Some of the PWP Nation staff make their picks for Wrestlemania 35!
Wrestlemania 35 is tonight and some of us here at PWPNation.com have come together to give our personal predictions for the biggest show of the year.
Here’s who is making the picks:
- Jay Alletto: Owner & founder of PWPNation.com
- Caden Moran: Editor-in-Chief
- John “JCD” Dimiceli: Featured columnist & news reporter
- Doug Turrington: PWP Nation contributor
Now, let’s get to the picks!
Women’s Battle Royal
Jay: Lacey Evans
Why else would they build her up so much with not doing anything?
Caden: Asuka
I believe WWE will give Asuka a moment considering she just lost her title a couple of weeks ago.
John: Asuka
I tend to think WWE will do right by Asuka over the next few nights and it starts with a win in the battle royal.
Doug: Nikki Cross
The Women’s Battle Royal for what I like to call the Uterus Cup (I mean seriously, who designed that thing?) is a crapshoot just like the AGMBR, so I’m going to pick someone who I want to get a push from winning the event, even though I think Asuka cleaning house out of frustration would be a solid call. It’s time to play.
Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal
Jay: Braun Strowman
I’ll say Braun Strowman eliminates Colin Jost to win it.
Caden: Ali
Ali was the one who should’ve been in Kofi’s spot, so I believe they will give him a moment to make up for it.
John: Velveteen Dream
Velveteen Dream debuts and wins. Strowman gets too involved with the SNL guys and it leads to his flukey elimination.
Doug: EC3
The Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal could mean something, but it never seems to really do much, unfortunately. Maybe that’s not fair. Corbin, Strowman and Cesaro got solid pushes off the heels of winning the annual event. But, picking a winner is a crapshoot and I’m just going to pick with what my heart wants. Push the “Top 1%” now that you’re going into the “new season.”
Buddy Murphy vs Tony Nese (WWE Cruiserweight Championship match)
Jay: Buddy Murphy
I don’t feel like Nese is the guy to dethrone Murphy. The champion fought many hard matches to get to this point & I think the reign continues.
Caden: Buddy Murphy
I don’t know what’s happening on 205 Live, but Nese isn’t the one to dethrone Murphy. I’m not sure who is worthy of defeating him.
John: Buddy Murphy
Murphy retains and keeps his status as the best kept secret in WWE.
Doug: Buddy Murphy
I’ll be honest, I’m not a 205 Live hater by any means, but I’m also slacking on watching it lately. I have a real general idea of what’s going on but can’t really make a call based on what I’ve seen. Murphy has been the champ for a decent amount of time, but I think he needs a big win at WrestleMania. Tony Nese seems to be flirting with babyface and I’m not sure if I like him in that role over being a heel. But, what the hell do I know?
The Revival vs Zack Ryder & Curt Hawkins (Raw Tag Team Championship match)
Jay: The Revival
I’m not even trying to get this one right. It just needs to go down this way. The Revival are light years better and should not lose with no build up.
Caden: Ryder & Hawkins
It’s all about the moment. Hawkins’ streak ends tonight.
John: Ryder & Hawkins
I see this being more about the moment and would expect The Revival to get the belts right back on Raw.
Doug: The Revival
If this had any sort of actual build, even if it was just a number one contender’s match, I think I’d be cool with a wacky sports-entertainment moment where Ryder and Hawkins win, even at the cost of The Revival. But, I’ve picked far too many babyfaces and I need to pick another heel team and cross my fingers that Hawkins doesn’t break his streak this way.
Ricochet & Black vs The Usos vs The Bar vs Rusev & Nakamura (Smackdown Tag Team Championship match)
Jay: The Usos
They have momentum here, and were put in a position where the odds are stacked against them.
Caden: Black & Ricochet
I’m going with my heart on this one. I expect The Usos to walk out victorious, but I still see a slight chance of the former NXT guys of walking out champions.
John: The Usos
The Uso’s just resigned so that helps, plus an eventual showdown with The Hardy’s for the titles seems to be on the horizon.
Doug: Rusev & Nakamura
The tag team divisions are a little bit of a mess, huh? We might still get Usos versus The Hardy Boyz after WrestleMania, but the other three teams are all makeshift tag teams. The Bar has solidified themselves into a team, but Ricochet, Black, Rusev and Nakamura are all singles stars that don’t have anything else going on. I like the pairing of Ricochet and Black as the two NXT guys who stumbled into tag team success for now, but Rusev and Nakamura haven’t established an identity as a tag team. And because it doesn’t make sense to me, it’s why I’m picking them to randomly win and build an identity off that.
Tamina & Jax vs The Boss N’ Hug Connection vs The IIconics vs Phoenix & Natalya (Women’s Tag Team Championship match)
Jay: The Boss N’ Hug Connection
There isn’t a reason for any of the other three teams to win this match. The lineage of these belts has to be created and it’s best to keep them with Sasha & Bayley. Easy pick.
