WWE WrestleMania 38: The Top 5 Candidates to Steal the Show

WrestleMania is a special time of the year for the fans but even more so for WWE wrestlers. For many of them, it's the realization of life-long aspirations and the opportunity to deliver a career-defining moment.

After all, WWE legends such as Shawn Michaels have made a name for themselves at the iconic event. The two-time Hall of Famer's illustrious track record and four main event appearances at The Showcase of the Immortals has earned him the nickname, Mr. WrestleMania.

The Heartbreak Kid went on to inspire stars like Kofi Kingston, who famously achieved his boyhood dream on The Grandest Stage of Them All in 2019. The kind of passion for the business and drive to be considered add gravitas to an elaborate spectacle like professional wrestling.

It's a phenomenon that makes the experience of competing at the biggest event in sports entertainment so relatable. Everyone has a dream and anyone can connect with the indescribable feeling of accomplishing it in such a dramatic fashion. That's part of the reason why we love pro wrestling.

Next weekend, just about every member of the WWE roster will enter AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas attempting to produce their best performance. So, let's take a look at the top five candidates to steal the show at WrestleMania 38.

Charlotte Flair

Charlotte Flair will go down as one of the greatest women's wrestlers in WWE history. Her resume at WrestleMania speaks for itself.

Coincidentally, The Queen debuted at the event in AT&T Stadium, where she entered as the last Divas champion and exited as the inaugural Raw women's champion. In the past six years, she has also become the only woman to compete for nearly every women's title on The Grandest Stage of Them All.

Yes, she has challenged for or defended the Raw, Smackdown, and NXT Women's Championship at The Show of Shows. However, the second-generation star was unable to take part in the festivities last year for the first time since 2016.

It's a safe bet that the 35-year-old will return in a big way this time around and try to cement her legacy in her one-on-one match with Ronda Rousey. Flair will likely lose her title to The Baddest Woman of The Planet but fans should expect an excellent contest.

Bianca Belair

Bianca Belair's Cinderella run in 2021 was easily one of the highlights of WrestleMania 37. The EST of WWE and Sasha Banks went on to deliver the best main event at The Showcase of the Immortals in recent memory.

This year, Belair has the chance to prove it wasn't a fluke when she takes on the woman who humiliated her at SummerSlam last August, Becky Lynch. This heated rivalry has had its hiccups but it's still one of the most interesting storylines heading into The Show of Shows.

It's hard to imagine the Knoxville, Tennessee native will completely erase her 26-second loss to Big Time Becks at The Biggest Party of the Summer. However, she hasn't missed a beat as she climbed back to the top of the division and earned her title shot at Elimination Chamber.

Expect to see Belair do everything she can to surpass her incredible showing at WrestleMania 37 and make history once again.

AJ Styles

At WrestleMania, AJ Styles will take part in a first-time matchup with Edge. The two haven't worked a match together since The Phenomenal One sustained an injury during his opponent's surprise return in the men's Royal Rumble match in 2020.

In fact, The Rated-R Superstar eliminated Styles at the event and ended up one of the final four men left standing before Drew McIntyre ultimately won. Nevertheless, the legendary wrestler from Gainesville, Georgia has been on a fantastic stretch since he turned face last year.

It seems the company has been priming The Phenomenal One for something big like another run at the WWE Championship or his first stint as universal champion. A strong showing at AT&T Stadium could be just what he needs to propel him back into the world title picture.

His showdown with Edge is one of the most anticipated matches of the weekend. So, it wouldn't surprise many fans to see Styles offer another performance that lives up to his well-earned reputation and steal the show on Night 2.

Seth Rollins

Seth Rollins has truly overachieved with some of the material WWE has given him lately and that's a testament to just how entertaining his current persona is.

The Visionary also quietly went on a streak of tremendous pay-per-view matches last year. He and Shinsuke Nakamura produced a hidden gem at Fastlane, and his match with Cesaro was one of the high points of Night 1 of WrestleMania 37.

His trilogy of top-notch encounters with Edge made for an amazing feud. Their Hell in a Cell match at Crown Jewel was a legitimate contender for Match of the Year. Even more, Rollins stole the show at the Royal Rumble in January when he took on Roman Reigns for the Universal Championship.

It's fair to assume the 35-year-old will attempt to do so again next weekend as he desperately seeks a way to land on this year's WrestleMania card. He doesn't have an opponent yet, but reports suggest he is set to face a returning Cody Rhodes.

Such a high-profile return could overshadow Rollins' current storyline, but it could also give him the chance to again prove he is one of the company's most valuable assets.

Cody Rhodes

Speaking of The American Nightmare, there's a good chance he could be one of the most talked-about wrestlers in the industry following WrestleMania weekend.

This entry may not be popular but hear us out on this. Whether you like Cody Rhodes or not, being the first wrestler to leave All Elite Wrestling and sign with WWE is a big deal. Returning at the company's biggest event of the year is even more so.

If you don't think the AT&T Stadium crowd will respond to him, consider that there have been audible "Cody" chants on Raw for the last few weeks.

Now, that doesn't mean he will receive a reaction on par with "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, who is also set to return at WrestleMania 38. After all, the show will take place in Texas and its native Rattlesnake is still one of the beloved superstars in WWE history.

Honestly, it's difficult to say this final entry shouldn't go to Austin but most of us expect his first semblance of a match in nearly 20 years to be highly publicized no matter what.

Rhodes has the chance to do something very different: change the pace of WWE's current programming. The product has grown pretty stagnant, and his arrival could offer a much-needed deviation from its usual formula.

No one knows how his second stint with WWE will turn out, but his reintroduction to the fanbase will be important. This is his chance to prove that his journey to reinvent himself over the last six years was all worth it, and he could well steal the show next weekend.