Sami Zayn may have turned heel prior to his first WWE Championship win, but the outpouring of support from fans and fellow wrestlers feels a lot closer to that of a babyface. The beloved midcarder who has consistently done great work, no matter how much time he’s been given, has gotten a steady stream of tributes and positive social posts since the moment he finally won a world championship. Apparently, he got a couple of fun surprises backstage too.

WWE dropped a behind the scenes video yesterday of his longtime friend Becky Lynch surprising Zayn with a visit from his BFF Kevin Owens. Owens has, of course, been off WWE television and mostly absent from the lockerroom for more than a year after he sustained a potentially career-threatening neck injury, but no one was going to keep him from an opportunity to celebrate with his friend. Check out the video…

That video has gotten more than three hundred thousand likes on Instagram alone, and it’s also blowing up on other social media accounts. It’s not difficult to understand why either. Zayn is one of the most well-liked and respected guys in the entire business. He’s a selfless worker who has continually gotten other people over and sometimes lessened himself within storylines for the benefit of other people. He lost world championship matches over and over again, and it was widely assumed WWE would never reward him with the big belt.

I’m definitely not of the opinion that everyone deserves a moment with the big title. It needs to mean something to hold the WWE Championship, and because of that, not everyone should have the chance to hold it. The exclusivity is why it matters, but the entire point of wrestling, at least from my vantage point, is to get over and make a connection with the crowd. The goal is to make people care and generate intense crowd reactions, and Zayn has been making crowds pop for more than a decade. He earned this moment, and from a storyline perspective, his surprise win has made WWE feel more unpredictable and more interesting than it has in months.

I have no idea how long Zayn is actually going to hold the belt. The initial rumors that he was going to be a brief transition champion and drop the strap to Brock Lesnar ahead of his match with Obi Femi proved unfounded. It seems like he is going to go into SummerSlam with the title, and he may even walk out of it with the title. Personally, I hope he does. He doesn’t need a Roman Reigns type run at the top of the card, but if he’s at least given time to do something interesting with his run, it should be a lot of fun.

Earlier this month, I did my predictions for Backlash and got every single match correct. Ordinarily, that’s the sort of thing I’d jump on here and brag about Ethan Page style, but to be honest, it didn’t exactly take a Paul Heyman spoiler alert to make that happen. The Backlash card featured five matches with pretty obvious outcomes. There was no world in which red hot characters like Trick Williams and Danhausen were losing. The same cannot be said for Clash In Italy.

There is not a single match on the Clash In Italy card that I’m one hundred percent certain on, and four of the five feel like they could legitimately go either way. There’s real intrigue here, and that’s particularly exciting because it’s not exactly like we’re getting a bunch of midcard clashes. We’ve got three World Championships on the line, and the other two matches are Brock Lesnar vs Oba Femi and Becky Lynch vs Sol Ruca. We’re all gonna need to use the bathroom during those prolonged ESPN commercials because it’ll be a risk missing any of the in-ring action.

I also think there’s a chance we see at least one of those World Championships change hands, which is not something we often see outside of the major PLEs. From where I’m sitting, you could make a strong case that both Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns are in big danger, and I’m actually going to predict one of them is going to lose the title. I also think we’re going to see a big return. It should be an epic night.

Before I get into specifics though, you can take a look at my predictions record. My big 5-0 at Backlash helped push my win total even higher, but I’m a little nervous about how this is going to go. I’ve done predictions for every PLE since WrestleMania 38, and I can’t remember many with this many outcomes in doubt.

Rhea Ripley (Champion) Vs Jade Cargill For The WWE Women’s Championship

This is definitely the match I’m the most confident about. I think Rhea Ripley is going to retain here, but I want to shoutout Jade Cargill for a minute. She gave us her best match in WWE at WrestleMania, and the six woman tag she was a part of at Saturday Night’s Main Event was also terrific. She’s really coming into her own, and I really like the pairing with Michin and B Fab. For the first time in a long time, her character is really making sense to me. I’m back in and buying as much Jade Cargill stock as I can.

The problem for her right now is WWE is clearly working toward Rhea Ripley and Charlotte Flair. They’ve been giving us a lot of story around their shaky friendship, and it feels like the two are going to finally settle things at SummerSlam. That inevitable match makes a lot more sense if Rhea has the title and Charlotte is chasing after it. So, I think it’s very likely Rhea is going to retain.

If and when that happens, however, WWE needs to figure out something compelling for Jade to do. Maybe it’s worth moving her to Raw and having her go after Liv Morgan and her title. Jade and her backup dancers (positive comment) would be a perfect foil for Judgment Day

Predicted Winner: Rhea Ripley

Becky Lynch (Champion) vs Sol Ruca For The Intercontinental Championship

I don’t really think Sol Ruca is ready to win The Intercontinental Championship. Her in-ring potential is enormous. She’s put together some dynamic matches and appearances on the main roster, but she’s also still only middling on the mic and has had a few shaky moves in big moments. It seems odd to put a midcard belt on her already. I would definitely wait if I was booking the show.

But then again, I’m also not really sure I’d have her lose her first big program on the main roster.

I’m not saying Triple H and company have every new call-up immediately go undefeated en route to championships, but they normally slow build them using wins over lower card performers. Instead, Ruca was very quickly thrust into this program with Lynch where she’s looked, at times, like a future World Champion and, at times, like someone who has only been on the main roster for a month.

I think Lynch is probably going to retain in a way that continues their feud, but it’s also possible WWE gives Ruca a shock win and then tries to make her an immediate star.

Predicted Winner: Becky Lynch

Oba Femi vs Brock Lesnar

I’m definitely on team Brock Lesnar should have stayed retired. I thought his send-off at WrestleMania was absolutely perfect, both as a goodbye and as an announcement that Oba Femi has arrived and is the future of the entire business. Unfortunately, that alleged retirement didn’t last a month and here we are.

From where I’m sitting in the crowd, I don’t really get how bringing Lesnar back to lose again helps anyone. He already put Femi over. Putting him over a second time doesn’t multiply the impact of what happened at ‘Mania. So, to me, none of this makes sense unless Lesnar wins. I think he’s going to give Femi his first major loss on the main roster and then he’s going to officially retire Lesnar at SummerSlam. That’s the path that makes the most logical sense to me.

To be clear, I was hoping Femi was going to be an unstoppable juggernaut for years, sorta like Lesnar was decades ago when he first made the main roster. That's how I would have booked this, but now that Lesnar is back in the picture, I think it makes the most sense to give this match to the Beast and give Femi his first bit of adversity.

Predicted Winner: Brock Lesnar

Cody Rhodes (Champion) vs Gunther for The WWE Championship

Randy Orton hasn’t been seen since WrestleMania, which is weird because it certainly felt like this feud with Cody Rhodes was going to continue. So, what’s going on? There are really only three possibilities. Maybe WWE got spooked after all the backlash to the Pat McAfee stuff and decided to just pretend like this storyline never happened. Maybe the back injury Orton is dealing with really is significant enough that WWE decided to just move on without him. Or maybe they’re just biding their time so the inevitable rematch can come at SummerSlam.

The thing is, if that rematch is going to happen anytime soon, specifically at SummerSlam, it needs to be for the WWE Championship. Orton’s entire motivation for trying to beat Rhodes was to win another Championship. He was very specifically chasing number fifteen; so, if Cody no longer has the belt, it would make sense he’d return and go after that person, which would be a less intriguing story.

Whether Orton comes back at Clash In Italy or not, I think WWE is going to keep the belt on Rhodes because sooner rather than later, they’re going to get back to Orton and Rhodes. I’d love to see Gunther win The WWE Championship for the first time, but I think the higher upside possibility is to keep the belt on Cody, at least for now. I say WWE does that, and I predict we get a surprise appearance from Orton who is instrumental to the finish.

Predicted Winner: Cody Rhodes

Roman Reigns (Champion) vs Jacob Fatu For The World Heavyweight Championship

It’s not exactly a hot take to say fan excitement is down right now in WWE. There are some fun storylines and hot characters here or there, but the product feels a little safe and gasp, maybe even a bit boring. It could use an injection of surprise momentum… like say Jacob Fatu beating Roman Reigns’ ass and taking the Bloodline away from him.

We’ve already watched an all powerful Reigns build up his family, win every championship, get too cocky and get turned on by his own allies. We’ve also watched him feud with Solo’s rival Bloodline and put them down. I’d love to see Triple H and company take the story in another direction by having Reigns lose to Fatu and then disappear from television for a bit.

Fatu can play out weekly stories with Jimmy and Jey Uso, as well as Solo, Tama Tonga and company, and take everyone in a more unhinged and dangerous direction. Reigns could then return later in the summer to try and win everyone back.

I have no idea if WWE is going to let Reigns lose. He hasn’t taken many Ls in the last half decade, and WWE tends to prefer its major champions to have long title reigns. A loss here would go against pretty much everything we’ve seen Triple H do, but I really feel like it’s the right move for fans. We’ll see.

Predicted Winner: Jacob Fatu

The first night of WrestleMania 42 did not go as planned. The show was widely criticized on social media for how short the matches were, how long the commercials were and how prominently the celebrities were featured. Fortunately for WWE, the response to night two has been significantly more positive. That tracked with my own personal viewing experience too. I was disappointed with Saturday, and I absolutely loved Sunday.

Here’s the thing though. All those main criticisms of night one, in theory, could have applied to night two also. Most of the matches weren’t exactly forty-five minute masterclasses. There were, once again, too many commercials, and a celebrity played a very prominent role in one of the finishes. On paper, it has the same problems, but thanks to some key tweaks and strong individual performances, the second night felt so much better. Let’s talk about why.

The Matches Got The Right Length Of Time, Which Made A Big Difference

Night one featured seven matches, and four of them ended in less than nine minutes. Not every match needs twenty minutes, but each one needs to be long enough to tell a coherent story and build up anticipation and momentum. The problem with those four matches on night one is that they all felt like they could have been more with a little additional breathing room. Liv Morgan and Stephanie Vaquer especially seemed like they were just getting warmed up when it ended.

Night two featured six matches, and two of them went less than ten minutes. The first, Brock Lesnar and Oba Femi, was a car crash, big man style match that went just under five minutes and was exactly the length it should have been to make Oba look like the next big thing. The second short match, Trick Williams and Sami Zayn, maybe could have been better with a little more time, but it told a character-building story that elevated Williams and will allow Zayn to fully turn heel. It was right for what it was.

That’s the difference. There’s not some one size fits all formula to spreading out the WrestleMania time. It’s about treating each match as an individual entity and figuring out how long it needs to tell the story you’re trying to tell. Morgan and Vaquer got seven minutes, and it felt like something we would have seen on Raw. Rhea Ripley and Jade Cargill got ten minutes, and it felt like they delivered in a really meaningful way. The first match didn't get enough time. The second match got just the right amount of time.

The Celebrity Involvement Was An Enhancement, Not A Distraction

I want to be clear about something. Every celebrity that appeared at WrestleMania took their job seriously and performed as well as can be expected. IShowSpeed, Jelly Roll, Pat McAfee and Lil Yachty all hit their spots and delivered. Because of factors outside of their control, however, their involvements hit very differently with fans.

The first night featured IShowSpeed, Pat McAfee and Jelly Roll. Speed pulled off a wild ringpost frog splash onto the announcer’s table and had some clean in-ring moves, but his actual match, which was part of a six man tag, only went seven minutes. It also featured some sloppy in-ring work from the actual wrestlers and had a screwy finish that felt disjointed and overly goofy. I was impressed with him, but that match itself was poorly executed and awkward.

McAfee and Jelly Roll did their jobs too, but they faced an unhill battle because everyone was already frustrated with the Randy Orton and Cody Rhodes storyline they were a part of heading into ‘Mania. The two wrestlers have decades of history together, and fans wanted to see that explored in the lead-up. Instead, the build was mostly about McAfee’s return to wrestling, which would have been great as a midcard angle but felt desperate and off-tone for a WrestleMania main event. WWE smartly used Jelly Roll and McAfee to (mostly) cancel each other out at the beginning of the match, but there was just too much negative momentum.

On the other hand, Lil Yachty appeared on the second night, and he was a definite value add. He’s been coming out as Trick Williams’ hype man, and his presence feels very natural for a wrestler that’s positioning himself as a pop culture star. Yachty added something to the entrance, and he had a few confrontations outside the ring with Zayn that will help the latter continue his journey to being a full-blown heel.

The Midcard Got A Few Great Moments

Night one technically featured the Women’s Intercontinental Championship, but let’s be honest, Becky Lynch and AJ Lee are not mid-carders. The Women’s Tag Team Championship was also fought for, but once again, most of the women in the match (Charlotte Flair, Alexa Bliss, Brie Bella, Paige, Bayley, Nia Jax) don’t feel like mid-carders. They’re current or former main eventers who are currently in the tag team division.

Night two, however, gave moments to people who aren’t exactly in the main event scene, and they delivered the tone changes the show needed. First, we got an insane ladder match for the Intercontinental Championship that featured some of the craziest and most dangerous spots we’ll see on the main roster this year. Penta, JD McDonagh, Rusev, Dragon Lee, Je’Von Evans and even Rey Mysterio all bumped their asses off and got crazy in one of the best high spot matches I’ve ever seen. They all knew the assignment and delivered.

Second, we got a ridiculous segment between The Miz, Kit Wilson, Danhausen and John Cena that included little people, nut pouches and a cloud of smoke that didn’t work as intended. It was a mess in a really fun way and a good reminder that professional wrestling is supposed to hit different emotional beats. When WWE is at its best, it’s not just delivering great matches. It’s delivering comedy and weirdness too.

To Sum Up

The two nights of WrestleMania 42 sound a lot alike on paper. One will be remembered pretty negatively and one will be remembered very positively. It’s not because the talent on one night was better or because the basic structure was meaningfully different. It’s because the second night was put together much more thoughtfully. Matches were given the amount of time they needed to tell the story, which for many was just an extra two or three minutes. The celebrity that was used was integrated thoughtfully in a way that didn’t overshadow what happened. There was real balance with a midcard presence that included both goofy comedy and high-flying acrobatics.

In retrospect, this could have been a two night banger. If Liv and Stephanie had gotten a few more minutes... If the Usos and LA Knight vs The Vision and IShowSpeed was put together like a real match and not an excuse to generate a big moment… If some of the great midcard characters left off the card had been. included… If Jelly Roll and Pat McAfee had been incorporated more thoughtfully into a midcard program and Randy Orton and Cody Rhodes were allowed to tell the story we wanted to see… If only everything would have been treated a little more thoughtfully like it was on night 2, we could just be celebrating a fantastic ‘Mania instead of talking about the stark contrast.

Let’s just be honest. The Road To WrestleMania 42 hasn’t been as well-paved as planned this year. Injuries have piled up. There’s been a few questionable booking decisions, and fans are really in their feelings about the Cody Rhodes, Randy Orton and Pat McAfee situation. With the exception of Oba Femi and Brock Lesnar, you could make a case that not a single storyline has had a home run build, and yet, despite all that, there’s a chance WrestleMania 42 could still be a banger.

The dirty little secret about WrestleManias is that pre-show hype doesn’t necessarily translate to a well-reviewed show. Yes, you need hot characters paying off hot builds to get to that all-time great WrestleMania 17 level. I don’t think there’s anything WrestleMania 42 could be to get on that level at this point, but to please fans and be fondly remembered, you just need most of your matches to be fun to watch. Three or four bangers, a half dozen or so really good matches and most of the rest being pretty fun puts you in the top half pretty easily.

The good news for WWE is that there’s enough talent on this card to do that. In fact, if everyone performs even close to the level they’re capable of, this ‘Mania should be good. Problems with the build aside, a lot of wrestlers have been put in matches that, in theory, showcase their strengths, and I have a hard time believing Gunther and Seth Rollins or Stephanie Vaquer and Liv Morgan won’t over-deliver, whether I personally would have built them differently. Plus, throw in John Cena as host, and there's a lot to work with.

Before we get into the specifics though, let’s take a quick look at my track record on predictions from the most recent Big 4 PPVs, as well as my overall record dating back to WrestleMania 38...

Logan Paul, Austin Theory and IShowSpeed vs The Usos and LA Knight

Six man tag team matches with basically no stakes are notoriously hard to predict. I felt strongly that Paul and Theory needed to win the tag team titles to keep The Vision relevant, but now that they’ve done that, all possible outcomes are in play here. On the one hand, it’s appealing to pick IShowSpeed because, despite recent history, celebrities have a strong track record of winning at WrestleMania. On the other hand, it’s appealing to pick The Usos and LA Knight because the whole story here is how IShowSpeed doesn’t really seem to want to be aligned with Paul and Theory, who have kinda sorta forced him into this.

I think the most likely scenario is probably IShowSpeed turning on Theory and Paul and helping the babyfaces to a win, but you could tell me pretty much anything about this match and I’d believe it. You could tell me iShowSpeed is gonna stick around WWE and feud with Logan Paul, and I’d believe it. You could tell me Bron Breakker is going to return and help his stablemates win, and I’d believe it. You could tell me Danhausen is going to get involved and double down on his IShowSpeed curse to help the babyfaces win. No scenario is too outlandish here.

Predicted Winner: The Usos and LA Knight

Jacob Fatu vs Drew McIntyre

What a weird run it has been for Drew McIntyre. He’s the only person not named Cody Rhodes, John Cena or Roman Reigns in the last four years to hold the WWE Championship. His work with CM Punk is probably the best non-Bloodline feud WWE has given us in at least a half decade. He’s been a constant presence in key storylines, and yet, you could make the case that he really deserved more. In my opinion, he was the hottest character on the roster for almost a year, and many fans still have a sour taste in their mouth that he’s not walking into this ‘Mania as champion.

That being said, I think he’s probably going to lose here. Rumors are swirling that he’s going to take a break from programming for a bit to film the new Highlander movie, but even if he wasn’t, I’d have a hard time predicting him because of how mean he’s been to Jacob Fatu during this story. He’s repeatedly talked about Fatu’s past run-ins with the law in a way that’s felt demeaning and mean-spirited. That may not have mattered under Vince McMahon, but I think Triple H and company want to tell uplifting stories with broad messages like you can overcome your past.

Plus, WWE needs to heat Jacob Fatu back up again. I’m not saying he’s cold, but he’s been hotter and has more potential. I think fans would get behind him if WWE truly pushed him to the top of the card. This could be the time when that starts.

Predicted Winner: Jacob Fatu

Stephanie Vaquer (Champion) vs Liv Morgan For The Women’s World Championship

I really wish WWE would have devoted more time to this build because what we have gotten has been really good. Vaquer and Morgan have exchanged some fiery promos and gone at each other backstage in a way that’s felt personal and a little dangerous. Fans like both of the characters, and it sucks that one of them is going to lose and take a step back momentum wise.

To me, this all comes down to what Triple H and the writers want to do with Judgment Day. I love Vaquer and think she has an incredibly bright future in WWE, but to me, the most exciting long-term storyline WWE can tell involves Morgan and her Judgment Day stablemate Raquel Rodriguez. Putting the belt on Morgan and giving us an extended storyline of teases and an eventual turn on each other would be a fantastic program leading into SummerSlam.

The other possibility, of course, is that Rodriguez or her stablemate Roxanne Perez accidentally cost Morgan her chance at the title here and that leads into a storyline about Judgment Day fully imploding. That’s definitely on the table and would keep the belt on Vaquer, but that’s not the route I would take.

Predicted Winner: Liv Morgan

AJ Lee (Champion) vs Becky Lynch For The Women’s Intercontinental Championship

WWE has shown an openness to part-time champions in the past. Much has been made about Roman Reigns and his inconsistent schedule over the last few years, but even before him, the company has also gone down that same road with Brock Lesnar. AJ Lee, as beloved as she may be, however, doesn’t have that same level of cultural relevance or ability to move tickets.

I also think the Intercontinental Championship is fundamentally different than the World Titles. The whole point of the championship is it’s supposed to be defended on a regular basis, both on television and on premium live events. I don’t think having a part-time champion serves the division, and given what we’ve seen since her big return, there’s no reason to think AJ Lee is going to be around on a weekly basis post-Mania.

Because of that, I think this has to be Becky Lynch. She’s one of the biggest stars in the women’s division and has really helped elevate the Intercontinental Championship to a different level after it was introduced. I think there are a lot of fun stories she can tell if she gets the belt back, and I think giving her a second loss to AJ after she dropped the title to her initially does long-term damage to her character.

Predicted Winner: Becky Lynch

The Irresistible Forces (Nia Jax And Lash Legend) vs Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss vs Bayley and Lyra Valkyria vs The Bella Twins

I think there’s a title run at some point in the Bella Twins’ future, but I’m going to rule them out here because of how little they’ve been on TV in recent weeks. Nikki is rehabbing an injury that left her ‘Mania status in question for awhile, and it just feels like they haven’t been built enough to get their big moment. If I were WWE, I’d definitely save that for later.

I’m also less high on Bayley and Lyra Valkyria than most of the more vocal fans on social media. Yes, Bayley got a nice reaction in San Jose recently where she’s from, but Alexa and Charlotte are significantly more over with the average fan. I think their storyline needs to take priority. If WWE is going to keep them in the tag team division, they should put the belts on them. If they’re going to break them up and implode their relationship, they should put the belts on them first and give them another run of success so they can tease a will they or won’t they for awhile.

That being said, it’s also possible WWE could just be planning to move Charlotte and Alexa back to the singles division without breaking them up, saving that plotline for later. If that’s the case, then I would just keep the titles on Nia and Lash. They work well together as a pair of monster heels, and I think you could tell a fun story by turning them into an unbeatable duo with an extended title run.

Predicted Winner: Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss

Seth Rollins vs Gunther

This has match of the night written all over it. Rollins and Gunther are probably the two best in-ring performers WWE has, at least amongst those at the very top of the card, and the lack of a storyline here shouldn’t stop them from cooking in the ring. I expect a twenty minute war that plays into their size difference and allows both men to show off why they’re among the best in the world.

The original plan was reportedly for Gunther to retire Rey Mysterio and Rollins to feud with Bron Breakker, but injury concerns forced the last minute switch to working with each other. I don’t think WWE is going to want either of these guys to take a clean loss; so, my guess is we’re going to get a Gunther victory that’s related to some kind of interference from Bron Breakker. That would allow Rollins to move into an extended feud with the new leader of The Vision, and it would allow Gunther to continue looking like an unstoppable monster.

Predicted Winner: Gunther

Cody Rhodes (Champion) vs Randy Orton For The WWE Championship

No WrestleMania match has been talked about more than this one. Unfortunately, it’s mostly been for pretty negative reasons. The early build to the story was very underwhelming and suffered from a serious lack of depth and creativity. Seemingly in a panic, Pat McAfee (possibly on the orders of WWE’s parent company TKO) was introduced into the story, and his inclusion has not gone over well with wrestling fans, particularly those on social media. He’s felt to many like a distraction, given Rhodes and Orton have decades of shared storylines and personal history, and McAfee has none of that.

I don’t really know how WWE can get out of this cleanly. McAfee announced he would never participate in WWE programming again if Orton loses. I’m not sure that’s a promise WWE wants to make, given he’s got a long history of working commentary and TKO really wants to push WWE’s partnership with ESPN, a network McAfee has a morning show on. Then again, I’m also not sure WWE wants to double down on a storyline that’s clearly not working with a huge segment of fans. If Orton wins, it’s going to be weird if McAfee just disappears from television immediately, though I suppose that’s exactly what happened last year with Travis Scott.

This whole thing is a mess. There was a way to do this, with better planning and a more coherent storyline, that could have worked. That didn’t happen; so, now, WWE needs to choose the less bad of the options in front of them. I think that’s keeping the belt on Cody, but I think WWE is just gonna keep digging the whole deeper.

Predicted Winner: Randy Orton

Oba Femi vs Brock Lesnar

This has been the best build by a gigantic margin, and the story is as straight ahead as can be. Brock is the biggest, baddest dude on the playground and has been for decades. He called out everyone in the locker room, and Oba Femi stepped up and answered the call. In the time since, we’ve gotten a few brief physical exchanges, but in general, it’s just been two dudes using their natural charisma and connection with the fans to create hype.

Lesnar is widely expected to retire later this year, probably at SummerSlam in August. I hear the argument that you should keep him strong before his final match, which will probably be against Gunther, but personally, I think he needs to put Oba Femi over. WWE desperately needs to make some new stars. All four of the WrestleMania main eventers this year are 40 or older. Femi is 27 and looks to have near unlimited potential. In just a few short months, he’s gotten over with both hardcore and casual fans, and it’s not unreasonable to think he may be the favorite to win The Royal Rumble next year. Sometimes you need to do things for the future of the business.

Predicted Winner: Oba Femi

Penta (Champion) vs Je’Von Evans, Rey Mysterio, Dragon Lee, JD McDonagh and Rusev for The Intercontinental Championship in a Ladder Match

Just like Gunther and Seth Rollins from night one, this match is the odds on favorite to be the standout of night two. There’s so much in-ring talent here, and when you throw in the ladder match stipulation, there’s the potential for some truly insane high spots and choreographed sequences. Evans, Lee and McDonagh are also likely going to go all-out, as this’ll be the first time each has made the ‘Mania card.

Matches with this many people are always panic attack city for predictions, but I actually feel pretty good about Penta. There’s some buzz around Je’Von Evans online, but he’s still really nice to the roster and could use some more seasoning on his promos. Penta has maintained his white hot popularity for more than a year, and to me, there’s just no reason why you’d want to take the title off him. Plus, TKO is invested in growing AAA, and Penta is a legend over there, as well.

Predicted Winner: Penta

Jade Cargill (Champion) vs Rhea Ripley for The WWE Women’s Championship

This match is clearly the product of the original creative not working out. Cargill was almost certainly being positioned to work with Bianca Belair, but unfortunately, she’s had setbacks in her recovery from a severely broken finger. Ripley was likely going to work with Iyo Sky, either as a tag team or against each other, but at some point, the decision was made to put Cargill and Ripley together to essentially make the biggest available title match possible amongst the women who didn’t have a locked in match.

I think who wins, once again, likely comes down to Bianca Belair. If WWE is confident Belair is going to be back shortly, I think they’re going to keep the title on Cargill so we can finally get that long-anticipated program with as high of stakes as possible. If her future is uncertain, at least in the short-term, I think WWE is going to pivot and put the belt on Rhea Ripley. She’s the biggest star in the entire business, and while Cargill has been coming along in both her promos and in-ring work, I think the company is not going to want to keep its biggest female star title-less for much longer.

Predicted Winner: Rhea Ripley

Sami Zayn (Champion) vs Trick Williams for The United States Championship

This might be the easiest match to predict on the entire card. Trick Williams is a rising star. He’s getting main event level reactions from the crowd, and it feels like apart from The Miz, he’s doing more media appearances than anyone on the roster. Sami Zayn, on the other hand, seems to be in the middle of a slow heel turn. He’s getting booed out of the building and borderline cheating to win matches.

A win here would push Trick to the next level, and it would allow Zayn to disappear and return as the full-fledged heel many fans have been wanting for the better part of a year. It just makes so much business sense, and also, it would suck all of the energy out of WrestleMania if Zayn held onto the title. This would be such an easy way to give the crowd a win they’re clamoring for, which is desperately needed right now given how sour fans have been on creative lately.

Predicted Winner: Trick Williams

The Demon Finn Bálor vs Dominik Mysterio

A lot of predictors have gone broke over the last few years betting on Finn Bálor to win matches. Every time it feels like the fans are ready and the storyline is there for him to have a big moment, he somehow finds a way to lose again. It’s obvious the creatives just don’t see as much potential in him as the rest of us do. That being said, Finn has to win this match, right?

I feel like a broken record continuing to ride for him, but if he gets kicked out of Judgment Day, brings back his Demon persona and loses as the babyface to a Dominik Mysterio who has been crushed on screen by Danhausen, we probably need to have some hard conversations about his future at that point.

So, yeah, I’m going to ride with Finn Bálor one more time. It makes me really nervous given everything we’ve seen recently, but that right play is obviously for him to win this match. That gives WWE maximum options. He can continue to work against Judgment Day and try to dismantle the group from the outside. He can go out on his own and chase a midcard title. The path is there for something fun. Besides, a loss is not going to hurt Mysterio long-term.

Predicted Winner: Finn Bálor

CM Punk (Champion) Vs Roman Reigns For The World Heavyweight Championship

WWE is in a bit of a slump right now. Even the fans who aren’t vocally complaining about the product are definitely not at a passionate high point in their fandom. Something needs to change, and my guess is those involved are going to rewind the clock to try and do that. The high point during the TKO era has definitely been WrestleMania 40, which is the last moment Reigns was champion. I’m not saying it was all downhill from there, but clearly, the run up to that ‘Mania is what fans look back at the most fondly.

Reigns is the biggest star in the business, and while he’s definitely a part-timer these days, he certainly ramped up his appearances in the lead-up to this ‘Mania. My guess is WWE puts the title back on him, and he agrees to increase the number of times a month he’s on the show. I’m not saying he’s going to be around every week, but he might do 2/3rds of the time in exchange for another title run, which is enough for WWE to create stories around.

Plus, as much as I love CM Punk, he’s better when he’s fired up and chasing something. He’s been a fine champion, but it might give him a little extra jolt of something to lose the belt and be able to reposition himself in the coming months.

Predicted Winner: Roman Reigns

We’re less than two months away from WrestleMania 42, and it’s a big yikes right now. I’m not normally one of those social media trolls crying about the state of WWE during every rope break, but even I’m ready to admit we need to listen to the referee’s count. There’s a serious lack of hot characters and compelling storylines.

Ordinarily, Elimination Chamber is WWE’s last big chance to inject some momentum, but it’s hard to even see how they do that this year. There’s no John Cena heel turn coming. Jade Cargill is not returning to attack Naomi. We’re almost certainly not going to get a big, splashy moment, but with fourteen or fifteen matches to book in the next six weeks, I’m hopeful we can at least make some meaningful forward progress in smaller ways.

Let’s use CM Punk and Finn Bálor as an example. We all know Punk is going to win. WWE is already advertising his match with Roman Reigns at ‘Mania, but I suspect Triple H and company will use the match to give Bálor a new path, possibly in opposition to Dominik Mysterio. I think we’ll see something similar inside the Elimination Chamber with Alexa Bliss. I don’t think she’s going to win the match, but I do think we’ll get a key plot point in her story with Charlotte Flair.

I expect a lot of little things like that. I also think there’s a chance we could see WWE pull an all-time surprise with LA Knight (YEAH!).

Before I get to that though, here’s a quick look back at my predictions record. I’ve been doing these for every WWE PLE since WrestleMania 38. I’m not exactly a prime Hulk Hogan (that doesn’t work for me, brother), but I’ve been right a lot more than I’ve been wrong. You can check out some of the bigger recent events, plus my overall record...

Becky Lynch (Champion) vs AJ Lee For The Women’s Intercontinental Championship

Why is this not happening at WrestleMania? I get AJ Lee lives in Chicago. It makes sense to feature her on the card, but there’s no way WWE decided to use her here and not WrestleMania, right? I have to imagine she’s going to work both dates, and since Becky Lynch would still be the person she would probably work with at ‘Mania, I have to imagine AJ is going to win here, right?

My guess is AJ Lee wins this match, maybe by some kind of flukey means, and that sets up a WrestleMania rematch with a bigger stipulation. Maybe it’s Hell in a Cell. Maybe it’s a street fight. I’m not really sure of the specifics, but AJ Lee would have to walk in as champion or why else would she get another title shot barely a month after losing her match?

Besides, this is AJ Lee’s first singles match since returning to WWE. If they’re planning on keeping her character at a high level, she probably shouldn’t be losing her first match back in the fold.

Predicted Winner: AJ Lee

CM Punk (Champion) vs Finn Bálor For The World Heavyweight Championship

This might be the easiest match I have ever predicted in the history of doing these predictions. Right now, the biggest selling point for WrestleMania is CM Punk and Roman Reigns squaring off for The World Heavyweight Championship. They’ve already made the marketing materials. I love the chaos of an unexpected swerve, but a shock upset would make no sense here. Finn Bálor is going to lose.

That being said, I’m very hopeful he is going to lose in a way that will lead to him having something compelling to do at WrestleMania. The most likely scenario is Dominik Mysterio trying to help him and accidentally costing him the match, but it also might be as simple as he loses, gets roasted by Judgment Day and that causes him to quit the group. Maybe that leads to an IC Title match at ‘Mania or maybe that leads to a new storyline for him and JD McDonagh. Either way, instead of rooting for a straight up win, Bálor fans need to be rooting for something interesting for him to do.

Predicted Winner: CM Punk

Tiffany Stratton vs Rhea Ripley vs Kiana James vs Asuka vs Alexa Bliss vs Raquel Rodriguez In The Women’s Elimination Chamber For A Championship Match At WrestleMania

Now that the final Elimination Chamber qualifier is over, I'm jumping back in here to rewrite my paragraph. Raquel Rodriguez officially booked her ticket to Chicago, which was a bit of a question mark since Iyo Sky was also in the match. Her presence opens up some interesting possibilities I want to go over.

First, there's a chance Raquel could straight up win here. Liv Morgan seemed to pick Stephanie Vaquer as her WrestleMania opponent, but did she really? She just attacked her and walked out of the ring. What if Raquel wins here and says she also wants to face Raquel? That would create a really compelling triple threat storyline at a time where WWE really needs some of these stories to start popping off.

It's also quite interesting that Iyo Sky is not in the Elimination Chamber. I thought we might get some kind of crazy moment between her and BFF Rhea Ripley that could lead to a WrestleMania match between the two of them. The fact that she's not here probably means WWE doesn't want to see them cross each other and create conflict.

So, does that make Rhea a possible winner? Rhea Ripley is a possible winner every time she walks into the ring. She's one of the biggest stars in the company. None of the creative we've gotten for the last year has pointed to her facing Jade Cargill at 'Mania. Her entire storyline has revolved around Iyo Sky. It would be bizarre for the two of them not to interact, but since Bianca seems to be injured and was likely the OG Jade plan, it's possible the writers could decide to change course and just have Rhea win.

I also think there's a small possibility we could see Alexa Bliss win. We need some forward progress in her storyline with Charlotte Flair. The Queen has pretended to be happy for her tag team partner and BFF since she secured her spot in the Chamber, but would she continue to be happy if she got a title shot at 'Mania while Charlotte was left out in the cold? That could be a compelling storyline.

I'd personally prefer the Raquel angle, but I'm going to go with Tiffany Stratton. Jade injured her and took the title to end her run as champion, and the easiest pivot away from Bianca without creating a domino effect that messes up other storylines would be to have Tiffany Stratton win. I'm not sure fans would be overly excited for that match, but they're both main eventers with a ready made backstory that need something to do at 'Mania.

Predicted Winner: Tiffany Stratton

Randy Orton vs LA Knight vs Cody Rhodes vs Je’Von Evans vs Trick Williams vs Jey Uso In The Men’s Elimination Chamber For A Championship Match At WrestleMania

Who knows what’s going on with The WWE Championship? The current holder is Drew McIntyre, and he’s been calling Rhodes and Jacob Fatu both out in promos for weeks. He also attacked Randy Orton during the last episode of SmackDown. Many fans think WWE is trying to set up some kind of triple threat or fatal four way at WrestleMania. Maybe.

I think there are three possibilities here, one of which I want more than the others. The first is that the simplest solution is the one we’re going to get. Cody Rhodes has been the face of WWE for awhile, and it would be weird not to put him in a championship match at ‘Mania. He’s had an ongoing feud with Drew, and there’s a strong chance he’s just going to win and we’ll get the rematch we’ve all expected since Drew won the title.

The second possibility is that this multi-man match happens. Most likely, Cody still wins the Elimination Chamber, but thanks to some shenanigans, we end up with at least Jacob Fatu and maybe also Randy Orton all working together. That kind of sounds like a mess to me, but since WWE knows fans are down on Drew vs Cody, this may be the simplest pivot that allows Cody to still fight for a championship.

To me, the best answer is to go with someone random and unexpected, and while I love Trick Williams and see a ton of potential in Je'Von Evans, the answer is LA Knight. Fans have been dying to see him get his moment for three years now. He just keeps hanging around the main event scene, and despite losing every single big match, he’s remained incredibly over with the crowd. If WWE would give him some real momentum, fans would get behind him in a really big way.

I get Drew McIntyre and LA Knight isn’t a match for casuals who rarely watch the product, but right now, WWE needs storylines actual hardcore fans are invested in. They need to get anything hot, and we would all be hot for LA Knight finally getting his moment. This is the best way to inject some surprise and unexpected excitement into Mania season. Triple H and company can figure out something else to do with Cody Rhodes.

Is my preferred option actually going to happen? Probably not. I should pick Cody, but I feel so strongly that LA Knight is the right answer here that I'm picking LA Knight. YEAH!

Predicted Winner: LA Knight

The Royal Rumble is obviously a fantastic gimmick match, but I think the reason why it’s so popular is because it feels like the start of something. Yes, factually it begins the Road To WrestleMania, but informally, it also serves as a new beginning for every single WWE superstar. It doesn’t matter if they were buried at the bottom of the card or competing for championships in 2025. It’s a new day, and for everyone on the entire roster, it’s our first clue as to what we, as fans, can expect.

Yes, the biggest story is always about who wins and gets to fight for a championship at WrestleMania, but deeper than that, there are dozens and dozens of takeaways. For someone lower on the card and fighting for airtime, merely getting a spot in the Rumble can be a sign of hope that WWE plans on using that character moving forward. For someone in the midcard, an unexpectedly deep run can be a sign that they’re about to get a push. For uppercard guys, a notable conflict or heated elimination can be a sign of who they’re going to work with over the next few months or even into WrestleMania.

This article isn’t about subplots inside the Rumble though. It’s about predicting who is actually going to win the thing. As a fan, I’m stoked because it’s as wide open as last year when Jey Uso shocked everyone. This isn’t 2023 where everyone knew Cody Rhodes was going to come back and win. This isn’t 2024 where the fans were overwhelmingly pushing for Bayley. The women’s Rumble is extremely wide open with a a half dozen or so credible winners, and while Roman Reigns is the betting favorite for a variety of reasons, I’m going to pour some cold water on that later in the article.

Before I talk out what I think is going to happen, however, let’s take a quick look back at how my predictions have been going. I’ve made my guesses for every single PLE since WrestleMania 38, and while I’ve had my share of misses, I’ve also proven I’m right a lot more often than I’m wrong. Here's a look at the biggest events last year, plus my overall record...

Drew McIntyre (Champion) Vs Sami Zayn For The WWE Championship

I didn’t want any part of this match. I wrote an entire article pleading with WWE not to go down this road, but unfortunately, here we are in a lose-lose situation. We’ve all watched the plucky underdog Sami Zayn vow over and over again that he’ll win a World Championship at some point, and we’ve all watched him lose repeatedly in heartbreaking fashion, despite having some all-time crowd support. Now, we get to watch the same thing again.

Zayn is arguably the most popular WWE superstar in all of Saudi Arabia, and he is going to be cheered like a conquering hero with the Middle Eastern fans firmly behind him. As always, he’ll put on a spectacular match, but I just don’t see how WWE can take the title off Drew McIntyre this quickly. He just won it from Cody Rhodes, and while the Fed isn’t opposed to using brief transitional champions to move the belt from one babyface to another, I think Drew McIntyre should be a lot more than a transitional champion. Fans have wanted to see the belt back on him for years.

Maybe we’ll see Zayn lose this match and come back for The Royal Rumble, making him an even more sympathetic babyface. Maybe yet another loss in a key spot will facilitate a heel turn. There are a lot of options here, but I think the worst one among them all is taking the belt off Drew.

Predicted Winner: Drew McIntyre

Gunther Vs AJ Styles (Styles Must Retire From WWE If He Loses)

Back when Gunther and Styles first started feuding, I assumed the former was going to retire the latter at WrestleMania. Gunther has already taken out Goldberg and John Cena in their retirement matches, and it would be a great next step for his bruising and vicious Ring General to add Styles’ name to his list of victims. This feels way sooner than expected though.

WWE has been saying for months that 2026 would be AJ Styles’ last year, but it’s not even February yet! He can’t possibly go out this quickly, right? He can’t possibly be out of WWE before Mania, right?

Well, the truth is we don’t know. Rumors are swirling that Styles’ contract might be up in February. It’s also a bit weird to think about Styles having multiple retirement matches in the same year. Maybe he could beat Gunther and go out on his own terms later, but it feels like a setback for Gunther’s character to brag about retiring legends and then lose to a legend in his retirement match, even if he gets the win back later.

If this is really it for AJ Styles, I hope he goes out with his head held high after another all-time legendary match. The Phenomenal One will be remembered as one of the all-time great in-ring technicians. Like Kurt Angle, Bret Hart and others, he was able to work across a variety of styles and at many different paces, always making his opponent look great and always getting over with the fans. He’ll be missed.

Predicted Winner: Gunther

Women’s Royal Rumble

There’s no clear favorite in the women’s Royal Rumble, though I’d say the most chatter has been around Liv Morgan. The fan favorite leader of Judgment Day recently returned from injury and putting her in a huge WrestleMania program feels like the next step in her career. She absolutely has the mic skills to handle being in the spotlight, and it would create a lot of fun drama within Judgment Day since her longtime friend and stablemate Raquel has been feuding for the world title and could conceivably win it.

There’s also a lot of noise around Rhea Ripley and Iyo Sky. The Tag Team Champions are main event levels of over, and given how incredible their prior matches have been, many fans would like to see them work together in a program at WrestleMania. It wouldn’t need one of the big belts to draw interest, but putting the belt on one of them would turn it into a contender to main event one of the nights. The best way to do that would be to have one of them win the Rumble and have the other win the title at Elimination Chamber of an upcoming event.

There are also plenty of people who you could put into the outside chance category. Becky Lynch is doing the best work of her entire career, and despite being Intercontinental Champion, we could all buy her character entering and winning the Rumble and then vowing to become double champion at Mania. Tiffany Stratton was also world champion prior to her injury and is all kinds of over with the crowd. She could return and challenge current champ Jade Cargill who took her out, and it would all make sense as part of a long-term story. I’ll also throw out Asuka, Nia Jax, AJ Lee and even Chelsea Green, who is always a threat to move up the card given her popularity.

I’m going to go with Bianca Belair though. She’s been out with an injury for nine months, and WWE desperately needs her back. The program with Jade Cargill that’s been built and teased for years needs to be paid off and is the highest upside non-Rhea and Iyo program WWE has available in its women’s division. Yes, she’s won a Rumble before, but that was at a very different spot in her career. We don’t know for sure if she’ll be cleared to come back, but if she does, this is who I’m putting my money on.

Predicted Winner: Bianca Belair

Men’s Royal Rumble

Roman Reigns is the odds on favorite to win the Royal Rumble, and it’s easy to see why. With John Cena officially retired, he’s the biggest star with the biggest fanbase and the most aura on WWE’s entire roster. If The Rock isn’t going to be around, Roman being the face of WrestleMania 42 is the best way to attract casual fans and bring lapsed ones back into the fold, which is always a goal at The Showcase Of The Immortals. He’s also super over in Saudi Arabia, and it would feel redeeming to give him another Rumble win, given his 2015 victory was booed and is widely considered one of the biggest creative missteps in company history.

But until Roman proves he’s actually going to be around week in and week out, he should not be winning the Royal Rumble. Period. I love Roman, but what’s always going to matter more to WWE’s bottom line is creating good storylines and television that people are invested in. That requires characters who are going to be on the show every week to help build a real story, which can’t be done if he’s on six scattered episodes of television between now and Mania.

Roman is the biggest star of his generation. There is always going to be a spot at WrestleMania if he wants to work it, but if he wants to go back to being the guy, he needs to work a full schedule. Being the main character comes with responsibilities. If he wants to work a Brock Lesnar schedule to protect his body and/ or to try to give Hollywood a go, that's a perfectly reasonable choice. He just shouldn't be doing that and winning the Rumble.

To me, the highest upside proposition for WWE is to create a new star, and the best way to create a new star is to have Oba Femi walk into WWE and win the Royal Rumble in his first year. Triple H, Bruce Prichard and company clearly know what they have. He vacated the NXT Championship instead of losing it before coming to the main roster. They’ve been running regular vignettes to get the fans prepared for him, and his showcase match with Cody Rhodes at Saturday Night’s Main Event ended without a clear finish. Everyone is expecting him to get a big spotlight at the Rumble, but I’d like to see WWE do something truly daring and have him win.

I think Reigns and Femi are the two most likely contenders, but there are some other choices to consider too. Bron Breakker should be considered a real contender, as he seems on a collision course with CM Punk for The World Heavyweight Championship. Sami Zayn could easily lose his match to Drew McIntyre and then enter the Rumble for another chance, which the crowd would get very behind. Finn Bálor is about to turn babyface and the fans seem really eager to push him. LA Knight is still waiting for his big moment and was featured prominently in a recent Unreal episode. Cody Rhodes is Cody Rhodes and is always a threat to win any Rumble he’s in.

