Triple Z gives his predictions and analysis for the 2019 Royal Rumble. Rusev vs Shinsuke Nakamura (Kickoff Match)Rusev and Shinsuke Nakamura are names you don't typically see in the Kickoff lineup. Usually that honor is for The New Day or The Uso's. Can we just talk about main roster shelf life for a second. Nakamura won the Royal Rumble last year in dramatic fashion, and now he is fighting for one of WWE's worst titles in the kickoff match against a champion who hasn't had a good run either. Nakamura is going to lose. It is the scenario that makes the most sense. WWE's roster is ultra-stacked, and it is sad we have gotten to a point where someone like Shinsuke Nakamura has become old news. Truly shows WWE's booking has its challenges. Winner: Rusev Buddy Murphy vs Hideo Itami vs Akira Tozawa vs KalistoIt is unclear when this match will take place within the card. It has the potential to be an epic contest. WWE is slowly fixing 2o5 Live. Yet, as fans, it is becoming increasingly noticeable no one knows where 205 Live fits within the WWE main roster or universe. Recently, we have seen Mustafa Ali move to SmackDown. So is 205 Live now just another step before RAW or SmackDown? For example, Hideo Itami was stuck in NXT forever. Due to his injuries and the influx of new talent the NXT universe no longer cared about Hideo Itami. Then WWE moved him to 205 Live. He's now in the title picture. Although someone with the rèsumè like Itami should've been a main roster bet. If 205 Live is being used as a new way to groom Cruiserweights for full time main roster that could be something. Even though we can argue a lot of the Cruiserweight's have been ready. Now back to this match. I would have to assume Buddy Murphy retains his title. Cruiserweight title hot potato doesn't always work. 205 Live saved Buddy Murphy's career so that is a testament to the brand. Winner: Buddy Murphy The Bar vs Shane McMahon and The MizTime for some bullet points:
The Miz entering and winning the Royal Rumble is unlikely now . Although we all thought it was a possibility, months ago before the Daniel Bryan heel turn. Now it seems WWE is set on Rollins. Still it's hard to rule out The Miz. SmackDown may have an easier path to WrestleMania for The Miz. Winner: The Miz Asuka vs Becky LynchIs Becky Lynch getting too cocky? That's the biggest question heading into the Royal Rumble. Becky Lynch has been playing up the anti-hero role. Some are heralding her to Stone Cold. I think "The Man" is fine but Ronda Rousey is the more compelling Stone Cold. Becky may be the perfect foil as The Rock like character. Which makes Charlotte Flair the Triple H character if we are going by Attitude Era comparisons. A lot is at stake in this match. I think WWE is giving Asuka the run she deserves. Becky Lynch can wait for the Women's Royal Rumble. Winner: Asuka Ronda Rousey vs Sasha BanksBanks and Bayley can book their tickets for the Women's Tag Team Championship match at Elimination Chamber. Currently, Sasha Banks has to face Ronda Rousey. I'm expecting this to be a solid, long contest. The match should make Sasha and Ronda look equal. Rousey should get the victory though. A Sasha Banks curveball would be fascinating though. This match should further escalate the Four Horsewomen of MMA vs the Four Horsewomen of WWE rivalry. Which will be a big money match down the line. Especially now that sources have confirmed that Ronda Rousey is indeed under contract until 2021 with WWE. Winner: Ronda Rousey Daniel Bryan vs AJ StylesDaniel Bryan has embraced his inner heel. We are bound for a fun match. Although the result is most likely going to be Daniel Bryan retaining. A smart move on WWE's behalf. Instead of having Daniel Bryan enter the Royal Rumble and lose. It's still surreal that Daniel Bryan is even wrestling. It's crazy he's fighting AJ Styles. The fans once again win. Winner: Daniel Bryan Brock Lesnar vs Finn BalorBrock Lesnar has finally made his point clear. He no longer wants to work matches with big superstars. So that means no more matches with Roman Reigns. No more snore fests with Braun Strowman. It shows that Lesnar works better with smaller opponents. He was able to work well with AJ Styles and Daniel Bryan. Now Finn Balor is the next man up. I don't see a scenario where Finn actually wins but I expect this to be a fun match. I also think Finn Balor's Demon alter-ego will be saved for a WrestleMania match. Lesnar will most likely win. Setting up a championship match at WrestleMania. Winner: Brock Lesnar Women's Royal RumbleMay the odds ever be in your favor... Let's analyze the favorites: Charlotte Flair Of course she is the favorite. Charlotte has won almost every big "Women's Evolution" match. Adding Royal Rumble to her list is probably a goal for WWE. Becky Lynch She's the most over women in the division. Fans have been clamoring for Lynch/Rousey since Survivor Series. The Royal Rumble could be the route. A Becky/Charlotte DRAW WWE wants to pull a Bret Hart and Lex Luger type deal. "Keep Charlotte strong!" This would be a goofy ending especially for the Women's second ever Royal Rumble match. Sidenote: This whole Rousey/Becky/Charlotte situation reminds me on the WrestleMania XXX situation involving Daniel Bryan, Randy Orton, and Batista. Sometimes it is better to just go with the hot hand (Becky). Don't over complicate things for the sake of including another star (Charlotte) Alexa Bliss After being cleared for competition. Alexa Bliss will compete in the Royal Rumble in her first official match back. The oddsmakers have her near the favorites. There is good reason for Bliss being near the top. She's held both the RAW and SmackDown Women's Championships and she has also won Money in the Bank. Bliss may just win the Royal Rumble. Who would she challenge? Probably Asuka if it came down to it. The Dark Horses Ember Moon The NXT standout is bound to get a break soon. Ember Moon winning the Royal Rumble could also free up the Becky Lynch/Ronda Rousey storyline. If Ember Moon does win she could end up challenging her NXT nemesis Asuka. Shayna Baszler Baszler is ranked high. I don't think she is leaving NXT yet. If she enters it could be a surprised one-off. She may be a dark horse if she drops her NXT Women's championship at NXT TakeOver: Phoenix. Nikki Bella One of the most fascinating sub-storylines of 2018 was how Nikki Bella has positioned herself as the more dominant Bella Twin. Nikki Bella got the spotlight fighting Ronda Rousey at Evolution. She is a dark horse to win the Royal Rumble. Last year she was the runner up to Asuka. We know Nikki Bella wants a title run. It's not a matter of if, it's more like when. The "Not A Chance But Still Possible" Winners Trish Stratus She's a Hall of Famer, and she still has it. There is a possibility she could be a surprise entrant. Winning on the other hand is less likely. Kairi Sane Another NXT standout who will probably be in the match but her chances of actually winning will be slim to none. Still possible that Kairi Sane wins but it would be from out of left field. The IIconics Well it would be fun? Brie Bella She doesn't have leverage like her sister does. My ultimate choice for the Women's Royal Rumble match based on the notion WWE will continue the storylines they have already built is Becky Lynch (The Favorite). Winner: Becky Lynch Men's Royal RumbleMay the odds ever be in your favor...
Let's analyze the favorites: Seth Rollins It makes sense Rollins is the favorite. He is rumored to be facing Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania. Which would go in line with the new way Lesnar wants to work. Rollins has done a lot in WWE, and I'm sure they are waiting to cross Royal Rumble off his list. Braun Strowman Talk about a fall from grace. Braun Strowman was one of WWE's hottest acts. They made him a heel, and then they made him a face again. Braun had the momentum and WWE decided to waste it. I don't see Strowman winning the Royal Rumble despite him being a favorite. Drew McIntyre He just doesn't do it for me. McIntyre had a weak NXT run. I don't think he has the in-ring skills compared to some of the other main roster talents. He's another "favorite" I can't see winning the Royal Rumble. The Dark Horses Kenny Omega You may be thinking to yourself. "Why would Kenny Omega be a dark horse?" Well the thing is we don't know his situation. It is very likely he signs a deal with AEW. Although Kenny Omega being a dark horse to win the Royal Rumble is still very possible according to oddsmakers. Maybe it is a AJ Styles situation. Where we all thought he was going to sign with TNA again, and then he made the jump to WWE. Omega is in a different situation than Styles. AJ Styles' decision was basically should I go on the biggest boat or should I jump on this float that is barely above water? Now Omega's decision is should I join this well-oiled machine or should I jump onto this rocket ship and see where it takes me. The rocket ship being AEW of course. Kenny Omega would be a fun dark horse. John Cena Could the road to a historic 17th championship win happen through the Royal Rumble? Brock Lesnar or Daniel Bryan are worthy opponents for John Cena. Andrade This would be an excellent winner. Just have him face whoever wins the WWE Championship for SmackDown at WrestleMania. He's a dark horse but it could make for a nice swerve. Long Shots Mustafa Ali The underdog who is now a member of SmackDown. Mustafa Ali winning the Royal Rumble could elevate him into WWE's next underdog story. His in-ring style is unique, and he has the potential to be a top star. The Rock If The Rock ever returns to WWE. You know he will be getting a major push out of the gate. If The Rock is planning on returning to action in 2019. The Rock winning the Royal Rumble would be the perfect start. Also, it would help him with his ring rust. Have a bunch of other guys in there and he would be able to hit his key spots. The Rock's schedule is always busy but a match between him and Brock Lesnar could reach some serious mainstream appeal. Velveteen Dream The NXT call up winning the big one. Dream has it all to be the next main event superstar. It's a longshot but I wouldn't rule it out. Shawn Michaels Shawn Michaels came out of retirement for WWE's controversial Crown Jewel event in Saudi Arabia. It was rumored he would continue to work with WWE in a part-time capacity. HBK has shot down all the rumors. Saying that the Saudi Arabia match was a special one-off. Hmmm.... still very fishy? Is this the last we have seen of bald Shawn Michaels? Final Pick: When it comes down to the nitty gritty of picking who's going to win the Royal Rumble I have to go with Seth Rollins. He's been in highlighted to win forever. I wouldn't be shocked if I end up being wrong. Especially if a dark horse or a long shot comes in to play. Winner: Seth Rollins Thanks for reading my 2019 Royal Rumble predictions. Follow @ZWrestleTalk on Twitter.
