NXT Takeover: In Your House Preview.

This Sunday, NXT will 'Takeover' your house when they present the 28th In Your House event in World Wrestling Entertainment history and the first under that banner in 21 years. The event marks the 25th anniversary of the first ever In Your House pay-per-view.

Despite losing the Wednesday Night Wars, on a frequent basis, NXT has been very good lately and the matches on this card have been built well - this, like the majority of the Takeover's, will be a great show.

With the exception of Adam Cole defending his NXT Championship against Velveteen Dream, that match will be cinematic and was recorded last week, the other five matches will be broadcast live from Full Sail University in Orlando Florida. 

Sunday will be the first TakeOver event to be held at Full Sail since The End in 2016.

This will be the first live WWE Network event since the company introduced Performance Center trainees in the audience, playing the role as members of the WWE Universe, so that should add to the atmosphere on the night. 

The pre-show starts at 23:30, British Summer Time, 7 pm Eastern and 4 pm Pacific.

Finn Bàlor Vs. Damian Priest. 

On the April 22nd episode of NXT, Finn Bàlor was set to face The Velveteen Dream in the main event, but was attacked backstage by a mystery assailant before the match could take place.

As Bàlor was engaged in a feud with Imperium, all fingers pointed to them being the culprits of the ambush, and when he returned to television - the former NXT Champion said it was straight out of the wrestling playbook to "attack the guy and get the push" but in this instant, the perpetrator wouldn't be "pushed", they would be "squashed".

During a match with Cameron Grimes, Bàlor was hit from behind by Damian Priest and as a result lost that contest. In the aftermath, Priest hit Bàlor with a Reckoning, on a steel chair, then placed the weapon on Bàlor's neck and said "if I want my name to live forever, why not take on a Prince. The only thing I didn't know is that I would enjoy it so much, just like I enjoyed it three weeks ago". It was Priest all along.

A week after beating Bàlor down, Priest claimed he was going to "turn the name of Finn Bàlor to ash" and the reason he putting a hurting on him was because he wants his name to "live forever".

Bàlor responded by stating he was going to "bury" Priest at TakeOver and Priest "has been treading water for the last year" while he is "20 years towards eternity" and refuses be The Archer of Infamy's "lifeline".

This rivalry has been well executed from the beginning and these two will have a great match together. The lack of physical interaction, they haven't had contact since May 13th, has built suspense to the showdown and both men are brilliant inside the squared circle. The Prince has only lost two matches since returning to the black and gold brand, while Priest needs a win after losing his last high profile match to Keith Lee. Before this feud began, Bàlor had his eyes on the NXT Championship and a win here will put him back in contention for the title.

Prediction: Finn Bàlor.

Keith Lee (c) Vs. Johnny Gargano (NXT North American Championship).

The issues between Keith Lee and Johnny Gargano began when the latter called the NXT North American Champion the latest "flavor of the month" and claimed he was "nothing", during a 'Dinner with The Garganos' segment on May 13th. Gargano's wife, Candice LeRae, also called out Mia Yim for being "undeserving" of stepping in the ring with NXT Women's Champion Charlotte Flair and accused Yim of "pandering" to the NXT Universe.

A week later, after Mia Yim defeated Santana Garrett, the Garganos made their way to the ring and while Johnny distracted Yim - Candice LeRae attacked her from behind until Lee made the save. Later that night, The Limitless one said he had a problem with the "new Gargano way" and challenged him to a match at TakeOver: In Your House.

This rivalry took a hilarious turn when Lee and Yim staged their own 'Dinner with The Garganos' and the former used lines like "my name is Johnny Gargano, I have something in common with my action figures as we are the same size" to mock his adversary. Towards the end of the segment, Lee got serious and told Gargano that his attempts to harm Yim had "consequences".

On the go-home show to this pay-per-view, LeRae (with Gargano in her corner) and Yim (with Lee accompanying her to ring side), were set to settle their issues but the match ended in a double count out.

A brawl broke out after the match, that included Dakota Kai, Raquel Gonzàlez, Tegan Nox and Shotzi Blackheart. In an attempt to regain some order, NXT General Manager William Regal, made a mixed tag team match with Gargano and Lee joining up with their respective partners. The Garganos picked up the win, after LeRae pinned Yim, but not before Mr All Heart, No Soul stuck the North American Champion in the eye with his car key.

