WWE WrestleMania 31: Matches with Biggest Historical Implications
What happens at WrestleMania sends ripples through the world of wrestling long after the pay-per-view is over.
Whether it's the rise of a new star or a legend saying goodbye, The Show of Shows has played host to some of the biggest moments in pro wrestling over its 30-year history. WrestleMania is made to be remembered, and there's a reason it's become known as The Showcase of the Immortals.
This question is, who will make history this year? Several of the top matches on the card look poised to be remembered far into the future. Here are the most likely history-makers at WrestleMania 31.
5. The Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal
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In the case of the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal, the potential historical implications relate more to the match itself than the competitors involved.
Last year, we saw Cesaro win the trophy and seemingly embark on the next big stage of his career in WWE. In reality, he found himself without direction just weeks later and floundered until the formation of his current tag team with Tyson Kidd.
Give the way last year's winner was treated, many expected this match to be absent from this year's WrestleMania card. However, that wasn't the case, which raises questions about the future of the match. Depending on how this year's winner is treated, we'll be able to see whether it can flourish as an annual event.
There's plenty of reason to hope that it does. The match is a great way to get some underappreciated superstars on the card for the biggest night of the year, and the fact that an NXT entrant, Hideo Itami, is expected to compete only adds to its appeal.
4. John Cena vs. Rusev
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As Rusev's career steps into full swing, John Cena's time at the top seems to be drawing to an end.
All that could change come WrestleMania.
At WrestleMania 30, we saw Cena meet Bray Wyatt in a match that was supposed to establish Wyatt as a main event talent; instead, Cena picked up the win, and Wyatt was cast adrift for much of 2014. Now, the same fate could well be in store for the rising Rusev.
The fact is that Cena would be better suited to playing the role of a gatekeeper veteran whose goal is to keep the newcomers at bay. Instead, he's presented as the best—still—and it comes at the cost of a new generation of potential standard-bearers.
Whether Cena wins or loses this Sunday will give us a hint at the future of his career. Will he spend the next few years helping to build new talent? Or will his time at the top of the card continue for years to come?
3. Sting vs. Triple H
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The historical implications to this bout should be clear: We're seeing Sting wrestle in a WWE ring.
It's not quite how fans would have wanted it—his music isn't one of his classic themes, the "Vigilante" moniker feels forced, and it's perhaps several years later than it should have been—but when he makes his entrance at WrestleMania, history will be made.
Plus, there's a good chance that the match will be excellent. Triple H looked as good as he ever has over the course of his in-ring activity in 2014, and it's expected that he'll pull out all the stops for a competitor as legendary as the Stinger.
It will certainly be interesting to see which way this one goes. It could well be that Sting only wrestles this one match in WWE before retiring from in-ring competition.
Will it go down as a win or a loss?
2. Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar
4 of 5No matter how Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar plays out, it's guaranteed to make history.
If Reigns wins, we'll see the heir apparent anointed as the bona fide face of the company—not to mention that he'll be the first NXT graduate to claim the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
Meanwhile, if Lesnar retains, he'll solidify his run with the title as one of the most dominant tenures in WWE history. The Beast is well over 200 days into his reign, so it wouldn't be too surprising if he outdid CM Punk's 434 days with the belt if he prevails at WrestleMania.
Of course, a third option remains: We could see our first Money in the Bank cash-in at WrestleMania. If WWE really wants to end WrestleMania with a memorable moment, seeing Seth Rollins snatch the title from his Shield partner's nose would be quite a way to deliver a somewhat unexpected ending.
1. Undertaker vs. Bray Wyatt
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Last year, The Streak was broken, and as a result, The Undertaker's match with Wyatt is his most unpredictable in years.
Fans were shocked at the result of last year's match against Brock Lesnar because no one thought that The Streak would end. It was almost a foregone conclusion that The Phenom would come out on top, and as such, the build fell flat for some.
That isn't the case this year. Opinion is well and truly split as to whether The Deadman or The Eater of Worlds will come out on top. Keeping The Undertaker under wraps throughout has only added to the intrigue of the bout.
Moreover, Wyatt has begun to hint that he plans to sap the life energy of The Undertaker and rob him of his powers. It's certainly being suggested that Wyatt could retire Big Evil at WrestleMania 31, and what could be a more historic occurrence?
Undertaker is nothing less than an icon of the industry. He's been at the top for decades, and you would find few people that would doubt that he's earned it. A loss would shake the foundations of the WWE.
However, a win might prove to be even more impactful. That outcome would suggest that The Undertaker isn't quite ready for the grave just yet, and you can bet that speculation as to his WrestleMania 32 opponent will begin immediately if he does beat Wyatt this Sunday.
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