My Still-Way-Too-Early-to-Tell WrestleMania 31 Predictions

As of this writing we are but a few days removed from the 2015 edition of the Royal Rumble, World Wrestling Entertainment's January pay-per-view. If you know anything about the 2015 Royal Rumble you undoubtedly know that it was an event ripe with controversy. For the second year in a row WWE opted to take a creative direction that did not sit well with what I'll call a rather vocal, albeit possibly misguided segment of their fan base. Last year the uproar came when Batista returned and earned a WWE title shot by winning the Rumble match despite working a part-time schedule (he was back to promote the Guardians of the Galaxy film). Now the hullabaloo seems to be stemming from their having Roman Reigns win the Rumble match as opposed to someone else, namely Daniel Bryan.

I'm not going to delve further into the post-Royal Rumble shenanigans than that because every media outlet from Time to FOX Sports has chimed in on it. What I'd sooner talk about is the fact that WrestleMania 31 is quickly approaching and there's a whole lot up in the air at this point in time regarding the card. When I say "a whole lot", I'm talking 90% seeing as how the only match we know for sure is happening is the WWE World Heavyweight Championship bout featuring Reigns as he attempts to dethrone current champ Brock Lesnar. Everything other than that is purely hypothetical because no one knows (other than Vince McMahon himself, and there are those who would argue even he doesn't have a clue) what's going to ultimately take place at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California approximately two months from now. That being the case, I'm here to bring you my still-way-too-early WrestleMania 31 predictions!

What follows should not be considered gospel as I am attempting to assemble the contents of the event based on current angles, storylines, and trends. Even so, as my previous efforts at predicting the WrestleMania matches have proven (which you can see for yourself here and here), I have a decent knack for predicting the winners - now we'll now see how good I am at predicting the body of the show as well as the outcomes.

PRE-SHOW:

1) WWE Divas Championship Match - Nikki Bella vs. Natalya/Paige/Brie Bella

The Divas division is as big of a mess as it has ever been seeing as how the ladies who make up this portion of the roster seem to be there to provide fodder for the Total Divas program on the E! Network more so than anything else. Nikki Bella has held the Divas title for a number of months and she's faced random challengers without anything resembling a consistent adversary. The Bellas have been in a number of matches, either tags or one-on-one contests, with Natalya and Paige so they are likely challengers. It was announced in the past few days that Paige will challenge Nikki for the title at the Fast Lane pay-per-view, so it's possible that the feud will carry over into WrestleMania. Now that Daniel Bryan has returned to active competition it only makes sense that his wife, Brie Bella, would begin to see the error of her ways in sticking by her ne'erdowell sister. I'm leaning towards this being a Bella vs. Bella match as it would make for an attention-getting scenario.

PREDICTION: Nikki vs. Brie
WINNER: Brie Bella

2) WWE Tag Team Championship Match - The Usos (C) vs. The Ascension vs. New Day vs. The Miz & Damien Mizdow vs. Tyson Kidd & Cesaro

The tag team division has been something of a revolving platform throughout 2014 although the Usos rule the roost currently. It's tough to say where WWE might decide to take things as there have been a few other teams to have glimpses of success as the Usos have traded the belts with both the Miz & Mizdow as well as the Dust Brothers (Goldust and Star Dust). Despite being a new pairing Tyson Kidd & Cesaro are growing in terms of popularity through their in-ring performance. A New Day (technically a trio made up of Big E Langston, Xavier Woods, and Kofi Kingston) and the Ascension (Konnor & Victor) are also relative newcomers to the division and there's been a lot of effort made lately to get attention on both groups but especially so for the Ascension. It feels like the Ascension are being made out to be the next challengers for the tag straps, despite the fact that of the options available they're probably the least popular choice.

PREDICTION: The Usos vs. The Ascension
WINNER: The Usos

3) NXT SPECIAL ATTRACTION/CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH - Sami Zayn (C) vs. Kevin Owens

If you are a wrestling fan and you have never watched a match from the rivalry of El Generico (now known as Sami Zayn) and Kevin Steen (now known as Kevin Owens), you should immediately stop what you're doing and go check out as much material involving the two of them that you can possibly get your hands on. Much like Batman and the Joker, it appears as though these two are destined to be at each others throats forever, and that's a beautiful thing. If they're given time to shine, they might make some of the main events look bad by comparison.

WINNER: Kevin Owens

MAIN CARD:

1) Dean Ambrose vs. Dolph Ziggler/Sheamus/Wade Barrett

Some combination of these guys will be on the card, I'm convinced of that. Dean Ambrose is one of the more popular talents on the roster and he's still fairly fresh off of a really spectacular feud with Bray Wyatt that served to elevate the former leader of the Wyatt Family as well as Ambrose (or so it did in my opinion). As for who Ambrose will face, I am leaning towards a confrontation with Wade Barrett since Barrett is the current WWE Intercontinental champion and it only makes sense that every title/title holder get an appearance on what is certainly the biggest event of the year.

PREDICTION: Ambrose vs. Barrett
WINNER: Dean Ambrose

2) Seth Rollins vs. Randy Orton

This is a feud that has been simmering away for a number of months as Seth Rollins took Randy Orton out of action by way of a series of curb stomps into various objects back around November of 2014. (This was a method for getting Orton off television for a while so that he could film a movie.) Rollins has been on a roll ever since then and he still has the Money in the Bank briefcase which he can choose to use at any point in time to challenge the WWE champion, whoever that may be. With all that in mind, I think he gives Orton a happy homecoming by doing the job here.

WINNER: Randy Orton

3) Daniel Bryan vs. Dolph Ziggler/Sheamus/Wade Barrett/Kane/Big Show

Much like the Ambrose match I discussed above, this is a match that has potential to go a lot of different ways with the only definitive aspect being Daniel Bryan's involvement. Bryan has a had long-running feud with Kane that appeared to have been put to bed permanently on a recent edition of SmackDown when Bryan defeated Kane in a casket match. Thus, I am eliminating Kane as well as Wade Barrett as possible opponents. Sheamus is still on his way back from injury and I feel like throwing him into WrestleMania would be a mistake; let him continue to rest and come back after Mania. A match with Big Show would be a classic David vs. Goliath contest and it could be a fun contest, but I think the match that would give fans the biggest pop and likely steal the show would be Bryan vs. Dolph Ziggler. It feels like a match made in the hearts of purist wrestling fans everywhere and I cannot find any fault in the pairing.

