Your best possible Mania scenarios

[The Legend]

So, tomorrow night is Fastlane. If you were in charge of booking things from Fastlane to Mania, what would you do to put on the best possible show. The rules are, you have to account for the things that have already happened, you can't just throw everything out and start fresh.

1. Pre-Show: Andre the Giant Battle Royale – Rusev, Del Rio, Adam Rose, Big Show, Bo Dallas, Braun Strowman, Cesaro, Curtis Axel, Erick Rowan, Goldust, Heath Slater, R-Truth, Ryback, Sheamus, Dolph Ziggler, some others from NXT

Pretty self-explanatory. Braun Strowman would win to begin his push.

2. Road Dogg vs Dean Ambrose vs Batista – Loser can’t be ringside for main event

So the way I see the main event of Mania working out is this, there’s very little chance that the WWE will just have HHH vs Roman stand alone in a standard match and have that work out the best possible way with crowd reaction. HHH will gang up on Roman and look to old allies to help him win the match and Dean will stick by Roman’s side. They set up this match in which whoever is pinned is barred from ringside. Ambrose overcomes the two on one odds to pin Road Dogg.

3. IC Championship – Kevin Owens ( c ) vs Neville

Owens deserves a better spot than this, but it’s really hard to find a better opponent than Neville considering the shape of the roster and all the injuries at the moment. Owens can win this match after a feud in which Neville gets a couple up on Owens leading into the match using some hit and run tactics.

4. The Miz vs AJ Styles vs Chris Jericho

This one seems pretty obvious. I’d have Miz interrupt the match at Fastlane by stealing an award or possession of Styles’ and mocking him with it. Styles comes after him and Jericho still wants to prove his point to AJ as well. A series of one-upmanship continues on.

5. Women’s #1 Contender Open Challenge

Throw 5 or 6 divas in the mix here to see who gets to be the #1 contender coming out of Mania for Sasha’s new title.

6. Tag Championship – New Day ( c ) vs Uso’s vs Dudleyz (Elimination Match)

All three teams have a history with each other at this point and can work well together. Make it an elimination match to add a bit of a twist and eventually the Uso’s come out on top to become new champions.

7. Bray Wyatt vs Brock Lesnar NO DQ

Wyatt family loses at Fastlane, but to rebound they go after the biggest guy in the place, also coming off a loss. Throughout the feud, both sides swap the Wyatts fooling Lesnar and Lesnar getting his hands on various Wyatt members, not Bray, leading up to Mania.

8. US Championship – Kalisto ( c ) vs Tyler Breeze (Ladder Match)

This match adds a bit to the card that they don’t have anything like it. A fast paced and high energy show that picks up the pace a bit. Breeze gets the belt.

9. Undertaker vs Finn Balor

Balor is the only guy that Taker can face this year that is any interest to me. Both guys show up at the RAW after Fastlane and enter a feud of mind games in which neither side backs down. Balor and the Balor club (debuting at Mania) overcome Taker and send him into retirement.

10. Women’s Championship – Charlotte ( c ) vs Becky Lynch vs Sasha Banks

So, this one’s obvious. I’d have Sasha walk out on Becky at Fastlane and let Team BAD win. Afterwards Becky tracks down Sasha and they argue before Becky lays her out. Charlotte then comes in and attacks Becky at Fastlane. In the coming weeks each diva gets a turn getting the upper hand on the others until their match at Mania that Sasha wins clean by pinning Charlotte.

11. WWE Heavyweight Championship: HHH ( c ) w/ Batista vs Roman Reigns w/ Dean Ambrose

So, HHH spends the coming weeks trying unsuccessfully to drive a wedge between Roman and Ambrose. HHH recruits old pals from the past to help him and punish Roman and Ambrose. All the while HHH talks about having an ace in the hole. That ace, turns out to be Seth Rollins returning late in the Mania match with a chair. He looks ready to lay out Roman, but instead wipes out HHH to help Roman win. The Shield re-unite and celebrate Roman’s title win.

