I have spoken more often recently about the direction of the TNT Champion Darby Allin in recent AEW articles. Allin's title reign had been lackluster, but has picked up a bit more recently with a lot more defenses and needs to be a bit more reigned in now. The main point is though that things have gotten better for the reign, and it seems they have a direction for Allin which is a lot more than WWE could say for at least the current US Champion Sheamus. Apollo Crews becoming Intercontinental Champion was the best way to keep the title fresh and keep fans interested. 

With Summerslam in August, WWE should be penciling in the title matches that will help get attention for the biggest show of the year next to Wrestlemania. Next to the 24/7 Title and the Tag Team titles the United States has the least direction or importance of any championship within the WWE hierarchy. In my opinion, the importance of a battle royal is normally discounted as a great way to get a variety of feuds going at one time. It seems plausible that Humberto Carrillo will be the first new challenger for the United States champion. 

This isn't the first time that Carrillo has had an opportunity to prove himself, but it seems like he has new fire in his stomach which makes him a threat. I have a feeling though that this won't last for a long time and is just something that is designed to make sure Sheamus is on Wrestlemania Backlash. To keep momentum coming  a battle royal could be penciled in for the Raw after the PPV to find the #1 contender for Money in the Bank. Carrillo could come close at the PPV against Sheamus, and then win the battle royal defying the odds. I don't think that this will be much of a rivalry, but it could be more than just a month placeholder for Sheamus. With the title match at Money in the Bank, it would move to a count out finish with Carrillo winning, because WWE doesn't need to save dusty finishes for the World Title. 

To cap this off I'd have Carrillo win the gold in July and get the surprise win over Sheamus finally capturing the United States title. Setting up the blow off for Summerslam which would see Carrillo keep the title to allow someone fresh to be holding gold in WWE as we move toward this year's draft. The main thing for this feud is if Carrillo can be seen as a threat to Sheamus and keeps the fire he showed on Raw this week if that happens then this could be a feud worth watching. 

A year ago was one of the darkest days in recent wrestling history when the WWE would release a number of wrestlers and agents right at the height of the pandemic troubling the world at the time. The highlights of the releases last year was Karl Anderson, Doc Gallows, Zack Ryder, and Curt Hawkins. This time around instead of just breaking down those who have been let go I will be picking two names that shocked me the most that they were on the list. I said it last year and will again that even though this is a tough thing to see as a positive, but this will allow those terminated talents to have a chance to get a fresh start else where. 

Samoa Joe: For the last few months Samoa Joe has been the highlight of color commentary on Raw and was shockingly pretty well in the commentary position. Joe has been on the shelf recently due to concussion issues and hasn't been able to return the ring for that reason. Honestly, if Joe can be cleared to return the ring he will be a big asset to whichever company he eventually choses to call home. I would love to see him head back to either Ring of Honor or Impact Wrestling, partially to help two promotions that don't get much love and the other reason is that not everyone needs to go to AEW. Reality is though Joe will be an asset wherever he does end up when he is able to sign somewhere. 

IIconics: Billie & Peyton would win the Women's Tag titles from Bayley and Sasha Banks at Wrestlemania 35 since then their stocks in the company have fallen. Within the last year the former IIconics tandem split up due to the draft with one going to Smackdown and the other over to Raw. It is puzzling why they thought breaking up the team was a good idea especially considering they have a women's tag team division. Neither Royce or Kay achieved much after the split with Royce getting a title shot against Asuka and Kay just really being a floater on Smackdown. Much like their fellow division member Mickie James, I don't see it being to difficult for these three ladies to catch on elsewhere and get a deserved fresh start. 

At Wrestlemania it seemed like Bobby Lashley was unquestionably going to lose his championship to Drew McIntyre. After seeing The Hurt Business restructuring it was clear that Lashley needed something to help rebuild momentum and seeing Drew McIntyre on the chase for a bit would be something fresh. In my opinion, I think that WWE chose to keep the title on Lashley to avoid fans thinking that the obvious would happen. McIntyre has been on the champion side of things for the better part of a year since last Wrestlemania. 

Lashley has earned a long reign as WWE Champion and now the next step is the Hurt Business reconstruction as MVP said the THB is anything but done. Finding new members for the group would be the best way to try and keep things fresh for a group that has done wonders for it's members. Seeing Cedric and Shelton remain a tag team even though they are gone from the Hurt Business would still make sense due to the lack of depth within the tag team division. I do believe that they also shouldn't rush to find new members of the group and instead should set the long story with MVP scouting talent on Raw and NXT to find the right members to fill in the group. I know that WWE doesn't like long term story telling, but there is no reason rushing into something big like this that could produce solid ratings if done right. 