PREDICTION: Daniel Bryan vs. Dolph Ziggler
WINNER: Daniel Bryan

4) John Cena vs. Rusev

Rusev is the current WWE United States champion, and he's also got the "Ravishing Russian" Lana at his side. In a different era, Rusev would have likely been in line for a main event match against the likes of Hulk Hogan or Sergeant Slaughter thanks to his role as a villainous "super athlete" from a part of the world that still smells faintly of communism. For at least the time being he's going to be involved with a program pitting him against John Cena, which could potentially be disastrous to his momentum. As you may recall, Bray Wyatt was in Rusev's position at last year at WrestleMania 30 and afterwards Wyatt was so far buried in terms of his credibility that he had to be rebooted as a character. Wyatt spent months re-establishing himself and Cena went on to continue being Cena. I hope Rusev can grow from this and if he wins I think it will mean he's in line for bigger opportunities in the near future.

WINNER: Rusev

5) Triple H vs. Sting

You don't often see a match anymore that will literally go down in history as being an important, relevant contest in the overall spectrum of the professional wrestling industry, but this is exactly that. Sting is an icon in the world of wrestling, a man whose carry spans three decades and that features feuds with almost every big name in the sport throughout that same length of time. He accomplished that in spite of the fact that, until last year, he had never been signed to a WWE contract. It's difficult to believe but he's never had a match for WWE - that will change come WrestleMania 31 when he's challenged by Triple H, a man who himself has had a historic career. This may be the one and only time Sting ever competes in a WWE ring, and I for one expect it to be a tremendous contest.

WINNER: Sting

6) The Undertaker vs. Bray Wyatt

The professional wrestling world reacted like they'd been told their significant other had an incurable disease when Brock Lesnar pinned the Undertaker at WrestleMania 30. Taker's undefeated streak ended and many thought so too had his career as a professional wrestler. As it has turned out, there is another dark soul lingering within the WWE roster, that being none other than Bray Wyatt, a man many consider to be the most interesting character WWE has produced since the Undertaker. It's only fitting that they go to war with one another.

WINNER: The Undertaker

7) WWE World Heavyweight Championship Match - Brock Lesnar (C) vs. Roman Reigns

At the time of this writing there is some doubt as to whether or not the WHC match will go on as scheduled due in no small part to the backlash that occurred after the Royal Rumble pay-per-view. It's unclear if Roman Reigns will be the only challenger Lesnar will face or if he'll even be Lesnar's opponent. Regardless, I'm going forward in presenting this as the main event of the card because that's what current plans reflect.

Rumor is that Lesnar wants to return to the world of mixed martial arts and if that's true then he won't be hanging onto the WHC for very long (unless Vince McMahon and Dana White have orchestrated some incredibly intricate deal wherein a WWE title could be featured on UFC programming and vice versa, that is - I think that's about as likely to happen as me getting into Metallica). Reigns has been recognized for quite some time as the next big thing in terms of talents to be pushed to the next level, however he is still very much in need of help in getting over with fans when it comes to his promo work. He's like many other performers over the years in that regard who had amazing physiques and a great look yet were lacking in the area of charisma and the gift of gab. This is a tough call, and it's made more so by the fact that the Money in the Bank contract could come into play at any moment in time.

WINNER: Roman Reigns

NOTABLE POTENTIAL EXCEPTIONS:

- Goldust vs. Star Dust

This is being teased on TV right now and could be on the main card but I don't know that it is as valuable as the matches I've laid out herein. It's an attraction, for sure, just not one I am convinced will be worthwhile.

- Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal

The AGMBR was featured on the WrestleMania 30 card and Cesaro was the winner of the match, but there's been no inclination as of yet that it will be a part of WrestleMania 31. This would be a way to get a lot of talent involved in the card but I don't think it's necessary when there are better contests that could be presented.

- Kane & Big Show


These two members of the Authority could be plugged into a number of different matches, the trick is whether or not they'll get those spots or even have a spot.

- Eric Rowan, Ryback, Wade Barrett, Luke Harper

These four men are stuck in limbo as far as their involvement with WrestleMania 31 is concerned. It would be entertaining to see Rowan and Harper go at it in some kind of gimmick match where they could get into some sort of insane arrangement. Barrett is one of my favorite members of the WWE roster and I hate that he as well as the Intercontinental title don't get the respect they deserve. Ryback is a meathead that I don't particularly care for one way or another, so no big loss there.

- Sheamus

There is a better than decent chance that WWE will pull the trigger on Sheamus' return prior to WrestleMania 31 and have him face Daniel Bryan, which would serve as a continuation to a quasi-feud they've had going ever since WrestleMania 27. I persist in the notion that Sheamus, who is apparently 100% after having been sidelined for the past few months with injuries, should be held off until after WM31 so that he can have a fresh start in a new program.


- AJ Lee

AJ Lee is one of the best female wrestlers in the world and yet she likely will have no place in the WrestleMania 31 card. She's been dealing with a neck injury as of late but depending on what you read and what you believe she's not as bad off as it would seem. That plays into the possibility that she might be getting the shaft thanks to the fact that her husband, CM Punk, is - well - CM Punk.

WrestleMania 30 - My Picks vs. Reality

It's difficult for me to think of a moment in recent history where the state of professional wrestling has been as good as it's been over the course of the past week. I may be jumping the gun here but it suddenly feels cool to be a fan of rasslin' again!

Unfortunately, as triumphant as we pro wrestling fans may have felt coming away from the 2014 World Wrestling Entertainment Hall of Fame ceremony, WrestleMania 30, and Monday Night Raw the next day, we have also had to come to terms with the tragic death of a man who, for many of us, was a childhood hero.

In one of my previous blog entries (which you can read for yourself here), I attempted to predict winners of the matches scheduled for WM30. I faced two challenges in doing so seeing as how I not only tried to use logic to determine who the winners would be (I, of all people, should know that logic and wrestling go together about as well as scrambled eggs and chocolate pudding) but also to try and figure out the rest of the card since only half the bill was known when I published the aforementioned blog. As it would turn out, I am not a clairvoyant when it comes to match outcomes but I wasn't too bad in terms of figuring out what matches were going to take place. What follows is a comparative rundown of my predictions versus what actually happened at WM30.

1) Tag Team Championship Match: The Usos (Jimmy & Jey) (C) defeated Los Matadores (Diego & Fernando), RybAxel (Ryback & Curtis Axel), and The Real Americans (Jack Swagger & Cesaro)

Prediction: The Usos

It seemed highly likely to me that a tag team championship match would get on the card somewhere, although I wasn't certain which teams would be involved outside of The Usos. With a lineup as packed as WM30 was, one of them was going to wind up relegated to the pre-show and sure enough it was this particular match. (In my mind it was a toss up between this and the Divas Championship.) Somewhat conspicuous by their absence were the team of the Rhodes Brothers, Cody Rhodes & Goldust. I can only take that as a sign that their time as a pair is over, which is bothersome to me because they made a great team, as you would expect.

