WWE Championship. Of course, as Big E put it himself, he’s going to cash in and win the WWE Championship, but something tells me current title holder Bobby Lashley will have something to say about that.

The announcement came on Twitter earlier today in the lead-up to tonight’s Raw, and it has gotten fans hyped about what is to come. You can check out the fan favorite big man’s words below…

Talk about a cocky move. This just oozes confidence and swagger. The original plan was for Bobby Lashley to fight Randy Orton for the belt tonight on Raw. As far as I know, that’s still going to happen. So, maybe this means Big E will fight the winner. Maybe this means he’s going to use the contract to make it a triple threat match. That last option would be a really dumb decision, but then again, announcing you’re going to use the Money In The Bank contract before you do it is a really dumb decision. Unless, of course, if you win. Then it’s an all-time badass move.

And that’s clearly what Big E is going for. He wants tonight to be a celebration of his talent. He might get that celebration too. Big E is beloved by the fans in a natural, organic way. He looks the part. He’s good on the mic, and Bobby Lashley has had a nice, extended run with the belt. There is a lot of smoke here about a possible legit title change tonight, especially when you factor in AEW.

AEW’s most recent pay-per-view, All Out, was so well received by fans and the press that it has launched a lot of conversation around whether the upstart brand can turn into WWE’s first legitimate competitor since WCW. With the recent signings of former WWE stars CM Punk, Daniel Bryan and Adam Cole, all the momentum is now on AEW’s side. WWE needs something to generate some headlines beyond all the recent departures. A title change tonight, if done in the right way, could generate some of those positive headlines.

The reaction from fans to Big E’s announcement has been one of shock and excitement. There are plenty who absolutely love how self-confident or even arrogant this looks. There are others who don’t care and just desperately want to see the title around Big E’s neck. Both groups are pumped about tonight. Here’s a popular example…

And there are, of course, others loudly complaining about how this seems like an attempt to goose the ratings and beat AEW after all the recent publicity. Many wrestling fans seem to think whatever happens is being directly influenced by the increasing competition from the upstart promotion. Frankly, it’s hard to argue that some of that isn’t going on. Here’s a look at a tweet discussing that…

In the long run, competition is good. WWE was never better than when it was competing week to week for eyeballs with WCW. There were, of course, some mistakes made along the way and some times in which Vince McMahon and company prioritized the short-term over the long-term in order to win ratings battles, but they still produced a ton of amazing events. Hopefully this is the start of something great, whether Big E wins tonight or not.

Let the record reflect, however, that if Big E doesn't win tonight, it was an all-time stupid move to call his shot, and he instead should have just shamelessly beat a weakened opponent like The Miz did. Then again, I'm a whatever you need to do to win kinda guy.

WWE’s Matt Riddle and Randy Orton have been an odd couple on Monday Night Raw for some time now with their tag team RK-Bro. Sadly, it seemed that team-up might have officially come to an end in the latest episode after Orton finally snapped on Riddle and delivered an RKO that could spell the end of their friendship and alliance, and maybe even turn into a match at SummerSlam. The friendship may be dead on-camera, but are the two actually friends in real life?

Matt Riddle recently spoke to Sportskeeda Wrestling about ideal tag-team partners and whether or not he’d love to team up with a noted wrestler with a similar gimmick to Riddle’s, Rob Van Dam. Riddle gave props to RVD, and in the process also described why he loves his chemistry with Randy Orton and talked a bit about their dynamic behind the scenes:

For all the tension shown on camera, Matt Riddle indicated at the very least that he and Randy Orton work together to make sure that polar opposite dynamic comes across on Monday Night Raw. Riddle gave no signs of tension between the two, and certainly nothing like the disdain we see Orton has for Riddle during wrestling events.

Hilariously enough, Randy Orton admitted months ago on The Kurt Angle Show that he didn’t have a good first impression of Matt Riddle when he first met him. Orton shared the story, which is a good lesson in respecting the veterans of your organization. As he put it:

Randy Orton may look seconds from murdering his tag-team partner on Monday Night Raw, but he’s a fan of Matt Ridd in real life. It’s kind of a shame to learn now that the two’s run as a duo may be over, but perhaps the two can mend that bridge?

Monday Night Raw airs on USA Mondays at 8:00 p.m. ET. For more on behind-the-scenes wrestling gossip, read up on which former WWE superstar just blasted Goldberg and isn't sure why he's performing at SummerSlam.

