WrestleMania 28: 10 Matchups We Want to See More Than Rock vs. John Cena

In an unprecedented move, the WWE decided to announce nearly a year before Wrestlemania 28 that John Cena would face The Rock at the granddaddy of them all in 2012.

And the match in and of itself promises to be—in case you can’t already tell—one of the most promoted and hyped Wrestlemania bouts of all-time.

There’s something in it for everybody: Mr. Fruity Pebbles himself for the women and children, and “the most electrifying man in sports entertainment” for wrestling fans who grew up during the Attitude Era.

But as monumental as The Rock vs. Cena match may be (for a long list of reasons), it likely won’t be a classic in-ring encounter.

That’s why, as much as I’m looking forward to seeing the two icons go one-on-one in Miami, I’d rather see these 10 matches instead.

10. Chris Jericho vs. Alberto Del Rio

Chris Jericho is due back in the WWE at some point in the near future, and he's gone on record in saying that his character won't be exactly like it was during his last run with the company.

In fact, I think Y2J will have to be brought back as a face because fans are going to cheer his return so much. That opens up the potential for a number of different feuds with some of the WWE's top heels.

And that means a potential feud with Alberto Del Rio could be on the horizon, which, in terms of both mic and wrestling work, could be fantastic. 

Maybe not a huge draw in terms of PPV buys, but a great (and entertaining) rivalry. 

9. Edge vs. Christian

Sure, Edge and Christian have spent a lot of time in the ring together, whether it's working with or against each other.

So, this match wouldn't exactly be something new or unforeseen. But it's also one that plenty of WWE fans have been begging to see at Wrestlemania since Christian returned to the company.

Just the history between these two guys gives fans enough reason to fully invest themselves in this match.

And, in terms of the wrestling and promos between Christian and Edge, I think we all know how great this feud could be.

8. The Rock vs. Randy Orton

There really isn't that big of a difference between The Rock vs. John Cena and The Rock vs. Randy Orton.

Orton and Cena are the WWE's top two stars, and The Rock would make a feud with either wrestler very entertaining.

While the mic work between Cena and Rock would be better, I'd be more interested in a Rock/Orton feud for two reasons: I'm a bigger fan of Orton than Cena and think his anti-hero persona would work well against The Rock, who's a bit of a rebel himself.

Yeah, that was a little biased, I know.

7. Kurt Angle vs. Daniel Bryan

Does this match have anywhere near the drawing power of The Rock vs. Cena? Hell no.

Does this match have the potential to be one of the best in Wrestlemania history? Hell yeah.

Kurt Angle is one of the top two or three in-ring workers of all-time, and Daniel Bryan is the best wrestler currently in the WWE.

Give these guys 25 minutes in a submission match, and a five-star rating is almost guaranteed.

6. John Cena vs. Hulk Hogan

I know it's a bit hypocritical of me to say that Rock vs. John Cena wouldn't be that great wrestling-wise and then say I want to see Cena vs. Hulk Hogan.

But I've got this match here simply because of what it would mean for wrestling.

Hogan was essentially the face of wrestling in the 1980s and 90s, and now Cena is undeniably equivalent with wrestling--like it or not, he's the most important wrestler currently in the business.

A Hogan/Cena encounter would draw fans from three different generations, and though the match would be terrible (especially given Hogan's age and health problems), it would be an iconic moment in wrestling history.

5. The Undertaker vs. Sting

At the beginning of 2011, all I read about every time I went on a wrestling website was the possibility of a Wrestlemania 27 match between The Undertaker and Sting.

Well, that match obviously never happened and doesn't appear to be in the cards at all anymore.

But you and I both know that there are thousands of fans who want to see The Undertaker defend "The Streak" against Sting at the granddaddy of them all.

And, though I'm not as high up on the match as others, I still want to see it, too.

4. Shawn Michaels vs. John Morrison

Is there anyone who's left wrestling over the past few years that I miss more than Shawn Michaels? I don't think so.

They call him "Mr. Wrestlemania" for a reason, and there's no doubt that he'd be the "Showstopper" as well in a match against John Morrison.

With HBK taking on the so-called "next Shawn  Michaels," I can only imagine that this would be an instant classic between arguably the greatest in-ring competitor of all-time (Michaels) and one of the most innovative wrestlers in the business today (Morrison).

Heck, let's make it ladder match and really crank things up a notch.

3. Randy Orton vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin

The anti-hero of the PG Era vs. the anti-hero of the Attitude Era.

Many people have compared "The Viper" Randy Orton to "The Texas Rattlesnake" Stone Cold Steve Austin, with the two most obvious connections between the two being that their nicknames are derived from snakes and that they are cheered despite their heelish tendencies.

While I don't think it's fair to compare Orton to Stone Cold, many people will. And they'd spend their hard-earned money to see these two mega-stars go one-on-one at Wrestlemania.

In fact, Austin recently said he thinks he could go another two full years in the ring. So maybe this match isn't as far-fetched as you might think.

2. Brock Lesnar vs. the Undertaker

At one point, it seemed like there was a real possibility that we'd see Brock Lesnar vs. The Undertaker at Wrestlemania 27.

Of course, that didn't happen. But, if it did, just imagine how huge it would be.

Lesnar is the biggest pay-per-view draw in the UFC right now, and Taker's legendary undefeated streak gives wrestling fans a reason to tune into Wrestlemania every year.

There's no doubt that a Lesnar/Undertaker match would help the WWE shatter its record for PPV buys. 

1. CM Punk vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin

Imagine the clash of two different lifestyles in this one: The Straightedge Superstar, CM Punk, vs. the beer-drinking, hell-raising Texas Rattlesnake, Stone Cold Steve Austin.

I can't help but think about how phenomenal the promos would be, and the wrestling would be very good as well (as long as Stone Cold really has that much gas left in the tank).

Plus, this feud actually has roots in real life, as the two stars exchanged insults via Twitter earlier this year.

A sign of things to come, perhaps? I sure hope so.