WWE WrestleMania 33: Early Predictions for Announced Matches on the Card

A surplus of surprises will bolster WWE WrestleMania 33.

Bray Wyatt vs. Randy Orton for the WWE Championship is poised to welcome some unexpected gladiators to the battlefield. The April 2 pay-per-view will see a handful of startling title changes. John Cena and Nikki Bella's clash with The Miz and Maryse will be one of the matches on the card sure to outdo audience's expectations.

WWE still has time to adjust and expand the WrestleMania lineup, but there is plenty of announced action to pick apart. 

Which matches will live up to the event's nickname of The Ultimate Thrill Ride? Who will come out on top? What major moments can we expect to unfold in Orlando?

The following is a dive into all those questions, breaking down WrestleMania 33's bouts, from the midcard to the marquee.

Bayley vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Sasha Banks vs. Nia Jax (Raw Women's Title)

The Fatal 4-Way match to decide the next Raw women's champ won't be nearly as good as last year's top women's WrestleMania contest.

Sasha Banks vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Becky Lynch had a stronger story. Bayley vs. Banks vs. Flair vs. Nia Jax feels more thrown together, as WWE smashed a handful of narratives together in order to get more women on center stage.

Plus, there will be more moving parts, making it harder to incorporate everyone.

The biggest talking point to come out of the clash will be Banks' betrayal of Bayley. WWE has long teased The Boss' dark side emerging. She's slowly grown more vicious and self-serving. She will soon turn on her friend, ending a mid-bout alliance in order to seize the women's title. 

WWE can then begin the story of Bayley's ascension anew, showcasing her climbing back into contention in time for a Bayley vs. Banks match at SummerSlam.

Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal

Much of the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal field will be filler. We've already seen low-rung stars Mojo Rawley, Apollo Crews and Curt Hawkins sign up for the bout.

The match will end up being a showcase for Braun Strowman.

The rising Raw star has hovered around the spotlight in a feud with Roman Reigns, but The Big Dog will be busy with Undertaker at WrestleMania, leaving The Monster Among Men without a marquee match. He will have to settle for steamrollling folks at the Battle Royal.

This way he can get some momentum moving forward, even though WWE didn't find a prominent spot for him on the card.

The match will also be a catalyst for Rawley and Dolph Ziggler's rivalry. The two SmackDown wrestlers have crossed paths a few times already, but it will be in the chaos of the Battle Royal where their feud starts to truly catch fire. 

Alexa Bliss vs. the SmackDown Women's Division

Alexa Bliss is headed for the challenge of a lifetime. She has to defend the SmackDown women's title against every available female on the roster.

The wording for that bout leaves WWE's options open in terms of who enters.

The title bout will be the perfect time to bring back Naomi. She has been out with a knee injury, one that forced her to relinquish the championship Bliss now claims. Her surprise entrance will be a big moment, as will her reclaiming the gold.

Eva Marie will make her return, as well.

The star of Total Divas hasn't been around in ages. She's been busy with outside projects, and with a robust women's division already, SmackDown didn't really need her. Expect her to be an unannounced addition to WrestleMania.

Undertaker vs. Roman Reigns

Against Roman Reigns, Undertaker will have his best WrestleMania match since his 2013 bout with CM Punk.

Injuries and a clash with the limited Shane McMahon have kept The Deadman from maintaining his usual show-stealing standards. That will change on April 2 when he collides with Reigns. The Big Dog has morphed into a clutch performer, and he will enter this contest looking to quiet his persistent doubters.

This match is where Reigns will finally go full-on heel again. It's a move that has been needed for some time.

We've seen flashes of a new Reigns in the buildup to the bout, as the former WWE champ has been disrespectful, unrelenting and no-nonsense. 

When Reigns knocks around Undertaker, handing him only his second WrestleMania loss ever, The Juggernaut will generate an impressive amount of heat. The anti-Reigns contingent will be pounding keyboard keys long into the night afterward.

The Miz and Maryse vs. John Cena and Nikki Bella

Cena and Bella vs. The Miz and Maryse will be WrestleMania's surprise hit. 

Count on it being the best mixed tag team match in the PPV's history, partly due to minimal competition, partly a result of the excellent chemistry between Cena and The Miz.

The bad blood between the rivals has been mighty compelling thus far.

That is set to translate into an intense, entertaining contest. The bout will more remembered for what happens after the final bell, however. This is a perfect spot to have Cena propose to his girlfriend in front of the WWE audience. 

It will be the latest example of reality and storyline bleeding into each other from two stars of Total Bellas.