After more than a year of WWE filming wrestling matches from a closed studio setting and after the novelty of the Thunderdome wore off, the 2021 WrestleMania gave all the superstars an opportunity to wrestle in front of tens of thousands of screaming and soaking wet fans with millions more watching at home on WWE Network on Peacock. The show may be over and the fans have gone home but before we take a look at what happens next for the likes of Bianca Belair, Roman Reigns, and everyone else who had stellar matches, let's examine everything that went down in Tampa.

While there were plenty of great matches on both nights of WrestleMania, there were a few matches that either didn’t work out how everyone thought they would or were straight up duds and should be erased from the pages of WWE’s history books. That all being said, let’s go ahead and break down each of the 14 matches and figure out which ones we’ll be talking about when the Road to WrestleMania picks up early next year…

Bobby Lashley (with MVP) Defeated Drew McIntyre To Retain WWE Championship

The first night of WrestleMania 37 kicked off with the exciting and honestly surprising WWE Championship match which saw Bobby Lashley successfully defend his title against former champ Drew McIntyre with one hell of a sleeper hold. And while McIntyre was rendered unconscious in his failed attempt at recapturing the strap he won at last year’s big show, the same can’t be said for the rain-drenched crowd who loved every minute of this great opening match.

Score: 3.5/5

Natalya And Tamina Won Tag Team Turmoil

One of the matches that seemed to be thrown on the WrestleMania 37 card at the final moment, the women’s tag turmoil match (with the winner earning a title shot the following night), wasn’t necessarily a bad match, it just didn’t serve a purpose. There was no heat going into it whatsoever and seemed like a way to just get more people on the show. There were a few good moments involving the Riott Squad, but it seemed to just be there to be there.

Score: 2/5

Cesaro Defeated Seth Rollins

Going into WrestleMania 37, the pairing of Cesaro and Seth Rollins was one of the matches I was looking forward to the most. Both competitors are insane in the ring, ooze charisma, and they have a history going back more than a decade when they were both on the indie circuit. And even though this match had its fair share of near-finishes, it never chartered into the “Finisher Spam” territory and both wrestlers ending up coming out stronger than they were going in, especially Cesaro with his signature Swing and the elusive UFO that probably made Rollins want to vomit again.

Score: 4/5

A.J. Styles And Omos Defeated The New Day To Win Raw Tag Team Championship

The Raw Tag Team Championship match that saw The New Day defend their titles against AJ Styles and Omos (making his in-ring debut) was about one thing and one thing only: getting the massive WWE rookie over. And the match — thanks to Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods selling the crap out of that offense — did just that. The build up to Omos, who can actually move for a wrestler of his size, finally getting into the action also helped turn this from a “whatever” match to one that ended up being fun.

Score: 2.5/5

Braun Strowman Defeated Shane McMahon In Steel Cage Match

I love a steel cage match as much as the next guy, but I feel they should be used sparingly and as a last resort in a heated feud between two wrestlers, not as a way to insert another Shane McMahon “WrestleMania Moment” or an attempt to make Braun Strowman look like a monster. But that’s what happened here and it sort of sucked. Sure, Braun ripping off a portion of the cage was cool, but the lead up to that moment with Shane wasting all that time trying to escape the cage (and that ridiculous gimmicked section of the fencing) insulted everyone’s intelligence.

Score: 2/5

Bad Bunny And Damien Priest Defeated The Miz And John Morrison

Big wrestling matches with celebrities are a mixed bag, especially at WrestleMania. For a moment there, it seemed like the Bad Bunny/Damien Priest vs. The Miz/John Morrison match would fall into the Shaq at WrestleMania 32 side of things instead of Lawrence Taylor at WrestleMania 11, but does it feel good to be wrong. Seriously, Bad Bunny was one of the highlights of both nights, including that remarkable Canadian Destroyer he gave to Morrison at ringside. Hats off to everyone involved for giving fans an outstanding match, especially with Bad Bunny making his in-ring debut

Score: 4/5

Bianca Belair Defeated Sasha Banks To Win SmackDown Women’s Championship

Well before the Bianca Belair defied the odds at Royal Rumble 2021 it was easy to see she was a star in the making, and after her historic win over The Mandalorian's Sasha Banks to secure the SmackDown Women’s Championship at WrestleMania 37 Night 1, there’s no way of arguing against her spot at the top of the pecking order. This match had everything you wanted: an engaging lead-up with history between the competitors, great in-ring work, and a beautiful “Kiss of Death” in the middle of the ring to give Belair her first (of hopefully many) title wins.

