B/R Wrestling Staff Predictions for Entire WWE WrestleMania 39 Match Card

WrestleMania 39 weekend is finally upon us. After months of buildup, the Superstars of WWE will do battle in Hollywood on the Grandest Stage of Them All.

OK, the event is actually in Ingleside, California, but it wouldn't be pro wrestling if the promoter wasn't over-selling something, right?

As usual, we have predictions and questions related to every single match on the card. Before we get to the picks, here's our lineup of contributors:

• Chris Mueller (CM) (@BR_Doctor)
• Erik Beaston (EB) (@ErikBeaston)
• Graham Matthews (GM) (@WrestleRant)
• Jeff J (JJ) (@JeffJSays)
• Kevin Berge (KB) (@KevinBerge)
• Donald Wood (DW) (@RingRustRadio) 

The Card

Here is a look at the complete lineup for night one:

• Charlotte Flair vs. Rhea Ripley (SmackDown Women's Championship)
  
• The Usos vs. Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn (Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships)
• Austin Theory vs. John Cena (United States Championship)
• Seth Rollins vs. Logan Paul
  
• Rey Mysterio vs. Dominik Mysterio
• Damage CTRL vs. Lita, Trish Stratus and Becky Lynch
• Braun Strowman and Ricochet vs. Alpha Academy vs. The Street Profits vs. The Viking Raiders

And here's the lineup for night two:

• Roman Reigns vs. Cody Rhodes (Undisputed WWE Universal Championship)
• Bianca Belair vs. Asuka (Raw Women's Championship)
• Gunther vs. Sheamus vs. Drew McIntyre (Intercontinental Championship)
• Edge vs. Finn Bálor (Hell in a Cell)
• Brock Lesnar vs. Omos
• Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez vs. Shayna Baszler and Ronda Rousey vs. Natalya and Shotzi vs. Chelsea Green and Sonya Deville

Roman Reigns vs. Cody Rhodes

Everyone seems to assume Rhodes will win. Make an argument for why Reigns should retain the title.

KB: Reigns has been a world champion for over 940 days. Every extra day adds to the legacy of The Head of the Table's reign. He could still hit 1,000 days. He could pass the reigns of Bruno Sammartino and Pedro Morales over the next year, further solidifying his run among the all-time greats. While Rhodes may be ready and he will get to the top of the mountain, it just won't happen at WrestleMania.

Bianca Belair vs. Asuka

Asuka appears to be working as a heel now. What would you have her do to get the crowd to fully turn on her?

EB: Asuka is perceived to be cool by fans, so the idea of them ever fully turning on her is far-fetched. With that said, unleashing aggression and beating down babyfaces that the crowd likes is a good way to start. Belair, despite her push, has remained immensely popular with fans.

Beating her down in a more severe manner than fans might see in every other angle is a good place to start. Spraying mist and blinding Belair is another option. It does not have to be anything overthought. Sometimes, simple is best. It's all in the execution.

Charlotte Flair vs. Rhea Ripley

Charlotte is the babyface in this feud, but who do you think the crowd will be cheering for this weekend?

DW: WWE Creative may have portrayed Charlotte as the face on the Road to WrestleMania, but wrestling fans have largely celebrated Ripley for her in-ring presence and entertaining storyline with Dominik.

Ripley should lean into the likelihood of the crowd turning her face, giving Charlotte the green light to act like a heel. With the WWE Universe taking Ripley's side, the match would have a much more interesting dynamic.

Austin Theory vs. John Cena

In your opinion, who should win this match?

GM: Coming out of Cena's verbal burial of Theory a few weeks ago, it's imperative Theory defeats Cena at 'Mania, specifically in decisive fashion. It's the only way Theory can prove Cena's criticisms wrong and show that he is the future star he claims to be. Otherwise, it might be tough for Theory to work his way back up the card again.

The Usos vs. Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn

If you had the book, lay out how you would script this match to get the most satisfying conclusion.

JJ: I would love this to be a tag team classic where you see Zayn, KO and the Usos put on an offensive showcase to start, and then use the mat to tell us the entire Sami-Uso saga throughout the match. Isolate Zayn from KO, and have him fight to make the hot tag but fall short multiple times.

KO procures the tag and goes ballistic with his offense. Eventually, we have Zayn and Jey one on one in the ring, and the Underdog From the Underground pulls out one more magical Helluva Kick to end the legendary Usos' tag team title reign. The fall of the Bloodline should feel guttural, dramatic, and satisfying for the fans. Zayn and Owens drop the penultimate domino on Saturday.

Gunther vs. Sheamus vs. Drew McIntyre

Make an argument for why Gunther should retain the title.

CM: I would love to see Sheamus win the one title that has eluded him after he has been so great for so many years, but having Gunther continue to hold the belt and set a new record feels like the right way to go.

