WWE WrestleMania 34: Predicting Most Likely Swerves

WrestleMania is the most prestigious and storied event of WWE's calendar year, and fans have come to expect the unexpected from The Showcase of the Immortals thanks to its rich history of twists, turns and swerves.

Over three decades, the event has been home to heel turns, shocking alliances, unforeseen character developments, the epic return of The Hardy Boyz and the shocking end of The Undertaker's epic undefeated streak.

Sunday in New Orleans, WWE will present its annual sports entertainment spectacular from the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, and fans will sit on the edge of their seats for five hours, waiting for these most likely swerves to help make WrestleMania 34 one of the most memorable ever.

AJ Styles Successfully Retains the WWE Championship

Shinsuke Nakamura's victory in the 2018 Royal Rumble put him in a position to defeat AJ Styles in a dream WrestleMania match to earn his first WWE Championship.

His journey to the biggest show of the year will not have the storybook ending most expect, though.

Styles will continue his run atop SmackDown, defeating his longtime rival in a match that fans have been pining for since the Superstars signed with WWE.

Unfortunately, WWE officials simply haven't done enough to convince fans Nakamura is ready and able to carry the blue brand on his back as WWE champion as Styles has on two separate occasions since the summer of 2016.

Yes, his entrance is electrifying but once the bell rings, the casual audience has no idea of what Nakamura's character is or why they should care.

Until WWE Creative rights that enormous wrong, it is safer to stick with the proven commodity in Styles than go with the still-underdeveloped King of Strong Style.

Shane McMahon Turns Heel on Daniel Bryan

Daniel Bryan makes his in-ring return Sunday in what will be the culmination of a storyline that began last summer.

In the months since its inception, Bryan and Shane McMahon have argued over the treatment of Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn, but they will team up at WrestleMania to face the insubordinate villains who have left each of them lying in recent weeks.

While history would suggest if anyone is to turn heel, it would be Bryan, there is no way WWE is bringing the leader of the Yes Movement back after three years of inactivity and sticking it to fans with a heel turn.

Thus, expect McMahon to betray Bryan, paying off months of tension between the two of them. Such actions would allow Owens and Zayn to win the match and regain their employment with the blue brand.

Furthermore, they would set the stage for the latest chapter in Bryan's quest to buck authority and prove his worth in the rings of WWE.

Carmella Cashes in Money In The Bank, Wins Women's Championship

Much has been made of the SmackDown Women's Championship match between Charlotte and Asuka Sunday, but hanging over the festivities is the ominous dark cloud known as Carmella and her Money in the Bank briefcase.

In recent weeks, WWE Creative has done a solid job of teasing the guaranteed title opportunity she has at her disposal.

The Princess of Staten Island has seen her television time increase just enough to remind fans she is around and, yes, she has in her possession an opportunity to challenge for the blue brand's women's title whenever she pleases.

That "whenever" will be Sunday night, moments after a grueling title clash between two of the best women's wrestlers in the world.

And she will win.

Yes, moments after Asuka presumably increases her win streak, Carmella will earn an incredible amount of heat by becoming the first woman to defeat The Empress of Tomorrow and capture the SmackDown Women's Championship.

The Miz Retains the Intercontinental Championship

Weeks of storytelling have suggested The Miz will roll into New Orleans, drop the Intercontinental Championship to either Seth Rollins or Finn Balor and pay off the weeks of storytelling that have set up Sunday's Triple Threat match.

Factor in a new baby and it would seem The Hollywood A-Lister is en route to a bit of time off in the wake of the April 8 extravaganza.

Not so fast.

With Rollins and Balor proving so competitive, Miz will sneakily navigate the landmines that are the signature and finishing maneuvers of his opponents to score an upset win.

Losing to either man the following night on Raw cannot be ruled out, though.