Score: 4.5/5

Randy Orton Defeated The Fiend (with Alexa Bliss)

This is the second time Bray Wyatt (this time as The Fiend) and Randy Orton have squared off at WrestleMania, and just like in 2017, this year’s match was a forgettable mess and should never be mentioned again. I mean, what was the point of this atrocious match that felt like an eternity despite clocking in at a few seconds shy of six minutes. The red lights, the Alexa Bliss possession/distraction, and lack of wrestling in a match that featured two of the best performers in the company made for a miserable time.

Score: 1/5

Nia Jax And Shayna Baszler Defeated Natalya And Tamina To Retain Women's Tag Team Championship

Honestly, after Tag Team Turmoil match the previous night, I didn’t have the highest of hopes for the Women’s Tag Team Championship match seeing Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler defend their titles against Natalya and Tamina, but the match was actually a lot of fun. Each side had smaller and more technical members (although they’re just as hard-hitting) along with two giants of the division, a pairing that worked well together. Throw in some classic tag team psychology that show the importance of keeping an eye on who’s the legal woman and it gets even better.

Score: 3/5

Kevin Owens Defeated Sami Zayn (With Logan Paul)

I have been waiting years to see Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn put it all on the line at WrestleMania. And while their match on Night 2 didn’t come close to some of those 5-star classics they put on while both in the indies, these longtime friends/enemies showed the world why they’re two of the best wrestlers of the modern era. These two work together so well and it shows. The only drawback was the involvement of Logan Paul though he did take a mean stunner at the end.

Score: 4/5

Sheamus Defeated Riddle To Win United States Championship

There was a time when I wanted nothing more than to have Sheamus off my television screen, but those days are long gone, especially after he secured the United States Championship by defeating Riddle in a nice 10-minute match that was full of stiff blows from both competitors. And plus, Riddle trying to pull off a moonsault only to meet Sheamus’ Brogue Kick was one of the best WrestleMania endings since the Curb Stomp into the RKO at WrestleMania 31.

Score: 3.5/5

Apollo Crews Defeated Big E To Win Intercontinental Championship In Nigerian Drum Fight

Do you know what a Nigerian Drum Fight is? No? Neither do I, even after watching Apollo Crews (with some help) take the Intercontinental Championship off of the beloved superstar Big E in an entertaining yet forgetful match that was heavy on kendo sticks and light on actual drums. There were some fun moments involving the steel steps and other weapons throughout the match, but these two honestly deserve better and a standard one-on-one would have been better for all involved parties.

Score: 2.5/5

Rhea Ripley Defeated Asuka To Win Raw Women’s Championship

Leading into WrestleMania 37, Asuka was one of the most dominant superstars on the female roster and so it came as a shock to see her 230-day reign at the top of the Raw women’s division come to an end against Rhea Ripley. Neither the champ nor challenger held anything back in this hard-hitting affair that was brought to an end after Rhea ducked Asuka’s kick and countered with her signature Riptide to secure her first title since coming to the main roster.

Score: 3.5/5

Roman Reigns (With Jey Uso And Paul Heyman) Defeated Edge And Daniel Bryan To Retain Universal Championship

And then there’s the WrestleMania 37 Night 2 main event triple threat match that saw Roman Reigns successfully defend his Universal Championship against Royal Rumble 2021 winner Edge and Daniel Bryan. There was a lot going on here from the multiple run-ins by Roman’s cousin Jey Uso, the champ and Edge spearing one another at the same time, and some classic Mania momentum shifts in favor of Daniel Bryan, but the “Head of the Table” reigned supreme and pinned both challengers to cement his legacy as the “Top Dog.”

Score: 4/5

Overall, the 2021 WrestleMania matches served as a great reminder that there are few things better than wrestling in front of tens of thousands of screaming fans. The two main event championship matches, fun interactions with the WWE 2021 Hall of Fame inductees, and the rain delay all made it seem like wrestling is back and better than ever.

Warning! The following contains spoilers for the second night of WrestleMania 37. Read at your own risk!

WrestleMania 37 gave WWE fans plenty of moments that will be remembered for years to come, so it was inevitable that one of those instances would be a moment that the fandom at large would rather NOT remember. Unfortunately, it didn't take long for that to happen during Night 2, which saw Bray Wyatt's The Fiend taking on Randy Orton to possibly cap off their long-lasting feud. The match itself was unexpectedly baffling and extremely short, and fans became livid after some classic wrestling trickery led to an anti-climatic finish.

