10 Things I Want To See This WrestleMania Weekend

WrestleMania Weekend is the craziest time of them all. What does your new favorite referee want to see from the weekend?

As all of us know, the biggest three days in wrestling are upon us: WrestleMania Weekend. Just about every notable promotion will be gathering in New York City to feature their own unique show or convention ahead of Sunday’s main event.

Unless you’re physically in New York this weekend, it’s going to be quite difficult to get eyes on every note-worthy indy wrestling show. For that reason, this list will primarily be focusing on the three big events: NXT TakeOver: New York, G1 Supercard, and WrestleMania 35.

Torch Passes

Pete Dunne has held his NXT UK Championship for about 23 months now. For the entirety of that reign fans have felt he deserves to be at the top of the main roster. He needs to drop the title in order to do that. Walter is a guy that more casual fans may be seeing for the first time. In what is sure to be a hellacious match, there is an opportunity for fans to invest in Walter, NXTUK, and the future of Pete Dunne.

Shayna Baszler has been a model heel champion for NXT but there’s going to be a void to fill if Ronda Rousey is indeed moving on. On the Raw after Mania, have Ronda introduce her and allow her to lay out whoever is Women’s Champion. As for TakeOver, Bianca Belair should win. If Belair transitions back into a full-blown heel, she could have great future feuds with Io Shirai, Candice LeRae, and Tegan Nox.

TIME BOMB

Hiromu Takahashi has been on the shelf with a neck injury since last summer and his return draws nearer with each day. I don’t know what his health is like so I don’t want him in a physical role. At G1 Supercard, EVIL and Sanada are in a winner-take-all tag team match against Villain Enterprises, The Briscoes, and the Guerillas of Destiny. If he can find a way to help LIJ pick up the win, Madison Square Garden will surely pop.

The Golden Star Wins Gold

Not only did Kota Ibushi lose his NEVER Openweight Championship too soon, but I feel that Tetsuya Naito’s Intercontinental Title reign has run its course. I’m not a fan of Naito treating his belts like they don’t mean anything and apparently neither is Ibushi. My ultimate hope is that Naito is the one that beats Jay White for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. A logical story could be that Naito’s loss to Ibushi would teach him to cherish NJPW’s titles with more honor and wanting to prove it by finally getting his prominent title run with the top belt.

KO-Mania

As of right now, Sunday sadly wont be KO-Mania 3. The timing of Kevin Owens’ return from injury made it difficult to squeeze him into the card. If he turns up in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal, he needs to be the clear favorite. If Rey Mysterio, is unable to compete due to injury Owens should be first on the list to replace him (and win). I don’t want him added to Kofi’s match, however. That story has been told properly and should remain untouched.

Aleister Black Turns

Lately, Aleister Black and Ricochet have been working as a tag team. On the main roster that’s all they’ve appeared as so far. They’re competing for the NXT Tag Team Championships on Friday and the Smackdown Live Tag Team Championships on Sunday. I don’t expect them to win either match. After the second loss on Sunday, Black will be fed up. These are two guys that can compete as singles stars at the top of any card. They’re not tag team wrestlers. The only reason they started teaming with each other is because they were the two most popular NXT guys left without a storyline. Splitting them up will propel them into their first real story on the main roster. We would also get our first look at a heel Aleister Black.

Demon’s Debut Done Right

Fans of NXT have been waiting to see Finn’s Mania entrance as The Demon since his debut in 2014. We’re finally getting it on Sunday. Every time we saw it at an NXT TakeOver, the entrance was more unique than the last. We’ve seen superstars like Shawn Michaels and Alexa Bliss descend from pedestals they stood on. Imagine that concept except Finn is perched like a gargoyle and has demon wings that are capable of flapping. To top it off, he’s wearing a medieval crown to pay homage to his Prince Devitt and Demon King personas.

Another Game of Thrones Tribute

Two Manias ago, Seth Rollins was billed as “The Kingslayer”. Last year he wore neon blue eyes to the ring. Both of these are Game of Thrones references. With the final season premiere of GoT exactly a week after WrestleMania 35, it seems more appropriate than ever. Seth has promised to be the “Beastslayer” this time around so I wouldn’t mind something simple with a shield and sword.

Elias Steals The Show

For weeks Elias has been promoting his big performance at MetLife Stadium. Hopefully this doesn’t mean his typical routine of sitting on a stool in the middle of the ring. I want to see a performance that will make the Super Bowl Halftime Show look like an open mic night. If it turns into an interruption from John Cena, Lacey Evans, or whoever, so be it. Just make it so overly ostentatious that it will give someone a reason to crash it.

The Miz Takes Flight

If you’ve been watching Smackdown, you know that the Miz/Shane McMahon storyline is rooted in the approval of Miz’s father. But remember, the whole reason Miz’s dad was a fan of Shane was because Shane performed dangerous feats from high places. Mr. Miz loves cruiserweights, and high flying moves, etc. Right before Shane turned heel at Fastlane, The Miz had just cost them the match by uncharacteristically attempting a frog splash. Their match Sunday is Falls Count Anywhere. Have Miz win with a leg drop off a ladder onto a table.

The Main Event Gets 30 Minutes

The main event should be the longest match of the night. That wasn’t nearly the case last year (and for good reason). Last year’s main event was always destined to fail but it’s quite the opposite this time around. We’ve never seen women headline WrestleMania so the fans are going to let them shine. Each woman involved has excelled when asked to deliver in a high profile match. Well there’s nothing more high profile than this. Yes, it’s the first ever women’s main event but it’s also only the second women’s main card match out of twelve total. They deserve all the time in the world. If the plan is to put Charlotte over instead of Becky Lynch, at least the fans can go home knowing they witnessed a classic.