Caden: The Boss N’ Hug Connection
They need to continue to establish those titles. Not a hard decision.
John: The Boss N’ Hug Connection
This could come down to B&H and The IIconics if Nia Jax and Tamina and Natalya and Beth Phoenix take each other out. This could be the showcase for Bayley and Sasha here.
Doug: The Boss N’ Hug Connection
Fatal four-way matches can be tough to call (though not as tough as predicting pre-show battle royales), but it seems too early to give the belts to anyone else at this point. Phoenix and Natalya getting a shot is a cool story, IIconics need to be there as one of the only real tag teams and Nia and Tamina are there too. I don’t see anyone else building the prestige of the championships as well as The Boss N Hug connection for now.
A.J. Styles vs Randy Orton
Jay: Randy Orton
Orton lost last year & A.J. won. In this case, with the way the story has been told, I feel like Randy gets a decisive, clean win over Styles this year. The feud goes on and we get a rematch imminently.
Caden: Randy Orton
This could go either way. I expect this to be a great match with a great ending. However, I see Orton picking up the win with a rematch going down soon.
John: A.J. Styles
Styles should win here and reestablish himself as the second top face on Smackdown Live.
Doug: A.J. Styles
This is a tough one. Both guys are top tier. Both guys seem to need a new path to go down after bouncing around a bit. But, Styles could use signature victory against a top guy on the grandest stage of them all to add to his resume. Orton has a lot left in the tank, but it really isn’t his time, so giving Styles a rub would be something for him to add for the short term. Long term, I don’t know where he’s going
Kurt Angle vs Baron Corbin (Angle’s farewell match)
Jay: Kurt Angle
Angle should absolutely win this. I’m still holding out hope that Corbin is some kind of bait & switch, but I doubt it.
Caden: Kurt Angle
Angle needs to end his career on a high note, especially against someone like Corbin who has had his number.
John: Kurt Angle
Corbin has owned angle in most matches so it’s time for Angle to overcome Corbin
Doug: Baron Corbin
Baron Corbin is a heel. Heels are supposed to be hated and booed. Baron Corbin is hated and booed. He’s got a couple of the sweetest signature moves in the company, a great theme song, stays composed on the mic and plays his character to a tee. He’s come a long way from his days in NXT. Kurt Angle is a legend. There’s no way to put it to words in this article, but as a consummate professional, I see Angle giving the up-and-comer the victory.
Shane McMahon vs The Miz (Falls Count Anywhere match)
Jay: The Miz
Your newly made, on-fire babyface should not lose a match to Shane McMahon at WrestleMania. I bet Shane does something crazy and loses.
Caden: The Miz
Shane will do something crazy and the white-hot babyface Miz will take over. The Miz is in for a huge year.
John: Shane McMahon
Shane McMahon wins when someone (Lars Sullivan) debuts and helps take out The Miz.
Doug: The Miz
I don’t feel super confident with where this is going. There’s a potential that they keep the story alive or at least McMahon as a heel alive. He could have turned for the match and will be written off or he could start a wave of selfish booking that puts a divide in the McMahon management group. Miz shouldn’t be losing to an old man though. Shane takes himself out and Miz capitalizes.
Samoa Joe vs Rey Mysterio (United States Championship match)
Jay: Rey Mysterio
I may be in the minority here, but I don’t think Rey would lose his first WrestleMania back…he also was beaten swiftly by Baron Corbin last week. Either way, I feel like Joe loses the US Title.
Caden: Samoa Joe
Samoa Joe should go full heel in this match. Dominate Mysterio and take out his son. Joe has been on fire since winning the title and it shouldn’t stop here.
John: Samoa Joe
Assuming this stays as advertised despite Rey’s injury, I’ll take Joe to retain. On a personal note I want Joe to choke out Dominick.
Doug: Samoa Joe
When Samoa Joe finally got a main roster championship it was long overdue. He’s always been great in the ring, especially for his size, and he’s dropped some of the most fire Smackdown promos of the last year. As much as Mysterio still has plenty of skills himself, it would seem premature to have Joe drop the championship to someone who doesn’t really need it.
Bobby Lashley vs Finn Balor (Intercontinental Championship match)
Jay: Finn Balor
The Demon is back and that means a quick, swift win for Finn. He becomes to new Intercontinental Champion and puts together a string of title defenses.
Caden: Finn Balor
Does this really need to be explained?
John: Finn Balor
Demon Finn buzzsaws through Lashley and wins the Intercontinental title quickly.
Doug: Finn Balor
Bobby Lashley should be a big wrestling star on paper, but there’s something about him that has never really clicked on the level that you would expect. His intercontinental championship runs have been similar. Add Finn Balor bringing The Demon to MetLife Stadium and it seems like a recipe for that lackluster IC run to end and the “Extraordinary Man That Does Extraordinary Things” to start WWE’s new season as the workhorse champion, putting on weekly classics.