Neville vs. Austin Aries (Cruiserweight Championship)

A show-stealer is on the way courtesy of the cruiserweight division.

Neville vs. Austin Aries will be the best pure match on the card. Both men are skilled workers, versatile athletes and excellent in-ring storytellers. 

The dynamic of the cocky champion facing his toughest test to date will be fun, as well.

Neville will remain king after a barn burner. He has been the backbone of the division since his arrival, and WWE is likely to continue to milk his reign. Aries will push him to his limits, but ultimately it will be a younger star like Akira Tozawa who will dethrone Neville down the road.

Raw Tag Team Championship Triple Threat Match

Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson are set to defend the Raw tag team titles against both Cesaro and Sheamus and Enzo Amore and Big Cass.

Despite booking them to win the gold, WWE hasn't appeared to be that high on Gallows and Anderson. Their rivalries have been a low priority each Monday. They still lose a good percentage of the time.

The Realest Guys in the Room look to be much higher on the totem pole.

WrestleMania will feature a career moment for Amore and Cass as they win their first titles with the company. The popular duo is due for a shot up the card. Powered by their charisma and catchphrases, Amore and Cass will rule the tag team division for a spell.

That run will kick off on WWE's grandest stage for maximum effect.

Dean Ambrose vs. Baron Corbin (Intercontinental Championship)

Dean Ambrose and Baron Corbin's Intercontinental Championship showdown won't be a standard match.

WWE has yet to add a stipulation to the bout yet, but that promises to change. Ambrose and Corbin's feud has moved past the point where wrestling can solve them. After you crush a man with a forklift, everything escalates.

Whether it's in a Falls Count Anywhere match or Street Fight, The Lunatic Fringe's title defense will be a wild brawl.

And Corbin will come out on top. Ambrose doesn't need the title at this point. The Lone Wolf, meanwhile, is a rising star who would benefit in a big way from taking home his first championship. 

WrestleMania is set to feature a career-changing moment for Corbin, as he outlasts Ambrose in a weapon-heavy battle.

Chris Jericho vs. Kevin Owens (United States Championship)

The intensity that will bubble over in the Jericho vs. Owens will be second to none.

The strength of their bond before KO betrayed his best friend will power an engaging story in the ring. The bout is poised to feature an enraged Y2J, great chemistry and a career performance from Owens. 

This will be Owens' coming out party in a way as he shines in his first one-on-one WrestleMania match.

Owens will destroy Jericho after a lengthy battle. Giving KO the United States Championship will be WWE's attempt to be a means to pacify fans angry about Owens dropping the universal title to Goldberg with such little resistance. 

AJ Styles vs. Shane McMahon

Expectations will be low for Styles vs. McMahon, but their clash will far exceed them.

This is far from the dream match The Phenomenal One's fans were hoping for him. Even against a 47-year-old one trick pony, though, Styles will deliver in a big way.

The end result will be surprisingly good, as Styles carries the load and McMahon hits a breathtaking stunt or two. The bout will be more of a spectacle than a work-rate classic, however.

Win or lose, this will be the precursor for a move to Raw for Styles.

It's hard to imagine him sticking with the blue brand after throwing the SmackDown commissioner through a car window and beating him senseless at WrestleMania. If Styles loses, his pride will force him to demand a move to the rival show.

Goldberg vs. Brock Lesnar (Universal Championship)

The story of Goldberg's current run with the company has been major hype leading to brief action. Count on the WCW icon to get the lion's share of the hoopla heading into the PPV but to only provide a few moments worth of in-ring excitement.

Goldberg vs. Lesnar will last longer than their blink-of-an-eye Survivor Series meeting, but it won't go past five minutes.

The Beast Incarnate will get his revenge along with the gold. It makes zero sense to let Goldberg leave without Lesnar getting a win in their feud. Goldberg is set to become the sacrificial lamb to a bloodthirsty predator. 

Bray Wyatt vs. Randy Orton (WWE Championship)

Chaos will mark the WWE Championship match.

More than anything else on the card, the Wyatt-Orton rivalry will tempt the company into adding a number of elements to the action. The Wyatt Family will play a key role as Luke Harper looks to again exact his revenge against The Viper and Erick Rowan makes his return from injury.

That will continue the trend of veering into unexpected directions for Wyatt and Orton's tale.

Wyatt's win, his first at WrestleMania, will be a means to announce his arrival to the top tier. The Eater of Worlds will emerge from the wreckage with his gold in hand, grinning over a fallen foe.