WWE WrestleMania 38 Predictions: Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar III, Cody Rhodes, Steve Austin's Return
Scale of 1-10, How Hyped Are You For This Show?
Connor Casey: Being here in Dallas for the show definitely helps, but for the show itself I'm still sitting at around a 6. I was the guy who loudly banged the drum last year about why WWE shouldn't keep doing two-night WrestleManias and one of those big reasons why was because of all the filler. Looking at this show, you could easily cut at least five matches and lose nothing in terms of quality, and that's an indictment of how lackluster the build has mostly been.
There are some matches to look forward to — Styles/Edge, Rollins/Cody, Theory/McAfee, the Raw tag title triple threat and Becky/Bianca should all be great and I'm at least curious to see what they come up with for Reigns/Lesnar. But there's plenty on the card that has me wincing.
Matt Aguilar: You know, I'm actually pretty excited for this card, mostly because it actually looks to payoff some longer feuds and not just match-ups that have come together in the last two weeks, so I'm going with an 8. Now, there are plenty of those mixed in of course, like the Tag Matches and most of the celebrity matches, though even Sami Zayn vs Johnny Knoxville has a bit more length to it than typical of WWE these days. Battles between Becky Lynch and Bianca Belair, Roman Reigns vs Brock Lesnar, and Charlotte Flair vs Ronda Rousey all feel like they've got some weight to them and could pay off with a title win.
While the builds have been rather short for Edge vs AJ Styles and Pat McAfee vs Austin Theory, they should still be entertaining, and the curveball of Stone Cold's return and Seth Rollins' mystery opponent (especially if it ends up being Cody Rhodes) has me intrigued. Sadly the Tag matches got the short end of the development stick, and if Rhodes doesn't happen it will be a bummer, but overall I'm more hyped for it than I thought I would be just a month ago.
Evan Valentine: I wish I was more excited at this point to be honest, I would give my anticipation rating at a 5. We've seen Reigns and Lesnar before and a lot of the matches seem like retreads, with those that aren't injecting various celebrities into the proceeding. I'd say I'm most excited to see a potential match between Owens and Austin but I think at most we'll see a well-delivered Stunner and then move on.
Nick Valdez: Honestly? A lot more hyped than I'd thought I'd be, so I'm sitting at 8 right now. There are stories I'm really invested in and can't wait to see play out. There are some stinkers, but that's par for the course every year so I'll take the win here.
Tim Adams: I'm hyped enough that my wife and I planned an out-of-town event and I didn't even realize it was on the same weekend as WrestleMania. Granted, I'll still be sneaking away to stream on my phone or tablet Saturday and Sunday night. I'm a fan of the two-night Manias, if only to not make Sunday night take forever. As down as I am on the WWE product, they still manage to build a compelling WrestleMania card with big-time matches, celebrities, and returning legends.
Christian Hoffer: I'm thoroughly underwhelmed with WWE's booking right now and that has really hampered my excitement for Wrestlemania. There's too many celebrity matches, too many retreads of matches we've seen before, and not a lot of intrigue for what's supposed to be the biggest weekend in wrestling. I'm at a 3 right now, although I think low expectations will make it easier for me to come away from the weekend feeling more satisfied and generous as a result.
Will WWE Get It Right With Reigns vs. Lesnar III?
Connor: I honestly have no idea. My initial reaction is to say yes given Paul Heyman's involvement and Lesnar's babyface run being the most fun he's been in years. But at the same time, every singles match these two have had has ranged from "meh" to resoundingly loathed. A lot of this can be salvaged if we get some sort of appearance (in-person or virtual) from Dwayne, but I'm not expecting anything from the match itself that we haven't already seen.
Matt: A bunch of haters! WWE hasn't really gone wrong yet with this feud, and the only time it took an odd swerve was due to COVID and injuries. The matches themselves are only really part of the story, so as long Reigns holds the title (or both) by the end and give some sort of story payoff, that will be enough to 'get it right'. Reigns' title run has been fantastic, and I don't think it should be Lesnar to knock him down from his lofty perch.
Evan: I'd say I'm biased on this one as I think Reigns' reign has gone on for far too long at this point, so if Brock is able to win, then I'd give it a yes. I honestly believed this 'Mania was going to be Reigns and his cousin Dwayne going at it, with The Rock being the one to finally knock Roman out of the running.
