With WrestleMania 30 all set to invade the Mercedes-Benz Superdome this coming Sun., April 6, 2014, live on pay-per-view (PPV) and the WWE Network, it's time to go about making predictions for the biggest show of the year. The match card is filled out and the cSs staff of learned blowhards will give their best guess on who is going to emerge victorious this weekend.
But instead of doing this all in one post and giving you a wall of text and 3,000 words to read through, we'll give the top five matches their own post then cover the undercard.
Got it? Good. Up next:
John Cena vs. Bray Wyatt
The General: Winning and losing is not the only thing that matters in pro wrestling or in life. We know this because that is the message John Cena delivers to us each and every time he appears on our television sets on WWE programs we watch. He wins often, sure, but it's only because he never gives up. The message is clear: Stay true to your values, always work as hard as possible, and great things will happen for you. That's the message Bray Wyatt is here to attack. He'll do so like any great defense lawyer, by methodically destroying Cena's credibility. First, he tells you Cena is liar. He may claim to represent hustle, loyalty, and respect, but he's never really been faced with having to succeed outside of those means. Wyatt is going to make Cena make a decision between winning a match, therefore proving himself a liar, or losing a match and staying true to all that makes him what he has always been. He will make the right choice. I wrote everything before this before the go home episode of Raw last night. They killed this feud with Cena's promo. He'll probably win now because that's what WWE does.
Pick: John Cena
Sean Rueter: I still can't bring myself to believe that the king of Make-a-Wish will be wearing a sheep's mask or otherwise being cradled in the arms of a scary cult figure at any point during the biggest show of the year, regardless of how well the feud has been booked or how many other babyfaces will be going over on the card. I fantasy booked a way to have Cena stand tall while still giving Bray the opportunity to say that he "won" in a Raw preview a couple of weeks ago, but I don't have a whole lot of faith in WWE delivering that level of nuance in a story, either. I do think they will head toward that kind of a finish, though. Ideally, Wyatt would win by disqualification by causing "The Champ" to snap, Cena could then pose with the Hulkster for the crowd and The Eater of Worlds could claim victory in the record books and on his own scorecard of proving John to be a "liar". Or they could just have Cena win by DQ due to interference by The Family. Either way, I do not expect to see Cena taking a pin here.
Pick: Cena stands tall, Wyatt can claim victory
Hulk Holland: WWE is in a tough spot here. Bray Wyatt is the hottest heel in the business, but at the same time, not yet an established main event draw. Has he earned the right to go over John Cena at WrestleMania, the granddaddy of them all? If we look at what is best for the program, then yes, and ride this thing all the way to SummerSlam where the hero prevails. But in all likelihood, Cena will leave New Orleans STANDING TALL because he has the biggest name in the company and all the usual talking points. And if you think a young star losing to John Cena in a great match is not a big deal, just remember what happened to Damien Sandow. Follow ... the briefcase.
Pick: John Cena
Keith Harris: Bray Wyatt is on the cusp of greatness. He's a superlative talker, captivatingly charismatic and is growing in confidence as a worker. There's just one thing he lacks, credibility that he is a real threat to WWE's made men like John Cena. Of course, that could all change with one bold swoop at WrestleMania 30. WWE needs to heed the warning of the Royal Rumble hijack, which was more than just a cry in favour of Daniel Bryan, but also a vocal protest against the tired old status quo. Moreover, there's no reason for Cena to win the first major meeting between he and the Wyatt Family, which if booked smartly could last well into the summer months, as it's not like they need him to win to send the fans home happy. Given how the other matches look to go, Wyatt winning would be the smart move and WWE usually gets those decisions right at this time of the year, so he's my pick to win.
Pick: Bray Wyatt
Cain A. Knight: This feud has made me realize how just how jaded I am when it comes to expectations for John Cena story lines. I hear everyone saying how great this feud has been, how Cena's character is changing, how Bray Wyatt is killing it on the mic, and yet I find myself completely unable to get excited for this one. WWE has teased interesting twists for Cena's character multiple times in recent years. Whether it is joining Nexus, embracing the hate, or being faced with a personal crisis after losing a must-win match to The Rock, these stories all end with the same old boring and stale Cena character standing tall with that goofy smile on his face. It's exactly like CM Punk's penultimate tweet: the view never changes. And so I absolutely expect this one will end the same way too, even if it is a few months down the line when this all culminates. As for this particular match, I think it is pretty clear that Wyatt should win. But Cena doesn't lose clean to heels unless there is a stipulation involved, and there is no stipulation in this match. Considering that Wyatt has cost Cena multiple PPV matches in a row, I think Cena will gain his revenge here and protect his legacy. Bray Wyatt can always get his heavily gimmicked win against Cena at Extreme Rules.
Pick: John Cena
__________________________________
Previously:
- Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal
__________________________________
Those are our predictions, Cagesiders. What are yours?