Hello, everybody! Welcome to my 100th article with SLTD Wrestling, and welcome to my official WrestleMania XXX predictions! Today’s the day! Today is the day that all of our patience will be rewarded, as we are presented with the thirtieth annual WrestleMania, where scores will be settled, streaks will be defended and legacies will be in jeopardy.
In case you’ve been living under a rock for the last three months, WrestleMania XXX takes place TONIGHT on the 6th of April 2014, live from the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. I will be watching the event live with my bud, Dylan, to see what is bound to be a historic event.
The build-up, like every year, has been long and the anticipation has been difficult to withstand, but in the words of the wise Bray Wyatt, “we’re here”. And whether you have the privilege of attending the show and you’re reading this from New Orleans, or you’re like me and you’ll be watching it from the comfort of your sofa, I think almost every WWE fan is ready to tuck into the biggest wrestling spectacle of the year.
But before we indulge in that, it’s time to talk predictions. After over three months of waiting for this show to finally happen, seeing the card take shape piece-by-piece, we are able to sit back and think about what is going to happen when the lights are on bright in N’awlins. Which means, I am about to present my match-by-match previews and predictions for WrestleMania XXX. Let’s get started!
Fatal 4-Way for the WWE Tag Team Championship: The Usos (c) vs. Los Matadores vs. The Real Americans vs. Rybaxel
Pre-show or not, this will be a great opener for the fans in attendance at WrestleMania. I may be in the minority, but I’m a sucker for multi-team matches. I think they’re exciting, and when done right, the different varieties of tag-teams can complement each other well and make for a compelling match.
In this instance, the teams involved each have something that makes them worth watching. The Usos have their high-flying, electric style, the Real Americans have a huge amount of chemistry to bring out the best in each other, Ryback and Curtis Axel have their contrasting mixture of power and technical ability, and Los Matadores have their, eh, Bull.
Everyone has something to bring to the table, and it will ultimately make for an action-packed opening bout. I’m hoping that this match takes place during the first hour of the pre-show, because I actually want to see the bloody thing.
I’ll be pretty annoyed if this ends up being exclusive to the WWE Network, because I actually want to see talented guys like Cesaro and the Usos get their WrestleMania moments. Otherwise it’ll just start ‘Mania off on a sour note for me, and I don’t want that to happen. Why accommodate to the North American audience only?
Nevertheless, whether I see it or not, I’m sure it’ll be a decent match-up. There are two teams that have a legitimate chance to walk away with the gold here tonight. The Real Americans and the Usos.
Both teams are very talented and work well together, and I think both are well-deserving of the Championship. However, given what happened between Cesaro and Zeb Colter on Smackdown, I don’t see the Real Americans remaining intact for much longer.
I understand that Zeb is just trying to motivate his clients by getting in their faces, but eventually it’s going to blow up in his face. And when that happens, the glue holding Cesaro and Swagger together will be gone, and the two will finally go at it, leading to Cesaro’s eventual face turn.
Therefore, the Usos should be walking away with the belts at ‘Mania. The two guys just won them after Elimination Chamber, and after all the hard work they’ve put in over the last number of years, I don’t think they intend on losing the gold any time soon. Expect Jimmy and Jey to win in usual fashion, with one diving over the top rope and the other nailing a Superfly Splash for the victory.
Winners and still Tag-Team Champions: The Usos
The André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal
I wouldn’t be surprised to see this match start as soon as WrestleMania kicks off, and the formalities (i.e. the National Anthem and commentator introductions) are out of the way. Like The Rock in 2011, Hulk Hogan will probably open the show to welcome everyone to WrestleMania, and since he’s already in the ring (and the Battle Royal was his idea), they’ll likely kick off with that.
As far as I know, there are 27 participants announced for the Battle Royal so far, with three spaces left. A few of the known participants include Sheamus, The Brotherhood, Titus O’Neil, Christian, Big Show, Alberto Del Rio, Rey Mysterio and Dolph Ziggler. If there were to be any surprise entrants, I’d predict Mick Foley (who was hinting at it on Twitter) and maybe Rob Van Dam, but I don’t know for sure.
