Everyone is talking about the big changes hitting WWE over the past month. The brand split has given us two completely different rosters for Raw and SmackDown. Mick Foley and Daniel Bryan are back in General Manager roles under the leadership of Stephanie McMahon and Shane McMahon. New stars are up from NXT. Roman Reigns was suspended and has us wondering his future in the plans of WWE. Seth Rollins returned from injury and looks amazing. Dean Ambrose shockingly won the WWE Championship. Brock Lesnar’s drug test violations have sparked negative stories. Things are all over the place right now in the WWE.
It is almost impossible to predict the distant future, but only a select few performers have the realistic ability to main event WrestleMania. There are the part-time performers appearing infrequently but holding a drawing power thanks to their legendary status in the company. The current stars are building momentum and hoping to get to the next level as elite names in the industry. We can’t forget about the prospects with potential to take over the top spots in WWE. We’ll break it all down and try to play the role of psychic. These are 15 possible WrestleMania main event matches that may happen in the very near future.
15 15. Seth Rollins vs. Triple H
The original plan for Triple H at WrestleMania 32 was to enter a feud with Seth Rollins. Sadly, Rollins would suffer an injury in November forcing him to miss WrestleMania. Triple H entered a program with Roman Reigns in the main event for the WWE World Championship instead. Rollins was likely scheduled to lose the title and get turned on by Triple H, with him no longer holding the power required to be The Game’s protégé.
WWE still has that story in their back pocket. We have not seen Triple H on television since Rollins has returned. Rollins' populairty grows with each passing week and the story is still set up for a big match with Triple H. Considering the magnitude of a rare Triple H match, it would make the most sense for this to take place at WrestleMania 33. Rollins is becoming the most popular active performer in WWE and Triple H is an absolute legend. They would blow the roof off the building with a stellar match.
14 14. The Rock vs. Brock Lesnar
The two biggest names to make appearances for WWE have to be The Rock and Brock Lesnar. The Rock can’t always wrestle due to movie studios excluding potential wrestling injuries from his insurance. His busy schedule also provides difficulty in appearing enough to build up a storyline. That being said, The Rock still loves the wrestling industry and tries to find a spot on WrestleMania every year. It is a safe bet Rock will have a few more WrestleMania matches in the near future.
Lesnar is the other top name in the WWE due to his appeal as an attraction. Between his work in WWE and UFC, Brock is a name people will pay to see. Vince McMahon has been rumored to want a match between Rock and Lesnar to take place at WrestleMania, but other things keep getting in the way, like The Rock suffering a few injuries during his 2013 title reign that prevented him from wrestling the following year. The timing has never been right but WWE will go out of their way to make it happen at some point in the near future.
13 13. Finn Balor vs. A.J. Styles
WWE is trying their best to showcase new stars that already have reputations from working all over the world. Both A.J. Styles and Finn Balor ended up getting signed to the WWE at different points due to their respective stints as leaders of The Bullet Club in New Japan. Balor has finally been called up to the main roster in the recent draft. Styles was sent to SmackDown to serve as one of the top stars on the new look brand.
The history between both men will definitely set them up to cross paths at some point and separating them with the draft was a wise idea. Styles is continuing to develop more momentum as one of the top overall performers in the company. Balor has all of the tools to become a popular main event star following his unbelievable run in NXT. The two are heading to the top of WWE and their ready-made story could be the perfect storm for a WrestleMania main event, if booked correctly.
12 12. Shinsuke Nakamura vs. John Cena
Shinsuke Nakamura is on pace to become the most popular star in NXT and wrestling fans are continuously falling in love with him. His combination of elite in-ring work and a personality like no other in the WWE has made Nakamura one of the top merchandise sellers in the company already. Nakamura is likely being relegated to carrying the NXT brand for a few more months, but he should be up on the main roster by early 2017.
The potential and star power of Nakamura can make him a main event level star on WWE televisio and, as long as Vince McMahon doesn’t restrict him from getting over, Nakamura is bound to ascend to the top of the WWE. John Cena is sticking around for a few more years and his eventual showdown with Nakamura will be a huge money making match. The stage of WrestleMania is best served for stars of their quality and Nakamura versus Cena is a very possible main event for the biggest annual show.
