WrestleMania 29 Predictions

Posted by Dave Reno (@dw_reno)

Hijacked by Dan Rose (@danrosemma)

Pre-Show: Intercontinental Championship:

Wade Barrett (C) vs. The Miz

Dave Reno: Ok, first things f**king last. Where the hell is Antonio Cesaro on this event? I can’t find him, can you? Huge mistake. This guy should be getting a much bigger push and if he isn’t a surprise for the event then I can’t imagine what the WWE is waiting for.

Prediction: Oh ya, Barrett vs. Miz. Who cares. I’ll take Barrett in a match that hopefully will give everybody enough time to get situated before the pay-per-view starts. I suppose they wouldn’t let a title change hands in a match that no one will watch on YouTube.

Dan Rose:  I hijacked this fine article to include some of my own thoughts.  First, it’s a crying shame that Cesaro isn’t on this card. Total travesty!  That said, we’re looking at The Miz taking on Wade Barrett for the IC title.  I think that the title WILL change hands, and it’ll change hands to get people talking right before the event, and perhaps milk a few extra buys.  Besides, it’s THE MIZ, and HE’S AWESOME!  

Tons of Funk (Brodus Clay and Tensai) and the Funkadactyls vs. Team Rhodes Scholars and The Bella Twins

Reno: I’m going to bitch and moan a lot during this piece. It’s not often I get to write about pro-wrestling so it gives me an opportunity to air it out. This match sucks. Cody Rhodes and Damien Sandow together are being underutilized here. Combining ‘The Intellectual Savior of the Masses’ with Cody and his moustache was one of the best moves in sports and entertainment history. Putting them up against two no talent clowns to kick off the biggest pay-per-view event of the year is one of the worst. Oh ya, The Funkadactyls and The Bella Twins are invovled as well. I didn’t forget about them, but believe me when I say – I tried to forget.

Prediction – Team Rhodes Scholars via find these two some better opponents. You’re welcome.

Rose:  Couldn’t agree more, no room at the Wrestlemania table for this kind of piss poor booking.  Nobody cares about Tensai, and only 12 more people care about Brodus Clay.  This team could be a pretty fair team, minus their albatross of a gimmick.  I think that the return of the Bellas could result in some kind of swerve here, and I predict Tons of Funk get the victory.

Chris Jericho vs. Fandango

Reno: I’m actually looking forward to this one. Anytime Chris Jericho enters the ring we are in the presence of greatness. Plus, it’ll be the first time most fans get to see Johnny Curtis show off his chops on the biggest stage in the world. The whole Fandango gimmick was fun while it lasted, now let’s see if it was worth the wait. I trust that Jericho and ‘Fan dingo’ will put on a fun match, one that’ll do just enough to be brought up during water cooler conversations Monday morning.

Prediction – Jericho via the Walls of. 

Rose:  Agreed, looking forward to this. Jericho can make a turnip look good at Wrestlemania and Johnny Curtis has some skills.  He won WWE NXT and will finally get his shot.  Word around the campfire is that Vince LOVES Fandango, and he could indeed get the win here as Jericho is expected to take some time off, post Wrestlemania.  I’m going to go out on a limb here, and say, Fandango gets the W. 

Ryback vs. Mark Henry

Reno: Now it’s time for the big boys. I haven’t caught a lot of these two leading up to Mania, I’ll admit that with all that’s being going on in the mixed martial arts world of late that Friday Night Smackdown has been off my radar during the last couple of weeks. I liked what Henry brough to the Elimination Chamber a lot back in February. Ryback has been too much sizzle and not enough steak since being given that big push late last year. He came through for the company when they needed him most and now he’s become kind of a side show freak.

Prediction: This one could end in DQ with Ryback turning heel when it’s all said and done.

Rose:  A week ago I would have said Ryback was a lock.  Not so sure anymore.  Something is afoot here and my guess is we’re about to see Ryback do the job.  Mark Henry gets the clean win here I think, not sure why.

Dear WWE, Please don’t break up The Shield

Six man Tag Team Match

Sheamus, Big Show and Randy Orton vs. The Shield

Reno: Believe in The Shield! This is a fun little six-man match that means absolutely nothing in the grand scheme of things. You have three of the most recognizable faces in the game who are taking a break from the title hunt right now going against a dangerous trio in a match that will either further build The Shield, or break them.

Prediction: Ambrose, Rollins and Reigns live on. The Shield emerge victorious in a fun WM 29 halftime show of sorts.

Rose:  Love the Shield, absolutely love them.  That said, does the WWE expect me to believe that Orton, The Big Show and Seamus are all doing the job tonight?  I expect the faces to either get the win, or to have to faces lose a member (Randy Orton) to a heel turn.  Orton + The Shield = Unstoppable.  So, going with The Shield. 

