Welcome to the weekend where pro wrestling takes centerstage.
On Sunday, nestled between the NCAA Final Four games and the national championship, WrestleMania 33 is the culmination of everything World Wrestling Entertainment has presented in the last year.
Since 1985, WrestleMania has been the WWE’s flagship event, showcasing the company’s top talent, celebrity guests on a grandiose stage. This year is no different.
Legendary powerhouse Goldberg — a superstar who returned to the ring after a 12-plus year absence — takes on another monster in Brock Lesnar. Thirty-plus men battle in a ring for a trophy of the company’s biggest star. Two former best friends prepare to settle their differences in the ring. And somewhere in all this, there’s Pitbull and Flo Rida.
Whew. Letap take a look at the weekend’s festivities:
The show
What: WrestleMania 33
When: 5 p.m. MT on Sunday, April 2
Where: Camping World Stadium, Orlando, Fla.
How to watch:
WrestleMania weekend schedule
Friday, March 31
WWE Hall of Fame show, 7:30 p.m. on WWE Network
Saturday, April 1
NXT TakeOver: Orlando, 8 p.m. on WWE Network
Sunday, April 2
WrestleMania 33 Kickoff show, 3 p.m. on WWE Network or YouTube; second hour airs at 4 p.m. on USA
WrestleMania 33, 5:30 p.m. on WWE Network
Monday, April 3
Raw after ‘Mania, 6 p.m. on USA
Tuesday, April 4
SmackDown after ‘Mania, 6 p.m. on USA
Matches
Card subject to change
Podcast
Listen to Denver Post pro-wrestling nerds Joe Nguyen and Hugh Johnson break down the card for WrestleMania 33, and talk about who they think will win, who will lose, and what could happen moving forward.
Preshow
2017 Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal
Announced participants: Aiden English, Apollo Crews, Big Show, Bo Dallas, Braun Strowman, Chad Gable, Curt Hawkins, Curtis Axel, Dolph Ziggler, Epico, Fandango, Goldust, Heath Slater, Jason Jordan, Jey Uso, Jimmy Uso, Jinder Mahal, Kalisto, Konnor, Mark Henry, Mojo Rawley, Primo, R-Truth, Rhyno, Sami Zayn, Simon Gotch, Sin Cara, Tian Bing, Titus O’Neil, Tyler Breeze, Victor
Preview: The fourth annual battle royal pits a bevy of opponents inside the ring. The goal is to eliminate the competitors by throwing them over the top rope and having both their feet hit the ground.
Why you should care: In its three-year history, this has been one of the more unpredictable matches on the card. Sure there are favorites, but who would have thought Baron Corbin would have won last year? And it’s a battle royal, it’s just fun.
Neville (c) vs. Austin Aries
WWE Cruiserweight Championship
Singles match
Preview: Since joining the cruiserweight division, Neville has run roughshod over the competition. And since his return from an injury in NXT, Aries has battled his way up the ranks of the 205-pounders. Brash and talented, he may be Neville’s biggest challenge to date.
Why you should care: Neville is one of the most electrifying wrestlers to watch in the WWE. And Aries is no certainly slouch himself. This has the potential to be one of the best matches of the night.
Alexa Bliss (c) vs. Natalya vs. Becky Lynch vs. Carmella vs. Mickie James vs. Naomi
WWE SmackDown Women’s Championship
Six-pack challenge
Preview: Every healthy female wrestler on SmackDown is competing in this six-person free-for-all. Alexa Bliss is defending her belt, her second reign since losing it to Naomi at Elimination Chamber. Can Naomi, who had to vacate her title nine days after winning it after suffering an injury, come out on top and win in her hometown? Can Becky Lynch, the first champion, emerge victorious?
Why you should care: What makes this match compelling is the parity in the division. All six are viable threats and it wouldn’t be surprising to see any of them emerge as the champion when the dust settles.
Main Card
Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson vs. Enzo Amore and Big Cass vs. Cesaro and Sheamus
WWE Raw Tag Team Championship
Triple threat tag team ladder match
Preview: Gallows and Anderson have held the title since beating Cesaro and Sheamus at the Royal Rumble in January. Enzo and Cass are looking to come in to win the belts for their first reign as champions, while Cesaro and Sheamus are looking for their second run with the title.
Why you should care: While this probably won’t be an all-time classic like the old Dudleyz/Hardy Boyz/Edge and Christian ladder matches of the early 2000s, there’s plenty of talent in the ring. Ladder matches have always had tons of highlights (See: WM32’s IC title bout) and this should be no different.
John Cena and Nikki Bella vs. The Miz and Maryse
Mixed tag team match
Preview: Cena and Bella — the stars of “Total Bellas” have found themselves in the crosshairs of the other WWE power couple, The Miz and Maryse. They’ve been bantering. A lot. Now it’s time to settle this feud. And Al Roker — yes, that Al Roker — is the guest ring announcer.