Lee has had a long run with the North American title, he's held it since January, but with Garnano's only turning heel a few months ago - he needs a win to solidly him as one of the top villains in NXT. The eye injury, Lee sustained on the latest edition of NXT, could play a part in the finish to the match - Gargano will exploit that area and become the first man to win the North American title twice.

Winner: Johnny Gargano. 

Shotzi Blackheart, Mia Yim & Tegan Nox Vs. Raquel Gonzàlez, Candice LeRae & Dakota Kai.

These six women have had plenty off issues with each other this year and way before that in the case of Tegan Nox and Dakota Kai.

It was at NXT TakeOver: WarGames last November when Kai shocked the world by turning on Nox and the two have been trading wins ever since. Kai has used Raquel Gonzàlez to try and finally get rid of Nox but the Welsh native hasn't forgiven Kai for betraying her and their issues are far from over. Nox has found an ally in Shotzi Blackheart and those two have gone after Kai and Gonzàlez at every opportunity.

Mia Yim and Candice LeRae have found themselves in the middle of their partners feud, covered in the article above, and whatever the result here - they will have a one-on-one match in the near future to find out who the better woman is.

Both teams need a win here as none of the six women have any real momentum at the moment, due to 50/50 booking. LaRae pinned Yim on the this weeks episode of NXT, I can see the latter getting her win back this Sunday.

Winners: Mia Yim, Teagan Nox & Shotzi Blackheart.

Tommaso Ciampa Vs. Karrion Kross w/ Scarlett. 

When it comes to making a statement on your first appearance on NXT, attacking one of the cornerstones of the black and gold brand is the right way to do it. That's exactly what Karrion Kross did on April 15th when he assaulted Tommaso Ciampa backstage.

In the weeks after taking Ciampa out, Kross warned that "doomsday" was coming to NXT and that Ciampa was his first "victim". In the following weeks, Kross kept his word - hammering opponent after opponent in short order.

After a month away, Ciampa returned to NXT to confront Kross and told him NXT was "his home" and that he wasn't going to allow Kross to make a name for himself at his expense. He called Kross a "special talent" and made the challenge for NXT TakeOver: In Your House.

After Ciampa defeated Leon Ruff, on May 27th, Kross appeared on the TitanTron and said their match would be "special" and that he was going to make the former NXT Champion "feel something he has never felt before in his life".

The war of words continued this week when Ciampa stated that some wrestlers are "special" and then there is Tommaso Ciampa and this would be his thirteenth TakeOver and was unsure if Kross could handle the "pressure" of the bright lights being on him at the event.

This has potential to be match of the year as both styles suit each other, it will be a very physical encounter. Kross is making his TakeOver debut and needs to continue his unblemished run in NXT - while another loss for The Blackheart won't hurt him as he is already solidified himself as one of the greatest wrestlers in NXT history.

Winner: Karrion Kross.

Rhea Ripley Vs. Charlotte Flair (c) Vs. Io Shiari (NXT Women's Championship).

After Charlotte Flair defeated Rhea Ripley, on Day 2 of WrestleMania 36, she declared herself the "greatest women's champion in NXT history" and vowed to take the black and gold brand to "another level" as the leader of the woman's division.

Io Shiari won a number one contenders Ladder Match, on April 7th, to earn at title shot and her match with Flair ended with a disqualification after The Queen grew frustrated at her inability to put the Evil Genius of the Sky away and hit her with a kendo stick. The attack continued, post match, until Ripley made her first appearance since WrestleMania and went after Flair - who ran away from The Nightmare. As Ripley was being interviewed backstage, Shiari approached her and a fight broke out between the two - they were eventually separated by officials.

Two weeks later, Ripley and Shiari went one-on-one but Flair interrupted and beat-down both of her rivals thus leading to this Triple Threat Match.

Seven days later - Flair, using the ropes for leverage, pinned Shiari in a tag team match that included Chelsea Green and Ripley.

The great thing about this match is all thing women have a chance of winning, making the contest unpredictable and exciting.

Shiari has had a number of brilliant matches in the past year, her match with Candice LeRae at TakeOver: Toronto, was one of the best matches of 2019 and she deserves to finally get her hands on the title that has alluded her she since made her NXT debut in 2018.

Ripley had a great 2019 - winning at WarGames, Survivor Series and pinning Flair on Smackdown. She represented NXT well and has looked strong since she returned to television two months ago.

