Predictions: The Rock vs. Roman Reigns? Bianca vs. Sasha?

New beingness has been breathed into WWE implicit the past respective months. Since Triple H took implicit arsenic the caput of creative, storylines are fresh, characters person been tweaked and caller impactful stables person been formed.

The autumn is besides a clip erstwhile the gathering blocks of the adjacent WrestleMania statesman to form. Next year, WrestleMania 39 volition beryllium held connected April 1 and 2 successful Los Angeles and much than 90,000 tickets were sold for some nights successful the archetypal 24 hours of being connected sale, an all-time grounds for immoderate event, per WWE.

Perhaps it is simply a spot aboriginal to foretell the biggest matches connected the show, but respective paths to the monolithic lawsuit are already being paved. So, let's telephone the beneath a projection alternatively than a prediction. Some matchups are evident -- Roman Reigns successful a starring relation -- and others little so.

David Dennis Jr. and Marc Raimondi effort to laic retired what we mightiness find connected WWE's 2 biggest nights of 2023.

Universal championship: The Rock vs. Roman Reigns

Dennis: While these predictions chiefly absorption connected speechmaking the beverage leaves of the storylines already enactment successful place, this 1 is based connected the meta-storylines that person been successful concern for implicit 2 years. First, the full Roman Reigns "Bloodline" epoch has been built astir him being the "Head Of The Table" of his family, the king of the Anoa'i dynasty. That dynasty includes The Rock. So each clip Reigns and The Usos state that helium is the apical canine of Samoan wrestling, determination is ever an implied "... adjacent bigger than The Rock" astatine each turn.

The Rock hasn't been connected WWE TV successful immoderate meaningful capableness successful years, his past important infinitesimal coming erstwhile helium held a struggling babyface Reigns' manus up arsenic the Philadelphia assemblage booed Reigns astatine the extremity of the 2015 Royal Rumble. So determination hasn't been overmuch accidental for The Rock to tease the match. However, he's been uncovering different ways to hint astatine the eventual main event. Most prominently, a bully small Easter ovum connected an occurrence of Young Rock teased a young Roman saying he'd look his relative astatine a aboriginal WrestleMania.

We cognize that the lawsuit is successful The Rock's backyard successful Los Angeles. We besides cognize that nary 1 connected the WWE roster seems acceptable -- from a storyline position -- to beryllium a morganatic menace to Reigns astatine this point. It's each lining up for Rock to travel backmost and springiness his relative the eventual stamp of support for what volition apt beryllium Rock's last match.

For the WWE's part, they haven't been quiescent astir their tendency for this lucifer to happen.

"It's up to him. The level is surely there. WrestleMania. L.A. Two nights, we've already got 90,000-plus, I believe, sold," Triple H told Ariel Helwani connected BT Sport. "The Tribal Chief is sitting determination waiting for him, oregon anybody other that helium wants to, right? It's magic."

I'm definite WWE has plentifulness of backup plans for Reigns, but there's nary mode this isn't penciled successful astatine the apical of the paper close now.

Raw women's championship: Bianca Belair vs. Sasha Banks

Raimondi: The instrumentality of Banks and Naomi seems imminent. Michael Cole adjacent mentioned Banks' sanction connected commentary astatine Extreme Rules implicit the weekend, which mightiness person been the archetypal clip she has been mentioned connected WWE tv since that bizarre "let america each down" monologue from Cole successful May. The brace volition apt travel backmost arsenic a tag team, but astatine immoderate point, the WWE has to perpetrate to Banks arsenic 1 of its apical stars. No, not 1 of its apical pistillate stars -- 1 of its apical stars, period.

If Banks and Naomi person done thing since walking retired connected WWE 5 months ago, owed reportedly to issues with creative, it has been cementing themselves arsenic women who tin transverse implicit rapidly into things extracurricular pro wrestling. That should person been evident already -- Banks is successful a Star Wars series, aft each -- but possibly it wasn't to the erstwhile regime.

Meanwhile, Belair has been booked powerfully since Triple H took over. Maybe she doesn't clasp the Raw women's title each the mode to WrestleMania, but booking her against Banks successful a rematch of the historical 2021 WrestleMania 38 Night 1 main lawsuit seems similar a no-brainer. Perhaps it's not a lock, but it would beryllium appropriate, considering Belair has knocked disconnected astir everyone else. And again, it's clip for Banks to get that singles propulsion and large Mania lucifer -- and Mania triumph -- she didn't get this past event. Los Angeles is the cleanable spot to bash that.

Undisputed tag squad championship: The Usos vs. Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens

Dennis: This has go 1 of the much compelling matches WWE has been toying with for the past fewer months. Zayn has been entertaining arsenic an honorary Bloodline member, becoming a lackey to the astir almighty faction successful wrestling. Meanwhile, Owens has utilized the alteration successful absorption to deed a caller stride -- he's putting connected matches of the nighttime astir weekly.

A fewer times successful the past mates of months, Zayn and the Bloodline person interacted with Owens, who has been beauteous overmuch begging Zayn to drawback retired of it and find his pride. These person usually been one-off back-and-forths, but they're ever determination to punctual america that Zayn and Owens were erstwhile a standout tag team.

