Back in 2013, WWE presented the biggest wrestling event of the year at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium.
On the historic evening of WrestleMania 29, The Undertaker and CM Punk competed in the best match of the night and John Cena avenged his loss to The Rock in the main event. Now in 2019, WrestleMania is returning to the massive football stadium for another legendary match card. Major championships will be defended, iconic moments will take place, and jaws will drop as the best WWE Superstars clash in legendary bouts. Mark your calendars, folks – April 7, 2019 will be a night to remember. And of course, I’m here to break down each and every announced matchup.
Here’s a preview of each and every match that’s set to take place on the grand stage of WrestleMania 35.
The Revival (Dash Wilder and Scott Dawson) (c) vs. Curt Hawkins and Zack Ryder (WWE Raw Tag Team Championship)
WWE
Predictions & Winners: The Revival finally made it to the biggest stage in all of wrestling. As the Raw tag team champions, no less! But here’s the kicker that’s a hard pill to swallow – their title reign has been fraught with too many losses and fluke victories. Even though they pulled off the win against the team of Ricochet and Aleister Black on the pre-‘Mania 35 episode of Raw, The Revival still got treated like a non-factor as they got laid out by their challengers post-match. To put it bluntly, The Revival are in the midst of a nothing title reign.
For such a great tag team, you’d expect The Revival to get some sort of decent push and decent storylines to follow along with it. But this is WWE we’re talking about here, so we all know they’re pretty hit or miss when it comes to these sorts of things. So The Revival found their challengers in a backstage segment that can only been seen on WWE’s YouTube channel. Says a lot about how important WWE considers this match to be, right?
The Revival’s going to lock up with the tri-state hometown heroes, Zack Ryder and Curt Hawkins. And I’m fully expecting to see Hawkins’ losing streak finally get broken as he and Ryder get a random title win to pop the NY/NJ fans. Then they’ll probably lose the titles right back to The Revival the next night on Raw. The outcome and fallout for this one is pretty easy to predict.
The Usos (Jimmy Uso and Jey Uso) (c) vs. Aleister Black and Ricochet vs. The Bar (Cesaro and Sheamus) vs. Rusev and Shinsuke Nakamura (Fatal 4-Way Match for the WWE Smackdown Tag Team Championship)
WWE
Predictions & Winners: First off, I gotta mention this – how is it that one half of last year’s WWE Championship match at ‘Mania 34 is now involved in a tag team title match a year later? Nakamura deserves better, but I’m sure you all know that already. So The Usos have been punished for forfeiting their spot during the most recent New Day Gauntlet match. The SmackDown tag team champions have now been pitted against The Bar, the NXT hopefuls, and the other international heels in a Fatal 4-Way matchup. So where does this leave The Revival as far as defending the Raw tag team titles are concerned? Who knows, honestly.
This should be the perfect mix of technical tag team wizardry and off-the-walls mayhem. The Usos and Ricochet will most definitely take flight and bring the crowd to their feet on multiple occasions. And I’m sure we’re all going to be treated to a crowd-popping Tower of Doom spot at some point.
I hope this bout gets a good amount of time to really get going and finish on a satisfying note. The winners will most likely be Aleister Black and Ricochet – with their win, they’ll finally solidify their position on the SD Live roster and claim their first main roster championship. While they may not win the NXT Tag Team Championship from War Raiders on Friday, Black and Ricochet will quickly rebound and claim a separate tag team prize on Sunday.
WrestleMania Women’s Battle Royal (Battle Royal for the WrestleMania Women’s Battle Royal Trophy)
WWE
Predictions & Winner: The ladies of Raw, SmackDown Live, and NXT are heading to WrestleMania to battle over a prized victory trophy once again. The participants that seem like the likely candidates to claim that trophy are Asuka and Nikki Cross.
You’d think WWE would throw poor old Asuka a bone and let her win – that’s the least they could do after booking her so poorly and having her drop the SD Women’s Championship just two weeks before the big show. But I don’t see them going that route, sadly. I’m placing all my bets on crazy old Nikki claiming the trophy and getting a substantial push on the brand she finally settles down with once this ‘Mania comes to a close.
