The Grandest Stage of Them All is upon us! This weekend, WrestleMania 39 will take place in SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. This Mania has the distinction of being the first without Vince McMahon’s involvement (allegedly), and has shaped up to be one of the more stacked WrestleMania cards in recent memory.
WrestleMania 39 date and start time
WrestleMania 39 will air live on both Saturday, April 1 and Sunday, April 2 starting at 8pm ET each night.
How to watch WrestleMania 39
Like all WWE Premium Live Events, WrestleMania 39 will be available to stream on Peacock in the United States and WWE Network elsewhere.
WWE WrestleMania 39 Night 1 card and predictions
Austin Theory (c) vs. John Cena for the United States Championship
Jason: Honestly, I’d rather have Cena go over here, but the correct decision is to give Theory the rub. The kid is young and has promise, and a win over John Cena, even at the age of 45, would be career defining for Vince McMahon’s illegitimate son. At least this stage of his career. I imagine there will be some degree of shenanigans in the finish, but the only thing that makes sense (unless Cena is coming back for an extended run that they haven’t mentioned yet) is for the elder statesman of WWE to put over the up-and-comer.
Winner: Austin Theory
Shane: John Cena has reached the point in his career where he gains nothing from winning a match whereas his opponents do. Austin Theory has started to grow on me as a heel champion and a win over John Cena at WrestleMania will help him more than hinder him. And I’m interested to see how Austin handles the “pressure” of post-Mania Raw. Maybe there’s a big debut or return in his future? Possibilities are endless.
Winner: Austin Theory
Tyler: Shane said it best–Cena’s win would mean nothing, while his loss would mean everything. I was a little put off by their first interaction, but the weight of this match carries great significance. If WWE really believes in Austin Theory–as they should–the outcome should be inevitable.
Winner: Austin Theory
Jay: Austin Theory. Honestly, this match would be a fitting retirement match for Cena. The US title means so much to his career. He won it when he began his ascent to the top of the card at WrestleMania XX, and he won it again at WrestleMania 31 when he solidified himself as the Bruno Sammartino of his generation. And now, he’s going to use it to build an emerging star in Austin Theory. I hope it’s not Cena’s last match but we’ll see.
Winner: Austin Theory
Braun Strowman and Ricochet vs. The Viking Raiders vs. The Street Profits vs. Alpha Academy (WrestleMania Showcase Match)
Jason: Man, there is nothing to care about in his match. About half of the men involved deserve better than this weird consolation prize. I think it’s going to look like the Alpha Academy has it won only for Otis to get distracted by the Maximum Male Models (glad they’re getting on the show!), allowing Braun to truck Gable, then Ricochet to hit some flippy nonsense onto him for the win. Braun always does well in these scrambles, the Profits have both separately been beaten by Austin Theory in recent weeks, the Viking Raiders are dead on arrival, and the Alphas are better comedy fodder than winners at this point. Only one viable answer remains.
Winner: Braun Strowman and Ricochet
Shane: As much as I would love to see the Alpha Academy win this, I just can’t bet against the Street Profits. A strong babyface win after a Montez Ford frog splash seals the deal for me.
Winner: The Street Profits
Tyler: Booking The Viking Raiders to win seems smart, but a WrestleMania win by the Street Profits is smarter. It doesn’t seem like WWE is ready to pull the trigger quite yet on a singles run by Ford and/or Dawkins, so a feel-good win on a match with no real significance should be the way to go.
Winner: Street Profits
Jay: Braun Strowman and Ricochet. Papa H paid good money for Strowman and by god, he’s going to have him some Braun Strowman. There’s no real upside in having any other team win because this is just a nothing-burger match. At least, we can have Strowman throw some fools and Ricochet flip on some fools.