The idea of this match is quite heart-warming. Just knowing that they still want to honour André twenty-one years after his death makes me feel great. The man was an influential part of the industry, and the face of wrestling would be far different had he never graced the world with his presence. So for WWE to acknowledge this and commemorate the man on the thirtieth anniversary of WrestleMania is a very respectful thing to do.
As for a winner, the obvious choice would be the Big Show. He’s a giant, who is constantly compared to André. Hell, in my Christmas article last year, I listed Big Show/ André as one of my top five dream matches. Plus, Show has been on quite a roll lately, proving that he may be the most challenging man to throw over the top rope. That alone gives him the edge.
But it seems too obvious. I would prefer to see the win go towards someone who can use it. My favourite would be Ziggler, because not only does he deserve a WrestleMania moment, but he can then use this trophy as a “see what I can do?” to the WWE management staff.
Remember Ziggler’s epic promo on the WWE App after Smackdown a month or so ago? When he said he’s not going to stop showing off what he can do, because every time he steps in the ring, he proves himself better than everybody in the locker room?
Well this trophy could allow him to kick-start a storyline on the basis that if he’s good enough for André’s trophy, he’s good enough for a WWE World Heavyweight Championship opportunity. Sounds pretty good to me!
Then again, it wouldn’t surprise me to see Hogan himself be entered into the match. He’d likely lay low for the bulk of the Battle Royal, and finish it off by standing alone in the ring, posing to the 80,000 in attendance as he honours his late friend.
Hopefully not, because that wouldn’t really benefit anyone in the long run.
I think this match should remain reserved for the younger, prospective athletes who are going to take the ball and run with it. I feel like a satisfactory “final four” would consist of Big Show, Sheamus, Dolph Ziggler and Christian.
As for a winner, I think the only option is to go with my heart on this one. I’d be happy to see Show or Sheamus win here, but Dolph Ziggler deserves it more than anyone else, and so that’s why he’s going to win at WrestleMania. Show….. Off.
Winner: Dolph Ziggler
The Shield vs. Kane and The New Age Outlaws
I love The Shield as babyfaces. They haven’t exactly changed, but it’s nice to see them getting cheered, and I’m happy we got to see it happen before they split. While I will enjoy a triple threat match between Ambrose, Rollins and Reigns when they finally do go their separate ways, there was no need for it to happen at WrestleMania.
The guys would’ve gotten lost in the shuffle fairly swiftly had they broken up during the build-up to this event, what with virtually every division clogged with some sort of storyline. So this match will be a nice way to get The Shield on the card, as well as Kane and the Outlaws.
I do like the consistency the WWE stuck to when they booked this match. It’s not going to be the fastest-paced match of all time, but the storytelling should make it worth watching.
Kane has been working with the Authority for quite some time now, and there has always been some sort of disdain between him and The Shield, so now it’s finally going to rear its head when the two forces collide tonight. Both teams want revenge, but only one is going to get it. Who will it be?
Well, I’m going with The Shield here. The dudes are nearing the end of their tenure together, so why not disband The Shield as an undefeated trio when it comes to WrestleMania? Maybe they can pick up on that somewhere down the line. Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose have worked their asses off to get to this point, and they deserve to let it pay off.
As for the New Age Outlaws, well at least this will give them one more match at the Showcase of the Immortals! And from now on, Road Dogg will be screaming “Oh, You Didn’t Know? You Better Believe in the Shield!”
Winners: The Shield
Vickie Guerrero Divas Championship Invitational
It’s nice to see the Divas get a big match like this at WrestleMania, isn’t it? They’ve all stepped up their game in the last year, so for them to actually receive a match on the Grandest Stage of them all is a very well-deserved honour. However, this match is just confusing.