Flair has brought prestige and star power to NXT and won't drop the title this soon. As a Raw superstar, the red brand's current champion is already engaged in a feud, so Flair would have very little room to maneuver on Monday night's. Whoever isn't involved in the fall, should be Flair's next contender for the title.

Winner: Charlotte Flair.

Adam Cole (c) Vs. The Velveteen Dream (Backlot Brawl for The NXT Championship).

After chasing Adam Cole and the NXT Championship for months, The Velveteen Dream will get his
last shot at the leader of The Undisputed ERA this Sunday. In a summit with NXT General Manager William Regal, Cole only agreed to this match on the condition of Dream not receiving another title opportunity while he is the champion.

Cole's issues with Dream can be traced back to last October when him and the rest of The Undisputed Era threw The Dream off a truck, in the parking lot, and took him out of action for several months.

Upon his return from injury, 16 weeks later, Dream immediately targeted the his foes - mainly Roderick Strong and the psychological warfare begun, with Dream wearing ring attire with the faces of Strong's wife and child on them. Strong and Dream faced off in a Steel Cage Match, in which the latter lost on purpose but locked himself in side the structure with Cole and put a beating on The Panama City Playboy. 

Dream revealed that his plan all along was to get his hands on Cole and more importantly - the NXT Title and was only using Strong as a "pawn". Dream got his wish on the May 6th edition of NXT but lost due to distractions from the other member of the Undisputed ERA.

The two have had plenty of verbal back and forth, with Cole saying Velveteen's dream of winning the title will "be over" at TakeOver and Dream does not "deserve" this final chance at the title.

The Dream reminded Cole that he has beaten him in the past, a tag match on April 22nd, and he will be "the greatest NXT Champion of them all" when he beats Cole.

This will be the first Backlot Brawl in NXT history and with the match having no disqualification the rest of the Undisputed ERA can interfere. Dream has found an unlikely allay in Dexter Lumis but how much can he truly trust him?

This match is intriguing as Dream won't be able to challenge Cole again and Cole has beaten most of the roster during his historic 369 day run as NXT Champion.

A story broke this week that Cole's contract is up in two months and he may be looking to join his girlfriend, Dr. Britt Baker, in All Elite Wrestling. If this report is true - the WWE are unlikely to want a key member of their roster, who has not committed his long term future to them, to be in possession of an important title.

It's not quite now or never for The Velveteen Dream but he has lost high profile matches in the past and another defeat may damage him in the eyes of the WWE Universe. All good things come to an end, Cole's run with the NXT Title is the latest thing to fall into the category. 

Winner: The Velveteen Dream. 

WWE WrestleMania 36 Preview.

World Wrestling Entertainment will make history this weekend when their biggest show of the year takes place from the Performance Center, in Orlando Florida.

WrestleMania 36 will be unique for several reasons - it will be the first Show of Shows to be held in the aforementioned PC, no fans will be in attendance, a NXT Title will be on the line and it will be over two days (it's Too Big For Just One Night, if you haven't heard WWE's commentators relentlessly plug the tagline).

Many people have suggested the event should not take place, for obvious reasons, but Vince McMahon lives by the motto 'the show must go on' and it has. It will provide a good distraction and release from the doom and gloom surrounding the world at the moment.

Some wrestlers have been forced to miss the Pay-Per-View while some have chosen not to participate for health reasons. I wish those who are ill a speedy recovery and the ones who decided against performing, a pat on the back for standing up for what they believe in.

The show was taped last week and 16 matches are scheduled to take place.

For fans in the United Kingdom, the Kick-Off Show begins at 23:00, on the WWE Network.

Here's a preview of WrestleMania 36, with Rob Gronkowski hosting the show.

Sami Zayn (c) Vs. Daniel Bryan (Intercontinental Championship match).

These two have a storied history, battling in various independent promotions before they joining WWE, when Daniel Bryan was cleared to wrestle in 2018 - his first match back was teaming with Shane McMahon against Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn at WrestleMania 34.

The 2020 feud between them has been strange as it began with Zayn trying to recruit Bryan to his Artist Collective stable, that also includes Cesaro and Shinsuke Nakamura, however the leader of the Yes Movement rejected those advances and chose to team up with Drew Gulak instead.

In the build up to WrestleMania, Gulak and Bryan have gained the upper hand against their opponents.
                           

They beat Nakamura and Cesaro, on the March 20th Smackdown and a week later, Gulak pinned the former to earn his partner this Intercontinental title shot.

