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

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

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

The WWE will soon give fans with Netflix subscription a peek behind the proverbial curtain with WWE: Unreal. The upcoming Netflix series will offer a never-before-seen look into the writers' room of the company, showcasing how performers and storytellers collaborate to create storylines. It'll also apparently reveal some of the unfortunate realities of professional wrestling, as Charlotte Flair and CM Punk's conversation about peeing and pooping in the ring illustrates.

The two wrestlers have a fleeting appearance in the trailer for WWE: Unreal, but they make the most of it with Punk asking the former women's champion if she's ever "shit herself" in the ring. Well aware that the cameras were on her, Flair had a very diplomatic response:

I can't wait to see the full context of this scene, because the implication would seemingly be there was a time when CM Punk might've pooped himself in the ring, and that he maybe wanted someone else to also say they suffered such an unfortunate experience. Either that, or maybe he knows someone who did. A "friend," if you will.

Wrestling is a very physical profession, and accidents happen all the time. If someone put me through a table at an upcoming WWE event, I might pee a little, even if I was expecting it.

I'll be interested to see if the WWE is just as open about the other facets of what goes on behind the scenes, and just how "real" WWE: Unreal is. We already know the events that will be covered, and some of them have some pretty big controversies attached to them.

The big measuring stick for me won't be wrestlers being honest about pee and poop, but what we learn about The Rock not being involved in WrestleMania 41. Dwayne Johnson has publicly tried to defend his decision not to be involved after being heavily inserted in the story at the start, but I'd love to know the full story of what all transpired and led to that story collapsing.

As for the overall vibe of WWE: Unreal's first trailer, it feels similar to other WWE-produced documentaries the company has done in the past on other PLE events. I'm not seeing a ton to make me feel this show will be any different than that, unless we're seeing people talk about potential angles to use for storylines or alternate plans in place that could've happened had a superstar gotten injured in the ring. I'll be thrilled if we get more of that, and less about wrestlers talking about their bodily fluids and all that.

WWE: Unreal is premiering on Netflix on July 29th. Get hype for yet another piece of WWE content to hit the streaming platform, and hopefully, some more details about what goes on in WWE when the fans aren't in the stands and watching.

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

Charlotte Flair recently enjoyed some time as a sports spectator, as opposed to leading any WWE action herself, following an underwhelming WrestleMania program with Tiffany Stratton. The queen of pro wrestling decided to catch some NBA playoff action by attending the Los Angeles Lakers' game against the Minnesota Timberwolves. It's who she was with that has people talking, however, as former MLB superstar Alex Rodriguez was seen at her side, which fans couldn't help but react to.

The former Yankees mainstay attended the Lakers game with the 2025 Women's Royal Rumble champion, and a brief video of the. pair together outside the event started making waves on the internet. Check out that video below from @ArashMarkazi, with a quick cameo from Shane McMahon:

It's a pairing that has sparked a lot of interest, given it's not every day you see a professional wrestler and hall-of-fame caliber baseball player attend a sporting event together. It's also coming on the heels of Charlotte Flair's divorce from fellow superstar Andrade El Idolo, which many fans have been pretty outspoken about, so they're aware that she's single again after three previous marriages.

All this resulted in a lot of seemingly optimistic speculation about what she's doing with A-Rod, and whether there's love in the air or not. Here are a few such comments:

• They are each other’s type though…. - @JenniferLAusti3
• A Rod gonna be lucky #4 - @tucoldvideo
• Sooooooo much to unpack there - @BIG_TEA33
• A-rod dating Charlotte Flair??? - @vlad_0817
• You people on here are way too invested in Charlotte Flair’s personal life and haven’t learned a thing from speculating about her relationships in the past. You’re doing it again. - @deadeditors_

The last one is a good point, and wrestling fans may be too invested in what's happening in Charlotte Flair's personal life. Would anybody be THIS invested if it was known they were just good friends who were in a book club together?

At the same time, both celebrities had to have known that attending a playoff game of one of the NBA's largest teams would not go unnoticed, especially with all the ongoing drama surrounding Luka Dončić's trade to the team. Maybe seats a little further away from courtside would have helped that.

The story only gets more interesting when looking at Charlotte Flair's Instagram Stories, which showed her planted squarely behind the bench of the Minnesota Timberwolves. Alex Rodriguez is one of the owners of the basketball team, so it's possible he was the one who secured tickets for her to the event.

While there are videos and photos of the two athletes side-by-side, neither one mentioned of the other when posting on social media about the game. It should also be noted that Rodriguez made news on April 20th for attending another NBA game with his girlfriend, Jaclyn Cordeiro, whom he'd met after his highly publicized split from Jennifer Lopez.

While it's true that Alex Rodriguez and Charlotte Flair do follow each other on Instagram, it's a possibility that they are just good friends. We don't have any additional information to suggest otherwise, so unless we see concrete evidence of a relationship between the two, it's best not to speculate too much for now.

Catch Charlotte Flair on SmackDown on Fridays on USA at 8:00 p.m. ET. I'm eager to see what's in store for her at upcoming WWE events, following her unsuccessful challenge at WrestleMania 41, and with new women from NXT making their way to the main roster to challenge the top superstars.

For wrestling fans around the world, the best day of the year is here: it's time for WrestleMania 41! After spending the past few months on a longer-than-normal "Road to WrestleMania," the biggest, brightest, and toughest WWE Superstars are hitting Sin City for the "Showcase of the Immortals," and I'm here to talk about it as it all goes down.

Whether you're watching with a group of friends, on the couch with family, want to see how our predictions hold up, or in Allegiant Stadium (dude, get off your phone and watch the show), CinemaBlend's live blog of WrestleMania 41 Night 1 is going to be you one-stop shop for all the biggest matches, moments, surprises, and more as we kick off "Super Bowl of Wrestling!"

We've got championship matches, blood feuds, and CM Punk's first Mania match in over a decade. And we're just getting started...

CinemaBlend's WrestleMania 41 Night 1 Live Blog

The crowd is filing in, the promo packages are playing, and we're less than an hour until WrestleMania 41 kicks off. Though the matches have started yet, WWE has already made some major announcements so far in Night 1:

• Rey Fenix will be making his WrestleMania debut when he faces El Grande Americano tonight. Fenix is a last-minute replacement for Rey Mysterio, who was injured during Friday's SmackDown taping.
• WWE has announced the acquisition of Mexican wrestling promotion AAA as well as a Worlds Collide premium live event at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles on Saturday, June 7th.

Speaking of injuries... Bayley appears to have been attacked backstage earlier today. It looks like Lyra Valkyria has 24 hours to find a new partner for her WWE Women's Tag Team Championship match on WrestleMania 41 Night 2.

Can we get Chelsea Green on the card?

A Paul Heyman hype package for the city of Las Vegas? Sign me up! We're minutes away from WrestleMania 41!

Jelly Roll gets us started with a low-key rendition of "God Bless America" ahead of WrestleMania Saturday.

Now we're on to those "walking while not looking at the camera" introductions WWE loves so much.

Looks like we're getting things started with "Main Event" Jey Uso challenging Gunther for the World Heavyweight Championship! I haven't been hyped for this match, but I'm starting to get there. We shall see...

But it looks like we're getting our traditional Triple H, er, WWE Hall of Famer Paul "Triple H" Levesque, WrestleMania promo before we see any in-ring action.

Welcome to WrestleMania!!!!

Gunther has only been pinned by two wrestlers -- Cody Rhodes and Sami Zayn -- since making his WWE main roster debut. Will Jey Uso be the third? We'll know here shortly.

Powerbombs, foreign objects, and sleeper holds can't bring Jey Uso down. What's it going to take for Gunther to retain?

It must be laundry day in Vegas because it's one clothesline after another in this opening match.

Powerbomb -> Superkick -> Spear -> Uso Splash -> Uso Splash -> Uso Splash! Is Jey Uso about to be the champ?

Gunther Taps! Gunther Taps! Gunther Taps! "Main Event" Jey Uso is your new World Heavyweight Champion after that offensive onslaught!

Brothers don't shake hands, brothers gotta hug!

The New Day and The War Raiders are up next? Is the leaner, meaner, and vindictive tag team about to add another tag title to its collection?

Tag team action for the Clash of Clans title, er, World Tag Team Championship, is underway.

I'm a sucker for super-heavyweights that can move around the ring, so it's no surprise I'm there for Ivar.

AND NEW WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS..... THE NEW DAY!

Our first non-title match is coming up. Jade Cargill vs. Naomi also happens to be one of my most anticipated bouts on the card. I LOVE heated feuds like this.

And we're off and running!

Jade Cargill gets revenge, wins her first singles WrestleMania match, and looks like a badass '90s Storm in the process. The crowd is still dead, but this was my favorite match of the night so far. Still a lot of wrestling to go...

Time for a SummerSlam ad... Looks like Cardi B will be getting in on the fun when WWE takes over MetLife in August.

Oh Snap! Jacob Fatu is about to make his WrestleMania debut when he takes on LA Knight for the United States Championship. The first two title matches tonight saw new champs. Is it going to be the case here? Probably, unless Solo Sikoa gets involved...

Jacob Fatu is him!

But LA Knight's car is so cool. Yeah!

Finally.... the crowd shows up! I don't know if it's the building or the in-ring product, but Allegiant has pretty much been silent outside of this United States Championship match. Hopefully, this momentum continues in the latter half of the Night 1 card.

Yes! Yes! Yes! Jacob Fatu has won the United States Championship. That guy can go! Hopefully this is a sign of things to come for Fatu, and this WrestleMania card.

WWE had to pivot today and insert Rey Fenix in place of an injured Rey Mysterio to take on Chad Gable, I mean, El Grande Americano in this lucha vs. lucha match. I wish were seeing Fenix's Mania debut under better terms, but this should be a great bout.

I know the El Grande Americano thing is supposed to be a big joke, but Chad Gable, or the guy who looks exactly like him in a mask, is making this work. El Grande and Rey Fenix are putting on one hell of a match out there.

I cannot wait until Fenix and Penta work a program together, either as the Lucha Bros or in a heated rivalry like Bret vs. Owen. WWE is finally doing great things with luchadors.

Chad Gable is so good at the old school dastardly heel. Not quite on the level of Big Boss Man crashing Big Show's dad's funeral, but the loaded mask bit is great. This has to be leading to a mask vs. mask match with Rey Mysterio when the WWE Hall of Famer comes back from injury.

61,467 is the announced attendance for WrestleMania 41 Night 1, according to HBK.

The build for the WWE Women's Championship has been awkward, to say the least. I'm hoping this is all put to rest when Tiffney Stratton takes on Charlotte Flair. Love her or hate her, the Queen of WWE puts on a damn good match at the "Showcase of the Immortals."

There's a lot riding on this one...

The boo birds have found Charlotte Flair. They just seem to be firing her up more.

Side note, I still can't get over her entrance robe.

Tiffany is doing a number on Charlotte's knee. Great "ring awareness," but why wait so long to take out your opponent's biggest weakness?

And still WWE Women's Champion... Tiffney Stratton. What a huge win for the young champion! Talk about a hard fight. Bruised, battered, and beaten, but Tiffy Time continues after that Prettiest Moonsault Ever!

The match we've all been waiting for is coming up next. Time to see CM Punk's first WrestleMania main event as he enters a three-way dance with former Shield brothers Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns.

Make a final run for the bathroom, refill your drinks, and take care of any unfinished business, because it's about to go down.

But first... the 2025 WWE Hall of Fame ceremony recap.

Seth holds it down when it comes to entrance gear, but Roman's shoes are ON POINT tonight!

This CM Punk retrospective promo package is hitting me in the feels. Goosebumps over here.

Here we go!

A suplex onto a trash can has gotta hurt. Like for real.

How long until Rollins and Reigns tease a Shield powerbomb?

Okay, the Spear into the Pedigree is legit one of the coolest things I've seen in a wrestling match!

GTS into the Spear into the Curb-Stomp made the night worth it. Now Paul Heyman is pulling out a chair?

Never trust Paul Heyman!

With a little help from his new friend, Seth Rollins wins the WrestleMania 41 Night 1 main event!

Well, that wraps up the first night of WrestleMania 41. And while it's going to be hard to follow up that main event, tomorrow's Undisputed WWE Championship Match could get it done.

Make sure to tune into tomorrow at 7 p.m. ET when WrestleMania 41 Night 2 kicks on Peacock (or Netflix in international markets).

HIGHLIGHT REEL TIME: The WWE dropped a video of all the biggest WrestleMania 41 highlights which can be viewed below.

It’s finally WrestleMania week, and I could not be more fired up. The Royal Rumble might be my favorite PLE of the year, but WrestleMania is, without question, the most important. Whenever someone who’s not into professional wrestling asks me to explain what it’s all about, I always use ‘Mania as a starting point. It’s the one event every single person is at least vaguely aware of, and in very practical television terms, it works like the season finale.

A year’s worth of characters, storylines and builds are, in theory, supposed to pay off at WrestleMania. It’s the show that brings resolution to what we’ve already watched and lets us know who the main characters are going to be moving forward. In a more special way only wrestling fans understand, it’s also just really meaningful. It’s a big deal to even make the card, and everything you do at a ‘Mania counts. It’ll be re-watched and remembered for decades to come.

This year will be no exception. After decades in the business, playing the most popular good guy almost the entire time, John Cena has finally been given the chance to play a heel, and he’s taken full advantage of it in his feud with WWE’s top baby face Cody Rhodes. They’ll close night two of the show, but beyond that, there are a ton of other huge names on the card including Roman Reigns, CM Punk, Seth Rollins, Rhea Ripley, Bianca Belair, Randy Orton, Rey Mysterio, Drew McIntyre, Iyo Sky, Charlotte Flair, Gunther and more.

Before I get into what I think is going to happen, though, you can take a look at my track record predicting WrestleManias, as well as my overall record, as I’ve predicted every single WWE Premium Live Event for the last three years.

The War Raiders (Champions) Vs The New Day For The World Tag Team Championships

I don’t know what Triple H is doing here. I think fans on Twitter, with a few exceptions, have been a little too negative about this year’s WrestleMania build, but this is one program that I think everyone should be criticizing. The New Day were white hot when they first turned heel. The segment where they kicked Big E out was one of the best promos we’ve gotten in a long time, but then the writers waited way too long to actually do anything with them. They just had them give the same generic heel promo every week and even bizarrely had them lose some matches. Now they’re trying to heat them back up, but the spark just isn’t the same.

That being said, The War Raiders are among the best in-ring tag team workers on the entire WWE roster, and The New Day are future first ballot Hall of Famers. This match can and should still cook. I predict the crowd will be very hot for it by the end, with two possible results. Either The New Day will cheat to become tag team champs again, or they’ll lose the match as a result of interference from Big E. I’m going to go with the former, but keep your eyes open for the latter.

Predicted Winners: The New Day

Rey Fenix (Replacing Rey Mysterio) Vs El Grande Americano

UPDATE: Rey Mysterio suffered an injury on SmackDown and was replaced by Rey Fenix. It's hard for me to imagine WWE will give Rey Fenix his first singles loss this quickly after his debut, but I'm not 100% confident because we don't know if WWE is going to try and get back to the Rey Mysterio/ El Grande Americano storyline whenever he gets healthy. If Gable is unmasked here, that makes this more complicated.

Original Write-Up: In a really stupid but also amazing way, this match is a perfect encapsulation of what professional wrestling is all about. Rey Mysterio is a WWE Hall of Famer and arguably the most famous luchador of all-time, at least in The United States. In an effort to beat him, WWE mid-carder Chad Gable disappeared for several weeks, then returned as a masked luchador named El Grande Americano. He swears he’s not Chad Gable but is instead a totally different wrestler who has won every championship there is to win in Mexico.

In recent weeks, many WWE legends have tweeted about how unfair it is that El Grande Americano has a match and Chad Gable doesn’t. A recent crowd even gave us an all-time chant where half the people screamed that’s Chad Gable and the other half screamed no he’s not. The whole thing is beyond normal levels of stupid but also absolutely perfect in a really specific professional wrestling way.

Anyway, Rey Mysterio is going to win this. Afterwards, I suspect he’ll unmask El Grande Americano at the end, and we’ll just have to wait and see who is under there. It’s obviously gonna be Chad Gable, except, of course, if it’s not.

Predicted Winner: Rey Fenix

Jade Cargill Vs Naomi

It’s been a long time since we’ve gotten a non-title women’s singles match on the ‘Mania card, but this one has more than earned its spot thanks to a good story that’s built slowly over the last year and some particularly strong character work, especially from Naomi. At ‘Mania 40, Cargill, Naomi and Bianca Belair all teamed together for a dominant victory over Damage CTRL. In the time since, they’ve told a story of friendship and betrayal, in which both women separately teamed with friend Bianca Belair to win the tag team titles and a jealousy naturally grew from that, leading to Naomi eventually attacking Jade.

I suspect Jade will win this match. She’s been presented as a dominant, main event talent since she arrived in WWE. In fact, you could say she’s been one of the most protected superstars on the roster. A loss here would really hurt her standing, whereas it would only give Naomi more fuel to grow her bitter, resentful heel that’s really helped break her out over the past few months. In fact, I suspect WWE will strongly consider her when Money In The Bank rolls around for a possible victory there.

Predicted Winner: Jade Cargill

LA Knight (Champ) Vs Jacob Fatu For The United States Championship

What happens in this match entirely depends on what WWE wants to do with Jacob Fatu. Whether fans like it or not, Triple H and company seem to view LA Knight as an upper mid-carder, the type of superstar who cleans up against most of the roster but loses World Title level matches to the actual main eventers. So, win, lose or draw, he’ll continue dropping mid-carders on their heads and giving ‘em three the hard way.

Jacob Fatu, however, is almost certainly going to be in the main event picture sooner rather than later. Despite being a heel, the crowd clearly buzzes every time he comes to the ring. He’s just got an aura about him, and many fans and observers consider him a future WrestleMania main eventer. So, what does WWE want to do with that? They can have him beat LA Knight here and go on an extended run with The United States Championship where he, assumedly, looks really dominant against most of the roster, or they could have him lose in some underhanded way that helps him launch into his next feud. Most likely that would be through a botched interference attempt by his Bloodline mate Solo Sikoa.

Ultimately, I think they’re probably going to want him to win his first WrestleMania match and get his first taste of singles gold. So, I’m going to go with that. A loss is definitely possible though, but if it happens, expect it to be a loss that still keeps him looking really strong.

Predicted Winner: Jacob Fatu

Tiffany Stratton (Champion) Vs Charlotte Flair For The WWE Women’s Championship

Let’s just rip the band-aid off here. The build to this match has been a disaster. It’s impossible to know as a fan with no backstage connections exactly what’s been going on, but from my vantage point, it seems like Charlotte Flair intentionally tried to make Tiffany Stratton look bad on multiple occasions by going off script and stepping on her big lines until Stratton got sick of it and hit her back on live television with a few really personal insults.

All that mess has added a little buzz and excitement to the match, but it’s also made both of the women look bad. Flair has come off, at least to me, as unprofessional and unwilling to help one of the youngest women on the roster, and Tiffy has come off, at least to me, like someone inexperienced who was made World Champion before she was ready. There’s been no winner.

I have no idea what to expect on Saturday. Stratton and Flair and two of the best workers on the entire roster. So, there’s a chance they’ll finally work together and deliver an all-time fantastic match, or there’s a chance they’ll just keep trying to show each other up and it’ll be a disaster. It could go either way, as could the outcome. I originally thought WWE would have Flair put over Stratton to give her a huge win on a big stage and signal to the audience that they’re building around her, but she hasn’t looked ready for the moment in the past several weeks, stumbling over her words and seeming out of sorts. Would WWE really reward Charlotte for what’s happened here though? That doesn’t feel like the right message to send to the veterans in the locker room.

Predicted Winner: Tiffy Time

Gunther (Champion) Vs Jey Uso For The World Heavyweight Championship

Gunther is probably my favorite wrestler on the entire roster. He’s absolutely fantastic, and his promo this week on Raw really showed why he’s a future Hall of Famer. I would love to see him win here and really cement his legacy as an all-time villain, capable of stepping on any babyface, no matter how over they are with the crowd. But what happens to Jey Uso if he loses in another big moment?

WWE has invested a ton in Jey Uso and in this story. He won perhaps the most stacked Royal Rumble in history. After fans weren't fully getting on board with his program, they let Gunther beat down his brother Jimmy, to the point where he’s not being used at WrestleMania in order to try and build sympathy. They’ve given him personalized entrances and significant time on almost every episode of Raw for months.

That’s paid off in huge merchandise sales and a lot of YEET chants, but if he loses here, it’s almost certainly going to stop a lot of his momentum. He’s going to be thrown back down to the mid-card and probably end up back in a tag team with his brother. That’s far from the worst thing in the world, but there’s always time to do that later. If he’s going to make a singles run, it needs to be now, which is why he’s almost certainly going to win.

Predicted Winner: Jey Uso

Roman Reigns Vs CM Punk Vs Seth Rollins

Fans are divided as to how effective the build for this custody of Paul Heyman match has been, but you certainly can’t deny the star power. These three would all quite easily fit into a top ten of wrestlers who have most defined the post-Attitude Era, and they all share plenty of professional connections and personal life overlap.

