WrestleMania 33: 5 Possible Surprise Appearances During Show of Shows
With WWE WrestleMania 33 receiving so much hype heading in, the event is bound to be a blockbuster and full of fun matches and moments. That said, fans have high hopes, and the show will need to deliver in order to live up to the lofty expectations.
For years, fans have been conditioned to think that a WrestleMania may not be a special show unless there is a return of some sort, whether it be someone from the current roster or a Superstar from years past. WrestleMania 32 featured several stars making comebacks, and the latest installment should be no exception.
Perhaps the most exciting aspect of WrestleMania 33 is there is so much unknown about who might show up. There are a number of names being tossed around among fans, and almost all of them have a realistic chance of coming back to WWE.
There is no better stage for a return than WrestleMania, where they can make the biggest impact possible. For as grand as the card will be, at least one of the following Superstars should show up at some point during the night.
Before the Show of Shows kicks off Sunday, let's look at the various surprise appearances that could occur during the course of the epic event.
Finn Balor
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It feels as if it has been months that fans have speculating when Finn Balor will return to in-ring action, but the chances of it happening now are likelier than ever. Balor recently returned at a house show in Buffalo, New York, though has been conspicuous by his absence from Raw as of late.
It is only inevitable that he comes back to WWE programming, and it could well be as early as Sunday at WrestleMania. While it was too late in the game to have him wrestle at the event, nothing is stopping him from showing up at some point and getting physical with someone.
The best-case scenario would be Balor getting involved in the Seth Rollins vs. Triple H non-sanctioned match. Granted, it was Rollins who injured him in the first place at SummerSlam 2016, but perhaps that is water under the bridge compared to what Triple H has done to Rollins during their ruthless rivalry.
The fans in attendance would undoubtedly lose their minds if Balor's iconic entrance music hit the arena at any point in the pay-per-view. Additionally, to see The Demon make his WrestleMania entrance for the first time would be nothing short of sensational.
Raw could use all the star power it can get, and the pending return of Balor will surely help with that.
Shelton Benjamin
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Similar to Finn Balor, Shelton Benjamin appeared to be pegged to return during the 2017 Royal Rumble match, but that dream scenario did not to come fruition. At that time, he was still working through an injury he suffered last summer, though he revealed via Twitter on Thursday that he has been officially cleared to compete.
Before going down with the injury, Benjamin was originally scheduled to work as a member of the SmackDown Live brand. There was also the belief among fans that he could welcomed back by the company once he was healthy, and the timing couldn't be better for him to return to TV.
SmackDown has clearly been the superior brand since last summer's brand split and has offered opportunities to most of its talent. That said, Benjamin would be a valuable asset to the blue brand's midcard scene along with the likes of Baron Corbin, Dean Ambrose, The Miz and others.
Even at the age of 41, Benjamin is still capable of contesting classics and is exciting to watch in the ring. A spot in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal could be a good role for him and allow him to have a strong showing, even if it's in defeat.
The SmackDown show after WrestleMania would be the proper place to reintroduce him, but WrestleMania is the grandest stage of them all and might make for a cooler moment.
Hulk Hogan
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Although he may seem as a bit of a shocking selection among others on this list, Hulk Hogan could finally be brought back to the company following a two-year absence at WrestleMania 33.
Hogan made his latest WWE return in February 2014, serving as the host for WrestleMania 30 and later as an ambassador for the organization. Unfortunately, the scandal surrounding the former WWE champion in July 2015 led to his dismissal.
WWE has never publicly commented on the matter in terms of re-signing the Hulkster, but to never have one of its biggest stars return would be asinine. The company was certainly justified in firing him when it did, but now his court case with Gawker has been settled, it is merely a matter time before he resurfaces on TV.
After all, this past week marked 30 years since one of WWE's most monumental moments, when Hogan bodyslammed Andre the Giant in the main event of WrestleMania 3. Having him return Sunday would be a fitting way to commemorate the occasion.
WrestleMania 33 will be emanating from Hogan's home state of Florida, so he certainly would be welcomed back by the fans with open arms if he were to come back at the event he helped create on Sunday night.
Shinsuke Nakamura
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Shinsuke Nakamura has been the talk of the town since the star of the year, when rumors began to run rampant that he was main roster-bound before long. Those rumors were only fueled by the fact he dropped the NXT Championship to Bobby Roode in shocking fashion at TakeOver: San Antonio in January.
The chances of him arriving on either Raw or SmackDown Live anytime soon were dependent on whether he would regain the gold in his rematch with Roode at TakeOver: Orlando on Saturday. Sure enough, he fell short of victory versus The Glorious One, and there is nothing left for him to accomplish on the black-and-yellow brand.
NXT call-ups are typically a staple on the post-WrestleMania episodes of Raw and SmackDown Live. This year should be no different, and among them must be Nakamura.
However, Nakamura could be the one star from NXT who arrives at WrestleMania 33. He won't be getting the match with AJ Styles he told Yahoo Sports Japan he desperately wanted (h/t Raj Giri Wrestling Inc). But debuting in some other fashion would be equally exciting.
A WrestleMania entrance for the King of Strong Style is what fans have waited for since the moment he set foot in NXT. At WrestleMania 33, that could become a reality.
The Hardy Boyz
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For as great as WrestleMania 33 has the potential to be based off what is advertised, you have to know there will be those who will be sorely disappointed if The Hardy Boyz do not resurface at some point during the evening.
Jeff and Matt Hardy departed TNA after their contracts with the company expired in March. They then embarked on a short-lived run in Ring of Honor, during which they won the ROH World Tag Team Championships from The Young Bucks in their first match with the promotion.
At Supercard of Honor on Saturday night, they dropped the belts back to their adversaries and seemingly said goodbye to ROH, paving the way for a return to WWE. Nothing is for certain, and time will tell, but now is as perfect of an opportunity as ever to come into WWE.
Regardless of whether they are "broken," a Hardy Boyz return to WWE at WrestleMania 33 would be incredible. They could inject new life into the tag team division or find continued success as singles stars, but either way, it'd be a great get by WWE.
With a ladder match for the Raw Tag Team Championships taking place at WrestleMania, it's safe to say The Hardy Boyz would have a vested interest in "procuring" those twin titles and adding to their long list of accolades.
Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, is a Digital 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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