WWE WrestleMania 33: How to Fix Least Promising Storylines Before Show of Shows
WrestleMania 33 is nearly here, and fans everywhere are surely anxious for what's in store. It's the biggest night of the year for WWE, as the company will undoubtedly put on a great event filled with some serious drama.
How much of that drama will be relevant is another matter.
As of this writing, there are 12 matches booked for the April 2 spectacular. That may be 12 opportunities for the company to impress, but many fans feel it's also 12 opportunities for the company to get something wrong. A few of the booked matches have already received their fair share of criticism, and that continues to be the case.
It's not that the WWE faithful doesn't want to see a massive card of matches, but the desire to see those matches deliver is important.
No fan wants to see even a handful of unnecessary bouts booked only for the sake of getting guys in the ring. That's been the biggest fear for many when it comes to 'Mania, and there's definitely some room for improvement here.
There's still time for WWE to get back on track, and it all begins with the storylines.
With the right amount of work, even the most questionable storylines can get a boost, and that is certainly true for WrestleMania. Fans want to see it all come together in a positive way, and hopefully WWE will take the proper steps to ensure that's exactly what happens on April 2.
AJ Styles vs. Shane McMahon
1 of 4
Shane McMahon versus AJ Styles may be an intriguing matchup, but it's also one that many fans didn't want.
Styles had a great 2016. He was WWE world heavyweight champion, he took down John Cena and he was the man to beat on SmackDown Live. He was, and arguably still is, the best professional wrestler in the world. He never needed WWE's endorsement to prove it, but he certainly had it last year.
So now he gets to follow that up by working Shane at WrestleMania?
The problem is this match feels much too forced. Shinsuke Nakamura wasn't called up to face AJ. The Undertaker is booked against Roman Reigns. Bray Wyatt is defending the WWE Championship against Randy Orton.
It's almost as if WWE simply ran out of Superstars. AJ has no reason to wrestle Shane, yet the match is happening anyway. Styles' frustration over losing the WWE title is the root cause of his anger toward McMahon.
If matches were made based on people the McMahon family upsets during the calendar year, then every WrestleMania would feature them in the main events.
The best way to play this storyline leading to 'Mania is to showcase Styles as the favorite. Though he's a heel, he shouldn't be a coward. He should be supremely confident in his ability to defeat Shane, and that should be his attitude moving forward.
Shane should be training like he's never trained before. He's not facing the wrath of The Undertaker; he's going up against one of the most technically sound wrestlers that WWE has ever seen. Shane should be training with Dean Malenko, Arn Anderson and Daniel Bryan. Those sessions should be shown on SmackDown Live, and it should be obvious that McMahon respects AJ's abilities.
It should also be made clear that this is about much more than just a problem between two guys. This is about an employee attacking the boss, a boss who's not a full-time pro wrestler. Shane should show side effects from AJ's attack, which should be evident in the time leading to 'Mania. Concussions are serious business, and that should be emphasized for Shane.
That's why the two should not touch again until WrestleMania, where Shane will give his all but come up short. It may not be the match that fans wanted to see, but that should not stop Styles and McMahon from giving all they have on April 2.
Braun Strowman's Booking
2 of 4
There's not a WrestleMania 33 storyline to fix for Braun Strowman; not yet, anyway.
As of this writing, Strowman has nothing to do on April 2. He has not been entered into The Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal, but that's probably where he's going to end up.
Strowman had a breakout year in 2016, and many fans felt he was heading for big things at WrestleMania 33. A match with The Undertaker was teased, but it did not happen. Now Strowman finds himself in the same position that AJ was; he has no one to work with.
WWE needs to get on this as soon as possible.
Plans are likely being made backstage, but do those plans include a singles match for Strowman, or the Battle Royal? If the latter is true, then the time for Strowman to get started is now.
Strowman needs to assert his dominance every moment he's on TV. Feuding with Roman was good, but the former Wyatt Family member lost in the end. Facing Big Show was fun to watch, but he's moved on. Instead of going back to the same opponents he's already faced, Strowman should instead look forward at WrestleMania 33.
He should be uncontrollable, overly aggressive and extremely impatient. He should want a universal title shot, and he should want it now. He may have lost to Reigns at Fastlane, but he can always argue that it was a fluke and won't happen again.
