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| source// wwe.com |
When the stadium has emptied and after venue staff have cleaned up plastic cups and garbage aplenty, literally millions of people will go to bed thinking about WWE’s WrestleMania. The annual pay-per-view draws in more affection for pro wrestling than any other event, it’s the one show each year that has such an incredible atmosphere surrounding it.
Credit where credit is due, WWE have managed to foster incredible excitement for ‘Mania. Yet, it will all wash away should people go away from the event feeling it was lacking even slightly. WrestleMania simply must be a proverbial home run for the company, the rest of the year perhaps depends on it. That’s something the promotion must be wary of, because they have booked themselves into a corner slightly with the show.
It’s expected that Roman Reigns will once again headline ‘Mania, this time opposite Triple H. There’s also the not-so-small matter of Shane McMahon getting control of Monday Night Raw should he defeat The Undertaker inside Hell In A Cell. Adding to that, ‘Taker himself will apparently never work another ‘Mania should he lose. As if that wasn’t enough, Dean Ambrose and Brock Lesnar will then tear one another limb from limb in a ‘No Holds Barred Street Fight’.
These are all looking like likely scenarios come WrestleMania 32, and fans will be less-than-satisfied should they walk away from the AT&T Stadium without them being delivered upon.
7. Biggest WrestleMania Ever
Back in 1987, it doesn’t seem like the then-WWF were telling the whole truth when they disclosed the attendance for WrestleMania III. Shouting from the rooftops about a supposed 93,000 fans, it’s been said that the number was actually closer to the 78,000 mark. That’s still impressive, and it’s not exactly uncommon for promotions to exaggerate attendances.
Still, it is something the company are looking to top in 2016. For WrestleMania 32, WWE are aiming to cram 100,000 people into the AT&T Stadium. At the very least, officials dearly want ‘Mania 32 to be the biggest in history, at the very least outdoing the number pulled at ‘Mania III. That would be highly impressive, but the pressure is on to make it a reality.
On commentary, it’s hardly unheard of for announcers like Michael Cole and JBL to talk the forthcoming WrestleMania event up as the biggest ever. WWE have placed some stress on themselves to ensure that this year’s show most certainly lives up to that billing. It’s not impossible, but it is now expected by wrestling fans that ‘Mania will play in front of around 100,000, only because WWE themselves have spent so much time talking about it.
6. Absolute Mayhem In The Ladder Match
At WrestleMania 31, Daniel Bryan, Wade Barrett, Dean Ambrose, Stardust, R-Truth, Dolph Ziggler and Luke Harper set the bar pretty high in the opening match. That particular bout was a Ladder Match contested for the WWE Intercontinental Title. It seems WWE officials enjoyed what they witnessed, because they’ve booked a similar affair at this year’s WrestleMania.
Kevin Owens will defend the belt against Sami Zayn, Dolph Ziggler, Stardust, Zack Ryder, The Miz and Sin Cara. There had been hopes that Zayn vs. Owens would transpire, but by scheduling another multi-man Ladder Match, WWE are pretty much guaranteeing the same kind of carnage. Last year, Ambrose was Powerbombed from the ring through a prone ladder at ringside, just as one example.
That’s the kind of fare fans will be expecting come ‘Mania 32, there can be no other way. If the forthcoming Ladder battle doesn’t include crazy spots and bell-to-bell action, it will feel like a broken promise from WWE. Much like the ‘Money In The Bank’ bouts once promised so much at WrestleMania, the Intercontinental Title Ladder Match now takes on that mantle.
5. A Meaningful Role For The Rock
WrestleMania 32 is mere days away and it’s still guesswork to try and establish what Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson will be doing on the show. Will he interfere in the bout between Roman Reigns and Triple H? Perhaps ‘The Great One’ has a role to play in what’s sure to be a crazy Hell In A Cell encounter between The Undertaker and Shane McMahon?
Whatever WWE do have planned, they’re keeping their cards close to their chests when it comes to Johnson. One thing’s for sure, it better be something good, because the promotion have dedicated a lot of valuable TV minutes to hyping the fact that he’ll be there at the pay-per-view. If it’s a letdown, people will point to all those video packages and social media messages from the man himself, discussing his appearance like it’s the second coming of Jesus Christ.
Any appearance has to deliver now, such has been the hyperbole in the lead up to ‘Mania. It’s questionable where The Rock fits best on the WrestleMania card, but there is always going to be excitement over him showing up. WWE’s hype train has been working overtime when it comes to Johnson, and it must provide a satisfying payoff.