                          

This could be match of the night.These two are among the best wrestlers in the company and if given a considerable amount of time they will steal the show.

Zayn only won the IC Title a month ago, from Braun Strowmen in a 3-on-1 Handicap Match at Elimination Chamber, this will be his first title defense and will be desperate to keep hold of it. 

Bryan has won the IC Title at WrestleMania before but was forced to relinquish it two months after, due to injury and will be hell bent on recapturing the gold.

However, with or without the Artist Collective, Zayn is a crafty as they come and will find a way to keep hold of his title - in his first singles WrestleMania match since joining the main roster in 2015.

Winner: Sami Zayn.

Bayley (c) Vs. Tamina Vs. Lacey Evans Vs. Naomi Vs. Sasha Banks (Smackdown Women's Championship Fatal Five-Way Elimination Match).

So far this year, Bayley has beaten 50% of the participants in this match, as she established her dominance over the Smackdown women's division. 

Tamina, who recently returned to the blue brand, looked strong on her comeback - as she took out Naomi and Lacey Evans.

This week on Smackdown she pinned Naomi in a triple threat match, that also included Lacey Evans, and left Banks and Bayley laying in the middle of the ring after having her hand raised.

For the majority of her career, Tamina has been booked in a bodyguard role and has had too many injuries to be considered a serious contender in this match, she's more likely to be pinned than to win the title - despite WWE booking her well in the past fortnight.

Naomi lost to Bayley at WWE Super Showdown but pinned her in a tag team match, featuring Lacey Evens and Sasha Banks, the following night on Smackdown.

Naomi has a history of winning big matches at WrestleMania, she won this title in 2017 and the first ever WrestleMania Women's Battle Royal in 2018, but she will fall short in 2020.

Lacey Evans is doing okay since turning face last November but had her shot at Bayley, at the Royal Rumble, and lost. She will win the title this year, but not on this night.

That leaves the most interesting competitor in the match, Sasha Banks. 

                               

Banks and Bayley have ran Friday Night's with an iron first and everything was going well until Paige inserted The Boss into this match and the dynamics have changed. 

When Paige made the announcement, the WWE Universe saw the glint in Banks eye and the smirk on her face, despite her partnership with Bayley she wants that title - especially considering she hasn't held a singles one since August 2017. 

Banks has a history of stabbing people in the back and won't hesitate to do the same to Bayley but the champion could be one step ahead, as she isn't the naive 'Hugger' she once was and could be the one turn of Banks. 

The former Women's Tag Team Champions may work together, eliminate the rest of the competitors until they are the last two left and see who the better woman is.

The way this plays out will be interesting, Bayley is the longest reigning Women's Champion in Smackdown history, she's held the title for over 173 days, and has been a revelation since winning it.

Smackdown's resident role model will do whatever it takes to keep racking up those numbers and will keep hold of her title.

Winner: Bayley.

Bobby Lashley w/Lana Vs. Aleister Black.

This match was randomly announced on March 23rd, via WWE's social media accounts and they haven't appeared on Raw together since.

Black is coming off a feud with AJ Styles, where he suffered from WWE's 50/50 booking and has gone back to beating jobbers.

While Lashley dominated his program with Rusev but has not been around for weeks.

This could go either way, both need a big win, but WWE seem to have more invested in Black than they do his opponent.

I can see this developing into a long term rivalry, WrestleMania will be the first of many matches between these two.

Winner: Aleister Black.

The Street Profits (c) Vs. Austin Theory and Angel Garza w/Zelina Vega (Raw Tag Team Championship Match).

This match was also hastily announced on March 23rd, but with United States champion Andrade, teaming with Angel Garza. 

On the March 30th edition of Raw, Zelina Vega said Andrade had "suffered a serious injury to his ribs" and had been declared "medically unable to compete" but she introduced "the hottest young talent" in the WWE, Austin Theory, as his replacement.

Theory and Garza teamed with Seth Rollins on the same night, and lost to Kevin Owens and The Street Profits - Owens pinned Garza.

The Street Profits have held the titles for a month, beating Rollins and Murphy on Raw, and have grown as a team since. 

They are brilliant inside the ring and on the microphone, they will beat this make shift tag team in a high flying match.

Winners: The Street Profits.

Kevin Owens Vs. Seth Rollins.

One of the hottest feuds in the industry comes to a conclusion at WrestleMania, when these two finally go one on one.

