Wrestlemania 33 Rumours

What's wrong with two of the biggest stars fighting for the title at Mania? I don't mind if it's Styles, Cena or Taker in that match.  Styles has had a decent length reign, if it ends say at the Rumble or something, I won't be mad.

And Undertaker said on SmackDown "the days of WrestleMania defining my career are over" aka he's not just going to appear at Mania. Rumour is this is his retirement run so if that's the case, give him one last title run.

Last edited by rhys (Thu-24-Nov-2016 16:18:53)

I'm failing to see what's good about it. All it says to me is that they don't feel anyone else is good enough to go to Mania as a champion. No issues with Cena vs Taker as I'm sure that match would be fine. Taker shouldn't be anywhere near the title again though.

I'm failing to see what's good about it. All it says to me is that they don't feel anyone else is good enough to go to Mania as a champion. No issues with Cena vs Taker as I'm sure that match would be fine. Taker shouldn't be anywhere near the title again though.

This is precisely how I felt when they put the WWE World Heavyweight Championship on Brock, which was significantly worse then because it was the only World Championship at the time.  If they have AJ vs. Taker at Mania for the Championship I'm fine with that.  I even wouldn't be so mad if Taker walks in the champ, so as long as it results in AJ getting a WM moment and walking out the Champ.  Anything else is a bad idea.

Anyone thinking AJ is going to go over the Taker at Rumble or Mania, is seriously kidding themselves here.

Anyone thinking AJ is going to go over the Taker at Rumble or Mania, is seriously kidding themselves here.

AJ Styles is primed to be the future of the company.  He will prevail at the end of the day here.

The Wrestling Observer Newsletter is reporting that WWE officials have locked in the following three matches for WrestleMania 33:

• Triple H vs Seth Rollins
• The Big Show vs Shaq
• Bill Goldberg vs Brock Lesnar

A match between John Cena and Undertaker has also been heavily rumored, and even teased on Smackdown Live this week, but apparently Vince McMahon has yet to officially sign off on the bout. US Champion Roman Reigns is also being considered for a marquee bout with Undertaker with Vince McMahon feeling that Roman is the future and a match between Cena and Taker does not build to the future. They also acknowledge that this could be Undertaker’s final WrestleMania and that is also playing in to the decision.

If John Cena is able to win the WWE Championship from AJ Styles or Roman Reigns is able to win the WWE Universal Championship at the Royal Rumble it would seem that Undertaker would be in line for a title shot. Undertaker has not yet been announced for the Royal Rumble match but considering the possible scenarios available the Observer is saying that he is a favorite to win the match.

Braun Strowman is also said to be a heavy favorite to win the Royal Rumble this year. Indicating that if Reigns is able to win the WWE Universal Championship and Braun the Rumble the two could be set for a collision at WrestleMania 33.

The storyline between Chris Jericho and Kevin Owens has been brewing for several months as well and a match between the two at WrestleMania 33 is also being considered but has not been confirmed. Some kind of multi-woman match for the RAW Women’s Championship is also being considered.

I hope they go with Cena vs Taker. People just need to stop with all this title talk though. Neither of these two need the belt and the match is big enough to not need it either. All it does is say that WWE don't have confidence in their current champions which is a real shame and sucks for the guys that have been there all year, not taking time off.

Big Show vs Shaq... urgh. They've wanted to do this for a while, but it's things like this that take away the special feel of Mania to me. It will be shit, everything about it will be, so how is that special? I don't mind when they do something that should be good and it turns out shit as these things happen. But if you know it's going to be shit from the go, why bother? Do it at a different PPV that isn't meant to be special.

Goldberg and Lesnar is pretty much a given. No problems with that at all.

Reigns vs Strowman... no thanks. Especially not for the title. Seriously don't get how this could be considered yet AJ Styles doesn't appear to be being considered for a title match at Mania. Rumours like this make me hope that they are nothing more than just rumours.

I like Strowman in general right now.  He's one of the most interesting parts of RAW at the moment.  Sami Zayn actually getting TV time is always a good thing too haha!

I'm really ok with all of this.

I've also heard a far off rumor of Sami Zayn winning the Royal Rumble and going on to face Owens for the belt at WM.  May have changed by now, but this was around the time of that peculiar Steph/Sami segment on RAW where she proclaimed how much she hated his guts for about two minutes straight.  The theory/article I read mentioned how it could be one of those completely out of left field deals kinda like Baron Corbin winning the Andre Battle Royale.

