WRESTLEMANIA 31 - RISE OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE

 Thirty one years ago, Vince McMahon had a vision to change the world of professional wrestling as we knew it. In order to put Jim Crockett out of business, McMahon had a vision and three decades later that vision is the most celebrated and anticipated night in the professional wrestling calendar. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t get excited about WrestleMania and even the lapsed fans who refuse to watch the current product, not that the present day fans can most days thanks to the ever infuriating WWE Network, tune in for the feeling they get from WrestleMania.

In previous years, we’ve seen legends made on the grandest stage of them all and this year the likes of Roman Reigns, Bray Wyatt and Rusev to name but a few will step into the most important night of their career’s looking to make history. And all of them can if they perform to the very highest level. WrestleMania has given us countless moments to remember forever and let’s hope 31 will be no different. Of course, for you Wrestling God and for you minions, WrestleMania 31 marks a different stage in our lives. This blog has officially been alive for three years and whilst a question mark hangs over its head as we look to the future, it’s not a bad run to have for a blog which began with just one reader.

From the Levis Stadium in San Francisco, California on March 29th 2015, this is WWE WrestleMania 31.

WWE World Heavyweight Championship Match

(c) Brock Lesnar vs Roman Reigns

I say this at least once per month, but I’m going to say it again. It was always coming to this. Roman Reigns has been the apple of WWE’s eye since he made his debut on NXT several years ago. A relation of The Rock and part of one of the most famous families Samoa has ever produced, the former member of The Shield was earmarked for success right from the very beginning. Vince McMahon saw it, Triple H saw it and with a little work on his all around game, the fan saw it also. Roman Reigns is the heir apparent to the WWE World Heavyweight Championship and at WrestleMania 31 he will finally climb that illustrious mountain and claim the prize that his cousin The Rock first captured at Survivor Series 1998.

Many believe that Roman Reigns isn’t ready, still, after nearly two and half years in the business. But I couldn’t disagree more on this occasion. Roman Reigns has worked his balls off to stand where he currently does today and deserves everything that is coming his way. WWE’s programming has been building to the rise of a new star for a while and even though their plans were derailed when Roman Reigns was forced to take a leave of absence due to injury in 2014, this is the crowning glory on top of all their plans. However, let’s not get ahead of ourselves, because Roman Reigns, whilst ready, hasn’t been totally thrilling in all of his recent bouts. Leaving 2014 behind, Roman Reigns has been saddled most weeks on Raw with Big Show in matches that didn’t do him any justice whatsoever. His performance in the Royal Rumble was sedated and the only gleaming gem Roman Reigns has had these last few months are his confrontations with Daniel Bryan.

At Fast Lane on February 22nd, Roman Reigns vs Daniel Bryan was the best match on the card despite transpiring at a slow rate for most of its duration. Their confrontations on television before hand were excellent, by far the most convincing brawls in wrestling in a long time. But the big question now, is can Roman Reigns sustain that going into WrestleMania? I truly want to say yes, but there’s something inside me right now doubting whether Roman Reigns can sustain such momentum and have a truly memorable main event match with Brock Lesnar in the main event of WrestleMania. You see, this isn’t me being the pessimist because I know Reigns can put on a hell of a show. All this doubt stems from one place. And that place is WWE’s creative department.

Since splitting from The Shield in 2014 and his feud with Randy Orton later in the year, Roman Reigns has been pitted against wrestlers who WWE would describe to us as monsters. Big Show, Kane, Mark Henry and now Brock Lesnar. With the exception of Daniel Bryan, all of Reigns’ foes have failed to give him a gripping or technically sound match. Now, I know that WWE wanted to pass Reigns off with a Superman aura by dropping big men all over the place, but this has and could still have an adverse effect on Roman Reigns’ performance at WrestleMania. Reigns hasn’t been tested like others before him in technical wars, which means he could struggle greatly to match Brock Lesnar who is verse in any and all forms of fighting.

After all of this hype and build to Roman Reigns big moment, the one thing WWE cannot do now is allow him to take it easy and treat a WrestleMania main event of this magnitude like he’s battling Big Show or Kane on Raw. A percentage of fans have already taken against Roman Reigns thanks to the Royal Rumble and Fast Lane results as well as his stupid comments about fans on a radio show, which WWE really should have guided him through. What would disastrous for Roman Reigns right now, would to be to come this far only to be booked out of the arena on WrestleMania night. Sadly, this is a real possibility because you can never dictate what an audience will do at the best of times, let alone on one of the biggest nights of the years which they spend literally thousands of pounds each on. In essence, WrestleMania is our night and we can make it or break it as we wish.

There’s another thing we’re capable of on a night such as this and it’s changing the rules as WWE have barely laid them out. You see, Roman Reigns is pencilled in to win the WWE World Heavyweight Championship as I write this in February. But WWE will be keeping an eye on his progress and the fan reaction to him on the remaining miles on the road to WrestleMania. If those reactions aren’t favourable, then there’s a massive chance that plans will change and either Roman Reigns will turn heel at WrestleMania on Daniel Bryan who may be inserted into the ending of this match to stop The Authority costing Reigns the gold, or neither Brock Lesnar nor Roman Reigns will walk out Champion at WrestleMania. Because there’s always plan-b.

I can’t shake this feeling that WWE have kept Seth Rollins hanging onto the Money in the Bank briefcase for a reason. We’ve heard him over the last few months spout that there is always a plan-b but I get the feeling he wasn’t talking about himself. He was talking about WWE. Seth Rollins is WWE’s plan-b. He’s the man WWE will look to cash in on Brock Lesnar or Roman Reigns should the plan not be going as WWE wished. That’s the great thing about WrestleMania, there’s always an unknown entity waiting in the wings. Would fans mind if Roman Reigns’ opportunity is stolen away from him at the last minute? Some would. Others wouldn’t care because they feel Roman has been given the breaks that the likes of Dolph Ziggler have worked harder for.

Brock Lesnar was an open book in January 2015. Before his match with John Cena and Seth Rollins which was the best thing about Royal Rumble 2015, there were rumours that Brock Lesnar may shirk extending his contract with WWE amid desires to return to Ultimate Fighting. After Brock Lesnar left the Royal Rumble as WWE World Heavyweight Champion, those rumours grew bigger until WWE could no longer ignore them. Brock Lesnar’s future was a source of debate on Stone Cold Steve Austin’s pod-cast with Triple H as guest. As informative and insightful as he could go, Triple H admitted that he didn’t know if Brock Lesnar would be around his contract expired after WrestleMania, however now it seems that Lesnar will be around for another two years at least amid rumours that he has or will have done by the time you read this, signed a new contract with WWE.

I can’t decide if that’s good news or bad news. It could be bad news for Roman Reigns, because if Brock Lesnar has signed on the dotted line that could mean an extension to his WWE World Heavyweight Championship run came as part of the deal. However, at some point Seth Rollins will cash in his contract and the pair, should Lesnar prevail at WrestleMania, will do battle. The problem with having Brock Lesnar around another two years is that there’s nothing left for him to do in WWE. He has done everything possible which means he’ll be treading water and repeating what he’s already done. Could WWE book a programme between Brock Lesnar and Sting? Maybe, if Sting is willing to put his body in the hands of a man who has been described as careless and brutal in the ring even though the business is predetermined. I have heard numerous wrestlers complain that Brock Lesnar is too rough over the past few years, including John Cena. A man who never complains about anything.

Looking at the available options for Brock Lesnar, I believe a title change is going to happen at WrestleMania. Let’s face it, WWE can’t keep having Daniel Bryan say that he never lost the title and then castigate him on commentary for not defending his title in the time allocated for a wrestler to do so if Brock Lesnar isn’t defending it every month and only appears one every few months as champion. It’s hypocritical and makes members of the WWE Universe mad. This is a sure fire way to turn business away at the door if I ever saw one. The WWE World Heavyweight Championship needs to be the focus of the programme and even though its absence has allowed the United States Championship to take a step forward and take some much needed spotlight, WWE needs it back on a wrestler who is there full time.