You could make a case for why all three of these guys should emerge victorious here, but I think the best case belongs to Seth Rollins. He’s a lot less involved in the Paul Heyman stuff than the other two, and he could really use a win on a big stage like this. He spent all of last year’s WrestleMania putting other people over, despite being injured, and if CM Punk and Roman Reigns are going to continue feuding together, it would make the most sense for him to be the one to escape with a win.

Predicted Winner: Seth Rollins

Liv Morgan And Raquel Rodriguez (Champions) Vs Bayley And Lyra Valkyria For The WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship

It feels like the long-term story here is Bayley and Lyra Valkyria feuding over the Women’s Intercontinental Championship, not these teams feuding over the Women’s Tag Team Championship. We saw Bayley waffle on whether or not to shake Lyra’s hand when she lost a few weeks ago, and while they teamed in the ring pretty well together during the gauntlet match, it’s hard to think that’s not going to come into play in the future.

Plus, I don’t really see any reason why Judgment Day should lose here. There’s a good chance either Dom or Finn is going to win the Men’s Intercontinental Championship, and if one of them does, that plus these belts could really solidify Judgment Day moving back into prominence without Rhea Ripley or Damian Priest.

Predicted Winner: Liv & Raquel

AJ Styles Vs Logan Paul

I’m still not really sure what story these two are trying to tell. The announcers and Karrion Kross seem to be telling us the story is about the soul of wrestling, but AJ Styles and Logan Paul haven’t really gotten into that a ton of the microphone. Instead, it’s mostly seemed like a showcase match, but given the talent level of these two, that’s absolutely fine. Styles is arguably the best in-ring worker of his generation, and Paul has proven over and over again that he can really perform on a big stage.

Because there’s really not a ton of story here, it makes this match uniquely difficult to predict. Paul is obviously on the upswing of his career, while Styles doesn’t have a ton of WrestleManias left. That could work in either man’s favor though, as you can see Styles putting Paul over to help grow his career, or you can see Paul laying on his back for a hero who deserves another big WrestleMania moment. I’m going to go with AJ Styles because it feels like it’s been forever since he got a big win like this, but I’m not confident.

Predicted Winner: AJ Styles

Bron Breakker (Champion) Vs Penta Vs Dominik Mysterio Vs Finn Bálor For The Intercontinental Championship

You can’t rule any of these four out. Normally in a multi-man match like this, there are a few people who are quite obviously not winning, but that’s not the case here. Bron has looked unstoppable since winning back his Intercontinental Championship and is widely regarded as the young star with the brightest future in WWE. Penta is one of WWE’s hottest characters right now and getting star treatment, and it seems like WWE really wants to reenergize Judgment Day, which means a win for either Mysterio or Bálor is on the table. It could even lead to the two of them feuding with each other, which would provide a lot of stories for WWE to explore in the coming months.

I’m going to go with Dominik Mysterio. It’s probably because I would like to see him rewarded for all the great heel work he’s done over the past few years, but beyond that, I also think a title could really take his character to another level. He’s never going to be a dominant champion like Gunther or even Bron Breakker, but it’s easy to imagine a scenario in which he cheated to win and picked up a ton of victories over the next several months. That would only increase the generational heat already on him, and that could help turn WWE’s most reliable mid-card character into a star.

Predicted Winner: Dominik Mysterio

Damian Priest Vs Drew McIntyre

I’m a huge Damian Priest guy. I felt like he was a future World Champion the day he moved to the main roster, and I’ve been stoked to see how his career has gone so far. His cash in on Drew McIntyre last year was my single favorite moment of WrestleMania 40. He’s my guy, and this match isn’t going to change that.

But Drew McIntyre needs to win here. He is capable of being the biggest star in the entire company, and his work over the last year or two has been the best of his career. I think he can be WWE Champion again and really give us a memorable title reign. That starts with beating Priest here. Don’t get me wrong. I hope the match is really competitive and both men come out looking fantastic, but the result is obvious. McIntyre needs to win a feud and start building momentum.

Predicted Winner: Drew McIntyre

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

This is the most unpredictable match on the entire card in my opinion. You could easily look at this and say they’re going to tell the oldest triple threat story in the book. Rhea and Bianca are going to focus on each other, and that’ll allow Iyo to sneak in and claim victory while they’re distracted. That’s certainly possible.

You could also say Bianca is going to win this, given she has a great WrestleMania undefeated streak going, which the company could really turn into something down the road, and there’s an enticing opportunity to turn her heel, given she’s been booed throughout this program despite being a baby face. She could also slide right from this into a feud with Jade Cargill, which would be a big money opportunity for WWE to put on some title matches.

Or you could easily say Rhea is going to win this on account of her being the biggest female star in the history of the wrestling business. She’s been behaving like a heel during the entire feud, and the fans still cheer her at every turn because she’s a breakout star. You can’t blame WWE for wanting to put the belt on the biggest name in the division. Hulk Hogan, John Cena and others spent larger parts of their career as champ for that exact reason.

I’m going to go with Bianca because I really like keeping the streak in tact, but my confidence level is not very high here.

Predicted Winner: Bianca Belair

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

There are a fair number of fans who think Cody Rhodes is going to take this, but I just don’t see that. John Cena just gave us one of the biggest and most shocking heel turns in the history of the wrestling business. In order to keep his momentum going, he needs to win here. If he does all that and loses, he’s going to look like a fool, and I’m not sure he has enough appearances left this year to really get that momentum back.

I’m sure it’s going to be through cheating. I’m sure it’s going to be through underhanded tactics, but I would be shocked if John Cena didn’t walk out of WrestleMania as a champion. That would also allow him to break Ric Flair’s record for World Championships and give WWE a ton of really fun stories to tell for the rest of the year. Cena winning here is the obvious play, and I can’t wait to see it happen.

Predicted Winner: John Cena

We’re less than two months away from WrestleMania, and there are only two confirmed matches. We’ll probably get somewhere in the neighborhood of fourteen at the actual show; so, Triple H and the writers have a lot of work to do in order to get there. Thankfully, I think they’re going to use the Elimination Chamber PLE to set up more than a few of them.

I say more than a few of them because we know the Chamber is going to set up two for sure. The winner of the men’s Chamber will face Cody Rhodes for the WWE Championship, and the winner of the women’s Chamber will face Rhea Ripley for the Women’s World Championship. Those are obviously the main event attractions, but some of the losers are likely going to be putting in character work and hitting story beats that help them get to their future WrestleMania matches too.

Because of that, I’m not only going to go through who I think is going to win these matches, I’m also going to go through some theories about what other stories might develop. Obviously, I’m not inside the writers room and don’t know exactly what the powers that be are planning with everyone, but I think there have been enough story beats to do some evidence-based speculation.

Before I get to that though, please gaze in awe and wonder at my upper midcard level record on predictions since I started doing them for every PLE since WrestleMania 38. Pretty impressive, huh? I’m like the Damian Priest of predictions. Maybe that’s too generous. I’m like the Bam Bam Bigelow of predictions. Actually, that might be even more generous. The British Bulldog of predictions? Why don’t you visualize your favorite upper midcarder.

Tiffany Stratton and Trish Stratus Vs Nia Jax and Candice LeRae

Tiffany Stratton is part of one of those two confirmed matches for WrestleMania. She’s going to be facing Charlotte Flair in what is easily the biggest showcase of her career. She’s also trying to prove she belongs in the main event scene permanently, and with all due respect to the other women in this match, that has to be the most important thing here, especially after she gave a pretty lackadaisical promo last week on SmackDown. WWE needs to remind everyone that she’s a rising star with a higher long-term potential than every woman on the roster not named Rhea or Bianca or maybe Iyo. Maybe.

So, in my mind, that’s the goal of this match. Let’s make Tiffy look like a future Hall of Famer, and as an added bonus, let’s give Canadian legend Trish Stratus another fantastic WWE memory by celebrating her 25th WWE anniversary with a win in Toronto’s famed Skydome. I suppose you could make a case that Charlotte could interfere here to cost the babyfaces the match and advance the storyline that way, but I just don’t buy it. To me, the play is Tiffy and Trishy winning clean.

That being said, one key thing to look out for in this match is whether it’ll hint at anything ‘Mania related for Nia, Trish or Candice. Nia has been a workhorse for the last year, having an extended run as champion and appearing in key plots basically the entire time. I personally think she’s too big of a star to leave off the card entirely, but Triple H has proven in the past that he’s not just gonna put someone on there for the sake of putting them on there, especially if they have a key match at a nearby PPV, as Nia herself found out when she main evented Elimination Chamber last year with Rhea Ripley and Damian Priest found out when he gave us a banger with Bad Bunny at Backlash in ‘23.

Predicted Winner: Tiffy And Trishy

Sami Zayn Vs Kevin Owens In An Unsanctioned Grudge Match

This is probably the most nuanced and interesting story WWE is telling right now, which is particularly impressive given Owens and Zayn have worked together in all capacities across multiple promotions for many years. I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised though, given these two are arguably the best actors and character workers WWE employs right now. They can convey emotions and make audiences feel things in a way most wrestlers on the roster just aren’t capable of.

Most fans are pretty convinced that this match is going to lead to a Kevin Owens and Randy Orton match at WrestleMania, given Owens injured Orton and hasn’t been seen on WWE programming since. I tend to agree, but there are two different ways to get there. The first would be Orton showing up, interfering in this match and helping Zayn win. The second would be Owens beating Zayn in some sort of horrifying and vicious way, which prompts Orton to show up and confront KO. I tend to think we’re going to get the latter for the simple reason that I want this match to have a real ending, and also, Owens needs a win desperately. He just took his lumps from Cody Rhodes for an extended feud. He needs to remind everyone he’s capable of winning huge matches in big spots.

Predicted Winner: Kevin Owens

The Women’s Elimination Chamber Featuring Bianca Belair, Naomi, Liv Morgan, Alexa Bliss, Roxanne Perez and Bayley.

Let’s eliminate some people who are absolutely not going to win this before we start the hard analysis. With all due respect to Bayley who is a future Hall of Famer and won a World Championship at WrestleMania 40, she is not going to win this. Her character has cooled off a ton since last year, and nothing about her recent booking indicates she’s a real threat here. I think we can also go ahead and eliminate Naomi. I feel the glow. I’m happy to see her on TV every week involved in a real storyline, but she’s not a believable threat to beat Rhea at WrestleMania. Plus, we still need to figure out what’s going on with Jade, which involves her.

Some NXT fans and people who like big surprises are pushing Roxanne Perez as a possible winner. She had a fantastic run at The Royal Rumble and broke the record for minutes spent in the match, but to be honest, she wasn’t exactly booked like a 1994 Diesel during that lengthy run. She had one total elimination the entire time, and she hasn’t exactly been presented like a main roster main eventer in the last month since then. She’s almost certainly not going to win. Instead, she’ll probably end up getting into a confrontation with Bayley, and that’ll chart their course for ‘Mania.

Now, the match we all want to see is Bianca Belair and Rhea Ripley. That’s a gift from the fantasy booking gods, and whenever it happens, it should main event at minimum the first night and maybe even the second night of ‘Mania. In my mind, those two are the most talented and best female superstars in the history of WWE, and we need that showcase match at some point for both of their legacies. But I want a full proper build for that match whenever it happens, and this Jade storyline is just dangling around Bianca’s neck. Too much time has been put into it not to get some kind of resolution. If she wins the Chamber, everyone is gonna spend the next month still wondering about Jade and what’s going on there. So, I think she’s out, but I do expect we'll see Jade make an appearance and officially set up their match. I predict she somehow storms her way into the cage and we have a moment wondering if she's gonna take out Naomi and Bianca or Liv.

That leaves Liv Morgan and Alexa Bliss. Liv seemed like the obvious choice to face Rhea nine months ago, but they ran this feud into the ground already. We saw them wrestle at SummerSlam. We saw them wrestle at Bad Blood. We saw them wrestle earlier this year at the Raw premiere on Netflix. We saw mixed tag matches involving the two of them plus Dominik Mysterio and Damian Priest. We saw tag matches involving Liv’s henchman Raquel Rodriguez. We’ve seen them together soooooooooo much that it’s hard to get excited about more, even though they’re two of the hottest characters on the entire roster.

But does Alexa Bliss really make sense? I’m a huge Alexa fan. I’ve been screaming about how WWE should use her in more prominent spots for years, and she arguably got the biggest pop at the entire Royal Rumble when she returned. I would love it if she won, but there’s nothing that really indicates to me that Triple H and company see her as someone who could believably beat Rhea Ripley at WrestleMania. There have been strong hints she’s going to be the last member of the Wyatt Sicks, and I’m not really sure how her winning here would play into that, unless she got really spooky and they tried to make her a believable threat to win via supernatural means.

As much as I’d love to pick Alexa Bliss, I just can’t do it. Liv is getting significant screentime each week, and with this Rhea and Iyo Sky title match coming up on Monday, there’s a chance we get some shenanigans there that turn the ‘Mania match into a triple threat, which would be more tolerable. In fact, that's exactly what I think is going to happen. Liv is going to win here and interfere in that match, which will cause Adam Pearce to make it a triple threat.

Predicted Winner: Liv Morgan

The Men’s Elimination Chamber Match Featuring John Cena, CM Punk, Drew McIntyre, Seth Rollins, Damian Priest and Logan Paul

Alright, let’s do the same thing we did for the Women’s Elimination Chamber and start eliminating people who are not going to win. Logan Paul is not facing Cody Rhodes in the main event of WrestleMania 41. Neither is Damian Priest. I think Seth Rollins would put on a fantastic match with Cody, given all their shared backstory and the fantastic segment we got on Raw this week, but Rollins is quite clearly going to do something with Roman Reigns. In fact, I think there’s a strong chance Roman could break into the Chamber and beat him half to death at the event. I think he’s out.

We got all kinds of rumors about how WWE saw Drew McIntyre as a top guy in the industry heading into this year, but he’s lost on roll-ups to Jey and Jimmy Uso this year. I get that they’re trying to tell a story about him beating himself, but come’on. You don’t typically have your WrestleMania main eventers lose matches to brothers with dueling catchphrases. Fans are so worked up about the whole thing that there are rumors WWE might amend his 'Mania plans, maybe to LA Knight, but there's been almost no talk about them amending the plans to include a World Championship match. I wouldn’t 100 percent rule him out, just as I wouldn't 100 percent rule out Seth, but their chances are very low. I think it's more likely he gets into it with Damian Priest, and that's the 'Mania plan.

That leaves John Cena and CM Punk. Rumors have swirled for months that WWE wants Cena and Cody in the main event at WrestleMania. On paper, that’s certainly the biggest match from a name recognition standpoint, but Cena has been on television like twice the entire year. He’s also been telling a story about how he hasn’t won a singles match in like a decade on WWE programming. He finished second at the Rumble and lost. I think his best story would be for him to finish second again here. Perhaps he can face someone like Logan Paul at WrestleMania and start building up momentum that way.

By process of elimination, that brings us to CM Punk. Truth be told, I wasn’t super into this as an option until The Rock showed up and gave his confusing promo on SmackDown about wanting Cody Rhodes’ soul. I have no idea if CM Punk would be willing to take The Rock up on his offer when Cody says no, but even if he doesn’t, WWE can use the favor Paul Heyman owes him as a storybeat to get Roman to do something related to The Rock. There are a bunch of options here, and given the run he’s been on, it also feels time to reward CM Punk with a loud victory against A-list opponents in a match like this.

Predicted Winner: CM Punk

How do you feel? Who do you think is going to win. Sound off in the comment section below and give us your predictions.

Warning! The following contains spoilers from the WWE's 2025 Royal Rumble. Stream it with a Peacock subscription, and read at your own risk!

WWE's Women's division opened up the 2025 Royal Rumble on Saturday night, February 1, and as usual, it didn't disappoint. We now know who is going to be one of our headliners for WrestleMania 41, as Charlotte Flair prevailed in a thrilling match. And while I'm ecstatic to see the champion get the win, there's one other feud this match set up that I'd love to see at an upcoming WWE event.

CinemaBlend is live at the Royal Rumble, and man, it is electric in Indianapolis. Credit to the women on the roster for opening up the show with a bang. Let's recap who won the big event, and discuss the jaw-dropping showdown we need to see in Las Vegas.

Charlotte Flair Won The 2025 Women's Royal Rumble

The queen has returned over a year after she tore her MCL, ACL, and meniscus in the ring. CinemaBlend had Charlotte Flair returning and winning the Royal Rumble in our predictions, but it didn't make it any less satisfying to see her punch that ticket to WrestleMania 41.

My current guess is we're going to see her have that fated rematch with Rhea Ripley after their electric match years ago, but I don't think it's out of the question she'd take on Tiffany Stratton either. In any case, it's great to see the queen again in the WWE.

Alexa Bliss Is Back, And It Looks Like She's Coming For Liv Morgan

After teasing her return for the past year, Alexa Bliss also has returned to the WWE, and was met with a thunderous ovation when she came out during the 2025 Royal Rumble. Alexa's outfit suggested she might be aligned with the Wyatt 6, or at least a kindred spirit, but it was her confrontation with Liv Morgan that will remain the conversation of the night.

Some have seen Liv Morgan as the person who took over Bliss' classic gimmick when the latter shifted to her supernatural persona years back. I personally think that Liv has made the character her own over the past year, but the comparisons are unavoidable. As such, it was thrilling to me to see them square off in the ring, and what's better, Liv was responsible for Alexa's elimination.

I'm all in on seeing Alexa Bliss vs. Liv Morgan at WrestleMania 41, and I think the 2025 Women's Royal Rumble set that up perfectly. That said, I think this might also be a tease to a greater feud in which we'll see the Wyatt 6 align with Bliss, and together, they'll all take on Judgment Day in Las Vegas. If that's the case, JD McDonagh better rest up from his gnarly injuries, because they'll need him for that battle.

Whatever happens, I'm over the moon to finally see Alexa Bliss back in the WWE. She's long been one of the most talented performers on the main roster, and I think we're in for a great WrestleMania match between her and Liv Morgan, at the very least. Let's hope she can escape with a win and maybe get a little help from the late Bray Wyatt, should his supernatural powers manifest in the ring again.

Stream the WWE's 2025 Royal Rumble live on Peacock, and continue to stick with CinemaBlend as we cover the event's highlights over the coming days. This is shaping up to be one of the greatest Rumbles in the company's history, so let's hope it stays on track.

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

The WWE is red-hot right now, and it also has the strongest main roster we've seen in decades. The roster is so strong, in fact, that there are major superstars waiting on the sidelines mainly because there's just not a lot of television time to go around. It's a good problem to have, but there are quite a few people I'm beginning to miss and wish would appear on television more often.

There are five hours of WWE television right now between Monday Night Raw and Smackdown, and another two hours on NXT. Not that I think any of these following superstars need to appear on the developmental show, but if it means more time to shine on television, I may be okay with seeing them back in the mix. Here's who I'm missing the most as we head into the back half of 2024.

AJ Styles

If you need any evidence that the current WWE main roster is deep, look no further than the fact that AJ Styles is currently off of television and hasn't been in a major angle since taking on Cody Rhodes at WWE Backlash. Never mind his numerous title runs in the WWE; the guy was considered the John Cena of TNA for the bulk of its run. If the WWE isn't trying to work him into a spot wherever it can, you know it has a pretty deep roster. I know Styles will come back eventually, but it's just wild to have seen him away for a while now and it not really impact the WWE at all.

Carmelo Hayes

Being called up from NXT to the main roster can be brutal. Carmelo Hayes was one of the top stars of the brand, and was crushing it there, but he's really struggled to find the same television time as some of his peers. I think it's a case of Hayes being considered a "top guy" type of performer, and there's just not any room at the top for him right now. As such, WWE would rather have him hang out to the side rather than eat pins in the midcard.

Charlotte Flair

It's been close to nine months since Charlotte Flair posted about getting surgery on her injured leg, and that was the timetable for her recovery time. The women's division has kept chugging along without her, and there are definitely more than a few challengers to her title as "queen." I'm hoping for Charlotte to make a big splash upon her return, and I wouldn't be surprised if she's the challenger for Nia Jax's future title defense, considering their close friendship over the years.

Pretty Deadly

If Pretty Deadly debuted in the WWE 10 years ago, they'd be at the top of the tag-team division. They're essentially a more polished version of Breezango from years prior, but is that kind of thing going to take off in the modern WWE? Every big-shot wrestler is ultra-serious these days, and even with a name like "Pretty Deadly," it feels like this will be a hard climate for them to thrive in anything more than comedy storylines. I'm hoping I'm wrong, though, and they get the titles sometime within the next year or so.

Ilja Dragunov

Ilja Dragunov is killing it every time he gets a chance to get in the ring on Monday Night Raw, so I don't understand why he's being used so sparingly to this point. His match with Gunther back when they were in NXT UK was a certified five-star match, and yet he's still messing around in the midcard and bring thrown into the mix at random against other talent with no rhyme or reason. I think he needs a huge push, and may eventually get it, but it's not happening fast enough.

Santos Escobar

When Santos Escobar turned heel on the LWO and took on Rey Mysterio, I figured it was his meal ticket to the top of the roster. Unfortunately, that feud came and went without much fanfare, and yet Escobar continues to prove on SmackDown that he's a top heel worthy of more recognition and screen time than he's currently getting. That may be strange to say considering he just went up against L.A. Knight for the United States title, but he's becoming the Karrion Kross of SmackDown without nearly as much time on television. If WWE gives him a chance to shine, I'm sure he'll rise to the occasion.