At first, I figured it would be like the cruiserweight invitational they had at WrestleMania XX ten years ago, where two participants would square off at a time, with the winner staying on and battling the next entrant, with Chavo Guerrero (the champion) entering last. That was until Vickie Guerrero stated that it would be one fall to a finish.
To me that just sounds daunting. Some people feel that watching a fatal four-way can be a very harrowing experience because so much is happening at once, so to have fourteen Divas battling it out at the same time just sounds like a train-wreck waiting to happen.
Battle Royals are different because it’s fairly easy to keep track of who is being tossed out and who is staying in. But here you’d have to keep track of pin attempts, people would be battling inside and out of the ring, and it’ll be easy to get confused.
I understand that my way involves actually giving the Divas time to perform, and as we all know, when WWE are running out of time, they cut the Divas. But I’d rather have a rushed ‘slobber knocker’- like match with the last few rounds being longer, than one huge clusterfuck of a match that nobody can keep track of.
I don’t know exactly how this is going to work, but screw it, it’s WrestleMania. The show is all about suspense and anticipation, and the fact that they have me thinking about it shows that the match has captured that already.
In a match like this, it seems like it would be easy enough to steal a sneaky victory, and if there’s anyone who could use one of those right about now, it’s the Divas Champion, AJ Lee. Expect her to team up with Tamina Snuka to clean house, before rolling up her own bodyguard to retain the title in a way only the best heels can.
Winner and STILL Divas Champion: AJ Lee
Daniel Bryan vs. Triple H
I’m going to pass this one over to my pal, Gary, who spent three weeks talking about this match’s history, build-up and his predictions. You can access the first part of that right here, because he put this rivalry into far better context than I ever could. Check it out after you finish this, it’s pretty freaking awesome! As for my own personal prediction, I’ll leave you with the same thoughts I had in Gaz’s final article:
“I’m really looking forward to this match. I know we can all make our jokes about Triple H burying people left, right and centre, but seeing him wrestle an up-and-comer like Daniel Bryan (at WrestleMania no less) is going to be great. Not to mention the strong possibility that Bryan could win!
It does feel like a long time coming for this rivalry, and I fully expect them to make the right decision by giving Daniel Bryan the victory here. It just makes sense for Bryan to finally get revenge after what happened at SummerSlam last August. Triple H put him down and Orton took his title, and now Bryan is going to put Triple H down and take Orton’s title. Payback’s a bitch!
Even without the fact that the triple-threat match would be a million times more worthwhile with Bryan’s inclusion, Triple H just doesn’t need the win here. I’m hoping that this whole ordeal has been for Triple H to finally “pass the torch” to someone before he completely focuses on the corporate aspect of his job, and if there’s anyone to pass it to, it’s Daniel Bryan.”
Winner: Daniel Bryan
The Undertaker vs. Brock Lesnar
Similarly to Bryan/Triple H and Gary’s article, I’ll have to refer you to Duckman’s in-depth analysis of this match from over the last few weeks. You can find his first part here. The dude makes some excellent insights into the build-up to this bout, and where he would’ve changed things around, so go ahead and read that if you’re looking for a good preview of this match. Other than that, I wrote some predictions for this match on his final article in the series, so I’ll refer you to those for now:
“Anyone with a decent helping of common sense knows that The Undertaker isn’t losing here. But while the match result may be predictable, that doesn’t mean the match itself isn’t going to impress. The Undertaker and Brock Lesnar are both fully capable of telling a great story when they step in the ring, and this Sunday will be no different.
This will be unlike any of the matches we’ve seen from The Undertaker in recent years. It’s going to be brutal, barbaric and hard to watch, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see some blood spilled either. Physically, ‘Taker may be looking at one of his most challenging bouts at WrestleMania, especially considering his fragility at this stage in his career.
Brock Lesnar is going to dominate the majority of the contest, likely putting the Deadman through the Spanish announce table, locking him in the Kimura and even nailing him with an F-5 or two for good measure. But in the end, Lesnar will be merely another statistic, becoming the 22nd victim to The Undertaker’s fury at WrestleMania.”
