WRESTLEMANIA XXX - A STING IN THE TALE?

There’s a special feeling when WrestleMania comes knocking. Once a year, wrestling fans can immerse themselves in their own Superbowl and whilst I’m a huge football fan (that’s soccer for the American fans amongst us) not even the final day of the season, Manchester United winning the Premier League (like that’s going to happen this season) or the F.A Cup Final has the feeling one gets when the fireworks go up on a WrestleMania.

With new blood poised to take the reigns, legends ready to return and bid one final farewell to their characters and the fans who supported them over the years and the strongest wrestling card in recent memory, surely WrestleMania XXX cannot fail to be a success and even the shoddiest of booking can’t ruin what promises to be a truly unforgettable night which we are all hoping can provide another WrestleMania moment and legendary match. There are many bouts on the card which promise to deliver just that.

On April 6th 2014 from the Mercedes Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana this is WrestleMania XXX.

Hulk Hogan Hosts WrestleMania 30

It was always going to happen wasn’t it? A huge anniversary like this wouldn’t be complete without someone like Hulk Hogan. We all know WWE’s love of nostalgia acts and this is no different. Hulk Hogan is playing The Rock’s role this year around, only he’s not getting in the ring to do it. The role, in case anyone is confused, is that of pay-per view seller. WWE have brought him in, after swearing not to have any more dealings with him after he joined TNA in 2010, simply to turn a massive pay-per view buy rate. And they need it, giving away WrestleMania 30 on the WWE Network for next to nothing per month. Anything less than a million plus buyers would be classed as a disaster by the company.

There are other reasons Hulk Hogan has returned home. The first is that he can’t bare to be out of the spotlight. Like Ric Flair, he needs it to breathe. It’s not necessarily a bad thing especially when he’ll be a fresh face on WWE television instead of the usual we see moping about moaning about their roles in the company. As long as WWE use Hogan in the correct way and he stays out of the ring then he can be an asset to the company. Unlike TNA, he doesn’t have control so won’t be able to ruin anything like he did TNA, which means a reigned in Hulk Hogan may threaten to outshine all on the WrestleMania 30 card but he simply won’t be able to take control.

The last reason Hulk Hogan came back, is because quite frankly the wrestling world was moving with the times and after he left TNA last year, he faded from the spotlight. It’s the same reason he joined TNA in the first place. Because characters and egos such as Hulk Hogan need to be remembered; if they believe they’re being forgotten about then it’s a primal instinct to claw back at the spotlight which made you a star. It’s always been that way with Hogan and now it’ll never change.

WWE can prosper with Hogan back amongst its ranks as long as they don’t allow him to take the limelight away from others as he did with The Ultimate Warrior and The Rock at WrestleMania VI and WrestleMania XVIII respectively. It could be the beginning of another long term partnership which would benefit all involved. I don’t particularly like Hulk Hogan, I’ve made that clear of the years we’ve known each other but if he really is best for business, and until he proves otherwise, then welcome home Hulk. It’s possible you’ve been away too long.

WWE World Heavyweight Championship Match

Triple Threat Match

(c) Randy Orton vs Batista vs Triple H or Daniel Bryan

When we take a look back at all the great WrestleMania main events; Shawn Michaels vs Bret Hart, Hulk Hogan vs The Ultimate Warrior, Randy Savage vs Hulk Hogan, Steve Austin vs The Rock, The Undertaker vs Shawn Michaels and so many more, one has to begin to wonder where and how Randy Orton vs Batista fit into the thought process of Vince McMahon as far as truly great main event matches go. I mean let’s all be honest now, this has been done before on other pay-per view events and not to any great success. Randy Orton may be a hundred times better now, but Batista isn’t, there’s been no great upheaval in his in ring output since returning to the company at all which makes me wonder if WWE are pinning their hopes on other matches down the card to make the event memorable and just crossing their fingers this isn’t going to be a WrestleMania 25 repeat.

Almost everyone reading this will remember the Randy Orton vs Batista series in 2009. It was as dull as ditch water and offered nothing to shout about as far as action went. So why book this solely as a singles bout when there were so many more options to choose from elsewhere? One reason could be because Randy Orton doesn’t actually stand any chance of leaving WrestleMania 30 with the WWE World Heavyweight Championship in tact. It has cost WWE so much money to get Batista back, not to mention the seven figure sum gladly handed to Hulk Hogan for his part in WrestleMania 30, that the company have no intention of wasting all the money they shelled out on ‘The Animal’ by simply allowing him to look at the lights for Orton despite the fact ‘The Viper’ will be around a lot longer than Batista will.

Everything that will happen at WrestleMania will eventually lead to a Brock Lesnar vs Batista feud in the summer, where Batista will drop the WWE World Heavyweight Championship to ‘The Beast’. Right now though, WWE really need to hope that Batista and Randy Orton still have the appeal to draw a massive crowd as the main event of the thirtieth anniversary of WrestleMania. Because right now, I don’t think they do. Judging by the reaction Batista received at the Royal Rumble, besting Roman Reigns to the main event spot at WrestleMania, then the WWE Universe don’t want another known name as champion or even near the top of the card. And if anyone took heed of Randy Orton vs John Cena at Royal Rumble then certainly there was no desire to see the pair on the night let alone against each other.

