What Might Wrestlemania 28 Look Like?

Well, we have almost reached the quarter pole in the build to Wrestlemania. We are just a little over 4 months away until the WWE invades Miami for Wrestlemania 28. Unlike any other Wrestlemania before, we actually know what the main event willl be with The Rock facing off against John Cena. I don't like what the WWE has done with the build so far. Granted, Rock has only been around for two live shows since the match announcement, but I think they could have done a bit better with the Rock/Cena interaction at Survivor Series. I don't think this match will be for the WWE Title, and that's a smart thing. Why waste the WWE Title in a match that doesn't need it?

The one positive about Rock/Cena is that it allows the WWE to take some risks in their other matches. Rock/Cena should get the Wrestlemania buy rate over 1 million, unless the WWE really screws it up. That means the WWE can take risks with the WWE and World Title matches. Now, we know that Daniel Bryan is suppose to cash in his Money in the Bank World Title opportunity at Wrestlemania. It will be a real stretch if actually keeps it that long. The WWE has just started building up Bryan, and I don't know if they can make him into a threat in time for Wrestlemania. But like I said, the WWE can take a chance like that.

Then of course their is The Undertaker. We haven't seen The Undertaker since Wrestlemania 27. He's had hip and back surgery during his break, but it is rumored that he is healthy and ready to go for Wrestlemania 28. That's another big match for Wrestlemania. The Undertaker is looking at 20-0 if he wins this year. My guess is that this could be his final Wrestlemania, so either Undertaker retires 20-0 or someone goes down in history as the man who ended the streak.

And finally, there is that whole "It Begins" YouTube video that hijacked the WWE Twitter pop-up on RAW this past Monday? Who's it for? No one really knows. It could be for The Undertaker again. It could be Chris Jericho. It could be someone we aren't even thinking about. Some people say Chris Jericho isn't coming back after a stall in contract negotiations. Others think that those are just rumors thrown out there to get people off the trail. There is no real hint in that video to give people an idea of who it is.

So, lets take a look at a possible Wrestlemania 28 Match Card.

Divas Championship: Beth Phoenix (c) vs Kharma
If I'm doing my math right, Kharma should be back right in time for Wrestlemania. There is no one else that would really interest me in a Divas contest at Wrestlemania. You could turn Natalya or Beth face, but it wouldn't do as much as having Kharma back would. Kharma and Beth could actually have a good Divas match and should keep the crowd entertained, unlike a Kelly Kelly or Eve match. This would probably be the best match possible, as it involves the two Divas fans would care most about in a match.

Sheamus vs Alberto del Rio- Winner Gets A World/WWE Title Shot at Extreme Rules
This is a simple case of two guys pretty much having nothing else going for them. Sheamus has been getting a monster push as a face, but the Smackdown main event already has two faces in it for me. Alberto del Rio, meanwhile, can't get an extended reign as WWE Champion. Del Rio can't get past the shadow of C.M. Punk or John Cena. It's almost like Del Rio has peaked as a character. The move from Smackdown to RAW really hurt ADR, while the move from RAW to Smackdown has helped Sheamus. It is a fresh match-up here as these two have never faced off one-on-one to my knowledge. I'm sure these two could put on a good match. The added stipulation makes fans care about the match more.

Intercontinental Championship: Cody Rhodes (c) vs Goldust: Title vs Career
This is a match that Goldust, aka Dustin Rhodes, has been campaigning for. Dustin wants to close this last chapter in his career and what better way for him to go out than on the big stage against his baby brother. Rhodes is a start on the rise in the WWE and he is trying to bring the IC Title back to respectability. Dustin Rhodes won the IC Title multiple times as Goldust in his WWE Career, so having him try to regain the Title while putting his career on the line would be something interesting. Now of course, Cody would win this match. He is suppose to feud with Booker T in the coming months, and of course Booker and Goldust have a history. Another situation of right place, right time for these two.

Shaquille O'Neal, Big Show, Zack Ryder vs The Miz, Christian, Jack Swagger
The WWE likes to have some kind of celebrity involvement every year at Wrestlemania. Rumor has it that they were pushing for NBA stars Dwayne Wade and Lebron James at one point, but NBA Labor talks are on-going again and there is hope that the season can be saved. That leaves limited options. Shaq is retired from the NBA, is a fan of the WWE, and is still in shape enough to move around in the ring. Throw in Big Show, and you have two of the tallest athletes in the world. Zack Ryder would be perfect to interact with Shaq as well. On the heel side, Miz can talk a big game and Christian can play the cocky heel well. Swagger gets added because of the Awesome Truth break-up, otherwise R-Truth would be here. Shaq would definitely get the WWE the positive PR they love.