I'm totally fine with Jericho vs. Owens straight up though.  The fanboy in me just wants one really big Sami vs. Owens match at WrestleMania...and with the Universal Title on Owens and this possibility of Sami winning the Rumble, it could be Biblical.  That match at Payback last year was fantastic, so anything matching that would be acceptable.

Last edited by Fish (Sat-31-Dec-2016 22:52:09)

So I'm predicting the card as follows (more or less):

-Owens v Jericho for the Universal Title
-Styles v Orton for the WWE Title
-Goldberg v Lesnar
-Cena v Undertaker
-HHH v Rollins
-American Alpha v Revival for the SD tag titles
-Reigns v Strowman for the US title
-Charlotte v Bayley v Sasha for the RAW Womens Title
-Ambrose v Miz v Ziggler v three randoms for the IC Title
-Big Show v Shaq
-Wyatt v Joe (cos why not?)

As for the SD Womens and RAW Tag Titles, who knows?

Last edited by rhys (Sat-31-Dec-2016 23:05:33)

I'm still hoping for a Rollins vs Triple H match. Got to happen really. It's been making me laugh recently how they have Rollins occasionally mentioning Triple H and then starting a feud with someone else. Just straight up call him out properly. They can still delay the match until Mania, but properly call him out.

Owens vs Jericho would be good. Styles and Orton would be good. Those right there would be two great title matches that would be worthy of Mania quality wise.

Reigns vs Strowman for the US Title I could accept. Strowman has been improving, but still has some way to go. US Title match would be okay, but definitely not the Universal Title as that's just way too early.

Think about Strowman mowing down Roman at WM for the title and then doing his own Open Challenge on RAW every week for the US Title.  That would be just about as interesting as Cena's in my mind!!

One of the rumors going around backstage is that at WrestleMania 33, John Cena willl team up with Nikki Bella to take on The Miz and Maryse.

No one putting out rumours for Cena at Mania appear to think he will keep the belt at Elimination Chamber. The above rumour though... Please don't, that would be shit. Straight up Cena vs The Miz I could deal with, but not mixed tag.

Yeah that would be awful. Means we'd have to see Maryse against Nikki at some point during that, otherwise it would be pointless making it a tag match. I don't mind looking at them, but seeing them wrestle is another matter entirely. I want to be entertained not bored shitless.

Some Reigns and Taker news:

Vince McMahon has reportedly been wanting to do a Roman Reigns vs. Undertaker match for quite some time and with Undertaker's deteriorating health, this year's WrestleMania may be the last time the company has a chance to do it. Some liken it to the proverbial "passing of the torch" from the veteran Undertaker to Reigns.

There are several scenarios that could play out in the match, including a Reigns heel turn, but the long term plan for WWE is to still to have Roman as the "face of the company."

As for Undertaker, as we saw at the Royal Rumble, he was clearly not in very good shape due to a problematic hip that is still very painful even after a recent surgery. According to sources, Taker has been advised that he needs hip replacement surgery but he's been putting that off until his in-ring career is over.

I'd be sad with this one. To me it looks like Reigns could be having a feud with Strowman which would be better, providing Strowman wins of course. Taker vs Reigns though? Do they want Reigns to be booed out of the building for the second year in a row? There's no way that he stays face going against Taker.

Here is the tentative WrestleMania 33 lineup, scheduled for April 2 from Orlando, FL:

Goldberg vs. Brock Lesnar - Universal Title Match
Roman Reigns vs. Undertaker
Bray Wyatt vs. Randy Orton - WWE Title Match
Triple H vs. Seth Rollins - possibly in jeopardy
Chris Jericho vs. Kevin Owens - US Title Match
Dean Ambrose vs. Dolph Ziggler or Baron Corbin - IC Title Match
John Cena & Nikki Bella vs. Miz & Maryse
Big Show vs. Shaquille O'Neal
Charlotte vs. Bayley vs. Sasha Banks vs. Nia Jax - Raw Women's Title
AJ Styles vs. Shane McMahon
Andre the Giant Battle Royal - Braun Strowman is the favorite
Both Raw & Smackdown tag team titles and the Smackdown women's title should also be contested

I still really don't get why the Goldberg and Lesnar match has to be for a title. Adds nothing to the match, which WWE have actually done some good work building. Neither need it, the match doesn't need it.

