Nothing like WrestleMania

Some have called it the “Super Bowl of Professional Wrestling.” Others have taken the “Granddaddy of Them All” moniker that was once used for WCW’s Starrcade and given it to this event.

Whatever it is, it’s WrestleMania weekend, and, with the 29^th edition of World Wrestling Entertainment’s signature pay-per-view event coming up Sunday, it’s still as special as ever.

WrestleMania XXVIX (or WrestleMania 29) will be the fourth WrestleMania that takes place in an outdoor venue, taking place at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. The stadium is the home of the NFL’s New York Giants and New York Jets.

It’s also WWE’s fifth return to its signature market (New York City) in the WrestleMania franchise. The first WrestleMania took place on March 31, 1985 from Madison Square Garden. WrestleMania II was partially held at the Nassau Coliseum on Long Island. WrestleMania X and XX were both held at Madison Square Garden as an homage to the first one.

This will be the second straight WrestleMania to be held in an outdoor venue, after WrestleMania XXVIII (or WrestleMania 28) was held at Miami’s Sun Life Stadium. However, unlike the other outdoor attempts (WrestleMania IX in Las Vegas; WrestleMania XXIV in Orlando), WWE is taking a risk since New Jersey isn’t exactly the warmest of climates in early April.

Likewise, this is the seventh-straight WrestleMania to be held at a stadium-type venue and the 13^th out of 29 to be done so. Since WWE’s homage to WrestleMania’s beginnings with XX (MSG), XXI (Staples Center in L.A.) and XXII (AllState Arena in Rosemont, Ill.), Vince McMahon has not returned his signature event to a standard arena. That streak will continue with WrestleMania XXX being held at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans.

While WWE has put on what looks to be, on paper, a great card with some marquee headline bouts, the one knock is that the matches themselves seem more predictable than ever. Let’s take a closer look at WrestleMania 29.

***
THE CARD: Here is the updated card for Sunday night’s event, which will begin at 7 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time and be broadcast live on PPV:

¨      WWE Title Match: The Rock (c) vs. John Cena

¨      ¨     World Heavyweight Title Match: Alberto Del Rio (c) vs. Jack Swagger

¨      No Holds Barred Match with Triple H's Career On The Line: Brock Lesnar vs. Triple H with Shawn Michaels in Triple H's corner

¨      CM Punk vs. The Undertaker

¨      WWE Tag Team Title Match: Team Hell No (c's) vs. Dolph Ziggler and Big E. Langston

¨      Sheamus, Big Show and Randy Orton vs. The Shield

¨      Ryback vs. Mark Henry

¨      Fandango vs. Chris Jericho

¨      Broadus Clay, Tensai, Cameron and Naomi vs. Cody Rhodes, Damien Sandow and The Bella Twins

¨      Pre-Show WWE Intercontinental Title Match: Wade Barrett (c) vs. The Miz

***

PREDICTIONS: My prognostication skills are a bit off. However, I know my WrestleMania history and have followed along with the storylines leading up to WrestleMania. So, here’s Off The Turnbuckle’s take on what’s going to happen.

The Rock and Cena will definitely go on last, but as far as the co-main event, it could either be Undertaker-CM Punk or HHH-Lesnar. If it’s HHH-Lesnar, it’s because of a certain-someone’s ego (a certain son-in-law of the chairman) getting in the way of business once again.

With Rock beating Cena at last year’s WrestleMania main event in Rock’s hometown of Miami, it only seems logical that Cena gets the ‘W’ this year. Plus, it’s been a while since Cena held the WWE Heavyweight Championship, and their marquee wrestler is overdue for the gold. Also, The Rock is part-time and will be going back to Hollywood to film another movie, so it doesn’t make sense for WWE to keep the strap on him.

However, the manner in which Cena wins may be the twist. There is heavy scuttlebutt among the Internet goons that WWE wants to turn Cena heel and capitalize on some of the heel heat he’s been getting over the last several years. Cena has resisted, due to the all the charities he’s involved in. However, a Cena turn could be the signature moment of this WrestleMania.

While it may not be as big or shocking as Hulk Hogan’s heel turn at WCW’s Bash at the Beach PPV in July 1996, the parallels are eerily similar. Hogan had been getting booed at more and more arenas due to a “stale act” that fans were tired of. When he turned, it set the business on its ear and ushered in one of the biggest money-making periods the industry had ever seen.

A Cena heel turn won’t cause people to drop their jaws and run to their water coolers to talk about it like Hogan’s did. Cena is not as high profile a mainstream name as Hogan, nor will he ever be. However, it will get fans watching to see how a heel Cena performs on top of the card.

While CM Punk has been fantastic as a heel and his championship run was historic, there is no way in hell that Undertaker agrees to snap his undefeated streak to him. Undertaker improves to 21-0 despite Punk trying to break out every underhanded trick in the book. It should be an entertaining match, but it may be hard to top the last four Taker was involved in (both Michaels and HHH matches).

The HHH-Lesnar match is harder to predict. It’s evident that HHH’s days as a full-time performer are over and that he’s moved into to a bigger role off-camera and could be a good on-camera authority figure. Lesnar hasn’t exactly been a model citizen since he returned to WWE after a successful career in UFC and not many in the locker room are thrilled with him.

HHH has put himself in the storyline sense as the underdog looking to gain revenge for his family’s sake. He’s even put his old buddy HBK in his corner and added the career stipulation. However, if they want to build Lesnar for a program with whoever the champion is, or a program with The Rock for WrestleMania XXX, it may be wise to have Lesnar (who’s been built as an unstoppable monster since he returned) to over HHH.