Nick: I don't know because I don't know what "right" actually is! I, very much, would like to see "God Mode" Reigns carrying two title belts for a while, but I also really like this version of Brock. I wouldn't necessarily mind either outcome since both make sense to me now, but I guess all I can definitively say is that as long as there's an actual finish, WWE has done its job here.
Tim: In one word: No. It also depends on your definition of "Getting it right." Reigns or Lesnar winning feels like it could work in either scenario, with babyface Brock conquering Reigns, and Reigns cementing his legacy as the Head of the Table... at least until he faces The Rock next year.
Christian: I was at the last WrestleMania where we saw Reigns vs. Lesnar and it was about as blah of a finish as you could get, even though it was "unexpected." As long as this marks the end of the Reigns/Lesnar feud, I'll be happy. I like these versions of Roman and Brock, but they've sucked all the air out of the room with both world titles wrapped up in their story and other top-tier wrestlers getting tossed aside to further their feud. At this point, I don't care what the ending will be – just make it stop and let the company move on, please!
What Are You Expecting From Steve Austin's Appearance?
Connor: The bell will never ring, but we'll get Austin battering Owens around the ring before nailing his greatest hits — stomping a mudhole, an elbow drop, Lou Thesz press and a Stunner. It'll walk right up the line of being a match without actually being a match, so don't expect Austin to take any bumps but send the crowd home happy.
Matt: He's been giving the impression that he's going to do more than just give a promo in interviews, so it seems like we might get both delivering Stunners by the end of it. Maybe a little more, but obviously nothing that would put Austin in any danger, and if it delivers that fans will be more than happy.
Evan: Most likely, I think it'll be a heated back and forth that leads to Stone Cold delivering a stunner to Owens and putting the rivalry to bed. Maybe the inclusion of another surprise "old-timer" for good measure.
Nick: Aim low, so everything else seems high, right? I just want to see Stone Cold doing Stone Cold things. He's just got to cut a promo on Owens, get a Stunner in, and do the standard rigamarole to make me happy. Anything more is just icing, baby.
Tim: A fun promo and a minor physical altercation. Oh, and we can't forget dueling Stunners and Steve Austin celebrating by catching Steve-weisers tossed to him from ringside. The live audience will eat it all up, and the online audience will mark out as well. Everybody wins in the end.
Christian: What I'm expecting is Stone Cold coming in, making Owens look like a nerd, and then ending the show by guzzling some beer on top of Owens' fallen body. What I'd LIKE to see is for Austin to somehow put Owens over and help launch Owens back into top heel territory. It'll never happen, but imagine if WWE kept to its usual booking of having hometown heroes lose by having Owens beat down Stone Cold in Dallas to end Night 1 of Wrestlemania. The heat! Think of the heat!
Cody Rhodes — How Do You Think They've Handled His Situation?
Connor: Well, it has definitely gotten people talking. I've come around to the idea of not having him appear until WrestleMania itself and Seth is a great first matchup, but I'm not crazy about Vince McMahon getting involved and personally selecting him as Rollins' opponent. I want them to use the real-life story when it comes to Rhodes — he wanted to change the wrestling world and he succeeded, but now it's time for him to try and change WWE.
Matt: Genuine surprises are hard to come by these days, and by the way, we're part of that equation. I didn't hold it against anyone when Ronda came back at the Royal Rumble or when CM Punk debuted in AEW, as both were known forever it felt like, so same here. I tend to be of the mind that spoilers provide more interest than not, and I'm hyped to see if he actually shows up. Far more hyped than if it was Rollins vs a surprise opponent and the Rhodes buzz wasn't there.
Evan: It's a terribly kept secret that Rhodes will be facing Seth Rollins at 'Mania and I definitely think it could have been handled with a bit more "surprise factor" when it comes to Cody's debut. Injecting him into a title match somehow might have been the best way to go.
Nick: My only issue is that Seth's journey to WrestleMania has been such a great late in the game story that making Cody his opponent doesn't really make sense. If that's truly the case, and all of those reports come true (as nothing is real until it is!), there's no payoff to the build. If I didn't see all the reports, there would be nothing to make me think the mystery opponent was Cody. Beyond that, if he's doing something else...where could you even put him? There's no opening yet.