No one on Monday Night Raw can physically measure up to him, and that should influence the decision to give him a title shot. Strowman will not stop until he gets what he wants, and he should want the top championship on Raw.
If Strowman wins, he gets a shot. That is the stipulation commissioner Stephanie McMahon should add to the match, which Strowman will probably win.
One by one, Superstars will step up to him; one by one, they will fall. WrestleMania is the night when legends are made, and that should definitely be the case for Strowman.
Bayley vs. Charlotte vs. Sasha Banks vs. Nia Jax, Raw Women's Championship Match
3 of 4
Sasha Banks versus Charlotte Flair laid the foundation for the Raw Women's Championship.
Their feud was one for the ages and will never be forgotten. The problem is WWE didn't seem to have a plan in place to follow it up. Instead, Bayley was thrust into the situation and walked away with the gold. But that didn't seem to be enough, so Nia Jax is part of the match at WrestleMania as well.
There's a lot going on here.
That's not necessarily a bad thing. The women's division is finally relevant again, and it has never had more spotlight. Fans have enjoyed the ride thus far, and the respect for the women of WWE is perhaps bigger than it's ever been.
But if WWE wants to deliver this match in a major way, much more needs to happen before April 2.
Bayley has been portrayed as a woman out of her element, as a Superstar who's perhaps overwhelmed by the situation she's in. That must stop. Bayley needs to make a statement on Monday Night Raw, whether it's a promo or a decisive win against one of her 'Mania opponents.
When that is done, fans need to see her for the gutsy talent that she is.
She's the underdog, and that doesn't need to be the case. Bayley has beaten all three of her challengers, and that fact must be addressed on TV. She shouldn't go in as the weakest of the four and she should retain the title at WrestleMania.
The match itself should be refereed by either Lita or Trish Stratus. That announcement alone would add more interest to the match, which should already be high on fans' must-see lists. The move would pay respect to the women that came before while also shining a brighter spotlight on the current stars.
Many fans expect Sasha to turn heel at 'Mania, so perhaps that should be foreshadowed in the time leading to April 2. Charlotte may have a distraction in Dana Brooke, and that should be evident as well. Jax is indeed a monster, but what has she done since coming to the main roster last July? One win over Bayley on TV is not enough; she should take each woman down before 'Mania.
This match not only deserves the fans' attention but also their respect. With a few moves on WWE's part, that should be exactly what happens when the curtain goes up on WrestleMania.
Goldberg vs. Brock Lesnar, WWE Universal Championship Match
4 of 4
Somewhere along the way, the showdown between Goldberg and Brock Lesnar has begun to fall apart.
The moment may have been at Fastlane, when Goldberg won the WWE Universal Championship from Kevin Owens. Goldberg had the crowd until that happened. He was a red-hot babyface and the biggest star on Monday Night Raw.
But WWE fans love their heels.
Beating Owens in such an easy fashion was not what those fans wanted, so Goldberg finds his momentum at a standstill. Indeed, fans are likely predicting a disaster at WrestleMania 33, one reminiscent of the match between the two men back at WrestleMania XX.
So what can be done to stop that from happening?
WWE needs Goldberg to be the hero again. Lesnar gets over like a babyface because that's what the fans want, so any opportunity to stop that from happening must be taken. He must start backing down from Goldberg, making it clear that he is apprehensive about his chances at 'Mania.
Goldberg should continue doing what he's always done. He should be humble yet aggressive. He should be patient yet intense. He should be the epitome of professionalism until the moment Lesnar and Paul Heyman drag his family into it.
It's cheap heat, and it's a move that many perhaps don't want to see, but there's no arguing the effectiveness of it. Heyman should get in the face of Goldberg's wife or son and threaten them with his client. Lesnar should make it clear he's willing to destroy whomever he must destroy in order to get inside the head of Bill Goldberg.
That's when this feud will become personal. It's hopefully also the moment when this feud becomes must-see TV once again for the fans who may have given up on it.
The fact is both men are part-timers and will move on at some point. Lesnar's world domination act has become very routine, while Goldberg's rapid-fire matches have become stale. If their match at WrestleMania is to work, it needs much more spice than it has.
WWE must work on this one or fans may be more than a little disappointed when WrestleMania 33 is over.
Tom Clark can regularly be seen on Bleacher Report. His podcast, Tom Clark's Main Event, is available on iTunes, Google Play, Amazon Android, Windows Phone and online here.
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