Kayden Carter and Katana Chance

When Kayden Carter and Katana Chance first won the tag-team titles back in December 2023, I thought they were about to set the women's tag division on fire. They had exactly one title defense before dropping the title a little over a month later to The Kabuki Warriors. Since then, they just haven't had any momentum, and I hate that. As one of the few earnest women's tag-team duos in the brand, they should be in the mix for the titles more so than two singles competitors who join forces to pursue the titles.

Alexa Bliss

We've been waiting, and waiting, for Alexa Bliss to return to the WWE after the birth of her child. When the Wyatt Sicks debuted, we assumed Bliss was dropping hints about joining them, but she's still at home. It's a shame because Bliss is still on the roster and legitimately still one of its greatest women performers. I would love to see her have some matches with some of the up-and-coming stars on this roster and maybe get another title shot in the next year.

Shinsuke Nakamura

Sometimes I feel like the WWE treats Shinsuke Nakamura like he's in the twilight of his career. In actuality, "The King of Strong Style" is the same age as Randy Orton and capable of putting on a few high-profile bangers a year, as he showed during his long feud with Seth Rollins. Now he's missing from WWE television, but making appearances at live shows on tour. I guess it's better than not working at all, but I can't help but think there should always be a place for Shinsuke.

Fortunately, there's no shortage of chances to appear on Monday Night Raw and SmackDown, so hopefully we'll see some of these stars pop up more often before the end of the year. In the meantime, many of their matches are available with a Peacock Premium subscription so check out some of their classic matches in previous PLEs.

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.

The WWE is headed to Australia for the Elimination Chamber Premium Live Event, but some watchful fans in the States are still keeping an eye on pro wrestlers who didn't make the trip abroad. Now, there's reason to believe John Cena might be working on getting in the mix for WrestleMania 40. But, will it happen? Here's what we know. 

Reports floated around that John Cena was recently spotted at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando. It didn't take long for those reports to be confirmed, as rehabbing superstar Charlotte Flair shared a photo with Cena from just outside the NXT ring: 

Wrestlers go to the Orlando Performance Center to train, so it would track that John Cena is potentially there to work up something for an upcoming WWE event. Seeing as he's not currently in Australia, that would mean the next opportunity for him to compete would be WrestleMania 40. Logically, we can speculate that Cena was present to discuss some sort of way to be included in the two-night event, and SEScoops reported that they heard exactly that from an unnamed member of the company's creative team.

As far as what John Cena plans to do, that's up in the air. He had a match against Austin Theory for the United States Championship, and the overall response from fans was a bit underwhelming. Then, he later redeemed himself in a tag match at Fastlane 2023 with L.A. Knight. However, he was pulled back to Hollywood not long after the conclusion of the SAG-AFTRA strikes, which makes sense since he has two films on the 2024 movie schedule, Argylle and Ricky Stanicky. 

Since then, The Rock has returned and firmly implanted himself as a showcase in at least one of the WrestleMania main events, with Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes taking up the second main event spot. 

There's no denying that WWE would likely welcome John Cena's presence, especially after CM Punk was sidelined due to injury and Seth Rollins is actively rehabbing his injured knee. Having Cena waiting in the wings for a potential last-minute option, or even just to go and rile up the crowd and welcome them to WrestleMania, would be a great help. 

If an actual match is on the table, it doesn't seem likely Cena would challenge for any of the titles. What's more likely is that he'd have a grudge match, perhaps against someone in the Bloodline like Solo Sikoa or an up-and-comer in NXT looking to make a name for themselves on the main roster. Then again, I'm not sure the WWE would want to book the Peacemaker star to lose another WrestleMania so soon, especially a landmark one like the 40th. I guess we'll just have to wait and see as we keep an eye out for more clues as to whether or not John Cena will be at WrestleMania. 

John Cena's previous WrestleMania matches are all available to watch for those who have a Peacock premium subscription. Revisit some of his most classic matches, and keep your fingers crossed that "The Champ" makes an appearance at WrestleMania 40. 

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.

It's been close to a month since Charlotte Flair left the ring with a major injury that was later reported to be a torn ACL, MCL, and meniscus. Thankfully, after a recent surgery, she's on the mend. While an in-ring return for WrestleMania 40 is out of the question, the wrestler is active on social media and broke character to share some words with fans, as well as her co-workers at SmackDown. Even more surprising?  It was a heartfelt post. 

As she's sidelined indefinitely from upcoming WWE events, Charlotte Flair shared a message on X and Instagram both for her fans and the people she works with on SmackDown. In a lengthy post signed with her real name "Ashley," signaling she's speaking out of character, "The Queen" talked about being vulnerable, scared, and grateful for all the support she's received in the time since her injury: 

As a longtime wrestling fan, I love seeing this message from The Queen. It's a far cry from the backstage stories about the wrestler in 2021, in which Flair was labeled "difficult" after a backstage tussle with Becky Lynch. While the WWE later played that up by having Lynch question her comments, it's hard as a fan to distinguish how much of that situation was water under the bridge or remained as she continued her career in the present. 

It would seem that Flair still has her supporters in the WWE, as Asuka and Natalya were a few coworkers who shared support on social media. There's bound to be compassion from other colleagues as well, knowing that Charlotte was likely factored into the plans for WrestleMania 40 as one of the top stars of the women's division. Of course, the company is no stranger to pivoting and will likely still find ways to highlight the women of WWE without her in the mix. 

Based on her tweet, Charlotte Flair is eyeing a recovery period and potential return around nine months from now. Assuming there are no setbacks and she's ring-ready by the end of her rehabilitation, we could see her return to WWE sometime around Survivor Series 2024. If that's not a possibility, it's possible the company could hold her to Royal Rumble 2025, which is quite a time to wait. 

Wrestling fans are currently focused on the recent returns of CM Punk and wondering if The Rock will appear at WrestleMania. This isn't to say that Charlotte Flair won't be missed while she's gone, but there's plenty to distract audiences while she takes the time to recover. Here's hoping for the best in her recovery and that she'll be back to doing what she does best when she's ready. 

SmackDown airs on Fox on Fridays at 8:00 p.m. ET. Tune in to see what's going on as we start off on the road to WrestleMania 40 and all the wild surprises that may happen along the way. 

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. 

Can you remember a WWE premium live event in which so many of the matches had this little build? I realize Fastlane is a second tier PPV and many of these storylines have been ongoing for awhile, but Adam Pearce didn’t even kayfabe make many of these official until the last week or so. Whether intentional or not, it’s giving off serious afterthought vibes, but that’s the downside to having three allegedly big events in rapid succession with Fastlane on October 7th, Crown Jewel on November 4th and Survivor Series on November 25th. 

That being said, Triple H has consistently overachieved in premium live events during his tenure atop the WWE writing stuff, and that has been especially true of cards that have appeared to be less than. Either because of match quality or fun surprises, it’s been rare to have a big weekend show leave fans wanting more. So, I’m just going to trust him that this may be a lot better than expected and/ or prove to be the catalyst we need to set everyone up with the right storyline heading into Survivor Series and Royal Rumble.

On the bright side, my predictions lately have been spot-on. I went 6-0 at Payback and improved my overall prognostication record to 92 and 32 since I started doing this at WrestleMania 38. Here’s a quick look back…

Hopefully I’m able to improve that record with the following Fastlane predictions, but I’m honestly more worried than normal. A lot of this feels like it’s trying to create a storyline rather than finish a narrative and move on, and anytime you’re trying to create storylines, there are many different ways you can work toward an emotional payoff. Plus, I bragged about how well I’ve been doing lately; so, you know the Bronson Reed Tsunami is coming for me…

Judgment Day (Finn Bálor And Damian Priest) Vs Cody Rhodes And Jey Uso For The Undisputed Tag Team Championships

The long-term plan for Jey Uso is not for him to be a tag team champion, nor is that the plan for Cody Rhodes. WWE seems focused on building Jey Uso into a babyface singles star, which is going quite well based on crowd reactions, and Cody is obviously the biggest babyface in the company and likely heading toward a second consecutive WrestleMania Main Event clash with Roman Reigns (at least if The Rock doesn't get in the way). So, the two of them defending against The Viking Raiders on a random Raw episode feels ridiculous to even say out loud.

That being said, a short little run that explores their relationship is certainly possible and The Judgment Day losing the titles would certainly add intrigue to their stories. Rhea Ripley very publicly went off on Dominik Mysteiro when he lost his NXT North American Championship (briefly), which made it clear she’s going to assert her authority whenever stable members don’t perform. So, losing here would give WWE a chance to explore that, plus continue to build the simmering tension between Damian Priest and Finn Bálor. It could also set up a really interesting dynamic if they lose here but Priest cashes in his Money In The Bank contract later in the night and wins. That feels like the best story to tell, but it would leave Cody and Jey with the tag titles and seemingly not a ton to do. I guess I’m gonna pick The Judgment Day to retain, maybe with some help from JD McDonagh, which solidifies his role in the group, but I do not feel confident about it.

Predicted Winner: Judgment Day

The LWO (Rey Mysterio, Santos Escobar And TBD) Vs Bobby Lashley And The Street Profits

WWE hasn’t officially announced who the third member representing the LWO is going to be beyond Rey Mysterio and Santos Escobar. Many are assuming it’ll be either Cruz Del Toro or Joaquin Wilde, but I think we may get something more fun here like Carlito, who has been rumored to make another appearance for months. That would add a really fun dynamic for the match since, right now, it’s hard to imagine the LWO winning here, unless Triple H, Bruce Prichard and the other writers want to really turn up the heat on the Lashley doesn’t think the Profits have the killer instinct angle they’ve teased a few times.

That’s possible, but personally, I don’t really think it’s needed. I’m ready for the newly established faction, which is still without a name, to start asserting themselves as one of the most dominant forces in WWE, and that should start with a win here. In fact, I’d like to see them look pretty dominant in victory, largely because it would further the ongoing LWO tension between Rey Mysterio and Santos Escobar. We’ve really been getting a slow play over the last few months on that incoming drama. Adding Carlito to the equation could really take that story to the next level. Maybe Carlito and Escobar go one way, Rey and Zelina go another way and it’s sort of like an nWo Black vs nWo Wolfpack thing?

Predicted Winner: Bobby Lashley And The Street Profits 

John Cena And LA Knight Vs Solo Sikoa And Jimmy Uso

I actually feel pretty good about John Cena and LA Knight cruising to a victory here for three reasons. First, John Cena needs a premium live event win. He’s 2 and 9 in his last 11 PPV matches. It’s always nice to see the legend make an appearance, but we’re kind of getting to the point where I assume he’s going to put the other person over when he has a high profile match. This would be a great way to get him a win without screwing up long-term story plans.

Second, LA Knight is still white hot. He’s selling more merchandise than anyone else in the company, and if WWE wants to keep pushing him to be a bigger star, they need to treat him like a bigger star. That means picking up more wins in high profile spots at premium live events. Third, Jimmy Uso seems to be getting pushed in an incompetent and bumbling direction. Sure, he’s beating people up backstage, but he’s also stomping around and pissing off Paul Heyman and Solo Sikoa. Assumedly, he’s also pissing off Roman Reigns. My guess is he’s going to cost his team the match, and Roman is going to return to programming to deal with the problem and reassert dominance. That’ll be through putting Jimmy in his place, but it’ll also likely be through starting a program with LA Knight. The first step of that, though, is Jimmy and Solo losing this match and embarrassing the family enough to come back.

Predicted Winner: LA Knight And John Cena

Iyo Sky Vs Charlotte Flair Vs Asuka For The WWE Women’s Championship

I have absolutely no idea whatsoever where WWE is going with any of this. It feels like a bunch of the top women have been jammed together with a vague we’re feuding storyline, and there just aren’t enough titles to go around to satisfy all the superstars who potentially could be main eventers. Let’s forget about the brand splits for a minute, especially since WWE has shown they’ll ignore them if the story calls for it. Personally, I can’t imagine Rhea Ripley losing her title anytime soon. So, that leaves Charlotte, Asuka, Iyo, Bianca Belair, Becky Lynch and the newly hired Jade Cargill all fighting to be that other woman who WWE formally recognizes as being at the top of the division. 

Since, Becky is busy with NXT stuff right now and Bianca is out with a kayfabe injury, this match really feels like a referendum on who WWE wants to move forward with in the short-term as that second face of the women’s division. You could make sound arguments for any of the superstars involved here. Iyo and Asuka had a fantastic match the crowd was into last month. That could easily be a future PPV rematch for the title, but in absence of a clear angle, I’m always going to bet on Charlotte Flair. If there's not an obvious path, WWE has proven over and over again that they’ll put Charlotte out front. So, that’s gonna be my low confidence prediction.

Predicted Winner: Charlotte Flair

Seth Freakin' Rollins Vs Shinsuke Nakamura For The World Heavyweight Championship

I really like how Shinsuke Nakamura has been presented in this feud with Seth Rollins. He doesn’t feel like the goofy and fun midcard character we’ve all seen over the past few years. He feels more dangerous. Letting him do his promos mostly in Japanese was the right call, and the visual look and style of the shots have been top tier WWE production quality. I also think the story about Seth having back problems and him exploiting them has made him feel dangerous and like a real threat to win.

But is there anything he’s done since Payback that has made him seem more likely to finish the job at Fastlane? He lost during the last premium live event, and the basic narrative has not really changed since then. If it wasn’t a good idea for him to win before, why is it a good idea for him to win now? And where would WWE be going with Shinsuke as the World Heavyweight Champion? I love Nakamura. He’s great and in theory, I like the idea of him getting a moment to win a bigger belt than he’s won so far in WWE, but I just don’t see him as the face of Raw. 

So, he would have to be a transitional champion, but what babyface would you be transitioning the title to? If they want Damian Priest to cash in his Money In The Bank contract, then he should do it on Seth Rollins, preferably after winning a really close and exhausting match. Whether that happens or not, look for Seth to win. Then afterwards, we'll just have to wait and see if Damian Priest comes out. I'll nervously say he does successfully cash in, but my confidence level is not nearly as high as my co-worker, who is convinced we'll see Priest a second time on Saturday.

Predicted Winner: Seth Rollins (and later, Damian Priest)

You can catch WWE Fastlane live on Saturday night from Indianapolis. It's streaming with a paid Peacock subscription, and like all WWE premium live events, is available around the world via various other local options. 

2023 is rolling along, and there are plenty of upcoming WWE events on the horizon. For example, with WrestleMania 39 in the rearview, we're all looking ahead to SummerSlam 2023, which is generally regarded as the second most important premium live event of the year. Fists will fly in Detroit as Cody Rhodes, Roman Reigns and many others step into the ring, and the new poster gives us an idea of what matches we might see. 

The WWE has a slick logo for SummerSlam 2023, clearly inspired by "The Motor City" nickname for Detroit. Below you'll find the poster, which features Roman Reigns, Cody Rhodes, Rhea Ripley, Charlotte Flair, Bianca Belair, Brock Lesnar and Rey Mysterio:

Everyone is staring straight ahead in this poster, perhaps as not to give away who might be squaring off against who on the big night. With that said, the superstars featured are usually given a big role in the premium live event. With that in mind, here are some of the potential matchups I can see happening based on what's shown above.

Roman Rhodes Vs. Cody Rhodes Vs. Brock Lesnar For The Undisputed Championship

It didn't take long at all for the WWE to interject Brock Lesnar into Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes' feud, though in fairness, Brock and Roman have more history together. Whatever the case, it seems like Brock is very much in the main event picture again, and with Rhodes challenging him at Backlash, this feud could bleed into both men challenging Roman for his Undisputed Championship. A triple-threat match between them would be an epic match and one that would undoubtedly be Roman's greatest challenge yet. 

I've seen it proposed that in a triple-threat match, and each pinfall could count for each individual title. This would allow the WWE an opportunity to separate the championship titles but still potentially give Roman Reigns a chance to hold onto his Universal title. One would also think it'd be very hard for the Bloodline to take out both Brock Lesnar and Cody Rhodes throughout the match, so this could be a great nullifier to their constant aid in his title defenses. If ever there was a way for Roman to lose while still looking strong, this is it. 

Bianca Belair Vs. Rhea Ripley For Unified Women's Championship Match

The WWE has done something special with Roman Reigns' undisputed title run, and it's hard to imagine they aren't at least considering it for the women's division. If ever there was a time to do it, Rhea Ripley and Bianca Belair have the history and in-ring chemistry to put on a match that will be remembered for a long time. 

Of course, one would have to ask, is this a match that's too big for SummerSlam? I know I'm asking because a match with that high of stakes seems destined for WrestleMania 40. That said, SummerSlam has to maintain its reputation as one of the WWE's biggest events of the year, so maybe this will happen, and then something even bigger will be set up for WrestleMania, if that's possible. 

LWO Vs. Judgment Day

Rey Mysterio's resurrection of the Latino World Order has been an instant hit with the WWE audience, so it's hard to imagine that won't be a major part of his storyline for the next year. Of course, fans were also really into his ongoing feud with his son Dominik Mysterio and Judgment Day, so it's only natural that we'll eventually get a big PLE showdown between the two factions. 

SummerSlam seems like the right time for this showdown to happen, as the crowd is always down for a faction vs. faction tag match. I can't imagine anything substantial would be on the line for this match beyond honor, but so far, that's all that's needed to get the crowd rowdy when Rey and Dom are in the ring. 

Bianca Belair With Montez Ford Vs. Charlotte Flair And Andrade Intergender Tag Match

Bianca Belair and Charlotte Flair don't really need a story beyond the fact that they're two of the WWE's most talented in-ring performers. Any match between these two is guaranteed to be a classic. With that said, I think there's a unique opportunity for the WWE to do an awesome intergender tag match with both women, which would include bringing in their husbands, Montez Ford and Andrade El Idolo. 

Andrade is currently in AEW, but he's stated recently his contract is up very soon (via WrestlingInc.com). If he's looking to return to the WWE, there's an opportunity to position himself alongside his wife and be a part of some awesome intergender matchups like this, in addition to others. Of course, Andrade might like his position over at AEW more than what could be available for him as a singles competitor in WWE, so I can understand why he may ultimately re-sign with AEW. 

Rhea Ripley Vs. Rey Mysterio

Rhea Ripley gets a lot of comparisons to WWE legend Chyna, and while times have changed a lot since then, the WWE has still dipped its toes in the water of putting her in intergender matches. So far, she's only taken on smaller performers like Akira Tozawa, but now that she's champion, perhaps she's up for a greater challenge. Someone with more experience, and more accolades, like Rey Mysterio, would be an intergender challenge fitting for a champion like Ripley. 

It would also make sense for Rhea Ripley to target Rey Mysterio and attempt to restore Dom's lost honor as his "Mami." Truthfully, I think this could be the most random co-main event caliber match SummerSlam could do, but a big one nonetheless. It would definitely be one of the most high-profile intergender singles matches in a long time, and one for the ages. 

Cody Rhodes Vs. Roman Reigns For Undisputed Championship

It's entirely possible that Brock Lesnar is left out of the main event completely, and that Cody Rhodes will finally be granted his proper rematch opportunity against Roman Reigns. I don't think it's a stretch to believe considering his current path, and that the WWE will eventually have these two face off against each other again. Rhodes has to "complete the story" at some point, even if the WWE is a place where the story never ends. 

I think there's a good chance that Rhodes will get some sort of rematch against Roman at SummerSlam rather than them saving it for WrestleMania 40. After all, maybe Dwayne Johnson will finally be ready to commit to a match, or something else will be lined up for Roman by then. If that's the case, then it's best to get this feud out of the way, whatever that means for either wrestler. 

SummerSlam is set to stream for anyone with a Peacock Premium subscription on Saturday, August 5th. No doubt we will learn more about the actual matches planned for the PLE closer to the event, and I'm desperately hoping at least one of these matches is on the card. 

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

The first night of WrestleMania 39 is officially over, and it went really, really well. The WWE crowd was into every match. We got some all-time classics we’ll remember for years to come, and there’s nothing but good vibes from fans heading into night two. I can’t imagine Triple H and company could have possibly expected it to go this well, but up and down the card, every single person who performed delivered at or above expectations. It’s exactly what you’d hope for out of a WrestleMania (though my predictions went terribly).

I could honestly put a little shine on every single match in this column, but I’m going to limit my takeaways to talking about really key moments that I think will matter long-term or things I think will have a shelf life beyond this weekend. It was hard to narrow down to only five, but without further ado, here are what I consider to be the most important takeaways from night one of WrestleMania 39.

Despite Being A Heel, The Crowd Cheered For Rhea Ripley, Leaving WWE With An Interesting Decision

On paper, the crowd should have been rooting for Charlotte Flair and against Rhea Ripley, but those who have been paying close attention for awhile probably aren’t surprised that isn’t how it worked out. Fans made it very clear they wanted Rhea Ripley to win this match (she did in spectacular fashion), to the point where they were cheering, even when she was doing stereotypically heelish things. I get it. She’s a generational talent who should be in the main event for the next decade. She’s that good.

