BUILDING A BETTER WRESTLEMANIA: LOOKING AT WAYS WWE CAN TWEAK & IMPROVE WRESTLEMANIA 32

[Big Red Machine]

http://www.pwinsider.com/article/100355 ... 2.html?p=1

By Mike Johnson on 2016-03-07 10:52:00

One of the main focus of emails we've received here at PWInsider.com over the last several weeks has been complaints about WWE's Creative focus leading into Wrestlemania 32.

Creative is a thankless job, whether it be a booker, a writer, or being a member of a Creative Team. Creative positions in pro wrestling in 2016 means you are pretty much working under the microscope and asking that every single decison youmake be scrutinized not just by your boss but also every single member of the audience. Add in that social media amplifies every single voice and comment, whether they be logical or valid or both or neither, and it's enough to drive someone batty if they let that sort of influence intrude upon their creative process.

I've never been a fan of the "fantasy booking" realm because anyone can write or craft the perfect story, but the second that story goes into the ring, things can go wrong. Wrestlers can have a bad night, they can fail to see the same vision and even when wrestlers have a good night and are in tune with the creative side, the story can still fall flat because the audience just doesn't like it. If pro wrestling creative was easy, Roman Reigns would have been a made man a long time ago.

So, don't consider this a fantasy booking piece, because the reality is that even if you love these ideas, they could still really, really suck if they were executed. Now that I've thrown all that out, here's some ideas not on how WWE should have booked Wrestlemania, but some ideas on how, in the words of Walt Disney and his theme parks, they could "plus" the show to tweak it and make it better, in my eyes. Note, I'm not booking finishes here, just matches.

So, here we go:

Dean Ambrose vs. Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns - No Holds Barred

The Roman Reigns vs. Triple H story has, for lack of a better term, fallen flat. Roman has hardly looked like the challenger that the audience wants to see conquer the villain and the entire thing could lead to Roman, if he wins the belt, being impotent as champion right out the gate. So, let's do the unthinkable. Dean Ambrose needs to win the WWE championship at Roadblock. The audience loves him, he's a hell of a performer and unlike everyone else on the roster, has some grit to him in a way that no one has had in a long time. Whether he could ever hit the same heights as Steve Austin is certainle debatable, but there are similar elements that the audience absolutely loves about Ambrose. So, have him shock the world and win the belt. He can go on to defend against Lesnar and in a few weeks time, Roman, who was already guaranteed a title shot, can be entered into the scenario. That allows a rematch from Fast Lane, a match that was fantastic and also allows Roman and Brock to pick up where they left off at Wrestlemania 31.

Undertaker with Shane McMahon vs. Triple H with Vince McMahon - Hell in A Cell

The second Shane McMahon returned, the audience in Detroit lost their minds in excitement, as did social media. The second Shane vs. Undertaker was announced, there was a vocal push-back to the match, at least online. While the match as it exists is guaranteed to be a spectacle inside Hell in A Cell, the idea of Undertaker fighting for Vince McMahon creates an oddball situation where the babyface (Shane) is going to face Undertaker at Wrestlemania in Undertaker's Home State, where there's zero chance of Taker being booed. So, let's flip sides. Triple H loses the belt and Vince McMahon is furious at him. HHH expects a rematch at Wrestlemania and Vince says he doesn't deserve it and if he wants the rematch, he has to prove it by beating Shane's ass at Wrestlemania. Undertaker, the warrior he is, realizes he's going to be pulled from Wrestlemania, chokeslams Vince and announces he will help Shane take down Vince. Now, you can have the McMahons locked inside the Cell with Taker vs. HHH, do a tag match or whatever. Now, all the family members are involved in the match to determine the "future" of WWE, which is where they should be. Then, add in Shawn Michaels as the referee and now you've got not only a throwback to the "End of an Era" Cell bout but a nice new wrinkle in who he respects more - his best friend HHH or his most respected opponent, The Undertaker.