Winner: Braun Strowman and Ricochet
Seth “Freakin” Rollins vs. Logan Paul
Jason: I kinda hate how much I’m looking forward to this match. I know it’s a cliche to hate how good Logan Paul is at professional wrestling, but I think I’m over that. Dude is CRUSHING it as a hateable heel who isn’t an actual wrestler but is just so damn talented that he is undeniable. Putting him in there with Seth Rollins, a guy just as talented but who is an actual wrestler, is a recipe for a great match. Honestly, if not for the 2-year Bloodline build I think this would be the clear match of the weekend, and from a workrate POV it probably still will be. It’s hard to call a winner on this one, as there’s upsides to either guy taking it home, but I’m going to go with Logan Paul. If Cody’s winning, we can have a heel win the semi-main. Plus, how insufferable will Logan Paul be rubbing it into everyone’s face that he beat Seth Rollins at WrestleMania. Seth will be fine, and shoot, maybe he takes the rematch at Backlash.
Winner: Logan Paul
Shane- I hate to just flat out and completely agree with Jason, but my thoughts mirror his almost exactly. As a person, I can’t stand Logan Paul. But, as a “sports entertainer”, I can’t help but be amazed at what he is capable of in the ring. Logan Paul has absolutely killed it in his few in-ring appearances with The Miz and Roman Reigns. I can only imagine what he is going to be able to do with Seth Rollins. No offense to Miz or Roman, but they aren’t quite on the same level as Rollins in the ring. This match is going to not only deliver but will more than likely overshadow 90% of the other matches on the card by the time the weekend is over.
Winner: Logan Paul
Tyler: When the booking was being cemented around the Royal Rumble, I wondered about Seth’s immediate future. He had two legitimate paths to WrestleMania: Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes. When those two paths closed, a match with Logan Paul was presented. And it felt just so natural. Logan Paul is cast right as a heel, especially with the fact that he really is so frustratingly good at this. But Seth has his finger on the pulse of the fans when he calls Logan a tourist in his business. Seth has done the favor one too many times.
Winner: Seth “Freakin” Rollins
Jay: Seth Rollins. Listen, I know celebrities typically win these types of matches, but they don’t beat the tippy top guys and that’s who Seth Rollins is. Seth is too important to their machine to lose to Logan Paul barring a significant amount of chicanery. The only other time a celebrity beat a top guy was John Cena losing to Kevin Federline but even that was because Umaga mercked him to build their feud. So now, Logan Paul is going to win.
Winner: Seth “Freakin” Rollins
Trish Stratus, Lita, and Becky Lynch vs. Damage CTRL
Jason: Oh, Damage CTRL, you really did end up being the female Retribution. I like all the parties involved enough to be curious, but you never won anything of consequence and never come across as a genuine threat. This match should be no different. The Becky Lynch ProAm is going to roll through the heels and hopefully they split in the aftermath. Let IO SKY be the unhinged monster she was in NXT, Bayley can try and regain some of her babyface momentum, and Dakota….well, sorry King Kota, but I think you’re destined for the Dana Brooke treatment. As for the faces? They need someone to drop the belts to, so let’s get Chelsea Green and Natty to be the new Team Canada managed by a heel turned Trish Stratus!
Winner: Trish Stratus, Lita, and Becky Lynch
Shane: Does anybody else get the feeling we’re going to be getting a Bayley face turn out of this eventually? I’ve been following the Twitter exchanges between her and Trish and those tweets have more heat and story than the entire rest of the feud. A loss at Mania for Damage CTRL and (hopefully) a subsequent grudge match with Trish at Backlash may be the catalyst we need to turn Bayley face and revitalize her a bit since she’s been pretty stale ever since her return.
Winners: Trish Stratus, Lita, and Becky Lynch
Tyler: Again, another great point by Shane–Bayley needs to use this as a catalyst as a babyface return. Maybe not back to her old persona, per se, because she is a grown woman now. But something fresh and modern would do her wonders.
As for this match? Look, what else is there to say? Damage CTRL just hasn’t worked out like Hunter thought. I’m glad they stuck with it and gave it an honest effort, but the chemistry between the three just isn’t there. And as for Becky, Lita, and Trish? I’ve heard plenty of complaints and debates about the true value of Trish and Lita, Overrated or not, I don’t think it’s a bad call by any means to have Becky rubbing shoulders with those two.
