WWE WrestleMania 31: Post-Raw Predictions for Event's Biggest Stars

A mixture of excitement and disappointment lingered in the air following the go-home edition of Raw before WWE WrestleMania 31.

While WWE did an excellent job of building hype and tension ahead of a couple of huge matches on the card, the chaotic ending involving Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns did little to get people excited about the main event of the show.

That said, there were significant developments which enable a few tentative predictions to be made.

With blockbuster matches all across the card, here's what we could expect for four of the company's biggest stars at WrestleMania: John Cena, Sting, Seth Rollins and Brock Lesnar.

Many assumed that John Cena would be triumphant at WrestleMania, for a number of reasons.

Having Cena back as the United States Champion seems a logical way to restore some interest and prestige in that particular championship, and with Rusev still yet to be pinned or submitted in WWE, it's vital the WWE doesn't harm Rusev's immediate future too much.

In truth, perhaps now could be the right time for this streak to come to an end. Unbeaten streaks are usually set up for young wrestlers who are scripted to make a quick impact, a way of testing the water in terms of crowd reception.

Rusev has already ensured that he's here to stay with some strong showings, and with the actions of the final Raw before WrestleMania, our winner in this match looks certain.

Having Cena looked battered and bruised, thus making him the underdog, is typical of WWE. Making Cena look like he simply can't win heading into a massive match will only serve to make his triumph against all odds more impressive.

Make no mistake about it, if there was any doubt before Raw: John Cena is winning this Sunday.

Elsewhere, having Sting open the final Raw before WrestleMania was a nice move. It feels that on occasions, there has been precious little in the way of hype surrounding Triple H vs. Sting, but in the last two weeks, WWE has done a great job.

It's a shame Sting couldn't have been around longer, really, because we saw some nice interaction between the two men this past week on Raw, and it was even nice to see Stephanie McMahon play a role in the feud.

It's interesting to note that Sting still hasn't been on the receiving end of a beating by Triple H but rather has gotten the upper hand every single time the two have come to blows. Does that mean he will continue that trend this weekend? Or will Triple H finally exact revenge?

The events that transpired on Raw didn't give too much away in that regard, but it would surely be a major shock if, after years of attempts to lure him to WWE, Sting loses in his first appearance in a WWE ring.

And what of Seth Rollins? How could his night play out at WrestleMania this Sunday?

He and Randy Orton are locked in a major game of cat and mouse at the moment, which culminated in Rollins leaving J&J Security to face Orton's wrath on Raw this past week.

Orton and Rollins' contest could be an outside bet for match of the night, in truth. Rollins has been producing stellar matches ever since he debuted at WWE, or at least since he went solo. Add to that the hot run Randy Orton is on at the moment, and it could be a classic.

However, it's what else could happen to Rollins on the night that is of particular interest—which is where Brock Lesnar comes in.

That disastrous ending, perhaps the worst closing segment to Raw before a WrestleMania, still leaves a bit of a sour taste in the mouth. But crucially, where does it leave the WrestleMania's main event?

There was clearly an element of playing it safe on WWE's part, and by leaving with Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar brawling, they didn't risk the wrath of the fans, who clearly aren't buying into Reigns' push.

So with Reigns struggling to win over fans and Brock Lesnar's future still very much up in the air (publicly, anyway), what direction does WWE go? As the days go on and we get closer to WrestleMania, it looks increasingly likely the company could play its trump card and have Seth Rollins cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase.

It's been referenced so sparingly in the past few months, at least since the Royal Rumble, that it's almost like WWE is trying to make us forget about it. It would certainly be a smart way for the WWE to get out of the pickle it's in with its two main event stars.

And perhaps tellingly, it would also be a way to create some drama ahead of a main event that could fall flat on its face.