It’s a risky strategy pitting the pair against each other when they needed a solid match which would draw people in. If WWE don’t have a core audience for the post-WrestleMania season then they’re going to suffer a downturn in television numbers and could even see a decrease in the subscriptions for the now up and running WWE Network. As I mentioned above, there were other ways the company could have made this a must see main event, simply by employing other wrestlers to pad out what is now a well trodden routine by the pair.

One option would have been to book a triple threat match between Randy Orton, Batista and Brock Lesnar. Having never separately fought the pair before, Lesnar’s inclusion would have added a depth to the bout rarely seen at WrestleMania, when in the last few years we’ve had The Rock vs John Cena with predictable outcomes. To add an extra layer to the match it could have been a triple threat steel cage match with Randy Orton and Batista competing to see who would be Triple H’s class pet. He certainly prefers Batista to Orton in reality so something could have been made of it in the storyline.

Another option would have been to see Randy Orton vs Batista vs Daniel Bryan vs Triple H, with not just the WWE World Heavyweight Championship on the line but also the future of The Authority. With Batista and Daniel Bryan fighting against the regime, WWE could have done the old switcharoo and turned Batista on Daniel Bryan, siding him with Triple H thus leaving Randy Orton out in the cold. From there, the months which followed could have been Randy Orton’s place in the company examined and Daniel Bryan fighting valiantly against The Authority to out the faction from the WWE and return control and normality. Maybe it would be too soon see a Randy Orton face turn but let’s face it, his heel run has been far from satisfactory.

I don’t know what it is about Randy Orton as Champion, but he’s just not as good. When he was a face and without the WWE World Heavyweight Championship he was a marvel, whilst his matches against the likes of Bryan and Goldust were simply brilliant; now he has the titles hung over his shoulders, the appeal he once had has disappeared. It’s almost as if the weight of expectation is weighing him down. Matches with John Cena in December and January bordered okay and his Elimination Chamber bout was somewhat of a disappointment despite its quality. There’s been nothing to latch onto with Orton this time around and it’s almost as if the company are setting him up for a fall. Do they want us to believe he can’t defeat Batista, because if so they’re going the correct way about it.

Truly, I believe there’s only one way this match is going to end and without a Money in the Bank briefcase to surprise us all, Batista will walk away with the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. How it comes around is another matter. With Hulk Hogan waiting in the wings, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him make the final three count or failing that challenge the winner to a surprise bout ala WrestleMania IX and walk away with the gold himself. Either way, expect Hogan to have a hand in the finale. Let’s just hope it’s a strong enough base on which to build the rest of the yea off of.

Winners Prediction: Daniel Bryan

The Undertaker vs Brock Lesnar

After The Rock refused a WrestleMania XXX bout with Brock Lesnar, this was pretty much a formality wasn’t it? After whacking Big Show in such a short amount of time at Royal Rumble and tearing through Triple H in matches at WrestleMania 29 and Extreme Rules 2013, whether he was victorious or not, Brock Lesnar was always going to be the next guy to step up to take aim at The Streak. Apart from John Cena, there really was nobody else. Plus now that the main event of the show has been decided, what else could Brock Lesnar have possibly done?

C.M Punk is gone and not coming back anytime soon. Simply walking out on the company put pay any rematch the pair may have had lined up. John Cena is busy elsewhere, Daniel Bryan isn’t seen as enough of a star and whilst it’s a possibility Lesnar could have made something from a bout with Ryback or a newer, younger star, it’s not something which would have been classed as WrestleMania calibre. At this time of year we expect a certain level of match to be put together and this is the biggest Brock Lesnar could be involved in at this particular time.

With a WWE World Heavyweight Championship reign lined up for later in 2014, WWE needed ‘The Beast’ to appear strong before, during and after WrestleMania. Anything less than The Undertaker would have been a disservice to both us and them, though the bout poses an interesting question as to where it’ll fit on the WrestleMania card, after Triple H vs Brock Lesnar last year was received so badly by the audience. That can’t happen this year and whilst Taker and Lesnar have contested some stunners in 2002, it’s their first foray at WrestleMania so audiences should be interested in seeing it. Let’s just hope it’s the cracker it threatens to be.

Would mid-card be perfect for the pair? Not really, seeing as it’s such a huge effort to get them together. Then again if the pair goes on too close to the main event and the match drains the audience of all the emotion and enthusiasm they have the main event of the show will be the biggest drag we’ve ever sat through. It’s a very hard predicament to be in for WWE and it has to be handled right otherwise they’re basically sabotaging their own show.

I expected this to be The Undertaker’s final hurrah. Mark Calloway is now not just getting on a little though he’s still young enough to do the job once or twice a year, but his body has taken a pounding. So much so that after previous WrestleMania matches he’s had to undergo surgery just to stop the pain then take the whole year out to recover. We’ll never see The Undertaker as a full time wrestler again, but maybe that’s for the best. If WWE can use The Undertaker right and well then possibly they could get two or three more years out of him. I just think it would have been a better selling point had WWE pushed this as The Undertaker’s final match.

