Once again, the Showcase of the Immortals is upon us. And once again, the Show of Shows is too big for just one night! That’s right folks, like its predecessors, WrestleMania 38 is so big that it’s being split into a special two-night event.
So how can you watch it? The Show of Shows will be streaming live on April 2 and April 3, beginning at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT exclusively on Peacock. The two-day WrestleMania kickoff show begins at 7 ET / 3 PT on WWE.com, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, and Twitch.
There are a whopping fourteen matches on the card. The WWE Universal Championship and WWE Championship will go home with only one man, Johnny Knoxville from Jackass is bringing his antics, there’s a highly anticipated mystery opponent for Seth Rollins, and yeah, there’s a lot to take in. But not to worry, our team of experts is here to provide you with their predictions for both nights of WrestleMania. So without further ado, let’s get started with WrestleMania Saturday! And be sure to check out our predictions for Sunday as well.
Queen Zelina and Carmella (c) vs. Sasha Banks and Naomi vs. Rhea Ripley and Liv Morgan vs. Natalya and Shayna Baszler for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship (Fatal Four-Way)
WWE
Tyler: If there was ever just a match to get everyone on the card, it was this one. But maybe that’s just being mean-spirited. WWE has proven in their three-year history of the Women’s Tag Team titles that they mean next to nothing.
This match will more than likely be a mess apart from whatever time Sasha spends inside the ring. And speaking of Sasha, her tag team with Naomi is clearly just a way to get her on the card. So, I’m ruling them out as potential winners. Let’s go with Rhea and Liv, who seem to be genuinely over with the crowd.
Winners: Rhea Ripley and Liv Morgan
Shane: Why do we get to WrestleMania every year and have a random Women’s Tag Team Match on the card each and every year? There is literally not a single unit in this match that has been together for longer than a month, except for the champions. And I use the term “champions” loosely here. I wish they would have paired Natalya and Beth Phoenix together since they actually have a history and chemistry together.
I’m going to pick Carmella and Queen Zelina just because.
Winners: Carmella and Queen Zelina
Jay: Isn’t Carmella getting married or something after Mania? She’s probs gonna be away for a bit. So, I don’t know, probably Sasha Banks and Naomi. They haven’t given much thought to this match, so why should we?
Winner: Sasha Banks and Naomi
Johnny Knoxville vs. Sami Zayn (Anything Goes)
WWE
Tyler: In a match that has no right to be any good, I actually expect this to deliver. Sami is committed to this angle, and Johnny Knoxville has played his role perfectly. It’ll be a wild stunt show that I’m sure sees Knoxville’s friends help him pick up the victory.
Winner: Johnny Knoxville
Shane: I am so excited about this match. I just know Johnny Knoxville is going to go out there and literally kill himself and I am here for it. I am 100% with either guy winning because I’m sure this will be a wild and fun ride. But, I’m going to give this to Johnny Knoxville just for the comedic gold that will be Sami Zayn’s promos post Wrestlemania.
Winner: Johnny Knoxville
Jay: This is going to be a sleeper hit. Knoxville seems very serious about his performance and has made his career off of, well, getting hurt, so pro rasslin’ should be right up his alley. Aside from Lesnar/Reigns, this has been the most eventful, well thought out feud of the entire card and I think it will deliver. I expect lots of chicanery and weapons spots ala Hardcore Title matches of the early 2000s and it is going to be a lot of fun. Knoxville will take it because celebrities always win, but I am excited about this match!
Winner: Johnny Knoxville
Pat McAfee vs. Austin Theory
WWE
Tyler: I have no idea what to make of this. While Pat McAfee has a history of proving his doubters wrong, especially in the world of pro wrestling (his match with Adam Cole at NXT Takeover was excellent), I’m having a difficult time caring about this storyline. Maybe because it makes no sense.
This win has to go to Auston Theory. So it’ll probably go to McAfee. But let’s say Austin for the official record here at AIPT.