So, the question is were fans cheering her because they wanted to see her win this specific match/ win the title or were they cheering for her because they no longer want her to be a heel? The future of Judgment Day is at stake with that question. Either Rhea can continue down her current path and be some kind of anti-hero alongside her stablemates in Judgment Day or she can leave the group and become a full-blown babyface. I have a strong preference for her staying in Judgment Day since I think that faction has so much going for it, but we’ll just have to see what Triple H and company decide to do. There’s more money in being Hulk Hogan than Ric Flair, but that doesn’t mean it’s the right decision for everyone.

The Dom And Rey Mysterio Feud Needs To Continue

I’ve watched a lot of wrestling, and I can’t remember too many characters people hate more than Dominik Mysterio. I told a story a few weeks ago about going to Raw and sitting next to a grandma who told me she wanted to beat his ass. Today, I sat next to some hardcore fans who talked to me about how they wanted him gone from WWE a year ago and now this storyline with his dad Rey Mysterio is their favorite non-Bloodline thing on WWE programming. I feel the same way.

I think Dominik Mysterio is so over he could continue to work as a heel without his father in the picture, but there’s no reason to test that theory now. Fans can’t get enough of this storyline, and there’s no reason not to run it back at WrestleMania Backlash. That should give Dominik a chance to pick up a win and maybe set up a SummerSlam match with some kind of fun stipulation. Sometimes staying on a path that’s working is the right answer.

There Is A Lot Of Talent In The Men’s Tag Team Division

Remember when some people were bitching and complaining about the Fatal 4-Way tag team match getting added to the card? They thought it felt thrown together and pointless. Well, it happened, and it was awesome. It also highlighted why all four of these teams are really good and should be competing for titles in the near future. Alpha Academy is highly entertaining, and Chad Gable is one of the best in-ring workers WWE has. Everyone has done nothing but talk about how The Street Profits should break-up so Montez Ford can go solo, but tonight was a great reminder that this tag team freakin’ works. Braun Strowman and Ricochet are one of the most talented big guy/ little guy duos ever, and they’re both tremendous at what they personally do. And also, by the way, The Viking Raiders are great too. They’ve got a really cool look, and they both move around really well for bigger guys.

The tag team division has gotten sidelined a bit for the last nearly two years as The Usos ran wild over the belts, but with their big loss, things are probably about to open up. All four of these teams could make a lot of noise. Plus, it’s possible we could get a returning RK-Bro and/ or some potential new signings (FTR maybe?), which would generate even more excitement. If Triple H is willing to give the division the TV time each week, the importance of this division could start growing.

The Usos Are A Historically Great Tag Team

Most fans think The Usos are a really good tag team. It’s not like they aren’t well-respected, but I’m not sure many six months ago would have put the pair on their personal Mount Rushmores. Well, I think it’s time to not only start considering them but maybe make them one of the most common choices for inclusion. They’re that good. Their promos are top notch. Either one of them can handle the mic. Their ring work is always clean and fluid, and they both care deeply about telling a real story. They deserved every second of their nearly two year reign with the belts.

I’m not sure what Jey and Jimmy Uso are planning to do next. It’s possible they could take a well-deserved break. It’s possible they could roll it back with Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens at WrestleMania Backlash. Or it’s possible what’s next is a continuation of The Bloodline imploding storyline. I’m not really sure what’s going to happen, but I am very confident whatever they do, they’ll be great at it. Because they’re a historically great tag team, who by the way, just headlined WrestleMania 39.

Speaking Of Which, The Usos And Sami/ KO Were The Right Choice To Main Event

There was a lot of controversy over who would main event night one of WrestleMania 39. There were some who advocated for this tag team match. There were others who advocated for Charlotte Flair and Rhea Ripley. Even Charlotte Flair herself talked about and seemed frustrated. Well, she and Rhea delivered a five star classic in their match. They were out there seemingly trying to prove a point, and well, point very much taken. They’re both amazing wrestlers who told a really good story in the ring. People will be watching that match for decades to come.

But I still think WWE made the right call picking Sami Zayn, Kevin Owens and The Usos to main event night one. As someone in the crowd, you could just feel more emotional investment in this one. That isn’t to say people didn’t root very hard in the Charlotte and Rhea match. They did root hard... specifically for Rhea. But The Bloodline match was a few standard deviations higher in terms of emotionally investment. The story was just better, and ultimately, wrestling is about the stories. And the story Jey Uso, Jimmy Uso, Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens, among others, have told is the best wrestling has ever given us. It’s only right it main evented. 

You can catch night two of WrestleMania 39 on Sunday evening. You can watch it free with a Peacock subscription. 

With all due respect to Sami Zayn who some thought might win the belts at Elimination Chamber, it has been assumed since The Royal Rumble that Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns would main event night two of WrestleMania 39. Exactly who would main event night one, however, has been a hotly debated topic for weeks. The two primary candidates are Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens vs The Usos for The Undisputed Tag Team Championships and Rhea Ripley vs Charlotte Flair for The Smackdown Women’s Championship. Right now, it’s looking like it’ll probably go to the tag match, and Charlotte Flair has some thoughts about that.

Speaking to Ryan Satin on the Out Of Character podcast, Flair said no one, including herself, inherently deserves to main event something as big as WrestleMania, but she just doesn’t understand the rules. Why does the winner of the Men’s Royal Rumble main event “99.9” percent of the time but not necessarily the women when there are two nights? Here’s a portion of her quote…

Charlotte Flair was clearly trying to be very diplomatic in her answer. She even started out by asking how she could express her thoughts in a politically correct manner, but there is clearly some frustration behind her words. And it’s easy to get where she’s coming from. WWE has provided absolutely no clarity on this either, given their mixed on-air messages. Sometimes they’ve openly expressed that winning either Rumble is a ticket to main eventing one of the nights of WrestleMania. But if that’s not the case, then why do the commentators repeatedly say it?

Charlotte Flair went on to say she totally gets the argument for the top story closing, regardless of what happened at The Royal Rumble. She said she’s also “proud” of Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens, as she’s known them since she got in the business. She just feels like she’s advocating for the larger women’s division. And regardless of who you think should close, I think it’s pretty easy to agree that there’s a lot of murkiness in how any of it works.

Regardless of where it takes place on the WrestleMania 39 card, Charlotte Flair and Rhea Ripley will square off on Saturday night at So-Fi Stadium in Los Angeles. Many fans are convinced Rhea Ripley will win the belt and WWE will fully push her as the next dominant female superstar (and hopefully Judgment Day as the next dominant stable). I picked her without much second thought in my WrestleMania 39 predictions. If that happens, Flair will likely return to being a heel and perhaps feud with Bianca Belair if she beats Asuka. Belair told CinemaBlend in an interview that she’s shooting to have the best match of the night. Flair could be an ideal person to choose if she wants to try and up the bar again for next year.

You can check out The Showcase Of The Immortals on Saturday April 1st and Sunday April 2nd. It’s streaming with a Peacock subscription or you can watch WrestleMania 39 via other options across the world. 

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.

Rhea Ripley has spent much of the past year removed from the women's storylines in the WWE, but now she's back and on a mission. The Judgment Day member just secured a massive win in the 2023 Women's Royal Rumble match, thus establishing her dominance as the fourth-ever competitor to win after entering from the starting position. Rhea Ripley will be in the main event of WrestleMania 39, but will she challenge Bianca Belair or Charlotte Flair? 

There's no easy road for Rhea Ripley here, as it's hard to peg either current champion as an ideal matchup. With that in mind, let's review some key things to consider regarding why Ripley may be favored in one matchup over another, and which one the fans might like to see the most. 

Why Rhea Ripley Should Challenge Bianca Belair

Bianca Belair, the "EST of WWE" is fresh off of her win against Alexa Bliss, and it seemed pretty convincing. With that said, it's fair to say that Bliss was distracted by all of that Bray Wyatt and Uncle Howdy nonsense, so Belair's decisive win at the 2023 Royal Rumble might feel overstated. 

From a story-telling perspective, Rhea Ripley has the competitive edge on Bianca Belair. Ripley was the person who won the NXT championship off of Belair years ago, though Belair has definitely gotten the upper hand in years since. It's also worth noting that while Bianca Belair had an impressive win at the 2021 Royal Rumble after winning as the third entrant, Ripley just bested that with her win in the one slot. 

There's a case to be made that Rhea Ripley is the more dominant competitor of the two, even if Bianca Belair of them has been Raw Women's Champion for 300 days and counting. Keep in mind that Rhea Ripley recently demolished Akira Tozawa in an almost-unheard-of intergender match not long ago. Belair has done a lot in the past year, but Ripley is doing things that wrestling fans haven't really seen since Chyna's run. 

Why Rhea Ripley Might Avoid Bianca Belair

Rhea Ripley may feel confident in her accolades and track record against Bianca Belair, but she shouldn't be overconfident. Bianca Belair's long title reign has been met with significant challenges, and I'd argue she's faced more quality opponents than any other champion in the WWE has faced in the past year. 

Bianca Belair has notched decisive title match wins against the likes of Becky Lynch, Bayley, and Asuka, all within the past year. She's on a hot streak that Rhea Ripley would be foolish not to consider and may opt out of testing her at WrestleMania 39. 

Why Fans Would Want To See Rhea Ripley Vs. Bianca Belair

There's always something magical about seeing two former NXT colleagues meet up again in the WWE, and that's exactly the appeal here. Bianca Belair and Rhea Ripley are two of the remaining major women's superstars that don't have a definitive rival. It's fair to say that both are still relatively young in their WWE careers, so why not set these two up to square off now and in the years to come? I know that I wouldn't complain to see Ripley vs. Belair at a few upcoming WWE events in 2023. 

Why Rhea Ripley Should Challenge Charlotte Flair

Charlotte Flair only just returned to the WWE after a long time away getting married and dealing with other stuff. Now she's back, and some might think it's business as usual considering how quickly she became champion again. The fact of the matter is, however, that the women's division has changed a good deal in a short time, and there are more big names coming for her crown than ever before. 

Rhea Ripley has lost a few title matches to Charlotte Flair in the past, but she was a different wrestler then. Since aligning with Judgment Day, she's been on a whole other level in terms of her physicality and brutality. Charlotte Flair is a fierce competitor, but I'm not sure she's ready for what Ripley would be bringing her way if they fought.

And let's also remember that the Judgment Day is a big plus for Rhea Ripley in terms of winning a match against Charlotte Flair. For as dominant as Flair is, she's not really a champion that has a lot of allies. Sure, she can hold her own against just anyone in the ring, but can Flair pull out a win against Ripley with Finn Balor, Damian Priest, and Dominik Mysterio at ringside protecting her? I doubt it. 

Why Rhea Ripley Might Avoid Charlotte Flair 

The idea of advocating for anyone to challenge Charlotte Flair, even as I wrote it, sounds absolutely wild. Flair has quickly established herself as one of the greatest women to have ever graced the WWE, and quite literally helped change the landscape of women's wrestling as we know it. 

One doesn't simply become a 14-time Women's champion, and Charlotte Flair has signaled she isn't even close to done. Sure, she's been away for a bit, but that just means she's eager to hand out another ass-kicking and put to rest any speculation that she is the reigning queen of the WWE. 

Why Fans Would Want To See Rhea Ripley Vs. Charlotte Flair

Charlotte Flair has had some iconic title matches in her career, but I'd say facing someone like where Rhea Ripley is at now is something new. People are often comparing Ripley to Chyna, and while I'd argue she's something unique to that, it's been a long time since anyone like Chyna has been in the WWE. 

My point being is that Rhea Ripley is a young talent who seems like she may very well be a generational talent that stands out on the WWE's roster for years to come. Sure, we've seen Ripley and Charlotte Flair have a match before, but have we seen Rhea Ripley fresh off a dominating performance at the 2023 Royal Rumble? This is one of those legendary match-ups that define moments in a career. Whether it's Flair who retains against the fearsome Ripley or Ripley who topples the champ and ushers in a new era of domination, this one feels like a classic in the making. 

Of course, we won't know who Rhea Ripley is challenging until she announces her choice. Tune into Monday Night Raw on USA Network at 8:00 p.m. ET to see if she mentions it there, or wait for SmackDown on Fox on Friday at the same time to see if it happens then. 

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.

The WWE has had a real windfall of returning talent as of late, as the company welcomed back a heap of stars in 2022. Unfortunately, the company also lost a few superstars like Randy Orton, but it’s looking like one of that bunch will be back in the ring and competing soon enough. The women’s division should be put on notice because it looks like Charlotte Flair is finally headed back to reclaim her status as the most dominant woman in pro wrestling ahead of WrestleMania season. 

It seems that Charlotte Flair is dropping hints she’ll soon be appearing on television or at an upcoming WWE event based on what she’s posting on her Instagram Stories. Charlotte shared videos of her walking to the ring, and then shared this photo of her laced up in her wrestling boots: 

It’s possible Charlotte was just trying them on, or maybe even posting an old photo, but I’m more inclined to think she was training. After all, she’s been away from the WWE for quite a while, so it’d make sense she’d want to get in a few sessions of training to knock off any ring rust she may have from her extended break.

WWE fans may remember that Charlotte Flair was last seen after losing to Ronda Rousey in an “I Quit” match at WrestleMania Backlash. Though Flair was announced as “out indefinitely” with an injury, she was actually getting married to her now-husband and AEW star Andrade El Idolo.

Since then, fans have been wondering when Charlotte Flair may return, as she’s been on a long honeymoon. First, there were rumors about Flair potentially participating in her father’s final retirement match, but she only attended as a spectator. There were also some who believed she’d appear at the 2022 Extreme Rules pay-per-view, but again, that speculation was off the mark.

With that in mind, I suppose there’s a chance that this Charlotte Flair return could be yet another false alarm. That's hard for me to believe, however, because we’re just on the cusp of WrestleMania season, and it’s hard to imagine the WWE doesn’t want Charlotte in the mix if she’s ready and willing to compete.

It also feels notable to mention that Ronda Rousey, who “injured” Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania Backlash, is the current SmackDown women’s champion. After Shotzi was unable to take Rousey down, it seems fitting Flair would make her grand return and start making her case for a title match against Rousey at the Royal Rumble or one of the other upcoming events.

If Charlotte Flair is coming back, she’s returning to an absolutely stacked women’s division. Of course, she’ll undoubtedly hold her own, and likely find herself back on top and taking on the best of the best before too long. I’ll certainly be curious to see if she’s on the shortlist for a WrestleMania main event, especially with all her time away. There are a lot of deserving women on the roster for a big moment like that, so I’m not sure I’d say her getting a major match is a guaranteed thing.

Charlotte Flair isn’t officially back in the WWE just yet, so you’ll need a Peacock Premium subscription to see her wrestle for the time being. Hopefully, that won’t be the case for much longer, as I’d love to see her back and getting in the head of Ronda Rousey this holiday season.

If we’re just talking honestly amongst friends, I’m not the biggest fan of Extreme Rules as a premium live event concept. An added stipulation doesn’t necessarily mean a better match, and a healthy percentage of the time, it actively means a worse match as wrestlers struggle to do something they have less experience with. So, when Extreme Rules was first announced for October, I sorta shrugged my shoulders and felt indifferent. Other upcoming WWE premium live events Crown Jewel and Survivor Series, now in WarGames format, felt like the obvious priority, and I figured this would be a bit of a snooze.

As the card has come together, however, my excitement level has moved pretty steadily in the right direction. I’m not saying it’s WrestleMania 17, but there’s the potential for quite a few bangers on this card. Riddle vs Seth Rollins! The Brawling Brutes vs Imperium! Bayley vs Bianca Belair in the first women’s ladder match for a title! We’re also going to get some clarity from Triple H and the writers as to where a few characters might be going in the long-term. We should get a sense of who is gonna stick it out in the main event scene and who might get dropped to the mid-card. These things were a bit easier to predict under Vince McMahon, but I feel like I’m starting to get a handle on Triple H and how he views the roster.

As for predictions, I’m currently 35 and 13 on the year, but I was a disappointing 3 and 3 at Clash At The Castle. I’m looking to bounce back with authority, like Angelo Dawkins hitting the ropes when he’s about to jump out of the ring. I’ll also add a little section at the end for returns since there are rumors everywhere about the White Rabbit and more potential reveals. Let’s go!

Liv Morgan (Champion) Vs Ronda Rousey In An Extreme Rules Match For The Smackdown Women’s Championship

Is Ronda Rousey a heel or a babyface? Does she know? Does WWE know? She definitely had a heel turn at SummerSlam. I assume the plan was to push her as an indestructible force of evil, but fans were so happy about the heel turn that they started cheering her, even when she did things like attack WWE officials. So, she’s in some kind of middle ground, and I have no idea who WWE even wants fans to root for in this match anymore.

There’s a bit of that same where-are-we-going-with-this energy around Liv Morgan right now too. The fan favorite won the belt at Money In The Bank to an absolutely monster pop, but she hasn’t exactly looked like early 90s Undertaker during her time as champion. Even when she’s wrestled mid-carders like Lacey Evans, she’s gotten beat up for a good portion of the match before winning like a heroic underdog. Nothing about her reign has been dominant at all.

I don’t really know that WWE has figured out how to use Ronda Rousey yet, but I suspect we’re done with Liv Morgan as champion. Ronda is just way more believable at the top of the division, and I really can’t imagine Triple H having the former UFC Champion lose to Liv Morgan, of all people, for a third time. 

Predicted Winner: Ronda Rousey

Matt Riddle Vs Seth Freakin Rollins In A Fight Pit Match

There’s a pretty clear fork in the road here. If WWE goes left and has Seth Rollins win, he’s going to continue ascending. He already has a match scheduled on Monday Night Raw this coming week for the United States Championship against Bobby Lashley, and if he beats Riddle, I think that’s going to be his new full program. He’ll move on from his work with Riddle and probably start a full program with Lashley. Maybe we’ll get a screwy finish on Monday, and the two will feud for awhile and maybe even fight for the belt at Crown Jewel in November.

If WWE goes right and Matt Riddle wins, this feud is going to continue. We’ll have to get a third match, which will likely take place at Crown Jewel, and these two will continue disrupting each other’s matches until that happens. I’ll also have to lower Seth Rollins pretty sharply on my list of WWE wrestlers most likely to beat Roman Reigns and take his titles because if you’re losing matches to Riddle, you’re not anywhere close to winning the WWE Universal Undisputed Championship.

Seth Rollins is one of the best and most important wrestlers WWE has. It’s obvious Triple H gets that, but what’s unclear is whether that importance is going to translate to getting back in the main event title picture or simply having very entertaining feuds with key guys in the upper mid-card. I hope to see him continue to ascend to the top of the division, but we’ll see.

Predicted Winner: Seth Freakin’ Rollins

Drew McIntyre Vs Karrion Kross (With Scarlett) In A Strap Match

We haven’t really gotten to see Karrion Kross fight anyone of note since his return. He’s mostly attacked people, done black and white promos and fought jobbers that make him look as strong as possible. If he were fighting anyone in the mid-card or below at Extreme Rules, I’d have to assume he was going to pick up a big win and continue looking like a monster. But Drew McIntyre isn’t exactly Madcap Moss. He lost to Roman Reigns at Clash At The Castle and making him take another L on a second consecutive premium live event would mean something.

A loss for Karrion Kross would mean something for his future too. What’s the end goal here in Triple H’s mind? During his time in NXT, many thought WWE would build Kross into a major force, but then he lost his main roster debut to Jeff Hardy and was released not that long after. Now he’s back under Triple H and immediately moved into the main event picture. A win here over Drew McIntyre would position him as a credible challenger to Roman Reigns. But is he over enough with the crowd? Is it all too fast and too soon?

I’m not super confident about this match, but I just think the possible harm here to Drew McIntyre is too great for him to lose. Unless he’s planning to go away for a few months and take some well-deserved time off, I think he’s going to pick up the victory.

Predicted Winner: Drew McIntyre

Bianca Belair (Champion) Vs Bayley In A Ladder Match For The Raw Women’s Championship

I like Bayley a lot. I was really fired up to see her return at SummerSlam, and I was also happy to see Dakota Kai and Iyo Sky. Damage CTRL is a nice little stable, and I especially like Kai and Sky as tag team champions. But I don’t think Bayley has done nearly enough since her return to dethrone Bianca as women’s champion. There’s just not enough buzz around Damage CTRL. Bayley generates some heat and some angry crowd chants, but I think that’s more residual appreciation for her body of work than anything she’s specifically done over the past two months.

Let me put things another way. At some point, Becky Lynch is going to return. At some point, Charlotte Flair is going to return. At some point, Rhea Ripley is going to wrestle women in singles competition again. I’d like to hope Sasha Banks and Naomi will return at some point too. When these women do and they have their runs at the title, doesn’t it make sense for those runs to be against Bianca Belair? I could certainly buy Bayley as a more interesting champion than either Liv Morgan or Ronda Rousey, but putting her over Bianca Belair? Come’on.

I expect this to be a super entertaining match with a lot of outside interference from Damage CTRL and potentially Alexa Bliss and Asuka, but I think any result other than Bianca Belair climbing that ladder and pulling down the title would be a mistake.

Predicted Winner: Bianca Belair

Edge Vs Finn Bálor In An I Quit Match

Rumors have been swirling for a bit that Finn Bálor may be getting a big push from WWE. That tracks with some of the results we’ve seen recently. He picked up the pinfall over AJ Styles (and Rey Mysterio) in a tag match alongside Damian Priest on Monday Night Raw last week, and he’s also snagged singles victories recently over Matt Riddle and Rey Mysterio. It also feels like Judgment Day has been more prominently featured the last month in key TV spots. A victory over Edge at Extreme Rules would certainly continue that momentum and push him further up the card.