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Triple Z previews WWE's TLC event, including the high stakes match between Baron Corbin and Braun Strowman. Before I even get into previewing WWE's TLC event. I think it would be smart of me to point out, and for those of you that have read ZWrestleTalk for awhile will understand. WWE theming pay-per-view events after special matches really screws them over at other pay-per-views. Like this past Monday that was the first TLC match on RAW in years. It shouldn't be like that. There should TLC matches on RAW every once in awhile, there shouldn't be many year gaps. Both TLC and Hell in a Cell are cool concepts. They should be utilized more throughout the year. Instead of relegating them to their own minor events. So now it's time to preview WWE's TLC. Which features the RAW GM debacle at the center of it all. Something that hopefully will be put to rest. Randy Orton vs Rey Mysterio (Chairs Match)Cool, we get a chairs match. Mysterio and Orton could perform some cool spots. I'm still in shock that Rey Mysterio actually returned to WWE, and that he's sticking with it. If WWE is smart they do a WrestleMania dream match with him this year. Honestly, I think Rey Mysterio vs AJ Styles could be the match. The in-ring psychology between the two of them would be insane. I think Randy Orton will end up doing some vicious spots with Rey Mysterion resulting a victory. Winner: Randy Orton Jinder Mahal & Alicia Fox vs R-Truth & CarmellaThis is the finals to WWE's Mixed Match Challenge. Facebook Watch's current venture with WWE. I think obviously the comedic team of R-Truth and Carmella have to win. Winners: R-Truth and Carmella Buddy Murphy vs Cedric AlexanderWWE is still trying to rebuild 205 Live. I have to assume WWE is going to want some consistency. So, Buddy Murphy retaining would make the most sense. Winner: Buddy Murphy Bobby Lashley vs Elias (Ladder Match)You have to think Elias is going to grab his guitar, and use it on Bobby Lashley? Maybe they go a different route but this match should be okay. Giving Bobby Lashley a mouthpiece helps. His stumble into the mid-card shouldn't go unnoticed. On the other-hand, Elias is on the verge of being in the main event. I would not be surprised to see Elias moved to SmackDown in 2019, and him being in the main event scene more. Winner: Elias Finn Balor vs Drew McIntyreI heard this match might get scrapped. Which I'm fine with. I don't need to see Drew McIntyre beat Finn Balor. This just does nothing for me. Natalya vs Ruby Riott (Tables Match)This shockingly does something for me. This storyline has also used Natalya's real life dad Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart. Who recently just passed away. So it has a real life element which I like. I also enjoy the fact that it's edgy. Like it wasn't necessary for WWE to go that far but they did, and that makes this a better feud. It's no longer a generic women's rivalry. It's a personal rivalry. Also this is a unique spot to be in considering WWE doesn't usually make one on one women's matches outside of the championship matches. I have to think Ruby Riott is going to win in a emotional match. I feel like there is more left to this feud. Winner: Ruby Riott The Uso's vs The Bar vs The New DayThis match is really special. These are the three tag teams that owned WWE in 2018. Also, this match just proves that SmackDown's tag team division is so much better right now. It will be a satisfying match, and I feel like WWE will keep the titles on The Bar for now. Winners: The Bar Charlotte Flair vs Becky Lynch vs Asuka (TLC Match)Once again Charlotte Flair gets to make history. Yet, Becky Lynch has become one of WWE's most organic acts in 2018. She's getting Daniel Bryan sized pops during his 2014 run. This is a dream match for the women's revolution. Becky Lynch should move to RAW in 2019, in hopes of fighting Ronda Rousey for her title. Charlotte Flair could win here just because WWE likes doing that. Then we have the potential of WWE putting Asuka on a correction course and having her win in a match that won't hurt Charlotte Flair or Becky Lynch status wise. WWE will have Asuka win just to solidify her as a true champion once again. Asuka was on top of the world at the beginning of 2018, and she could reach the top once again at the end. Winner: Asuka Ronda Rousey vs Nia JaxIn all honesty Ronda should just knock her out, and that's how this match should end. It should be a squash. I can't imagine this going on for a long time either. Winner: Ronda Rousey Braun Strowman vs Baron Corbin (TLC Match)My prediction is that Lars Sullivan is going to make his main roster debut tonight. He's going to take out Strowman. Corbin is going to win the match, and the title of General Manager of Monday Night RAW. Then Vince McMahon is going to fire him on Monday night. Winner: Baron Corbin Seth Rollins vs Dean AmbroseSeth Rollins is going to lose. So he can move on and have a feud with Brock Lesnar. Seth Rollins taking on Brock Lesnar is the next realistic feud unless you have Daniel Bryan start a cross-brand rivalry with Lesnar for WrestleMania. This Ambrose/Rollins feud doesn't have any other excitement except for the fact it's a role reversal with Rollins as the babyface, and Ambrose as the heel, and the added drama of Roman Reigns. Yet I just suspect a uneventful Ambrose victory. Winner: Dean Ambrose Daniel Bryan vs AJ StylesDaniel Bryan and AJ Styles should put on another classic. I don't see Daniel Bryan dropping the title anytime soon. Although I don't like the idea of seeing him face The Miz anymore. Unless he turns face again. I just don't think a babyface Miz would really be that good for this particular feud.
This should realistically be the main event. It's still just a great thing to see Daniel Bryan back in the ring. Winner: Daniel Bryan To finish off the WWE TLC BreakDownz. I think it makes sense to point out that RAW indeed needs to change in 2019. Especially with SmackDown getting a deal on FOX. RAW needs to tell stories and interest its audience. So hopefully in 2019 WWE veers away from getting stuck in ruts like they did with the Constable Corbin storyline. WWE probably thought that the Baron Corbin/Kurt Angle storyline looked good on paper, similar to the Jason Jordan/Kurt Angle storyline. Yet it isn't working and half of the time it seems RAW just repeats itself. WWE may still be stubborn with RAW in 2019 but with SmackDown being on FOX they better pull out all the stops. They won't be able to do whatever they want. Not to mention if All Elite Wrestling does become a thing, it could build up fast into a true threat. Follow @ZWrestleTalk on Twitter. Why can't we have nice things. Of course Becky Lynch gets concussed the week before the most anticipated women's match in recent memory. Yet, maybe Nia Jax's clumsy maneuver lead WWE's storytelling to better things! Plus WWE rewrites a wrong from the WrestleMania 31 season. As Brock Lesnar will finally face Daniel Bryan. Even though Daniel Bryan is now a heel. Yes, that's super weird to type and it's freaky to consider WWE has been turning all their top babyfaces heel (Shinsuke Nakamura, Becky Lynch, Johnny Gargano, and now Daniel Bryan). Now Survivor Series has a WrestleMania caliber card. Also WWE saves us from a boring Charlotte Flair-Ronda Rousey WrestleMania feud by having the match at Survivor Series. It could be debated the crowd wanted Asuka vs Rousey too. 10 on 10 Tag Team MatchI do not care about this at all but I think it's time for some POINTS.
AOP vs The Bar (w/ Big Show)I would assume AOP would win here. WWE needs to build them up. The main roster hasn't been too kind to them. Especially since the departure of their iconic manager Paul Ellering. Yet, Drake Maverick has stepped up to fill AOP's void. Sheamus, Cesaro, and Big Show form a nice trio but how long will that last? Not to mention WWE should give Cesaro a singles run soon. Winners: AOP Buddy Murphy vs Mustafa AliWow, 205 Live made the main card??? Also that Cruiserweight Championship is a hot potato. I fully expect Mustafa Ali to win on Sunday. I don't follow 205 Live that well. I just hope they have a good match. Winner: Mustafa Ali RAW vs SmackDown Traditional Elimination Men MatchThis should be a fun match. It includes three superstar who weren't around last year in this event Bobby Lashley, Jeff Hardy, and Rey Mysterio. Also it is one of the nights a year where Shane McMahon plays tough guy. RAW has the size but SmackDown has the experience by far. I have to think that WWE finally gives SmackDown an important victory. I think Rey Mysterio will eliminate Braun Strowman. I just have that gut feeling. I feel like because there is no stakes it favors the SmackDown guys better. Plus RAW's team is inferior. Glad they finally got Finn into a match with some meaning though. Winners: Team SmackDown Women's 5 on 5 Survivor Series MatchI would usually give this to SmackDown but I'm sure WWE wants to establish Nia Jax and Tamina as forces within the women's division. Jax's mistake on Monday helped us get an impressive match for WrestleMania 35. What I'm going to be watching in this match is a few things. How Asuka does overall, same goes for Ruby Riott and Mickie James, also how Carmella can bounce back after being champ, and if Sonya Deville or the mystery partner can become more SmackDown women's division mainstays. Winners: Team RAW Seth Rollins vs Shinsuke NakamuraRollins vs Nakamura has the potential to steal the night. As long as outsiders don't get involved. Yet, I'm betting on a Dean Ambrose run-in. Nakamura and Rollins better wear their best pop culture inspired ring gear this Sunday because it's going to be a match! I feel Nakamura will earn the big victory on Sunday but due to Ambrose. This match is near the top of my list. Winner: Shinsuke Nakamura Ronda Rousey vs Charlotte FlairWell... we didn't get Becky Lynch and Ronda Rousey. Thankfully, that match will be saved for WrestleMania 35. WWE hasn't had this hot of a character (Becky Lynch) since Daniel Bryan circa 2014. If you thought Rousey was over just take a look at Lynch and how she commanded our attention on Monday night. Undoubtedly, Lynch has the better promo game which helps but Lynch looks like a serious competitor next to Rousey. It's time for fans to forget the MMA mindset in all of WWE. Anyone of any size can face in WWE. I'm excited for Lynch/Rousey when that happens but the biggest move WWE made was giving us the rumored WrestleMania 35 main event at Survivor Series and saving us from a boring "legacy" feud. Charlotte Flair is the women's division answer to Roman Reigns. She wins. Look at what she brought out in Becky Lynch. There is no way WWE is going to have their most successful women's star of the women's revolution take the loss to someone who hasn't even had experience yet. WWE made Alexa Bliss and Charlotte Flair the staples of the new women's era having both of them winning multiple titles from different brands. Rousey has already defeated Bliss. Though that fits with Bliss' whiny character. Charlotte Flair is a whole new game for Rousey. Flair has the experience and edge over Rousey. Although it would be a terrible look to have one of your most dominant champions get laid out by a true-newcomer. Unless WWE makes it part of the Rousey/Lynch feud. Having Rousey get a dominant win over Charlotte Flair would help hype the confrontation between Rousey and Lynch. Another thing that all of this does is set in motion the highly-anticipated Four Horsewomen of MMA vs Four Horsewomen of WWE match. This one is a tough decision. I'm excited to watch this match go down. In the end I have to go with Ronda Rousey. I just have the feeling WWE is doing the dreaded "undefeated streak" gimmick with her. Something they really should avoid. Yet they are still going to do it. Winner: Ronda Rousey Brock Lesnar vs Daniel BryanFINALLY. FINALLY. FINALLY. We finally get this freaking match. I really thought we missed out on that when Daniel Bryan retired. For those of you that don't remember. WrestleMania 31 season had the return of Daniel Bryan after his triumphant-turned-tragic WrestleMania 30 victory-injury. Yet right when Daniel Bryan got injured. The Shield was no more. WWE would begin to groom Roman Reigns to be "The Man." Yet there was a rightful resistance from the fans. Who were still in love with Daniel Bryan's story and victory from a year ago. Leading us to believe the ultimate redemption storyline would be Daniel Bryan facing Brock Lesnar for the title he never lost. Unfortunately WWE went in a different direction due to Bryan's injury concerns and placed Reigns in the match with Lesnar. Thankfully, Seth Rollins cashed in and made an iconic WrestleMania moment. Fast forward to Survivor Series. Daniel Bryan now a heel. After defeating AJ Styles on SmackDown for the WWE Championship. It's like Daniel Bryan decided he wanted to start fresh after being given a clean bill of health. His ring gear is green and blue instead of the classic