One of the biggest annual pro wrestling events is nearly here, and while we still don’t know exactly how the final WrestleMania 33 card will look, there are a number of rumors regarding how the event is currently shaping up. Some of the rumors are plausible, some not so much. Because of that, we’ve decided to take a look at some of the most interesting guesses and analyze their probabilities, in our WWE rumor roundup heading into WrestleMania 33.
Shaq vs. Big Show
One of the most interesting rumors that surfaced some time ago was that Wrestlemania 33 will include a match between the basketball superstar Shaquille O’Neal, and the gigantic wrestling star Paul Wight, better known by his ring name – Big Show. Interestingly, despite WWE billing Big Show as the “World’s largest athlete”, Shaq is actually one inch taller than the former WCW and WWE Champion. This showdown between two towering figures has been cooking for a long time and now it, and while WWE has yet to make an official announcement regarding the match, it’s all but set for Wrestlemania. Shaq is Big Show’s old nemesis and the two faced each other during a battle royal at last year’s Wrestlemania. This time they’ll probably have the ring just to themselves, as it should be.
Brock Lesnar vs. Goldberg
Another match that is actually confirmed for Wrestlemania 33 is the stand-off between the brutal Brock Lesnar and the old legend Goldberg. The two of them confronted each other way back at the 20th Wrestlemania event, where Goldberg defeated him and they both left WWE. Last year, Goldberg came back and, expectedly, reignited the feud with Lesnar. In this past year, Goldberg defeated Lesnar two more times, one of them in just under two minutes at WWE Survivor Series. Soon after, Brock challenged him to one more, final match that will set things straight once and for all. This epic feud is going to end at Wrestlemania 33, and people can’t be more excited about it.
Chris Jericho vs. Kevin Owens
Another fairly confirmed match that is probably going to close the Wrestlemania event is the fight between Chris Jericho and Kevin Owens, which will signify the end of the alliance between the two and basically the end of a dynamic wrestling pairing era. This might be Chris Jericho’s final big performance at a Wrestlemania event, as Y2J is slated to begin work on a new album with his band “Fozzy.” If Jericho’s current WWE run does culminate at WrestleMania, it will cap one of the best stints of his pro wrestling career.
Randy Orton
While we already know that Randy Orton will be one of the big names at Wrestlemania, the question of his opponent for a singles match still isn’t clear. There are a number of options and WWE will most likely pick the most commercial route. A name often mentioned here is AJ Styles and considering how he was one of the most prolific wrestlers in 2016, he might just be the one to take down the “Legend Killer.” During a recent interview, Styles revealed Orton is the WWE star he most wants to face right now. Another popular choice is John Cena who made a comeback a little over a week ago when he won his sixteenth title at the Royal Rumble event. Finally, there’s also Bray Wyatt, who is probably the best choice out there. But with Randy Orton’s surprise relinquishing of his title shot on WWE Smackdown last week, an Orton vs Wyatt match is not a lock for WrestleMania 33.
Roman Reigns vs. The Undertaker
Now, if there’s one name that always goes hand-in-hand with Wrestlemania, it’s The Undertaker. The dead-eyed, nearly 7ft legend marked pretty much every Wrestlemania event, even after his winning streak was interrupted by the vicious Brock Lesnar. Upon his return to the ring, The Undertaker mentioned that he didn’t want to be associated just with Wrestlemania anymore, which is why it’s most likely that he’ll transfer the reputation to another fan favorite, Roman Reigns. He didn’t have such a great time last year, as he was suspended for using illegal substances, just as he was growing more and more popular. Regardless of it, he’s back on his feet now and ready to take over for the Undertaker; that is, if the fans allow him to do it.
John Cena
After losing his WWE Title at Elimination Chamber, following his 16th World Title win at Royal Rumble, John Cena’s opponent for WrestleMania 33 is now up in the air. Following news that Cena will likely be taking another hiatus from WWE after WrestleMania to shoot the new movie “The Pact”, it appears WWE might be looking to book Cena in a mixed tag team match with Nikki Bella against The Miz and Maryse. While the bout seems like a throwaway match some fans, with Cena taking a break from WWE after ‘Mania the creative team cannot book him in a match with any kind of post-Mania followup.
Triple H
Finally, what about Triple H? He was scheduled to fight Seth Rollins, but due to his injury, The Game might have to find another opponent. The question is – who? Well, one of the interesting proposals online is Batista. There had been quite a lot of tension between Triple H and Batista when he left WWE and has stated since that the only way he would come back is for a meaningful match that would let him say goodbye to the sport. Taking on his old friend Triple H seems like the way to go. Another exciting possibility is Triple H taking on Samoa Joe, his former protege at the NXT promotion. It would be a great betrayal worthy of such an event, but those are merely guesses at this point.
Here is how the rest of the WrestleMania 33 card looks to be shaping up, based on recent rumors:
WWE Raw Women’s Championship Match:
-Charlotte vs. Bayley (c) vs. Sasha Banks vs. Nia Jax
-Roman Reigns vs. The Undertaker
-AJ Styles vs. Shane McMahon
-Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal
What do you think about these ideas? Anything you agree with? Disagree with? Let us know in the comment section!
Nick was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, and lived there until the age of 18, when he decided to pack his flack jacket and move to New York City.
