With the Royal Rumble behind us, the WWE is officially on the Road to WrestleMania, and the Universe is along for the ride. WrestleMania season is always a fun time for wrestling fans, and with WrestleMania 33 only two months away, anticipation is at an all time high for the big event.
Related: Randy Orton Says Fans Want To See Him Face John Cena At WrestleMania
Events of the Rumble match, Monday Night RAW, and SmackDown Live lead me to believe that certain rivalries are coming into shape, such as…
The Undertaker vs. Roman Reigns vs. Braun Strowman
Last week I wrote an article about which brand The Undertaker should belong to. As of right now, he seems to be floating between the two live shows; however since Roman Reigns eliminated the Phenom at the Rumble, he’ll probably appear on RAW soon. On the other hand, Braun Strowman has an ax to grind with The Big Dog. A few weeks ago, he was the victim of a vicious double spear from Reigns and Goldberg on RAW. Since Bill is wrapped up in his feud with Brock Lesnar, Strowman has focused his attention on Reigns. Is there a Mania match in the cards for these two powerhouses? Only time will tell.
Sami Zayn vs. Kevin Owens vs. Chris Jericho
The historic rivalry between Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn took up much of 2016. Supposedly, hostilities finished with their match at WWE Battleground last year. However, WWE seems to be hinting that the Chris & Kevin Show will be canceled as we get closer to the Show of Shows. Zayn took down Y2J in their match on RAW, and Chris was unable to help KO in his match against Braun Strowman because The Monster Among Men put the GOAT through the announcer’s table before their match began. Strowman aside, can we expect a triple threat match at Mania?
Seth Rollins vs. Triple H/Samoa Joe
RAW ended this week with the main roster debut of Samoa Joe, the former NXT champion, and Triple H’s new puppet. Rollins has been calling out Triple H for months after the COO helped Kevin Owens defeat him and Roman Reigns for the Universal Title at the end of August. It appeared as though Rollins was finally going to get his wish when Samoa Joe came out of nowhere and completely dismantled the Architect. Rumors have been circulating about whether Triple H will wrestle at Mania at all; now it seems that Joe will be doing his dirty work, at least for the time being.
Bayley vs. Sasha Banks
Since losing the Women’s Title to Charlotte Flair at Hell in a Cell, Sasha Banks has been on a losing streak. With her injured knee and Nia Jax declaring war on The Boss, a heel turn seems imminent. With that said, Banks’ friendship with Bayley seems to be fraying as Banks said to Bayley that “unlike some people, I’m not okay with coming up short.” To me, this seems to be a reference to Bayley’s loss to Charlotte at the Royal Rumble. Why would Sasha say this if not to start a potential feud with the Hugger? Granted, Bayley came out to help Sasha after she lost to Nia and couldn’t leave under her own power, but that could be Bayley’s eternally-face personality.
Moving on to SmackDown Live…
John Cena vs. AJ Styles vs. Dean Ambrose
Now that the Cenation leader is a 16-time WWE Champion, he’s going to have quite a few enemies, more than usual. AJ Styles is still owed his contractual championship rematch, so we can look forward to that in coming weeks, but as of SmackDown Live this week, the rivalry between Styles and Dean Ambrose has been renewed. With the Phenomenal One’s victory, the Lunatic Fringe is going to be out for blood, and since the Elimination Chamber match is looming, one can only wonder if we can expect a triple threat at WrestleMania.
The Miz vs. Baron Corbin
This potential rivalry is in its very early stages, as the A-Lister and the Lone Wolf engaged in a verbal volley over the commentary table on SmackDown this week. The Miz seems to think that Corbin is just a kid trying to make a name for himself, where Corbin finds Miz annoying at best, and downright irritating at worst. Rumors are circulating that the Miz and Maryse could be teaming up to take on Nikki Bella and John Cena though, so who knows what could happen in the sixty days we have until the Showcase of the Immortals?
Nikki Bella vs. Natalya
This has been a very heated feud in the last few weeks, with Natalya’s heel turn and Carmella moving on from Nikki to James Ellsworth. Last night it was revealed that Natalya hired security in order to protect herself from the Fearless One, though Nikki made the point that Natalya always attacks her first. With Nikki possibly retiring after Mania due to her neck problems, this could be the career-defining rivalry that both Superstars need to cement their place in the Women’s Division hierarchy.
Becky Lynch vs. Mickie James vs. Naomi vs. Alexa Bliss
In the weeks since Becky lost the SmackDown Women’s Title at TLC: Tables, Ladders, and Chairs, a mysterious woman known as La Luchadora was interfering in all of the Lasskicker’s title opportunities. A few weeks ago, Mickie James revealed herself to the WWE Universe and declared war on Lynch. Since then, Alexa Bliss and James have been teaming up to take down Lynch, until last night when Becky got some help from the returning Naomi. Once their match was said and done, Naomi had pinned Alexa two times in as many days, signifying a title run in the near future. But does this mean there’s a fatal four way in the cards for these four women?