Though everything is still up in air concerning the ending to the bout and whether Roman Reigns will walk out champion, I can’t help but think this is thirteen years in the making. Whether you like to believe it or not, the truth is that Brock Lesnar was a star because The Rock helped him to be one at SummerSlam 2002. If it wasn’t for The Rock being so willing to put a new star over that night, Lesnar may have found it difficult to find an audience. It wasn’t guaranteed The Rock would drop the gold as willingly as he did that night, he could have been a diva, insisted the match end on a dq or count out and then vacate the title the next night before leaving for Hollywood. There would have been nothing Vince could have done about it because he wouldn’t have wanted to upset The Rock, with him returning a year later. But he didn’t. The Rock gladly put a brand new star over with all the professionalism he had on the night and it worked. Brock Lesnar has never paid The Rock back for that but WrestleMania 31 could be the night it happens. What better way to give back for that night than willingly putting over Roman Reigns, a new star and a blood relative of the man who helped make ‘The Beast’ a star all those years ago?

Whatever WWE are planning for WrestleMania 31, care and attention is needed. It’s all very well treading a stable path to the event, but one wrong move could be disastrous for the night in question, the participants in the match and the rest of the year. Move one wrong foundation and the Roman Empire may yet crumble in from of Reigns very eyes.

Winners Prediction: Roman Reigns

WWE Intercontinental Championship Match

Ladder Match

(c) Bad News Barrett vs Dean Ambrose vs Dolph Ziggler vs R-Truth vs Luke Harper vs Stardust vs Daniel Bryan

I met the announcement of this bout with both enthusiasm and a degree of confusion. There is no doubt, that the Intercontinental Championship being put up for grabs in what should be one of the most thrilling bouts of the night will be a highlight not just for WrestleMania but also for the lineage of the gold. In recent years it has been forgotten about as a mere time filler, something to throw on the card when you have a spare ten minutes and to the detriment of its holders. Men like Bad News Barrett would have been headline stars by now had this the 1990’s because that was the power the Intercontinental Championship had. Thanks to WWE’s shoddy treatment of the title, no one takes it seriously anymore.

Maybe though, WrestleMania 31 will be the night all of that changes. I would expect the ladder match to go on near the beginning so it doesn’t suffer from a worn out crowd that are recovering from one match and saving their energy for the main event, and should WWE give it ample time to flourish then we could see a resurgence in the gold’s interests. Once an audience who are only caring about to tier stars see what the smaller divisions are capable of, then there should be demand for the title to regularly appear on pay-per view forcing WWE to do something with it. Whilst many don’t believe this will happen, I firmly have hope that WWE must do something with the belt otherwise they face losing it. And after all, this is the year WWE’s resurgence is meant to begin again after WrestleMania’s 30th anniversary. It’s possible they will elevate the title back to where it used to sit.

Whilst there’s no reason for the title not to be one of WWE’s main prizes again, I was deeply shocked at the announcement that R-Truth would be one of the participants in this bout. And it’s the rapping Truth that we shall start with first because apart from the Intercontinental Champion, he was the first name announced for the clash. Now, anyone paying attention to WWE’s product over the last four years will have noticed that R-Truth has done next to nothing of note on the roster apart from job to wrestlers better than him. That was his designated role in WWE and he seemed happy to fulfil it in any way he could. Because as we’ve discussed, anything is better than working for TNA, this would be the result if R-Truth left WWE. Just as Brodus Clay, he looks miserable.

In four years, R-Truth’s biggest participation came in the form of a main event feud with John Cena which came to a head at Capitol Punishment in 2011 in a stagnant and boring outing. Since then, Truth’s turned face and been very low on WWE’s priority list. Some fans had even forgotten he existed as he’s been plying his trade on Superstars and Main Event. It’s fair to say that Truth has been a pointless endeavour in WWE’s crown and that is why giving him a WrestleMania position at this level is all the more baffling. There are wrestlers out there who actually need this spot and have the ability to do something with it. Ryback for example. WWE could have switched the pair and had Truth take Ryback’s place in the second annual Andre the Giant memorial battle royal and vice versa.

When R-Truth pinned Bad News Barrett on the first Smackdown after Fast Lane, it was always apparent that the company were lining him up for yet another push even though he doesn’t deserve it. This close to WrestleMania, they wouldn’t have the Intercontinental Champion lose to a nobody if they weren’t going to set something up for the grandest stage of them all. But that doesn’t have to mean we like it, because the majority of us don’t. I would prefer to see anyone else in this position because the simple fact of the matter is that R-Truth has no future in WWE and therefore it’s wholly unbelievable that Ron Killings will not come out of this match with a victory or a path to walk when it’s all said and done. When WrestleMania is over and we’re looking to Extreme Rules, I’m betting that R-Truth won’t even be in the picture.

Luke Harper has been a no one in WWE since his Intercontinental Championship feud with Dolph Ziggler at the business end of 2014. The former Wyatt Family member hasn’t had the luck or the push that he deserves in WWE since December and is suffering for it. He’s been almost invisible on weekly television battling names who no longer matter in WWE, when he’s booked at all, and his inclusion here seems like an afterthought rather than a plan to ignite his career following WrestleMania. Whilst it’s all about what will happen on the night right now, WWE have to be looking to their post-WrestleMania season and in the months where they cannot count on returning stars to make the money for them, it’s men like Luke Harper who should be at the forefront of WWE’s plans.

Okay, so Harper may not have the looks and build that Vince McMahon would usually choose for a star for his company but the man is an excellent wrestler and for someone of his size, that talent should be guarded with everything WWE have. He’s unnerving and the look in those eyes screams main event talent. Hell, this is a man who has had good matches with John Cena in the past and there aren’t a whole lot of people you can say that about. So why hasn’t he had the luck and push that someone as good as him may usually get? Well the answer to that is simple. WWE have become unimaginative and they have nothing for him to do. That’s a shame because Luke Harper, with a killer storyline could be a massive draw and if he had the Intercontinental Championship in his possession then even better. The title could mean something once again.

So what do I suggest for Luke Harper? This is how WWE would be wise to go forward with Luke Harper in the months after WrestleMania. After WrestleMania, Luke Harper should take some time away from WWE in order to allow fans to miss him and forget about him. It may not be an ideal action because when fans forget about you they generally don’t care anymore. But Luke Harper has something about him that fans want to see. We can spot a great wrestler when we see one. In the meantime, Bray Wyatt would turn face after his victory or loss at WrestleMania to The Undertaker and strange messages would begin to air for Wyatt stating that Sister Abigail isn’t pleased with his behaviour and that he’s betrayed the buzzards.

This could go on for two or three months until Bray Wyatt is either kidnapped on television or Luke Harper is revealed to be his tormentor. Harper would then tease and stalk Bray Wyatt as the pair became involved in a series of creepy mind games leading to a battle at SummerSlam. Now the finer details haven’t been ironed out yet but that is the general gist. Luke Harper vs Bray Wyatt would be massive for both men. Not just because they’d be able to have some excellent matches, but because Harper would be able to take the next step forward following the feud. Something drastic has to be done now, because a talent like Luke Harper is just too good to waste.

If there’s one man I feel sorry for in WWE, it’s Dolph Ziggler. I’ve said this over and over again but nothing seems to be being done about it. For all tense and purposes, it seemed as if Dolph Ziggler would be inserted into a massive storyline when he was the sole survivor of Team Cena at Survivor Series and then fired for his actions. The stage was set for him to do something bigger but when he was reinstated, look what happened. His appearance in the Royal Rumble was a flop. Instead of allowing him a good showing to rid the rumble of The Authority which would have been a good lead-in to any future feud, he was eliminated two minutes after he entered by Big Show and Kane. Then at Fast Lane, he was on the wrong end of the result in the six man tag team match.

It just doesn’t seem as if WWE are bothered about Dolph Ziggler anymore. If they were, they’d have given him something bigger than this to compete in on the night. Don’t get me wrong, even though this is set to be the highlight of the night, what awaits Dolph Ziggler afterwards? Could he really profit from another reign with the title? I don’t think he could. His previous reigns have come to an abrupt end so why should we believe another would go any different? The fans are firmly behind Dolph Ziggler but WWE just don’t seem to want to know, so what can we do to change their minds? On this occasions, nothing. Because unlike Daniel Bryan, Vince McMahon just doesn’t believe in Dolph Ziggler and thus he’s destined to be the man who comes close to the brass again but never again grabs it.