2) Daniel Bryan defeated Triple H

Prediction: Daniel Bryan

No real shocker here, even though I know some in the IWC (short for Internet Wrestling Community) were thinking Triple H would get the nod to further infuriate the fan base only to have something transpire during the show leading to Bryan getting into the main event for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. The match lasted just shy of 30 minutes, making the task of one of these guys wrestling again later on in the evening that much taller of an order. Even with an hour's rest between bouts, having two main event level matches in one day is an extraordinary tribute to the conditioning of someone like Daniel Bryan.

3) The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins & Roman Reigns) defeated Kane & The New Age Outlaws (Billy Gunn & Road Dogg)

Prediction: Kane & The Ascension

I was going in the right direction in putting together the dynamic of this match but I did not anticipate The New Age Outlaws being put with Kane to face off against The Shield. (When I first heard of it I couldn't fathom the idea of Kane - corporate or otherwise - being aligned with two of the primary members of Degeneration X, then I was reminded that for a brief moment Kane had formed a tag team with X-Pac and the two of them had won the WWE Tag Team Championship together.) I had it in mind that this might be an opportunity for new blood to be brought into the upper tier of WWE's roster; truth be told, young talent did get elevated here, and it was Ambrose, Rollins & Reigns. Those three were hot before WM30 but now they are truly at the top of charts when it comes to popular Superstars.

4) Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal: Winner - Cesaro

Prediction: Cesaro

No kidding around here, I'm fairly impressed with myself in having accurately predicted the winner of this match. It's anything goes when you talk about a battle royal, so to have been able to accurately say Cesaro would come out on top is quite cool to me. I admit that I got lucky because Cesaro wasn't an announced entrant in the match yet when the opening bell rang there he was. With that, you have no one but two guys who pulled double duty at WM30, Cesaro and Daniel Bryan.

5) John Cena defeated Bray Wyatt

Prediction: Bray Wyatt

The story that has been conveyed around these two is that Wyatt is attempting to break John Cena in such a way that he has no choice other than to abandon his chipper, boy scout ways and embrace a state of mind that is much, much more visceral and dark. From that perspective, this match was very successful in what it accomplished as there were points where Cena looked to be teetering on the edge of his own character. I'm not sure if this feud will continue but at the very least it made Cena interesting for once in what seems like forever.

6) Brock Lesnar defeated The Undertaker

Prediction: The Undertaker

Well, THAT didn't go at all how I expected...

Suffice to say, neither did most of the pro wrestling world. Be that as it may, according to Forbes there were apparently a number of betting websites that began getting a lot of action on Lesnar within an hour of WM30 starting.

The Undertaker's undefeated streak at WrestleMania stood at 21 victories and now his WM record stands at 21-1. That one loss bothers me, and it bothers me a lot. I'm not saying that Taker should never have lost at WM as it was bound to happen eventually (provided he didn't retire beforehand, of course). What bothers me is that the loss was to Brock Lesnar, a guy who for all intents and purposes stands to reap the least possible amount of benefit from having scored that pin fall. I do not get why he was the one to be rewarded with that opportunity as it makes no sense to me from a booking perspective. All I can say is I hope he does something significant for wrestling in the future, otherwise this will go down as a terrible blemish on all involved.

7) Vickie Guerrero Divas Championship Invitational: AJ Lee (C) defeated ALL the Divas

Prediction: AJ Lee

Putting this match so late in the card, especially after what was essentially the end of an era that will never be duplicated, is one of the most absurd pacing decisions I've ever encountered. Fans tend to make fun of Divas matches as being bathroom breaks during a show because the contests aren't generally something to which anyone looks forward. They're like getting a gift card to a store in which you never shop; sure, it's a gift but you didn't want it and you're likely to never use it for anything other than to maybe buy someone else a gift they in turn might not want themselves.

That said, this wasn't a surprising outcome. There was no clear rival to Lee going into WM30 and the Divas division is mostly geared towards promoting the Total Divas show these days and that's quite sad in my opinion. There are some talented wrestlers in WWE's employ who just happen to be women, and I feel like they get relegated to disrespectful positions because of that.

Consequently, this seems to have been Vickie Guerrero's last appearance with WWE as she has decided to pursue other interests rather than remain with the company. What's more, the following night on Raw, AJ Lee lost the Diva's Championship to Paige, who is now the NXT Women's Champion and the WWE Divas Champion. That's a lot for her to carry seeing as how prior to Monday night only a portion of the WWE audience was aware that she existed, but I have a feeling she'll handle it well.

8) WWE World Heavyweight Championship Triple Threat Match: Daniel Bryan defeated Randy Orton and Batista

Prediction: Batista

In pro wrestling vernacular, there exists the term "overbooked". What that means is that there's potentially too much going on in a given angle or match that the whole thing becomes muddy, difficult to follow, or altogether pointless. It's more common than you'd expect as there seem to be times where people involved in the creative aspect of wrestling write their material to where there's no convenient resolution. This is why you end up with a WrestleMania main event that involved 4 wrestlers (one of whom got carted out on a stretcher half way through the match only to return), 2 referees (the second of which hadn't been seen in months since the point in time he was implicated in having rigged Daniel Bryan's victory over Randy Orton at the 2013 Night of Champions pay-per-view), and Stephanie McMahon in its outcome.

Yes ("YES!"?), there were a LOT of moving parts here but I think the final product was a thoroughly satisfying conclusion to a storyline that has lasted in the area of 7 months. That kind of long-range booking is almost unheard of anymore, and to see it play out to fruition was really something else. You had all the major players involved, they all did their part, and in the end Daniel Bryan walks out of WM30 as the WWE World Heavyweight Champion.

All things totaled, I was able to accurately predict 4 of the 8 matches from WM30. 50% might not sound that great but as any baseball fan will tell you, a .500 average is nothing to scoff at. I'll take it, even though it represents a drop off from my 6-2 record last year in trying to guess the outcomes of the matches held at WM29.

I can't wrap up this entry without speaking on the sudden death of James Hellwig, who was better known as the Ultimate Warrior. Warrior died earlier this week while at a hotel with his wife, having been inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame and appeared on Monday Night Raw within three days prior. He was an intense individual, inside and out of the squared circle, and as the Ultimate Warrior he left an indelible impression on a generation of young pro wrestling fans, myself included.

