WWE WrestleMania 31: Final Picks and Predictions for All Matches on the Card

WrestleMania 31 is upon us, and Sunday night, the top stars in sports entertainment will take to the grandest stage in the industry to craft matches and moments the likes of which will hopefully live on in the annals of wrestling history.

Brock Lesnar will defend the WWE World Heavyweight Championship against Roman Reigns in the main event, a contest that will determine who the baddest man in World Wrestling Entertainment truly is.

Sting will make his in-ring debut for the company, battling Triple H in a match that will either enhance his legacy or bring to an end one of the greatest and most iconic careers in wrestling history.

The Undertaker will return to the ring one year after Lesnar ended his storied streak. His opponent? The deranged Bray Wyatt, who claims that he is the new face of fear in WWE.

John Cena will attempt to become the first Superstar to defeat Rusev by pinfall or submission, and Randy Orton will square off with Seth Rollins. Plus, the WWE Intercontinental Championship will be at stake in a ladder match, and the Divas will look to continue building the momentum they created for themselves this past week as Paige and AJ Lee battle the Bella Twins.

Who will leave this weekend's extravaganza victorious?

Find out now with this writer's predictions and picks for WrestleMania 31.

Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal

Credit: WWE.com

The relegation of the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal to the WrestleMania Kickoff Show seriously hurt its credibility and legitimacy, just one year after its creation.

Superstars such as Ryback, Big Show, Kane and Mark Henry were already tossed into the fray to make up for the fact that WWE Creative had nothing else better for them to do. Now, they miss out on a main show appearance altogether.

Those four aforementioned competitors, along with The Miz, Damien Mizdow and Curtis Axel, are the handful of wrestlers with legitimate chances to win the match. Mizdow, in particular, would generate a huge ovation from the fans in Santa Clara, California, were he to emerge victorious.

But there is a dark horse in the form of NXT's Hideo Itami, who won a tournament during Axxess to earn a shot at making a huge impact on the biggest stage known to professional wrestling. In his first opportunity to perform in front of the most diehard WWE fans around, could he shock the world and pick up the win?

Prediction: Ryback

Two years ago, Ryback was one of the hottest stars in the industry until a loss to Mark Henry killed all of his momentum and a heel turn just 24 hours later ruined any chance he had of succeeding John Cena as the next top babyface in the promotion.

Now, WWE has the opportunity to make it up to the Big Guy with a win in a match that could easily help re-establish him as a performer capable of flirting with the main event.

Does winning the Andre the Giant trophy mean anything? Absolutely not. Just ask Cesaro. But fan perception of Ryback will change overnight, propelling him from solid midcard star to performer capable of breaking out in a post-WrestleMania WWE.

Fatal 4-Way Match for the WWE Tag Team Championships

Credit: WWE.com

Two months after forming their team, Tyson Kidd and Cesaro captured the WWE Tag Team Championship by defeating The Usos at Fastlane.

In the weeks that followed, they continued their series with the twin brothers, only to find themselves facing new challenges from the likes of The New Day and Los Matadores.

Fernando and Diego, especially, frustrated the champions, scoring a win in a Six-Person Tag Team match as they partnered with mini El Torito to defeat Kidd, Cesaro and Natalya.

The March 26 episode of SmackDown, which featured the final build for the contest, featured a Fatal 4-Way match in which Jimmy Uso defeated Cesaro, Fernando and Big E and picked up considerable momentum for the former titleholders ahead of Sunday's big Kickoff Show contest.

Prediction: Tyson Kidd and Cesaro

It feels like WWE would love to put the straps back on The Usos and kick off the night's festivities with a title change to help set the mood for the remainder of the show. With that said, a recent WWEShop release of a Kidd and Cesaro T-shirt seems to indicate the two will remain a team for quite some time.

If that is indeed the case, there is no better option available to WWE Creative than a successful defense for the champions.

Kidd and Cesaro, though talented performers, still lack that feeling of legitimacy. A win over three top contenders would help erase that uneasiness and give them a signature win in their title reign.