[Westcoastvibes]

^this will do

No john cena, no rock, no celebrity bs

[Hanley!]

I think it'd be almost impossible for me to devise a card that I absolutely loved at this point, because WWE have already painted themselves into too many corners. They have great talents that people won't buy in major spots on a Wrestlemania card because they've been treated too badly on Raw for the last several months. They've committed to feuds that are questionable. And they've committed to Triple H being in the main event, which I 100% disagree with.

That being said, I'm sure I can still put together a better show than what they'll give us. So I'm going to go ahead and give it a try.


00) PRE-SHOW: ANDRE THE GIANT MEMORIAL BATTLE ROYALE

I'm no fan of Bron Strowman, and believe he should still be in the Performance Centre and not on Raw. But given they're pushing him already, I'd push him hard for the next month, treat him as the favourite for this match and then have him be eliminated last. By Sami Zayn. I think it's time for Zayn to move to the main roster, and this would be a nice way to make a splash straight away.


01) AJ STYLES VS CHRIS JERICHO

You could argue that there are better opponents for these guys, but after the build this has received, I think it'd be better to have this feud culminate at Wrestlemania than to try and get something new over for both guys for Wrestlemania (and I'm adamant that Styles should get a singles match). I'd do something rare for me, and book a DQ finish at Fast Lane. Jericho would grow frustrated at not being able to finish Styles and cheat just when it looks like Styles is about to beat him. He gets DQed and beats the crap out of Styles to turn full heel. Without a decisive rubber match, they'll need to fight once more at Wrestlemania to decide who the better guy is. Give them plenty of time to put on a killer curtain jerker and then have Styles win clean with the Clash.


02) TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP: NEW DAY (C) VS THE DUDLEYS

I could do a multiple tag team match, but we've seen that so many times before, just recently in a ladder match environment. Instead, I'd just have Dudleys kill the New Day next week on Raw in order to turn New Day face by default. Let Dudleys win this match at Wrestlemania so we'll finally have strong heel champs again. Then introduce new teams after Wrestlemania to fight them (like Enzo and Cass).


** SEGMENT: MIZ TV W/ STONE COLD **

This would be a way to get Austin on the show. He could talk about his home state, and talk about some Wrestlemania highlights. But ultimately Miz would keep cutting him off and playing up that arrogant douchebag character until Austin wallops him.


03) CHAMPIONSHIP UNIFICATION MATCH: KEVIN OWENS (IC) VS KALISTO (US)

I've wanted to unite these titles for a while, and Wrestlemania seems like the place to do it. These two could have a good match together too, I'm sure. Build them both up strong before this match and have Owens play the classic bullying heel. I'd probably have Owens win the match, but you could make an argument either way.


04) NO DQ MATCH: BROCK LESNAR VS BRAY WYATT

I feel like they have to do this match now. They've hinted at it so strongly, and there's not too much else left for Brock. But this could be a great brawl as a No DQ match anyway. They're both physical performers and could have a great fun match. I'd have Wyatt win, because I think it'd establish his group as top heels and the company will need that (because if I was booking, the Authority would be gone after Wrestlemania). Lesnar destroys everyone, but the numbers game catches up to him and Bray wins. That sets up Lesnar facing each member of the Wyatts individually over a period of months until he finally gets another shot at Bray at Summerslam or Survivor Series, which he wins.


05) WOMEN'S CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH: CHARLOTTE (C) VS SASHA BANKS VS BECKY LYNCH

I think this match needs Becky. I've heard people talk about just Sasha vs Charlotte, but as much as I love Sasha, I just don't think she's made a good babyface. She hasn't been in the role long, and she still shows too many heel traits. On the other hand, I think Becky is the only good female babyface on the main roster. So I'd have her win this match. I think she deserves it, and Sasha will (certainly) have her time. After the match the two heels will beat up on Becky for a minute, before Bayley's music hits and she runs down to make the save.


