WrestleMania 27: My Personal Predictions for "The Granddaddy of Them All"

It's the event you dream about going to as a kid...the event that many in Professional Wrestling cite as their inspiration for getting into the business.

Everyone and their moms and dads dream about nights like this, but much like some of these entertainers will tell you, it feels rather surreal until the show actually starts.

It's World Wrestling Entertainment's biggest event of the year, and the annual tradition that is the defining night in Pro Wrestling: The end-all-be-all event known simply as WrestleMania.

The only people who have never graced the Mania stage are those in TNA Wrestling who did not come from WWE, WCW, or the original ECW, but aside from those talents, it's safe to declare that anyone who has been anyone in this business has made it to Mania at least once.

Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage, "Superfly" Jimmy Snuka, The Dudley Boys, Mick Foley...hell, even Sabu and Snoop Dogg made it to WrestleMania in respective years.

Former WWE Champion and current UFC 131 headliner Brock Lesnar made his presence felt at two WrestleManias, Bill Goldberg made it to WrestleMania 20, and of course, what would a WrestleMania conversation be without a mention of "Mr. WrestleMania" Shawn Michaels or "The Streak" of The Undertaker?

Some WrestleManias have looked better than others, but in their own way, they have all looked like blockbusters, and WrestleMania 27 is no different.

In the spirit of WrestleMania, I would now like to present my own personal predictions for this Sunday's Showcase of The Immortals.

I hope you all enjoy!

Justin Gabriel Will Pin Big Show To Win the 8-Man Tag for the Corre

Santino Marella could easily get a Cobra and a pinfall win, but he also could be the one getting pinned.

Problem is, everyone and their moms' moms expect Santino to get pinned by someone from The Corre.

Now while a win for The Corre might be expected, two things (namely, an exciting match and Big Show getting pinned) are not.

Look for Corre members, specifically Ezekiel Jackson, to be the man who lands the final blow that keeps Big Show down for the three-count after Justin Gabriel lands that sinister 450 splash with authority after an entertaining affair.

Daniel Bryan Will Put on a Wrestling Clinic, Even If He Doesn't Win the U.S. Title

Bryan Danielson, Daniel Bryan, American Dragon, American Dolphin--whatever you want to call him, you must recognize that the hype around this man's technical wrestling prowess is certainly justified, and it only hasn't showed because he's been in the ring with Sheamus, who has had the support of Triple H backstage for the longest time.

Seriously, I'm all for John Cena losing the belt, but losing it to a guy that had only been around for not even a year at the time?

Might as well line up Marty Garner for a shot while we're at it, but I digress (and it feels good to do that again!)

Aside from the backstage stuff, Sheamus unquestionably has the physique of someone who the WWE brass would like to see holding a major title, but what he has in promos and brute strength I feel he still lacks in actual wrestling ability.

Daniel Bryan is more diverse of a wrestler than Vince McMahon will ever let us see, but the little prowess that Bryan is allowed to showcase will be on full display this Sunday.

It's all about the performance here--to be honest, I could care less about if Bryan wins the belt because it seems like the WWE has done a bit little in the department of giving us a reason to care that the title still exists.

All I know is that Bryan will put on a performance that few will want to forget in his first Mania.

The Media Will Treat Snooki's Tag Match Like It's the Match of the Year

The fourth branch of government, the modern media, the people who believe they have a say in how some people think, will play a role in WrestleMania 27.

They have yet to shut their traps about Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi's WrestleMania affair with Trish Stratus and John Morrison against Dolph Ziggler and Lay-Cool, and for good reason.

Hell, Angelina Pivarnick (known to the people who actually watch MTV's Jersey Shore as "The (Hot) Bitch of Staten Island")did a stint in TNA, and while TMZ caught wind of it, it barely cracked any headlines beyond that.

Compare Polizzi's role in WWE to that and maybe the reasons for the differing reactions are obvious:

1. WWE/Wrestlemania has been around longer than TNA. As a matter of fact, there was a time when you'd get slapped for saying negative things about Hulk Hogan. Now, you get flamed by Internet clones of Justin Bieber if you admit that you're okay with John Cena still being able to breathe air.