Tim: I am surprised they've held off on the big reveal for WrestleMania. WWE probably remembers the huge pop the Hardy Boys got a couple of years ago when they returned and won the tag team titles. Seth Rollins has been carrying this entire feud on his back and has been excellent as always. It feels like the actual match will be an afterthought, with Cody's debut being the big hook, similar to Austin/Owens.
Christian: They've done about the best they've could given the situation. The silliest part about all of this is imagining a world where Seth Rollins wasn't at Wrestlemania. I think that how Cody Rhodes is presented once he's at Wrestlemania will make all the difference in how this story pays off. Cody made a name for himself outside of the WWE and if he's given the Drew McIntyre treatment, then I think it'll be one of the weekend's feel-good moments.
McAfee, Paul or Knoxville — Which Celebrity Will Have the Best Match?
Connor: McAfee, and it won't be close. Pat's two matches in NXT were both great because he was always surrounded by veterans and, though his goofy persona somewhat masks it, Austin Theory is an outstanding in-ring talent (go watch his match with JD Drake from Evolve 131 if you need proof). He'll bump like a madman for McAfee just like Adam Cole did and they'll come away with a fun 15-minute match.
Knoxville will do some crazy bumps but his match with Sami likely won't amount to much more. I don't have much faith in Logan Paul pulling a Bad Bunny and stealing the show in his tag team match, but I expect it to be passable.
Matt: This one is easy for me. It will be McAfee. He's already delivered two really good performances in NXT, and those included some bigger and more difficult spots. Paul's athleticism and the fact that he's got Miz to work with should help him to a solid match, and the sheer ridiculousness of Knoxville vs Zayn should make up for the actual match quality. That said, McAfee all the way.
Evan: I'm still blown away by how much Bad Bunny was able to give in the ring during his last PPV appearance, so these three have a high hurdle to jump over if they want to hit that level. While I'm looking forward to the Knoxville/Zayn match the most as I think that will hands down be the most entertaining, I think McAfee is going shine the brightest here.
Nick: This one's tough honestly. McAfee has already proved his mettle with NXT, so I have no doubts that his match is going to rule. That being said, there are bound to be tons of fun shenanigans between Knoxville and Zayn (and hopefully cameos from the rest of the Jackass crew?). As for Logan Paul, he seems to be involved in a bigger capacity than ever before and he hasn't really looked bad in what he's done on Raw so far. After Bad Bunny the caliber for these celeb matches has gone up a tier, so I'll just put my vote with McAfee to be safe. His will have the least distractions from his physicality in ring, so he's bound to really go for it.
Tim: McAfee since his is the only one that will resemble an actual match. The others will be entertaining for their fanbases, I'm sure, but I have no interest in them at all. But WWE will get their big social media moments and blurbs on the sports/news websites.
Christian: McAfee, no question. The dude has proven he's a legit star inside the ring down at NXT and I'm excited to see what he does on an even bigger stage. I'm looking forward to the Zayn/Knoxville match for what it'll be – 10 or so minutes of Jackass-esque shenanigans, but McAfee's going to have the best match in terms of pure wrestling content.
Which Match Steals The Weekend?
Connor: Something from GCW probably! Kidding, kidding... It'll either be Edge/AJ or that Raw tag title match.
Matt: It will likely be Becky Lynch vs Bianca Belair, from both an in the ring and storytelling perspective. We saw what Sasha Banks and Belair did together last time around, and while Belair's story with Lynch had a bit of a rocky and controversial start, the two have managed to showcase the animosity they have for each other in recent weeks, and they've got killer chemistry in the ring. If Belair wins this will be a storybook moment for her, and fans are invested in seeing her climb the mountaintop. There are some great matches on the card, but if done right, this one will be one fans remember.
Evan: I'll agree with Nick here almost to a T, though I might give Edge and AJ a bit of an edge, pun intended, against Belair and Lynch.
Nick: Wow, this is legitimately a tough one as there are a few matches that I'm rooting for. But I think overall, Bianca Belair and Becky Lynch really has the potential to bring the house down. Edge vs. AJ Styles is close.
