WWE WrestleMania 2018: Predicting Biggest Surprises and Most Shocking Moments
WrestleMania is the biggest show of the year for WWE, so it goes without saying that this is the event the company puts most effort into from top to bottom.
While anything can happen at any point in WWE, it is significantly more momentous if it happens at WrestleMania.
Sometimes, we've seen huge surprises such as legends returning to pop the crowd or giant swerves taking place because this is the most-watched show of the year.
WrestleMania 34 is shaping up to be a packed show with hours of material to cram in, and some segments are open to the potential for some big surprises.
Just what are those possible shockers for the audience, though? Let's predict some of the biggest surprises for The Show of Shows in New Orleans on Sunday.
Nia Jax Completely Squashes Alexa Bliss
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Even though WrestleMania will have seven hours to play with, there is a strong likelihood some matches will have to run rather short in order to fit them all in, particularly given WWE's track record of having lengthy video packages before each match.
To make up for that, WWE may opt to have a squash match on the card that clocks in at well under the average time of roughly 15 minutes, based off the past four events.
If that's the case, the easiest candidate to fill that role will be the Raw Women's Championship match between Nia Jax and Alexa Bliss due to their difference in size.
There will be three other matches on the card featuring the women's division in some capacity, so critics who would argue this is unfair for the female wrestlers would have less ground to stand on when Asuka and Charlotte Flair tear the house down, for instance.
Plus, how is Bliss supposed to realistically have a 15- to 20-minute match with Jax, who is more than double her size?
The surprise comes with just how quickly this could be over and done with, as we might see Jax dominate the four-time champion in under five minutes with ease.
Given Bliss' ability to retain her title through thick and thin in the past, it will be a shock to see her destroyed as though she's nothing, while crowning a new champion in the process.
Braun Strowman's Mystery Tag Team Partner
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With the go-home edition of Monday Night Raw in the bag, there is still no reveal for who will be teaming up with Braun Strowman to face The Bar at WrestleMania.
The rules state Strowman cannot wrestle alone and must find a partner—and not the "Brains Strowman" joke—for the the Raw Tag Team Championships.
That empty void in the match leaves room for speculation on the names who could be fighting alongside The Monster Among Men.
At this point, nearly any name would be worthy of saying it's a surprise, as that's the entire point of keeping things silent.
There has been zero teasing of who it might be, so it's hard to even go into this with any solid expectations; it could be anybody from Rey Mysterio to Big Show, Goldberg to Mark Henry, a retooled Bray Wyatt or a returning Big Cass.
Anybody will fit the bill to be a shock, and the intrigue is half the fun of the whole segment.
Surprise Entrants in the Battle Royal Matches
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By design, WWE never announces all of the participants to events such as the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal or this year's inaugural WrestleMania Women's Battle Royal for three reasons.
First, this is simply because the matches are not all that important to the grand scheme of things and typically feature people who are lower on the card, so there's no need to advertise someone such as Curt Hawkins or Dana Brooke.
Second, the function of the bouts is to get everybody on the card, so there is always a chance someone new gets thrown into the mix even at the last minute just because WWE had nothing else in mind for them.
Third—and most substantial when it comes to this list—is how the air of mystery surrounding the participants leaves room for surprises.
In the past, we've seen people such as Killian Dain show up along with Diamond Dallas Page and NFL star Rob Gronkowski, although he wasn't an official competitor.
Since there are two Battle Royal matches this year, there is double the amount of space to include people who would be considered shock entrants.
The women's event is essentially guaranteed to have the NXT division represented, along with folk such as The Bella Twins and other former stars who competed in the Royal Rumble in January.
Likewise, the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal could see any of those potential returns mentioned as Strowman's partner, like Big Cass or Samoa Joe, or perhaps even Hall of Famers like Mark Henry and Goldberg.
With WrestleMania Axxess having invitational tournaments featuring talent from Evolve and Progress, those men and women are also in the running to make an appearance here, as they'll be in town and working with WWE during this time.
Just because they're on the pre-show doesn't mean that negates all chances of WWE investing some surprises in the matches.
Interruptions for Elias' Musical Performance
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While not on the official schedule for WrestleMania, it has been stated numerous times that Elias plans on having some sort of musical performance.
Unless combined with the others in some fashion, this would be the third musical act to take place on this year's card: Chloe x Halle are set to perform "America the Beautiful" and Kid Rock is in the mix, too.
It's unlikely Elias will have anything to do with Chloe x Halle, as that would come off as disrespectful, but it's an entirely different story with Kid Rock.
We could see Elias attempt to sing a song about how awful New Orleans is, only to be interrupted by the Hall of Famer, who will take that as his cue to perform the WrestleMania theme song.
Seeing as how they also have music in their blood and in their gimmicks, we might even see Jeff Jarrett smash a guitar over Elias' head and Jimmy Hart to get involved in some fashion.
Surely, Elias is looking for a packed house to shut their mouths and applaud him after he's finished, but he'll be in for a surprise when that doesn't go his way.
The Confrontation Between John Cena and the Undertaker
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It seemed a foregone conclusion on Monday Night Raw that The Undertaker would answer John Cena's challenge and a match between the two would be made official for WrestleMania, but there wasn't a peep from The Deadman.
This leaves Cena in a precarious situation. He's advertised himself as attending the event this year strictly as a fan and nothing more, and he'll sit in the crowd and not get involved in the action.
Let's be honest with ourselves, though, and admit there's no way Cena will do nothing at the biggest show of the year. Even in the past, when he's been on the injured list, he's still made an appearance.
Just the same, it's hard to imagine WWE purposely setting up a storyline that would accomplish nothing but make The Undertaker look like a traitor to the product and a fanbase that has loved him for his entire career.
As such, something has to happen between the two, but what that might be is entirely up for speculation and the reason this is on the list of surprises and shocking moments.
Cena could be attacked ringside. The Undertaker could appear out of thin air and an impromptu match could happen. There may even be an appearance from the American Badass version of Mark Calaway to seal the deal that The Phenom is no more.
Something will go down, but WWE is playing with us so much and keeping the plans so close to its chest that we can't be certain what we're in for.
Carmella Cashes in Money in the Bank
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Realistically speaking, there is almost no chance whatsoever that Carmella leaves WrestleMania 34 with a championship in her possession, but that might not stop her from trying to make it a reality.
With her Money in the Bank contract still in play, she could attempt to cash in her title opportunity during or after the SmackDown Women's Championship match between Charlotte Flair and Asuka.
It isn't the worst plan in the world, as it's sure to be a tough match for both competitors, and they will both be rather weak when it's over, so they would be prime pickings for someone looking to swoop in and snatch the title.
However, the shock would be her attempt to cash in and not that she would actually win the title, as this is most likely Asuka's night to continue her undefeated streak, which she would do two-fold with wins over Charlotte and Carmella.
What's important to note, though, is WWE could opt for a different swerve entirely by having Carmella cash her briefcase in for a shot at the Raw Women's Championship instead, which could be hand-waived as some kind of loophole with the upcoming co-branded event structure.
If that's the case, there's a slight possibility she steals the title away from Alexa Bliss and Nia Jax, but that is much more of a stretch than her simply losing to Asuka.
Don't discount the idea that The Princess of Staten Island could drop the briefcase on Sunday night and fail to obtain gold, while making the audience nervous for the few seconds she appears.
Anthony Mango is the owner of the wrestling website Smark Out Moment and the host of the podcast show Smack Talk on YouTube, iTunes and Stitcher. You can follow him on Facebook and elsewhere for more.