maroon and grey. Daniel Bryan is going to be a heel. Once the biggest babyface in the company, decided to reinvent himself. Bryan was a heel-ish character with Kane before he became a mega star. Maybe this turn will lead him back to the light side. All that I know is that Brock Lesnar vs Daniel Bryan is a dream match. It's another match I never thought we would witness. To all the "size critics" on Twitter... Daniel Bryan will be just fine against Brock Lesnar. Size means nothing in WWE. Remember this man defeated 3/4 of Evolution in one night. Even though Daniel Bryan is a changed character. I plan on rooting for him on Sunday against Brock Lesnar. WWE wants him to work that match as a babyface and I think that's obviously the right call. It pains me to predict Brock Lesnar because Daniel Bryan would of been the ultimate choice to slay the beast. The ultimate underdog defeats the beast. I really hope I'm wrong and we see a major YES wave on Sunday night. Winner: Brock Lesnar Follow @ZWrestleTalk on Twitter. Triple Z makes predictions for WWE's Hell in a Cell event. RAW and SmackDown continue to try and one up each other. I'm sure we will start to see more hints of this on the way to Survivor Series. We get the second installment of the "Wendy" saga, a dream match of 2009, and Rousey's fist title defense. The New Day VS Rusev DayThis is clearly going to go in New Day's favor. It is a shame that The New Day are on the kickoff show. Yet, maybe they provide the correct energy to get people to subscribe to the WWE Network. I mean most people are subscribers if they are watching. This is also a offshoot of the co-branded pay-per-views. The cards are better but more spots are already filled with more prestigious titles. The New Day will continue to ride the success train. I don't expect them to drop the title to a tandem that has already tried. Winners: The New Day Dolph Ziggler & Drew McIntyre VS Seth Rollins & Dean AmbroseOne of the biggest WWE storylines of 2018 is the revival of Dolph Ziggler. Some may argue that he was bringing it on SmackDown but in reality this is the most we have talked about him in months. What does that say about Drew McIntyre? What does that say about RAW creative? Will WWE continue to give RAW less talent in order to establish new "main-event" styled talent. Although Ziggler is on this phenomenal run. Winning championships and all, there comes a point when he is going to drop the title. In this case Ziggler/McIntyre probably will drop the tag titles. So we get the championship filled Shield on Monday nights. Hopefully this doesn't cause a downward spiral for Ziggler/McIntyre but it might. Winners: Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins Daniel Bryan and Brie Bella VS The Miz and MaryseI know on SmackDown it was for storyline purposes but one can wonder can Maryse still go? We know Brie Bella can. Will Maryse show up this Sunday? Although her involvement doesn't matter in the larger picture it plays a pivotal role in this tag match. Whatever happens in this match will lead to another solo showdown between Bryan/Miz. Which makes me think that Daniel Bryan and Brie Bella will win this round. But the war is far from over. Winners: Brie Bella and Daniel Bryan Charlotte Flair VS Becky LynchWWE will try to push Becky Lynch as an anti-hero. Charlotte Flair is obviously WWE's golden girl. If they are setting her up to beat Ronda Rousey at WrestleMania 35. It is a poor decision. Lynch should win this Sunday. Let's highlight the word should. Her arc is ever changing and it is time for WWE to cool the jets on Charlotte Flair. Especially if they want that dream match. Winner: Becky Lynch Jeff Hardy VS Randy OrtonParty like it is 2009. I actually have no issues with this match. Jeff Hardy can still go, and Orton is sadistic. I never thought a Randy Orton/Jeff Hardy feud would happen in 2018. Especially with the fresh crop of talent that surrounds both men. Due to their veteran presence they are having their match inside Hell in a Cell. A barbaric structure that will allow Randy Orton to deliver punishment to Jeff Hardy. The tall structure also may be used as a leaping point for Jeff Hardy. This has incredible potential to steal the show. Once again nostalgia sells. Orton will win after Hardy goes through some extreme spots. I'm sure we will see a plethora of RKO's. Winner: Randy Orton Ronda Rousey VS Alexa BlissThis match has so many layers. Reason being the impending Evolution event. Will WWE swallow their pride and not have Charlotte Flair main event? The confirmed matches are Lita vs Mickie James (weird right?) and Trish Stratus vs Alexa Bliss. The rumored match is Nikkie Bella vs Ronda Rousey. So where will this title go? I'm going to go bold. Everyone is predicting Rousey, and I think it would be good for her to take a loss. Even if the loss isn't clean. Bliss and Stratus with the title on the line could be something wild to watch. But Rousey and Bella could be an insane title match too. Although I so badly want to pick the upset in Bliss. I know WWE is going to want either Rousey or Flair to main event. Meaning that the title is staying on Ronda Rousey. Winner: Ronda Rousey AJ Styles VS Samoa JoeOne of the best matches at SummerSlam. We finally get a second chapter to the Wendy saga. I wonder what the betting odds are for Samoa Joe saying "Wendy." This match deserved Hell in a Cell. This rivalry is personal, and it feels real. Hardy/Orton must of used their veteran leverage. Anyways, I think Joe wins purely on the mind games. Winner: Samoa Joe RETURN OF THE SIDENOTE: Roman Reigns VS Braun StrowmanSo is Mick Foley going to be used as a prop? Also WWE basically ruined Braun Strowman by turning him heel. You had an organic monster babyface and you decided to turn him heel? Roman Reigns haters will keep hating there is no need to pander to them. I mean I use to hate Reigns' booking. Now it is more of a shrug because it has gotten better. Obviously Strowman isn't going to win this.
Winner: Roman Reigns Follow @ZWrestleTalk on Twitter. ZWrestleTalk's Triple Z once again predicts and analyzes WWE's SummerSlam. SummerSlam is another long event for WWE. We have a kickoff show that has three matches. That right there tells you it is going to be a long night. Even though SummerSlam itself may be long, it is a stacked card. The Revival VS B-TeamBo Dallas and Curtis Axel were elevated during their time with The Miz. It is debatable that Axel can be entertaining under any circumstance. Dallas and Axel have had a mediocre rise in a flailing tag team division. A division that utilized a underperforming mid-card rivalry and made the rivals into partners (Matt Hardy & Bray Wyatt). Like Axel said on RAW, "this has been the best run of our lives." Yet the run is coming to a close. The Revival have been groomed since the golden days of NXT. The throwback team has been waiting for their time to shine. It looks like the crowning will happen this Sunday. Winners: The Revival Rusev & Lana VS Andrade "Cien" Almas & Zelina VegaAlmas & Vega are regulated to the kickoff show. Maybe if they get a convincing victory over Rusev and Lana they will ascend to better things. Almas and Vega is a duo that is impossible to screw up. They should be a sure bet for this Sunday. Winners: Andrade "Cien" Almas and Zelina Vega Cedric Alexander VS Drew GulakI don't follow 205 Live. I loved the concept of the Cruiserweight division when it was first introduced on RAW. The execution was so lazy and unthoughtful that it really diminished the value the division had. Post-Enzo, they are trying to reboot the division and make it important again. Drake Maverick was brought in to be the charismatic general manager. Yet things on kickoff shows aren't deemed important. The Cruiserweight Championship hasn't been defended on a main card in forever. It has always taken place on the kickoff. So yeah Cedric Alexander will probably retain. Until we see a clear, new face take charge. Winner: Cedric Alexander The New Day VS Bludgeon BrothersThe New Day should be able to reach the top again. The perfect time to change the guard would be at SummerSlam. Winners: The New Day Finn Balor VS Constable Baron CorbinEnd this feud, and just get rid of Constable Baron Corbin. This has been dreadful to watch. WWE is diminishing Balor's value by giving him no direction to succeed. Yet he can't afford to lose in these bad feuds. Winner: Finn Balor Shinsuke Nakamura VS Jeff HardyI don't see a Hardy victory coming. Nakamura is likely to hold on the hot potato U.S title for awhile. Winner: Shinsuke Nakamura Daniel Bryan VS The MizOne of the most highly-anticipated matches in WWE this year. The tension has been building ever since the infamous Talking Smack moment. Daniel Bryan made a miraculous comeback. The Miz has constantly been elevating himself into WWE's primetime heel. Earning himself and his wife a reality spinoff of their own on USA Network. This match will be personal. It also should be one of the best storytelling matches on the main roster. Similar to the emotions of Gargano/Ciampa although that will be hard to top. Could this possibly lead to Daniel Bryan/Brie Bella VS The Miz/Maryse. The first encounter is hard to predict because many of us never thought we would get the shot to witness this match. I'm going to just buckle up and enjoy the ride. Daniel Bryan and The Miz could easily be "match of the night." My gut feeling says The Miz will get a dirty heel victory. Winner: The Miz Becky Lynch VS Carmella VS Charlotte FlairCarmella has had a longer and more successful reign then we expected. Fans have been waiting for Becky Lynch to finally get another opportunity at the title. Yet Charlotte Flair has been interjected into the mix. Diminishing Becky Lynch's opportunity at the title. There could be a couple of reasons why Charlotte Flair was placed into this match. 1) WWE is planning Rousey VS Flair for WrestleMania 35, and leaving Charlotte off a big card would look "bad." 2) WWE using point 1 above as a easy way to use Charlotte's rematch clause. The reign of Carmella has shocked, impressed, and frustrated some fans. No matter what type of fan you are, this reign is probably going to continue. Becky Lynch's second crowning can't be minimized by Charlotte Flair. Also to elaborate more on point 1. Why does Charlotte Flair need to be in this match? Can't WWE book more than two Women's matches? That would've been nice before the historic Evolution event. Yeah, you can count Lana VS Vega as a match technically but WWE could of easily had Charlotte Flair take on Asuka or the IIconics. It's just not a good scene for Becky Lynch always battling the shadow of the "Four Horsewomen." It really has affected all of them. Sasha, Bayley, and Becky have fallen to the shadow. Charlotte Flair has been able to squeak by. Carmella may survive again, and I'm totally cool with that. Winner: Carmella Dolph Ziggler VS Seth RollinsI'm feeling confident that Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre are going to continue to revive their careers with the Intercontinental Championship in their hands. Seth Rollins may be screwed by Dean Ambrose in this match. Especially if Reigns wins the title, WWE will get the ultimate creative option of executing a "Shield" feud and triple threat match at WrestleMania for the title. Could a Shield triple threat main event WrestleMania? Possibly. I think Ziggler will defeat Rollins with some help from McIntyre and maybe from a salty Dean Ambrose. Winner: Dolph Ziggler Kevin Owens VS Braun StrowmanI can't imagine Kevin Owens winning the Money in the Bank contract from Braun Strowman. I also rather have a face hold the briefcase for once. Strowman cashing in on Lesnar or Reigns would be great. I still feel Braun is going to wait awhile to cash in. I think he defeats Owens tonight pretty sound. Winner: Braun Strowman Alexa Bliss VS Ronda RouseyThis should be an epic match. Even better then Rousey's first championship match. Alexa Bliss is a fantastic heel, and has proven on multiple occasions that she can hold her own. Rousey hasn't had a bad outing yet. Rousey has been protected but she hasn't been too bad in the ring. I think Rousey will win by knockout to showcase her dominance. Winner: Ronda Rousey AJ Styles VS Samoa JoeAJ Styles has been holding the belt for awhile. Samoa Joe is officially back. All I can say. TNA! TNA! TNA! It's truly incredible to think about how far AJ Styles and Samoa Joe have come. What's more ironic is that they are still using their same names. This has potentially to be a epic showdown if they are given the time, and if they aren't put in a bad cool down spot. I think Samoa Joe will defeat AJ Styles. Winner: Samoa Joe Roman Reigns VS Brock LesnarHinting at a potential Paul Heyman twist on RAW. Yet, this will be the fourth encounter of Reigns and Lesnar. It would be hard to imagine Lesnar beating Reigns again. It is hard but truly it is WWE's most likely scenario. WWE wants Lesnar to keep winning and possibly hold the UFC title too. It would look epic.