But where would that leave Edge? How many premium live events does he have left in this run? He’s reportedly planning on retiring in August of 2023. It seems unlikely he’ll make a real run at Roman Reigns in that timeframe; so, the goal will likely be to get his character into a few high leverage feuds and let him exit with a nice moment to go out on. I can’t imagine when he first launched Judgment Day he would have been happy about the trajectory that followed, especially if it includes a loss to Finn Bálor in an I Quit match, but that’s probably the best outcome right now from a storyline perspective.

Predicted Winner: Finn Bálor

The Brawling Brutes Vs Imperium In A Good Old Fashioned Donnybrook Match

Six man tags are notoriously hard to predict because there aren’t any real stakes. Sure, it’s technically better for each team if they win the match, but it’s not like Butch pinning Ludwig Kaiser is going to have a long-term effect on Gunther’s trajectory in WWE. As such, the only real goal here is to deliver an entertaining match, and I would be shocked if this wasn’t one of the best matches of the entire night.

I thought Sheamus and Gunther quite clearly had the match of the night at Clash At The Castle, and everytime these groups, in any combination, have gotten into the ring together, the fans have been really into it. Without any disqualifications, I would expect to see a lot of weapons, and at least a few extremely brutal spots. I expect the crowd to be going wild by the end.

I’m probably the least confident in this prediction versus any other match, but I’m going to say the Brawling Brutes, simply because Sheamus just lost to Gunther at Clash and I suspect he’s also going to lose to Gunther on Smackdown, meaning it would provide better balance if The Brutes took this one.

Predicted Winner: The Brawling Brutes

Bonus Return Predictions

Everyone is expecting Bray Wyatt to pay off the White Rabbit and return at Extreme Rules. I was initially skeptical, but on Smackdown, WWE directly said the tease was going to be paid off at Extreme Rules. Whether it's Bray Wyatt or someone else, however, it's unclear if that means the White Rabbit will actually get involved in a match or simply show up. My guess is it's Bray Wyatt, and he comes out at the end following the McIntyre/ Karrion Kross match.

I also think we’re going to get the return of Charlotte Flair. I think she’ll come out to confront Bianca Belair after she beats Bayley and that sets up a program the two of them will work over the next few months. 

There isn’t always that much excitement surrounding the annual pay-per-view event Extreme Rules, but the upcoming WWE event is drawing a lot of eyes as of late, thanks to the number of rumors surrounding it. Many are aware, of course, of the ongoing teases for the mysterious “White Rabbit” and the athlete many hope it'll be, but there are also whispers of another big name (re)appearing on the big night. Thanks to a recent WWE special, there’s reason to believe Charlotte Flair may finally make her way back to the ring. 

Some are concluding that Charlotte Flair’s return is imminent, and it’s thanks to the special WWE’s Most Extreme Moments Countdown, which aired on Fox on Sunday, October 2, (via WrestlingNews.co). The telecast featured a moment with Flair, who mentioned she has an eye on the Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair. Flair was the face of SmackDown prior to her extended absence, but it seems as though the WWE could be laying the groundwork for her to return and face Belair at some time in the future. 

We don’t know when that will be, obviously, but with Bianca Belair scheduled to defend her title against Bayley at Extreme Rules, it feels like a distinct possibility we'll see Charlotte Flair show up to cause some strife. Should Belair retain her title, Flair would be the only remaining member of the Four Horsewomen the “EST of WWE” hasn’t taken down. There’s no better way to hype that kind of streak than with a surprise appearance by Flair following the match’s end, signifying her official return to the women’s main event title scene. Or an impending return, if nothing else.

Charlotte Flair hasn’t been in a WWE ring since she lost to Ronda Rousey at WrestleMania Backlash back in May, and was “injured” in the process.  In reality, she left to marry her now-husband and AEW star Andrade El Idolo, as well as attend her father Ric Flair’s retirement match. She also appeared as a guest on Steve Austin: The Broken Skull Sessions back in August, so with this latest bit of face time on Fox, it feels like she’s marching closer to an eventual return in full. 

Whichever way it goes, the WWE isn’t exactly hurting for talent in the women’s division. Despite losing Becky Lynch due to injury after SummerSlam, the women’s scene on SmackDown has felt fresh thanks to the guidance of the new Head of Creative Triple H. It stands to reason that the main event picture for women will only improve with Charlotte Flair’s return, though who is to say with certainty? 

It’s worth mentioning, even if it is in the past, that Charlotte Flair went through a string of bad press when she had her falling out with Becky Lynch over an off-script moment that occurred when they swapped titles. Reports later surfaced that certain sections of the talent roster saw Flair as someone who was difficult to work with, and who was not always willing to do things that made her character appear weak, even if the scripts called for it. There have been a lot of changes in the WWE since Flair left, and one can’t help but wonder how she’ll fit into this changing environment should there still be some underlying issues with things like that. 

WWE’s Extreme Rules streams for fans with Peacock premium subscriptions on Saturday, October 8th. Here’s hoping we’ll see Charlotte Flair there, but if not, it likely won’t be too long before she’s back and retaking her position as one of the top performers in the WWE. 

Ric Flair’s Last Match has been promoted by the man himself for some time now and, finally, it's just around the corner. And what's even more exciting is the roster of wrestlers who'll be joining him during the event. Flair will team up with Andrade El Idolo to take on Jeff Jarrett and Jay Lethal, and it’s possible that one other major WWE superstar might be competing as well. At least, that’s what some are thinking after Flair hinted that Charlotte Flair could potentially throw hands during his big night. 

During a recent episode of Ric Flair’s To Be The Man podcast, the host was made aware of disparaging comments that Jeff Jarrett made about his wrestling partner, Andrade El Idolo. Jarrett insulted Andrade’s skills as a performer and suggested that his success in wrestling is largely tied to his connection to his wife, Charlotte Flair. The Nature Boy laughed at the claim and sometime after, noted that his daughter wouldn't take too kindly to those remarks. From there, he mused that she may try to insert herself into the action on his big night:

That’s quite a tease, and I’m sure many wrestling fans would go bonkers if Charlotte Flair had any kind of backstage scuffle with Jeff and Karen Jarrett or even participated in her dad’s match in some way. It’s fairly rare to see a WWE performer of her caliber participate in independent events, especially when they're under an active contract. 

Ric Flair is a legend with plenty of iconic career moments and is still a major figure in the industry. So one would think that that status paired with his major retirement match could grant some exception to any clauses in Charlotte Flair's WWE contract that would prevent her from participating. On the other hand, Charlotte is one of the organization's biggest superstars, so I could also see the top brass not wanting to risk her injuring herself in an event the company won't benefit from. That said, it is worth mentioning that Jeff Jarrett will be a special guest referee the night before the event during SummerSlam (which is on the full list of upcoming WWE events). WWE is allowing Jarrett to wrestle despite rejoining the WWE as an employee in May, so does this mean Charlotte could participate in Ric Flair's Last Match? 

If Charlotte Flair does appear in Last Match, it’ll be the first time she’s wrestled since she lost her SmackDown women’s title to Ronda Rousey at WrestleMania Backlash. As we previously reported, Flair's absence was planned and not a cause for concern, and she married husband Andrade El Idolo shortly after (it was quite a twist given she she and El Idolo broke up briefly in 2021). Flair is expected to return to the WWE, though it’s not entirely clear when that will happen. If she doesn’t return at SummerSlam, it’d certainly be exciting to see her perform at her father's event the following night. I’d be up for seeing her two nights in a row but, of course, all of this should be taken with a grain of salt for now.

Ric Flair’s Last Match, will take place on Sunday, July 31st, and wrestling fans can check out the event and get streaming information on the official website. WWE fans with a Peacock premium subscription will likely tune in for SummerSlam the day prior on July 30th and see a night full of exciting matches kick off at 8:00 p.m. ET. 

WWE turned some heads when it first announced it would be holding three stadium shows this summer. The plan was to put Money In The Bank at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, SummerSlam at Nissan Stadium in Nashville and Clash At The Castle at Principality Stadium in Cardiff. Well, upon further review, that’s not actually happening. WWE reportedly sent out emails to everyone who bought tickets to Money In The Bank, informing them the location was being changed to the MGM Grand Garden Arena, which is also located in Vegas but has a much smaller capacity.

Now, we don’t know exactly what happened here. Most people on Twitter are obviously jumping to the conclusion that WWE could not move enough tickets and didn’t want the stadium to have a lot of empty seats. That would make sense given Allegiant Stadium likely would have been set up to hold 35,000 to 45,000 and the MGM Grand Garden Arena will likely be set up to hold more in the 15,000 range. I assume WWE will comment at some point, but until then and probably even after then, wrestling fans are going to speculate away.

Also worth speculating on is a pretty big change to the event’s marketing materials. Earlier today, wrestling writer Sean Ross Sapp tweeted out the email fans got informing them of the change and how to buy tickets for the new venue. This is the picture that was included in the email…

Now, you’re probably looking at it and noticing a few key people who are missing. Well, there are actually more than a few key people missing. Most of the people on the original marketing materials are now gone. Some of that may be a creative choice of who to feature, but a lot of it is likely because many of these big names are no longer scheduled to be on the show. I’m talking, of course, about Roman Reigns, Brock Lesnar and Ronda Rousey. 

Not surprisingly, Sasha Banks is also gone, along with Charlotte Flair who is taking some time off this summer. Becky Lynch and Bobby Lashley have also been removed, though given their prominence in current storylines and seeming commitment to WWE, I’m not going to read too much into that. I'd also hold off with Ronda, as I think a lot of stuff still needs to be figured out with her in WWE.

You can check out the original poster below…

Changes were always going to be made to the poster. Cody Rhodes was always going to be added. It makes way more sense to put Bianca Belair in a more prominent role. Riddle is really hot right now. It’s nice to see him get some shine. I’m the biggest Miz fan in the world; so, I’m happy to see him on the poster too, as well as The Street Profits who deserve way more shine than they usually get. They’re terrific. But from an objective standpoint, is this lineup more appealing to the average fan than one that has Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns? It’s clearly not. 

WWE has been trying to push Money In The Bank as the fifth key premium live event on the yearly schedule alongside WrestleMania, Royal Rumble, SummerSlam and Survivor Series. It’s certainly a big deal with a key role to play in plotlines, but this may be a sign that the event doesn’t hold quite the same ticket-drawing appeal as the other major ones. Or maybe it’s a sign that Las Vegas isn’t the best venue for this size of a wrestling show. WrestleMania 9 was in Las Vegas at Caesars Palace, but that was in a smaller venue of around 16,000. Or maybe it’s a thoughtful WWE retreat after they realized announcing Roman Reigns, Brock Lesnar, maybe Ronda and more being gone would reduce the demand for further tickets. The first two shouldn't come as a shock given the rumors around Reigns and Brock's absence since WrestleMania, but that doesn't mean fans weren't still hoping.

I don’t know what’s going on, and I’m not in the WWE marketing department. That being said, if it were me, I’d take a look at my entire strategy right now. Clash At The Castle, WWE’s first premium live event in the UK since SummerSlam ‘92 seemed like it would be the easiest slam dunk sellout of all time. More than 85,000 people pre-registered for tickets, but the prices ended up being so high that only 30,000 people allegedly bought during the pre-sale. 

More have since gotten on board, and I’m sure it’ll eventually sell out or get close, but those prices cost them the PR win of an immediate sellout. Now they’re moving a huge live event to a significantly smaller stadium. Maybe that level of aggressiveness is worth looking into, especially when live gates are only a fraction of the total money WWE is bringing in. 

Expect to hear way more about what happened here but also who to expect on the Money In The Bank card when the specifics start getting ironed out over the next month. The event will take place in Las Vegas on July 2nd. I'd certainly expect the smaller venue to be a sellout.

The WWE fandom recently learned that Roman Reigns is allegedly stepping away from the company for a good chunk of the summer and upcoming house shows, and now another major star is out indefinitely. The wrestling organization confirmed that Charlotte Flair is out indefinitely following her “I Quit” match with Ronda Rousey, but it’s likely not a cause for concern. 

Charlotte Flair’s status update came via the WWE’s in-house program, The Bump. A clip of the news surfaced on the WWE’s social media and noted that the brand’s megastar would be away from SmackDown and other shows for an undisclosed amount of time. The video reveals the extent of Flair’s injuries, though, as mentioned, it doesn’t appear that there’s anything to be worried about.

It’s possible that Charlotte Flair really did fracture her radius in her match with Ronda Rousey at WWE Backlash, but F4Wonline.com reported not long after the pay-per-view that this is a “kayfabe injury.” That is to say that the injury is a fictional excuse for Flair to take time away from television in order to marry her fiancé and AEW superstar Andrade El Idolo. 

Andrade El Idolo and Charlotte Flair were on the outs during her much-reported backstage issues with Becky Lynch and others, but they reconciled and announced their engagement in January. Flair later confirmed that they planned to marry in Mexico in the summer. Summer isn’t quite here yet if we’re speaking in terms of the official start date, but with about a month to go, it’s feasible that she meant sometime within the late May to early June time frame.

Charlotte Flair dropping the women’s title to Ronda Rousey gives the WWE a big-name champion to hold the belt in the meantime, while Flair can go off and take some deserved time to enjoy her marriage and honeymoon if that's her reason for stepping away. As one of the top women in WWE, it’s only fair that she gets some time to celebrate a special occasion.

The downside of this news is that the WWE now has another big name out of commission for the summer season. On the one hand, Roman Reigns' absence and Flair's break might allow the company to play around and give some former top talent a chance at big matches and title shots. Of course, we can only guarantee that much could happen with the SmackDown women’s title, as Reigns hasn’t dropped either of his titles at the moment. 

Another thing that the WWE might worry about is its ticket sales throughout the next few months, knowing it’s missing at least two of the brand’s biggest superstars. Perhaps that’s why Ronda Rousey has the title belt, to at least provide some occasional big-name draw to shows where she’ll appear. She definitely has some appeal with fans, but it’s fair to say that the Women’s Division won’t feel quite the same without Charlotte Flair in the mix. 

Charlotte Flair might be off television for a while, but fans can revisit her biggest moments with a Peacock Premium subscription. It’ll be interesting to see who might surface to challenge Rousey’s belt in Flair’s absence, especially given how many stars like Alexa Bliss are waiting (perhaps impatiently) on their next big title shot.

We’re only days away from WrestleMania Backlash, which means it’s time to put my forecasting hat on (think 80s era Slick) and make some predictions about what’s going to happen. For some of the matches, that feels pretty easy based on the storylines we’ve seen so far and what makes sense to develop moving forward. For other matches, however, it’s not exactly Drew McIntyre and Happy Corbin levels of obvious. I’m not even sure Vince McMahon and company are a hundred percent on who is gonna win all the slobberknockers yet.

But alas, I’ll power through. My predictions for WrestleMania 38 actually went pretty well. I was 11/15 on my guesses which isn’t bad given a few bizarre decisions WWE made like having New Day lose after Big E broke his freakin’ neck. This premium live event I’m not quite as confident about, but I’ve got some theories and a few matches I’m gonna squash like I'm Veer Mahaan delivering vicious clotheslines. So, let’s sprint out of the back Ultimate Warrior style and get into it…

Charlotte Flair (Champion) vs Ronda Rousey in an I Quit Match

This is, without question, the match I’m most intrigued about on the card, at least from a where-is-this-going standpoint. Ronda Rousey is a huge name and a terrific athlete. She usually gets a big initial pop when her music hits, and at times, she looks good in the ring. She should be the type of star you build premium live events around, but something isn’t totally clicking right now. Something needs to change about the way she’s being presented. Maybe a manager or a heel turn or something.

If WWE still looks at Ronda Rousey as a star that could be one of its biggest draws, I don’t think you can make her lose an I Quit match to Charlotte Flair. Submissions are her thing, and she already lost, albeit in a protected way, at ‘Mania to Flair. Two consecutive losses, the second by her preferred style, would probably drop her to the mid-card given there are so many talented women right now they’re outrageously just leaving Alexa Bliss on the sidelines. But not losing means winning and winning means picking up the SmackDown Women’s Championship. Should they really be giving the belt to someone in the midst of a run that’s not really working that well?

I don’t know. I think the right move, from a short-term analysis perspective, is to keep the belt on Charlotte. She’s better and you shouldn’t reward someone with a belt that’s only marginally over with fans. The right long-term decision, however, is to salvage Ronda if you can. She could still be a star. Sometimes it does work. I’d love to see WWE give her a manager and turn her heel in some fashion during this match, which would allow her to change her attitude and presentation. I think she’ll win, but I don’t think we’ll get the hell turn that's really needed.

Predicted Winner: Ronda Rousey via submission.

Happy Corbin Vs Madcap Moss

Madcap Moss is way more over with live event fans than I ever would have guessed. He’s gotten some real pops from the crowd, but I personally think those pops have more to do with people hating Happy Corbin than anything he’s really doing. Corbin is quietly one of the best heels the company has, and if he’s getting clowned, people are going to root big for whoever is clowning him. So, my preference here is that Corbin wins. I want to keep him relatively strong. I’m not saying he should be fighting Roman Reigns at an upcoming premium live event, but I’d love to see him stick around the mid-card and maybe have a run with one of the lesser belts. He can draw boos, and fans would get behind screaming at him for a few months while he brags about how cool he is.  

But I’m worried WWE may try to build Madcap. I’m not saying it’s impossible he could get over outside of Corbin’s orbit, but I just don’t think one joke followed by obnoxious laughing is enough of a gimmick. He’s a pretty good wrestler and has a terrific build. There’s an alternate presentation that could definitely work, but this current one with all the random thumbs up gestures after big moves isn't working for me. It seems like it’s doing it for the WWE writers though; so, there's a real shot he could win. I’m going to predict Corbin because I’m a shameless and biased superfan of everything he’s doing, but I don’t feel good about this prediction at all.

Predicted Winner: Corbin via pinfall.

Bobby Lashley vs Omos

It seems like WWE is burying Omos. They had him lose clean to Bobby Lashley at WrestleMania. Then, after giving him MVP as a manager which seemed like a potential win, they had him lose, of all things, an arm wrestling contest. If you had big, long-term hopes for a gigantic, physically imposing dude, it doesn’t seem like you’d have him lose arm wrestling matches on TV, right? 

I think it’s as simple as this: if Omos loses, something about him has to change. He needs to disappear for awhile, get repackaged or move back to the tag division. His whole identity right now is hating Bobby Lashley, even using his old manager, and Lashley already beat him clean at ‘Mania. If he beats him again, Omos is going to lose whatever mystique he has left and not really serve any kind of purpose.

Unfortunately for Omos, however, I think he is going to lose, and I don't even think it's going to be competitive. Lashley is going to beat him up and then put him in the Hurt Lock. WWE seems to want to build Lashley back into a main event contender, and he’s not going to do that continuing his feud with Omos. So, I think Omos gets rolled and then we see a repackaging, which I'm fine with. Omos has an amazing look, but he needs to get a bit smoother in the ring.

Predicted Winner: Bobby Lashley via submission. 

AJ Styles Vs Edge

Damian Priest played a key role in Styles and Edge’s WrestleMania match, but he’s banned from ringside this time around thanks to a recent loss to Styles where that was a stipulation. There have been rumors for a month or so about more people being added to their new stable Judgment Day, but that hasn’t happened so far. I predict we finally get that mystery third person, and that mystery third person (not Hulk Hogan, probably Rhea Ripley) interferes in the match and gets Edge the win. 

At least that’s what makes sense to me. I think Edge needs this win the most. AJ Styles may have a partnership brewing with Finn Balor. They could head to the tag team ranks and compete for those titles without a big momentum loss since that would be a new thing. Edge losing would seemingly pump the brakes on this very recent build they’re putting a lot of time into. So, unless the writers are losing confidence in Judgment Day, I think Edge needs to win or at least lose like he’s an Attitude Era main eventer that needs three consecutive finishers and a referee distraction to go down.

Predicted Winner: Edge via pinfall.

Cody Rhodes vs Seth Freakin’ Rollins

Cody is getting a superhero welcome every time he’s on TV. Crowds are chanting his name, and WWE is giving him a main event entrance presentation, as well as ample time on the microphone. The writers are also building a storyline about how he’s going to capture the WWE Championship for the first time for his dad, the American Dream Dusty Rhodes. It’s all getting over even better than expected with fans and barring an injury, will probably climax with that title shot against Roman or someone else at a huge upcoming premium live event.

Because of that, I just don’t see how you stop his momentum and have him lose at WrestleMania Backlash. Seth Freakin Rollins is great. His chaotic laughter and endless trolling are still over with fans. They’re still singing along with his catchy theme, but he doesn’t need this win. Plus, if he were to win, that means they’d have to wrestle a third time, and while the ‘Mania match was great, I think we all want to see Cody bounce around and work with some other people. So, I suspect they put on the best match of the Backlash card, but it ultimately ends the same way as the first time with a Cody victory.

Predicted Winner: Cody Rhodes via pinfall.

