WrestleMania is just two days away, and the 39th edition is shaping up to be one of the most highly anticipated Mania’s in years. An event that at one time, many thought The Rock would come back to wrestle Roman Reigns in the main event, this 13-match card shows the depth WWE has because we all forgot about that.
WWE revealed which matches are on which days for the two-day event on Thursday’s First Take. Seven matches will take place on Saturday, while six are on Sunday.
🤩 #WrestleMania Saturday and #WrestleMania Sunday cards 🤩, as first revealed on @FirstTake! pic.twitter.com/CzHw91fVot
— WWE (@WWE) March 30, 2023
We know who is wrestling on which night, but we don’t know the match order. I’m going to do my best to predict the match order for each night.
Saturday
1) John Cena vs. Austin Theory for the United States Championship
It was announced last Friday that Cena/Theory would open the show. These two will get the show started right and get people tuning in from the start in order to see Cena.
2) Braun Strowman/Ricochet vs. The Street Profits (Angelo Dawkins/Montez Ford) vs. Alpha Academy (Chad Gable/Otis) vs. The Viking Raiders (Erik/Ivar)
Both multi-team tag matches are pretty much filler. There’s some intrigue, but not as much as a lot of the other matches. I’ll place it in between two matches where people are tuning in specifically to see one of the competitors.
3) Rey Mysterio vs. Dominik Mysterio
I originally had this right before the main event, but it might be a bit strange to have both Judgment Day matches in back-to-back positions. The “Father vs. Son” match should be a great appetizer before one of the biggest matches of the night.
4) The Usos vs. Sami Zayn/Kevin Owens for the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships
It came down to this or Charlotte Flair-Rhea Ripley for the Night 1 main event, and while I think this deserves to be the main event, I think the women will close out the show. Reason being that if Zayn and Owens win the Tag Team titles, and Cody Rhodes wins the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship on Sunday, making The Bloodline lose both main events would make them look weak. If The Usos retain, make it the main event to get more heat for Sunday. If not, place it in the middle of the card.
5) Becky Lynch/Lita/Trish Stratus vs. Damage CTRL (Bayley, Dakota Kai, Iyo Sky)
A great matchup featuring two legends, two top stars, and two future stars. It kind of gets the short end of the stick going after the Tag Team title match, but there isn’t really anywhere else to place this match.
6) Seth “Freakin” Rollins vs. Logan Paul
This is a strange position for a match like this, but it makes sense if you want Paul’s fans to stay tuned into the show. Many of them may not be WWE fans and are simply watching due to him. So if he wrestles right before the main event, that’s potentially exposing his fans to a couple hours of wrestling that might get them hooked.
7) Charlotte Flair vs. Rhea Ripley for the WWE SmackDown Women’s Championship
It very well could be the Tag Team title match, but I’m feeling confident in the women getting the main event. They don’t do this all the time, but WWE historically goes for singles matches for titles in the WrestleMania main event. If the top men’s title gets to close Sunday, one of the top women’s titles should get to close out Saturday.
Sunday
1) Bianca Belair vs. Asuka for the WWE Raw Women’s Championship
Two of the best in-ring technicians of the women’s division, Belair and Asuka should get things firing on all cylinders. It’ll also be a nice way to connect both nights. Flair-Ripley closed out Saturday for a championship, and Belair-Asuka will open Sunday for a championship.
2) Brock Lesnar vs. Omos
It’s one of the least anticipated matches on the card, and I highly doubt Lesnar wants to wait around all night. So put the match second, do the match, and Lesnar can fly back home.
3) Gunther vs. Drew McIntyre vs. Sheamus in a Triple Threat for the WWE Intercontinental Championship
A match where three big men are going to chop themselves raw. This will probably be the best match of the night, and the star power here will bring us back up a little bit after Lesnar-Omos.
4) Edge vs. “The Demon” Finn Bálor in a Hell in a Cell
While the previous triple threat might be the best match in terms of the in-ring work, this might be the best in terms of an attraction standpoint. We know what a Hell in a Cell match consists of, and it’ll be a fitting setting for the Edge-Judgment Day storyline.
5) Liv Morgan/Raquel Rodriguez vs. Natalya/Shotzi vs. Ronda Rousey/Shayna Baszler vs. Sonya DeVille/Chelsea Green
Whatever match that gets placed in this spot will be overshadowed by the main event. It’s between this and Lesnar-Omos, and as I said, I doubt Lesnar waits all night for his match. So, out of process of elimination. the multi-team tag match goes here.
6) Roman Reigns vs. Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship
Everyone knows this will be the main event, and it should be a great main event. “The Tribal Chief” has run WWE for years, but Rhodes has the fans behind him. The “grandson of a plumber,” who left WWE to help start AEW before coming back, “The American Nightmare” looks to win the title his father, and the Rhodes family, never could. If Rhodes wins, that would be an incredible WrestleMania moment.
[Photo: WWE]
