Wrestlemania 28 Predictions: Underrated Bouts Guaranteed to Exceed Expectations

Most of the focus heading into WrestleMania 28 is on matches such as The Rock vs. John Cena, The Undertaker vs. Triple H and CM Punk vs. Chris Jericho. And for good reason, since all of those matches have the potential to be instant classics.

There are five other bouts on the card, however, and it's important not to forget about them.

Those less-talked-about matches will be important, as they will serve to get the live crowd and the rest of the viewing audience pumped for the main events. It may not seem like it now, but the undercard definitely has matches capable of doing that.

Here are three underrated contests that are guaranteed to exceed expectations on Sunday.

Randy Orton vs. Kane

Most people probably look at the match between Randy Orton and Kane as a match that suffers from an improper buildup and lacks a good storyline. Perhaps that is true in some respects, but Orton and Kane are going to put on a good show regardless.

This match may not mean much in the grand scheme of things, but Orton and Kane are both savvy veterans who know what it takes to put on a great show on the grandest stage of them all.

The creative team did a nice job of crafting a storyline out of the handshake between Kane and Orton from the summer, and because of that, I'm optimistic.

Everything about this feud is built upon mind games, as Orton and Kane have been built up as two of the master manipulators in the business. That means that there should be some great in-ring psychology during the match at 'Mania.

Orton has put on great matches all year long, and Kane can really go for a big man, so this match should be surprisingly good.

Team Johnny vs. Team Teddy

At first glance, this match seems like a random conglomeration of midcard wrestlers who had no other spot on the card.

While I wouldn't disagree with that assessment, it doesn't mean it can't be an entertaining bout.

The John Laurinaitis vs. Teddy Long feud has actually been done quite well in my estimation, and the stipulation of the winning team earning its general manager control of both Raw and SmackDown adds some intrigue.

Of all the undercard matches, this one most definitely has the most on the line.

There is no shortage of talent in the match, particularly on Team Johnny, with the likes of Mark Henry, Dolph Ziggler, Jack Swagger and The Miz. Also, Team Teddy has two of the most over guys in the company in Santino and Zack Ryder.

With the likes of Vickie, Aksana, Hornswoggle, Laurinaitis and Long running wild on the outside, this match has the potential to degenerate into mass chaos, but there are enough good wrestlers in the match for it to be worth watching.

Daniel Bryan vs. Sheamus

Most are probably expecting the World Heavyweight Championship match between Daniel Bryan and Sheamus to be good, but I'm not sure fans realize exactly how good it can be.

It hasn't received the hype that the three main matches have, but in terms of pure wrestling, it has the potential to be better than any of them.

It is well-documented how good Bryan is in the ring, and he shows it on a weekly basis, but Sheamus is extremely underrated in that regard, particularly for a man his size.

Bryan and Sheamus have had great matches against each other in the past and were actually bumped off of last year's WrestleMania card due to time constraints. That obviously won't be the case this year, and they'll be out to prove that leaving them off the show was a big mistake.

When you add in the unpredictability of A.J. at ringside, and whether she'll help Bryan or turn on him, this match should be fantastic, no matter how you slice it.