I'm going to go with my heart instead of my head here though. I'm going to take the outcome I think is best for WWE.

Predicted Winner: Oba Femi

The 2026 TV schedule is starting strong for Star Trek fans, with the new Starfleet Academy series coming their way on January 15th if they have a Paramount+ subscription. My hype for the series post-trailer release has only grown, especially after seeing one of my favorite wrestlers, Becky Lynch, all suited up as her character on the show.

"The Man" is coming from the WWE to the 32nd century, and Collider shared the first look at her character rocking a bob cut and a yellow uniform. We learned she'll be part of the bridge crew, and while Lynch (real name Rebecca Quin) didn't claim to be one of the biggest of Star Trek fans, she did note there was one Irish-born actor on the show she always watched:

Colm Meaney's Miles O'Brien is one of the most beloved characters of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and in his more limited appearances in The Next Generation. While he's said he isn't interested in returning to the franchise, it's my hope that Becky Lynch channeled the grumpy engineer whom Lower Decks credited as the "most important person in Starfleet history." If any of her acting is just mimicry of what she saw Meaney do as Miles, then she's going to crush it.

It'll be beneficial for Becky Lynch to have paid attention to Miles O'Brien, considering she's wearing a yellow uniform in the image released for her character. In Discovery, that color is secured for engineering, and was worn by returning franchise character Jett Reno. I would love to see Lynch share a scene with Tig Notaro and just toss sarcastic remarks back and forth.

For those scratching their heads and wondering why Star Trek: Starfleet Academy needs a bridge crew, the facility is both an institution of learning and a starship in the 32nd century. I do wonder just how much we'll be seeing of the bridge crew of the ship, though, given that this series is primarily about students attending the academy.

I suspect we'll spend more time with the students in the classroom, which is likely why Robert Picardo is back as the EMH from Star Trek: Voyager. I'm hoping he'll be the conduit to bringing other guest stars from the past into the futuristic series, as he can always make up a "hologram" version of just about anybody. Let's hope some of his programming glitches that contributed to some of Voyager's WTF adventures don't make the journey with him.

I'm excited to see more of Becky Lynch on Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, which premieres on Paramount+ January 15th. I'm so happy to see a new series get underway, especially one that's set in the Discovery timeline!

There have certainly been WarGames matches with better builds than what we’re getting this year, but I’m not sure we have ever had more star power in a single match than what we’re getting on the men’s side this year. With all due respect to The Road Warriors, The Four Horsemen, Dusty Rhodes, Hulk Hogan and other legends who fought in the cage many times, the shared starpower here is extraordinary.

Roman Reigns, Cody Rhodes, CM Punk and Brock Lesnar are all at least in the conversation to be on a list of the 10 biggest stars in the history of the wrestling business. Jimmy and Jey Uso are one of the greatest tag teams in the history of the business, and Drew McIntyre is a slam dunk future first ballot WWE Hall of Famer.

Logan Paul has clearly fallen in love with the business and if he stays on his current trajectory, he’s also going to be and should be a Hall of Famer someday. Bron Breakker is widely considered the most promising wrestling prospect in the entire business and Bronson Reed likely has at least one reign in his future with a World Championship. There’s an outside chance every single person in this match could be in the WWE Hall of Fame some day.

Now, whether the story comes together in a meaningful way is unclear. There's a reason Survivor Series has slipped compared to the other Big 4 PLEs. We’ll have to see whether the match is written like a glorified greatest hits house show or proves to be a big character building step toward whatever we get at WrestleMania. Fingers crossed it’s the latter.

Regardless, the other matches should pay off some storylines with a bit more simmer. Stephanie Vaquer and Nikki Bella are going to pay off their friendship turned rivals storyline. John Cena and Dominik Mysterio are going to have their long-awaited rematch, which should feature a really hot crowd in Dom’s hometown of San Diego, and there’s a lot of swirling tension and long-building storylines intersecting in the women’s WarGames match.

Before I get into what’s probably going to happen though, here’s a look back at my track record in WWE predictions, which I’ve done for every PLE since WrestleMania 38. I've highlighted the bigger events this year, plus my overall tally...

Men's WarGames Match: Brock Lesnar, Drew McIntyre, Logan Paul, Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed vs Roman Reigns, Cody Rhodes, CM Punk, Jey Uso And Big Jim Uso

It’s hard picking a winner in a match like this when it’s unclear what story WWE is trying to tell. Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed vs all the babyfaces on the Raw roster has a been a recurring theme over the last several months. Their manager Paul Heyman has lingering bad blood with Roman Reigns and CM Punk. Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre have already had multiple world championship matches over the past few months and are still actively feuding. There are definitely story beats here and threads the writers can use, but they’re all pulling in a lot of different directions.

I’ve been saying for months that WWE needs to make The Vision stronger. They need to make Bronson Reed and Bron Breakker legitimate main event threats in the absence of former stable leader Seth Rollins. They’ve flirted with doing that a bit, as Reed picked up a huge win over Roman Reigns and Breakker seems likely to win The World Heavyweight Championship at some point, but they need to do more to get them there. They still feel a step behind the true main eventers in this match.

I’d like to think this will be their big breakout moment, but sometimes Triple H, Bruce Prichard and company have a hard time pulling the trigger. Drew McIntyre has felt ready to break out and be a World Champion again since his epic feud with CM Punk, but he just keeps losing in every big moment. LA Knight has been main event levels of over for literally years, and he’s still never won a World Championship. So, I don’t know. I want to say this is the moment the villains assert control and push WWE in an exciting new direction, but I’ll believe it when I see it.

Predicted Winner: The Good Guys

The Women’s WarGames Match: Charlotte Flair, Alexa Bliss, Rhea Ripley, Iyo Sky and AJ Lee Vs Becky Lynch, Kairi Sane, Asuka, Nia Jax and Lash Legend

Becky Lynch has been on one of the best runs of her entire career. I’m personally enjoying her more in this very moment than I ever have, and that’s saying a lot, given I think she’s one of the best female wrestlers ever. Asuka and Kairi Sane also have a nice little abusive plotline going that’ll probably end with the two of them having a WrestleMania match. I also like seeing Lash Legend on the main roster and think she’s a great fit working alongside Nia Jax, who has been mostly terrific since her re-hiring. I like this villains team.

But come’on. Whatever happens in this match will have to do with advancing the plot for the superstars on the faces. We’ve seen a lot of tension between Rhea Ripley and Charlotte Flair. Everyone is kinda expecting that, at some point, we’ll see a breakdown in the relationships of Charlotte and Alexa Bliss and Rhea and Iyo Sky. It’s entirely possible those will literally be WrestleMania matches too. I think it’s a little too early to see them turn on each other though; so, I’m going to be really basic here and say babyfaces stand tall.

Predicted Winner: The Faces

Stephanie Vaquer (Champion) Vs Nikki Bella For The Women’s World Championship

Nikki Bella is only three years older than Charlotte Flair and is two years younger than Asuka, but she rose to prominence during a time when women’s wrestling was transitioning from an era that was mostly about personality and showmanship to an era that demands high level in-ring work. Bella is capable between the ropes and is partly responsible for the much higher expectations fans now have for women’s matches, but there are times in which she still feels more like a legend returning than a current WWE superstar.

That’s not a bad thing. I’ve loved all the recent runs we’ve gotten from Trish Stratus, as an example, but I never expected Trish to beat Tiffany Stratton when they fought for the title. Similarly, I don’t expect Nikki Bella to beat Stephanie Vaquer for the title. That doesn’t mean I can’t visualize a scenario in the future in which she’s World Champion again, but she needs to get the audience to buy in a little more and get just a hair faster and more aggressive in the ring to be on that main event level.

Once again to be clear, I absolutely love Nikki. I’m glad she’s back in WWE. I want to see her on my screen every week, but I think she’s going to need to get a storyline a little more over with the audience to pick up the momentum she needs to be seen on that top tier.

Predicted Winner: Stephanie Vaquer

John Cena (Champion) Vs Dominik Mysterio For The Intercontinental Championship

I think it’s easier to think about this match by working backwards. This will be, most likely, Cena’s second to last match in WWE. So, do we think he’ll defend the Intercontinental Championship during his last match? Do we think he’ll lose his last match? If so, do we think WWE would have him lose two consecutive matches to end his career?

I think that last question is the most important one. I know Sting won his retirement match and there are a lot of wrestling fans clamoring to see Cena go out on top, but I think he’s an old school guy and is going to want to go out on his back. I think he’ll probably lose to Gunther in one final send-off, which means, I think, he really needs to win here.

A loss is not going to hurt Dominik Mysterio, and in some ways, it might actually help elevate him. He’s emerged as one of the biggest stars in the entire wrestling business, and there’s no reason to think his cheat-to-win, heelish tactics will be forever limited to the midcard. He could absolutely be a world champion. At this point, he could even win the Royal Rumble. So, yeah, I think Cena is going to retain here in a wild match the crowd will be super hot for.

Predicted Winner: John Cena

WrestlePalooza is the first PLE under the ESPN banner, and unfortunately, all the subscription issues have not been figured out yet. ESPN still hasn’t made a deal with Comcast, YouTube TV and other major cable companies to provide their customers, who already pay for ESPN, access to the new streaming service. That mess has led to a lot of understandable complaining on social media.

It’s also probably led to cable subscribers buying a lot of VPNs (which are heavily discounted right now) in order to watch the international Netflix feed or getting short-term subscriptions to ESPN’s new app (which is also running promo deals) in order to watch directly. What this will mean for WrestlePalooza’s viewership numbers is unclear, but regardless, those who do watch are going to be getting a really good card, at least on paper.

I say on paper because the build hasn’t necessarily been the best for all these matches. Brock Lesnar and John Cena’s feud hasn’t been the most well-developed of either of their careers, and Cody Rhodes hasn’t been as present as usual for his build with Drew McIntyre, given his current filming schedule. Fortunately, the crowd will still be hot for both of those matches, and they’ll certainly be hot for Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch vs CM Punk and AJ Styles, which has been given time for several promos and pre-match shenanigans.

Before I get into what I think is going to happen though, let’s review my historical performance. I’ve told ya’ll who I think is going to win in every PLE match since WrestleMania 38, and while I’m not exactly The Undertaker at WrestleMania or even Earthquake at WrestleMania, I’m still doing pretty well for myself. Here's my overall record, as well as breakouts for the bigger PLEs this year.

CM Punk And AJ Lee Vs Seth Rollins And Becky Lynch

This is not going to be the main event at WrestlePalooza, but if you’ve watched WWE’s weekly shows recently, it wouldn't be unreasonable to think it would be. Lee’s long-awaited un-retirement to partner with her husband CM Punk got one of the loudest pops we’ll hear this year, and the crowd has been very invested in all the promos and skirmishes we’ve gotten. There’s some real buzz here, and there’s a good chance it’ll be the match of the night, given fan investment and the in-ring skills of everyone involved.

One story beat we’ve consistently been getting has been both AJ and Becky getting physical with the men under the assumption that they won’t hit back. It’s been so pronounced that it’s entirely possible we’re actually going to see one of the men snap and deliver their finisher to the opposing lady. WWE very rarely does inter-gender matches, but we do occasional see physicality. Seth Rollins stomping AJ Lee, as an example, would produce nuclear heat with the crowd and put even more juice into the feud.

I’m not 100% confident that’s going to happen, but I am very confident that Punk and AJ are going to win here. She’s been going for a decade, and I would have to imagine WWE would want to establish her as an immediate threat to Becky’s Intercontinental Championship. The best way to do that would be with a win, and since Becky got in a cheap Manhandle Slam on her the other night, it feels like she’s going to pay her back here.

Predicted Winner: AJ Lee And CM Punk

The Usos Vs Bron Breakker And Bronson Reed

This is a tough match to predict, and you could make really reasonable cases for both sides. Even as I’m writing this, I’m not entirely sure who I’m going to pick. So, let’s just present the reason why each should win and then we can decide which is more compelling.

The Usos should win because they’re one of the best and most acclaimed tag teams in the history of the business, and when they get back together to fight people, it should mean something. Assumedly, the two of them are going to make a real run to the tag titles at some point again in the future, and we should all be invested in protecting their aura for when that happens. If Jimmy and Jey eat pins on their own, that’s fine, but as a tag team, I want to see them win in key spots.

But do we really want The Vision losing everything at WrestlePalooza? Paul Heyman is in the hospital and written off TV. I think Becky and Seth are going to lose to CM Punk and AJ Lee. Does it really make sense for the Brons to take an L here? I don’t think so, especially after Bronson Reed took an L to Roman Reigns at the last PLE. If we’re going to build these two into dominant forces on their own, that can inspire fear outside of Seth Rollins, then they need to actually win matches.

We’ve been getting a lot of teases from The Usos lately that they might not be on the same page. They got into an argument backstage this week on Raw, and Jimmy seems to be moving in a more face direction, while Jey seems to be moving more in a heel direction. Given there are compelling cases for why both teams should win, I’m going to use these teases to say The Usos are probably going to lose because of miscommunication or dissension within their partnership.

Predicted Winner: The Brons

Iyo Sky Vs Stephanie Vaquer For The Vacant Women’s World Championship

Triple H, Bruce Prichard and the other writers are clearly very high on Stephanie Vaquer. This is a huge position to put her in, given she’s only been on the main roster for a few months. Typically, that’s way too soon to even talk about fighting for world championships, let alone winning world championships, but you can’t argue with the crowd reactions she’s getting, nor can you argue with her in-ring skill. Her English is also getting better at a rapid rate, and I think it’s within the realm of possibilities that she wins here.

Obviously, Iyo is more than capable of being a world champion. She’s been there before and is arguably the third or fourth most popular woman on the roster behind Rhea Ripley and Bianca Belair (and maybe Liv Morgan). It would make a lot of sense for WWE to put the belt back on her, and that’s probably the most likely outcome. It’s hard for me to imagine the two world champions on the women’s side being Vaquer and Tiffany Stratton, given their collective lack of main roster experience.

This story WWE is telling with Asuka, however, is giving me pause. We’re getting weekly signs of friction between Iyo Sky, Asuka and Kairi Sane, and it seems like we’re walking toward some kind of feud involving the longtime friends. I suspect we’ll probably even get a tag team match between Iyo and Rhea and Asuka and Kairi at some point in the near future. Does that storyline need the belt? I’m not so sure.

I’m picking Iyo because she’s Iyo freakin’ Sky and Stephanie Vaquer hasn’t even won a middle card title before, but I don’t feel super confident.

Predicted Winner: Iyo Sky

John Cena Vs Brock Lesnar

I’m done picking against John Cena. Sure, Brock Lesnar has been gone for an extended period of time, and you’d like to remind people of why he’s so terrifying with a dominant win, but I think there’s a real chance Cena doesn’t lose again for his entire retirement tour. In fact, I'm predicting it here. After his run as a heel, which had some great moments but ultimately didn’t work out, I think fans really just want to celebrate with him. He did a lot of winning throughout his career, and I think his supporters would like to see him go out the same way.

We also don’t know if there are long-term plans for Lesnar. Did he return simply to put in a few appearances and do some work with Cena, who he shares a lot of history with? Maybe. Did he return because he’s going to be a WWE superstar for the next several years and will be trying to win championships? Maybe. It’s really unclear what’s actually going on. I could easily believe either of those possibilities.

Cena and Lesnar are the same age. I can’t imagine Brock has that many runs left in him, but since this is Cena’s announced last year, I think he’s going to get a big win here. Expect this match to be a car crash with a ton of finishers and surprise kickouts in a short timeframe or for us to get some kind of outside interference to give these two some breathing room to beyond fifteen minutes.

Predicted Winner: John Cena

Cody Rhodes (Champion) Vs Drew McIntyre For The WWE Championship

Drew McIntyre is arguably my favorite superstar on WWE’s entire roster. I think he’s been spectacular over the past few years, and to me, his feud with CM Punk is the best storyline WWE has given us since the OG Bloodline disbanded. He’s had some big moments and won some big championships semi-recently, but a signature win over Cody Rhodes during the first PLE of ESPN’s contract would go a long way toward showing the audience he should be seen as one of the biggest stars in the company.

I would love to see it, but it’s really hard to bet against Cody Rhodes. Apart from high profile losses to the likes of Roman Reigns and John Cena, he’s basically done nothing but win. Do we think WWE is really going to want him to lose during the first event on ESPN? I don’t think so, nor do I think whenever he does lose it’ll come on the back of a feud with this little of a build. Yes, we’ve gotten some back and forths and a vicious attack from McIntyre on Rhodes, but we haven’t gotten some epic promo battle every week.

I want to see McIntyre win The WWE Championship again. I want him to be seen on that Cody Rhodes, Roman Reigns, CM Punk and Seth Rollins level, but I don’t think this is the moment he gets there. We’ll need to wait a little longer.

Predicted Winner: Cody Rhodes

Last year’s Backlash following WrestleMania took place in Lyon, France, and given how hot the crowd was, it’s no surprise to see WWE return for another premium live event. This time, it’s taking place in Paris, and I’m expecting the French fans to deliver again, even if the matches on the card don’t exactly forecast to be Bret Hart and British Bulldog at SummerSlam ‘92.

It’s not a question of star power. Clash In Paris has a ton of big names with matches, from CM Punk to John Cena to Roman Reigns to Becky Lynch to Seth Rollins to Logan Paul to Nikki Bella. The problem is that most of those big names either aren’t facing each other or with a few exceptions, seem to be in a match with a seemingly obvious outcome. Because of that, some fans are comparing it to a Raw or SmackDown card.

I think that’s harsh. This card might not rival WrestleMania, but it’s a lot better than what we see on a weekly basis. It also has the potential to deliver a few huge upsets that casual fans won’t see coming. Throw in a hot crowd and a Brock Lesnar return, and I think this could be one of those PLEs that we remember fondly for years to come.

Before I get into what I think is going to happen, let’s reflect real quick on my predictions record. As a reminder, I’ve been doing this for every premium live event since WrestleMania 38, and while no one would accuse me of being Super Cena, I’ve still got the record of a lower main eventer or the type of guy who’d win a midcard title. Think of me like a prime MVP.

Sheamus Vs Rusev In A Good ‘Ol Fashioned Donnybrook Match

WWE needs to normalize putting non-title matches featuring mid-carders in hot programs onto premium live events. That might sound obvious, but that’s not actually how WWE operates anymore. If you look at most PPV cards, they’re almost exclusively filled with title matches and random bouts that include at least one main eventer (like Roman Reigns and Bronson Reed). Since Triple H took over, a ton of fun programs like Chad Gable vs Otis and Braun Strowman Vs Jacob Fatu never got a PLE match, at least if you don't count Saturday Night’s Main Event.

I love seeing Sheamus and Rusev in this spot. They deserve it, and they’re going to be really hungry to put on a great bout, given neither of them regularly appears on PLEs at this point in their careers. Expect a brutal, hard-hitting mess with an outcome that likely sees these two continue to work together for at least another month or so.

I’m going to pick Rusev given he just returned to WWE, but Sheamus hasn’t won on a PLE since Extreme Rules in 2022. He could really benefit from a chance to remind people that he’s a former world champion and remains extremely over with fans.

Predicted Winner: Rusev

John Cena Vs Logan Paul

I think most fans would like to see John Cena win here, given he’s finally back to being a babyface and doesn’t have that many appearances left before his retirement, but I just can’t see it. WWE has already laid out what’s next for the Peacemaker star. He’s going to face Brock Lesnar, probably during the first PLE WWE is doing with ESPN next month. The Beast showing up here and attacking Cena again feels like the logical way to set that up.

Now, there’s certainly a chance Triple H, Bruce Prichard and the writing staff will have Cena win the match and then get attacked afterwards, but he got attacked after the match by Lesnar at the end of SummerSlam. It feels like they’re going to do something different here, and if you’re going to have the Never Seen Seventeen end up on his back after the match, to me, you might as well give Logan Paul the win and let him get some shine off that.

Besides, I think we should all acknowledge that Paul is really good at this. I’m not saying he’s a prime Shawn Michaels, but he’s already doing better work than eighty percent of the roster. His promos are getting more natural and continue to improve (as evidenced by him looking comfortable with John Cena), and he’s putting in more frequent appearances than some of the biggest names on the roster. It would be good for him to win here.

Predicted Winner: Logan Paul

Becky Lynch (Champion) Vs Nikki Bella For The Women’s Intercontinental Championship

I’ve heard some people complaining about Becky Lynch’s current heel character. Certainly Kelly Osbourne doesn’t seem to be a fan, but personally, I think she’s doing the best work of her entire career. Yeah, she might not be as buzzy as she was during her days as The Man, but as a personal preference, I like this better.

That promo she gave in Dublin where she got the crowd hyped up as the returning daughter and then turned on them was fantastic. It was every bit as good as something you’d see from CM Punk, Paul Heyman or The Miz, and while I really loved her program with Lyra Valkyria and Bayley, I’m glad to see her working with different superstars on the roster and continuing to make the Intercontinental Championship feel relevant.

I suspect she’s going to hold the belt for a long time, which means Nikki Bella is going to lose here. That doesn’t mean it’s necessarily bad news for her though. To me, this match is a chance for Bella to prove she should be taken seriously. Obviously she’s a WWE Hall of Famer and someone the crowd likes to see, but the jury is out as to whether her current run is going to be a fun bit of nostalgia or an exciting chapter filled with new character work and new in-ring moves that build on her legacy. A great match here would go a long way to making the latter a reality.

Predicted Winner: Becky Lynch

Roman Reigns Vs Bronson Reed

I love Roman Reigns. With all due respect to Cody Rhodes and Triple H, I think he’s the single person most responsible for WWE’s resurgence in popularity the last several years. Keeping the belt around his waist for years was the right decision to build his aura. Even now, I don’t really want to see him taking losses, except in rare circumstances, but to me, this is one of those circumstances.

I know what you’re thinking. Really, he should lose to Bronson Reed? Yes. Wrestling factions tend to take on one of two forms. Either they’re a vehicle for one person to establish dominance, in this case Seth Rollins, or they’re a way for a bunch of characters to grow at the same time, each having their own paths and storylines. Long-term, Reed can be one of Rollins’ henchmen who gets beaten up by whoever he’s feuding with on a weekly basis or he and Bron Breakker can build their own compelling characters outside Rollins. To do that, they need signature victories.

Beating Roman Reigns would be the biggest win of Bronson Reed’s career. It would extend his current Tribal Thief gimmick, and it would immediately establish him as a threat to go after a singles championship, which he’s yet to win in WWE. He needs this in a way that Roman does not, especially since he’s reportedly about to leave and go film Street Fighter for awhile.

I don’t like betting against Reigns because he’s won way way way more often than he’s lost. In fact, I’m still not entirely sure WWE will be willing to let him eat a pin here, but in a perfect world, Reed should win this match.

Predicted Winner: Bronson Reed

Seth Rollins (Champion) Vs LA Knight Vs CM Punk Vs Jey Uso For The World Heavyweight Championship

Barring an injury, a real injury this time, Seth Rollins is winning this match. WWE has way too much invested in him right now to lose the title this quickly. Typically, predicting the outcome of four way matches is extremely difficult, but it doesn’t make any sense whatsoever for anyone but Seth to win here.

If CM Punk is going to win the belt back, it should be in a straight up singles match with Rollins. As much as I cling to the belief that LA Knight will be a world champion someday, nothing about his booking in recent months suggests he’s a real candidate to win this match, and while Jey Uso is still the type of over most wrestlers dream about, he’s not as over as he once was, nor did his recent title reign go particularly well.

I’m so confident about the outcome of this match that I’m not even sure if it’s going to main event the show, which is wild given it’s the only world championship on the card. More often than not, WWE ends the night with the match fans want to see the most, and this, unfortunately, is not that match. Still, I think it could be a really compelling twenty minutes if done correctly, and it could help build the storyline for Survivor Series War Games, which will probably involve a lot of these people.

Predicted Winner: Seth Freakin’ Rollins

WWE Women’s Intercontinental Champion Becky Lynch has added her name to the list of despicable wrestling heels after she found a wild and offensive way to generate some cheap heat in Birmingham, England. A little more than a month after the death of Ozzy Osbourne, a native son of the city, Lynch cracked a joke about the late metal icon and reality TV star, and now his daughter isn’t happy.

Not long after Lynch tore down the rock legend and Birmingham native, Kelly Osbourne took to her Instagram stories to lash out at “The Man” by calling the IC Champion a “disrespectful dirtbag” before really giving it to her:

With her father having just died a little more than a month ago, it’s easy to see where Osbourne is coming from with her pointed comments towards Lynch and WWE, but what did “The Man” say to get the reality TV star so angry in the first place?

What Becky Lynch Said About Ozzy Osbourne On Monday Night Raw

During an in-ring promo segment where Nikki Bella challenged her for the Women’s Intercontinental Championship, Lynch agreed to give her a match at this weekend’s upcoming WWE event, Clash in Paris, but she refused to wrestle in Birmingham. The full episode can be watched with a Netflix subscription, but here’s the part everyone is talking about:

To the surprise of no one, Lynch’s comments were met by a chorus of boos from the capacity crowd in Birmingham, who spent the rest of the segment drowning her out. They weren’t throwing garbage like when the late Hulk Hogan shocked the world by turning heel nearly 30 years ago, but you could feel the animosity.

Judging by Kelly Osbourne’s reaction to Becky Lynch dragging her late father and his hometown, WWE most likely didn’t reach out to the family before the Women’s IC Champion stepped into the ring. And though Ozzy Osbourne was involved with wrestling over the years, this doesn’t feel like a situation where the family would be involved in an angle so soon after his passing.

Despite Lynch’s comments receiving a lot of blowback since she said “I’d die too” if she lived in Birmingham, that backlash just means a lot of attention is circling around this weekend’s event. It’s unlikely that Nikki Bella will defeat Lynch for the Women’s IC Title, but a victory here would make her one of the biggest babyfaces on the women’s roster, and you can bet Kelly Osbournce would offer some sincere congratulatory comments.

Clash in Paris will be broadcast live at 2 p.m. ET Sunday, August 31, and will mark the final PLE available with a Peacock subscription before WWE shifts its live events to the new ESPN streaming app.

There was a bit of grumbling from some fans when WWE announced SummerSlam was moving to two nights this year. To be honest, I was a little skeptical, as well, but looking at the card, I’m ready to lace my boots up and get in the ring. Twelve matches have already been announced, and given Triple H’s normal booking style, it’s a safe bet that at least five of them would not have made the card if it was taking place entirely on one night. That’s a win, especially because of how deep the roster is right now.

It has never been harder to make a WWE PLE than it is at this very moment. Between the modern preference for only including five to seven matches per night and arguably the most superstars over with the crowd since the Attitude Era, you really need to earn your way onto one of these big shows. That’s why for WrestleMania and now SummerSlam, it’s nice to have that second night to reward more deserving talent.

Between the two nights, more than forty superstars are going to be in action, and it’s likely we’ll get surprise appearances and/ or segments from a few more. The main event is, of course, the long-awaited WrestleMania 41 rematch between John Cena and Cody Rhodes for The WWE Championship, but beyond that, there’s also going to be an additional eight titles up for grabs, plus a tag match featuring Roman Reigns and a wild celebrity tag featuring Jelly Roll, Logan Paul, Randy Orton and Drew McIntyre.

Before I get into what I think is going to happen, here’s a look at my track record on predictions. I’ve been prognosticating ahead of every PLE since WrestleMania 38, and while my record is not exactly Hulk Hogan-like (RIP), it’s still enough to keep my contract getting picked up.

Tiffany Stratton (Champion) Vs Jade Cargill For The WWE Women’s Championship

There is perhaps no female superstar on the entire roster that fans are more divided on than Jade Cargill. She looks like a star. She executes specific moves in the ring like she’s a star. She has the aura and the charisma you want in a champion. She has the potential to be the face of the division, but it’s been more than a year and a half since her debut at the 2024 Royal Rumble and this is the first time she’s felt like a legitimate threat to win a singles championship.

That’s probably because there are times in the ring in which she seems to get a little lost, especially on the transitions between moves. There are times in which she seems a little reckless with her opponents. There are times in which it seems like WWE is protecting her with the way they put together her matches. There are times in which she hasn't been featured nearly as often as you'd think.

With all due respect to Tiffany Stratton, who has a long and bright future ahead of her, the outcome here is about Jade Cargill. She won Queen Of The Ring. She’s been beating everyone she’s been put in the ring with for months, usually in pretty dominating fashion. If WWE is going to pull the trigger on her, now feels like the moment. It feels like it’s time to rip off the band-aid and see if she can grow into the superstar we all know is there.

Predicted Winner: Jade Cargill

Randy Orton And Jelly Roll Vs Drew McIntyre And Logan Paul

More serious wrestling fans have had some complaints about this getting a spot on the SummerSlam card, but I’m supportive of mixing in celebrities, as long as they take it seriously. WrestleMania 1 was main evented by Mr. T, and we’ve seen some banger matches with non-wrestlers in recent years including Bad Bunny and Johnny Knoxville. By all accounts, Jelly Roll is putting in the work, and I loved seeing the recent segment the four stars did on Jimmy Kimmel Live.

I think we’re going to get a really fun match here. Drew McIntyre and Logan Paul should have a great time playing it up with the crowd during moments they have the momentum, and I think Jelly Roll is going to surprise fans with a really unexpected move he’s probably been training on in the performance center. Throw in a hot crowd, and this could overachieve big time.

That being said, we all know Jelly Roll and Randy Orton are going to win here. WWE typically rewards celebrities with a victory in these sorts of matches, and there’s no reason to think this one will be any different, especially because Logan Paul can eat a pin without really affecting the trajectory or popularity of his character.

Predicted Winner: Randy Orton & Jelly Roll

Gunther (Champion) VS CM Punk For The World Heavyweight Championship

I’m finding this to be one of the harder matches to pick on the entire card. On the one hand, it’s time for CM Punk to win a singles championship. He’s too over with the crowd and has done too much good work since his return not to be carrying around gold in the near future. He needs to be rewarded with a signature victory, especially after a terrific promo on Monday where he talked about how much he needs this.

On the other hand, however, that signature victory feels like it should be for The WWE Championship. With all due respect to Gunther and The World Heavyweight Championship, that’s clearly the secondary prize, and given Punk’s long history at the company, it would feel a lot more poetic if his big moment was with a championship he has so much good and bad history with.

It would also be nice to see Gunther get a big win on a big stage like this. He lost in big spots at the last two WrestleManias, and even though he got his victory back against Jey Uso, he’s still dealing with fans chanting “you tapped out.” My favorite Gunther is the one that dominates, and it would do a lot for his character if we got to watch him go over CM Punk clean here.

Predicted Winner: Gunther

Raquel Rodriguez And Roxanne Perez (Champions) Vs Alexa Bliss And Charlotte Flair For The WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships

Before I get into fawning over Alexa Bliss and Charlotte Flair, let me say a few words about Raquel and Roxanne. They’ve done a fantastic job of keeping this title relevant since Liv Morgan got injured. They’ve been contributing good weekly backstage segments and putting on banger matches (shoutout Sheamus) whenever their number has been called. Raquel is really starting to maximize her potential in the ring and has quietly been a part of several of the best women’s tag team matches in company history. Roxanne has found her place on the main roster and thrived within Judgment Day, and under normal circumstances, I’d advocate for them to hold onto the titles.

But there is something here with Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss that has main event potential, and the long-term upside is too high not to prioritize it. Like many fans, I wasn’t really sure where Flair could go after her poorly received program with Tiffany Stratton. She was getting the worst crowd responses of her entire career, and with so many talented women at the top of the card, I started wondering for the first time whether she’d ever be able to make it back on top.

Alexa Bliss has brought something new out of her though. The two have fantastic chemistry, and it has humanized Flair in a way we’ve never really seen from her. It’s made her really likeable, and fans gave her, arguably, the best reception of her entire career at Evolution. It’s been great for Bliss too, as she’s always had fantastic crowd support but hasn’t really been treated like a potential main eventer in a long time.

You could fantasy book a Charlotte and Alexa run a million different ways. Maybe they stay together for a year. Maybe they stay together for a few months. Maybe they remain friends over the long-term. Maybe they turn into bitter enemies. We all have our own opinions on how that should play out, but it’s pretty obvious the next step in their story needs to be winning these tag team championships and having a big moment together in the ring. That will make whatever comes later way more impactful.

Predicted Winner: Charlotte Flair And Alexa Bliss

Roman Reigns And Jey Uso Vs Bron Breakker And Bronson Reed

The safer move here is to put Roman Reigns and Jey Uso over. They’re the two biggest merch sellers in the entire company, and they get significantly bigger crowd reactions than Breakker and Reed. They’re the bigger stars, and both of them could benefit from a big win on a stage like this. I’d have to imagine that’s probably what WWE is going to do, especially after Breakker and Reed dominated them on this week’s Monday Night Raw, which is often a bad sign for winning at a PLE.

Let me just make the case for Breakker and Reed here real quick though. WWE clearly sees a huge future for both. They were put into a faction with Seth Rollins after ‘Mania, and even after he got hurt, they have been pushed just as hard alongside manager Paul Heyman. We’re meant to see them as the future of the company, and there would be no better way to signal that future is here than by letting them beat Roman Reigns on a big stage at SummerSlam.

Given Reigns has slowed down considerably over the past few years on appearances and he’s going to be filming the new Street Fighter movie, it’s unlikely WWE is going to push him back into the title picture in the near future. Jey Uso’s future is also a bit in doubt, as he had that remarkable singles run but doesn’t seem likely to be elevated back to that level in the near future. So, why can’t they lose again?

I’m going to predict Roman Reigns and Jey Uso are going to go over here because they’re Roman Reigns and Jey Uso, but I think the smarter long-term decision here would be to give Breakker and Reed a moment.

Predicted Winner: Roman Reigns And Jey Uso

Sami Zayn Vs Karrion Kross

No match more obviously benefited from SummerSlam being two nights than this one, but I am here for it. Kross has been getting over with fans in a big way, and it’s nice to see him rewarded with a singles match on a prestige card like this. But you still have to ask yourself, why is this here? Is it because we're about to get a huge moment of character development for Zayn?

Sami has arguably been the biggest straight-up babyface (other than Cody Rhodes) in the company for the past few years. He was the sympathetic hero to root for during the Bloodline storyline, and he got rewarded with career-defining moments at consecutive WrestleManias with his wins over The Usos and Gunther. Exactly where he goes from here is a big question, however.

The crowd still likes Zayn, but he’s not as hot as he once was. He’s been vowing for a long time that he’ll become World Champion some day. I’m sure fans would get behind that quest if WWE would push him hard enough, but with so many household names at the top of the card, it’s unclear if WWE has any plans on actually doing that. Kross has been telling Zayn for months that to get to the next level, he needs to essentially become a bad guy. There’s a chance we finally get that here. It would be a big risk for Zayn, but it could be a really unique way to reinvent his character by watching him cheat to win here, something he’d ordinarily never do.

Predicted Winner: Sami Zayn

Naomi (Champion) Vs Rhea Ripley Vs Iyo Sky For The Women’s World Championship

There’s really no bad outcome here. Rhea Ripley and Iyo Sky are both mega-over babyfaces that the crowd would love to see win the belt back, and Naomi is doing the best work of her entire career as the heel champion. You could tell a compelling story with any of these three winning the belt.

The case for Rhea is pretty simple. She’s the most popular woman in the history of the business, and while she’s had long runs as champion, she’s also done a lot of losing more recently. She’s been able to stomach those losses as they’ve involved outside interference or someone else eating the pin, but at some point, if you want fans to see you as dominant, you need to be dominant. Putting the belt on the most over performer is never a bad idea.

The case for Iyo is pretty clear too. The crowd loves her, and every single match she puts on is fantastic, no matter who her opponent is. She wasn’t really given enough storylines or weekly time the last time she had the belt, and it would be nice to put the strap back on her and lean in harder this time around.

Either of those possibilities works for me, but I’m still going to go with Naomi. I don’t think she’s going to be champion for six more months, but I do think she’s been too good to take the belt off her this quickly. She deserves at least a few more months with the title, and that starts with winning here. I don’t think it’ll be clean. It’ll probably involved some shady and underhanded tactics, but I think she’s probably going to walk out as champion.

Predicted Winner: Naomi

Becky Lynch (Champion) Vs Lyra Valkyria For The Women’s Intercontinental Championship

I think the big question is whether we see Bayley here. She gave a very somber interview on Raw where she talked about missing WrestleMania and now missing SummerSlam. I think we’re about to get a heel turn, and given how involved she has been in this entire program, it would make a lot of sense for it to happen here.

Now, how exactly a heel turn would work is complicated. She’s had matches with Becky and Lyra, though she clearly has more animosity toward Becky. Unfortunately, attacking Becky, given she’s a heel herself, wouldn’t exactly draw any heat from the crowd; so, my guess is she would just attack both of them, which would lead to a sequence of events that would see Lyra losing and Becky retaining.

Even if she doesn’t show up, I still think Becky is probably going to win here. The Intercontinental Championship picture has almost solely focused on these three women for months, and it’s time to get some fresh blood in there. If Lyra wins, we’re just going to get stuck in the same loop. So, look for her to lose and then possibly move to SmackDown with some new challengers being moved to Raw as future Becky opponents if there’s a draft.

Predicted Winner: Becky Lynch

Solo Sikoa (Champion) Vs Jacob Fatu For The United States Championship

Jacob Fatu is a star. WWE has started making speciality merchandise for Fatu that’s custom to different cities, and there have been a lot of reports that Triple H, Bruce Prichard and the other writers plan on really pushing him. That almost certainly starts with winning this match. I was shocked to see him lose the belt to Solo the first time, but I would be even more shocked to see him lose to the wannabe Tribal Chief twice. That doesn’t make any sense for his character.

Now, how WWE chooses to handle the match is an open question. Even though the match is in a steel cage, it’s likely Solo Sikoa is going to play the numbers game. Fatu obviously has my guy Big Jim Uso in his corner, but it feels like he’s going to need more firepower than that. Maybe that’ll come in the form of a returning Tama Tonga who could side with Fatu or maybe that’ll come via a new debuting character or maybe Fatu will just straight up win despite a numbers disadvantage, which would make him look as powerful as possible. We’ll see.

Even though he’s going to lose, I will give a quick shoutout to Solo though. He’s really found himself in this more comedic character, I’m excited to see what he does moving forward.

Predicted Winner: Jacob Fatu

Dominik Mysterio (Champion) Vs AJ Styles For The Intercontinental Championship

Rumors swirled recently that AJ Styles quietly signed a one year extension on his contract. I think WWE is going to want to give him some big moments before he retires, if this is, in fact, his last run, but I’m skeptical they’re going to have him beat Dominik Mysterio here. The current IC Champion got a prime Stone Cold pop during his recent appearance at AAA in Mexico, and his Honky Tonk Man style bit as the cowardly champion is currently working really well. It feels too early to bail on it.

I expect these two to put on a hell of a match. Styles is one of the best in-ring workers in the history of the business, and Mysterio has worked hard to improve to the point where he’s pretty good. With a hot crowd and the potential for some outside interference, I think this could be one of the most popular matches of the weekend.

It’s also the sort of thing where we could see a sketchy finish. Triple H doesn’t really like DQ finishes that negate a title change, but there’s a lot more meat on the bone of this feud that they may want to carry forward. I think Dominik is going to remain champion, but I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw these two again at an upcoming PLE.

Predicted Winner: Dominik Mysterio

The Wyatt Sicks (Champions) Vs DIY Vs The Street Profits Vs Fraxiom Vs The Motor City Machine Guns Vs Andrade And Rey Fénix For The WWE Tag Team Championship

Fans were furious when the SmackDown tag team division was left off the WrestleMania 41 card, and those complaints only got louder after DIY, The Street Profits and Motor City Machine Guns dropped an all-time classic TLC match in the days after the event. I still can’t believe they got passed over, but this SummerSlam placement is at least some consolation.

I have no idea if this will be able to live up to the last TLC match, but expect all six of these tag teams to put on a hell of an effort to try. For many, it will be the biggest match in the biggest spot of their entire careers, or at least close to it. They will go all out to prove they belong and go all out to prove how good the SmackDown tag division is. Expect some WTF high spots and a bunch of coordinated, high athleticism moves.

I have no idea who is going to win the match. You could make a legit case for every team participating. Part of me thinks the right answer is to default to the current champions, The Wyatt Sicks, but I’m having a hard time betting against Andrade and Rey Fénix. They clearly have the most momentum, and the crowd has really gotten into every one of their matches. It wouldn’t be surprised to see them rewarded in a big spot here.

Predicted Winner: Andrade And Rey Fénix

John Cena (Champion) Vs Cody Rhodes For The WWE Championship

John Cena, despite his promises, is not going to retire with The WWE Championship. He’s not gonna take the belt and go home because it doesn’t make any sense to end a championship lineage going back to the early 1960s. That means he’s going to lose at some point, but exactly when that’s going to be is an open question.

Cena will be around in some fashion for the rest of the year, which means WWE needs to decide whether to take the belt off him now and give him time for a final run as a babyface or to let him keep rolling as the heel champion. I would have definitely said they’d keep the belt on him a little longer before announcing the Cody rematch, but now I’m not so sure. In fact, I think there’s a chance WWE might be about to execute something far grander.

A double turn in wrestling is when one character goes into a match as the face or hero and another character goes into the match as a heel or villain, but afterwards, they emerge playing the opposite roles. The most famous example is Bret Hart and Stone Cold Steve Austin at WrestleMania 13, which was recently inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.

I think there’s a chance we get the same thing here. For months, we’ve been getting the occasional hints that Cena is being worn down by his role as the villain, that maybe he doesn’t want to be cheating to win in every match. At the same time, there have been hints that Cody Rhodes is more willing to get his hands dirty, that he’s maybe not as clean cut of a good guy as we thought. What if Cody cheated to win, Cena realized the error of his ways, and they each emerged from the match in a very different place?

I don’t know if the double turn is going to happen, but I do think Cody is going to win the championship. Yes, it feels early, but since I think Rhodes is going to be the one to dethrone Cena and I don’t see them wrestling again in a bigger spot, I have to think this is going to be the moment. I also think these two are going to have a great match, as they're going to be particularly motivated after the reception to their WrestleMania 41 match was less than ideal.

Predicted Winner: Cody Rhodes

After years of fan rumors and talent talking about it in interviews, WWE is finally bringing back Evolution. The women’s only PLE first showed up as a one-off back in 2018 meant to celebrate how far female wrestling had come. In the years since, the talent has taken another noticeable jump forward. The main roster now boasts more than a dozen women who are over with the crowd, and now seems like the perfect time to celebrate all that forward progress.

Not surprisingly, the card this time around is stacked and features more than a half dozen surefire future Hall of Famers, as well as multiple women that have already gotten inducted. In an ideal world, they would have gotten a little more time to build out the storylines here, but even with an abridged schedule, there’s still more than enough to get excited about.

Before I get into my theories of what’s going to happen, though, you can check out my record in predictions since I started doing this for every PLE starting at WrestleMania 38. The resume might not be good enough to get me into the Hall of Fame, but it’s certainly good enough to keep me near that main event scene. You can check out my scores for some of the bigger recent events, as well as an overall accounting.

Jacy Jayne (Champion) vs Jordynne Grace For The NXT Women’s Championship

Fair warning. I’m not an NXT expert. I watch every minute of WWE main roster programming every week, but I’m not nearly as committed to watching the stars of tomorrow develop. That being said, it’s quite obvious Triple H, Shawn Michaels and company consider Jordynne Grace a future star on the main roster. She’s gotten extended runs in the last two Royal Rumbles, and this feels like a great moment to remind fans who don’t watch NXT of what’s coming.

With all due respect to Jacy Jayne, who has plenty of potential on her own, this feels like a chance to anoint Jordynne Grace as the next coming. I expect her to win the title, look good doing it and tease fans for what’s coming between six months and a year from now when she’s inevitably called up to Raw or SmackDown.

Predicted Winner: Jordynne Grace

Iyo Sky (Champion) vs Rhea Ripley For The Women’s World Championship

I don’t know what the writers are doing with this storyline, and I’m not the only one. I think if you asked habitually online hardcore WWE fans what plot they’re most disappointed in right now, one of the top answers would be whatever is going on with Iyo Sky. She’s, of course, an absolute star and beat Rhea Ripley and Bianca Belair at WrestleMania… and then has been given almost nothing to do in the two and a half months since.

More specifically, she’s only wrestled three times, once in a draw against Stephanie Vaquer, once in a victory against Roxanne Perez and once in a victory in a tag match with Rhea Ripley against Roxanne and Giulia. That would be fine if she was in the middle of some elaborate storyline or giving promos every week, but for most of that time, she’s been a background character.