Tim: I'll go Bianca Belair vs. Becky Lynch. Hopefully, this is the payoff to Bianca losing the women's title in 30 seconds. They both have the talent to put on a match of the night, and should be afforded the time to really work. Edge vs. AJ Styles should be impressive as well.
Christian: I'm actually going to go with the Raw Tag Team Title match. All three tag teams are excellent and have lots of history with one another. Montez Ford and Gable are both legit stars that deserve so much more and they could both benefit from having the spotlight for a moment. Plus, the Riddle/Orton storyline is probably the longest continuously running storyline that the WWE has at the moment, so we could finally see that singles feud get started.
Does The Rock Make Any Sort of Appearance to Tease WrestleMania 39?
Connor: I'd love it, but I think they hold off until later before kicking that storyline into high gear.
Matt: I think The Rock is shaping up to be his WrestleMania 39 opponent, but just from a practical standpoint, I don't know how you launch that this early with Rock's hectic schedule. A bit closer to time I would expect that story to gear up, maybe even starting on social media, but this far out? I just don't know.
Evan: I don't think so. I think that if he were set to have any sort of appearance at WrestleMania, it would be hyped long before the actual event were set to take place and not made a secret. I think if he were to be a part of the night, it would be in a full match and he'd get headliner status at this point.
Nick: I hope not! If Reigns wins, let him enjoy his win! If Brock wins, let me stew in the rage.
Tim: Nah. Plus why tease something a year away? I know WWE did that with Rock/Cena but the company will want to give all the attention to the conquering superstar (Reigns or Lesnar) with tons of pyro to end the show. If The Rock showed up then fans would expect him on that week's Raw or SmackDown, which is unlikely to happen.
Christian: As much as I'd love to see the Rock return to Wrestlemania, I think there are too many moving parts for him to commit to a WWE storyline at the moment. I know the end game is for a Roman vs. Rock match, but I don't think the WWE pulls that trigger until they know for certain that he won't have a movie filming next spring.
Which Night Will Wind Up Outshining The Other?
Connor: Night Two. There are some gems on Saturday night but they'll be weighed down by filler.
Matt: I think Night One is the stronger night. Night Two will have its shining moments too, but Night One has two big-time Women's Championship matches, a Stone Cold return, and the possibility of Seth Rollins vs Cody Rhodes. I think the moments in Night One will end up shining brighter.
Evan: I think Saturday has more matches that have the ability to really bring down the house, despite not having the "show stopper" that is Roman and Brock facing off against one another. The introduction of Cody Rhodes on Saturday, potentially, is also a potential key moment for the PPV.
Nick: Sunday has some big-name matches, but Saturday is packed with a ton of potential match of the weekend contenders. Much better odds for the better night.
Tim: Saturday night is much more appealing to me overall. Both women's titles on the line, Cody's debut, Austin and Owens. The only thing Sunday night has that's appealing is AJ Styles vs. Edge and Brock vs. Roman.
Christian: Each night has four matches I'm excited for, but I think that Roman/Brock and AJ/Edge has a slight edge over Cody/Seth and Becky/Bianca in terms of sheer star power. However, Saturday has been the better day since WWE started their two-day Wrestlemania weekend and I think that the energy in the building will be better for that night. Ultimately, people will probably be happier about whatever happens on Saturday than on Sunday, so I'll go with that.
