WWE WrestleMania 33: 8 Matches Needed to Fire Up Fans for Flagship Event

On April 2, Goldberg and Brock Lesnar will do battle at WrestleMania 33 in Orlando, Florida.

WWE fans already know that much.

As the marquee event of sports entertainment draws near, there are several other matches and stories fans deserve to see unfold on The Grandest Stage of Them All.

From blood rivalries to championship clashes to shattered families, these are the narratives that will compel viewers and ensure a red-hot Showcase of the Immortals.

One match even features a Superstar not yet on the main roster.

What are those matches, and which Superstars will make their names known ahead of the April 2 broadcast?

Seth Rollins vs. Triple H

Credit: WWE.com

Is there a more well-built main event match with as many layers as Seth Rollins vs. Triple H?

The leader of The Shield was brainwashed by Triple H, becoming The Authority's hand-picked golden boy. He became WWE champion and the centerpiece of the company.

Then injury struck, and he was forced to the sidelines for eight months. The faith Triple H and Stephanie McMahon once had in him waned, and when he returned, The Cerebral Assassin showed his true colors, betraying Rollins and helping Kevin Owens capture the Universal Championship.

Another injury threatened Rollins' involvement in the match that has been building for years—and it still might—but for now, it appears as though his date with The Game is destined to occur on April 2 in Orlando.

And fans deserve it.

They have followed the story through the ups and downs and deserve to witness the conclusion to one of the better arcs the company has produced in years.

If Triple H can rise to the occasion and deliver on Rollins' level of performance, it could be the show-stealing match he has not consistently delivered on the WrestleMania stage.

WWE Universal Championship Match: Chris Jericho vs. Kevin Owens

Credit: WWE.com

After Kevin Owens' shocking and violent betrayal of Chris Jericho during the Festival of Friendship, a Universal Championship match between the two is a must.

WWE will be tempted to switch the title at Fastlane, inaugurating Goldberg as champion after his return this past fall. It should resist such temptation, though, and stay the course with Owens.

There is an emotional edge that could easily define the story, but the inclusion of the title elevates the feud past a midcard program and solidifies it as a legitimate main event-worthy rivalry.

Given the work the Superstars have put into their story arc and the heat that it is sure to generate in the weeks leading into the April 2 event in Orlando, it deserves that distinction.

If the Superstars themselves can perform up to their reputations, the match will be difficult to follow anyway, so booking it in the main event slot with the title up for grabs is the right move for the writing team to take, regardless of the star power of Goldberg vs. Brock Lesnar III.

WWE Championship Match: Luke Harper vs. Randy Orton vs. Bray Wyatt

Credit: WWE.com

Luke Harper is the disenfranchised follower of a false idol—a Superstar on his own for only the second time in his WWE career—and he is thriving ahead of WrestleMania, ready to avenge years of manipulation at the hands of Bray Wyatt.

What better way for him to conclude his story than by beating Wyatt and taking from him the source of his power—the WWE Championship?

To do so, he should have to overcome another hurdle—a Superstar who has assumed his place at the right hand of The Reaper of Souls—Randy Orton.

A Triple Threat match featuring as many moving pieces and intertwining stories as this would not only prove WrestleMania-worthy, but it would also elevate Harper to a main event position that has been conspicuously absent throughout his WWE career.

More importantly, it gives both him and Wyatt the opportunity to headline one of WWE's premier events.

The elevation of both, the star power of Orton and the strong storyline involved strengthen the case for the match occurring on wrestling's most important night.

Roman Reigns vs. Undertaker

Credit: WWE.com

The most noteworthy moment of the 2017 Royal Rumble match was not Randy Orton's victory; rather, it was Roman Reigns' elimination of and subsequent staredown with Undertaker.

It was the closest thing to a tease of a major WrestleMania match that one could have asked for and confirmation of a marquee bout for Reigns, despite the lack of championship involvement.

