WWE WrestleMania 2017: Biggest X-Factors to Watch at Massive PPV

WrestleMania is the biggest event of the WWE year, and on April 2, the biggest stars in the industry will invade Orlando, Florida, for the 2017 incarnation of the spring spectacular.

Several X-factors surround the event, including the health of some and the abilities of others to perform up to the significance of the moment.

From iconic Superstars to those experiencing the most significant pushes of their careers to one of the premier titles in the industry, the most important elements of this year's show are plentiful.

What are those X-factors, and why are they important?

Take a look with this early glance at The Showcase of the Immortals.

Goldberg

Goldberg's face will be plastered all over WrestleMania promotional pieces as he prepares for his third war with Brock Lesnar. As such, his performance at The Showcase of the Immortals will be imperative to the event's overall success.

He cannot complete his entrance and appear as blown up as he has on several other occasions. He cannot knock himself loopy banging his head into the locker room door. He must be focused on having a match befitting the considerable hype his match with The Beast Incarnate is likely to attract.

Anything less than one of his finest performances to date will be a considerable disappointment and damn an event relying on his match with Lesnar to generate buzz and increased pay-per-view buys.

There cannot be any 85-second matches or complete and utter obliteration.

Goldberg must earn his paycheck in a long match that proves, once and for all, he can perform up to the moment.

To this date, he has one great all-time bout against 2017 Hall of Famer Diamond Dallas Page. That needs to change, and there is no better place for that to happen than on the grandest stage known to sports entertainment.

Luke Harper

The former Wyatt Family member has seen his loyalties unrewarded, tossed aside at the first sign of a bigger, better minion in Randy Orton. With the spotlight shining brighter on him now more than ever, Luke Harper finds himself on the receiving end of the most significant push of his career, preparing for a proposed Triple Threat match against Orton and Bray Wyatt for the WWE Championship.

It would be the biggest, most important match he has ever competed in.

Fresh off a stellar performance against Orton at Elimination Chamber, he has proved he can hang with one of the best workers of his generation. Now, he will have to replicate such a performance in front of a global audience on wrestling's most prestigious night.

An unproven WWE main event star, the scrutiny he will face will be the harshest of his career. A performance that echoes the greatness of his Elimination Chamber showing will strengthen his profile and force the company to take a longer look at a full-time main event run for the bearded wonder.

A lackluster one could cost him.

Seth Rollins

The status of Seth Rollins' MCL will be one of the biggest question marks ahead of the April 2 pay-per-view.

The unfortunate recipient of yet another injury to the ligament, he is faced with weeks of strenuous rehabilitation and treatment to ensure he can make it to Orlando for The Showcase of the Immortals. If that happens—and it appears it will—the intensity of his grudge match with Triple H will be the biggest question.

Can he perform at his typically high level, or will he be slowed? Will the match be the suitable grudge match fans deserve, or will it be a more psychologically based bout that focuses on limb work?

It will hinge on Rollins' ability to be the speedy, dynamic worker he has proved to be over the course of his career.

If he proves capable, expect a Match of the Year candidate.

WWE Universal Championship

Will the WWE Universal Championship be at the heart of the Chris Jericho-Kevin Owens feud, or will it be up for grabs as Goldberg faces Brock Lesnar in the marquee match of this year's presentation?

It is a question that hangs over WWE like a gray cloud, ready to unleash a torrent of backlash like pouring rain.

Around which story the title revolves will determine the level of excitement and criticism. After all, the likelihood that two part-time competitors battling over the top prize for all WWE Superstars on Monday nights generates excitement among fans the same way a showdown between Owens and Jericho over the championship would is low.

To shift the title for no reason other than to add prestige to a match already featuring two iconic performers is a ridiculous notion. Fans deserve a title match that benefits the promotion beyond WrestleMania night—something Goldberg-Lesnar does not accomplish.

The Undertaker

The most obvious X-factors at any recent WrestleMania have been Undertaker and his health.

That will once again be at the forefront of conversation regarding the massive event as The Phenom gears up for what will be the latest showdown of his legendary career.

Whether it comes against Braun Strowman or Roman Reigns, the two most obvious candidates to battle The Deadman, the match will be highly touted. It will be a marquee bout on the most important card of the year, and thus, The Phenom's performance is of the utmost importance.

The question becomes the physicality with which he can approach the match.

Can he deliver at the high level he did in matches with Triple H, Shawn Michaels and CM Punk, or is he doomed to mediocrity, as has been the case in recent memory?