Winner: The Undertaker
John Cena vs. Bray Wyatt
I don’t know about you, but I think this feud has been excellent. All you have to do is watch the video packages with Eminem’s “Legacy” to see that they hit the nail in the head with this one. It could end up being the match of the night that nobody was expecting.
Bray Wyatt continues to mesmerise me with his never-ending skill on a microphone. The guy is so damn good, it’s not even funny. Each word leaves you begging for more. I’m literally addicted to his promos. If anyone deserves to be fast-tracked to a ‘high stakes, high reward’ match at WrestleMania, it’s Bray Wyatt.
His promo work is on par with, if not better than some of the best talkers in WWE history, and he’s only been around for about 8 months or so. And the best part about it is that he carries his persona to the ring with him. His move-set matches his personality down to a tee, and that makes for the perfect opponent to take on John Cena.
John Cena has always been thought of as the superhero of the WWE. Nobody can dispute that. Like it or not, he’s been booked like an army tank since 2006. But this really feels like the first time that Cena has actually shown weakness against an opponent.
Sure, he’s had his ass handed to him several times over the years, but most of the time he shrugs it off by belittling his nemesis with a series of childish jokes that only an infant would laugh at. And while he got that out of the way in the early stages of this rivalry, Cena has been treating Wyatt a lot differently than he normally would in the past.
He’s admitted his fear. And believe it or not, he wasn’t joking. He’s afraid for his “legacy” or whatever, and while it may be hard to buy into because of his track record, I still think it’s awesome. Cena is afraid of a rookie. That is how you build up a young star, which is why it’s so hard to predict this match.
Bray Wyatt would benefit greatly from a victory over John Cena in his WrestleMania debut. Imagine the look on all the little kids’ faces if Cena suffers the fate of Sister Abigail in the middle of the ring, only to be slung over the shoulders of Harper and Rowan and hauled to the back, leaving everyone to only guess what happens next.
Not only would it show a different side to Cena, one where he actually loses for the sake of the WWE’s future, but it would open the door to so many more opportunities for this storyline down the road.
If John Cena gets the shit kicked out of him for 20 minutes before turning around, nailing an Attitude Adjustment and winning the match, what happens next? Nobody cares, for a start, because WWE will have just thrown away all future prospects with these two guys. Cena already beat him, that’s it, it’s over.
But if Cena loses, then maybe he joins the Wyatt Family? We saw it on Raw, Johnny looked pretty badass in that sheep mask. It was an interesting sense of variation in his character, one we haven’t laid eyes on since he started rapping in the beginning of his career.
So what if he “Follows the Buzzards”? Maybe Cena can right the wrong the WWE pulled with Daniel Bryan in January, throwing away a gem of a storyline because the “Yes!” chants suddenly became popular outside the WWE. Surely this would give them a chance to get things right.
And sure, knowing WWE, John Cena will probably come out looking better than ever before, leaving his opponent in a heap of dirt, but at least Bray Wyatt would be able to say that he not only pinned John Cena at WrestleMania, but made him turn his back on the Cenation.
There is a right choice and a wrong choice for the outcome of this match, folks. Either Bray Wyatt wins, or Bray Wyatt loses. And quite frankly, despite the fact that WWE has a history of making the wrong choices, I trust them to actually see the disservice they’d be doing by letting Cena win at WrestleMania.
Calling it right now, Bray Wyatt walks out of WrestleMania… with the whole world in his hands.
Winner: Bray Wyatt
WWE World Heavyweight Championship: Randy Orton (c) vs. Batista vs. Triple H/Daniel Bryan
I’ll refer you to the predictions I made for this match in my ‘WrestleMania In-Depth’ analysis of it (you can find the first part here) for this one. My stance on the situation has not changed, so if it ain’t broke, why fix it?
