Tuesday, March 27, 2018

Wrestlemania 2018 Predictions

* WrestleMania Women’s Battle Royal: Ruby Riott, Sarah Logan, Liv Morgan, Becky Lynch, Naomi and more to be announced 
My Crazy Dream Booking: In some way, it doesn’t matter, because no one should be beating Rousey or Asuka for the next year. I suspect the big storyline will be Bayley and Sasha Banks- but neither one of them needs to win this for their feud to get hot. I think Ember Moon makes her debut and wins the Battle Royal
What Should Happen: In some way, it doesn’t matter, because no one should be beating Rousey or Asuka for the next year. I suspect the big storyline will be Bayley and Sasha Banks- but neither one of them needs to win this for their feud to get hot. Ruby Riott wins the Battle Royal
What Will Happen: Bayley wins the Battle Royal after turning heel on Sasha Banks
What I’m Terrified Will Happen: The match is over inside of five minutes.
If I Was Booking This And I Hated You: The match is left off the card


* Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal:
The Revival, Baron Corbin, Tye Dillinger, Mojo Rawley and more to be announced 

My Crazy Dream Booking: The Revival win co-hold the trophy (push them as part of the new Dangerous Alliance)
What Should Happen: If they aren’t going to put Rusev in the US title match, have him win the Battle Royal, throwing out Elias Sampson as part of the face turn. 
What Will Happen: Elias Sampson wins
What I’m Terrified Will Happen: Curt Hawkins wins (actually, this might be a fantastic payoff for his losing streak gimmick)
If I Was Booking This And I Hated You: Mojo Rawley wins a second time


* WWE Cruiserweight Championship Tournament Finals:
Cedric Alexander vs. Mustafa Ali 

My Crazy Dream Booking: This match opens the card, and is a fast-paced 12 minute match with Ali taking the title and the crowd going nuts cheering for both men. A camera backstage shows all of the other 205 competitors watching intently and cheering wildly.
What Should Happen: This is not the match for antics- let them showcase their stuff. Either can win, but I think Ali might be the fresher choice as the champion
What Will Happen: Cedric wins in a good match
What I’m Terrified Will Happen: Cedric wins on the pre-show
If I Was Booking This And I Hated You: The match is left off the card


* Smackdown Women’s Championship Match:
Charlotte Flair vs. Asuka 

My Crazy Dream Booking: Askua wins and is absolutely dominant on Smackdown. Ronda Rousey beats Nia Jax around Summerslam, and both women are undefeated to headline (yes, HEADLINE) next year’s Wrestlemania
What Should Happen: Charlotte wins, shocking the WWE by breaking the streak, after a 25 minute match that is considered one of the two best matches on the card. This puts Asuka in position to be the hunter, chasing after Charlotte with a vengeance.
What Will Happen: Asuka wins
What I’m Terrified Will Happen: Charlotte wins in a forgettable match
If I Was Booking This And I Hated You: Asuka wins, then goes back to RAW with the belt.


* Raw Tag Team Championship Match:
The Bar vs. Braun Strowman & A Partner TBD 

My Crazy Dream Booking: Strowman comes out with his partner… Alexa Bliss. She stays out of the ring until the very end, where she pins Cesaro to give them the titles, with a ‘Beauty and the Beast’ vibe in their reign.
What Should Happen: If they won’t let Bliss, let it be Sampson- who spends the entire match mic’ed up at ringside singing songs of encouragement. Strowman singlehandedly wins the titles and Sampson gloats as he grabs his first WWE belt.
What Will Happen: I still think this is the end of the Bar, so Sampson is still the partner.
What I’m Terrified Will Happen: The Bar wins- and realize they have no competitors
If I Was Booking This And I Hated You: Strowman beats the Bar single-handedly without any partner and the Bar go to NXT


* Raw Women’s Championship Match:
Alexa Bliss vs. Nia Jax 

My Crazy Dream Booking: Nia Jax wins and starts a six month run similar to the Big Show’s initial WCW title run- she’s just so big and strong that no one is in her league. The reign finally ends at Survivor Series against Rousey
What Should Happen: Bliss retains to become a double champion (see ‘My Crazy Dream Booking’ for the RAW Tag Titles)
What Will Happen: Jax wins.
What I’m Terrified Will Happen: Jax attacks Mickie James and Bliss and Jax reveal it was a setup all along
If I Was Booking This And I Hated You: This match is completely forgotten about


* WWE United States Championship Match:
Randy Orton vs. Bobby Roode vs. Jinder Mahal 

My Crazy Dream Booking: Elias Sampson, as the Host of Wrestlemania, decides on a whim to add 3 more people to the match- Rusev, Baron Corbin, and “… just for the hell of it”, the Big Show. And make it a No-DQ match.

Turn it into an entertaining garbage brawl that goes all over outside the ring- it’s different from everything else on the card. Rusev wins the match after slamming Orton through the Official Rusev Day Celebration Table.
What Should Happen: Roode regains the title and starts a double turn in his feud with Rusev.
What Will Happen: Orton retains and faces a new challenger on Tuesday.
What I’m Terrified Will Happen: Mahal wins the belt.
If I Was Booking This And I Hated You: Mahal wins the belt and reunites with Heath Salter and a returning Drew McIntyre to reform the 3MB (actually, done right, this might be awesome)


* WWE Intercontinental Championship Match:
The Miz vs. Seth Rollins vs. Finn Bálor 