So, does that mean she’s going to lose? I don’t know. Iyo remains incredibly over with the fans. When she appears on television or wrestles, she gets huge responses, like as good as almost any woman on the roster that’s not named Rhea Ripley. There’s no obvious reason to take the title off of her, except for the facts that she’s not being used as a cornerstone of programming like a champ should and Rhea Ripley is the biggest female star in the history of the business which means there are obvious upsides to her holding the strap. I guess I’m going to pick Rhea, but I’m completely lost here.

Predicted Winner: Rhea Ripley

The Judgement Day (Champions) vs The Kabuki Warriors vs Alexa Bliss and Charlotte Flair vs Sol Ruca and Zaria For The Women’s Tag Team Championships

Let’s eliminate Sol Ruca and Zaria first. They should be proud they were put into this spot on a main roster PLE, but there are three potentially interesting stories to tell on the main roster with these belts. I don’t know why you’d send them down to NXT. I’m not totally ruling them out, but I think they’re definitely the least likely of the four teams.

As for the others, let’s start with the current champions Raquel Rodriguez and Roxanne Perez of Judgment Day. Until recently, the belts were held by Rodriguez and Liv Morgan, but the latter was injured, which necessitated some scrambling. Since then, we’ve been getting a lot of Raquel not really being sure if she can trust Roxanne or not. There’s one scenario here in which they lose this match and more aggressively turn on each other. There’s another scenario in which they increasingly get closer, only for Liv to return down the road and get mad about how Roxanne stole both her best friend and her title.

The highest upside for the titles, at least from a storyline standpoint, is probably putting them on Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss. The two have been flirting with joining forces for a month or so now, and their mistrust is finally starting to turn into a casual appreciation. They won their qualifying match on SmackDown and embraced afterwards. Obviously this is going to turn into a feud between the two at some point down the line, but whenever that happens, it’ll be better if we get to see the two work together and achieve something first. It’ll be better if we get a sustained run of them being friends, which’ll make a sustained run as enemies way more intriguing.

And you can’t discount The Kabuki Warriors. Asuka returned from an extended hiatus and lost in the finals of Queen Of The Ring. You’d have to imagine WWE will want to push her pretty hard now that she’s back. They’ve also been featuring Kairi Sane pretty regularly in singles matches on TV, as well; so, they’re clearly high on her enough to move up the card. They also feel more like a legit tag team than the other three; so, if Triple H and company actually want to relaunch this division, they’d be ideal champions to do that.

Unfortunately, the writers have never really proven they’re interested in developing the women’s tag team division. If they cared, Katana Chance and Kayden Carter never would have been cut, and The Secret Hervice wouldn’t be used to job every week to non-tag teams. So, I’m gonna go with Alexa and Charlotte because that’s the best way to make the tag belts matter.

Predicted Winner: Alexa and Charlotte

The Battle Royal

We don’t even know all the participants here, but we can rule many of them out based on the fact that the winner gets a title shot at Clash In Paris in August. Provided there aren’t any huge last minute surprises (like AJ Lee), the favorites are probably Nia Jax, Nikki Bella and Stephanie Vaquer, all of whom bring something very different to the table. Bella likely wouldn’t be a huge threat to actually win a world championship, unless she starts getting significantly bigger reactions from the crowd, but it would still be fun to see her involved in a main event program again.

Jax is the most believable as of this moment. She held a World Championship for parts of the last year and could be a believable threat to beat anyone, especially as a transitional champion. She won the battle royal at the first Evolution and is probably the safest choice. The most exciting would probably be Stephanie Vaquer. She’s still very new to the main roster but is getting incredible crowd pops every time she does anything. She’s more ready for the main event scene now than Tifffany Stratton was when she was elevated to it.

Predicted Winner: Stephanie Vaquer

Tiffany Stratton (Champion) Vs Trish Stratus For The WWE Women’s Championship

I love Trish. She’s one of the most important women in the history of WWE, and the fact that we have a women’s only PLE is a testament to the work of her, alongside Lita and other trailblazers. She’s not winning here though. She’s almost fifty and has given no indication she’s going to work a full-time WWE schedule.

That being said, that doesn’t mean Tiffy is just going to quietly win and move on here. This is a prime cash-in spot, and there’s definitely a chance Naomi uses it, especially because of how much sense it would make in the storyline. She’s currently feuding with Jade and has a match with her at Evolution that we’ll get to in a minute. Jade also has a guaranteed title shot at SummerSlam based on winning Queen Of The Ring. A victory here would give Naomi the championship and set up a rematch between the two at SummerSlam with much bigger stakes.

Predicted Winner: Tiffy Time

Naomi Vs Jade Cargill in a No Holds Barred Match

I’m expecting some shenanigans here because a clean result just doesn’t really make sense. Jade beat Naomi at WrestleMania 41 in clean fashion after an extended storyline. She then won Queen Of The Ring and has a title shot set up against Tiffany Stratton or whoever is holding the WWE Women’s Championship at SummerSlam. It doesn’t make any sense for her to lose here because it woudl stop some of her momentum heading into the biggest match of her career.

That being said, it doesn’t really make sense for Naomi to lose either. She won Money In the Bank and already took one clean loss to Jade. At some point, she’s going to cash in that briefcase, and if she’s gonna get a run as World Champion, it’s a lot more appealing to have her look at least semi-strong.

I think we’re going to see a return from Bianca Belair here. If she comes back and helps Jade beat Naomi, it won’t make either of the women look bad, and it’ll give us some new intrigue and new storylines to work into.

Predicted Winner: Jade Cargill

Becky Lynch (Champion) Vs Bayley Vs Lyra Valkyria

This is, by far, the match with the best build-in storyline. All three of these women have done a tremendous job of selling this match over the last several months, as their plots have intersected with each other to the point where there’s a really complicated and nuanced story here that many fans legit have hard feelings over. That’s compelling to watch as a viewer, but it makes it extremely hard as a predictor to figure out what’s going on. Any of these three women winning would make some level of sense.

To me, it feels like we need to make either Lyra or Bayley a heel. Some fans online are making a case that Lyra has subtly been turning to the darkside but I think it’s going to be Bayley. I think she’s going to cheat to win here, potentially in brutal fashion, and that’ll pave the way for this storyline to continue through SummerSlam, maybe in a straight up three way rematch.

Predicted Winner: Bayley

There are only four matches on the 2025 Money In The Bank card. To put that into perspective, there were eleven in 2019, plus one on the pre-show. Some of that has to do with head booker Triple H’s preference for longer bouts versus Vince McMahon’s preference to get more people on the card, but even so, I’m wondering where all the time is going.

The other Money In The Bank cards The Game has booked have had seven and five matches respectively, the latter of which included a nearly 25 minute six man tag team match with extended entrances and another contest with a failed cash-in. So, how is this going to work with only four matches? Every Money In The Bank ladder match of the Triple H era featuring both the men and women has been between 16 and 21 minutes long. So, once again, where is the time going?

Are we going to get something added to the card at the last minute, perhaps one set up on this week’s SmackDown? Are we going to get an unexpected return? Will we get an unannounced segment? I’m curious and desperate to find out, as long as the answer isn’t more commercials and time wasting.

Regardless, there is a lot of good stuff already locked in. We have all the pieces for what could be the greatest women’s Money In The Bank match in history. The Lyra Valkyria and Becky Lynch match should be a banger, and my mind is jumping back and forth between multiple intriguing possibilities for which dude is going to grab the briefcase. Throw in the tag with John Cena and Logan Paul vs Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso that should have major ramifications for both world championships and there’s a lot here to be excited about, even if nothing is added.

Before I go over each contest in detail and give my thoughts, here’s a look at how I’ve been doing since I started these predictions for every PLE with WrestleMania 38. I went 4 and 1 at Backlash and am hoping to continue my winning ways.

Lyra Valkyria (Champion) Vs Becky Lynch For The Women’s Intercontinental Championship

Before I get into what I think is going to happen in this match, I need to talk about Lyra Valkyria for a minute. I was a little skeptical when Triple H, Bruce Prichard and company made her the inaugural IC Champion. At the time, she was only over with a medium-sized percentage of the crowd, and while her in-ring work was good, it didn’t necessarily strike me as more than marginally better than the average woman in the division. Wrong. I was so wrong.

Lyra is one of the more talented women in the locker room, and she’s way better than expected on the microphone. She’s also legitimately over with a lot of the crowd, and you can hear it in the woo noises during her entrance. She has the potential to be a future world champion and I’m not happy about the thought of her title run ending here. It feels like there’s a lot more meat on the bone.

Unfortunately, I think it’s going to end here because that’s what makes sense for the storyline. Becky Lynch returned after an extended absence and took out Bayley ahead of WrestleMania so she could appear on the card. They’re going to need to pay that off with a feud sooner rather than later, especially with all the fan backlash, and it’s a lot more intriguing with the Intercontinental Championship. Plus, as much as I love Lyra, Becky holding the Intercontinental Championship, with all her accolades, would do a lot to legitimize the title.

I think it’s going to be via some kind of underhanded or devious means, but I like Becky Lynch to get the win here, for all the reasons stated above, plus the stupilation in the match that she can’t challenge for the IC Title again as long as Lyra is holding it.

Predicted Winner: Becky Lynch

John Cena And Logan Paul Vs Cody Rhodes And Jey Uso

Most matches are either about winning titles or generating momentum for a character. You can predict (with reasonable accuracy) who is going to win because you can predict which character is going to move higher on the card and which character is going to be pushed down lower on the card. Unfortunately, with random tag team matches like this, it’s not about who wins or loses. It’s about the storyline WWE is trying to set up.

I thought for sure we were going to get CM Punk and John Cena for The WWE Championship as the top bill at SummerSlam, but this match makes me feel like we’re working toward running Cena and Cody Rhodes back. If that’s the case, then I think it’s likely John Cena and Logan Paul are going to win this match. How does that math work out? Get ready for this conspiracy theory.

SummerSlam is not the next PLE on WWE’s calendar. That honor belongs to Night Of Champions. I think it’s very likely John Cena is going to wrestle there for the championship, given the poster is literally him holding the belt and the PPV is called Night Of Champions. With all due respect to Saudi Arabia, I don’t think WWE is going to burn John Cena vs Cody Rhodes’ rematch at an event in Asia that starts in the afternoon US time. If Cody wins here, particularly if he pins John Cena, he’d have a reasonable case to ask for an immediate rematch, but since I don’t think that rematch is coming for two months, I think it’s likely he’s going to lose here.

Plus, that would play into Jey Uso’s storyline with Gunther, as the latter has repeatedly criticized the former for getting involved in other people’s business and has said it’ll cost him his own title. The two are set to wrestle during Monday Night Raw this week, and it would make sense for the storyline if he was injured and beat up after losing here.

Predicted Winner: John Cena and Logan Paul.

The Men’s Money In The Bank Ladder Match Featuring Seth Rollins, LA Knight, Solo Sikoa, El Grande Americano, Penta and Andrade

There are two theories on how to book a MITB match. The first is to jam in as many people as possible with a legitimate chance to win. The second is to book strong workers with a variety of styles to make the most entertaining match possible, even if many don’t actually make sense to win. This is definitely a case of the second one. So, let’s start eliminating people who can’t win.

Andrade is a great worker and had a fantastic series with Carmelo Hayes last year, but he has almost no momentum right now. He’s also the least over with the crowd in this match by a mile. Penta is super over and does have a lot of momentum, but he really hasn’t interacted with people in the main event scene much at all. Typically we see MITB winners with prior experience having won a mid-card title before. That’s also a problem for El Grande Americano, whoever he is. His friend Chad Gable has won tag team gold before, but competing for a world championship seems too far a step up. Solo Sikoa has at least fought for The WWE Championship, but he’s more over as a comedy character and because of what he’s doing as a frenemy to Jacob Fatu.

That leaves two people with more than a random, WTF-was-that chance to win this year: Seth Rollins and LA Knight. Let’s start with Rollins. He’s the biggest name in the field by a mile, and he just launched a really buzzy faction with Paul Heyman, Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed. Most people expect him to win the World Heavyweight Championship back sooner rather than later, and winning here would be a great way to show he’s going to be an even bigger deal for the foreseeable future. You’d certainly think you wouldn’t want him to take such a high profile loss this early in the faction’s run, right?

Well, I’m not so sure. Rollins is currently feuding with CM Punk, and there’s still the Roman Reigns of it all hanging over everyone’s heads. He’s also Seth Rollins and doesn’t need the briefcase to elevate himself or to get a title shot. Plus, Triple H has shown that he sometimes likes building up a character by having them take some losses. Just ask Drew McIntyre, who we all thought was going to be champion by now.

LA Knight is an appealing option because he’s a more traditional Money In The Bank winner. He’s won mid-card championships and is super over with the crowd. We’ve all been waiting for him to ascend to that next level, and he probably needs the briefcase in order to do that. He’s not the type of guy who could just walk into Nick Aldis’ office and demand a World Heavyweight Championship match. Plus, he’s lost in close fashion the last two years, and if he’s ever going to get to that next level, now feels like the time to get there.

Predicted Winner: LA Knight

The Women’s Money In The Bank Ladder Match Featuring Rhea Ripley, Stephanie Vaquer, Roxanne Perez, Naomi, Alexa Bliss and Giulia.

This is, without question, the match I’m most excited about, and it’s not even close. The women’s division in WWE has never been this stacked, and this lineup is the perfect example of that. We’ve got the biggest female star in the history of the industry (Ripley), a no doubt first ballot Hall of Famer (Bliss), a likely Hall of Famer in the middle of the most exciting storyline of her career (Naomi) and three really promising recent NXT call-ups who all have world championship potential. Matches like this are why I watch wrestling.

With all due respect to Giulia, I’m going to eliminate her right away. She’s not winning because WWE has already tipped that she’s going after Zelina Vega and The Women’s United States Championship. I’m also going to, as much as it destroys my heart, eliminate Alexa Bliss. She is getting some of the biggest pops on the entire roster. I want Triple H to push her desperately, but nothing about her booking foretells a huge win like this. She wasn’t even on the ‘Mania card. I don’t get it, but Triple H just doesn’t use her as much as I would.

Roxanne Perez finished second in the Royal Rumble this past year and has an intriguing storyline going with Liv Morgan. If she won the briefcase here, it would make for some really interesting television, as we know Liv is desperate to get her hands on one of the big titles again. Stephanie Vaquer is also a compelling option because she’s been treated like a superstar since she was called up to the main roster. She’s getting bigger pops from the crowd than any recent NXT call-up, and while I don’t think it’s going to happen, it would be really cool to see them immediately elevate someone to the main event right after getting called up.

Both of those women (and Alexa Bliss who I will never stop rooting for) have live cards and are potential winners, but I think the most likely choices are Naomi and Rhea Ripley. Let’s do the Rhea part first. I don’t love her winning for the same reason I don’t love Seth Rollins winning. The briefcase has traditionally been used to elevate a talent to the next level, and winning here would do nothing for Rhea, apart from adding another accomplishment to her resume. She doesn’t need the briefcase to beat anyone clean though, and she doesn’t need the briefcase to get a title shot from her buddy Iyo Sky.

But Rhea needs to be involved in a major storyline, and this would be an easy way to give her something to do for awhile. She would also, no doubt, get her own custom briefcase style, and that would allow WWE to sell those, as well as new action figures of her holding the briefcase. A lot of fans want to see her do something else other than being champion, and this would let her chase a little bit while still being one of the main characters on Monday Night Raw.

At first glance, Naomi seems like a bit of an odd choice, given she’s feuding with Jade Cargill and Bianca Belair. Clearly, wherever her story is going involves them, but their storyline would be magnified if it involved a world championship. So, what if Naomi wins the briefcase, cashes in on Tiffany Stratton and then suddenly the strap makes the relationship between the three former friends that much more complicated? I want to watch that.

Predicted Winner: Naomi

Will Anyone Cash In Later In The Night?

Last year, Drew McIntyre cashed in the Money In The Bank briefcase he'd just won but was thwarted in his attempt by CM Punk. Fans were mixed on how they felt about burning the briefcase so quickly, but it definitely helped move the Drew and Punk story forward, which paid off in a big way down the road.

Prior to Drew, there is a history of people cashing in their briefcase the same night after winning, most recently Liv Morgan who got an all-time massive pop when she cashed in on Ronda Rousey back in 2022. The huge moment helped elevate Morgan's career in a transformative way and simultaneously pushed Rousey down the card in a way she never really recovered from.

I think it's very unlikely we see a cash-in this year on the women's side. Neither Iyo Sky nor Tiffany Stratton is wrestling at the event (at least as of now), and I don't think it really makes sense for either Ripley, Naomi or Roxanne to burn the briefcase so quickly if they do win.

The men's side, on the other hand, is more of a possibility. Both John Cena and Jey Uso are in action and each could be vulnerable to a cash-in from either Seth Rollins or LA Knight. My guess is, if it's going to happen quickly, it'll probably happen on Monday Night Raw during the previously scheduled match between Gunther and Jey Uso. That being said, it's certainly a possibility.

Prediction: We will NOT get a same day cash-in.

I don’t want to get myself in trouble here by pulling a Bobby Heenan and prematurely bragging a little too aggressively, but historically, Backlash is the easiest PLE on WWE’s entire calendar to predict. I’m 14 and 4 over the last three years, and I’m hoping to improve on that winning percentage with another strong performance this year thanks to a crop of matches that mostly feel pretty straight forward.

It all comes down to where Backlash falls in WWE’s yearly calendar. Triple H, Bruce Prichard and the rest of the writers spend months setting up storylines and paying them off at WrestleMania. Then, less than a month later, we’re given another PLE, typically filled with a bunch of matches featuring newly crowned champions. I’m not saying WWE doesn’t ever give us a big WTF surprise, but in general, crowning a new champion and then having them lose the belt three weeks later doesn’t make a ton of sense. It’s a very late stages WCW move.

That being said, I do think we’re going to get one title change, and I do think we’re going to get some good matches the crowd will be hot for. This card might have some pretty obvious outcomes, but it also features some good workers and characters who are very over with the crowd. Plus, you can never go wrong with John Cena and Randy Orton going to war again.

You can check out a quick rundown of my recent and career record on WWE predictions below…

Pat McAfee Vs Gunther

Gunther is going to win this match. His character can survive the WrestleMania loss to Jey Uso without sacrificing much aura, but he can’t take back to back Ls to the Yeet Man and a broadcaster like Pat McAfee. It’s important Gunther comes out on top here, and ideally, comes out looking pretty strong.

It doesn’t need to be a squash match however, and it shouldn’t be. McAfee has proven in the past that he’s way better than you’d guess in the ring, and as a sympathetic babyface defending Michael Cole, he should at least be given some hope spots. I think there’s a real chance this ends up being a low key banger.

To me, the bigger question is whether this ends up writing McAfee off television for awhile. The former NFL punter typically takes an extended break during the year because of his football-related duties on ESPN. The sabbatical ordinarily doesn’t start until later in the summer, but given the timeframe, there’s certainly a possibility we could see Gunther “injure” the talking head to the point where he needs to step away for the rest of the year. That would certainly give The Ring General plenty of heat, and it would allow Pat some needed time off, as well as give Corey Graves the chance to return from NXT.

Predicted Winner: Gunther

Lyra Valkyria (Champion) Vs Becky Lynch For The Women’s Intercontinental Championship

I’ve been really impressed with Lyra Valkyria over the past few months, and I was especially impressed with her microphone work earlier this week on Raw. She’s also getting over with the crowd. You can hear it during her entrances. You can hear it during her matches. She’s not quite on that top level yet, but she’s really getting there. I think it was a great decision by Triple H to put the IC Championship on her and let her run with it.

But I don’t see how you bring back Becky Lynch to have her lose here. She’s one of the most popular female stars on the entire roster, and she’s been gone for an extended period of time. Her winning the Intercontinental Championship would also legitimize it in a way Lyra isn’t capable of doing at this point in her career. If you look back at the history of the men’s title, an overwhelming majority of the biggest names held the belt at some point in time, and it would be nice to start adding some legends to the women’s side as well.

Plus, it seems like we’re eventually going to get Becky and Bayley. Becky admitted she was the one who attacked Bayley and took her spot at WrestleMania, and those two are going to need to have a program to settle the score at some point. WWE is going to want Becky with as much momentum as possible when that program happens, and that means she needs to win her matches.

Predicted Winner: Becky Lynch

Dominik Mysterio (Champion) Vs Penta For The Intercontinental Championship

It’s hard to imagine the first few months of Penta’s WWE career going better than what we’ve gotten. He’s really won over the fans and become a big mid-card attraction. He also had his first WrestleMania match, which was extremely well received by fans and widely considered one of the best of the weekend.

Still, I don’t like his chances here though. He’s been feuding with both Judgment Day and Chad Gable/ El Grande Americano in recent weeks, and it seems like the long-term feud is going to be the one with El Grande Americano. That probably doesn’t need the Intercontinental Championship, as there’s plenty of built in excitement for that already. There’s even a possibility we could get a mask versus mask match between the two at some point.

Plus, Dominik Mysteiro just had a career highlight. His victory and post-match celebration was probably the best moment of the entire WrestleMania weekend. I’m not going to say a loss here would invalidate that, but it would make me really confused about where WWE is going with his character. He’s so hot right now, and a loss would only slow down that momentum. That being said, I don’t expect him to win clean here. Look for outside interference, random weapons or a referee bump. Something weird is going to happen, and he will not apologize for it.

Predicted Winner: Dominik Mysterio

Jacob Fatu (Champion) Vs Damian Priest Vs Drew McIntyre Vs LA Knight For The United States Championship

This match is probably the most exciting to me of any on the entire card. All four of these guys are super over with fans. McIntyre and Priest have both been world champions within the last year and change. Jacob Fatu is widely considered by fans to have future WrestleMania main event potential. LA Knight is sneaky still one of the most popular wrestlers on WWE’s entire roster. The crowd is going to be very hot for this match and rightfully so.

The most obvious choice here is to say Jacob Fatu is going to retain. He just won the title and is clearly ascending up the card. Weakening him so quickly doesn’t seem like it’s the right move, but it’s hard to know when his long-term plans aren’t clear. There’s a possibility he has a Gunther-like year-plus reign where he just dominates everyone at the mid-card level. Then again, it’s also possible that we’re finally going to get the long-awaited feud between Fatu and his sidekick Solo Sikoa. Many fans thought he’d lose at WrestleMania because of Solo and that would lead into an extended program between the two. That could still happen here.

If he does lose, it’s anyone’s guess as to who might win the title from him. LA Knight is probably the most obvious candidate, as he’s been involved in this title picture the longest and already has multiple reigns to his name. I wouldn’t mind seeing him on top again for a few more months.

This could also be a way to give Damian Priest direction. He was elevated to the main event scene last year with a big 'Mania moment and did a really nice job, but if we’re being honest, as much as I love him, he’s just not quite on that level. He’s a spectacular mid-carder or a halfway decent main event guy. I could see WWE putting this title on him again and letting him rule the mid-card. Drew McIntyre makes less sense to me, as he feels a little bit above this title, but if he’s not going to get booked to win a World Championship anytime soon, then this could be a way to give him something.

I’m going to stick with Jacob Fatu, but I have more doubt here than with most of the matches.

Predicted Winner: Jacob Fatu

John Cena (Champion) Vs Randy Orton For The WWE Championship

Deep down, we all know Randy Orton isn’t going to win this. I’m from St Louis. I love Randy Orton. It pains me in my soul to say he’s definitely going to lose out loud, but John Cena didn’t finally turn heel and beat Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania to lose a forty-five year old that’s lost a lot more big matches than he’s won over the last half decade. It’s just not going to happen.

Now, I think we’re going to get a terrific match. I think Cena is going to use some heelish tactics in order to win. I think there will be a moment or two where the crowd thinks Orton might win, but the upside of keeping the belt on Cena is just way higher. There are a lot more money matches to be had right now with the belt around his waist than on Orton’s.

I’m confident about a lot of these matches, but I’m the most confident about this one. Apart from teaching fans anything can happen, I don’t see a single reason why WWE would be better off with Orton as champion. So, expect Cena to win here.

Predicted Winner: John Cena

Bayley appears to be off the WrestleMania card. The former World Champion, Royal Rumble winner and extremely popular face of the WWE Women’s Division was attacked backstage by a mystery assailant ahead of her tag team match with Lyra Valkyria against Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez. She’s apparently going to be replaced by someone to be announced later tonight, who may or may not be Becky Lynch. Fans are not happy about it, and neither am I.

Despite obvious excitement to maybe see Becky Lynch, the general reaction on social media has been extremely negative. Initially, many fans assumed she must have been injured in real life and WWE was explaining that by writing it into the storyline. Multiple outlets, however, are reporting that she’s perfectly fine and this was simply the creative direction WWE wanted to go.

That hasn’t sat well with her biggest supporters or even casual fans who see Bayley as the selfless heart of the women’s division and can’t understand why she’d be left off the card. Many supporters have even spent the past day digging up many of her old tweets that could be interpreted as negative and/ or retweeting her good friend Mercedes Moné who seemed to imply she should leave WWE and head to AEW after the slight.

Now, before I get into what I see as the bigger story here, I want to say out loud that I agree with the part about it being nonsense that Bayley isn’t on the WrestleMania card. We are getting fourteen matches, many of which involve more than two people. Bayley is a cornerstone of the women’s division, and while I don’t think anyone should just be handed a match, I think it’s beholden on WWE to write storylines for the company’s biggest stars that lead into WrestleMania. That didn’t happen for Bayley this year, however, and it’s symptomatic of a larger WWE problem.

I love WWE and am not typically the most critical fan. I’ll question things now and again (like Jey Uso winning The Royal Rumble), but in general, I’m pretty positive about the product. I also realize injuries happen, stuff arises behind the scenes and plans need to change. Because of that, I don’t need every single thing to be booked out a year in advance, but I also don’t want to see everything thrown together at the last minute. It’s hard not to look at this WrestleMania 41 build and see a lot of obvious last minute changes and sloppy executions.

Bayley quite clearly, as an example, seemed to be working toward a program with Roxanne Perez at ‘Mania. The latter finished second in The Royal Rumble and seemed ready to be put into a big spot, as we were given a lot of little moments between the two… until suddenly we weren’t. Perez basically disappeared from WWE TV without explanation, and Bayley suddenly started working with Lyra Valkyria.

I assumed the plan was going to see them wrestle for Lyra’s Intercontinental Championship, except that match got scheduled for a few weeks ahead of ‘Mania. Before it even happened, Lyra and Bayley were then scheduled for a tag team gauntlet match with the winners facing Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez at ‘Mania, despite the fact that they were feuding for the IC belt and weren’t a natural fit to team together. I would have guessed they’d lose and it would add intrigue to their singles feud, except it was obvious they were going to win the match before it started because no one else in the match had been built up enough to be a credible threat to appear on the WrestleMania card.

So, yeah, I’m not a happy camper about Bayley being left off the WrestleMania card, but the problems started months ago. She’s easily disposed of here because there’s no storyline we care about that makes her necessary to the match. She was quite clearly just shoved in to appear on the ‘Mania card, which makes it even more weirder that she’s no longer even on the ‘Mania card. It makes me wonder what the point of all of this even was?

She’s not the only one with a rushed or confusing storyline either. This entire program with Bianca Belair, Rhea Ripley and Iyo Sky has made absolutely no sense. I have no idea why they decided to do a triple threat, and it’s done nothing but lead to Bianca Belair getting booed every time she wants to talk, despite being presented as a babyface. John Cena and Cody Rhodes have had some nice promo battles and built a fun story here, but it also doesn’t make any sense if you really think about it. We were initially told Cena sold his soul to The Rock, which is why he turned on Cody, but the latter literally hasn’t made any appearances since Elimination Chamber. In fact, he’s barely even been mentioned on television, and Cena has given his reasons as if The Rock had nothing to do with any of it.

You can just keep going down the list, and this lack of planning is obvious in almost every program. The New Day had one of the hottest heel turns of all-time when they kicked Big E out of the group. Then the writers did nothing with them for months. They lost all their momentum and didn’t even appear on TV some weeks, until we were suddenly told to care about them again a few weeks ahead of WrestleMania? CM Punk, Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins did a fantastic job finding a story and creating a triple threat leading into WrestleMania, but you can’t convince me those three weren’t thrown together because there wasn’t anything else for them to do.

WWE has never had more going on. With two weekly shows, monthly PPVs and now quarterly specials on NBC, there is this constant need to build toward something. Unfortunately, those frequent builds mean it’s a lot harder to tell long-term stories and to time them to get hot at ‘Mania. Seth Rollins and CM Punk had a great feud going, but WWE burned it off during the first episode of Raw on Netflix.

Braun Strowman and Jacob Fatu had a fantastic feud going, but WWE worked through it prior to WrestleMania. Rhea Ripley and Liv Morgan had maybe the hottest feud in wrestling for a hot minute, but everyone got sick of seeing them work together for months— so now both women are doing less exciting things in stories we’re less invested in at at ‘Mania.

WWE needs to figure this out. Giving fans more specials and more programming sounds great, but the most important period every year is the road to WrestleMania. That is when the stories need to be the hottest, and this year, we don’t really have any hot stories at all. Instead, we have matches that feel slapped together and some big stars like Bayley watching from catering.

Seth Rollins has been filling in on NFL Network's Good Morning Football in between preparing for upcoming WWE events like the highly anticipated WrestleMania 41, and wrestling fans are getting treated to some great stories from the superstar. This included a rather unexpected tale in which he credited Stone Cold Steve Austin as the reason he had a baby with his wife and fellow superstar Becky Lynch.

Lynch gave birth to their daughter, Roux, in December of 2020, about nine months after a revered holiday in the pro wrestling world. March 16th, or 3/16, is typically known as Stone Cold Day in the WWE, thanks to the wrestler's famous "Austin 3:16"promo. Steve Austin usually appears on Monday Night Raw or SmackDown if it falls on the day, and it just so happened to fall on a Raw at the height of COVID lockdowns. Seth Rollins talked about that night and how it ultimately led to him having a child (via WrestlingInc.com):

I'd like to think Becky Lynch pounded those drinks in the ring with Stone Cold Steve Austin and was like, "Yeah, that will hold me over for the next nine months," and committed to having a baby with Seth Rollins. It sounds like she didn't go the Stone Cold method of "wasting beer," as some fans would say, and the rest is history!

What's hilarious is that, watching the segment years later, it does seem like Becky Lynch drank more of that beer than she spilled. It's honestly impressive, especially with how she managed to drink two beers at the same time without getting it all over her body, unlike The Texas Rattlesnake.

Watching that video made me realize how great it would be to see Stone Cold Steve Austin cracking beers and hitting stunners in the ring again, possibly at WrestleMania 41. That said, the chances of the legend having another official match after his impromptu showdown with Kevin Owens years ago feel slim, though I wouldn't rule it out completely. Who wouldn't want to see him take on The Rock one last time?

As of writing, it doesn't even seem like The Rock will have a match at WrestleMania, as he's enlisted John Cena as his enforcer to dethrone Cody Rhodes in Las Vegas. The Champ vows to "ruin wrestling" when he beats Ric Flair's overall championship record, and he even called out The Nature Boy in his latest promo on Monday Night Raw. Ric Flair responded well to being called out, but I would love to see what Stone Cold would do if Cena set his sights on him. Maybe Cody can call the legend and see if he'll be in his corner for the big match?

We still have some time until WrestleMania 41, which will be held on April 19th and 20th. I can't wait to see what the WWE has cooking as we get closer to the big night and what surprises we'll get along the way.

As WrestleMania 41 and upcoming WWE events are on the way in 2025, one big name in women's wrestling is still out of rotation. Becky Lynch has long been one of the industry's top women, but has been away since May of 2024. Her husband Seth Rollins gave a promising update signaling her return may be imminent, and I think I have a read on exactly when.

"The Man" last competed against Liv Morgan in a steel cage match on Monday Night Raw shortly after losing her title at Crown Jewel. Since then, fans have had to use a Peacock subscription if they want to see her wrestle, though the latest update on her status makes it sound as though she'll be back on television soon enough.

Seth Rollins Shares The Latest On Becky Lynch's Status

Seth Rollins was a guest on WFAN New York and talked briefly about when we may expect Becky Lynch after rumors stated she signed a new contract with the WWE back in January. The former WWE champion shared what his beau has been up to since stepping away from the company, and what the road ahead looks like for her:

It sounds like we may soon see Becky Lynch back in WWE and handing out more criticisms of top rivals in the company. That being said, Rollins didn't exactly specify when she may show up again, though I think the answer is more apparent after his comments.

When I Believe Becky Lynch Will Return To The WWE

While Becky Lynch has seemingly had more luck in Hollywood getting acting roles than her husband after he was cut from Captain America 4, I don't think it'll be long before we are watching her on Monday Night Raw with a Netflix subscription. I think it's very likely we'll see her on the Raw after WrestleMania, which will be Monday, April 21st.

My reasoning really just boils down to common sense, especially with WrestleMania 41 so near. The big storylines in women's wrestling revolve around Bianca Belair, Naomi, Jade Cargill, Iyo Sky, Rhea Ripley, Tiffney Stratton, Charlotte, and even Nia Jax. There's just no room for Becky Lynch to slide in with just over a month until the two-day event, but I'm sure the WWE would like to have her back as soon as they possibly can.

We don't know everything Lynch has been up to since taking time off, though we know she'll be in an upcoming Star Trek series. Big Time Becks was announced to be part of the cast for Starfleet Academy, which wrapped production on Season 1 back in February. No details are available on her character just yet, but I wouldn't be surprised if whatever she does requires some impressive physical stunts.

I'll be more excited about Becky Lynch in Star Trek when the time comes, but I'm just ready to see her back in the WWE for now. We shall see if my prediction comes true if she shows up after WrestleMania 41, though I wouldn't be disappointed if she comes through earlier.

As we prepare for WrestleMania 41 and other upcoming WWE events, it's worth looking at how far the company has come in a decade. Outside of the major shakeups in management, there are quite a few superstars, like Liv Morgan and Jey Uso, who are still in the company and were doing completely different things back in 2015.

The following is the biggest list of names who changed a good deal from where they were in 2015 to where they are now. Almost all of these are shocking, so let's dive in and revisit what was a weird time in wrestling and how far some of these stars have come since then.

Liv Morgan

The Women's Revolution was underway in the WWE, but Liv Morgan wasn't really a part of that. The future Women's World Championship holder was a part of the NXT brand, primarily as an extra who would jump on Tyler Breeze during his entrance and cause a scene. Liv also appeared under another ring name, "Marley," and lost a match to Eva Marie. It's quite a far cry from where she is now, as one of the top women's stars in the country.

Jey Uso

In 2015, Jey and Jimmy Uso's personalities were that they were twin Samoans. Every effort was made to make them look as identical as possible, which isn't all that hard admittedly, but little was done to differentiate their personalities as well. While they were one of the most dominant tag teams in the WWE, I don't think anyone would ever imagine "Main Event" Jey Uso would one day be an Intercontinental Champion.

Roman Reigns

You'd never know it when he marches to the ring to thunderous chants as the OTC, but a decade ago, the WWE fandom at-large was livid Roman Reigns won the Royal Rumble. So much so that they booed him during his WrestleMania match against Brock Lesnar, and were even more relieved when Seth Rollins cashed-in and took the title. Roman's 2015 briefly got better when he finally won the championship that November, only to immediately lose it to Sheamus, who cashed in his Money In The Bank briefcase.

Cody Rhodes

If you believed in 2015 that Cody Rhodes would be the face of the WWE, people were probably looking at you the same way they did his bizarre character Stardust. Rhodes' persona was a spinoff to his brother Goldust, and while he had a high point in a feud with then-Arrow star Stephen Amell, this persona ultimately drove Rhodes from the WWE. He left the company to prove he could be a main event superstar, and a decade later, it's hard to say he was wrong to make that move, having returned in 2022.

Becky Lynch

2015 was Becky Lynch's first year on the main roster, as part of the Women's Revolution that changed the women's division in WWE forever. It may seem funny now, but she was actually paired with Paige and Charlotte Flair, and seen primarily as the third in the group. Lynch ended up losing to both of her allies when the faction split, while the other two went on to win titles in the women's division. Who would've thought a decade later, she'd be using Ric Flair's "The Man" nickname and be one of the top champions of the company?

The Miz

The Miz and Damian Sandow were deeply entangled during the former's Hollywood A-Lister era, and the WWE crowd loved it. Unfortunately, all good things come to an end, and the duo ended up in a feud against each other, which concluded with Miz defeating his former partner and going their separate ways. While Miz shed his tag-team partner, he has retained portions of the Hollywood A-Lister persona today in his character.

Finn Bálor

2015 was the middle of Finn Bálor's memorable NXT title run, in which his trademark demon was out in full force. That run played a large part in the WWE making him the company's first Universal Champion when he joined the main roster the following year, though an injury forced him to relinquish the title. Bálor slowly shed the Demon persona and struggled to find the same success in the years that followed, but is starting to get back on track as leader of the Judgment Day.

Seth Rollins

2015 was a huge turning point for Seth Rollins, who had just captured the WWE championship in one of the most exciting finishes to a WrestleMania main event by defeating Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar after cashing in his Money In The Bank Briefcase. This is where I'd argue he began the transition from corporate McMahon stooge to "The Architect" we know now, which slowly gave way to more elaborate outfits and more of a personality.

Wade Barrett

If you thought this would be a list solely of professional wrestlers in WWE who remained pro wrestlers the entire decade, then I'm afraid I have some "bad news." It's easy to forget now that he's on the commentary team that Wade Barrett had real momentum when he was a wrestler for the company and seemed to be on track to be a main-event star. Fortunately, he's proven to be a gem on SmackDown, NXT, Raw and wherever the company wants him to call matches next.

Not everyone has changed so drastically as these people did in the WWE over the past decade, and that's fine. Sometimes, being Randy Orton and Rey Mysterio is a timeless gimmick that doesn't age poorly in any era. Those guys are legends for that reason, and I think it's fair to say a lot of these people were not their fully realized selves in pro wrestling. It's good to see they found their way, whatever that was, and that we'll see a bulk of them at WrestleMania.

Catch Monday Night Raw on Netflix on Mondays at 8:00 p.m. ET and SmackDown on USA on Fridays at the same time. Anyone who hasn't watched in a decade is missing out on some good wrestling, so get back on it as we march through WrestleMania season onto the big two-night event.

This is the most excited I’ve been for a Royal Rumble in a long time. Unlike most recent years in which there were, at best, a small handful of wrestlers with even remote chances of winning, the 2025 version is wide open. Thanks to a surge in fan excitement and better creative than we’ve gotten in a long time, there are a ton of performers really over with the crowd right now. Many of them could pay off that excitement and win. It’s a fantastic time to be a wrestling fan ahead of what many hardcore wrestling fans consider to be the best event of the year.

But that, of course, makes my job as a predictor far more complicated. It was easy to grab the glory back in 2023 when every single wrestling fan with half a brain knew WWE was going to tap Cody Rhodes to return and win the Rumble, but this year is not going to be so easy. There's not an Attitude Era Stone Cold you can easily point to. Instead, there are more than a half dozen performers on both the men’s and women’s sides who I think have better than 10% chances to win. That never happens, and it has my brain trying to do Steiner Math to make sense of it all.

Before I write way too many words trying to talk it out, however, you can check out a quick rundown of my track record. I've picked winners for every single PLE since WrestleMania 38, and while I haven't been perfect, my record is more than good enough to put me in the upper mid-card. Here's a quick look at how I did in last year's Big 4, plus the first Saturday Night's Main Event earlier this year and my overall record.

Cody Rhodes (Champion) Vs Kevin Owens For The WWE Championship

Look: Kevin Owens has been fantastic during this entire feud. As a diehard wrestling fan who watches every single second of main roster WWE programming every year, I would be beyond hyped if he went into WrestleMania holding the WWE Championship. It would be a great next step for this feud, and it would be a great thank you for almost a decade of main event quality work he’s done. I would be all for it. Just imagine the promo battles between him and Cody if he had a real reason to gloat, and Cody had a real reason to be be furious. If only!

Unfortunately, the harsh truth about being a wrestling fan is that WWE isn’t setting WrestleMania up to please you. Instead, Triple H, Bruce Prichard and the powers that be are setting up WrestleMania to appeal to as many lapsed fans, casual fans and members of the mainstream press as possible. Rightly or wrongly, the goal is to create a pop culture extravaganza, and as much as I love Kevin Owens, he’s not selling as many t-shirts as Cody Rhodes, nor is he selling as many tickets as The Rock, CM Punk, John Cena, Roman Reigns, Rhea Ripley or Bianca Belair.

If this was SummerSlam or another post-WrestleMania PPV, I’d spend more time considering Kevin Owens. He’s just been so freakin’ good here, from carrying around the Winged Eagle Championship to accusing everyone else of betraying him and siding with Cody. It’s some of the best work of his career, but the timing is just all wrong. I think WWE is going to want Cody Rhodes walking into ‘Mania with the title, and that means poor Kevin Owens needs to take another L in a big moment.

Predicted Winner: Cody Rhodes

DIY Johnny Gargano And Tommaso Ciampa (Champions) Vs The Motor City Machine Guns For The WWE Tag Team Championships

I don’t typically like criticizing Triple H because his creative direction has revitalized WWE in a way I didn’t even realize was possible. The product, as a whole, is significantly better than it was a few years ago under Vince McMahon, but if you had to point to one area that’s struggled under his leadership, it would be the tag team division. There have been a few extended stretches where both belts were used to legitimize factions and further long-term storylines (Bloodline 2.0 and Judgment Day).

Those teams occasionally gave us banger matches, but they also sometimes went multiple episodes of Raw or SmackDown without even interacting with another tag team. That left the division feeling like an afterthought, which is probably how we’ve gotten to the point where this match is the first time either of the men’s tag team championships are being defended on a PLE since the ladder match at WrestleMania 40.

Fortunately, things seem to be turning around. On SmackDown, we’re getting consistent storybuilding every week that includes Pretty Deadly, Los Garza, DIY and Motor City Machine Guns, with the Street Profits lingering in the background, hopefully ready to emerge ahead of WrestleMania season. This match is evidence of that forward progress, and there’s a good chance it’ll be a banger, given we’re getting a rare 2 out of 3 falls match. Shoutout Demolition and Hart Foundation at SummerSlam '90!

I wouldn’t be shocked if Motor City Machine Guns won here, but I’m gonna pick DIY because it seems like they still have more stories to tell with the other tag teams on SmackDown. We’ve gotten a bunch of interactions with Pretty Deadly in particular that haven’t paid off yet, and that pay off seems like it’ll be a bigger deal if they’re still the tag team champions. Plus, there’s a good chance we could get babyface winners everywhere else on the card, and this would be a logical place to give the heels a victory.

Predicted Winner: DIY

The Women’s Royal Rumble

Just like on the men’s side, the women’s division is overflowing with people who could win this year. Let’s just run down some of the names: Bianca Belair, Nia Jax, Iyo Sky, Jade Cargill, Jordynne Grace, Charlotte Flair, Liv Morgan, Asuka, Alexa Bliss and Becky Lynch all have really solid cases for why they could conceivably have a world championship match at ‘Mania. So, let’s start thinking about it in reverse and start explaining why certain people probably aren’t going to win.

I’ll eliminate Liv Morgan because she just got out of an extended feud with Rhea Ripley, and while it would be fun to see her interact with Tiffany Stratton, I think WWE is going to want a new face up there. Plus, if she finishes second again, it would be a fun story.

I’ll also eliminate Nia Jax, as she just wrestled Rhea at Saturday Night’s Main Event and has been interacting with Tiffy Time for months. I’ll also eliminate Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill because I still think the plan is for them to do something together. The who attacked Jade angle is lingering over all our heads, and unless Jade is legitimately going to be out until after ‘Mania, I think Bianca needs to clear that up before she focuses on a singles title.

So, that leaves four people potentially returning from extended hiatuses (Charlotte, Becky, Asuka and Alexa), one person just joining the company (Jordynne) and one person who is quietly super over in the background (Iyo). I’m a huge Alexa Bliss fan, but I’ll go ahead and eliminate her because I don’t know that WWE would push her this hard, this quickly. She's been hinting she's coming back for months, but when she does, she might get put back with the Wyatts anyway. That's the same idea with Asuka too, as she wasn't at the top of the main event scene when she left and has some easy to tell storylines with Damage CTRL.

Next I'll eliminate Jordynne Grace. I love the idea of her winning the Rumble as basically a newcomer and then calling out Rhea Ripley in a promo after the match. That would be a fantastic shock victory and a great way to turn her into an immediate, overnight main event player with WWE fans. It's (probably) just too big of a risk though, given Triple H and company don’t know for sure how she’s gonna get over with mainstream WWE fans.

You could make a great case for any of the final three. Iyo Sky in particular has been a big favorite amongst fans. Many experts feel like she's gotten over with the crowd, despite taking some dumb losses in semi-big recent spots like the Intercontinental Tournament and the Speed Tournament. They think WWE was just biding their time before pulling the trigger in an unexpected moment, like say the Rumble. I'd love that, but most of the time when people lose, it's not because WWE is planning to bring them back stronger. I mean we've all been saying this about Finn Bálor for years, and where has that gotten us?