Winner: Trish Stratus, Lita, and Becky Lynch
Jay: Damage CTRL is taking this. There’s no point in having Team BLT go over and plus, there are rumors of Trish turning to feud with Becky which, honestly, is the next best feud for her.
Winner: Damage CTRL
Rey Mysterio vs. Dominik Mysterio
Jason: I think Rey’s too good a guy not to put his son over, but storyline-wise, I want the elder Mysterio to pull it out. It makes more sense, which is why it won’t happen that way. I think Rey will have to take out Damian Priest at Ringside, leading to him being distracted entering the ring into a 619 and frog splash from Prison Dom for the dub.
Winner: Dominik Mysterio
Shane: Never in a million years would I have thought that I would be excited to see a Dominik Mysterio match. Much less be excited to see Dominik Mysterio win a match, especially at WrestleMania. But, here we are, father vs son and I am ready for it. I hope Rey kicks his son’s ass all up and down the ring, but end with the ex-con Dom picking up the win.
Winner: Dominik Mysterio
Tyler: This has been one of the best builds in a long time. A beloved babyface wrestling a despised heel, and they just so happen to be father and son. During this entire story I thought the best way to book a match between Rey and ex-con Dom would be to (lie, cheat, and) steal a page out of Eddie’s playbook from back in the day.
Former tag champs Eddie and Chavo Guerreros’ familial bond is shredded to pieces when Chavo becomes jealous and snaps. Eddie agrees to a match but insists he will only out-wrestle Chavo, refusing to land any punches. Eddie does just that but afterwards his emotions pour out of him as he beats the hell out of his nephew.
However, after Rey punched Dominik on SmackDown, I’m intrigued in how this match plays out. I’m especially intrigued by the finish. Because this isn’t a retirement match like we all assumed, Rey has a chance. But I say we play the hot hand instead.
Winner: Dominik Mysterio
Jay: Dominik. Somehow they used a goofy character with Dom to make a serious feud. It’s one of the best built matches on the card and, just wow. I can’t see Rey winning here but at the same time, I don’t think Dom is ready to win. He will have so much heat if he does win so I think it’s going to be the play here but I don’t expect this feud to end.
Winner: Dominik Mysterio
Charlotte Flair (c) vs. Rhea Ripley for the SmackDown Women’s Championship
Jason: For the love of god, Papa H, let Rhea win this one. I assume it was Vince’s call to have her lose their first encounter, so now that the old man is gone, let us crown a true star. Rhea has been crushing it in the Judgment Day, and is someone you could build the women’s division around – you just need to let her beat a Horsewoman (besides Bayley) from time to time. I don’t care if it’s clean (though I want it to be), I just want Rhea to finally get her moment. Charlotte is cold as a performer right now anyway; put the belt on one of the people that the fans actually react to.
Winner: Rhea Ripley
Shane: I’m assuming one of the primary reasons they put the Smackdown Women’s Championship on Charlotte was to have Rhea get her win back at WrestleMania. And I hope that this is still the plan. Rhea has been the MVP on Raw since Triple H took over and it’s time she is recognized.
Winner: Rhea Ripley
Tyler: It makes sense that Rhea would go after Charlotte instead of Bianca after she won the Royal Rumble, given their history. The build has been good, not great, with the bulk of their interactions being a tad clunky. Charlotte feels like a placeholder in this scenario, which is fine given that this absolutely should, and will, go Rhea’s way.
Winner: Rhea Ripley
Jay: Mami’s going to take it. Rhea has had an incredible year finding herself after being wayward for the 2021-2022 wrestling calendar. She has, literally, gotten bigger, badder, and better and she’s never been more popular than she is now. Her time is now and she’s taking that strap.