WWE could have altered this. If you cast your minds back to January, Dolph Ziggler challenged Daniel Bryan to a match at WrestleMania on Twitter. WWE could have made something out of this and pitted the pair against each other in singles competition. Daniel Bryan vs Dolph Ziggler would have been stunning bout on the grandest stage of them all, but out of fear that they’d be proved wrong and we’d be proved right once again, WWE ignored that idea even though it was a popular one with those who pay to see the event. It strikes me that WWE haven’t yet realised that if they don’t give us what we want then we won’t buy the event. Dolph Ziggler needs something better and gripping. He can still reach the main event if WWE push him now, but it has to be done quickly otherwise the chance will pass him by.

Dean Ambrose is an enigma to me. One moment he’s riding high in his feud with Seth Rollins and Bray Wyatt and then suddenly the year turns and he’s a minor player in WWE. It looks to me as if WWE have gotten what they wanted out of him and just dumped him like a third wheel. It may be a controversial topic, but I believe that Dean Ambrose deserved the main event spot at WrestleMania and not Roman Reigns. It was ‘The Lunatic Fringe’ who stood in for Roman Reigns when WWE had no one else and this is what he gets in the way of thanks.

You’ll read below why I wasn’t impressed by Dean Ambrose vs Bad News Barrett at Fast Lane, but since then I have been impressed by the passion Dean Ambrose has shown for the Intercontinental Championship. Where others would just fight for the gold when they’re told to, the fact that WWE have had Ambrose and other steal the title really makes it look like an important piece of gold to own. No longer does it seem like the title is just something to be defended when WWE have nothing else to put on a card, once again it’s beginning to resemble something important and that can only be a good thing. But will it benefit Dean Ambrose, who has to be the favourite to leave this match with the gold around his waist?

The answer is, maybe. Dean Ambrose is a great talent and his interest in the title has meant its elevation in recent weeks. If Dean Ambrose scales that ladder and claims the Intercontinental Championship then its vital WWE keep the momentum rolling and don’t stop it dead after the event. Dean Ambrose must defend the title at Extreme Rules and in the weeks between WrestleMania and April’s event other wrestlers must state their desire to hold the crown as they have in the weeks leading up to WrestleMania. If WWE play their cards right then this could be a new beginning for the strap under the guidance of the future of the company.

Stardust was a surprise entrant in this bout for me. I really thought that WWE would have put Daniel Bryan in this bout instead of Cody Rhodes and whilst that still may happen, I’m writing this on March 11th, I just can’t see where the company are going by including the seemingly incompetent Stardust in one of the biggest matches on the card. This may seem unfathomable to some, after all Cody Rhodes has been included in some of the most memorable ladder matches in the last ten years and possesses the undeniable skill to put on a hell of a show here, but just think about what happens if he wins and what that would mean for the Intercontinental Championship.

As Cody Rhodes, Stardust was a flop as Intercontinental Champion on several occasions. There was the one reign where he really looked as if he was giving back something to the lineage of the gold and was credited with re-introducing the old style belt, but then it all went wrong. And I have no doubt that will happen again. Stardust is a bizarre and increasingly frustrating character, I’m even sure that Cody Rhodes is embarrassed to play him. Under the war paint, Rhodes has had some of the worst matches of his entire career as the character doesn’t allow him to express his full arsenal. His WWE Tag Team Championship reign with brother Goldust was terrible as were their matches and his recent feud against Goldust produced a mind numbing, tedious battle at Fast Lane which the fans in the arena couldn’t wait to end. So someone please tell me how Stardust has earned a place in this match, on this night.

Just having Stardust associated with the Intercontinental Championship is damaging to its image right now, when the belt needs something to elevate it into the stratosphere. No one wants to see Stardust compete at WrestleMania and whilst he may very well thrive with other people around him I’m one hundred per cent sure that Daniel Bryan would have been a better option. Had WWE replaced Rhodes with Bryan, it would have done the same for the belt as it has for the United States Championship now John Cena is battling for it. There is no sensible solution for WWE with Stardust. The character has to go and soon if Cody Rhodes is going to make a comeback under his own name and really try to reach the top. Hopefully, by this time next year everyone will have forgotten the name…Stardust.

Bad News Barrett may be the reigning WWE Intercontinental Champion, but his time under the banner of a title is coming to an end. The signs have been there since the very beginning if anyone has cared to read them. Had WWE wanted to make Bad News Barrett their next main priority then it would have done so by now. Instead of pushing Barrett who could have been something huge in WWE, the company have constantly undermined him at every turn and that wasn’t any clearer than at WWE Fast Lane. Now, I predicted that Dean Ambrose would win that match because I saw no future for Barrett as champion as WWE were booking him. But I was wrong. It doesn’t happen every day but now and again I get things wrong.

However, it was the manner in which Dean Ambrose was allowed to walk over Bad News Barrett which alarmed me. Instead of an even and gripping fight, both men seemed to be distracted with something else and though not overtly long, the title match was pointless. Completely set up so Dean Ambrose could steal the title when he lost via disqualification. In turn, that would set up a string of bad luck for Barrett which would follow the event. Firstly he lost to R-Truth on Smackdown and then Dolph Ziggler on the following weeks Raw. I’m sure we’ve all been following Barrett’s decline since then so I’ll skip the rest of this tragedy and move onto the point.

Wade Barrett may have been popular with the fans, but that seems to have disappeared when he went down injured last year. When he came back, there was nowhere near the amount of enthusiasm for him and it showed in both fan reaction and booking reaction. WWE have done a disservice by allowing Barrett to fester when he could have flew. As Intercontinental Champion, I believe Wade Barrett will only further harm the title and his own future. He needs to be taken off of television and made into something better. Something stronger. He needs to be reinvented as top tier star because he’s too good for where he is now and WWE don’t know what to do with him. I have no suggestions for Wade Barrett at time of writing, but I’m sure I’ll have come up with a few if he’s announced for Extreme Rules.

Daniel Bryan is a late addition to this match and though I’m writing little piece on him on March 12th, I believe that he will be the last entrant into the bout otherwise WWE risk overloading the match and the time it would take to showcase each wrestler would detract from the time they would have in the ring on the night. It’s a wise decision to add Daniel Bryan into the mix, after all, what else were WWE going to do with him at WrestleMania? He lost to Roman Reigns at Fast Lane in an excellent bout and after that, everything seemed to cool off for Bryan. Something had to be done before he missed out on WrestleMania completely and that would be a massive injustice.

It’s a comedown for Daniel Bryan, of course it is. Last year, he was competing in one the most memorable storylines in WrestleMania history. His rise to the top of WWE was a momentous and joyous moment in time to behold and one year later, he finds himself way down the card, competing for a title which no one really cares about anymore. But that could all change if Daniel Bryan walks away with the WWE Intercontinental Championship. You see, Bryan has the aura and the skill and the fan base to make this gold important again and it’s almost as if both this and the United States Championship have finally come into Vince McMahon’s priority list, because at WrestleMania 31, when both titles would usually be contested in a pointless mid-card match or relegated from the show altogether, they have major names fighting for them. That’s progress.

The sky really could be the limit for Daniel Bryan as Intercontinental Champion. He’d have ready made feuds with Bad News Barrett, Dean Ambrose and Dolph Ziggler just waiting and if played correctly they could carry him through the rest of 2015. On weekly television, Daniel Bryan could contest gripping fifteen minute bouts with others who wanted to dethrone him before having classics on pay-per view and if Bryan walks away with the gold then the title would be a regular feature on events each month because WWE won’t leave Daniel Bryan out of the mix. Six months of this and no stupid booking could see the Intercontinental Championship return to prominence and then WWE really would owe Daniel Bryan a debt of gratitude.