I also love Becky and think the crowd is gonna be super hot for her when she returns, but she wrestled Rhea at 'Mania last year and is capable of telling compelling stories outside the title picture. So, that leaves me with Charlotte Flair. WWE is gonna want to immediately insert her back into the main event scene, and she’s perfect for a generation vs generation program with Tiffany Stratton. I don’t know that the crowd will like it, but I think her winning puts the pieces in the best possible position for WrestleMania.

Predicted Winner: Charlotte Flair

The Men’s Royal Rumble

Just like with the women’s Rumble, I think the best way to do this is to go down the list of possible winners. I think the major players are Roman Reigns, CM Punk, John Cena, The Rock, Drew McIntyre and Seth Rollins. I also love Jacob Fatu as an unlikely darkhorse pick, given everyone would immediately buy him in the main event scene if he were suddenly catapulted into it. You could also throw Kevin Owens in there as a fun longshot, as well as Sami Zayn if Owens were to somehow beat Cody Rhodes earlier in the night. They’re not going to win, but we should at least say their names out loud, as well as Jey Uso (YEET) and Randy Orton, who you could kinda sorta make a stretch argument for.

Now, I’m going to eliminate Roman Reigns first because, while he’s the biggest star in the company outside The Rock, he’s also wrestled Cody in the main event the last two ‘Manias. We don’t want to see that match for a third time, even though the dynamics would be very different. I’m also going to eliminate The Rock because all evidence seems to point to him not being a part of this WrestleMania season. Maybe. I don't know. I don’t totally buy it. There’s a part of me that still thinks he’s going to unexpectedly come out during the Rumble and win, but I think the odds are too low to pick him.

I’m also going to eliminate Drew McIntyre, which suuuuuuuuuuuuccckkks. Until about a month ago, I was pretty convinced he was going to win the Rumble. WWE was starting to present him like a huge star, and he really seemed to be picking up momentum. Then he lost to Jey Uso on a rollup at the premiere of Raw on Netflix, and I lost hope he was going to get the push he deserves, at least prior to 'Mania.

I’d argue the two odds on favorites are CM Punk and John Cena, but personally, I just don’t see it (as I outlined more extensively here). I think both men tell much more compelling stories if they’re in the Elimination Chamber, desperate to get an opportunity for WrestleMania. Cena’s overall story arc has been about falling just short, and doing so again in the Rumble would really help that. WWE keeps shoving it down our throats that CM Punk is going to get a favor from Paul Heyman, but why would he need that favor if he wins the Rumble?

No, I’m going to with Seth Freakin’ Rollins. I think he wins the Rumble and challenges Gunther, which allows us to get a full month of who is Cody’s opponent going to be, with Cena, Punk and Roman all desperate to grab the spot. He's not the biggest name on this list, but I think he's the right play for Gunther and the right play for everyone else, as losing will only make their stories get more desperate over the next few months.

Predicted Winner: Seth Freakin’ Rollins.

You can check out the Royal Rumble when it streams live on Peacock in the United States on February 1st or on Netflix in most of the rest of the world. Viewing is free with a subscription.

It took a little while for the Survivor Series card to come together, but now that it’s shifted into focus, there’s a lot here to get excited about. Three championships will be on the line, as well as two full War Games matches, both of which look like they’ll have major storyline implications as we head into WrestleMania season. That’s not bad for a PPV that’s, at times, struggled to find an identity over the last three plus decades.

Obviously, the major story is the reunion of the OG Bloodline. Fans were pretty convinced that Seth Rollins was going to be the fifth man on their team, but this past week, Paul Heyman reemerged after months off television and brought with him CM Punk to even the score against Solo Sikoa’s new Bloodline, which recently added Bronson Reed. Whatever happens in the match could tell us a lot about what Roman Reigns and more will doing in their WrestleMania program.

The same could be said for the women’s War Games match. What once seemed like a throwaway exhibition that included nearly all the top talent on the women’s roster has turned into a whodunit after Jade Cargill was attacked. Bayley is going to step in and replace her, but the who attacked Jade part will likely have major storyline implications for the next few months. Maybe we’ll get answers at Survivor Series.

And, of course, there are the three championship matches. I’ve got some theory as to what’s likely to happen in each of them, but first, let’s talk a look at how I’ve been doing on predictions lately…

LA Knight (Champ) Vs Shinsuke Nakamura For The United States Championship

I’m glad to see LA Knight defend his United States Championship on a PLE, but there hasn’t been nearly enough build for this match to burn it off already. Nakamura showed up a few weeks ago and has been attacking and haunting Knight since, but there hasn’t been enough back and forth to get me (or assumedly, other fans) excited. I’m still not even used to the idea of Nakamura being back, let alone ready to see him wrestle for The United States Championship.

All of that tells me Knight is almost certainly going to retain here. I don’t think it’s a guarantee he’s going to hold his title all the way until ‘Mania, but given how over he still is, you’d think if he’s going to lose the belt, it would be to someone with a lot of momentum and a proper build into the match. That hasn’t happened here.

I love Shinsuke. I was extremely excited when WWE gave him a new series of vignettes and allowed him to start speaking in Japanese. I was hoping they’d really build him into something when he first returned for some matches against Seth Rollins last year, but ultimately, he was just fed to Rollins. Now it seems like he’s just going to be fed to Knight and will likely disappear again.

Predicted Winner: LA Knight

Bron Breakker (Champion) Vs Sheamus Vs Ludwig Kaiser For The Intercontinental Championship

Two high potential mid-carders on the rise and a former main eventer looking to get another shot at glory. Doesn’t that description just scream triple threat for The Intercontinental Championship? This match was just added to the Survivor Series card during Monday Night Raw, but this feud, despite some stops and starts, has been building for months. We’ve seen these men interference in each other’s matches, drop some strong promos against each other and collectively fixate on The IC Championship for awhile.

You could make an easy case for all three of these guys to win. Ludwig Kaiser was told in no uncertain terms by Gunther go make his own legacy and find his own success. A win here would be a major step toward doing that, and it would put him on the same trajectory as his longtime buddy, who is now World Heavyweight Champion. In addition, it feels like we can’t go a week without another quote dropping from a wrestling legend talking about how much promise they see in Kaiser. The Undertaker had really positive things to say about him earlier this year. CM Punk just singled him out as a guy he’d like to work with. His future is really bright.

And, of course, Sheamus has a really obvious case here. The Intercontinental Championship is the one major prize in WWE he’s never won. He’s held all the other belts and had success at practically all the gimmick PPVs. At some point, he’s going to win this Championship, and it’s going to generate a huge pop from fans who want to celebrate all the success he’s had. But is now the moment to pull that trigger?

And then there’s Bron Breakker, who many call a future WrestleMania Main Eventer. He’s been really enjoyable as IC Champion, as some kind of tweener between heel and face. When he first won the title, I thought he’d hold it for a Gunther-like run, but he already dropped it and won it back during a feud with Jey Uso. What’s to say he couldn’t do that again?

Any of these three men could conceivably win, but I don’t think Kaiser is quite ready yet, and I think, when Sheamus wins this title, it’s going to be during a bigger moment. So, for now, I think Bron is going to hold onto the belt.

Predicted Winner: Bron Breakker.

Gunther (Champion) Vs Damian Priest For The World Heavyweight Championship

Most of the time when I’m doing these predictions, I’m thinking less about how we got here (although that matters) and more about what story I think WWE is going to want to tell moving forward. If this person wins, what type of storylines does that set up? Would they be more enticing than possible storylines the other person winning would set up? Well, when it comes to Gunther and Damian Priest, I can see two very distinct storylines. Let’s talk this out.

Scenario 1: Let’s say Damian Priest wins. That’s possible since he’s extremely over right now and getting the best crowd reactions of his career (at least outside of his 'Mania moment). A win would legitimize Damian Priest as a main event player in WWE, and it would likely lead into a feud with another main eventer for the WHC. Maybe Drew McIntyre or a hell Seth Rollins. In addition, it would also put Gunther into a crisis of confidence program. Priest has already been accusing Gunther of losing his aura, and taking an L here would mean he’s lost his last two PPV matches and three of his last six. Maybe he rebuilds himself and vows to win the Royal Rumble to prove he’s still got it?

Scenario 2: Let’s say Gunther wins. There won't be a lack of confidence afterwards. He’ll likely emerge from this match looking as strong as ever, and he’ll likely lean into that in upcoming promos. If he wins, I’d expect him to hold the title until WrestleMania and likely face someone like John Cena in a David vs Goliath type story, as the monster heel who no one thinks they can beat. Priest would fall a little bit down from the main event scene, but there are any number of suitable people he could feud with next.

Gunther has just done too much winning since he debuted on the main roster to bet against him. I just can’t pick against him here, but it’s a credit to how over Damian Priest has gotten that there is some doubt here.

Predicted Winner: Gunther

Nia Jax, Liv Morgan, Raquel Rodriguez, Tiffany Stratton And Candice LeRae vs Bianca Belair, Rhea Ripley, Iyo Sky, Naomi And Bayley

This originally felt like an old school Survivor Series match of random babyfaces and random heels. It’s the Hulkamaniacs vs The Heenan Family or whatever, battling for nothing more than the love of the game. After Jade Cargill was unexpectedly attacked, however, it’s turned into something more interesting. Most fans think the attacker is one of her former partners on the babyface team; so, will they attack someone else during the match or intentionally screw over their teammates? That’s what we’ll all be looking out for.

There’s also the possibility, of course, that someone outside this match attacked Jade Cargill, and if that’s the case, it’s possible we may see them show up in this match. I think the most likely option is Charlotte Flair, but we could also see Becky Lynch make a surprise appearance. That would likely put either woman into an immediate feud with Bianca Belair, who would likely want to defend her partner, or with Jade herself if she’s not out with injury as long as expected.

Regardless, all these scenarios point to the heels winning. Add that to the fact that both current women’s champions are on the heel side and the fact that we’ve seen everyone on the heels side get along super well in the lead up, and I'm confident we’re probably going to see a heel victory here (provided there's not any shadiness with Tiffany's Money In The Bank contract).

Predicted Winner: The Heels.

Roman Reigns, Jey Uso, Jimmy Uso, Sami Zayn And CM Punk Vs Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga, Tonga Loa, Jacob Fatu and Bronson Reed

If this is a straightforward match, the babyfaces are going to win. Roman was just pinned by Solo during the six man tag team match at Crown Jewel, and while it’s important to build the heels up, you can’t tear down Roman and company too much. They need to stay looking strong. Plus, WWE isn’t going to want to make CM Punk, hot off landing a big TV role, look weak, and he’s involved on the side of the good guys now too.

But there’s also the possibility this isn’t going to be a straightforward match. We know Seth Rollins and Bronson Reed are still involved in this banger of a feud, and Seth has longstanding problems with Roman and Punk too. We know The Rock may return at some point, and it seems likely he’ll side with the bad guys when he does. There are a lot of theories going around that Paul Heyman might betray Roman, since the OTC apparently didn’t check on him a single time after his injury. There’s also lingering tension between Roman and Punk. A lot could go wrong.

This is definitely the match I’m most up in the air about, but I’m going to say the babyfaces stand tall and get the win here. That would put them on more equal footing and give WWE plenty of options of where to take the story moving forward.

Predicted Winner: The OG Bloodline + CM Punk

King Of The Ring is back, both literally and symbolically. Since its inaugural tournament in 1985, the event has been held sporadically, sometimes happening in back-to-back years and sometimes not happening for upwards of a half decade. That inconsistency has also extended to the winners, as WWE has given the honor to all-time legends like Bret Hart, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Macho Man Randy Savage, Brock Lesnar, Kurt Angle and Triple H, while also crowning popular mid-card performers like Billy Gunn, William Regal, Xavier Woods, Baron Corbin, Mabel and Tito Santana. 

Over the last decade or so, the tournament has seemingly trended more in the mid-card direction, but Triple H looks like he’s changing that. This year’s version was stacked with popular performers in both the men’s and women’s draws including Gunther, Randy Orton, AJ Styles, LA Knight, Rey Mysterio, Sheamus, Bianca Belair, Jade Cargill, Nia Jax, Iyo Sky and Tiffany Stratton. Many of the matches were also given extended TV time and video packages were consistently put together to really try and magnify the importance.

As a result, the crown now feel as elevated as it did during its glory days, and the finals are arguably the most anticipated they’ve been in a long time. Throw in three other fun matches, all with championship gold on the line, and 2024’s King And Queen Of The Ring feels much bigger than I ever would have guessed. Jeddah, Saudi Arabia should be in for a treat.

Before we get into the predictions, here’s a look at how things have gone for me in this soothsayer game…

Bianca Belair And Jade Cargill Vs Candice LeRae And Indi Hartwell 

We all know Bianca and Jade are going to win this pre-show match, but I'm never going to complain about WWE finding a way to get these women on a premium live event card. They are absolute stars, and working alongside Candice and Indi who are both super capable in the ring, they should be able to put on a show that reminds fans why they have the potential to be the most dominant tag team in the history of the women's division.

I'd like to see some fun coordinated moves, and I'd like to see these two continue to project a star aura. If the plan is to have them break-up in spectacular fashion sometime down the road, the more WWE can really sell them together, the more that implosion will have deeper, emotional meaning.

Predicted Winners: Bianca and Jade.

Gunther Vs Randy Orton

When I originally published these predictions, I had Gunther winning. He's been arguably the most protected star on WWE's entire roster, and it was his announcement that he would be entering King Of The Ring that first had fans excited about WWE taking the tournament more seriously. But after much debate, I've decided to jump in on Saturday morning, a few hours before the PPV, and swap to Randy Orton.

Why? Well, Triple H announced the winner of King Of The Ring will be getting a shot a title shot at SummerSlam, and the more I think about it, the more it makes sense for Randy to win. We don't know for sure that whoever wins will face the champion aligned with their brand, but for the sake of argument, I think that's the most likely. That means we're either going to get Randy Orton vs Cody Rhodes or we're going to get Gunther versus either Damian Priest or Drew McIntyre, depending on who wins at Clash At The Castle.

Well, Cody Rhodes desperately needs something to do until The Rock and Roman Reigns come back, and he could put on a banging build with Randy Orton if they were given a few months to cook. On the other hand, Damian Priest, Drew McIntyre and CM Punk are really cooking with their story already. If you inject Gunther into that title picture, it's just going to be chaos.

I expect Gunther to be heavily protected in this match. Maybe he'll get injured or there will be some kind of disqualification or maybe there will be interference from whoever his next feud will be (Ilya? Brock Lesnar?), but after much debate, I think whatever happens, he is going to lose and Orton will officially claim one of the only WWE honors he hasn't won in his illustrious career.

Predicted Winner: Randy Orton

Lyra Valkyria Vs Nia Jax For The Queen Of The Ring Crown

Most fans were left shocked when Lyra Valkyria defeated Iyo Sky in the semi-finals. She’s only been on the main roster for about a month, and while she was very well-liked by fans during her time in NXT, she didn’t exactly hit the main roster with Bron Breakker hype. Clearly they want to push her hard and see how far she can run though. I get it. She brings a new energy the women’s division has been lacking.

That being said, Queen Of The Ring feels like a big overreach here. Her mic skills need improvement and whatever is going on between her and Becky hasn’t had much buzz to it at all. Many members of the crowd grumbled and seemed audibly annoyed when she beat Iyo Sky, and I just think there are too many good women right now to see her rewarded so quickly.

Meanwhile, Nia Jax has been crushing it since she returned. She's consistently impressed fans with her improved ring performance, and in my opinion, it's time WWE pays her back for some of the high profile losses she's taken. Plus, she just makes the most sense as an opponent for Bayley at SummerSlam.

Predicted Winner: Nia Jax

Chad Gable Vs Sami Zayn (Champion) Vs Bronson Reed For The Intercontinental Championship

My feelings on this match have changed quite a bit over the last several weeks. Initially, I was convinced Chad Gable was going to win. He had a ton of momentum after his heel turn, and this seemed like a great way to solidify this idea in his mind that he needed to be ruthless in order to move forward, but I don’t think that’s the story they’re telling anymore. Instead, I think Chad Gable’s plans are going to be thwarted by Otis, who is going to let him down in a key moment and/ or even betray him. 

I think that will lead to him disbanding The Alpha Academy officially and instead joining forces with The Creed Brothers to form a new stable of elite amateur wrestlers. They’ll be what Otis, Tozawa and Maxxine can’t, and that'll be the catalyst for both Gable and The Creed Brothers to rise higher than they have at any point in their careers. 

So, that leaves Bronson Reed and Sami Zayn. I like Bronson a lot. He’s really good in the ring and rapidly improving on the microphone. I think he’s going to win some singles championships in his future, but I just don’t think he’s been built up enough here to justify winning. This feels like the Sami Zayn and Chad Gable story, which is why I think Zayn is going to win again, which will drive Gable to evolve his character again.

Predicted Winner: Sami Zayn

Becky Lynch (Champion) Vs Liv Morgan For The Women’s World Championship

Under normal conditions, Becky Lynch would be a huge favorite against Liv Morgan. She’s obviously a first ballot Hall of Famer who has main evented WrestleMania, and Liv Morgan, while extremely popular, hasn’t had quite that same level of success, apart from a shorter title run after cashing in Money In The Bank on Ronda Rousey. Lynch has also only held the title for a several weeks so there’s no obvious necessity for change.

These aren’t normal circumstances though. Becky Lynch’s contract is reportedly up not long after the PPV. In addition, Morgan is the one who injured Rhea Ripley, which means there’s a strong likelihood these two will feud as soon as Rhea gets back. There have also been heavy hints on recent Raw episodes that Morgan may be having an affair with the injured Dominik Mysterio, which has the potential to be an all-time fantastic storyline.

I get the concerns some fans have about Liv Morgan. She needs to sound more authentic on the microphone. She’s very small compared to the bigger women on the roster. All of that is valid, but she also has a star quality about her. Her visual look and entrance are terrific. She’s very skilled and capable in the ring. Now is the time to throw her in the deep end and see if she can swim because the storyline is there, and a certain segment of the fanbase is really behind her. 

Predicted Winner: Liv Morgan

Cody Rhodes (Champion) Vs Logan Paul For The Undisputed WWE Championship

There was some doubt in my mind when it seemed like Logan Paul’s United States Championship was going to be on the line too, but now that that’s off the table, it’s hard to imagine Cody Rhodes losing the belt here. I suppose it’s possible he could get disqualified or something weird like that, but I’d be shocked if he didn’t win this match. He needs to establish himself as a steady champion, and a loss isn’t going to hurt Logan Paul since I’m sure he’ll figure out a way to explain it away anyway.

Of everything on the card, this almost certainly has the most obvious outcome (apart from Bianca and Jade's match), but it could also wind up being the best actual match. Logan Paul has been doing nothing but putting on bangers since he showed up in WWE, and Cody Rhodes is still one of the best in-ring workers the company has, particularly in long matches. This thing is going to cook, and best case scenario for Logan Paul, he comes out of it with all of us thinking maybe someday he could be WWE’s top guy.

Predicted Winner: Cody Rhodes

You can catch The 2024 King And Queen Of The Ring live Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Saturday May 25th. It'll stream for free with a Peacock subscription in The United States.

When pulled off properly, few things bring as much excitement to the world of professional wrestling more than a heel turn. Over the years, wrestlers like Hulk Hogan, The Rock, and Stone Cold Steve Austin have turned around their respective careers (and respective companies) when they decided to finally go bad. 

Whether it’s in a game-changing WrestleMania match, at a seemingly normal WCW pay-per-view event that immediately becomes the stuff of legends, or deep in the heart of Texas, a well-timed and pulled-off betrayal can be a sight to see. Here are 32 of the most shocking heel turns in professional wrestling history. 

Hulk Hogan Forms The NWO

A decade after “Hulkamania” first ran wild on the then-WWF (now WWE), Hulk Hogan’s peak seemed to have come and gone by the mid ‘90s. That all changed on the night of July 6, 1996, when the Hulkster changed the game and joined the NWO alongside Kevin Nash and Scott Hall. Truly, this is a heel turn and a big-time wrestling moment none will ever forget.

Shawn Michaels Throws Marty Jannetty Through The Barbershop Window

Shawn Michaels super-kicking and then throwing his tag team partner, Marty Jannetty, through the barbershop window turned HBK from a talented mid-carder to a massive superstar. Michaels would go on to have one of the most successful careers of any WWE Hall of Famer, even if he had to get his hands dirty.

Stone Cold Sides With Mr. McMahon

Sometimes you have to make a deal with the devil, and that’s exactly what Stone Cold Steve Austin did in the main event of WrestleMania 17, where he allied with longtime foe Mr. McMahon. The image of a bloody Austin shaking hands with his arch-nemesis is one that is still crazy to think about 20-plus years later.

Seth Rollins Turns On The Shield

The Shield – Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns, and Dean Ambrose – arrived on the scene in November 2012 and made an immediate impact as one of the craziest and most dominant factions in WWE. But, that all came crashing down in June 2014 when Rollins was revealed to be Triple H’s “Plan B” to stopping the Shield once and for all. 

Andre The Giant Joins The Heenan Family

For years, Andre the Giant was one of the WWF’s top babyfaces as well as one of Hulk Hogan’s closest allies. That all ended in February 1987, when the massive French wrestler turned on the Hulkster and aligned with Bobby Heenan and his family. Andre ripping Hogan’s shirt and cross from his body gave the superstar immediate heat.

Roman Reigns Turns Heel In His 2020 Return

Years after being booed mercilessly by crowds around the world, Roman Reigns finally gave into the temptation in August 2020 and returned as a heel when he viciously attacked The Fiend and Braun Strowman and then aligned with Paul Heyman. The shocking and much-needed change led to Reigns’ historic 1,316-day championship run and the creation of the Bloodline, one of the best stables of all time. 

Kevin Owens Turns On Sami Zayn

Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn, wrestling as Kevin Steen and El Generico, respectively, had one of the craziest histories in the indie scene. That history repeated itself in late 2014, when Owens made his NXT debut, congratulated his longtime friend after his NXT Championship victory, and then viciously beat him outside and inside the ring. Talk about a debut.

The Montreal Screwjob

A prime example of when wrestling got a little too real, the “Montreal Screwjob” is still considered one of the most impactful moments in the sport’s history. Though it’s not a traditional heel turn, Vince McMahon forcing referee Earl Hebner to end the match and give Bret Hart’s WWF Championship to Shawn Michaels via a submission that never happened ushered in the legendary Mr. McMahon character.

The WrestleMania 13 DoubleTurn

Stone Cold Steve Austin and Bret Hart went into their WrestleMania 13 submission match as a heel and babyface, respectively. But by the time the grueling, blood-soaked bout ended 22 minutes later, the “Texas Rattlesnake” and the “Hitman” pulled off the rare double-turn. Austin refusing to tap out and Hart refusing to let go of the Sharpshooter is an ending like no other.

Stephanie McMahon Sides With Triple H

Long before she and Triple H dominated the WWE landscape as the Authority in the early-to-mid 2010s, Stephanie McMahon was the young, innocent, and loving daughter of Vince McMahon. But, that all changed in late 1999, when Stephanie sided with the D-Generation X leader and kicked off the McMahon-Hemsley Era.

The Rock Becomes Joins The Corporation

Two years after making his WWF debut, The Rock, an on-the-rise babyface at the time, turned heel and joined The Corporation in November 1998. The shocking turn and alignment with Vince McMahon’s authoritarian regime would lead to some of the greatest moments in the young wrestler’s career up to that point.

Tommaso Ciampa Betrays Johnny Gargano

In May 2017, the DIY exploded when Tommaso Ciampa turned on Johnny Gargano in the final moments of NXT TakeOver: Chicago. Just after the main event and while the WWE trademark information was on the screen, the Sicilian Psychopath laid waste to his longtime friend in a shocking display of violence.

The Fabulous Freebirds Turn On The Von Erichs

In December 1982, Kerry Von Erich was inches away from defeating Ric Flair for the WCCW Championship in a steel cage match. But before the hometown hero could secure the victory, Terry Gordy, of the Fabulous Freebirds, slammed the steel door on his head. Not only did it help the Nature Boy win the match, but it also kicked off the legendary Freebird/Von Erich feud.

The Mega Powers Explode

Macho Man Randy Savage and Hulk Hogan had a legendary match at WrestleMania V, but the heel turn that started the feud was just as epic. Bitterly jealous of his partner in the Mega Powers, Savage viciously attacked Hogan backstage in early 1989, which is still shocking decades later.

Dusty Rhodes Joins The NWO

In the months and years following the formation of the NWO, the group was getting larger by the day and even had its own PPV titled “Souled Out.” During the January 1998 event, Dusty Rhodes, to the shock of everyone, revealed he was with NWO when he turned heel on longtime friend Larry Zbyszko. 

Mark Henry's 'Retirement' Speech

In June 2013, Mark Henry entered the ring in a salmon-colored suit and told the world he was retiring from wrestling. But things weren’t as they seemed, as Henry used the fake retirement speech to get John Cena to come out so he could attack him and challenge the WWE Champion for his belt.

Scott Steiner Betrays His Brother And Becomes 'Big Poppa Pump'

Scott Steiner, one of the most ridiculous wrestling figures of all time (just look up “Steiner Math”), wasn’t always a brash, heelish, genetic freak. Going into WCW’s SuperBrawl VIII in February 1998, Steiner was a successful tag team wrestler with his real-life brother, Rick. That changed later that night when Scott turned heel on his older brother, a decision that would give birth to “Big Poppa Pump.”

Kevin Owens Attacks Chris Jericho At The 'Festival Of Friendship'

Kevin Owens and Chris Jericho had a fun team in late 2016 and early 2017, but that all came to an end when Owens turned on his mentor and friend during the “Festival of Friendship” on Monday Night Raw. Growing tired of Jericho, Owens attacked with his WWE Universal Championship in a manner that was equally hilarious and sad.

Jake 'The Snake' Roberts Turns On Ultimate Warrior

Though Jake “The Snake” Roberts was mostly known for his heel work, his betrayal of Ultimate Warrior in 1991 was still shocking to say the least. In an absurd scene that looked like something out of a B-movie, Roberts locked his one-time friend in a room where he was bitten by a cobra snake. Sadly, Warrior was fired later that year and the feud never really went anywhere.

Bayley Finally Turns Heel

After spending the majority of her career as a beloved babyface, Bayley shocked the world in September 2019 when she turned heel on Becky Lynch in brutal fashion. All that pent-up rage and frustration came out as she attacked “The Man” with a series of chair shots to the back. A new, meaner, Bayley was born.

Prince Devitt Forms The Bullet Club

Prince Devitt, better known as Finn Balor in WWE, kickstarted one of the most popular stables in all of wrestling in May 2013 when he formed Bullet Club in NJPW. Following a losing effort in a high-profile tag match, Devitt turned on partner Ryusuke Taguchi and unleashed a new attitude as the “Real Rock ‘n Rolla” of the company. 

Dean Ambrose Turns On Seth Rollins

Though more than four years had passed since Seth Rollins broke up the Shield, and though they were once again on good terms, Dean Ambrose got his revenge on Rollins in October 2018 during a shocking heel turn. After winning the tag team championship (the same night Roman Reigns stepped away because of leukemia), Ambrose viciously attacked his friend in and outside of the ring. 

CM Punk Turns Heel At Raw 1000

Raw 1000 was supposed to be a celebration of WWE’s flagship show. And while that was true for the first two-and-a-half hours, the show ended on an intense note when WWE Champion CM Punk turned his back on the fans by viciously attacking The Rock in the middle of the ring.

Owen Hart Turns On Bret

In 1994, Bret and Owen Hart had one of the best WrestleMania opening matches of all time and a five-star classic a few months later. There were some precursors to the epic feud, but it got started proper at that year’s Royal Rumble when Owen brutalized his older brother after they failed to capture the tag titles.

The Miz Attacks Logan Paul

The Miz has turned heel more than anyone not named Big Show, but the betrayal that was the most surprising was his turn on Logan Paul at WrestleMania 38. What made it even more shocking was the fact the “star-crushing finale” attack on Paul came after the pair won their tag team match.

Hacksaw Jim Duggan Betrays America

Few wrestlers used American patriotism more than Hacksaw Jim Duggan, which is what made his 2000 heel turn in WCW so wild. Breaking the hearts of millions of Americans, Duggan joined Team Canada and carried a Canadian flag opposed to Old Glory for a short time.

Larry Zbyszko Betrays Bruno Sammartino

Larry Zbyszko and Bruno Sammartino are two of the most respected men in the history of wrestling, and the pair were longtime friends. However, Zbyszko had enough in 1980 and turned against his friend/mentor, kicking off a killer and legendary feud.

Cactus Jack Turns On ECW Fans

Of all of Mick Foley’s characters, Cactus Jack has always been the most violent, most aggressive, and most hardcore. Well, shortly after joining ECW in the mid ‘90s, Foley turned on the more hardcore audience when he spotted a sign saying “Cane Dewey” which referenced his 3-year-old son. Though shocking, the turn was justified. 

Eddie Guerrero Betrays Rey Mysterio

The late Eddie Guerrero had quite the history with Rey Mysterio. The longtime friends came up around the same time, survived WCW’s cruiserweight division together, and put on killer matches in WWE. But in 2005, that all came to an end when Eddie finally turned heel on Rey, a shocking moment to say the least.

Nikki Bella Double-Crosses Brie Bella 

After nearly a decade of being by her twin sister’s side in the WWE ring, Nikki Bella turned against Brie and cost her a victory against Stephanie McMahon at SummerSlam 2014. Following the heel turn, Nikki became a quasi-member of the Authority faction for a short time.

The Four Horsemen Turn On Sting

There have been countless members of the Four Horsemen over the years, and that includes Sting. For a short time in the late ‘80s, the group, which predominantly worked as a heel faction, went good with Stinger on the roster. However, it was short-lived and the remaining members would turn on Sting a few months after he joined.

Chris Jericho Snaps On Shawn Michaels

Chris Jericho and Shawn Michaels had some great matches over the years, and the pair of in-ring veterans seemed to have mutual respect for one another despite a dust-up following their WrestleMania 19 bout. However, that came crashing down in 2008 when Y2J turned on his idol and kicked off another heated feud.

Some of these 32 shocking heel turns led to some of the greatest moments in wrestling history and continue to resonate years, and decades, later. 

Can I admit something crazy? I attended WrestleMania 39 in person, and yet, I’m somehow even more excited to watch WrestleMania 40 on my television. It’s honestly not close. With new and better production techniques, several fantastic main event-level builds and The Rock maybe doing the best work of his entire freakin’ career, this year’s Showcase Of The Immortals has higher upside than any ‘Mania we’ve gotten in a long time.

Let’s run down everything to be excited about. I’ll obviously start with The Rock, who has rediscovered his love for wrestling and is in the middle of writing a key chapter in his already historic legacy. Instead of nostalgia, he gave us something entirely different, and it feels so fresh and modern. Then there’s Drew McIntyre, who is also doing the best work of his entire career. He’s found worthy opponents in CM Punk, who is as sharp on the mic as ever, and Seth Rollins, who has been WWE’s workhorse for the last year. 

If that’s not enough, I’ll just briefly go over some other things to be excited about: Roman Reigns trying to pass Hulk Hogan’s record and prove to The Rock he’s The Tribal Chief, Cody Rhodes trying to finally finish the story and pay off the fandom of the Cody Crybabies, Rhea Ripley continuing the most popular and dominant women’s run ever, Bayley finally getting her moment after years of selfless work, more Dominik vs Rey, R-Truth getting maybe the biggest pop of his entire career alongside The Miz, Gunther continuing his reign of terror, Sami Zayn and Chad Gable working some kind of intriguing mentor storyline, Bianca, Naomi and Jade joining forces, Uso Vs Uso, Becky trying to deliver another ‘Mania banger and so much more. 

So, yeah, there’s a lot to be excited about, but for me, there’s also a lot to be nervous about. There are some matches on the card that seem to have extremely likely outcomes, especially the main events, but there are also a lot of matches where WWE has multiple enticing paths forward. Hopefully I can settle on the right outcomes and improve my pretty solid overall record…

One final note before I begin as people ask me this sometimes, these are not what I think should happen. These are what I think Triple H, Bruce Prichard and company will choose to do based on nothing but deductive reasoning and my personal experiences of watching wrestling since I was a little kid.

Gunther (Champion) Vs Sami Zayn For The Intercontinental Championship

With all due respect to the all-time great Intercontinental Champions, Gunther is, I think by a pretty wide margin, the greatest IC Champ in history. WWE could use that to give Sami Zayn another really memorable ‘Mania moment after his win in the night one main event last year, but I don’t think they’re ready to take the title off Gunther yet. He’ll need to be in a big spot at Bash In Berlin in August, which means he either needs to still be holding this belt or to have freshly lost it. 

Look for Gunther to win but also look to see how Chad Gable may or may not get involved. Many thought this should have been the Alpha Academy leader’s spot at ‘Mania, and WWE has answered by putting him into some kind of coach role alongside Zayn. Maybe they’ll work together. Maybe the relationship will break down, or maybe whatever happens will propel Gable back into a program with Gunther post ‘Mania.

Predicted Winner: Gunther

The Pride (Bobby Lashley And The Street Profits) Vs The Final Testament (Karrion Kross And AOP)

Neither one of these factions has really popped as much as you would have expected. Lashley and The Street Profits were originally rolled out as heels, but the audience didn't want any part of booing them, nor were they ever given a convincing reason to boo them beyond beating a few babyfaces down. AOP was brought in to try and add a little juice to Karrion Kross, who has a great look and a ton of potential, but they haven't really been given anything to do beyond messing with The Pride.

That being said, WrestleMania 40 is an opportunity to turn all of that around. These teams are going to have a Philadelphia Street Fight, which means we'll likely see some big spots and the potential for some memorable moments. A really strong performance here could get both of these groups back on track. I suspect we'll see The Pride come out on top, but to reiterate, what's most important for both teams is a strong, memorable match fans are into.

Predicted Winner: The Pride

Rey Mysterio And Andrade Vs Dominik Mysterio And Santos Escobar

I thought I was done with my WrestleMania 40 predictions, but SmackDown unexpectedly changed things up a bit. Dragon Lee was attacked and replaced with Andrade, who turned face and joined LWO. My original prediction here had Santos and Dominik winning after Carlito turned on the LWO, pissed that Rey picked Dragon Lee as his partner instead of him.

Well, Mysterio has now chosen someone other than Carlito for a second time, which makes me even more confident about what's going to happen. I predict we'll find out later tonight that Carlito beat up Dragon Lee, and we'll see him turn on the LWO and take his rightful spot as a heel who spits in the face of people who aren't cool.

Predicted Winner: Santos Escobar And Dominik Mysterio

Bianca Belair, Jade Cargill And Naomi Vs Damage CTRL (Dakota Kai, Asuka And Kairi Sane)

Most people agree the original plan for Bianca Belair was to put her in a program with Charlotte Flair, but after The Queen got hurt, WWE pivoted and moved her to this tag match alongside Naomi and Cargill, who WWE is presenting as an absolute star. Images of the three women standing together and looking like rock stars flew around social media and were praised by fans as representation done right.

I suspect we’ll see those three cruise at WrestleMania, both because WWE is gonna want to protect Bianca Belair’s undefeated WrestleMania streak, which they did for years with The Undertaker, and because they’re not going to want either her or Jade Cargill to lose such a high profile match. That being said, there’s a small chance Damage CTRL could win here in some kind cheap fashion, probably to stir tension between Bianca and Jade and put them in a program together. I think it’s way too soon for that, but WWE has certainly jumped the gun plenty of times in the past.

Predicted Winner: Bianca, Jade and Naomi

LA Knight Vs AJ Styles

Opinions varied a bit on social media, but I loved the home invasion angle these two gave us. It finally gave this feud some much needed juice, and it has me looking forward to the rest of the build, as well as the match. I don’t want to get ahead of myself, but the match itself has the potential to be one of the best of LA Knight’s career. Even at his age, AJ Styles is one of WWE’s best in-ring workers, and with time to plan it out and enough time to cook, this should be a chance for Knight to show off his move set on the biggest platform of his career.

I think Knight is going to get a clean victory here and a well-deserved moment. Hopefully that’ll add the momentum he needs to move past the lower main event scene. That being said, put me on team AJ Styles needs one more World Title run. I’m not saying it should be tomorrow, but fans love him enough that if WWE did a one more time storyline, the people would loudly get behind him. He’s had a legendary career and deserves one more trip to the top.

Predicted Winner: LA Knight

Jimmy Uso Vs Jey Uso

When The Usos first split up and it became obvious WWE was going to make this a WrestleMania thing, I thought the writers would spend time building up both of the characters to make this seem like an even match. That hasn’t happened. Jey Uso has been fed wins and character-building losses (Yeet), while Jimmy Uso has been turned into comic relief and a stooge for Roman Reigns (No Yeet). 

That might sound like an insult, but I love Jimmy Uso. He makes me smile every time he’s on screen, and I think he’s doing good work. I think he’s going to have the chance to do great work when The Bloodline storyline turns into The Rock vs Roman Reigns. But from a kayfabe standpoint, Jey should dominate this match, which means we’ll probably get some interference. 

Full transparency: when I first published these predictions, I had Jey Uso winning. It felt like he's been on too good of a run for WWE to break that up, but I had to make some changes after WWE swapped out Dragon Lee for Andrade, and I decided to backpeddle and change to Jimmy Uso here. I just think WWE wants The Bloodline to look as strong as possible on night one, and there's no better way to do that than by Jimmy also winning his match.

Predicted Winner: Jimmy Uso

Logan Paul (Champion) Vs Randy Orton Vs Kevin Owens For The United States Championship

Why are Kevin Owens and Randy Orton getting along so well? WWE has teased the possibility of friction a few times, but it’s always been quickly resolved and back to being BFFs. That can’t continue, right? At some point, these two are going to need to turn on each other, and given it hasn’t happened yet, it probably means that’s going to be the story of the match. 

And if that is the story of the match, it’s a story as old as the wrestling business. With emotions hot, these two will focus on beating up each other, lose sight of Logan Paul and eventually lose because of it. I suspect that’s the outcome WWE wants anyway because Logan is in the middle of a nice little publicity-heavy run with The United States Championship, and if they stick with it, they can create a really big moment when he eventually does lose it at some point in the future.

Predicted Winner: Logan Paul

Judgment Day (Champions) Vs Awesome Truth Vs DIY Vs New Catch Republic Vs New Day Vs Austin Theory And Grayson Waller For The Tag Team Championships

Whether or not to split the WWE Tag Team Championships after they were unified by The Usos has been a heated argument amongst fans for more than a year. If WWE wants to do it, now is the time. The belts are being defended in a ladder match, which means, in theory, one team could grab one set of belts and another team could grab the other. I think there’s a distinct chance that’s going to happen, but there’s also a chance that could undermine R-Truth’s big moment.

The biggest story of this match is R-Truth’s resurgence. The longtime WWE comic relief side character returned from injury to do a few fun segments with Judgment Day, and it quickly turned into a favorite side plot among fans. Sensing an opportunity, WWE partnered him with The Miz to reunite Awesome Truth, and a lot of fans really want to see R-Truth to be the one to finally take the belts away from Judgment Day. I think that’s going to happen, and if it does, it’ll be one of the biggest pops of the entire weekend.

Predicted Winner: Awesome Truth

Rhea Ripley (Champion) Vs Becky Lynch For The Women’s World Championship

It feels weird to reflexively pick against Becky Lynch in such a high profile match, but taking the belt off Rhea Ripley right now makes no sense, unless it was the first part of some epic multi-year story the writers have already outlined out and she loves. I don’t see that happening, and once you throw in the fact that Becky’s contract is reportedly nearing its conclusion, it just seems overwhelmingly likely Rhea is going to win.

That being said, I do think Becky will re-sign with WWE either immediately or after taking some well-deserved time off. I do think she’ll be back on top of the division some day, and I do think these two are going to put on one of WrestleMania 40’s best matches. I think both wish their program was given more consideration to main event, and I think both want to remind everyone of how talented and capable they are.

Predicted Winner: Rhea Ripley

Iyo Sky (Champion Vs Bayley For The WWE Women’s Championship

I’ve definitely heard plenty of people making the argument that WWE is better off keeping the title on Iyo and extending the program with Bayley post-’Mania, but to be honest, I just don’t really see the benefit of that. I’d take a rematch and more back-and-forth for sure, but there’s no reason that can’t happen with the belt around Bayley’s waist. She’s been the unsung hero of the women’s division for years, putting other people over and making them look as strong as possible. If WWE has needed a heel, she’s been that. If WWE has needed a face, she’s been that. If they need her to host talk shows to hype other people up, she’s done that. She’s kind of like The Miz, which I say as a massive Miz fan paying a big compliment.

That being said, there’s some nonsense that could happen with Damage CTRL. They’ve taken a lot of high profile losses since the faction started, and the other three members are almost certainly going to lose to Bianca, Naomi and Jade. Having Iyo lose too wouldn’t be the best look, but I still think the highest ceiling outcome here is for Bayley to win to massive fanfare from the crowd. 

Predicted Winner: Bayley

Seth Freakin’ Rollins (Champion) Vs Drew McIntyre For The World Heavyweight Championship

Before I get into Drew McIntyre, I want to give Seth Freakin’ Rollins some praise first. He was the right champion when WWE relaunched The World Heavyweight Championship, and he’s put on a ton of good matches and had several good programs in an almost year long run with the belt. There’s a reason fans are still screaming his song at the top of their lungs, but it’s time to let Drew McIntyre run for awhile.

The Scottish Warrior has found the perfect character in his vindictive social media troll and anything to win badass, and putting the belt on him allows WWE to plan for two exciting programs down the road. First, McIntyre is obviously going to feud with CM Punk who he’s been clowning on a weekly basis for months, and then after that, it gives WWE a chance to potentially set up a WrestleMania program with Punk and Rollins for after that, at least if taking the title from McIntyre ever seems like a good idea.

There’s an outside chance we could see a Damian Priest cash-in during this match, but if that does happen, I think it would be after McIntyre gets at least the initial victory and a brief celebration.

Predicted Winner: Drew McIntyre

Roman Reigns And The Rock Vs Cody Rhodes And Seth Rollins

I don’t have the slightest idea what’s actually going to happen in this match. I don’t know how much time The Rock is going to spend in the ring, and I don’t know if other people are going to interfere. There are a thousand ways Triple H and company could go with the booking here, but the finish seems really obvious, right? If Cody and Seth win, The Bloodline are barred from ringside the next night. If Roman and The Rock win, anything goes. We all want the match to be anything goes, right?

What’s more interesting to me here is how The Rock looks in the ring. He’s been out of his mind fantastic on promos, but he wasn’t exactly Mr. Perfect in the ring during his initial run. The more he can show here, the more he can build himself as a believable threat to beat Cody Rhodes and/ or Roman Reigns down the road.

Predicted Winner: The Rock And Roman Reigns

Roman Reigns (Champion) Vs Cody Rhodes For The Undisputed WWE Universal Championship

People are predicting this will be the most over-booked match in WrestleMania history, and all I can say is I hope so. Reigns and Rhodes are both top notch characters and pretty solid in the ring, but to be honest, this card is littered with other people who can and will do more interesting things in the ring. For this match to be main event worthy, it needs to be a spectacle that’s fun to watch, and I think that’s exactly what we’re going to get here.

Ultimately, the decision for WWE is whether or not they want to advance the plot in a meaningful way. You can either let Cody Rhodes finish his story and take the belt off Roman Reigns, which he’s held for more than three years, or you can keep riding with Roman Reigns and do permanent harm to Cody’s character. That’s not to be overdramatic, but in what world would we want the same WrestleMania main event three years in a row? This is Cody’s chance, and he either takes it at the expense of Roman, or he doesn't and Roman takes his moment to keep building his legacy.

I think WWE is ready to go all in on Cody Rhodes and start showing a different side to Roman Reigns’ career, but there’s certainly some doubt in play here and a real possibility that The Tribal Chief stays on top.

Predicted Winner: Cody Rhodes

The WWE isn't too far away from WrestleMania 40, where fans will see Becky Lynch attempt to do what no other superstar has done since WrestleMania 39: take the title from Rhea Ripley. "The Man" has a shot to shock the world, and recently voiced a specific criticism about the Women's World champion that I surprisingly agreed with.

WWE's women's division is the best its been in a decade, and Rhea Ripley sits at the top of the roster. She's the young megastar within the company, and with the exception of being cut from SummerSlam, Ripley has featured heavily in the spotlight over the past year, in part because she's so beloved by fans. So when In The Kliq referred to Ripley as the "heel" in Becky Lynch's upcoming title match against her, the Lass Kicker was quick to share her thoughts:

Lynch went on to talk about the challenge of crafting a story in the match that goes beyond heel vs. babyface, since the reality is such that they're essentially both babyfaces in terms of crowd reactions.