The issues between Seth Rollins and Kevin Owens can be traced all the way back to November, when Rollins criticized the Raw brand after a poor showing at Survivor Series and questioned Owens' loyalty after he represented NXT at Takeover WarGames II. 

Owens wasn't trilled with Rollins words and hit him with a Stunner, but this was a slow burn as the returning Authors of Pain randomly started attacking The Prizefighter, who questioned whether Rollins was behind the beat downs - a claim he vehemently denied.  

On December 9th Raw, following a 2 on 1 assault in the backstage area, a hooded figure emerged from a van, it was Seth Rollins and he was revealed as the mastermind behind the whole thing.

Clearly outnumbered - Owens found allies in Samoa Joe, The Viking Raiders, The Street Profits and even The Big Show, for his ongoing war with Rollins, AOP and his new disciple Murphy.

Owens and Rollins have traded wins all year in numerous tag team encounters and interfered in each others matches, Rollins eliminated Owens from the Royal Rumble while Owens cost Rollins and Murphy the Raw Tag Team Titles.

Sick of all the back and forth, the Monday Night Messiah challenged Owens to a match "anytime, any place" and Owens chose WrestleMania.

This his where the issues between the men heated up, with both cutting brilliant promos on each other. 

Rollins claimed the Performance Center was built on his "blood, sweat, tears and sacrifice" and "nothing would exist" without him - including NXT stars like Johnny Gargano, Tommaso Ciampa, The Undisputed Era, The Women's Evolution and most importantly Owens himself. "They owe everything to him", he stated.

Rollins questioned Owens sanity, for taking up his challenge, on The Grandest Stage of Them All - where he becomes a "God" and Owens is an abject "failure".

Owens retorted by saying Rollins "wasn't liked in NXT", was a "arrogant dip-shit" and was going to have his "WrestleMania moment" by beating him.

This will be a great match and the end of a tremendous rivalry, Owens needs the win here and will get it.

Winner: Kevin Owens. 

The Kabuki Warriors (c) Vs. Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross (Women's Tag Team Championship).

Asuka has done a great job of building this feud on her own, as Kairi Sane has not wrestled since March 9th.

In backstage interviews and on commentary, she has been entertaining despite the majority of the WWE Universe unable to understand a word she is saying - the ability to keep fans engaged cannot be underestimated and shows how good The Empress of Tomorrow is. 

It's been a difficult year for the women's tag titles - they haven't been defended on PPV since Tables, Ladders and Chairs last December and haven't had much exposure on either brand due to Sane getting concussed at that event.

At the beginning of March, Bliss began to question if the Kabuki Warriors were "scared" of competition and accused them of "hiding" on Raw.

Asuka attacked Bliss, while she was teaming with Cross, against Sasha Banks and Bayley and cost them the match - on March 13th Smackdown.

Subsequently, Bliss challenged Asuka to a match and beat one half of the women's tag team champions, two weeks later.

The Kabuki Warriors defeated Bliss and Cross to win these titles, at Hell In a Cell last October, but they won't repeat the trick this weekend.

Winners: Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross.

The Undertaker Vs. AJ Styles (Boneyard Match).

In the build up to the Gauntlet Match, at WWE Supershow Down, AJ Styles claimed he would win the Tuwaiq Mountain Trophy, and move onto whoever the WWE Champion was - "it doesn't matter if it's Brock Lesner, Drew McIntyre, Roman Reigns, Shawn Michaels, Razor Ramon or The Undertaker", he declared.

During the Gauntlet Match, Styles only had Rey Mysterio left to beat but instead of waiting for his opponent, he instructed Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson to attack the master of the 619 at Gorilla Position. 

Things were going to plan and Styles instructed the referee to raise his hand in victory but a mysterious man attacked The Greatest Tag Team in the World, that man was The Undertaker. 

The Deadman walked to the ring, hit Styles with a chokeslam and became the first person to win the Tuwaiq Mountain Trophy.

Four days later, on Raw, Styles pinned Aleister Black, using The Undertaker's signature rest-in-peace cover. 

The Undertaker retaliated at Elimination Chamber, by helping Black beat Styles in a No Holds Barred match.

Tired of losing again, due to The Undertaker's interference, Styles verbally unloaded on Mark Calaway and his wife Michelle McCool, in one of the best promos of his career.