Whether WWE decide to follow my instructions to remove Barrett from television after WrestleMania and reinvent him as something unforgettable remains to be seen, but either way, at WrestleMania 31 we see a new WWE Intercontinental Champion crowned. It has to happen if the title is going to take a step forward from March 29th onwards. It’s a natural progression and that is the way WWE are going in 2015.

Winners Prediction: Daniel Bryan

Sting vs Triple H

If you listen to Triple H, and many people do, he would have you believe that this match is thirteen years maybe more in the making. For the past month, we’ve heard numerous times about how Sting represents WCW and Triple H is the beating heart of WWE, but do we really need all that for what is, in itself, a dream encounter? You see, this is one of the major problems with WWE in 2015. They over think everything and sometimes it’s not to the advantage of the programming or the fans buying and watching the events. We’d have been just as content had Sting entered WWE to rid the company of The Authority or needing that one dream match to complete an otherwise iconic career. This time, there was no need for a long, complex or overbearing storyline.

But that isn’t how WWE do things and never have. Instead of something refreshingly simple, Triple H and WWE have tried to convince us that Sting has waited fourteen years to try and sink WWE like they sank WCW and defeating Triple H will do that even though there is a lack of stipulations that state the winner will get control of WWE or the fact that even if there was, Sting would have no real claim on the company because it doesn’t belong to Triple H. If Sting really wanted to put WWE out of business as Triple H says he does, Sting would have targeted Vince McMahon and we’d have another invasion angle on our hands which hopefully would be handled much better than the one in 2001. Hell, even that would have been a better storyline than the one we are getting now. But regardless of what story both men are peddling to us, this is WrestleMania and for the first time in 31 years, Sting will compete on the grandest stage of them all.

Like many UK viewers, I watched Fast Lane on Sky 1 because WWE Network wouldn’t let me in again. Actually, I tell a lie. Because after nearly an hour of trying to bypass the error message by holding the X button, what I got was a Fast Lane pre-show which was blurred and buffered even though it was a live stream. So instead of watching it on the Network I tuned into Sky 1 to watch the event because WWE had worked a deal with Sky to allow UK users to watch the event on a free Sky channel instead of making us pay another fee for it on Sky Box Office. It was generous of them. But what else could they do? Demand that even though we subscribe per month, we pay another £19.99 out to watch the even on Sky Box Office even though the fault is on their end? They would have had an uprising.

Anyway, I divert from the point. Re-watching the event, someone poised me a question which I had trouble answering for the first time in a long time. As Sting and Triple H stood face to face in the middle of the ring, the question was asked of what was the better wrestler? At first I was going to say Sting because of his time in the business which has been longer than Triple H’s, but then you have to take into account Sting’s age and Triple H’s physical appearance. I don’t believe that at this time in his career, Sting can out wrestle Triple H in fact I don’t even think he can outshine him with his years of experience. Triple H certainly has the edge and will carry Sting through what should be a historic match. But let’s not count Sting out just yet.

Yes, years of toiling away in meaningless matches in TNA have done nothing for his in-ring skill, but this is Sting and when it really counts he can put on a hell of a show. Even though his age and physical condition will be against him, I believe that Sting has one last excellent match left in him and it will come at WrestleMania. However, that is just one night and the question has been rife ever since Sting signed a WWE contract of what he could in a more long term capacity. It’s a good question. Sting doesn’t have long left as an active in ring wrestler and so WWE need to make the most of their time with him. There’s no doubt in my mind that Sting will retire in WWE but would it be a proper retirement without Sting winning the WWE World Heavyweight Championship first? I don’t think it would. People may say he’s past it but let’s face it, he’s been WCW and TNA World Heavyweight Champion, whether you think it’s right or not, Sting should hold the gold even if it’s only for one month.

As mentioned above, Sting vs Brock Lesnar is a possibility. It would mean that on their contracts, neither would have to be around an extended amount of time and therefore could remain a main attraction for however long they stay around. But in the long term, Sting and Triple H won’t conclude their business at WrestleMania and are likely to do battle again at SummerSlam before Sting does the ultimate honour and provides The Undertaker with his final match at WrestleMania 32. That’s Sting’s path right now and it’s a decent one. If WWE can keep the storyline of Sting trying to get rid of The Authority flowing through to August without Sting being present then fans will buy into Sting’s story. But the big question is who will get to retire Sting when the time comes?

Like The Undertaker’s streak, Sting’s career will end with a bang. Though unlike The Undertaker’s streak, it shouldn’t end to someone who can not profit from such a claim. John Cena would be the likely candidate but then what can he do with the victory? Nothing is the answer to that. WWE needs someone like Bray Wyatt to finish off Sting when it comes and should Wyatt be able to defeat The Undertaker at WrestleMania or even at SummerSlam then it would be a massive springboard from which to launch Wyatt into the stratosphere. But that is in the future and we’re looking to the present.

WWE haven’t brought Sting in to lose. That’s not what he’s agreed to and so ‘The Stinger’ will prevail at WrestleMania one way or another. Maybe that’s Triple H’s role now, putting over younger and older talent to do what’s best for business. Maybe there is some weight behind his claim after all. Sting vs Triple H is momentous and regardless of whether the match is terrible or stunning, fans will love it all the same because it will mark Sting’s first ever match in WWE. That in itself is a WrestleMania moment to hang onto until the end of time.

Winners Prediction: Sting

Bray Wyatt vs The Undertaker

Whether you know it or not, this is a massive bout for WrestleMania even though it’s slightly diminished thanks to Brock Lesnar ending The Undertaker’s streak at WrestleMania XXX. True, it would have meant a whole lot more had the streak been in tact and Bray Wyatt the man picked to end it, but we have to accept that fact that The Undertaker had earned the right to choose who finally put him down and he chose Brock Lesnar. Right decision or wrong decision, it was his right after twenty four years of unblemished service. However, The Undertaker’s choice at last year’s WrestleMania has been covered enough over the past year and so it’s a subject we shall leave alone for now.

However, one last note on the subject is that The Undertaker’s career is coming to end. That is obvious even if nothing else is surrounding Mark Calloway right now. The question however, is when will he finally bow out and leave us with one of the greatest and most memorable legacies in professional wrestling history? If you believe hype and rumour on the internet then it’ll most likely be at WrestleMania 32, though there is a train of thought that tells me that Mark Calloway would rather carry on for five more years and retire at WrestleMania 36 which would be his thirtieth year with the company. He’s been wrestling a lot longer. If the latter is Calloway’s plan then I would question his method greatly.

The Undertaker is a physical wreck, which is common knowledge. Over the past few years he’s been forced to take a whole year away from the ring in order to recover from one match and reliable sources have even stated that Calloway collapsed for real backstage after his bout with Brock Lesnar last year. To me, that doesn’t sound like the actions of a man who can carry on for another five years, even if it’s just one match per year. If The Undertaker is collapsing after matches, having to take a whole year to recover his body and have numerous surgeries just to hold his joints together, then I’m sure you’ll join me in saying that he’s no longer fit to wrestle and the best thing for him and his career would be to bow out this year or next. No one wants to see The Undertaker ruin himself for one match per year and though Mark Calloway is an incredibly intelligent gentleman, I fear that he keeps coming back not for his legacy but for the fans.

Twenty five years after he first walked that aisle at the 1990 Survivor Series, The Undertaker has nothing left to prove to us or anyone else. I would rather see him inducted into the Hall of Fame and wrestle one final, memorable bout as Ric Flair did, or was at least supposed to do, and bow out rather than ruin himself just to keep us happy. That isn’t what wrestling is meant to be about and to be quite honest; I just don’t think The Undertaker has the passion for the business anymore. You may read that sentence and think that I mean this in the worst possible way. But I don’t, in fact quite the opposite. We’ve had the pleasure of The Undertaker for twenty five glorious years. He never faltered, he never jumped ship, he remained loyal to us from the beginning to the end. He’s given us everything he has and if he’s lost the passion for the industry then so be it.

