Road to Wrestlemania XXX, Part Two

This is part two of my weekly blog series, where I attempt to predict the final card for Wrestlemania XXX based on the events portrayed on WWE television over the past few weeks.

Road to Wrestlemania XXX, Part One

Wrestlemania XXX is rapidly approaching and we smarks generally think we know what WWE creative is going to give us to watch on the PPV. Everybody is guessing and prognosticating and predicting what Wrestlemania will look like, so I might as well throw my hat in the ring as well. In this weekly blog series, I attempt to predict the final card for Wrestlemania XXX based on the events portrayed on WWE television over the past few weeks.

Royal Rumble 2014: The Betting Lines

Each year I do this blog, predicting the Royal Rumble winner and each year I get pretty damn close to being correct. 3 years ago, I predicted that Alberto Del Rio had one of the highest chances of winning amongst non-main-eventers and he did. Two years ago, I predicted Sheamus as the outright winner and he won. Last year, while I didn't pick John Cena as the winner, I did surmise that the winner would be a SUPERFACE who had won it before. Only I thought that SUPERFACE would be Randy Orton. And to be fair, I gave Cena the second-highest chance at winning, so I knew he was a possibility.

This year, I am flummoxed. I can't imagine who might win or who is the favorite. I can barely even think of the rules for the year. Here's what I can tell. First, it will not be a SUPERFACE. Cena & Orton are mixing it up in the WWE World Championship rematch. Neither of them will be in the Royal Rumble. Sheamus is out of action. There's a chance he might return at the Rumble, but not to win it. WWE can't continue that cliche'. Plus, I think they lost some confidence in Sheamus last year.

If you believe, as I do, that Randy Orton will hold the WWE World Title through Wrestlemania XXX, then the winner of the Royal Rumble match has to be a babyface. That leaves two viable candidates in my mind to win, but I've been wrong before.

Fantasy Booker: WrestleMania Season 2014

Wondering how I’d book WrestleMania XXX if I wound up in charge of WWE tomorrow? Of course you are. You’re only human. As a special treat I’m going to detail exactly what I’d do. Within reason, of course. I’m not going to detail every episode of RAW, for example. Because life’s too short, isn’t it?

I’ll start with Royal Rumble. With that show still a few weeks away I obviously have to make some assumptions about who’ll be feuding with who. Brock Lesnar will be clashing with Big Show at the show, while Batista will be gunning for Alberto Del Rio. I’ll ignore the former match because it’s boring. The Rumble’s a starting point, both for this post and in reality.

There are a lot of maybes and possiblys below. That’s because WWE is set up to have input from various backstage minds. I wouldn’t want to ignore those guys, so anytime there’s a maybe or a half-thought assume that it’s because it’s a detail that I’d ask for input on. What I’m detailing is a outline, not minutia.

Undertaker Passing On Brock?

It's said that The Undertaker asked to work with Daniel Bryan at WrestleMania XXX. No word yet if it was discussed internally or anything.

Regarding Lesnar vs. Undertaker, there had been some concern because Lesnar works such a physical style and Taker is in really rough shape physically.
Read more at http://www.lordsofpain.net/news/wwe/Why_There_Is_Concern_Over_The_Undertaker_vs_Brock_Lesnar_Original_Plans_for_Big_Show_s_Push.html#T71ow4xSQL41Cky3.99

Regarding Lesnar vs. Undertaker, there had been some concern because Lesnar works such a physical style and Taker is in really rough shape physically.

 

Another issue with Lesnar facing Taker is that a lot of Taker's opponents, if not all, over the past several years have secretly worked out their match with him and practiced it. There was some concern over whether or not Lesnar would be willing to put in that much time preparing.

Another issue with Lesnar facing Taker is that a lot of Taker's opponents, if not all, over the past several years have secretly worked out their match with him and practiced it. There was some concern over whether or not Lesnar would be willing to put in that much time preparing.
Read more at http://www.lordsofpain.net/news/wwe/Why_There_Is_Concern_Over_The_Undertaker_vs_Brock_Lesnar_Original_Plans_for_Big_Show_s_Push.html#T71ow4xSQL41Cky3.99

Mr Retirement

March 28th 2010. WrestleMania XXVI. Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker faced each other in a career versus Streak match. Michaels lost. He hasn't wrestled since.

This is an incredibly rare example of a wrestler honouring a retirement stipulation after losing. The norm is for the retirement stip to be used as a way of writing people off of television to undergo operations or to take a break. It’s also not unknown for retirement angles to be tacked on to lengthy feuds to heighten drama and tension with no intention of either party genuinely retiring. See Mick Foley, Ric Flair, Terry Funk and some of the ludicrous stipulations implemented by Vince Russo in WCW for all the examples you could need on wrestlers and retirement.

Wrestlemania 31 Location Confirmed

WWE.com has confirmed that Levi’s Stadium, the future home of the San Francisco 49ers in Santa Clara, California, will host WrestleMania 31 in 2015. This will mark the first time WrestleMania comes to Northern California. As is tradition, the area will also host activities throughout the region for the week-long celebration leading up to WrestleMania itself.

MSM: Hogan vs Andre

I got my hands on WWE 2K14 for the first time on Wednesday. Understandably the first thing I did was head into the 30 Years of Wrestlemania mode.
Equally as understandable is the fact that we don't have what WWE state is their biggest attended event represented on Must See Matches yet.
So what better way to do that than the main event itself?

Unification Bout At 'Mania?

WWEs plethora of belts have made the majority of championships in the promotion irrelevant for years now, so this latest news is good news in my eyes:

A Certain Diva could be coming out of retirement....

Michelle Mccool and The Undertaker were seen at the WWE's Performance Center in Orlando, FL. Sources state that Michelle Mccool looks to be in the best shape of her life.  She was in serious talks last year with the WWE on coming back.  But now would be the best time, that she start a feud that would lead into Wrestlemania XXX!

WrestleMania XXX Promo

Wow WWE, really this early? Tickets available November 16th 2013.