As for Drew McIntyre it will be something that allows the company to move in a different direction for a little while with Drew not being World Champion. Lashley has plenty of talent to compete against at least until Summerslam and there is no reason he can't work as champion until Summerslam. According to the WWE PPV list the next event is Money in the Bank coming in May it will be interesting to see who will be in Money in the Bank this time around. The only question left to ask is will Lashley & McIntyre meet again at Money in the Bank? 

The main event of Wrestlemania night one was the Smackdown Women's Championship match between Sasha Banks and Bianca Belair. In my opinion, this match was one of the more well built matches since January for the show of shows. It is now official that Bianca is one of the few talent that have been called up to the main roster and have succeed when most talent fail. Bianca has seen her stock jump forward in the last few months and even though she never really caught on in NXT she has absolutely caught on in the main roster. 

For the most part since Becky Lynch, Sasha Banks, and Charlotte moved to the main roster it has been clear that Charlotte was the most trusted performer. Becky had been given the opportunity to become a star and had her chance to lead the charge, but Sasha was always the second in command. This time around though Banks has proven that she is just as good as her fellow Horsewoman but is the underrated member of that trio. 

However, seeing Rhea Ripley fighting Asuka on day two of Wrestlemania and with Bianca Belair winning from Sasha Banks it is clear that the company could be setting up for the future. In wrestling it is always good to refresh who the top stars of a specific division to keep things fresh. Bianca leading the charge on Smackdown we could see some new talent move to the forefront to challenge for the top prize on for the Women's championship. Moving forward it is time for new talent to take the lead in the WWE and this is us getting a taste of what could happen in the next twelve months for WWE. 

Over the last couple of weeks I've put together my own card for Wrestlemania with matches I feel fit better for the biggest show of the year with stipulations that make much more sense. One match that I planned on scrapping in favor of something else was Bad Bunny vs The Miz, but after watching Raw on Monday they both changed my mind about the match. Bad Bunny has proven he wants to be in WWE and has shown he isn't here for publicity or as a joke. Also it allows Damien Priest to have the rare opportunity to make a smooth transition from NXT to the main roster. I may have never spoken about Orton vs Wyatt well that's because for the most part I ignored matches that I wasn't going to change. Either way though Wyatt vs Orton is still on my Wrestlemania 37 match card. 

Admittedly maybe I do have a little to many multi-person matches but Wrestlemania partially about getting a number of talent on the show if possible and that's what I tried to do. Especially since neither mid-card champion has a feud heading into the biggest show of the year. Big E might still be feuding with Apollo Crews, but it's harder to get excited about a match we saw at Fast Lane with nothing different happening the second time around. I think this would be a solid edition of Wrestlemania and would help build toward Money in the Bank in May for WWE and the first edition of Wrestlemania that focuses on the current roster. 

Wrestlemania Night One:
Dark Match: Murphy vs King Corbin
Dark Match: Ricochet vs Elias 

If Braun wins he will receive a WWE Championship Match: 
Braun Strowman vs Shane McMahon 

The Miz & John Morrison vs Bad Bunny & Damien Priest 
​
​WWE United States Championship: 
(c) Riddle vs Jeff Hardy vs Cedric Alexander

WWE Raw Tag Team Championship Match:
(c) New Day vs Omos and AJ Styles 
​
WWE Championship Match: 
(c) Bobby Lashley w/ MVP vs Drew McIntyre 

Smackdown Women's Championship Match: Special Referee Bayley
(c) Sasha Banks vs Bianca Belair

Wrestlemania Night Two: 
Dark Match: 
(c) Nia Jax & Shayna Baszler vs Dana Brooke and Mandy Rose 
Dark Match: The Riot Squad vs Natalya & Chelsea Green
​ 
WWE Intercontinental Championship: 
(c) Big E vs Apollo Crews vs Shinsuke Nakamura 

Randy Orton vs Bray Wyatt 

Raw Women's Championship Match:
(c) Asuka vs Rhea Ripley vs Peyton Royce vs Naomi 

Four Corners Elimination Match: Smackdown Tag Championship
(c) Roode & Ziggler vs The Mysterio's vs The Street Profits vs Gable & Otis
​
Seth Rollins vs Cesaro 