André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal (Battle Royal for the André the Giant Memorial Trophy)
WWE
Predictions & Winner: Another ‘Mania means another installment of the André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal. This year’s lineup of competitors is full of some major names, such as Braun Strowman, Andrade, Ali, and The Hardy Boyz. The two names that stick out the most for this match are Michael Che and Colin Jost, two celebs who’re probably scared to death of everyone else in this match.
They’ll most likely factor into the finish of this battle royal and screw over Strowman in some fashion and aid the eventual winner. And who will the winner be, you ask? I’m going with Ali. People love him and he’s gaining some steam as a SD Live roster member. This win could propel him to even bigger heights, which is something I’m guessing WWE is fully behind.
Buddy Murphy (c) vs. Tony Nese (WWE Cruiserweight Championship)
WWE
Predictions & Winner: So Nese has emerged victorious as the latest winner of a 205 Live Cruiserweight Championship tournament. Once he was pitted against Cedric Alexander (a man who’s received enough title shots at this point), the end result was a forgone conclusion. Now this whole situation is a bit interesting – instead of getting two guys who just want to wrestle and prove their superiority, we’re going to witness two friends do battle. Murphy and Nese are known to be loyal training partners and have maintained their friendship ever since it became a thing.
Now their ties will be tested and possibly broken now that the Cruiserweight Championship is on the line. Both men fall into the “powerman” category as far as the Cruiserweights are concerned. So there’s going to be way more tests of strength mixed in with your usual high-flying offense here.
Since Nese knows Murphy’s offensive/defensive approach so well, he’ll look to be the one who may have finally figured out a way to best him. But Nese will fall to his (former?) training buddy once this title match wraps up. Murphy’s stock is still high and Nese doesn’t seem like the chosen one who’s ready for a Cruiserweight title run (yet). Murphy’s reign as 205 Live’s king isn’t ending anytime soon.
Shane McMahon vs. The Miz (Falls Count Anywhere Match)
WWE
Predictions & Winner: A Shane McMahon heel turn in 2019 is something I never thought we’d see. While following this “best friends turned bitter enemies” storyline, I figured The Miz would be the one to turn on his partner. It certainly seemed as if Miz’s over-enthusiasm would eventually boil over and cause him to flip on the man that’s let him down on numerous occasions. I guess The Miz became a lot more forgiving of his allies’ errors these past few months. Not with Shane, though. His breaking point came after him and The Miz were unsuccessful at getting the SD tag team titles back from The Miz. Shane ‘O Mac no longer cares about wearing matching gear with his old buddy – he’s only open to destroying him.
Now we all need to be realistic here – this won’t come anywhere near the quality of Shane’s last singles match at ‘Mania. AJ Styles is simply on a whole ‘nother level, which is why he managed to produce an awesome opener with the high-flying McMahon at ‘Mania 33. But The Miz is no slouch in the ring, however.
As a matter of fact, he’s added some slick springboard maneuvers and running corner strikes to his arsenal. The evolution of Miz’s moveset has made his matches a bit more exciting to watch. When pitted against Shane’s always jaw dropping offense, Miz’s work should help raise this marquee bout to a respectable level. Add in the Falls Count Anywhere stipulation and you have a sleeper hit match on your hands. I think The Miz will be doing some big things in the future on SD Live, so a big win here seems likely. Babyface Miz is far less annoying this time around, which is why he should continue with this gimmick and take out his former tag team championship partner.
Bobby Lashley (with Lio Rush) (c) vs. “The Demon” Finn Bálor (WWE Intercontinental Championship)
WWE
Predictions & Winner: At first, I was puzzled at the fact that Bálor’s IC title reign got cut so short after winning it. Mind you, he won in a pretty unsatisfying manner (pinning the champion’s manager to claim a championship isn’t worth celebrating, honestly). But I figured big things were set for Bálor while he still held onto the IC Championship. But I’ve come to realize that holding out any hope for a big Bálor push in WWE these days is a lost cause. He gets monthly pushes that quickly fade away and place him back into a position that’s unbefitting of his talent. Lashley reclaimed his IC title so soon after losing it and now we’re back to square one with Bálor.
This one’s pretty easy to predict. In order to overcome the challenge of Lashley’s domineering strength and presence, Bálor’s chosen to embrace his more…well, “demonic” side. And since he’s going to compete in his first singles match on the grand WrestleMania stage, we should all look forward to seeing Bálor splash all that slick alter-ego paint all over his skin. In order to commemorate such a major accomplishment, Bálor’s going to go all out and then some. Lashley will put up a fight, of course. But Bálor’s going to leave this match as the new IC Champion in full demon garb. And as expected, he’ll probably be the flavor of the month and go back to his familiar mediocre placing on the card soon after.
