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WWE will present Wrestlemania 39 this Saturday and Sunday from Los Angeles, California.
WWE Undisputed Universal Champion Roman Reigns (with Paul Heyman) vs. Cody Rhodes (Sunday)
Dave: This is the big one, for sure, and it’s representative of this show as a whole. You could make the case to go either way here. You could have Cody win and complete the journey, have an insane moment as Wrestlemania goes off the air, sending the fans home happy. Or, you could continue the best storyline WWE has had in at least a decade, and probably more, by having Roman retain and eventually go full circle with it coming down to Roman vs. Jey for the Title at SummerSlam. I am going with Cody winning, but I am only at 51/49 in my pick.
Mike: I have zero doubt in my mind Cody wins here. The entire idea has been Cody finishing the story and he's obviously clicking in a very organic, legitimate way. I expect Cody wins after Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn assist him by warding off the Bloodline. It's Wrestlemania. They are going to send the fans home with a big, happy moment.
Richard: Are we going to be in the same place we were in Wales and Montreal with a glimmer of hope that we might see Roman dethroned only to see him retain? When Cody announced his return, I thought it was a guarantee that he would win. After seeing Elimination Chamber, I am not that sure. While I feel that Cody will win, I feel like a hockey fan dealing with a 3 goal lead with 10 minutes to go in the third period. The team is going to lose the lead and the game, you just don’t know how spectacular it will be. I know it won’t happen, but I hope we don’t get the Roman Reigns template of monologue/fight a bit/monologue/a bit of fighting/interference/finish. The image of the roster celebrating the overthrow of the Roman title reign sounds good and the promo by Cody on Monday (maybe joined by a former Legacy member) is something that will get eyes on USA Network on Monday. I hate to say it but we will be acknowledging on TV this week while we wonder who is the one to topple Roman.
WWE Tag Team Champions The Usos vs. Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn (Saturday)
Dave: This story has to pay off. The fans who were upset that Sami didn’t win in Montreal can be elated here when he and KO take down the Usos. Like most matches on this show, it could go either way but in this case, I go by the book and give the fans what they want in the main event of Saturday night. If Roman wins on Sunday, the drama writes itself about him saying, “I should be enjoying my win but you two let down the family”.
Mike: A title change adds more drama leading into Roman vs. Cody and I feel like you need to have that big moment for Sami and Kevin this weekend. They've more than earned it and it's the right thing for the fans and the story.
Richard: Will this be the final match on Saturday? The way that the Bloodline story has been booked, this match has as much impact on the Sunday main event as that match does by itself. If the Usos win, will the Bloodline be able to keep all of the top men’s gold? If the Usos lose, will Roman be affected and it lead to his loss on Sunday? The wait to get to Sami and Kevin was very well done. Andrew also brought up a good point regarding the Bloodline. How would the dynamic be affected if Roman loses and the Usos retain? I am more confident that we get new tag champs over a new Men’s Heavyweight champion at this point.
WWE Smackdown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair vs. Rhea Ripley (Saturday)
Dave: Charlotte just doesn’t play well as a face. Her chastising the fans for whatting her on Smackdown was a good example of that. Eps suggested a double turn here and they could go that way. If Rhea wins, she goes to Smackdown and is taken away from Judgment Day. I have Rhea win here and have her avenge the loss to Charlotte. Rhea then gets to go on her journey as a top talent. As I said above, I don’t have this main event. I don’t think it will come close to the fan involvement that the tag match will.
Mike: I can absolutely see a title change here. Ripley has been in the zone and delivering in a major way. I expect this to be one of the best matches for either night from an in-ring standpoint as their Performance Center Mania bout was great and Ripley has only gotten better since then. Flair always delivers on major shows and this could be a tremendous moment for all involved.
Richard: Will this be the final match of Saturday’s show? This match is the highest profile match among the women of the two nights but it seems to be missing the same drama that we have in the tag title match. Rhea has talked about the three years since she faced Charlotte at Wrestlemania-C and her need to win this year. I think it happens because Rhea has become the top female in the company based on her work in THE Judgment Day (as Andrew pointed out on the preview audio, how much of Dom’s ascension due to his pairing with Rhea?) Will this be a face turn for Rhea? If she goes to Smackdown as champion, does she go alone or will THE Judgment Day join her on Fridays?
WWE Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair vs. Asuka (Sunday)
Dave: Asuka is amazing and when I looked up how old she was, I was shocked. I love her character change too. With that said, I see her role here as being the veteran who gives the champ a war and elevates her when she retains.
Mike: I really hope they give these two a lot of time, because there's so much pure potential for what they can put together inside the ring. I have heard talk of a big Asuka entrance. I don't see a title change here but I think they can have one hell of a match.
Richard: I feel bad for these two women because it is on the same night as Roman/Cody, Hell in a Cell, and the IC Title match. It would be nice if they booked this match a lot better. This will be a good match but I don’t think there is going to be a title change. Bianca is a face of the company and she has a reality show coming so why not have her do public appearances with the belt. Bianca will counter or avoid the mist and Bianca hits KOD for the victory.
