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For the past 6 years I’ve gone over to Smark Central’s house as a bunch of us (including Mother Brain, Ato and sometimes Justice and Chosen 1) congregate there to watch the yearly spectacle. I have driven over an hour and a half there and back (three hours total), and would wake up early the next day to trudge myself to work disappointed and disgruntled by the lackluster show. I even went to 29 as it was in my home state of New Jersey, which wasn’t as terrible as other shows have been. But I always went, I didn’t care. WrestleMania should be a communal experience with a bunch of other people as the even should be shared cheering and booing and just talking about how shitty/awesome a match was.

Through whatever bias we may all have on the Mania’s of the past few years, the majority of them have all looked as if they had the potential to be amazing cards only to somehow let us down. Only a few shinning matches have stood out as Taker/HBK, Rock/Cena, WM 30 Main Event, have been some of the best matches that have ever been put on WrestleMania (and I’m sure we could all add a bunch more to this list).

However, this year, I have decided not to go, normally I go completely out of my way to see Mania, sometimes leaving things behind for the next day or even keeping my daily weekly schedule to go to work just to watch the show. But not this year, the garbage build up to the show, including a terrible Royal Rumble, along with what I consider is a piss poor card has helped me to decide on not going to Smark’s house to watch the show. Also, I’m having a baby in a few months and I am preparing to paint the baby’s room, but that’s neither here nor there.  I am bummed about not going as I’ve looked forward to it for years. But I feel my protest will be mirrored by a lot of people as well.  The show may be fantastic, but I just don’t feel like wasting my time especially with a Main Event that seems like a throw away Smackdown main event from the early to mid-2000’s.

The fantasy booker in me would like that Lensar retain, especially after the news of his re-signing with WWE and then have Reigns go on to be built up properly to a rematch against him at SummerSlam. There just wasn’t enough done upon his return from injury to warrant his addition to the Main Event. If they really wanted him in the Main Event picture they should have given him another year of build up to make up for that time off and they should have gone with Daniel Bryan and not waste him in an IC championship match. (Might I say, Roman Reigns and Daniel Bryan could have been swapped and Reigns could have had the IC championship win at Mania would have been huge).

By loosing the Mania match the months in between Mania and SummerSlam may give creative more time to help endear Reigns to us as there was just not enough time given to his build up to warrant his hotshotted main event status (is hotshotted even a word). I know that Lesnar retaining would have some issues as Rollins is holding onto the MITB briefcase and will probably cash in at some point between Mania and this year’s MITB PPV but I’m just trying to see the silver lining in the piss poor build up to this event.

Even the rest of the show seems very much of a head scratcher as I don’t really care much for any of the other matches. I’m sure the IC Ladder match will be great, but if the real show will be on the Monday after why would I waste my time?

I feel as if I’ve slowly become more excited for the post-Mania season of WWE as we don’t have to deal with the glitz and glamor of the biggest show of the year and can sit back and (usually) relax to some great summer feuds.

 Enough of my rant, I guess I do have some predictions to this sad WrestleMania:

Pre-show match:

Tag Team Championship Match:

Tyson Kidd and Cesaro (c) (with Natalya) vs. The New Day (Kofi Kingston and Big E) (with Xavier Woods) vs. Los Matadores (Diego and Fernando) (with El Torito) vs. The Usos (Jimmy and Jey Uso) (with Naomi)

With Tyson Kidd and Cesaro honestly the only good tag team (other than The Usos) I don’t think its time for them to loose the championship.

Winners and Still Tag Team Champions: Tyson Kidd and Cesaro

or as I like to call them: CaT (Cesaro and Tyson)

The Second Annual Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal:

Shocked this one is going for another year…I don’t even know who is in the match, I haven’t watch the build up but have heard and read about the disdain that people have. I believe I’ve heard that Ryback is in it along with Miz and Mizdow so we shall see. But I’d be surprised if they don’t push hard for Ryback.

Winner: Ryback

WrestleMania:

Randy Orton vs Seth Rollins

I think its great that feuds like this can culminate at WrestleMania and I think this may be one of those singles matches that have the potential to steal the show. I however don’t feel like WWE likes to finishes storylines at Mania anymore since the majority of the last few years the stories have continued for at least two to three more PPVs. I think to continue to build to Rollins being the future of the company and to have an Extreme Rules match set Rollins wins this one.

Winner: Seth Rollins

United States Championship:

Rusev (c) vs John Cena

Rusev has had a hell of an undefeated streak and I don’t think that John Cena should actually beat him. But I have an idea where they might be going with the United States and Intercontinental Championships, if they are both won by main eventers at WrestleMania they may be trying to have the championships merged soon down the line. Who better to have the United States championship then John Cena.

Cena and Rusev could have another match at Extreme Rules over the US championship and continue to bring more credibility to the championship.

Winner and New United States Champion: John Cena

AJ Lee & Paige vs The Bella Twins

Don’t really care. That’s not a knock on them being women, that’s a knock on how piss poor they have built the Divas Division. I care for the women’s matches on NXT, they know how to put on a show but not the producers/creative minds behind the main roster. I’m sure the Divas can put on fantastic matches if given a chance, but knowing that they won’t makes this one a piss break.

Winners: AJ Lee and Paige

The Undertaker vs Bray Wyatt

If Undertaker loose than his lose last year to Lesnar was for nothing.

Winner: The Undertaker

Intercontinental Championship Ladder Match:

Bad News Barret (cs) vs R-Truth vs Dean Ambrose vs Luke Harper vs Dolph Ziggler vs Stardust vs Daniel Bryan

The fact that R-Truth is in the match is mind blowing to me. Also, I’m not a big fan of Luke Harper. Stardust and Goldust should have had a rematch from last month (probably end up being at Extreme Rules). All of which leaves us with Bad News Barret, Dean Ambrose, Dolph Ziggler and Daniel Bryan.

I said above that I think the WWE is trying to get their championships on main eventers and this one is no different.

Winner and New Intercontinental Champion: Daniel Bryan

A John Cena vs Daniel Bryan title vs title match could be pretty fun

Sting vs Triple H

Aside from this being an attraction match, I’m not really looking forward to it.

Winner: Sting

WWE World Heavyweight Championship:

Brock Lesnar (c) vs Roman Reigns

I think enough has been said about Reigns being pushed to the main event. I don’t think he’s ready. I think the crowd is overly apathetic to him and this isn’t John Cena style “Let’s go Cena/Cena sucks” type of mentality. There was a time when the crowd universally loved Cena (during his rapper gimmick days on Smackdown back in the mid-2000’s) this is people simply not giving a shit and it shows.

But we are in the era of the WWE Network and as long as they keep getting my $9.99, regardless of whether I watch WrestleMania Play Button, I mean 31, I mean just WrestleMania, its as if I watched the show.

I don’t think Lesnar should loose here and I think also feel as if I would have preferred to have seen Cena vs Lesnar again than see this match. Also, instead of going with my safe decision and have Reigns win (ugh). I’m going with…

Winner and still WWE World Heavyweight Champion: Brock Lesnar

Let’s see how this goes shall we…