Triple H vs Batista (No Holds Barred; HHH career on the line)
Jay: Triple H
I think this is Batista’s final match. Unless there’s a battle with Lesnar in the future, I don’t know what else The Animal could do. Raising the stakes just adds intrigue, but as always, Triple H will avenge this loss
Caden: Triple H
There is no way Triple H is done in the ring. I expect a good match, but Triple H will come away with the win.
John: Triple H
HHH will win and end Batista’s career. It’s that simple.
Doug: Triple H
Big Deacon Dave is about to get what he wants. What he really, really wants (sorry, I had to get one more Spice Girls reference in). He’ll get his hands-on Triple H finally, but will Hollywood Batista end The Game’s career? It would be hard for me to believe that even if Triple H loses that it will be his last match. He’s not going anywhere and we all know that career on the line matches aren’t always the end. If Triple H is going to be the new veteran to put people over every year at WrestleMania, he could use a win here to pick some steam back up.
Roman Reigns vs Drew McIntyre
Jay: Roman Reigns
Believe in the fight.
Caden: Roman Reigns
This will be a feel-good moment for Roman Reigns. However, I could see a McIntyre victory to establish the Scot as a top star.
John: Roman Reigns
I’ll go Reigns but a Drew win would not surprise me to keep the feud and heat going.
Doug: Drew McIntyre
They planted the seed that Roman isn’t back to 100% yet, giving me hope that they’re setting up a story where Roman has to get his mojo back. This will let him get some steam going again, while letting some other people carry the championships for a while and will let McIntyre get that big win he really needs to solidify himself as a main event heel.
Brock Lesnar vs Seth Rollins (WWE Universal Championship match)
Jay: Brock Lesnar
I can’t think of a way that Rollins can beat Lesnar right now. I’m sticking with Brock until I can come up with a solid scenario. If WWE does have Rollins slated to win, I hope it’s something spectacular that I wouldn’t see coming.
Caden: Seth Rollins
I’m going with my heart. Rollins needs to win, and I believe he will. You have to believe in something in order for it to come true. Rollins believes and I believe. Make it happen.
John: Seth Rollins
Although the train of thought and momentum has swung in the match, I’ll still go Rollins. They didn’t make those Beast Slayer shirts not to be sold.
Doug: Brock Lesnar
It’s that time of the year where we play the guessing game with Brock Lesnar’s contract to try and predict whether Lesnar’s chokehold over the Universal Championship will finally end. With the Greatest Royal Rumble still a thing, I have a bad feeling about Rollins’ chances. With KofiMania running wild and The Man scheduled to be coming around, I think Rollins gets his moment later.
Daniel Bryan vs Kofi Kingston (WWE Championship match)
Jay: Daniel Bryan
I want the Kofi story to the championship to continue. He does need to win the title, but I wouldn’t do it here. Plus, I think Bryan is doing his best work and even if he does drop the title to Kingston, I think Bryan regains it quickly.
Caden: Daniel Bryan
Kofi will come close, but Bryan will survive. Kofi will have his moment soon but it won’t be tonight.
John: Kofi Kingston via DQ
Kofi Kingston WINS…… by DQ! This feud is far from over. Plus between New Day, Rowan and even Vince McMahon, this match has the potential to get bat shit crazy.
Doug: Kofi Kingston
I freakin’ love The New Daniel Bryan. I love the old Daniel Bryan, but I really love The New Daniel Bryan. Bryan getting to be an irritant is always entertaining and all the production and branding they’ve done with him is top notch. Redoing the belt was a stroke of genius. But, I think that if you’re going to give Kofi a big moment, there’s no better time to do it.
Becky Lynch vs Ronda Rousey vs Charlotte Flair (Winner Take All match)
Jay: Becky Lynch
There shouldn’t be any other conclusion here. Don’t overthink this, WWE. She has earned this spot with her brilliance & not by your stories. Good for Becky.
Caden: Ronda Rousey
I just want to see social media explode. That’s really my only reason for making this pick. Should Becky win? Yes. However, I would like to see Rousey win to establish her as a true heel and to see the fanbase lose their minds.
John: Charlotte Flair
It is easier for me to say I’m not taking Becky. I am truely split between Ronda and Charlotte. Between the “will Ronda take off or not”, and a potential Becky/Stephanie feud there’s tons of reasons why I can see Becky not winning. Gun to my head, I say Charlotte wins, and could face Becky or Ronda the next night on Raw for the Raw title or maybe they just do Becky vs Ronda on Raw. Plus if Charlotte wins the shadow of Asuka on Smackdown Live also looms.
Doug: Becky Lynch
It has certainly been a long winding road to get to this match. Whether you want to talk about the last few months since the Rumble, the beginning of Becky Lynch becoming “The Man,” the beginning of the Women’s Revolution or going back to the first women wrestlers, there’s a lot of history here. Ronda is Ronda, Charlotte is already an 8-time champ. It’s Becky’s time to set herself as a permanent top woman in the division alongside Flair and Rousey.
Wrestlemania 35 is sure to be a fun show. Who do you see walking out victorious?
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