Drew McIntyre And RK-Bro vs The Bloodline (Roman Reigns And The Usos)

What happened here? We were going to get RK-Bro and The Usos to combine the tag titles. Now we have a six man tag match, the purpose of which seems to be delaying RK-Bro vs The Usos and Drew McIntyre vs Roman Reigns to later premium live events. I’m not saying that’s not a smart business decision or that this match won’t be fun to watch, but it feels like the stakes here are zero. No matter what happens, these teams will just continue feuding. So, unless Randy Orton gives Riddle the Sweet Chin Music and throws him into a barbershop window, the outcome is about as important as any random six man tag on SmackDown.

I’ve gotta choose a winner though, and since I think The Bloodline will come out on top in this larger feud eventually (unless WWE wants McIntyre to main event the European PPV Clash At The Castle with the title), I’m going to say RK-Bro and McIntyre get the better of this one. Roman definitely won’t get pinned, but i think the Bloodline goes down.

Predicted Winners: Drew McIntyre and RK-Bro via pinfall (Orton on Jey)

Other Predictions

This doesn't feel like enough matches, especially on the women's side. There are simply too many amazing women in WWE right now to get one match on a premium live event card. So, I suspect another match will be added tomorrow on SmackDown or we'll get some kind of major plot advancement. Maybe we'll finally see the long-awaited return of Bayley or we'll figure out whatever is going on with Alexa Bliss. Or maybe we'll get Rhea and Liv or Becky and Asuka, though they may be saving those for other events.

I'm not sure if you've been following Ezekiel. He's Elias' younger brother, who is definitely not Elias. He's been building some steam lately in programs with Kevin Owens and Chad Gable. I think there's a chance he gets something to do here too. Maybe we get a fun video package that cuts back and forth between Ezekiel and Elias in the same location without ever showing them together?

It’s been a chaotic build to WrestleMania 38. We’re now just days away from the biggest wrestling show of the year, and the majority of the card is locked into place like a figure-four from a prime Ric Flair . The big match is, of course, Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns who will be going title v title in a unification match. I'm still skeptical of WWE's decision here to give the winner one unified belt. I'd rather they be defended separately on each show, but alas, no one answers my emails.

Putting that insult aside, there’s a lot of intrigue up and down the card in both the men’s and women’s divisions. Right now there are fourteen matches scheduled for WrestleMania 38, as well as a Stone Cold Steve Austin appearance, which may be a real match or may just be a guy opening a can of whoopass during a talk show segment. I’m going to go through my predictions for all of it, which I would like to point out is what I think is going to happen, not what I want to happen. If it were what I wanted, we'd have a more positive outcome for Happy Corbin, who I inexplicably love for reasons I can't really explain.

WrestleMania 38 Night 1 Predictions

Becky Lynch (Champion) vs Bianca Belair for the Raw Women’s Championship

Big Time Becks made a surprise return at SummerSlam last year and squashed Bianca in 26 seconds. I still have no idea why this seemed like a good idea, as Belair is a rising star, was over with fans and had so much momentum at the time. Whatever. Someone thought it was a good idea, and it certainly elevated Lynch. I’ve moved on and can’t argue about this more. Anyway, she’s held a major belt ever since, and while she’s had matches with Belair, this is surely the biggest stage.

I like Bianca here. I think a showcase win would help her character move on from looking like Adam Bomb at WrestleMania X, and I think it’s time to give Becky something else to do besides defend this title and get whipped with hair. I don’t think it’ll be a squash, but I expect to see a clean pinfall and a title change.

Predicted Winner: Bianca Belair via pinfall.

Rey Mysterio And Dominik Mysterio vs The Miz and Logan Paul

The obvious pick here is Mysterio & Mysterio. Once The Miz stole Rey’s mask, there was a sense of like… Rey can’t lose this now. He’s got to defend his honor, right? But I’m not so sure anymore. The Miz lost clean on Monday, and I just feel like this story is a lot more interesting if he comes out on top. Plus, there are persistent rumors that Logan Paul may join the WWE Creative Team if this goes well. I’m not sure most wrestling fans are with me here, but I actually think, at least on paper, he’s a terrific fit for WWE long-term. 

Crowd reaction was skeptical during his recent segment where he gushed about Cleveland in Cleveland (at least compared to The Miz who still has it, by the way), but his mic work is quite good for someone who hasn’t interacted with a live wrestling crowd that many times. He’s a terrific athlete. He’s also a very natural heel given some fans already have negative feeling about him due to his pop culture image. I don’t know. This might be the stupidest guess of this entire predictions article, but I’ve talked myself into The Miz and Logan Paul. Maybe it'll spark some kind of Mysterio v Mysterio feud or maybe a story about Dominik earning his mask, which Moonsaulted around a little on Twitter.

Predicted Winners: The Miz and Logan Paul via pinfall (The Miz on Dominik).

Drew McIntyre vs Happy Corbin (With Madcap Moss)

This has to be McIntyre, right? It feels like he’s about to be built again. He finished second in the Rumble. He’s been winning pretty convincingly for the most part on TV. It feels like they talk about his sword more than some of the mid-tier guys on the roster. Its name is Angela by the way, in case the repeated reminders haven't stuck yet. I also have no real data for this, but it just feels like many of his intros are getting longer. Plus, we’ve been getting teases of a fracture in the dynamic between Moss and Corbin. There’s a real possibility Madcap could turn on Happy at ‘Mania.

That being said, I need to take a few seconds to gush about Happy Corbin. Love this dude. I get excited every time he comes on my TV. Something just works, and I need him to stick around the midcard. Just give him 10 to 15 minutes each week to brag about himself, beat up on a jobber or act like a coward against bigger opponents. I’ll also take some travel montages or some vignettes of him being an out of place rube. I suspect he’ll roll into a feud with Madcap Moss after he takes an L here, which I feel fine enough about. 

Predicted Winners: Drew McIntrye via pinfall. 

The Usos (Champions) vs Shinsuke Nakamura and Rick Boogs For The Smackdown Tag Team Championship

I like The Usos. I’ve enjoyed their extended reign, even if it involves some standing around behind Roman Reigns, but you can just feel WWE pushing Rick Boogs. He’s looked really strong lately and delivered some particularly aggressive Boogs Cruises. They’ve also been giving him a lot of pre-match time to interact with the crowd and do his call and response thing. Also, to lift people. He has lifted so many people. But the crowd keeps counting; so, I’ve got no problem with him doing it. We'd all lift people over our heads if we were capable and everyone around us chanted to 10 each time. Plus, Shinsuke is great. Pushing Shinsuke is a good idea basically every time. 

So, no offense to The Usos here, who I think should stay in the title picture, but the times they are a-changin. Boogs is over with most fans. His dynamic plays well with Shinsuke. I think we'll see some new champions. Also, from a storyline perspective, The Usos losing the belts is going to create interesting television with Roman, whether he wins or not. All of them down big together could be fun. Then again, him roasting them and stirring up resentment because he now has both belts and they have zero would also be fun.

Predicted Winners: Shinsuke Nakamura and Rick Boogs via pinfall (Boogs on Jey).

The New Day vs Sheamus And Ridge Holland (With Butch)

This feels like it has to be a New Day victory. Given Big E’s injury and the less than stellar record the team has historically had at WrestleMania, I think the obvious right move is giving them the victory. Butch is going to interfere. If this were a random TV episode, I'd assume his henchman-like ways would be the difference, but at a huge show like this, I think his interference will backfire, allowing The New Day to come out on top. Maybe there will be a quick interview where they dedicate the victory to Big E and tell him to get well soon.

I’m also interested in what’s going to happen with Sheamus, Ridge and Butch after they lose this match. Are they going to continue as a threesome? Are they going to start their own little mini-feud? Will we get a Sheamus, Ridge and Butch triple threat match? That could be a premium live event undercard. But nah. I don't think so. I think Sheamus will keep bringing in talent and form a stable. He’s still really good in the ring, but his strong mic work means he could be a fit to manage, as well. I'd love to see him as the leader of a gang that gets mad and does the job himself every once in awhile.

Predicted Winners: The New Day via pinfall (Kofi on Ridge).

Seth Freakin Rollins vs A Mystery Opponent

Everybody thinks this is going to be Cody Rhodes. I think it’s going to be Cody Rhodes, and if it is Cody Rhodes, he’s going to win a really close and exciting match. WWE is going to want to immediately introduce him at the main event or near main event level, and to do that, he both needs to look very good and he needs to win. So, I suspect we’ll see a really exciting match with lots of fun spots. Rollins will do fun Seth Rollins things, but Rhodes will prevail in the end.

Of course there’s always the chance this isn’t Cody Rhodes, and if it’s not, then who the hell knows what is going to happen here. The internet has been buzzing about it being Shane McMahon as the ultimate swerve/ middle finger to fans. Just imagine the chorus of boos. That would be an all-time troll job, but I don’t think WWE is going to willingly take that heat or give McMahon a prime ‘Mania match, especially after his appearance at the Royal Rumble allegedly caused backstage heat. I could see it being a surprise return like Bray Wyatt or someone on that level, but I’ll stick with Rhodes.

Predicted Winner: Cody Rhodes via pinfall.

Charlotte Flair (Champion) vs Ronda Rousey for the Smackdown Women's Championship

Rousey isn’t quite there on the microphone yet, but I think she’s improving and is definitely still over with fans. It’s hard to imagine she’d return to WWE, get this much screentime and not wind up with the belt. Plus, with the WWE women’s division deeper and better than it’s ever been (especially if/ when Bayley and Asuka return), it’s going to need shake-ups and changes. Putting the belt on Ronda would shuffle the deck, and it would allow Charlotte Flair to transition into a different storyline, hopefully one with an opponent that can more easily push back on the mic. 

I really hope they give this match time to breathe and really tell a story. I don’t want to see a squash. I want a good wrestling match that tells a story worthy of the extended build-up we’ve gotten and Ronda’s return. I think we’ll get it, and I think it’ll end in an ankle lock given how much that’s been directly discussed on the air. That should push Ronda's character into a more compelling direction post-Mania, and fingers crossed, it allows her to keep developing because she could be great.

Predicted Winner: Ronda Rousey via submission.

The KO Show With Stone Cold Steve Austin

Kevin Owens has been crushing it during this entire build-up to WrestleMania. His mic work has been stupendous (points to WM sign…), and his recent trolling of the crowd when he came out to Stone Cold’s music made the heel part of my soul happy. KO is one of the best wrestlers working today, and I can’t wait to see him interact with the Rattlesnake. He’s earned this moment. 

That being said, I have no idea what to expect out of this segment and/ or possible match. It's either going to be a few minutes of chit-chat, followed by a Stunner, middle fingers and cans of whoopass, all of which KO will oversell in the best way like a prime Mr. Perfect, or it'll turn into a real match. If that happens, fans will lose their minds, and one of the all-time greats will get a chance to give us one more all-time great match. I hope that happens, but anything Stone Cold wants to give us is a welcome surprise in my book. So, no predictions here.

Predicted Winner: I lied. I think it'll be a real match and Stone Cold will give us about 4 to 6 A- minutes, which will feel like an A+. 

WrestleMania 38 Night 2 Predictions

Queen Zelina & Carmella (Champions) vs Rhea Ripley & Liv Morgan vs Sasha Banks & Naomi vs Natlya & Shayna Baszler For The Women’s Tag Team Championship

I don’t know when the last time I was fired up about the women’s tag team division was, but I’m ecstatic at the amount of talent that’s been injected in lately. More than half of these women could be competing for the top belts, and we’re already starting to see some real chemistry develop, especially between Liv Morgan and Rhea Ripley, who are a delight and already have a banger hybrid entrance theme. How cool would it be if we had a really fun, high energy women’s tag match on most episodes of WWE programming? The talent is there, especially after Bayley and Asuka return. Just stick with it… and maybe give at least a few of these teams fun names.

It feels like this has to be either Rhea and Liv or Sasha and Naomi. No offense to the other teams here who are perfectly fine, but there's real upside for the entire division if it's the right twosome. I don't want the women's tag division to dissolve into nothing again! My money is on Sasha and Naomi, but that’s mostly because they were the initial surprise team that jumped into the division. Plus, Sasha Banks is Sasha Banks, and giving her a belt is almost always a good decision.

Predicted Winners: Sasha Banks and Naomi via submission.

Johnny Knoxville vs Sami Zayn

I was at the Royal Rumble earlier this year, and the pop Johnny Knoxville got from the crowd was very real and very loud, easily one of the biggest of the night. Throw in the fact that celebrities normally win WrestleMania matches, plus how tremendous Sami Zayn is at expressing shock and outrage, and this feels like a pretty definite Knoxville victory. Key qualifier here though: they need to keep Zayn semi-credible. That dude is a treasure. He should stay in the Intercontinental Championship picture moving forward. So, I suspect the win will involve outside interference from the Jackass guys or some other type of tomfoolery. 

The Anything Goes wrinkle certainly opens up a lot of possibilities. Given the celebrity involvement, I wouldn’t expect to see a terribly long match, but it should be goofy and fun. Plus we all know Knoxville has taken gnarlier bumps than anyone on the roster. That WTF is he going to do element adds a little more drama than we normally see from celeb matches too.

Predicted Winner: Johnny Knoxville via pinfall.

Pat McAfee vs Austin Theory

Boy this match really got dropped on us like a Vader Bomb, huh? It feels like it was put together to have another attraction that'll generate some steam. Pat McAfee is terrific on commentary and a damn good athlete. He's also very over right now. Austin Theory is a rising star, who is doing segments with Vince McMahon. He was put in the Elimination Chamber and picked to face Brock Lesnar at MSG. They're obviously higher than a Montez Ford frog splash on both. So, they thought let's feature 'em at 'Mania.

That's not the worst plan I've ever heard. I'm a little worried for Austin Theory long-term though. I know McAfee is a more agile than say Michael Cole, but it still feels weak for Theory to lose straight-up to an announcer with little in-ring experience. But is there really a scenario where they're gonna have a character like Theory beat Pat McAfee? The crowd would boo into the next match. They'd be throwing things on stage like when Hulk Hogan went heel. So, I think something untoward is going to happen here. I predict Shane McMahon interferences setting up some kind of mentor vs real son storyline. 

Predicted Winner: Pat McAfee via pinfall.

RK-Bro (Champions) vs Alpha Academy vs The Street Profits For The Raw Tag Team Championship

I don’t really think there’s a wrong answer here in terms of where WWE wants to go. All three of these teams are both very talented and over with the crowd. I also love each on a personal level. The weekly RK-Bro and Alpha Academy challenges were all kind of goofy fun, and the long-term potential of The Street Profits is enormous. All three of these teams have the talent and look to be on major premium live event cards for years to come. I probably like Alpha Academy the best because I can’t get enough of Chad Gable, but I’m truly fine with any outcome.

My gut tells me the WWE writers are going to use the end of this match to break-up RK-Bro. I know Randy Orton has talked about how happy he is and how much fun he’s having, but someone at WWE, whether it’s Vince McMahon or Bruce Prichard, loves breaking up a good tag team. So, I think RK-Bro breaks up after the match or we at least see major cracks form, which they’ve sorta been teasing.

Predicted Winner: The Alpha Academy via pinfall (Otis on Riddle).

Edge vs AJ Styles

I think the more important wrestler in the equation here is Edge. What is WWE’s long-term plans with Edge (and that blue light)? Do they want him on the mid-card or are they hoping to elevate him back to main event status? If they want him to be a major player and compete for the soon-to-be Unified Title, then I think he needs to win. He needs to establish himself as a mega-heel and come off looking really crazy and powerful. If they’re content with him leaving at the mid-card level, then what’s probably more important is just that this is a great wrestling match that fans enjoy.

I personally think they’ve still got big plans for Edge. He may not have fully capitalized off his 2021 Royal Rumble win, but that doesn’t mean he can’t still make it back to the top of the card. He’s in good shape. His mic work lately has been unhinged in a good, in-character way. I think they'll push him again.

Predicted Winner: Edge via pinfall.

Bobby Lashley vs Omos

I think most people are expecting Bobby Lashley to put an end to Omos’ dominance. That makes the most sense on paper. I mean… what’s the alternative? You rushed Bobby Lashley, a former champion who technically beat Brock Lesnar, back to lose to an inexperienced wrestler that’s been fighting handicapped matches on Raw? Why would you do that? You could have gotten Omos to the next level by turning in a dominant ‘Mania performance against someone like Damian Priest (who by the way, should be fighting Finn Balor this weekend but whatever).

But let’s say that is happening. Let’s say WWE brought Lashley back to get viciously punished by Omos. I mean… how scary would Omos look? You would immediately think he’s in line for a shot at the Unified Title at an upcoming premium live event, right? I don’t buy it, but maybe…

Predicted Winner: Bobby Lashley via pinfall.

Brock Lesnar (Champion) vs Roman Reigns (Champion) For Both Belts

Until recently, I was convinced Roman Reigns was going to win. I’ve been so convinced that I’ve been really dismissive of Brock Lesnar’s chances every single time I’ve referenced the match. But Lesnar has been tremendous the past few weeks. His mic work last Monday on Raw was so freakin’ good. I mean no one likes Paul Heyman more than I do. That dude is one of my favorite managers ever (shoutout Bobby Heenan), but Lesnar has been so smooth on the mic lately, I’m honestly starting to wish he would have ditched Heyman sooner. Cowboy Brock is all kinds of over, and his interaction with the crowd lately has felt effortless. It’s like he’s suddenly figured it all out. I don’t know how anyone wants to stop that momentum right now.

Roman Reigns, however, is also great. He’s been the best thing going in all of wrestling for the past few years. Unifying the belts and beating a legend like Lesnar while doing it would propel him into another tier of all-time greats. I really want that for him. I thought for sure he was going to get it, but I don’t know anymore. How long is Lesnar sticking around for? What’s the plan after the titles are unified? All of this would help provide clarity. Absent that, I’m going to stick with Reigns, but my confidence here is very low.

Predicted Winner: Roman Reigns via pinfall. 

Other Random Predictions:

I think we're going to see Alexa Bliss do something. I mean, what the hell is going on here? She's one of the best wrestlers on the entire roster. She doesn't seem to be injured. She needs to be at WrestleMania doing something productive.

I think a former WWE star other than Cody Rhodes is going to return. I don't know who it'll be, but I think someone shows up and sets Twitter on fire.

I think Steve Austin looks damn good and falls right back into the Stone Cold character like nothing changed.

The WWE women’s division is better now than it has ever been before, and unlike the dreaded Diva era that never really put an emphasis on in-ring talent and engaging feuds, the current group of female wrestlers are given opportunities to prove themselves. In the past few years, the roster's biggest stars have transformed the division, and wrestling as a whole, by putting on electrifying WrestleMania main event matches.

But, in addition to being some of the most talented up-and-coming names in wrestling, these stars are also some of the most entertaining members of the roster and have the full package. Here are just some of the names who have revolutionized WWE in one way or another. 

Bianca Belair

Over the past two years, Bianca Belair has won a Royal Rumble match, made history with Sasha Banks as being the first two Black women to main event WrestleMania (where she won the SmackDown Women’s Championship), and received praise from the likes of ESPN and Sports Illustrated.

But, it’s the intangibles that make Belair stick out with her charismatic personality, unique style (both in terms of fashion and in-ring ability), and that signature hair, which has become her trademark throughout her career. And with a big match at WrestleMania 38 against Becky Lynch, this is just the beginning.

Ronda Rousey

There are few names in WWE, professional wrestling, or combat sports in general that get as much attention as Ronda Rousey, and her return to the company in one of the craziest moments of the 2022 Royal Rumble is proof of that. Love her or hate her, Rousey is one of those once-in-a-generation stars who doesn’t have to speak, wrestle a match, or do anything but point at the WrestleMania sign to make a statement.

Even before the former UFC champion signed with WWE and wrestled her first match at WrestleMania 34, she won over with fans and had them eating out of her hand. Essentially the female Brock Lesnar, Rousey not only brings star power to WWE, she can back it up as well.

Becky Lynch

It doesn’t matter if she’s a heel or babyface, “The Man” or “Big Time Becks,” Becky Lynch is a WWE superstar who is consistently entertaining both in and out of the ring. A member of the “Four Horsewomen of Wrestling,” Lynch’s list of accomplishments in the past few years makes her one of the company’s biggest stars, regardless of gender.

Although Lynch’s run in NXT wasn’t as successful as her contemporaries and she was often left out of some of the big feuds that superstars like Charlotte Flair and Sasha Banks initially had on the main roster, Lynch transformed herself into a “Stone Cold” Steve Austin-like persona with “The Man” character in 2018. And, she hasn’t looked back since.

Charlotte Flair

If there is one member of the entire WWE roster that has the “It” factor more than anyone else (male or female), it would have to be Charlotte Flair. This should come as no surprise considering she’s the daughter of Ric Flair. Unlike a lot of second-generation wrestlers who have ridden on their parents’ coattails and never broke out on their own, Flair has created a legacy of her own these past 10 years.

The look, the walk, the move-set, the long list of achievements that seems to grow by the day, everything about Flair makes her not only the most successful woman wrestler of her generation but also the most entertaining, especially when she’s pulling off her heel persona.

Alexa Bliss

Alexa Bliss, who was responsible for one of the craziest Elimination Chamber moments, is one of those WWE superstars who can make the most out of everything that is thrown her way. Need someone to be a snarky heel who thinks she’s better than everyone? Give it to Bliss. How about a demented character in the vein of Harley Quinn? She can do that, too. Basically, there’s nothing the “Five Feet of Fury” can’t (and won’t) do.