Winner: Rhea Ripley
The Usos (c) vs. Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn for the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship
Jason: I know it would be great if Sami won the title at Mania by beating Roman, but honestly? His best story has always been with Jey Uso. The man who didn’t want him in the Bloodline, the guy who fought hard to get him kicked out, the man who grew to accept him as a member when Sami proved himself and became his most passionate ally because of his love of family. The man who was the most hurt when Sami turned on Roman the way he never could. I know we had to include the tag titles because it’s Mania (also the other two guys in this match are also excellent), but I wish this was a Sami vs. Jey match. Still, this should be awesome, and I think it only makes sense for The Quebecois kids to take the win to further the dissolution of the Bloodline story.
Winner: Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn
Shane: I might actually cry when Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn win the tag titles. And you know what, I’m man enough to admit that I’m ok with that. This is long term storytelling at its finest and the hug between KO and SZ at the end will make it all worth it.
Winners: Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn
Tyler: This is prestige-format professional wrestling.
Pro wrestling has no place for gray areas. The format and structure in which stories are told in this medium doesn’t allow for gray areas, because the audience needs to understand who to root for, and against. This story hasn’t produced gray areas; it’s produced nuance. It’s produced layers.
Sami is a flawed man who has done bad things in the search of acceptance. Kevin Owens is a man who has learned the power of forgiveness and the true meaning of trust. Jimmy Uso is a man who is desperate to rid the Bloodline of its Sami Zayn problem because his initial openness to his former friend created this mess to begin with. And then there’s Jey Uso. The main character of of the Bloodline, merely masquerading as a supporting actor this whole time. Deep down, Jey knows Sami is right. But we also believe every word Jey has said about Sami. Jey knows what he’s doing is wrong, but has decided to double and triple down on his bad ways.
Winners: Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn
Jay: F*ck me, Papa H made a match for the tag team titles WrestleMania main event worthy. That sentence is so wild. This is honestly the best built match on the card and it’s going to be a great moment for Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn to win the tag belts on the main stage. Man, I feel old. I remember just yesterday them messing around with The Briscoes as Kevin Steen and El Generico in ROH.
Winners: Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn
WWE WrestleMania 39 Night 2 card and predictions
Brock Lesnar vs. Omos
Jason: The least interesting match on a Mania card that includes two separate “4-way tag shoehorning you into the show” matches, Lesnar is going to eat Omos’s lunch. No amount of WWE’s commentary team saying Brock looked “SHOOK” by Omos will make it true, and his lack of enthusiasm for this bout is contagious. I know Brock just wanted an easier payday, but I’ve long since stopped caring about whether or not Brock can F5 a very tall, barely mobile man. Spoiler alert: He can.
Winner: Brock Lesnar
Shane: Jason’s right. This is only on the card to show us once again that Brock can F5 a giant opponent. Hell, maybe he will do it twice in this match to “shock” us all.
Winner: Brock Lesnar
Tyler: Would you rather Brock be facing Gunther? Be careful what you wish for. Brock Lesnar has proven time and time again that he’s just not willing to go above and beyond anymore. History will not look kindly on the Lashley-Lesnar trilogy. The conclusion to the final stanza of the story between Brock and Bobby saw the babyface low blow the heel after about four minutes of trading finishers. It’s lazy.
In theory Bock and Gunther would tear the house down. In theory. In “real life,” Brock wants no part of that. It would let you down and you know it. Brock taking on Omos will be quick, fun, and harmless.
Winner: Brock Lesnar
Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez vs. Natalya and Shotzi vs. Shayna Baszler and Ronda Rousey vs. Chelsea Green and Sonya Deville (WrestleMania Showcase Match)
Jason: Welp there’s only one person in this whole match the WWE is determined to push, and considering the rest of the field is full of uninspired franken-teams, it’s so clear that an injured Ronda Rousey is winning this. Also, Shayna Baszler will be there. Much like the men’s version of this match, this is clearly the bathroom break match of the night.
