WWE WrestleMania 2022: Lesnar vs. Reigns and Bouts That'll Exceed Expectations

WWE has opted to let mystery enshroud most of WrestleMania 38.

The two-night event is set to take place at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on April 2-3, but fans only know a handful of the matches on the card for each night. And they only know that many because of a recent escalation in the unveiling of feuds and storylines, a stark contrast to some of the long-term booking that went into past 'Mania offerings.

Still, fans also know "Stone Cold" Steve Austin will make an appearance in some capacity to square off with Kevin Owens and that top names like Seth Rollins will be on the bill somewhere. For now, these are the scheduled matches that seem like locks to exceed expectations.

                       

Becky Lynch vs. Bianca Belair

Yes, fans have seen this one quite a bit, but this latest edition of Becky Lynch defending her Raw women's title against Bianca Belair feels like it could be a great blowoff to a long-running feud—and potentially a passing-of-the-torch moment.

This one has roots reaching back to August, when The Man came back around and stole the title from Belair at SummerSlam. It was a weird mashup of a great return moment and brutal derailment of long-term building for Belair, who lost her title in a matter of seconds for what felt like shock value.

Since then, Lynch has gone with a heel persona to embrace the moment while Belair has largely stuck in place. Both women have been dynamite on the mic and in the ring, so WrestleMania feels like an organic point to cap off the feud.

Knowing these elite Superstars, they will throw in some unique, fresh things for a match that has show-stealing potential before a memorable finish. With any luck, the momentum established here will have a ripple effect across the women's divisions, especially with Ronda Rousey lurking and looking for fights.

                

Drew McIntyre vs. Happy Corbin

Everybody knows a matchup like Edge vs. AJ Styles is a dream showdown that has all-timer potential.

So let's look at something a little more underrated.

It's gone overlooked, but there has been a ton of long-term booking for the encounter between Drew McIntyre and Happy Corbin. The former was assaulted by the latter and Madcap Moss at WWE Day 1 and returned earlier than expected to eliminate both at the Royal Rumble before getting the best of Moss multiple times.

Over the course of that angle, Corbin has expertly dodged out of harm's way—until now.

It's a classic pro wrestling trope. Fans are going to love seeing Corbin get what's coming to him. And they will surely love McIntyre overcoming the odds to make it happen in a heavy-hitting match. It's easy to forget that McIntyre was the guy who carried WWE on his back as world champion through the throes of the pandemic after taking down Brock Lesnar, and it's even easier to forget Corbin is one of the safest and best workers in the company.

They will throw down a big reminder at 'Mania.

            

Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns

Yes, the headline act can 100 percent exceed expectations. Especially when said act includes Brock Lesnar, Roman Reigns and a guy named Paul Heyman.

It's a little easy for at least a portion of the fanbase to shrug this one off. It has, after all, already effectively headlined multiple 'Manias and dominated the company's title scene for a long time.

But the dynamic has been flipped in a fun and interesting way here, with Lesnar expertly playing the fan favorite as one of his best-ever characters. Ditto for Reigns, who is on one of WWE's greatest heel runs, which started by him brutally picking apart his own family.

Then there's Heyman, who has predictably bounced back and forth between the two top dogs he's been an advocate for over the years. What he does, how and why will decide much in a title bout featuring both the WWE Championship and the Universal Championship, with the possibility of unification hanging in the balance.

Based on past encounters, we know this is going to be brutal and likely bloody. The air of unpredictability over what happens—and where it steers WWE for the next year—cannot go understated. Fans might be exhausted by the end of the second night, but this one, thanks to the talent of the performers involved and the effort put into long-form storytelling, will manage to surpass whatever expectations fans have for it.

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