Despite this, and despite being one of the most entertaining and dynamic wrestlers with WWE, Bliss is currently off of TV, which doesn’t make a whole lot of sense unless there’s some injury not being disclosed. When she does make her return, who knows what she’ll throw at us.

Sasha Banks

Sasha Banks, the five-time Raw Women’s Champion, Slammy Award winner, and one of the stars of The Mandalorian Season 2, has accomplished a lot throughout her career so far, and she has done it with more style and swagger than just about anyone wrestling today. Whether she’s dominating in the ring or killing it on the mic, she does everything flawlessly.

Just look at some of the biggest WWE feuds in recent memory and you’ll see Banks in more than a few of them. A lot of that has to do with the former NXT champion connecting with fans in a way most dream of and few can pull off. I mean, just watch her entrance and try not to be entertained.

Rhea Ripley

Since making her WWE debut in the 2017 Mae Young Classic, Rhea Ripley has established herself as one of the most dominant, unique, and entertaining members of the women’s roster and been a part of some high-profile matches with the likes of Charlotte Flair and Asuka, whom she defeated at WrestleMania 37.

One of the best things about Ripley is the fact that she doesn’t look like anyone else on the roster and uses her size, strength, and presence to overwhelm her opponents and work the crowd, creating a superstar with limitless potential.

Naomi

One of the most talented and underrated WWE superstars, Naomi has been nothing but entertaining since making her main roster debut in 2012 as member of The Funkadactyls, and she hasn’t stopped since. During that time, Naomi has been effective as both a heel and babyface, though she has much more success forming a connection with the crowd as the latter.

Just watch her eye-catching entrance with the techno, blacklights, and colorful ring attire. It’s impossible to not be entertained by that. And that is only matched by her in-ring skills, which includes some insane acrobatics and high-flying offense.

Liv Morgan

Liv Morgan is another member of the WWE roster who has been able to get a whole lot out of what few opportunities she has been afforded, and has quickly made herself into a star-in-the-making, especially with her brief program with Becky Lynch at the start of 2022.

More than capable in the ring and having the ability to make different personas work during her stint in WWE, Morgan has a lot of small aspects about her character that are so interesting and brilliant at times that you can’t help but watch whenever she’s on screen.

Asuka

And then there is Asuka, who, despite not being on TV for quite some time, remains one of the most interesting wrestlers in the world. It has been said time and time again that Asuka just has “It” and continues to make a case for her being one of the best of the best.

With her flashy entrance attire, unmatched skills in the ring, and hilarious personality, there’s just so much about Asuka that makes her so much fun to watch. If Asuka continues to grow like she has the past few years, there’s nothing she can’t do.

If you want to see these entertaining  women wrestlers and others like them, sign up for a Peacock Premium subscription so you don't miss any of the big WWE events on the horizon.

2021 wasn’t a great year for a lot of WWE talent, many of whom saw their time end with the company despite their years of prior service. Among those sent packing was former Women’s Champion Nia Jax, who only months prior made headlines after a real fight broke out between her and fellow superstar Charlotte Flair. The incident led to speculation of bad blood between the two, but is that still the case? 

Nia Jax, who has reverted to her real name of Lina Fanene on her social media platforms, recently gave a sassy response to anyone who thinks that she and Charlotte Flair still have beef in the present day. The response came via a TikTok, which featured none other than Charlotte Flair as her former WWE rival.

Well, if there’s anyone who still thinks that Charlotte Flair and Nia Jax have beef, I’d imagine that TikTok sufficiently puts that all to rest. Flair might still be fighting with a bunch of others on the WWE roster, but she has no enemy in Jax as the Royal Rumble looms near. 

Rumors of tension between Nia Jax and Charlotte Flair began one fateful night on Monday Night Raw, when the two competed together in the ring. They had a couple of rough moments in the match that didn’t look convincing in execution, and it appeared that tensions rose between them. Fans then saw them exchange legitimate strikes and engage in hair-pulling before things got back on track later in the match. 

Reports after the incident indicated Charlotte Flair and Nia Jax were good following the in-ring incident, but it’s always hard to know which reports are true and which aren’t in pro wrestling. Take that, paired with the rampant reports of Flair being on the outs with the WWE roster and Jax’s eventual release in November, and it isn’t hard to see how a fan may think they have a legitimate beef. 

As far as whether or not we’ll ever see Nia Jax compete against Charlotte Flair in a wrestling ring ever again, that’s a different story. Jax expressed doubt she’d ever compete in a wrestling ring again following her release, and so far, she’s held true to that statement. With that said, Jax would still have a month before she’d be able to work elsewhere provided she got the same 90-day non-compete deal that other released superstars often get, so who knows if her opinion on returning to pro wrestling could change in the future?

Nia Jax is no longer in WWE, but Charlotte Flair competes on SmackDown on Fox on Fridays at 8:00 p.m. ET. Flair’s had her title for quite a while, so this month might be the month we see her drop the belt to a challenger. 

The world of pro wrestling is never exactly a dull scene, both in and out of the stalwart WWE, but 2021 really was an electric year for the sport. Struggles from the previous year caused the pro wrestling organization to make a lot of tough decisions, while rivals like AEW continued to gain ground, with one apparently leaving for good. The end result was a slew of major headlines throughout 2021, with many of them being totally unexpected. 

There are way more than 10 major headlines that hit the pro wrestling world this year, to be sure, but it's almost impossible to believe even these all happened in a single year. I believe when fans look back on 2021, these will be the biggest updates and changes that stick out the most.  

The Return Of WWE's Live Arena And House Shows

Many professional organizations survived in 2020 without live, in-house audiences, but few were impacted as greatly as WWE. In part by utlizing some inventive change-ups specifically for TV audiences, the company prevailed and, eventually, brought back its live arena and house show touring schedule in late July. In hindsight, this may not be looked back on as such a major moment for those far removed from pandemic lockdowns, but those that were part of it know just how big the return to normalcy (and the return of ticket and merch sales) meant for a lot of people. 

WWE Releasing Bray Wyatt, Jeff Hardy, Nia Jax, And Many More

Releases are common in the WWE, but 2021 was a particularly rough year for WWE Superstars. The organization released around 80 wrestlers, and not insignificant names either. Bray Wyatt, Nia Jax, Jeff Hardy and many other superstars considered to be a fixture of the organization were handed their walking papers for various reasons, though the most common among those listed were budget cuts. The narrative isn’t hard to believe given the WWE had to go a full year without fans in arenas, though that hasn’t stopped speculation from many that some releases had additional reasons, with SmackDown's Toni Storm reportedly requesting a release just days before 2021's end. 

CM Punk Returning To Pro Wrestling For First Time In 7 Years

CM Punk abruptly exited the WWE as one of its top stars back in 2014, and for many years, he never looked back. He had some UFC fights, some acting roles, and other gigs outside of professional wrestling to the point that it seemed he’d never return to it again. That all changed in 2021 when, after months of rumors, CM Punk made his official return to pro wrestling for AEW. The moment was huge not just because of how inconceivable it seemed even a year before, but because one of wrestling’s greatest talents was back in the ring where he belongs.

AEW Drawing Top WWE Talent

CM Punk’s return to pro wrestling was massive on its own, but AEW really showed its rising power of influence by snagging quite a few major stars that the WWE reportedly wanted to retain. Daniel Bryan could’ve continued to be a main event draw on either of the WWE shows, but instead chose to take his talents over to the rival organization. The same is true for Adam Cole, who seemed primed to make a major roster debut following his multi-year run in NXT, but he decided to roll that momentum into big opportunities over at AEW. It seems like top stars now have a legitimate alternative to the WWE, which will undoubtedly create more interesting contract situations for both companies as more stars approach renewal deadlines in the coming years.

Charlotte Flair’s Drama With Becky Lynch And The WWE

Charlotte Flair’s had about the roughest year out of any actively rostered WWE star. Fans learned she had a backstage altercation with Becky Lynch following Flair going off-script during an episode of SmackDown, and that many in the organization found her difficult to work with. The WWE then turned that real-life drama into a storyline for Survivor Series, which wasn’t the only time in 2021 it capitalized on a sensitive subject. Charlotte’s future with the WWE still feels strong though, especially since her ex-fiancé Andrade is over in AEW.

Ring Of Honor Going On Long-term Hiatus

The WWE obviously wasn’t the only pro wrestling organization that suffered throughout 2020, as one prominent indie wrestling organization continued to feel the pains throughout 2021. Ring Of Honor, the former home of countless superstars of the WWE, AEW and other organizations, released all of its wrestlers from their contracts in late October, and hosted its tentatively final pay-per-view in December. As of this writing, there are potential plans to reboot the org, as it were, in April 2022, but if the past two years have taught fans anything, it’s that nothing is guaranteed. Hopefully, Ring of Honor can return to its former glory, and continue to be a bastion for indie wrestling for years to come.

Notable Former Superstars Passing Away

Death is an unavoidable consequence of life, and while pro wrestlers may seem like superhumans on television, they too are subjected to it. Pro wrestling lost a lot of greats this year including Bobby Eaton, Paul Orndorff, Daffney Unger, New Jack, and Jimmy Rave. There’s no universal reason for all of these deaths, of course, but it seems as though the passing of past favorite wrestlers always brings a feeling of nostalgia and a celebration of the departed athletes' greatest moments in the ring. Their legacies will live on through their work, and will continue to be celebrated by future generations who come across older matches on TV and streaming.

The WWE Shaking Things Up On Commentary

The WWE’s rough year with Superstars being released largely overshadowed some other changes outside of the ring, especially behind the commentary tables. This year alone saw former NFL star and huge wrestling fan Pat McAfee become a full-time analyst on SmackDown, while prominent sports commentator Adnan Virk was released from Monday Night Raw duties less than two months into the gig. Beth Phoenix also left the NXT commentary team to focus more on her family, though will still be involved with the WWE going forward. That’s a lot of movement considering how long certain WWE commentary teams have stuck together in the past.

NXT Re-branding And Returning To Its Roots

The WWE seemingly decided it’s time for a change, and rebranded NXT into NXT 2.0. This change brought a fresh look, feel, and some new faces to the product, and overall, it seems like a good thing. NXT 2.0 already has some new talent like Bron Breakker in its ranks that look ripe to develop into major main roster stars, which is probably exactly the type of homegrown talent the WWE hopes to cultivate in the face of competition like AEW. So far, this feels like a positive change, though time will tell if it performs as well as the old NXT in the long run.

The WWE Announces NIL Program

The WWE has always kept a close eye on college athletes who had the potential to become future superstars, so it’s only fitting the organization launched its first NIL (name, image, likeness) program alongside other professional sports. Under this new NIL deal, the company recently signed college-age superstars like Olympian Gable Stevenson alongside several other younger athletes it hopes to bring into the developmental fold. This move allows the WWE to bring in talent straight out of school with a goal of developing them into long-term Superstars It definitely feels like the start of a new era in the company, and a gamechanger for WWE if the program is a success. 

2022 and beyond will bring even more changes to the sport of wrestling, though I feel 2021 will be a year to remember in the industry for a long time. Fans can relive some of the drama with a Peacock premium subscription, and see some great other matches from the past as well.

WWE superstar Charlotte Flair had an eventful 2021, though probably not for what many would think are desirable reasons. Recent months have given way to reported tensions between her and others in the WWE locker room, along with allegations that she's difficult to work with. With those situations having mostly cooled down, it appears the superstar just ended a long-term relationship with AEW star Andrade El Idolo, whom she'd be dating since 2019, and with whom she was engaged to be married. 

Rumors about the wrestling couple’s split first surfaced after fans noticed that Andrade no longer followed Charlotte Flair on social media. At some point after that, Bodyslam.net reported multiple sources confirming the two wrestlers did indeed break up, with Flair allegedly the one who ended the relationship. No further details came beyond that, though Andrade did remove a number of photos of himself and Flair from his social media. 

As noted earlier, Charlotte Flair began dating Andrade El Idolo back in early 2019 when he was still a member of the WWE roster. The couple announced their engagement in January of 2020, and remained engaged after the WWE granted Andrade his release in March of 2021. 

The exact timeline of the presumed break-up is unknown, although back when WWE's security team escorted Charlotte Flair from an arena following an altercation with Becky Lynch, Andrade El Idolo took to social media calling out the WWE. Many at the time wondered if Flair would try to ask for a release in order to join her fiancé in AEW, though the move seemed doubtful given the reported time left on Flair’s contract and her megastar status within the company.

Charlotte Flair’s social media still features photos of Andrade El Idolo, with the last picture of him posted on November 3rd as a birthday message showing off plenty of happy memories shared. That would seemingly imply the split would have occurred later in November, or right as December started. Check out the album below, which made it seem like things were going well on the road to nuptials. 

Of course, social media doesn’t always tell the whole story, and it’s possible the couple had experienced problems well before wrestling fans realized something was wrong. Perhaps more answers will come in the near future regarding how this WWE power couple’s relationship allegedly fell apart. Though if not, that's obviously fine since it's their business. 

Charlotte Flair’s problems behind the scenes in the WWE haven’t affected her screentime on SmackDown, and she’s still considered one of the top competitors in the brand. It seems as though some of the drama on that front may have blown over, which would be good provided this breakup news is legit. 

Charlotte Flair appears regularly on andSmackDown, which airs on Fox on Fridays at 8:00 p.m. ET. As always, CinemaBlend will keep an eye on any updates on what’s happening with pro wrestlers and other major headlines from WWE and AEW.

Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch aren’t on good terms, both from a kayfabe character and real-life perspective. Weeks after the two WWE superstars had a backstage altercation that has kept fans curious, the Women’s champions of SmackDown and Raw will go head-to-head at Survivor Series in what could be one of the must-see matches of the year. The anticipation is only building, as Lynch recently caught wind of Flair’s justification for her alleged behavior backstage, and decided to call bullshit on the way her coworker went about presenting her recent comments.

It took weeks for Charlotte Flair to respond to allegations saying she’s challenging to work with backstage, but when Flair finally spoke, she offered no apologies. Instead, Flair wondered if the criticisms about her confident nature were due to her being a woman, and asked if she’d still get that criticism if she were a man. Becky Lynch posted an answer for Flair on Twitter, and put simply, she doesn’t agree with her past and future opponent. 

Whether or not she's completely sincere, Becky Lynch is playing her part by further building the feud in Survivor Series, though I’m not sure this story needed anything else to stoke the flames. The two are only weeks removed from the SmackDown title exchange in which Charlotte Flair allegedly went off-script and taunted Lynch in the ring rather than handing over the belt with zero drama, as it was originally scripted. The incident caused a real backstage confrontation between Lynch and Flair, and Flair was ultimately escorted from the building by security. 

Reports on the event alleged that Charlotte Flair had issues with merely switching over her title to Becky Lynch and voiced that to WWE decision-makers ahead of the segment, even though the plans weren’t changed. Flair then allegedly decided to do what she wanted anyway, which is fairly taboo within the wrestling world, as going off-script can create unplanned chaos in professional wrestling when not everyone is on the same page, or worse, break the illusion of the performance. It’s not something someone else in the WWE locker room would do, at least, according to Becky Lynch. 

The question I’m sure all wrestling fans will ask after seeing the above tweet is whether or not this was Becky Lynch speaking her honest thoughts or her trying to promote the two’s match ahead of Survivor Series. Obviously, the WWE likes to lean into certain real-world inspirations for storylines when it can, though sometimes in doing so, the original drama can come across seeming fake or orchestrated. Plus, Becky Lynch is well-known for stirring the pot via Twitter, so is this her legitimately calling Charlotte Flair out or just a tweet to build the storyline? 

Personally, I think it’s a little of both, though I do hope on some level the two reach an understanding and reconnect the bond they once shared at some point. Can’t we just go back to enemies in the ring and friends backstage? 

WWE’s Survivor Series will stream on Peacock on Sunday, November 21st at 8:00 p.m. ET. Get excited for a great night of wrestling as we watch and see if SmackDown or Raw is the dominant brand.

WWE goes live with its Survivor Series pay-per-view on Sunday, and it’s apparently using a little real-life drama to inject more tension into an ongoing storyline. SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair will face off against Raw Women’s Champion Becky Lynch, weeks after reports the two had a real confrontation backstage after Flair went off-script during a planned segment. Lynch recently spoke her piece about what happened behind the scenes, and now Flair had something to add possibly for Lynch or any superstar who would say she's “difficult” to work with. 

Charlotte Flair spoke to BT Sport in broad terms about her current position in the WWE and some of those recent rumors swirling around her. After complimenting her dominance and confidence as a competitor, the interviewer asked if she felt others responded negatively to that. Flair, seemingly viewing this as a chance to speak on the rumors, defended her actions and fired back at any potential critics:

The star certainly didn't mince words when stating her case. Undoubtedly, these recent comments could likely help to increase the hype for her upcoming match with Becky Lynch at Survivor Series. The match was likely to happen ahead of the backstage conflict, considering Champions of competing brands often go head-to-head during Survivor Series. However, the additional real-life drama between the two certainly creates an added layer of intrigue.

Thought the reports have indicated a rough situation between the stars, it's possible that things may have cooled down a bit now. Personally, I think that if things were as toxic between them at this point as they once were weeks ago, the WWE may not have decided to put them in a ring together. Of course, at this point, all we can really do is speculate on the current status of the wrestlers' relationship.

WWE’s Survivor Series airs live on Peacock beginning on Sunday, November 21st at 8 p.m. ET. Sparks will surely fly between Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch, and fans will be watching to see if both can keep it professionally entertaining and prevent any personal feelings from seeping in.

The WWE faced a lot of problems throughout 2021, and apparently, it’s still dealing with a few when it comes to one of its biggest stars, Charlotte Flair. Weeks after Flair allegedly went off-script during SmackDown and had a backstage altercation with fellow superstar Becky Lynch, we now have an official statement of sorts from Lynch about what went down. Granted, she didn’t say much, but what little she said was everything. 

Becky Lynch appeared as a guest on the Sports Illustrated Media Podcast and was asked outright about the incident regarding her WWE coworker, Charlotte Flair. Lynch didn’t refute anything about the allegation that Flair went off-script during their now-infamous title exchange segment on SmackDown, and tried to address the reports regarding her and Flair without saying too much.

Becky Lynch didn’t explicitly say the reports were true, but based on that response, it seems like she’s definitely confirming she stood up to Charlotte Flair backstage following that fateful SmackDown. Lynch is the first of the two to speak publicly about the incident, as Flair has remained silent amidst speculation on her wants and wishes with the WWE going forward. 

Wrestling fans can undoubtedly understand why Becky Lynch would be upset about what occurred with Charlotte Flair, but the response didn’t explicitly confirm there is still bad blood between the two. However, that did come later when host Jimmy Traina directly asked if Lynch trusted Charlotte Flair and got a simple “no” in response. Traina pushed a bit more and asked if the two were friends or used to be friends, and Lynch said the following.

One thing to note about the comments is that Becky Lynch did the interview out of character. This is to say that this wasn’t her heel persona frequently seen on Monday Night Raw, but the real-life Becky Lynch. Regardless, it could be possible that Lynch is playing up the drama here and is in a better place with Charlotte Flair. 

The two will face off at Survivor Series on Sunday, November 21. Would the WWE let two of its biggest stars have a match on one of its biggest pay-per-views if there’s a chance of it going completely sideways and turning into a real-life brawl? It’s an interesting question, and I’m assuming fans will tune in to find out the answer. 

Charlotte Flair is expected to appear on SmackDown soon, which airs on Fox on Fridays starting at 8:00 p.m. ET. I wouldn’t hold my breath for a Becky Lynch appearance considering her move to Monday Night Raw, and especially after these recent comments. It may be best just to keep the two separated for as long as possible.

Charlotte Flair’s backstage drama with Becky Lynch is yet another major pro wrestling story of 2021. And the situation only gained more steam when reports further claimed she had tension with other wrestlers. Speculation is still rampant regarding whether Flair will ride out her WWE contract or ask for her release. And now former WWE head writer Vince Russo has shared some thoughts on how the situation might play out. 

Vince Russo rose to prominence as head writer for the organization during the Monday Night Wars with WCW. Needless to say, he knows about drama. When asked by Sportskeeda about Charlotte Flair’s current situation, he had this to say about how things might get resolved:

It appears as though the wrestling scribe is just speculating rather than working with official intel from those within WWE. Still, given his personal history with Vince McMahon, his comments are worth taking note of. Reports suggest that Charlotte Flair isn’t in a great place with the organization and is allegedly difficult to work with. And yes, the WWE released both her father, Ric Flair, and her fiancé, Andrade. On the surface, it doesn’t seem like there’s a lot keeping Flair tied to the league, minus the contract she’s tied to. 

The WWE may be in a tight spot with Charlotte Flair, though it’s possible the alleged rocky relationship is still bumping along. She appeared on SmackDown this past Friday and even delivered a promo that seemingly leaned into the diva and villain persona that was suggested by reports. Still, that’s not entirely different from how her character acted ahead of the news that she and Becky Lynch got into a verbal altercation backstage after the former went off script during a segment. 