Winner: Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler
Shane: I’m making this prediction before the final team is announced because the moment that Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler were announced for the match, the winners became a forgone conclusion in my opinion. There is no way any makeshift team is going to pull out a WrestleMania victory in a match that also features Ronda Rousey. It ain’t happening. And this will lead to Rousey and Baszler winning the Women’s Tag Team Championships shortly down the line.
Winners: Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler
Tyler: Even though the Women’s tag title holders will be in action at WrestleMania, their belts aren’t on the line. The champions will need number one contenders for the Backlash, so let’s use this match to propel some challengers forward. Lita isn’t long for a run and Becky will be back hovering near the title scene, so the winners of this match will win this match, too.
Winners: Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler
Jay: What is this, I don’t even.
Winner: Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler
Gunther (c) vs. Drew McIntyre vs. Sheamus for the Intercontinental Championship
Jason: It may not feature Goldberg, but this match is Big E’s Dream. Three big meaty men bumping meat! This one could be the match of the weekend, it’ll be super stiff, feature a ton of chops, and leave all three dudes with chests looking like hamburger. There’s a lot of ways this tussle between a trio of European giants could go, and I think they’ve been mentioning the Honky Tonk Man’s streak for a reason. I think Gunther holds on to the belt a little longer while Sheamus and Drew get in each other’s ways. This will set up a mini feud between them, eventually culminating in Sheamus winning the opportunity to vie for the IC title at SummerSlam, where he will actually pick up the belt after Gunther finally emerges as the longest reigning IC champ of all time. For that to happen, the Ring General needs to hold onto the belt a little longer.
Winner: Gunther
Shane: I have no idea who is going to win this match. Realistically, I can see all three guys winning and at the same time I can also see potential post Mania plans for all three guys as well. I am going to predict Gunther retains his Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania only because Money in the Bank is in the UK this year. Gunther wins in LA, Sheamus wins and dethrones Gunther across the pond in July.
Winner: Gunther
Tyler: What’s great about this match is that it feels like a natural landing spot for all three wrestlers. Sheamus getting another crack at Gunther makes sense, as does Drew getting involved. I’m a little bummed Banger Bros. ended so quickly, but it does add fuel to the fire of this angle. I don’t know if this will live up to the Intercontinental Championship defense from Clash at the Castle, but it’ll be sure to please.
Winner: Gunther
Jay: Gunther is taking it. This match will be excellent as Gunther wants to continue his momentum of excellence, Drew is probably pissed he’s not in a bigger match, and Sheamus legit wants to be Intercontinental Champion. I don’t see Gunther faltering at such a big stage, especially when he is so close to holding the belt for a year. Gunther is going to take it.
Winner: Gunther
Bianca Belair (c) vs. Asuka for the Raw Women’s Championship
Jason: Honestly, though I’m a bigger fan of Asuka, I think Bianca needs to take this one. She’s been champion of a weak field for a long time, and needs a signature win over someone with credibility. Asuka’s new look is cool, and I love the Empress, but I feel like she’s a bit off the boil. She’s still awesome and I don’t think she’s done with the title scene altogether, but you can’t spell WrestleMania without EST.
Winner: Bianca Belair
Shane: This is a coin toss for me as I can see either performer walking away with the W, but I really want to see Asuka win the Raw Women’s Championship at WrestleMania. Now that Triple H is in charge, let’s have Asuka become the dominant force she should have been and remained since being called up to the main roster.
Winner: Asuka
Tyler: On the opposite end of the Women’s world title spectrum lies this storyline, or lack thereof. Nothing new has progressed since Asuka won the #1 contender Elimination Chamber match last month. Be honest – how many segments are you willing to sit through of Auska screaming a language you don’t understand while dancing, though this time with clown make-up on? It has a short shelf life as a world champion.
I’d keep the title on Bianca and have her turn heel while holding the title. Nobody can beat her. And eventually, she knows it. Her confidence turns to cockiness. She’ll meet her match, just not this weekend.
Winner: Bianca Belair
Jay: This is hard. On one hand, Asuka doesn’t need the win and they have the opportunity to mint Bianca with a one year, Mania-to-Mania reign. On the other, they can make a true menace here with Asuka in the same way Brock was after beating Taker. I think there is a bigger upside with the former.