After Shawn Michaels stuck to his retirement plea, fans would be inclined to believe The Undertaker would follow suit. His health and conditioning would certainly add weight to that. Can you imagine how great and emotional it would have all been had WrestleMania 30 been subtitled ‘The Undertaker’s Last Ride’? Whether his streak remained in tact or not, had The Undertaker announced his retirement at this anniversary it would have capped everything off nicely.

Do I believe that Brock Lesnar will end the streak? No. Simply because it’s so treasured by all wrestling fans and The Undertaker personally that I can never see him agreeing to give it all up. Brock Lesnar has the appeal and image to look like he could as he’s beaten Undertaker in the past, but that’s all apart of the majesty of someone challenging it. They have to look the part for us to believe this could be the year. Don’t get me wrong, it could be. If this bout goes on last then there’s a possibility Lesnar could shock the world, but I’m not going to put any money it.

WrestleMania XXX would be the perfect time for The Undertaker to finally be felled on the grandest stage of the all, but it’s not going to happen. What I expect to transpire though will be the match of the year. Whilst it’ll be great to see Undertaker again, I hope Lesnar’s brutal nature doesn’t do more damage to an already injured frame, that wouldn’t do anyone any good at all.

So strap in for an emotionally draining ride. This is going to be brilliant.

Winners Prediction: The Undertaker

Daniel Bryan vs Triple H

(The Winner Gets Entered Into the WWE World Heavyweight Championship Match)

Just like the previous two matches we’ve covered, following C.M Punk’s walkout, this was a match we could always see coming. In fact with reports that this was meant to be C.M Punk, whose decision to walk was partly based on WWE’s decision to have him lose to Triple H at WrestleMania XXX, one has to question if those rumours were ever true and if WWE had this match in the pipeline from the moment Triple H drove Daniel Bryan into the mat at SummerSlam.

Let’s face it, it’s a possibility. There was never going to be a part of the whole Daniel Bryan vs The Authority feud which wasn’t going to result in something of this nature. To drop it and never mention it again after everything we sat through in the latter stages of 2013, then Triple H being constantly bombarded with ‘Daniel Bryan’ chants during almost every one of his promos on Raw or pay-per view as well as the furore of WWE leaving Daniel Bryan out of the Royal Rumble match. Too much had passed under the bridge for Triple H to ignore Daniel Bryan and now we have what will presumably be the culmination of that feud and who knows, the chance for WWE to atone for previous sins.

Right now, as I sit and write this on March 11th, WWE have a chance to do something great. After belittling Daniel Bryan, stating to the world he simply wasn’t good enough to be WWE Champion of the face of the company, what better way could WWE make The Authority, the heels in this situation let’s not forget, look incapable and begin the story of their implosion than have Daniel Bryan defeated Triple H at WrestleMania and then pin Randy Orton for the WWE Championship in the main event of the show. Now I know how much WWE have paid Batista to return and on that money I could live for the rest of my natural life and never have to work, so I am clued up on how much they want to make Batista the WWE World Heavyweight Champion to cash in on that investment. However, I also know how much WWE love to end a pay-per view, especially one as big as WrestleMania on a happy note and I doubt they’ll ever get one as happy as Daniel Bryan lifting the combined titles aloft as the entire crowd in unison, bellow ‘Yes, Yes, Yes’ at the top of their voices. It would be a poignant moment in WWE after everything which has happened.

Of course that’s just one solution to the plan. There is another train of thought which states WWE are seeing this feud as a long one to cover for C.M Punk’s absence, in which case Triple H will win the bout and then lose to Daniel Bryan at Extreme Rules in May granting him a title shot at the current Champion around SummerSlam. Though that would have a diminished impact to the mentioned WrestleMania ending which we all want to see and the WWE Universe has made clear it will pay their hard earned money to see. Let’s be honest, anything would be better than another Batista title reign and Daniel Bryan walking away with the gold would be best for business when it comes to the post WrestleMania season which always sees a downturn in business. Imagine how much worse it will be with someone as champion that we don’t have any interest in seeing.

If WWE are serious about what is best for business and planning for the future of their company we will know it by the time this match ends. If Daniel Bryan wins the match expect him to walk away as champion with the aid of Hulk Hogan and John Cena who will naturally be on hand when Kane and Triple H interfere in the main event on behalf of Randy Orton or even Batista. Not yet do I expect WWE to allow Daniel Bryan to win alone when it comes to overthrowing Randy Orton or money man, Batista.

Some reading this will disagree with me. Some will say that Daniel Bryan, even if he wins the gold at WrestleMania won’t be taken seriously by WWE in the coming months. It’s a fair point, but one I will counter by saying simply this. What would you rather have as we trudge through June and July or beyond; numerous, dull and lifeless Randy Orton vs Batista matches which would be predictable and tiresome or a three way feud with Daniel Bryan which could open up the door not just exciting matches but also the return of C.M Punk later in the year? You decide.

On the subject of C.M Punk, what better way to return to the company than as a heel? I just see it now, Daniel Bryan defeats Randy Orton and Batista in a triple threat cage match at Extreme Rules then goes on to roll over Orton and Batista in singles matches at Payback and Money in the Bank only to be informed by The Authority they have the one challenger Daniel Bryan cannot beat and he will face him at SummerSlam. For a month and a half WWE could hype the mystery man with vignettes and teasers until they get to SummerSlam and with Daniel Bryan in the ring, C.M Punk’s music hits and he strolls out as the newest member of The Authority to contest a thrilling main event with Bryan which would be a worthy conclusion to the months of hype and results. It would and could be massive.

