WWE WrestleMania 38 Is Shaping Up to Be an All-Time Great

On April 2 and 3, WWE will present WrestleMania 38, the latest of its annual Showcase of the Immortals and an event that will shape the rest of its 2022.

However, this year's iteration of the marquee pay-per-view will do what few in recent years have done: It will rank among the greatest the company has produced.

On the surface, a statement like that may lead readers to think this writer has spent too much time hanging out with Riddle, but one look at the match card gives plenty of reason to believe WWE will knock this year's Show of Shows out of the proverbial ballpark.

A strong card, blockbuster main events and better-than-usual celebrity involvement will come together to produce a PPV befitting the "stupendous" tagline so obsessively pushed on Raw and SmackDown.

The Card

By this point, we know what the main event is. Beyond that, though, WrestleMania 38 has a card that ranks alongside any recently produced by WWE.

There is the dream fight between Edge and AJ Styles that should be a genuine Match of the Year candidate as long as everyone is healthy and operating at full speed. It is a match both men have been lobbying for and one that fans have waited for a generation to see unfold on a stage of this magnitude.

Given the talent of those involved and that burning desire to get the match on, expect nothing short of excellence.

Beyond that is an overlooked SmackDown Women's Championship match pitting Ronda Rousey against Charlotte Flair.

There may be some questioning the quality of the former MMA star's performance since we have yet to see her in a lengthy singles match since her return at the Royal Rumble, but we should never doubt her or The Queen.

Flair is one of the best performers in all of sports entertainment. She will have a match worthy of WrestleMania, and Rousey will perform up to the moment. It will be a dark-horse contender for match of the show so do not sleep on it.

Ditto the Raw women's title match between Becky Lynch and Bianca Belair.

A year ago, the two had one of the best matches in 'Mania history. This year, The EST of WWE enters the event in the midst of what will be an eight-month storyline with Big Time Becks that will culminate on the most prestigious night in wrestling.

Given that trust in her and her opponent from WWE Creative and their previous work, there is no reason to believe they will not excel under the bright lights.

Anyone paying attention to WWE over the last three years will know how great Drew McIntyre is and can appreciate Happy Corbin's contributions as one of the best big men the industry has produced in the last five years. They may not have the flashiest contest on the card, but it will be good old-fashioned pro wrestling that will likely surprise fans.

With Banks in the women's tag title match, Rey Mysterio determined to deliver a defining performance alongside son Dominik, a potential United States Championship match between Finn Balor and Damian Priest, and whatever Seth Rollins is up to, you have all the ingredients for a special weekend. 

Throw in a few Stone Cold Stunners and that recipe becomes a little spicy.

Celebrity Factor

There is a portion of the WWE audience who will always despise the involvement of celebrities at 'Mania but the event was founded on the two worlds coming together and that trademark is not going anywhere.

This year, the show has brought on-board Johnny Knoxville, Logan Paul and SmackDown color commentator Pat McAfee to compete inside the squared circle.

Knoxville is a champ and while he may not be a polished in-ring performer, has great chemistry with Sami Zayn and they will produce something special. The star of Jackass Forever already has the fans on his side, which is a rarity for celebrity participants.

Paul may not be the most popular name for fans at this point, but he is an athlete and should help the Mysterios and The Miz attain their goals in their tag team match.

McAfee is the key here, though.

The former NFL player may be on SmackDown every week but never discount the fact that he is a major sporting celebrity known well beyond the WWE bubble. He has also competed before, and to critical acclaim, in NXT.

We have seen McAfee take risks against Adam Cole and inside War Games, so do not be surprised if he goes all out against Austin Theory and has a match far better than expected.

Winner Takes All

Brock Lesnar, Roman Reigns and the WWE and Universal Championships up for grabs. It just screams "WrestleMania."

While some will criticize the repetitive nature of the match or complain how no one gets over because it is always Lesnar or Reigns, save it. Put away your copy of "Internet Wrestling for Noobs" and enjoy the fact that WWE has crafted an eight-month storyline full of twists, turns, Paul Heyman betrayals and some of the best work either future Hall of Famer has produced on the road to this contest.

We have seen the two men perform on this stage twice before with varying degrees of success. With a better storyline, roles that best suit them and an enormous title unification stipulation at play, this should be the best bout they have ever had.

More than just a line in a promo, Reigns is in "god mode" and producing the best work of any wrestler in any company right now. He is rapidly approaching the GOAT argument, thanks to superb in-ring action and character work we simply do not see elsewhere. 

Lesnar has embraced the role of smashing, stomping, suplexing babyface and has won over fans who used to openly criticize him every time he stepped back onto WWE TV.

A hot crowd, a high-profile match and a high-stakes main event help make this a must-see main event and the perfect capper to a card that will stand the test of time alongside WrestleMania III, X-Seven and XIX.