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Will Becky Lynch make an appearance for WrestleMania 41? (Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports)
USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect / Reuters
It’s been a slightly stuttering ride on the road to WrestleMania 41 this year. While the wrestling landscape has been reeling from the John Cena heel turn, progress with building that all-important WrestleMania card hasn’t been particularly speedy (or, in some cases, all that exciting either).
After the latest “WWE SmackDown,” we had two more matches confirmed: Randy Orton going up against Kevin Owens, and three of WWE’s rockstar names — Roman Reigns, CM Punk and Seth Rollins — heading for a triple threat that might just headline the first night of WrestleMania.
What else might be on the horizon for this year’s biggest PLE? Here are my predictions.
Naomi vs. Jade Cargill
While I’d hesitate to rule out another swerve in the circumstances, a grudge match between these two looks like the most likely outcome from the long-running “whodunit” storyline around Jade Cargill’s injury.
Watching the musclebound Cargill deliver an absolute thrashing to Naomi was the perfect way to start Elimination Chamber earlier this month, so let’s hope their eventual showdown meets the high standards fans will be expecting.
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The Jade Cargill vs. Naomi feud continues to pick up steam since WWE Elimination Chamber. (Rich Freeda/WWE via Getty Images)
WWE via Getty Images
Bron Breakker vs. Dominik Mysterio
Roll back the calendar a few months and I was sure we were heading for a Sheamus grand-slam moment at WrestleMania 41, as the Irish legend finally got his hands on the Intercontinental Championship. But given that Sheamus has been absent from television so far this year, that outcome is beginning to look much less likely.
Assuming Sheamus doesn’t make a big return overnight, why not lean in to the obvious chemistry between Bron Breakker and the dastardly "Dirty" Dom Mysterio, giving everyone’s favorite heel the chance to score a shocking underhand victory. Not only would it deliver a massive WrestleMania 41 moment, it would also give a much-needed jolt to the perpetually stagnant Judgment Day storyline.
Roxanne Perez vs. Bayley
Roxanne Perez has been on fire this year, setting a new endurance record at the Royal Rumble, while also having matches on all three of the weekly shows as well as Elimination Chamber. Throughout her various appearances, the one constant has been the ratcheting up of tensions with Bayley, the woman who Perez once counted as her greatest inspiration.
Surely WWE has to reward the 23-year-old with the WrestleMania match that she deserves? Given that Perez has already proven her worth at two back-to-back PLEs, anything less would feel like a massive disservice to the breakthrough talent.
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Roxanne Perez and Bayley appear to be on a collision course toward WrestleMania 41. (Georgiana Dallas/WWE via Getty Images)
WWE via Getty Images
Chelsea Green vs. Nia Jax
I may have blurred the lines into fantasy booking with this one, but it still feels like an obvious play to me. Why not put perhaps the single most popular female wrestler against the most natural heel in the entire women’s roster?
Chelsea Green has been fantastic since her well-deserved title win back in January, but that isn’t to say her run wouldn’t benefit from some real jeopardy. Making “The Irresistible Force” look like the favorite heading into 'Mania, perhaps by delivering a few beatdowns to Green and her “Secret Hervice” in the lead-up, would be the best way to capitalize on the champ’s popularity and make the fans fear the worst.
The War Raiders vs. The New Day
I think we’ve seen enough of New Day’s ongoing feud with Rey Mysterio and associated luchadores to say that it isn’t really working for the former tag-team champions. Last year’s heel turn was a real gut punch, but it's lost plenty of steam since then. Given that, it’s time to reach for the nuclear option and let the villains win the tag-team titles.
Even better if it comes at the expense of the War Raiders, the hard-working duo whose reputation has been boosted by all those “nice guy” package videos.
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The New Day's heel turn had a promising start, but where is it leading? (WWE/Getty Images)
WWE via Getty Images
Lyra Valkyria vs. Becky Lynch
If you’d have asked me in January whether Becky Lynch would be showing up at WrestleMania 41, I’d have considered it a near certainty — particularly since “The Man” was spotted at Netflix headquarters in the run-up to the “WWE Raw” on Netflix premiere.
Having skipped the Rumble and the Elimination Chamber, Lynch’s chances of a main event spot are kaput. So why not give her the chance to elevate her fellow Irishwoman Lyra Valkyria to the main stage by giving the former Women’s World Champion a run at Valkyria's Intercontinental Championship?
Lynch gave a similar leg-up to Tiffany Stratton in 2024 when the two battled over the NXT Women’s Championship, and look how well that paid off.
Logan Paul vs. AJ Styles
Things can change quickly this time of year, but right now this looks like the most likely outing for “The Social Media Megastar,” who has established himself as a fixture of WrestleManias in recent years. A one-on-one with AJ Styles might lack the high-stakes feel of some of Logan Paul’s other PLE outings, but you’d be foolish to bet against these two putting on a banger.
It also gives Paul a chance to buck the trend of racking up WrestleMania losses, particularly if the two are willing to run it back when we get to WWE Backlash in May.
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AJ Styles in action against Logan Paul during "WWE Raw." (WWE via Getty Images)
WWE via Getty Images
Drew McIntyre vs. Damian Priest
While fans might not be blown away with excitement for this one, it still looks like the most likely option for Priest and McIntyre, who last squared off in the Elimination Chamber earlier this month.
McIntyre’s booking has been a bit of a mystery recently, so let’s keep our fingers crossed that WWE can defy the doubters.
Solo Sikoa vs. Jacob Fatu
Ever since Jacob Fatu assumed the enforcer position in Solo Sikoa’s imitation Bloodline, there’s been an expectation that these two are headed for a 'Mania match. That certainly seemed to be the direction on last week’s “WWE SmackDown” when tensions between the duo finally came to the surface after Bloodline interference inadvertently cost Fatu a shot at the U.S. Championship.
Assuming that the Samoan showdown does go ahead, let’s hope it doesn’t go the way of the Jimmy Uso vs. Jey Uso match at last year’s WrestleMania, which was roundly considered to be a massive dud.
DIY vs. Los Garza vs. Motor City Machine Guns vs. The Street Profits vs. Pretty Deadly
These chaotic multi-team matches have become a recent tradition of WrestleManias. Following last year’s stellar outing to split the tag titles, I’d expect something similar for the "SmackDown" tag division, featuring the five duos from Nick Aldis’ famous whiteboard diagram: DIY, Los Garza, MCMG, The Street Profits and Pretty Deadly.
Here’s another prediction: Given that Friday's “WWE SmackDown” takes place in Pretty Deadly’s backyard, I won't be surprised if it’s the Brits who head into 'Mania as SmackDown Tag Team Champions.
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