Wrestlemania 31 is just around the corner and it’s not just the Hammer office that’s bouncing around with excitement – some of metal’s finest are also marking out for the debut of Sting, the return of Undertaker and possible loss of Roman Reigns! But who do the likes of Suicide Silence, Hammerfall and Devil You Know think will win on the night?
AJ Lee and Paige vs The Bella Twins (Nikki and Brie Bella)
Dan Kenney (Suicide Silence): “They are all hot… Everyone wins!” Howard Jones (Devil You Know): “Paige and AJ take this. It’s gonna be daylight, and Paige is so pasty white they won’t be able to see her in the ring. The UK wins again!” **Crobot: **“Things are always better in pairs, especially when it comes to the Divas! Here we see The Bellas using their twin power.” Jacob Field (The One Hundred): “I gotta go with Paige and AJ Lee for two reasons. A) Paige is Norwich’s finest. UK represent! and B) I have a crush on AJ Lee.” Charlie Wilson (Counting Days): “I have to go with Team Frenemies, although like everyone else I’ll just be chanting ‘CM Punk’.” Oscar Dronjak (Hammerfall): “I remember when the then-WWF reintroduced women’s wrestling with Bull Nakano and Alundra Blayze. We’ve come a long way since then, but since this is a tag team match the outcome is not as important. My prediction: the Bella’s find a way to win, despite good opposition.”
Tag Time Title Match Tyson Kidd and Cesaro vs The New Day vs Los Matadores vs The Usos
Dan Kenney (Suicide Silence): “I hope The Usos win. This should be a great match too.” Howard Jones (Devil You Know): “Cesaro and Kidd leave with the belts. They are refreshing to watch – as refreshing as lemonade on a scorching hot August afternoon when you can’t shower and you smell like crisps and garlic.” Crobot: “With the recent injury, how can Usos survive without Jey being 100%?” Jacob Field (The One Hundred): “Cesaro and Kidd. Nothing more, nothing less.” Charlie Wilson (Counting Days): “With their old man going into the Hall Of Fame this year it would be a pretty foolish move not to have The Usos go over so my call is with The Usos.”
Intercontinental Title Match Bad News Barrett vs R-Truth vs Dean Ambrose vs Luke Harper vs Dolph Ziggler vs Stardust vs Daniel Bryan
**Dan Kenney (Suicide Silence): **“Dolph Ziggler without a doubt.” Howard Jones (Devil You Know): “Dolph Ziggler wins the ladder match and grabs the belt. At some point he should be Champion of Earth.” Crobot: “Like a black hole, no-one shall escape the wrath of Stardust!” Jacob Field (The One Hundred): “I’ve always rated Mr Showoff Dolph Ziggler and I’ll be cheering for him at Mania. He’s so underrated by the WWE despite having a huge following and great success in the business, so in my opinion, he deserves the title. It’s gonna be brutal and intense. Barrett, Ambrose, Bryan are all great wrestlers so having all of them at Mania, in a ladder match, need I say any more?” Charlie Wilson (Counting Days): “My money is on Bryan, the WWE are trying to legitimatise their US and Intercontinental titles and what better way then to put them around the waist of the two biggest faces in the WWE.” Oscar Dronjak (Hammerfall): “A ladder match is a sure-fire recipe for mayhem and I’m expecting this match to steal the show. It will come down to Daniel Bryan and Dean Ambrose, possibly also with Dolph Ziggler. My pick: Dean Ambrose, so the former Shield partners can celebrate their first WWE singles titles together.”
Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal
Dan Kenney (Suicide Silence): “Jim Duggan, hopefully. Or Harley Race. Just kidding… how about Ryback?” Howard Jones (Devil You Know): “The battle royal will be fun, and I see Ryback walking away with this. That dude is one large muscle – basically an erection with boots on. We all know you can’t beat a boner.” **Crobot: **“Axelmania is spreading like wildfire! He will destroy the competition in the Battle Royal and prove that he is the true contender for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship!” Jacob Field (The One Hundred): “Hopefully it’ll be a similar situation to last year’s match and someone with huge potential could finally get their chance to prove their worth. I hope it’s a deserved underdog and not a Ryback or a Big Show.” Charlie Wilson (Counting Days): “I think this is a good way to put someone over and give them a push, so my prediction is with Curtis Axel – often imitated never eliminated! It would be a good chance for Sandow to cost the Miz too.” Oscar Dronjak (Hammerfall): “With both Big Show and Kane in the match, it would be easy to pick one of them. But I bet one of the other big men (Mark Henry and Erick Rowan come to mind) will be able to stir the pot a little and let Curtis Axel make his late father proud. My pick: Curtis Axel proves he’s got ‘perfect’ blood running through his veins.”
US Title Match Rusev vs John Cena
Dan Kenney (Suicide Silence): “Cena. WWE and the fans like him too much to lose to Rusev.” Howard Jones (Devil You Know): “John Cena will not win. Classic United States vs. Russia scenario – Rusev wins and then puts on a pair of socks. Wrestling barefoot? No thanks.” **Crobot: **“A low blow got him there but Rusev won’t last long in the ring with John Cena if he plays by the rules.” Jacob Field (The One Hundred): “I think Cena could lose again. It seems too obvious if Rusev loses at Mania just for Cena to get payback from Fastlane, it could be a curveball. Moreso, I can’t imagine Cena as the US Champion as it was nearly a decade ago he last won it. I think it would add depth if he lost. Rusev win.” Charlie Wilson (Counting Days): “We’ve all seen Rocky IV, Cena to be completely destroyed until he makes the Bulgarian Russian submit in the STFU. Still, I like the idea of Cena as US Champ.” **Oscar Dronjak (Hammerfall): **“At first I thought ‘there’s no way John Cena loses to a Russian on PPV’ (even if Rusev actually is Bulgarian), but then I began to wonder what Cena will need the US belt for. Rusev will dominate with his very real strength until Cena makes his comeback, but it won’t be enough. My pick: I can almost hear JR screaming ‘Rusev retains, Rusev retains!’.”
Seth Rollins vs Randy Orton
Dan Kenney (Suicide Silence): “Randy will win and this will probably be one of the better matches of the night.” Howard Jones (Devil You Know): “Seth Rollins for the win, and he will try to cash in his Money In The Bank contract and get the belt from the winner of Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns. I think it will happen. Rollins is cash money yo!” Crobot: “Seth Rollins will face his previous actions against Randy Orton with a big defeat.” **Jacob Field (The One Hundred): **“Rollins is so good, the Royal Rumble triple threat cemented his career and he’s the real deal. He deserves to be in the main event, and hopefully he’ll take The Viper out so they can focus him on cashing that briefcase in. That’d be a good end to Mania, eh?” **Charlie Wilson (Counting Days): **“For my main event theory to work I’ll have to go with Seth Rollins to win in a very very unclean manner. Although I do smell a double RKO on J&J Security.” Oscar Dronjak (Hammerfall): “Another potential show-stealer, this one. I really like Seth Rollins and think he has a bright future in the wrestling business. Kind of like Randy ten years ago, actually. He’s got the Money In The Bank briefcase, and I suspect it will come into play one way or another. My pick: surviving a couple of RKO attempts, Seth Rollins will prevail and perhaps use his MITB contract to step on his former buddy Roman Reigns’ glory later in the evening.”