Bayley and Sasha Banks (c) vs. Beth Phoenix and Natalya vs. The IIconics (Billie Kay and Peyton Royce) vs. Nia Jax and Tamina (Fatal 4-Way Match for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship)
WWE
Predictions & Winners: The ladies have a lot going on at this year’s Mania. The Raw Women’s Championship has a major storyline backing it up and the Women’s Tag Team titles will be up for grabs. What makes this first-time appearance of the newly introduced championship at ‘Mania is the involvement of four teams competing for it. Bayley and Banks are the champs who’ll lock up with three other teams at the very same time. One of them happens to be a mega-power (pun intended) duo of Samoan chicks. Another one is a pair of Australian vixens who belong to the Blue Brand. The other one is a wildcard team composed of Natalya and the now un-retired Beth Phoenix.
So Bayley and Banks recently acquired the fresh titles they flaunt so proudly. But I don’t see them leaving this match still holding onto those title belts. ‘Mania is always known to feature some sort of history-making moment that gets repeated ad-nauseam via a highlights package. History is already being made here with the initial presence of the Women’s Tag Team Championship at this show.
But there’s probably two other major moments that will come to pass here. Not only will we get the first title change for this championship, that honor will be bestowed upon a returning WWE Hall of Famer. We’re going to get a feel-good moment where the daughter of a recently inducted Hall of Famer claims the titles with an already recognized Hall of Famer. So yeah, Natalya and Phoenix are my picks!
Samoa Joe (c) vs. Rey Mysterio (WWE United States Championship)
WWE
Predictions & Winner: Rey-Rey’s back in the WrestleMania spotlight! Never thought those words would leave my mouth, but I’m so thankful that this moment is coming to pass in 2019. After grabbing the winning pin over the US Champ during a tag match, Rey earned himself a well-earned title shot.
All of a sudden, the US Title scene finally has some excitement surrounding it. R-Truth’s lil’ slapstick run with the title was fun for a while, but I’m glad we’re back to a serious title reign with the current champ. Samoa Joe works well with anyone, but he’s known for producing some of his best work with wrestlers of a smaller stature. His X-Division reign of terror back in TNA is proof of that.
With a refreshed Rey who’s been hitting on all cylinders lately and an always game Joe, this match has all the workings of a standout encounter. And by the looks of it, it seems as if Rey’s son Dominic will be at ringside to cheer his father on. Joe’s a complete savage, so I’m fully expecting him to verbally and physically berate him at some point.
Dominic’s presence will probably prove to be Joe’s undoing and cause him to take his eyes off the ball. Joe’s slip-up will place him in the perfect position to get caught by a 619-Frog Splash combo, leading to my prediction for a Rey-Rey title win. The US Championship has been changing hands like crazy lately, which leads me to think that we’re getting another sudden switch-up during this matchup.
Kurt Angle vs. Baron Corbin (Kurt Angle’s Farewell Match)
WWE
Predictions & Winner: Is this an early April Fool’s joke? Has to be right? Out of all the talented opponents Angle’s been pitted against during his historic run and the awesome young blood on the current WWE roster, Angle’s final match will be against…Baron Corbin? On one hand, I get it. The general manager wars that took place between both men set this up in a logical manner.
But if they really wanted to settle this longstanding beef, it should have been wrapped up during one of Angle’s farewell tour matches on Raw. I figured Angle was going to choose someone like John Cena, someone who’s played a major part in the later stages of Angle’s career. It would have been cool to revisit that famous encounter back in 2002 when a young Cena slapped the daylights out of Angle in an act of “Ruthless Aggression.”
Instead, the last time we’re going to see Angle compete in a wrestling ring will happen during a nothing match with a foregone conclusion. I guess the thinking behind this matchup is Angle can’t go as hard as he used to, so he needs an easy opponent to work with. This match won’t go very long, of course. Corbin will get his licks in, but this match will be a literal “greatest hits” compilation of Angle’s in-ring prowess. One Angle Slam, signature drop of the straps, and an Ankle Lock later will result in Corbin tapping out to an Olympic legend one last time. Angle’s going out on top in the easiest way possible, which is kind of a slight disappointment.
