I said I'd continue this series every month, but I ended up taking a few month hiatus due to the combination of life sucking up all my muse, and YouTube and TWitWoW being sufficient vents for what muse was left. It's time for a throwback, though: The Return of the Wrestlemania Dream Card series. With CM Punk's recent heel turn, my mind has gotten a solid shot of adrenaline in the muse department and I'm going over multiple scenarios in my head regarding what WM29 can be. We're talking about a card that would live up to its 10-year anniversary show: WM19, arguably the greatest Wrestlemania in history. Make note that this card is only taking into account what we KNOW can happen, and not assuming anybody debuting that we don't know about for sure. Unfortunately...that translates into no Dean Ambrose. I hope the WWE changes this card by debuting him, but they haven't yet, so obviously no promises can be made.
So, here's what the card looks like.
Match 1: The Rock (c) vs John Cena
The epic rematch is a result of The Rock winning the WWE Title at the Royal Rumble and Cena finding a way to get a WWE title match at Wrestlemania. Don't be surprised if this ends up being Cena winning the Royal Rumble itself, although that isn't the only way to pull it off.
Match 2: CM Punk vs "Stone Cold" Steve Austin
This is the match that the WWE turned CM Punk heel for. Austin has said in interviews before that if he would have a program with Punk, Punk would need to be heel for it to work. Raw 1000 was a beautifully wrapped present sitting on Steve Austin's lap regarding that "one more match" thing. Punk turned heel to do with him what the WWE accidentally did WITH Austin in 2001: turn him heel so he can become such an incredible overall performer that the crowd forces him to turn into an entity that can do no wrong. This is the WWE's way of injecting CM Punk into the "top guy" atmosphere alongside the likes of Cena, Triple H, Austin and even The Rock himself.
Match 3: Brock Lesnar vs The Undertaker
Yes, I'm calling it. Lesnar was brought back as a special attraction, and what role could he play at Wrestlemania that could POSSIBLY be bigger than this? By this time, he will have already faced the likes of John Cena, Triple H, and most likely even Randy Orton and possibly Sheamus. Lesnar is so great for business because he can lose every match and STILL be the favorite going into his next one. Everybody knows that whoever faces The Undertaker is going to lose, so the WWE focuses less on making young stars look great and more on creating a suspension of disbelief. They want you to be scared for 'Taker's streak. If Brock hits an F5 during this match, people will gasp. If Brock hits multiple F5s during this match, people will freak out. If Brock does the same spot to The Undertaker that he did to Triple H (the breaking of the arm), people will freaking CRY. This match has so much potential, it would almost be criminal for it to not happen.
Match 4: Dolph Ziggler (c) vs Randy Orton
That little (c) represents the World Heavyweight Championship. I'm predicting Ziggler having a relatively long reign, similar to his most recent US Title reign. In this case, though, the role of Zack Ryder is being played by the likes of Randy freaking Orton. This REIGN will be phenomenal, this FEUD will be phenomenal, this MATCH will be phenomenal, and regardless of the result, I'll be happy about the state of the World Title by the end of the night.
Match 5: Damien Sandow (c) vs Ryback
Sandow is a truly incredible heel. He has successfully garnered himself more heat than the supposed "top heel" in the WWE, The Big Show, and he didn't need 7' and 500 pounds of body to do so. Sandow has gotten himself over as a despised heel over the course of less than four months with one tool: psychology. He hasn't had any true obstacles, as every time you thought somebody might be able to get the best of him, he flips the switch and physically decimates them in the ring. I forsee him winning the United States Championship from Santino Marella relatively soon, and when he does, I don't see him losing it until AT LEAST Wrestlemania, if not later. Sandow and Ziggler will be the heel champions going into Wrestlemania while The Rock and the man I forsee winning the Intercontinental Championship from The Miz will represent the babyfaces going into the big one. Ryback's tear has gotten to a point where I can comfortably say that he will be on the Wrestlemania 29 Card, and in all honesty, my question isn't so much whether or not he'll be in the title picture, it's whether or not he'll have already won the title by this point. Whether it be the man that unseats Santino (my prediction being Sandow) or The Miz, Ryback is on course for a midcard title, and whether he goes into Wrestlemania holding it or chasing it, watch out for him to make a huge impact at WM29.
Match 6: Mark Henry (c) vs Sheamus
Yes, I'm expecting a Mark Henry face turn either as soon as he gets back, or reasonably soon afterwords. No, however, I am not expecting a huge character change like what usually happens to him when he turns face. I'm expecting him to bring back the Hall of Pain, but on a slimmer, trimmer, healthier 370 pound frame some time around September, just in time for a surprise Night of Champions return and an Intercontinental Championship win over The Miz. Sheamus will eventually drop the World Title, and I'm guessing it'll be to either Randy Orton or Dolph Ziggler. If it's Orton, Ziggler cashes in right away, stealing Orton's moment and catapulting the two of them into a feud while Sheamus gets relegated to the midcard and feuds over the Intercontinental Title. Henry as IC Champion continues the trend of former World/WWE champions holding the title, and if Sheamus wins the title from him, that trend would STILL remain unbroken.
Match 7: Money in the Bank Ladder Match
Wade Barrett, R-Truth, Kofi Kingston, Tyson Kidd, Antonio Cesaro, Christian, Sin Cara, Cody Rhodes
In its return to Wrestlemania, this is the MitB that the WWE wanted to be at WM28 before Wade Barrett went down with an injury. Featured in this match will be a lot of the big names that aren't on the card elsewhere. The gimmick stipulation for this match is that because the most recent MitB match was for ONLY former WWE champions, this match is for ONLY people that have never won a MitB briefcase before. The obvious choice here is Wade Barrett, to put him back on pace for where he was headed last year, but if Cesaro, Sin Cara or Cody Rhodes get really hot going into Wrestlemania, they're all perfectly valid options as well. Kidd is also a dark horse option.
Match 8: Daniel Bryan vs Rey Mysterio
Say hello to my show-stealer. Two guys that are similar in size, can work a 5-star match with anyone, and are some of the best overall performers in the business today. Bryan is arguably the best technical wrestler in the world today. Rey Mysterio is the greatest luchador in the history of the WWE. Rey Mysterio is an eternal babyface. Daniel Bryan just went from "cool, badass heel that the crowd still cheers" to full-on, American Dragon, fire-breathing heel. This match...even if it ONLY got 15 minutes, although I would love to see it get 25+...would most likely be an early Match of the Year candidate.
Match 9: Heath Slater vs Triple H
Yes, this is a comedy match. Yes, this is a payoff to the "Heath Slater jobs to all legends" match. Most importantly, yes, this is my way of fitting Triple H onto a card that I don't know where the hell else he could possibly fit. Problem?
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