06) THE UNDERTAKER VS FINN BALOR

This would be all about the entrances and the spectacle, and would serve as a real passing of the torch moment. I'd have Balor eventually beat him to get that crowning win. Then give Undertaker a bit of a send off after the match, with Balor showing him respect and the commentators playing tribute to his great career. Maybe they can do some wacky effects to symbolise his departure in a memorable way. This would be a great use of Undertaker at the end of his career and would get Balor over in a big way.

NOTE: If the WWE are determined to not bring up Balor yet, I'd take Styles out of the Jericho match and slot him in here. He's the only other guy on the roster I'd kinda like to see against Undertaker right now.


07) DEAN AMBROSE, DOLPH ZIGGLER & NEVILLE VS THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS

I'd build up the League of Nations a little in the coming weeks and have the faces stand up to them. This would be a high tempo match to help get the fans back into the wrestling after the emotion and spectacle of Undertaker's departure. It'd also be a way to get Ambrose over strong, as I'd have him shine most here, and be the guy to pick up the pinfall.


** SEGMENT: HALL OF FAME ENTRANTS **

Just the usual segment putting over the Hall of Fame entrants.


08) WWE WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH: TRIPLE H (C) VS ROMAN REIGNS W/ THE ROCK

I don't want to see the match much, but I honestly want to see both Triple H vs Brock Lesnar and Triple H vs Dean Ambrose even less. I think this match is the best option. It could even be very good, but they'll have to book things right. Have Triple H come out with a bunch of Authority goons and Reigns come out with the Rock to run interference. The most vital part of the match though would be that if Reigns wins then the Authority are out of power. I don't care what road they have to take the story down in order to add that stipulation. I think they need to be out of that position of power in the story going forward, and it's also just a good pay off at a Wrestlemania. It'll make people at least somewhat more excited about Reigns winning.

After the match, Ambrose comes out to congratulate Reigns and celebrate with him. Then he lays Reigns out to set up Reigns' first feud as champion. If WWE were really adamant to end the show on a "happy note" then Ambrose can turn on Reigns the next night, but I think that should be the direction eventually.


So that's my show. I'd really like to watch it if it went down that way. I picked a handful of the same matches as John, mostly because that's what I wanted to see anyway. Great minds think alike sometimes, I guess. Either that, or this really isn't that hard.

[The Legend]

So that's my show. I'd really like to watch it if it went down that way. I picked a handful of the same matches as John, mostly because that's what I wanted to see anyway. Great minds think alike sometimes, I guess. Either that, or this really isn't that hard.

I think there's a handful of automatic matches at this point. Bray/Lesnar, Women's Triple Threat, main event are all guarantees, we both agree that Balor vs Taker is the best match for him at this point, but everything else was more or less picked by WWE.

[Hanley!]

I think there's a handful of automatic matches at this point. Bray/Lesnar, Women's Triple Threat, main event are all guarantees, we both agree that Balor vs Taker is the best match for him at this point, but everything else was more or less picked by WWE.

I don't think the women's triple threat is guaranteed by any means. I actually think Charlotte vs Sasha is probably more likely. I just personally think that Becky needs to be in there.

But yeah, Bray/Lesnar and Reigns/Triple H are basically locked in at this point. There's no great way to weasel out of them. It does leave us with what is a pretty weak main event in my mind, but if they find a way to have the Authority lose power if they lose the match, then I think there'll be some buzz around it.

[The Legend]

I think there's a handful of automatic matches at this point. Bray/Lesnar, Women's Triple Threat, main event are all guarantees, we both agree that Balor vs Taker is the best match for him at this point, but everything else was more or less picked by WWE.

I don't think the women's triple threat is guaranteed by any means. I actually think Charlotte vs Sasha is probably more likely. I just personally think that Becky needs to be in there.

To me, if they were going to eliminate Becky from the title match, then Sasha and Becky teaming up at Fastlane doesn't make any sense. It would make more sense if that was the route to have Becky and Sasha face off in a #1 Contender's match. I honestly don't know how you go from Becky and Sasha teaming up in some fashion to Becky being excluded somehow.

[prophet]

2. Road Dogg vs Dean Ambrose vs Batista