Six Man Gauntlet Match:
Drew Gulak vs Sheamus vs Shelton Benjamin vs Kevin Owens vs Sami Zayn vs Jey Uso 

WWE Universal Championship Match:
(c) Roman Reigns w/ Paul Heyman vs Daniel Bryan vs Edge 

I've done videos recently about the best way to save both the Intercontinental and United States titles and so far it seems like WWE is listening for the Intercontinental Title. The same can't be said for the United States Championship. Big E has been involved in a personal rivalry with Apollo Crews for the last few weeks, but also defeated him at Fast Lane. This rematch needs a shot in the arm and something to make a little bit different that's where the former IC Champion comes in Shinsuke Nakamura who currently has no match at Wrestlemania. 

As far as Matt Riddle is considered Jeff Hardy isn't set for a match yet at Wrestlemania and as long as he's healthy there is no reason he should be missing from Wrestlemania. However, I will also include Cedric Alexander who I believe earned a spot on the card based on his recent work as a member of the Hurt Business. I know another Triple Threat match, but Wrestlemania is about getting people on the card and since this title really has nothing going for it right now there's no reason why we can't have a triple threat match. 

Speaking of title with nothing going for it the Smackdown Tag Titles held by Bobby Roode and Dolph Ziggler currently. Last year Ziggler was included in a featured contest on the show against Otis and now not even talked about two weeks before the event. I would have a four corners match including one member for each team like they did last year, but it would be elimination and when one member is eliminated the other member comes in the match. The Mysterio's, Gable & Otis, The Street Profits would the three teams I'd include in the match. This again would keep the match safe and allow for more talent to be showcased on the card. 

Wrestlemania Night One:
Dark Match: Murphy vs King Corbin
Dark Match: Ricochet vs Elias 

If Braun wins he will receive a WWE Championship Match: 
Braun Strowman vs Shane McMahon 

WWE Raw Tag Team Championship Match:
(c) New Day vs Omos and AJ Styles 
​
WWE Championship Match: 
(c) Bobby Lashley w/ MVP vs Drew McIntyre 

Smackdown Women's Championship Match: Special Referee Bayley
(c) Sasha Banks vs Bianca Belair

Wrestlemania Night Two: 
Dark Match: 
(c) Nia Jax & Shayna Baszler vs Dana Brooke and Mandy Rose 
Dark Match: The Riot Squad vs Natalya & Chelsea Green
​ 
Lumberjack Match: 
Mustafa Ali vs T-Bar

Raw Women's Championship Match:
(c) Asuka vs Rhea Ripley vs Peyton Royce vs Naomi 

Four Corners Elimination Match: Smackdown Tag Championship
(c) Roode & Ziggler vs The Mysterio's vs The Street Profits vs Gable & Otis
​
Seth Rollins vs Cesaro 

Six Man Gauntlet Match:
Drew Gulak vs Sheamus vs Shelton Benjamin vs Kevin Owens vs Sami Zayn vs Jey Uso 

WWE Universal Championship Match:
(c) Roman Reigns w/ Paul Heyman vs Daniel Bryan vs Edge 

With Wrestlemania around the corner and the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal again likely not going to take place. It brings up a question of how to make sure a number of wrestlers are able to get on the show well my idea will play into the push the announcers were making about how important Wrestlemania is every year. With only two weeks left before the event I would have Triple Threat matches on both Raw and Smackdown as qualifying matches for a six man gauntlet match at Wrestlemania which will include both brands. This way it would give more wrestlers an opportunity to get on the show this match stipulation would be winner gets a title shot. I know that is a basic stipulation, but we have to be planning ahead for the post Wrestlemania cards and this is the best way to do that. 

On the Raw side Drew Gulak, Sheamus, and Shelton Benjamin and on the Smackdown of the six man we'd have Jey Uso, Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn. Sheamus and Benjamin are both veterans who deserve a spot on Wrestlemania. Gulak may not exactly be a wrestler that people look at as deserving based on their booking, but a few wins can change any wrestlers perception and I think both men deserve better then they have been getting. Zayn and Uso belong on the Wrestlemania card as they've earned a spot based on their performances in the last year especially Jey Uso. Kevin has fallen from top contender for the title to really not doing much of anything this is why he needs this match. I'm aware of Kevin vs Sami, but that match doesn't need to happen. This stipulation would allow for those in the match to test endurance and have time to show a side they might not be able to show on normal programming. 