Rhea Ripley has been guilty of plenty of heel-leaning movies on Monday Night Raw, but I can't even remember the last time she's actually been booed by an audience. Therefore, their match at the upcoming WWE event may need to play out a bit differently, considering Ripley likely still won't earn any traditional jeers if she tries cheating or anything similarly unsavory.

It's a great point that, surprisingly, I hadn't considered very much until now. I've admittedly struggled to figure out why I'm not as all-in on seeing Rhea Ripley vs. Becky Lynch as much as other big matches set for the card. But it does stand apart as one of the few matches that doesn't have a fully defined Heel vs. Face feud. It does mirror AJ Styles and L.A. Knight's match, but that one isn't for a championship title.

Rhea Ripley is a beloved superstar and someone who isn't afraid to speak out against fans to support others like Maxxine Dupri, but is that doing her any favors in booking? People love the "Mami" gimmick and Rhea's dominance, but in terms of being an actual heel, she doesn't do enough to earn real anger from fans. With that said, if what was going on wasn't working, I doubt she would've held onto her title as long as she has.

So, maybe she doesn't need to piss viewers off to pop. But then, in terms of storytelling, we're just left to wonder what other badass athlete will eventually defeat her for the title. I felt WWE officially signed Jade Cargill specifically to be the person who finally conquers Ripley, but since she's only making her in-ring debut in the coming days, a title shot is probably still far in the future. Does the WWE just stay the course with dominant and beloved heel-but-not-really-a-heel Rhea Ripley in the meantime, or do they try to get the fans to turn on her more?

It's a great question to ponder as we count down the days to streaming WrestleMania 40 with our Peacock Premium subscription. Make sure that account is active for Saturday, April 6th, and Sunday, April 7th, because all signs indicate this will be an iconic two days in wrestling for many reasons.

I loved this week’s Monday Night Raw. I watched it alone on my couch without looking at social media once and was glued to the television during the entire runtime. I was so stoked when it was over that I jumped on social media to brag about it and discovered everyone else felt the exact same way I did. Pretty much every wrestling fan and content creator I follow on social called it the best Raw episode of the year, and I saw quite a few who called it one of the best episodes in decades.

Much of the discussion around last night’s episode is related to The Rock and Cody Rhodes’ bloody parking lot fight in the rain. The hyper-real segment closed the show and felt like a throwback from The Attitude Era. It deserves all the praise it’s getting, but it alone is not the reason why Monday Night Raw was so fantastic. A bunch of great performances and other variables all marinated together perfectly to remind all of us how good professional wrestling can be. So, let’s break down the individual elements that worked so well…

The Promo Segment Between Drew McIntyre, CM Punk And Seth Rollins Was An A+

The WrestleMania 40 A plot featuring Cody Rhodes, Seth Rollins, The Rock and Roman Reigns has been getting the lion’s share of the attention for the last two months and understandably so. It features the most star power and the biggest stakes for the future of WWE as it could attract the most new fans and bring back the most lapsed ones, but Drew McIntyre has been putting in the best work of his career in trying to build the other men’s world title match. He’s turned himself into a great social media troll heel, and last night, we finally got the pushback from the other players we were looking for.

CM Punk reminded everyone why he’s an all-time mic guy in his promo, dropping a bunch of great lines, and McIntyre oozed confidence as he fired back and proved he belongs at that highest level. Whether it’s true or not, these two dudes really feel like they hate each other in real life, and that was all the more obvious when Seth Rollins came out and made it clear he can’t stand the two of them either. 

Some wrestling fans think the best promos are unscripted. I disagree. I think the best promos are loosely scripted. If everyone involved knows where things are headed, it’s much easier to craft a compelling back and forth that makes logical points, but historically, many WWE promos have felt too scripted, which has caused them to lose some realism. This promo found the perfect balance, which allowed for some lines that felt off the cuff and even a reference to Vince McMahon that WWE may not have loved but still told a coherent story and made everyone look strong.

The Crowd Was Really Hot

The success of a show is always going to be measured by what the actual performers do. A hot crowd trying to get themselves over while reacting to mediocrity isn’t good television, but when there’s worthwhile stuff going on in the ring (or in the parking lot), a very vocal and invested audience can really elevate the material. Hulk Hogan vs The Rock at WrestleMania 18 is the classic example of that, but the history of wrestling is filled with thousands of moments that felt bigger and more meaningful because the crowd really cared what was happening, as well as thousands of moments that felt smaller and less impactful because the crowd didn’t. 

We all could have guessed the Chicago crowd would have gotten the most out of Chicago native CM Punk’s segment, but they delivered and helped elevate everything else too. They were white hot for all the Cody and Rock stuff but also were extremely invested in Rhea Ripley, Becky Lynch and Dominik Mysterio’s war of words, as well as midcard acts like R-Truth, Ricochet, Andrade and everything else on the show, which brings me to my next point.

There Are A Ton Of People Over Right Now

When people reminisce about The Attitude Era, they often talk about how many great characters there were. The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin were, of course, a huge part of that and will be remembered among the biggest stars the business has ever produced, but in my opinion, what really set that era apart were how many other guys were over with the crowd too. The Undertaker, Kane, Triple H, Mankind, Kurt Angle, Chris Jericho, Big Show, The New Age Outlawz, The Dudleys, The APA, Edge And Christian, The Hardys, Chyna, Eddie Guerrero, Vader, Goldust, The Godfather, Val Venis and so many more.

I’m not saying the current roster is the same as The Attitude Era, but we are trending in that direction. There are a ton of characters fans care about, and last night was great evidence of that. Cody Rhodes, The Rock, CM Punk, Drew McIntyre, Seth Freakin’ Rollins, Rhea Ripley, Becky Lynch and Gunther are all presented and feel like main event stars. Midcard acts like R-Truth, Dominik Mysterio, Sami Zayn, Jey Uso, The Miz, Liv Morgan, Damian Priest and Finn Bálor all have devoted fans and their own storylines going on. Once you throw in the SmackDown roster, as well as other high potential guys, it's easy to invasion a scenario in which everyone is invested in everything on TV.

It Was A Real Variety Show That Went For Different Tones

I like my wrestling to be a variety of different things. Sometimes I want goofiness. Sometimes I want bitchiness. Sometimes I want ruthless aggression. Wrestling is a lot of things to a lot of different people, and I want to see all of it, just all of it done at least pretty well. And that’s what we got last night. Over the course of three hours, it felt like we got to see so many different appeal elements of wrestling.

We had the aforementioned mic battle between CM Punk, Drew McIntyre and Seth Rollins that blurred the lines between work and shoot. We got a promo battle between Rhea Ripley and Becky Lynch that got very emotional and touched on Becky’s daughter. We got The Rock and Cody Rhodes engaging in a mean-spirited parking lot fight in the rain, filled with non-stop taunting. We got R Truth on commentary hilariously trying to prematurely send the show to commercial break to avoid taking a beating. We got Ricochet and JD McDonagh giving us a fast-paced, hyper-athletic match filled with moves we’d normally see in AEW. We got a Bronson Reed and Sami Zayn match that was way more about developing character than showing off move sets. We got Candace LeRae developing a mid-card story about disappointing her friends. I could go on and on. 

Blood And Swearing Were Incorporated In Impactful Ways

There are few things wrestling fans like arguing about more than swearing and blood. WWE has traditionally shied away from both of those elements, as they’re trying to cater to a family friendly audience. I’m somewhere in the middle. I don’t want to see blood every week, nor do I want to see wrestlers swear non-stop. I think it’s important that we keep the show semi-appropriate for younger viewers, and to be honest, I’m not really interested in constantly seeing people blade themselves. Bleeding for the sake of bleeding is kind of gross and barbaric, and sometimes it can go way too far.

That being said, a bit of unexpected blood or a surprise swear can really add something when used right, and WWE used both of those elements right last night. Both The Rock and CM Punk dropped words WWE doesn’t normally say on television, to the shocked reaction of the crowd, and Cody Rhodes got a little bit of color during his parking lot brawl with The Rock, which The People’s Champ then wiped his belt with. 

Maybe this will represent a larger change in philosophy. I hope not. Instead, what I hope it represents is a loosening of the hard and fast rules. I don’t want to hear swearing every episode or see people bleeding in every match. It lessens the impact. Instead, what I want to see are the occasional well-placed moments where it’s used correctly, and that’s exactly what we got last night.

The Parking Lot Brawl Was One Of The Best Produced Segments We’ve Gotten In A Long Time

This is the moment everyone is talking about and with good reason. The Rock interrupted Cody Rhodes’ promo early in the night and whispered something to him. Because of the way it was shot, it wasn’t entirely clear what he said, which WWE made a plot point throughout the episode. They asked The Rock and later Cody Rhodes, neither of whom would comment on what happened. Then, at the end of the episode, The Rock blindsided Cody Rhodes and beat the American Nightmare out of him in the parking lot while it was raining. 

We’ve seen plenty of backstage brawls in wrestling before, but this one just felt different. Maybe it was because of The Rock’s non-stop taunting. Maybe it was because it was raining. Maybe it was because it featured trash can shots to the head and later blood, but it just felt like a vicious grudge match featuring two of the characters fans care about the most. With less than two weeks to go before WrestleMania, it found a way to get fans even more fired up for the big showdown in Philly (even dropping some fun hints), and it showed, with no rules, new camera angles and new ideas, what’s possible in this new version of WWE.

I don’t have a time machine and I can’t see into the future, but I’m sure one day people will look back on our current era of WWE, and wrestling as a whole, as one of the greatest periods in the history of sports entertainment. The in-ring product, storylines, and a healthy amount of competition have led to some great moments and even greater changes in the past decade, and one area of WWE’s product that has gotten so much better is the women’s division.

Earlier this year I wrote about everything that has changed since the launch of the WWE Network in February 2014. In that article, I briefly touched on how the women’s division has become one of the strongest components of the company. But since I had to keep things brief at the time, I decided to go back and revisit some of the ways WWE’s exciting women’s division has improved and become the standard bearer for the industry as a whole. Well, now is that time…

The NXT Roster Completely Reshaped Women's Wrestling In WWE

As far as I’m concerned, some of WWE’s best wrestling in the past 20 years took place in NXT between 2014 and 2018, and a lot of the buzz surrounding the developmental brand was its stellar women’s division. Sasha Banks, Bayley, Charlotte Flair, and Becky Lynch, all of whom have won various championships on the main roster in the past, all got their start down in Florida, and little did we know at the time, they were reshaping women’s wrestling into how we know it today.

While the Divas division was still focusing more on models-turned-wrestlers than longtime fans of the sport, these four, and numerous others like Alexa Bliss, Carmella, Emma, and Paige gave their blood, sweat, and tears, waiting for their time to strike and usher in a new era. And they did just that…

The "Four Horsewomen" Brought Next-Level Matches To The Main Roster

Between 2015 and 2016, Sasha Banks, Bayley, Charlotte Flair, and Becky Lynch, also known as the “Four Horsewomen,” a reference to the legendary Four Horsemen, made their debuts on WWE’s main roster. While Bayley wouldn’t be fully in the mix until a year after her fellow NXT alums, the other three made an instant impact on the product and let fans of their work in developmental know it wasn’t going to be cast aside on Raw or SmackDown. Instead, it flourished.

The Divas Era officially came to an end at WrestleMania 32 in April 2016 when Flair defeated Banks and Lynch in a game-changing triple threat match for the new WWE Women’s Championship. And with that, the women's roster began to take over and get better by the day.

The Divas Championship Has Been Replaced By Two Prestigious Titles

The Divas Championship was around for the better part of a decade, with all but two years of its existence seeing it as the only women’s title on the WWE main roster. While there were some legendary champions to hold the belt over the years like Michelle McCool, AJ Lee, Paige, and even Charlotte Flair at the end of its run, the belt wasn’t always associated with great wrestling. 

Since then, the WWE Women’s Championship and the Women’s World Championship have been fought over in some major matches, including the main events of shows like WrestleMania, SummerSlam, and most recently, Elimination Chamber 2024, where Rhea Ripley defended the World Championship in her native Australia.

The Women's Roster Is So Deep

If you look at the official WWE roster, it’s not difficult to see that there are more women wrestling for the company than ever before. Between NXT, Raw, and SmackDown, there are a few dozen female wrestlers, enough to build their own show in the vein of the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling (GLOW) back in the ‘80s. Stables, tag teams within those stables, main event talent, mid-carders, up-and-comers, you name it, it’s there.

This stacked women’s roster is also something of a curse, however, as there are so many talented superstars but only two singles titles and a tag team championship on the main roster. And, like how WWE’s going to have to leave big stars off WrestleMania 40, there are only so many spaces to fill in the title picture. Well, unless the company introduces a much-needed midcard title for the division… 

Women's Royal Rumble, Elimination Chamber, And MITB Matches Have Leveled The Playing Field

Another thing that has made WWE so much fun to watch the past half-decade or so is the introduction of the Women’s Royal Rumble, Elimination Chamber, and Money in the Bank matches that were once reserved only for the male wrestlers on the roster. These marquee matches have leveled the playing field, so to speak, and have given even more women time to shine on some of the company’s biggest shows.

Long gone are the days of the “bra and panties” contest before the men’s rumble, the “Miss WrestleMania” pageants, and other various dated and disgusting gimmick matches that were so prevalent during the Attitude Era and Ruthless Aggression phase. It’s better this way, even when not talking about equality in the ring.

Wrestlers Like Rhea Ripley And Bianca Belair Have Been Able To Make Themselves Into Massive Stars

Back in February 2020, I wrote about six up-and-coming female wrestlers to watch out for in WWE, and two of those superstars – Rhea Ripley and Bianca Belair – have become some of the biggest stars the company, and the sport as a whole, has seen in years. Both of these wrestlers have held the various women’s titles for extended periods of time, taken part in high-profile WrestleMania main event matches (Belair headlined Night 1 of the 2022 “Showcase of the Immortals”), and developed beloved characters that connect with the fans.

These are just two examples of female wrestlers grabbing the proverbial brass rings and making names for themselves through grit, determination, and iconic moments in and outside of the ring.

More Respectful And Engaging Storylines Have Become The Norm

Perhaps the best thing to happen WWE’s women’s division over the past decade has been the inclusion of more respectful and engaging storylines, angles that have been given just as much time, consideration, and heat as anything with the male wrestlers. Becky Lynch becoming “The Man” and winning the first women’s main event match at WrestleMania 35,  Bayley’s current program going against her former Damage CTRL stable, and Asuka being treated as one of the most dominant forces in wrestling a few years ago are just three examples of this.

Sure, there have been some duds over the years, but that’s just part of wrestling, and everyone is prone to have something just not work or connect with the fans. But overall, the storylines and matches have resonated with the public for the most part, and that’s what really matters.

WWE is in a much better place today than it was a decade ago, and a lot of that is because of the strong women’s division. But as they say, the best is yet to come, and I think this is just the beginning. I just can’t wait to see what’s in store at some of the big upcoming WWE events like the two-night WrestleMania 40.

So much can change in such a short amount of time in the wrestling business. Several months ago, it seemed pretty obvious we were heading toward a WrestleMania 40 that featured Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins and CM Punk, Gunther and Brock Lesnar, Charlotte Flair and Bianca Belair, Rhea Ripley And Becky Lynch and Iyo Sky and Bayley, among many others. Well, CM Punk and Charlotte Flair both got hurt. Brock Lesnar is off TV after being implicated in the Vince McMahon allegations, and oh yeah, The Rock has returned to WWE and now sits on the board of directors. So, quite a bit of the ‘Mania card is still TBD, and The Elimination Chamber will go a long way to providing some clarity.

It should also be quite entertaining. Continuing the trend we saw at The Royal Rumble, there are only four matches scheduled, which should allow all of them plenty of time to breathe. We have a women’s match that will see the winner face Rhea Ripley (or Nia Jax) at WrestleMania. We have a men’s match that will see the winner face Seth Rollins at WrestleMania. We’ll also see Judgment Day defend the tag belts and Rhea Ripley and Nia Jax battle for the Women’s World Championship and a segment involving Cody Rhodes, Seth Rollins and Grayson Waller. 

To be honest, I don’t remember ever being this confident about my predictions ahead of a premium live event. Last year, I forecasted every single match correctly at The Royal Rumble, Payback and Survivor Series, but there was plenty of doubt in some of those matches. On paper, all four of these matches seem to have pretty obvious outcomes, but the fact that every single one has a likely winner (at least in my mind) scares me a little bit. It doesn’t scare me enough to change my predictions though; so, fingers crossed I can put up some more wins on my career leaderboard seen below…

The Judgment Day (Damian Priest And Finn Bálor) Vs Pete Dunne And Tyler Bate For The Tag Team Championships

Triple H has always been a Pete Dunne fan. He put The Brawling Brutes in some high level spots back when he was playing Butch, and now, he’s gotten a nice little push here after he was repackaged as Pete Dunne. I suspect he, along with new partner Tyler Bate, are going to be given every opportunity to show what they can do in a competitive match, but let’s be realistic for a second. In what world does it make sense for The Judgment Day, in the middle of a super hot program with R-Truth and The Miz, to drop the tag titles at the premium live event before WrestleMania? It doesn’t.

Judgment Day are probably only on this card because none of the other men’s titles are being defended. Roman doesn’t defend on PPVs like this anymore. Seth Rollins is hurt. Gunther allegedly has immigration issues, and Logan Paul is working the elimination chamber match itself to try and win a shot at The World Heavyweight Championship. So, by process of elimination, we have Judgment Day defending the tag belts. That being said, I love Judgment Day, and it also makes sense to have them on the card because of their close connection with Rhea Ripley. So, the booking makes a lot of sense here. There’s just almost no doubt about the outcome. 

Predicted Winner: Judgment Day

Rhea Ripley Vs Nia Jax For The Women's World Championship

Nia Jax is on the best run of her entire career. She’s moving around the ring better than she ever has. Her promo work has gone from poor to average, and she’s right there in the zone with her character. WWE has rewarded all the good work by giving her a strong performance in The Royal Rumble and a some big wins, including one over Becky Lynch. I predict sometime in the next few years, she will get a short, multiple month run with one of the two major women’s championships, and I’ll actually be excited about it. That’s how much better she’s gotten! 

But Rhea Ripley is not losing The Women’s World Championship a month before WrestleMania 40, and she’s certainly not losing it in front of a hot home crowd in Australia. Just like with Judgment Day, that wouldn’t make any sense to the overall story they’re telling. Rhea is going to win because WWE is going to want her going into WrestleMania with the belt looking as strong as possible. Triple H and company are also going to want to keep Nia looking strong, as she’ll probably get a WrestleMania match, but Rhea is going to take the win here, almost certainly after picking up Nia Jax and giving her a Riptide.

Predicted Winner: Rhea Ripley

The Women's Elimination Chamber Match

Let’s run down who we’ve got here. There’s Liv Morgan, Tiffany Stratton, Bianca Belair, Becky Lynch, Raquel Rodriguez and Naomi. The winner is going to get a shot at Rhea Ripley (or Nia Jax) for The Women’s World Championship at WrestleMania, which will be either the first or second most prominent women’s match at ‘Mania, depending on how you feel about Bayley and Iyo Sky. So, whoever wins needs to be someone WWE wants to showcase at its biggest event of the year. As such, I think there are some people we can eliminate right away.

I love seeing Tiffany Stratton in such a big spot. She’s got a really bright future, but she’s been on the main roster for like two weeks. She is not winning this match. Neither is Raquel Rodriguez. I love Raquel. I’m really glad to see her back after an extended absence. I’m still high on her long-term potential, but she’s not wrestling Rhea at ‘Mania. I also don’t think we’re going to get Naomi either. She belongs in WWE, and I’m so happy she returned after leaving under less than ideal circumstances. She’ll be in plenty of big moments moving forward, but she’s not, in my opinion, on the level where you’d immediately throw her into a world title program without an obvious feud or backstory. 

So, that leaves Bianca Belair, Liv Morgan and Becky Lynch. WWE clearly wants to push Bianca to the moon. She and husband Montez Ford just launched their reality show on Hulu. She appeared at the WrestleMania press conference, and after Charlotte Flair got hurt, she’s in desperate need of someone to fight at The Showcase Of The Immortals. She’s definitely an outside threat to win this match, but given she’s on SmackDown, not Raw, and there hasn’t really been much build-up on her side ahead of this match, I think WWE will probably go in another direction with her at WrestleMania. Maybe they’ll just feed her Nia Jax or Tiffany Stratton and let her continue her winning streak.

Liv Morgan has the most obvious backstory here with Rhea Ripley, given they were formerly in a tag team together and Rhea previously injured Liv. There are some who would definitely say a ‘Mania match against Rhea Ripley is a bit of an overreach for her position on the card, but the crowd really loves Liv and WWE has put her in some high profile spots before, specifically winning Money In The Bank and cashing in on Ronda Rousey. She could absolutely win here.

But there’s a reason WWE had Becky Lynch staring down Rhea Ripley and calling her a bottom during the WrestleMania 40 press conference. She’s been the most consistent one on WWE programming talking about this match, and her story of needing to see whether she still has it and can beat Rhea is a perfect Mania program. I think she’s going to win here, though there’s more doubt in my mind about this than the other matches.

Predicted Winner: Becky Lynch

The Men's Elimination Chamber Match

If you haven’t been watching WWE programming for the last few months, this match might feel like a toss-up. Randy Orton, LA Knight, Drew McIntyre, Bobby Lashley, Kevin Owens and Logan Paul are all either former world champions or guys who have main evented PPVs fighting for a world championship in the last few years. Any could be put into a big spot at WrestleMania and not seem totally out of place, but if you have been watching WWE programming for the last few months, you’re aware of the fact that Drew McIntyre is on the best run of his entire career. He is right there in the zone with his heelish character and is the perfect choice to fight Seth Rollins now that CM Punk is off the table.

I’m not saying it’s not possible Randy Orton in particular could win this match, but it would be a tremendous shock if it wasn’t Drew McIntyre. So, instead of the overall outcome, I’m more focused on what else this match tries to do. For instance, I think we’re likely going to get a continuation of Kevin Owens and Logan Paul’s ongoing feud that will lead to the two hashing out their differences at WrestleMania. Orton and La Knight are also in need of something to do at ‘Mania. Maybe AJ Styles interferes in the match to cost LA Knight, and that sets up a program for them at WrestleMania. Or maybe LA Knight gets involved with Owens and Logan Paul, and we get a triple threat there. Maybe Solo Sikoa gets involved with Randy Orton, and it sets something up for them at WrestleMania. Maybe Karrion Kross shows up and does something to Bobby Lashley. WrestleMania is just six weeks or so after Elimination Chamber. These programs need to start coming together. I predict at least one will start coming together here.

Predicted Winner: Drew McIntyre

On February 24, 2014, the world of professional wrestling was forever changed with the launch of the WWE Network, a streaming service that would replace WWE’s pay-per-view model while also giving subscribers access to an unprecedented archive of old shows from promotions like WCW, AWA, WCCW, and more. Looking back, a lot is different in 2024 than it was when the network first launched.

The past 10 years have seen all kinds of changes to the way WWE reaches its audience (with more on the way), wrestlers have come, gone, and returned after reinventing themselves, and the women’s division has gone from being an afterthought to main event status at WrestleMania. But, that’s not all…

WWE Sold To Endeavor Group

In April 2023, word began to spread that WWE was in the process of being sold to Endeavour Group, the parent company of UFC and numerous other high-profile sports brands. Those rumors would prove to be true, and several months later, the two massive properties combined under the TKO umbrella, per ESPN. This new entity, which took much of the control out of the hands of Vince McMahon (more on him later), resulted in some major changes for WWE in both its corporate structure and presentation. And, this is just the beginning.

WWE Got In Business With Peacock

A couple of years before the TKO deal, WWE made waves when it was revealed that the wrestling company was moving its network to Peacock. Though the launch was a little buggy and some issues still remain, being able to access pretty much every major wrestling event from the past 50-plus years with a Peacock subscription has been a major win for both fans and the company. The easy access, large subscriber base, and the value outweigh the platform’s problems.

Vince McMahon Is Gone

A day that many thought would never come finally happened in January 2024 when Vince McMahon resigned from WWE and its parent company, TKO, following a string of controversies. The straw that broke the camel’s back was a lawsuit filed by a former employee alleging that McMahon, whose family started the promotion 71 years ago, had subjected her to sex trafficking and a number of other abuses, per The Wall Street Journal. Several days later, the man who revolutionized the sport was gone, per Variety.

Triple H Is Running Creative

After Vince McMahon’s initial retirement in July 2022, Triple H was put in charge of creative, ushering in a new era for the promotion, and the wrestling industry as a whole. Now going by his real name, Paul Levesque, the 14-time world champion and long-time booker for the NXT brand has implemented some major changes to the product, which has resulted in more fans being stoked about WWE and its wrestlers than any other time in the past 20 or so years. He went from playing the authority to being the authority, which is wild.

WWE Is Expanding To Netflix

For the past 31 years, Monday Night Raw, WWE’s flagship show, has been on cable, with the vast majority of that time being spent on the USA Network (it was broadcast on TNN/Spike TV from September 2000 to October 2005). However, that will change in January 2025 when WWE moves Raw to Netflix, a major shift. According to Deadline, this 10-year, $5 billion deal will bring the long running, weekly wrestling show to the massively popular streaming platform, meaning everyone with a Netflix subscription will be able to watch at least three hours of wrestling a week without cable. 

The Rock Is Heavily Involved (On Camera And Behind The Scenes)

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has been around sporadically over the years, but his involvement with WWE reached heights not seen since his feud with John Cena when he returned in early 2024. Not only is The Rock part of the hottest storyline heading into WrestleMania 40, but he’s also taken on a major behind-the-scenes role on the TKO board. Love him or hate him, having the “Brahma Bull” in the mix is a major win for everyone connected to WWE, especially the fans.

WWE Has Its Biggest Competitor Since WCW

Don’t get me wrong, WWE has always had competition in the form of TNA, ROH, and international promotions like NJPW (many of the company’s top stars got started in each of them), but none of those came close to what AEW has accomplished since 2019. For the first time since the dissolution of WCW nearly 20 years earlier, WWE had a major competitor, one that not only drew big stars from around the world but also gave WWE superstars another avenue. Sure, this isn’t “Monday Night War” territory, but you can’t say WWE hasn’t felt a need to improve the product because of Tony Khan’s company.

The Shield Have Turned Into The Biggest Stars In The World

The Shield (Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, and Dean Ambrose) didn’t make it to the halfway point of 2014 before falling apart after Rollins betrayed his brothers-in-arms and sided with the Authority, but all three members have since become the biggest stars in the world. Reigns is now the “Head of the Table” and is in the middle of a historic reign; Rollins has held the World Heavyweight Championship for nearly a year; and Ambrose, now going by Jon Moxley in AEW, has held titles all over the planet the past decade. We knew they were a big deal, but these three wrestlers changed the game.

Superstars Like Cody Rhodes, CM Punk, And Drew McIntyre Have Left, Reinvented Themselves, And Returned To WWE

In 2014, Cody Rhodes started his Stardust gimmick, Drew McIntyre was a member of the 3MB stable before being released, and CM Punk walked out on WWE and didn’t wrestle for nearly a decade. In the years that followed, Rhodes left WWE, became a major star in NJPW, and helped get AEW off the ground before returning; McIntyre reinvented himself in the indies and returned to NXT and worked his way back to the top; and CM Punk had a tumultuous journey back to WWE that included a short UFC run and a wild time in AEW. All three are major players in WWE these days and each paid their dues to get back to the top.

The Women's Division Has Become One Of The Biggest Aspects Of The Company

Over the past decade, no aspect of WWE has changed more than the Women’s Division. Long gone are the days of the Diva Searches, bra-and-panty matches, or degrading storylines that used female wrestlers as eye candy or punchlines. In the past six years, iconic female wrestlers like Becky Lynch, Bianca Belair, Charlotte Flair, Ronda Rousey, and Sasha Banks have headlined WrestleMania, entire premium live events have been centered around the division, and a women’s Royal Rumble match has been introduced. 

Wrestling is always evolving, which the past decade has proven time and time again. With the long list of upcoming WWE events like the highly-anticipated WrestleMania 40, it’s safe to say it’s just going to get better and better from here on out.

The 2024 Royal Rumble is officially in the books, and to be honest, it was a bit of a mixed bag. The Men’s Rumble was perfectly acceptable. It lacked big returns and memorable moments, but it was without obvious issues and got to where we needed to go with Cody Rhodes winning for a second consecutive year. Roman Reigns’ fatal four way match was overly long and never had any real doubt about the ending, but it was somewhat enjoyable and gave The Tribal Chief a mostly clean win. Kevin Owens and Logan Paul had a screwy finish, but it was a good match and did what it needed to do to extend the feud. 

Based on those three matches, this Rumble should be remembered as a below average event, at least when compared against other Rumbles, but thankfully, this one had a fourth match and it was the best on the card by an Andre The Giant sized margin. When I say the 2024 Women’s Royal Rumble was the best in history, there’s not a single shred of doubt in my mind. There are not enough positive things I can say. It told a good, coherent story that produced a compelling winner. It was filled with a ton of memorable spots. We got some great surprise returns/ debuts, and it continued and/ or set up a bunch of feuds we’re gonna see moving forward. It was everything you could ask for out of WWE’s second biggest yearly event, and while I would struggle to come up with five moments I loved from the Men’s Rumble, it was honestly hard to narrow down my favorites here to just 11. 

So, with all due respect to Natalya who once again showed how capable and steady she always is, Kaire Sane who almost gave us one of the wildest saves in Rumble history, Michael Cole who had way too much fun with Valhalla and her antlers, Liv Morgan who was great in her surprise return and every other woman who contributed in her own way to make this by far the best Women’s Rumble of all-time, here are 11 specific things I loved…

Naomi's Return Was Fantastic

People often think of the later spots as being the prime surprise return positions, but this was the perfect spot for Naomi. It allowed her to do her full entrance, which is among the best in the business, and it let the crowd really show her how much she’s been missed since she left under unfortunate circumstances more than a year ago. Her being overwhelmed by the love felt reminiscent of Zelina Vega in 2023, and she deserved every single cheer. Her performance in the actual Rumble itself was great too, as she lasted over an hour and eliminated two people.

Jordynne Grace Is A Star

I watch more wrestling than anyone I know in my personal life (all five hours of Smackdown and Raw and some AEW every week), but somehow that’s less than like half the wrestling people I follow on Twitter. As such, I was familiar with Jordynne Grace on like a name and face level, but I’d never actually seen her work in the ring. Well, she’s fantastic and seems like an easy person to root for. I cannot say enough positive things. She looks like a main event star that could believably beat any of the top WWE women, and it makes me want to find time to watch some TNA.

Nia Jax Is Having The Best Run Of Her Career

I get it. Nia Jax has been sloppy, caused some in-ring injuries and hasn’t always been believable on the microphone. Twitter’s collective disdain for her was at least somewhat understandable at one point in time, but if you remove your hater glasses and look at the last several months from an unbiased perspective, she’s been doing the best work of her career. Her match against Becky earlier this year on Raw was terrific, and she looked like an unstoppable, Kane-like force in this year’s Rumble. I’m really happy she’s back, and with real heat from the crowd, I wouldn’t be surprised to see her get a short, transitional champion type heel run with one of the two big belts at some point here soon.

Jade Cargill Looks Good In The Ring

All we’ve heard for months is that WWE was holding off on Jade Cargill so she could work on her in-ring wrestling. Well, I’m not saying being in a Rumble is the same thing as wrestling Kurt Angle for forty minutes, but she looked really good here. Obviously the big spot where she picked up Nia Jax and threw her out is going to get the bulk of the press, but outside of that, she looked more than capable in the ring, including in the complicated final spot that had a lot of moving parts. I was pumped to see her in a WWE ring before, and I’m even more pumped now.

WWE Puts So Much Thought Into The Visual Presentation

Everyone had a lot to say about Kevin Dunn when he finally left WWE at the end of last year. During his four decade run in charge of WWE’s camerawork and visual presentation, he did a lot to frustrate fans with his obsessive cuts and outsized influence on creative, but he also set a standard that is unmatched in wrestling and live event production. It is because of him that WWE takes the time to think about the blocking of camera shots and the creation of moments that tell a story and can be used in perpetuity. If you watched the Women’s Rumble, you know exactly what I’m talking about, whether it be Jade and Bianca’s staredown, Becky’s disappointment after being eliminated or everyone staring at Bayley after losing. Just look at this shot below.

Kayden Carter And Katana Chance Have A Bright Future Despite Losing The Tag Titles

Kayden Carter and Katana Chance have been doing some great work on television over the past few months. Their intricate tag team maneuvers and fun choreography have felt almost Rockers-like, and they’ve gone from getting zero crowd reaction to getting genuine support and applause breaks in their matches. They were deservedly rewarded with a one month plus run with the Tag Team Championships that included a few defenses, but after their recent loss to The Kabuki Warriors, I was worried. Well, I can’t predict the future, but Triple H booked them well in the Rumble. They were responsible for eliminating Asuka and Kairi Sane, two huge names, and each lasted at least eleven minutes. WWE needs to give us a lot more of this team, and I think they will. 

Chelsea Green And Piper Niven Are Too Much Fun

Alright, full transparency. I was turning in this list and had Chelsea Green and Piper Niven in my honorable mentions, but I had to go back and give these two their own paragraph and change the number of entries to eleven. A great Royal Rumble hits all kinds of different emotional beats, and these two are just fantastic at bringing their own unique vibe to the table. It’s not always about who is going to win, and these two were involved in so many fun moments, whether it be Chelsea getting repeatedly squashed by everyone or Piper and Nia Jax doing some great work together. I hope these two continue to get a lot of screentime moving forward. 

It Might Be Tiffy Time Sooner Than We Thought

I don’t watch NXT every week. Those who do brag non stop about Tiffany Stratton. I’ve been impressed with what I’ve seen over the last year or so, but this Rumble makes me believe she’s ready right now. She was presented as a huge threat the entire time she was in the ring, played a huge role in Bianca’s elimination and ultimately finished fourth. I don’t know that we’re going to see her on the main roster starting Monday, but it’s going to be Tiffy Time sooner rather than later.

The Becky Lynch Doubting Herself Storyline Is Gonna Be An A+++++++

The Booker 101 course in wrestling says you need to have the characters you care about look as strong as possible, but sometimes having your biggest names go on a losing streak is a great way to bring something new out of their characters. We saw Becky Lynch go back down to NXT. We recently saw her lose to Nia Jax clean. She gave a promo where she admitted those doubts to Rhea Ripley. She’s clearly suffering from a crisis of confidence, and whether that leads to a match with Rhea at ‘Mania or something else high profile, I can’t wait to see how it plays out.

Bianca Belair Is So Freakin' Good

Some wrestling fans have been hard on Bianca over the last year because her character hasn’t developed a ton. A lot of fans even rooted for Asuka at ‘Mania. I get it. I’d love to see her find a real storyline she can wrap her braid around, but you can’t watch The Rumble and tell me she is not the present and future of the women’s division (along with Rhea). Everything she does looks so good, and while there were a lot of iron women who lasted a long time this year, none did as many power spots and exerted as much energy as she did. She’s a star, and I firmly believe we’ll see her win at least one more Rumble in her career.

Bayley Deserved This Win

Part The Miz, part Kevin Owens, part Cody Rhodes, Bayley is perhaps the most valuable wrestler on the entire women’s card. She’s able to be a believable main event caliber performer when the division needs her to be, and she’s capable of doing mid-card comedy when that’s what the division needs. She’s a professional wrestler’s professional wrestler, a jack of all trades, ace in the hole most valuable player who has always strived to contribute rather than put herself first. I’m so happy for her to get the biggest moment of her career, and I can’t wait for her to show everyone why she’s a first ballot hall of famer. 

You want to know how much I love The Royal Rumble? Every year when my wife buys her calendar for the new year, which she keeps all our plans in, I immediately have her add the Rumble. It’s too important. I can’t have her mistakenly making plans I’m emotionally obligated to attend. So, yeah, I’m pretty Seth Freakin’ Rollins excited about Saturday, partly because the Rumble is always exciting and partly because there are a lot of possible paths WWE could take in both the men’s and women’s editions.

Last year, I predicted we’d see Cody Rhodes win the men’s Rumble and Rhea Ripley win the women’s Rumble. Ordinarily I’d brag a little harder about calling both winners, but to be honest, those end results were pretty obvious. Cody was the conquering babyface returning from his injury and the obvious choice to face Roman Reigns at WrestleMania, and everyone who watched the product even occasionally knew Rhea Ripley was a massive star about to break out.

This year, however, there are a lot more question marks in the Rumbles, and even at the time of typing this sentence, I’m not one hundred percent sure who I’m choosing in either. That’s really exciting, at least for the wrestling fan portion of my identity. The predictor portion of my identity is terrified, but thankfully, we have a few matches with seemingly more obvious results to help my batting average. But first, let’s look at how I did in the Big 4 PPVs last year, as well as an overall total for every premium live event since WrestleMania 38…

I’m not sure I’m going to be able to improve those lofty stats here, but I am so excited to try. And the if I end up missing and get surprised, well, that’ll only make The Royal Rumble itself even more exciting. So, without further ado, here are my predictions…

Kevin Owens Vs Logan Paul (Champion) For The United States Championship

This match isn’t about Kevin Owens. He’s great and should always be in contention for holding championships. This match is about whether WWE wants Logan Paul to go into WrestleMania as champion. The upshot of that is obvious. He’s a social media megastar with a huge podcast that is going to encourage his fans to tune into The Showcase Of The Immortals. In addition, he’s a reviled heel who many hardcore fans would like to see lose. So, him holding the belt at WrestleMania gives WWE the chance to give someone (LA Knight) a huge moment by taking it off him at the biggest event of the year.

Now, there’s a case for Kevin Owens here too. He’s a future WWE Hall Of Famer who main evented the last two WrestleManias. He needs something compelling to do in April, and defending the United States Championship would allow him to do that. Unlike Paul, he’s also a weekly performer and assumedly, will be around more often to defend the belt moving forward, which is probably especially appealing given Roman Reigns is a part-time champion and Seth Rollins just blew out his knee.

I’m gonna go with Logan Paul. I think putting him in a big spot at WrestleMania is just too appealing, though I think it’s possible whatever that big spot is may end up involving Kevin Owens too in some kind of triple threat or multi-man title match.

Predicted Winner: Logan Paul

Roman Reigns (Champion) Vs LA Knight Vs Randy Orton Vs AJ Styles For The WWE Universal Championship

We all know Roman Reigns isn’t getting pinned here; so, I appreciate WWE trying to add some intrigue by including so many people in the match. That opens up the remote possibility Roman loses because two of these other dudes pin each other, but let’s be serious for a second. Roman has been the champion for more than three years. In what world would Triple H, Bruce Prichard and company take the title off Roman Reigns a few months before the main event of WrestleMania 40? Outside of an injury or some kind of backstage disagreement, it’s hard to even make a case for why that would make sense.

To me, the real question is whether Roman can win a match here without interference from Solo Sikoa. I’ve watched enough wrestling to know heels winning in a heelish way is part of the game, but sometimes it’s okay to just make the heel look as strong as possible. Roman is the top guy in the company, and none of these dudes are likely to work with him again, given he’ll be paired with Cody Rhodes, The Rock or both at WrestleMania; so, one of them can eat a clean pinfall without doing too much damage to their character. I’m gonna guess that person will be AJ Styles, given he’s not quite as hot right now as the other two, but we’ll see.

Predicted Winner: Roman Reigns

The Women's Royal Rumble

There are so many good options here. Let’s run them down, starting with Bayley. She makes the most sense from a storyline perspective. WWE has been teasing problems within Damage CTRL for awhile, particularly problems between Bayley and the rest of Damage CTRL. It seems likely at some point she is going to be booted out and Dakota Kai is going to become the new mouthpiece. If Bayley were to win The Rumble, she could shift gears and instead of challenging Rhea Ripley, challenge her current stablemate Iyo Sky. There’s a really good, easy to tell story there and an obvious WrestleMania match that I think will happen, regardless of who wins The Rumble.

Then there’s Becky Lynch. WWE gave us a confrontation between her and Rhea Ripley earlier this month, and that’s clearly a match WWE fans want to see. Becky has also been extremely selfless over the last year, spending time in NXT to help grow that program and putting on matches with a lot of female talent who haven’t been given a chance. She also put Nia Jax over on Raw, which really helped elevate her. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see her paid back.

Bianca Belair is also always a threat. She was recently announced as the coverwoman of 2K24 alongside Rhea Ripley. She seemed on a collision course to wrestle Charlotte Flair, but that’s off the table now after The Queen got injured. She needs something to do and is one of the most reliable main eventers the women’s roster has. She’s also won before and would love to be the first woman to win a second time.

There’s also Nia Jax, who has been pushed really hard in recent weeks. There’s a potentially returning Liv Morgan and a potentially returning Naomi. I don’t think any of those three are quite on a win The Royal Rumble level, but they would be fun surprises. You know who is on that level though? Sasha Banks. Rumors have been saying she’s likely headed to AEW, but with Triple H in charge of WWE now, it’s definitely possible that animosity is gone and she could return. Just ask yourself. If you were in charge and she was returning, would you book her to win The Rumble? Probably.

And then there’s Jade Cargill. WWE’s most exciting recent signing not named CM Punk was pushed heavily on television after she first arrived, but she’s been gone for awhile and has been quietly training. WWE could set her up as an immediate main event player if she won here.

The Internet seems to be rallying around Bayley. She would be a great choice and probably the most logical one, but I keep coming back to Becky Lynch. I think her match with Rhea is going to happen at WrestleMania, and I think WWE is going to pay off her selfless work this year with a second Rumble win.

Predicted Winner: Becky Lynch

The Men’s Royal Rumble

Part of the reason why I didn’t publish these predictions yesterday is because I was waiting to see what Seth Rollins was going to do after his recent injury. If he vacated his title, whether or not it was put up at The Rumble, it would have created all kinds of chaos, and it would have dramatically increased the possible winners. 

Think about it this way. There are two world champions in WWE. The winner of The Royal Rumble is going to wrestle one of those two at WrestleMania. If we know the champions are going to be Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins, then you’re essentially saying the winner of The Rumble is going to be one of their opponents. If Rollins was off the table, the possibilities would be endless. You’d have to start throwing in guys like Gunther, Drew McIntyre, Damian Priest, Brock Lesnar, Bobby Lashley, Sami Zayn and Randy Orton, but if Rollins is locked in, that means, by my estimation, there are only three options to win The Rumble and an unlikely wild card fourth option I'll get to later.

Roman Reigns is going to fight either Cody Rhodes, The Rock or both at WrestleMania. Seth Rollins is almost certainly going to fight CM Punk. That means the winner of The Rumble is going to be Cody, The Rock or CM Punk (probably). I think, of those three, The Rock is the least likely. The Tampa Bay crowd would be stoked to see him show up and enter The Rumble for sure, but I’m not sure people would really want to see him win. That honor should probably go to a more modern guy. So, it’s either Cody winning two years in a row or CM Punk. 

I’m gonna go with CM Punk. I think he’s the most logical choice. His probable match against Seth Rollins is likely his best chance ever to main event a WrestleMania, and I think the crowd would be happy to see him have that level of success. It would also provide another reminder to everyone in AEW that if you want to come over to WWE, there are potential huge opportunities.

If I was forced to come up with a fourth option, I would go with Gunther. He's ready to be in the world title picture. Maybe there's a world in which, if The Rock is going to wrestle Roman Reigns, WWE decides to have Cody Rhodes wrestle CM Punk, which leaves Gunther to deal with Seth Rollins. I think that's unlikely, but I'll throw it out into the universe just in case.

Predicted Winner: CM Punk

If you're in The United States, you can stream The Royal Rumble this Saturday night for free with a Peacock subscription. 

WWE's Crown Jewel Premium Live Event is right around the corner, and some of the WWE's top superstars will soon square off in Saudi Arabia fpr a number of high-profile matches. Strangely enough, however, the company is not sending the bulk of its top stars to its latest event, as Gunther, Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair, and many other major names won't be present. And it's for a rather unexpected reason: they'll be heading up a completely different live show back here in the United States. 

As everyone prepares for the upcoming WWE event that annually gives wrestling fans in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, a chance to watch the Superstars in action, it only recently became clear that it's not the only show the WWE has planned for Saturday, November 4th. A number of superstars are set to bring their talents to a house show in Rochester, New York. That show will take place in the evening per usual, so anyone attending the New York show will feasibly be able to watch the PLE with a Peacock subscription earlier that afternoon. Still, it's strange to see the WWE double-booking live shows on the same day as such a high-profile event.