Here is the tentative WrestleMania 33 lineup, scheduled for April 2 from Orlando, FL:

Goldberg vs. Brock Lesnar - Universal Title Match
Roman Reigns vs. Undertaker
Bray Wyatt vs. Randy Orton - WWE Title Match
Triple H vs. Seth Rollins - possibly in jeopardy
Chris Jericho vs. Kevin Owens - US Title Match
Dean Ambrose vs. Dolph Ziggler or Baron Corbin - IC Title Match
John Cena & Nikki Bella vs. Miz & Maryse
Big Show vs. Shaquille O'Neal
Charlotte vs. Bayley vs. Sasha Banks vs. Nia Jax - Raw Women's Title
AJ Styles vs. Shane McMahon
Andre the Giant Battle Royal - Braun Strowman is the favorite
Both Raw & Smackdown tag team titles and the Smackdown women's title should also be contested

I still really don't get why the Goldberg and Lesnar match has to be for a title. Adds nothing to the match, which WWE have actually done some good work building. Neither need it, the match doesn't need it.

Agreed, and hopefully it's just rumour. Jericho v Owens is the feud they've been building for months, it should have the Uni title, not the US title.

Exactly. Would rather the full time guys that have had a developing story have the Universal title match. That's what they've been building towards, especially all those times where Jericho would refer to themselves as the joint Universal Champions with Owens giving him a weird look for it. It's a good long term story that deserves the blow off at Mania for the main title that it's been built around, not the US Title.

Why would Owens care about being the US Champion so soon after losing the Universal Title anyway? Doesn't even make sense from that point of view either. There's going to be like 2 weeks between losing the belt and Mania.

This is one rumour that I hope everyone is getting wrong. Jericho vs Owens for the Universal Title should be the match on the card.

Sadly it's looking more likely. It's a shame Goldberg has accepted Lesnars Wrestlemania challenge already. Should have left it saying that he doesn't need to as it's all too easy for him. Then have Lesnar cost him the title at Fastlane setting up the Mania match. That would have been too simple though.

And I can't believe that Raw have no other number one contender that they just accept a part timers title challenge. Just shows how poorly booked people are these days that after being Reigns there is no one else.

I'm still holding out that Lesnar will screw Goldberg.

If Lesnar doesn't screw Goldberg out of the title then it will be a huge letdown. It's the build to Mania, there needs to be more than just accepting the challenge between these guys. Goldberg is getting the upper-hand every time against Lesnar. They need to give Lesnar something going into Mania. There doesn't seem to be any hatred there anymore, nothing really exciting about it. Have Lesnar cost Goldberg the match and walk off laughing. Then the final push to Mania will be good.

I have no confidence in WWE to deliver, but that's what I think needs to happen. Would be the only way that I gain interest back in the feud between them.

Big Show vs Shaq is moving forward it seems. This is what I hate about Mania. There's nothing special about it, it will be shit, it will be a complete waste of time and I don't know anyone that actually wants to see it. All of that means that it shouldn't be anywhere near Mania. It's like WWE don't take their biggest show seriously and that's sad. Should be the best of the year and it's rarely even close to being that.

None of the rumoured matches feel like they'd be worth it. Owens/Jericho will be providing it's not over the US Title as that would be a wasted opportunity for both guys. Wyatt/Orton could be as that's been a slow build, but they'll need to pick up the pace on that one a lot between now and then if they go with that. Other than that, it all looks pretty meh to me.

Austin Aries has been cleared to return to the ring after previously breaking his orbital bone.

There has been some backstage discussion of having a Neville vs. Aries title match at WrestleMania 33. If that happens, it's very possible that Aries won't wrestle again until the actual match.

With Aries doing various interviews with Cruiserweights, it might be a way for him to start his angle with Neville so that it doesn't seem so unnaturally forced.

Finally, a Wrestlemania rumour that I'm totally on board with. Would be a great match.

Nice. I'd be down with that.

There's talk going around that Orton has actually given up his title shot at Mania after he pledged his allegiance to Wyatt on Smackdown, with talk that Orton could be facing AJ Styles at Mania. Now that would be a great match.

Another one for AJ is meant to be Shane McMahon. I don't mind Shane, but no.

Still talk of Cena being in a mixed tag match. There does seem to be good reason behind it though - not currently in a feud and he's planning to take more time off after Mania, so they don't want him having a match that would have a post-Mania fallout.

My prediction is that Luke Harper will win the #1 Contender Battle Royal and we'll have Bray v Orton v Harper for the title at Mania,

They've taken an actual step towards the mixed tag match. Dam, was hoping that rumour wouldn't be true. Could be worse though I guess. I did like Miz eliminating Cena from the Battle Royal after he had been eliminated. At least the match will make sense.

Still talk that Orton will be having his title match at Mania, despite "giving up" his shot, as it would be a pointless Rumble win otherwise. I'd imagine that since it's AJ Styles vs Luke Harper next week, that Harper wins to become number one contender and Orton throws a little bitch fit and the whole thing becomes a triple threat.