Reigns suffering another gut-wrenching loss would be a intriguing storyline. Reigns winning would give WWE more creative options with a full time champion. There really isn't a lot of dream matches left for Brock Lesnar. The writing may be on the wall... Not to mention his schedule doesn't allow him to actually create dream match scenarios anymore. Winner: Brock Lesnar Follow @TripleZ_87 on Twitter. Follow @ZWrestleTalk on Twitter. Triple Z discusses Extreme Rules and how the event has potential to be great fun but has no stakes. WWE is currently in a downward spiral. Since the big news of the FOX deal, WWE has resorted to lazily booking and even sometimes repeating the same exact segments. Is WWE struggling to center RAW around a superstar? The usual John Cena and Brock Lesnar storylines have been absent for the summer. I've been saying this for awhile but RAW lacks the depth necessary to carry a three hour show. Reason why SmackDown can have the inferior roster is because it is the shorter show, and they can fully maximize their great talent. Even if you used SmackDown's current roster on RAW it would be a better show by far. Now we get to Extreme Rules. A gimmick event that was originated basically out of WWE's version of ECW. So each match should have a gimmick right? Most do but some don't which in most cases is all good. Why can't we have nice things though? Just let every match be a gimmick. That's what this night is all about. Andrade "Cien" Almas VS Sin CaraAndrade "Cien" Almas being on the Kickoff show is quite confusing. Even if his match is against Sin Cara shouldn't you highlight him on the main card? This could be one of the downsides of co-branded events. Less opportunity for the new fresh from NXT guys to get over. Almas is being groomed for greatness. Especially with Zelina Vega at his side. I think WWE's big feud of 2019 will be Daniel Bryan feuding with Andrade "Cien" Almas over the WWE Championship. There is high hopes for Almas. So he's going to take the win here. Winner: Andrade "Cien" Almas The New Day VS SAnity (Tables Match)Once again, how in the world is this not on the main card? The New Day getting bumped to Kickoff? This is a highly anticipated match and I don't know why it's not being hyped much larger. I'm expecting SAnity to destroy The New Day in this first contest. Winner: SAnity Finn Balor VS Baron CorbinEven though Finn Balor is a former WWE Universal Champion. How in the world does this match make the main card? "Constable" is unbearable to watch. Corbin was sent to RAW without a purpose. He shaved his head, and once again we have a weird authority figure lurking on RAW. Finn is falling down the ranks, and this feud will further his downfall. Honestly I feel Vince doesn't want Balor to succeed yet. So I have to go with Corbin in this one. Winner: Baron Corbin Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt VS B-TeamCurtis Axel is the most resilient performer on the roster. Give Axel and Bo the straps even if they end up losing them on Monday. Winners: The B Team Carmella VS AsukaThis match has a goofy stipulation. Carmella has proved she can walk the walk. Yet I feel WWE is anxious to finally give Asuka a title again. Now that the streak mystique is gone. Asuka can finally ascend to the top of SmackDown Live without criticisms of a undefeated streak. Carmella and Ellsworth will move on to another feud. Winner: Asuka Alexa Bliss VS Nia Jax (Extreme Rules Match)There will be a lot of moving parts in this match. We of course have Nia Jax trying to win back the title from Alexa Bliss. Ronda Rousey will be sitting ringside. Mickie James, who has become very close to Alexa Bliss, will interfere in this Extreme Rules match. All this chaos favors Alexa Bliss. SummerSlam we need the payoff of Ronda Rousey VS Alexa Bliss and this is the only way to make it happen. Winner: Alexa Bliss Jeff Hardy VS Shinsuke NakamuraThis is a fascinating dream match. Jeff Hardy will battle Shinsuke Nakamura. This will be a mix of styles and could be one of the finer matches of the night. I actually see Shinsuke Nakamura winning here. Winner: Shinsuke Nakamura Dolph Ziggler VS Seth Rollins (Iron Man Match)Dolph Ziggler has somehow rejuvenated his career on Monday Night RAW. That is a startling accomplishment considering how hard it is to gain momentum on RAW. Yet the duo of Ziggler and McIntyre somehow works. Ziggler has been enthralling in his feud with Rollins. Not to mention Seth Rollins has been performing at an all time high. The Iron Man match should deliver. Sometimes a Iron Man match can become a snoozefest. With a reborn Dolph Ziggler and a impeccable Seth Rollins this looks to be one of the cornerstones of this card. Winner: Dolph Ziggler Bludgeon Brothers VS Team Hell NoTeam Hell No is not going to have a glorious reunion. WWE will use Daniel Bryan in a singles program for SummerSlam. Kane has to probably go do mayor stuff. Bludgeon Brothers are going to squeak by. P.S. PLEASE DO NOT START A KANE VS DANIEL BRYAN FEUD. Winners: Bludgeon Brothers Braun Strowman VS Kevin OwensBraun. That is all. Winner: Braun Strowman Roman Reigns VS Bobby LashleyThis feud benefits Roman Reigns. Although I think Bobby Lashley needs this victory on Sunday to catapult his return to new heights. Lashley would be a dream opponent for Brock Lesnar. Will Brock Lesnar depart after SummerSlam to go back to the UFC full time? Doubtful. If WWE offers a extension (of truly any kind). Brock would be stupid to turn down the money. Even if the deal ends up around 2 years for $24 million you take that money. Even if WWE gives him significantly less you TAKE that money. I'm sure he will compete in both WWE and UFC. Which leaves WWE in a terrible situation for SummerSlam. Whoever wins this bout at Extreme Rules will be the contender for Brock Lesnar. Then WWE has to decide if Reigns or Lashely beats Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam despite Lesnar having a UFC Heavyweight Championship match in 2019. Does WWE hold off, and wait for Lesnar to possibly win the UFC Heavyweight Championship. Which would further expand the aura that comes with Brock Lesnar. Or will WWE spare their audience the pain of not having a champion for months on end. WWE's decision will be very interesting. Also will WWE move on from Brock Lesnar? Do they care to pay him that much anymore? A lot of intriguing subjects to take place before SummerSlam. For now, we have Reigns and Lashley as the big time fight. WWE can't be blind and deaf. Despite his vast improvements, it is time to send Bobby Lashley in the ring with Brock Lesnar. Winner: Bobby Lashley AJ Styles VS RusevThis one truly can go either way. To me this feels like a "filler" match for AJ Styles. Although WWE could capitalize on the "Rusev Day" love. Once again Rusev is the prime example that organically building talent helps them get over. The funnier, realer Rusev alongside a singing Aiden English is more over with the fans then a overly-dramatic Russian/Bulgarian heel that rides on a tank. Sometimes when WWE forces talent on the audience they reject it. When talent grows naturally they start to accept it. That was what happened with Rusev. Styles right now is probably at a crossroads. He just got past a long feud with Shinsuke Nakamura. Whatever he does next should be compelling. Maybe this match exceeds expectations, and we get a good rivalry. Let's play it safe and have AJ win.
Winner: AJ Styles Thanks for reading my WWE Extreme Rules BreakDownZ. Please feel free to leave a comment below. If you want to write for ZWrestleTalk. Feel free to apply in the Write for ZWrestleTalk section of the site. Follow @TripleZ_87 and @ZWrestleTalk on Twitter. As we approach WWE's Money in the Bank, the first of the newly christened co-branded era. Not to mention the fact that WWE shortsighted us with this event. The RAW and SmackDown event was going to be special. On the same level of the Big Four events (Royal Rumble, WrestleMania, SummerSlam, Survivor Series). The event even has a NXT TakeOver taking place the night before. Yet WWE decided to take the lazy route of giving us only two Money in the Bank matches. When will they ever get up the courage to do three? Doing just a women's Money in the Bank and men's Money in the Bank is dumb. You have the brand split for a reason. Give both brands the opportunity to run with the briefcase. You can still do the brand split twists, but making the Money in the Bank match be four ladder matches would give it a better vibe. Especially if Money in the Bank was going to become the five in the Big 5. Which makes tons of sense. Money in the Bank is a pivotal, game-changing event in the WWE calendar. Daniel Bryan VS Big CassWWE is going to cause a giant flub with this match. Daniel Bryan is going to job to Big Cass. WWE is investing in Big Cass. They are going to want a pay off. Daniel Bryan should be moving on after this feud. So WWE will probably end this storyline with Big Cass on top. Making him a new emerging threat on SmackDown Live. Winner: Big Cass Sami Zayn VS Bobby LashleyTwo incredible talents that have been delivering some of the most bizarre segments in recent memory. Bobby Lashley's stock has plummeted since his WWE return. The once "chosen one" to face Brock Lesnar. Now those plans are non-existent. Zayn and Lashley are stuck on a weaker RAW roster. The only positive to come out of this feud is the return of Sami Zayn. Hopefully, the once promising underdog makes his triumphant return. Plus we can always hope Lashley gets back on track. Lashley will probably semi-squash Sami Zayn. Winner: Bobby Lashley Seth Rollins VS EliasSeth Rollins and Elias are both great in-ring competitors. Despite the issues I have been having with RAW as of late. I can't takeaway that this match could potentially be incredible. Depending on the timing of course. If Elias wins we could see Seth Rollins appear in the main title picture and a possible feud with Brock Lesnar. Rollins probably will win this contest. WWE will keep his momentum with the Intercontinental Championship going. Winner: Seth Rollins Carmella VS AsukaCarmella's reign has been going well. I can't imagine Asuka will take a clean loss. So this match will either end in a way count out, disqualification, or Asuka pulling it off. I think Asuka will become the new champion. Winner: Asuka Roman Reigns VS Jinder MahalRoman Reigns may have to face Brock Lesnar again at SummerSlam. At least he has a feud with Jinder Mahal that could potentially give him some main event momentum. Reigns will win this contest with ease. WWE will have to make new plans for Jinder Mahal as he adjusts to his well-deserved main event spot on RAW. Winner: Roman Reigns Nia Jax VS Ronda RouseyRonda Rousey will win in a dominant performance. WWE knows they have a "Stone Cold" level draw on their hands. Rousey may be the biggest female draw since Trish Stratus. Jax will do the job. Rousey will look strong and it will lead her to a showdown at SummerSlam with someone worthy to face her. Winner: Ronda Rousey Women's Money in the Bank MatchWWE loves having Charlotte Flair win in big scenarios. It would be neat to see a Sasha Banks, Alexa Bliss, or Becky Lynch pull it off. Natalya and Naomi both seem like long shots due to their recent success. Ember Moon and Lana could be dark horses. Honestly, I'm going to have to go with Charlotte Flair, just based on her history. I will say though this Women's Money in the Bank match looks a lot better than last year's. Winner: Charlotte Flair Men's Money in the Bank MatchI'm not going to even analyze this match. I'll just leave you with this. (This has potential to go down as one of the best Money in the Bank matches ever. The sheer amount of talent is astounding).