The match had a promising start, with The Fiend making his triumphant return with one of the most epic WrestleMania entrances in some time. Fiend emerged from a giant jack in the box. Then, as he looked at Randy Orton, Wyatt unleashed a tribute to Brodie Lee as a subtle homage to the departed wrestler and former member of the Wyatt Family stable. All good so far, right?

Unfortunately, all that hype and build-up for this mega match was not earned, and the match fell surprisingly flat shortly after it started. Fans who were previously going wild over seeing The Fiend possibly getting revenge on Randy Orton were suddenly disappointed when Alexa Bliss, The Fiend's right-hand woman in recent months, inexplicably ALSO emerged from the same jack in the box a few minutes after the match started. She distracted Fiend, giving Orton enough time to hit Fiend with an RKO and end the match in yet another defeat for The Fiend. For just about everyone, the payoff did not at all justify the anticipation.

The above comment might not be safe for work, but it's safe to say that's how the majority of WWE fans felt, at least those who thought Fiend and Orton would make the most of their shared WrestleMania spotlight. Surely, these kinds of double-crosses are nothing new in the WWE, though Alexa Bliss' duplicity was truly baffling for the timing and the outcome. I think most fans wanted The Fiend to win, or at the very least to get a good fight against Orton. So to be expected, watching the supernatural fighter get taken out by a run-of-the-mill ringside distraction was infuriating and insulting.

Undoubtedly, some of the fan frustration is linked to the WWE's apparent need to keep Bray Wyatt from scoring meaningful wins at WrestleMania. Following this latest loss to Orton, his record is now 1-4 for the yearly event, with his only win coming in that also bonkers, cinematic match against John Cena at WrestleMania 36. That's an atrocious record for one of the WWE's best heels of the past decade, and fans are clearly upset about how this latest loss went down.

It should be noted this is not the first time a "Randy Orton vs. Bray Wyatt" match has disappointed WrestleMania viewers either. The two squared off at WrestleMania 33 back when Wyatt was the WWE Champion, and the match ended after 13 minutes with, get this, a sudden RKO from Orton after Wyatt seemingly had the match in hand. One would think that during the multi-year gap between then and now, it would've been a great callback to have The Fiend learn from Wyatt's past mistakes, but I guess not.

WrestleMania 37 viewers undoubtedly have questions about why Alexa Bliss betrayed The Fiend, and why he was so distracted in the first place, though they may not like the answer going into the next Monday Night Raw. There are theories that Bliss is playing an incarnation of Wyatt's oft-mentioned "Sister Abigail," while another possibility is that Orton has taken control of Bliss through some secret alliance. The latter would mean even more feuding between Fiend and Orton, but fans might be sick of that outcome at this point. Maybe it's time to save Orton-oriented feuds for the day when John Cena decides to come back.

Answers to that confusing WrestleMania 37 twist may come during Monday Night Raw, which airs Mondays on USA at 8:00 p.m. ET, so be sure to tune in. For more on the new-to-streaming event, read up on the rain delay that plagued Night 1 and the unexpected benefit that fans gained from it.

We have made it through the Royal Rumble, jumped in the Fastlane, and are on the final stretch of the Road to WrestleMania. On April 10 and 11, all eyes will be on Tampa, Florida, the home of the two-night Showcase of the Immortals, as WWE superstars big and small will wrestle in front of a live crowd for the first time in over a year, and millions more watching on WWE Network on Peacock. With not too much longer to go, some may be wondering who is booked in all the WrestleMania 2021 matches and which night they’ll be taking to the squared circle.

Below is a breakdown of all the matches booked for both nights of WrestleMania 37 as well as the bouts that have yet to be assigned to a specific date. And since not all matches have been announced at time of publication, there will surely be more matches (and surprises) added in the coming weeks…

WrestleMania 37 Night One

Just like last year’s big show (no, not THAT Big Show), WrestleMania 37 will be a two-night event, but unlike in 2020 (which was held in the WWE Performance Center with no audience), this year’s Grandaddy of them All will have fans in attendance with limited tickets and safety measures in place. But enough of that, let’s break down the Night One card.

SmackDown Women’s Champion Sasha Banks Vs. Bianca Belair

One of the most highly anticipated matches of WrestleMania 37 is the showdown between SmackDown Women’s Champion Sasha Banks and Women’s Royal Rumble winner Bianca Belair for the “Blue Brand’s” championship belt. This match has been a long time in the making and should be an outstanding bout considering both superstars are oozing charisma and in-ring talent. And with the shared history of Banks (who you may remember appeared on The Mandalorian Season 2) and Belair (they were one-time tag team partners), expect to see fireworks throughout this entire bout.