I will not change every match on Wrestlemania, because some are worth having on the card, but others were matches that WWE lazily put together instead of actually thinking with foresight. The Raw Tag Title match New Day defending the gold against AJ Styles and Omos is one match that I think should stick on the card as it is a fresh tag team challenging for the gold. The Universal Title triple threat match Roman Reigns defending against Daniel Bryan and Edge is another match I don't see as one that needs to be changed. One other match that has no need to be changed is Seth Rollins vs Cesaro as this match is finally giving Cesaro the opportunity to be featured in a more prominent way and is slowly helping the perception of the "Swiss Superman" grow. 

Reminder instead of predicting Wrestlemania this year I will be booking my own two night Wrestlemania event with explanations behind every match on the card. 

Wrestlemania Night One:

If Braun wins he will receive a WWE Championship Match: 
Braun Strowman vs Shane McMahon 

WWE Raw Tag Team Championship Match:
(c) New Day vs Omos and AJ Styles 
​
WWE Championship Match: 
(c) Bobby Lashley w/ MVP vs Drew McIntyre 


Wrestlemania Night Two: 

Seth Rollins vs Cesaro 

Six Man Gauntlet Match:
Drew Gulak vs Sheamus vs Shelton Benjamin vs Kevin Owens vs Sami Zayn vs Jey Uso 

WWE Universal Championship Match:
(c) Roman Reigns w/ Paul Heyman vs Daniel Bryan vs Edge 
​

In an earlier article I wrote about matches I wouldn't change and I didn't include either Women's championship match. The reason isn't that I would change both matches it's that I wanted to speak on the matches together instead of separately, because I would change one of the matches. I would obviously keep the Smackdown side as WWE has honestly done a good job of building up the match between Sasha Banks and Bianca Belair. The Raw side though could use a little bit of help as I think they are rushing into a match that could be a money match down the line if they wait for it. 

Rhea Ripley recently made her main roster debut and immediately made her intentions known wanting to challenge Asuka for the gold at Wrestlemania. However, has the former NXT Women's Champion earned an opportunity to already challenge Asuka, not really no. In my opinion, this is where a multi person match would help as it would allow WWE the opportunity to hold off the dream match between Ripley and Asuka for a little while longer instead of rushing into it. The match in my booking would feature Naomi and Peyton Royce to go alongside Asuka and Ripley. Royce's impassioned speech from Raw Talk a few weeks ago won me over and Naomi is deserving of an opportunity the seems to sparingly come her way. The main reason I didn't pick Alexa Bliss is that she would need to be center stage and a singles feud would be better for her to play her games instead of having to share the spotlight. 

A slight change I would make to the Smackdown Women's title match is I would place Bayley as the guest referee to add another layer to the match. This way it keep Bayley on the show and in the forefront of the division she helped rebuild. Also again it keeps the door open for a post Wrestlemania plan for the champion. 
​
One match I forgot about that I wouldn't change is The Fiend vs Randy Orton as WWE deserve a bit of praise for how they have booked this feud. The one note I will make is that the feud needs to end at Wrestlemania and not be one of them that continue at the PPV following Wrestlemania. If the Firefly Fun House is the concept again let it keep the reputation of being a match that ends feuds not continues them. Plus Bliss can have a part in this match so she will still be featured on the Wrestlemania show even if she isn't officially competing. 

Wrestlemania Night One:

If Braun wins he will receive a WWE Championship Match: 
Braun Strowman vs Shane McMahon 

WWE Raw Tag Team Championship Match:
(c) New Day vs Omos and AJ Styles 
​
WWE Championship Match: 
(c) Bobby Lashley w/ MVP vs Drew McIntyre 

Smackdown Women's Championship Match: Special Guest Referee Bayley 
(c) Sasha Banks vs Bianca Belair 
Wrestlemania Night Two: 

Lumberjack Match: 
Mustafa Ali vs T-Bar

Raw Women's Championship Match: 
(c) Asuka vs Rhea Ripley vs Naomi vs Peyton Royce
​
Seth Rollins vs Cesaro 

Six Man Gauntlet Match:
Drew Gulak vs Sheamus vs Shelton Benjamin vs Kevin Owens vs Sami Zayn vs Jey Uso 

WWE Universal Championship Match:
(c) Roman Reigns w/ Paul Heyman vs Daniel Bryan vs Edge 

One match has been rumored since around January was Drew McIntyre vs Bobby Lashley for the WWE championship. The main difference with the expected match is that Lashley was going to be champion going into the match this way McIntyre can get his title win in front of an audience which is something that was impossible for him last year due to the pandemic. I mentioned that McIntyre should come up short in this match, because it would give him the opportunity to be on the chase for a time instead of just being the champion. Lashley has also earned a chance to be WWE Champion for longer then a cup of coffee. 