It feels inevitable that the Usos volition yet crook connected Zayn and Owens volition travel to the rescue. If it goes down that way, we'll get a tag squad lucifer that volition yet springiness the Usos that five-star matchup astatine WrestleMania, which is the lone happening missing from their resume. Add successful a ladder and you person the makings of a guaranteed classic.

Fatal 4-Way: Seth Rollins vs. Cody Rhodes vs. Randy Orton vs. Matt Riddle

Raimondi: This mightiness look a small muddled, but perceive maine out. WWE's roster is stacked, and you cognize determination volition beryllium matches involving legends and celebrities (we're talking astir you, Logan Paul and Bad Bunny).

These 4 men request a large lucifer and it mightiness beryllium hard to get it successful a singles situation. So, wherefore not a lucifer with Rollins, Rhodes, Orton and Riddle together? They astir each person a past with 1 another, successful immoderate way, signifier oregon form. The astir evident storylines impact Rhodes vs. Rollins, Riddle vs. Rollins and Orton vs. Riddle. Orton and Riddle were past seen arsenic a ascendant tag team, but RK-Bro's days are astir apt going to extremity with an Orton crook connected Riddle. Rollins and Rhodes wrestled 3 times already this twelvemonth and different singles lucifer astatine WrestleMania -- similar the 1 astatine Mania 38 -- mightiness not beryllium the champion booking. Rhodes bushed Rollins 3 times, including erstwhile with a visibly torn pec.

That brings america to our adjacent point. Rhodes and Orton volition beryllium coming disconnected comparatively terrible injuries. You privation them connected the card, but possibly it's a bully thought not to person them instrumentality connected the enactment of a consecutive singles match. A fatal four-way contention would mitigate those risks. Then, the agelong past betwixt Rhodes and Orton positive Rollins and Orton tin beryllium leveraged into immoderate fantabulous storytelling. Of course, you'd privation each 4 of these men -- each stars -- successful large singles matches. But this seems similar it could beryllium a blessed compromise.

SmackDown Women's Championship: Becky Lynch vs. Ronda Rousey

Dennis: This 1 has a built-in communicative that's years old. Lynch pinned Rousey successful the WrestleMania main lawsuit 3 years ago, prompting the erstwhile MMA prima to instrumentality an extended permission from wrestling (storyline-wise, astatine least). They haven't engaged successful a meaningful capableness since.

In her latest run, Rousey, present champion, has been toeing the enactment betwixt babyface and heel, adjacent arsenic fans' boos get louder and louder. Rousey beating instrumentality favourite Liv Morgan astatine Extreme Rules volition lone marque those boos much deafening. A bottommost crook seems inevitable.

The past we saw Lynch, she had conscionable made a crook herself, ditching her bottommost persona to basal with Belair aft their Summerslam match. Now she's back, and what amended clip to instrumentality than the Royal Rumble to win, quadrate disconnected with Rousey and beryllium that she tin bushed the champ one-on-one? This creates a blistery feud and allows Lynch to fortify the Smackdown women's part arsenic she goes done her persona refresh.

The lucifer would springiness Rousey a seasoned for Mania to guarantee the lucifer goes good and a compelling communicative to descend her teeth into, which she hasn't had connected the Blue Brand yet.

Rey Mysterio Jr. vs. Dominik Mysterio successful a "Mask vs. Hair" match

Raimondi: It's evident this has to hap astatine immoderate point. WrestleMania wouldn't beryllium the worst enactment if WWE continues to slow-burn the storyline. Between present and April, WWE tin physique Dominik arsenic a morganatic menace nether the power of Rhea Ripley and Judgment Day. He'll astir apt request to prime up immoderate singles wins to bash that.

It wouldn't wounded to brace the elder Mysterio with a women's endowment to lucifer up with Dominik and Ripley successful immoderate mixed-tag matches. If Ripley is enactment successful a rubric programme with Belair, those would beryllium evident pairings. Dominik needs credibility arsenic a rival earlier earning a singles lucifer with idiosyncratic of the caliber of his begetter astatine Mania.

To spice things up, a accepted Lucha de Apuesta (Spanish for "Bet Match") stipulation tin easy beryllium implemented here. There has been speech for years, adjacent earlier Dominik's bottommost turn, that helium could instrumentality the Mysterio torch from his dada successful the signifier of Rey's iconic mask. What amended mode to bash that than successful a disguise vs. hairsbreadth match? There isn't a much dynamic mode to stroke disconnected a feud successful Mexican lucha libre than an apuesta match. It would beryllium cleanable here, fixed the storyline and the amusement being successful Los Angeles.

The Mysterios are from adjacent San Diego and the Mexican-American colonisation successful Southern California is enormous. Rey has already mislaid his disguise once, to Kevin Nash and Scott Hall successful WCW backmost successful 1999. If there's 1 idiosyncratic successful the satellite he'd astir apt astir similar to person instrumentality it from him, it would beryllium his son.