WWE Champion Bobby Lashley Vs. Drew McIntyre

Sometimes you just want to watch two muscle-bound men knock the living crap out of one another for 15 minutes, and that’s what we’re going to get when WWE Champion Bobby Lashley defends his title against Drew McIntyre, who held the belt until recently. Both men had phenomenal runs last year with McIntyre being a dominant champion following WrestleMania 36 and Lashley having a renaissance with The Hurt Business stable and a U.S. Championship win of his own, all leading to this moment. And while Lashley’s manager MVP will be in his corner throughout the bout, the champion’s stablemates, Cedric Alexander and Shelton Benjamin, are both banned from ringside.

Bad Bunny Vs. The Miz

There’s a long history of professional athletes, actors, and musicians taking part in WrestleMania, and this year is no different with the booking of a match between The Miz and Grammy Award-winning rapper Bad Bunny. Ever since he started popping up earlier this year, Bad Bunny (who will soon appear in a Brad Pitt movie) has continued to be one of the most charismatic wrestlers in the company, which is why you can see it being a problem for The Miz, a wrestler whose whole schtick is being a celebrity. And even though the “A-Lister” became WWE Champion for a short time this year, it’s been a given since the Royal Rumble that he would be crossing paths with the Puerto Rican sensation in Tampa this year.

Cesaro Vs. Seth Rollins

Cesaro and Seth Rollins have crossed paths numerous times going back to the indie circuit, but the Swiss Cyborg and the Monday Night Messiah (not puking this time) have never squared off against one another on the Grandest Stage of Them All. That will change at WrestleMania 37 when they duke it out in a match with only their pride on the line. This one could go either way with both superstars having some pretty major feats at previous events, with Rollins capturing the WWE Championship in spectacular fashion at WrestleMania 31 and Cesaro becoming the inaugural Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal winner the previous year.

Raw Tag Team Champions The New Day Vs. AJ Styles And Osmos

The New Day (Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods) are used to doing things as a three-man group, but with Big E going on a singles run, the pair will have to find some rather unique ways to take on the powerhouse team of AJ Styles and his enforcer Osmos (this dude is a straight up giant) when they defend their Raw Tag Team titles at WrestleMania 37. This match is exciting for multiple reasons, with the biggest being the in-ring debut of the seven-foot Osmos, who until this point has only been part of matches unofficially.

Braun Strowman Vs. Shane McMahon

The WrestleMania 37 steel cage match match between Braun Strowman and Shane McMahon isn’t going to take home any “Match of the Year” awards, but it will no doubt be a spectacle. While neither have the best of in-ring abilities, Strowman is a freaking giant and no one takes a big bump quite like Shane McMahon. I mean, we’re talking about the same guy who was thrown off the Hell in a Cell at WrestleMania 32, suplexed off the stage three years later, and has been slammed through glass in the past. Combine that with the sheer size and force of Strowman and you have yourself a great way to kill 10 minutes.

Tag Team Turmoil Match

Each year, WrestleMania features some sort of multi-person match to get as many superstars on the WrestleMania card as possible. This year that will be a tag team turmoil match with the winner earning a championship opportunity against current Women’s Tag Team Champions Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler the following night. Competing will be the team of Lana and Naomi against Dana Brooke and Mandy Rose, Liv Morgan and Ruby Riott of The Riott Squad, and Natalya and Tamina, the daughters of the late Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart and Jimmy Snuka, respectively.

WrestleMania 37 Night Two

Not long after the dust settles from the events of the first night of WrestleMania 37, it will be time to jump back into the action with even more outstanding matches at WWE’s biggest show of the year. And while it’s hard to get over WrestleMania taking place over a weekend instead of a single night, hopefully we avoid another Mania where the main event doesn’t go on until the Monday morning.

Universal Champion Roman Reigns Vs. Edge Vs. Daniel Bryant’s an

After becoming one of the few wrestlers to win the Royal Rumble from the Number One position, Edge will square off with Universal Champion Roman Reigns in a match that has potential to be the best of the night. Since Edge first retired in 2011, Reigns has debuted, won several championships, and become one of the biggest yet most polarizing superstars in the company. And while this initially seemed like a battle of the spear (both wrestlers’ finishing move), Daniel Bryan became a late addition to the contest, making it triple-threat match. This especially exciting considering the last time Bryan competed in this type of match he walked out double champion after defeating Randy Orton and Batista at WrestleMania 30. I’m not saying that’ll be the case here, but never count Bryan out.