At home, The Undertaker has a stunning wife and a child to spend his days with. He’s a successful businessman, a millionaire and a legend to millions of people. The Undertaker doesn’t need professional wrestling anymore and the industry has coped without him well enough. So maybe it’s time. Time for Mark Calloway to hang up his cloak and allow his legend to rest in peace, because there’s nothing worse than someone coming back year after when its clear they’re not needed. The Undertaker was never that type of wrestler and it would be a sad sight to watch him become it now. At the conclusion of his bout with Brock Lesnar last year, The Undertaker looked a shell of his former self; many predicted we wouldn’t see him in a ring again. They were wrong. I just hope that The Undertaker isn’t wrong about coming back this year. Regrets are the worst things for professional wrestlers to have.

As I write this, there is still two weeks until WrestleMania goes live which means there’s ample time for WWE to add a stipulation to this bout. If The Undertaker is going to call it a day then it would be a wonderful moment in time if he were to put his career up against Bray Wyatt and hand the same courtesy to the future of the business as he did to Brock Lesnar last year. If we’re being honest, wins and losses no longer mean anything for The Undertaker at WrestleMania and therefore he’s got nothing to lose by giving Bray Wyatt a massive victory on the grandest stage of them all. Would that make the fans inside the arena happy on the night? It’s doubtful. They want to see The Undertaker return to form. But sometimes we have to prioritise about what’s best for business.

So what’s next for Bray Wyatt after WrestleMania? Well, that all depends on what happens between those ropes on the night. After suffering a defeat to John Cena last year, I don’t see how Bray Wyatt’s career can take another massive hit. Whilst there’s nothing wrong with losing to The Undertaker on such an occasion, there’s the risk that with another loss Bray Wyatt will become known as the man who just can’t get it done on the main stage. Sure, he can defeat mid-card wrestlers such as Dean Ambrose and Chris Jericho but if Bray Wyatt isn’t seen to be able to beat the biggest and the best when it really matters, then the chances of him ever being pushed further than he is now are very slim indeed.

I don’t want to believe that The Undertaker is selfish. Someone who only puts over his friends when he feels like it but that’s how it could come across if he beats Bray Wyatt at WrestleMania, because every wrestling fan worth their salt knows that bigger and better things lay in wait for Bray Wyatt after WrestleMania, including a main event programme for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Bray Wyatt vs Brock Lesnar could be massive, the two men who defeated The Undertaker at WrestleMania battling for the title. Imagine how that would look. Or even Bray Wyatt vs Roman Reigns for the title. Hell, a three way between Wyatt, Reigns and Rollins would also be good for business. But that all relies on one result and if goes the wrong way, well, Bray Wyatt can kiss goodbye to any hope of climbing that ladder again.

Of course, there are advantages to have Bray Wyatt go over The Undertaker apart from the fact that he needs this to advance his career. I’m sure that the mindless on the WWE.Com forums will saying that Wyatt has no chance and that The Undertaker has the right to beat him, but they’re not looking at the bigger picture. If it’s true about what people are saying about The Undertaker retiring next year at WrestleMania, then what better story to go into the bout with than blaming Brock Lesnar for setting him on a downward spiral? Losing against Bray Wyatt would give The Undertaker all the ammunition he would require to challenge Brock Lesnar to one final career ending bout next year, where ‘Taker would do the one thing he’s never done on a main stage. Defeat Brock Lesnar.

Whatever WWE have planned for this bout, make no mistake it’s a huge moment in wrestling history. It’s past meeting the present and WWE’s chance to prove to us once again that they are serious about leaving what was behind. I would love nothing more to see another Undertaker victory at WrestleMania, but I’m also clever enough to know that things have to change and things have to move on. Bray Wyatt is the future, The Undertaker was the past. Like I’ve said before, follow the buzzards and they will lead us to a better and brighter horizon.

Winners Prediction: Bray Wyatt

WWE United States Championship Match

(c) Rusev vs John Cena

I really would like to believe that this match won’t just herald the rise of Rusev to WWE’s main event picture, but also the night and the moment WWE revise their attitude to sinking a new talent on the iceberg Cena. You see, many people have theorized about this match and putting aside what it means for the United States Championship now a renowned main event talent seems to want the gold more than the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, WWE have the opportunity this year to right the wrong of last year. We all remember John Cena vs Bray Wyatt and the chance WWE had to propel ‘The Eater of Worlds’ into the stratosphere, but refused to take it just to furnish Cena’s WrestleMania record with another victory. That cannot be allowed to happen this year.

On Raw a few weeks ago, Stephanie McMahon strolled out into the ring when John Cena announced that he would compete in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal to announce to John Cena that despite what he believed, he wasn’t the face of WWE and that he wasn’t the be-all and end-all of the WWE Universe. This was refreshing to hear and would have been all the more believable had John Cena not then proceeded to dismantle Curtis Axel in less then thirty seconds. But it set my mind racing as to if they company really meant it and if that small speech heralded a new beginning in WWE.

Though none of us really believe that John Cena is willing to put Rusev over at WrestleMania and WWE creative believe that if John Cena loses his star will fall, which it won’t, there is a chance that we could be wrong. You see, WrestleMania is the night when surprises can happen and miracles can take us by the hand and stun us into silence. Look at last year, Brock Lesnar ending The Undertaker’s streak. No one saw that coming. And that gives me a small glimmer of hope that WWE are actually sensible enough to have John Cena lose this year and hand Rusev the biggest victory of his life on the grandest stage of them all.

I’m not going to get my hopes up, because we did that last year and look what happened. But just think about it like this. What could WWE possibly do with John Cena as the United States Champion? The title is for lower league talent to get a foot in the door on their way up the ladder. If John Cena won the title at WrestleMania then he would have to take a dramatic drop down the roster in order to defend the gold against up and coming talent. Some of whom cannot hold their own and rely on the Champion to carry them through the first stages of a feud. WWE must have realised by now that in thirteen years, John Cena has not made one career and had ruined twice as many. Also, that John Cena just isn’t capable of carrying anyone. Surely WWE wouldn’t be dumb enough to hand the title to John Cena in the knowledge that it would all but sink Rusev.

Another reason I believe that WWE are favouring Rusev this year, is because he’s an excellent talent who they are banking on to reinvigorate their main event scene. What good could possible come of Rusev losing to John Cena right now? Last year, Bray Wyatt’s career took a nose dive because he lost the wrong match on the wrong night. It took almost one year to get Bray back to a position where he could sensibly challenge one of the greatest superstars in wrestling history. All the hard work WWE have done with Rusev over the last year will be unravelled if John Cena is allowed to walk over Rusev at WrestleMania. Plus, who is going to believe that WWE are committed to pushing their future stars if a second falls to John Cena in a second consecutive year? It’s going to look like WWE are prizing Cena over the future of the company. No one can buy into a star or a promotion who doesn’t look like they’re moving forward.

I know it’s unlikely, but if someone from WWE is reading this blog then I implore you not have John Cena go over at WrestleMania. It’s not the right time for Rusev’s winning streak to end. I’m not saying John Cena can’t go over Rusev, because he can and Extreme Rules would be a much better time for him to do so. Just not when it matters most. John Cena can not profit form beating Rusev at WrestleMania and all a result like that can do is damage another thriving and promising career. That WWE are even considering doing this just to keep John Cena happy is pathetic. How far is this going to go? Is John Cena going to be so selfish as to beat every new talent that comes his way thus hindering the progress of the company just so he can stay on top? Or is he going to be a man for once and voice his opinion to WWE that Rusev should go over and his revenge can wait for another day? And before people tell me he doesn’t have that type of power, you’re dead wrong.

John Cena vs Rusev at Fast Lane was really good. In fact it was so good that it was beaten only by Roman Reigns vs Daniel Bryan for quality. For once, it wasn’t just Rusev putting in all the effort as John Cena really gave us a show and his effort was visible from beginning to end and this is just the level of performance that we need to see from John Cena at WrestleMania. Not only must he lose, but to get the respect from the audience which he needs, John Cena really has to help Rusev look a star. He must sell well, time his moves to perfection and most of all not break The Accolade. John Cena’s revenge can and should be kept for another day. I just hope that WWE sees that for once and gives us what we want, when their company needs it.

