WWE WrestleMania 2016: Predicting Most Likely Swerves at Marquee PPV

We are just a little over one week away from WWE WrestleMania 2016, and rumors are running rampant among fans in regards to what we will see transpire on April 3 in Arlington,Texas. As WWE's biggest extravaganza of the year, excitement is in the air, and thus nothing can be considered a guarantee.

Look no further than last year's installment. Although the build to The Show of Shows in 2015 was less than stellar, WrestleMania 32 surpassed all expectations. Seth Rollins' surprise Money in the Bank cash-in at the end was a conclusion virtually no one saw coming.

That said, WWE is more than capable of surprising its audience if it so pleases. By and large, there is a lack of excitement surrounding a majority of the current card, but that doesn't mean WWE won't have a few tricks up its sleeve.

Let's look at the most likely swerves that could occur at WrestleMania 32.

Roman Reigns Goes Rogue

Credit: WWE.com

Reigns has struggled to "get over" with WWE's passionate fanbase for the better part of the last year. In the space of one year, he went from getting booed out of the building at 2015's Royal Rumble to being cheered by the Philadelphia faithful when he won the WWE World Heavyweight Championship in December.

Regardless, Reigns continues to elicit boos from crowds more often than not and is in desperate need of a change in character. Thankfully, he's been showing signs of switching things up lately by ditching his entrance through the audience.

He has also been extra-aggressive in his attacks on Triple H, but could all of these indications be hinting at something more?

It's apparent that the only way WWE is going to get Reigns over as the next big babyface is by turning him heel first. That necessary heel turn could come as soon as WrestleMania 32, as it should.

Triple H wouldn't need to turn face in order for this to happen, but if nothing else, it could spell the end of The Authority if he did. Regardless of whether The Big Dog walks out of 'Mania as champion, he could snap and finally become the bad guy he was destined to be.

Kevin Owens Retains the Intercontinental Championship

Credit: WWE.com

Since regaining the Intercontinental Championship last month, Owens has had zero regard for whose toes he has stepped on, including those of longtime rival Sami Zayn. However, Zayn is far from the only individual to have an issue with Owens right now.

For weeks, Owens dodged defending his prestigious prize against anyone, but as seen on Monday's Raw, he will be forced to put the gold up for grabs in a ladder match against six other men at WrestleMania 32.

We saw something similar last year with King Barrett, and he didn't fare well with the odds stacked against him. In fact, the intercontinental champion hasn't successfully defended the title at WrestleMania since 2001.

Owens will face tough competition in the form of Zayn, The Miz, Dolph Ziggler and others, in addition to not having the champion's advantage in a ladder match. But he has overcome the odds before, and it's possible he'll achieve the impossible yet again.

Zayn winning the intercontinental title would have been a lot likelier if he contended for the strap in a one-on-one match, but because it's a multi-man match, he can be protected in defeat by allowing Owens to retain. And the post-WrestleMania promo from Owens on Raw gloating about his victory would be nothing short of glorious.

A Returning Superstar Costs The Undertaker the Victory

Credit: WWE.com

No match at WrestleMania has more at stake than Shane McMahon vs. The Undertaker inside Hell in a Cell. If Shane can somehow find a way to win, he will earn the reins to Raw while also ensuring Undertaker never wrestles another match at 'Mania.

Of course, this means that nothing in WWE will change if 'Taker were to win, so one can imagine fans are pulling for a Shane-O-Mac victory come April 1. As an untrained wrestler and facing someone as legendary as Undertaker, there is no chance that he'll get the job done alone.

Shane is a man of money (he is a McMahon, after all), so it wouldn't be out of the question for him to enlist the help of a few recruits from NXT. The Balor Club would fit the bill to perfection, and who wouldn't want to see a faceoff between Finn Balor and Undertaker?

It's more probable we'll see someone fans are already familiar with get involved before a fresh face makes his debut. Sting would be a pleasant surprise, but John Cena would be the ultimate weapon of destruction that Shane could bring in.

Plus, that would automatically set up Cena vs. 'Taker for a future pay-per-view, since Mr. McMahon never said Undertaker would need to retire at WrestleMania. Nevertheless, 'Taker is going to have his work cut out for him in Arlington.

Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, is a journalism major at Endicott College. Visit his website, Next Era Wrestling, and "like" his official Facebook page to continue the conversation on all things wrestling.

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