WWE: Introducing the Midcard Madness Tournament Seeds and Opening Round

The month of March is known for its madness. No, not the March Madness experienced in the NCAA Tournament. The madness is on the road to WrestleMania, which happens on April 1. The month of March either books tickets to Miami for mid-card wrestlers or means that they could be sitting on the sidelines at the biggest event of the year.

With this month being so unpredictable, as favorites fall, upsets take place and Cinderella stories are written, let's have a bracket in the spirit of it. This is the Midcard Madness Tournament, a 40-man bracket to figure out who the fans have picked as the king of the midcard.

Basically, to be in this tournament, you had to be on the active roster and without a main-event spot. There are no current world champions in this bracket, nor are there any superstars that already have a scheduled match at WrestleMania.

There are also no superstars in this tournament that have been a world champion on either brand in the last calendar year. The only exceptions to that rule are The Miz and Christian, who are both top seeds in their respective sides of the bracket. This is due to their booking because of their world championship reigns and their low placement in the company presently.

Speaking of the regions of the bracket, there are four parts of the bracket named after the four shows WWE produces: Raw, Smackdown, Superstars and NXT. Superstars are not kept on shows that they only appear on. Also, as a rule, the top seeds on the Raw and Smackdown parts of the bracket are the mid-card champions on those brands: Jack Swagger on Raw and Cody Rhodes on Smackdown.

There's also one name that is not involved in this tournament. Kane is not entered into the Midcard Madness Tournament. He is not a mid-card superstar, being featured in main event matches since his return. Also, destroying an entire tag team division by yourself makes you a little unfair to be in a tournament like this.

With all that said, here are the 40 men entered in the tournament.

Raw Bracket No. 1 Seed: Jack Swagger

A former World Heavyweight Champion and great collegiate wrestler, The All-American American is the current United States Champion.

Smackdown Bracket No. 1 Seed: Cody Rhodes

The son of "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes, Cody Rhodes has made a name for himself despite his father's career. Rhodes was a prominent member in Legacy and has only gotten better since. Rhodes is one of the few people in history to hold the Intercontinental Championship for 200 days straight.

Superstars Bracket No. 1 Seed: Christian

A former two-time World Heavyweight Champion, Christian has the most stellar resume of any man in this tournament. An injury sidelined his chances of staying in the main event last year, meaning that he must regain his spot by climbing back up the ladder.

NXT Bracket No. 1 Seed: The Miz

At this time a year ago, The Miz was WWE Champion. The Awesome One, who has also been a former United States Champion, has had a rough year to get to this point. From feuds with Alex Riley to a formation and destruction of an alliance with R-Truth, The Miz has seen better days.

RAW Bracket No. 2 Seed: Dolph Ziggler

The man known to be a show-off, Dolph Ziggler is a former Intercontinental, United States, Tag Team and World Heavyweight Champion. Despite winning nearly every championship in WWE, Ziggler is yet to sustain himself in the main event picture.

Smackdown Backet No. 2 Seed: Wade Barrett

A current injury aside, the winds of change are still blowing for Wade Barrett. The winner of the original NXT season, Barrett has since started both Nexus and The Corre. Now, his barrage through the WWE tears through one opponent after another.

Superstars Bracket No. 2 Seed: Kofi Kingston

Kofi Kingston is excitement personified in the WWE. The man from Ghana has done all there is to do in the midcard. All that is left for Kingston is to take his one-of-a-kind style upwards into the main event and claim that elusive world championship.

NXT Bracket No. 2 Seed: R-Truth

R-Truth was a popular star a year ago, but began to hear voices and see "Little Jimmy" everywhere. It gave R-Truth a WWE Championship match, but not the top prize. R-Truth would change his attitude with the fans, but he still hears and sees things.

Raw Bracket No. 3 Seed: Brodus Clay

There's been a lot of calling mommas, among other people, to talk about the rising star of The Funkasaurus. While Clay may be residing on Planet Funk and not on television every week, he is still a fan favorite.

Smackdown Bracket No. 3 Seed: Justin Gabriel

A founding member of Nexus and The Corre, Justin Gabriel now stands alone. Despite multiple tag team championships with Heath Slater, Gabriel and his 450 Splash are one of the most impressive sights in the WWE today.