Though that’s all academic if WWE don’t see what’s right in front of their face. If their sole purpose is to hammer home who is in charge and try to press upon us the fact that we have no say in what happens and Vince knows best, then everything I’ve written is mere fantasy booking. I hope though WWE see what really is best for business here and don’t use this to devaluate Daniel Bryan only to give his spot to Sting when summer rolls around.

We all know Sting will be a WWE star by SummerSlam if not before and WWE could use his presence as advantage for Bryan. Randy Orton is levelled with an Inzaguri Knee and Batista is hurt on the floor. Triple H and Kane make their way to the ring as Daniel Bryan is set for victory only to beat on Bryan whilst warding off the advances of Hulk Hogan, The Ultimate Warrior and John Cena. There’s seemingly no one left to come to Daniel Bryan’s aid and then the lights go off, the music hits and when they come back on Sting descends from the rafters to level The Authority with his bat. It would be historic and if he doesn’t touch Randy Orton it wouldn’t cast a shadow over Bryan’s victory.

There’s so much WWE could do to make this match and WrestleMania XXX historic. I just hope they use everything in their arsenal to do so.

Winners Prediction: Daniel Bryan

John Cena vs Bray Wyatt

Like Daniel Bryan vs Triple H, this match has so much potential to do so much good within the company. It’s old news that for too long John Cena had rum amok amongst talent on the WWE roster, but without a main event spot and a fresh new opponent, John Cena has the chance to atone for previous sins by giving Bray Wyatt the best chance possible of succeeding after WrestleMania.  

Not for one moment am I suggesting that Cena will lose here because I don’t think he will, but then again that doesn’t matter. A John Cena loss isn’t necessarily the be all and end all of a memorable participation where Bray Wyatt is concerned. In fact John Cena can win the match but what matter is how he conducts himself before the final bell rings. All it would take now to get Bray Wyatt over is for John Cena to sell like he’s never sold before. Some offence is a given for Cena, should Bray Wyatt be portrayed as one man Cena cannot best until the leader of the unhinged family causes his own downfall it would be huge.

John Cena must, somewhere deep down, crave the applause of the audience who mercilessly jeer him. Even if he does not make it known, some credit or applause must be on his mind and he has the chance to gain that at WrestleMania XXX. Am I suggesting that Cena will alter people’s minds by heavily selling or even losing to Wyatt on the grandest of them all? Of course not. He would continue to receive the jeers from people who have no idea about the industry, but from those who matter he would gain a measure of respect and that’s a better result than just destroying another career and further infuriating those who currently despise him. Surely it’s better to have people say ‘John Cena did the right thing at WrestleMania’ rather than just have them castigate him for ‘business as usual’.

Hands up those who watched Royal Rumble and saw Bray Wyatt as a future main event star! As many as that huh? Well you’re not alone, because it may have taken a while and been a patchy beginning for the son of Mike Rotunda and nephew of Barry Windham but he began properly at Royal Rumble and if he can help pull a great match out of John Cena at WrestleMania and play his part to perfection, all that bullshit with Kane in summer 2013 will be forgotten. This is a chance WWE cannot waste, but then they’ve had chances like that before and we all know what happened to them. Though maybe John Cena needs someone fresh, it’s a blank canvas on which he could paint on.

There is another option WWE could take, which they won’t but I’ll mention it anyway and that’s reverting The Wyatt Family to type. Entertain for a moment, the outcome of Bray Wyatt defeating John Cena at WrestleMania XXX and then the opportunity for a prolonged story by Wyatt, Harper and Rowan kidnapping Cena, dragging him up the aisle and to the locker room and not being seen again for three or four months. I know it’s a stretch of the imagination but it would be a red hot story. WWE’s very own mystery ‘What Happened to John Cena’?

Following the eerie kidnapping of WWE’s biggest star, the company could have The Wyatt Family come out every week and preach about they’re converting John Cena to their cause, how he’ll ‘Follow The Buzzards’ by the time they’re done with him. If this is accompanied by footage of John Cena held captive in a secret location, one which isn’t a studio in WWE’s headquarters, it would reach American news channels. If there’s one thing WWE are good at it’s sticking to kayfabe. On this occasion it would only aid the storyline.

The Wyatt Family would become stars overnight and it could spark a rescue mission from the likes of Hulk Hogan, Batista, Daniel Bryan and even open the door for C.M Punk’s comeback should WWE not take the option mentioned in the Daniel Bryan vs Triple H segment. Maybe WWE could cover Punk’s walkout with a story he was taken by The Wyatt Family and is being kept with John Cena, or possibly after every other star name has tried and failed to release John Cena from The Wyatt Family grasp the company could turn to C.M Punk and even include his walk out instead of shying away from it.

A story like that, played right, executed well could keep the lapsed fans who only watch WrestleMania for the nostalgic feeling stick around to see what happens down the line. Whilst they’re still with the company they’d usually drop like a bad habit after the event, it would be the perfect opportunity for WWE to keep them in place with great stories and gripping matches. With the WWE Network relying on WrestleMania XXX and the subsequent success it would be the perfect time for WWE to change tack and yield to public demand. What’s the worst that can happen?

