I have been known to make some really good predictions for Mania. I predicted that Charlotte would end Asuka’s streak. I predicted that Matt Hardy would win the Battle Royal. I predicted that The Iiconics would win the 4 way tag team championship match.
So obviously I need to make predictions for this year’s Mania as well. I discuss them on the NerdyDan Postcast. However, I am also writing them out here. You can leave me a voice message on anchor if you have comments about the predictions or you can leave comments here.
Day 1:
WWE Championship — Bobby Lashley (c) vs. Drew McIntyre:
This is a tough match to predict. But Drew McIntyre had his “Wrestlemania moment” already. Bobby Lashley has not. If this is the era of the almighty, Bobby Lashley should be able to have his win. So Lashley retains.
SmackDown Women’s Championship — Sasha Banks (c) vs. Bianca Belair:
Sasha Banks has held the title a while now. The EST of the WWE is getting a push. I believe she will win and take the title.
Bad Bunny & Damian Priest vs. The Miz & John Morrison:
Damian Priest is getting a push with this match. The Miz and Morrison will help that happen. I say Priest and Bad Bunny win.
Cesaro vs. Seth Rollins:
With the face turn that Cesaro has taken, I think this is part of a push for him. So I think he defeats Rollins and continues to get a push.
Shane McMahon vs. Braun Strowman (Steel Cage Match):
This match is set up for Braun to win, which immediately makes me wonder what kind of swerve will be taking place. A cage match means no DQ. So Shane can have surprises waiting for Braun, including run-ins by Elias and Ryker. That being said, because Braun had to deal with getting slimed, I believe he gets his revenge and gets the victory.
Raw Tag Team Championship — The New Day (c) AJ Styles & Omos:
This match smells of the typical formula. Omos destroys members of the New Day prior to the match. New Day find a way to “slay Goliath” and retain their championships. So the New Day win. (I also am predicting a lot of title changes, so I have to find some matches where the champs retain).
Naomi & Lana vs. Mandy Rose & Dana Brooke vs. The Riott Squad vs. Natalya & Tamina vs Billie Kay and Carmella (Tag Team Turmoil):
I shocked a lot of friends being right about The Iiconics winning the belt previously. Clearly, they can’t win this time. It is very tempting to pick Natalya and Tamina to win this, especially with the DQ win she had over Jax. That being said, making bold predictions is what I like to do. Naomi is a solid talent who hasn’t had a belt in a while. Lana is the best, Lana is #1. (Clap clap). So, I am going to be bold and say that Naomi and Lana move on to the next night.
Day 2:
Universal Championship — Roman Reigns (c) vs. Edge vs. Daniel Bryan:
How do you pick this match? Three hall of fame wrestlers battling it out for the WCW championship, um, I mean the Universal Championship. (I will talk about that a little bit more on the podcast). First you have Daniel Bryan. Under kayfabe, he should have won the belt if not for the referee not being able to see the tapping out. However, just like against Owens, Reigns was able to survive what should have been a loss and make it a win. That’s what great champions do. Reigns has held the title for a while. One might think it is time for him to drop the belt. However, when everyone had Reigns winning the belt against Lesnar at a previous Mania, I predicted Lesnar would retain, and he did. And then there is Edge. The comeback that had many adults in tears. Hell, it had edge in tears. He then lasts the entirety of the Royal Rumble and pulls off the victory, earning him a shot on the grandest stage of them all. I honestly think Daniel Bryan is a distraction and is unlikely to win the match. However, pinning him allows the other guy to say “but I never lost this match” thus setting up rematches and possibilities for furthering the storyline. And I think that storyline is best served with Edge winning the belt, and defending it against Reigns at Money in the Bank. Perhaps allowing Bryan to win the Money in the Bank briefcase and cash in at Summer Slam. (Ok, so this prediction has a lot of moving parts, but the only part I am counting is Edge winning, with maybe a bonus point of him pinning Bryan.
Raw Women’s Championship — Asuka (c) vs. Rhea Ripley:
One might be hesitant to say that Ripley gets a win here. It is very soon. Then again, it was very soon for her to get a match at Mania to begin with. I believe she gets pushed her and gets the title.
“The Fiend” Bray Wyatt vs. Randy Orton:
Are they really trying to do something with Bray Wyatt here? If he is truly “coming back from the dead” he has to win this match. Some of the decisions they have made with Wyatt have not made much sense though, so even though I am predicting he will win, I am probably the most unsure about this prediction.
Intercontinental Championship — Big E (c) vs. Apollo Crews:
This is basically a no rules street fight. While I think there will be roadblocks put in the way of Big E, and it will be a hard fought win, I still believe he will retain. I don’t believe they waste this push for Big E just to hand it over to Crews. So I predict Big E will retain.
Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn:
How weak can they make Sami Zayn? How far off the main card lineup can they make KO (after having recently fought for the Universal Championship)? That’s the question here. I think KO is more likely to come back from a loss here than Zayn. So if they really want to do something with him, I believe they have to make him win. If they don’t allow him to win, they are just relegating him to jobber status. I don’t think they want to do that with him. So Zayn wins.
United States Championship — Riddle (c) vs. Sheamus:
This is another one of those matches where I feel it is less about the matchup and more about the fact that they won’t have too many titles changing hands in one PPV event. I do think Riddle wins a hard fought match and further solidifies his spot as the US Champ.
Women’s Tag Team Championship — Nia Jax & Shayna Baszler (c) vs. TBD:
I am tempted to wait to make this prediction until after the tag team turmoil match. I have made a prediction there. But even if they dont win, I believe that whoever wins that match will win the belts so I am saying Jax/Baszler lose.
WHAT ABOUT JOHN CENA?
Two of the last 3 years I correctly predicted what would happen with John Cena. What will happen with him this year? I will talk about that, on the podcast too! So tune in!