Wrestlemania 33 is NEXT WEEK! The blockbuster event in Orlando Florida on April 2nd will be headlined by Brock Lesnar and Goldberg battling it out for the WWE Universal Title and Bray Wyatt defending his WWE Championship against Randy Orton. Two big title matches, but how about the other superstars on the card? All the headlines and focus may be on the previously mentioned title matches, but there are plenty of other superstars who will have their chance to shine with millions of eyes watching them on April 2nd. Here’s who I think could potentially steal the spotlight of Wrestlemania.
Baron Corbin
Since winning the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal at Wrestlemania last year, Corbin’s character has grown and grown, resulting in him battling Dean Ambrose for the Intercontinental Title at Wrestlemania 33. ‘The Lone Wolf’ made an impressive impact on NXT, and since his arrival onto the main roster, he’s made his presence felt against people such as Ziggler, Kalisto, Apollo Crews and now Ambrose.
Corbin has recently caught the eye of the WWE Universe with great showings in the ring with AJ Styles and even a 1 on 1 match with John Cena, which was well received by peers and critics alike. Now as the former NXT star takes the stage at Wrestlemania, he has the chance to put on the ultimate performance and walk away with the Intercontinental Title. Well deserved too if you ask me.
Alexa Bliss
Believe it or not, there are still some people out there who are questioning Bliss’s suitability for the main roster, let alone the Women’s title. I personally think Bliss has outperformed herself each week and along with many of the other female superstars on the roster has rapidly improved over the last 6 months. She is on her second reign as Smackdown Women’s Champion and I can’t see her slowing down anytime soon, as she makes her presence felt as the dominant female athlete on the blue brand on a weekly basis.
The odds are stacked against her on paper, but if she were to successfully defend the title I think it’d change a few people’s minds, and with her leaving Orlando still with the title in her possession it’d only boost her momentum going forward as the lead woman on Smackdown Live.
Gallows/Anderson
Before their RAW Tag Team Title victory, you could say that their current WWE run had been quite the anti-climax. Coming in from New Japan with a reputation and history of winning titles and one of the most popular teams in the industry. Unfortunately even a pairing with AJ Styles wouldn’t redeem them, as they were relegated to ‘lackeys’ and their reputation fading. An attempt to inject more personality into the duo went uncredited, and their weekly ‘Dr Anderson & Dr Gallows’ segments received very few positive reviews. Strangely enough, WWE would finally (3 months too late in my view) put the titles on Gallows & Anderson at the Royal Rumble pay per view, but only made the pre show. I really didn’t like the fact that a Tag Team Title match was only deemed good enough to make the pre show of the Royal Rumble, perhaps in hindsight a view of how WWE felt the tag division had fallen. To their credit, the duo self proclaimed as ‘The Club’ have vastly improved, mainly because they’re going out there as themselves, not trying to force comedy or be someone they’re not, and the crowd are starting to really enjoy them.
Wrestlemania is the chance for them to come out on top of the mountain, set the tone for the future of tag team wrestling and with millions of eyes watching them, put on the best match since they joined (or re-joined) the company last year.
Bayley
The RAW Women’s Title has been seen as something of a hot potato since the draft split. I honestly couldn’t tell you who the champion even was at one point, and with such poor booking it’s made Sasha Banks look incredibly weak and unable to defend a championship. Charlotte had been the dominant woman both in promos and in the ring, but all good things must come to an end, and on the February 13th RAW Bayley dethroned her (with a little help from Banks). At Fast Lane, Bayley would then end Flair’s undefeated streak at PPV’s by defeating her once again. My only criticism is her character can come across as quite intimidated and weak in comparison to other women, and she should come across as the nice person she is, but not afraid to get tough when faced with an obstacle.
The former NXT Women’s Champion could (and should) come out on top at Wrestlemania, really cementing her as one of WWE’s top women and start the beginning of a more prestigious era of the RAW Women’s Title.
Roman Reigns
‘The big dog’ is actually becoming one of my favourites over the past year, he’s been in fantastic form. Before I always enjoyed his presence on WWE television but I wouldn’t label him as a favourite, where as his character now is so good. He can come out to a live crowd and receive the biggest heel reaction and the biggest face reaction at the same time, it’s incredible. He can one minute tell the fans how much he appreciates their support, and then the next he’ll tell a section of the live crowd to sit back down and shut up. I remember a few years back The Rock gave John Cena some advice which went along the lines of, “whether they’re cheering you or booing you out of the building, the fact is they care. Once they stop reacting, they stop caring”. I think Reigns should adapt this, and be proud that he draws huge reactions every night regardless of show, event or time he appears. At Wrestlemania he faces possibly his toughest opponent as far as stature and reputation, when he goes 1 on 1 with The Undertaker.
The streak doesn’t mean what it used to, but despite this, facing Undertaker at Wrestlemania is a HUGE honour, and Reigns will relish every second of being in there against one of the most decorated characters of professional wrestling history at the biggest event of the wrestling calendar. Of course fans will boo Roman as he battles the iconic ‘Deadman’, but if he manages to embrace it and take his character to the next level. I’m not suggesting a heel turn would solve his problems, but I’d like to see an advance on the bad guy traits he’s began inserting into his character, and sometimes the best thing to do is fight fire with fire and go with the reaction of the crowd.
Will Roman win the fans over with this one match? It’s highly unlikely, but if pushed to fulfilling its potential it would put all the ‘haters’ in an awkward position where they would have to respect him.
This match has huge storytelling potentials and could go down as one of Reigns greatest performances of his career, and I have complete ability in both men to put on a great show and Roman Reigns to leave Orlando on April 2nd with his head held high.
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