As a kid, when you read comic books you never expect there to be an issue where a character like Spider-Man, for example, dies. Sure, he may get beat up, bleed, and be on the cusp of mortality but he never actually expires. He gets up, he heals, he perseveres, and he overcomes. This is an unrealistic presentation because comic book characters exist in a vacuum, a conveniently self-contained universe where the laws of physics and nature don't always apply. So it is that when one of our heroes expires, we're left wondering why him, why now - just plain why?

We're all born and some day we'll all die. Like it or not, that's how it works. It doesn't matter if you're a person who's name isn't known to more than 5 others or if you're a celebrity like the Ultimate Warrior, death comes for us all. We're not guaranteed our next breath - try as though we may to fight it, there's nothing to be done when your time is up. Warrior knew this, which is why his comments during Raw are especially poignant.

"Every man's heart one day beats its final beat. His lungs breathe their final breath. And if what that man did in his life makes the blood pulse through the body of others and makes them believe deeper in something larger than life then his essence, his spirit, will be immortalized. By the story tellers, by the loyalty, by the memory of those who honor him and make the running the man did live forever. You, you, you, you, you, you are the legend makers of Ultimate Warrior. In the back I see many potential legends. Some of them with warrior spirits. And you will do the same for them. You will decide if they lived with the passion and intensity. So much so that you will tell your stories and you will make them legends, as well. I am Ultimate Warrior. You are the Ultimate Warrior fans. And the spirit of the Ultimate Warrior will run forever!"

- Ultimate Warrior

If nothing else, Warrior's passing should be a lesson to us all that life is too short to spend it holding onto grudges and the sins of the past. Our lives are but moments in time and often undervalued until it's too late. We should all strive to make the best of every second of every day, because to do otherwise is to insult the gift that is each of our lives.

WrestleMania 30 Predictions

It's that time of year again. A week of the year where the entirety of the professional wrestling community (both fans and those in the industry as well) focuses its attention on one city for an event so massive in its scope that it could only be compared to the Super Bowl in terms of the world-wide attention it receives. Yes, I'm talking about World Wrestling Entertainment's WrestleMania, this year's edition being held at the Super Dome in New Orleans, Louisiana, marking the thirtieth iteration of the annual event which has been dubbed "The Showcase of the Immortals".

Only problem is, "The Showcase of the Immortals" was fitting back in the day when competitors like Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage, Ric Flair, The Undertaker and others were on the card but that phrase doesn't necessarily seem as applicable this time around. While the Hulkster is involved in WM30 as the special guest host of the show (he's returned home to WWE after having been with iMPACT Wrestling for the better part of 3 years, which does nothing to explain why WrestleMania needs a host in the first place), the line-up for WrestleMania XXX isn't exactly making me want to throw down $60 to watch the show live on pay-per-view. If anything, it's making me want to ignore the whole thing in the hope that it blows over and the next day WWE's creative minds organize some kind of a company-wide nullification whereby the results make for a convenient reset of existing storylines. Things have gotten messy here lately and the only way out of it at this point, to me, seems to be to take the slash & burn route - razed to the ground, as it were, in the hope of going somewhere better than where we are right now.

In case you haven't been paying attention, the series of events leading up to WM30 have been interesting but not necessarily in the way that leads to people actually wanting to buy into what is most definitely the biggest wrestling-related pay-per-view event of the year. For one, Batista returned in similar fashion to how The Rock came back last year at WM29 - that being to use the WrestleMania appearance as a vehicle for promoting something, in this case the upcoming MARVEL film Guardians of the Galaxy in which Batista plays the role of Drax the Destroyer. It seemed as though WWE assumed the fans would welcome his return as being that of a hero, but the reaction he received was nothing short of remarkable. The fans immediately turned on him, booing him mercilessly. This wasn't "you're a bad guy and we're booing because we're supposed to"-booing, this was "WE HATE YOU AND WE WANT YOU TO DIE"-booing.

Why did they react that way? Because their true hero, Daniel Bryan, was getting snubbed from being in the main event of WrestleMania 30 in favor of some has-been wrestler who left to be an actor in Hollywood.

The adulation Daniel Bryan has garnered is magical, quite frankly. I cannot recall the last time a fanbase literally rose up and commanded that a performer (especially one who was: A) fired by WWE at one point for essentially having played his character too well, and B) looked upon by WWE management as being nothing more than a strong hand and good mid-card talent at best) be "the guy" the way that fans have for Bryan. I'm not saying he wouldn't have gotten to where he is without the fans; the fact of the matter is without them he'd be floundering somewhere in mediocrity right now (like what's happened to other talent - such as Zack Ryder, Fandango, Dolph Ziggler, and others - who got over with the fans on their own) instead of being at the top of the heap like he is.

Another aspect of why Daniel Bryan has become the focal point of WM30 is the fact that CM Punk left the company, taking what WWE Chairman Vince McMahon himself referred to during a WWE shareholders meeting as a "sabbatical". Punk's sudden departure made Bryan the biggest fan-favorite on the card (greater even than John Cena - some people hate Cena whereas no one seems to dislike Bryan) and set in motion a series of events that have lead to several matches on the WM30 card being augmented due to his presumed absence on the show. It was believed that Punk's opponent for WM30 would be Triple H, even though Hunter had by that point long assumed the role of company brass rather than in-ring performer. The two had begun sparring with one another, albeit indirectly, and Punk vanished as soon as the feud looked to have ignited itself organically. Try as the fans might to will Punk back into the ring by chanting his name during televised events, Punk has shown no signs of returning and the reality of the situation is that he may never come back as his contract with WWE is set to expire this Summer.

All that having been said, as of this writing there are 5 confirmed matches for WM30. If recent history is an accurate indicator of what the final card will look like, there will be a total of 9 matches - 1 on the pre-show and 8 on the main broadcast, as has been the format for the past two WrestleManias. I've done my best to try and predict not only the outcome of each match but also what those final 3-4 matches will be. I stand to be wrong on a lot (as in A LOT) of these predictions this year because of the uncertainty of things, however I'm going to do the best I can based on where things seem to be headed as of right now.

WWE World Heavyweight Championship Match - Randy Orton (c) vs. Batista vs. HHH/Daniel Bryan

You have to assume that Daniel Bryan gets into this match by way of defeating HHH earlier in the evening. If he doesn't, I wouldn't think it out of the realm of possibilities that more than a few people in attendance at WrestleMania 30 begin making their way to the exits. Unless they're hanging around to fling random bits of refuse at the ring, that is, which would be an amazing visual and a big middle finger to everything WWE has done creatively for the past 5-6 months.