Winner: Austin Theory
Shane: I don’t know why, but I’m looking forward to this one too. Pat McAfee shocked the hell out of me with his two NXT matches so I know he can go, and Austin Theory is a hell of a wrestler too. I’m also interested in the whole Mr. McMahon aspect of the storyline. I think this might be the sleeper of the night and people will be pleasantly surprised. Momentum and storyline-wise though, this has to see Austin Theory picking up the victory.
Winner: Austin Theory
Jay: But why? It will be Austin Theory because they seem to be pushing him and sure, whatever.
Winner: Austin Theory
RK-Bro (c) vs. Street Profits vs. Alpha Academy for the Raw Tag Team Championship (Triple Threat)
WWE
Tyler: The most interesting aspect of this match heading into WrestleMania is the fact that RK-Bro holds the tag titles, and are not chasing them. That makes the prediction of this match more difficult to process. Seeing the former champs recapture gold at the biggest stage of them all writes itself, but they’d only retain if they win.
It all depends on where we go from here with RK-Bro. Most fans assumed this makeshift tag team would be split up by now, seeing Randy turn for the 200th time. Most fans would be pleasantly surprised that this has not happened. When will it? Will it?
Winner: RK-Bro
Shane: I just want to see Alpha Academy win. I love RK-Bro, but I just found myself enjoying Alpha Academy’s schtick in their (criminally short) title reign. Also, they weren’t on Raw either, so they must be winning?
Winner: Alpha Academy
Jay: RK-Bro is going to take it. RK-Bro are just too crowd pleasing and the crowd loves them too much right now. This will be a fantastic match and is a contender to open up the night’s proceedings to get the ball rolling.
Winner: RK-Bro
Edge vs. AJ Styles
WWE
Tyler: One aspect I enjoy most about this chapter of Edge’s career is that most of his feuds are similar to that of great boxing rivalries. They’re two and three-match acts, with each fight telling its own story. It feels careful and deliberate, with care and thought being put into each beat of the story.
We saw this happen against Orton, Reigns, and most effectively against Rollins. And this storyline will be no different. This is just Act One against AJ Styles.
And that’s not to say that Act One has been great. I like that Edge turned heel–and I respect him for debuting a different heel character than before–but perhaps it was Sam Roberts that put it best when he said it just felt like one piece was missing from this story between the two.
Edge wins, but this is just one match of a classic wrestling trilogy. (And it’ll give them time to flush out the story a bit more)
Winner: Edge
Shane: While the build for this has been weird and underwhelming, I’m sure the match will be fine. I mean, it’s Edge and AJ Styles for crying out loud, how can the match be bad?
This is a weird one to call, though, as it really could go either way. Edge doesn’t need a win here because well, he’s Edge. But, a victory for the newly heel Edge wouldn’t be a bad thing either. On the other hand, AJ Styles hasn’t had a meaningful singles program in over a year, so a win in his first major singles match also makes sense. This is literally a coin toss for me heads: Edge; tails: AJ Styles. Aaaannnnddd…
Winner: AJ Styles
Jay: I’m with Shane. This feud has been weird, awkward, and lackluster but it is Edge and Styles. It’s impossible for this match to be bad and I’m pumped to see it. I hope Edge doesn’t focus too hard on incorporating new stuff, or at least his new stuff is well-practiced because this is a legit dream match and I am very excited. AJ will take it as that just seems to be how the tea leaves are turning plus it makes a rematch make more sense down the line.
Winner: AJ Styles
Bobby Lashley vs. Omos
WWE
Tyler: Bobby finds himself in the same place Drew was last year, deserving to win but probably looking at the loss. Look, nobody wants to see Lashley lose to Omos. Nobody, say, but one man. And I’ll give you one guess as to who that may be. Unfortunately, his opinion matters the most. Maybe we’ll see a swerve and MVP joins forces with the big guy (no, not him), to spice this up. Or maybe Bobby does the job and comes back in a month and acts like it never happens. Either way, Omos gets his hand raised.