The Miz. Let's kickstart The Miz and Daniel Bryan in a big way. Winner: The Miz Follow @TripleZ_87 Follow @ZWrestleTalk ZWrestleTalk's Triple Z gives his predictions and analysis for WWE's new year. Jeff Hardy VS Randy OrtonJeff Hardy is looking to once again dominate the blue brand. This match is straight out of 2008. I say Hardy will squeak a victory that allows Orton to "rethink" his current status in the WWE. Heel turn is necessary. Winner: Jeff Hardy Nia Jax VS Alexa BlissNia Jax will continue her reign as champion. I don't see her losing for awhile. Until maybe a Sasha Banks or Bayley re-emerges. Everything will be set up for the eventual crowning of Ronda Rousey. Winner: Nia Jax Seth Rollins VS The MizI don't see a title change happening here. Seth Rollins will retain his title. The Miz will continue to wait for Daniel Bryan on SmackDown. It would be kinda nice if the the most anticipated feud of the summer just got kick started tonight. As for Rollins, he may get tossed into a simple feud with Finn Balor. Rollins will look to defend the prestige of the title on a weaker RAW roster. Winner: Seth Rollins Bobby Lashley and Braun Strowman VS Kevin Owens and Sami ZaynThanks to Montreal, Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens look to reclaim their "elite" status within WWE. Both guys were thought as the future but it seems they are not getting the right breaks. Tonight the heel duo will battle Bobby Lashley, who was a refugee of The Land of Impact and WWE Greatest Royal Rumble winner Braun Strowman. No way the latter is losing this match. Owens and Zayn continue to diminish. Winners: Bobby Lashley and Braun Strowman Daniel Bryan VS Big CassI wish we didn't have co-branded pay-per-views because SmackDown would put on stellar events. The reason we probably have co-branded events other than it's just smarter business. WWE probably didn't have the confidence in RAW to carry a whole PPV (Especially with their champion Brock Lesnar being missing until SummerSlam). Maybe they came to that realization with the old SmackDown. Less PPV means they become more special in hindsight. Anyways we get blessed with the return of Daniel Bryan just to get him inserted into a feud with Big Cass. Beyond frustrating to see this happen. If we have Daniel Bryan on borrowed time this is a tragic way to use it. I don't even think he will win tonight just because Big Cass is what WWE wants now. Hopefully this is a easy out of a feud, and we can get Daniel Bryan moving on to The Miz. Winner: Big Cass Carmella VS Charlotte FlairIt would be nice to see Carmella's reign continue. Although WWE does love Charlotte Flair. It may pain them to have her take a loss. Realistically, Carmella needs to be set on her own path without the shadow of Charlotte following her. Flair is already a six time champion. There is so much talent in that Women's division it's time others have a shot to catch up. Carmella should pull it off despite my hesitation. Sidenote: Wish Iconic Duo was on the official card. Winner: Carmella AJ Styles VS Shinsuke NakamuraTwo words. LOW BLOW. That's all I'm giving you for this one. Winner: Shinsuke Nakamura Roman Reigns VS Samoa JoeThis seriously shouldn't be the main event. If it is I expect Samoa Joe to get a nice win before heading to SmackDown full time. This obviously would set up a "Roman Redemption" arc. Something that has potential to very good or very ugly. Winner: Samoa Joe Backlash looks like a lazy, unimaginative card. It's not the way you would want to kick off your new season. I hope I'm wrong but you can tell by this breakdown. Not much is exciting after the shake-up. If WWE is able to kickstart a few things. My tune could change.
Follow @ZWrestleTalk Follow @TripleZ_87 WrestleMania is upon us. This year we have an unusually stacked card. Where every match could be considered a "must-watch." We have a kickoff show that has some interesting viewing options. We will see the crowning of a new Cruiserweight Champion, The Andre the Giant Battle Royal, and the first ever Women's Battle Royal. Meaning that all active titles on the main roster will be defended on the main card. (Or so we currently think). WrestleMania 34 is supposedly going to be a seven hour long show. So this BreakDownZ will be long. Once again I am joined by guests. This time I am joined by Josh.0 and Amanda. Josh: Hello friends, Josh.0 (AKA @ChiefJosheola) here and I hope you enjoy my WrestleMania 34 hot takes. Be sure to join me every Tuesday night at 10:05 pm on the TYT Sports Facebook page for 10:05 Live. It's a live wrestling show driven by your comments, questions, and insights about everything WWE. Amanda: I create articles about the WWE which are both analytical and satirical to boot. My pieces range from analysis of entire divisions, to unpacking storylines which mimic real life politics. For more about her work, visit http://thislazypanda.wordpress.com or Twitter @ThisLazyPanda Andre The Giant Memorial Battle RoyalAmanda: Oh who knows, only a few have been announced officially--so how on earth can I guess? Let’s just give this one to Tye Dillinger, he doesn’t get a fair shake. Winner: Tye Dillinger Josh: This event kicked-off last year's show and featured the random number of 33 superstars because, why not? This year, we have no idea what the final number will be and it doesn't seem to matter. This match is usually where creative dumps in a wealth of mid-card talent who have no clear direction. There are plenty of legitimate contenders with an equally good chance of winning such as Corbin or Ziggler. However, I think the man who will win the match and thus get a push going down the road into 2018 is Tye Dillinger. The Perfect 10 has been noticeable absent for quite a while but is insanely over with fans. Hence, he is my pick to win this year's Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royale. Because, why not? Unfortunately, winning this Battle Royal literally means nothing except being saddled with a comically large trophy. It would be nice if the winner were granted something meaningful such as a title opportunity or choice of entrance number in the Royal Rumble. Something. Anything. Maybe Dillinger will even go on to face Roman Reigns who will end the evening as the new Universal Champion. Winner: Tye Dillinger Triple Z: Different approach them my two guests. Although I do love Tye Dillinger I don't see WWE giving him this moment. Although this Battle Royal means nothing. Maybe it is different this year due to the HBO documentary? Doubt it. Past winners include Cesaro, Big Show, Baron Corbin, and Mojo Rawley. What are those four doing now? Not anything of true importance. The most unimportant match will go to the most unimportant superstar WWE sees fit. So I'm going with Dolph Ziggler. He's a random option but WWE has been throwing him into things lately. Winner: Dolph Ziggler The Fabulous Moolah Mem...er...uh...I mean, Women's Battle Royal Josh: The Fabulous Moolah Mem...er...uh...I mean, Women's Battle Royal. Your opinion about the name change is your own. Personally, I don't care. Did Moolah engage in some shady business dealings in the 1950s, 60s,and 70s? Probably, but so did most male trainer and promoter of those eras. As for the more salacious accusations I can only say this; she was never charged with a crime and she was never convicted of a crime. People are quite comfortable making judgements about people through the court of public opinion but for me, I prefer facts and evidence. There's a huge difference between accusations of financial malfeasance and accusations of sexual misconduct mixed with drug abuse. But hey, wrestling fans made up their own mind and went so far as petitioning Snickers to get involved who threatened to remove their sponsorship, which is ultimately why the name was changed. Money doesn't talk; it screams. I guess my question here is, "why should I care?" WWE is trying to bill this match as historic, but they tried the same thing with the Andre the Giant Memorial and literally no one cares. The winner of both matches isn't awarded any title opportunities or meaningful prize so what is the motivation? A win at WrestleMania? I mean, ok, sure. I'm going with Becky Lynch because she is the only Horsewoman without her own storyline going into WM34. Winner: Becky Lynch Amanda: Again, nobody's official, so it’s anyone’s game. I know Sasha and Bayley very stupidly don’t have a one on one match (so much for that extremely slow burn of a feud, what a disappointment) so who could win? Eh, Becky’s been announced, and because I love her, I’ll give her the win. Winner: Becky Lynch Triple Z: This is smart on WWE's behalf. They are constantly promoting the Women's Evolution. Giving the division a match where all can be featured is smart. Although it is a low stakes kickoff match. Like what Josh mentioned earlier it was suppose to be "The Fabulous Moolah" Battle Royal. WWE quickly scrapped that after the backlash. You know WWE could of named the match after some different women's wrestlers of the past. In the end the name of the match doesn't matter when there is no stakes. Let's talk about Bayley. No one is talking about the hugging phenomenon who hit a brick wall. A year ago she is winning on the grandest stage of them all. The next year she is in the kickoff match while having a "spinoff" feud with her best enemy Sasha Banks? How did this fall happen? Also if WWE decided to pivot into this epic feud why did they not make a singles match? I think it would be more impressive for the Women's Evolution to have three amazing single matches on the card then to have two automatic title matches and one goofy battle royal. So who wins this? It's has to be one of the fallen Horsewomen right? My guests picked Becky so I'm going against the grain and picking Sasha Banks to finally have her moment. (Maybe one of these times it will actually happen.) Winner: Sasha Banks Mustafa Ali VS Cedric AlexanderAmanda: I don't even know where to begin. Both are such amazing, showstopper performers. Ugh, it pains me, and I’d be thrilled with either winner. Uh, I’ll flip a coin here and go with the great Cedric Alexander. Winner: Cedric Alexander Triple Z: If I'm being honest here. I do not care about 205 Live. So much can change in a full WrestleMania calendar year. Going from Austin Aries/ Neville to Mustafa Ali/Cedric Alexander isn't bad. It's just how we got here. We once thought the Cruiserweight division would inject life into long three hour RAW's. Now people want it to be axed from the show entirely. In this case I hope to see Mustafa Ali go over. WWE should love Ali. He has the look on top of a great move set. It's time WWE let's him lead the new era of Cruiserweights. Winner: Mustafa Ali Josh: It's a shame the cruiserweights don't get more respect in WWE. It's not their fault because the matches are almost always fantastic, but 205 Live is in a terrible time slot and is network only so WWE treats it like a lesser product. This match will be interesting because both Alexander and Ali are over with the fans so whoever wins, so do we. The show has certainly seen a surge in the quality of matches since Triple H assumed command of the 205 Live helm and hopefully this trend continues. The tournament to crown a champion after the title was vacated in the wake of Enzo Amore's very real and very public firing from the WWE was a great way to get the entire cruiserweight roster involved. In this instance, I'm going with Ali as the winner because I think Alexander can make a great heel turn and thus squeeze more life out of this feud. These two men have a history of working well together and I wouldn't mind seeing them compete a few more times, this time in a heel vs. face dynamic. Let purple reign. Winner: Mustafa Ali Randy Orton VS Bobby Roode VS Jinder Mahal VS Rusev Triple Z: This match has the potential to be really good or absolutely dreadful. Although this match is a copycat from the RAW brand's Intercontinental Championship match it still has potential to be a good contest. Outside of the Kickoff matches this may be the most thrown together match on the card. WWE basically was running a checklist on who needed to be on WrestleMania's main card. Randy Orton? Former World Champion from last year's event. Have to include him somehow. Bobby Roode? One of the best entrances in the game got to include him. Jinder Mahal? The star we pushed all year can't go back to the Kickoff show. That'd just make our Indian fan base upset. Rusev? Look at the merchandise sales. Plus the crowd will just continue to chant "Rusev Day" so let's give him a match. Rusev's organic rise should result in a title reign. Which I believe will start this Sunday at WrestleMania. Winner: Rusev Josh: Until the addition of Rusev, this was one of the least exciting bouts on the card. It seems like WWE looked at the chemistry surrounding the Intercontinental Title on RAW and said, "hey, let's just copy that." Unfortunately, no one involved in the U.S. Title picture comes close to the mic skills of Miz or can create the palpable heat being generated between Balor and Rollins. Adding Rusev was a smart decision so it doesn't seem like a simple carbon copy but instead adds an interesting element seeing as how insanely over The Bulgarian Brute is with fans. This match should allow everyone who isn't Rusev to build on their strengths. Roode can try being a babyface, despite the current run falling apart each week. Randy Orton can (and should) go back to being a heel and using dirty, underhanded tactics to win. Jinder Mahal can be himself; an annoying fifth wheel who is just talented enough to make you take him seriously in the ring. Orton is