Welcome to another edition of Triple Threat from Smark Out Moment, where three of us get together to discuss three questions based on one big topic going down in the week of professional wrestling.
This week, Dallas Allsopp, Callum Wiggins and Aaron Young preview WWE WrestleMania 38.
WrestleMania 38 is here - but does the card live up to the legacy that is WrestleMania?
Question 1: Who triumphs at WrestleMania - Edge or AJ Styles? How much are you looking forward to this contest?
ALLSOPP: I’m going for AJ Styles, as I’m hoping he can have another tilt at a World Championship in 2022. Defeating Edge here would set him up well for this, whilst Edge would lose nothing in defeat, as the Hall of Famer remains a household name. I am looking forward to this match with real excitement, as it could perhaps be the single greatest contest over the weekend.
WIGGINS: I'm excited for the match itself, as both are exceptional workers and I expect them to go out for this 'dream match'. That being said, I'd probably be a lot more excited if the build hadn't been so lackluster - although that could be said for the majority of WrestleMania. As for the winner, I'm backing Edge, as he's only just turned heel and I imagine AJ Styles will get his win back at the following premium live event.
YOUNG: I would say the build has been underwhelming. Edge needs to win to help enhance his heel turn. AJ Styles will make this match awesome, given his match with Shane at WrestleMania 32 was great. So I'd say a 7, just because both veterans know how to create magic in a ring and get a reaction from the crowd.
Question 2: Will Ronda Rousey defeat Charlotte Flair for the WWE SmackDown Women’s Championship? Does Rousey need a change of character?
WIGGINS: I'm pretty certain that Ronda Rousey will win the WWE SmackDown Women's Championship at WrestleMania. She's been brought back to the company for a reason, and it's hard to envision a scenario where Charlotte Flair retains, even though history has taught us never to bet against The Queen. Rousey is better suited to being a heel going forward though, and could benefit from a mouthpiece like Paul Heyman to prevent any more tepid promos.
YOUNG: Yes, even though she better show up on Friday with a heel promo. I'm not really excited for this match, because the crowd will turn on both. Ronda Rousey needs to find a character before she changes it. She is not comfortable on the mic. Never really was back in WrestleMania 34 against the Authority either.
ALLSOPP: I’m going to go out on a limb and say no. Charlotte Flair remains one of the biggest names in WWE, whether that is deserved or not, whilst Ronda Rousey has been terribly exposed by her feud with Queen. Rousey struggles on the microphone, therefore she should be a simple ass kicker. The issue there is that Flair is not the right opponent for Rousey, which leads me to believe Flair will retain whilst Rousey figures out where she fits within WWE.
Question 3: Who walks out of WrestleMania as both WWE Champion and WWE Universal Champion? Should WWE use one WWE Undisputed Championship going forward, or would the company benefit from two World Champions?
YOUNG: Roman Reigns will win, but Brock Lesnar winning wouldn't surprise me. There is nobody that is close to Reigns right now. So why feed everyone to him when you can shock the WWE Universe with a title change. So Reigns to both questions, but Lesnar winning shouldn't be counted out.
ALLSOPP: It has to be Roman Reigns, as he is the present and future of WWE. His WWE Universal Championship reign still has plenty of life in it, and I’m sure the overwhelming majority of the fan base would be happier with The Tribal Chief coming out on top. My concern is if WWE revert to one Word Championship, as they will essentially be locking a large proportion of their roster out of the main event scene. Think Kevin Owens back in 2016 - his WWE Universal Championship reign may never have happened.
WIGGINS: Roman Reigns will be the WWE Undisputed Champion coming out of WrestleMania. He is the biggest full-time star in WWE right now, and it is important for his character that he finally beats Brock Lesnar on the grandest stage of them all. I think there are positives to having a single, floating world champion across both shows, but nobody else has been built to Reigns' level. That means the world title scene on both Raw and SmackDown will get stale quickly, so ideally they should keep the belts separated.
Prediction Corner: Who will be revealed as Seth Rollins’ opponent?
ALLSOPP: Anyone but Goldberg would be acceptable, but I’m going to say Cody Rhodes.
WIGGINS: After all the speculation and news, anything other than Cody Rhodes will be a massive disappointment.
YOUNG: I hope they have Vince McMahon announce someone and it's not Cody Rhodes. Then that superstar gets in the ring and Seth Rollins beats him up. That leads to Rhodes debuting and defeating Rollins in a solid 15-20 minute match.
Those are our thoughts on the issue, but where do you stand?
Let us know your answers to these questions in the comments below!
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