Even if we do wind up with this match being Orton vs. Batista vs. Bryan, I don't expect Bryan to walk away from WM30 as champion and for a number of reasons. Bryan is getting married (no, really, he is - it's not some silly wrestling wedding) soon to one of the Bella Twins. You'd think he's going to take a little time off to celebrate his nuptials, or at least I assume he would, and there's no point in putting the belt on him when he won't be around full time. Additionally, Batista signed a 2 year deal with WWE when he returned to the company meaning he's not going to up and disappear as soon as the final bell rings. I feel as though either he or Orton will come out of WM30 as champion, and as much as it may pain me to say it, I think Batista's getting the rub.

** PROJECTED WINNER: Batista **

It's old-school booking, but there's just more that can be done with a heel champion in wrestling than with a good guy.

The WWE Championship and World Heavyweight Championship were unified in 2013, and the new title is referred to as the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. It was a unification more or less in name only seeing as how Randy Orton has been the champ ever since then but he's had to carry around both of the old belts. One of the rumors going into WrestleMania 30 is that there's a chance we may finally see a new singular belt to represent the company going forward, possibly something that will feature a new WWE logo like the one that's been used thus far in promoting the WWE Network and also in the logo for WrestleMania 31.

Whether or not that happens remains to be seen - it would be a significant development in the eyes of people like myself who have an interest in graphics, especially those relating to championship belt designs.

John Cena vs. Bray Wyatt

Bray Wyatt (formerly known as Husky Harris, who is the son of Mike Rotundo - better known as Irwin R. Schyster - and brother of WWE NXT star Bo Dallas) is one of the best things to come out of WWE in a very long time. Not only has the gimmick been a throwback to an era where wrestling villains could be legitimately scary, but Bray has displayed a unique style of violence with his ring-work that makes contests featuring him feel more like back-alley brawls than matches.

On the other side of the coin, John Cena is John Cena. He's been doing the same thing for years, and there's no end to it in sight because he sells tickets & merchandise like no one else. People are going to adore Cena regardless of whether or not he wins or loses at WrestleMania, which makes him winning this match completely pointless.

** PROJECTED WINNER: Bray Wyatt **

Wyatt wins at WM30, and I fully expect him to go on to greater things in the year that follows.

The Undertaker vs. Brock Lesnar

It has become an expectation, or perhaps a presumption, that The Undertaker will return every year around WrestleMania and begin a feud with someone so that he can continue his WM winning streak. (Fun Facts: Undertaker's winning streak began in 1991 at WrestleMania 7. He did not compete at WM10 or WM16. During this run, he has faced Kane and Shawn Michaels twice but HHH holds something of a record of his own as he's lost to Taker 3 times at WrestleMania.) At this point, the Dead Man is a perfect 21-0 at WrestleMania, having defeated a literal who's who of top-tier competitors over the past twenty-three years.

Brock Lesnar will be win number 22 for The Undertaker.

** PROJECTED WINNER: The Undertaker **

This match, to me, has had the least fanfare in its build up of any match associated with the Undertaker in the past 5 years. There's been some cool moments leading up to where we are now but this doesn't have the same appeal. Fact of the matter is that Brock does not deserve to be the one to break Undertaker's streak. He's a fine athlete and has had fantastic success in both pro wrestling and mixed martial arts, but when it comes to his long term value within WWE he's simply not fit to be the one to unseat Taker.

Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal

This match is a new addition to WrestleMania lore as it will apparently become a regular aspect of the show (we'll see how long that lasts). Previously fans could count on a "Money in the Bank" ladder match - a bout where the winner would receive a contract for a guaranteed shot at the WWE champion - somewhere on the card as a means of elevating young talent (it's also a means of getting a whole bunch of people involved in the show without having to expel much effort on doing so), but this seems to be the latest & greatest idea for accomplishing that task at WM30.

Thirty competitors will enter the match which will be played out under normal battle royal rules; that being no pinfalls or submissions, the only way to eliminate an opponent is to throw them over the top rope so that both of their feet touch the floor (a rule that has been used to create drama very effectively over the years). As of this writing, the list of known participants is as follows.

• Cesaro
• Sheamus
• Christian
• Rey Mysterio
• Big Show
• Cody Rhodes
• Big E Langston (current Intercontinental Champion)
• Ryback
• Curtis Axel
• Fandango
• Dolph Ziggler
• Alberto Del Rio
• Titus O'Neil
• Damien Sandow
• Mark Henry
• Heath Slater
• Drew McIntyre
• Jinder Mahal
• The Miz

That leaves 11 more spots in the match. Who the final 11 will be is anyone's guess but if I had to assume who will get in based on the remainder of the roster I would put in Sin Cara, Wade "Bad News" Barrett, Brodus Clay, Darren Young, Goldust, The Great Khali, Jack Swagger, Kofi Kingston, R-Truth, Santino Marella, and Alexander Rusev. A lot of prognosticators have said that this is Rusev's coming out party as he's been getting built up in promos for weeks now. I don't see it that way because there's another guy out there who has been wowing people with his abilities lately who could use a big win like this to further get himself over, and that's none other than "The Swiss Superman" Cesaro.

** PROJECTED WINNER: Cesaro **

Notice that in this match you have the potential for several existing tag teams - Swagger & Cesaro, Ryback & Axel, Rhodes & Goldust - to be put in play on the card but not in the confines you'd expect. What this does more than anything else is it potentially eliminates them from contention in terms of having a match against The Usos for the WWE Tag Team Championship. It's not unlikely that some of those guys get pulled from this match to be in a tag match for the titles, in which case I would hope the available spots in the battle royal would be filled by rising stars from WWE NXT. Wrestlers like Sami Zayn, Adrian Neville, Mojo Rawley, and others.

Daniel Bryan vs. HHH

Of all the matches on the card, this one stands to be the most emotionally charged. Not Shawn Michaels vs. Ric Flair emotional, but  Daniel Bryan has fought for months to overcome being thought of as a "B+ player" and the fans have rallied to his cause, meanwhile HHH and Stephanie McMahon have continued to belittle him despite his successes. It's a true David vs. Goliath scenario and I'm certain that these two will have a fantastic match structured around that kind of narrative. It will be violent, brutal, and quite possibly beautiful.

The bigger picture here is the added stipulation that whoever wins this match will then be added to the WWE World Heavyweight Championship match in the main event of WM30, making that contest a three-way bout where the current champion doesn't even have to be involved in the decision to lose the title.

** PROJECTED WINNER: Daniel Bryan **

Unless WWE truly wants to take a huge, steaming, dump on its fans (as if to say "We don't care who you like or what you want!"), Bryan wins this match and goes on to the main event. I admit that I want Bryan to win, however I won't lie to you here as it would be epic to see him lose and the audience go nuts about it. I'm fairly certain the Super Dome would get burned to the ground if that happens.