Why you should care: If you haven’t seen The Miz and Maryse parody “Total Bellas,” . The build-up for this match has been fun. Let’s hope the match will be, too.
Dean Ambrose (c) vs. Baron Corbin
WWE Intercontinental Championship
Singles match
Preview: Ambrose has been a thorn in Corbin’s side for months — and Corbin has not been happy about it one bit. Ambrose pinned Corbin during Elimination Chamber, then he took him out during the WWE Championship No. 1 contender’s match. Corbin wants vengeance.
Why you should care: Corbin has improved by leaps and bounds since coming up to the main roster and has solidified himself as one of the best big men in the company. Ambrose is immensely talented and a brutal match against Corbin could blow the roof off … if there was a roof at the stadium.
Shane McMahon vs. AJ Styles
Singles match
Preview: After Bray Wyatt won the WWE Championship at Elimination Chamber, Randy Orton — who won the Royal Rumble and a shot to headline WrestleMania — said he refused to fight Wyatt. Styles would go on to win the No. 1 contendership to face Wyatt, but then Orton burned down Wyatt’s compound. Orton then beat Styles to earn a shot at the title, leaving Styles without a match at WrestleMania. Styles attacked SmackDown commissioner Shane McMahon, leaving the two men to settle their differences on Sunday.
Why you should care: Styles is one of the best in the business right now. He’s simply, no pun intended, phenomenal and arguably the best in-ring performer on WWE’s roster right now. And McMahon is insane. He’s known for having his high-risk moments at big PPVs — jumping off the Titantron, jumping off the Hell in a Cell cage — and don’t be surprised if he has something in mind for WM33.
Chris Jericho vs. Kevin Owens
WWE United States Championship
Singles match
Preview: The two Canadian best friends, wreaked havoc across the Raw brand for the better part of the last year. After Owens won the Universal title in August, the two stood tall and wormed their way through the competition. Then Owens turned on Jericho, which in turn caused Jericho to cost Owens his WWE Universal title. Now Owens wants Jericho’s U.S. belt.
Why you should care: It’s the culmination to one of the WWE’s better storylines in the last year. Jericho and Owens have proved to be entertaining both in and out of the ring. They should rise to the occasion and put an end to this feud.
Bayley (c) vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Sasha Banks vs. Nia Jax
WWE Raw Women’s Championship
Fatal four-way match
Preview: There have been seven title changes since the belt debut at WrestleMania last year. Bayley, Charlotte and Sasha have been feuding for months over the championship. Fed up, Nia Jax forced her way into the title scene.
Why you should care: The match features three of the company’s top female performers in Bayley, Charlotte and Sasha. They have put up spectacular matches over the past few years on both the main roster and in NXT. Last year’s WM32 triple-threat match for the women’s title was one of the best on the card and these four will certainly try and outdo that one.
The Undertaker vs. Roman Reigns
Singles match
Preview: It’s WrestleMania, which mean it’s time for The Undertaker. He may only wrestle a few times a year, but on the grandest of stages, he’s 23-1 and this is his turf. Except Roman Reigns disagrees and says that the ring is his yard now. Reigns eliminated ‘Taker from the Royal Rumble. The dead man took exception and attacked Reigns on Raw. As is tradition in the world of wrestling, they’ll settle that in the ring.
Why you should care: First, The Undertaker’s entrance will be amazing. ‘Taker, who is 52, probably doesn’t have much longer wrestling, so this could well be one of his last — if not his last — match.
Goldberg (c) vs. Brock Lesnar
WWE Universal Championship
Singles match
Preview: These two battled at WrestleMania 20 with Goldberg coming out victorious. Fast forward 12½ years and Lesnar called out Goldberg, so Goldberg returned. The two unstoppable monster met at Survivor Series and Goldberg won shockingly in just a minute and 26 seconds. Then at the Royal Rumble, Goldberg eliminated Lesnar quickly. After winning the WWE Universal title, Goldberg now faces Lesnar one more time.
Why you should care: If you were to tell me a year ago that Goldberg was going to be entering WrestleMania as the reigning WWE Universal Champion, I would first ask you, “The WWE Universal what?” And two, that “you’re crazy.” It will be fun for the nostalgia of seeing Goldberg in the ring. The match should be short, but full of intensity and high impact.
Bray Wyatt (c) vs. Randy Orton
WWE Championship
Singles match
Preview: This rivalry goes back to last summer. After briefly feuding with The Wyatt Family, Orton joined them in November. Orton won the Royal Rumble in January, granting him an opportunity to main event WW33. Wyatt won the WWE Championship at Elimination Chamber less than a month later. Their alliance came to a halt when Orton turned on Wyatt and burned down his house (Orton’s the good guy, mind you).
Why you should care: Wyatt has lingered in the upper midcard for years and now that he’s in the main event, surely they’ll be big plans for the match. And what better dance partner than Orton, who steps up on big stages. Remember his pop-up RKO on Seth Rollins at WM31?