Raw Women’s Champion Asuka Vs. Rhea Ripley

Ever since her debut in 2016, Asuka has been one of the most figures in WWE, winning several championships along the way. The current Raw Women’s Champion will face one of her toughest opponents, however, at WrestleMania 37 when she defends her title against Rhea Ripley, who just recently made her Raw debut in March 2021. The matchup of the Asuka’s skill and Ripley’s brute force could be a recipe for a memorable WrestleMania moment.

Intercontinental Champion Big E Vs. Apollo Crews

Intercontinental Champion Big E and Apollo Crews (no relation to Terry Crews) have both been on the rise as of late, with the former New Day member reaching new career heights and capturing the prestigious title and his challenger finding a new level of success after honoring his African roots with the direction of his character. That being said, this match could go one of two ways: both men could knock the crap out of one another for a short and (not so) sweet match or add some drama with the Big E’s strength and amateur wrestling skills and Crews’ impressive feats of physicality. Either way, this could be a lot of fun.

The Fiend Vs. Randy Orton

The shared history of Bray Wyatt and Randy Orton goes back several years, and the two previously squared off against one another in a forgettable match with all sorts of gimmicks at WrestleMania 33 in 2017, but that was well before the former leader of the Wyatt family was transformed into The Fiend, his monster alter ego that is more like a monster in a horror movie than a professional wrestler. The feud that will seemingly never die will have its biggest moment at the April 11 event when the two competitors square off in a singles match. It probably won’t be as crazy as Wyatt’s match with John Cena last year though.

Kevin Owens Vs. Sami Zayn (w/ Logan Paul)

If there was one match on the WrestleMania 37 card that could steal the second night, the event, or hell, even the whole year, it would be the matchup of Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn. Seriously, these two have a shared history that is up there with some of the biggest feuds in the history of the sport. Going back more than a decade, Owens and Zayn have thrown each other off ladders, through tables, and everything at various promotions around the globe. These two have an unmatched chemistry and ability to pull greatness out of nowhere, and we’re finally seeing them go head-to-head at WrestleMania! Let’s just hope Logan Paul doesn’t make a mess of things.

United States Champion Riddle Vs. Sheamus

United States Champion Riddle will be defending his title in a one-on-out bout against two-time champ Sheamus. The two had a history before the Road to WrestleMania 37 but things reached a new level in March 2021 when the Celtic Warrior attacked the Original Bro as he rode by on his scooter. Sheamus, who played Rocksteady in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2, should know from experience that despite his Jeff Spicoli-like demeanor, Riddle packs quite a punch and brings with him experience from the UFC. Expect to see a lot of elbows and Brogue Kicks being thrown around in this hard-hitting championship contest.

Women’s Tag Team Champions Nia Jax And Shayna Baszler vs. Tag Team Turmoil Winners

The winner of the previous night’s tag team turmoil match will go head-to-head with the dominating pairing of Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler for the Women’s Tag Team Championship. The hard-hitting team has been on quite a run as of late since taking the belts from Asuka and Charlotte Flair at Royal Rumble 2021.

These are just the confirmed matches for WrestleMania 37. We still don’t know what WWE has in store for the dozens of other wrestlers who have made their mark at previous events. Whatever happens, WrestleMania will once again be one of the hottest tickets on the 2021 TV schedule.

2021 already has a major contender for the most bizarre celebrity beef of the year. I present to the court WWE superstar Randy Orton getting into it on social media with rapper Soulja Boy. It all started when the "Crank That" rapper jumped online to compare the reality of the "rap game" to the reality of pro wrestling, and things quickly escalated after Orton got wind of it, with the athlete calling Soulja Boy a "bitch ass" and daring the one-time Grammy nominee to "step up." Truly, his deeply defense replies were a sight to behold unto themselves.

It probably goes without saying the Internet absoulutely ate this up, and the whole concept of this bizarro feud has been memed to the best of everyone's abilities. Many are crediting Soulja Boy for keeping Twitter an entertaining place, while also acknowledging that pissing off Randy Orton is not a good idea, particularly when the topic involves bodyslams.