11 11. Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor
Let’s get weird. WWE tries to make WrestleMania bigger than the wrestling business and crossover into the territory of the Super Bowl. WrestleMania has to be one of the biggest live spectacles of all entertainment each year and that typically means going after stars from other industries. Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor are respectively the biggest stars in boxing and mixed martial arts. Both men create a buzz by basically playing a wrestling character and cutting promos against their opponents.
The business acumen has led to Mayweather and McGregor teasing a potential matchup against each other to generate interest. With their different skills, the fight obviously never took place. They didn’t have the right platform, but the WWE could present them with a tempting opportunity. The big stage of WrestleMania and the big money from McGregor and Mayweather could provide the perfect scenario for all parties to make bank. Don’t be surprised if the two athletes outside of the WWE get the spot of main eventing WrestleMania one day.
10 10. Triple H vs. The Rock
WWE teased the potential The Rock and Triple H battling it out like old times back in 2015. The two engaged in competitive backstage promos when The Rock made a few random appearances on WWE television. Triple H and Rock had one of the greatest rivalries of The Attitude Era. They had a long series of matches as newcomers in the midcard and eventually competed for the WWE Championship in many memorable bouts at the top of the industry.
Rivalries never die in wrestling and they were involved in an in-ring promo at WrestleMania 31 along with Stephanie McMahon and Ronda Rousey. The Rock was not able to wrestle a big match at this past year’s WrestleMania and Triple H was busy in the main event storyline with Roman Reigns. WWE definitely wants to do this at some point, but are just waiting on the right time. The Rock could want another crack at returning to the ring and facing his arch nemesis in a WrestleMania main event.
9 9. Brock Lesnar vs. Big Cass
Vince McMahon still has a preference towards the larger wrestlers. Wrestling fans tend to reject them more due to lack of personality and their inability to keep up with the faster performers in the ring. Braun Strowman is the best example of what is wanted from a WWE Superstar, but what fans will ultimately reject. One wrestler that has both the look desired by McMahon and the organic fan support from the crowd is Big Cass.
WWE utilized Cass in a noteworthy role when Enzo Amore was out for a few weeks with a concussion back in May. It showed a glimpse into the future of how heavily pushed Big Cass will be when the tag team eventually splits up. WWE desperately needs to find some new talents that can credibly compete again the dominance of Brock Lesnar. The size, support from management and fan love could ascend Cass to the top of WWE as a WrestleMania main event match with Brock in a couple of years.
8 8. Bayley vs. Sasha Banks
The women’s division has finally started to develop the credibility it deserves. Time is the biggest factor and the fact that WWE has not gone back to the old ways yet is a great sign. The brand split has created two unique rosters of female wrestlers and the rumor is both shows will dedicate a lot of time to women’s wrestling. WWE wants the women to be treated as equal athletes to the men and the goal is for them to one day main event WrestleMania.
The best scenario for such a feat among the current performers would be Bayley and Sasha Banks. Bayley has yet to be officially called up from NXT, but has the potential to be the female version of John Cena due to her ability to connect with the younger fan base. Banks is arguably the best overall women’s wrestling performer in WWE history when at her best. The duo of Banks and Bayley had a legendary match at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn last year and have the potential to one day main event WrestleMania.
7 7. Seth Rollins vs. Finn Balor
The task of trying to think of potential WrestleMania main eventers is tough when you get past the legends that wrestle part-time. Seth Rollins and Finn Balor are two of the rare talents who are special enough to have realistic paths to the top of the WWE. The ascension of Rollins has already made him one of the top stars in the WWE and he may be on the way to passing Roman Reigns as “the guy” after the past few months of circumstances.
Balor’s drafting to the main roster has been met with great excitement and hopes of him replicating the success he achieved in NXT. The fit seems perfect for the two athletic talents to become rivals at some point in the near future. WWE has to invest in the stars of the future and these two are guys that will hit home runs every time called upon to the plate. Balor and Rollins have all the tools to dominate the WWE and the two of them main eventing WrestleMania in the future is a fair bet.
6 6. The Rock vs. Roman Reigns
WWE has been trying their best to make Roman Reigns the face of the company, but it has been met with roadblock after roadblock. Fans developed resentment towards Reigns for being the chosen one and have consistently booed him out of the building for the past few years. A recent wellness policy violation has changed the standing of Reigns in the company due to his suspension, but we all know they will still push him heavily once the dust settles.