Superstars Bracket No. 3 Seed: Zack Ryder

Virtually a nobody this time last year, Zack Ryder used his Internet status to become a fan favorite. Ryder would use his unique journey to popularity to a United States Championship reign.

NXT Bracket No. 3 Seed: Evan Bourne

Now serving another wellness policy violation, Evan Bourne is a small man with a large amount of potential. As one-half of Air Boom, Bourne had his first championship in WWE this past year. Without getting into trouble, Bourne could be destined for the next level.

Raw Bracket No. 4 Seed: David Otunga

A former Harvard law graduate and the husband of singer Jennifer Hudson, Otunga has lived near the A-list for quite some time. As the legal counsel to the Raw General Manager, Otunga is trying to live in the main event as well.

Smackdown Bracket No. 4 Seed: Sin Cara

The masked phenomenon from Mexico, Sin Cara is currently sidelined with an injury. When he is in the ring, however, Sin Cara has the ability to be an unpredictable force in the squared circle. Losses have been few and far between for the international sensation.

Superstars Bracket No. 4 Seed: Hunico

A man that was unleashed as an impostor Sin Cara, Hunico has blazed his own trail in WWE. Now a consistent part of Smackdown weekly, Hunico now stands firmly with a place in the company.

NXT Bracket No. 4 Seed: Tyson Kidd

A graduate of the legendary Hart Dungeon, Tyson Kidd has been a unique superstar to see perform. A former tag team champion, Kidd is now on his own and impressing fans with many of his matches.

Raw Bracket No. 5 Seed: Mason Ryan

The powerhouse from Wales has turned quite a few heads since his WWE debut. While some aren't quite sure how to feel about Mason Ryan, he sure knows how to show a menacing look to his unlucky opponent.

Smackdown Bracket No. 5 Seed: Jinder Mahal

Nobody is quite sure what to make of the mysterious Jinder Mahal. The man from Punjab, India has made quite an impression with fans, who despise him while he keeps on winning.

Superstars Bracket No. 5 Seed: Ezekiel Jackson

The Personification of Domination can always show his strength whenever he feels like it. The pride of Guyana will always be an Intercontinental Champion, but will Ezekiel Jackson ever get to the next level?

NXT Bracket No. 5 Seed: Santino Marella

Santino Marella was often known as a comedy act and someone to not take too seriously. Even with that status, Marella was one of the most popular superstars in WWE. Now that he has had great showings of late, it is anyone's guess as to how Marella's future will fare.

Raw Bracket No. 6 Seed: Drew McIntyre

There is some planned repackaging for Drew McIntyre in the coming weeks, but the Scotalnd native is still The Chosen One to many fans. A long losing streak has gotten McIntyre noticed, but will it vault him out of the midcard?

Smackdown Bracket No. 6 Seed: Heath Slater

The man who calls himself the One-Man Southern Rock Band has shown his unique style to the WWE Universe since appearing in NXT's first season. Slater has been a part of Nexus and The Corre, but may have bigger ventures on the horizon.

Superstars Bracket No. 6 Seed: Ted DiBiase

The son of a Hall of Famer, Ted DiBiase has fallen short of his father's expectations. DiBiase doesn't need his father's money or support to make it. Now, it is the DiBiase Posse that has given the Fortunate Son another chance to live up to the potential.

NXT Bracket No. 6 Seed: The Great Khali

The gigantic Punjabi Nightmare is still an incredible sight to see as an opponent. The gigantic former World Heavyweight Champion always has a way of being a gigantic roadblock for opponents.

Raw Bracket No. 7 Seed: Primo

A multi-time tag team champion, including one half of the current champions, Primo's fast-paced style shows promise to many. From a great wrestling family, Primo has stuck around when few wanted to see him remain.

Smackdown Bracket No. 7 Seed: Jey Uso

One of the sons of Rikishi, Jey Uso is proud of his Samoan heritage. Along with his brother, Jimmy, Uso hopes to continue the storied tradition of successful Samoans in the WWE.

Superstars Bracket No. 7 Seed: Jimmy Uso

One of the sons of Rikishi, Jimmy Uso is proud of his Samoan heritage. Along with his brother, Jey, Uso hopes to continue the storied tradition of successful Samoans in the WWE.

