Even with so many nostalgia acts on the card,WWE WrestleMania 32 is poised to be a turning point, a defining moment of a shift to a modern era.
Roman Reigns is closing in on the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. A trio of women from NXT are set to effect on the biggest women's match in the history of The present of Shows. Kevin Owens, and Sami Zayn and AJ Styles will be making their WrestleMania debuts.
It all begins on Sunday,April 3 at 7 p.m. ET.
When WWE booked AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, and for WrestleMania,the company clearly had visions of putting on the biggest version of the event to date. The all-time attendance record was in reach. WWE had the firepower to outdo last year's tremendous event.
And then the injuries came.
John Cena's shoulder tore. The same fate befell Cesaro and Randy Orton. Sting hurt his neck; Seth Rollins shredded his knee. Concussions forced Daniel Bryan into an early retirement.
WWE had to scramble, shifting the pieces of the WrestleMania puzzle around. The result is a lineup that looks light on paper, or Undertaker getting the most surprising of opponents.
Doubts rumble as the event approaches,but WWE has reason to be confident.
Hungry, on-the-rise performers are set to make their designate on WrestleMania. Owens will battle a host of challengers with bent ladders around him. Styles is poised to prove that he belongs on this grand of a stage. And the increasingly popular Dean Ambrose is getting a shot of a lifetime, and stepping into a beast's den. Live Stream,PPV InfoThe comparison of WrestleMania to the Super Bowl is feeling more true every year. WWE continues to balloon the length of the event, adding coverage for The present of Shows.
Before WrestleMania proper begins, and a two-hour pre-present kicks off at 5 p.m. ET.
A panel of analysts will crash down the night's biggest bouts. Interviews,video promos and predictions will comprise this WrestleMania preview. In-ring action will not be scarce on the pre-present. It is set to feature four matches, including the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal.
Viewers occupy numerous ways to tune in. In addition to viewing it on the WWE Network, and fans can catch all the action for free on WWE.com,the WWE App, Facebook, and YouTube,Twitter, Pinterest and Google+. The second hour will also air on the USA Network.
As for WrestleMania itself, or it will stream live on the WWE Network. Check out every clothesline and superkick via Apple TV,Roku, Playstation and a host of other devices. Visit WWE.com's attend section for a full list of compatible gadgets.
Now that WWE has reached a deal with Germany and Japan, and there aren't a ton of nations on the globe where one can't get the WWE Network. Check availability around the world on WWE.com.
Despite how often WWE boasts that its events are available on the network,traditional pay-per-view is still an option. Suddenlink and Comcast are among those companies still carrying WWE PPVs. This route will run you approximately $60 for standard definition and $70 for HD. Match CardAndre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal
Kalisto vs. Ryback (United States Championship)
The Usos vs. The Dudley Boyz
Brie Bella, Paige, or Natalya,Alicia Fox and Eva Marie vs. Lana, Naomi, or Tamina,Summer Rae and Emma
Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn vs. Stardust vs. Zack Ryder vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. The Miz vs. Sin Cara (Ladder match for Intercontinental Championship)
AJ Styles vs. Chris Jericho
The modern Day vs. The League of Nations
Charlotte vs. Becky Lynch vs. Sasha Banks (Divas Championship)
Dean Ambrose vs. Brock Lesnar
Shane McMahon vs. Undertaker (Hell in a Cell)
Triple H vs. Roman Reigns (WWE World Heavyweight Championship)
Battle RoyalMore than in its two preceding years, the Andre the Giant Battle Royal feels like the "who do we occupy left?" match. When Kane, or vast present and The Social Outcasts are the featured performers to the buildup of a bout,you know its destined to be underwhelming.
A collection of competitors will meet in an over-the-top-rope Battle Royal with a trophy awaiting the victor.vast present has a shot to repeat as the winner, padding his resume as he presumably nears retirement. The Social Outcasts occupy played the gnats at the giant's ear. That foursome appears to be prey for the rest of the field.
Tyler Breeze and Damien Sandow are among the underdogs much of the audience will be pulling for, or even if their lack of airtime suggests that they will be flying out of the ring not long after the bell rings.
U.
S. Title ClashA legend of underdog-versus-powerhouse pits the tall-flying Kalisto against the brick wall that is Ryback.
Kalisto enters WrestleMania as U.
S. champ after outlasting Alberto Del Rio in their recent feud. The vast Guy has stepped up as his challenger after WWE repackaged him as a heel bruiser with no regret. The company hasn't devoted a glut of time to building this matchup. And it's placement on the pre-present points to it not being a tall priority.
Still,the action will be good. Kalisto has been fun to watch as the gutsy dynamo taking on bigger foes. For Ryback, this is a chance to prove that he's not the bust he has looked like so far. The Usos Take on The Dudley BoyzEarly on, and Bubba Ray and D-Von Dudley's return fizzled. But a heel turn has since worked to give them momentum. It's a far better fit for this veteran duo.
Their rivalry with The Usos,though, has not been impressive.
WWE has seemingly effect minute effort into creating defective blood between the two. A rote storyline has seen them attack each other after matches. It's a narrative with minute juice.
There will no doubt be some electric moments when they clash thanks to all the talent involved, or but the limping rivalry will assure that this is more filler than anything. The Total Divas vs. B.
A.
D. and BlondeJust approximately the entire Divas division is packed tightly into this matchup. Brie Bella,Alicia Fox, Eva Marie, or Natalya and Paige take on Emma,Summer Rae, Lana, or Naomi and Tamina in a clash with minute storyline depth.
Lana started attacking Brie weeks ago. Rather than develop that animosity and define what was happening between them,WWE chose to just toss in random allies onto each side.