Best of all, having them go over Los Matadores does little to harm anyone in terms of position or credibility, especially since the company sees the babyfaces as a solid opening match act that stays over because of the bull that accompanies them to the squared circle.

Randy Orton vs. Seth Rollins

Credit: WWE.com

Last November, former WWE world heavyweight champion Randy Orton grew tired of playing second fiddle to Seth Rollins, not to mention taking orders from The Authority. After playing the role of lap dog for over a year, Orton went rogue.

And he paid for it, suffering severe injuries at the hands of Rollins, whose Curb Stomp threatened The Viper's career.

Patiently waiting on the sidelines for the moment that he would return and avenge the assault, Orton eventually came back and instantly put his plan into effect, rejoining The Authority but doing small things that indicated that things may not be as they appeared, such as winking at the camera as if to clue the audience in on his plans.

By the time he finally flipped Rollins off and brutalized him for 10 straight minutes to close out Raw, Orton was a full-fledged babyface, and a match with Mr. Money in the Bank was imminent.

Rollins has spent the weeks in the wake of his violent beating dodging Orton.

Come Sunday night, there will be no place to run or hide, as he must step inside the squared circle and endure The Viper's strike.

Prediction: Rollins

Rollins will defeat Orton and get some of his heat back, doing so with the assistance of J&J Security, in order to keep the feud alive.

After taking the beating that he did at the hands of the third-generation star, Rollins cooled off a bit. Cheating to win, and infuriating the fans in the process, is exactly what the Architect needs to bounce back.

As the top full-time heel on the current roster, it is imperative for WWE not to kill his heat completely, or else the company will be at a point where it has no legitimate main event heels it can trot out on television every week and expect fans to buy.

Orton will get his big win, perhaps as soon as Extreme Rules, but Rollins really needs to go over here so as not to look like a glorified punching bag for his former Authority brethren.

Paige and AJ Lee vs. The Bella Twins

Credit: WWE.com

Since last fall, the Bella Twins have ruled over the Divas division with an iron fist. They have taken out opposition, with Nikki's grasp on the Divas Championship tightening in the process.

It was only a matter of time before Paige earned the right to challenge Nikki, and when she did, she became the latest Diva to suffer at the hands of a united Nikki and Brie.

At Fastlane, the Brit failed to capture the title and then found herself on the receiving end of a beatdown at the hands of the antagonists the following night. This sparked the return of AJ Lee, who rescued her longtime nemesis from the assault.

Since then, AJ and Paige have attempted to put their differences behind them in order to conquer Brie and Nikki. Unfortunately, as the March 23 episode of Raw proved, the Bellas have been able to manipulate the situation, forcing the babyfaces to erupt into a huge brawl on at least one occasion.

The rivalry intensified on the March 26 episode of SmackDown, as the Nikki and Brie hurled insults at their WrestleMania opponents, who embraced their inner weirdos and vowed to pick up the win.

Prediction: Paige and AJ Lee

The Bella Twins have been every bit as dominant as they claim to have been over the last six months. Nikki has quietly developed into one of the most improved wrestlers on the roster; her matches with Paige demonstrate a phenomenal chemistry between them that could make their rivalry a standard bearer for everything that comes after it sometime in the near future.

For now, though, the story has been set up to conclude with a win for the babyfaces.

At least this chapter, anyway.

Who gets the fall for the heroines, and how her partner reacts to it, could help set up a Triple Threat match down the line, with the Divas title up for grabs.

Ladder Match for the WWE Intercontinental Championship

Credit: WWE.com

Bad News Barrett defeated Dolph Ziggler for the intercontinental championship on the January 5 episode of Raw, kicking off his fifth reign with the title.

What should have been the triumph that capped off his return to the squared circle in grand fashion, though, turned out to be the start of a headache for Barrett that will culminate Sunday night when he defends his title in a ladder match against seven of the brightest stars in the industry.

Dean Ambrose was the first to create issues for Barrett. Feeling that he was the rightful champion and that his disqualification loss at Fastlane was bogus, the Lunatic Fringe commandeered the title.

Then R-Truth got his hands on the championship, followed by Ziggler, Daniel Bryan, Luke Harper and Stardust.

