WWE News: ‘WrestleMania 33’ Card After ‘Fastlane,’ ‘Raw,’ And ‘SmackDown Live’
Rumors about the shape of the WWE’s WrestleMania 33 card have been floating around since the days before the 2017 Royal Rumble. In the weeks since then we have seen the WWE network lay out their storylines as we build towards WrestleMania 33. The 2017 Royal Rumble itself seemed to have confirmed some of the matches for WrestleMania 33. The biggest clue was Roman Reigns entering the Royal Rumble at No. 30, to eliminate The Undertaker. Since then, we have had the Elimination Chamber PPV, the “No. 1 contender” series and last weekend’s WWE Fastlane. So, where does this leave us, with regard to WrestleMania 33?
One man who could be very upset about his WrestleMania 33 role is AJ Styles. Styles lost his world championship to John Cena at the Royal Rumble. Styles failed to regain his title at the 2017 Elimination Chamber, but went on to win the No. 1 contender series. That series was brought about after Randy Orton got on his knees before Bray Wyatt and said that he would not fight the “master.” As reported on the Inquisitr, Orton later burned down part of the Wyatt Family compound, so it’s pretty clear that Orton vs Bray Wyatt is happening at WrestleMania 33.
After Styles triumphed in the No. 1 Contender series, it was expected that he would take on Bray Wyatt in a headline WrestleMania match. Once Orton burned Wyatt rumors claimed that Styles might make up a triple threat match with the other two. Of course, that could still happen, but interactions between Styles and Shane McMahon, and Styles loss to Orton on this week’s SmackDown Live, suggest otherwise.
Early rumors suggested a match between Styles and McMahon at WrestleMania 33, according to What Culture that match now looks a certainty. It seems like a waste of Styles undoubted talent. McMahon may always put on a good match, but there does not seem to be any upside for AJ Styles.
Roman Reigns Vs. The Undertaker At WrestleMania 33: A Roman Reigns Heel Turn?
When is come to WrestleMania there simply is no bigger name than the Undertaker. The Deadman dominated WrestleMania for over two decades, his matches are the stuff of legend, and he is adored by the WWE universe. It is widely rumored, that The Undertaker may bow out of wrestling after WrestleMania 33. There would be no more fitting stage for The Undertaker to take his final bow.
Since his arrival in the WWE stable, Roman Reigns has been promoted as the face of the WWE network. Vince McMahon’s plans for Reigns just haven’t worked out. Reigns is the most unpopular wrestler in WWE. Reigns is booed every time he enters the ring. Every win is jeered and every defeat celebrated. The biggest surprise is that the WWE network has failed to instigate a Roman Reigns heel turn. Reigns is ideally placed; his current unpopularity would set him up as the WWE network’s best ever heel.
It seems so obvious, that Reigns would be a superb heel, and yet the WWE have ignored that storyline potential. A recent poll on the WWE website proved that fans have little interest in seeing The Undertaker vs. Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 33. The match the fans want is The Undertaker vs. John Cena. Cena and the Undertaker have met five times. They have two wins each, with one “no-result.” The fans would love to see Cena and The Undertaker split their tie, and WrestleMania would be the perfect backdrop.
It seems that the fans hopes are set to be dashed. The official WWE website made much of The Undertaker’s performance on this week’s Monday Night Raw. The Undertaker took out Reigns with a choke slam, to swiftly end Reigns bragging that WWE was “his yard now.” Fans can be sure that The Undertaker vs. Roman Reigns is happening at WrestleMania 33. The time is perfect for a Roman Reigns heel turn.
What Is The Rest Of The WrestleMania 33 Card?
Despite winning his 15th world title at Royal Rumble, it looks like John Cena will be a bit-part player in this years WrestleMania. According to Bleacher Report, Cena will team up with Nikki Bella to take on The Miz and Maryse in a couple vs. couple tag match.
Of course, the WWE website has already announced Goldberg vs. Brock Lesnar, and Kevin Owens vs Chris Jericho. Raw women’s champion Bayley will yet again take on Charlotte Flair. This match is now a weekly fixture, but it is spiced up for WrestleMania 33 with the addition of Sasha Banks to the mix.
Finally, we also know that Alexa Bliss will take on all available blue team women in defense of her title. With just a few weeks until WrestleMania 33, the official WrestleMania 33 card is filling fast, most of the remaining matches will feature mid-carders. Braun Strowman is playing an increasingly important role on Monday Night Raw. Strowman will certainly have a role to play at WrestleMania 33, perhaps as the winner of the Andre The Giant memorial match.
[Featured Image by WWE]