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AUTHOR'S NOTE: Every match from this point forward is pure speculation on my part. I've done my best to put together the remainder of the line-up based off where things stand as of the date of publication for this entry. In other words, if you're reading this a month, year, or whatever after WM30 and are wondering what the hell I was thinking, now you know.

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Kane vs. Roman Reigns

The thing about a group like The Shield is that it's not going to last forever. At some point a break up will occur and the three of them will go their separate ways. The questions are how and when it happens, and who's the real star to emerge from the ashes of the wake? The how and the when haven't been answered yet (even though there's been more than a few teases lately of its impending development) but all signs are pointing to Roman Reigns coming out of whatever leads to The Shield's implosion as someone who could be a big-time player in WWE for years to come.

Reigns is a physical specimen with the kind of warrior good-looks that make most women and certain men feel all warm & fuzzy in their naughty bits. Despite this fact he's not equipped with the gift of gab and his wrestling ability is questionable. He's been carried along by Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins, two journeymen wrestlers with a wealth of experience on their side as a result of having been stars on the independent pro wrestling scene for years prior to coming to WWE. They're more than likely going to be the Marty Jannety's of The Shield to Roman Reigns' Shawn Michaels.

** PROJECTED WINNER: Roman Reigns **

Kane is 46 years old, has been with WWE for almost 20 years, and has held every major WWE title (other than the long defunct European Championship) at one point or another in his career making him one of only 12 wrestlers who would qualify for Grand Slam Champion status. He'll be fine for having lost this match is what I'm getting at.

The Shield (Dean Ambrose [current United States Champion] & Seth Rollins) vs. The Wyatt Family (Luke Harper & Eric Rowan)

Oftentimes there will be a match on a card that gets little to no hype but that flies in under the radar and blows everyone's minds with how awesome it was because the players involved realized the opportunity that was in front of them. If this match happens, that's what will take place when Ambrose & Rollins pair up against Harper & Rowan.

These teams have already had what some view as match-of-the-year caliber bouts at pay-per-views and other live events, and it's likely that they'll turn in another similar performance if they're allowed the time at WM30. It would be as good a moment as any to have something with a sense of finality transpire that leads to The Shield's split, with Ambrose potentially turning on Rollins or vice versa.

** PROJECTED WINNER: The Wyatt Family **

There is one thing about the prospect of this match that bothers me, and it's the same sentiment I have towards Big E Langston being in the battle royal. Ambrose and Langston hold WWE's other singles championships, both of which are viewed historically speaking as being stepping stones to a competitor potentially being a world champion down the line. You'd think then that they'd be worth defending on WWE's biggest event of the year, but that simply isn't the case. The Intercontinental title was defended at WM29, albeit on the pre-show, and the United States title was nowhere to be found. The US Championship in particular seems to be of no concern when it comes to WrestleMania cards; MVP and Chris Benoit wrestled for the strap back at WM23, and it was later defended in a dark match at WM27 but hasn't gotten any attention since then.

ALTERNATE: The Shield vs. Kane & ?

There are rumors circulating the web (meaning some guy with a blog and/or website, like myself, wrote about it then someone else picked up on it and it became gospel on pro wrestling news sites from there) that instead of the two matches I just described we could get a 6-man tag match featuring Ambrose, Rollins & Reigns vs. Kane and two compatriots of his choosing. Since it stands to reason that The Wyatt Family (Harper & Rowan) will be involved with Bray Wyatt and John Cena's match, the decision of who to put with Kane isn't at all cut and dry. There's a tag team in WWE's NXT developmental system that would make perfect sense to make subordinates of Kane - Konnor & Victor, otherwise known as The Ascension, the current NXT Tag Team Champions.

Konnor once worked for a promotion in Charlotte, North Carolina (NWA Charlotte, may you forever rest in peace) where he was known as Ryan O'Reilly. He was a star in that company thanks to his size and ability, and I am glad to have been able to see him there as he's no doubt bound for greater things in his career.

Truth be told, the idea of these 6 guys going at it is really cool to me. I have a feeling it would be a visceral bout that might not be the best thing on the card but it would be an old school brawl of a match featuring a lot of bright, young talent and one of the most respected veterans on WWE's roster.

** PROJECTED WINNER: Kane & The Ascension **

No matter which of the three matches we get involving these groups at WM30, the fact remains that The Shield's time is almost up. They're either done at WM30 or soon thereafter.

Divas Championship Match - AJ Lee (c) vs. The ENTIRE WWE Divas Division

I can't lie, I have literally no idea what's going on in the WWE Divas Division right now other than the fact that AJ Lee is the current champion. All I seem to hear about in regard to women's wrestling as it relates to WWE is the Total Divas TV show - by some way or means that show has become what women's wrestling should be about in the realm of World Wrestling Entertainment, and that's a real assault on the fact that there are many, many talented wrestlers out there who just happen to be female. They shouldn't have to belittle their athletic abilities by having to play the role of ditzy or catty women. It's disrespectful but I gather it pays well, so at least there's that.

As for who AJ will potentially face at WM30, the possibilities are seemingly endless because there doesn't seem to be a clear number one contender. Since I have to make a guess here, I'm going to say that the most likely scenarios are for either Natalya, one of the Bella Twins, or Tamina to be Lee's opponent. Of those, the better match would be either AJ vs. Natalya or AJ vs. Brie Bella.

** PROJECTED WINNER: Someone Other Than AJ Lee **

No matter who AJ faces, I don't think she's leaving New Orleans as the Divas Champion. She has the misfortune of being a piece of wreckage left floating around in WWE after CM Punk's departure. The two of them have been romantically linked for quite some time now, and it's not uncommon for WWE's management to take out their frustrations on someone for who they happen to be associated with.

Tag Team Championship Match - The Usos (c) vs. The New Age Outlaws/The Shield/The Wyatt Family/Los Matadores/The Real Americas/RybAxel/The Rhodes Brothers

I truly don't think WWE knows what they want to do with the Tag Team Championship at WM30, if anything. As I've mentioned already, a lot of the talent who are in existing tag teams have been listed as participants in the battle royal. While it's not impossible that they could have two matches on the same show, it's highly unlikely seeing as how it's all but certain that Daniel Bryan is pulling double-duty (no point in going to the well that frequently, in other words).

