WWE WrestleMania 2016: Biggest X-Factors to Watch at Massive PPV

WWE WrestleMania 32 is coming up on April 3, and the top three matches are officially set. Dean Ambrose will be stepping up against Brock Lesnar, Shane McMahon will face off against The Undertaker, and Triple H will defend the WWE World Heavyweight Championship against Roman Reigns.

Two of those matches are fairly predictable, while the other came from out of nowhere.

But it's the unexpected and the unknown that is ultimately defining WrestleMania 32. Too many main event stars are on the shelf, which means too many questions are being asked. Will John Cena get back in time? Is Sting perhaps going to be there? What is Randy Orton's physical status?

There are not many answers concerning the Superstars missing in action, so the work to make Mania a success falls to the guys carrying the load. Those Superstars are the ones who need to deliver on April 3, and some of them have the ability to swing the event in one direction or the other.

The New Day

The New Day appears to be starting a program with The League of Nations, a fact that is leaving many fans scratching their heads.

The New Day is a heel faction and has been for quite some time. The group may play up to the crowd, its members are obviously having a blast along the way and it's hard for many fans to hate them because they're so entertaining.

However, Big E, Xavier Woods, and Kofi Kingston have shown no signs of doing a full babyface turn. Indeed, The New Day often berates the audience in an effort to get over as heels.

But Sheamus and the heel League of Nations evidently have nothing to do, so the company has created this feud. Assuming The New Day does turn face before WrestleMania, then fans can only hope the two groups develop chemistry.

That chemistry needs to evolve fast.

The New Day is a guaranteed hit regardless of what card it's booked on, and Mania should be no different. But with no apparent reason to feud against The League of Nations, a legitimate storyline must get started soon or WrestleMania may suffer the consequences.

The New Day is fully capable of getting over despite what happens and is always ready to entertain. Delivering their usual brand of craziness on the WrestleMania stage is exactly the comedy relief WWE will surely need on April 3.

AJ Styles

AJ Styles is the right Superstar at the right time for WWE.

He is the main event name the company's been missing, and one who can slide right in on that level to immediately make a difference. He's custom built to perform on the WrestleMania stage. All he needs is the right opponent.

Chris Jericho could have been that adversary, but the two have apparently put aside their differences in order to form a tag team.

While that may be a ruse on Jericho's part, with a subsequent attack on AJ leading to a final showdown at WrestleMania 32, there is no way to know that. So if a guy such as Kevin Owens is booked to face AJ, then that match could well steal the show.

AJ is expected to perform at a high level, but if he exceeds expectations in his first WrestleMania match, he should come out of it as a top player in the company. He would fill a main event spot and likely own it from that point on, proving every night why he deserves to be there.

This is his chance to shine, and he will undoubtedly make the best of it.

Fans want him to do well, but for those doubting just how high he will go in WWE, WrestleMania should be a revelation. The best talents command attention and always rise to the occasion; this perfectly describes The Phenomenal One.

The Rock

Fans know that The People's Champ will be at WrestleMania 32, but that's all they know.

WWE could use him in a high-profile match, but if that's the plan, it has not yet been announced. He could act as the special guest referee in the match between Triple H and Roman Reigns, but anything at this point is speculation.

Just ringing the bell would at least be something for him to do.

Merely throwing The Rock at WrestleMania is not enough, though, and WWE certainly knows that. There must be a plan in place for him to make a big impact on April 3 and add to the night's overall entertainment value.

If there's anything The Rock can do, it's entertain.

WWE needs him at his best, and he surely will be regardless of what he does. In fact, his actions at Mania could lead to a match for him at a later time. This is good news for many the WWE fans who want to see him back in the ring again, and it's even better news for WWE.

The company is struggling to fill main event spots, and The Rock is main event ready.

WrestleMania is a draw on the name alone, but a legend such as The Rock would only add more intrigue and excitement to the event. As long as he's booked in the right way, he would entertain the people as only he can.

Shane McMahon

Shane McMahon is the ultimate X-factor at WrestleMania.

He's not a full-time pro wrestler. He's not a part-time pro wrestler. The truth is, he's not really a pro wrestler at all. Yet he's booked to take on one of WWE's most legendary performers, and it will happen inside Satan's structure.

Hell in a Cell is one of the most important gimmick matches in company history. Only the most intense feuds deserve such treatment, and only the feuds that make the most money should even be considered for the Cell.

This one has at least part of that going for it.

WrestleMania equals money, so that much is taken care of. But this is nowhere near being an intense feud, and it's not even a feud at all. This match depends on Shane and his ability to tell a story in the ring with the Undertaker.

How he looks and how well he does will determine the success of the match itself. Taker can work with anyone and can make them look good. But if this bout has a slow pace with no high spots, then fans may lose interest fast.

The burden to get this match over falls on Shane, and if he delivers, then it could become one of the most memorable WrestleMania moments of all time. It's up to him to bring everything he has to make it work.

Tom Clark can regularly be found on Bleacher Report and his podcast, Tom Clark's Main Event, is available on iTunes, Google Play, Amazon Android, Windows Phone and online here.