The Streak

CM Punk vs. The Undertaker

Reno: This may as well be the main event. Living Colour will be playing ‘Cult of Personality’ live as ‘The Best in the World’ makes his walk to the ring accompanied by Paul Heyman with only one thing on his mind – beating the streak. At 20-0 in as many events, The Undertaker’s streak is truly the greatest in Sports and Entertainment history. So why let some Punk make it 20-1?

Just when you thought Punk and Heyman couldn’t sink any lower during this now infamous heel run they end the Road to WrestleMania by dumping the late Paul Bearer’s ashes on Taker. A lot of folks say that this was taking it way to far. They obviously don’t understand how dedicated Mr. Moody was to his craft. This is exactly what he would’ve wanted, and Punk and Heyman are pulling it off to perfection – like everything that they do. But when it comes down to it, this is WrestleMania; this is ‘The Phenom’. 

Prediction: The Undertaker takes his 21-0 streak into New Oreleans at WrestleMania 30. 

Rose:  Pains me to say this, but the Streak is the price the WWE had to pay to take the belt off of Punk and give the main event back to Rock/Cena for a second consecutive year. CM Punk ends the biggest streak in pro wrestling, but pays a healthy price for it.  He’ll sell an injury and take some time off finally.

Lesnar vs. HHH will steal the show

No Holds Barred with Triple H’s Career On The Line

Brock Lesnar vs. HHH

Reno: This is an NHB contest with the career on HHH on the line – which means absolutely nothing in the world of pro-wrestling. The writers can always find a loophole to bring Hunter back whenever they damn well please, but putting someone’s career on the line always sounds cool.

This possibly being HHH’s last match isn’t what’s important here. This is No Holds Barred, which means that there will be blood. These two will leave it all between the ropes, down the runway, into the crowd, and wherever these two future WWE Hall of Famer/s feel is necessary. When 2013 ends expect this to be in the running for match of the year.

Prediction: Shawn Michaels will be in the corner of his friend and of course Heyman will be in the corner of The Beast. In a NHB match that means everything. I like HBK to get involved somehow and set up a match with him and Lesnar for WM 30 in the NOLA. Just how that’s going to happen, well that’s why we tune in isn’t it. Just for fun I’m thinking that Lesnar gets a little bit of sweet chin music and HHH lives to fight another day. 

Rose:  Love the thought process, and someone gets Sweet Chin Music, but it’ll be HHH that gets the HBK kick to the chops.  HHH loses his career, and best friend in the same night.  Of course that’s just me.  No way Lesnar agrees to lose this one, he gets the win.

WWE Tag Team Championship Match

Dolph Ziggler and Big E Langston vs. Team Hell No (Kane and Daniel Bryan) (C)

Reno: It’s time to break up Team Hell No. It’s been adorable while it lasted but Bryan and Kane are simply better as singles wrestlers.  So how are we going to end their title reign? Do we turn them against each other and let them feud heading into Extreme Rules? Or do we just let them go their proverbial seperate ways?

Prediction: Ziggler and Big E leave New York with the hardware, but this won’t be the only belt that ‘The Show Off’ will take on the night. 

Rose:  Agreed, this one goes for Ziggler and Big E.  I see Team No Hell breaking up, finally.  

Is it finally time for Zigs to cash in?

World Heavyweight Championship Match

Alberto Del Rio (C) vs. Jack Swagger

Reno: It’s time for Dolph to cash in that Money in the Bank briefcase, and what better stage than Mania? So this match is really all for naught.

Prediction: Swagger wins, the crowds boos, Zeb goes wild. Ziggler cashes it in and takes the title, turning face in the process.

Rose: Sounds like fun, but don’t see it happening.  Alberto Del Rio is not as over as WWE would have liked, and Swagger isn’t going to be rewarded for his DUI (of weed) with a world title run.  Makes me think this just might be the night where Ziggler cashes in.  He’s been struggling lately in singles matches though, so he’s not set up for a title run either.  I say Alberto Del Rio wins, holds on to the belt, and we deal with this later.

Love it or hate it – this is the rivalry we are stuck with – photo via NYPost

WWE Championship Match The Rock (C) vs. John Cena

Reno: There’s a reason why John Cena is a -800 on bovada.lv (yes, you can wager on WrestleMania). The Rock vs. Cena III at the 30th Mania is about a sure thing as thousands of WWE fans hugging toilets and soiling their ‘Team Bring It’ panties come Monday morning.

Maybe it’s not the match that a lot of the die hards have been clamoring for, but it’s what we’re getting – this year and next.

Prediction: Cena evens the score for what will be crammed down your throat as the greatest trilogy in WrestleMania history leading into 2014.

Rose:  I don’t see how they can hijack another WM run out of this.  I think Cena either wins and evens the score, or wins and makes the biggest heel turn since Hogan dropped the leg and went nWo.  Either way, Cena gets the win here.