AJ Styles vs. Randy Orton
WWE
Predictions & Winner: So this match is all about the so-called ownership over WWE’s Tuesday night brand. SmackDown has been “the house that AJ Styles built” for a good while now. But a heel Randy Orton that actually puts forth more energy into his outside and in-ring exploits looks to be on the verge of ripping SD away from AJ. All the trash talk and sneak attacks have finally led to this. Orton’s last good WrestleMania effort took place at ‘Mania 31 against Seth Rollins – I’m expecting something along the lines of that matchup when Orton locks up with a comparable high-flyer in AJ.
Even though Orton is a more interesting part of the SmackDown roster, he seems to have taken the role of a gatekeeper nowadays. When WWE needs an opponent for guys that are on the cusp of the big time and need a decent “rub,” Orton has become to the go-to guy for that position. He’s still an important factor that can be relied upon to deliver good to great matches, but I don’t think he’ll be sniffing any championship gold anytime soon.
AJ still has a lot of life left in him and I feel like he’s got a big summer ahead of him. This match may be much better than expected if given the proper time to morph into a fleshed out contest. Even though Orton’s slightly lower on the totem pole these days, I think he’ll grab the surprise win via a sick RKO counter to an airborne AJ’s who’s coming in for a Phenomenal Forearm. I’m going with Orton here because I think this will be the start of a blood feud that will take us through the hotter months of WWE. Orton will grab the initial victory, I think. AJ may get a big win over Orton at a later date, it seems…
Drew McIntyre vs. Roman Reigns
WWE
Predictions & Winner: I’m torn on this one. Roman Reigns just came back from a life threatening health scare and is ready to own the Raw brand all over again. Now that he’s back, it’s hard to see him taking any major losses in the coming months. But when Drew McIntyre comes to mind, I see someone who’s perfectly primed for a huge push during the exciting post-‘Mania season. It may not seem like it, but this match has major implications on the near future of WWE. Roman’s the present, but Drew’s the immediate future. That reason alone makes it difficult to choose the victor during this grudge match.
Even though McIntyre looks to be heading towards a Universal Championship opportunity real soon (Rollins is going to need a worthy challenger, right?), I can’t seem him getting the big W over a returning Reigns. Reigns is a returning hero who conquered leukemia of all things – having him take a major loss whilst in the midst of his latest run just doesn’t sound probable.
McIntyre’s not going over here, but I don’t see this loss really hurting him in any major way. I look at this match in the same way that Chris Jericho vs. AJ Styles at ‘Mania 32 turned out. AJ lost, but he quickly recovered by becoming the #1 Contender for the WWE Championship one night later. Reigns will get the win here, but McIntyre will get back to a prime position sooner rather than later after this loss.
Triple H vs. Batista (No Holds Barred Match; Triple H’s Career is on the Line)
WWE
Predictions & Winner: One of the best feuds of 2005 has been rekindled for one last encounter. Former Evolution stable mates turned bitter rivals are ready to bash each other’s brains in on the big stage all over again. This entire situation has piqued my interest solely because of Batista’s recent antics. His sly comment to Triple H back on SmackDown 1000, his backstage assault of Ric Flair, and his return to his heelish ways have all done a great job of getting me invested in this rematch. I’m not particularly excited to watch a much older Hunter hop back in the ring nowadays. But since it’s against a rejuvenated and always entertaining Batista, I actually give a damn about this revisited beef.
The match itself will be awesome. Just take a trip back to their Hell in a Cell Match from Vengeance 2005. The war they engaged in there was the perfect way to end their beef at the time. With the character roles reversed and the special stipulation attached to it, I’m sure we’ll get a quality brawl here. I’m sure we’ll get a guest appearance from Flair, who’ll be looking to exact some sort of revenge on Batista.
Hell, maybe Randy Orton will pop up to shock the world and assist Batista of all people! This match will only end one way, however – with HHH landing a match ending Pedigree to Batista with some sort of weapons assist (a steel chair, perhaps?). This is looking like a one-time deal for Batista, who’s always made it clear that he wants to have one last major match in WWE. Batista seems like he’s a giving man, so I’m sure he’s more than ready to repay one of his wrestling mentors. And the best way to do that is by taking the big loss against HHH at WrestleMania.