The biggest possible match for Reigns would be a showdown with his cousin, The Rock, at WrestleMania. Everyone remembers the moment at Royal Rumble 2015 when fans booed Reigns while The Rock raised his hand and made that awkward facial expression wondering why he even showed up. That could easily be used in a story of The Rock being The People’s Champion and Reigns playing The People’s Enemy. Reigns playing the heel would help his career in the long run and WWE would love to have him go over The Rock along the way.
5 5. Kofi Kingston vs. Big E vs. Xavier Woods
The New Day have become the hottest act in the WWE. Through the months of terrible injury news, WWE needed some talents to step up and the trio did just that. New Day have sold a ton of merchandise and are always the most beloved stars at every WWE show. Kofi Kingston, Big E and Xavier Woods all found their calling by showing their naturally humorous and lovable personalities while working together.
They are even popular enough to sell their own cereal, as Booty-O’s is becoming a reality soon. Despite not being in the main event matches, New Day is very much like The Shield in the sense that fans love them together. If they break up, it will be a huge moment. The person who turns could become the top heel in the promotion and the other two could chase him similar to Rollins vs. Reigns and Ambrose. Kingston, Woods and Big E all have the tools to succeed as top singles star and the faction eventually splitting could provide a WrestleMania triple threat main event or yet another huge match on the card.
4 4. John Cena vs. Roman Reigns
The inevitable match that will main event WrestleMania within the next few years is Roman Reigns vs. John Cena. WWE desperately wants Reigns to replace Cena as the top star in the company. The experiment has not worked out to perfection, but the long term game plan is still in place. Cena can still perform at a high level and is definitely the biggest star in WWE, but he is inching closer towards his 40th birthday.
The big match between these two has to main event WrestleMania before Cena starts to diminish. Reigns has main evented the past two WrestleMania events and the potential for a third this time against Cena is very likely. Very few dynamics are as intriguing as the war between Cena and Reigns would be. Fans give them both a hard time, but Cena would likely win the support due to having a body of work and more respect for what he’s contributed to pro wrestling.
3 3. Seth Rollins vs. Dean Ambrose
A large percent of fans would name Seth Rollins vs. Dean Ambrose as the best active rivalry in the company. Rollins and Ambrose have been going at it since Rollins turned on him to break up The Shield. The two have had a nearly two-year long rivalry with dozens of matches all over the world. WWE clearly views them as the stars of the future with fellow Shield alumni Roman Reigns.
The draft separated them by design to give both Raw and SmackDown a young star to build around. WWE also wanted to separate them to keep the rivals apart for a long time period. There’s no doubt these two will square off again years in the future. Rollins and Ambrose have all of the belief from WWE and could have multiple WrestleMania main event matchups in their future. The youth, potential and support system provides the two former Shield members all of the opportunity to dominate the future of WrestleMania.
2 2. Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn
Speaking of amazing rivalries, Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn are destined to keep fighting each other for the remainder of their careers. The two star talents have battled throughout their entire careers from the Montreal wrestling scene to ROH to NXT before fighting each other on Raw every week. Owens is the perfect villain and Zayn knows how to play the underdog hero to perfection. The two are currently in a feud, but it will continue on and off for many more years.
The potential of both men is interesting. They have yet to reach the main event level, but can easily get there if things break right. Owens is connecting on all levels right now as one of the best heels in the entire wrestling business. Zayn has not achieved the same success but he is more of an end game project. With enough great performances, Zayn’s underdog persona can duplicate some of the success of Daniel Bryan. Fate has made Owens vs. Zayn one of wrestling’s best feuds and it may very well main event WrestleMania one day.
1 1. John Cena vs. The Undertaker
The most likely and interesting WrestleMania main event matchup in the cards has to be The Undertaker facing off against John Cena. For all of the legendary stars Undertaker has faced at WrestleMania during the epic undefeated streak, Cena has never been one of his opponents. The rumors indicated Cena was schedule to face Undertaker at WrestleMania 32 but an injury removed him from the plans and Shane McMahon was called in.
This is one of the rare matches left that can bring in huge money and create a genuinely eclectic environment. Cena is nearing the end of his prime and The Undertaker only has so few matches left in the tank. The match would take place at WrestleMania 33 in all likelihood and give us one of the biggest main events in quite some time. Every wrestling fan, casual or diehard, would be interested in this one. John Cena against The Undertaker is the dream and we might find the match main event WrestleMania next year.