What Randy Orton does in the WWE may have a pre-determined outcome a lot of the time, but the physical toll the sport takes on its wrestlers is very real, from backyard brawls to the most professional PPV events. Even if Orton doesn't viciously pulverize folks in the ring, he's still 6'5 and jacked to the point where can wrestle on national television wearing just a pair of wrestling trunks, and the look works. In comparison, Soulja Boy is quite a bit shorter at 5'8, so if there is a fight between the two, the rapper would likely be hoping it would be of a fictional nature.

As random as it seems, there's actually a history between Randy Orton and Soulja Boy that made such an eventual confrontation possible. Soulja Boy is more or less notorious for calling out various celebrities, regardless of what made them famous. (He has thoughts about Shia LaBeouf, for instance.) As for Randy Orton, he's made news in the past confronting all people who want to try to insult him and his gig in sports entertainment, such as one poor Mexican reporter who once referred to him as "fragile."

And while there are many thoroughly entertained by the whole exchange, and are hyped to see something happen next, there is no doubt a sizable crowd of fans wondering if this is all just another elaborate publicity stunt crafted by the WWE. With WrestleMania around the corner, this is usually the time Vince McMahon & Co. like to promote celebrity appearances and additional events that will entice a larger audience. Things are obviously slightly different again this year due to the pandemic, but it definitely reads as strange to some fans for this feud happening now.

While I'll never question the WWE's ability to spin an angle out of some real-life drama, I do question the thought that Randy Orton and Soulja Boy are in some quiet arrangement to publicly feud for some match at WrestleMania. Orton is one of the brand's biggest stars, so him having a match where Soulja Boy is perceived as any type of threat would be a bad look. (Shots fired hard in the tweet below.)

Additionally, the WWE regularly works with celebrities who, quite frankly, are currently much more famous than Soulja Boy, like Bad Bunny and Matthew McConaughey. Having Soulja Boy at WrestleMania would be good for the meme crowds, but really not the type of star power the organization would want for its biggest event of the year. It doesn't seem like the rapper is interested in doing anything of that nature anyway, as he casually sidestepped an invitation by Randy Orton to check out how the business works.

For now, it appears this beef will remain housed on the internet, but the moment will live on the next time Soulja Boy or Randy Orton find themselves in the news. Perhaps cooler heads will reveal in the end, and the two will hash it out before it escalates any further, though based on their first few exchanges with one another, I kind of doubt that.

Randy Orton can be found putting his talents on display on Monday Night Raw, which airs on USA Mondays at 8:00 p.m. ET. Sound off on our poll if you'd like to see Soulja Boy and Orton duke it out in the ring, and read up on the latest phenomena of former WWE stars joining AEW here.

This poll is no longer available.

Over the past 35 years, titans like Hulk Hogan, Andre The Giant, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Daniel Bryan, and Becky Lynch have all cemented their legacies with electrifying main event matches at WrestleMania. These headlining matches have helped usher in stars in the making while serving as swan songs to wrestlers hanging up their boots.

Since WrestleMania was first held in the famed Madison Square Garden on March 31, 1985, wrestlers from every era have fought like hell to be one of the last night names called at WWE's flagship event. And with so many great match-ups, emotional victories, and upsetting losses over the years, the "Showcase Of The Immortals" has given fans some of the most iconic moments in WrestleMania history. Here are some of the most electrifying main event matches in the history of WrestleMania.

Hulk Hogan Vs. Andre The Giant - WrestleMania 3

Although this wasn't the first (or last) time Hulk Hogan took on Andre The Giant, their main event match from WrestleMania 3 is all anyone talks about more than 30 years after it first went down. Booked as the anchor to WWE's (then-WWF) biggest show (a disputed attendance record of 93,173) at the time in the Pontiac Silverdome, this historic championship match between former friends turned foes isn't the greatest technical wrestling match you'll see, but I'll be damned if it isn't one of the most spectacular the company has produced. It was even one of the focal points for the amazing 2018 HBO documentary on the French wrestler.

The Undertaker Vs. Shawn Michaels - WrestleMania 26

Wrestling fans are still anxiously awaiting the A&E wrestling documentary series on icons like Shawn Michaels. When the documentary finally sees the light of day, it'll hopefully include clips from the Heartbreak Kid's retirement match against The Undertaker from WrestleMania 26. Booked as a "Career Vs. The Streak" match (The Undertaker was still undefeated at WrestleMania), this headlining match from the 2010 event had a lot to live up to after the two battled one another the previous year. Not only did the match live up to the hype, it exceeded it, especially after the last few minutes where Michaels looked like an old dog waiting to be put down by a merciful Taker.

