WrestleMania is certainly not unfamiliar to celebrity involvement. The first edition of the 1985 show featured the likes of Mr. T, Liberes and Cindy Lauper, among others.
This year WrestleMania will feature three matches involving a celebrity. Former NFL player and current SmackDown commentator Pat McAfee will participate in the Austin Theory. Ray Mysterio and Dominic Mysterio will face The Miz and social media phenom Logan Paul. And finally, Montreal native Sami Zayn (+242) will go against the star of the Jacques movie franchise Johnny Knoxville (-370).
“It’s a pretty unique experience because I don’t know, in all honesty, it was always planned,” Zayn recently told SportsNet.
Whether it’s a long-term plan or not, Jane is tasked with guiding a non-wrestler through a wrestling match at the world’s largest wrestling show.
“Our characters played each other very well,” Jane noted while describing how the two were paired together. “He fools people and you want to see my character be fooled so there is a natural connection. I think the chemistry was good, and the reactions were good enough for us to face at WrestleMania. “
A group of fans are upset over Jane’s involvement in the celebrity match, insisting it’s a waste of her talent. It couldn’t be further from the case, though, especially if you ask Jane.
“I really enjoy it,” Zayn said. “I sometimes see comments (that) I should do more, something better than wrestling at Johnny Knoxville at WrestleMania. I think to myself, ‘What exactly do you want? What good? ‘ Unless you’re doing the main event for the world title. Not everything, ‘You are the main evening for the world title or you are being abused.’
Jane and Knoxville had some fun on their way to WrestleMania, later chartering a plane and carrying a banner with Jane’s phone number written on it, which resulted in hundreds, not thousands, of phone calls and text messages to Jane, which she socialized. Shared in the media.
Zine recently celebrated 20 years in the pro wrestling business, which means he has seen and heard several high crowds in his career. However, Zayn noted that among the recent crowds, “Every time (Knoxville) comes out, he hears the loudest noise of the night. And I know, because I was in the ring for them all. “
Zine and Knoxville will be in the ring on Sunday in front of a crowd that will receive at least 50,000 in a match that will be “anything goes” thanks to Knoxville for his frequent use of anything and everything resembling a foreign object. Jacques series.
Zayn, meanwhile, has been given a fair chance to carry a major program that has gained a lot of mainstream, and will occupy more headlines in terms of ‘mania’.
Prediction: Johnny Knoxville wins
Roman Reigns (Universal Champion) vs. Brock Lesnar (WWE Champion), title consolidation match
This is a big one. But have we seen this match so many times before that it has lost all meaning? OK, WWE won’t say, and to underline their point they’ll add that we’ll see it over and over again, until the conditions change. And again, and again … but oh boy, we have a big condition for this.
Yes we have to watch this match again and again.
In Roman Reigns (-455) and Brock Lesnar (+284), WWE is releasing their two biggest names in their biggest show, the main event, and they will compete for what will be the biggest prize recently received in the Pro. Wrestling
Lesnar came to Mania as much as he did before, climbing the wave of popularity not seen since his fist race in the WWE almost 20 years ago. But unfortunately for Cowboy Brock, there is no one on earth right now other than the Roman Empire. At WrestleMania last year, Raines piled up two Hall of Fame caliber talents from Edge and Daniel Bryan to retain his championship, and now, like a 40-foot wall of sulfuric acid, he will continue to burn everyone along the way.
For Brock Lesnar, goggles will do nothing.
Prediction: Roman Reigns wins
Edge vs. AJ style
When Edge (-133) and AJ Styles (-105) face off at WrestleMania on Sunday, the top two pure pro wrestlers of the last 20 years will serve us a dream match.
It seems that Edge has complete creative control over his character’s direction during his second landing in the WWE, so the current dark side has to be his idea and implementation. His investment in this character has been in full force, which has made the style look like the face of a full-fledged child. Having said all this, I’m not so sure that it was necessary for Edge to lean into a major heel character, as the crowd would still be thrilled for a Babyface vs. Babyface Dream matchup. This match didn’t need a clean-cut bad guy and a good guy.
That being said, Edge created a powerful reason why he needed to ignite this dark side, saying that he had not been as successful as he had wanted to be since his return. With this attitude, he is a little favorite to win over the -130, even with a style close to money.
Stiles delivered a classic match against The Undertaker in 2020, but his last billed “dream match”, against Shinsuke Nakamura in 2018, did not save the results. Styles has another chance to give a classic matchup on the world’s biggest wrestling stage, this time against Orangeville, Ant., Native Edge.