I’ve been looking on the WWE.Com forums over the past few weeks and something alarming has come to my attention. Instead of focusing on what this could mean for a company the people who post on these forums will be watching long after John Cena has gone, all their bothered about is John Cena. I’ve seen some ridiculous posts from the biggest morons wrestling fandom has to offer but some of the messages on that forum were just ludicrous. People saying that if John Cena wasn’t at WrestleMania then they wouldn’t watch it and that John Cena was the only entertainment in WWE; well I don’t know what they’ve been watching but it’s certainly not the same as everyone else.

Instead of focusing on John Cena, though the crowd will be guilty on the night as always by chanting ‘Let’s Go Cena, Cena Sucks’ which is a chant which once again forgets the opponent by not mentioning their names and just concentrates on people not wanting Cena to win regardless of who his foe is, it’s time we focused on something more. Rusev is the future of this company; he’s an excellent talent and could well be an opponent for Brock Lesnar if Lesnar retains at Wrestlemania. I can easily see both men doing battle at SummerSlam for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship even if that is very unlikely to happen. Putting aside Brock Lesnar, Roman Reigns vs Rusev for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship later in 2015 would be massive for business because it would be two new talents fighting for the company’s top gold and when’s the last time that happened without John Cena, Triple H, Randy Orton or Brock Lesnar in the picture?

The opportunities for Rusev are endless, but he must be allowed to defeat John Cena first. I will accept that WWE want John Cena to come out of this feud as the star he seems to be, but it shouldn’t always have to be at the expense of those WWE will rely upon to supplant him. There are other ways to do this. Let Rusev have his day and hand John Cena an eventual victory at Extreme Rules or Payback, an apt name for a stage on which a feud should end. The most we’ll settle for is John Cena breaking The Accolade as a moment of magic in this match, not a John Cena victory. I’m not paying my money to watch this event to see John Cena win yet again. Like everyone watching WrestleMania with the exception of the women, children and emotionally stunted men, we’re watching to see the future thrive for once and if John Cena does win then I see little hope for the next generation of stars.

Winners Prediction: Rusev

Paige and A.J Lee vs The Bella Twins

Once again, WWE’s divas division has become an enigma to me. For months now, the company have been doing sterling work with their women’s division down in NXT to the point where the likes of Sasha Banks, Charlotte, Bayley and Becky Lynch have put on some of the best matches, male or female, in WWE over the last year. Yet, when it comes to their main roster counterparts WWE doesn’t seem to be able to transfer that quality to those paving the way for those names previously mentioned. I’ve had many people ask me why this is over many months and my answer is always the same. Simply put, divas no longer matter in to WWE’s main roster staff and for them to do so again will take an upheaval in personnel.

So what can WWE do to rectify their female division and get people involved and excited again? Well, it’s going to be a tall order. Firstly, unlike the NXT audience, WWE’s main roster audience aren’t at all bothered about ninety eight percent of WWE’s current divas division. They’ve been jaded and trained to expect short, meaningless matches with no content. In fact I’ve heard the divas bouts referred to as toilet breaks by many people because its time they use to go and make a coffee or empty their bladders. Yet, puzzlingly, a large percentage if not all of the NXT audience view WWE’s other flagships shows on a weekly basis. So why are they more enthused for NXT’s women’s division over their main roster colleagues?

The answer is both simple and on display for everyone to see week in and week out. NXT have taken ample time to develop their women and plot out their matches to precision. Not to mention their women can actually wrestle. Paige and Natalya vs The Bella Twins at Royal Rumble and Paige vs Nikki Bella at Fast Lane were terrible. Slow, boring, uninvolving and pointless. Compare that to the women’s bouts NXT have showcased in that time. Charlotte vs Sasha Banks vs Bayley vs Becky Lynch at ‘NXT Takeover: Rival’ was excellent. Full of drama, near falls, well executed offense and a gripping storyline running through the middle. The same goes for Charlotte vs Sasha Banks on the March 4th NXT. NXT are better and WWE should be striving to improve their divas division for when these women make the leap.

I have been disappointed with Paige over the past two months. As stated, her performances against Nikki Bella and Brie Bella have been way below par for someone who began with so much promise. I know that The Bella Twins border on disastrous inside the ring. They have no flow, rhythm or knowledge of how to execute a gripping bout but Paige does. She’s done it time and time again and WWE needed her to step up to the plate in 2015 and do something memorable with Nikki Bella. But as of yet they haven’t gotten what they want. I can’t put my finger on what’s wrong with Paige. She just doesn’t seem to be trying anymore.

At Royal Rumble Paige looked bored with her current position on the roster and treatment at the hands of WWE. I can’t blame her, she’s been treated shockingly recently and a girl of her skill shouldn’t be jobbing to The Bella’s. But professionals do not allow that to enter into their in ring product. We’ve seen the results of allowing backstage politics into your matches before with men like Tensai and Brodus Clay and its not pretty viewing. When Brodus Clay allowed his treatment to effect his wrestling, it showed on his face. He didn’t seem to care about anything and it’s an attitude he’s taken with him into TNA. I’ve never seen a wrestler look so bored in my life and Paige has to be careful that doesn’t happen to her.

I was expecting something brilliant from Paige at Fast Lane. Finally a chance to get to show what she can do one on one with an inferior talent. But it didn’t happen again. I could have sworn that the Brit was on auto-pilot and it looked as if the pair were working through a routine rather than making it seem spontaneous. Her match with Nikki Bella on Raw, on the night A.J Lee returned to the fold was barely better. WWE are on their way to ruining Paige as a wrestler and a character. She’s gone from face to heel to face in less than a year and hasn’t been allowed to find a steady personality change to hold onto. As if that wasn’t bad enough, her loss record is alarming over the last six months and her constant Divas Championship switch with A.J last year didn’t help either.

But then should we be surprised that Paige has ended up here? We know what WWE does to its women when they have no ideas for them. It buries them deep and only a select few can find their way out again. Paige should be battling for the Divas Championship at WrestleMania, not stuffed in what will be a short, meaningless tag team match which may not even go on in the first place if something overruns as it always does and not just to prolonged a feud which has had its day.

I’m pleased to see A.J Lee back in action. Her absence from the divas division has been more than noticeable these last few months and I’m sure it will give Paige a boost to have her friend and idol back by her side. Let’s face it; it can’t do any harm because as said above, Paige has been drastically under performing. The last time we saw A.J Lee was at TLC when she battled Nikki Bella for the WWE Divas Championship. It was noticeable in December that Lee was carrying some long term knocks that she was having trouble performing around. Her knees were beginning to hurt and she was having some pain in her back and other areas. She had to leave even though it would mean the deterioration of the divas division.

Had Paige carried on in the state she was in, in December then she’d have been a physical wreck by now. WWE didn’t want that because it would have mean and even longer prolonged absence following WrestleMania even if the storyline leading up to the event would have been more solid. Though that wasn’t WWE’s only reason behind the decision. You see, it hasn’t escaped Vince McMahon attention that C.M Punk has recently acquired a new profession in the form of ultimate fighting. Even though Punk is no longer a WWE superstar, that hasn’t stopped Vince McMahon hoping to work with him again one day and allowing A.J Lee time off of television to recover her injuries and be with her husband is an olive branch extended from McMahon to the Punk family. Had he refused her request to walk away, the only thing it would have done was annoy Punk more and put an even greater distance between the parties.

Whilst A.J Lee wants to be with the company and wants to wrestle, Vince McMahon knows that she has to be treated like royalty. Anything else would jeopardise his chances of getting C.M Punk back in the fold and believe you me, McMahon now knows how much C.M Punk is worth. Had fans forgotten him and not been bothered about seeing him again then A.J Lee’s treatment would have been one of punishment for her husband’s actions. But that isn’t the case. Fans have never forgotten C.M Punk and his name can be heard in chants around arenas regularly. A.J Lee is onto a good thing as long as her husband keeps entertaining the idea of returning to WWE in the near future and I wouldn’t bet against the Chicago native being the big name announced for the WrestleMania 32 card in 2016.