The WWE Is Advertising Gunther And More For Rochester Show

As mentioned, Intercontinental Champion Gunther will be at the Rochester, New York, show, but he's not the only big name. Here is a list of the athletes announced for the event so far, and it's a fairly crowded and notable list: 

• Ricochet
• Shinsuke Nakamura
• Becky Lynch
• Tiffany Stratton
• Charlotte Flair
• Iyo Sky
• Carlito
• Grayson Waller
• Kofi Kingston
• The Street Profits
• The Brawling Brutes
• Omos

There is a note on the official page for the event that the card is subject to change, but that's standard messaging that appears on all WWE events. There's no reason to doubt that the company isn't planning on having this talent lineup at the show, but it is strange for some of these peeps to be there, since it means . For example, two major champions will compete on this show but not at the PPV. 

While it's not uncommon for the WWE to keep a number of superstars home when it goes overseas for shows, it is strange to see a house show happening on the same day as a pay-per-view. The WWE has run shows in the United States close to the Crown Jewel event in the past couple of years, but not on the same day. 

No Gunther At Crown Jewel Is Truly Shocking To Me

Gunther is one of the biggest names in the WWE right now, and there are even those who think he deserves a WrestleMania main event more than Cody Rhodes. Despite that, he didn't have a match at the latest PLE Fastlane, and now he's set to miss two and a row at Crown Jewel. I'd imagine he'll be present at Survivor Series in late November, but even so, it's odd for the WWE to keep its biggest champions out of the biggest events of the year. 

Crown Jewel does have some superstar matchups planned, like Drew McIntyre challenging Seth Rollins for the Heavyweight Championship. Rhea Ripley will also defend her title in a major match against Nia Jax, Shayna Baszler, Raquel Rodriguez, Zoey Stark. Other matches are sure to be solidified in the coming week, and I would assume John Cena will appear before he's called back to Hollywood should the SAG-AFTRA strikes conclude. I also wouldn't be shocked to see Logan Paul, given his impressive performance at Crown Jewel the year prior. 

Watch WWE's Crown Jewel live on Peacock when it airs on Saturday, November 4th, starting at 1:00 p.m. ET. Be sure to tune into SmackDown and Monday Night Raw in the meantime for more reveals on who will compete and maybe some other surprises that will be announced ahead of the big night. 

SummerSlam 2023 is now behind us, and while there's no denying this year's event delivered some bright spots that will be talked about for months to come, shortcomings weren't exactly avoided across the board. One sore spot was the noticeable lack of ring-time for top superstars like the outspoken Becky Lynch and Rhea Ripley, who had established storylines on Monday Night Raw that will now be resolved after the big event. Triple H responded to criticism of the booking decisions of the Premium Live Event, and explained why certain superstars and their matches were held for upcoming WWE events. 

Triple H spoke at the press conference that followed SummerSlam 2023, and was almost immediately asked about the situation with booking female superstars in the WWE. While the question was not inherently pointing to Becky Lynch (who didn't settle her grudge match with Trish Stratus) or Rhea Ripley (who didn't have a title defense), it seemed the head of creative still wanted to address the comments made by both women on social media. The CCO talked about the SummerSlam booking process, and how he views setting up women's matches versus men's matches, saying:

SummerSlam 2023 might not have unveiled an official match card ahead of time, but there were certainly bouts that were officially announced and confirmed the annual event. So Triple H was playing it hyper-logical in stating that a match couldn't be cut if there was no card where said match appeared. But he might have sounded less defensive had it been framed as superstars with clear feuds heading into SummerSlam were being held back in order to set up headlining matches for later dates. 

And to be clear, this wasn't simply a snub to the female superstar, because even though Becky Lynch, Trish Stratus, and Rhea Ripley didn't draw focus, other notable men's matches also didn't make the cut. Santos Escobar, who defeated Rey Mysterio for a chance at the United States championship, is now only getting that shot on an upcoming SmackDown episode, despite qualifying ahead of SummerSlam, where such a contest would have been celebrated. 

In regards to key storylines being pushed to later dates, Triple H gave his mindset behind why there weren't more matches on the card: 

Triple H's reasons for booking seem sound enough, if overt with the manager-speak, but they don't really speak to the fact that some top stars in the company felt slighted by being left out. Especially if it's all going to be blamed on time. With that said, Rhea Ripley still appeared ringside to offer Finn Bálor support, despite her saucy tweets about not having a match. Though Becky Lynch was not present, she kept fans abreast of what she was up to regardless: 

We're far removed from the days when WWE's top brass were presented as major on-screen characters via Monday Night Raw or SmackDown, so for top superstars to go public over being miffed about being left out of major events, it indicates at least a mild problem brewing. Whether the anger will hold or fade is another question entirely, but it should be interesting to observe as the weeks go on. 

Monday Night Raw airs on the USA Network on Mondays at 8:00 p.m. ET, and fans can catch SmackDown on Fox on Fridays at the same time. SummerSlam is over and done with, but those with a Peacock Premium subscription can watch it right now. 

SummerSlam is nearly here, but there's no denying the vibe feels a bit different than it has in years past. That's thanks in part to a few key omissions of superstars and scratches of matches previously the card, which mean we won't see Rhea Ripley, Becky Lynch, and a handful of other big names on one of the year's biggest shows. Ripley and Lynch are understandably pretty upset about being left out of the fun of the upcoming WWE event, and they're airing out their frustrations on social media. 

Women's Heavyweight Champion Rhea Ripley will not compete at SummerSlam, even though it appears she was at one point set for a bout. Ripley was featured on the poster promoting SummerSlam and even previewed a future live makeup session with InStyle  to create her look for the big night. Ripley promoted the article and event, perhaps to throw some sass at the WWE for removing her from SummerSlam while keeping the promotional art up: 

It's looking like the WWE still plans to have Rhea Ripley take part in the live makeup session ahead of SummerSlam, even if she won't be defending her title against anyone. Ripley kept the reactions rolling with a gif from American Horror Story: Hotel of Sarah Paulson's Hypodermic Sally failing at lipstick, though looking about as fearsome as Ripley does in the ring. Is this a statement or just a joke?

As mentioned, Rhea Ripley isn't the only person potentially mad about not being on the card for SummerSlam. Becky Lynch shared something similar on Instagram, as she had a gallery of photos next to cars that will probably not be used. Meanwhile, Hall of Famer and legend Trish Stratus shared a photo of her and Becky fighting, along with the following caption: 

It's entirely possible that Trish Stratus was in character and talking about how she was tired of being attacked by Becky Lynch. At the same time, it does feel like a sneaky way of voicing displeasure for the fact that their match was moved until after SummerSlam when it was originally promoted for the match card. Instead, the two will have their months-long feud seemingly conclude on an episode of Monday Night Raw on August 14th.

The WWE removed and shifted a few key matchups that were already planned or might've been added to SummerSlam and added a previously unannounced battle royal match sponsored by Slim Jim. F4Wonline.com reports it's the start of a major partnership between the WWE and the meat stick brand, which will also be promoting Survivor Series, the Royal Rumble, and WrestleMania 40. The company hailed it as the largest sponsorship deal in WWE history, though a dollar amount was not disclosed. 

While sponsorship money is good for the WWE and probably good for the main roster at large, it's understandable if there are hurt feelings by superstars who expected a chance to compete on one of the biggest nights of pro wrestling. This is especially true if you're someone like Rhea Ripley or Becky Lynch, who is usually a mainstay on any major event unless they're out with an injury. Hopefully, SummerSlam will be the last time in a while that either is left out of a big event for a long time. 

Those with a Peacock Premium subscription will be able to stream SummerSlam on Saturday, August 5th, beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET. Here's hoping that the show lives up to the reputation set by previous years and that leaving off some key superstars was a wise decision. 

The Monday Night Raw before SummerSlam is typically meant to build hype for the upcoming WWE event and be a go-home show for members of the roster. Unfortunately, it didn't feel like that in one major and disappointing way. General manager Adam Pearce showed up in the middle of the night after two big stars had words and announced their SummerSlam match is being moved. Becky Lynch and Trish Stratus are officially off for the Premium Live Event, and that's not the only problem I have with the card. 

Adam Pearce originally came out and announced that Becky Lynch's big match with Trish Stratus wasn't happening at SummerSlam but rather that night on Monday Night Raw. Stratus, whose recent handstand post on social media made it seem like she was in top condition to compete, used Zoey Stark to force a disqualification and end the match. Pearce then announced that the match wouldn't occur at SummerSlam but instead at the Monday Night Raw on August 14th in Winnipeg, Canada. It felt like a slap in the face to me considering SummerSlam is this weekend and I'm being denied an anticipated match, and it's not the first time I've felt that way in recent weeks.

Becky Lynch Vs. Trish Stratus Isn't The Only Big Match Not Happening At SummerSlam

Before I knew Becky Lynch vs. Trish Stratus wasn't happening, I was already a bit miffed about another SummerSlam match missing the card. It might've been overshadowed by Rey Mysterio's injury, but Santos Escobar's championship match against Austin Theory won't take place until the SmackDown on August 11th. 

It doesn't make sense to me that a championship match for a title that hasn't been defended at a pay-per-view since Backlash is missing SummerSlam. At a time when there's so much praise and emphasis on elevating the Intercontinental title via Gunther, it seems like the United States title is being intentionally buried. 

SummerSlam 2023 Doesn't Feel As Big As It Should Be

I was looking through the SummerSlam 2023 prediction list from CinemaBlend's Mack Rawden, and I can't help but feel underwhelmed by what I'm seeing. SummerSlam is arguably the second biggest show the WWE does all year, and given what we've seen at previous events in 2023, the bar will be high for it to deliver. Why then are we already leaving two major matches for a later date? 

It feels like the WWE is leaning heavily on Roman Reigns vs. Jey Uso and Cody Rhodes vs. Brock Lesnar to deliver, and it's a safe bet they will. With that being said, I think SummerSlam is one of those Premium Live Events that people expect to be great from beginning to end, not just the main events. I get that there's not an infinite amount of time for the show to host a match for each and every competitor, but when a late addition of a generic Battle Royale is thrown in, you'd have to think there was room on the card for Becky Lynch and Trish Stratus. We'll see if the final match card is the right call, but so far, I'm leery about it. 

WWE fans can stream SummerSlam with a Peacock Premium subscription on Saturday, August 5th. Tune in to see if Roman Reigns finally drops his title or if Brock Lesnar and Cody Rhodes can settle their feud once and for all. 

WrestleMania is the reigning, defending, undisputed champion of all wrestling events every year and likely will be for the foreseeable future, but if you ask fans for a second place, you’re likely to get a lot of different answers. Some will say Royal Rumble. Some will say Survivor Series. Some might even say it’s AEW’s Double or Nothing. I suspect, however, the most common answer, at least from those associated with WWE, would be SummerSlam. The premium live event has run annually every summer since 1988, and it typically features many of the roster’s biggest names in action.

This year is missing a few heavy hitters, at least via announced matches, but it still boasts a laundry list of huge names including Roman Reigns, Brock Lesnar, Cody Rhodes, Charlotte Flair, Seth Rollins, Drew McIntyre, Gunther, Logan Paul, Bianca Belair, Finn Bálor and the rapidly getting over LA Knight. Several of the matches have, in my mind at least, pretty obvious outcomes, but there’s enough toss-ups and lingering uncertainty that it should still be really intriguing for everyone watching.

There have been 8 matches announced so far, now that Becky Lynch and Trish Stratus has been delayed. I’d like to go at least 6 and 2 in my predictions, which would be pretty in keeping with my overall record seen below…

I’m pretty stoked I got both Money In The Bank matches right last month, as well as most of the rest of the card (6-1!), but in the predictions game, you’re only as good as your last outing. So, fingers crossed I can keep the hot streak going. Here’s a look at all my theories… 

Cody Rhodes Vs Brock Lesnar

Brock Lesnar is Brock Lesnar, and given all he’s accomplished, I’m never going to take the possibility of a victory off the table in one of his matches. He’s too famous and still gets too strong of a crowd reaction to be a walkover, but unless The Beast is committing to working a full-time schedule in order to make another title run, this has to be Cody Rhodes for the sake of the story. 

Right now, the most likely main event for WrestleMania 40 is Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns, and if that’s still the plan, Cody needs to be winning all his feuds. He’s currently one and one against Lesnar and needs a win here to come out with the momentum and continue pushing himself back to the top of the card. I’m very confident that’s going to happen, though I expect we’ll get a close back-and-forth match with Lesnar landing a lot of offense and Rhodes fighting from underneath. I expect the victory to be clean though. More than likely, we’ll see Lesnar take some time off afterwards and return in a few months, presented as dominant as ever.

Predicted Winner: Cody Rhodes

Ricochet Vs Logan Paul

I think this program with Logan Paul is the biggest spot WWE has ever put Ricochet in, which is great because he’s a spectacular in-ring performer. I’m glad to see him getting a bit more shine, especially after he was left off WrestleMania 38, despite being Intercontinental Champion at the time. Maybe this will lead to a big push for him and more chances to continue refining his character and improving his mic skills. 

But this match should be about getting Logan Paul back in the win column. Like Brock Lesnar, he’s a featured attraction type performer, but in order to maintain his must-see aura, he needs to pick up wins at least half the time he’s going out there. Unfortunately, his last four official matches have been a loss to Roman Reigns, a loss at The Royal Rumble, a loss to Seth Rollins and a loss at Money In The Bank. The Rumble and Money In The Bank failures don’t really matter, given the size of those fields, but that doesn’t change the fact that he hasn’t won since beating The Miz at SummerSlam 2022. He needs this victory, and I’d be shocked if he didn’t get it. Expect Ricochet to look great in a loss though! 

Predicted Winner: Logan Paul

Gunther (Champion) Vs Drew McIntyre For The Intercontinental Championship

The big question here is what’s going on with Drew McIntyre’s contract situation. He was gone for an extended period of time after WrestleMania amidst rumors that he was unhappy with creative and his contract was set to expire in late 2023. Now he’s back and in a high profile spot with Gunther, who still hasn’t lost a singles match on the main roster. What that means for his contract or if any of those unhappy over creative rumors were true is unclear. Is this going to be the moment where he announces he’s a main eventer again or is he going to be a sacrificial lamb for Gunther on his way out the door?

Given his popularity and status as former WWE Champion, he’s certainly a threat to dethrone Gunther, but if he’s not locked in and ready to be in WWE for years with strong creative, I don’t see how he can win here. Plus, Gunther is about a month and a half from breaking Honky Tonk Man’s record for the longest IC reign in WWE history, and I think most fans, myself included, would like to see him do that. So, because of all the uncertainty around Drew McIntyre and because of the IC title record being right in view and because Gunther is a once in a generation monster heel that everyone loves to boo, I think The Ring General is gonna take this.

Predicted Winner: Gunther

Asuka (Champion) Vs Charlotte Flair Vs Bianca Belair For The WWE Women’s Championship

I’m covered in mist and at a complete loss trying to figure out where this story is going. All three of these women are credible champions, but none are anywhere near a peak moment in their popularity. In fact, you could make the case that all three are being misused right now. Charlotte Flair is currently a face, and while she’s getting cheers, I think fans are a lot more comfortable booing her as a heel. Asuka, on the other hand, is being used as a heel, but I think fans want to see her as a face. I was at WrestleMania, and most fans were very overtly rooting for her over Bianca Belair, who just desperately needs some level of character development. I don’t care if she stays a face, but she needs something interesting and important to do.

So, where does that leave any of this? Where do Triple H, Vince McMahon, Bruce Prichard and company want to go? My guess is Iyo Sky is going to cash in and win this match, which will set up a feud with Asuka and then something will happen during the match, to spin off Charlotte and Bianca, who will then feud outside the title. But really, who the hell knows? My confidence level is very low here.

Predicted Winner: Iyo Sky

Seth Freakin’ Rollins (Champion) Vs Finn Bálor For The World Heavyweight Championship

This is probably the match I’m most excited about on the card, specifically because there are a ton of different directions WWE could take this story. Seth Freakin’ Rollins is getting some of the best crowd reactions of his entire career. He’s very hot right now, and I love seeing him getting his due and carrying the belt around. So, if WWE wants to keep it on him, I get it. Then again, The Judgment Day runs Monday Night Raw and is only growing in influence. A main event men’s belt would take the stable to another level, and Finn Bálor certainly has the resume and the gravitas to make the most of it, especially because of how it would advance his storyline with Damian Priest.

There has been a lot of tension in The Judgment Day, specifically after Priest won Money In The Bank. He’s going to cash in his guaranteed title shot on The World Heavyweight Championship sometime in the next few months, and given Bálor and Rollins have been feuding over that same belt, it has created drama. Rhea Ripley has done everything she can to squash it and put on a happy face, but while Mamí can control Dominik Mysterio, I’m not so sure, ultimately, she can control either of them. They both want the belt.

Whatever the outcome of this match winds up being, I expect Damian Priest to be involved. Maybe he comes down to the ring and simply watches. Maybe he jumps in and fights Seth Rollins immediately if Bálor loses. Maybe he even cashes in on Finn if he wins the match but is exhausted. All options are on the table, and I can’t wait to see which path WWE picks.

I think Finn wins the title and there’s a tease Damian Priest might cash-in but it doesn’t actually happen. That would create a lot of tension and story moving forward, but really, I have no idea. And that’s why I’m so freakin’ excited.

Predicted Winner: Finn Bálor

Ronda Rousey Vs Shayna Baszler

A year ago, if you told me Shayna and Ronda would be fighting at SummerSlam, I would have assumed Ronda would win without much question. At the time, Baszler was largely stuck in a holding pattern and not even showing up on TV a ton, while Ronda, despite some fan apprehension, was clearly at the center of the women’s title picture. But that’s just not the case anymore. Rousey and Baszler teamed for a brief tag title run. Baszler turned on Ronda, and the fans are clearly on her side. There are also rumors everywhere that Rousey’s contract is about to end, and obviously, things have not gone as either she or WWE had planned.

If she were wrestling someone random, I think WWE would have Ronda win to keep her looking strong for a possible return in the future, but since she’s real life buddies with Baszler and Baszler could use a push, I think Ronda is going to put her over on her way out the door in what could be her last WWE match ever. If it is the end, I would need about 15,000 words to even start processing her wrestling career, but since I don’t have that, I’ll just say it’s been a mixed bag.

Predicted Winner: Shayna Baszler

SummerSlam Battle Royal

Right now, this Battle Royal is reading like an excuse to get LA Knight a match. More than likely, it’ll also serve as a convenient excuse to get some other guys on the card. We’re missing a ton of huge names like Bobby Lashley, AJ Styles, Sami Zayn, Solo Sikoa, The Miz, Damian Priest, Dominik Mysterio, Kevin Owens and Sheamus. The Celtic Warrior is the only one of those to be officially confirmed; so, it’ll be interesting to see whether the rest of the spots are filled out by some of the heavy hitters above or whether we get more mid-card guys. 

The upshot of getting in the big names is that it’s SummerSlam, and when casual fans watch one of WWE’s marquee events, they want to see the biggest names on the roster actually compete. Sami Zayn, as an example, has been one of the most featured acts on the entire roster over the last year. The idea of him not being at SummerSlam is weird. Then again, if this really is just a contrived match to continue the Megastar’s rapid ascent, then I get why WWE would rather keep most of their biggest acts out of it.

The other names, apart from Sheamus and LA Knight, that have been announced are Ciampa, Shinsuke Nakamura and Alpha Academy, which has me thinking they're going to go the mid-card route. If that’s the case, I suspect everyone in the crowd at the end will be screaming L A Knight. YEAH. Look for him to continue his delayed ascent and get a raucous ovation from the Detroit crowd.

Predicted Winner: LA Knight

Roman Reigns (Champion) Vs Jey Uso For The WWE Universal Championship

I love Jey Uso. The Usos are, to me, a top five tag team in WWE history. There aren’t enough positive things I can say about Jimmy and Jey and all they’ve done in WWE for the last decade. You could also make the case, given their family connections and extended history, that Jey is the right person to finish the story and beat Roman Reigns. He’s been the most important non-Roman person to the entire Bloodline arc. 

But wrestling isn’t just about creating a moment or writing a fitting ending. It’s about setting yourself up to keep telling a story tomorrow, and there are simply way more compelling stories WWE can tell with Roman holding the belts than with Jey. is there any part of you that can even envision Jey Uso having a title defense by himself at an upcoming PPV that wouldn’t involve fighting Roman Reigns? Like is there anyone interested in watching him have a match against AJ Styles at Fastlane? Ok. Scratch that. I would watch that match, but it wouldn't feel like a PPV main event to me, which is a problem.

I expect this to be a good match. I expect to see some false finishes, maybe a Jimmy Uso return, but I would be shocked if Jey won this match. This needs to be Roman, and it will be Roman, unless he's hurt or planning to take a few months off.

Predicted Winner: Roman Reigns

SummerSlam will stream on Saturday August 5th. In The United States, it'll be available for free with a Peacock subscription. Don't miss out. WWE is really ascending in popularity right now thanks to a product that's better than it has been in years, and this event should continue that hot streak. 

High stakes, over characters and uncertain outcomes are typically the most important ingredients in a successful wrestling event, and this year’s Money In The Bank has all three going for it. Throw in what’s likely to be a hot crowd, given it’s a rare PPV in Europe, and there’s a real chance this could be one of WWE’s best events of the entire year. I cannot wait.

But as excited as I am as a wrestling fan, I’m that nervous as a prognosticator. The Men’s Money In The Bank match could very believably go in three different directions. I can’t stop arguing with myself about the best long-term path for The Bloodline Civil War, and even the Seth Rollins and Finn Bálor title match has some intrigue given the build has been strong and Judgment Day is really popular. It’s really only the Cody Rhodes vs Dominik Mysterio and Gunther vs Riddle matches that I’m overwhelmingly confident about.

But reputations in the soothsayer game aren’t made during comfortable times. They’re made during the tumult, and I’m ready to step up and hopefully have a big performance. You can take a look at some recent events, as well as my overall WWE record below…

At the risk of patting myself on the back harder than The Miz, I’ll say that’s not half-bad. Hopefully I’ll put in a good performance here, and some of these 50-50 matches break the right way for me. You can my full analysis below…

Ronday Rousey And Shayna Baszler (Champs) Vs Liv Morgan And Raquel Rodriguez For The WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships

I don’t know how many people are left on Team Ronda Rousey. To be honest, I’m not sure if I’m still on Team Ronda Rousey. The potential is there. The star power is there. But her mic work continues to be a struggle, and there are times in which she looks too robotic in the ring, especially with interconnected move sets. She needs a manager desperately, something many of us have been saying for years, but at this point, I’m starting to wonder if this is just what it’s gonna be forever. I don’t know. Part of me really hopes it’s not, and part of me wants WWE to keep the tag belts on her because without them, it feels like we might be officially giving up.

Liv Morgan certainly doesn’t have the ceiling Ronda Rousey does, but she’s, without question, the person involved in the match fans care about the most. This is also her first match back from injury, and considering she and Raquel never lost the belts to begin with, I think they’re a real threat to win. Ultimately, I think it comes most down to what WWE wants to do with Ronda over the next few months. If they’re still trying to keep her at a star level, I think she should win here. If they’re ready to move on, then they should lose. I say they still trying to make it work, but who knows?

Predicted Winner: Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler.

Cody Rhodes Vs Dominik Mysterio

Dominik Mysterio is one of the best heels on WWE’s entire roster. I mean… is there a single person in wrestling getting booed more aggressively and booed by more grandmas than him every time he tries to open his mouth? It’s been a tremendous turnaround for someone who initially struggled to find an identity outside of being his dad’s inexperienced tag team partner. At this point, it’s pretty easy to see a future in which he’s maybe a tag team title holder with Damian Priest or even a United States Champion with a lot of interference victories thanks to Rhea Ripley. Beating Cody Rhodes, in my opinion, is a bridge too far though.

Look for this to be a really entertaining match. Dominik will likely pull out every dirty and heelish trick Iron Sheik style (RIP). At some point during the match, I’d expect him to literally flee and/ or run around the ring. We’ll probably get a big spot with Rhea Ripley too, but ultimately, Cody Rhodes needs to win this match. He would lose far more taking a loss against Dom than Dom would gain by getting a win against him. 

Predicted Winner Cody Rhodes

Seth Freakin’ Rollins (Champion) Vs Finn Bálor For The World Heavyweight Championship

Seth Rollins is super over with fans right now, to the point where crowds will interrupt segments to start singing his theme music. Given he barely won the belt a month ago at Night Of Champions, you’d think there’s no way he could possibly lose it this quickly, but in my opinion, the whole point of creating this belt was to inject more uncertainty into the title picture. Roman Reigns hasn’t lost in more than a thousand days, and Gunther seems on his way to being the longest reigning Intercontinental Champion in history. Having Seth lose the belt so quickly would be a great way to remind fans that anything is possible.

That being said, Finn Bálor winning isn’t the only option WWE has to take the belt off Rollins. Someone is about to pick up the Money In The Bank briefcase, and it’ll almost certainly be cashed in on whoever holds this title. Roman Reigns isn’t losing to a cash-in, and fans collectively hated Austin Theory cashing in on a mid-card title last year. So, it’ll be this belt, the only question is who holds it when that happens. I think it’ll still be Rollins. So, look for him to win here and then get blindsided sometime between Money In The Bank and SummerSlam. 

Predicted Winner: Seth Freakin’ Rollins

Men’s Money In The Bank Featuring (At Least) Damian Priest, LA Knight, Logan Paul, Shinsuke Nakamura, Ricochet, Santos Escobar And Butch

I put “at least” in the headline here because my prediction last year was screwed by Austin Theory being added to the match right before it happened. I shouted at my TV like an outraged Jesse The Body Ventura, knowing almost for certain he was going to win, and there’s a lingering feeling in the back of my mind that a similar thing could happen this year. Drew McIntyre is hopefully coming back at some point. Maybe. The same could be said about Bray Wyatt. Rumors are swirling Randy Orton might be healthy again for the first time in over a year. The candidates are right there.

But if we assume for a second that the possible winners are the ones already announced, I think the most likely candidates are Damian Priest, LA Knight and Logan Paul. Priest is, in my opinion, the best pick from a storyline standpoint. He’s really come into his own this year, had a terrific, match of the night performance with Bad Bunny at Backlash and a win could help push Judgment Day into even loftier heights. 

LA Knight doesn’t make a lot of storyline sense, but he’s getting more popular by the week, despite some terrible booking. Fans are comparing his mic work to The Rock’s, and a win here, supported by good creative for the next month, could turn him into one of the company’s biggest stars. And Logan Paul is Logan Paul. He’s over-delivered in every match so far, has history with Seth Rollins and could do WWE a ton of promotional good by carting the briefcase everywhere he goes for a few months. I broke down the men’s Money In The Bank match more fully here, but the end result is I’m picking Damian Priest. Am I confident though? No.

Predicted Winner: Damian Priest

Women’s Money In The Bank Featuring (At Least) Iyo Sky, Bayley, Becky Lynch, Zoey Stark, Trish Stratus and Zelina Vega

Just like with the men’s match, there’s a chance we could see someone added, but as most of the biggest stars on the women’s side are 1) already champions, 2) involved in major storylines or 3) off due to pregnancy, I’m pretty confident the ultimate winner will come from this group. I think we can throw out Zelina Vega, who was fantastic at Backlash but just isn’t ready for this level of step up to the main event. I also don’t think Zoey Stark has a real chance, as she’s good in the ring but needs to improve her mic skills. So, that leaves Iyo, Bayley, Becky and Trish. Initially, I thought Becky and Trish would screw each other, setting up another match at SummerSlam. I still think that’s probably going to happen, but the segment between Becky and Rhea on Raw this past week made her seem like more of a real possibility.

Let’s leave her aside for a second and instead focus on Iyo and Bayley. WWE has been teasing a Damage CTRL break-up for what feels like six months. One of the two winning the case would be the logical next step, as it would cause dissension within the ranks. The case for Iyo is that she’s an up and coming talent and has been getting good crowd reactions. She also has good chemistry with Asuka and a cash-in on here could b a really great moment. The case for Bayley is that she’s one of the best in WWE on the mic and she’d have a ton of fun possible storylines if she won it again. I think it’s going to be one of those two or Becky, who is Becky Freakin' Lynch and will always be a good choice to win anything and everything.

Predicted Winner: Iyo Sky

Gunther (Champion) Vs Matt Riddle For The Intercontinental Championship

I feel really confident about Gunther here for two reasons. First, I think most people want to see him break Honky Tonk Man’s record for the longest reign in Intercontinental history, and in order to do that, he’ll need to hold the title until November. But even if WWE doesn’t actually care about that, you’d have to think the match where he finally loses would have a better build this one. I’m not saying Triple H and company didn’t put in some work here. They did and involved the rest of Imperium and Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens in it, but Riddle has, at times, sorta felt like the odd man out in his own storyline.

Second, Riddle is not nearly as hot as he was before he took time away, allegedly to deal with some behind the scenes issues. Prior to the Randy Orton injury and immediately afterwards, he was among the most over babyfaces on the entire roster. He needs to regain that spark because it’s just not the same as it was before. 

Predicted Winner: Gunther

The Usos Vs Roman Reigns And Solo Sikoa

I remain convinced the long-term plan is for Roman and Solo to feud with each other, but I have no idea what the timeline might be. I could see Solo turning on Roman here in preparation for a match at SummerSlam, or I could see the two working well together and teaching The Usos a lesson. Maybe Jimmy and Jey go away for a month or so, Roman and Solo establish some kind of new hierarchy, and the storyline moves into an entirely new phase. Maybe other family members show up and interfere, creating a messy outcome. Maybe The Usos pick up a clean win and spend the next month talking about how Roman doesn’t play well with others.

Good WWE storylines put in the character development work to set up a final payoff that’s really satisfying. More often than not, it’s pretty easy to tell where these storylines are ultimately going, but they’re still satisfying when they get there. Great WWE storylines put in so much character development work that they set up multiple possible outcomes that would believably make sense. That’s what is going on here. We know The Usos, Solo and Roman Reigns so well that any direction this goes in, there’s the potential to tell more satisfying story. I’m going to pick The Usos to win here, but pretty much every possible outcome is on the table.

Predicted Winner: The Usos

As always, you can catch Money In The Bank live for free with a Peacock subscription. The event happens this Saturday July 1st in London at 2 PM ET. 

What was originally going to be King Of The Ring 2023 turned into Night Of Champions, and now, instead of the winner getting a crown, we’re getting a battle between Seth Freakin’ Rollins and AJ Styles to be crowned the new World Heavyweight Championship. I’m really excited to see where WWE goes with that match, and I’m also excited for the rest of the card.

The Saudi fans, as well as those of us watching at home, are getting five title matches, as well as Brock Lesnar and Cody Rhodes and Trish Stratus and Becky Lynch. That’s a strong card for a non-Big 4 premium live event, but unfortunately, most of the matches, at least on paper, seem to have pretty obvious winners. I went 6-1 in my Backlash predictions, and I’d be disappointed if I didn’t do at least that well this time around. Here’s a look back at how I’ve done so far this year, as well as my overall record…

There’s a sense on wrestling Twitter that for a show to be good, it needs some surprising results. Maybe. I love a good upset, but I’d rather have predictable results than giving out wins that don't make sense storywise. Plus, just because a certain person wins doesn't mean we can't get a good amount of character development, and I suspect we'll see some of that this weekend. Here's what I think will happen...

AJ Styles Vs Seth Freakin' Rollins For The World Heavyweight Championship

Seth Freakin’ Rollins is really hot right now, and AJ Styles is, well, that’s complicated. AJ Styles is AJ Freakin’ Styles, and he’ll always be some level of over. But he also recently returned from a serious injury and hasn’t really had a compelling storyline in awhile. So, from a purely what we’ve seen on television over the last six months standpoint, this should be a squash match.

But I’m never going to write off AJ Styles because he could get going again in a hurry if WWE would give him a little momentum. Plus, there are a lot of rumors around Seth Rollins’ role in Captain America 4, with some wondering if his movie star aspirations will cause WWE to second guess any potential plans to put this newly created title on him. Because of that, it’s not a guarantee Rollins wins here. But I still think it’s very likely. Fans have been screaming his theme song, and he’s unquestionably on a heater right now. Throw in the fact that AJ Styles and The OC would have to switch brands if he won and I think there’s at least an 80% chance Rollins takes the gold and then plays out one of the many fun possible scenarios.

I think the better questions are whether this will main event and how much time it’ll get. I think WWE should give it the hammer because it'll help fight the perception this title is less important than the ones Roman Reigns carries around, but I suspect it won’t main event because it’s not on par, at least not yet. I do think these two will get a lot of time to cook though, and there are few people in WWE I trust more to put on a good match than these two.

Predicted Winner: Seth Freakin’ Rollins

Roman Reigns And Solo Sikoa Vs Sami Zayn And Kevin Owens For The Tag Titles

Roman Reigns has won basically everything put in front of him for the last three years, and WWE has been very invested in making him seem like an unstoppable force. Even his loss to Seth Rollins at The 2022 Royal Rumble was by disqualification for essentially beating him up too much. So, you’d think he’d be a strong candidate to win here and become, to my knowledge, the first man to simultaneously hold four belts in WWE.

But I think giving him the Raw and Smackdown Tag Team Championships, in a time in which he’s working less than ever, is a bridge too far. He’s not going to defend these belts on a regular basis; so, if he won, he’d have to quickly drop them and if he was just quickly dropping them, what’s the point of even having him win them? The only scenario I could see would be if he won them, then immediately made a big show of forfeiting them and told The Usos he was just proving he could.

That’s more complicated than necessary though. So, I think, in order for the disintegration of The Bloodline plotline to continue, we’ll see Roman and Solo lose because of something The Usos did or did not do. That’ll create a bigger rift that can be explored in coming weeks, and Sami and Kevin will hold onto the tag titles.

Predicted Winner: Sami Zayn And Kevin Owens

Gunther Vs Mustafa Ali For The Intercontinental Championship

Gunther is going to win this match. If he doesn’t, it will make even less sense than Goldberg beating The Fiend in Saudi Arabia. The Ring General is on his way to being the greatest Intercontinental Champion of all-time and Mustafa Ali, while fantastic inside the ring, isn’t even remotely close to over. He’s getting almost zero crowd reaction when he comes out, probably because his current gimmick is trash. That's why he broke character to at least start a heartfelt promo on Raw before Brock Lesnar interrupted him. 

Because he’s really good in the ring, however, I expect Mustafa Ali to get some hope spots and put on a really good match. I don’t want it to be too competitive, as that wouldn’t make sense for Gunther, but seven minutes of high energy spots with one near fall sounds about right. Expect it to look something like Zelina Vega and Rhea Ripley at Backlash, though I don’t think we’ll see anywhere close to the same crowd reaction. Still, if Ali performs well and can get some crowd support, this could be a launching pad for some more screentime. That worked for Bronson Reed at Elimination Chamber. 

Predicted Winner: Gunther

Bianca Belair Vs Asuka For The Raw Women’s Championship

WWE needs to do something long-term with Bianca Belair. She has now been booed at two consecutive premium live events between WrestleMania and Backlash, and while I think she’ll get cheered here, I wouldn’t bet large amounts of money on it. And that’s the thing. If someone is supposed to be a yearlong babyface champion, you’d think huge rounds of applause would be a given. They’re not right now, not because she’s not great but because her character hasn’t seen any worthwhile storylines or real development in months. 

Because of that, I expect Belair to lose her title at some point soon. Maybe we’ll see a heel turn or Charlotte Flair will show up, embarrass her and take her title? Something has to change, but even so, it’s hard for me to imagine Belair losing the title after more than a year to a build that has no momentum whatsoever. What are Asuka and Belair even feuding over? She’s just the next challenger, and the crowd isn’t exactly hot for it, which sucks because Asuka is fantastic and there’s an alternate universe filled out with thoughtful character development in which this is a headliner of a major show. That's why I think there's a small chance she still could win but not nearly enough of a chance to pick her.

Predicted Winner: Bianca Belair

Cody Rhodes Vs Brock Lesnar

Brock Lesnar is one of the most dominant forces in WWE history, but that shine has started to come off a little bit over the last year or so. He’s lost a lot of big matches, and while it’s worth a shoutout to him for putting people over, the end result of all those losses has been a reduction of his character. You can’t just keep losing and remain The Beast forever, which is why I think he’ll score a win here off Cody Rhodes, probably by working the arm he injured on Raw earlier this week.

The American Nightmare got the best of him at Backlash. If Lesnar wins here, they can fight for a third time at SummerSlam or Money In The Bank before Brock heads back to his farm to take a few months off. He’d leave in a way that would allow fans to be hyped when he came back, and Rhodes would get the biggest wins of his WWE career against an all-time legend. 

Predicted Winner: Brock Lesnar

Rhea Ripley Vs Natalya For The Smackdown Women’s Championship

With all due respect to the newly promoted Cameron Grimes, Rhea Ripley is the one headed to the moon, and it wouldn’t shock me at all if ten years from now, we were talking about her being the greatest female wrestler in the history of the business. She’s got everything you’d hope for in a WWE superstar, and The Judgment Day, which has always had tremendous potential, feels like it’s getting even hotter, given Finn took out the rising Shinsuke Nakamura this week, Damian Priest is at an all-time high after his terrific performance at Backlash and Dominik Mysterio is still getting booed every time he tries to talk. 

So, no, Rhea Ripley will not be losing at Night Of Champions for about a thousand reasons including the fact that this match with Natalya has been given very little screentime to build. I do think they’ll get a nice little chunk of time though, and they should be able to put on a good match. I thought Natalya looked really good at Elimination Chamber earlier this year, and historically, she’s performed well when given someone talented to work opposite. So, look for a nice little back and forth, maybe around ten to twelve minutes, before Rhea takes over and wins cleanly.

Predicted Winner: Rhea Ripley

Trish Stratus Vs Becky Lynch

I’ve really enjoyed seeing Trish back on television every week. She’s a really good promo, and I like the angle of her wanting appreciation for pushing the women’s division forward. It’s a nice story that’s surpassed any of my expectations, but Becky Lynch is the future and shouldn’t be taking a loss from a woman getting close to 50, even if she’s an all-time legend who looks spectacular for her age.

My guess is this is the shortest match on the card. I think they’ll get around five minutes or so. Trish will get a hope spot. I think they’ll put it together in a fun way that engages the crowd, but ultimately, Becky is going to go over clean and looking like a top contender for one of the women’s championships. Assumedly, that’s where she’s going to end up long-term. The bigger question for me is whether Trish sticks around. I’d love to see her transition into an authority figure role opposite Adam Pearce, but we’ll see what happens. Either way, thanks for the past few months, Trish. It's felt both nostalgic and modern in the best ways. 

Predicted Winner: Becky Lynch

Heading into WrestleMania weekend, I planned to write an article about the best matches. I have in my notes Top 5 Matches Of WrestleMania 39, but sitting here, reflecting on all the spectacular wrestling we saw over the last two days, there was just no way I could keep this to five matches. In fact, there may have been more good-to-great matches on this card than any WrestleMania in history.

That's not to say every single thing we saw was a five star banger, but so many of the matches were either exactly what they needed to be or over-delivered in a big way. I'm so pleased with how the entire weekend turned out, and I'm ready to give out some flowers for jobs well done. So, without further ado, here are the 10 best matches WWE put on during WrestleMania 39...

10. Damage CTRL Vs Becky Lynch, Trish Stratus And Lita

Whenever WWE brings back legends for a big spot match, the name of the game is putting those legends into positions where they look good, even if they’re not quite as athletic as they once were. That involves careful planning, and this match was planned out so well. Damage CTRL did a lot of quick tags and intricate combination moves, while Becky battled on her own for awhile until both Trish and Lita were given their own sequences to look really good. 

I also loved how this match was a chance to show off how good Dakota Kai and Iyo Sky are in the ring. They were heavily involved in the action throughout, and while they sold really well to make the legends look good, they also got a chance to get their own moments, most prominently Iyo with a moonsault onto the outside. In the end, we got a Litasault, a Manhandle Slam and the faces went home with a nice little nostalgic moment. This match was exactly what it should have been. Job well done by everyone involved. 

Match Rating: 3.5/5

9. Edge Vs Finn Bálor In Hell In A Cell

Obviously the pacing of this match was screwed up by that monster head wound Finn Bálor got. That was an unfortunate fluke situation, and there’s nothing anyone can do about that. There are also some who are frustrated about the ending, as they feel Finn needed the win a lot more than Edge as he’s likely to be around longer. But even taking into account all of that, these two dudes just know how to put on a good wrestling match. They’ve got great chemistry, and some of the sequences looked really well put together.

I loved the spot where Edge trapped Finn in the corner. I loved the attempted Coup De Gras through the table. I loved the finish, even if I didn’t necessarily love the pick of the winner. Also, both entrances were also absolute fire and had the crowd really hyped up. In my mind, that counts as part of the match since you’re setting the scene, and the scene here was as good as any on the entire card.

Match Rating: 3.5/5

8. Asuka Vs Bianca Belair

Bianca Belair and Asuka have a really nice contrasting mix of styles. Belair really excels when she’s showing off raw power and athleticism, while Asuka is so clever and intricate with her reversals and submissions. It’s a different spin on the classic big guy vs little guy match, but it worked especially well with these two because Bianca is skilled and technical enough where she can sell those quick combinations and make them look great. 

During the match, we got some nice spots, good submission sequences and impressive feats of strength from Bianca. The momentum really built throughout it, and Belair was able to overcome a surprisingly negative crowd to get cheered for the finish. At your average WrestleMania, this probably would have been a top five match, but this year, we got so much great that Asuka and Bianca’s good is only good enough for eighth place. Job well done though.

Match Rating: 3.75/5

7. Logan Paul Vs Seth Rollins

We all knew this match was going to rule when it was announced. Seth Rollins might be the best in-ringer worker WWE has, and Logan Paul has as much natural talent as anyone I’ve seen. Well, spoiler alert: it ruled. Everyone will no doubt talk about Logan Paul’s frog splash onto the table with KSI in the Prime costume and with good reason. It was great, but most of what made this match great occurred in the quieter moments of ring psychology and standout individual moves and sequences. 

Logan Paul has all the tools to be WWE Champion some day, but he also likes doing a ton of different things. He podcasts. He boxes. He actively works at being a celebrity. As such, it’s unclear whether he’ll ever commit to the number of events he would need to in order to be seriously considered for a title run, but if he’s willing to do even 35 or 40 dates a year, it would be hard to say no. He’s overdelivered every single time, and his chemistry with Seth Rollins here was terrific. I'm so glad he's just leaning into the natural heel he is.

Match Rating: 4.0/5

6. Dominik Mysterio Vs Rey Mysterio

This is another match that wasn’t necessarily about any of the individual moves. It was about the larger story being told, and the crowd was red hot from the beginning, thanks to fantastic dueling entrances from Dominik (with cops) and from Rey (with Snoop Dogg to Eddie Guerrero’s music). I especially loved Dominik throwing a drink on his sister and getting slapped by his mom, but Rey whipping him with the belt was also top notch parenting.

I also love how this match clearly set up a future program with Bad Bunny when the pop star stole the chain from Dom. It seems likely we’ll get Rey Mysterio and Bad Bunny vs Dominik Mysterio and Damian Priest at WrestleMania Backlash, which Bad Bunny has already been announced as the host for. That’s a great example of setting up a longer-term story but still giving fans a satisfying conclusion at the actual event. This wasn’t an epic WCW cruiserweight bout in the late 90s, but it was exactly what it should have been. 

Match Rating: 4.0/5

5. The Men’s Fatal 4-Way Showcase Match

Just an absolute masterclass in how to put together an eight man tag team match. In only eight and a half minutes, every single team got multiple personalized moments to shine, and every single team somehow came away looking like a duo we’d all like to watch moving forward. The crowd was into the entire thing, and some of the spots will be remembered for a really long time. 

Here’s an incomplete list of highlights: Chad Gable doing a rolling German suplex on Braun Strowman. Ivar doing a moonsault off the top ropes. Angelo Dawkins derailing the Strowman Express mid-voyage. Ricochet’s shooting star press. The Viking Raiders’ just brutalizing Chad Gable, Ricochet and Montez Ford in quick succession. Braun landing a top rope frog splash. Otis ripping off his shirt to the delight of the crowd, and of course, Montez Ford’s top rope work to end the match. 

Most WrestleMania matches need a good build or some real stakes, but now and again, a really well-sequenced ten minutes of high energy wrestling can really get the job done. This was truly a showcase.

Match Rating: 4.25/5

4. Cody Rhodes Vs Roman Reigns

Wrestling fans are going to be debating this finish for years to come. Personally, I loved it. I wanted to see Cody go through some adversity and for Roman to stay on top. Others on social media or around me in the crowd clearly did not feel that way. But regardless, a good match is about a lot more than just the finish, and this match was fantastic. It was paced very slowly but in a way that milked all the emotional investment and interest from the crowd. The table spot was a great who is gonna take the bump tease, and a few of the false finishes at the end really felt like they could have been three counts.

I think the story around interference was also well done. The referee throwing Solo out created a really good crowd moment, and it was bedlam inside SoFi Stadium when Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens ran in to fight off The Usos. Cody may not have finished the story, but all of this created so much to build off for the next chapter. This’ll go down as a heavily-debated but also very well-appreciated main event. 

