WrestleMania 28: Cody Rhodes and Undercard Superstars Sure to Steal the Show

Since WrestleMania XXVIII looks to have such a stacked main-event slate, it's easy to forget about the undercard matches. While there may not be any groundbreaking battles early in the card, there promises to be some entertaining contests that should be solid openers for the big matches.

Everyone is expecting matches like The Rock vs. John Cena, Triple H vs. The Undertaker and CM Punk vs. Chris Jericho to be classics, so there aren't high expectations for the bouts that are deemed to be of less importance. Sometimes, when competitors have little pressure to come up huge, however, they end up being the highlight of the night.

Here are three superstars wrestling on the WrestleMania XXVIII undercard that will steal the show with fantastic performances.

Cody Rhodes

Although Intercontinental Champion Cody Rhodes is on the verge of becoming a main-event star, he will be defending his title against the Big Show at WrestleMania. Rhodes was also on the undercard last year, and, depending upon who you ask, he may very well have put on the best match of the night with Rey Mysterio. While it is unlikely that he will put on an incredible match with the Big Show, Rhodes should be a shining star once again.

Not only has Rhodes' mic work been solid, but he is certainly one of the best in-ring workers in the company right now. Rhodes has shown an ability to put on an entertaining match with pretty much anyone, and I'm confident he will do the same with Big Show. Rhodes has a very old-school feel about him in terms of his style and mannerisms, so he figures to do a great job in terms of psychology and pure wrestling.

Randy Orton

As repetitive as Randy Orton's character can tend to be, there is no question that The Viper has put on some of the best matches in the entire WWE over the past year. He has had fantastic battles with the likes of Christian, Cody Rhodes, Wade Barrett, Daniel Bryan and so many others. His latest opponent will be Kane at WrestleMania. Kane is out to prove that he is no longer human, and he aims to do it by eliminating Orton.

All signs obviously point to Orton winning the match, and he will likely have to carry it as well. Kane is a wily veteran who can still hold his own in the squared circle, but Orton is much more fluid and explosive. Orton is probably the No. 3 guy in the company right now behind Cena and Punk, so even though there isn't much on the line in this match, the crowd will still be up for it. Orton knows how to whip the crowd into a frenzy better than perhaps any other competitor, and he will be successful in doing so against Kane.

Dolph Ziggler

Dolph Ziggler won't have a singles match at WrestleMania—he will be a part of John Laurinaitis' team in a 12-man tag match against Teddy Long's team—but the showoff tends to impress no matter what situation he is in. Ziggler has found it difficult to break into the main-event scene permanently, but he consistently puts on main-event-caliber matches. Since Survivor Series in November, Ziggler has routinely wrestled multiple matches per pay-per-view. What that tells us is that the company has supreme confidence in his ability to put on a great match.

Ziggler is going to have to share the spotlight with 11 other competitors, but if any of them is going to shine brighter than the rest, it is likely to be Ziggler. He is beyond smooth between the ropes and just oozes with personality. Ziggler has never gotten much of a chance to perform on the big stage, so I fully expect him to make the most of whatever opportunity he receives in this match.