Winner: Bianca Belair
Edge vs. Finn Bálor (Hell in a Cell Match)
Jason: I think not everyone from Judgment Day wins at Mania, and since I’m putting all my energy toward manifesting a win for Rhea, I think the retired Canadian dad pulls out the win in this one. He’s won everything else (barring that I Quit match), so why not complete the set. Then Finn will beat him down to “re-re-re-retire” Edge on SmackDown (since Rhea will be champ of the Blue Brand) and Finn will continue to be misused for the rest of his active roster time.
Winner: Edge
Shane: Demon Balor for the win and a clean sweep for the Judgment Day. Edge can put in a good performance like always and eat a loss. Giving Finn the win and keeping the Judgment Day’s momentum going sounds like a win/win in my book. And Edge can go away again for a while.
Winner: Finn Balor
Tyler: Though I wouldn’t mind seeing Edge win, Finn needs to pick up the victory and end this once and for all. Please. When Edge comes back around SummerSlam he can shift his focus elsewhere (or challenge Finn to the final-for-real conclusion to this neverending story).
Winner: Finn Balor
Jay: Finn Balor. It’s kind of wild that this is happening. Edge has been dealing with Judgment Day for exactly one year now. It’s been a Mania to Mania storyline and while I am a bit tired of seeing it, it’s still got legs.
Winner: Finn Balor
Roman Reigns (c) vs. Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship
Jason: I know news recently broke that Roman can still win this, but I think Hunter is going to do the logical thing and let Roman finally lose his tiles. Cody is the best built challenger Reigns has had since the first fight with Drew McIntyre, and if they spoil this opportunity, who is left? I mean…I guess they could go full circle and have Jey Uso beat him in a poetic ending to the familial story that started when Roman tried to keep his cousin underfoot using violence and gaslighting and OH MY GOD THEY SHOULD TOTALLY DO IT THAT WAY! But since I don’t see them crowning world champion Jey Uso, I guess Cody’s gonna take this one.
Winner: Cody Rhodes
Shane: I might be talking myself out of an easy prediction here, but the closer we get to Mania and the more talk I hear about how Cody is going to win, the more I’m second guessing that outcome. Roman is so close to breaking 1000 days as champ that I am less than certain he is losing at WrestleMania. Cody winning at Mania almost feels too easy at this point. I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if Trips makes the call to have Roman win just to be snarky. I know simple storytelling is money but sometimes a swerve is just as good. And I think I’m going to go with the swerve.
Winner: Roman Reigns
Tyler: Throughout this build I have gone back and forth on who should win. Cody one week, Roman the other. And Roman retaining is a strong argument. He could hold the belt and turn babyface. He could hold it long enough to face the main character of this entire saga, Jey for the third and final time. Or, we could stop overthinking all of this. These last two weeks have crystallized it for me.
While Roman winning is just as a viable option as Roman losing, the same can’t be said for Cody. He has to win. He just does. This entire historic reign, we have waited for a legitimate, top-tier babyface to come along. If Cody Rhodes isn’t that man, at this time, then nobody will ever be ready. You can’t have another opportunity like this. The Bloodline has been prestige-format professional wrestling. But this story has to have an end.
Winner: Cody Rhodes
Jay: I mean I hear what Shane is saying. I hear what Jason is saying. They’ve invested a lot of money in Cody and the returns are there. He’s popping good metrics if the rumors are to be believed. On the other hand, they can hit 1,000 days as champion with Roman, but then what? There is no guarantee The Rock comes back at WM 40 which is the match we all want to see. And then what does Roman do for a year? This year, till about September, was a bit of a slog for Roman because they don’t have a deep main event roster for him to face. What does he do? Fight Seth again? Fight Owens a third time? Fight Drew a third time (Survivor Series 2020 counts)? The “then what?” gets me to lean towards Cody.
Winner: Cody Rhodes
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