Prediction: Edge wins
Seth Rollins vs. Mystery Opponent
Wouldn’t it be ridiculous if Shane McMahon was the opponent of mystery? What could be a bigger troll job than Vince McMahon? Rumors spread after this year’s Royal Rumble that Shane had quietly left the company after some dubious booking decisions. Now it has been rumored by various internet rumor mills that WWE will bring Shane back in a role that no fan is interested in, as Seth Rollins’ mystery rival.
In fact, it has been reported by reputable sources such as the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that it will be Cody Rhodes, who recently worked at All Elite Wrestling, where he was one of the founders of the company.
After leaving AEW in February, Rhodes immediately joined a WWE reunion, where he worked from 2007 to 2016, and now looks set to return to the biggest stage among them. If Pro Wrestler had an improved statistic to measure the value of the year, Rhodes (-667) would undoubtedly be at the top of the list. His popularity and wrestling intelligence skyrocketed after he left WWW, and he is now back as one of the top stars of all sports entertainment. Meanwhile, Rollins (+375) continues to wrestle at an elite level, which means the duo has the ability to break into houses.
Prediction: Cody Rhodes wins
Charlotte Flair vs. Ronda Rousseau
Ronda Rousey returns to the main event of WrestleMania after a break of almost 3 years from WWE. The former MMA star lost her Raw Women’s Championship at the main event of WrestleMania in 2019, before leaving the ring for an extended period to start a family. Rousey returned to the Royal Rumble in January this year, winning the event to secure the title at Mania.
Now we see the two biggest stars of Pro Wrestling / Combat Sports face off as SmackDown will challenge Russian (-1,000) Charlotte Flair (+450) for the Women’s Championship in the main event at WrestleMania on Saturday. Reflecting on Sunday’s Reigns / Lesnar main event, this match is all that has been billed as WrestleMania and is the biggest star, the biggest match, the biggest event of the year.
With Rousey folding again and returning to the women’s section, finally, starting to enrich once again with the new, fresh matchup available for Rousey, her championship coronation should not be guaranteed.
Prediction: Rhonda Rousseau wins
Kevin Owens show featuring Stone Cold Steve Austin
WrestleMania will host a version of his “KO show” with local Kevin Owens special guest Stone Cold Steve Austin in Mariville, Queens on Saturday.
It was a highly entertaining build for the conflict, with Owens carrying most of the program through parts of the ring where he mocked Austin and his home state of Texas, also the WrestleMania Home this year, but produced by WWE with some great video packages.
The upcoming conflict is undoubtedly a thrill for Owens, who has grown up as a huge Stone Cold fan. Owens recently told SportsNet that when he went to WrestleMania 18 in Toronto in 2002, the three matches he was most excited about were Austin vs. Scott Hall.
Owens, meanwhile, after receiving behind-the-scenes blessings from Austin, began using “Stone Cold Stunner” as his finishing tactic and has now submitted to the WWE Universe that he is King of Stanner.
The KO show conflict will allow both Owens and Austin to flex their oral muscles, but will also allow one of them to pull out the stunner. You can even bet who gets the stunner first.
Owens will first accept Stunner: -1,000
Austin first gets Stunner: +500
Although not a match, Clash is still a current star and, perhaps, one of the biggest stars in pro wrestling history is guaranteed to deliver a memorable WrestleMania moment.
Other match predictions
Bianca Bellaier (-333) Diff. Becky Lynch (C) (+225) to win the Raw Women’s Championship
Rey & Dominik Mysterio (-147) def. Miz and Logan Paul (+106)
• Drew McIntyre (-1,000) Diff. Baron Corbin (+485)
• Usos (C) (-222) def. Shinsuke Nakamura and Rick Bugs (+165)
• new day (-286) def. Sheamus and Ridge Holland (+195)
Rhea Ripley and Liv Morgan (+200) Diff. Carmella and Jelena Vega (C) (+375), Sasha Banks and Naomi (-154), Natalya and Shayna Baszlar (+800) won the women’s tag team championship
Austin Theory (+124) def. Pat McAfee (-172)
• RK-Bro (-167) def. Alpha Academy (C) (+460), Street Profit (+175) tag team to win the championship
Be sure to visit Sportsnet.ca on both Saturdays and Sundays to join Kevin Michi For live blog coverage of WrestleMania Night One and Two.