Brock Lesnar (with Paul Heyman) (c) vs. Seth Rollins (WWE Universal Championship)
WWE
Predictions & Winner: This one’s been a long time in the making. During the closing moments of the WWE World Heavyweight Championship match between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins pulled off the “heist of the century.” By cashing in his Money in the Bank briefcase, Rollins inserted himself into the match and ended up claiming WWE’s top prize at the time.
Months after that result, Lesnar finally got his rematch at Battleground 2015. But that match ended in controversial fashion as Lesnar walked away with a DQ victory (but not the WWE World Heavyweight Championship). In 2019, Rollins has ditched his cowardly ways and gone back to being a badass babyface. Due to his Men’s Royal Rumble victory, Rollins has slotted himself into the Universal Championship spot against Lesnar at ‘Mania 35.
I’m expecting an even better rendition of your usual “Lesnar vs. a challenger of smaller stature” match formula here. As Universal Champion, Lesnar has competed in the best matches of his second WWE run against AJ Styles, Daniel Bryan, and Finn Bálor.
Rollins stands out as the top match performer on the Raw brand, so it’s a safe bet that he’ll bring out the best in Lesnar. And it’s easy to see that Lesnar will do the same for Rollins. While Lesnar has been sitting pretty atop the Raw mountain, I think it’s time we got a Universal Champion who’s regularly present on Monday nights. I’m placing all my bets on Rollins leaving this match as the new Universal Champion! 2019 will be the year that Rollins takes over Raw and becomes the main face of the red brand once again.
“The New” Daniel Bryan (with Rowan) vs. Kofi Kingston (with Xavier Woods and Big E) (WWE Championship)
WWE
Predictions & Winner: The road to this matchup was long and arduous. It all started with Kofi coming in to replace Mustafa Ali during a pre-Elimination Chamber Gauntlet Match. Kofi’s star-making performance made him even hotter than his 2009 self and got the crowd behind him in a major way. Fast forward to now and Kofi’s garnered even more fan approval thanks to great performances against the WWE Champion and the other formidable members of the SD Live roster. Vince McMahon’s constant roadblocks had everyone doubting Kofi’s chances at this match, but Xavier Woods and Big E did everything in their power to grant him a WWE Championship opportunity.
Now here’s the thing – Kofi’s Gauntlet Match and Elimination Chamber spots were originally intended for Ali. If Ali weren’t injured at the time and garnered the victories Kofi racked up until this point, I’m sure he’d be the one taking on Daniel Bryan for the title. But I don’t think he’d be the one to finally dethrone the raging environmentalist. But since Kofi has gained such a massive grassroots following on his crusade against Mr. McMahon, I feel like WWE will give the fans a happy ending in the form of a title change. I’m still a bit worried that they’ll pull a WrestleMania XIX Booker T swerve, however. But my prediction for a emotional Kofi WWE Championship victory still stands.
Ronda Rousey (WWE Raw Women’s Champion) vs. Charlotte (WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion) vs. Becky Lynch (Triple Threat, Winner Takes All Match for the WWE Raw and SmackDown Women’s Championships)
WWE
Predictions & Winner: So we’ve finally arrived at the match that deserves to be the main event of this show. Even though I’d prefer for it to be a one-on-one meeting between the champ and “The Man,” I have no issue seeing these three women tear it up instead. What I do have a problem with is the convoluted storyline that led us all to this matchup. The fact that Becky Lynch had to fight her way into this match even though she earned the right to challenge Ronda Rousey by winning the Royal Rumble is ridiculous. I’m just glad that we’re getting this dream match in the first place.
I’m gonna go out on a limb here and make a bold proclamation – this triple threat match will end up surpassing the high bar set by the triple threat women’s match from ‘Mania 32. The crowd is going to be even more lively simply because Becky’s a part of it.
Then there’s the recent heel turns of Ronda and Charlotte that will give the crowd two antagonists to loudly root against. I’m expecting a damn near 5-star match from these three women and I hope they get to tear down the house for a good amount of time. This should be the coronation of Becky as both the Raw and SmackDown Women’s Champion. WWE’s going to want to send the crowd home happy, so I’m predicting that very moment to happen during the closing moments of ‘Mania 35.
Comments
WWE WrestleMania 35: Matches & Predictions