Ronda Rousey Vs. Charlotte Flair Vs. Becky Lynch - WrestleMania 35

Anyone who watched WrestleMania 35 will agree that the event ran way too long. Despite the overly bloated card and long runtime, barely anyone in the crowd left ahead of the main event triple threat match between Raw Women's Champion Ronda Rousey, Smackdown Women's Champion Charlotte Flair, and 2019 Women's Royal Rumble winner Becky Lynch. The first women's match to headline WrestleMania was well worth the wait as the three athletes put on one of the most exciting matches of the night and in recent memory. And even though the end of the match was a little wonky, seeing "The Man" lift both belts was amazing image.

Randy Orton Vs. Batista Vs. Daniel Bryan - WrestleMania 30

As far as I am concerned, there hasn't been a better angle leading into WrestleMania than Daniel Bryan's unlikely run from "B+ Player" to WWE World Heavyweight Champion, at least not since Stone Cold Steve Austin ushered in a new era in the late '90s. Bryan went to Hell and back in order to qualify for the main event triple threat against champion Randy Orton and Batista, but it was all worth it as the leader of the "Yes! Movement" went head to head with two of the most highly decorated wrestlers in the last 20 years. I still get chills each time I see Bryan tie up Batista in the "Yes! Lock" to gain a submission victory.

Shawn Michaels (With Mike Tyson) Vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin - WrestleMania 14

One year after Stone Cold Steve Austin gave a career-making performance in a loss against Bret "The Hitman" Hart, Austin was ready to prove to the world that he was in charge when he challenged WWF Champion Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania 14. Leading up to the match, Michaels had teamed up with boxing legend Mike Tyson who would appear as a special guest enforcer for the main event match in Boston. With a combination of Michaels' D-Generation X stable at ringside and Tyson being an active part of the match, this main event contest had all of the ingredients for a historic title fight. And when Austin overcame the odds (and whooped the mess out of Michaels), the Texas Rattlesnake was in full control of the crowd and the WWF.

The Rock Vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin - WrestleMania 17

The Rock and Stone Cold Steven Austin had three of the most memorable matches at WrestleMania 15, 17, and 19. Sandwiched in the middle is the match between the Texas Rattlesnake and the People's Champion in the Houston Astrodome in 2001. Considered by some to be the unofficial end of the Attitude Era, this WWF Championship match consisted of some of the best back and forth wrestling before Austin turned on everyone and joined sides with his longtime nemesis Mr. McMahon in a vicious assault on The Rock with a steel chair. The event was one of the first to be held in a large stadium, and you can hear all 67,000 fans raining down boos on their former hero.

Brock Lesnar Vs. Roman Reigns Vs. Seth Rollins - WrestleMania 31

What was originally supposed to be a one-on-one match for the WWE Championship between the champ Brock Lesnar and challenger Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 31 became a triple threat (and much better match) after Money In The Bank Winner Seth Rollins cashed in his briefcase for a championship opportunity and worked his way into what would become a triple threat match. Rollins, who was in the middle of an impressive heel run, was showered in cheers from the crowd that could just not warm up to the idea of a Roman Reigns title run. The closing shot of Rollins standing at top of the ramp with the belt high above his head as fireworks shoot off is one that fans won't forget.

Randy Savage Vs. Hulk Hogan - WrestleMania 5

In the year leading up to WrestleMania 5, Randy Savage and Hulk Hogan formed the Mega Powers tag team, a partnership that would end in a blowout and culminate at the Historic Atlantic City Convention Hall in April 1989. Bill as "The Mega Powers Explode," the match saw Hogan challenging his former friend and partner in a singles match for Savage's WWF Heavyweight Title. Everything from the back and forth promos leading up to the event to the amazing poster featuring the two wrestlers standing back to back all made this one of the greatest events in WWF's history.

The Rock Vs. John Cena - WrestleMania 28

It's hard to believe that The Rock and John Cena were given a year to build hype for their head-to-head match at WrestleMania 28 in Miami. Booked the night after the previous WrestleMania, these two superstars spent the next year trading jabs (both verbal and physical) before they brought the house down in South Florida. Though The Rock was a little rough around the edges in the early goings of the match, he pulled through and defeated Cena in a match that would lead to another encounter between the two the following year.

Those are just a few of the 35 main event matches that have closed out WrestleMania in the past. Which one is your favorite? Make sure to let everyone know in the poll down below. And let me know if I left off your favorite match.

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