WrestleMania 37 Predictions

In this edition of The Wrestling Estate roundtable, we give our WrestleMania 37 predictions.

Which night are you most looking forward to during WrestleMania 37?

Chad Gelfand: Night 1 mostly due to the Sasha Banks/Bianca Belair main event and the first time seeing wrestling in front of a large live crowd in more than a year.

Juan Bautista: I’m really not intrigued by any night.

James Klonowski: Do I have to pick one? Both nights look extremely poor considering this is WrestleMania. There isn’t a single match I’m excited about watching, and thus probably won’t even bother. If I was forced to make a decision, I’d opt for the second evening just to see what happens with The Fiend, Alexa Bliss and Randy Orton. Hearing they have something intriguing up their sleeves for it.

John Corrigan: Sasha Banks vs. Bianca Belair is the only match I’m interested in for Night 1, whereas Night 2 is pretty stacked, including an intriguing triple threat main event.

Jack Goodwillie: While this is probably the worst build to a WrestleMania there has ever been, and as upset as I am with the way WWE has booked Night 2’s main event, we need to look at which night has more strikes against it (in other words, matches I am completely disinterested in). Night 2 has Randy Orton vs. The Fiend, but Night 1 has Braun Strowman vs. Shane McMahon AND Bad Bunny vs. The Miz. As a result, I have to go Night 2 by default.

Does it feel like WrestleMania without Undertaker, Brock Lesnar and Triple H?

Gelfand: Yes. It’s time to move forward without having to rely on Undertaker or Triple H anymore. I would still like to see Brock Lesnar, but the show will go fine without them.

Bautista: WrestleMania has been lackluster even with them there. This year may not reach WrestleMania IX level of bad, but it can be bad.

Klonowski: It definitely doesn’t feel like WrestleMania, but I wouldn’t put that down to the names that are missing, necessarily. Yes, they’re huge losses, but WWE has to move on someday. Its biggest problem has been barely investing in the current product and not delivering stories and matches that fans want to pay to see. WWE has failed so badly on that front that WrestleMania 37 is arguably the weakest in history (on paper).

Corrigan: Night 1 could definitely use some star power. Brock Lesnar is sorely missed.

Goodwillie: It doesn’t feel like WrestleMania, but not necessarily because of the absence of these three. After all, there was a time WrestleMania did exist as a spectacle before Taker, Brock and HHH. It doesn’t feel like WrestleMania because the build has been abysmal. More have been hurt than helped by this year’s “Road to WrestleMania,” and that would have been the case last year as well, but the WWE being forced into the Performance Center helped the build and created intrigue around the event, albeit in the most unorthodox manner possible. This year, what have we gotten? A Randy Orton-Bray Wyatt rematch that nobody asked for? Braun Strowman choo choo noises? Bad Bunny? The Hurt Business breakup? A triple threat match that nobody was asking for? I can go on and on….
Should The Hurt Business have broken up?

Gelfand: Absolutely not. It’s one of the worst decisions WWE has made in years, and there’s a lot to choose from in that regard. Breaking up a red-hot faction at its apex right before WrestleMania is such a baffling, illogical and indefensible decision. Creativity and logical storytelling have long passed Vince McMahon by.

Bautista: No. Why break up the best thing you have going?

Klonowski: They still have MVP and Bobby Lashley. Ad a female performer to that, possibly Naomi, and you’re back in (Hurt) Business. Shelton Benjamin and Cedric Alexander weren’t smash hits in terms of ratings, so it’s no big loss. The tag team division is dead in the water, anyway. Vince McMahon is not a fan of factions, so we shouldn’t be surprised when he splits them up. This is a man who had to be repeatedly convinced about allowing the formations of DX and Evolution.

Corrigan: The Hurt Business should have never broken up. It’s not like MVP, Lashley and Benjamin have another decade in the tank. Let them ride until retirement.

Goodwillie: You won’t find a soul who believes the Hurt Business should have broken up. And if you’ve been watching this show long enough, the reasoning for it will come pretty easily. It’s completely obvious that Vince believes The Hurt Business would get cheered at WrestleMania had they stayed together; THEREFORE, in order to get Bobby Lashley booed, he had to align him with Baron Corbin. It’s the same logic that was employed for the SmackDown main event, and it was the same logic that held Roman Reigns back for years. Remember when Sheamus cashed in Money in the Bank, only to quickly lose the belt back to Reigns? All so Reigns could get “cheered” when he’d win the belt against Sheamus rather than Dean Ambrose? It’s dinosaur logic. If you want heels to stop getting cheered, learn how to book a babyface. It’s the path to least resistance.

What do you make of Bad Bunny’s time in WWE?

Gelfand: Bad Bunny has done a great job in his role. He’s clearly a huge fan with a ton of respect for the business, and he carries himself like the huge star he is. I’m actually interested to see the results of the work he has put in at the Performance Center over the last few months.

Bautista: Bad Bunny is getting his money – good for him.

Klonowski: It’s actually been pretty decent for what they’ve asked of him. He’s done his job well. The match itself with The Miz at WrestleMania 37 will probably ire on the side of comedy, but if done well, that should be watchable, too. You can tell he’s a fan of wrestling, which makes a huge difference.

Corrigan: I never heard of him until the Royal Rumble. If he’s a lifelong fan getting to make a dream come true, then good for him.

Goodwillie: I keep hearing how great his work ethic is and how great he is to be around backstage, but I continue to be completely disinterested. His general presence is annoying, similar to the Paul Brothers, but at least they have a more natural television presence (and I happen to know a certain someone who called Logan Paul working with WWE once upon a time ago). He’s got some of the most derivative music in the pop space and I’m honestly counting down the days until WrestleMania is over so he can go back to his realm.

