I’m not always pissy at my cheap ass baseball team; sometimes I’m excited to see big dudes in funny underpants pretend to beat each other up! The build to Wrestlemania 39 has me convinced this might be the best version of Mania WWE has put together in a long, long time.
So what’s looking good this weekend? Here are three things I’m hyped for.
- Cody Rhodes’s entrance. It seems like there’s more fireworks and more singing along with Cody’s entrance music each week. Take that energy, put it in an outdoor stadium with plenty of safe places from which to launch pyrotechnics, fill the seats with thousands of rabid Wrestling fans, and the American Nightmare’s walk to the ring might just trigger the Big One and finally separate Los Angeles from the mainland. Cody wouldn’t have been my first choice to take the WWE Undisputed Universal Championship off Roman Reigns, but the story of a young man winning the title his father never could works, the anticipation is palpable, and it’ll be fascinating to see how Rhodes transitions from challenger to champion after it’s all done–and whether he can keep the crowd behind him along the way.
- Rey Mysterio slapping the smarmy grin off his scumbag son’s stupid face. Dominik Mysterio has really come into his own as the type of cocky, hilariously unlikable heel that literally everybody in the arena wants to see get dropped. His transition from dopey kid along for the ride with his dad to spiteful, devious, hurtful son lashing out at the family has done as much to jump start Dom’s career as it has to rejuvenate Rey’s. The elder Mysterio’s always been a fantastic wrestler, but he’s always kind of just been Rey Mysterio: a dude who looks cool and wrestles well but isn’t the most interesting character. This rivalry, though, and the utter hell Rey’s been put through as Dom pushed and pushed and pushed have made him more sympathetic than ever. After months of watching Rey turn the other cheek and refuse to fight his son, watching him finally knock Dom off his feet that first time is going to have me screaming happily at the TV. You deserve it, Dom. Well done.
- Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens uniting to take down the Usos. In spite of how good Roman and his crew have been at the forefront of the Bloodline story, Sami and KO have really stolen that show. Though Rhodes beating the Head of the Table and finally ending Roman’s almost three-year reign will get all the headlines, this match is really more at the heart of the Bloodline story. Sami and Owens have a long and storied history together which has been woven into this current plot masterfully. I’d rather see one of them be the man to beat Roman, but there’s no denying that teaming up to take the tag belts off the Usos will be an amazing moment that really guts the Bloodline and sets up the group’s final grand implosion.
Predictions:
Cody Rhodes defeats Roman Reigns for the Undisputed Universal Championship
Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens defeats the Usos for the Tag Team Championships
Asuka defeats Bianca Belair for the Raw Women’s Championship
Rhea Ripley defeats Charlotte Flair for the Smackdown Women’s Championship
Austin Theory retains the United States Championship against John Cena
Drew McIntyre defeats Gunther and Sheamus for the Intercontinental Championship
Brock Lesnar defeats Omos
Seth Rollins defeats Logan Paul
Trish Stratus, Lita, and Becky Lynch defeat Damage Ctrl
Dominik Mysterio defeats Rey Mysterio
Finn Balor defeats Edge
Braun Strowman and Ricochet win the men’s fatal four-way tag team match
Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler win the women’s fatal four-way tag team match