After months of anticipation and weeks of speculation, the WWE universe settles in the Big Easy for WrestleMania XXX, live from the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. This means the Last Word on Sports Wrestling team comes together to discuss altogether their predictions and analysis before the granddaddy of them all. Writers include Aaron Wrotkowski, James Carlucci, Shawn Wilken, Adam Contant, Jeff DeHaan and Phillipa Hopwood.
Kickoff Match
WWE Tag Team Championship Fatal Four Way
The Real Americans vs. RybAxel vs. Los Matadores vs. The Usos (c)
Winners
Shawn, Phillipa, Jeff, Aaron, Adam and James: Usos
Thoughts by Jeff DeHaan from the WrestleMania Preview: http://old.lastwordonsports.com/2014/04/02/wrestlemania-preview-wwe-tag-team-championship/
Thoughts by Aaron Wrotkowski: The most disappointing part of this match is that Cody Rhodes and Goldust are not a part of it. It feels like Los Matadores would have been better for the Battle Royal. The Real Americans I don’t see winning because they need to soon break up. Los Matadores I don’t see winning because I don’t think much of them. RybAxel might be good to break up eventually but I could also see them winning but I have a feeling they’ll go with the safe babyface win for the Usos for the kick off.
The Inaugural André The Giant Battle Royal
Winner
Shawn and James: Big Show
Phillipa: Dolph Ziggler
Jeff: The Miz
Aaron and Adam: Sheamus
Who is the last to be eliminated?
Shawn: Dolph Ziggler
Phillipa, Adam, Aaron and Jeff: Big Show
James: Alexander Rusev
Thoughts by Aaron Wrotkowski from the WrestleMania Preview: http://old.lastwordonsports.com/2014/03/31/wrestlemania-preview-andre-giant-memorial-battle-royal-become-tradition/
Thoughts by Shawn Wilken: The thought just came to me as I wrote this; Doesn’t it make sense for a GIANT to win the first ever Andre The Giant Battle Royal? The more you think about it, the more it makes sense. The WWE has been building Ziggler up through passionate promos, Zach Ryder through YouTube stardom… again. They have even brought back Miz’s shtick of “Main eventing Wrestlemania” that one time. Yet nobody is paying attention to the biggest threat of them all.
Vickie Guerrero Divas Championship Invitational
(Alicia Fox, Natalya, Layla, Nikki Bella, Brie Bella, Naomi, Cameron, Eva Marie, Emma, Summer Rae, Aksana, Rosa Mendes, Tamina, AJ)
Winner
Shawn: Nikki Bella
Phillipa: Natalya
Adam, Jeff and James: AJ Lee
Aaron: Tamina
Thoughts by Phillipa Hopwood from the WrestleMania Preview: http://old.lastwordonsports.com/2014/04/02/wrestlemania-preview-which-diva-will-stand-tall-on-the-grandest-stage-of-them-all/
Thoughts by James Carlucci : People keep counting on AJ to lose her title to a Total Diva, but I’ll stick with the champ like I always have. The Total Divas have their own storyline vehicles via being involved in the show and don’t need the belt. AJ risks getting lost in the shuffle if she loses it, and that shouldn’t happen to the best female worker on the roster. An AJ/Lita moment would be nice here, but I don’t see that happen barring a highly unexpected face turn.
The Shield vs. Kane and the New Age Outlaws
Winners
Shawn, Phillipa, Adam, Jeff and James: The Shield
Aaron: Kane and the New Age Outlaws
Thoughts by Phillipa Hopwood from the WrestleMania Preview: http://old.lastwordonsports.com/2014/04/01/wrestlemania-preview-will-shields-stranglehold-wwe-end-wrestlemania/
Thoughts by Aaron Wrotkowski: It seems like a given for The Shield to go over strong at WrestleMania, but do you really think you’re going to get everything you want tonight? It isn’t wise to end Mania on a down note but you can certainly add some midcard disappointment as Dean Ambrose proves that all of the cohesion by the Shield in the past few weeks has been a ruse to stab Reigns and Rollins in the back at the most pivotal moment. I could also see it being Seth Rollins, who has been handled as the mediator between the two. What better than to have him as the one to stab both men? Either way, I see Roman Reigns as the next big babyface of the WWE and that should come at the price of betrayal. Betrayal by the shattering of The Shield.
