Sports Illustrated recently published this year’s Wrestlemania predictions editorial.
SI writer Luke Winkie makes his predictions for all of the confirmed matches on the card; you can read a few excerpts below:
Intercontinental Championship Battle Royal
Who will win: So this is a 7-man ladder match for the Intercontinental Title, which hasn’t mattered since Ultimate Warrior was wearing it. All these guys would be decent choices, but I think Bryan is going to take it home.
Who should win: I like the idea of throwing a bunch of internet darlings in a giant ladder match that has a very good chance of stealing the show. The run-up, with the Tom & Jerry shenanigans of guys unofficially stealing the belt from one another has actually been pretty compelling. I don’t actually care who wins this, because it’s a ladder match and it’s the Intercontinental Title, but Daniel Bryan still seems like the right choice. Wanna make the lesser straps interesting again? Give it to a guy people love and have him main event PPVs.
Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns
Who will win: Roman won the Royal Rumble, defeated Daniel Bryan in a number one contender’s match at Fast Lane, and has the entire WWE push machine behind him. It’d be insane to stop now.
Who should win: Like I said, it’d be insane to stop now. This probably won’t make me the most popular person on the wrestling internet, but Roman Reigns should absolutely beat Brock Lesnar and become WWE Champion.
I’m not Roman’s biggest detractor, but I’m also not his biggest fan either. I’d absolutely prefer to see a guy like Bryan, or Ziggler, or Wyatt in his spot. But that didn’t happen, and now it’s in the past.
What we do have is a mean-mugging Samoan with a great look and lots of potential. As we mentioned above, he eliminated Big Show, Kane, and Rusev to win the Royal Rumble, and had an excellent match with Daniel Bryan where he kicked out of the RUNNING BAH-GAWD KNEE, to be put over nice and clean. If he loses to Lesnar, you’re throwing all of that in the toilet. Yes, some of it has been embarrassing, like The Rock trying desperately to get a savage Philly crowdto cheer for his younger, greener, cousin, but it’s far too late now.
Let Roman Reigns wear the belt. This was the plan since January. If it’s a disaster, then let it be a disaster.
For the rest of Winkie’s SI predictions, click here.