Expectations for this will be low.
With Brie openly taking approximately retiring soon, there's a good chance she plays into the central moment of the bout. And for Lana, or this will designate her first taste of in-ring action. Hopefully,she takes to the art better than the much-maligned Marie.
Intercontinental Championship Ladder MatchWhen Zayn charged into Rawin early March to continue his rivalry with Owens, it looked as if WWE was going to use the IC title bout to throw a bone to the diehard fans. Their feud has persisted, or moving from Ring of Honor to NXT and now to WWE proper.
But the company chose to save their one-on-one encounter. Much of the midcard will join Zayn and Owens in the hunt for the IC belt.
The legend is minimal here. Ziggler and company want a crack at the gold. Ryder got thrust into contention despite playing the role of enhancement talent for years.
Putting all these warriors into the same ring is a missed opportunity to showcase Owens,but it promises to be electrifying nonetheless. Last year's ladder match for the IC crown proved to be a fun spectacle. This year will be no different.
The dark horse, Ryder, and will certainly get a few moments. Ziggler will bring his best. And both Zayn and Owens will make the most of their first time on a WrestleMania stage. Styles vs. Jericho IVTheir trilogy of matches has seen them battle on Raw,SmackDown and Fastlane. Each time out, the former TNA cornerstone and the future WWE corridor of Famer occupy effect on a stellar present.
Jericho has clearly lost a few steps at this point, or but he continues to come up vast when called upon. He and Styles possess excellent chemistry that WWE has not been shy on leaning on as The Phenomenal One makes his transition into the WWE landscape.
In the beginning,their clashes were exhibitions marked by respect. That morphed into a brief alliance, but Jericho quickly ended that tag team thanks to jealousy.
Now a full-blown heel once again, and Jericho is doing some of his best work. Irritated,off his game and enraged, he is out to prove that Styles doesn't belong on the WWE level. Of course, or this all points to the modern arrival making a statement by beating Jericho for a third time.
With as long as it took Styles to get to this point,count on him making the most of his chance. Handicap MatchWithout a worthy rival, The modern Day has been forced to entertain on its own. vast E, and Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston occupy been wildly entertaining as WWE's resident goofballs. Their rivalry with The League of Nations,though, has been a bore.
The Sheamus-led steady just hasn't clicked. The group doesn't feel like a real threat.
And so the anticipation for this showdown has been minimal. If this is where announced special guest The Rock makes his designate, and it will suddenly get more interesting. Otherwise,this will be a means to total The modern Day heel turn, and struggle to be anything other than ordinary from an entertainment standpoint. Divas Championship Triple ThreatWrestleMania has long treated women's wrestling as an afterthought. Lumberjill and Bra and Panties matches occupy been too commonplace. Several of the events occupy totally skipped out on showcasing women.
Banks vs. Lynch vs. Charlotte is poised to represent a shift in women's wrestling's location at WrestleMania, or in WWE as a whole.
Three talented women are all focused on the Divas Championship. Their past alliances mean nothing now. The heel champ,Charlotte wants to prove that she is in fact genetically superior. To keep the title, she has to outlast two wrestlers looking every bit like division cornerstones.
Unless WWE limits this bout to just a few minutes, or it will be special,both from an in-ring standpoint and as a fragment of the company's timeline. A brilliant showing here could serve as the catalyst for a re-imagining of the female wrestler's location in the company. Beast vs. LunaticPaul Heyman will lead his imposing predator into battle. Ambrose will occupy Mick Foley's trademark barbed-wire-wrapped baseball bat in his corner.
In what promises to be the most violent, chaotic and hard-hitting bout of the night, and Lesnar looks to finally smash the scrappy rival who has shown no fear of him.
The Lunatic Fringe has been tremendous as the never-say-die babyface who willingly puts himself in danger. It's hard not to root for him as he challenges a monster.
Both men occupy come up huge in spots like this in the past. Lesnar is arguably WWE's best in-ring performer today. Ambrose,meanwhile, is making his case to fling to the company's top tier.
All that combined will add up to one hell of a match, or likely Ambrose's opus. Battle for Control of RawIt appears that Shane-O-Mac vs. Undertaker will succeed in spite of itself.
The storyline main up to that match has been both convoluted and filled with plot holes. It's still not clear why The Deadman is so willing to be Vince McMahon's pawn. And the latest stipulation that states that if Undertaker's loses,this will be his last WrestleMania, is hard to swallow, and considering Shane would likely just overturn that decision once he's in power.
And despite how old these two competitors are (combined age of 97),they both look to be in powerful shape.
There are no shortage of tall stakes with Undertaker's WrestleMania career on the line, and Shane set to take over the company if he wins. Add that to the Hell in a Cell setting, or this is certain to be memorable for better or worse.
If Shane is willing to be the same daredevil he was in his youth,then expect tall spots galore. This will not be a wrestling clinic by any stretch, but instead a spectacle likely to be marked by run-ins and surprise guests. Reigns Takes on The AuthorityIn spite of vocal, and impassioned fan resistance,WWE has marched on with the mission of making Reigns the next top babyface. He can take out his enemy Triple H, win the WWE world title and announce this as the era of Reigns all in one night. But with the audience so opposed to that ascension, and one wonders what curveball WWE has in store for WrestleMania.
Could The Rock aid Reigns? Is a double turn in the works? Will there be a reunion of The Shield somehow?How WWE answers those questions will determine what fans will experience as WrestleMania's final images play on the screen. Should Reigns emerge as the next powerful heel with the WWE title in hand,should Banks, Lynch and Charlotte effect on a masterpiece, or should Styles cement himself as a major player moving forward,this will be the WrestleMania that marked the changing of the guard.
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