But, I’ll say HHH puts himself over the business and gets the win. Besides, after dropping two straight bouts to the Undertaker at WrestleMania, I’m sure he believes he’s overdue for a positive WrestleMania moment. 

Another prediction – Motorhead performs his theme song live.

With the angle they’ve given Swagger since his out-of-nowhere win in February’s Elimination Chamber to give him the shot at Del Rio, I figured it would be a slam-dunk that Swagger would win. His heel “outspoken American” gimmick with Dutch Mantel (or Zeb Coulter) as his manager has gotten incredibly over.

However, his recent drug arrest may have put the kibosh on those plans. I think WWE saves face by allowing Del Rio to beat Swagger, but allow Ziggler to cash in his Money in the Bank and leave WrestleMania with the World Heavyweight Title. And, possibly, give the Northeast Ohio native a new manager in Mantel, who is under contract for some time.

Many believed that WrestleMania would be the perfect spot to finally break up Team Hell No (Kane and Daniel Bryan) after teasing it for so long. However, if they go through with the above plan of Ziegler cashing in the MIB briefcase finally, then there’s no chance that Ziggler and Big E win the Tag Team Titles.

If Ziggler and Big E win (and Kane and Bryan have their expected postmatch blow-up), then Ziggler does not cash in the MIB. I’ll stick with my earlier scenario and say that Team Hell No (which is over with the fans) retains the belts.

The WWE has been building The Shield like a renegade New World Order faction, so, even with the numbers and talent favoring the babyface faction, I think The Shield wins to maintain their heat. That, and we could have yet another heel turn, with Orton turning on Sheamus and Big Show and setting up a future program.

Ryback was being built up as a Bill Goldberg-esque monster, but his momentum has stalled since Cena eliminated him at the Royal Rumble. All Mark Henry is another big guy that Ryback should dominate to show just how much of a monster he is as he moves forward to becoming the next big babyface (good guy) hero for the WWE.

Jericho has become a jobber since he returned to the WWE, becoming a guy who’s simply been elevating talent. That role will continue at WrestleMania, as he gives Fandango (the newest WWE gimmick) some credibility with a win. Vince McMahon reportedly is a big fan of the gimmick and wants to see it succeed.

The mixed tag match may be the “filler” match between Taker-Punk (or HHH-Lesnar) and Rock-Cena. That will be your cue to get up and go to the bathroom or grab another beer or send out a Tweet, whatever you do to pass your time. I almost hesitate to make a prediction on this waste of a match, but I’ll pick The Rhodes Scholars and The Bella Twins, with one of the dancing girls doing the job.

The I-C match deserves a better fate than being the untelevised bout. Ironically, in WrestleMania’s long history, the I-C Title has only changed hands seven times (it’s been defended at 19 of the 29 WrestleMania’s).

But, I’ll give it to the Northeast Ohio native Miz. He seems to be getting over as a babyface (thanks to the alignment with Ric Flair). Plus, a Miz win could carry the feud with Barrett over for a few more months, while a Barrett win would seem to signify the end of the beef.

A title change before the cameras turn on would give the fans even more electricity, so I’ll stick with The Miz and what could be a big night for Cleveland-area wrestlers.

***

MORE GOONAGE: As of now, there are no plans to debut Christian, even though he has signed with the WWE. When he does debut, it will be as a babyface.

¨      For whatever reason, Brock Lesnar is making no media appearances to hype up his match at WrestleMania. He’s the only one on the card who isn’t.

¨      WWE has listened to the fans and decided to air Mick Foley’s Hall of Fame induction speech at Saturday night’s USA Network live special. Their decision not only caused some fan backlash, but also reportedly some backlash from some within the company.

¨      At the Axxess event, a fan asked Ryback about Goldberg. Ryback answered that he’d love to face the former WCW champion “if he had the guts to show up.” He went on to say that, unlike Goldberg, he loves the sport with the passion and won’t walk away. Sounds like a program in the making.

¨      Ted DiBiase Jr. told fans at Axxess that he still working through his hand injury and is anxious to get back on the roster.

¨      Bruno Sammartino, who is finally getting inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame (long overdue), was given a key to Jersey City this weekend. He also was pleased that Arnold Schwarzenegger would be his presenter for induction.

¨      Booker T confirmed that his brother and former Harlem Heat tag team partner Stevie Ray will be his presenter for his WWE Hall of Fame induction.

¨      Cena mocked a potential heel turn during press conferences leading up to WrestleMania. Which means that it will likely happen now.

¨      There are rumors that a second match will be added to the WrestleMania pre-show, and it may involve Antonio Cesaro defending the U.S. Title.

¨      Former WWF Intercontinental Champion The Honky Tonk Man (whose 454-day reign is still the record for longest reign with the I-C belt) announced that he signed a multi-year deal to return to the WWE. He appeared at the “Old School” Raw event last month siding with Broadus Clay and Tensai during a tag match with 3MB, even hitting Heath Slater over the head with his guitar. Neither Honky nor the WWE confirmed what his role would be.

¨      And finally, the band Living Color will perform CM Punk’s theme song, Cult of Personality, live as he makes his entrance to face Undertaker. Cult of Personality was Living Color’s biggest hit song from the early 1990s.

Enjoy your WrestleMania parties, wherever they are. I'll be looking forward to our annual get together at the House of Brady, where we watch for blown spots and laugh.

Until next week, watch out for the flying elbow.