Winners Prediction: John Cena

Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal

When the Ander the Giant Memorial Battle Royal was announced, I heard numerous sighs go up across the WWE Universe. Some people believed that it wad a bad idea because it was yet another match based around a WWE legend and down the rest of the WrestleMania card we have more than our fair share of returning legends to mark the thirtieth anniversary. Then there were those who believed the battle royal would simply cause those participating who needed to exposure of a singles match to become lost in the shuffle. I can see their point seeing as we’re still fresh off of the Royal Rumble and now we have a second match of that calibre to sit through. However you Wrestling God is of the ilk that believes had it not been for this match then wrestlers such as Dolph Ziggler, The Miz and Big E. Langston either wouldn’t have been on the card at all or would have been featured in a reduced role.

At the time of writing this there were still three places to be filled which will have been occupied by the time you read this and even though the match plate above will probably prove me wrong, I believe the final three participants in this battle royal will be between The Ultimate Warrior – his return to WWE came with the proviso he got to fight one last match to cap off the character with, Jake Roberts, Scott Hall, Roddy Piper or even Hulk Hogan himself who, if WWE want a legend to triumph would be the perfect choice seeing as he and Andre the Giant made history at WrestleMania. With the exception of Hogan and Piper, the other three names will be present in the arena for the traditional Hall of Fame ceremony round of applause. However should no legends compete, I believe they will even if they’re not advertised to, who can we expect to see triumph in this match?

The obvious four choices begin with current WWE Intercontinental Champion Big E. Langston or just Big E. as he prefers to be referred to as now. When Langston began his WWE career as the doorstop of Dolph Ziggler and the delectable A.J Lee it looked bleak for the bodybuilder esc muscleman. He rarely got a main stage outing in which to hone his skills and had to make do with an NXT career which was seen by very few people as it wasn’t widely available a few years ago as it is now. That Langston reigned as NXT World Heavyweight Champion was almost lost on everyone who saw him play the role Mr. Hughes played for Mr. Perfect and others in 1993 for what seemed like an age.

And then it all changed. His first in ring outing was WrestleMania 29 in which he looked lazy and tired when he hadn’t even done anything meaningful on the main stage could have damaged his reputation but it didn’t. His break from Lee and Ziggler was the best thing which could have happened to him as he finally began to wrestle more and with time, it didn’t happen straight away, Big E. got better and better. In fact your Wrestling God remembers writing not so long ago that Langston reminds of Ahmed Johnson in 1996. Lazy, dull and unwilling to do anything to make a match better. At the time those comments were just, now though I have new found respect for Big E. because since becoming WWE Intercontinental Champion, he has upped his game.

It can’t last forever, a wrestler’s high time very rarely does and I’m still convinced that Langston is too big a guy to be able to effectively continue on the schedule he’s currently wrestling on. Be it steroids or legit muscle gain, Langston will tire in the next two to three years. It happened to The Ultimate Warrior, Batista, Brock Lesnar even, all of which had ample muscle mass at the time their careers began to wind down the first time and they couldn’t go as well as they previously had done. Langston will suffer the same fate at some point in his future but right now he’s flying and constantly been the best thing about his singles outings on pay-per view in late 2013 and early 2014.

Right now, WWE plan on pushing Big E. into a main event position for SummerSlam and Survivor Series which means his WWE Intercontinental Championship must come to an end so WWE can begin to push him further up the card. If the plan is to have Langston win the Money the Bank briefcase in July as I believe is the plan and then cash in at SummerSlam or after then a victory here, against thirty other men who quite frankly are below his status seeing as he now holds the second most important title in WWE, surely is a must? If the world witnesses Langston raise that inaugural trophy then we’ll be forced to take him seriously as a main player. The key though isn’t just winning the match, it’s capitalising on it the night after on Raw.

There really is no point in having Langston’s hand raised in victory only for him to drop the gold on Raw the next night and began a mammoth losing streak which nullifies every good which would be done on WrestleMania night. April 7th’s Raw has to be a night for the new blood as it was last year when Dolph Ziggler won the World Heavyweight Championship or the year before when Brock Lesnar returned and breathed new life into the company. We’ve established by now that Randy Orton won’t be leaving WrestleMania XXX as WWE World Heavyweight Champion so why not have Orton turn his attention away from the top gold and allow him to make Langston a star? Should Big E. pin Randy Orton clean in the middle of the ring the night after Mania and then enter a feud with Alberto Del Rio which would end in defeat and the loss of the Intercontinental Championship at Payback then Langston’s rise would be more widely accepted than if he won the battle royal one night, lost the Intercontinental Championship the next and was then pushed into a main event position one week later because there was no one else.

Because it began so rocky for Langston then WWE need to play the waiting game with him. Give him a slow build as they did Batista in 2005 and they’ll reap the rewards later down the line. We’ve seen where rushed and nonsensical storylines and pushes end up and WWE cannot allow Langston to become another victim of their impatience. One year from now he could be the surprise success of the decade.