With every passing week, no one was really sure who would emerge from any given episode of Raw or SmackDown with the title in his possession.

Eventually, Barrett regained control of the title, only to have Director of Operations Kane take the championship so that it could hang over the squared circle in time for WrestleMania—as the ultimate prize for one Superstar to climb the ladder and attain.

Prediction: Daniel Bryan

The introduction of Bryan to the championship mix lent a credibility and legitimacy to the IC title picture leading into WrestleMania. A main event star who headlines live events and SmackDown on a weekly basis, Bryan is still a marquee attraction.

Why waste him in a ladder match for a secondary title if the object is not for him to win it and return it to the greatness it once enjoyed?

Closing out SmackDown as the last Superstar standing, with his music playing and the fans chanting "Yes!" despite John Cena and Roman Reigns sharing the same ring, is a strong indication that Vince McMahon and WWE Creative do not look at Bryan as anything less than what he was last year at this time, when he was booked as the centerpiece of WrestleMania XXX and left with the heavyweight title. 

The only things that have changed are his health and questions surrounding it. While he continues to prove that he can remain healthy enough to one day jump back into the title picture at the top of the card, what better way to use Bryan's star power and fan appeal than by bringing prestige back to a title once associated with the best workers on the roster?

United States Championship Match: John Cena vs. Rusev

Credit: WWE.com

Rusev spent one entire year tearing through the WWE roster, running over former world champions such as Jack Swagger, Big Show, Mark Henry, Sheamus and the Great Khali en route to establishing himself as one of the dominant forces in professional wrestling.

With every major victory, questions abounded about a potential match with John Cena, perhaps at WrestleMania.

When that match was booked for WWE's Fastlane pay-per-view in February, most thought that it was a waste of an opportunity—that WWE Creative was booking Rusev's first pinfall or submission victory early rather than having it play out on the biggest stage known to sports entertainment.

Then Rusev defeated Cena using the Accolade, and it became clear that the company was, in fact, going to hold off for WrestleMania.

Cena used anger and ferocity to get a rematch with Rusev, trapping the Bulgarian Brute in the STF until social ambassador Lana had no choice but to accept the contest on behalf of her charge. Since that fateful night earlier this month, the Ravishing Russian has been conspicuous in her absence.

Without anyone to reel him in, Rusev has been more violent and dangerous than ever, attacking Cena on the March 23 episode of Raw and leaving him lying in a heap. Cena's health ahead of the huge United States Championship match this Sunday night is in real doubt.

But will Rusev's assault of WWE's franchise player be enough to guarantee him a successful title defense, or will Cena show his trademark resolve, overcoming the odds and regaining a championship he has not held in a decade?

Prediction: John Cena

Like Umaga before him, Rusev has been groomed for a high-profile match in which his undefeated streak comes to an end at the hands of John Cena. It has been the goal since Day 1, and that is not necessarily a bad thing.

In fact, pro wrestling has been built on such stories.

That it has the added edge of the United States vs. Russia angle, at a time when the two countries are showing more hostility toward each other than at any point since the end of the Cold War, only adds to the old-school feel of the program.

Cena will win and, hopefully, set out to help increase the value of the title once held by the likes of Dusty Rhodes, Ric Flair, Magnum T.A. and even Steve Austin.

The Undertaker vs. Bray Wyatt

Credit: WWE.com

The build to Undertaker's return to the squared circle for the first time since last year's defeat at the hands of Brock Lesnar has been one-sided. Bray Wyatt has carried the feud on his back, cutting the promo work that has sold fans on the match.

Admitting that he once feared the Deadman, he no longer is intimidated by him, with the Undertaker's loss at last year's show proving beyond a shadow of doubt that the Phenom is mortal after all.

"I will take my place among the gods as the new face of fear!" Wyatt exclaimed on the March 23 episode of Monday Night Raw.

And that sentiment is at the heart of this match and feud.

Believing that the Undertaker's days as the greatest phenomenon in wrestling history are behind him, Wyatt wants to assume the mantle and has even gone as far as to steal the supernatural powers of the Deadman in a storyline development that, with anyone else but Wyatt, would have appeared cartoonish and hokey.

