Predicting The Complete WWE WrestleMania 39 Match Card: Roman Vs. Cody Rhodes
BY SACNILK
The upcoming WrestleMania 39, scheduled to be held over two nights on April 1 and 2, 2023, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, will be broadcast worldwide on pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreamed via Peacock in the United States and the WWE Network internationally. ##
The headline bout of the evening will showcase Roman Reigns defending his coveted WWE universal championship against Cody Rhodes, who emerged as the victor of the Royal Rumble. Reigns, an accomplished six-time world champion, has maintained his hold on the championship for nearly two and a half years. In the meantime, Rhodes made a comeback to the WWE during last year's WrestleMania after his instrumental role in launching rival wrestling promotion, All Elite Wrestling. ##
WrestleMania 39 will also witness the Raw women's title match between Asuka, the winner of the women's Elimination Chamber match in February, and Bianca Belair. Charlotte Flair will put her SmackDown women's title on the line, contending with Rhea Ripley who earned her shot at the championship by winning the women's Royal Rumble in January. ##
Adding to the excitement, two other high-profile matches will feature on the event card. The Intercontinental title match will be a triple threat involving Gunther, Drew McIntyre, and Sheamus. Meanwhile, The Usos will defend their undisputed tag team titles against Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens. ##
Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns vs. Cody Rhodes ##
After his triumph over 29 other Superstars in the 2023 Royal Rumble Match, Cody Rhodes is now presented with the opportunity to realize his lifelong dream as he challenges the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns on the grandest stage of all. ##
Reigns, who is widely regarded as one of the most dominant World Champions in history, is currently enjoying a legendary title reign, having emerged victorious in epic battles against illustrious opponents such as Brock Lesnar, John Cena, Kevin Owens, Drew McIntyre, and many more. As he presides over The Bloodline with an iron grip on The Island of Relevancy, The Head of the Table stands armed with a brutal arsenal and appears to be unstoppable. ##
In contrast, Rhodes is a Superstar who refused to be defeated, making it clear that his sole focus upon his return to WWE was to become the WWE Champion. Despite suffering a gruesome pectoral injury, Rhodes persevered and managed to triumph over Seth "Freakin" Rollins in a Hell in a Cell Match. After taking some time to rehabilitate, The American Nightmare made a successful return by winning the Royal Rumble, setting his sights on toppling Reigns and finally capturing the most coveted prize in WWE. ##
WINNER PREDICTION: Roman Reigns ##
United States Champion Austin Theory vs. John Cena ##
At this year's WrestleMania, fans will have the chance to witness a clash between John Cena and Austin Theory for the United States Championship. ##
Despite his outspoken and ultra-confident attitude, there's no denying that Theory has proven himself to be a formidable competitor. He's risen quickly through the ranks to become Mr. Money in the Bank, a two-time U.S. Champion, and most recently, he emerged victorious against five other challengers inside the Elimination Chamber to retain his title. It was in this vein that Theory approached Cena during his return to Monday Night Raw, offering him the "gift" of a U.S. Title match at The Show of Shows.##
Initially, the Leader of the Cenation emphatically declined the offer, taking the opportunity to verbally decimate Theory by explaining that the WWE Universe won't believe in him unless he believes in himself. Cena went on to say that the current champion is not yet ready to face him at WrestleMania because he lacks the necessary drive and determination. However, when Theory attempted to belittle Cena and win over the crowd, Cena reluctantly agreed to the match, making it clear that regardless of the outcome, there's no way Theory can come out on top against him on The Grandest Stage of Them All. ##
WINNER PREDICTION: John Cena ##
Seth "Freakin" Rollins vs. Logan Paul ##
Tension between Rollins and Paul had been simmering for a while. It all started when the viral sensation made some controversial remarks on social media that did not sit well with The Visionary. As a consequence, Rollins seized the mic to voice his frustration. Matters only escalated when Logan eliminated Rollins from the 2023 Royal Rumble Match and later attacked Rollins at WWE Elimination Chamber, costing him the United States Title. In the weeks that followed, Rollins unleashed his anger on The Miz, and even "borrowed" The A-Lister's phone to challenge Paul to a face-to-face confrontation on Raw. ##
When they finally stood face-to-face for a verbal showdown, Logan Paul refused to engage in a brawl with The Visionary right then and there. Instead, he proposed a clash against Rollins at WrestleMania. Before an agreement was reached, a physical altercation erupted, resulting in Logan Paul knocking out Seth Rollins with one devastating punch. ##
WINNER PREDICTION: Seth Rollins ##
SmackDown Women's Champion Charlotte Flair vs Rhea Ripley ##
Rhea Ripley, the triumphant winner of the Royal Rumble, is set for a chance at redemption when she takes on the reigning SmackDown Women’s Champion, Charlotte Flair, at WrestleMania.##
Ripley's victory at the Royal Rumble was nothing short of spectacular, as she entered the match as the first participant and went on to endure a grueling 61 minutes and eight seconds, eventually eliminating the second entrant, Liv Morgan, to emerge victorious. Ripley's triumph was even more impressive considering she had been Speared earlier in the evening by WWE Hall of Famer Beth Phoenix.##