4. Real Focus On Allowing The Women's Match To Shine
If WWE allow Charlotte, Becky Lynch and Sasha Banks to do their thing, there’s a good case to be made that the trio will have the best women’s match in WrestleMania history. All the elements are there; the threesome know one another extremely well, and they’ve all had great bouts in various combinations over the past few years. In other words, it’s looking good that they will rock the house.
The actual wrestlers don’t represent the worry here, it’s up to WWE’s management to live up to their end of the bargain too. By simply booking this Triple Threat, the company seem to be telling fans that they are entirely serious about positively promoting women’s wrestling under their umbrella. At WrestleMania, that simply must ring true when it comes to the amount of time given to the WWE Divas Title situation.
Charlotte, Lynch and Banks deserve longer than the usual 6-10 minutes handed to most female matches in the company on pay-per-view. Let them tell a story, and it’ll be one few fans will be able to forget. This Triple Threat encounter is the most encouraging women’s match WWE have booked at ‘Mania in years, and they must do right by it.
3. Some Serious Violence In The Street Fight
The very build-up to Brock Lesnar vs. Dean Ambrose is begging for a blood-soaked affair come April 3. Given the kid-friendly limitations WWE performers are expected to work under nowadays however, that remains very unlikely to occur. In the past, both guys would have been bleeding within just a few moments of their ‘No Holds Barred Street Fight’, but they may have to find other means with which to build drama.
One way is to actually use the weapons WWE themselves have not-so-quietly woven into the fabric of the story. In recent weeks, Mick Foley has handed Ambrose his own personal barbed wire bat. Meanwhile, that ‘Middle Aged And Crazy’ Terry Funk even offered his lunatic contemporary a chainsaw to wield upon during battle with Lesnar.
This will all be for nought if the eventual match ends up being a relatively tame affair light on brutality and some serious violence. Fans may not be expecting blood, but they have been promised violence in abundance. The stipulation, the men involved, and that wacky build all combine to tempt those with some serious bloodlust into ordering WrestleMania.
Nobody is expecting Ambrose to attack Brock with a buzzing chainsaw, but at least incorporate the visual tease into the bout.
2. Definitive Winner Between Shane McMahon And The Undertaker
The stipulations are thus; should Shane McMahon defeat The Undertaker, he will seize control of Monday Night Raw. Further to that, Vince McMahon has stated that Undertaker will never wrestle again on the grand stage of ‘Mania should he fail to defeat the McMahon son. Conversely, it makes sense to imagine that Shane would be canned if he were to lose, at least temporarily for the purpose of logical storytelling.
Should WWE back out of providing a definite winner, an awful lot of people would leave WrestleMania severely peeved. The Hell In A Cell encounter must end with a definitive result, because the story underpinning the match depends on that happening. Some kind of lame draw decision would completely negate the purpose of holding the match in the first place.
Wrestling fans have effectively been told by WWE – through the way they have written the rivalry – that someone is going to win and the other man is going to lose. To then not deliver on that idea would be horrendous, and could feasibly anger a fair few enthusiasts excited by the Hell In A Cell stipulation to begin with.
1. Roman Reigns Won't Tank In The Main Event
There’s an argument to be made that WWE are putting too much faith in their hand-picked top babyface. Roman Reigns has definite qualities, but he’s not quite the rip-roaring good guy smash hit that officials would badly like him to be. Fans just don’t see Roman that way, and many people have been left uninspired by the way WWE have booked the man over the past few years.
At WrestleMania 31, he certainly held his own in the main event opposite Brock Lesnar. The WWE Title bout between both men was solid, but there are real concerns from fans over his upcoming match against Triple H at ‘Mania 32. Should the encounter headline the pay-per-view, WWE better hope that Reigns is able to deal with the almost inevitable torrent of boos and jeers coming his way.
Many feel Reigns has been shoved down the throats of fans, and they don’t like it one bit. That could have an adverse effect on Reigns vs. Triple H, to say the least, and it could make things a tad depressing if ‘Mania limps rather than roars towards a conclusion.
By booking him in the WWE Title hunt for a second consecutive year, those in charge are showing full faith in the man’s abilities to convert the crowd. Even if that fails, they must hope that he doesn’t buckle under intense scrutiny from those who have already made their minds up over his top babyface prospects.
What else must WWE deliver on come WrestleMania 32? Let us know what you think down in the comments section below!
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