Predictions
Connor:
- WWE & Universal Championships: Roman Reigns def. Brock Lesnar
- SmackDown Women's Championship: Ronda Rousey def. Charlotte Flair
- Raw Women's Championship: Bianca Belair def. Becky Lynch
- Raw Tag Team Championships: RK-Bro def. Alpha Academy, Street Profits
- SmackDown Tag Team Championships: The Usos def. Shinsuke Nakamura & Rick Boogs
- WWE Women's Tag Team Championships: Sasha Banks & Naomi def. Carmella & Zelina Vega, Rhea Ripley & Liv Morgan, Natalya & Shayna Baszler
- Edge def. AJ Styles
- Pat McAfee def. Austin Theory
- Johnny Knoxville def. Sami Zayn
- Rey Mysterio & Dominik Mysterio def. The Miz & Logan Paul
- Drew McIntyre def. Happy Corbin
Matt:
- WWE & Universal Championships: Roman Reigns def. Brock Lesnar
- SmackDown Women's Championship: Ronda Rousey def. Charlotte Flair
- Raw Women's Championship: Bianca Belair def. Becky Lynch
- Raw Tag Team Championships: RK-Bro def. Alpha Academy and Street Profits
- SmackDown Tag Team Championships: The Usos def. Shinsuke Nakamura & Rick Boogs
- WWE Women's Tag Team Championships: Sasha Banks & Naomi def Queen Zelina & Carmella, Rhea Ripley & Liv Morgan, & Natalya & Shayna Baszler
- Edge def. AJ Styles
- Pat McAfee def. Austin Theory
- Sami Zayn def. Johnny Knoxville
- Rey Mysterio & Dominik Mysterio def. The Miz & Logan Paul
- Happy Corbin def. Drew McIntyre
Evan:
- WWE & Universal Championships: Brock Lesnar def. Roman Reigns
- SmackDown Women's Championship: Ronda Rhousey def. Charlotte Flair
- Raw Women's Championship: Becky Lynch def. Bianca Belair
- Raw Tag Team Championships: RK-Bro def. Alpha Academy and Street Profits
- SmackDown Tag Team Championships: The Usos def. Shinsuke Nakamura & Rick Boogs
- WWE Women's Tag Team Championships: Sasha Banks & Naomi def Carmella & Zelina Vega/Rhea Ripley & Liv Morgan/Natalya & Shayna Baszler
- Edge def. AJ Styles
- Pat McAfee def. Austin Theory
- Johnny Knoxville def. Sami Zayn
- Rey Mysterio & Dominik Mysterio def. The Miz & Logan Paul
- Drew McIntyre def, Happy Corbin
Nick:
- WWE & Universal Championships: Roman Reigns def. Brock Lesnar
- SmackDown Women's Championship: Ronda Rousey def. Charlotte Flair
- Raw Women's Championship: Bianca Belair def. Becky Lynch
- Raw Tag Team Championships: RK-Bro def. Alpha Academy and Street Profits
- SmackDown Tag Team Championships: The Usos def. Shinsuke Nakamura & Rick Boogs
- WWE Women's Tag Team Championships: Sasha Banks & Naomi def. Carmella & Zelina Vega, Rhea Ripley & Liv Morgan, and Natalya & Shayna Baszler
- Edge def. AJ Styles
- Pat McAfee def. Austin Theory
- Johnny Knoxville def. Sami Zayn
- Rey Mysterio & Dominik Mysterio def. The Miz & Logan Paul
- Drew McIntyre def. Happy Corbin
Tim:
- WWE & Universal Championships: Roman Reigns def. Brock Lesnar
- SmackDown Women's Championship: Charlotte Flair def. Ronda Rousey
- Raw Women's Championship: Bianca Belair def. Becky Lynch
- Raw Tag Team Championships: Alpha Academy def. RK-Bro and Street Profits
- SmackDown Tag Team Championships: The Usos def. Shinsuke Nakamura & Rick Boogs
- WWE Women's Tag Team Championships: Rhea Ripley & Liv Morgan def. Carmella & Zelina Vega, Sasha Banks & Naomi, Rhea Ripley & Liv Morgan, and Natalya & Shayna Baszler
- Edge def. AJ Styles
- Austin Theory def. Pat McAfee
- Sami Zayn def. Johnny Knoxville
- Rey Mysterio & Dominik Mysterio def. The Miz & Logan Paul
- Happy Corbin def. Drew McIntyre
Christian:
- WWE & Universal Championships: Roman Reigns def. Brock Lesnar
- SmackDown Women's Championship: Ronda Rousey def. Charlotte Flair
- Raw Women's Championship: Bianca Belair def. Becky Lynch
- Raw Tag Team Championships: Alpha Academy def. RK-Bro and Street Profits
- SmackDown Tag Team Championships: Shinsuke Nakamura & Rick Boogs def. The Usos
- WWE Women's Tag Team Championships: Sasha Banks & Naomi def. Carmella & Zelina Vega, Rhea Ripley & Liv Morgan, and Natalya & Shayna Baszler
- Edge def. AJ Styles
- Pat McAfee def. Austin Theory
- Sami Zayn def. Johnny Knoxville
- Rey Mysterio & Dominik Mysterio def. The Miz & Logan Paul
- Drew McIntyre def. Happy Corbin
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