the safe choice here, but I don't see how WWE can ignore the incredible popularity of Rusev Day. A win at WM would not only add some much-needed life to this title picture but also allow WWE to sell a whole lot of Rusev Day t-shirts. I'm sure Orton will want a piece of Roman Reigns' Universal Championship that he is absolutely going to have. Every day will now be Rusev Daaaaaaaaaaay. Winner: Rusev Amanda: I genuinely forgot this match was happening, but it has helped me to remember that quite a majority of matches are going to involve lumping various superstars together in clusters hoping for the best. Anywho, Rusev has been on fire lately, what with every day being Rusev day and all. It’d be a real shame not to push that into Rusev month, or Rusev year! My pick for this match is for Rusev to win the title, with Aiden English singing his praises post-victory. Winner: Rusev The Uso's VS Bludgeon Brothers VS The New DayAmanda: This was a guaranteed gem the second it was announced The Usos and The New Day were going head to head. Adding the Bludgeon Brothers just adds another interesting, brutal dynamic to the mix. It would be an upset if the The Bludgeon Brothers swooped in and stole a win, and that’s exactly what they have to do to really get the fire going for them to be at the level of these titans. Winners: Bludgeon Brothers Triple Z: It's time for The New Day to have their very own WrestleMania moment. Winning the Tag Team Championships in New Orleans would do just that. The trio hosted WrestleMania last year putting them with the likes of Hulk Hogan and The Rock. Still they haven't had their big victory moment yet. After having the longest Tag Team reign of the modern era. The same team should be rewarded a victory at WrestleMania. I think WWE will go this route. Especially after The Uso's reign and with the upcoming shake-up post-Mania. Winners: The New Day Josh: I've enjoyed the payoff granted by The Bludgeon Brothers. For a while I was worried they would just keep coming out, staring at people and then easily dispatching of hometown jobbers. Ever since the utter melee that took place at Fastlane, I have been impressed with how well big guys like Rowan and Harper work as a team, using each other for more devastating moves that you can almost feel coming through your television. It works and it works well. But as unstoppable as they have seemed, both the Usos and New Day are no strangers to competition, and their uneasy alliance against the former Wyatt Family members makes for interesting storytelling. The Usos and New Day can't simply team up and take out the Bludgeon Brothers because, well, this is STILL a title match and every team wants to win. Taking out a pair of giants isn't enough and may do more harm than good in the process. WrestleMania is all about shake-ups. Both the Usos and New Day have had their share of title runs and now it's time for the Bludgeon Brothers to stand on top of the mountain and dare anyone to knock them down. It's too bad none of these teams can challenge Roman Reigns for his inevitable Universal Championship. Hammer Bros. cosplay will become cool again. Winners: Bludgeon Brothers Alexa Bliss VS Nia JaxJosh: The psychological warfare between Bliss and Jax has been a lot of fun to watch and honestly, this appears on its face to be an easy prediction. I'm not saying this will be a squash, and Mickie James will likely interfere on behalf of her frenemy Alexa, but all signs point to this being Nia's moment where her roller coaster of a year finally pays off big time and earns her gold. But there is a wildcard: Carmella. Because the women's version of this coveted briefcase is not technically brand-specific, Miss Money in the Bank may choose to jump ship and cross over to Team RAW. This can be explained as seeming "easier" than trying to pull one over on stronger competitors like Charlotte or Asuka, but WWE can play this from several different angles if they choose. This also makes Charlotte vs. Asuka all about the two women in the ring instead of the constant "will we see a cash-in or won't we" hanging over what should be a fantastic one on one match. The persistent rumor I have heard from several wrestling websites is that Carmella will attempt - yet fail - to cash in her briefcase at WrestleMania and according to the rumor, she's ok with this. Whether that's true or not will remain to be seen but I think it would be a great compliment to Jax for her to win and defend her new title all in the same night. Ignorance is Bliss and this time she will pay the price. Nia Jax becomes the new RAW Women's Champion. Winner: Nia Jax Triple Z: I'm actually going to have a similar take to Josh. I do believe Carmella will cash in during this match. After Mickie James helps Alexa Bliss to victory over Nia Jax. Either way this match will be quick. I am unimpressed with Nia Jax. Bliss has had a great title reign it would be a shame to see it end at the price of Nia Jax. The best part about the reign of Bliss was the unpredictability. We all thought she would lose at Elimination Chamber but she didn't. On numerous occasions she has pulled off upsets. Carmella beating Alexa Bliss would make more sense than her going after Charlotte or Asuka. Plus there could be a possibility that RAW ends up with both Women's Championships leading to the inevitable shake-up. Winner: Alexa Bliss Amanda: This is just painful. I love both women very much, they’re my personal favorite dynamic duo. However--all good things must come to an end. Ideally I would love to see Nia Jax rise to fruition and take the title from Alexa Bliss. Yet, a part of me feels that ultimately, Mickie James will interfere and help Alexa retain her sweet bliss. Winner: Alexa Bliss The Bar VS Braun Strowman and TBDAmanda: I haven’t the slightest clue on who Braun’s partner might be. That being said, I can’t see him winning. I see this is a fun, one off match for him. He’s a man destined for greatness, destined for a demolishing singles run. The only option here is for The Bar to win, while Braun’s partner holds him back. Winners: The Bar Josh: PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE WWE DON'T RUIN THIS! DON'T FORCE STROWMAN TO HAVE A PARTNER! HE DOESN'T NEED ONE! HE DOESN'T WANT ONE! THERE'S NO RULE THAT SAYS HE HAS TO HAVE ONE! DO THE RIGHT THING! DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT! Strowman remains one of the most entertaining aspects of RAW. Untethered by any aspirations of becoming Universal Champion, the Monster Among Men has been free to roam around the roster and destroy anyone or anything in his path. Nameless security guards. Elias. Craft services. What I hope WWE doesn't do (which means they probably will) is give Strowman a tag team partner at the last minute. Where is it written that he needs one? It's unconventional to have a single man win the tag team titles on its own and it helps to repair part of Strowman's image. The appearance of his "brother" Brains Strowman during the RAW go-home show gives me hope that WWE is heavily leaning on the side of not giving him a partner which is the absolute correct decision. To the best of my knowledge there has never been a single tag team champion in WWE but I can think of no one more deserving or realistic to hold this inaugural honor than Strowman. Before losing several high-profile matches to lesser life forms, he was billed as the new unstoppable juggernaut who would one day take the place of Brock Lesnar as the next big thing. Taking these losses cracked, but didn't break this mold but single-handedly competing for or possibly winning a championship that normally requires a minimum of two people to achieve will repair that damage. Personally, I'd prefer to see Strowman hoisting the Universal Championship after defeating its soon-to-be owner, Roman Reigns but that won't happen on Sunday. Only three things in life are certain; death, taxes, and everyone catching these hands. Braun Strowman (and hopefully no one else) wins the Raw Tag Team Titles. Winner: Braun Strowman Triple Z: If the Monster Among Men does receive a partner it will be a big surprise. On the level of a Hardy Boys return. I can't imagine Braun losing this. Although I have said that many times before. His partner will be someone memorable because it's the world of WWE he has to end up with a partner. Who's a big time star that isn't in WWE that would want to be with Braun? That's the big question. There might not even be a star available. Either way this should be a showcase for Braun, and hopefully the end of The Bar. Let Cesaro become something again. For now the only outcome in site is Braun standing tall. Winner: Braun Strowman Charlotte Flair VS AsukaJosh: Undefeated streaks are stupid. There is no place for them in the modern world of professional wrestling because kayfabe died a long time ago and fans no longer rely on dirt shirts to get information about their favorite wrestlers or storylines. We all know it's scripted yet WWE still wants us to care that someone is undefeated for a reason other than the creative team deemed it to be so. Suspension of disbelief is a cornerstone of enjoying this medium, but there are just some things that insult our basic intelligence as fans. Asuka is an incredibly talented wrestler but the company has put more stock into her streak than it should and each match becomes less about her technical skill and more about whether or not she'll finally lose. The Undertaker had a solid character built up well before his streak began and his consistent winning at WrestleMania didn't become a major part of his storyline until much later. With Asuka, her entire character is being built around her streak and one day it is going to end. Then what? I give the WWE credit for making her challenge to Charlotte so memorable as her surprise appearance at Fastlane not only confirmed their match at WrestleMania but also confirmed that Asuka would be switching brands if she won. Taking on Charlotte for the SmackDown Championship is the smart choice for Asuka not just in terms of competition but because fans want to see the RAW Women's Champion Alexa Bliss utterly destroyed by Nia Jax as revenge for her dirty mind games. The rumor is that Asuka will not only defeat Charlotte but may even remain undefeated until the next WrestleMania where she would likely face a more seasoned Ronda Rousey. Obviously, no one can predict what the WWE landscape will look like that far out but such a move wouldn't surprise me since it's clear the company wants to make both women into huge stars for the division. This also means the company will invest heavily into making us believe Asuka can remain undefeated for an entire year while retaining a coveted championship the entire time. Kayfabe is dead. Long live kayfabe. Winner: Asuka Amanda: I don’t care what anyone says. No way on Earth, Asgard, or anywhere else does Asuka lose at WrestleMania. I expect to see a devastating match that ends with Asuka wielding the title. Winner: Asuka Triple Z: The Streak is on the line. Ah remember when there was a legendary streak? Those were the good ole days. This highly anticipated match will most likely be the best Women's match of the night. Asuka winning the Royal Rumble was the clear set up for her winning the championship at WrestleMania. Charlotte Flair is not winning either way. Winner: Asuka The Miz VS Finn Balor VS Seth RollinsTriple Z: The Miz who is very underrated is getting a match with Finn Balor and Seth Rollins. It is the perfect way for The Miz to lose the title while maintaining reaching new career heights. It now becomes the matter of if Finn Balor or Seth Rollins will win the championship. I think WWE has been creatively drained when it comes to Finn Balor. Especially after that atrocious, exhausting feud with Bray Wyatt. The Intercontinental Championship will give Finn Balor something to do. While distracting fans from the fact he hasn't received his rematch for the Universal Championship he never lost. Winner: Finn Balor Josh: All of the competitors have similar styles in the ring and unlike the U.S. Championship feud, this is a good thing. The WWE has spent just the right amount of time ensuring that each man has a motivation for wanting to compete beyond the achievement of a belt. What I find interesting is that both Miz and Balor has an entourage who can help them if things get dicey. Rollins had The Shield for about 7 minutes until Ambrose got hurt and Reigns was put back on a solo journey towards Brock Lesnar and the Universal Title. But this is WrestleMania, so anything could happen. The WWE loves breaking records and Miz will one day become the longest reigning (combined days) IC Champion of all time, which will make his promos even more insufferable in the best of ways. The current record holder is Pedro Morales who held the title twice for a combined 619 days. Miz has been IC champion 8 times and his record currently stands at just under 600 days. Since this record doesn't involve "consecutive" days, it's a safe bet Miz wants to take some time off after WrestleMania to be with his newborn daughter. The chemistry between all three men has been fantastic and Balor and Rollins can continue a feud with each other while Miz is out of the picture. Balor has the most ground to make up since his unfortunate injury and putting a belt around his waist will help him get back on track. The Miz can (and will) win back the IC title at a later date and then break the record unless the WWE charts him a course that leads straight to Roman Reigns and his (guaranteed) Universal Championship. The Demon King gets his crown. Finn Balor wins the Intercontinental Championship. Winner: