WWE WrestleMania 28: How Should the Card Be Laid Out?

The anticipation is almost over. 

In less than three weeks, the WWE will take over Miami for its biggest pay-per-view of 2012, WrestleMania 28.

The show's card still has some work to do, but even without all the matches announced, the WWE might want to start planning which bouts are going to take place at which point of the show.

A good way to ruin any pay-per-view is by having randomly placed matches that don't go where they belong, or too many big matches taking place right after one another. The WWE can't afford to do that and likely won't, as long as the card is laid out correctly.

So, how should it be? Although this is what the WWE reportedly has planned, here are my thoughts on the best match order for WrestleMania 28.

NOTE: The following slideshow contains a MAJOR SPOILER from Tuesday's Smackdown taping, so be forewarned!

Match 1: CM Punk vs. Chris Jericho for the WWE Championship

The first match on the card is one of the most important because it sets the tone for the rest of the show. Of course, you don't want to start things off on the wrong foot.

The best way to ensure that doesn't happen? Have CM Punk vs. Chris Jericho for the WWE Championship as the first match on the card.

While some wrestling purists may be most excited about this match, the truth is that it will be considered the No. 3 match on the card, so using it as the first match could give the fans what they want from the beginning. A Punk/Y2J bout that could legitimately challenge Owen Hart vs. Bret Hart at WrestleMania X as the best show-opening match in WrestleMania history.  

Plus, we all know that things run long and that match times get cut, so having Punk vs. Jericho go on first would give them the luxury of having a full-length match that doesn't get ruined because some crappy Divas match ran too long.

Match 2: The Big Show vs. Cody Rhodes for Intercontinental Championship

The second match on the WrestleMania card is generally something that has minimal interest from WWE fans, and with all due respect to The Big Show and Cody Rhodes, I don't think that their Intercontinental Championship match is exactly something that we're pining to see.

It might be an OK match, sure. But it's not going to get a whole lot of time or be a bout that really wows the crowd.

Though Rhodes vs. Rey Mysterio got 12 minutes in that spot last year at WrestleMania 27, Randy Orton vs. Rhodes vs. Ted DiBiase only got nine minutes as the No. 2 match at WrestleMania 26, and "Santina Marella" won a six-minute battle royal in that spot the year before.

I think it's an ideal spot for Rhodes vs. Big Show, which, as noted before, is not exactly a must-see match. 

Match 3: Team Long vs. Team Laurinaitis

If this was the Money in the Bank match, it would be ideal for the No. 1 slot on the card.

But the six-on-six tag team match featuring Teddy Long's baby face team and John Laurinaitis' heel team battling for control of the brands is a lot less interesting than Money in the Bank would be...and a lot more predictable.

I think most of us can agree that it's time for Long to be removed as a TV character. As a result, Team Laurinaitis is likely going to win this match to give him total control of both Raw and Smackdown.

That being said, with guys like Kofi Kingston and Dolph Ziggler likely being involved, it should have some exciting spots that will wake the crowd back up a bit after a Big Show/Rhodes match that could potentially be a snoozer.

Match 4: Daniel Bryan vs. Sheamus for the World Heavyweight Championship

We all know that the World title matches will be overshadowed by those "other" two matches involving a few legends at WrestleMania 28.

Maybe it's a sad truth, but it's a truth nonetheless.

Although Sheamus vs. Daniel Bryan is likely not going to get the 20 minutes that a World Heavyweight Championship match deserves, it would still be nice to see it get a decent amount of time in the No. 4 spot.

The build to this match has been pretty bad so far, but I think most of us can agree that Bryan and Sheamus are going to put on a really good match that should be entertaining, thanks to both Bryan's heel antics and Sheamus' rising popularity.

I fully expect the heels to dominate the last two matches (Show/Rhodes and Long/Laurinaitis), though, so I'm placing this match here because I think Sheamus will win it and give the fans an outcome they can cheer for.

Match 5: Randy Orton vs. Kane

Note: This is the SPOILER I was talking about!

You would think that a WrestleMania match involving Randy Orton would get top priority, but over the last couple of years, he's been relegated to non-title matches: against Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase in 2010 and against CM Punk (who wasn't anywhere near the star he is today) in 2011.

As you can see, Orton has been placed in random matches will little to no hype at the last two WrestleManias. Unfortunately for him, it's going to happen again this year when he faces Kane. 

While I think their match could be surprisingly good, it's not going to get more than eight to 10 minutes. Without a whole lot of interest in it, it shouldn't get placed in a high-profile spot on the card.

Putting Kane/Orton at the No. 5 spot, however, should keep fans entertained (they love their Orton) without taking away from the two matches it's sandwiched between.

Match 6: The Undertaker vs. Triple Inside Hell in a Cell

In all likelihood, The Undertaker vs. Triple H in a Hell in a Cell match with Shawn Michaels as the special guest referee will be the best match of the night.

It'll probably get more time than any other match—I mean, their entrances alone are going to take like 15 minutes—and from a wrestling perspective, it may only be rivaled by CM Punk vs. Chris Jericho.

At the same time, however, Undertaker vs. Triple H is not going to go on last. It's one of two true main events at the pay-per-view, but it will not and should not end the show under any circumstances whatsoever. 

That's why I've got it here in the No. 6 spot as one of two main events. It'll get the spotlight, but it'll have to share it.

Match 7: Random Divas or Mixed Tag Team Match

I think that WrestleMania 28 will only feature eight total matches (not including the pre-show dark match), both because the roster is so thin and because a few matches, like Taker/Triple H, will get so much time.

But we have to have some match sandwiched between the two main events as a way for the fans to take a "bathroom break" and to get their emotions in check after going all out for the Hell in a Cell match.

The solution is putting the Divas match (whatever that may be) or some typed of mixed tag team match (whatever that may be) in the No. 7 spot so that we don't jump from one main event right to the other one.

Judging by recent developments on TV, I wouldn't be surprised to see something like Zack Ryder and Beth Phoenix taking on Eve and a random midcard heel or perhaps a baby face Diva team headed by Maria Menounos (who's scheduled to be at the show) against a heel team, headed by Eve or Beth.

I really have no clue what's going to happen with the Divas, but if they're going to be on the main card, they're not going to get a ton of time. They're going to be used as a "catch your breath" match between the two biggest matches of the night.

Match 8: The Rock vs. John Cena

There is no other choice for the main event of WrestleMania 28.

The Rock vs. John Cena is not only the biggest match on the show or the biggest match of the year. It is arguably the biggest match in professional wrestling history.

Yes, even bigger than The Rock vs. Hulk Hogan.

It will go on last because no match can follow a battle between two of the most popular wrestlers ever. No match can follow The Rock vs. Cena.

And no match will.

Drake Oz is a WWE Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter and ask him any wrestling-related questions on Formspring.