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WWE WrestleMania 35: Predicting the Iconic, History-Defining Moments
March 29, 2019
WWE fans have seemingly had mixed feelings about the build to WrestleMania 35, but there is no doubt that WWE has set the stage for some of the most iconic moments in WrestleMania history to take place at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on April 7.
It is already certain this year's showpiece will be historic since Raw women's champion Ronda Rousey, SmackDown women's champion Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch will become the first women to main-event the show.
Aside from that, WWE has the potential to produce some long-lasting memories that will be ingrained in the minds of fans for many years to come.
With WrestleMania 35 on the horizon, here are some predictions for the moments that will resonate most with the WWE Universe when The Show of Shows reaches its conclusion.
Four Horsewomen to Close WrestleMania in Style
When Flair shockingly defeated Asuka to win the SmackDown Women's Championship on Tuesday, there was no shortage of uproar on social media.
While it seemed like a snap decision that did more to hurt The Empress of Tomorrow than help The Queen, it is a move that will allow the company to close WrestleMania with something fans have long asked for—WWE's Four Horsewomen each standing tall with a title in tow.
WWE continues to say only the Raw Women's Championship will be on the line at MetLife Stadium, meaning Flair will remain SmackDown women's champion regardless of what happens in that match.
It has long been expected that Lynch would beat both Rousey and The Queen to win the Raw women's title, which would give two of the Four Horsewomen major championships.
The other members of the Four Horsewomen, Sasha Banks and Bayley, are set to defend the WWE Women's Tag Team Championships against The IIconics, Natalya and Beth Phoenix, and Nia Jax and Tamina.
If The Boss 'n' Hug Connection retain, they can join Lynch and Flair in the ring at the end of WrestleMania, which will allow the Four Horsewomen to embrace and usher in an era in which women main-eventing The Show of Shows is the norm.
Banks tweeted the following on Monday, which may have been a reference to the special moment WWE has planned for WrestleMania:
Although Lynch and Flair have been at odds on television, they are close friends in real life, as are The Boss and Bayley.
There are times when on-screen storylines become secondary, and the enormity of an occasion takes precedence. Women main-eventing WrestleMania is one of those moments, and it will likely be enough for fans to overlook any possible plot holes.
When Bayley beat Banks to become the NXT women's champion at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn in 2015, it was the end of an era in the developmental brand with The Boss, Flair and Lynch all getting called up to the main roster.
After the grueling bout, Flair and Lynch came to the ring to celebrate with Banks and Bayley, who arguably put on the greatest women's match of all time.
Fittingly, WrestleMania 35 will be the beginning of a new era for women's wrestling, and it should start with four of the women most responsible for making it happen sharing the spotlight.
On top of that, Rousey leads her own version of the Four Horsewomen along with Shayna Baszler, Jessamyn Duke and Marina Shafir, and the ending of this year's showpiece could set up a long-anticipated clash between the two stables down the line.
One More Ride for The Shield
The Fastlane match that saw Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose beat Drew McIntyre, Bobby Lashley and Baron Corbin was billed as The Shield's last stand, but the door is open for the team to make magic one more time at WrestleMania.
While Ambrose isn't booked for a match on The Grandest Stage of Them All, Reigns is set to face McIntyre while Rollins will challenge Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship.
In recent weeks, Ambrose has stood up for Reigns on multiple occasions. After The Big Dog was attacked by McIntyre, The Lunatic Fringe faced The Scottish Psychopath in a Falls Count Anywhere match a couple of weeks ago on Raw and then clashed with him again in a Last Man Standing match on Monday's Raw.
That suggests Ambrose could be in Reigns' corner again at WrestleMania, but a better usage of The Lunatic may be to wait until Rollins' title match against The Beast Incarnate.
The odds are stacked against The Architect entering WrestleMania due to Lesnar's size and strength advantage, but his Shield brothers have always been a great equalizer.
There would also be great symmetry in The Big Dog and Ambrose getting involved since Rollins crashed the Reigns vs. Lesnar WWE Championship match in the main event of WrestleMania 31 by cashing in his Money in the Bank contract.
WWE announced in January that Ambrose would be leaving the company when his contract expires in April, which means WrestleMania may be the final opportunity for The Shield to get together in the same ring.
Even if Ambrose isn't leaving and is simply taking some time off after WrestleMania, having that Shield moment would feed into the his storyline and make fans believe even more that he is on the way out.
Interference is generally viewed as a heel move, but given how popular The Shield is, it is the exception to the rule. Also, since Lesnar and Paul Heyman have done some dastardly things and fans are ready for a new champion, The Hounds of Justice would get a huge babyface pop.
It can be argued The Shield is the greatest stable in professional wrestling history, and if the trio come together one final time to ensure Rollins leaves with the universal title, the image of them triple-powerbombing Lesnar and engaging in one final fist bump will be remembered for a long time to come.
KofiMania Running Wild
It was a long and arduous road to get there, but Kofi Kingston was finally named WWE champion Daniel Bryan's opponent for WrestleMania on Tuesday's episode of SmackDown Live.
Aside from Lynch, it can be argued that the WWE Universe has not gotten behind a Superstar as they have Kingston since Bryan was a babyface leading up to WrestleMania 30. Because of that, WWE has a chance to create something special by having the New Day member claim the title on April 7.
Kingston is 37 years old and has been in WWE for 11 years, yet his world-title opportunities have been few and far between. He has had a great deal of success with The New Day for nearly five years, but it hasn't often afforded him the opportunity to shine as a singles competitor.
That changed when Mustafa Ali got injured prior to the Elimination Chamber and Kingston was chosen to replace him. A groundswell of support emerged behind him when he lasted an hour in a Gauntlet match prior to Elimination Chamber, and it has continued to grow ever since.
The manner in which he has been booked has made him more popular as well.
By having WWE Chairman Vince McMahon screw him over after winning a Gauntlet match only for Big E and Xavier Woods to earn him a title opportunity the following week, it is clear the fans want nothing more than for Kingston to get his WrestleMania moment by beating Bryan.
While Kingston has a solid highlight reel from The Show of Shows due to his performances in ladder matches over the years, he doesn't yet have that defining moment.
Bryan got it five years ago in New Orleans and created the lasting image of him lifting the WWE World Heavyweight Championship in the air as confetti rained down on him.
It is Kingston's turn to have something similar this year, but given New Day's involvement, it may be even more grandiose.
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