What can one do or say about The Bella Twins that is even remotely complimentary? Well, the answer to that is not much. You see, over the last few months, Nikki and Brie have been bounced around the storylines, much like Paige, to the point where no one really cares about them anymore. The writing on the wall was way back at SummerSlam when Nikki betrayed her sister and joined Stephanie McMahon. It was obvious what was coming, though I never expected WWE to switch gears and side Brie with Nikki after what she did. That was just plain stupid and instead of reuniting The Bella Twins, it would have made much more sense for WWE to have Nikki defeat Brie after SummerSlam and instead of Brie becoming her personal assistant for the time period, have the Brie Bella leave the company for several months to build a comeback.

In those months, Brie Bella could have learnt well from her husband and been sent back to development with the aim to brush up her skills for a WrestleMania match with her sister. That would have resulted in Brie being a better wrestler and Brie winning the Divas Championship from her sister on the grandest stage of them all. Now, that would have been a story people could have brought into. The one we’ve been watching for what seems like ever isn’t half as interesting to anyone and I wouldn’t be surprised if this bout is short and met with stunned silence when it goes on at WrestleMania.

There is no future for WWE’s divas division with Nikki Bella as its champion. The Bella Twins aren’t horrible in the ring but they’re nowhere near the standard needed to reinvigorate the female talent on WWE’s main roster. I’ve said this time and time again and I’ll say it now. Nikki and Brie Bella are only where they are on the roster because of who they are romantically linked to. Without Daniel Bryan and John Cena, these women would be nothing in WWE and everyone knows it.

The best thing that can happen to the divas division post-WrestleMania is for Nikki Bella to drop the Divas Championship to either Paige or A.J Lee and allow WWE to sort out the mess they’ve created. The introduction of a new NXT diva to the main roster would be ideal, but only if WWE are willing to give those females who can do the job the time in the ring to pull off something unforgettable. One stunning fifteen minute bout on pay-per view would open the eyes of the main roster crowd to what’s possible and I dare say quell those long periods of silence which seem to greet the current female matches on display.

Winners Prediction: Paige and A.J Lee

Randy Orton vs Seth Rollins

I really don’t want to sit here and say that I was right again, but come on people, look at the evidence. I had Randy Orton vs Seth Rollins written down on this list when Randy Orton returned to the company from filming ‘The Condemned 2’ at Fast Lane in February. It was always on the cards, from the moment The Authority turned on Randy Orton in 2014 and rightly so. After all, when you look at the evidence then only Randy Orton could have been Seth Rollins’ opponent at WrestleMania. Not only were both men fighting to be the face of The Authority, but over the past year, Randy Orton has been instrumental in making new stars for the company.

If you don’t believe me, then let’s take a look back. A trip down memory lane if you like because after all, WWE have done nothing but try to remind us of the lineage of the event for the past three months. Randy Orton’s journey to WrestleMania 31 began all the way at WrestleMania XXX when he lost the WWE World Heavyweight Championship to Daniel Bryan in a thrilling main event. Going into the match knowing that Daniel Bryan had been gifted the honour of winning the belt on such a grand stage could have worked against the match itself. It wouldn’t have been the first time Randy Orton didn’t bother to put in the effort when it was really needed. He’s done it on a number of occasions be they on house show events or television. So the fact the Randy Orton put in a massive effort in order to kick start Daniel Bryan’s reign with such power was a marker of things to come.

On the night, Randy Orton was stupendous. As The Authority’s main man, Orton sold like trouper for Bryan and didn’t bitch and moan about it as I imagine Batista would have done behind closed doors. He was professional and he was enormously important in Bryan’s storyline going into the event. That was just one example of how Randy Orton helped to cement a star in WWE over the past year. Following WrestleMania XXX, Randy Orton was thrown into a storyline with Triple H and Batista as the trio attempted to take out The Shield. What followed were two stunning six man tag team matches which really helped put Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins on the map. The fact that three legends of the business were willing to put them over spoke volumes to the audiences that The Shield was going places.

For those people who haven’t yet seen these matches then search out Extreme Rules and Payback 2014, they are excellent examples of what Randy Orton is capable of when in the right mood. Following the break-up of The Shield, Randy Orton was treated like muck by The Authority but given a mammoth task of readying Roman Reigns for his main event run and his WWE World Heavyweight Championship victory here, at WrestleMania 31. It wasn’t an easy job. In fact it was a mammoth undertaking for Randy Orton because instead of being fed men like John Cena where it didn’t really matter if he put in a great solo performance or not the match was still going to be terrible, he was faced with someone who had the talent but wasn’t quite sure how to use it. Randy Orton had to put in the effort with Roman Reigns otherwise he’d have come across as a selfish and lazy wrestler who wasn’t bothered about helping the future of the company.

It didn’t begin well for Randy Orton with Roman Reigns. Reports of their house show matches flooded in to every wrestling website present on the internet and the news didn’t look good. Randy Orton was chastised and even warned by management to do better with Roman because he was the man who would replace Orton. Their matches had apparently been slow, uninvolving and down right pathetic. Instead of taking Roman Reigns by the hand and taking him through a exciting match every night and let’s not forget that house show matches are all identical because no one in other towns has any way of seeing the bout from the night previous, Randy Orton filled their matches with rest holds which bored audiences. Many were perplexed about why Randy Orton would do such a thing with theories coming to light that maybe Orton wasn’t ready to let go yet and hand Reigns his spot or that Randy Orton just didn’t care anymore.

Though they couldn’t be sure why Randy Orton had underperformed, WWE management gave ‘The Viper’ one last chance to make Roman Reigns a main event calibre star at SummerSlam 2014 when the pair squared off in a singles outing. Orton was given very specific instructions by management as to how they needed Reigns to look at the outcome and under intense scrutiny, Orton performed as well as he ever has. The match wasn’t perfect, but it wasn’t half bad either and more importantly Roman Reigns came out of it looking like a star. The job was done and now Randy Orton was permitted to leave the company to begin filming on yet another WWE Films flop. But not before he laid the foundations for his WrestleMania 31 participation.

Over the last year, Randy Orton has made several stars and was the correct choice to do the same with Seth Rollins at WrestleMania 31. You see, over the last few months, Seth Rollins has been stuck in a rut. Yes, he’s been given the spotlight on several occurrences but WWE seem to believe that as long as they keep him in the public eye, it’s okay to have Seth Rollins lose week in and week out regardless of the damage its doing to his chances of holding the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. At TLC in December, Seth Rollins lost to John Cena. Despite putting in the performance of the night at Royal Rumble, it was Seth Rollins that Brock Lesnar pinned to retain his title when it should have been John Cena. John Cena would not have been hurt by another pinfall loss to Lesnar but Seth Rollins was.

Fast Lane was his only victory on pay-per view in four months and it just wasn’t good enough for someone who will be WWE World Heavyweight Champion by summer. I can see a pattern emerging here. Seth Rollins is Randy Orton six years ago. He has the skill and the talent in bundles but WWE would rather push Roman Reigns as they did Batista in 2009. We all remember Randy Orton being WWE Champion for mere weeks before losing it to Batista. That is what WWE are doing with Seth Rollins. They have two main stars to push, but don’t have the time or patience to simultaneously push them together. And that doesn’t sit well for Rollins who will inevitably be the man who loses out to the bigger Reigns.

Over the past few weeks, Seth Rollins has been involved in some of the worst storylines imaginable. His rivalry with the host of The Late Show was cringe worthy and smelt of sheer desperation. His constant losses to Roman Reigns on Raw have severely brought his star crashing down and even the feud with Randy Orton has seen him embarrassed on several occasions. WWE don’t even trust Seth Rollins to win matches on his own, because they did they wouldn’t have Jamie Noble and Joey Mercury accompany him to the ring. WWE aren’t stupid, despite what they do to convince us they are. They know the impact a dirty victory has on a heel yet they still do it regardless.