Finn Balor Amanda: This is a terrible match for me personally, as I love all three that are involved. The Miz has held the title for a length amount of time, and Seth has always been the man on top in securing himself a title. However, it’s time that Finn showed the world what he was made of. I sense a win in the future, and I see the title belonging to the Balor Club. Winner: Finn Balor Daniel Bryan & Shane McMahon VS Kevin Owens & Sami ZaynJosh: Sigh. Where do I begin? Ok, let's do a compliment sandwich, where I say one bad thing in-between two good things. GOOD: I'm glad to see Daniel Bryan back in the ring, even if I personally feel that it's a bad decision. CTE is still such a misunderstood disease that even though Bryan has been "cleared" it doesn't mean he is free from danger. He's a father and a husband and although he wants to wrestle more than anything in the world, the risk may not be worth the reward in the long run. But it's his life and his choice and I wish him all the best. I'll be cheering for him. BAD: Shane McMahon should never step foot inside a WWE ring. Ever. His wrestling skills can only be described as mediocre at best, and that's being generous. His strikes are weak and shameful in their cartoon-like execution. His move-set is literally quick hands and crazy legs, and he possesses no technical skills that would stand up to even an amateur wrestler. He only exists to take big bumps, which makes him a one-trick pony. But because he's Vince's son, his appearance in a WrestleMania match is as inevitable as a sunrise. Shane should never defeat an actual wrestler because it's an insult. GOOD: Shane McMahon can serve a valuable purpose in taking a pinfall so Bryan doesn't have to eat the pin on his return. I know a lot of people will predict Bryan gets the win in his first official match back in the WWE but I'm going to throw a curveball and invoke the "heel turn" boogeyman. Too often fans demand a heel turn in situations where it simply doesn't make sense but in this case it fits for several reasons. I predict Daniel Bryan will turn on Shane McMahon and thus give the win to KO and Zayn. The stipulation for this match is that if KO and Zayn lose, they are "fired" and yes, this could be a way to write them off SmackDown and put them on RAW. However, I'm not sure if WWE is willing to take two of the blue brand's biggest stars and switch them to another show, especially considering the low ratings SmackDown has been suffering for months. Losing them would do more harm than good. A heel turn would explain why Bryan sided with KO and Zayn so frequently in the weeks leading up to this match and achieves two things; it keeps KO and Zayn on SmackDown and allows the program to tell a more compelling story after WrestleMania 34. Ratings will be sky high on April 10th with fans asking "Why Daniel Why?" and if rumors are true that Hulk Hogan may be returning to WWE, he could fill Bryan's vacant GM spot. Daniel Bryan wasn't always a fan favorite and has played the role of heel before. YES! NO! YES! Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn win after Daniel Bryan turns on Shane McMahon. Winners: Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn Triple Z: First things first. What a thrill it will be to finally hear Daniel Bryan's music again as he walks down the ramp with a true purpose surrounded by a sea of "YES" chants. This match itself has potential of course but it's not the ideal first outing for Daniel Bryan's glorious return. The timing was terrible. So they couldn't of done really anything else with D-Bry. Bryan is returning to Mercedes-Benz Superdome. The place where "The Miracle on Bourbon Street" happened. Four years later we see a un-retired Daniel Bryan teaming with his superior Shane McMahon in a match against the struggling duo of Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens. Shane McMahon is going to turn on Daniel Bryan. Firing him as GM. Sending him back to RAW where he belongs. I don't see Bryan losing in that stadium and with that crowd. It's just a shame that if Daniel Bryan doesn't suffer his injury after WrestleMania 30 he's probably still the hottest star in the company. He also probably changes the main events of the past four Manias with 34 included. Winners: Daniel Bryan and Shane McMahon Amanda: If RAW was going the route of having their horrible bosses fight their employees, I should have assumed SmackDown would do the same. I’m antsy about this, mostly because Daniel’s recently been cleared and Shane’s just barely coming over his own illness. Nervous nelly me is fearing the worst, but I’m here for a triumphant Daniel Bryan return: which is why I see him and Shane winning over Kevin and Sami. Winners: Daniel Bryan and Shane McMahon Kurt Angle and Ronda Rousey VS Triple H and Stephanie McMahonAmanda: I’m torn over this match, mostly because I love three out of the four people involved. I’m not a huge Rousey fan, and I just want something that’s going to entertain me. My guess here is that Rousey and Kurt win, as a means of redemption for themselves against their horrible bosses. Winners: Kurt Angle and Ronda Rousey Triple Z: Is Ronda Rousey ready for the world of WWE? After her recent stops at ESPN it seems like that would be a no. Triple H and Stephanie McMahon will do the job. They need Ronda Rousey to keep the headlines. Despite her missteps on ESPN programming, while promoting her new career, she will become WWE's woman. As for Kurt Angle this will be the closest to a singles match we will see him in yet. Where will he go from here? As a competitor will he ever get to have dream one on one matches with the best WWE has to offer? Will he just ultimately suffer as the last option. WWE wants all the outlets from ESPN, Sports Illustrated, NBC, ABC News, Rolling Stone, USA Today, and CBS Sports to cover "Rousey's First Win." Winners: Kurt Angle and Ronda Rousey Josh: For all the "Triple H Shovel" jokes, we cannot deny that The Game has recently put his ego aside when it comes to the biggest show of the year. Last year he lost to Seth Rollins and the year before that he lost the WWE Championship to Roman Reigns. With the Shane/DB match potentially ending in controversial fashion (says me), I believe this match will be more satisfying to the fans who want to see a pair of white collars get their comeuppance. Triple H's professional credentials can never be questioned and I can think of no one more qualified to be granted the keys to the kingdom once Vince decides to retire. Or when the ancient Egyptian curse placed on Vince's head is somehow lifted. Whichever happens first. Triple H has lived and breathed the world of professional wrestling since 1992 and has gone from an in-ring performer to businessman and back again effortlessly. I believe he has a legitimate interest in presenting the best product possible. Triple H has evolved from King of Kings to Kingmaker and that trend will continue at WrestleMania 34. What this means is that when it comes to introducing a new talent to the roster - especially someone who doesn't have a pro wrestling background - Triple H will do everything in his power to put them over. Rousey has been on the WWE radar for quite a while and while some people see this match as hand-holding (because well, it is) I think this is the best way to get her into the business. While she was undoubtedly a great fighter in the UFC, those skills don't always translate to a pro wrestling ring. Teaming her with three veterans of the squared circle ensures there is no pressure on her to carry the match. Yes, I realize I just referred to Stephanie McMahon as a "veteran" but when compared to Ronda Rousey, Stephanie is a first-ballot Hall of Fame inductee. The company is heavily invested in Rousey's success and I am more interested in seeing where they go from here. Assuming her and Kurt are victorious, then what? Can Angle stay on as GM after defeating the two people who are essentially his boss? I know it's pro wrestling so logic goes out the window in almost 99% of these cases but it still makes me wonder how they will allow such an overt example of insubordination to stand. The same goes for Rousey. Perhaps I'm reading way too much into this but those details matter to me. Yes, I will enjoy watching Rousey compete in WWE but I want her involvement to be more than a gimmick. With Triple H leading the way, Rousey will be the next subject of his role as Kingmake...er...Queenmaker. Winners: Kurt Angle and Ronda Rousey AJ Styles VS Shinsuke NakamuraJosh: These two men have never faced each other in a WWE ring but they have faced each other. They squared up at Wrestle Kingdom 10 in 2016 when both men were wrestling for NJPW. That night, Nakamura walked away with the win. It would be Styles' last match before departing for the WWE, with Luke Gallows, Karl Anderson and Nakamura soon joining him. James Caldwell of Pro Wrestling Torch said Wrestle Kingdom 10 was a "perfect example of how to build a card, especially leading to the final three matches with Shibata vs. Ishii hitting four-stars-plus, Nakamura vs. Styles going a little higher...". Larry Csonka of 411Mania gave the event a rating of 9.25, saying that the final three matches (including AJ vs. Nakamura) were so excellent that they "brought the show to another level". Whether or not AJ and Nakamura can live up to this quality won't be known until April 8th but all signs point to yes. I understand WWE is a completely different style of wrestling than NJPW or ROH or any other promotion for that matter but these two men work so well together they can absolutely bring the same level of intensity and technical proficiency to this match. AJ Styles has had plenty of good matches during his time with WWE and this is the one advantage he has over Nakamura. We know AJ can bring it on the biggest stage but Nakamura has yet to do so. I still believe many fans don't understand the hype built around Nakamura because he has yet to have what I would consider to be an epic match in WWE. This will change at WrestleMania 34 where I believe any fans on the fence about his abilities will be convinced he's the real deal. Where AJ goes from here is anyone's guess, but my money would be a move to RAW and him becoming the next challenger for Roman Reigns' new Universal Championship. Seriously, is there anyone who doesn't think Reigns is going to win? Winner: Shinsuke Nakamura Amanda: It’s an indie lover’s wet dream. Thankfully (as far as I know) this match won’t be hindered by AJ Styles’ rumored injury. All we can hope is that both parties are safe, no major injuries occur, and it’ll be given enough time to really shine and stand out on the card (because obviously it will). My guess would be that now it’s Nakamura’s time to be the champ that runs the camp. Winner: Shinsuke Nakamura Triple Z: This should be a technical masterpiece. Nakamura and Styles will finally have the opportunity to go one on one in a WWE ring. Considering WrestleMania is going to be on forever. Nakamura/Styles should receive quite a bit of time to have a killer match. This match could end the night although we know that isn't going to happen. Nakamura will complete his quest to become WWE World Champion. Winner: Shinsuke Nakamura Brock Lesnar VS Roman ReignsTriple Z: This should be an all out war. Although one has to feel bad for Roman Reigns. He is always put into the position where it is toughest to succeed. This time being in the main event with a potential opponent that has other goals. UFC President Dana White decided to give a minor spoiler to WrestleMania stating that Lesnar would be returning to UFC. Which I don't believe just yet. Does Lesnar want to be suspended again? Lesnar is making $6.5 million in WWE. Is UFC really worth it? To Lesnar it probably is. Which is a shame for all his WWE fans. This feud has been perfect for Reigns though. Tapping into the frustration of WWE fans fed up with Brock Lesnar's boring championship reign. To bad it comes at a time where WWE's true hero Daniel Bryan made his triumphant return. Reigns will predictably win in his second showdown with Brock Lesnar. His fourth year finishing off WrestleMania. Winner: Roman Reigns Josh: Roman Reigns is going to win. The end. Prediction/Guarantee: Roman Reigns wins (duh) and becomes the new Universal Champion. P.S. - The only way to make this match even remotely interesting would be if the rumors about a Paul Heyman "heel" turn prove to be true. Reports seems to indicate Lesnar is returning to the UFC but Heyman will stay with WWE to possibly manage Ronda Rousey or even Roman Reigns. Having Heyman screw over Lesnar would be a surprising end to what otherwise is the most predictable (read: boring) match on the card. Winner: Roman Reigns Amanda: Well that’s an easy pick, right? Roman Reigns has to win at this point. It feels as though they tried to get a dynamic out of this that mirrored The Rock and Stone Cold’s rivalry. Spoiler alert-- it’s nowhere close to that and I just personally want Brock Lesnar out and done with WWE already. It’s about time RAW finally had the major title back on the scene with Roman Reigns picking up the win. Winner: Roman Reigns John Cena VS The UndertakerJosh: Yes, The Undertaker failed to show up on the RAW go-home show and left many fans convinced he won't be at WrestleMania because this is exactly what WWE wants you to think. We all knew this match was going to happen from the moment John Cena publically challenged The Phenom. While WWE does their best to keep fans in suspense, we must always remember that professional wrestlers are professional liars. When they try to make you think something isn't going to