To get there, Reigns must get through Braun Strowman on March 5 at Fastlane. After that, the former WWE champion should prepare for a visit from The Deadman, who will likely be vengeful of his dismissal from the Royal Rumble.

There are fewer high-profile matches fitting of Reigns' status as the lead babyface in WWE. If he is not competing for the top prize in the industry, a showdown with Undertaker is the best option. So intense and emotional will be the response for both men that it could easily headline the show without any substantial story behind it.

That is an indicator of star power and just how over a given Superstar is with the fanbase.

Shinsuke Nakamura vs. AJ Styles

Credit: WWE.com

AJ Styles has been the best wrestler in WWE for the last year, and it is not even remotely close. He has waged war with stars of different styles and abilities, and he has delivered show-stealing performances with every one of them.

A former WWE champion, he is deserving of a major, high-profile WrestleMania encounter, and a storyline-driven match with Shane McMahon is not it.

Rather than wasting Styles' considerable talents on a match with McMahon that will be predicated on some insane bump rather than overall quality, why not take the opportunity to have Shane-O-Mac introduce Shinsuke Nakamura as the newest member of the SmackDown Live roster and his hand-picked opponent for The Phenomenal One?

A rematch from their New Japan Pro Wrestling classics—most notably their Wrestle Kingdom 10 bout—is exactly the clash the WWE Universe deserves.

Raw Women's Championship Match: Bayley vs. Sasha Banks vs. Charlotte vs. Nia Jax

Credit: WWE.com

The red brand's women's division has revolved around Sasha Banks, Bayley, Charlotte Flair and Nia Jax for the last year, so the idea of them competing in a Fatal 4-Way match with the Raw Women's Championship up for grabs is appealing.

Factor in the many stories at play, including Banks' rivalry with Flair, the potential for The Boss' heel turn on longtime frenemy Bayley and Jax's utter dominance of the competition, and you have a contest that could energize and intrigue the audience on a number of fronts.

The key will be the outcome.

For two years, Flair has won every championship bout she has wrestled on pay-per-view. While that could change come March 5 at Fastlane, the odds that it spills over into the biggest show of the year are high. That's where Flair's historic streak should come to an end.

Would it be at the hands of her greatest rival, Banks, the consummate underdog, Bayley, or the destructive Jax? That is the question that makes the match such an interesting option.

SmackDown Women's Championship: Becky Lynch vs. Alexa Bliss vs. Mickie James

Credit: WWE.com

Becky Lynch has been the lead babyface on SmackDown Live since the brand extension, but she has constantly found competition in both the returning Mickie James and two-time SmackDown women's champion Alexa Bliss.

Their story has stretched six months. Considering that Nikki Bella figures to have bigger WrestleMania plans and that Carmella and Natalya are hardly top contenders to the title, what better way to present the championship on the biggest card of the year than in a Triple Threat match between the three females who have been most prominent in the division since last summer?

It could serve as Lynch's return to the top spot in the women's division or create dissension between Bliss and James, sending their relationship in a different direction.

The potential for a match with long-reaching effects is exactly the sort of thing SmackDown Live does better than its Monday night counterpart.

John Cena and Nikki Bella vs. The Miz and Maryse

Credit: WWE.com

Maryse attacked Nikki Bella, costing her a Falls Count Anywhere match with Natalya.

John Cena eliminated The Miz and then was the victim of elimination himself at the hands of The Hollywood A-Lister.

Those two events will prove intertwining as Cena and Bella prepare for a mixed tag team match with The Miz and Maryse.

While many will groan at the idea of the bout, it is hard to deny the pieces in place. Cena is the franchise star and the most popular wrestler the sport has to offer. Bella is, for many reasons, the most recognizable female star and one of the most popular in the company. The Miz, on the other hand, is the closest thing to a classic villain the sport has to offer.

The match, if nothing else, will generate tremendous heat because of who is involved.

More importantly, it will pique interest of a mainstream audience, thanks to the women's involvement in Total Divas.

Love it or hate it, this is a dream match for a company that is concerned with generating buzz beyond its normal fanbase.