Sting vs Triple H
Dan Kenney (Suicide Silence): “I have no clue. I will just go ahead and say Sting but the WWE will want HHH to win.” Howard Jones (Devil You Know): “My money is on Sting to beat Triple H. Great way to introduce himself at Wrestlemania, and I’ll be crunching on popcorn cheering him on since I’ve been watching him since I was a wee tot.” **Crobot: **“The Authority better watch their backs all night. When Sting lays down the Scorpion Death Drop, out go the lights!” Jacob Field (The One Hundred): “Triple H all the way. It’s cool to see Sting finally in the WWE and its a dream Mania match, but The Game is The Game. He was my favourite in the Attitude Era, so I can’t go turning my back on the guy now.” Charlie Wilson (Counting Days): “I think everyone really wanted Undertaker vs Sting but it’s not 1997 and it would be a very slow, dull match in this day and age. But this is still a great fantasy match for Mania! I believe Sting with beat Triple H in the Scorpion Deathlock.” Oscar Dronjak (Hammerfall): “Sting in the WWE is a very big deal, even if he is in his mid-50s now. Having him face what essentially is the new Mr. McMahon is only fitting. I doubt they brought Sting in just to lose, and Triple H can easily stand a loss. My pick: Sting.”
The Undertaker vs Bray Wyatt
Dan Kenney (Suicide Silence): “Weird plot, but I see Undertaker winning and then retiring in some weird way like going to Hell or something!” Howard Jones (Devil You Know): “The Undertaker wins. He lost to the blonde tank last year, this year he’s going to win… this could be one of the last times we see him so let’s see him go out with a win.” Crobot: “The Undertaker is walking into Wrestlemania 31 with a record of 21-1! Bray doesn’t stand a chance of escaping the Tombstone!” Jacob Field (The One Hundred): “I’m gonna have to be ‘that guy’ and say Undertaker’s return could backfire. To see him return just to lose would really rub salt in the wound for the record books, and winning wouldn’t be the same knowing that the streak was broken. Wyatt deserves the push and I’m a big fan, it has all the right ingredients to be a perfect match up. Team Wyatt.” Charlie Wilson (Counting Days): “This is the match I’m most excited about. There will be so many awesome spots in this match, the spider walk into Undertaker sitting up is going to have me jumping round the room. My prediction, however, is going with the Deadman but after one hell of a beating from Bray Wyatt.” Oscar Dronjak (Hammerfall): “The build-up to this match has been fantastic, the lightning stunt on the chair was awesome and vintage ‘Taker. He will most certainly not lose at two WrestleManias in a row, and Bray Wyatt has got enough momentum to withstand a loss, and the Undertaker can’t be denied a win on this big stage. My pick: despite run-ins by Luke Harper and Erick Rowan, the Undertaker will rise again and deliver a Tombstone for the win.”
WWE World Heavyweight Title Match Brock Lesnar vs Roman Reigns
Dan Kenney (Suicide Silence): “Brock wins. He’s WWE’s biggest attraction and Reigns just isn’t there yet. I think Reigns is way cooler and a much better wrestler. Wish he’d win.” Howard Jones (Devil You Know): “I’m going with Brock Lesnar to retain the title, simply because he is basically a tank with blonde hair.” Crobot: “We’re not too sure how Roman Reigns could climb the mountain of man that is Brock Lesnar, but neither could stand up against the legendary Andre The Giant. That behemoth was Mount Everest!” Jacob Field (The One Hundred): “I’d love to see Lesnar win because I’m a Heyman Guy, although I can’t see it happening. I think we’ll have a new crowned champ, possible Shield reunion, Heyman manager.” Charlie Wilson (Counting Days): “My prediction is for Reigns to overcome Brock Lesnar but for Seth Rollins to cash in his Money In The Bank contract after the match and leave with the belt, or Reigns will also beat Seth Rollins, Boo-lieve that! But I’d like to just see Brock F5 everyone in the Levi’s Stadium.” Oscar Dronjak (Hammerfall): “Given the unstable nature of Lesnar’s contract situation and the company’s huge belief in Reigns (kind of reminds me of the Diesel push in ’94) I would be a fool to pick anybody else. My pick: Roman Reigns.”
WrestleMania 31 takes place this Sunday 29th March
