The biggest show of the year is this Sunday. A whopping 11 matches are set to take place between the Kickoff Show and the main card. Will WWE WrestleMania live up to its name or fall flat?
Kickoff Match: Kalisto vs. Ryback (United States Championship)
Twitter @WrestleManiaThe build to this contest has not been stellar and Ryback has fallen flat as a bad guy, but the match has potential. Is it going to be the continuation of a Cinderella reign, or will Ryback prove that big men are better than little men? It's tough to say, but the U.S. Title really needs to get some momentum behind it again and changing hands may help.
Kickoff Match: The Total Divas vs. B.A.D. & Blonde
Twitter @WrestleMania
In a match that was spawned from random attacks by Lana on Brie Bella, 10 women will battle in what is likely to be a largely meaningless contest. There are good wrestlers on both sides, but with Total Divas having trouble with TV ratings and the Divas Title possibly being retired, it might spell disaster, even with Eva Marie on the Total Divas team.
Kickoff Match: The Usos vs. The Dudley Boyz
Twitter @WrestleManiaMuch like the other two matches, this has found its way to the Kickoff instead of being on the main card due to shoddy build and lack of fan interest. It will surely be a good match and worthy of being part of the free broadcast to hype the show, but the Dudley Boyz' heel turn has been less than exciting and it may be time for The Usos to go bad themselves.
The New Day vs. The League Of Nations
Twitter @WrestleManiaIn a match that is inexplicably not for the Tag Team Championship, the freshly turned babyface New Day will take on the solid but unspectacular League of Nations. You'd think with all of the talk about the "Freebird Rule" and the trio inducting that actual group of men into the Hall of Fame, they would go all out and make this a 4-on-3 Tag Title match. It's not, but it will still be a good one.
Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal
Twitter @WrestleManiaWWE shuffled the card just a bit this week and the battle royal is now set to be on the main card instead of the Kickoff. That may be a good sign that WWE wants the return of Cesaro to be a bigger deal, and doing it on the actual show instead of beforehand will help create a buzz. There's no guarantee that he is returning, but reports say that he is out of his sling and in Dallas. Can he repeat his victory from two years ago?
AJ Styles vs. Chris Jericho
Twitter @WrestleManiaIn a feud that was built very well but slightly went off the tracks over the past two weeks, Jericho and Styles will settle the score in their fourth and likely final match. AJ Styles has won two out of three and one more win would be another big step in solidifying Styles as a real player in WWE. Plus, being that it is WrestleMania, these men may pull out all the stops and create the match we all know they can.
Ladder Match: Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. The Miz vs. Sin Cara vs. Zack Ryder vs. Stardust (Intercontinental Championship)
Twitter @WrestleManiaIt's disappointing that WWE has decided that instead of trying something more meaningful, they would rather book a multi-man ladder match with the IC Title on the line. They have recently put more emphasis behind the importance of the belt, and while it's great that Zack Ryder is getting a spot on the card, fewer men in a less dangerous match would have been more appropriate. It will still be good but the risk is higher than the reward.
Charlotte vs. Becky Lynch vs. Sasha Banks (Divas Championship)
Twitter @WrestleManiaThis may be the last time the Divas Title is ever defended and what a way for it to go out if that is the case. The rumors of a newly branded Women's Title makes this match that much more significant. If they get some time to do their thing this will be a very good match, very likely the best women's match in WrestleMania history. All three women have a pretty even chance to win, but Sasha Banks feels like the favorite.
Hell In A Cell: Shane McMahon vs. The Undertaker
Twitter @WrestleManiaThe bottom line for the storyline is that Shane thinks Undertaker is a female dog, Undertaker shares that sentiment toward Shane and the winner gets a prize while the loser goes home. If Shane O Mac wins, he gets control of RAW (maybe all of WWE) and Undertaker is done with WrestleMania (but not necessarily WWE as a whole). If the result is the opposite, Shane goes away and Undertaker keeps his ability to appear at WrestleMania.
No Holds Barred Street Fight: Dean Ambrose vs. Brock Lesnar
Twitter @WrestleManiaDean Ambrose is good at taking a beating. His whole schtick has become getting beat up and then getting back up so he can get beat up again. That's been the case with his feud with Lesnar. The match promises to be out of control, and not only does it have the chance to steal the show at WrestleMania, but we could have a potential Match of the Year candidate staring us in the face. It would be even more amazing if Ambrose can find a way to win.
Triple H vs. Roman Reigns (WWE World Heavyweight Championship)
Twitter @WrestleManiaSpeculation is that this match will happen at some point earlier on in the show while the Hell In A Cell match takes top billing and ends the night. That doesn't make sense from multiple standpoints (which you can read about here on Rant), and the World Title should generally take precedent over anything. The match should be a good one, but the interesting thing here is going to be the crowd reaction. It's worth watching for that reason alone.