John Cena vs. Bray Wyatt
Winner
Shawn, Phillipa, Aaron and James: Bray Wyatt
Adam and Jeff: John Cena
Thoughts by Adam Contant from the WrestleMania Preview: http://old.lastwordonsports.com/2014/04/03/wrestlemania-preview-john-cena-vs-bray-wyatt-important-think/
Thoughts by Jeff DeHaan: Losing to Cena isn’t something to be ashamed of. He’s the face of the company for a reason. Plus, WrestleMania doesn’t mean the end of the feud.
The Streak
Brock Lesnar vs. Undertaker
Winner
Shawn, Aaron, Adam, Jeff and James: The Undertaker
Phillipa: Brock Lesnar
Thoughts by Shawn Wilken from the WrestleMania Preview: http://old.lastwordonsports.com/2014/04/04/wrestlemania-preview-eat-sleep-face-streak/
Thoughts by Phillipa Hopwood: I know it’s a controversial choice; why would WWE let a part-time wrestler beat the streak? Why not? The Undertaker has never beaten Brock and with Paul Heyman at his side he looks bigger and better. If The Undertaker holds out and does lose to Sting next year everyone will see it coming, whereas this year it will be a massive shock and Undertaker can have the send off he deserves at The Biggest Wrestlemania ever!
Winner gets to enter the WWE World Heavyweight Championship Match
Daniel Bryan vs. Triple H
Winner
Shawn, Phillipa, Jeff and James: Daniel Bryan
Adam: No Contest
Aaron: HHH
Thoughts James Carlucci from the WrestleMania Preview: http://old.lastwordonsports.com/2014/04/05/wrestlemania-preview-peoples-republic-daniel-bryan/
Thoughts by Adam Contant: On the surface it seems so cut and dry as to who should and will win this match but as we draw closer and more X factors are revealed, it becomes harder and harder to predict who will move on. Although Daniel Bryan is the easy choice, I also think it’s too predictable and obvious. The idea of an all Evolution main event does excite me, but a main event with no baby face is a little too outside the box. Instead, I think we’ll end up with the best of both worlds. Somehow, neither man will come out a decisive victor, either through a disqualification, count out, both shoulders being pinned, two referees make the call for a different guy, or another type of “dusty finish”, and Triple H’s greed and lack of faith in both Batista or Randy Orton to take out Bryan will lead to the COO deciding that neither man lost, so both men get added to the match, leading to an even bigger main event than advertised…and the potential for a shocking ending.
WWE World Heavyweight Championship Match
Batista vs. Daniel Bryan/Triple H vs. Randy Orton (c)
Winner
Shawn and Adam: Batista
Phillipa and Jeff: Randy Orton
Aaron and James: Daniel Bryan
Who gets pinned/submitted?
Shawn, Adam and Jeff: Daniel Bryan
Aaron and James: Triple H
Phillipa: DQ Finish
Thoughts by Jeff DeHaan from the WrestleMania Preview: http://old.lastwordonsports.com/2014/04/05/wrestlemania-preview-wwe-world-heavyweight-championship/
Thoughts by James Carlucci: I was going to say that I’ve written and read about the Daniel Bryan saga ad nauseam, but the truth is I really can’t get enough of it. I honestly believe this can be one of the greatest WrestleManias in the history of the event, but this all hinges on Daniel Bryan walking out of New Orleans with the WWE World Heavyweight Championship in tow. I don’t see Batista taking the fall here as I suspect he’ll be the one to challenge Bryan going forward. I expect HHH to brutalize Bryan with a sledgehammer after their first match, leading to Bryan getting his true WrestleMania moment here by tapping the boss out in the middle of the ring.
WWE WrestleMania XXX is tonight at 7PM EST with the Pre-Show kickoff at 5PM EST.
Feel free to comment below, and follow the site @lastwordonsport. Also follow @AaronWrotkowski, @AdamContant, @DeHaanoffate, @LWOSCarlucci, @CrimsonSkorpion and @Dstokie01 on the Last Word on Sports Wrestling team.