Match Rating: 4.5/5

3. Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn Vs The Usos

There are other matches on this list that had better spots or better technical precision, but not every match is about showing off unusual moves or high risk spots (though this match had some of both). The goal here was to tell the next chapter of The Bloodline story, and that next chapter was really damn good. You could feel the passion and the shared history in so many of the sequences, and the repeated finishes from Sami Zayn on Jey Uso was the best possible way to end it.

All four men in this match are incredibly over with the crowd, and all four are masters at knowing when to slow down and when to step on the gas. The initial sequence is a perfect example of that where we got staredowns and a tag-in before anyone even started fighting. The whole match built upon the tension the fans were already feeling and made the whole thing feel even more personal. Also, shoutout to The Usos for being a historically great tag team. Sami and Kevin have gotten most of the love over the last few months, but they make that whole thing go.

Match Rating: 4.75/5

2. Rhea Ripley And Charlotte Flair

If the goal here was to remind everyone that Charlotte Flair is probably the best woman ever and to show off Rhea Ripley’s almost unlimited potential: mission accomplished. This match slapped for more than twenty-three and a half minutes, and it was put together in a really thoughtful way too. There were multiple almost ref bumps that turned into finisher-driven false finishes, and the crowd’s energy level grew and grew with each near fall. By the end, fans were screaming like it was a night two main event, leaving WWE with an interesting Rhea decision to make long-term.

Fans will debate for years whether it should have gotten the honor to close the night, but ultimately, it doesn’t really matter. The match we got, when we got it, was a spectacular five star classic that put Rhea Ripley in the best possible position moving forward to pick up the torch and carry the women’s division for the next decade. Charlotte Flair was the only person who could have helped her with that, and we’re all lucky to have gotten to see it. 

Match Rating: 5/5

1. Gunther Vs Sheamus Vs Drew McIntyre

The great thing about WrestleMania 39 is there are legitimately like four matches you could pick as the best one and you’ll find some people to agree with you. For me, the match of the entire weekend was Gunther Vs Sheamus vs Drew McIntyre. There were, of course, a lot of chops, as you would expect, but there were also so many other fun and clever spots too. There were times Drew and Sheamus worked together. There were times they were adversarial. There were times Gunther looked utterly dominant, and there were times in which you thought he might really lose here.

Gunther and Sheamus have delivered every single time they’ve hooked up. The Clash At The Castle match was maybe the best of 2022. The six man tag with Imperium vs The Brawling Brutes was spectacular too. I was worried maybe adding Drew McIntyre here might screw up the formula, but we can all now confirm it did not. Drew was terrific here. By the end, it felt like fans were more cheering for their appreciation of the match than cheering for any specific outcome. This was the best WrestleMania gave us, and given how good WrestleMania 39 was, that makes this one of the best 'Mania matches ever.

Match Rating: 5/5

WrestleMania 39 is just about here, and the card is absolutely stacked. I’m so fired up about so many different matches. Of course there’s the possible end to The Bloodline story with Roman Reigns, The Usos, Sami Zayn, Kevin Owens and late addition Cody Rhodes, but even beyond those months-in-the-making matches, WWE has given fans an assortment of things to really be excited about.

I’m personally pumped for Austin Theory and John Cena, Rhea Ripley and Charlotte Flair and Rey and Dominik Mysterio to name a few, but it feels like I talk to five different people, and they all have different things they’re excited about, which is perfect. WrestleMania is meant to draw as many eyeballs as possible from casual and hardcore fans. It should be a celebration of all things wrestling: different styles, different emotional beats and different personalities.

I’ll do my best here to predict what’s going to happen. Not to brag, but last year, I went 11 and 4 in my WrestleMania 38 predictions (and have gone 56 and 21 since I started), and I’m hoping to do even better this year. I’ll outline who I think is going to win but also talk about the larger plotlines and what might be going through the minds of Triple H and the writers…

Austin Theory Vs John Cena For The United States Championship

The thing about wrestling for a championship belt is that if you win, you need to defend it, and at this point, there’s no reason to believe John Cena is sticking around in WWE to defend this belt. So, if he wins, it probably means he’s going to 1) wrestle for a surprise second time and lose during WrestleMania weekend or 2) drop it on an upcoming episode of Raw or Smackdown. Or more likely, it means he’s going to lose this long-rumored match. I’d love it if he won during the first match of night one, then held an open challenge and dropped it to a surprise person on night two (like LA Knight), but that seems a whole lot more complicated than just losing.

So, I think John Cena is going to lose. Being the great company man he is, I think he’s coming back to signal to fans that Austin Theory is a future star in the business (despite his post Money In The Bank booking), and there’s no better way to signal that than by losing a match for a belt he has a long history with at WrestleMania 39. I expect a fun, high energy match. I think Cena will get a lot of hope spots, but ultimately, I think he’s going to put Austin Theory over cleanly with his back on the mat. 

Predicted Winner: Austin Theory

Seth Freakin’ Rollins Vs Logan Paul

Logan Paul has full-on embraced his heelish inner-self, and it feels so right. He was never going to work, at least in the short-term, as a baby face, but now that he’s embraced the boos, he’s starting to feel more like a real part of the picture and not just a celebrity dropping by. The in-ring talent is there. The mic work is smooth and natural. He’s got the look. He’s got the charisma. The pieces are there to be WWE Champion someday, but in order to get there, he needs a ton of reps. He needs to expand his arsenal of moves, figure out how to sell promos with a less receptive crowd and improve the little things he hasn’t had time to develop yet. Whether or not he’s going to put in the time and make the commitment to wrestling in order to do that is anyone’s guess.

As for Seth Rollins, he’s getting a great crowd response. The fans are screaming his music, and he’s fully over as a baby face, which is wild given he was injuring Cody Rhodes with a sledgehammer less than a year ago. But it’s not really clear that he’s building toward anything. He’s doing fun work each week, but there’s not a sense of drive or long-term progression to his character. Add that to the fact that Logan Paul took a loss to Roman Reigns in Saudi Arabia last year, and I think WWE is gonna wanna put the social media star over here. You can’t pop up now and again and lose each time you pop up.

Predicted Winner: Logan Paul

Trish Stratus, Lita And Becky Lynch Vs Damage CTRL (Bayley, Iyo Sky And Dakota Kai)

I have a lot of mixed thoughts about this match; so, let me talk out both sides. On the one hand, wouldn’t it be nice to give Trish and Lita an awesome WrestleMania moment? Fans would absolutely love to see those two, along with favorite Becky Lynch, raise their arms in the air in victory. Given this match doesn’t really have like larger title implications, it could just exist as a fun one-off memory for everyone involved.

On the other hand, how many times can we watch Bayley lose? I love Bayley. I consider her to be one of the top women, but she hasn’t won a singles match at a premium live event since she beat Asuka at SummerSlam in 2020. When Damage CTRL formed last year, it looked positioned to dominate the women’s division, but with Iyo and Dakota losing the tag team belts and Bayley taking Ls all the time (including on TV recently to Rhea Ripley), this match almost feels like a referendum to whether they should stay near the top of the card. 

Predicted Winner: Damage CTRL

Bianca Belair Vs Asuka For The Raw Women’s Championship

I like both Bianca and Asuka a lot. I’ve enjoyed a ton of feuds both of these women have been in, but to be honest, the build to this match has been a little flat. Their shared in-ring segments have been kinda awkward at times, and I’m not sure anyone is really following the story they’re trying to tell. Of the title matches at WrestleMania 39, I would say this one has the least buzz around it.

And I just can’t see Bianca Belair, after this incredible title run, losing the belt in a match that doesn’t have much buzz around it. Champions shouldn’t lose the belt because it’s time for change. They should lose it because someone else is gaining more momentum than they have. Asuka is great, but I just don’t see her gaining momentum with fans right now, especially because she’s in this weird middle ground where she’s trying to become a heel but people aren’t really accepting the change and booing her (outside of when she does overtly heelish things). In another timeline with a different build, I could easily see Asuka winning here, but not right now and not with this very bland lead-in. 

Predicted Winner: Bianca Belair

Brock Lesnar Vs Omos

Some rumors have swirled about Brock Lesnar maybe taking a break after WrestleMania 39. That’s entirely possible given he feels outside the main event picture, which is unusual for his character, but even if he does step away, I have to think WWE is gonna want to keep him strong for a possible return down the road. Omos doesn’t seem like he’s building toward anything specific right now, and Brock Lesnar needs to stay a main event style attraction. Think of it this way: could you conceive a scenario in which Brock Lesnar could main event a future WrestleMania? Yes. Could you conceive the same for Omos? No. That’s why Brock Lesnar should win this match.

I think there’s a legit chance here we might see an Earthquake Vs Adam Bomb at WrestleMania X style squash match. Lesnar picking Omos up over his head and F5ing him is the moment we all want to see. I don’t think WWE needs to waste time getting there. I’d gladly take an action packed two or three minutes, ending in a viral moment than eight or nine minutes that could be a little awkward since neither guy is the most fluid in the ring.

Predicted Winner: Brock Lesnar

Showcase Match: Braun Strowman & Ricochet Vs The Viking Raiders Vs The Street Profits Vs Alpha Academy

Did WWE set this match up to get some talented and popular wrestlers on the ‘Mania card or are we going to get some long-term plot development out of this? I think the answer is a bit of both, and I think that long-term plot development is going to come in the form of friction between The Street Profits. I’m not saying they’re going to break up at WrestleMania, but I think the seeds of long-term issues are going to be planted here. We’ve already seen the longtime pair wrestle a lot more separately in recent months. Now feels like the time for a Shawn Michaels/ Marty Jannety style story that plays out over the course of a few months and ends with a singles match, maybe at SummerSlam?

As for who will win the match, I’m going to rule out The Street Profits because of the above theory, and I’m also going to rule out Alpha Academy, since they’ve mostly been used to put other teams over and also seem like they’re in the middle of a slow motion break up. So, that leaves The Viking Raiders and Strowman & Ricochet. I like both teams a lot. Triple H and the writing staff have kept The Viking Raiders looking particularly strong, but Strowman and Ricochet are very over with the crowd. I saw them at a live event recently, and they were getting huge pops from the crowd. I think they’re potential future tag team champions.

Predicted Winner: Braun Strowman & Ricochet

Showcase Match: Ronda Rousey & Shayna Baszler Vs Natalya & Shotzi Vs Liv Morgan & Raquel Rodriguez Vs Chelsea Green & Sonya Deville

First of all, I have no idea what happened to Carmella. WWE was clearly setting up a Carmella & Chelsea Green partnership and for them to take the last spot in this match. Now we're getting Chelsea Green & Sonya Deville. I'll miss Carmella, but I'm glad to see Sonya get a WrestleMania moment. She was great at placing the authority figure and was a really nice foil for Adam Pearce. They need to give her more opportunities to talk on TV.

That being said, this match has to be all about Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler, right? Ronda has obviously had some troubles over the last year getting over with the crowd, but she's still Ronda Rousey. I don't know what WWE is paying her, but it's too much to be on the undercard. So, they need to figure out how to make this experiment work and give her an angle fans will buy. I think they're going to keep trying and that'll start with a win here, but I wouldn't be shocked to see Liv & Raquel pick up the W either.

Predicted Winner: Ronda Rousey & Shayna Baszler

Edge Vs Finn Bálor In A Hell In A Cell Match

It looks like we’re going to get Bálor’s Demon vs Brood-style Edge here, and I’m all for it. Between that and the Hell In A Cell stipulation, it’s a fun way to make this match feel WrestleMania levels of important. Expect a strong match with a really high workrate and some fun spots. I don’t think we’ll get any crazy cage jumps, but I do think we’ll get a really tight and well put together 20 minutes in which both of these superstars show how talented they are.

I’ve heard a lot of people say they think Edge will go over since he’s probably nearing retirement, but I just don’t think this win does as much for him as it does for Bálor. The goal of wrestling is to set up what is next. The Judgment Day is hot right now. All four performers are at the top of their games, and there’s a strong chance Rhea Ripley will emerge from ‘Mania as The Smackdown Women’s Champion. To me, the most important thing here is The Judgment Day looking as strong as possible because that stable could be incredible with a few minor tweaks.

Predicted Winner: Finn Bálor

Dominik Mysterio vs Rey Mysterio

If you would have told me a year ago that we would get Rey Mysterio and Dominik Mysterio at WrestleMania, I would not have been very excited. I know because a year ago, there were persistent rumors Vince McMahon wanted to break up the father son duo and push them into a feud, and I could not bring myself to care. Well, here we are, and I am absolutely hyped for this match. It’s one of my most anticipated showdowns on the entire card. Dominik Mysterio is on an epic heel run right now. He’s getting booed like a prime Ted Dibiase, and he’s a perfect for for The Judgment Day.

The expectation here from many is that Rey will finally teach his son a lesson and show him the meaning of respect, but I think a Rey Mysterio win would suck all the energy out of the feud. I’d like to see Dom go over here (obviously via some outrageous cheating) and these two could continue their back-and-forth for awhile. I don’t think Dom needs the feud anymore to stay relevant given how over he is as a heel, but if you have a ready made storyline fans want to see, you may as well use it.

Predicted Winner: Dominik Mysterio

Gunther Vs Sheamus Vs Drew McIntyre For The Intercontinental Championship

There are some fans who think Sheamus and Drew McIntyre were both put into this match to liven it up a little bit. Maybe. But personally, I think this is a triple threat because it gives WWE the opportunity to take the belt off Gunther without him actually losing. They referenced this on Smackdown during the contract signing, and it feels like that’s where this is going to go. Then, after Gunther loses, he can start working his way up to the main event scene, given he’s the best young unstoppable monster heel WWE has had since Yokozuna.

If Gunther is going to lose, I think the more likely candidate to win is Sheamus. He’s never held The Intercontinental Championship before, and this would give him a really nice moment, especially after he’s revitalized his career over the last year. Look for him to pin Drew McIntyre and then for the two of them to probably wrestle each other at WrestleMania Backlash with Gunther bowing out because he has his eyes on a bigger prize.

Predicted Winner: Sheamus

Charlotte Flair Vs Rhea Ripley For The Smackdown Women’s Championship

I love Charlotte Flair, but come’on. Rhea Ripley is on a rocketship right now. The fans are behind her. Charlotte already beat her once at WrestleMania. It is her time to carry the women’s division in WWE forward, and that starts at WrestleMania. I am confident in a fair number of these predictions, but there is none I’m more confident in than Rhea winning (with the exception of maybe Brock squashing Omos). 

Plus. I still think Charlotte Flair works better as a heel. She’s a talented enough wrestler and showman that she can technically do either. She’s probably better at being a top babyface than 90% of the roster as an example, but she really shines as a heel. That’s what she needs to get back to. I’d love to see her take a loss to Rhea and then turn heel to be the next challenger to Bianca maybe at SummerSlam. Expect a really strong match but for Rhea to ultimately prevail. I think she’ll do it cleanly too without Judgment Day interference.

Predicted Winner: Rhea Ripley

The Usos vs Sami Zayn And Kevin Owens For The Undisputed Tag Team Championships

With all due respect to Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes and everything else on the card, this has been the A-plot storyline over the last year. More often than not, The Usos and Sami Zayn in particular have been driving the weekly shows fans have been watching, and there will likely be more emotional investment from fans in this match than any other across either night. The payoff here was built one fantastic segment at a time, to the point where many fans are openly talking about how sad they are it may be ending.

Pretty much everyone I’ve talked to expects Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens to win here. We’ve watched them (in particular Sami) try to climb up the mountain for months. He got really close to the top in that fantastic match at Elimination Chamber in Montreal. This is the moment where he finally gets a happy ending, or at least an unapologetically happy plot point if the storyline continues. Ordinarily, I’d be worried about a potential swerve since so many people think they know where this is going, but sometimes you just need to give fans what they want. Shoutout to The Usos though who have been tremendous during this championship run. They’re no doubt first ballot Hall of Famers with a lot of career left.

Predicted Winner: Sami Zayn & Kevin Owens

Roman Reigns Vs Cody Rhodes For The Undisputed WWE Universal Championship

Everyone acts like it’s such a sure thing that Cody is going to be the one to finally beat Roman Reigns and take his titles, but I’m not so sure about that. Roman and Cody have done a nice enough job of building a story over the past few months, but I personally think Cody’s story would be a lot more compelling if he lost and had to climb the ladder again. Yes, he went through a ton of hardships when he was in WWE originally, then switched to AEW and then switched back, but for those who might be newer to wrestling, he’s just a guy who has done nothing but win since he got back. I think Cody’s story is one of perseverance and overcoming challenges. Yes, he got injured last year and came back, but I’d like to see him experience some real losses.

I’m also just not ready for Roman Reigns’ time on top to be finished. He’s been the best heel champion WWE has ever had, and three years in, he’s still the biggest attraction. You can feel it on TV and you can feel it in the building during live events. He’s still got tremendous heat, and there are so many additional matches I’d like to see him have with the title: starting with Jey Uso. How fun would it be to watch Roman, still champion, absolutely lay into Jey and Jimmy about losing their titles and being weak? In a perfect world, I’d love to see Cody lose, fight his way back up the card, win The Royal Rumble again and try to finally get over the hill next year. Meanwhile, Roman can slowly lose member after member of The Bloodline until he’s completely on his own next year. Cody can take the titles then, but not now. Not yet. 

Predicted Winner: Roman Reigns

Other Predictions About Bray Wyatt, Bobby Lashley, The Miz, LA Knight And More

I have no idea what's going on with Bray Wyatt, but as of right now, I have to believe he's off the WrestleMania 39 card. It feels like something strange is going on behind the scenes or an injury (both of which have been rumored). I'd love to think this is a storyline swerve leading to a big surprise, but if this is all a work, I can't imagine you'd tease a Bray vs Bobby Lashley match, do a few promos and then say nothing about it for weeks. 

But I still think WWE will find a way to work Bobby Lashley into the WrestleMania card. Fans have been freaking out about how he was added to the Andre The Giant Battle Royal on SmackDown with a lot of talent that isn't going to be on the big show. Yes, that's a little worrying, but I don't see how you have Bobby Lashley available and don't use him at WrestleMania. That just doesn't make sense to me. So, I expect we'll see him issue an open challenge or something. 

The other person not on the card right now who I think will make a WrestleMania impact is LA Knight. He's been saying for weeks you can't have an LA WrestleMania without LA Knight, and given how much he's getting over with fans, I agree. Maybe that means doing something with Bobby Lashley. Maybe that means getting a quick segment on the microphone. I don't know how it'll happen, but he needs to do something. Good work that fans like should be rewarded.

And finally, I fully expect The Miz, who is hosting WrestleMania, to have at least one segment that ends in tragedy for The A-Lister. That's in keeping with his character, and it'll provide a little bit of levity at some point between matches. Maybe that beatdown come via a surprise celebrity or legend appearance or maybe that'll come from LA Knight or Bobby Lashley if they're not worked into the card another way. It could also be a cheap way to introduce a new character or a surprise hire and get them over with fans. Regardless, expect The Miz to eat someone's finisher at some point. 

WrestleMania 39 is on the way, and with not that long left before WWE's biggest nights of the year, we're finding out who will face who in the ring. There have also been a number of rumors and hints on Monday Night Raw and SmackDown about who else may have a match. 

Anyone looking for a rundown of who will and will likely square off on one of WrestleMania 39's two nights has come to the right place. Check out this updated list confirming who will take on who, as well a list of some of the most heavily speculated matches. 

Matches Confirmed To Be Happening

Roman Reigns (c) Vs. Cody Rhodes For The Undisputed WWE Universal Championship

"The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes returned and won the 2023 Royal Rumble, giving him the right to challenge Roman Reigns for the Universal Undisputed WWE Championship. WrestleMania 39's main event will see the Tribal Chief put his impressive streak on the line against a challenger who returned to the WWE after traveling the world and changing pro wrestling forever. Make no mistake, this will be an epic match, no matter who wins. 

Charlotte Flair (c) Vs. Rhea Ripley For The SmackDown Women's Championship

Rhea Ripley became the first woman in WWE history to win the Royal Rumble in the number one spot, and now she's coming for the queen of WWE: Charlotte Flair. Rhea is on a hot streak and looking like the strongest woman on the roster, but she's going up against one of the most successful women's champions the brand has ever known. Can the up-and-comer take down the established champion, or will Flair's experience prove too much for Ripley?

Bianca Belair (c) Vs. Asuka For The Raw Women's Championship

Bianca Belair has had an impressive year as champion, but she's in for her biggest challenge yet with Asuka. The veteran has been on a hot streak since she adopted a new clown persona and could use a green mist to bring The EST's major reign to an end. Belair hasn't been champ for a year for no reason, however, so I think Asuka has her work cut out for her.  

Brock Lesnar Vs. Omos

WWE is literally saying "Bobby Who" by instead booking Brock Lesnar with someone he hasn't squared off against in a long time: Omos. MVP managed to goad The Beast into agreeing to a match at WrestleMania 39, and it should be an absolute brawl. Omos has racked up a number of wins on smaller competitors on the roster, but taking on a similarly sized opponent like Lesnar should prove a challenge for him. He'll have to get creative to win, and knowing MVP, I'd be shocked if there wasn't some plan.  

Austin Theory (c) Vs. John Cena For The United States Championship

Austin Theory had a tough 2022 after winning the Money In The Bank briefcase, but his fortune turned around when he won the United States Championship. Since that moment, he's done a lot to show that he's someone who deserves a spot near the top of the WWE, but he's still not quite there yet. Beating someone like John Cena would go a long way to prove his legitimacy, but as Cena suggested in their face-to-face at the Monday Night Raw in Boston, it could also set him back quite a bit. 

Damage CTRL Vs. Becky Lynch, Lita, And Trish Stratus

Damage CTRL's Iyo Sky and Dakota Kai dominated the Women's tag-team scene in the WWE, but all that came grinding to a halt when Becky Lynch and Lita took the titles off of them on Monday Night Raw. Now, the entirety of Damage CTRL is out for revenge, and Trish Stratus threw herself into the mix to even the odds and make this a superstar throwdown for the ages. 

Finn Balor Vs. Edge

Finn Balor became the de facto leader of Judgment Day after they turned on Edge, and it has been a helluva run for the faction since. With that said, Edge and Finn definitely have some unsettled beef ahead of WrestleMania 39, and Edge gave a thrilling challenge Balor couldn't pass up. The two will settle this feud in a Hell in a Cell match, and I can't wait to see how this plays out. 

Gunther (c) Vs. Sheamus Vs. Drew McIntyre For The Intercontinental Championship

Gunther's run as Intercontinental Champion has been quite a ride, but now the Ring General will face his toughest challenge since being called up to the WWE's main roster. Sheamus and Drew McIntyre will take on the champion in a triple threat match, which will put the star at a major disadvantage. Can the up-and-coming champion escape with his title against these two proven champions? 

Seth Rollins Vs. Logan Paul

Logan Paul has had an impressive run in the WWE thus far, but he might've poked the bear one too many times. Sure, Logan Paul gave Roman Reigns a helluva match, but it's fair to say Reigns underestimated Paul's abilities. Seth Rollins won't make the same mistake when they meet in the ring, and will likely give Paul his most memorable WrestleMania moment to date. 

Rey Mysterio Vs. Dominik Mysterio

Rey and Dominik Mysterio's feud started way back when they were targeted by Judgment Day, and Dom was smitten by Rhea Ripley. Ever since then, he and his "Mami" have terrorized Rey and his family, and it even escalated to the point where Dom was arrested for causing a ruckus in their house. Dom has goaded his old man for a fight this whole time, and while it took a while, Rey finally accepted. 

Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens Vs. The Usos (c) For The Undisputed Tag Titles

The Bloodline has been targeting Sami Zayn ever since he protected Kevin Owens from Roman Reigns. For a while, it seemed possible Zayn could get a major WrestleMania moment against the Tribal Chief, but with that firmly in the rearview, the WWE will re-align Zayn and Owens against the Usos. Under normal circumstances, I'd say the longtime friends aren't in a good place to take on the tag-team champs, but the Uso's recent tiff does make it feel like they'll be out of sync for this massive showdown. 

Matches Rumored Or Teased To Be Happening

Bobby Lashley Vs. Bray Wyatt

Bray Wyatt promised he'd target the winner of Bobby Lashley and Brock Lesnar's match at Elimination Chamber, and he's seemingly decided he's going after "Bobby Who" as of late. Wyatt had a strong showing against L.A. Knight earlier this year, but taking on Lashley, even with all of his supernatural tricks, feels like a tall order for Wyatt. Could Lashley be the person who puts an end to Wyatt and his mysterious cohort Uncle Howdy? 

Those with a Peacock Premium subscription can stream WWE's WrestleMania 39 on Saturday, April 1st, and on Sunday, April 2nd. Hopefully, there are some more surprises the organization is keeping under wraps. We'll update as they get confirmed.

WWE has produced some of the best women’s wrestling the squared circle has ever seen, and few promotions come close to the continued success of the division (even during the Divas era) than the massive sports entertainment company. Over the years, impactful WWE female wrestlers have broken new ground for future superstars like Bianca Belair as well as 2023 Royal Rumble winner Rhea Ripley.

In honor of Women’s History Month, we have put together a list of 12 female WWE superstars who have made a place for themselves in the annals of wrestling history. With wrestlers from all the major eras in WWE’s long and storied history, plus honorable mentions for those who made an impact on wrestling as a whole (as well as those who weren’t necessarily remembered for their in-ring accomplishments), there's a lot to unpack.

Alundra Blayze

Alundra Blayze, who first made her mark on the wrestling world with stints in the AWA, WCW, and AJWPW before signing with the then-WWF in 1993, went on to become a three-time Women’s Champion during her two-year stint with the promotion during the height of the New Generation era.

Though Blayze would later show up on WCW’s Monday Nitro under her old name of Madusa and drop the WWF Women’s Title in the trash can on live TV during the height of the “Monday Night Wars," she later returned more than 20 years later to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2015.

Though not as well-known to some younger fans, there’s no denying Blayze's impact on the company’s women’s division in the years that followed. 

Sherri Martel 

Though remembered by most for managing WWE legends like Randy Savage, Ted DiBiase, and Shawn Michaels in the 1990s, Sherri Martel, also known as “Sensational Sherri,” was a driving force throughout an early incarnation of the women’s division throughout the latter part of the 1980s. In her WWF debut back in July 1987, Martel defeated longtime champ and division staple the Fabulous Moolah, and would end up holding onto the belt for more than a year, collecting victories left and right.

Upon the dissolution of the women’s division several years later, Martel was able to reinvent herself as one of the most iconic managers in the history of professional wrestling, both in and outside of WWE. Sadly, Martel passed away at the age of 49 in June 2007, according to the Baltimore Sun, just one year after being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.

Chyna

Billed as “The Ninth Wonder of the World,” Chyna had the distinction of not only being the only undefeated WWE Women’s Champion (the title was vacated after she left the company in late 2001), but also the only woman to win the Intercontinental Championship, which she did on two occasions. There’s no denying the impact of Chyna on the sport, as she normalized intergender wrestling while also breaking new ground for women in the industry.

It is hard to imagine modern wrestlers like Rhea Ripley, Beth Phoenix, or Nia Jax, all of whom have taken on male competitors throughout their respective careers, being able to further reshape the model without Chyna having broken it first. And while Chyna was eventually inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as a member of D-Generation X, it came three years after her 2016 passing.

Lita

Lita has to be one of the more fascinating members of the WWE Hall of Fame considering she spent a great deal of time dominating the women’s division as well as being a part of the years-long feud between the Hardy Boyz, the Dudley Boyz, and Edge & Christian, taking some incredibly dangerous bumps on the biggest stage. As part of Team Xtreme, Lita put her life on the line week-in and week-out throughout the Attitude Era, all while racking up impressive victories against the likes of Trish Stratus, Stephanie McMahon, and several others.

To this day, Lita continues to wrestle for WWE, and is currently a Women’s Tag Team Champion with Becky Lynch, with whom she has quite the history. 

Trish Stratus

Was there a bigger star of the women’s division in the late '90s and early 2000s than Trish Stratus? One of those WWE superstars that transcended the world of professional wrestling and entered the greater collective consciousness, Stratus was at the center of some of the bigger wrestling angles of the era, bouncing between being a manager and dominant performer in the ring.

The seven-time WWE Women’s Champion main evented Monday Night Raw on multiple occasions and even won WWE Hardcore Championship at one point, adding a strange stat to her list of accomplishments. And the living legend is still around today, recently helping her former rival and fellow WWE Hall of Famer, Lita, vanquish Damage CTRL. 

Charlotte Flair

Whenever Charlotte Flair’s wrestling career is over (hopefully that’s a long time from now), there’s a good chance she’ll go down as one of the greatest, if not the greatest, female wrestlers in WWE history. Much like her father, “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair, Charlotte has dominated the women’s division ever since making her main roster debut back in 2015 (this was following an incredible run in NXT). 

Over the course of the past decade, Flair has won the WWE Raw Women’s Championship six times, the SmackDown Women’s Championship seven times, has been named female wrestler of the year by multiple publications, and was part of the first all-female WrestleMania main event back in 2019. And this looks like it’s just the beginning. 

Sasha Banks

Throughout her 10-year run with WWE, Sasha Banks, a.k.a., “The Boss,” was one of the hardest working wrestlers within the company, and put up stellar performances on all corners of the Earth thanks to her impressive moveset, boundless personality, and the ability to effectively pull off being a face and a heel in the ring. From her days feuding with Bayley in NXT to headlining WrestleMania 37 with Bianca Belair, Banks made a statement by giving the women’s division new life.

After a sudden and shocking departure from WWE in 2022, Banks popped up in NJPW at the promotion’s annual January 4th event, Wrestle Kingdom 17 in early 2023, where she is currently the IWGP Women’s Champion under the name Mercedes Moné.

Becky Lynch

Becky Lynch’s various title reigns – two-time Raw Women’s Champion, four-time SmackDown Women’s Champion, current Women’s Tag Team Champion – are more than enough reason to add her to the list of impactful female wrestlers, but it’s The Man’s personality and innate ability to connect with fans that really earns her a spot. 

Between 2018 and 2019, Lynch reached levels of success in the ring, and general pop culture, that hadn’t been seen since “Stone Cold” Steve Austin’s rise to the top of the pack in the heyday of the Attitude Era. The shot of a triumphant and defiant Lynch with a broken nose is an image that will live in the minds of wrestling fans for generations to come, as will her show-stealing victory at WrestleMania 35 months later. 

Beth Phoenix

In a time when the WWE’s Divas division wasn't necessarily remembered for its wrestling ability, Beth Phoenix was a superstar that went against the grain. The three-time WWE Women’s Champion and one-time Divas Champion was the powerhouse of the division, decimating everyone that came in her path. Known as the “Glamazon,” Phoenix provided a great deal of range and credibility to the division during that time, earning her a spot in the WWE Hall of Fame.

Phoenix is still one of the biggest stars in WWE today, having recently teamed up with real-life husband, Edge, to take on The Judgment Day in a high-profile feud.

Jacqueline

The current Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair listed as a major inspiration when speaking with Forbes, Jacqueline was one of the unsung heroes of WWE’s Attitude Era and early days of the Ruthless Aggression era. The two-time Women’s Champion even won the Cruiserweight Championship late in her WWE tenure, becoming only the third female wrestler to do so.

A prominent player in the women’s division throughout her career, Jacquline became the first Women’s Champion in nearly three years after the title was brought back in September 1998. Years after her career ended, Jacqueline became the first Black woman to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame and later returned to compete in the first ever Women’s Royal Rumble. 

Luna Vachon

A professional wrestling journeywoman, Luna Vachon wrestled anywhere and everywhere throughout her 22-year career, including multiple stints in WWE where she quickly became an iconic member of the women’s roster thanks to her over-the-top personality, gravely voice, and a look that made her look like a Batman villain. 

Though she never won a championship in WWE, Vachon was a part of some major angles during both the New Generation and Attitude Era, including a series of matches against Women’s Champion Alundra Blayze and later a run with the misfit toys of wrestling factions, The Oddities. Sadly, Vachon passed away in 2010.

Michelle McCool

Michelle McCool, who was named the Pro Wrestling Illustrated Woman of the Year in 2010, is more than deserving of that award and the various Slammys she received throughout her seven-year full-time career with WWE. During her brief tenure, McCool won the Women’s Championship on two occasions and the Divas Championship twice, making her one of hte most dominant female wrestlers of the 2000s.

Since coming back for the 2018 Women’s Royal Rumble, McCool has gotten back into the ring a handful of times, most recently the 2023 Rumble when she was pulled out of the crown to participate.

Honorable Mentions

The list of the most impactful WWE female wrestlers wouldn’t be complete without including some of the trailblazers who either made a name for themselves in other promotions or by largely making an impact as a manager, valet, or on-screen personality.

This includes the controversial Fabulous Moolah, the iconic Mae Young, Randy Savage’s longtime wife and valet Miss Elizabeth, the Attitude Era star Sable, and last but certainly not least, Vickie Guererro, whose famous “Excuse Me” line made her one of the best heels the company has ever seen. 

If you want to go back and watch each of the impactful WWE female wrestlers, you can watch the vast majority of their in-ring work with a Peacock Premium subscription, which also happens to be the home of all upcoming WWE premium live events.

In a few short days, 60 WWE Superstars will enter the Men’s and Women’s Royal Rumble matches and compete for the opportunity to challenge for a championship of their choosing at WrestleMania 39. Over the course of the past few weeks, a growing list of wrestlers have announced plans to enter the two over-the-top battle royals, but only one male and one female superstar will stand atop the turnbuckle, point to the massive sign hanging from the rafters of the AlamoDome, and earn a spot at the upcoming two-day event.

Before we look to what the future holds for Cody Rhodes, Liv Morgan, Seth “Freakin” Rollins, Rhea Ripley, and other superstars who will be in the match, it wouldn’t hurt to take a step back and see how winning the Royal Rumble affected the last 10 winners (going back to 2018). We’re here to answer questions about championship matches, title reigns, and others dealing with the immediate and long term impact of winning the Rumble.

Shinsuke Nakamura (2018)

In January 2018, Shinsuke Nakamura, the “King of Strong Style,” won the Royal Rumble match in his first attempt, earning a title match against WWE Champion (and former NJPW foe) AJ Styles at WrestleMania 34.

Following a losing effort in an otherwise outstanding match that played on his history with Styles, the fan-favorite Nakamura turned heel with a low blow, which resulted in a drawn-out feud between the two. The two-time NXT Champion would go on to find success in WWE’s midcard, winning the US and Intercontinental Championships two times apiece, yet never reaching the levels of his first year on the SmackDown brand.

Asuka (2018)

Asuka, who was unbeaten in WWE at the time of her Royal Rumble debut (which happened to be the first women’s version of the event), outperformed the likes of Becky Lynch, Sasha Banks, and Trish Stratus to earn a title match against SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair at in 2018.

Though she came up short in her match against Flair, Asuka would ride a wave of success throughout 2018, a year that was capped by winning the SmackDown Women’s Championship that December. Since then, Asuka has remained one of WWE’s biggest stars, winning the Raw Women’s Championship on two occasions, the 2020 Money in the Bank, and other accolades.

Becky Lynch (2019)

After adopting the moniker “The Man” in late 2018, Becky Lynch went on a run on the same level as Daniel Bryan’s 2013-2014, the “Summer of Punk,” and Attitude Era “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, which continued on into 2019 by winning the Women’s Royal Rumble match.

Lynch would go on to face SmackDown Women’s Champion and Raw Women’s Champion, Ronda Rousey, in a historic WrestleMania 35 triple threat match, the first all-female match to headline the “Showcase of the Immortals,” and win in decisive fashion. ”Becky Two Belts” would go on to break multiple records throughout her title reign, which would only come to an end after announcing her pregnancy in 2020, per ESPN.

Seth Rollins (2019)

Seth Rollins, Becky Lynch’s real-life husband, also had an incredible showing at the 2019 Royal Rumble, winning the Men’s contest and a title opportunity against Brock Lesnar with the Universal Championship on the line.

After defeating him in the WrestleMania 35 opener, Rollins would go on to play back-and-forth for the Universal Championship with Lesnar that summer before losing it for good to The Fiend later that year. Though he hasn’t held the top title since, Rollins has remained a hot commodity, especially with his 2022 feud with Cody Rhodes.

Charlotte Flair (2020)

In January 2020, Charlotte Flair added another achievement to her resume: Royal Rumble winner. But instead of challenging longtime rivals Becky Lynch (Raw Women’s Champion) and Bayley (SmackDown Women’s Champion), Flair turned her attention to NXT Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley at WrestleMania 36.

Night Two of the 2020 event opened with the second-generation WWE superstar winning and claiming the NXT title for the first time since leaving the brand nearly five years earlier. Since then, Flair has continued to be one of the most successful wrestlers in the world, winning multiple championships and high-profile feuds.

Drew McIntyre (2020)

Drew McIntyre, who was once viewed as “The Chosen One” in Vince McMahon’s eyes, made an incredible comeback in the years after first being let go by the company, culminating in a career-defining performance at the 2020 Royal Rumble.

McIntyre would go on to successfully challenge WWE Champion Brock Lesnar to a headlining match at WrestleMania 36, but what was supposed to be a big match ended up being the start of a muted title reign in which he never defended the title in front of a live crowd. Things would turn around for McIntyre down the line, including a great showing against WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns at Clash at the Castle 2022, and it could keep getting better with a dominant performance at Royal Rumble 2023.

Bianca Belair (2021)

One year after eliminating eight other wrestlers, Bianca Belair won the 2021 Women’s Royal Rumble, proving to the world that she was the “EST of WWE” and was here to stay. A little more than two months later, Belair proved herself once again by defeating Sasha Banks to capture the SmackDown Women’s Championship at WrestleMania 37.

Despite a quick loss to a returning Becky Lynch at SummerSlam later that year, Belair had a banner year, which was capped off by being named the top-ranked wrestler on the Pro Wrestling Illustrated “Women’s 150” list. And, she hasn’t stopped since.

Edge (2021)

One year after returning at the 2020 Royal Rumble, Edge capped off one of the most remarkable career turnarounds in modern history (he was out for 10 years with a neck injury) by winning the 2021 Men’s match. 

Though he wasn’t successful in his triple threat match against Daniel Bryan and Universal Champion Roman Reigns, Edge did help the “Tribal Chief” put on one of the best matches of his career.

Ronda Rousey (2022)

Following a nearly three-year absence from WWE, Ronda Rousey returned at the explosive (literally) 2022 Royal Rumble, which she won to earn a shot against SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania 38.

Though her attempt at defeating Flair was unsuccessful, she would go on to defeat her longtime foe at WrestleMania Backlash the following month. Rousey would go on to lose, win, and lose the SmackDown Women’s Championship in the second half of 2022, with the most recent and final loss being against a returning Flair on the final SmackDown of the year.

Brock Lesnar (2022)

Despite only being in the 2022 Royal Rumble for a little more than two minutes, Brock Lesnar eliminated five superstars on his path to victory, which earned him another crack at Roman Reigns in a WrestleMania 38 main event match.

Lesnar would go on to win the WWE Championship at Elimination Chamber 2022, which made his third WrestleMania contest against Reigns “Winner Takes All.” The “Beast Incarnate” would end up losing the bout, but the pair would meet again in a “Last Man Standing” match to conclude their feud at SummerSlam 2022, with Reigns ultimately winning.

Only time will tell what the future holds for upcoming winners of the 2023 Royal Rumble, but the only way to know for sure is by watching the big show, and other upcoming WWE events, on Peacock Premium.

After a disastrous 2022 Men’s Royal Rumble that some legitimately think was the worst in the event’s history, last night was a good reminder of why the premium live event is the favorite for so many wrestling fans. Pat Patterson’s visionary take on the Battle Royal came back with a vengeance last night and delivered multiple record breaking runs, as well as some fun returns and great teases for WrestleMania season. It also gave us one of the coolest spots in the history of the event thanks to Logan Paul and Ricochet being absolute mad men.

I’m not saying the event was better than the ‘92 Rumble, but a lot of it was pretty damn good. So, let’s dive into the results, as well as the match ratings. I’ll also revisit my predictions, which by the way, were really freakin’ good. I don’t want to spend too much time patting myself on the back here, but I didn’t miss the entire night. Some of that is a credit to me, but to be honest, some of that is also because WWE took the safe, logical route, at least until that WTF conclusion after the Roman Reigns and Kevin Owens match.

Let’s break down each one of the matches…

Cody Rhodes Wins The Men’s Royal Rumble

I spent about thirty seconds with my jaw on the floor when they announced The Men’s Rumble was happening first, but as soon as Gunther’s music hit, I was over it and fully locked into the match. He was a great pick to go off first, and Sheamus was the right guy to go second. Their Clash At The Castle match was my favorite of 2022, and I’d love to see these brawlers chop each other again. 

Putting Sheamus and Gunther back together was just the first in many mini-stories The Men’s Rumble told. We also got a continuation of the Brock Lesnar and Bobby Lashley feud. We got some interactions with Seth Rollins and Logan Paul, which could lead to a really exciting WrestleMania match. We got more trolling from Dominik Mysterio when his dad Rey Mysterio didn’t come out. We got a lot of work between Edge and Judgment Day, as well as a possible wink at Judgment Day and The Street Profits. We got tons of teamwork between Sheamus and Drew McIntyre and lots of teases between Gunther and other monsters. 

And of course we got Cody Rhodes making his big return. I thought it was smart to keep him confined to later in the match, and I thought he looked really good out there. His interactions with Gunther at the end of the match were excellent, and fans were certainly excited to see him go over in the end, even if the result was a little obvious. 

Here’s a quick list of some other things I liked: The Logan Paul and Ricochet spot was a 10/10. I also loved Logan leaning into being a heel. That dude has unlimited potential. I liked the sequence with Gunther and Sheamus ducking shots and accidentally hitting The Miz. I loved seeing Booker T get one more moment, and of course Gunther setting the record for longest time in a single rumble at over 70 minutes.

Here’s a quick list of things I didn’t like: The Rey Mysterio spot was confusing and needed a little something from the announcers. I was really happy to have Pat McAfee back because he’s spectacular, but I thought he acknowledged being gone too often and played too frequently into what’s changed since he was last here with certain characters. I think they announced too many participants before The Rumble started, and I wish we had gotten at least one or two more blasts from the past. Also, I have nothing against Johnny Gargano, but he needs to get over on the main roster. What he did in NXT does not count with most fans, and while he’s extremely talented, he’s done nothing to this point to warrant surviving almost 30 minutes. 

Match Rating: 4 out of 5 stars. Really good Rumble. Will remember this very fondly, but not a ton of super memorable moments, and we all knew Cody was winning when we didn’t get Sami Zayn or The Rock.

Bray Wyatt Defeats LA Knight In The Mountain Dew Pitch Black Match

Anytime WWE has a product tie-in this aggressive, people are going to complain about it on Twitter. And I get it. It’s a bit odd to have a mentally deranged loose cannon like Bray Wyatt appearing in a match sponsored by a limited edition soft drink flavor, but unlike that time The Miz got eaten by zombies in a crossover match advertising some movie I can’t remember, I thought there was actually some redeemable value here.

Bray Wyatt’s face paint looked incredibly cool under the black light. I thought the pops of Mountain Dew green were pretty cool, and as a change-up to everything else going on, I thought it was a watchable five minutes. That’s better than I expected before the match started. We also got some Uncle Howdy after the match is over but absolutely no clarity on what the hell is going on there.

I also just want to reiterate real quick that LA Knight is an upper mid-card/ lower main event star. This should be the first of many key matches he’s in at WWE premium live events. In fact, I’d love to pitch him working a program with The Miz at WrestleMania. Those two dudes going at each other on promo would be tremendous, and The Miz could put him over for a big win on a PPV card. Just think about it, Triple H.

Match Rating: 2 out of 5 stars. Without question the worst match on the card, but it was harmless enough.

Bianca Belair Defeats Alexa Bliss For The Raw Women’s Championship

This wasn’t Bianca Belair and Becky Lynch at WrestleMania 38, but it did exactly what it needed to do. Alexa Bliss had some flashes of potential for another main event run, which she hasn’t shown in years. Bianca looked mostly in control as a physically dominating, long-term champion should, and we got some character development for Alexa, who is clearly returning to the fold with Bray Wyatt, at the end.

I wish they would have been given a little more than seven minutes and change to tell their story, but time is always going to be at a premium when you have two Rumble matches and an extended televised post-segment added to another match at the end of the card. So, given all that, I think this went well enough.

The real question is whether this is the end for Bianca and Alexa Bliss or whether we’ll get a rematch after Alexa fully joins forces with Bray and becomes darker and much more sinister. That could be a compelling program to run back, but it’ll likely depend on whether WWE is going to do Rhea and Bianca or Rhea and Charlotte Flair. I suspect they’ll do Bianca and Rhea, which would leave Alexa free to develop her character and build back up slowly, but we’ll have to wait and see.