WWE Intercontinental Champion Gunther vs. Sheamus vs. Drew McIntyre (Sunday)
Dave: I can’t wait for this. It’s going to be a war as all three of these guys are monsters. I see it coming down to Drew and Sheamus fighting each other to get the win, allowing Gunther to take advantage and retain. I hope this opens night two.
Mike: If there is anything this weekend that is pretty much pre-destined to have a classic match based on the history of everyone involved, this is it. I can't wait for this. That said, unless there's a major heel turn for Drew turning on Sheamus, I don't envision GUNTHER dropping the title, but I am hoping for something really great inside the ring.
Richard: This is my pick for the best wrestling match of the night and might be the match where I don’t care who wins because I am happy with all three options. This is going to be 15 to 25 minutes of three men beating the crap out of each other for the entertainment of the fans. And this would be the third or fourth most important of the six matches announced for Sunday. Will Gunther’s desire for a one on one match that due to his actions, resulted in the Triple Threat Match backfire and he loses the title without being involved in the finish? Sheamus would be the logical pick if we get a new champion, but will Drew throw the monkey wrench in Sheamus’ dream? I don’t want ‘Typical MultiPerson Match Finish’ where we see A) Drew Claymore Sheamus or B) Sheamus Brogue Kick Drew and then Gunther picks up the scraps and gets the win. Gunther should retain and then we get the rematch at Money in the Bank. Give London something fun.
WWE United States Champion Austin Theory vs. John Cena (Saturday)
Dave: If Vince were booking, Theory would be looking at the lights. With HHH booking, I think what should happen will happen. Cena will give the kid a war and elevate him when the kid retains his Title. Cena helps make him even more of a star. A win over John Cena is something Theory can talk about for years to come.
Mike: I'd really like to see Theory go over here, but I expect Cena to win with the FU in a quick match so he can head back to Atlanta for his movie. But, the best thing for Theory is to get the win and brag about it incessantly.
Richard: Your kickoff match and there are a few ways it can go, but I feel that Cena’s promo did a lot to hurt the optics for this match. Theory was cut down by Cena and he really is in a no win situation. If Theory wins, he beats a guy who is a one match a year guy (but a legend). If Theory loses, he lost to a guy who wrestles one match a year. The only reason why I would consider having Cena win has nothing to do with WWE. Monday night is the NCAA Finals and if they want to keep people from going to CBS, they can have Cena make an open challenge for the US Title and then have the loser of the NXT Men’s Championship match beat Cena to be immediately relevant on the main roster. I would have Theory retain, but maybe WWE is thinking the way I am about Monday night.
Logan Paul vs. Seth Rollins (Saturday)
Dave: A loss here doesn’t hurt part time Paul at all. Rollins would be hurt by losing so I put Seth over. They can do it in dramatic fashion, like Paul misses a huge spot and crashes and burns.
Mike: Seth should go over. Logan's been the heel and since he's already teasing his contract is up, it's smarter to have Rollins win clean, unless they pull an angle and Jake Paul is going to get involved and cause a DQ.
Richard: When this match was first suggested, I felt that Logan Paul would win this match, but as we move closer to the event, I think we might see the Freakin win the match. This will feature a lot of athleticism and Logan acting like a jerk. Will we see Seth hit a frog splash off the turnbuckles through the table or will Logan hit another elbow off the turnbuckles through the table? There is one reason why I think Seth Rollins will win this match and it has nothing to do with who is the ‘better wrestler’. When Seth wins, we will hear 60,000 or more people in SoFi ‘humming’ along to Seth’s music. You cannot burn that down.
Edge vs. Finn Balor in Hell in a Cell (Sunday)
Dave: Given what set this up and the fact that Balor and company laid Edge’s wife out, he should win here and get revenge, especially since he called for the match. But Edge is a part timer and Finn is a full timer so what should happen here is Finn beats the legend, in his Demon motif, and he gets pushed harder going into 2023.
Mike: Finn Balor should win. Edge is a made man but a good, bitter battle inside the Cell could help elevate Balor, who's in the midst of his best WWE run to date.
Richard: This is the match that I would end up betting on because I have done such a great job predicting the matches in this feud. Since I think Finn Balor should win this match, that should mean that Edge gets his hand raised at the end of the match. I can’t see the Demon losing again. Since the other two THE Judgment Day matches are on Saturday and Priest is not wrestling on the show (maybe he wins the Andre Battle Royal on Friday [I am writing this on Thursday]) so they can be at ringside (so you can have Dom with some prize for beating his dad, Rhea with the Women’s Title belt, and Priest with the Andre Trophy) and find a way to get involved in the match. If THE Judgment Day gets involved, will someone help Edge? Will it be his wife? Will it be a former partner (who might have links to someone who is in the main event?)