Charlotte vs. Becky vs. Sasha Banks
This is exactly what it should be.

New Day vs. AJ Styles and Chris Jericho

There's been a lot of expectation of Jericho turning on Styles and there being a singles match, but I feel like that turn (or Styles turning on Jericho, for that matter) makes a lot more sense, from an impact perspective, if it happened at the biggest show of the year. New Day can have their massive entrance at Wrestlemania, which they've certainly earned and we can have a pretty fun match until WWE pulls the turn trigger, if indeed they do.

Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn

It's Kevin Owen's Wrestlemania debut and he's earned it, but the best opponent in my mind is the guy who's also earned a Wrestlemania debut and that's Sami. WWE already had these two lock up at the 2016 Royal Rumble and NXT fans are already more than familiar with the story of how they were best friends and warred all through the independents. If WWE really wants to throw out all the rules in 2016, they could book this match. With four weeks to tell the story on TV and build it and an audience live in Dallas that would have traveled from around the world who not only would be familar with Zayn but would also see this match as a legitimate attraction, it's time for the full circle to come to a close - all the way from tiny Montreal independents to Wrestlemania.

Brie Bella with Daniel Bryan vs. Lana with Rusev.

WWE has already laid the foundation for this and it makes sense. Lana has yet to wrestle, so if they are going to do it for the first time, do it at the biggest stage in the world. Brie Bella has said she's going to leave this summer, so why not give her that big spotlight as a thank you for all she and her family have given the company? Let Bryan and Rusev be in the corners, to help spur on the obviously massive "Yes!" chants and even do a spot where Bryan, after the ref gets bumped, stops Rusev by doing his trademark kicks to the chest and we can even have the former American Dragon get one last big Wrestlemania pop without having to do anything that could be remotely dangerous.

League of Nations vs. Wyatt Family.

This doesn't even need a finish. Let them brawl it out and then everyone gets DQ'd, but why not do this from a spectacle standpoint? You can just do a deal where they cross paths in the aisle and give each other dirty looks one week. The next week, it happens again and neither side wants to give way for the other....and then they brawl. Huge pull apart...and then we are set for Wrestlemania.

Usos vs. Dudley Boyz - Tables Match

This one seems pretty obvious that it's going to take place at Wrestlemania and it makes sense. It's a good undercard attraction, the Dudleys are great villains and they will give the Usos a great match that will hopefully get the Usos into a stronger position.

Kalisto vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. Tyler Breeze vs. Miz vs. Jack Swagger vs. Sin Cara - Ladder Match

One thing that we learned last year with the Intercontinental championship Ladder match is that Money in The Bank is severely missed on the Wrestlemania stage. It allowed for a great match for action junkies and allowed for a moment that not only lets the winner shine but those who excel from a physical performance standpoint get a chance to showcase themselves and try to make the audience take notice of their work. Kalisto putting the U.S. belt up in a Ladder Match allows for all sorts of cool spots and moments by having Cara in there you play off of the idea of partners facing off. Breeze gets the chance to prove his worth after pretty much being written off. Swaggers and Miz, as veterans, can help set things up and Ziggler can show he's the "Showstopper."

Andre the Giant Battle Royal.

WWE hasn't announced this is officially happening, but I hope it does. They can put the remainder of the roster in and even put the top 5-10 NXT guys in as well. I know I said I wasn't going to book finishes here but for this match, I lied. Mark Henry should win in what will likely be his final Wrestlemania. It's in Dallas, it's where he's originally from and it's his last Mania match. The guy should go over.

So, there you go, a blueprint for what I feel, would be a pretty damn interesting Wrestlemania lineup.

Mike Johnson can be reached at MikeJohnsonPWInsider@gmail.com. Since Wrestlemania 17, he's attended every Wrestlemania weekend and will be covering it again next month here on PWInsider.com.

[Big Red Machine]

Great article by Mike Johnson!