Number two on the list is Alberto Del Rio. Where did it all go wrong for the Mexican who was doing so well before John Cena returned to the company and WWE suddenly found Alberto expendable? Well, we know where it went wrong and we’ve gone over it time and time again so let’s instead look to new beginnings for Alberto who needs something huge to happen and needs it fast before the WWE universe looses interest completely. I have heard that some people close to Alberto believe that he will depart WWE when his contract expires later this year and whilst one couldn’t blame him for the way he’s been treated, maybe Alberto could work that to his advantage as C.M Punk has done in the past and will do upon his return to the company.

Knowing that they’re shy on main event talent, WWE will be looking to Alberto Del Rio and guys like him to carry the company forward in another two or three years which means if they want to keep him they’ll have to treat him as a star. That could be Alberto’s way back in and should he demand to be treated as a star with a lengthily and successful WWE World Heavyweight Championship reign thrown in to the clause of a new contract then WrestleMania XXX could be the beginning of something wonderful for him.

Of course it doesn’t come overnight and Del Rio’s rise from the bottom back to the top is going to be a lengthily one, though it could be a worthwhile one should he end up as the company’s top dog somewhere down the line. Hard work, which Del Rio has always displayed as well as a want to get further and the backing of the company are going to be hard commodities to stay enthusiastic about, but the end result could be that WWE have another star on their hands and that is worth fighting for. The first step is always the hardest and though Vince McMahon doesn’t like to prove himself wrong it’s something that needs to be done and addressed if we’re going to break that glass ceiling above Del Rio’s head.

What is the first step? I hear you cry. Well that has been explained above. A WWE Intercontinental Championship feud with Big E. would have benefits for both men and the title which whilst made a priority by the TLC unification match still isn’t at a level it should be to aid in elevating future stars. A hot feud with two popular faces would do the job needed and hopefully, for Del Rio, after a lengthily reign with victories over top names to re-establish him as a force to be reckoned with he’ll be ready to be WWE’s top man again and more importantly the audience would entrust in him once again.

I could go on all day and night about who would benefit from a victory here but we all know wrestlers such as Dolph Ziggler and Cody Rhodes and The Miz would also be prime candidates since all three men have fallen far in the audience’s opinions and the wrestling food chain. Though it’s hard to see what WWE would do with all three should they win it’s about time something happened with at least one of them seeing as the rest of the field are merely filler material to get them on the WrestleMania XXX card.

Though a victory for a smaller talent would be huge, you have to believe that to honour the memory of one of the largest stars in the history of the company WWE would grant the victory to someone like Big Show or Mark Henry. A giant to recognise the legacy of a giant would be seen as proper ending to this bout, but that’s only if WWE have no idea of how they’d push a younger star in 2014. And if that has happened, maybe we should all be looking for something else to invest our time in.

Winners Prediction: Big E. Langston

WWE Divas Championship Match

Vickie Guerrero Divas Invitational Match

(c) A.J Lee vs Cameron vs Naomi vs Aksana vs Brie Bella vs Nikki Bella vs Eva Marie vs Tamina Snuka vs Alicia Fox vs Summer Rae vs Layla vs Rosa Mendez vs Emma vs Natalya

As much as WWE want us to believe this match is about the cast of Total Divas which will probably be plugged unmercifully at WrestleMania, this night is about one woman and she is the reigning WWE Divas Champion, A.J Lee. Not only has the sex siren been the very best thing about the Divas division over the last year she has been the lynchpin of the division and I certainly hate to think how quickly it will go downhill without her. When you look around the rest of the roster then there’s no one in her class who can possibly set the division alight as she has.

But alas, we’ve come to the end of an enjoyable and historic championship reign. A.J Lee will not leave WrestleMania XXX as WWE Divas Champion. It’s been a long time since she captured the gold and though she’s been through everyone and anyone you can think of, the grandest stage of them all is where it ends for the champion. Which begs the question, what next and who will be her replacement?

Certainly not The Bella Twins, they have neither the in ring knowledge or appeal to make a success of the division. Cameron and Naomi though talented don’t have enough in ring experience just yet for WWE to take a gamble on them like they did Trish Stratus in 2001. Eva Marie is just using the industry as a stepping stone into modelling and acting but let’s fact it she’s not exactly a hit with the audience either. Tamina may have been a logical choice to win this match so WWE could plug a friend vs friend feud but it seems like every time she steps into the ring as of late she messes something up. Alicia Fox, Rosa Mendez, Aksana and Summer Rae are all out of the running because quite simply no one cares about them anymore and though Emma is looking promising I think right now there’s only one woman in the running to end A.J’s championship reign.

Natalya has been on the hunt for the WWE Divas Championship for what seems like an age and WrestleMania XXX is the perfect time to make that dream come true. She’s agile, had a hell of a match with A.J at TLC and is popular with the crowd largely thanks to her families wrestling lineage. Certainly, Natalya would be the perfect and logical choice but seeing as WWE have openly labelled this as an invitational, you have to think that maybe the announced participants may not be the only faces who turn up.

Anything labelled an invitational means anyone can compete as long as they accept the invitation to compete, that’s a given. So what’s to stop three or four NXT women turning up and upstaging the entire roster of participants except A.J and Natalya? The foremost of these would be NXT Divas Champions Paige who is more than ready to take the next step up to the main roster and could be bigger than Trish Stratus or Lita in five years time but WWE need to get her in quickly. If she was the only new addition to the match and main roster at WrestleMania XXX then it would be a wise and welcome one. Not just because of her immeasurable talent but because she has so much promise a combined WWE Divas Championship and NXT Divas Championship would be huge for the female division.