That is not the case with the Reaper of Souls, who remains as compelling as ever on the microphone, in his facial expressions and in his body language.

Not to be outdone, Undertaker struck Wyatt's rocking chair, lighting it ablaze and accepting the challenge for a WrestleMania match, all without ever appearing on screen.

Prediction: The Undertaker

It would be so very nice to see Wyatt win this and use it as a launching point to bigger and better things in 2015, but that result is not meant to be.

After falling to Brock Lesnar one year ago, this is the Deadman's shot at redemption—at proving that yes, he is mortal but no, he is not ready to step aside.

He will beat Wyatt, and afterward, questions will again arise about his status as an in-ring performer, his plans for the future and, inevitably, a match against Sting.

Speaking of the Icon...

Sting vs. Triple H

Credit: WWE.com

At the 2014 Survivor Series, Sting made his long-awaited debut in World Wrestling Entertainment, marching toward the squared circle and preventing The Authority from stealing another win. On that night, he assisted Dolph Ziggler in winning the night's main event and banishing Triple H and Stephanie McMahon from power.

Unfortunately, The Authority returned in short order, abusing their power and punishing anyone who opposed them.

Sting, recognizing the corruption he had fought so hard to eliminate during his days in WCW, again appeared, accepting Triple H's challenge for a match at WrestleMania.

With his trusty baseball bat as his only defense, Sting forced Triple H to retreat on numerous occasions, but none was more important to the hype of their historic bout than the March 23 episode of Raw.

Triple H has vowed to put the final nail in the coffin of WCW by defeating the man who was its franchise player for so long, while Sting has promised to bring Triple H crashing down on the grandest stage of them all.

Prediction: Sting

This is the easiest match to predict.

In no universe does it make any sense for Triple H to win. Doing so would kill the Sting character, ruin his debut with the company and hurt any chance the company has at ever delivering another meaningful or big-money match with the Stinger again.

Add to that the fact that it does not make sense for evil to overcome and reign supreme at the expense of the Vigilante, and you have every reason to believe that the bat will prove more powerful than the sledgehammer. Sting will conquer the King of Kings in his first in-ring appearance in WWE.

WWE World Heavyweight Championship Match: Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar

Credit: WWE.com

At the Royal Rumble this past January, Brock Lesnar defeated Seth Rollins and John Cena in a Triple Threat match to cash his ticket to WrestleMania 31, where he would defend his WWE World Heavyweight Championship in the night's main event.

But who would be the lucky (unlucky?) opponent to try to take the title from around his waist?

Roman Reigns eliminated Rusev to win the Rumble match and then successfully defended his guaranteed title opportunity against Daniel Bryan at Fastlane, proving that he deserved the chance to dethrone Lesnar.

Paul Heyman, advocate to the WWE world heavyweight champion, has repeatedly discussed the beating and violence that await Reigns when he steps into the ring with Lesnar. The No. 1 contender, on the other hand, has been systematic in his approach, working hard, beating whoever is in front of him and doing so despite mixed reactions and the criticisms of every analyst with a keyboard.

The two have not come to blows prior to the match.

In fact, they have only been in the same ring once and face-to-face on two occasions. 

What they have in store for the WWE Universe remains to be seen, but the reaction to the bout figures to be the most polarizing, and entertaining, of the entire show.

Prediction: Roman Reigns

This is the most difficult match to predict. In fact, this writer has gone back and forth countless times over the past week.

The revelation that Lesnar had re-signed with WWE earlier this week created second doubts in the minds of fans who thought it was a sure thing that Reigns would win the title.

Some people envision a scenario where Lesnar retains the title and continues his run until WWE creates a bigger star who is more accepted by audiences and more prepared to be the top dog in the company than Reigns.

But one look at everything the company has done to put the spotlight on Reigns, from appearances in mainstream media, special features on the company website, cover stories in San Francisco's major newspaper and even a Snickers commercial, suggests that the company is pulling the trigger on the second-generation star, consequences be damned.

In the long run, Reigns winning the title will be for the best.