Wrestling's Biggest Night of the Year Is Just Hours Away: Here's What You Need to Know

Night one of WWE’s “Granddaddy of them all” kicks off later on today. Here’s a quick rundown of the card for the biggest night of the year for pro wrestling.

Austin Theory vs. John Cena For the U.S. Title

This match has been in the works for quite some time and was made official when Theory challenged Cena on an episode of WWE Raw about a month ago which he tentatively accepted it.

Ever since the young champion, Theory, made his debut he has drawn comparisons to a young John Cena. I also believe that Austin Theory is a young John Cena but a far more gifted version of Cena.

The things he can do in the ring, Cena, in his heyday, could only dream of doing. I see Theory winning this match and Cena “passing the torch” to wrestling’s next biggest star.

Braun Strowman & Ricochet vs. The Street Profits vs. Alpha Academy vs. The Viking Raiders

This next match on the card is to provide the winner of the Sami Zayn/Kevin Owens vs. The Usos match an opponent for the tag team titles. The division could use some freshness as things have gotten rather stale over the last few months and better.

This match could very well be the best match on the entire card. All the participants are superb performers and should definitely put on a show for the fans. I’m picking the Street Profits to get the win here.

Trish Stratus, Lita & Becky Lynch vs. Damage CTRL

The next bout will feature some of WWE’s most prominent female performers of the past 20 years in a 6 woman tag bout. Stratus & Lita, two fixtures from the WWE’s highly acclaimed “Attitude Era” where brought in at the behest of Vince McMahon for that extra added “star power.”

I know people associated with the WWE like to scream to the high Heavens that McMahon doesn’t have any part in creative but this match along with the Lesnar/Omos match has Vinnie Mac’s handwriting all over it. I pick the team of Stratus, Lita & Lynch to take the victory in this one. It’s the “send the fans home happy” kind of situation here.

Rey Mysterio vs. Dominik Mysterio

They’ve been building this father vs. son story up for almost a year now and tonight it finally will pay huge dividends for those wanting to see Rey take his son to the proverbial woodshed. This story reminds me of Undertaker refusing to fight his (kayfabe) brother, Kane some 25 years ago.

The elder Mysterio was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame just last night and so I’m picking him in this match which will be highly entertaining.

Seth “Freakin’” Rollins vs. Logan Paul

Another potential showstopper here puts these two against one another in the ring. Logan Paul is a superb talent. Not sure if there isn’t anything that this young man can’t excel at. They finally turned him “heel” and that will make the match even better for fan engagement.

I’m predicting Rollins goes over in this one in a spectacular bout.

The Usos vs. Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn For the Tag Team Titles

This match right here will definitely bring the house down. Zayn has been a red hot babyface for the past several months so him teaming up along with his longtime friend, Owens, should have the fans glued at the edge of their seats at their attempt to deliver a big time defeat to the Bloodline.

I believe they will do just that because I’m picking Owens/Zayn to defeat the Usos for their coveted tag team titles.

Charlotte Flair vs. Rhea Ripley For the WWE Smackdown Women’s Title

The two ladies here have a bit of history dating back to a Wrestlemania program they worked 3 years ago in which saw Flair defeat Ripley for the NXT title.

They would go on to feud a little longer with Flair getting the best of Ripley during that time period. I’m predicted tonight that Ripley gets her revenge as she becomes the NEW WWE Smackdown Women’s Champion!!!!!!!

Impromptu Match: Participants Unknown

I noticed that night 1 has seven matches where night 2 only has 6 match which leaves me to believe that there will be an extra encounter of some sort on night two that just hasn’t been announced yet.

I’m leaning towards it having to do with Bobby Lashley since his match with Bray Wyatt looks to be cancelled even though it hasn’t been confirmed just yet. Even more proof, that McMahon is back in the driver’s seat when it comes to the creative process.

He’s had a hate/hate relationship with Bray Wyatt dating back to his last run in WWE. It was reported that McMahon even made fun of the man’s body. I see Lashley having a match and I’m speculating that it could be against the young, up-and-coming star, Bronson Reed.

The two squared off on Smackdown last night in the Andre the Giant Battle Royal in which Lashley won by eliminating the 330 lb. Reed over the top rope.

If that is the plan then I’ll go with Bobby Lashley getting the win. Also, there’s been talks about Stone Cold Steve Austin being apart of this event as well so we can’t rule out the Rattlesnake coming down and giving LA Knight or some other poor sap the Stone Cold Stunner.

