Steps WWE Must Take to Ensure Successful WrestleMania 32

WWE is heading toward WrestleMania, the biggest night of the year in the industry and the most important night of the year for the company. It's the grandest stage of them all, on which the world's best talents step up to shine and fans get the main event showdowns they've been waiting for.

But this year is unlike any other in recent WWE history. This year, there are a staggering number of open spots left by injured Superstars, and there are serious questions among fans as to how the company will respond.

John Cena, Sting, Randy Orton, Seth Rollins, Daniel Bryan and Cesaro are all out and unable to perform at the April 3 show. This is a big deal for WWE, as five of those six names are top guys, with Cesaro on his way to becoming one until he got injured in November.

For any other event, this would be a tough situation. For WrestleMania, it's a scary prospect. How can WWE, even with all of the talent at its disposal, find a way to overcome the gaps left behind and do it in such a way that Mania still delivers on every level?

If WWE is to salvage the night, certain steps must be taken.

Ensure the Royal Rumble Is Properly Booked

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For WrestleMania to be a hit, the groundwork must be laid correctly on January 24. That is the night when Roman Reigns will step into the ring and defend his WWE World Heavyweight Championship in the Royal Rumble match.

It's all part of Vince McMahon's evil plan to get revenge on Reigns, and it's being done in typical WWE fashion, stacking the deck against the babyface in the hopes he will buckle.

McMahon has done this numerous times in the past, most notably with Stone Cold Steve Austin. It's become WWE's go-to method of elevating talents, and it seems to be the only way the company knows how to do it.

Putting Reigns at a disadvantage is meant to make him a sympathetic figure and rally the crowd to his side. In reality, it's making his somewhat shaky title reign more unstable than anyone even thought possible.  

Every time Reigns is put down, WWE runs the risk of having the crowd turn on him again. Reigns only just got over, and WWE wants to keep putting the screws to him, believing the move will help make him stronger. There are likely those who actually feel he should lose the belt at the Rumble so he goes into Mania as the challenger.

But if that happens, then Reigns may not recover. He should retain the belt at the Royal Rumble so he goes into Mania with as much steam as possible. His supporters will be fully backing him because he's overcome so much and they want to see him get the win. His critics will want to see him drop the title so the challenger can get the nod while Reigns goes to the back of the line.

Either way, there is more drama in Roman remaining the championship at Mania than once again chasing the championship all the way there.

Reach Out to Past Superstars

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WrestleMania 32 is taking place in Stone Cold Steve Austin's home state of Texas, and while he has shown no signs of wanting to work one more match, that should not stop WWE from trying to get him to do so. The injury list is so great Vince McMahon should seriously consider making Austin an offer he can't refuse.

That offer could be a match against Brock Lesnar, and at this point, money should be no object. If WWE truly wants to sell 100,000 seats, then the card must get lot bigger a lot quicker. An Austin match would surely make that happen.

If Austin is not a viable option, then others need to be approached. Shawn Michaels is also a Texas native, and while he may not work another match, that does not mean he shouldn't be booked. Whether he's a guest referee or perhaps even hosting the event, The Heartbreak Kid must be utilized to get more eyes on the night.

Goldberg is another possibility as he has never truly closed the door on a WWE return. The former world champion is still in fantastic shape, and WWE could certainly find a way to bring him back for one more run, with his goodbye match happening at WrestleMania.

Triple H is basically a lock to work that night, The Undertaker will surely be there and hopefully so will Chris Jericho. It's not always ideal to depend this much on past main event stars, but with WWE's situation being what it is right now, all steps must be taken to ensure it all goes off without a hitch.

Get The Rock in the Ring

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Finally, The Rock has come back to WrestleMania.

The People's Champ will be in Texas on April 3, and he will be part of Mania, though no one seems to know in what way.

Some have speculated The Rock will not work on April 3. They believe he could be tapped to host the event or perhaps just get involved in a physical altercation with another Superstar. But that is just not enough this time.

Whether it's against Brock Lesnar or perhaps even Triple H, Rocky must be in the ring at Mania. It's the only guaranteed way to up the ante for fans and entice them to watch. Stone Cold and HBK may not be options, but The Rock is, and he should be used in a high-profile main event.

The build for it could begin at the Royal Rumble or perhaps even the following Monday Night Raw. He could be there as moral support for Roman Reigns or maybe even be in the Rumble himself. Either way, The Rock should be in attendance at either one or both events and should generate momentum for his match at WrestleMania regardless of his opponent.

Remember the Fans

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This is what it's all about. This is what WWE should do every day of the week, and it should absolutely be that way for WrestleMania.

While the company cannot please everyone all the time, there are steps that can be taken to ensure it all works for the majority of fans. The card has to be properly booked, the right stars have be in place and, most importantly, fans should leave happy.

Mania is not an event that continues feuds; it's a night that ends them.  

Payoffs must be there for fans. The ends must be gratifying. That does not mean all heels must lose, though; a babyface loss can still be used in the long term. 

Matches must be logical, and the guys involved must bring it like never before. Veteran Superstars must be booked, and special appearances must be made. Fans should get the sense the company is throwing everything it has at the situation and be hoping it will stick.

WrestleMania deserves to be as big as possible. Fans deserve to be happy when it's all over. Whether they will be is anyone's guess.

Tom's work can regularly be found on Bleacher Report and his podcast, Tom Clark's Main Event, is available on iTunes, Google Play, Amazon Android, Windows Phone and online here.