Gunther is going to be a major player for WWE in 2024, so continuing to push him as a huge threat in 2023 is vital to his future success. Triple H seems to like him based on his booking, so there is a good chance The Austrian leaves the PPV with the belt still around his waist.

Seth Rollins vs. Logan Paul

Based on the booking, who do you think is going to win this match?

CM: This is actually kind of a hard one to call because Paul has yet to get a win in singles matches in WWE, and if the company is going to keep him around, it might want to give him a big upset victory on the biggest show of the year.

The betting odds favor Rollins by a sizable margin, but it's not a lock. I think he is going to win, but Paul having his hand raised at the end of this wouldn't surprise me one bit.

Dominik Mysterio vs. Rey Mysterio

Who do you want to see win this match?

EB: Rey. It's the most logical outcome. The guy has been disrespected and made to look like a coward. Beating his brash, arrogant, entitled son and putting an end to months of torment is the finish this story deserves. They'll probably stretch it out further, but ideally, Rey ends his Hall of Fame weekend appropriately.

Brock Lesnar vs. Omos

Let's say WWE was going to put over Omos. How would you book this match to make his win feel earned?

GM: Omos beating Lesnar under any circumstance simply sounds wrong, but if Lesnar is indeed on his way out and WWE wants Omos to benefit from a win over him, then booking this as a short-and-sweet hoss fight with Omos winning clean is the way to go.

A cheap win wouldn't do much good, and the follow-up would need to be strong in order to make an Omos victory worth it.

Damage CTRL vs. Lita, Trish Stratus and Becky Lynch

Which team makes the most sense to win this match and why?

DW: Since their debut on the main roster, Damage CTRL's booking has been disjointed, illogical and inconsistent. With Lynch joined by two bona fide legends, coupled with no clear storyline coming out of the show to continue the feud, the face trio is the most likely to earn the victory.

WWE books WrestleMania for casual fans, and sending people home happy with Lynch, Lita and Tish Stratus standing tall would be on brand.

Men's Tag Team Showcase

Which of these four teams do you think should get the biggest post-Mania push?

JJ: Ricochet and Strowman. They've emerged as a surprisingly formidable team. Their contrasts in styles make for an entertaining and potent duo. Fans love to see Strowman demolish his opponents and Ricochet defy the laws of physics with his aerial majesty.

The other teams have received their limelight moments as tag champs. Although I'd love to see what this new look Viking Raiders can do, I think the tag division would benefit greatly from new blood leading the way.

Women's Tag Team Showcase

If you were booking this show, which team would win?

KB: The winners should get an immediate title shot at WrestleMania Backlash, so that winner should be the right team to challenge Lynch and Lita. Rousey and Baszler fit that dynamic perfectly.

They come off as a threat and a worthy duo to become the next WWE women's tag team champions. The WrestleMania match should highlight how dangerous they can be to set the stage for them to take over an underused division.

Edge vs. Finn Balor

Does booking Bálor as The Demon mean he is guaranteed to win?

CM: While it certainly used to mean that, his last appearance as The Demon against Reigns would suggest otherwise. However, it feels like he is going to win this match so Judgment Day can end its feud on top at the expense of Edge.

The Demon persona is something we have only seen a couple of times on the main roster, so WWE clearly sees it as a special attraction kind of gimmick. It's going to be fun to see if Edge does anything interesting to combat the mind games Bálor will be playing.

Predictions

Respondents' picks are represented by their initials:

• Flair vs. Ripley (EB, KB, JJ, DW, GM, CM)
• The Usos vs. Owens and Zayn (EB, KB, JJ, DW, GM, CM)
• Theory (JJ, DW, GM, CM) vs. Cena (EB, KB)
• Rollins (EB, JJ, GM, CM) vs. Paul (DW, KB)
• Rey Mysterio vs. Dominik Mysterio (EB, KB, JJ, DW, GM, CM)
• Damage CTRL (EB, KB, JJ, GM) vs. Lita, Stratus and Lynch (DW, CM) 
• Strowman and Ricochet (JJ, GM,) vs. Alpha Academy vs. The Street Profits (DW, KB) vs. The Viking Raiders (EB, CM)
• Reigns vs. Rhodes (EB, KB, JJ, DW, GM, CM)
• Belair (JJ) vs. Asuka (EB, KB, DW, GM, CM)
• Gunther (EB, KB, DW, CM) vs. Sheamus (GM, JJ) vs. McIntyre
• Edge (EB) vs. Bálor (KB, JJ, DW, GM, CM)
• Morgan and Rodriguez vs. Rousey and Baszler (EB, KB, JJ, DW, GM, CM) vs. Nattie and Shotzi vs. Green and Deville
• Omos vs. Brock Lesnar (EB, KB, JJ, DW, GM, CM)