There have been attempts lately to establish a number one contender in the tag division recently but those matches have ended in ways where no clear winner was decided. It appears to be that we'll see a 3 or perhaps even a 4-way match for the Tag Team Championship at WM30. The Real Americans (Cesaro & Jack Swagger) and RybAxel (Ryback & Curtis Axel) are their most likely opponents but The Rhodes Brothers (Cody Rhodes & Goldust) and The New Age Outlaws (Road Dogg & Billy Gunn) are lurking out there. It's not out of question that The Wyatt Family (Harper & Rowan) get an opportunity, however the more I think about it the more I expect they'll have some involvement in Bray Wyatt's match with John Cena.

** PROJECTED WINNER: The Usos **

I, personally, am not a fan of Jimmy & Jey Uso. They just have never appealed to me for whatever reason - most likely because when I think of Samoan wrestlers I like to think of big, burly brawlers who look like intimidating tribal warlords instead of two guys who wear face paint and, for reasons unknown, have back pockets stitched onto their ring gear. They've established themselves with a following, though, and I wouldn't be shocked if their run as tag champs continues for another couple months.

WWE Live at Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, SC (November 6, 2013)

[Author's Note: This is an expanded version of an event report I submitted to the professional wrestling news website Pro Wrestling Insider, PWInsider.com. They published my original piece, which you can view at this link.]

It might seem somewhat childish, but I'm a 33-year old man who still enjoys watching professional wrestling. "Rasslin", as it's sometimes referred to down here in the South - it's the sort of thing that gets you a funny look when you admit to being into it as an adult because, much like cartoons, it's one of those things that society expects to be appealing only to kids. Fact of the matter is, though, I've watched it ever since I was a young lad and I see no reason to stop. Sure there are times where the stuff that makes it to television makes me slap my head because of how ridiculous it is (wrestling is a "soap opera for men" is a phrase I've heard, which is mostly accurate), but the reality of it is that this is a form of entertainment and at this point I'm working on better than 20 years of knowledge regarding the continuity of this story. Not that the plot will ever end, but leaving now would be akin to watching Star Wars and Empire Strikes Back but never bothering to check out Return of the Jedi.

What's more, a common interest in pro wrestling is one of the things that my wife & I share. She informed me of her fondness of it when we first got together and consequently I've used that to my advantage as I've dragged her to some, shall we say, incredibly questionable venues thanks to our mutually confessed adulation of wrestling. That brings us to the event we attended this past Wednesday, November 6, 2013 - an edition of WWE Live held at the Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, South Carolina.

This was taken by a photographer at The State newspaper as we entered the building.

We arrived about an hour before the 7:30 PM bell time. I'm a stickler for this sort of thing as I am always paranoid about things like parking and getting through security without being rushed to make it to our seats in time for the show to begin. There were a couple dozen guys in the parking lot literally coming up to people in cars, sometimes following them to their parking spaces as they were still making their way into the lot, trying to sell fake WWE t-shirts and posters. This isn't an uncommon practice as I've seen it numerous times at various buildings; it's kind of funny because their products are always terrible quality but I guess people still buy them else they wouldn't be out there. (Suffice to say the stuff they're selling is illegal seeing as how the logos and likenesses they use are intellectual properties protected by copyright laws.) After we waded through them we got to the doors, and to my amazement the arena was already open by the time we got there. No queue, no delay, we went straight in. For that matter there wasn't even security at the gate - no wands, no bag checks.

Suddenly I got the feeling this might not be the most extravagant of WWE events. What I mean by that is it didn't exude the big time feel that I've had in the past when going to their shows. Actually, I had concerns about that going into the thing as far back as when I bought our tickets. Reason being, that same day WWE was set to begin a week-long European tour, meaning that while our show was happening a majority of the WWE roster was already in a different part of the world. What that meant for us, potentially, was a show featuring what could best be described as leftover talent. Not to say that they aren't good, just that the event stood to be lacking in star power.

When we got inside we browsed the merch booth and noticed something new. Seems as though WWE has gotten into the idea of selling professional photos of fans holding a replica of the newly redesigned WWE title. I didn't look to see how much the pictures cost but it's probably much cheaper than buying an actual replica belt as a keepsake.

PRO-TIP: I bought our tickets as part of a pre-sale event, and because of this I was able to get us front row seats right up against the railing near where the wrestlers make their way to the ring. I surprised Jill with them as I'd kept them hidden right up until we went through the gates. Pre-sales are usually promoted by event venues via some sort of mailing list, so if you are a fan of concerts and performances and want to get the best seats possible you'd do well to sign up with your local venues. I will tell you, though, that these pre-sales can be a blessing and a curse when it comes to being a patron. On the one hand, if you get in early enough on the pre-sale you can get some fantastic seats like I did. However, sometimes venues only open up certain sections in the arena for the pre-sale, meaning it may look like there are no good or ideal seats left when in reality there are likely still some to be had. To make matters worse, a lot of times some of the best seats get reserved for giveaways and other promotions, meaning the general public essentially never has a fair shot at them. There are a lot of tricks to this business, needless to say!

We found our seats and took a few pictures at ringside. We noticed that it looked like a slim crowd at that point but in my mind I likened the situation to Gamecock football games in that Columbia crowds seem to be late on arrival as a matter of principle. My wife went to the restroom before the show began and when she came back she said there weren't very many people on the concourse at the concession stands. By the time the show started, the floor seats were mostly full but there was what I'd call a "splash" of fans scattered around the lower bowl of the arena. I think Colonial Life holds somewhere around 10,000 at maximum capacity - I'd say there were less than 2,500 in attendance that night.

Tony Chimel was our ring announcer. I don't know why but I thought he'd been released from his contract with WWE at some point in the past (not an uncommon thing for them; almost every year after Wrestlemania there are a series of cuts made to the roster, usually for budgetary reasons but others as well). Regardless, he informed us that we'd have a chance to determine the stipulation to be added to the main event by tweeting or texting our preference. I have to hand it to WWE - involving the fans using social media and technology is pretty awesome, even if it oftentimes seems as though they make the choice an obvious one. ("Okay, guys - who do you want to see face Randy Orton? Hornswoggle, The Brooklyn Brawler, or John Cena...VOTE NOW!") We would get to choose between a street fight or no disqualification rules being added to the CM Punk & Daniel Bryan vs. The Wyatt Family tag team match. As an old school fan who's been around long enough to know I kind of shook my head over this because no disqualification technically could be the same thing as a street fight. I say that even though I know well enough by now that looking for logic in pro wrestling is like looking for a specific grain of sand on a beach.