NXT Bracket No. 7 Seed: Epico

The cousin of Primo, Epico is not very well-known to wrestling fans. Still, he now is a co-holder of the WWE Tag Team Championships.

Raw Bracket No. 8 Seed: Curt Hawkins

The man formerly known as Zack Ryder's tag team partner, Curt Hawkins has always tried to do things his own way. He may not be as outspoken as others, but his actions in the ring, wherever they may be, are impressive.

Smackdown Bracket No. 8 Seed: Yoshi Tatsu

A native of Japan, Yoshi Tatsu surpassed expectations of some during his time on ECW. After falling by the wayside, Tatsu has emerged on NXT as an exciting part of the web show.

Superstars Bracket No. 8 Seed: Tyler Reks

Known by some as T-Reks, many just know Tyler Reks as one of those guys on the roster page of the WWE website. There isn't enough known about the mysterious Reks, who keeps his opponents and his fans guessing.

NXT Bracket No. 8 Seed: Trent Barreta

The Dudebuster isn't a big guy with a flashy look and a massive following. Trent Barreta is, however, one of the most underrated athletes in WWE today with an arsenal of moves that only he could accomplish.

RAW Bracket No. 9 Seed: Alex Riley

A former mentor of The Miz, Alex Riley stands on his own today with a lot of promise in the future. A huge victory at the Capitol Punishment pay-per-view last summer gave fans a taste of what could be coming.

Smackdown Bracket No. 9 Seed: Johnny Curtis

Johnny Curtis won the fourth season of NXT, defeating Brodus Clay in the finals. Curtis was supposed to have a tag team championship match with his pro, R-Truth, but is yet to have that. Curtis is now back on NXT, interacting with many that he already defeated.

Superstars Bracket No. 9 Seed: JTG

A former member of Cryme Tyme, JTG (which stands for Just That Gangsta, by the way) has managed to keep sticking around in WWE, being as fly as he knows how to be.

NXT Bracket No. 9 Seed: Michael McGillicutty

The son of the legendary Mr. Perfect, McGillicutty went from a runner-up on NXT season two to a member of The New Nexus. This helped align him with David Otunga and win a tag team title.

RAW Bracket No. 10 Seed: Darren Young

A former member of Nexus, Darren Young was thrown back on to NXT for their Redemption season. Young still stands as one of the final three competitors and has appeared the most times of anyone in NXT history.

Smackdown Bracket No. 10 Seed: Camacho

There's not a whole lot known about Camacho. He rides the bicycle that takes Hunico to the ring on most weeks. He is also a big enforcer for his ally. Standing 6'2" and weighing 230 pounds, Camacho is not someone to take lightly.

Superstars Bracket No. 10 Seed: Derrick Bateman

The "mantastic" Derrick Bateman was a popular rookie on NXT's fourth season, but would end up finishing third. Bateman shockingly returned to NXT for his redemption. He now stays on the show as one of the three finalists.

NXT Bracket No. 10 Seed: Titus O'Neil

Titus O'Neil didn't quite "make it a win" during his first try at NXT, being eliminated early on. Now, O'Neil is on NXT Redemption and, despite the season never seeming to end, leads in redemption points among the three remaining rookies.

"Dark Match" Round Contests

Please note that the official bracket does not actually break the men into four separate brackets, but rather uses the rankings for one large bracket. This still uses their seedings within those four groups to make an overall seeding.

Therefore, here are the eight opening round matches, referred to this year as the "Dark Match" Round:

(25) Primo vs (40) Titus O'Neil

(26) Jey Uso vs (39) Derrick Bateman

(27) Jimmy Uso vs (38) Camacho

(28) Epico vs (37) Darren Young

(29) Curt Hawkins vs (36) Michael McGillicutty

(30) Yoshi Tatsu vs (35) JTG

(31) Tyler Reks vs (34) Johnny Curtis

(32) Trent Barreta vs (33) Alex Riley

Voting for this will occur on Bracketeers. Below is a link to the entire bracket.

Bleacher Report's Midcard Madness Voting

Also, feel free to follow me on Twitter and talk about the tournament using the hashtag "#MidcardMadness".

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