WWE WrestleMania 34 is an embarrassment of riches filled with dream matches, great storytelling and manufactured spontaneity in the case of the shrewdly built feud between John Cena and The Undertaker.
With tickets on the verge of selling out, upwards of 70,000 fans will be in attendance for a lineup that has potential to make WrestleMania 34 one of the greatest events in the franchise’s storied history.
While it is unlikely that every match will live past expectations, and several will be put in a disadvantageous position to succeed, there will surely be instant classics and unheralded overachievers when all is said and done in New Orleans.
John Cena vs. The Undertaker
By not officially announcing Cena vs. The Undertaker, thereby leaving fans to salivate over how it will all go by, this has ironically become WWE’s most hyped match on the card despite WWE not promising anything when it comes to the coveted clash. In fact, per storyline, time has run out and John Cena will enter WrestleMania as quite possibly the only fan in the building who also has a movie premiering this weekend.
WWE has built The Undertaker’s return—one that could see him return as “The American Badass”—to such a fever pitch that fans will be extremely happy to see him, and these two past-their-prime vets will be able to ride that wave of momentum to a smart, memorable match sure to overdeliver.
Asuka vs. Charlotte
WWE’s selling point for Asuka vs. Charlotte is basically “these two are really good and you’ve never seen them have a one-on-one match. See you Sunday.”
Charlotte and Asuka have hardly had a rivalry or a personal issue to be resolved outside of Asuka’s Royal Rumble win and her subsequent choice of the SmackDown women’s champion as her WrestleMania opponent. The two have spent much of the WrestleMania buildup on opposite brands with little to nothing to say about one another for fans to become emotionally invested.
But the combination of an underwhelming build and overwhelming talent will be sure to catch fans off guard in what could be the best match on the show. The allure of Asuka’s streak will add an extra spark to the overall match, and by the end, it’s difficult to imagine too many people walking away disappointed with WWE’s two premier stars in arguably its most talented women’s division of any era.
Alexa Bliss vs. Nia Jax
Alexa Bliss vs. Nia Jax has had all the drama that is lacking with Asuka and Charlotte. Bliss has played her part perfectly as the doll-faced villain who has made biting quips about Jax’s weight, and Jax has connected with fans as the positive role model who is champing at the bit to take down a bully.
Fans at live events have come unglued at the mere sight of Jax getting her hands on Bliss before the Raw women’s champion barely escapes. The traditional WrestleMania build of good guy vs. bad guy has set the stage for a satisfying payoff where good (hopefully) prevails.
Cedric Alexander vs. Mustafa Ali
Both Cedric Alexander and Mustafa Ali have come off like budding stars following the Cruiserweight Championship tournament. The babyface vs. babyface dynamic is not ideal, but there is no reason the two shouldn’t have an excellent matchup in the ring.
Ali, in particular, has had the most success with character development of any cruiserweight coming out of the 205 Live reboot. Once a one-dimensional high-flyer, Ali has garnered a considerable amount of underground buzz with a series of gritty Twitter promos about his career in the police force and why he will defeat Alexander.
Assuming this match headlines the pre-show, and there is an actual audience there to see it, Alexander and Ali could be in contention of having the best pure wrestling match of a weekend that will have no shortage of them.
Randy Orton vs. Rusev vs. Jinder Mahal vs. Bobby Roode
This entire feud has been lackluster and unheralded and there’s a good chance this match goes on early, possibly even kicking off WrestleMania 34. But what curtain-jerkers lack in prestige, they make up for in crowd participation.
A hot crowd excited to see WrestleMania could be greeted with the internet’s (current) favorite son in Rusev, and the Superdome’s overwhelming support for Rusev Day will be enough to make this match far more entertaining than it should be.