At WrestleMania 31, Seth Rollins has to beat Randy Orton. I can’t see it being clean, but it’s what has to happen. Seth Rollins has lost so many matches over the past few months that if he was to lose to Randy Orton at WrestleMania then it would put him back a whole year. I don’t believe that Seth Rollins’ career can withstand another major loss and if he was to look at the lights for Orton then he may as well hand back that briefcase because no one will believe in Seth Rollins as WWE World Heavyweight Champion. But that could all change. All these months of losses could have a positive effect on Rollins especially now Roman Reigns is hearing the jeers from the audience.

I have an unshakable feeling that Seth Rollins will leave WrestleMania 31 as WWE World Heavyweight Champion. Brock Lesnar isn’t booked for the post-WrestleMania season and may not compete again until SummerSlam. The easiest way for WWE to write out his rematch and begin a feud between Rollins and Reigns would be for Roman Reigns to defeat Brock Lesnar for the belt at WrestleMania and then have Seth Rollins cash in his briefcase and defeat Roman Reigns. It’s what needs to happen. That way, Brock Lesnar would not have a solid claim on a rematch and WWE wouldn’t have to pay him to turn up for the next month and their main prize would be contested between two brand new stars. Can you remember the last time that happened?

Whether he likes it or not, this is Randy Orton’s job now. He has to make Seth Rollins and ready him for a run with the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Maybe Randy Orton isn’t in WWE’s main event plans anymore but that doesn’t have to be a bad thing. If Randy Orton can look at Seth Rollins holding the WWE World Heavyweight Championship aloft at the end of the evening and say ‘I helped him do that’, then his input will still be a valuable one and he will have a huge part to play in WWE in 2015, giving back to the industry and readying stars for the future.

Winners Prediction: Seth Rollins

Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal

The Miz vs Curtis Axel vs Ryback vs Fandango vs Adam Rose vs Zack Ryder vs Jack Swagger vs Titus O’Neil vs Darren Young vs Kane vs Big Show vs Eric Rowan vs Damien Mizdow vs Sin Cara vs Goldust vs Heath Slater vs Mark Henry vs Konnor vs Viktor vs NXT Wrestler

As we did for the Royal Rumble, I won’t go through every participant in the second annual Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal because there are so many we’d be here forever. So instead of trawling through everyone which would bore us both, I’ll pick out a select few who may be able to benefit from a win such as this and use it to their advantage in 2015 if at all possible. You see, I don’t believe that after the way WWE treated Cesaro after claiming victory last year that anyone reading this or watching WrestleMania will truly believe that a victory in this bout will do anyone any favours.

If we take a look at where a victory in this very match landed Cesaro last year, countless months spent toiling in the mid-card to no avail before being put in a duo with Tyson Kidd which at the moment is looking super hot, then can WWE really break their trend and push the winner of this year’s match or will they live up to expectation and bury the winner to prove the fans that those we cheer for aren’t worthy of a push, and therefore in their own ridiculous way prove to themselves that the audience don’t know what they want? That question will only be answered in the weeks and months which follow WrestleMania, however if this is going to be a regular occurrence at WrestleMania then WWE will need to do something with the winner before fans treat this as just another run-of-the-mill battle royal to get jobbers on the card.

Ryback is the first pick from the bunch who stands a fair chance of triumphing in the second annual Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal. Since splitting from Curtis Axel who has no future in WWE whatsoever and breaking up the dire Rybaxel team which went nowhere fast, Ryback has flourished as a face in the company and even upped his game to the point where his matches are no longer totally terrible. Ryback has a method to his game now where it’s not just ground and pound though there is a lot of that still going on. Ryback is now getting a hold of the technical side of the business and those in charge have begun to take notice.

Picked to be part of Team Cena at Survivor Series, many could see Ryback’s career beginning to take off again. He’d been stuck in a rut for so long that it was unfathomable to think of him advancing past the tag team division for the rest of his career. It was a breath of fresh air to watch Ryback harness his new lease of life and the storyline with The Authority doesn’t just fall onto anyone’s shoulders. WWE booked that story for three people who they believe they will be able to push in 2015 and it worked. Because after Ryback was fired along with Dolph Ziggler and Eric Rowan for helping Team Cena defeat The Authority, fans really backed ‘The Big Guy’ and for the first time in nearly two years cheered for him.

That’s progress. Though he wasn’t given a big job at Royal Rumble which could have given him even more steam to push ahead, WWE didn’t forget Ryback when it came to Fast Lane where his performance in the six man tag team bout wasn’t brilliant but it wasn’t horrible either. At WrestleMania, Ryback has a massive chance to pave the way for himself in 2015. He has the size and the look WWE want to push into the main event but his all around game needs to be upped. If Ryback wins at WrestleMania then a series against an athletic heel would do him wonders and force him to adapt his game even more, before he’s pushed into a main event feud with either Brock Lesnar or Triple H at SummerSlam.

I’m not banking on WWE doing the right thing with Ryback, but if they do take the risk then surely the rewards will be evident. Who knows, with some investment and serious time put into the character, Ryback could be a contender for WWE World Heavyweight Champion at WrestleMania 32.

Damien Mizdow may not be an obvious choice to win this second annual Andre the Giant memorial battle royal, but he’s certainly going to be one of the favourites on the night. You see, and I don’t say this often, but I was wrong about Damien Mizdow, wrong about the crowd reaction to him and completely wrong about how far it would get him in WWE. Those of you who remember reading my Hell in a Cell Review Corner will also remember me criticising the artist formerly known Damien Sandow for his actions when interviewing The Miz on the Hell in a Cell pre-show. And to be fair, he looked and continuously looks ludicrous. But the fans say otherwise and those are the opinions that really matter.

The reactions to him in 2015 have been just phenomenal, matching those of Daniel Bryan and people like John Cena and Bray Wyatt. Though he stood no chance of winning the Royal Rumble Match, Damien Mizdow was clearly one of the most popular entrants on the night and that reaction to him was not a one off. Every week, Mizdow has been one of the most popular stars on the roster and even though WWE seem like they’re ignoring that response, I don’t believe anything could be further from the truth. Over the past few weeks, The Miz has grown gradually fed-up with his personal assistant / stunt double. To the point where he’s fired him several time only to embarrass him and re-instate him to teach him a lesson.

This is the classic build for star to finally see the light and break out on their own. It’s been noticeable that Damien Sandow has become bored of the treatment at the hands of The Miz and the fans want Sandow to once again branch out on his own, whether that’s a wise idea or not. WrestleMania is the perfect time for Damien Sandow to reclaim his name and get rid of The Miz as a partner and this is how WWE should do it. The Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal boils down to The Miz and Damien Mizdow. The Miz orders his so called friend to eliminate himself so The Miz can win. With the fans chanting for Sandow to finally turn on The Mix, Sandow steps onto the apron as if to eliminate himself and The Miz turns his back, celebrating a victory. Sandow would then ideally re-enter the ring and eliminate The Miz thus winning the bout.

It would be the best possible beginning for Damien Sandow to branch out on his own. He has the skills to prosper if WWE decide to push him and he’s not short of fan support. Unlike Cesaro last year, this win could actually matter for Damien Sandow. A ready made feud with The Miz just waiting and with Money in the Bank right around the corner it could be second time lucky for Sandow who would be a massive fan favourite. Everyone though the die was cast for Damien and that the damage had already been done; I disagree. If Damien Sandow does win this bout, then maybe all the sacrifice and the ill treatment by WWE will have been worth it in the end.

Winners Prediction: Ryback

Thirty one years on and WWE don’t show any sign of slowing down. It’s true that the company have taken a relaxed view to their newer and younger talent in recent years, preferring to allow returning stars such as The Rock to help them sell their WrestleMania buy-rate but this year everything feels different. With the Intercontinental Championship Ladder Match, Bray Wyatt taking on The Undertaker, Roman Reigns set to triumph in the main event and a whole host of other younger talent set to shine, the year after the thirtieth anniversary is set to be where WWE begins again.

I can feel it in my bones people; this is what we’ve been waiting for. WWE are finally ready to cast aside the established talent in favour of its future and it’s about time. This is WrestleMania ladies and gentlemen and it’s a time for miracles to happen and unforgettable memories to be made. So here’s to the future and may it be a bright one.

Onwards and upwards.