         

Styles made things personal, this was this first time McCool had been acknowledged as The Undertaker's wife on Raw or Smackdown.

It was only a matter of time before The Undertaker responded and he did a week later, during what was supposed to be his and Styles' contract signing. 

The Death Valley native stormed down the entrance ramp but this was more Calaway than Undertaker. He hammered Gallows and Anderson, who brought the contract to the ring as Styles thought discretion was the better part of valour on this occasion, and signed the paperwork to make their match official.

The Phenomenal One continued to address The Undertaker as a "wash up legend" and put real life images of him and his wife, on the TitanTron, he then challenged the veteran to a 'Boneyard Match' at WrestleMania.

On the 'go home' edition of Raw, it was The Undertaker's turn to get personal with Styles. He questioned why it took him so long to make it to the WWE and suggested he was scared of real stars like Booker T, Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock and Mick Foley. 

The Undertaker then stated his wife's Faithbreaker was more "over" than Styles' finisher, the Styles Clash.

Despite cutting several promos, during his 30 years in the company, this must rank as one of The Undertaker's best.

                  

         

The build up to this match has been fantastic and is one of the most anticipated on the card.

Both men have a good record at WrestleMania, Styles has won three out of four, while The Undertaker is 24-2.

This could go either way but The Undertaker will add Styles to his impressive list on souls at WrestleMania.

Winner: The Undertaker.

John Cena Vs. 'The Fiend' Bray Wyatt (Firefly Fun House Match).

Just when it seemed John Cena was not going to participate at this years Show of Shows, The Fiend emerged on the ramp, pointed at the WrestleMania sign and the 16-time world champion tipped his hat in acceptance to the challenge.

Cena and Wyatt faced off at WrestleMania XXX and Cena won, that loss sent Wyatt into a downward spiral until HE saved him.

The Fiend is a totally different proposition for Cena to contend with, and this match is being held under rules that benefit him.

Cena is aiming to take out the most "over hyped, over valued, over privileged" WWE superstar in existence but The Fiend is looking to right the wrongs from six years ago.

Wyatt claimed Cena "broke" him then but The Fiend put him back together and as revenge, Cena will be "slaughtered".

After losing The Universal Championship to Goldberg, three months ago, The Fiend needs to rebound with a win and should do convincingly.

In the past, Cena has said nobody is ready to take his spot as the biggest star in the company but if he wins here - he will be denying The Fiend the chance to do just that.

Winner: 'The Fiend' Bray Wyatt.

Rhea Ripley (c) Vs. Charlotte Flair (NXT Women's Championship).

This match was one of first announced for WrestleMania 36 and is the result of Rhea Ripley throwing the gauntlet down to Charlotte Flair after The Queen won the Women's Royal Rumble.

After weeks of delaying her decision - Flair attacked Ripley at the conclusion her match against Bianca Belair at NXT Takeover: Portland and accepted the challenge.

Flair and Ripley have appeared on each other's brands and had wild brawls, the latest occurred on Wednesday, when the 10-time women's champion attacked The Nightmare in the PC parking lot.

Flair has been quick to remind Ripley of her legacy in NXT, she held the Women's Championship on the black and gold brand for 258 days however the current champion insists it's her time now and "to be the best, you have to beat the best".

Ripley has had a fantastic run lately, from leading her NXT team to victory at last year's Survivor Series to pinning Sasha Banks to dethroning Shayna Bazsler for the title however all good things come to an end and so do title reigns.

Flair has never lost a one-on-one match at WrestleMania, she became the inaugural Women's Champion at 32 and ended Asuka's undefeated streak two years later.

Flair will bring star power to NXT and prestige to the Women's Championship, this will be a brilliant match, and we will see a new champion.

Winner: Charlotte Flair. 

Becky Lynch (c) Vs. Shayna Baszler (Raw Women's Championship).

Becky Lynch arrives at WrestleMania with a title she has held for a record 361 days and with no intention of giving it up but she may have no choice as Shayna Baszler plans to rip it out of her hands.

On February 9th, Baszler made her Raw debut, attacking Lynch from behind and savagely biting the back of her neck. With blood pouring from her mouth and Lynch riving in pain, Baszler made a statement from the get go.

Later that night, Lynch drove herself back to the arena in an ambulance and vowed to "break Baszler down little by little" and warned that she is coming for her.

During the contract signing for the women's Elimination Chamber Match, the winner would receive a title shot at WrestleMania, Lynch confronted Baszler and a pull apart brawl ensued. 

