WWE WrestleMania 31: Match Card, Potential Spoilers, Predictions and More

The narrative running through WrestleMania 31's main event is miles away from last year's tale of Daniel Bryan rising to prominence.

That was a celebration of an underdog, both in real life and in storyline, as Bryan climbed two peaks in one night. At this year's event, reality and kayfabe are bleeding into each other once again.

Roman Reigns has seemingly insurmountable odds in front of him as well. He is on a mission to prove himself by defeating Brock Lesnar. He's also charged with convincing fans who believe he's not ready to be a headliner.

Doubts circle around him onscreen and from the stands.

WWE believes in him. Many of his peers do as well. The question is, which soundtrack will fans provide for his battle with Lesnar? Whether it is boos, cheers or a blend of both, all signs point to him winning.

The company is need of new blood at the top.

WrestleMania 32 has the opportunity to elevate emerging stars and put new names in the top tier. In addition to Reigns looking to rise in front of the fans in Levi's Stadium, Bray Wyatt, Seth Rollins, Rusev and Dean Ambrose all have spotlight-heavy stages to work on.

Look for the night to be one on which the midcard titles get new life, when WrestleMania 32's early groundwork is set and WWE grandeur is at its peak.

News, Potential Spoilers

Plenty of buzz surrounds Superstars' entrances for the event. Expect spectacle on a large scale for several wrestlers.

According to ProWrestling.net, "WWE issued a casting call looking for people with marching or dancing experience to play the part of Russian soldiers during WrestleMania weekend." The report also noted that WWE sought actors to play scarecrows.

It appears, then, that Rusev will be getting the full WrestleMania treatment. Like Bray Wyatt last year, the company is making a big deal about his first match at the pay-per-view.

The scarecrows are presumably for Sting. WWE has gone full throttle with the bells and whistles for him, so word of him getting a grand entrance is not surprising.

Triple H 's walk to the ring will be noteworthy as well. PWInsider's Mike Johnson reports that "Triple H's entrance at Wrestlemania this Sunday will feature elements and scenes from the forthcoming Arnold Schwarzenegger film Terminator: Genisys as part of the new WWE-NBC Universal ad campaign."

How exactly that will work is unclear. It sounds like it would be difficult to weave footage into Triple H's entrance, but that's apparently the plan.

What are the plans for the Intercontinental Championship Ladder match? For now, it looks like WWE wants Daniel Bryan to take home the gold.

According to F4WOnline (h/t Wrestling Inc), WWE is currently planning for Bryan to win that championship. The report also notes that Jey Uso's shoulder is still injured, but he has been cleared to compete.

Credit: WWE.com

That likely means that we will see less of Jey in action, with WWE leaning on the other performers for that bout.

Once WrestleMania ends, Reigns and John Cena may both be champions. As PWInsider notes, both Cena and Reigns are set to headline two separate sets of shows. It is also worth noting that Dolph Ziggler and Bad News Barrett are billed as fighting over the IC title for those house shows.

WWE could simply to change the card and insert Bryan's name or maybe officials have another titleholder in mind. Ziggler did defeat Bryan on the last Raw before WrestleMania.

When Rusev faces Cena he may have Lana at his side despite their recent storyline tension. WWE seamstress Sandra Gray, who was recently featured in Vice, looks to have inadvertently revealed on Twitter that the Ravishing Russian is headed to WrestleMania:

Lana coming back mid-match would make for an exciting moment, so it's more than feasible that the company goes down this route.

Match Card

• The New Day vs. Los Matadores vs. The Usos vs. Cesaro and Tyson Kidd (Tag Team Championship)
• Randy Orton vs. Seth Rollins
• Paige and AJ Lee vs. the Bella Twins
• Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal
• Intercontinental Championship Ladder match
• John Cena vs. Rusev (United States Championship)
• Bray Wyatt vs. Undertaker
• Sting vs. Triple H 
• Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar (WWE World Heavyweight Championship)

Quick Predictions

• Cesaro and Kidd retain.
• Rollins over Orton.
• The Bella Twins over Paige and AJ.
• Damien Mizdow wins Battle Royal.
• Daniel Bryan wins Ladder match.
• Cena over Rusev.
• Undertaker over Wyatt.
• Sting over Triple H.
• Reigns over Lesnar.

Year of Cesaro and Kidd Continues

It's too early to take the belts off Cesaro and Kidd. They only won them in February, and their reign hasn't yet had time to pick up any momentum.

