Road to WrestleMania (and beyond) Expectations

[hb2k]

So for this weeks podcast we're going to talk all the fallout of the Rumble PPV as we head to Mania, and want to get some general feedback on the following:

1. With the main event now seemingly in place, how do you see the rest of the Mania card shaping up, and are you excited about it? Why or why not...

2. What are your expectations for the run between now and Mania? Will Reigns will be booed regularly or was Philly a one-off? Will the crowd get behind Bryan stronger? Is Lesnar going to be cheered? Etc....

3. How do you feel about the landscape of WWE coming out of Mania, based on how things are shaping up?

As always we'll be reading your responses on the show and crediting you accordingly. The negative atmosphere post-Rumble is obvious, but want to gauge what people are actually anticipating as a result, and all will be discussed on the show...

[Jordan]

1. With the main event now seemingly in place, how do you see the rest of the Mania card shaping up, and are you excited about it? Why or why not...

With the main event set we have some big options with other stars. I am excited for Rusev and Cena's first program as I feel like Cena will have a fire under him, something prove for not being booked on top this year.

2. What are your expectations for the run between now and Mania? Will Reigns will be booed regularly or was Philly a one-off? Will the crowd get behind Bryan stronger? Is Lesnar going to be cheered? Etc....

Lesnar is the face now, the Road to Wrestlemania crowd is always a "smart" crowd, Reigns should stick to his guns like Cena, take the boo's but not turn "heel". WWE had better come up with something really special for Bryan so that his main event absence doesn't spoil the show. I'd be down with a WM 30 rematch with Triple H, this time Sting is the guest referee. I'm also a fan of big time tag matches ala the original Wrestlemania. Perhaps Bryan/Ambrose vs HHH/Rollins with Sting as the referee would interest me, and probably steal the show.


3. How do you feel about the landscape of WWE coming out of Mania, based on how things are shaping up?

I love the power the WWE Universe has now, to directly effect WWE's bottom line if they decide to cancel the network. Finally the power has truly shifted.

Enjoy your shows, keep up the good work!

[Mr. Nerfect]

1. It's kind of a given that Sting and Triple H will be facing each other, right? I wouldn't have thought that The Undertaker would be back for another Mania, but the rumors have persisted and Bray has started dropping hints himself. I am kind of hoping for a swerve, but The Undertaker vs. Bray Wyatt is probably going to happen too. Rusev vs. Cena is probably going to happen too, given that they are now feuding. I'm not keen for that program, but at least it will be fairly high profile for the US Title. Randy Orton vs. Seth Rollins also seems likely, although I do wish they'd get that out of the way at Fast Lane.

The big question is where do guys like Daniel Bryan, Dolph Ziggler and Dean Ambrose end up? I can honestly see Ambrose winning the Intercontinental Title in the opening match from Bad News Barrett or something. Dolph is pushing for a match against Daniel Bryan, but I just can't see the WWE arming them like that, or caring enough to give them that platform. I'm randomly going to throw them into a tag team program against the likes of The Usos and Cesaro/Tyson Kidd. Maybe Big Show/Kane end up in there too. Not what I want to see, but what I think the WWE might do.

I can see them throwing all the Divas into another Invitational again this year, possibly with Charlotte making a WrestleMania debut. That really only leaves Sheamus as the big star that has to be on the card somewhere. You'd probably just randomly throw him into the IC Title match, wouldn't you? So I guess my honest predictions are:

-Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns for the WWE Title
-Triple H vs. Sting
-The Undertaker vs. Bray Wyatt
-Randy Orton vs. Seth Rollins
-Rusev vs. John Cena for the United States Title
-Daniel Bryan & Dolph Ziggler vs. The Usos vs. Cesaro & Tyson Kidd vs. Big Show & Kane for the Tag Team Titles
-Stephanie McMahon Invitational for the Divas Championship
-Bad News Barrett vs. Dean Ambrose vs. Sheamus for the Intercontinental Title

2. Reigns will be booed regularly, but I think the build will actually get people secretly pumped for the match. Heyman will go into shill overdrive and position Reigns in a likable light unlike the WWE has been able to. He'll talk about how if Reigns loses, then he loses everything -- he won't get another shot. He'll mount the pressure to try and make Roman crack.