Liv Morgan & Raquel Rodriguez vs. Natalya & Shotzi vs. Ronda Rousey & Shayna Baszler vs. Chelsea Green & Sonya Deville

Lets out a long exhale after typing out all those names. You remember the good ole’ days when WWE used to give actual names to their tag teams?! Like Demolition! Or the Brothers of Destruction! The Legion of Doom! Those were the dayssssss. (In an Archie Bunker font)

That just goes to show that they don’t really care about the women’s tag team division right now. They’re just throwing up stuff in the air and seeing what sticks. This match has all the makings of a big time botch fest. I’ll go with the team of Ronda/Baszler getting the win.

Gunter vs. Sheamus vs. Drew McIntyre For the Intercontinental Championship

I think this is going to be like Jim Ross would say, “An Old-Fashioned Slobberknocker.” This, along with a few other matches on the card for night 2, could be match of the night. All these athletes possess a special type of toughness both mentally and physically.

These men have all the potential to produce what could be another classic match. Gunther, the champion, has yet to taste a pinfall defeat and I don’t see him taking one here either. However, I’m picking Sheamus to win the title by pinning his longtime friend & rival, McIntyre.

Edge vs. “The Demon” Finn Balor (Hell in a Cell match)

Now I hope that “the Demon” fairs a lot better in this match as oppose to last match he had against Roman Reigns when he fell off the tope rope. Things haven’t gone too well at all for Finn Balor when he takes on that moniker. I think the homie should switch gimmicks or something.

Other then that, I expect this contest to tell one heck of a story and to give the people their monies’ worth and then some. This feud has been building for a long time and I believe they will cap it off with a phenomenal match between these two. I’m going with Edge in this one as it’s been rumored that his in-ring days could be numbered.

Brock Lesnar vs. Omos

Now if this doesn’t have Vincent Kennedy McMahon written all over it then I don’t know what does. This match will be super short which has usually been the case with 90 percent of Lesnar’s matches over the past two years.

And I don’t see this match being any exception here either. I’ll give it 3 to 5 minutes max. It’ll be the typical Lesnar trying to go in for a German suplex a few times only to be thwarted away by the Giant.

Someway, somehow he manages to hit one of those suplexes and maybe a few more. Nails the F5 and gets the pin here. I’m predicting that Lesnar is attacked after the match by Bobby Lashley to re-ignite their feud for an upcoming ppv match which could possibly be the King and Queen of the Ring tournament.

The ppv will be held in 2 months in Saudi Arabia and you know how they love the legends. Urban legend has it, that one of the Saudi princes wanted to get Andre the Giant & Yokozuna on the card many years ago even though they had long since passed away by that time.

Anyways, I expect that Lashley will put Lesnar in the Hurt Lock and leave him laid out to advance their storyline.

Bianca Belair vs. Asuka For the WWE Raw Women’s Title

This one is a little bit more difficult to predict. They’ve done well by allowing Asuka to really portray the essence of her character here but I just don’t see Belair losing.

It will be a terrific match because both of these ladies are extremely talented but I think the night’s going to end with the ref raising Belair’s hand high up in the air as I’m picking her to retain her title.

Roman Reigns vs. Cody Rhodes For the WWE Universal Championship

Alas, the main event is finally here. This match has been in the makings ever since Rhodes made his long-awaited return to the WWE at last year’s Wrestlemania. Just listen to Rhodes’ words before the start of his well-known theme music.

“Wrestling has more then one royal family.”

That should tell you all what you need to know about this being destiny for both of these participants. This program has been a perfectly, crafted story about legacy, family & overcoming adversity. Both of these two men should be saluted for their performances on the mic alone.

The match might end up being one of those classic confrontations. I believe that Reigns will do everything his power to keep the WWE Undisputed titles around his waist but I believe he’s going to fall short this time. This match could go anywhere between 25–30 minutes and promises to be non-stop, & hard-pounding action.

I have Cody Rhodes getting the win here and doing what his father, “the American Dream” Dusty Rhodes, never had to opportunity to do and that is capture WWE Heavyweight gold.

I wouldn’t be surprised at seeing the Bloodline trying to run interference in this match as well as the aforementioned team of Owens & Zayn coming to Rhodes’ rescue to take the Bloodline down once maybe not for all but definitely down for the night.

It’s also being reported that Roman Reigns is expected to take some time off following tonight’s ppv. Not sure how true it is but he is a part-time performer now and I can definitely see that happening either after this ppv or possibly after a rematch between him and Cody at another event.

Final thoughts

Overall, I expect the ppv to be a dynamite show. I believe that it will even supercede last years Wrestlemania which is saying a lot because that was a terrific show especially night 1.

I think this event will be even stronger on both nights even though, I’m still predicting that night 1 will be the better of the two shows.