The "Showcase of the Immortals" is just around the corner, with WrestleMania 41 coming to us live from Las Vegas on Saturday, April 19, and Sunday, April 20, at 7 p.m. ET.
Headlined by John Cena squaring off with Cody Rhodes for the undisputed WWE championship, the show features an immensely strong group of talent. So much so that some who are probably deserving of a main event program have found themselves entrenched in the mid-card.
That's a good problem to have if you're the WWE as it showcases the depth of the roster from top to bottom and it provides multiple options for storylines.
But, traditionally, WrestleMania serves as the bookend. The season finale, if you will. That's changed some under the Triple H booking regime, but old habits die hard. We're expecting most of these feuds to wrap up at WrestleMania and the ensuing Raw to kick off a number of new rivalries.
So here, less than a month from the "Granddaddy of Them All," let's predict the WrestleMania 41 card.
Confirmed WrestleMania 41 Match Card
Cody Rhodes (c) vs. John Cena (Undisputed WWE Championship): Cena's shocking heel turn at Elimination Chamber had everyone talking. Sure, maybe the turn was 10 years too late, but it finally happened. It remains to be seen if The Rock will be getting involved again.
Gunther (c) vs. Jey Uso (World Heavyweight Championship): Uso winning the Royal Rumble came as a surprise to many, but his history with Gunther made the story an easy one to follow. It seems that the story is Uso getting into his own head over his multiple losses to Gunther to the point of making mistakes in the ring. Obviously, all signs point to WrestleMania 41 becoming YEETmania, with Uso overcoming the odds.
Iyo Sky (c) vs. Bianca Belair vs. Rhea Ripley (Women's World Championship): Technically, the company has only confirmed Sky vs. Belair for this match, but Ripley not only hijacked the contract signing, she's also the most over of the three superstars.
Tiffany Stratton (c) vs. Charlotte Flair (WWE Women's Championship): It seems like giving Charlotte the Royal Rumble victory was a mistake, as the fans don't seem overly interested in her or this matchup. Stratton seems better as a heel, but the match itself will likely be very good in the ring.
CM Punk vs. Seth Rollins vs. Roman Reigns: It seems wild to think that three of the biggest stars of the last 25 years aren't involved in the title scene at WrestleMania, but as we discussed the roster is in as good of a spot as it has ever been. There's a decade worth of storylines intertwining for this high-profile match, which will likely main event night one.
Randy Orton vs. Kevin Owens: Owens sidelined Orton for months with a neck injury after delivering a piledriver, not only setting up the return of Orton's punt kick finisher, but also reestablishing the piledriver as a match (or worse) ender. Owens has a knack for making this title-less blood feuds really come off as high stakes.
WrestleMania 41 Match Predictions
Obviously, a two-night spectacle needs more than six matches. But, the company has been planting the seeds on a number contests.
Drew McIntyre vs. Damian Priest: Priest's continued one-upsmanship on McIntyre highlights not only Priest as an upper mid-carder, but also McIntyre's continued spiral into revenge-fueled madness. The winner of this match probably finds himself in a title feud with Uso next.
Bron Breakker (c) vs. Penta vs. Dominik Mysterio vs. Finn Balor (Intercontinental Championship): WWE is notorious for not changing titles in Fatal 4-Way matches, but this one seems like a great chance to move the belt off of Breakker while keeping him strong. Penta is red hot, but I think there's a real chance we get Mysterio winning the belt and entering a full-on Judgment Day breakup angle.
Jade Cargill vs. Naomi: Cargill returned at Elimination Chamber, revealing it was Naomi who sidelined her for months. Cargill looks like a million bucks and continues to get better in the ring (even though she still seems a bit raw). It seems like we could be headed toward a Cargill-Belair feud.
AJ Styles vs. Logan Paul: Styles returned as a babyface at the Royal Rumble, so giving him Paul at WrestleMania is great for a couple of reasons. First, it ensures Styles is going to be over as a face in the match. Second, it gives the company multiple options post-match. Does Paul cheat to win, pushing Styles toward Karrion Kross? Does Kross get involved on Styles' behalf? Options are a good thing and surely this match will be a banger in the ring.
LA Knight (c) vs. Braun Strowman vs. Jacob Fatu vs. Carmelo Hayes (United States Championship): On one hand, it seems unlikely that there would be two Fatal 4-Way matches for mid-card titles on the same show. On the other, these four have been linked over the last few weeks and it's too difficult to pick one as a challenger for Knight.
War Raiders (c) vs. The New Day (Raw Tag Team Championships): The New Day is still intriguing as a heel, but there's definitely a lack of steam behind the group right now. Winning the tag titles could change that, but it also leaves us with the (albeit small) chance for potential Big E interference.
Street Profits (c) vs. Pretty Deadly vs. MCMG vs. DIY vs. Los Garza (SmackDown Tag Team Championships): Not everyone can be on the card, meaning some that are deserving won't get a spot. That being said, a wild, spot-fest of a tag team title match is still a good idea for a show with a handful of multiman matches already.
Rey Mysterio vs El Grande Americano: Why not? Throw a mask vs. mask stipulation in here, have Mysterio win in two minutes, then laugh at Gable for another two. Not every match on the card needs to be a somber, gladiatorial-like affair.
This would put the full WrestleMania card at 14 matches, or seven per night. That seems like a pretty good spot considering the WWE doesn't like running too long nowadays. Obviously, some, all or none of these matches might actually happen, but this seems like a relatively safe bet.
It does leave off some notable stars (Chelsea Green, Lyra Valkyria, Bayley, Sheamus and Liv Morgan come to mind), but that doesn't mean they won't be involved in the show in some capacity.
Notable Stars Not On The Card, But Who Might Show Up
Becky Lynch: It seemed like Lynch was set to return around the time Raw debuted on Netflix, but The Man never came around. At this point, if she is at WrestleMania, it will be as a surprise return.
The Rock: Given The Rock's involvement at Elimination Chamber, it would make sense for him to be at WrestleMania to be involved in the Rhodes-Cena match. However, if we know anything about The Rock, it's that he does precisely what he wants to do whenever he wants to do it. So we'll see if he gets involved.
Steve Austin: Austin isn't coming out of retirement, but WrestleMania is practically in his backyard this year. At WrestleMania 40, everyone thought we'd hear the glass shatter during the main event. But perhaps that spot will be used this year, so Stone Cold can deliver one final stunner to the Final Boss.
Sami Zayn: Zayn has been heavily featured in the last two WrestleMania builds, but it appears he's on the outside looking in this time around. He may get involved in the Orton-Owens match.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Projected WrestleMania 41 Card.