So at this point, there's no telling how things will pan out. In any case, it will be interesting to see how Flair is treated in the coming months and if the WWE will roll the dice on granting her release and risking her signing with its biggest competitor, AEW.

Charlotte Flair appears on SmackDown every Friday over on Fox at 8:00 p.m. ET. I miss seeing her on Monday Night Raw but, with Becky Lynch currently running the women’s division on that show, it’s probably best to keep those two separated.

It’s been all eyes on Charlotte Flair the past week after reports surfaced of a backstage altercation with Becky Lynch and others following Flair going off-script during SmackDown. Now, a new update has surfaced that should, at the very least, make her next SmackDown appearance more interesting. 

Recent reports claim that Charlotte Flair is apparently no longer available this week for media duties that the WWE had previously set up in the aftermath of WWE officials removing her from the building following the alleged altercation. Sen Ross Sapp of Fightful.com first shared the news, noting that her media week coverage had been pulled. This means the next time fans hear from Flair may not be until her SmackDown return, assuming the Women’s champion will appear. As one of the prominent faces of the brand, it seems a given she’ll make an appearance this week, but nothing is certain. 

The big question about this latest development is why the WWE supposedly doesn't want Charlotte Flair to give any interviews between TV appearances? Flair will likely face some scrutiny from fans in attendance at SmackDown, so ignoring interviews may only amplify the issue of making the incident a bigger distraction. Of course, there's the huge possibility that the WWE doesn’t want Flair speaking to the press, perhaps out of fear of what she could say that would legitimately further damage her relationship with the roster or the company's execs. 

If all reports on the Charlotte Flair situation so far are accurate, the WWE is in a bit of a bind. Flair is one of the brand’s biggest superstars, as well as the women’s champion of SmackDown. Taking her off the program even temporarily won’t go unnoticed, and removing her from the company entirely seems like a massive hit to the WWE, especially in the same year when her father Ric Flair was released. Flair is one of the biggest pro-wrestling stars in the world, so if she left the company and went to a rival organization, I have no doubt fans would follow her. That’s especially true if her release came shortly after a bunch of backstage drama. 

One important thing to note about all of this is that a lot of what’s known on the situation comes mainly from reports unverified by the WWE or any of the parties involved. It’s possible the dispute between Flair and Becky Lynch is entirely water under the bridge at the time of writing, but that doesn’t mean the WWE wouldn’t try and lean on it to gain viewership or generate some tension by injecting reality into a fictional storyline. The WWE isn’t afraid to mix real stories with fake ones for the sake of heightening interest in its product, so it’s always good to keep in mind the organization thrives on creating entertainment first and foremost. 

SmackDown has a special airing on FS1 this Friday, October 29th, at 8:00 p.m. ET. This will certainly be an episode to watch based on what’s happening with Charlotte Flair alone and to see how the crowd reacts to all the drama reported so far.

The WWE reportedly had a situation on Friday when Charlotte Flair went rogue during a segment on SmackDown. The incident led to an altercation with Becky Lynch and Flair being escorted from the building by the WWE staff. Now, we have more reported details on what happened that night and another altercation Flair had with another WWE superstar that wasn’t previously known. 

Charlotte Flair reportedly didn’t just get into it with Becky Lynch after the botched SmackDown segment. Sonya Deville is said to have had an altercation with Flair as well. Deville, who appears on-camera as SmackDown’s General Manager, was in the ring during the incident and afterward got into an altercation with Flair backstage. PWInsider cited two unnamed sources who said Deville was "mad enough to want to fight Flair," though Lynch’s confrontation with Flair received a bulk of the attention. Given Deville’s role on SmackDown, it will be interesting to see how the two move forward and work together during shows if that happens. 

There are also new details regarding Charlotte Flair’s altercation with Becky Lynch. The argument didn’t get physical, but there was lots of shouting during the argument, which took place in the “gorilla position,” or the area right outside where the wrestlers enter the walkway during the show. Flair and Lynch allegedly exchanged words as both CEO Vince McMahon and Senior Vice President Bruce Prichard were present. 

As previously reported, Becky Lynch didn’t see any heat from her co-workers after the incident. Charlotte Flair, on the other hand, is allegedly on the outs with some on the roster, and things escalated to the point that WWE officials escorted her out of the building. In a recent development, some superstars reportedly felt officials escorting Flair out was a “sign of disrespect.” The move does feel a bit surprising given Flair’s importance to WWE on the whole, as well as her father Ric Flair’s legacy in pro wrestling. 

Charlotte Flair was not backstage at any AEW events this weekend, which some fans thought could be the case given her fiancé Andrade wrestles for the company. Allegedly, there are those in Flair’s circle who believed she should try to get out of her contract. It’s noted, though, that no one actually expects that to happen, and Flair will likely remain with the WWE. 

It’s possible the whole situation blows over in time. While Sonya Deville and Charlotte Flair will likely work together at some point in the future, Flair and Becky Lynch are now separated by Monday Night Raw and SmackDown. The WWE is also set to go on its UK tour in the next month, so there likely won’t be many, if any, interactions between Lynch and Flair until the Survivor Series pay-per-view. Until then, fans and those within the WWE will likely keep an eye on Flair and see how she conducts herself at this Friday’s upcoming SmackDown. 

The WWE airs Monday Night Raw over at USA on Mondays at 8:00 p.m. ET and SmackDown on the Fox network beginning on Fridays at 8:00 p.m. ET. We’ll be sure to keep an eye on what’s happening with superstars, especially in this allegedly tense time between two top superstars.

WWE’s SmackDown had fans talking on Friday night, and a lot of the episode’s drama reportedly happened offscreen even beyond what fans saw during the show. There’ are lots of speculative rumors surrounding Charlotte Flair after she reportedly went off-script in her latest segment, which resulted in some real-life drama with Becky Lynch. Considering all the rumors that have surfaced since that segment aired, it’s enough to make one wonder if Flair’s relationship with the WWE is currently more complicated than expected. 

A planned segment on Friday’s SmackDown featured Charlotte Flair, the Raw Women’s Champion, trading titles with Becky Lynch, the SmackDown Women’s Champion, so that each would have the appropriate championship title ahead of their respective debuts. PWInsider reported that Flair voiced concerns about the segment making her character’s title reign look weak, but the WWE creative team kept their intended plans for the segment. 

Which is apparently what led to Charlotte Flair reportedly going off-script and, as opposed to handing Becky Lynch her Raw Women’s Title as planned, dropping it to the mat in what could easily be considered disrespectful. The segment eventually got back on track, but an altercation reportedly occured backstage between Lynch and Flair after the show, and security guards allegedly escorted Flair from the building after the incident. 

About an hour after the confrontation, Charlotte Flair’s fiancé Andrade, a former WWE vet who currently wrestles for AEW, sent a cryptic but completely transparent tweet criticizing his former company:

Andrade’s tweet is strange given its lack of clear context, but given the reported exchange with Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch, it’s logical to think the two would possibly be related. We can only speculate, of course, but given AEW's growing rivalry with WWE, this could also just be a random shot at his former employer entirely unrelated to the rumors. 

Possibly adding to Charlotte Flair's frustration are reports that she doesn’t have the backing of the other WWE superstars, according to the Wade Keller Hotline. Keller spoke to someone (via Wrestlingheadlines.com) with knowledge of the situation who seemingly made it sound like Becky Lynch is the hero for confronting Flair.

Wade Keller went on to say that Charlotte Flair has the reputation of being difficult behind the scenes, and that some other women on the WWE roster don’t want to work with her. It’s worth noting that Flair had another real altercation with Nia Jax back in August, so this is potentially the second time in recent months something like this happened. 

Charlotte Flair (daughter of the famous Ric Flair) is unquestionably one of the biggest women superstars in WWE, so one has to wonder what, if anything, the WWE will do further following this confrontation. Obviously, there likely won’t be a worry of a much more direct confrontation between Flair and Becky Lynch since they’re now officially on separate shows, but Flair and WWE could be reconsidering the nature of their relationship given what allegedly occurred on Friday. Flair reportedly has “years” left on her current contract, so provided that’s true, it may take some negotiating if either want to cut ties. So far, nothing written indicates either side wants that, but who knows what the coming days will bring. 

WWE’s Monday Night Raw airs on USA on Mondays at 8:00 p.m. ET, and SmackDown on Fox on Fridays at 8:00 p.m. ET. This week may be a great time to watch to see if the WWE tries to play up the reported drama, or if the rumors will be ignored completely. 

Warning! The following contains spoilers for the Monday Night Raw that aired on Monday, August 30. Read at your own risk!

The latest installment of Monday Night Raw was certainly an interesting one, though it wasn't because of Goldberg's news after his bout with Bobby Lashley or something tied to Alexa Bliss. Charlotte Flair and Nia Jax stole the show for many, but it's debatable whether or not it was for good reasons. The two had a long showdown in the ring, and the match was so stiff that some viewers are wondering if the two have a real-life feud going on.

The match started relatively normally between Nia Jax and Raw Women's Champion Charlotte Flair, but during the mid-point, things started to get rough. Flair hit Jax with a particularly rough neck snap as she jumped off the ring apron, and Jax slammed Flair a couple of times, with one time seemingly on her head. Towards the end, the two were literally hitting each other in the face and pulling hair, and suddenly it felt as though this wasn't a part of the program. And fans certainly had thoughts.

"Stiff" may even be an understatement as Nia Jax won the match with a body slam that was way harder than even a behemoth like Brock Lesnar would use to send someone to the mat. Flair appeared to say something to Jax as she sealed the victory with a pin, which is strange because typically, the wrestler slammed would pretend they're unconscious. It's not entirely clear what led to the massive slam or Flair's comments to Jax, but fans have some ideas.

Nia Jax's "no-sell" of Charlotte Flair's striking was a bizarre moment, even if Jax is often booked as the superior physical threat in the women's division. The two did seem to be legitimately hitting each other during that segment, and a few sloppy scripted moves that followed made it appear the two were out of sync. Perhaps the alleged spat was frustration by the two about some mistakes in the performance, though others have suggested it could just be Jax's lack of skill compared to Flair.

Stiff matches between wrestlers in WWE happen, though the circumstances between this alleged Monday Night Raw incident are strange. Nia Jax and Charlotte Flair may have been told to put on a brutal match by talent, but at the end of the day, Flair is the Raw Women's Champ. It would be bad for business for her to be injured due to in-ring antics, and that seemed a possibility during points in this match.

Of course, the WWE is all about perception, so perhaps the goal all along was to make this match between Charlotte Flair and Nia Jax look brutal and uncalled for. After all, Extreme Rules is the next upcoming pay-per-view, and its entire schtick is brutality and matches with "no rules." In short, this could totally be a scripted fight, and both wrestlers just did a great job at pulling in Monday Night Raw fans. Either way, fans seem to want more, so mission accomplished?

If there was a legitimate fight between Nia Jax and Charlotte Flair that was unplanned, I'd expect wrestling insiders will report on it sooner or later. For now, it's fun to assume there was, but I also wouldn't be the least bit surprised if it was all a show to build to Extreme Rules. Whatever the case, there's no denying both superstars kept fans entertained.

Monday Night Raw airs on USA Mondays at 8:00 p.m. ET. There are tons of things to talk about in the WWE at the moment, and most of it involves Brock Lesnar. Catch up on the latest here, and guess alongside us as to when he'll finally square off against Bobby Lashley.

The WWE has been culling talent from its roster at a relatively fast clip lately, dropping a lot of names that fans haven't expected. Ric Flair is arguably the most iconic pro wrestling vet to be released yet, but unlike Braun Strowman, Bray Wyatt, and many others, Flair specifically requested to exit his WWE deal. Now that his contract is officially a thing of the past, the wrestler has broken his silence on the release.

The Nature Boy took to social media to confirm the reports that he did indeed request a release from the WWE, and to clear the air regarding some of the other rumors floating around about his relationship with the company. In a short statement, Ric Flair made a couple of things clear so that fans would know more about why he left the organization.

While maintaining that there isn't any overarching bad blood, Ric Flair's statement does seemingly still indicate that the rumors about him being disgruntled by the WWE's creative decisions were true. Flair was part of a storyline in early 2021 in which he played the love interest of superstar Lacey Evans, who is about four decades younger than Flair and 4 years younger than his own daughter and WWE superstar Charlotte Flair. Flair tried to advocate against his role in the storyline, but said he was unable to ever get a direct conversation with Vince McMahon, so he weathered the storm until the arc circumstantially ended with Evans' real-life pregnancy.

Other rumors alleged that Ric Flair was upset with how Charlotte Flair's storyline has been handled, though that feels more like a questionable claim as far as how it relates to his release request. Charlotte only recently lost her women's title in a surprise loss to Nikki A.S.H., and it's looking like the two will soon face-off in a title match at SummerSlam 2021. Even before that, the younger Flair has remained one of the top women in the WWE organization, so it would seem doubtful that her situation was a major factor. Charlotte Flair has not publicly commented on her father's release from the WWE, but given his positive statement, it's hard to imagine she will have anything different to say if she does.

As far as what's next for Ric Flair, it sounds like he still has creative decisions in mind and other things he wants to do in the wrestling world. This could be good news for rival organizations like AEW, who would undoubtedly appreciate a legend like Flair offering input or making television appearances. We'll just have to wait and see what his next move is and see if the wrestling legend has something up his furry, sequin-covered sleeve for fans.

CinemaBlend will continue to keep an eye on the WWE and report on other big releases, plans for SummerSlam 2021, and all the fun in between. For more on that, read up on the upcoming Vince McMahon series and why we're excited for it.

When people think of the biggest WWE show of the year, WrestleMania is typically the first that comes to mind. Sure, it has all the pomp and circumstance, iconic moments, and that larger than life feel to it, but oftentimes the road to WrestleMania is just as, if not more, exciting than “The Showcase of the Immortals.” This year doesn’t look to be any different, as the 2021 WWE Royal Rumble (both the male and female matches) will give superstars like Daniel Bryan a shot at winning his first rumble, see if Charlotte Flair can become the first woman to win back-to-back title shots, and so many surprises.

While this year’s Royal Rumble will be much different than any ever before, considering we’re still in the middle of a pandemic and fans can’t enter the building, everything that happens in the ring between the competitors remains the same: 30 men (and women) enter the ring for a shot at a championship opportunity at WrestleMania 37. But, who stands the best chance to win it all and end up pointing at the WrestleMania sign hanging from the rafters at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida. We'll find out Sunday, January 31. In the meantime, let's speculate on who has the best shot.

Daniel Bryan

If we lived in a perfect world, Daniel Bryan would have multiple Royal Rumble victories under his belt, but the multi-time WWE Champion has yet to outlast 29 other competitors in one of WWE’s signature events. And sure, Bryan has a long list of achievements to his name since joining the company more than a decade ago, but that Royal Rumble victory still hangs over his head all these years later, especially his heartbreaking elimination in January 2015.

But, this is a new year and Daniel Bryan hopes to change his Royal Rumble misfortune once and for all. Bryan became the first superstar (male or female) to announce his participation in the epic match on the Christmas Day 2020 SmackDown shortly after defeating Jey Uso in one of the best matches of the year. Bryan’s recent momentum, his history at the Royal Rumble, and the fact that he’s just so damn likable make him an ideal winner after all these years.

Bianca Belair

If you want to know why Bianca Belair has such a good shot at winning this year’s Royal Rumble all you have to do is look at the stats from her performance in the 2020 event. Entering as the second competitor, Belair (who still wasn’t on the main roster at that point) spent 35 minutes and eliminated eight competitors before being thrown out by eventual winner Charlotte Flair. Belair spent more time than anyone else in either the male or female matches and the only person who eliminated more opponents than her was Brock Lesnar (13 eliminations).

In early 2020 I argued that Bianca Belair was one of the up-and-coming female superstars to watch out for and she ended up having a pretty good year, all things considered. After debuting on Raw shortly after WrestleMania 36, Belair was was later drafted by SmackDown where she led the women’s team in the Survivor Series match before being eliminated by countout. Despite that, don’t count her out when she enters the rumble this year.

Big E

As sad as it was to see Big E get separated from the rest of The New Day in late 2020, the former NXT, Tag Team, and current Intercontinental Champion has been on an absolute tear as of late. That being said, don’t be surprised if you see a rocket strapped to his back in the coming weeks, and month especially, with him officially being a part of the 2021 Royal Rumble.

And although Big E’s track record at the Royal Rumble hasn’t been the greatest or filled with career-defining moments, he hasn’t taken part in one since breaking out on his own from his former stable. Big E’s pre-New Day Royal Rumble matches were also before he became the lovable fan-favorite he is today and he didn’t have near as much charisma and potential as he does on the eve of the big event.

Alexis Bliss

Alexis Bliss, another perennial favorite in the Royal Rumble match, once again has a shot at winning it all this year. It’s not like it is out of the realm of possibility, considering Bliss’ performance at last year’s event (started in the dreaded number-one spot, yet lasted 19 minutes) and the fact that she has won the Raw and SmackDown Women’s Championships a combined five times throughout her career.

The “Five feet of fury” has also had quite the run these past few months after teaming up with Bray Wyatt and his alter-ego The Fiend, forming a formidable partnership that has at times ventured into the supernatural. Alexis Bliss, with her track record, and new spin on her persona and move-set make, her someone to watch out for this year.

AJ Styles

AJ Styles shocked the wrestling world when he made his WWE debut at the 2016 Royal Rumble and he hasn’t really allowed the momentum to stop since. In the years following his arrival in WWE following runs in TNA and NJPW, “The Phenomenal One” has won the WWE Championship on two occasions as well as other titles, but has failed to win his first Royal Rumble.

“The face that runs this place” as he likes to be called, is hoping to make the third time a charm with his participation in the 2021 Royal Rumble, and there’s a good chance this could be his year. Not only is it the five-year anniversary of his arrival in WWE (talk about a five-year plan), but AJ Styles has been flying under the radar as of late, which, if I’ve learned anything from wrestling, means you shouldn’t count him out.

Nia Jax

Nia Jax, one of the many cousins of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, is one of the most formidable female superstars in all of WWE, and happens to be the only wrestler in the company’s history to have participated in two Royal Rumble matches in the same night after showing up in both versions at the 2019 event. That being said, you never know where the six-foot monster of the women’s division will show up, and with her size and pedigree, there’s a chance she could win both if someone doesn’t stop her first.

Having debuted in 2015, Nia Jax has built up quite a resumé in her time in WWE, serving as a test of strength for several champions (some who couldn’t get past her strength) along the way. After losing her Tag Team title against two longtime foes in Asuka and Charlotte Flair, expect her to be looking for revenge.

The Miz

The Miz, who happens to be the current Money in the Bank contract holder (after essentially stealing it from Otis in 2020), is looking to double his chances of securing his second WWE Championship in this year’s Royal Rumble match. The superstar you love to hate has been in more Royal Rumble matches than most of the current roster, but he has failed to secure a victory in any of his appearances going back to 2007.

Just like with AJ Styles, The Miz is never a wrestler you want to count out, especially with his track record and ability to pull victories out of thin air. But, ideally, I would like to see The Miz lose the match but cash in his title opportunity and have Daniel Bryan win the Rumble itself, which would then set up a championship to culminate the feud that has been building since 2010.

Mandy Rose

Mandy Rose may seem like a long-shot for the 2021 Royal Rumble, but make no mistake about it, she has more than proved her potential and star power the past few years, especially after he feud with former tag partner Sonya Deville in the summer of 2020. Since then, Rose has continued to propel herself to top tier of the women’s division where she continues to grow as a superstar.

Another thing we should consider are Mandy Rose’s performances in her previous two Royal Rumble matches. She entered in the three spot in 2019 and lasted 25 minutes which was longer than all but four other competitors. Her 2020 appearance wasn’t as strong (still got in an elimination), but Rose has come a long way since last January.

Edge

A little over a year ago, Edge shocked the world and made his triumphant return to wrestling at the Royal Rumble after nearly a decade away due to serious neck injuries. The former Royal Rumble winner and four-time WWE Champion’s return didn’t go as expected due to additional injuries and the pandemic taking most of the steam out of his run, but he’s back and ready to go this year.

The 47-year-old future WWE Hall of Famer stands a good chance at winning it all this year, considering his experience in the match over the years and the way he can pull victories out of nowhere. Though there’s also a good chance Edge’s former friend-turned-rival Randy Orton (who is also slated to appear) gets revenge and sets up another feud between the two.

Charlotte Flair

And then there is last year’s Women’s Royal Rumble winner, Charlotte Flair, who stands a good chance of pulling off a repeat in 2021. With her pedigree (the daughter of Ric Flair) and her own list of accomplishments, there are plenty of reasons why Flair is viewed as a favorite to win her second Royal Rumble match, with her skill and drive to be the best at the top of the list.

Another reason why Charlotte Flair stands a good chance to win this year is the fact that her tag team partner and longtime rival, Asuka, is currently the Raw Women’s Champion, and Flair’s victory could set up a rematch from their epic bout at WrestleMania 34.

Each of these 10 superstars have a good chance at standing alone in the ring at the end of the Royal Rumble, but there are dozens of other superstars who are also vying for a championship opportunity. With the possibility of the return of Seth Rollins (and maybe, just maybe Becky Lynch) and other missing superstars, not to mention the likes of Randy Orton and Sheamus, who knows what’s going to happen at the 2021 Royal Rumble. But please, please, please don’t let it be Orton.