happen, that's because it's definitely going to happen. The only thing that could keep The Dead Man from competing at WM34 would be if the man himself simply didn't feel like doing so. He and his "brother" Kane are the longest tenured active wrestlers still with the company and as such he has quite a bit of power and sway over when and where he chooses to perform. If The Undertaker truly wasn't going to perform, I don't believe WWE would go so far as to keep sending out Cena to sell the idea of essentially (and publically) showing up anyway "as a fan". The WWE doesn't make a habit of highlighting their failings and I find it extremely unlikely that the biggest star in the company will simply sit in the crowd for 7+ hours and watch. It's just not going to happen. My biggest issue with this match is that it should have happened years ago when Undertaker's undefeated WrestleMania streak was still intact, even if such streaks are inherently dumb. Since that time he has been felled by Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns which takes most of the air out of this match in terms of what is at stake. The question is now whether the Dead Man will suffer an almost unheard of third loss at the biggest show of the year or if one last victory will finally be his swan song. Watching Undertaker leave his hat and coat in the ring last year was a veiled allusion to retirement, which may still prove somewhat true. Rumors are swirling that we will see the "Bikertaker" persona who traded his duster for a leather vest and his wide-brimmed hat for a red bandana. Perhaps one version of the Dead Man was indeed retired after his loss at WrestleMania 33 but that remains to be seen. I also wonder how much mileage John Cena has left in his WWE tank. He is filming more movies, appearing on more television shows, and is finally taking the marriage leap so the end is certainly near for the company's biggest star, but not before he wins a record-breaking 17th world championship some time this year. Cena is talented enough to carry this match and carry it he will. The middle-aged Undertaker's last few bouts have been underwhelming to say the least because professional wrestlers age like cheese instead of wine. Fortunately this match is less about an exhibition of technical skill than it is about the emotion and spectacle surrounding one of professional wrestling's last remaining icons. The younger, stronger Cena is facing a man who has been frustrating him for weeks. Cena is not used to being ignored and it's been interesting to watch him devolve into semi-tantrums in the face of thunderous silence. For Undertaker, he is out to prove that no matter how big of a star Cena is, the entire WWE still bends the knee to the man from Death Valley. What is dead may never die. The Undertaker beats John Cena. Winner: The Undertaker Amanda: I have a million and one reasons as to why this match shouldn’t happen, and it’s all rather exhausting to explain. Should the Undertaker not honor his retirement, nor the superstar who retired him (seriously Taker, you hypocrite) then I suppose he wins? Either way, I don’t see a beneficial outcome for either contender. The streak is over, we’re at a point where….it just doesn’t matter. What a blemish upon history. Winner: The Undertaker Triple Z: The Undertaker will always have a flaw surrounding his legacy especially after his losses to Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns. Did WWE use their borrowed time with the star wisely? Making him face Shane McMahon for no reason. Having Reigns retire him despite Taker obviously not wanting to retire. We are getting dangerously close to Mark Calaway becoming Randy "The Ram" Robinson. Yet Marisa Tomei played by Michelle McCool won't be able to save him. Also I have said this many times on ZWrestleTalk but screw the whole "go out on your back" gimmick. The Undertaker is a icon that could pave his own way to retirement. Not every great wrestler needs to lose to go out. Newsflash: Territory days are over. Despite it being a long and confusing road to get there. Is The Undertaker returning each year to make up for his horrendous matches at the previous two WrestleMania's? Is The Undertaker unsettled about his own appearance and legacy? John Cena taking on The Undertaker is a main event match, and deserved probably more hyping than it received. Can the Deadman finally go out on a high note? Will he even go out at all? There is so many moving parts that go to this match. If we keep trotting out Taker can we just have him face Sting at WrestleMania 35? Minus-well get all the dream matches out of the way while we have him on borrowed time. Yeah, The Undertaker could've honored his "retirement" but truly did we ever think The Deadman was retired? Even after Reigns delivered the gut wrenching, heartbreaking spears. Did we really think he was going to go out especially after years of never going out. After The Undertaker's cryptic appearance at RAW 25 most speculated that he was going to stay true to his retirement. Now it looks like that might not be the case. If The Undertaker does come back to fight John Cena at WrestleMania. How does he lose? He can't. Last year on ZWrestleTalk I wrote after WrestleMania 33 that "The Deadman finally died." This year I'm writing about how The Deadman is resurrected and will live to fight another day. Winner: The Undertaker WrestleMania 34 is bound to be historic. Follow @ZWrestleTalk on Twitter for additional commentary. WrestleMania 34 is April 8 and the Kickoff starts at 5PM ET. The first two hours are free to the public. Starting at 7PM ET the main card will begin. Follow @TripleZ_87
Follow @ChiefJosheola Follow @ThisLazyPanda Triple Z gives his predictions and analysis for WWE's Elimination Chamber. The last RAW exclusive event before WWE pay-per-views go back to being co-branded. Elimination Chamber was always a cornerstone on the way to WrestleMania. The event originated as No Way Out. Before in 2010 WWE decided to name all their pay-per-views after matches. In Germany, Elimination Chamber is known as No Escape. WWE calls the event that in Germany to avoid similarities between gas chamber and Elimination Chamber. WWE has created a spark of energy around the event. We have two Elimination Chamber matches. Something that should be absolutely necessary if you name the event after the match. If you name a event TLC, you have to have multiple TLC matches. If you name a event after Hell in a Cell, you have to have multiple Hell in a Cell matches. I could go on and on about this. The two chamber matches sell the event. Everything else besides Ronda Rousey signing the contract is filler. At least we have two Elimination Chamber matches. The Bar VS Titus WorldwideRAW currently has the upper hand on SmackDown but the one thing that doesn't make sense about RAW is. The Tag Teams. How is Cesaro and Sheamus still champions? WWE creative still struggling on what to do with them? The duo had a mediocre rise that resulted into a tag team title reign. Cesaro and Sheamus have been able to put on good matches but still it doesn't justify them being champions on RAW. Especially when you have The Revival, The Club, and soon The Broken Hardy's. RAW's tag team division is going through a major rebuild post Mania that's a guarantee. We can expect Authors of Pain to be on RAW post-Mania for sure. The tag team division has come down to a match between four guys who didn't get good pushes as singles wrestlers so they had to form tag teams. The rise of Titus Worldwide was necessary. The bottom card team needed to come into play especially after the Jason Jordan injury. I think people forget Apollo can still put on phenomenal matches. Titus O'Neil has always been a great character. Even back to the Prime Time Players. This Tag Team was thrown together but at least they had proper build up. Sheamus is having neck issues. WWE can't have every title defended at WrestleMania. So I wouldn't be surprised if they went with bottom card Titus Worldwide. They wouldn't have to defend their titles at Mania. They could be easily thrown into a battle royal. Seems like a quick decision for WWE. Winners: Titus Worldwide "Woken" Matt Hardy VS Bray WyattI have to assume Bray Wyatt and "Woken" Matt Hardy are going to feud forever. Which I'm good with. I want a trilogy or more of Final Deletion and Wyatt Compound matches. Other Broken universe characters legally can come to WWE now. This including Señor Benjamin, Reby Hardy, and Vanguard-1. WrestleMania could be the perfect stage for the first "Deletion" encounter. I believe Matt Hardy will suffer a loss here. Leading him to get more broken on his whimsical journey through time and space. Winner: Bray Wyatt Ronda Rousey signs her RAW contract.The highly anticipated WWE debut of Ronda Rousey is coming closer and closer. This segment should give us some indication of where she will land at WrestleMania. I'm assuming she will challenge for one of the titles. Maybe she even gets involved in the Elimination Chamber match? Asuka VS Nia JaxIf WWE even thinks about putting Nia Jax over Asuka there is an issue. Asuka can't lose to someone who has been weak on the main roster. Jax currently brings nothing to the table. She is just a road block for Asuka. This match should be simple. Let's hope it stays simple. Winner: Asuka Women's Elimination ChamberWWE is leaving itself in a sticky situation. Rumors have Bliss facing off with Nia Jax at WrestleMania. Boring. Asuka doesn't have a clear path to the title. Also you add in Ronda to this equation. So I'm going to make a bold prediction here. Sasha Banks is going to win the title at Elimination Chamber. It would only make sense. Maybe she has a classic with Bayley on RAW or at WrestleMania. Ronda Rousey will really help solve this confusing puzzle. It only makes sense Banks finally wins the big one? Winner: Sasha Banks Men's Elimination ChamberRoman Reigns is inching closer to an incredible feat. Main eventing three WrestleMania's in a row. Something that hasn't been done since the days of Hulk Hogan. The moving parts in this match are incredible. You have John Cena who is the free agent. Like he said in a earlier promo he doesn't have a clear path to WrestleMania. Cena also hinted at a showdown with The Undertaker. Yikes.
The Undertaker's final years in WWE were booked terribly. From ending the streak for some cheap headlines. To having Roman Reigns (who also gets screwed booking wise) being the one to put him down. Like I have mentioned in previous articles. I hate the whole "go out on your back" idea in pro wrestling. Screw that. The Undertaker is better than some silly territory tradition that no one cares about. Cool, he wins his last match. Having him lose again there wouldn't be a point. Having him beat Cena in a final showdown could finally give him peace. So Cena isn't probably winning the Chamber despite making a match with Brock sound incredibly exciting. If WWE truly wanted main stream pay-per-view buys they would be booking John Cena VS Brock Lesnar and Ronda Rousey VS Charlotte, the daughter of Ric Flair. Elias is awhile away from making it on this stage. The Miz would be a shocking upset. Finn Balor and Seth Rollins are two guys that fans would get behind. Fans also love Braun Strowman. WWE really doesn't have a bad pick in this match. Although if they do go with Reigns. It would benefit having Reigns/Lesnar II go at the same slot Goldberg/Lesnar went at WrestleMania 33. If it goes on last fans will be tired or they will just turn on it. If you put Nakamura/Styles on last then you get a hot crowd for Reigns/Lesnar II and the crowd doesn't turn in the final moments of your biggest show of the year. Also if were predicting The Undertaker spot. It has to come when Cena and Reigns are going at it. Michael Cole will be screaming that he's coming for Reigns and then out of nowhere he hits Cena with a chokeslam. Another tidbit for this match. Balor will make it down to the final three. The three will be Roman Reigns, Balor, and Seth Rollins. Also because of the odd number inside the Chamber this year. We may end up getting a swerve ending with two winners. WWE has done a bad job of trying to swerve the wrestling publications on matches for WrestleMania. Brock Lesnar VS Roman Reigns has been rumored forever. WWE hasn't cared about the predictability of Roman Reigns in the past. They shouldn't care now. Reigns and Lesnar should have a good match at Mania. Let's hope Brock puts in the effort. WWE wants this match. They wanted it back at WrestleMania 31. Seth Rollins rushed to the rescue. WrestleMania 32, they thought if Reigns beat Triple H he would be more over heading into the next one. They would of done Brock Lesnar VS Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 33 but Goldberg returned and Brock wanted to work with Goldberg in a long term feud. Now it's time for WrestleMania 34. This is WWE's shot. If they delay the inevitable again. They will just try for WrestleMania 35. They will keep trying. This year is the year of the matchup they have always wanted. Roman Reigns will convincingly win the Elimination Chamber match. Making him the number one contender for the Universal Championship at WrestleMania 34. Paul Heyman will start to proudly hype Reigns as a formidable opponent for The Beast, and the build for Mania will officially begin. Winner: Roman Reigns Follow @TripleZ_87 on Twitter. Follow @ZWrestleTalk on Twitter. |
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Triple ZI created ZWrestleTalk. On this page I give my PPV predictions for Wrestling Events (Usually just WWE) Archives
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