We are less than two months away from WWE WrestleMania 31 and only one match has been announced. While nothing is official, rumors and common sense can dictate at least a probable card for the biggest pro wrestling event of the year.
Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns for the WWE world title – This is the only official match on the show. This match had been predicted a year out, as a matter of a fact I predicted this match in my post-30 blog as I looked ahead to potential 2015 matches. It certainly wasn’t a shocker when Reigns won the Rumble, and while there have certainly been worse world title matches booked (Undertaker vs. Sycho Sid) it will be hard for this top last year’s Triple Threat Match as well as the buzz for Rock vs. Cena.
Sting vs. Triple H – I still don’t get this one. Of all potential opponents to match Sting up with at Mania, you go with Hunter? It’s not that it will be a bad match. As a matter of a fact I think it will be pretty darned good. I just think it’s a very anti-climactic way to introduce Sting’s first match to the WWE Universe. It will be the “special attraction”, which means the company has really got to build momentum for this one to pay off over the next few weeks.
John Cena vs. Rusev – I didn’t mind this match as some people did. I liked it a lot less after I heard that they were booked to wrestle at Fastlane. I don’t get that one bit. I think the anticipation for their first match could have really made this one a dark horse for a show stealer. Unfortunately you lose a lot of that excitement when you give the first match away a month earlier. I think this is what you are going to get with Cena from now on. He’ll be a guy used to elevate a mid-carder on Manias, hence his match last year with Bray Wyatt. I think the match up definitely works and I think the interviews will be a lot of fun, it’s just disappointing that it will be a rematch.
The Undertaker vs. Bray Wyatt – This is the rumor yet there has been nothing done to even hint that this match is coming. Yes Wyatt has been kept strong but that could also be done to get him ready to be Reigns’ first challenger come post-Mania. I tend to think that is the logic behind booking Bray so strong and not an Undertaker match. We’ll know soon enough!
Daniel Bryan vs. Dolph Ziggler – Did you really thing that Bryan was beating Roman Reigns? Is this the WWE throwing a bone to the fans or will it be the WWE having fun with us and giving us a five minute match? Ziggler challenged Bryan on Twitter and according to reports, this match is currently in the plans for Mania. As great as this match can be it also feels like a bit of letdown for Bryan considering what he did in the previous year. I am not saying I don’t want to see it, I am just saying I’d like to see more done with Bryan. Quite honestly I think you have a better shot of seeing a Bryan vs. Wyatt match but there have been no rumors or reports to support that.
Randy Orton vs. Seth Rollins – This will be a fun match and I like Orton a lot, but I would rather see Rollins used in a spot against Bryan or even Dean Ambrose to end the feud once and for all. Rollins is coming off of a career match at the Rumble and I just feel that this halts his momentum a bit. That said, I am sure it will be a much better match than people are expecting. Orton is much better than he gets credit for and he shines best against guys like Rollins. Believe it or not I am looking forward to this one.
Overall it is a very underwhelming show. I feel like the WWE are more concerned with next year’s Mania in AT&T Stadium than they are with this one. I am sure the show will be great as always but for the first time in several years there is nothing to get excited about and that’s disappointing.
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