Winner: Omos
Shane: There’s no way Omos is losing here, is there? Probably not…ugh. I do like the idea of an MVP swerve though!
Winner: Omos
Jay: Yeesh. How did we get here with Bobby? He entered WrestleMania as WWE Champion last year and now he is facing the least improved wrestler of the year. Bobby is a veteran by this point and has worked with all types of opponents. Plus he has a track record of pulling out some decent matches with big men. For reference, refresh yourself on his matches with Big Show, Big Daddy V, and Mark Henry from ECW in the 2006-2007 era. Bobby’s ring instincts, I feel, are underrated and this should be decent enough. The question remains is what do they do with Omos? A loss to Bobby won’t hurt him but they may still want to push him. The latter would make an MVP turn make sense but Bobby has to be seen as the more valuable commodity at this juncture. Meh, who knows?
Winner: Omos
Brock Lesnar (WWE Champion) vs. Roman Reigns (w/ Paul Heyman) (Universal Champion) to unify the WWE Championship and WWE Universal Championship
WWE
Tyler: Despite the fact that Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns have wrestled seven times (four 1 on 1), this time truly does feel different; epic. I was in attendance in New Orleans for WrestleMania 34 when Roman challenged Universal Champion Lesnar in the main event. The air was almost immediately sucked out of the stadium. It was truly an awful experience. That feels like a hundred years ago.
Roman Reigns has been champion for over a year and a half. That’s like, a decade in WWE time. If I were to give criticism to this otherwise excellent main event story it was that in all that time, WWE didn’t build up a single young babyface talent to dethrone Roman. Yes, good guy Brock has been a ton of fun and has worked wonderfully, but who is the future of this company? They’ve had a year and a half to figure that out.
So, who wins? This isn’t 2015 anymore. This isn’t 2018 anymore. Hell, even that Roman Reigns beat Brock at SummerSlam. This is 2020, 2021, and 2022 Roman. This is God Mode Roman. This is your winner, and NEW Undisputed WWE and Universal Champion, Roman Reigns.
Winner: Roman Reigns
Shane: This match actually feels like a big deal. I know we’ve seen Roman and Brock go at it time and time again, but as Tyler said, this feels different. This feels big. This feels like a worthy main event for WrestleMania.
I am loving the direction that both characters have taken. Babyface Brock has been extremely entertaining. God Mode Roman has been the best work of his career and it just keeps getting better and better each week. And putting the two characters together has been nothing but money. But money is where the decision on who is going to win this match lies.
Brock has been on TV literally every week since he returned this last time, which has been a welcome surprise. However, I don’t see him sticking around much longer. And with this being a unification match with both titles on the line, WWE needs a long-term champion. And that champion is Roman Reigns.
While I fully believe that Roman will win, I hope WWE treats this victory differently than when Becky Lynch won both women’s titles. Meaning, that just because he is a dual champion, doesn’t mean he needs to lose one of them at the following premium live event as Becky did.
We need a Roman who will dominate both brands. Taking on challenges and being entered into different programs on both shows — defeating literally everybody until a true babyface has been built up enough to pose an actual threat. Then and only then, have Roman lose.
Winner: Roman Reigns
Jay: The question isn’t if Roman wins, the question is if The Rock shows up. Brock is Brock. You can’t make him stronger, you can’t make him weaker. He’s in the same class as The Undertaker, The Rock, Odin, Superman — he’s just a force of nature and his stature can’t be tarnished. He can lose on a weekly basis to Reggie and still be Brock whereas, you have Roman whose character is defined by victory and domination and is the most popular and effective heel since maybe the nWo. He’s really that good from a storytelling standpoint and from a merchandising standpoint. Unifying the titles is the next logical step for Roman and it is the foregone conclusion. With that said, what’s next? Cena challenged Roman immediately after Edge fell. Brock challenged Roman immediately after Cena fell. Who’s next after Brock falls? The Rock who, I predict, will come out and confront Roman to close the show.
Winner: Roman Reigns (and The Rock appears)
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