They are a safe bet to remain champions due to lack of competition. Neither the New Day nor Los Matadores are popular enough to warrant a title win, and the Usos were only champs a few weeks ago.

Look for WWE to stay the course with Cesaro and Kidd and have them feud with the Lucha Dragons in the months to come. It would be a refreshing change after so many of the same matchups as of late.

Rollins Remains Undefeated at WrestleMania

Orton already had his big moment of revenge when he assaulted Mr. Money in the Bank in early March.

Having him conquer Rollins again would feel redundant. It makes more sense for Rollins to somehow outsmart his foe and escape with a win.

WWE has treated Rollins like a top-tier star in terms of air time, and that treatment continues here as he gets the nod over the Viper.

Infighting Allows Bellas to Win

Paige and AJ Lee have gone from having a touch of tension to being full-blown rivals again. On Monday's Raw, an errant elbow led to the tag team partners brawling with each other.

That's going to be their downfall. There isn't much appeal in this feud with Nikki and Brie continuing. Paige and AJ rekindling their own rivalry is more exciting.

Count on that happening when their inability to get along costs them the victory.

Mizdow Has His Moment

The Miz has become increasingly nasty toward Damien Mizdow. He has ordered him around, belittled him and stepped in the way every time he believes his personal assistant is about to get any spotlight as all.

That narrative has been going on for so long that ending it at WrestleMania feels like the perfect move. 

Having Mizdow win by taking out Miz would create a memorable, cathartic moment. It would give Mizdow a mighty push and trigger a big feud between these two competitors. 

Bryan Reinvigorates the IC Title

Bryan winning the championship makes a ton of sense here.

His name power and popularity will help establish the IC belt as a significant prize. WWE knows he will deliver in terms of matches, and giving the belt to him would instantly make it feel like it's just a notch below the world title in terms of significance.

WWE's hard push to convince fans of the title's prestige will lead to a former world champ and WrestleMania headliner grabbing it.

The Hero Rises

As powerful as having Rusev win would be, WWE is more likely to choose the babyface-trounces-the-heel route. Someone has to stop Rusev's run eventually, and Cena often gets called up in situation like this. The company has booked Rusev a lot like Umaga, and Cena was the man to first bring him down.

Look for that storyline to repeat here. Cena is the ultimate hero; he's Rocky Balboa to Rusev's Ivan Drago. 

Additionally, WWE can boost the U.S. title's prestige by having Cena take it home around his waist.

Undertaker Rebounds

After having Undertaker win 21 consecutive WrestleMania matches, it feels far from plausible that WWE would then let him lose two in a row. Undertaker has to bounce back. Wyatt has owned this feud, being the only one firing barbs.

The goal will be to have Wyatt look good despite losing, but it's hard to imagine the Eater of Worlds doing as he has promised and wiping out Undertaker.

If WWE wants to have Undertaker face Sting at WrestleMania 32, it needs to repair his record and give him back some of the momentum he lost courtesy of Lesnar.

Sting Goes 1-0

Sting losing would be baffling. Why put so much effort into making him look like the superhero of the squared circle only to have him fall in his first WWE match?

The most appealing story is for the Vigilante to overcome the tyrant. So much of WrestleMania is about big moments, and that outcome would certainly fall into that category.

If WWE has any other matches in mind for Sting—against Undertaker or otherwise—it would hurt the appeal of those bouts if he begins his WWE run at 0-1.

Reigns Can, and Reigns Will

WWE wants Reigns on top. That has been clear for a long time. From all the wins he has piled up to his dominant performances at the Royal Rumble, the company has presented him as a nearly unstoppable force.

Lesnar ending Undertaker's streak and manhandling Cena will only make Reigns' win more impressive.

Yes, Lesnar signed a new contract, but how much longer can WWE have a champion who only shows up every so often? It can instead put Reigns in the top spot and try to make him the next big thing.

That all starts with him doing what Paul Heyman has said that he can't—conquering the conqueror.

That's exactly what is going to happen in California on Sunday. Just like at the Rumble, WWE has a plan and is sticking with it, fan backlash be damned.

The story going into this will be about how the audience will resist Reigns' coronation, but just like at Fastlane, count on Reigns to come through with a great match. With a massive chip on his shoulder, he will spear Lesnar and take his title from him.