John Cena faces the Rock in a generational showdown in two days. Triple H and The Undertaker will “End an Era” in two days. CM Punk and Chris Jericho will determine the best in the world in two days.
Wrestlemania is in two days.
To say I’m excited would be an absolute understatement.
As we’ve looked at in the analysis of different Wrestlemania Trilogies, this will mark the beginning of a new age. Will it be Cena Striking Back? Will it be the Era of Punk? The Return of The Rock? So many possibilities!
As a slight aside before we get to the predictions, we’ll be taking a week long break here. I’m going to be heading to Thailand tonight and will have to put the last six posts in the 40 Blogs in 40 Days series after. Sure it’s a little cheap, but it’s the best I can do. Also, I may have to wait and watch Wrestlemania after I get back and I don’t want to talk about anything else until then.
Now without further ado, the OFFICIAL Blade Jobs of Steel predictions for Wrestlemania XXVIII, with match order included. for fun.
Pre-Match Battle Royal: Brodus Clay wins by last eliminating Hunico and Epico to set off Wrestlemania size Funkfest.
Fireworks!!! GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!
CM Punk (c) vs. Chris Jericho
WWE Title Match
This has been rumoured to be the opening match; while that may rub a few people the wrong way, it’s probably for the best. This does need to be seperated from Cena-Rock and Triple H-Taker. Also, since it will probably be the best technical match, it sets the bar very high for everyone else to try and set.
Punk should walk away the winner here, but I don’t see it being fully decisive, maybe with a quick roll up or something like that. There is a ton of mileage left in this feud and a clean GTS/Anaconda Vice finish wouldn’t exactly make people shell out for the rematch.
Prediction: CM Punk via roll-up
Fantasy Booking Time: Ref bump, Jericho hits Punk with the belt or a chair, gets a bottle of whiskey out and pours it down Punk’s throat. Punk spits it in Jericho’s face and gets a quick roll-up as the ref wakes up, one-two-three!
Cody Rhodes (c) vs. Big Show
Intercontinental Title Match
After hearing rumours of Big Show vs. Shaq and Cody vs. Golddust, it was easy to be a little disappointed when this match was announced. But the build has been nothing short of fantastic. Cody has played the absolute perfect heel here, and it’s very obvious that he has an insanely bright future ahead of him. Show is of course on the downhill of his career and is great for putting over talent now. That makes the outcome of this match pretty set. What’s curious is just how clean the finish is going to be here, there is nobody set to interfere, no obvious foreign object — like Cody’s mask was last year — it seems like it could just be man-o a man-o and I doubt that Show will lose cleanly.
Prediction: Cody Rhodes hits the Beautiful Disaster after a low blow.
Fantasy Booking Time: Big Show gets to be involved in some sort of “Wrestlemania Moment” maybe he goes through the announce table which gives Cody a chance to gloat. He sets Cody up for the Choke Slam later but then Cody kicks him in the junk and hits his finish move to win the thing.
Santino Marella, Kofi Kingston, R-Truth, Zack Ryder, The Great Khali, Booker T
vs.
David Otunga, Mark Henry, Dolph Ziggler, Jack Swagger, The Miz, Drew McIntyre
GM vs. GM Battle
This match could be obvious filler, but it could also be a great, fast-paced affair. Most of the guys in this match can flat out deliver, and if they keep the likes of David Otunga, and The Great Khali to a minimum we could just have a great match on our hands.
The obvious money is in Team Johnny winning. A heel authority figure seems to do better than a face one in the long term. Plus, Johnny’s team is just flat out better, featuring four former world champions. The tough call though is who gets the pinfall for the team? Storyline wise, Drew McIntyre may be the best choice given just how long his feud with Teddy Long has gone on, but The Miz would make a ton of sense too. The darkhorse, which I’m going to take her is Ziggler getting the pinfall. By all accounts he is ready for Prime Time, and I wouldn’t be shocked to see him drafted to Smackdown and get a summertime feud with Sheamus over the Big Gold Belt (oops should have said Spoiler Alert in there somewhere).
Prediction: Dolph Ziggler pins Booker T after Vickie pulls a distraction
Fantasy Booking Time: After a finisher buffet, where everyone hits everyone else with their big moves, Vickie interferes and allows Ziggler to pin Booker. This sets off a little feud between Booker T and the Zig Zag Man that can cover the next few months as Ziggler gets ready to challenge for the World Heavyweight Championship.
Ohh and when Christian returns he gets his title shot that comes with a Team Johnny win against the very man who (storyline) injured him…
Hall of Fame intro and old guys wave
Randy Orton vs. Kane
This just reeks of Batista vs. Umaga from Wrestlemania XXIV, no real build, no real feud, just an excuse to get some main event talent in a singles match, and it will no doubt be forgotten shortly afterwards.
If anything can be learned from that match it’s this: when in doubt, go with the face and/or the bigger name.
Prediction: Randy Orton via RKO
Fantasy Booking Time: Nothing much to add here. Orton wins, moves up the card, possible feud with Daniel Bryan or a returning Alberto Del Rio.
The Undertaker vs. Triple H
Hell in a Cell Match
Special Guest Referee: Shawn Michaels
This match really is fascinating. Clearly they won’t waste The Undertaker’s streak on a semi-retired performer, would they? But what about Shawn Michaels? How on earth will he call it?
It really depends on if Shawn Michaels intends to step back into the ring or not. If he does, then the finish is pretty obvious isn’t it? He screws over Triple H. But what drama is there with him calling it down the middle? Maybe he makes an honest mistake or a longer slow count, I don’t know. But I have a feeling that HBK wants to step back in the ring against Triple H one last time…
Prediction: The Undertaker after a Tombstone
Fantasy Booking Time: HBK makes an honest mistake that leads to Taker getting the win, Triple H freaks out and lays him out the next night on Raw, challenging him to a match at Wrestlemania XXIX.
Kelly Kelly and Maria Menounos vs. Beth Phoenix and Eve
With all of the potential matches for Diva’s, this is the best they could come up with? It’s a little sad, but I guess such is the state of Diva’s Wrestling. I imagine that Kelly may have to start the match alone with Maria’s injury, only for her to run out, make the save and get the win.
Prediction: Maria pins Eve.
Fantasy Booking Time: Not much! Maybe have Kharma come out after the match and level Kelly Kelly and Maria, joining Beth as a team of Super Divas for the next few months.
Daniel Bryan (c) vs. Sheamus
World Heavyweight Title Match
This match seems likely for these Semi-Main Event spot. These two can put on a great match that gets the crowd energized without fully burning them out. The feud between these two has been very underwhelming, but the match should be great. Both guys can flat out go and I love the idea of them competing for the top prize a year after being bumped from the card.
Prediction: Sheamus hits a Brogue kick for the clean win
Fantasy Booking Time: Hopefully these guys are given more than the Cena-JBL treatment. I would like to see them get at least 15 minutes to show their stuff, and hopefully Daniel Bryan doesn’t end up looking like a chump the whole time.
John Cena vs. The Rock
What else can be said about this match? It’s Icon vs. Icon, Generation vs. Generation. The match is going to be nothing short of a classic. The outcome is really rather obvious here, but it’s interesting to consider what will happen going forward.
Apparently the Rock is considering returning for another match at Wrestlemania XXIX, but who would it be against? A rematch against Cena, a one-on-one with CM Punk, The Miz? Someone else? It’s hard to say exactly, but it’s damn intriguing to consider. Either way, Cena needs to win cleanly here.
Prediction: John Cena after the third Attitude Adjustment
Fantasy Booking Time: Clean as a whistle, no shenanigans whatsoever.