At the Chamber, The Queen Of Spades set a record, by defeated all of the women in the match and her path to WrestleMania was clear. 

The two women exchanged words the following week, Lynch admitted Baszler is her "biggest threat" but will "break her face" and The Submission Magician stated the champion could do "nothing to stop her from taking the title".

As WrestleMania drew closer the verbals between the two combatants stopped. 

While Baszler was having a sit down interview, Lynch attacked her with a steel chair and beat her down.

Not to out done, Baszler ambushed Lynch and applied the Kirifuda Clutch, while The Man was cutting a promo on Monday's Raw. As Lynch faded, Baszler viciously swung her head into the announce table, it's clear the time for talking is over.

Both have had their moments in this intense rivalry and Baszler will have the biggest when she lifts the title at WrestleMania.

You can't keep a good woman down, Lynch will come back stronger, but it's Baszler time now.

Winner: Shayna Baszler.

Otis Vs. Dolph Ziggler w/Mandy Rose

The love triangle between Dolph Ziggler, Otis and Mandy Rose has been one of the most interesting parts of Smackdown lately.

It took Otis weeks to pluck up the courage to ask Rose out but when he eventually did, she said yes and they were set for a Valentine's Day date. 

This is when things started to go wrong for Otis, who had captured the hearts of the WWE Universe with his romantic gestures towards Rose, as someone used her phone to text him 'I'm going to be late'. Once he arrived at the restaurant, Ziggler had swooped in and was having dinner with Rose - Otis was devastated, he dropped the flowers he had brought for his date and left without saying a word.

Ziggler began trash talk Otis and put Instagram images of him and Rose on the TitanTron, during Heavy Machinery's match against The Miz and John Morrison. Otis put the Smackdown Tag Team Champions through the ringside barrier as he finally exploded after weeks of being provoked.

Otis and The Showoff agreed to settle this at WrestleMania and it was revealed on last night's episode of Smackdown that the Valentine's Day plan concocted by Sonya Deville and Ziggler

Otis will finally get his hands on Ziggler at WrestleMania and will give fans a feel good moment when he beats Ziggler. Rose will leave Deville and begin to manage Heavy Machinery.

Winner: Otis. 

Goldberg (c) Vs Braun Strowman (Universal Championship Match).

This match was announced on the last Smackdown before WrestleMania. 

We know Goldberg was scheduled to face Roman Reigns but The Big Dog will not appear on the show for undisclosed reasons.

With no build up to discuss, I'm going straight to my prediction and that is Braun Strowman will finally win his first world title.

The Monster Among Men is not has over as he was in 2018 but a convincing win over Goldberg would be a good start to rebuilding him.

In the past, WWE have sacrificed their full time wrestlers for short term booking, but I don't see that happening this time.

Winner: Braun Strowman.

Elias Vs. King Corbin.

This match was made official by the host of WrestleMania, Rob Gronkowski after King Corbin attempted to intimidate The Gronk and his friend Mojo Rawley.  

Elias has been a thorn in Corbin's side for weeks, singing insulting songs about the 2019 King of The Ring at every opportunity.

Corbin got some payback on Smackdown, last week, when he launched Elias off a podium onto the concrete floor and it is unknown if Elias will be able to compete at WrestleMania. 

If he is fit enough, Elias will have his hand raised, with an assist from The Gronk.

Winner: Elias.  

The Miz & John Morrison Vs. The New Day Vs. The Usos (Smackdown Tag Team Championship Triple Threat Ladder Match).

The champions have looked strong since winning the Smackdown Tag Team Titles from The New Day at WWE Supershow Down, in February.

They survived the Elimination Chamber and have the momentum going into what promises to be a brilliant match.

All six men have been in Ladder matches before and there is no telling what moves they will pull off to gain or retain the titles.

                         

It has been 20 years since a triple threat Ladder Match took place at WrestleMania, if this is a good as that one, we are in for a treat.

The Usos are one of the best teams in history and don't need the titles to prove that and The New Day lost the gold to The Miz & John Morrison only two months ago.

If it's not broke, don't fix it, The Miz & Morrison will keep hold of their titles.

Winners: The Miz & John Morrison. 

Edge Vs. Randy Orton (Last Man Standing Match). 