There is no reason for WWE not to introduce Paige to WWE’s main audience anymore. Those who wish to watch WrestleMania XXX and the subsequent pay-per view events will have to purchase WWE Network to do so which means most will have already seen WWE NXT and been blown away by the talent on show. The prefect choice would be to have Paige defend her NXT title in a separate match on the show which went on before this and then enter and win this as well. Let’s not forget this isn’t just an anniversary, it’s the opportune time to begin again.

But right now we’re going to forget all that and give thanks to A.J Lee who has been a revelation as Divas Champion since her victory in 2013. Yes, ninety nine percent A.J will leave WrestleMania without gold around her waist but she has been an awesome Divas Champion and one which made you realise why you were originally so entertained by the female species strutting their stuff. A.J has been a credit to WWE and should the company book her to challenge a new champion and make her replacement, especially should be it a new face from NXT which WWE desperately need to liven up the roster, a star also, we could have some of the best matches of 2014 already lined up.

Some people will look at this match and say that it’s a filler to buffer everything else on the card. Something to go on after The Undertaker vs Brock Lesnar but before the main event so the fans can get their breath back and reserve enough to energy to spend on Daniel Bryan’s eventual Championship victory. But I believe it’s more than that. Some of the participants here are cannon fodder, we all know that. Maybe though this is WWE’s way of thanking A.J for all her efforts whilst maintaining her image; one woman couldn’t get the job done, four woman have failed to dethrone A.J so by WWE saying that it’s going to take thirteen or maybe even more Divas to get the job done, maybe that is the greatest compliment of all.

Winners Prediction: Natalya or Paige

The Shield vs Kane and The New Age Outlaws

This has been coming for many, many weeks now. Ever since the hasty face turn by The Shield which to be honest came without much or any build up and Kane began physically involving himself in affairs once again. As we speak, the mask is firmly on the horizon and by that I mean by July we’ll have the Big Red Machine back in the fold complete with mask, glove and ring attire because quite frankly, this Kane sucks. And you know it’s true. He’s added absolutely nothing to The Authority storyline and it’s not often you’re going to hear me say this but he’d have been a much better component if he’d stayed a wrestler.

The real story here is the inclusion of The New Age Outlaws who have replace Luke Harper and Eric Rowan as Kane’s compatriots. You wouldn’t believe the amount of people I’ve heard since the Royal Rumble saying that the pair are holding back the tag team division by returning and staying on the scene, but I say what tag team division? The one which had jobbed out almost every one of its teams to bigger stars just to keep the privileged on their throne? Or the tag team division which effectively broke up a great team in Cody Rhodes and Goldust and threw them into a battle royal which won’t mean as much as losing their titles in a belter on the grandest stage of them all?

True, the division has taken a turn for the better since The Usos took control but it’s still far from brilliant and though they’re a novelty act, The New Age Outlaws have done no damage at all to what was an already patchy division. In fact, they’ve done the opposite. We were getting bored of seeing the same teams challenge the Rhodes brothers and whilst I would have preferred to see Cody and Goldust retain the gold until WrestleMania, Billy Gunn and Road Dogg have drawn more interest to the league than would have otherwise been possible. Because of the New Age Outlaws, talk about the division has risen. Lapsed fans have come back in preparation for WrestleMania months earlier than normal so if you’re trying to tell me their participation since January has been detrimental to the company then you’re talking out of your backside.

Enough of the forthright views, we all know why this match exists and that’s simply to either further or end the break up of The Shield which began at TLC when Roman Reigns ran through Dean Ambrose by accident. In the weeks before WrestleMania, we’ve seen The Shield at loggerheads, beating on each other, arguing with each other and whilst many believe the face turn mean they won’t split at WrestleMania I’m convinced that Reigns and Ambrose will turn on Reigns at the conclusion of this bout and join The Authority before searching out another member. It’s what’s been teased, it’s what’s been expected and I doubt anyone will be very pleased if WWE pull out of the turn now.

Saying that I could be wrong. I have been in the past and I will be in the future. Maybe WWE are going to run with the Shield face turn until SummerSlam before breaking up the group having them come the aid of any and every face in distress. It would certainly make sense to the ‘Hounds of Justice’ claim if they were to actually carry it out for a few months. But that’s just one of many theories coming from this bout, for all we know, WWE could be planning to have all six men dance around a maypole in skirts. You just never know.

What I do know though is that WWE are high on The Shield once again which can only be a good thing. All three men are utterly brilliant between the ropes and hold so much potential if only Dean Ambrose would drop the United States Championship which is holding him back now. Though that may have happened by the time you read this. I just have one request for WWE. Kane may have lost a lot of weight and gotten in shape but please make him put a top on, it’s like seeing your uncle step out of the shower for the first time. More awkward than you actually think it will be.