The following night on Raw, Ripley announced that she would be challenging her fierce rival, Flair.##
The Queen and The Nightmare have a storied, albeit one-sided, history, as Ripley has yet to defeat Flair. Three years ago, the roles were reversed, as Flair won the 2020 Women's Royal Rumble Match before challenging then-NXT Women's Champion Ripley at WrestleMania 36. Ripley fell to Flair on that night and has not been able to claim victory against her since.##
With The Judgment Day by her side, "Mami" is in the best position to dethrone The Queen. Ripley is a vastly different competitor than she was three years ago, and her recent run of dominance suggests that she may very well emerge victorious. ##
WINNER PREDICTION: Rhea Ripley ##
Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions The Usos vs. Sami Zayn & Kevin Owens ##
The future of the WWE Tag Team titles, and potentially The Bloodline itself, will be decided in a highly-anticipated showdown between the Undisputed Champions, The Usos, and the reunited brothers-in-arms, Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens, on the grandest stage of them all.####
This matchup would have been completely impossible just a month and a half earlier when Sami Zayn was firmly aligned with The Bloodline as the "Honorary Uce." In contrast, Kevin Owens had been waging a one-man crusade against the dominant faction. However, at Royal Rumble, Zayn refused to join a post-match attack against Owens and instead struck Roman Reigns with a steel chair.##
Despite Zayn's change of heart, Owens initially wanted nothing to do with him and insisted on battling The Bloodline alone. Despite Cody Rhodes' tireless attempts to reunite them, KO still resisted. It wasn't until Owens charged in to save Zayn from a 2-on-1 Uso attack that the two embraced and were reunited. On the following Raw, the powerful resistance challenged the historic titleholders, with Jey Uso overruling his brother Jimmy to emphatically accept. ##
WINNER PREDICTION: The Usos ##
Raw Women's Champion Bianca Belair vs. Asuka ##
Bianca Belair's exceptional athleticism and incredible strength have been evident since her first match in the ring. As the current Raw Women's Champion, she has proven herself to be a worthy and resilient champion, having defeated every challenger, including the likes of Becky Lynch, Bayley, and Alexa Bliss. But the question is, can she handle the challenge of facing Asuka? ##
Asuka, who is currently at the peak of her abilities, combines a formidable array of offensive moves with an unpredictable nature. She outlasted a formidable field of competitors, including Liv Morgan, Nikki Cross, Raquel Rodriguez, Carmella, and Natalya, inside the high-stakes Elimination Chamber to earn the coveted opportunity to challenge Bianca Belair for the Raw Women's Title at WrestleMania, where only one woman will come out on top. ##
WINNER PREDICTION: Asuka ##
Trish Stratus, Lita & Becky Lynch vs. Damage CTRL (Six-Woman Tag Team Match) ##
The rivalry between Becky Lynch and Damage CTRL has been ongoing for quite some time, but it was on the Feb. 20 edition of Raw when The Man made a significant move. During an episode of "Ding Dong Hello!", Big Time Becks interrupted and challenged Bayley's cohorts SKY & Kai to a match for their WWE Women's Tag Team Titles. When The Role Model asked about Lynch's partner, WWE Hall of Famer Lita appeared to team up with her. In a high-stakes match the following week, Trish Stratus made a surprise appearance to help Lynch & Lita defeat the meddling Bayley and capture the championship gold! ##
One week later on Raw, the six Superstars had a confrontation, and when Bayley tried to mock Trish Stratus, the WWE Hall of Famer proposed that she and the new champions face Damage CTRL in a Six-Woman Tag Team Match at The Show of Shows to get some Stratusfaction. #
WINNER PREDICTION: Damage CTRL (Six-Woman Tag Team Match) ##
Brock Lesnar vs. Omos ##
At WrestleMania 39, "The Beast Incarnate" Brock Lesnar and "The Nigerian Giant" Omos will finally face each other after months of wreaking havoc in the WWE. Omos and his partner MVP issued the challenge to Lesnar on a recent episode of Monday Night Raw, hoping to settle the score and determine who truly reigns as the most dominant force in the WWE. ##
Having MVP in his corner, Omos has methodically demolished nearly every opponent he has faced, leaving a trail of destruction in his wake. In contrast, Lesnar is still reeling from one of the most grueling battles of his career against "The All Mighty" Bobby Lashley. ##
WINNER PREDICTION: Brock Lesnar ##
Edge vs. Finn Bálor (Hell in a Cell Match) ##
WINNER PREDICTION: Edge ##
Intercontinental Champion Gunther vs. Drew McIntyre vs. Sheamus (Triple Threat Match)##
WINNER PREDICTION: Gunther ##
Four explosive tag teams to compete in a Men's WrestleMania Showcase Match ##
In one of two WrestleMania Showcase matches at the Grandest Stage of Them All, four of the most impressive tag teams in WWE will collide in a Fatal 4-Way Tag Team Match. The Street Profits, Braun Strowman & Ricochet, Alpha Academy, and The Viking Raiders will battle in Los Angeles at the Showcase of the Immortals. Each of the four teams has recently had opportunities at the WWE Undisputed Tag Team Titles, with three of the teams having held tag team gold. ##
However, with Otis of Alpha Academy starting his modeling career with Maximum Male Models, it remains to be seen how cohesive Alpha Academy will be against the other teams. The Viking Raiders, who may be the most dominant team out of the four, will also be making their WrestleMania debuts, raising the stakes for Erik and Ivar. ##
WINNER PREDICTION: The Street Profits ##
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