Last week on Raw, The Hurt Business split up with Lashley beating down his former stablemates which is extremely perplexing in my opinion. Unless they have a bigger picture plan for Shelton Benjamin and Cedric Alexander then why bother splitting up a successful stable just before Wrestlemania. Benjamin hasn't done much since he stopped teaming with Chad Gable and Cedric has really struggled to find a spot for himself since he moved up from 205 Live. The Hurt Business had given every member a purpose and a reason to mean something, but WWE jumped before the fans turned. Cedric and Benjamin could remain a tag team if they did get removed from the group. Also WWE could've moved a different direction by having The Hurt Business win the match and really stack the odds against Drew at Wrestlemania. Clearly though WWE still doesn't see the point of having a long term plan in place for talent like they should and I will always put over how important having a long term plan is in wrestling. 

A big question mark for Wrestlemania is will we see the Andre The Giant Battle Royal return this year after taking a hiatus from the match last year due to the pandemic. I doubt that the match will return this year which means the company will likely need another way to bring a variety of talent onto the Wrestlemania card. I think a lumberjack match would be the best cover for the company to get a variety of talent on the show without having to deal with the battle royal backlash during a pandemic. I would give Mustafa Ali and T-Bar the lumberjack match, because they spend how long building the arrival of Retribution to let the group go down with a whimper. A lumberjack match would be a great way to give both guys an opportunity to really showcase something for the group that was never given a chance to succeed. Again instead of predicting Wrestlemania this year I will be putting together my own two day Wrestlemania event and giving an explanation to why the match belongs on the card. 

Night One: 

If Braun wins he will get a WWE Title Shot: 
Braun Strowman vs Shane McMahon 

WWE Championship Match:
(c) Bobby Lashley w/ MVP vs Drew McIntyre 

Night Two: 
Lumberjack Match: 
T-Bar vs Mustafa Ali 

A lost art of wrestling is the wrestler that fills the role of the Tag Team specialist aka the wrestler who clicks better as the member of a team as oppose to a singles star. Back in the day names like Ricky Morton, Stevie Ray, Robert Gibson, Road Warriors, and others would be considered the tag team specialists. In WWE though it is almost a negative thing to be looked at as a tag team specialist, because Vince doesn't care for or value the tag team division and hasn't for almost two decades. Names like Billy Gunn, Road Dogg, The Uso's, Kofi Kingston are the more modern names I would consider tag team specialists. Recently, one half of the Forgotten Sons Steve Cutler was surprisingly released by WWE leaving his partner Wesley Blake alone. 

Flash back to last year Wesley Blake and Steve Cutler were put in the doghouse when Jaxson Ryker made unsavory comments on social media and was suspended. Near the end of last year and into this year Blake and Cutler were paired with Baron Corbin for a short time feuding with the Mysterio's. Before he was called to the main roster with Steve Cutler he had teamed with Murphy as one of the top tag teams in the early days of the black and gold brand. Either way though he has been able to form to successful tag teams, but never really given the chance to be the best. Murphy and Wesley were a success, but got broken up before they could keep going and click as a tag team like Gargano & Ciampa or The Revival. 

Now though with both Blake and Murphy on Smackdown they could try and test the interest in seeing the former team getting back together. At this point moving Murphy away from the Mysterio's wouldn't be the worst idea and keeping him away from Rollins would allow him to do something totally different. Also I think that Blake is talented enough that if they paired him with someone else it could work if they are given the opportunity, and I would give Riddick Moss that spot. Riddick much like Blake he was never given the opportunity to really get his feet under him before the rug was pulled out from under him. 

Riddick spent 40+ days as 24/7 champion and seemed like he was getting comfortable on the main roster before they would take the title off him to give it back to R-Truth. Moss never had the chance to really succeed as it seems like they just wanted a break from the same champion for a little and weren't really interested in giving him a real shot to succeed and be a fresh star. Even though Riddick is currently on Raw and Blake is on Smackdown, but I don't think anyone would notice if they switched brands. Blake is the modern tag team specialist and could be given that gimmick if they really wanted to invest in someone new.