“While I’ve mostly been focusing on Batista and Randy Orton for the past few weeks, WrestleMania itself will be an entirely different story. The outcome of this match will be completely dictated by whoever wins between Daniel Bryan and Triple H. Randy Orton and Batista both have the characteristics to make them significant factors at WrestleMania (i.e. Batista’s strength and Orton’s agility), but I wholeheartedly believe either Triple H or Daniel Bryan to be the victor here.
We saw it on Raw this week. The animosity between Triple H and Daniel Bryan far outweighs the emotion that Orton and Batista have heading into this bout. An animosity that caused Daniel Bryan to attack Triple H from behind, and wreak havoc in the main event. An animosity that saw Daniel Bryan use punches, kicks and kendo sticks to lay waste to an unsuspecting Game.
Triple H and Daniel Bryan want to tear each other limb-from-limb, and no matter who wins, that aggression will be carried into the main event. As for who I think will win that match, well it has to be Daniel Bryan, doesn’t it? His efforts over the last nine months cannot be in vain, and he cannot give Triple H the satisfaction of being right all along.
The WWE has made some god-awful decisions over the last few decades, but having Daniel Bryan lose to Triple H at WrestleMania XXX would definitely find its place near the top of that list. Expect Bryan to overcome the cerebral assassin and move onto bigger and better things.
As for his involvement in the triple threat match, I think the clear ending is for Bryan to walk out with the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Imagine 80,000 screaming fans, chanting “Yes! Yes! Yes!” at the tops of their voices, each raising their hands in-sync with an overwhelmed Daniel Bryan, who proudly clutches to a title belt with each hand. This is what WrestleMania moments were made for.
I can imagine Triple H trying to screw Daniel Bryan over (yet again) in the main event, like that one villain in an action movie who, despite the hero’s efforts, just will not die until about the eighth attempt. And by then it’s just ridiculous.
I expect to see Hunter either coming out to attack Bryan or even insert himself into the match, making it a fatal four-way. But in the end, much to the chagrin of a furious and fatigued Triple H, Daniel Bryan isn’t going to let SummerSlam happen again. A double Knee Plus to Orton and Batista (and another to Triple H for the craic) will solidify him as the new Champion.
Triple H was correct when he stated that a new era will begin in the WWE at WrestleMania. But despite what he believes, it won’t be the ‘Reality Era’. This Sunday will be the beginning of the ‘Yes Era’. And that’s an era I want to be a part of.”
Winner and NEW WWE World Heavyweight Champion: Daniel Bryan
And that’s the end of that! Tonight we will finally feast our eyes on the extravaganza that is WrestleMania, and I can’t wait. Before I wrap up, I just want to mention a few things here, starting by thanking the extensive writing staff we have at SLTD Wrestling, who have worked so hard to get quality content out to you guys to fulfil all your WrestleMania-related needs over the last month.
Whether it was George and his phenomenal feat of reviewing every single WrestleMania ever for the build-up to tonight (which you can access here), Sam and Duckman for joining me in the difficult task of previewing each of the three main events tonight with ‘WrestleMania In-Depth’, or the rest of the guys and gals who put out content on WrestleMania to their hearts’ content.
These people have worked so hard, and should be so proud of themselves, not to mention George and Greg, who have worked just as hard to get the site in shape for WrestleMania. The whole thing has been a team effort, and everyone should pat themselves on the back before sitting down to enjoy WrestleMania tonight.
If you want to make your own predictions for WrestleMania, then I urge you to do so with the SLTD Wrestling Predictions League right here! A tonne of prizes are on offer, and there are many points at stake tonight, so everybody has a chance to win!
Other than that, if you enjoyed this article, please leave a like on Facebook, Tweet the link and leave your comments down below. Any and all feedback is appreciated, so don’t hesitate to let me know your thoughts!
You can also follow me on Twitter @AdamOB_SLTD, to speak with me about wrestling, my writing or anything at all!
Thanks for reading, and enjoy WrestleMania!
Self-Professed Conversational Wizard.
Admin, Editor and Writer for SLTD Wrestling.
Creator of 'Under the Spotlight'.
Studying Computing in Games Development.
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