1) The Primetime Players (Darren Young & Titus O'Neil) vs. Hunico & Comacho

Hunico made fun of a kid sitting behind us who was wearing a Sin Cara mask (which looks like this). If you don't get that reference, there was a point in time where there were two Sin Cara's - the real one and the fake one, who was Hunico in disguise. This was a good opener, albeit a classically structured tag team match where Darren Young played the good guy in distress who finally made a tag to Titus O'Neil who promptly laid waste to Hunico and Comacho. The Primetime Players won and got things off to a spirited start.

2) Jinder Majal vs. The Great Khali

Jinder came to the ring using his old entrance music from when he was a singles competitor - I guess he still is a singles competitor, but it seemed odd that he'd be using it since he's part of a group called 3 Man Band (along with Heath Slater and Drew McIntyre, who would be appearing later on in the show). I made the comment to my wife that he looked rather militant with his all-black garb; I doubt this wasn't intentional, seeing as how an Arabic character in professional wrestling is almost universally recognized as being a villain.

It pains me to watch Khali. At better than 7 feet tall, he's a physical specimen but he has severe limitations when it comes to mobility and dexterity. This was more or less every Khali match you've ever seen. He delivers a couple overhand chops to the bare chest of Majal then he gets some heat when he botches a kick to the corner (which looks awful because he doesn't kick, he just throws his leg over the rope), and finally he makes the comeback for the win.

3) Brie Bella w/Nikki vs. AJ Lee (WWE Diva's Champion) w/Tamina

This was advertised as being a Diva's Championship match but AJ got on the microphone immediately as she entered the ring and announced that she would not be defending the title tonight. This was a solid match, which was a great thing to see since WWE's female wrestlers are often criticized as being one of the low points of a given card. Brie got the victory after Tamina attempted to get involved only to have Nikki yank her off the apron.

Trust me when I say that the aesthetic differences between the Bellas, who are identical twin sisters, are especially noticeable up close. Nikki is more enhanced than her sister is, if you catch my meaning. Also, during this match there was some dude perched beside me on the other side of the railing who seemed to be trying to take pictures of the Bellas with an iPhone. I'm not sure who he was or what that was about, though.

4) Intercontinental Championship Match - Curtis Axel (c) vs. R-Truth

Axel, who has an incredible lineage as he is the grandson of Larry "The Axe" Hennig and the son of "Mr. Perfect" Curt Hennig, ran down the crowd as being beneath him before the match. R-Truth came out to his usual pre-match antics, rapping and dancing on his way to the ring and getting the support of the fans in the process.

Curtis looked good coming off of a recent hip injury, although I want to be critical of the fact that his physique isn't anything to be especially proud of. I say that because here lately there have been a number of stories published by wrestling news websites regarding a talent named Khasius Ohno (who is better known as Chris Hero) who was more or less demoted from his position in the company for supposedly not focusing intently enough on developing his physical appearance. Why does a guy like him get thrown under the bus but not Axel?

Truth came off well here because it never felt like he wasn't capable of winning the match - right up until he finally lost, that is.

- Intermission -

5) Heath Slater & Drew McIntyre vs. The Usos

I can't lie, Drew & Slater are entertaining in the role of bandmates in the 3 Man Band gimmick. In the realm of potentially awful creative ideas that have been thrust upon otherwise solid wrestlers, that's the kind of thing that could end careers but these guys have found a way to make it fun if nothing else. The Usos, on the other hand, do nothing for me. Their work just seems sloppy and I do not get their appeal, at all. That said, the Usos won after what was a fairly competitive match with all parties getting involved.

6) Ryback vs. Justin Gabriel

When Gabriel came out I was hoping it wouldn't be Ryback as his opponent. To give those of you who don't follow wrestling an idea of why I didn't want it to be Ryback, Justin is a high-flying cruiserweight and Ryback would be considered a super-heavyweight who's so muscular that he looks like he could throw a Volkswagen through a brick wall. I didn't want to see a squash match this late in the card ("squash match" being wrestling vernacular for a match designed to make one competitor look better by having him soundly beat what is typically an inferior opponent), but but sure enough it was Ryback.

Ryback came out and tried to get the crowd against him by running down the University of South Carolina Gamecocks football team and how they're going to get beaten down by the University of Florida Gators in a few weeks. I'd like to have seen him say that to Jadeveon Clowney - that would've been entertaining, likely more entertaining than this match as a matter of fact.

The match went about how you'd expect it. Gabriel had a few fleeting moments of hope but couldn't get past Ryback, the guy who (WARNING - STRING OF WRESTLING & POP CULTURE REFERENCES APPROACHING) looks like Bill Goldberg wearing Rob Van Dam's singlet with randomly-placed Team Rocket logos on his gear.

7) Tag Team Street Fight - CM Punk & Daniel Bryan vs. The Wyatt Family (Luke Harper & Eric Rowan w/Bray Wyatt)

At this point, my wife & I got a little upset because we realized the card on this night was, in fact, subject to change (that little phrase has adorned every wrestling poster that I've ever seen, and for obvious reasons). In promoting the event, WWE and the Colonial Life Arena had advertised appearances by Kane, Paul Heyman, as well as Cody Rhodes and Goldust who are the current WWE Tag Team Champions. Not that we didn't look forward to the main event, but we were hoping to see Kane and The Rhodes Brothers. This goes back to my notion of this show not being all that loaded with star power, but hey - CM Punk and Daniel Bryan are a good get any day of the week as far as I'm concerned.

This match was the highlight of the night. The street fight stipulation won the fan vote (real shocker, that) but they never really took advantage of those rules - no brawling in the crowd or what have you. There was a point in wrestling's history where a match like this would've involved blood as it's a great tool that, when used appropriately, can add to the drama of a contest. That doesn't happen as often anymore as athletic commissions have had their say in trying to limit the dangers of exposing athletes and fans to blood-bourne pathogens.

There was some great work at the start of the match where it looked like Punk & Bryan would establish control early on but Harper & Rowan managed to get the upper hand by isolating Bryan, who took the bulk of the punishment from Bray's disciples. The Wyatt's introduced a kendo stick to the match, beating down both Punk & Bryan but Punk found his own kendo and evened things up. The finish came after Harper ran himself into a table that the Wyatt's had set in one of the corners after which Punk hit him with his signature finishing maneuver, the GTS (Go To Sleep).

 

After the match Bryan & Punk spent a good bit of time going around ringside, meeting with fans, taking pictures and signing autographs. I "slapped hands" with them and I will admit that in that moment I was a small child who just happened to be shaped like a grown man.

Overall I'd say that this show was quite entertaining but it was also very rushed. It started on time at 7:30 PM and even with the intermission it was done around 9:30-9:45. I guess these guys all had planes to catch in order to join the rest of the crew across the pond.