Rey Mysterio vs. Dominik Mysterio (Saturday)
Dave: This storyline has been really, really good. You could make the case here to have both guys win. In Rey’s case, he puts his snot nosed kid in his place for the way he has acted. That would make sense. But Dom has gotten over so well as a heel and I don’t blow it all up here. I find a way for him to take an ass-kicking but he cheats to win at the end so he can brag incessantly about beating his old man, making his heel character even stronger.
Mike: From a storyline standpoint, this has been one of the best things all year in WWE. That said, the story has to be Rey gives Dom some of the beating he deserves but Dom still steals the win. Perhaps Rey kicks the hell out of him after the match as Dom tries in vain to escape.
Richard: This is a match where the actual match means less than what has led to this match. Rey is still mad at Dom for joining THE Judgment Day while Dom is angry about everything that his father did and didn’t do for him. Rey refused the match until Dom got in his mother and sister’s faces and tried to intimidate them. Then Dom complains about Rey hitting him when all Dom wanted Rey to do for the last six weeks is hit him. This will be the night after Rey is inducted into the Hall of Fame so there will be a lot of emotions for Rey. I think that will be his downfall and it will lead to Dom’s victory. The moment I want to see in this match is what happens before it starts. With Rey in the ring, waiting for Dom’s music to play, suddenly we hear LATINO HEAT!!!!!!!!!!
Trish Stratus and WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Lita and Becky Lynch vs. Damage CTRL (Saturday)
Dave: I think for the fans live, they will probably have the legends win. After the match, or on Raw, Damage CTRL attack. I would have them lay out Trish. That leads to a Tag Title rematch where the heels get their belts back. Lita won’t stay around forever so they have to get the belt off of her.
Mike: Damage CTRL should go over, just to set up future Tag Team title matches.
Richard: This is a match that should have a lot more momentum behind it when you consider the people involved in the match. The problem is that since the debut of the Bayley Bunch at SummerSlam, that has been an act that has as much momentum as a mime walking in a windstorm. There have been some subtle hints that Trish is not on the same page with Becky and Lita and I think this match will be where they start to bloom and lead to Trish’s turn. They aren’t going to lose on Saturday, but maybe Trish will be the reason why Lita and Becky eventually lose the tag titles. After this match, the Bayley Bunch can feud with the Green Spray Paint Gang over which group has less momentum.
Omos (with MVP) vs. Brock Lesnar (Sunday)
Dave: If Braun Strowman can have a fun match with Omos, so can Lesnar. I expect this to be a spectacle but no way I have Omos win here (except maybe if he has improved significantly and we haven’t seen it yet).
Mike: Brock in one minute.
Richard: Now that we know this match is on Sunday, I guess we have our opener so Brock can get out of LA by 6 PM. Will they pull the trigger on Omos or do we put him in the pile of big toys that WWE has never been able to operate properly. Omos is probably never going to win the WWE Title, but he can be a solid midcarder. Give him a win over Brock and it elevates him, as long as the match doesn’t look like two people who do you don’t believe are in the same city. See you at SummerSlam Brock, no tractor needed since they are in Detroit.
Alpha Academy vs. Street Profits vs. Viking Raiders vs. Ricochet and Braun Strowman in a Showcase Match (Saturday)
Dave: This was a good way to get the teams on the show. If the goal is to give Sami and KO a number one contender to beat in their first program, go with The Viking Raiders. Otis will be worrying about being a model so I hope he bails on Gable so that Chad can show what he can do as a single. If it’s just to make the fans happy, one of the face teams win.
Mike: The Street Profits all the way here.
Richard: I would prefer that this and the Women’s Showcase Matches were both Number One Contender matches so it would be more than ‘we have eight people for the PPV’. Of the four teams, I think the Viking Raiders need to have the strongest performance, even if they do not win. The Street Profits seem like the logical pick, but I can see Braun and Ricochet win this match since they have looked solid in their recent matches and it could be a good way to build the tag division. I wonder if Maxxine Dupri does anything to force Otis to say goodbye to his team with Chad, and maybe lead to Chad taking the fall.
Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler vs. Chelsea Green and Sonya Deville vs. Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez vs. Natalya and Shotzi in a Showcase Match (Sunday)
Dave: Two of the teams aren’t even teams so they are out. If it’s me, I book Liv and Raquel to get the win, taking out Ronda. Shayna then destroys Ronda and can finally show the world the beast she was down in NXT.
Mike: Liv and Raquel have the most upside. It makes sense to have them go over.
Richard: This could be a way to rebuild the women’s tag team division so why not make the winner of this match the opponents for Becky and Lita, and the people to take the titles. Will Nattie turn on Shotzi or will they stay a team the entire match? We know that Liv and Raquel are going to be smiling a lot, even if they don’t win. I thought Ronda was injured, so what does that mean for their chances to win. That leaves us with Chelsea and Sonya. What better way to piss off Adam Pearce than to have these two win the match and pester him continuously for a tag title match that he has to give it to them.
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