The crowd will be behind Bryan, but I think they are tiring of being ignored at this point. If they do slap Bryan and Ziggler in a tag team together, I think it would obviously be rewarding and lead to great matches. Everyone will sort of say "Bryan should be higher, but this is really fucking good so don't end it."

3. I'm kind of numb on the WWE at the moment, but I think the aftermath will be fairly interesting. Roman Reigns will no doubt leave WrestleMania the WWE Champion, and people will be bored of it already, but Seth only has a few months left to cash in his Money in the Bank contract. With the arrival of Reigns as a top face comes the emergence of Rollins as a top heel. Then we're only a few months from Money in the Bank, where Dolph Ziggler or Dean Ambrose would seem like the obvious choices to win, with the event being in Columbus and all. Ambrose seems the more likely choice, and thus he will likely arrive in the main event scene before too long as well.

I can't see John Cena losing to Rusev, so I imagine he gets a fourth run as the United States Champion at some point. Fair enough. It might be interesting to see such a high profile guy as the US Champion. It would be like when Hiroshi Tanahashi won the IWGP Intercontinental Championship. The guy who beats Cena for the US Title is going to be a heat machine in that division, and then gets to incubate with a strong mid-card title run.

Bray Wyatt will also probably look like a beast coming out of Mania. I can see him developing a rivalry with Roman Reigns very easily. Reigns could beat Wyatt at Extreme Rules, and then a Wyatt Family beat-down could be the cause of Seth Rollins' cash-in.

So I kind of see the WWE Title picture involving Reigns, Wyatt, Rollins and Orton coming out of Mania. At some point I think we might get a Rollins vs. Sting match too. I don't know why. But Sting could technically be in those title conversations.

Ambrose will be kept warm in the IC Title scene, beating up bigger guys like Barrett and Sheamus until he becomes Mr. Money in the Bank in June and moves up to the main event scene. I can see Barrett & Sheamus randomly forming a team after their rivalry with Ambrose ends, and sort of being heel bruisers for a good portion of the summer. The Bryan/Dolph tandem would end about this time, and I can see Bryan vs. Dolph being built for SummerSlam.

Cena stays strong in the US Title scene, and probably gets to choose which star he makes when he drops the title to them. It could be anyone from Cody Rhodes to Adrian Neville. My weird prediction is Bo Dallas. But I think taking Cena out of the spotlight will refresh him in a lot of people's eyes, and 2015 might be seen as a year Cena does a lot of creative good in the company.

I think Charlotte could be the girl to drive the Divas Division forward in 2015. She, AJ Lee and Paige will be the big stars. The Bellas will be around, but I can see them mainly being used as the back-up stars. Maybe a face team gets together to fight them. Natalya & Naomi? More seriously this time? I can see Sami Zayn & Adrian Neville both also getting called up very soon after WrestleMania, and I can see them forming a tag team to get their feet a little wet.

[Mr. Nerfect]

Oh, and add The Miz vs. Damien Mizdow to the WrestleMania card. Maybe as the Kickoff Match?

[Mr. Nerfect]

You know, if we actually get that card, it might be a pretty damn awesome PPV. If we get to see Big Show in the Cesaro Swing, the place might erupt. Bryan, Dolph, Cesaro and Kidd wrestling together? That would be dynamite. Barrett and Sheamus love working together and are always great, and Ambrose adds a dynamic that they can surely exploit well in a Triple Threat. Barrett and Sheamus snug the shit out of each other and Ambrose is the guy who dives onto them. He can get out a kendo stick at one point and light them up. Simple recipe for a fun bout.

Rusev vs. Cena could actually be really good, despite my lack of enthusiasm for it. Maybe they can do a spot where Rusev's old opponents from the past keep tossing him back in to face Cena. Maybe this could end up being a Lumberjack Match, which is how everybody gets on the card?