Winners Prediction: The Shield

WrestleMania 30 Pre-Show Match

WWE Tag Team Championship Match

(c) The Usos vs Rybaxel vs The Real Americans vs Los Matadores

It didn’t quite strike me that Jimmy and Jey Uso had been waiting as long as they had to capture WWE Tag Team Championship gold, but hey I guess we learn something new everyday even if we do think we known everything. For some reason I envisaged them with tag team gold a year or two ago but I guess without researching that fact then it’ll just have to remain as a possibility in my head along with the rest of the fantasy booking I have conjured up for myself over the years. Hey, a guy has to dream it’s just a shame that it’s about how wrestling could be made better instead of you know, women. Lovely, lovely, women.

Like some other matches which have been announced for WrestleMania XXX there will be the small group of people who moan that this match could have been replaced by a bigger and more important outing but I disagree, don’t I always? There are a variety of top tier matches on show and WrestleMania XXX actually threatened to be overrun by the sheer wealth of them. If this is to be the revolution of the younger age then I fully endorse a match of the calibre we have here. After all, with the exception of Rybaxel every team featured here is a talent though I will admit that Ryback and Curtis Axel have a certain something about them as a tandem which they never managed in singles competition.

Whilst Los Matadores don’t really have a future in WWE, let’s be honest Primo and Epico haven’t flourished under the Los Matadores mask and El Torito gets more maddening every time you see him, this match is just what the doctor ordered. We’ve all been complaining for too long that Championships such as the Tag Team and Intercontinental titles have been ignored by the company in favour of the bigger titles, slung on the pre-show kick-off spot instead of on the main body of the card now we have our wish and after all, over the last few months the tag team division have been a highlight.

Though The Usos may be the WWE Tag Team Champions, I believe the real star of this match is going to be Antonio Cesaro ort just Cesaro as he prefers to be called now. A solid star in singles action on both NXT and WWE television, it’s time that Cesaro stepped up to the next level, dumped Jack Swagger who is still going nowhere in the company and branched out to better things. Cesaro has already proved at Elimination Chamber and in the weeks prior to the event that he can ably deal with wrestlers like John Cena without allowing them to ruin his career so why not begin to push him as a monster heel who cannot be stopped. It’s obvious what WWE and the WWE Universe want it to happen so why not take a chance and allow what will be to be.

Maybe Vince doesn’t want to be proved wrong yet again. After all, if Cesaro makes it as a singles star which he will then McMahon as he was with Daniel Bryan and C.M Punk will be proved wrong in his beliefs about the independent circuit where Cesaro learned his trade. Though I’m pretty sure he’d prefer to be proved wrong and have a heel the size of John Cena on his hand who can put more dosh in his pocket than bury Cesaro and still have the same old main event problem on his hands. It’s a hell of a predicament to be in for Vince, though a good one.

At the end of the day, I wouldn’t expect anything but a Uso victory at WrestleMania XXX. They’ve only just captured the gold so I can’t see any great rush to take the titles off of them especially when they have so much potential and fan support. Yes, they could be turned heel and have an effective run as The Headshrinkers did before them but right now they’re sitting pretty as WWE’s predominant face team. And we don’t have too many of them the company is willing to invest in anymore. We should relish it whilst we still can.

Winner Prediction: The Usos

I think you’d all agree with me that WrestleMania XXX has one of the strongest pay-per view cards in the last five or ten years, which can only be improved by having an NXT bout on it to show what the younger stars of tomorrow are really capable of. All the headliners are faultless and will undoubtedly be thrilling to watch and yes I do also mean John Cena vs Bray Wyatt which could breathe new life into the company if John Cena is willing to make a star on this special night. Then we have The Streak vs The Beast, what will undoubtedly be The Undertaker’s hardest and toughest challenge since, well since WrestleMania 29 and the possibility of ending the night on a high with WWE proving they do listen to us after all.

WrestleMania XXX has the opportunity to be what the past three offerings have failed to be. There’s no reason we shouldn’t be in store for at least five tremendous outings and when you add to the possibility of Hulk Hogan and The Ultimate Warrior getting involved in some capacity and a Sting debut after thirty years of trying to lure him to WWE shores then this is one anniversary which we should be talking about in another thirty years time. Though that depends on the willingness of the WWE booking committee and whether they’re willing to take a chance on someone younger to step forward and seize their destiny.

When all is said and done Alberto Del Rio, The Shield, Big E. Langston and The Wyatt Family could all come out of April 6th with stars shining above their heads. With the legends due to depart after the event is over and done with it would make sense to build someone up and more than one would be welcome. Things have to change if WWE is going to evolve over the next five years and anniversaries are all about beginning over.

WrestleMania is the one night the wrestling world comes together, when lapsed fans return home to experience that feeling wrestling used to give them and judge whether or not they want to stay around for the aftermath of what they’ve just seen. Certainly, there won’t be a better chance for WWE to reel them back in and up their audience share before WrestleMania XXXI so it makes sense to give it all they have.

Change is a good thing and has to begin with someone in power taking a chance. WrestleMania XX was tagged with the line ‘Where it All Begins Again’, but maybe WWE should have reserved that tag line ten years because it would applauded should it apply that mantra on WrestleMania night.

Maybe more than anything else, WrestleMania XXX is the culmination of a journey. Not just for us but also for Daniel Bryan. Everything we’ve been through with him, every time he’s been screwed or overlooked will be rectified on WrestleMania night. All roads have lead to this and this is where the journey ends for Daniel Bryan, in one of the memorable endings in WrestleMania history.

Onwards and upwards...