2. Angelina was hot (Yes, I would "spend a night in Staten Island" with her if I could), but Snooki has garnered more attention and fame during her time on the show. Getting into more cat fights than two pissed-off tigers and getting your nose manually reconstructed by douchebags tends to do that for a person when cameras are around.

That said, this fight would only be a "match of the night" qualifier because Morrison and Ziggler are good enough to where they can have some outstanding matches given a stage to work with.

Trish Stratus is Trish Stratus, and to be honest (no disrespect to Mrs. "Last Outlaw"), I stopped having anything nice to say about those two eighth-grade schoolgirls once they did that one bad angle with Mickie James.

Granted, it wasn't their fault, but it still changed my views on Lay-Cool.

Anyways the two "FLAWLESS!" ones might be decent in the ring, provided Trish doesn't wear high-heeled boots to the ring, but their whole story revolves around helping Vickie Guerrero out with the Snooki/Trish situation.

Either way, Snooks won't have the best match on the card, but once the Mania fallout begins, the media will likely treat it as if it were the wrestling bout of the decade.

There's a reason why Mommy always said "turn off the news and read," kids.

Rey Mysterio Vs. Cody Rhodes Will Be Short and Sweet (For a Mysterio Bout)

Rey Mysterio is a legend in professional wrestling, but as many of you are aware, the subject of Mysterio in recent months has been the knee injury that has been well-documented in the career history of The Sultan of The 619.

Various talks of releases and retirement have also surrounded Mysterio as we've drawn closer to Mania time, but for now it seems he will be on the biggest stage of them all in a bout with Cody Rhodes...a feud that has seen even WWE Hall of Famer Dusty Rhodes get involved.

Why the feud?

No reason, just an exposed knee brace that caught Rhodes on a 619. Not like Rhodes lost his "Dashing" looks or anything...right, Mysterio?

Joking aside, Mysterio's looked pretty good so far, but on the biggest stage of them all, one can't afford to show any signs of injury, lest it be obvious to everyone in the arena that Mysterio is unable to perform at a level where he can put on an entertaining encounter.

Hope for a great bout, but don't expect it to be a lengthy affair.

Randy Orton and CM Punk Will Have the Match of the Night (If Taker & HHH Don't)

Of all the feuds leading up to Mania, this feud is one of the only three that I feel have made any of us awaken our inner marks.

I'll cover the other two in a moment (I think you know which feuds are "the other two"), but the three matches on this year's Mania card have awakened our inner marks for a variety of reasons.

The feud between Randy Orton and CM Punk is one of those feuds, and for good reason.

Either you're a longtime fan of The Viper from back in the days when it was okay by WWE standards to say he was the Legend Killer, or you're a longtime fan of the only ROH product to become a major player in WWE (so far).

As if the fandom wasn't enough to pick a winner, the feud that has carried on ever since the Royal Rumble has been one of the most emotionally-captivating feuds in recent history.

To the untrained eye, it's just looked like Orton was trying to eliminate every member of Nexus so that it would just be him and Punk with no interference at WrestleMania, but even before the anonymous (and so pathetic that it's not funny anymore) Raw GM had Orton facing off against members of Nexus to ensure that it'd be a one-on-one affair, the signs spoke to us all, ensuring us that this bout would be one of the most intense bouts on this year's Mania card.

I can't predict this one being short, but I will say this:

If The Undertaker's second outing with Triple H doesn't steal the show, this one will.

Stone Cold Steve Austin Will Down Close to 10 or 12 Beers After Refereeing

I'm not predicting the actual outcome of Jerry Lawler's bout with Michael Cole because everybody knows that the bout is just there for the sake of saying "Lawler actually wrestled at Wrestlemania."

Same goes for Cole--consider it The Upset of The Year if Jack Swagger, JBL, or even Austin himself have nothing to do with Cole's victory, IF he beats Lawler (and I'm convinced that he won't win against Lawler).