Edge’s return to WWE went from euphoric to catastrophic in 24 hours thanks to Randy Orton, however a chance for retribution will come when they go one-on-one on The Grandest Stage of Them All - in what will be a brutal Last Man Standing Match. 

The Rated R Superstar shocked the world when he came out at number 21, during the Royal Rumble, and looked like he never been away - eliminating three men and lasting 23 minutes before being tossed out by Roman Reigns. It was his first in-ring appearance in nine years, after being forced to retire due to a neck injury.

The next night on Raw, Edge received a huge pop as he made his way to the ring and was about to announce his future plans, until he was interrupted by Orton. 

The Viper, who was one of the men Edge discarded from the Royal Rumble, looked happy to see his former Rated-RKO partner and proposed a possible reunion, then he suddenly struck with a RKO. 

Not content with that, Orton took a page out of Edge's play book and hit him with a one man con-chair-to as booed rang around the area - in what was a reprehensible act even by Orton's standards.

           

After such a heinous attack, the WWE Universe demanded answers from Orton but he refused to comment, and let his actions do the talking by giving Matt Hardy the same vicious treatment he gave Edge.

When Edge’s wife, fellow Hall of Famer Beth Phoenix came to Raw to provide a medical update on his condition, she was interrupted by Orton - who looked like the voices in his head were turned up to 100.

The Viper finally explained his actions towards Edge, claiming he was trying to prevent him from sustaining further injuries and that "Edge was a junkie for the roar of the crowd" and Phoenix was his "enabler".

Orton mentioned Lyric and Ruby, the couple's children, and was slapped by Phoenix as a result - he responded with an RKO.

            

The following week Edge came down to the ring, during an MVP Lounge segment, and called Orton out. 

Miffed about being cut off, MVP asked Edge how his wife was, and was Speared as a result, but that distraction was enough for Orton to attack Edge but he was greeted with a stunning RKO.

As Edge looked to return the con-chair-to favor, Orton ran away like a scolded dog but MVP wasn't so lucky and received a wicked con-chair-to. 

On March 16th Raw, Edge challenged Orton to a Last Man Standing Match at WrestleMania, he accepted a week later.

This is the most personal match on this card and the history between these two men make it a very special contest.

          

As it is Edge's first singles match back, his last was against Alberto Del Rio at WrestleMania XXVII, he should go over here. 

He has so many other wrestlers to compete with and what is left to do after this match with Orton - they have pulled out all the stop leading up to WrestleMania and the brawl itself will be unforgettable.

Winner: Edge.

Brock Lesnar (c) Vs. Drew McIntrye (WWE Championship Match).

For the first time ever, Drew McIntrye will go one-on-one with Brock Lesnar, in a match fitting for WrestleMania.

McIntrye earned this opportunity by winning the Royal Rumble, eliminating Lesner in the process, and he hasn't looked back since.

It usually takes the winner of the Rumble a few weeks to decide what brand's champion they want to face, but McIntrye had no such issue, he chose Lesnar the Raw after the Rumble - without hesitation. Once he made his intentions clear, McIntrye had a target on his back and Lesnar punished him with an F-5, on the same night.

Things between Lesnar and McIntrye cooled off after that, as The Beast Incarnate successfully defended his WWE Championship against Ricochet at WWE Supershow Down, while McIntrye was stacking up wins against MVP and Rowan.

The March 3rd Raw saw the issues between the two go up a level after McIntrye destroyed Lesner with several Claymore Kicks. The WWE Universe was stunned, as it is rear to see Lesnar in that type to predicament, but McIntrye was not scared of Lesnar and had problem showing it.

            

That was the last physical interaction between the two, however Lesnar's advocate Paul Heyman has been quick to remind everybody how dangerous his client is and what he has accomplished during his career.

            

McIntyre wasn't bothered by Heyman's verbiage and vowed to "pin Lesnar and become the new WWE Champion" at WrestleMania.

On the go-home Raw before WrestleMania, Heyman reaffirmed his belief that Lesnar would retain his title and McIntyre would be another victim for his client.

            

McIntrye has not responded to Heyman's latest comments but is training hard in the Scottish Highlands so that he is ready for the biggest challenge of his 19 year career.

When he was fired, from the WWE in 2014, The Scottish Psychopath worked his ass off so he could get in this position and won't let this opportunity slip threw his hands.

In 2009, Vince McMahon called McIntrye "the chosen one" and said he would become "a world champion", that prediction is about to come true.

Winner: Drew McIntrye.