How do you feel about Apollo Crews’ new character?

Gelfand: It’s one of those characters that, at the moment, I don’t really have an issue with, but I’m keeping a close eye on it because WWE has a long track record of doing tasteless angles with their heel characters embracing their heritage. I hope this is not the case here because Apollo Crews has found newfound confidence and finally has a character that he can sink his teeth into.

Bautista: It’s a bit out there. He’s been on TV since 2016, so let’s see how it goes.

Klonowski: Rather a sensitive subject in these times, and WWE doesn’t have the best track record when it comes to race, but we shall see. At least it gives Apollo a platform because he’s undeniably talented between the ropes and cuts quite the decent promo, too. He deserves his WrestleMania spotlight.

Corrigan: At least we’re talking about him!

Goodwillie: I like it. You can tell Apollo has a ton of input, which shows me someone important there actually sees something in him. On a slightly unrelated note, Dave Meltzer has come under fire recently for a couple of ethnically-related takes, and while I agree with him that Bad Bunny is more of an “ethnic celebrity,” I completely disagree with the notion that Apollo Crews’ new character is “racist.” It’s a disappointing take from someone who I respect and perceive to be knowledgeable. But make no mistake, this is a good character with layers and one that has much more to show. Crews will always have his in-ring work to fall back on.

Can you believe this feud between Randy Orton and The Fiend still isn’t over?

Gelfand: Nope! I never want to see Randy Orton and any version of Bray Wyatt interact in a wrestling TV show capacity ever again.

Bautista: They need to end it, blow everyone up and have Alexa do something else.

Klonowski: Take away some of the over-the-top silliness and this has been Raw’s best angle. Alexa Bliss has been sensational in carrying the story forward in the absence of Bray Wyatt, while Randy Orton has played his part excellently. This is professional wrestling – we have to have silliness. It just depends on taste. I’s been enjoyable. It’s dragged in places, but will reach its conclusion this Sunday, and if done right, will make bigger stars of all three.

Corrigan: I can’t believe we’re getting Orton and Wyatt in another WrestleMania match after the abomination at WrestleMania 33.

Goodwillie: Yes and no. Randy seems to have knack for this pro wrestling stuff. He can’t honestly think this is good stuff, can he? Maybe the catch is that he is REALLY under The Fiend’s spell, which compels him to continue engaging in WrestleMania matches with Bray Wyatt. Speaking of Wyatt/The Fiend, from an in-ring standpoint, he is maybe not the worst wrestler in WWE, but certainly one of the most disappointing. He is a third-generation wrestler who not only never improved inside the ring, but actually got worse the more he began to steer into character-driven work. Still, WWE continues to humor his style of matches because…it’s weird? This is one of the big what-ifs from the coronavirus. If there were fans in the building, you have to wonder if this feud would have survived all the way to WrestleMania. I suppose it’s possible because WWE is just gonna do what WWE does, anyway.

Who wins: Sasha Banks or Bianca Belair?

Gelfand: On the one hand, Sasha Banks has never won at WrestleMania and is in the midst of her longest Women’s Title reign. On the other hand, you have Bianca Belair, who the company seems to be strapping a rocket to her back. The question is, does WWE take it all the way with Bianca and establish a new superstar in the division? Yes, Bianca Belair will be the new SmackDown Women’s Champion.

Bautista: I don’t know if it will even matter. It will probably be Bianca. She is no longer a second rate version of Sasha Banks and Sasha has finally gotten her defining title reign.

Klonowski: Bianca Belair. I’m thinking this may main event Night 1, and deservedly so. WWE has to go back to having the Royal Rumble matches mean something. The winners headline WrestleMania, and with it being two nights this year, it’s the perfect opportunity to do just that. If Belair loses, it will be a huge surprise, but judging by the botched way the angle has been built, it wouldn’t be the biggest shock.

Corrigan: Sasha Banks, only because we learned at last WrestleMania that hot up-and-comers (Rhea Ripley and Shayna Baszler) are fed to established stars on the Grandest Stage of Em All.

Goodwillie: Bianca Belair. Too many times, WWE has not struck while the iron is hot on young Royal Rumble winners with star quality. Give Bianca her moment and build off of it from there. Sasha Banks is made! She can take the loss and come back stronger. Bianca needs this.

Who wins: Roman Reigns, Daniel Bryan or Edge?

Gelfand: Roman Reigns. He’s on the best run of his career right now and there’s no reason to stop at this point. Daniel Bryan has given this angle an interesting wrinkle, but he is also undeniably there to take the pin from a Reigns’ spear.

Bautista: They have really screwed this up. Roman probably wins because they don’t know what they’re doing anymore.

Klonowski: Hopefully Roman Reigns, but it’s looking increasingly like Daniel Bryan. I just don’t get it. Didn’t he have his moment? Are fans clamoring for him to reclaim the gold all of a sudden? It just seems an odd choice. But when you realize that Edge and Daniel Bryan are helping to write SmackDown, it tends to make more sense.

Corrigan: The Tribal Chief retains after demolishing Daniel Bryan…again.

Goodwillie: With Bryan being allegedly added to the match to ensure Reigns doesn’t get cheered (I don’t think it’ll work), I’m led to believe this match was never going to be about Edge like I believe it should have been. Instead, I’m led to believe Roman Reigns will retain his belt in a match that now has a better chance than not to be forgettable with the added moving parts. And maybe he should have retained, anyway, but you can read more about what I think of this match here.