World Heavyweight Championship: Mark Henry (c) vs Daniel Bryan vs Randy Orton
Oh Randy Orton, you just love to find your way into our World Title matches. I had a tough time deciding what to do with Orton. At one point I had him up against Alberto del Rio. Then I had him against Brodus Clay before I decided to take Clay off the card. If Chris Jericho were coming back, I might have him against Orton because Orton is the one who put Jericho out of the WWE with his punt to the head. But I don't think Jericho is coming back, so I put Orton in the World Title match. Orton could fight Bryan for the right to be added to the World Title match at Wrestlemania. Despite the opportunity to take a risk leaving Bryan in this match one-on-one, I think Vince McMahon will like it better if Orton is in it as well to add to the star power of the match. I don't know if Bryan wins or not. He has the makings of the first MITB winner to cash in and lose. At this point, Henry would be considered dominant and losing the Title here would be a big story, but it would be bigger if it was Bryan winning.

WWE Championship: C.M. Punk (c) vs Wade Barrett
Yes, the Barrett Barrage is in full effect. If I were a betting man, I would put my money on Wade Barrett winning the 2012 Royal Rumble. It seems that the WWE is finally fully behind pushing Barrett as a future main eventer. What better way to complete than to have Barrett win the Royal Rumble and co-headline Wrestlemania? Again, it is a risk that the WWE can take with Rock/Cena already happening. Punk is winning over more fans as the days go on. Ideally, I would have hoped that the WWE would stretch Punk/HHH all the way out here, but they shot that storyline to hell. There's also a bit of history between Punk and Barrett, as Punk was the man who kicked Barrett out of the original Nexus. I've always been high on Barrett, and I think if the WWE keeps up this push of his, people would buy him as a main eventer come Wrestlemania. Punk is obviously a great worker and should get the best out of Barrett.

The Undertaker vs Dolph Ziggler
Sure, this probably sounds a bit nuts. Why would Undertaker return to take on Dolph Ziggler? Well, who else do you think Taker would face at this point. With HHH wrestling as much as he has, the mystique of a Taker/HHH rematch is gone. I thought of Alberto del Rio, but he is already an established main eventer that doesn't need the rub of facing Taker at Wrestlemania. I thought about Barrett and Cody Rhodes, but I think the matches I have them in make more sense. You would think Taker would want to face a big star, but there is no one left. C.M. Punk is a possibility I guess, but Punk is turning into a big babyface, and I think the fans would actually end up booing Taker in this instance. Then you look at Dolph Ziggler. Ziggler has pulled double duty the last two PPVs. He put on a great match with C.M. Punk this past Monday on RAW. You could argue that he is the second best worker in the WWE right now behind C.M. Punk. Ziggler has improved greatly on the mic as well. All Ziggler needs to do is come out and challenge Taker, do it for a couple weeks before Taker shows signs of being around. While Ziggler isn't a main eventer, he's a young guy who you might think could break the streak because he could use the rub to launch him into stardom. I'm sure the match itself would be just fine as Taker always brings his A game to Mania, and Dolph has been on fire in the ring lately. Do I think Dolph ends the streak? Probably not. I think the Streak is Taker's legacy, and it is never broken. But just facing Undertaker at Wrestlemania will do wonders for Dolph's career.

The Rock vs John Cena
Obviously this is happening. It is one of the few dream matches that has not happened yet but will on April 1, 2012 in Miami. I'm interested to see how often The Rock appears on WWE TV in the build to Wrestlemania. I think he would have to appear at least every other week in order for the build and match to be worth it. If Survivor Series is any indication, Cena will get booed out of the building in Miami. Survivor Series also showed that Rock still has it in the ring and that the match definitely will be fun to watch. I still give credit to Vince McMahon and whoever else it was that convinced The Rock to come back for this. The match will be good, and the atmosphere in Miami will be electric. It's the big type of match that warrants the main event of Wrestlemania label.

Couple of Notes
-I left HHH off because I don't think he's needed here, plus I couldn't think of anything for him at all.

-I don't know if Rey Mysterio will be back in time from his knee injury to take part in Mania this year.

-The person I'm disappointed I left off most was R-Truth, but again, I couldn't find anything for him.

That's all from me today.

Until Next Time,
Justin C
Follow Me On Twitter @JCWonka