Either way, Austin's beer bash will take longer than the actual match, and even though the beer bash isn't supposed to happen in the PG era, it will happen anyway...at the expense of a number of beer cans that total up to a number either close to, equal to, or more than a dozen beers.

If you think that it doesn't matter how many beers Austin winds up tossing back before we get to the main event, as long as The Toughest SOB in The WWE Hall of Fame is the one tossing back those brews, then comment with a "Hell Yeah!" when you finish reading this slide.

The Streak Will Live on in Another WWE Match of the Year Candidate

Never mind World Wrestling Entertainment history when you mind The Streak...

In reality, The Undertaker's current 18-0 unbeaten streak at WrestleMania is arguably the greatest undefeated streak in Professional Wrestling, bar none...rivaled only by Bill Goldberg's first streak in WCW, Rob Van Dam's 23-month-long grip on the ECW TV Title, Sting's streak at Bound For Glory in TNA, and Bryan Danielson's streak of getting crowds amped up in ROH.

In regards to The Streak, however, there's only one bout that is a technicality if you take The Streak with legitimacy in relation of other hot streaks in Sports, and that's his win over Giant Gonzalez at WrestleMania 9.

Take a look at the record though, and you start to see a who's who:

Jimmy Snuka, Jake Roberts, Giant Gonzalez, King Kong Bundy, Kevin Nash, Sid Vicious, Kane (twice), The Big Boss Man, Triple H at WrestleMania 17 in Houston, Ric Flair, Big Show and A-Train at WrestleMania 19, Randy Orton, Mark Henry, David Batista, Edge, and the past two years, he's extended his streak in two "Match of The Year" Candidates against Shawn Michaels.

Compare it to Triple H's record, and the opinion of whether he should get a second crack at Taker depends solely on your bias:

A loss to The Ultimate Warrior in his debut at WrestleMania 12, a win over Goldust at WrestleMania 13, a Chyna-assisted win over Owen Hart at WrestleMania 14, a DQ loss to Kane at WrestleMania 15, a successful title defense at WrestleMania 2000 (WrestleMania 16), a loss to The Deadman at WrestleMania 17, a title win over then-champ Chris Jericho at WrestleMania 18. and a win over Booker T at WrestleMania 19, followed by an 0-4 run at the hands of Chis Benoit, Dave Batista, John Cena, and Randy Orton at WrestleManias 20, 21, 22, and 24, while The Game sat out WrestleMania 23.

The Game would avenge the loss to Orton at WrestleMania 25 and he would also defeat Sheamus last year in the Mania debut of The Celtic Warrior.

In short, HHH is 7-7-0 at Mania, but he remains a legend for what he's done for the sport (besides making us jealous because we can't come home to Stephanie McMahon at night)

The point is that both guys are at that legend status right now, and that's been the charge that has had all of us wondering "Why can't it be WrestleMania Sunday already, damnit?!"

If The Undertaker can't go in the ring anymore, he's done a damn good job of hiding it in his past two Mania bouts.

Meanwhile, Triple H has been away from the ring for about a year, and to the best of my knowledge, he hasn't been in action since getting attacked by Sheamus after WrestleMania 26.

Even still, Triple H hasn't had a forgettable match in the long history of WrestleMania and neither has Taker.

Wil Taker beat HHH? Absolutely.

The Streak is at 18-0 now, and considering what else Taker has to his career (badass gimmicks, multiple World Title reigns, the distinction of being known as the guy who helped polarize some of the most famous moments and matches in WWE/Pro Wrestling today), such a legendary accomplishment can't and shouldn't be duplicated.

There's only one unbeaten streak in the Wrestling world, and I say it'll stay that way.

It Doesn't Matter Who the Champ Is (Because the Rock Will Lay Them Both Out)!

I said earlier that there were three matches on this card that were built up in a way that has caused our inner marks--our inner fans, if you will--to awaken.

-- Orton/Punk: Both guys are hard to disrespect based on their athleticism and the intensity that has charged their feud.