Match Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars. This was a perfectly nice match that was mostly well-executed by both women, but given its length and what else was on the card, it won’t be super well-remembered down the road.

Rhea Ripley Wins The Women’s Royal Rumble

They gave us a little bit of doubt. Rhea Ripley was the heavy favorite in the minds of many prior to The Rumble, but after she was kayfabe injured during a post-elimination segment in The Men’s Rumble by Beth Phoenix and she came out at number one, the door opened for her to lose without losing any credibility. But she wouldn’t need the excuse. 

The Judgment Day heel started off the match with Liv Morgan, and the two women put on a dominating performance, winding up as the final two entrants after battling each other for over an hour. In between, we got a lot of good mini-stories, just like we saw in The Men’s Rumble. There was a pretty dominating segment in the middle in which Damage CTRL basically took over the match, eliminating a bunch of women between them and looking very much in control. That ultimately ended at the hands of Becky Lynch, which clearly telegraphed a program between Bayley and Becky that will almost certainly climax at WrestleMania 39.

The other big stories were Nia Jax, who made a surprise return at number 30 and Asuka, who debuted new facepaint and an updated look. Jax was gang eliminated by everyone in the ring pretty quickly, which is a clear signal she’s going to be treated with tremendous respect, and Asuka wound up finishing third. She lasted over a half hour and eliminated three women, a great sign for her too. Expect both of these women to do major damage and be involved in very key storylines this year.

Here’s a quick list of some of the things I liked: Rhea Ripley’s entire performance. Chelsea Green’s surprise return and almost immediate heave-ho, which gives a good sense of the character we’ll see from her. Damage CTRL’s mid-match dominance. Michelle McCool looking great in the ring, as per usual, and seeing Doudrop return to the Piper Niven character and having a nearly thirty minute run.

Here’s a quick list of some things I didn’t like: No Naomi. No Sasha Banks. No Forbidden Door. Not a ton of legend appearances, outside of Michelle McCool. Not enough big, well-choreographed spots. 

Match Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars. This was a very solid Rumble with a lot of good talent and some effective storytelling. I’d complain about both Rhea and Cody being really obvious winners, but they were both the best choices available, at least among those that entered The Rumble.

Roman Reigns Defeats Kevin Owens (And Sami Zayn Turns On The Bloodline)

This was never going to be the most exciting match in the world because I don’t know a single person who thought Roman Reigns would lose his titles before WrestleMania. That just didn’t make any sense storyline-wise. So, the only possible results we could get were a Roman Reigns victory or a screwy Kevin Owens win by countout or disqualification, which would have likely elicited anger and boos from the crowd. So, it was always going to be Roman Reigns.

And it was Roman Reigns in a pretty dominating performance. Kevin Owens got a few hope spots of course with a pop-up power bomb and a stunner. I’ll admit I lost my logic and fully immersed in the match a few times and felt my heart jump during a couple close call pinfalls, but in the end, Roman, of course, won in a solid main event match.

What always mattered most here though was The Bloodline storyline development, and what an absolute treat that turned out to be. We got a little during the match itself when the referee was knocked out and Reigns asked Sami to get him a chair. He hemmed and hawed for a bit and clearly felt bad. He eventually delivered but the delay allowed Owens to regain his strength and turn the tables. Roman was clearly pissed off, and after the match, he and the rest of The Bloodline handcuffed KO to the ring and beat him.

Sami was later given a chair to join in and instead of hitting KO, he turned on Roman and hit him with the chair in what elicited one of the loudest pops I have ever heard watching WWE. This thing was like Attitude Era levels of bedlam. Sami obviously got jumped by The Bloodline afterwards, but Jey Uso refused to be a part of it and left the ring, leaving the future of both The Usos, the most dominant tag team in WWE history, and The Bloodline, one of the most dominant factions in WWE history, in jeopardy. 

We always knew Sami and The Bloodline would turn on each other. That was only a question of when, but the Jey Uso wrinkle was completely unexpected and now creates so many future storyline possibilities. I cannot wait to watch it unfold. Will The Usos break up? Will they fight each other at WrestleMania? Will Jey put his tail between his legs and go back to The Bloodline? 

Match Rating: 5 out of 5 stars (if you’re including the post-segment). This Bloodline plot is the most emotionally nuanced and compelling storyline WWE has ever done, and everyone involved should be so proud of themselves. 

Predictions Revisited...

Here's a look back at my predictions from before the event. I added a bolded paragraph after each to talk about how I did.

Bray Wyatt Vs LA Knight In A Mountain Dew Pitch Black Match

Let me talk to you. LA Knight is a freakin’ star. That dude is capable of having a Miz-like career where he just rolls for ten years, mostly crushing the midcard and talking segments but occasionally popping into the main event picture. He’s spectacular on the microphone and knows how to work the crowd. He’s also pretty good in the ring, and I see a super bright future for him. Obviously, WWE does too, given he’s opposite Bray Wyatt in the big man’s first program after his return, and he was on Raw XXX doing segments with The Undertaker. 

That being said, it’s hard to imagine Bray Wyatt coming back to this much fanfare and then losing his first match. He needs to establish himself as a dominant force in the ring so he can compete in the main event scene if WWE wants to take him there, and a loss to LA Knight at this point puts him very far away from that goal. I guess there’s a chance we see some interference from Uncle Howdy or Alexa Bliss that forwards his storyline and costs him the victory, but I just don’t see it.

Prediction: Bray Wyatt 

How'd I Do?: Yeah, I mean this was the easiest prediction of the night. Bray was always going to roll coming back, and he did so in about 5 minutes. I still believe in LA Knight long-term in a big way though. 1/1

Bianca Belair Vs Alexa Bliss For The WWE Raw Women’s Championship

Bianca Belair is one of the most talented women in the history of the business. Every bit of success she’s had so far has been well-deserved, and I think her future is as bright or brighter than anyone else in the women’s division. But… if you really listen closely to the crowd response, she’s not quite as over as you’d think. Fans like her, don’t get me wrong. She gets a healthy round of applause. People are happy to see her— but are they as happy to see her as they are someone like Becky Lynch? No, they’re not.

I blame creative. Her feud with Bayley and Damage CTRL was okay, but it didn’t really have any complexities or nuances. Now, she’s in the middle of this semi-rushed feud with Alexa Bliss, and it’s, in my opinion, making her tepid reactions worse. Fans want to see Alexa Bliss, who has been spinning her tires for a bit, return to Bray Wyatt, and every time that gets teased, it’s only natural for fans to root for it— even if it means rooting against Bianca.

So, because Bianca is not as over as you’d hope right now and because there’s a lot of hype around Alexa Bliss’ future, I think all possibilities are on the table here. At first, I thought we might get an Alexa win thanks to some creepy Funhouse interference in order to keep Bianca looking strong, but now, I think we’ll get a close match and Bianca will retain thanks to that very interference. Look for Alexa to maybe be in position for a victory when Uncle Howdy comes out and lures her officially back into the fold with his creepy sinkhole energy. Then she can start rebuilding alongside Bray.

Prediction: Bianca Belair

How'd I Do? We didn't get any interference from Uncle Howdy or Bray Wyatt; so, not surprisingly, Bianca Belair rolled. I'm happy we got some character development at the end for her though, and I do think she's about to rebuild stronger with Bray. 2/2

Roman Reigns Vs Kevin Owens For The Undisputed WWE Universal Championship 

There are, at least in my mind, only two outcomes that matter here, at least outside of putting on an entertaining match for fans. 1. Roman Reigns needs to leave The Royal Rumble with his belts so we can get a proper climax at WrestleMania. 2. Whatever happens needs to progress the Kevin Owens/ Sami Zayn/ Bloodline story arc. 

If both of those requirements hold, then that means we almost certainly need to get interference and either Roman Reigns needs to win in any fashion or Kevin Owens needs to win by disqualification or countout. That makes the ending to this match more complicated to predict because we’re not going to get any final resolution. I’ll go with The Tribal Chief, but the only real surprise would be Kevin Owens winning the belts.

As for how the Bloodline plot will advance, I think we'll probably see Sami Zayn try to help Roman but end up costing him in a key spot in the match. That will further sew distrust between him, Reigns and Wise Man Paul Heyman, which can be explored over the next month or two on Smackdown.

Prediction: Roman Reigns

How'd I Do? As suspected, Roman Reigns rolled, but we ended up getting way more character development than I expected after the match. What a freakin' story this continues to be. 3/3

The 2023 Women’s Royal Rumble

While I think there are a couple of real good options to win The Men’s Royal Rumble, I think the Women’s Rumble is wide open. We’re not looking to continue any important feuds right now. We’re looking to put something entirely new in motion for The Road To WrestleMania, and considering that could be in a program with either Smackdown Champion Charlotte Flair or Raw Champion Bianca Belair (or Alexa Bliss), all options are on the table. Let’s run over some possibilities.

Becky Lynch could win, given she’s the most over women’s wrestler on the entire card. Bayley could win, given she could have a terrific feud opposite Charlotte Flair, especially in promo v promo segments, though I think Becky and Bayley will probably continue working together into 'Mania. 

Asuka could get another main event push, which she’s desperately needed for a while. Raquel, who has been quietly getting a pretty big push for a while, could take a massive step forward. Naomi could return to a monster pop and insert herself back into the main event picture. Sasha Banks could shock everyone and return in what would likely be the loudest surprise Rumble pop in the event’s history. Ronda Rousey could come back and intentionally piss off fans in a move that could generate the loudest boos in Rumble history.

There are so many good options, but I’ll take Rhea Ripley. The Judgment Day is a fantastic stable, and they desperately need some gold to add a little credibility. I’d love to see Rhea Ripley emerge as the full-on leader of the faction, and I’d love to see Damian Priest escorting her out to her matches as one of the most physically intimidating valets since a young Kevin Nash as Diesel used to back up Shawn Michaels. She has so much potential, and while I love seeing her work with the men in whatever Judgment Day is doing, I’m ready to see her emerge as a huge star in the women’s division.

Prediction: Rhea Ripley (hopefully in dominating fashion).

How'd I Do? I guessed Rhea Ripley would roll in dominating fashion, and she rolled in dominating fashion. She went wire to wire and had seven eliminations. 4/4

The 2023 Men’s Royal Rumble

There are technically a lot of potential options to win here, as I broke down in my piece ranking the most likely 2023 Royal Rumble winners, but from a storyline perspective, I think we’re down to three options that are much more likely than the rest: Cody Rhodes, Sami Zayn and The Rock. 

I think those are the three that make far more sense from a storyline perspective than the others. So, let’s briefly talk about why.

Prior to his injury around Hell In A Cell last year, Cody Rhodes seemed well on his way to finally winning the WWE Championship that has eluded him and his father. He was getting great crowd responses and it only seemed like a matter of time before he’d be put in a big spot for the historic title. Unfortunately, he got injured and what once seemed like a sure thing, now seems like more of a question mark. My read is fans want to see him continue his storyline for sure, but that doesn’t mean it’s going to happen right away, especially because fans may want to see two other stories Roman Reigns could tell more.

The first is with The Rock. The WWE legend and Hollywood mega-star has been at the center of rumors around a possible WrestleMania return. Those whispers have gotten a little cold water poured on them lately (allegedly because The Rock is worried about being in good enough cardio shape), but I think there’s still a decent chance he’s in for ‘Mania, especially after how well Stone Cold’s return went over last year. If he is going to show up, there’s no better place to start that program than at The Royal Rumble, and if he does show up,  it's hard to imagine him losing.

And finally, we have Sami Zayn. The Honorary Uce is the most popular person on WWE’s roster right now, and he’s involved in the most popular storyline. Fans would lose their minds if he won The Rumble, but whether or not WWE sees him as a WrestleMania main event star is another conversation entirely. Is he capable of moving tickets? Is he capable of generating crossover interest from casual or non-wrestling fans? I guess we’ll find out if WWE has the confidence he can.

Prediction: I’m sticking with Cody Rhodes

How'd I Do? This was a lot harder to predict when I thought we were going to get Sami Zayn and potentially The Rock in The Royal Rumble. Cody was still the pick, but without those two, he was the obvious pick. So, I'm happy I got it right, but this was less impressive than most years would be. 5/5

The WWE has dropped a series of promos as of late hyping up superstar Lacey Evans and showing off her impressive use of an conic WWE finisher: the Cobra Clutch. Evans is ready for her "next mission" that includes conquering the women of SmackDown, but before she gets to taking them on, she might just have a legendary WWE figure to overcome first. Sgt. Slaughter himself recently went off on social media in a baffling way in response to Evans using his famed Cobra Clutch as a finisher, and had quite a bit to say. 

Sgt. Slaughter is a name known well to fans of classic WWE eras. The WWE Hall of Famer was known for his militaristic gimick, navigating the ring and wrestling in a Marine uniform. Slaughter has been on Twitter quite a bit in the days following the WWE's latest promo for Evans, which featured her using the finishing move in question. Take a look below at one of the many videos promoting the repackaging of Evans as a wrestler with military training: 

The fan response to Lacey Evans' repackaging has been largely positive online, at least for those whose names don't rhyme with Gwargent Clawter. The camo-wearing wrestler, real name Robert Remus, posted a series of tweets suggesting he wasn't happy that the WWE handed off his finisher to Evans, namely because he wasn't personally asked to use the Cobra Clutch. Here's how he responded to one fan's post:

Some fans expressed seemingly genuine surprise that Sgt. Slaughter wasn't contacted by Lacey Evans about using the Cobra Clutch, and thus found the move disrespectful. Slaughter seemed to think the same with his amusingly ego-driven post, but noted in another message that this isn't something that's so unique to him and the current situation. Here's how he put it:

Sgt. Slaughter might feel like he was disrespected by Lacey Evans not asking for his permission to use the Cobra Clutch, but it's not exactly uncommon in the industry at large, with only so many finishers to go around. Kevin Owens, for one, asked Stone Cold Steve Austin for permission to use the Stunner as a finisher, while Ric Flair (a noted colleague of Slaughter's) raised hell when Becky Lynch took over his persona as "The Man" after he sold it to the WWE. So it can go all kinds of ways.

It appears that Sgt. Slaughter is upset about not being asked by Lacey Evans to use his finisher, but might be willing to sweep that under the rug. A recent tweet from the wrestler to Evans suggested that he's hoping to be incorporated in her repackaging in some way and could even teach her the proper technique for the move: 

It's understandable why Sgt. Slaughter might want to be involved in Lacey Evans' upcoming SmackDown storyline, though him not being asked in the first place may be a sign. One thing worth noting is that Evans actually served in the Marines before coming to the WWE, and Sgt. Slaughter has never served in the military, so she's kind of got the advantage here, particularly when it comes to justified use of calling others maggots.

Furthermore, Sgt. Slaughter has faced allegations of "stolen valor" over the years for being a civilian that claims that they've served in the military, even though he's widely viewed as playing a character. Still, Bret "The Hitman" Hart accused Slaughter, of exactly that in a book, with Remus having claimed he served in previous interviews (via WrestlingInc.com), though without exhaustive proof. It's possible with Evans having actually served in the military that the WWE decided to steer away from using Sgt. Slaughter for the storyline, and decided to instead lean on her real-world experience as her gimmick. 

I can also see a scenario where all these tweets are setting up a future collaboration between the two, so we'll just have to wait and see if the pair spring up together at an upcoming WWE event. The fun thing about the WWE is that it always feels like a guessing game, so who knows what's real and what's scripted in this latest online tirade from a WWE legend?

Sgt. Slaughter is no longer an active wrestler in the WWE, but anyone with a Peacock Premium subscription can re-watch some of his greatest matches. With WrestleMania season in full swing, now is the perfect time to start revisiting the best matches of the past. 

Not too long ago, it was alleged that Damian Priest was asked to audition for Namor or a different member of Talokan for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Now, it appears as though another major WWE superstar nearly joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe via 2021's Eternals. A new report claims that Becky Lynch was nearly tapped for a Marvel role but that things fell through before she could make her debut. 

The report of “The Man” being involved in the Marvel flick comes by way of Fightful Select (via The Direct). Becky Lynch's alleged role in Eternals wasn't identified in the report, though the character was allegedly going to be utilize in an interesting way. It’s alleged that Lynch’s character was not going to play a massive role but was going to make her debut in a post-credits scene that set up a future installment. The scene was ultimately cut, and that seems to be why Lynch is currently lining up upcoming WWE events rather than upcoming Marvel movies. 

The post-credits scene, which allegedly would've still featured Harry Styles’ Eros, was reportedly cut from the movie for being “too depressing.” It’s also noted that Marvel Studios enjoyed the wrestler's performance and that it's not entirely impossible for her character to appear in a future MCU movie. Of course, should this all be true, one can't help but wonder who exactly she was going to play. 

"Big Time Becks" doesn’t have a ton of acting credits in Hollywood, but she has had guest spots on shows like Young Rock and Billions. Given her limited acting experience, she surely wouldn't have gotten a massive role that involves a lot of screen time and dialogue. Then again, fans did just hear that rumor about Damian Priest and the Namor role just recently, so who's to say how substantial her role would've been?

It’s also not too surprising to believe that Becky Lynch would’ve been offered a role in the MCU, considering many notable WWE legends like Dwayne Johnson, Dave Bautista, and John Cena have all played in the superhero genre. While Lynch hasn’t landed as many roles as those mentioned above, there are other popular WWE superstars who've gotten notable supporting roles in notable productions. Sasha Banks’ role in The Mandalorian Season 2 is one notable example, and wrestlers have also popped up on shows that have since ended like Arrow. 

As of this writing, neither Marvel Studios nor Becky Lynch have commented on this story. It's also unknown whether she’d be available to film anything for Marvel anytime soon. Lynch recently returned from an injury she sustained at SummerSlam and has already launched herself into a big storyline. As one of the top faces of the WWE and with rivals like Charlotte Flair teasing their return, I’d wager that her plate will be filled with wrestling obligations in the upcoming months. 

That’s not to say that it would be impossible for her to work with Marvel during that time, but I wouldn’t count on anything to happen right away. And of course, we’re not even 100% sure the rumor regarding her alleged involvement in Eternals is true. So it's probably best that we not get ahead of ourselves and wait and see if anything actually materializes.

While Becky Lynch has yet to join the MCU (as far as we know), fans can see some of her best work in the WWE using a Peacock Premium subscription. And those who want to check out Eternals, complete with its post-credits scene, can grab a Disney+ subscription to do so.

Ever since its debut in 2020, Dwayne Johnson’s biographical comedy series Young Rock has featured its fair share of depictions of wrestlers, which is no surprise considering The Rock is a multi-time WWE Champion and a shoe-in for the WWE Hall of Fame. The hilarious, and sometimes emotional series showing three stages in the former Hollywood superstar’s life — as a child, a teenager, and young adult — has shown the “Dewey” character cross paths with legends of the territory era, the “Rock and Wrestling Connection," and the incredibly popular Attitude Era, and the latest season will prove to be no different.

Upon the show’s November 4, 2022 return to NBC, the Young Rock Season 3 cast was bursting at the seams with new actors portraying some of professional wrestling and pop culture’s biggest icons. And while one new addition to the show’s cast should look awfully familiar to wrestling fans, the others might not. Let’s break it all down now…

Becky Lynch (Cyndi Lauper)

There have been multiple real-life wrestlers who have portrayed famous wrestling personalities throughout Young Rock’s first two seasons, but the show’s third season features one who is a league of her own. Starting off the new additions to the Young Rock Season 3 cast is Becky Lynch (real name Rebecca Quinn), the former WWE Women’s Champion and trailblazer also known as “The Man” and “Big Time Becks,” who portrays “Rock and Wrestling Connection” icon Cyndi Lauper.

Prior to playing the Grammy Award winner known for tracks like “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” and “Time After Time,” on the latest season of Dwayne Johnson’s popular comedy series, Lynch made appearances on shows like Vikings and Billions, as well as movies like The Marine 6: Close Quarters and Rumble. Lynch was injured at SummerSlam 2022, but it looks like she’ll go back to her babyface roots upon her return at some point in the near future.

Brock O’Hurn (Hulk Hogan)

Surprisingly enough, Hulk Hogan was not featured at any point during the first two seasons of Young Rock, but that all changes with the arrival of the show’s latest season. Taking on the role of the WWE Hall of Famer and leader of the Hulkamaniacs is Brock O’Hurn, who has made appearances on a few popular TV programs in recent years.

Prior to landing the role of the most recognizable wrestler in the history of the sport, O’Hurn took on roles of varying capacities on shows like The Righteous Gemstones, Euphoria, Too Close to Home, and The Real Bros of Simi Valley. He has also popped up in movies like The Resort and the Tyler Perry comedy Boo! A Madea Halloween.

Jason Jenkins (Mr. T)

Focusing on the “Rock and Wrestling Connection” without including Mr. T would be a disservice of epic proportions, but luckily the Young Rock Season 3 cast has someone taking on the role of the pop culture sensation who made Rocky III an all-time great boxing movie and added “I pity the fool” into the lexicon. Stepping in to play Mr. T is Jason Jenkins, who looks incredibly similar to the iconic figure in images released by NBCUniversal.

Unlike other new cast additions, information about Jenkins’ previous work is hard to come by. However, expect that to change following his debut as Mr. T.

Peter Gardner

One of the many high-profile celebrity guests at WrestleMania I in 1985, the legendary pianist and showman Liberace appeared as the guest timekeeper in the main even matchup between Hulk Hogan/Mr. T and “Rowdy” Roddy Piper/Paul Orndorff at Madison Square Garden. The iconic figure also shows up on Young Rock, this time portrayed by Peter Gardner.

Probably best known for his role as Darryl Whitefeather on Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Gardner has also made appearances on shows like The Middle, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Malcolm in the Middle, and most recently, the HBO Max original comedy series Our Flag Means Death.

Nicholas Bernardi (Bret ‘Hitman’ Hart)

Another major figure of the wrestling world showing up on the Young Rock Season 3 cast is Bret “Hitman” Hart, who is portrayed by Nicholas Bernardi. Despite not having too many credits to his name at this point, the up-and-coming actor very much looks the part of “The best there is, the best there was, the best there ever will be,” in the NBC comedy’s return.

Prior to landing the role of one of the most decorated professional wrestlers, and one who was at the center of one of the sport’s biggest controversies, Bernadi appeared on shows like Soundtrack and Chicago Fire.

Benjamin VanderMey (‘Rowdy’ Roddy Piper)

The late, great “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, who passed away at the age of 61 in 2015, was previously portrayed by Jade Drane on Young Rock, but the legendary wrestler-turned-actor is played by a new actor in the show’s third season: Benjamin VanderMey (pictured on the right in the image above).

Throughout his career, VanderMey has appeared on shows like Sistas, The Game, Lovecraft Country, and House of Cards, in addition to landing small parts in everything from Spider-Man: No Way Home to Baby Driver.

Eddy Clinton (‘Classy’ Freddie Blassie)

“Classy” Freddie Blassie, who has gone down as one of the greatest heels in the history of professional wrestling, is portrayed by Eddy Clinton (second from right in image above) on the Young Rock Season 3 cast.

Clinton takes over the role first portrayed by Steven Tandy, who portrayed the legendary wrestling figure in Young Rock Season 2.

Joseph D. Reitman (Captain Lou Albano)

Taking on the role of Captain Lou Albano in Young Rock Season 3 is Joseph D. Reitman (far left on image above), who takes over the role from Paul Paice, who played the legendary wrestling figure who crossed over into general pop culture with roles like Mario on The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! and the “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” music video in the 1980s.

Over the years, Reitman has appeared on shows like Married… with Children, The Shield, Happy!, and Marvel’s The Punisher, to name just a few. He has also appeared in movies like Money Monster, Lady in the Water, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, and multiple others going back to the mid 1990s.

New episodes of Young Rock air Friday nights on NBC before becoming available for everyone with a Peacock Premium subscription shortly after. If you want to know what else is coming to the small screen in addition to Dwayne Johnson’s comedy series, take a quick look at the 2022 fall TV schedule.

Stream Young Rock on Peacock.

WWE superstar Sheamus was married over the weekend, and a number of big names of the wrestling industry showed up to celebrate his big day. Seth Rollins was in attendance, and even AEW’s Claudio Castagnoli (a.k.a. Cesaro) made an appearance. They weren’t the only ones who turned out either, and seeing all these stars together makes me realize just how much I’ve missed seeing them work together. 

CJ Perry, likely known to many WWE fans as Lana, uploaded a photo to Twitter that featured her and her husband Miro, who currently works for AEW. Check out the photo below, which also shows Seth Rollins, Becky Lynch, Claudio Castagnoli and his partner, Sara Del Rey: 

It’s hardly surprising that these wrestlers turned out for Sheamus’ big day, especially given their history with him in the WWE. Claudio Castagnoli and Miro both worked with him in tag teams and stables, and it's also worth mentioning that they're all internationally-born superstars of the organization. The same goes for Becky Lynch, and no doubt Seth Rollins is just as friendly with everyone involved, even if his persona is portrayed as being less-than-kind.

Needless to say, the shindig was a real who’s who of the wrestling world, and there were more. CJ Perry uploaded another photo that showed Sheamus in the middle of the ceremony, and fans may notice that Drew McIntyre is standing right by his side: 

It seems that Drew McIntyre served as a groomsmen, as did Claudio Castagnoli and Miro apparently. What's more, it looks like everyone had a great time celebrating “The Celtic Warrior” Sheamus, and these photos of the wrestling vets goofing off amid the ceremony are great: 

Other WWE superstars like Matt Riddle and Damian Priest were in attendance as well, and even Naomi, who many are waiting to see make a return to the the company after she exited alongside Sasha Banks. It goes without saying that a lot of wrestling fans would love to see plenty of these big names work together again, but the odds of that happening feel slim. AEW and WWE are competitors and, after Cody Rhodes jumped ship to return to the latter and rumors mounted about CM Punk potentially returning as well, the former organization might be less than willing to open the “forbidden door," even though that wrestling collaboration seemed like a possibility at one point. 

Similarly, the World Wrestling Entertainment is doing its own thing and recruiting superstars elsewhere, so it seems like weddings may be one of the few events where the public will see stars from both companies mingle. Of course, the wrestling industry is a place where superstars jump in and out of organizations all the time. So it’s possible that fans see Sheamus and Claudio Castagnoli back together or even Miro feuding with Seth Rollins. Until that day comes, we can enjoy these photos of them in a more intimate setting, which is far removed from upcoming WWE events. 

Though we may not be able to see these AEW and WWE superstars share the ring, but anyone with a Peacock subscription can stream their past shared wrestling events. Now would also be a good time to subscribe because it won’t be long until the Crown Jewel pay-per-view, in which we’ll see Logan Paul take on Roman Reigns. 

SummerSlam drove a tractor through Nashville last night and gave WWE fans our first premium live event without Vince McMahon calling the shots. We’re officially living in a Triple H era now. I am here for it, and if the live crowd and Twitter’s reactions are any indication, most fans are here for it too. After all, it’s easy to be invested when the product is good, and more often than not last night, the product was very good.

At its most basic, wrestling is always about telling a story. Sometimes that story is self-contained within the match, but more often than not, the match is simply a portion of a larger story being told. We saw that quite a bit last night at SummerSlam, and we now have a better idea where some characters and storylines may be going from here.

So, on that note, let’s talk about the biggest takeaways from SummerSlam. Let’s talk about where WWE seems to be heading with some of these personalities, and let’s give a few people their flowers for putting on some incredible performances.

Becky Lynch Is A Face Now

I loved Becky’s time as a heel. She was an unhinged mess, and she played the role without any reservations. I’ll fondly remember everything she’s done this year, but I’m ready to root for her again. I think a lot of fans are in the same place too. During the post-match showdown where she joined Bianca Belair against Bayley, Dakota Kai and Io Shirai, she was already getting Becky chants from people sitting ringside.

Last night seemed to be implying we’ll be getting Becky and Bianca working together against this new heel stable, but I’m not entirely convinced that’ll happen over the long haul. Maybe we’ll see Becky move to Smackdown to work with Ronda. Speaking of which…

Ronda Rousey Is A Heel Now

I have no idea if this has been planned for weeks or if Triple H forced this after he took over, but this has been the obvious direction for Ronda’s character for like two months. She was not getting over as a face. Her microphone work was leaving a lot to be desired, and she was having trouble shifting between intensity and positive interactions with the fans. After she got booed as a face at Money In The Bank when it seemed like Liz Morgan’s cash-in was going to fail, we officially passed the point of no return.

But now I’m excited again and I think you should be too! The wrestling world has collectively focused on some of Ronda’s issues over the past few months, but we can’t forget how many incredible positives she brings into the ring too! She works a very believable and rough-looking style. She’s naturally athletic and unlike a lot of other famous faces on WWE’s roster, is willing to work as a regular performer showing up on TV most weeks. As a merciless aggressor who just attacks everyone in her path, she could be the most feared woman on the roster again. This is a fresh start, and I’m here for it!

Logan Paul Is A Potential Future WWE Champion

I really liked everything Logan Paul did at WrestleMania. I loved everything he did here. And that’s coming from a total hater. I wrote an entire article earlier this week about how stupid it was to make him a face in this match against The Miz. I thought it made no sense and couldn’t see any way the crowd would cheer for the social media influencer turned superstar. Well, I was wrong. The match ended with the crowd giving him a huge pop thanks in part to a giant frog splash from the top ropes to the announcer’s table.

I don’t know what Logan Paul’s future is in WWE. We know he signed an extended contract, but it’s an open question as to whether that means he’s scheduled to do an extended run where he’s on television every week. He would need that level of repetition to improve enough in the ring and get over with fans enough to be a possible world champion, but the ceiling is so high with this dude. I mean… that was his second real match. It’s unbelievable. I’m not saying he’s going to be WWE Champion, but if he decides this is something he wants to do and commits, he’ll get there.

The Miz Is Really Freaking Good And People Need To Put Respect On His Name

How many times does this dude need to over-deliver before we admit how good he is? Logan Paul was only taking part in his second real WWE match ever. The crowd was very skittish and almost apprehensive going into it because they weren’t sure whether to root for or boo the YouTuber, as he’s a heelish baby face. Plus, because of Paul’s busy schedule, the two have only shared the screen to try and build the match a few times total since WrestleMania. And yet, these dudes went over fourteen minutes. And even more impressively, Logan Paul got an eruption of cheers after the match ended 

Most people are going to point to Logan Paul’s frog splash from the top rope to the announcer’s table and rightfully so. That was a thing of beauty. But this match doesn’t work without a great story being told in the ring. This match doesn’t work without The Miz very quickly establishing a great rhythm and chemistry with a dude who has almost no WWE wrestling experience. This match doesn’t work without The Miz being one of the few performers in all of wrestling with a strong enough heel background to get boos against Logan Paul. This guy is a first ballot Hall of Famer, and he does a great job with whatever material he has to work with. Also, I’d like to give a quick shoutout to Maryse, who always helps elevate The Miz to another level.

Brock Lesnar Can Come Back Anytime He Wants

Brock Freaking Lesnar, man. Because of all the injuries on WWE’s roster, Brock Lesnar was one of the few people who could have main evented SummerSlam with Roman Reigns and gotten fans excited. Obviously that excitement was muted because they just faced each other at WrestleMania, but people love Brock and were excited for this main event, even if they complained on Twitter. I was excited too, but I was also worried. I was pretty sure Brock was going to lose so Roman had the belt at Clash At The Castle, but I didn’t want any part of seeing Brock lose again. If you’re positioned to be an unstoppable force, you can’t keep getting stopped.

But I somehow left this man event after another Brock Lesnar loss even more excited to see Brock Lesnar again. The dude is just an electric factory. He knows exactly how long he should talk on the microphone. He has so much freaking fun in the ring, and because there were so many shenanigans going on at ringside and he ended up buried under a pile of rubble, I didn’t really think that loss hurt him so much. I think most people will just remember that absurd tractor lift. That’s not to say I want him to take another L against Roman, but if WWE announced he was going to be around for the next six months, I’d be ecstatic. He's awesome, and I would watch him feud with anyone on the roster. 

The Future Of The Women’s Division Is So Exciting

I have no idea if WWE will be able to fix its issues with Sasha Banks and Naomi. I really hope they do, but I don’t think any of us know the full story of what’s going on behind the scenes there. But whether they come back or not, I am all-in on the women’s division right now. It is absolutely stacked. Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair, Bianca Belair, Rhea Ripley, Asuka, Alexa Bliss, Ronda Rousey and Liv Morgan is collectively the most exciting crop of performers in the history of wrestling, and that’s not even including a half dozen or more extremely capable mid-card women who play their roles well. Now we can throw in Bayley, Io Shirai and Dakota Kai, who all returned at SummerSlam, and there is not enough time on weekly programming to tell all the stories I want to see.

I hope Triple H brings back the women’s tag team belts. I hope he mixes up the deck enough to give all these women chances to work with each other. I hope a ton of other things, but mostly, I’m going to shut my mouth and trust Triple H to do this division justice. The future has never been brighter, and I cannot freaking wait to see what it’s going to deliver.

This is normally the part of the article where I’d excitedly talk about how you should be pumped for SummerSlam because it’s one of the biggest upcoming events on WWE’s calendar. In all honesty, though, the biggest reason I’m excited for SummerSlam this year is because it’s the first premium live event without Vince McMahon. Regardless of how you feel about the departed WWE founder, that’s exciting because none of us have any idea what’s about to happen. He’s had the final say on which performers to push and which performers to bury for the entirety of WWE’s historic run. Now Triple H is in charge of where things are going, and he’s going to see the same ring from a different perspective.

As a fan, I’m incredibly fired up. Setting aside the upsetting sexual misconduct allegations and purely looking at the in-ring product, I tend to come down in the middle on Vince McMahon. He’s been involved in or responsible for booking many of the greatest moments in the history of this business, but he also very clearly has a specific style and prefers certain wrestlers, even if better storylines could have been told elsewhere. Now we have someone new in charge who is going to see things in an entirely different way, which means the expected outcomes are out the window.

As a premium live event prediction writer, I’m terrified. Since I started doing these every month with WrestleMania 38, I’ve successfully picked 26 matches and only missed 8. That’s pretty damn good, especially considering two of my misses were Theory being added to the Money In The Bank match right before it happened and that New Day vs Sheamus and Ridge match which lasted about 90 seconds because of time issues at ‘Mania. But that was me trying to think like Vince and Bruce Prichard. I’m not really sure how to think like Triple H, especially since I’m only an occasional NXT viewer. But there’s no point in whining, complaining or making excuses. I’ve got more forecaster hat on, and I’m ready to get to it…

The Usos (Champions) Vs The Street Profits For The Undisputed Tag Team Titles

There’s nothing people love more than talking about how Montez Ford is a rising star. Even Angelo Dawkins said the other day that he’ll be a world champion at some point, but in order for that to happen, he needs to have some forward momentum. It’s great to see The Street Profits in prominent positions on TV every week, but some sort of forward progress needs to be made here. They can’t just be tag team contenders for another year.

So, in my opinion, the logical thing to do is either have The Street Profits win the belts and extend the feud with The Usos or they should lose and break up. One of them should blame the other, and they should move on to singles careers. It would be a nightmare if they fell down the card and were having dance-offs with Jinder Mahal and Shanky (no offense to them). 

Given, if they were going to break up, I would think WWE would tease it a bit more, I’m going to go with them winning the title here, with The Usos finally dropping the belts. If that does happen, though, huge shoutout to The Usos. They've been tremendous during this entire run and need to remain in prominent positions regardless.

Predicted Winner: The Street Profits

Pat McAfee Vs Happy Corbin

A lot of these matches are hard to predict. This one is not. Pat McAfee is all kinds of over with the crowd. I’m not saying he’s mid-80s Hulk Hogan or prime Stone Cold, but he’s the most over full-time announcer I can ever remember. Add that to the fact that people love booing Happy Corbin, and it seems pretty obvious what WWE needs to do.

Putting McAfee over here, especially in a fun way, would be a huge injection of momentum into the crowd. It would give them a reason to cheer (and sing along if he comes out to “Seven Nation Army”), and a loss would be very deflating, especially since Vince McMahon booked himself to beat McAfee at ‘Mania as a way to set up the Austin surprise. 

That’s not to say I advocate making every booking decision based on the crowd. Sometimes you need to swerve, but swerves are best when they help achieve a long-term goal. Happy Corbin just lost to Madcap Moss. He seems destined to stick around the mid-card. A win here does nothing for him. So, expect McAfee in a fun match the crowd is really into.

Predicted Winner: Pat McAfee

Bobby Lashley (Champion) Vs Theory For The United States Championship

I have no idea who will be most affected by Triple H running the show. What I do know, however, is that on paper, no character should be more affected by Vince McMahon’s departure than Theory. For months, he’s been painted as Vince’s henchman and the next golden child. Roman Reigns referenced this on Monday Night Raw when he said Theory’s “daddy” is gone. Whether Triple H sees the same thing in the incredibly talented twenty-four year old is an open question.

As it pertains to this particular match, however, I think there’s a pretty obvious outcome, whether McMahon is here or not. Theory has signaled very directly for weeks that he’s going to cash in his Money In The Bank contract after the Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar match against whoever wins, which will be at the end of SummerSlam. When he does that, I don’t think it makes sense for him to have the United States Championship. I know WWE has been consolidating a lot of the belts, but it would be wild to put the United States Championship, the WWE Championship and the Universal Championship all on Theory. He’s not 1998 Goldberg.

So, I think, for purely storyline purposes, it makes the most sense for Theory to charge to the ring with his contract without the United States Championship. Plus, I just really don’t see WWE wanting Lashley to take a clean loss to Austin Theory. I see how talented he is. I believe in him long-term, but he’s like a hundred pounds lighter and way too much of a sniveling heel at this point.

Predicted Winner: Bobby Lashley

Liv Morgan (Champion) Vs Ronda Rousey For The Smackdown Women’s Championship

Were all the cheers when Liv Morgan ran down to the ring at Money In The Bank because people wanted to see her finally become champion or were they because people were ready to see Ronda Rousey lose? I think it was a little of both, and that presents a big problem for Triple H and the writers to solve moving forward. Something needs to change about Ronda Rousey’s presentation. She can’t be a main event face and be getting openly rooted against, even in a face versus face match-up. It’s okay for the crowd to be split, but from the sound of it, they weren’t very split at all at Money In The Bank. 90% or more of the crowd was rooting for Liv.

But that shouldn’t come as a shock given how indifferent fans have been to most of her promos. 

Let’s just be honest. Ronda hasn’t connected in the way anyone hoped since she returned at the Royal Rumble in January, but there is still time to fix this. It takes most people a few tries to really connect with the crowd. Just ask Roman Reigns or John Cena. She needs a manager. Or she needs a different visual presentation, or, in my opinion, she needs to turn heel, possibly with a manager. I predict that’s going to happen here. I think Liv Morgan makes it a better than expected match. I think she starts getting the crowd on her side. I think she starts getting the upper hand and Ronda cheats in some kind of meaningful way to win. Maybe she cuts a promo afterwards telling the fans off and saying she’s gonna do whatever she wants? That’s my hope anyway.

Predicted Winner: Ronda Rousey

Logan Paul Vs The Miz

Logan Paul is going to beat The Miz because this win does nothing for The Miz and it does everything to establish Logan Paul as a serious player in WWE over the next few years. The Miz has moved up and down the card for a decade and a half. He’ll be fine losing here, especially considering how famous Logan Paul is.

What I’m far more interested in is whether Logan Paul leaves his match as a heel or a face. Right now, he’s supposed to be a baby face, which makes about as much sense as trying to make a late 80s Bobby Heenan a baby face. Some guys are born to wear the black hat. To me, he’s the cheating, smirking embodiment of a heel. It’s just so obvious. Look at this insane motion graphic he made earlier this week. Heel. Heel. Heel. It’s hard to imagine WWE fans fully embracing him with cheers anytime in the near future.

Maybe Triple H gets that. Maybe he’ll use this opportunity to solidify Logan Paul as a heel and give him some real jerk store momentum coming out of it. Or maybe they’re determined to power through and try to eventually get him over. I don’t know. Regardless, I feel confident he’ll walk out as a winner hopefully in a fun match.

Predicted Winner: Logan Paul

The Mysterios Vs The Judgment Day

This all comes down to what the future of Judgment Day is going to look like. Two months ago, they were an incredibly hot stable that seemed destined for big things. Then Edge got thrown out and replaced by Finn Balor in a move that’s confusing from both a real and kayfabe perspective. Then Rhea Ripley was off television for what felt like a month, and suddenly, Damian Priest and Balor were feuding with the Mysterios in lower card action. Life comes at you fast.

I still think The Judgment Day can and should be a kick-ass stable. All three of the performers can wrestle really well. They’ve got a pretty cool look. I want WWE to keep fighting through, but there seem to be plenty of others on the internet who think the writers should wash their hands with it and let all three performers go back to doing their own things. How Triple H feels is anyone’s guess. If he wants to wash his hands of it, the best thing to do would be for the team to lose clean to the Mysterios.

I don’t think that’s going to happen. My guess is either Rhea Ripley will interfere and win the match for Judgment Day or Edge will make a surprise return and screw over Judgment Day, as their inevitable confrontation is coming at some point. Without a ton of confidence, I’ll go with Edge showing up, which would launch a feud between him and probably Balor moving forward.

Predicted Winner: The Mysterios

Bianca Belair (Champion) vs Becky Lynch For The Raw Women’s Championship

I’m so freaking excited for this match. Both of these women are generational talents and somehow still improving every month. Their chemistry together is really fluid and natural, and with all due respect to Cody Rhodes and Seth Freakin Rollins, their match at WrestleMania was the best of the entire event for my money. We’re so lucky to be able to watch them slug it out again. 

Now, what’s going to happen is anyone’s guess. They’re without question the top two women in the entire division. Either could go on a two year long run with the belt and totally deserve it. So, the question is really which of the two spectacular options does Triple H want to take. If he keeps the belt on Bianca, I think he needs to move Lynch to Smackdown and let her grab the title from Ronda or Liv or push her into some sort of other compelling feud worthy of her talent. 

If she wins, then Bianca is obviously going to need a rematch, and this feud is just going to continue. On the one hand, I would love that. On the other hand, it would be nice to see them do other things, especially since Charlotte and Bayley are going to return at some point, Alexa Bliss seems to ready to jump back into the main event picture and with Vince McMahon gone, it’s possible we could get Sasha and/ or Naomi back. For those reasons, I think Bianca is going to win, and we’re going to move on from this feud for a bit.

Predicted Winner: Bianca Belair

Roman Reigns (Champion) Vs Brock Lesnar For The Undisputed WWE Universal Championship

I have mixed feelings on doing Roman and Brock again. I don’t mind it so much from a purely watching the match standpoint. In fact, I’m kind of excited. It’s not going to be Kurt Angle and Bret Hart, but it’s always compelling in an Andre The Giant and Hulk Hogan kind of way. Plus, I’d rather have an opponent for Roman that could actually win. If he was wrestling Riddle or Kevin Owens or whoever, there wouldn’t be much doubt about the match’s outcome. No offense to those dudes, who are great, but WWE isn’t going to put two belts on them. 

The reason I’m not more excited, however, at least beyond we just saw this at WrestleMania 38, is that I don’t want either one of these guys taking a loss. It undermines Brock’s character to have him take a second consecutive L to Roman Reigns on a big stage, and it’s kind of stupid, in my opinion, to keep the belt on Roman for two years and then drop it to a part-timer like Lesnar. This should have been Cody’s moment or maybe Randy Orton or maybe Bray Wyatt in a surprise return.

So, who is going to win? Well, considering both Roman and Brock are essentially part-timers right now, let me reframe this question. Who does WWE want to face Drew McIntyre (or Sheamus but really, Drew McIntyre) in the main event at Clash At The Castle? It’s hard for me not to think that answer is Roman Reigns, and while I don’t love Drew being the one to end Roman’s run, him winning the belt in Europe would be such a great callback moment to British Bulldog in 1992. So, I’m going to say Roman retrains, but I’m not confident.

Predicted Winner: Roman Reigns

Whoever Wins (Champion) Vs Theory For The Undisputed WWE Universal Championship

It’s not just that WWE has been teasing this cash-in for weeks. They’ve been outright saying it. Theory has made it very clear he’s going to cash in as soon as this match is over, assumedly on a winner that’s just gotten the hell beaten out of them. As we know, Money In The Bank cash-ins succeed an overwhelming majority of the time. 

This one is going to fail. I know Theory is a rising star. He’s done a great job of generating heat with this contract. His future is really bright, but Clash At The Castle needs a main event of either Roman Reigns vs Drew McIntyre or Brock Lesnar vs Drew McIntyre. Theory is just not at that point in his career. Besides, the audience loves to hate him, and watching him try to cash-in and lose would be such a great way to end SummerSlam.

Predicted Winner: Cash-In Fails And Either Roman Reigns Or Brock Lesnar Retains.