WrestleMania 34 offers something for every taste on Sunday night: Big names with Universal Champion Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns, the debut of Ronda Rousey or Undertaker vs. John Cena, finest wrestling with WWE Champ AJ Styles vs. Royal Rumble winner Shinsuke Nakamura or Charlotte Flair vs. Asuka. To crown it all Daniel Bryan celebrates his emotional in-ring comeback alongside Shane McMahon against Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn.
Kneisel: The unofficial Doghouse Battle Royal, where the winner is guaranteed a year of complete insignificance – does anyone take this match seriously? The field reported so far gives little hope for improvement, favourites are not in sight, even if WWE wants to present Baron Corbin as such. My tip: Either an NXTler wins, or Bray Wyatt celebrates his rebirth after the trip to Lake of Reincarnation. Either way, it’s going to be wonderfully irrelevant again, isn’t it?
Schlauchy: Absolutely correct. If you had the hope that the Battle Royal would be relevant when you first held it, this thought has long since vanished. Meanwhile, you don’t even know if winning this match isn’t more of a punishment. My tip is just “Woken” Matt Hardy.
Schlauchy: I think it’s appropriate and good that the women get a Battle Royal counterpart. But not if she becomes as trivial, bad and career-destroying as her role model. I don’t really care who wins here either, but I’m betting on Shayna Baszler. Even before its world premiere, the match is a very difficult one for me. The reason: That’s why Bayley vs. Sasha won’t be 1-1 on WrestleMania. This is bitter, annoying, sad, shameful, disturbing and simply highly incomprehensible. The match would have had the potential to become my favorite. Do you look like him?
Kneisel: Sasha vs. Bayley is also the mating that interests me most among the women at the moment and accordingly I would have been very happy about a 1 vs. 1 as well. Unfortunately it became apparent early on that Vince & Co. were much less enthusiastic about the whole thing and so the two are the most prominent participants in a completely uninteresting match. Since I assume that they will eliminate each other and hopefully start with their feud afterwards, and I don’t expect Bassler’s call-up yet, I bet on Peyton Royce, because the Iconic Duo finally belongs in the main roster.
Kneisel: Who would have thought at the beginning of the year that this match would be one of the most exciting and best-built at the Grandaddy? Since Triple H took the helm, 205 Live has done a 180 degree turn and I’m thrilled at how much better the division is now represented! Drake Maverick is also the perfect GM. In the final for the vacant title we will experience the two best cruiserweights the Main Roster has to offer, even if the match unfortunately ended up in the kickoff as expected. The past has shown how perfectly Cedric and Mustafa harmonize with each other. I expect the Showstealer and at the end a heelturn of Alexander, after the underdog Mustafa Ali has secured the title. Or can you imagine adding a Rey Mysterio or Ricochet?
Schlauchy: No, I don’t believe in it and I hope not. The two deserve this match on this stage and should also be allowed to design it completely from the front to the back. Even if it’s a pity at first sight that they only appear in the kickoff, it certainly does the match length good. But unlike you, I expect Cedric Alexander to win. Maybe Hideo will get another chance in the medium term.
Schlauchy: The Usos vs. New Day was most likely THE feud of 2017 and the two are without a doubt the best day teams of WWE. That’s why it didn’t bother me in any way that their feud was continued at Fastlane. The fact that the Hammer brothers are now added is understandable, but not exactly productive for the match quality. I can’t do anything with her new gimmick and I hope Harper will do most of the work. Finally, I hope and believe that the triple-threat constellation is there not to give the titles to the Bludgeon Brothers, but at the same time not to weaken them. As I suspect that the New Day will soon continue at Raw, The Usos will defend their titles. Are Harper & Rowan your favorites?
Kneisel: First of all I would like to emphasize that the addition of the Bludgeon Brothers, unlike you, made me very happy. Not because I wouldn’t have liked another top match between the Usos and New Day, but the two pieces gave the feud with the Beatdown at Fastlane an intensity and brutality that wasn’t possible before. I also have to admit that I haven’t been so enthusiastic about booking unicorns for a while now, the flat pancake jokes have worn out. Harper & Rowan will not harm the match, but on the contrary will make it noticeably more exciting. Accordingly, I have a hard time with a tip, but I also assume that the Usos will defend their title by dusting off a pin on a New Day member.
Kneisel: For a long time I wondered what WWE was planning here, the appearance of “Brains” Strowman at the Go Home-Raw did little illuminating. Do you want to bury The Bar completely? More importantly, who will be Braun’s partner? First of all: I bet on a title defence of Sheamus & Cesaro. For a while I had hoped that Braun & Elias would become a new team Hell No, but now I guess Samoa Joe as “partner” – and a feud that already starts during the match, in favour of the Champs. You got someone else on screen?
Schlauchy: Elias and Braun would have been great. Unfortunately, Elias prefers to be in no-man’s-land at the moment. I want to see Samoa Joe in a more important role and especially as a singles wrestler. Rey Mysterio is not only unsuitable, but also unlikely. Who’s staying? I could imagine Braun fishing his old mentor Bray Wyatt out of the lake of Hardy Compound. It would always be appropriate. But at the top of my tip list is another giant: The Big Show. Totally unexciting and in my opinion an absolutely terrible solution. No matter who it is, The Bar will lose the title and I guess Braun Strowman & The Big Show will win.
Schlauchy: What Seth and Finn showed on Monday at Raw was just great. If they show off again on Sunday and Miz adds his in-ring charm, we will be able to watch a sensational match. Building a triple threat is usually a bit difficult, but I’m really excited about it. It was well understood to portray Miz in his role, but at the same time to show that Finn and Seth are only there for each other as long as it’s not about the IC title. It will definitely be a great midcard match that Miz will finally win. Correct?
Kneisel: It is definitely correct that at least one of the best matches of the evening awaits us here. This is of course due to Finn and Seth, but no less due to Miz, who as a worker no longer needs to hide from anyone. The two faces will be responsible for the spots, while he will once again embody his chicken-heel role to perfection. I have a hard time with the winner’s tip – on the one hand I think WWE Miz would like to grant the IC record, on the other hand it would be typical if he is the douche bag again in the end. I’m betting on Finn Bálor for the third time in a row, maybe this time.
Page 1: Bitter, annoying, sad, shameful, disturbing
Page 2: Ronda & the wet dream of all Indy/New Japan fans
Page 3: Brock, Roman & the forecast