-- Taker/HHH II: Both guys are future Hall of Famers that always leave the crowds with a memorable Mania moment, and their status, combined with their coldly-delivered promos and antics in the build up, have done enough to charge this one emotionally.

The Miz's bout with John Cena is the third of these bouts, but it's not because this is the first WrestleMania in which Miz will enter as the champion, and it's certainly got nothing to do with Cena getting a shot at the belt.

Trust me, we've seen it to where it's expected that Cena will get a shot at the belt at WrestleMania and win it.

Seriously, there only been one WrestleMania in which he went for the WWE Title and didn't win it, and that was in his Triple Threat Match with Randy Orton and Triple H at WrestleMania 24...and he only lost that one because we all were expecting Orton to lose the belt regardless of whether Cena won the belt or Triple H won the belt.

In this one there's a wild card involved in the match, and his name is "The Rock."

This is where the bout awakens our inner marks, because we've waited a long time for Rocky to come back to WWE, even if it was only for WrestleMania Sunday, and of course, he did call Cena out on some remarks he made a couple of years ago.

The question now is will he help Miz retain his belt as payback for the Attitude Adjustment given to him on Raw, or will Rock take the route of every other "face" celebrity and help The Champ get another reign?

My answer: who cares?

It's plausible that Rock might help Cena win, but considering that these two are not on the best of terms after their war of words on the air, Rock might Rock Bottom both Miz and Cena, drop a People's Elbow on both men, and then whoever crawled over the other for the three count can say they won't without help from Rocky (because it's not helping if Rock doesn't drag your limp carcass onto the body of the other guy).

If we see another Cena win, so be it, and if we see Miz retain, so be it.

Considering the feud up until now, I don't think we can really say The Rock is going to be helping either man walk out with that spinner-that-doesn't-spin-that-much-anymore.

To The Rock, does it matter who walks out champ...especially when both guys have talked about him the way they have?

Christian Will NOT Help Alberto Del Rio Win the World Heavyweight Title

If you've been reading around, you've probably seen some folks say that in fact it will be Edge that will lose at WrestleMania, and those of you who know that Christian will corner Edge to even the playing field with Brodus Clay and Ricardo Rodriguez can see why Alberto Del Rio might win...

...or so you think.

I'll be honest, I'd love to see another Edge and Christian feud as much as the next guy, but this whole thing with turns happening when one guy corner the champ and two or more guys corner the challenger...it's been done before no matter how hard WWE tries to convince you that it's a first.

No, Vinnie Mac, the title changing hands twice in one night was a first.

Hulk Hogan being responsible for someone else winning the WWE Title was a first, as was him losing cleanly at Mania back in 1990.

Bret Hart going up against HBK for an hour and a minute or two in Anaheim was a first.

Having a close associate of the champ corner him, only to turn on him and pave the way for the heel to win...not a first.

Heck, I'd rather see Hornswoggle win the belt than have to act like nobody's ever cornered the champ and then cost them the belt.

How do you guys think Mysterio lost the belt to Booker T after Eddie Guerrero died...a five-minute game of Poker?

Last I recalled, Chavo Guerrero helped Booker win the belt despite being Rey's boy.

The point is that having Christian turn is too cliche, and at WrestleMania, you have to do things that are the polar opposite of cliche.

Having Rodriguez getting attacked by Christian after trying to distract Edge, only for Brodus Clay to attack Christian in an attempt to lure Edge to the outside and allow Del Rio to set the cross-armbreaker up...might not be the most creative idea in the world, but it's not what you'd call cliche.

Del Rio is a one-of-a-kind WWE star who is going up against a one-of-a-kind veteran in Edge, and if he's going to get a finish on Edge, it has to be a one of a kind finish.

If the idea is to have Christian turn on Edge after cornering him at Mania, then you might as well reschedule the title bout for this Monday's Raw.

Oh, and by the way, anything involving Christian coming out from the back and teasing like he's going to hit Del Rio before attacking Edge...also cliche.