My Crazy Dream Booking: Miz retains after a solid three way match. With Rollins feuding with Ambrose and Bálor going to Smackdown, Miz starts going on TV proclaiming himself the greatest IC Champion of all time, trash talking all of the previous IC champions. Within a month, he is answered by Chris Jericho
What Should Happen: Rollins wins the IC belt and begins a weekly title defense (similar to the John Cena US Open Challenge)
What Will Happen: Bálor wins- he needs the belt more than Rollins, and Miz chasing him to cement his legacy is a good storyline
What I’m Terrified Will Happen: The match is put on the Pre-Show 
If I Was Booking This And I Hated You: Three other people are added to the match- Elias Sampson, Matt Hardy, and Bray Wyatt. Wyatt wins and vows to delete Matt Hardy


* John Cena vs. Undertaker 
My Crazy Dream Booking: Undertaker comes back, and they have a good match for 8-10 minutes… before the Miz and the Miztourage come down and attack both men, leaving them lying in the ring. Miz goes on a long rant about how Undertaker disappears, Cena disappears, Lesnar disappears- but the Miz, he delivers each and every week. So to hell with both of these washed up has-beens.

And Miz walks out triumphant- my plan is to hold off either one getting payback for a while (if UT wants to have another match, I’ll give him Miz at Wrestlemania 2019- otherwise, it’s Cena/Miz at Wrestlemania 2019)
What Should Happen: Cena wins and begins (continues?) a subtle heel bit where he thinks he’s the big dog of the WWE and the Locker Room legend, and that everyone should listen to him 
What Will Happen: Cena wins, he and UT hug, UT walks off into the sunset
What I’m Terrified Will Happen: UT wins to keep him strong
If I Was Booking This And I Hated You: this match has more time than any other match on the card.


* Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn vs. Daniel Bryan and Shane McMahon 
My Crazy Dream Booking: (I wish I could take credit for this idea, but I read it somewhere and it’s too good not to use)

Shane McMahon is injured, and Owens and Zayn come out to gloat. Bryan steps out, and says that he needs a new partner- and the only way to deal with the volatility of friends/enemies Owens and Zayn is meet them with someone who Bryan has a similar relationship with…

…out comes Kane, and Team Hell No is reunited (and wins)

What Should Happen: Most of the match is Owens and Zayn beating the hell out of Shane- just pummeling him, mocking him, picking him up, etc. Finally, he makes the hot tag to Bryan, who comes in, delivers his best spots, and gets the pinfall. Bryan soaks up the “WELCOME BACK” chants. 
What Will Happen: McMahon and Bryan win, but Bryan sells for most of the match, and McMahon is the one who makes the hot tag.
What I’m Terrified Will Happen: Bryan turns on McMahon, thinking that the crowd will somehow boo Bryan.
If I Was Booking This And I Hated You: Bryan turns on McMahon- and Shane still wins


* Kurt Angle and Ronda Rousey vs. Triple H and Stephanie McMahon 
My Crazy Dream Booking: Angle and Rousey win when Rousey makes HHH tap out to the armbar- the build the Wrestlemania 2019 starts now, and starts with a dominant performance by Rousey. 
What Should Happen: Angle and Rousey win when Rousey makes Stephanie tap out to the armbar- the build the Wrestlemania 2019 starts now, and starts with a dominant performance by Rousey. 
What Will Happen: Angle and Rousey win, but Angle carries most of the match on his side.
What I’m Terrified Will Happen: The WWE thinks anything other than ‘Angle and Rousey win cleanly’
If I Was Booking This And I Hated You: HHH and Stephanie not only win clean, but by next month Rousey is just another WWE wrestler.


* WWE Championship Match:
AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura 

My Crazy Dream Booking: AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura have a 30 minute workrate masterpiece with a dozen near falls that everyone ranks with Savage-Steamboat from Wrestlemania III. Nakamura wins (he needs the title more), and Styles and Nakamura go from friendly post-match handshake to ready to attack each other with Finn Balor and the Club run down to calm things down. The five stand in the ring.

On the next Smackdown, it’s announced that Balor and the Club will be joining the Brand. As the five men celebrate Nakamura’s title win, they are interrupted by Owens and Sami Zayn, who call them out as the Bullet Club and as a bunch of has-beens. Anderson and Gallows go out to throw them out- and they get jumped by the Bar. Leading to the Stable Wars that dominate 
What Should Happen: Nakamura wins after a 25 minute match that is widely considered the best WWE match on the year
What Will Happen: Styles retains after a 20 minute match that is considered the best match on the card
What I’m Terrified Will Happen: Styles wins after a 10 minute match that no one remembers
If I Was Booking This And I Hated You: Baron Corbin replaces Nakamura and takes his spot, then squashes Styles to win the title.


WWE Universal Championship Match:
Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns 

My Crazy Dream Booking: Reigns wins, and Lesnar disappears. The next night, Paul Heyman goes on an epic rant, announcing that the Beast will go on to conquer UFC, but that Heyman will take care of the WWE while the Beast in gone. Reigns comes out to chase Heyman away- and is attacked by Samoa Joe and the Revival. Seth Rollins comes out to even the odds, along with Dean Ambrose- but Ambrose turns on Rollins and Reigns, and Joe/Ambrose/Revival stand tall as the new Dangerous Alliance
What Should Happen: same idea as above, only Ambrose doesn’t join, leaving Joe and the Revival as the new DA
What Will Happen: Reigns wins and Lesnar walks off into the sunset- Reigns holding the title ends Wrestlemania
What I’m Terrified Will Happen: Lesnar retains to prolong the agony chase
If I Was Booking This And I Hated You: Lesnar retains, cleanly, and the next program with Lesnar isn’t until Survivor Series, where he faces… Goldberg.