Welcome to Top Turnbuckle, your guide to all things Professional Wrestling. From the high-flying world of WWE, to the hard-hitting UK independent scene or the strong-style of Japanese wrestling. We will cover all things professional wrestling from all four corners of the world.
We sit just four days away from the biggest event of the year for most wrestling fans, the Christmas Day for many of us, Wrestlemania 35. Therefore, this edition is dedicated solely to my Wrestlemania preview of three of the biggest matches from this year’s Wrestlemania.
Wrestlemania Preview
Wrestlemania 35. The biggest event on the calendar for wrestling fans every single year. The love child of Vince McMahon which began in 1985 and has been held annually ever since.
Nicknamed ‘The Show of Shows’ it has been immortalised over the years with many wrestlers working their whole life with the dream of competing on ‘The Grandest Stage of them all’.
With some of the most iconic moments in WWE history happening at Wrestlemania, from Brock Lesnar beating The Undertakers undefeated 21-year streak, to Hulk Hogan body-slamming Andre the Giant or Ric Flairs retirement match.
As the show draws closer every year and there are more and more matches announced fans debate amongst themselves eagerly as to who will emerge victorious.
Here at Top Turnbuckle we are going to look ahead at three of the biggest matches from this year’s Wrestlemania and put in my predictions for who will walk away immortalised.
Universal Champion Brock Lesnar vs Seth Rollins
The winner of the 2019 Royal Rumble Match Seth Rollins was rewarded with the opportunity to face either the Universal Champion or the WWE Champion at Wrestlemania. Rollins chose ‘The Beast’ Brock Lesnar.
The Universal Champion since November 2ndat WWE Crown Jewel, Lesnar has had only one title defence since, but faces potentially his most determined challenger of his career in the form of ‘The King Slayer’ Rollins.
.@WWERollins sent a clear message on #RAW as he looks to end @BrockLesnar‘s stranglehold on the #UniversalTitle at @WrestleMania! pic.twitter.com/N2Aa3RUE8I
— WWE (@WWE) 3 April 2019
Rollins took Lesnar’s WWE Championship away from him at Wrestlemania 31 after Rollins cashed in his Money in the Bank contract to join the match between Lesnar and Roman Reigns. Lesnar has been after the blood of ‘The Architect’ ever since.
TURNBUCKLE PREDICTION:I can only see this match ending one way, with Seth Rollins being crowned the new Universal Champion. Rollins is as determined as he has ever been in his life to beat Lesnar and I believe he is the best wrestler in WWE at the moment. For me I can only see Seth walking out with his first Universal Championship.
Raw Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey vs Becky Lynch vs Smackdown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair
The first ever Women’s Main Event of Wrestlemania. History in the making. All three immortalised forever. Without a doubt the biggest Women’s wrestling match in history.
Main event, Winner Take All.
May the best woman win. #SDLive #WrestleMania @BeckyLynchWWE @RondaRousey @MsCharlotteWWE pic.twitter.com/HIj2O231kU
— WWE WrestleMania (@WrestleMania) 3 April 2019
Rousey made her debut at Wrestlemania 34 last year, after conquering UFC she turned her head to the WWE and has since dominated the Women’s division in style. She has not lost a singles match in her time with WWE and enters Wrestlemania as Raw Women’s Champion.
Her challengers are the two greatest female wrestlers of their generation. ‘The Man’ Becky Lynch has reinvigorated herself this year. Becoming one of the most popular wrestlers in WWE. Since winning the Women’s 2019 Royal Rumble match she has had her sights set on Rousey and has had to fight her way to get into the main event of Wrestlemania.
The third and final competitor is ‘The Queen’ Charlotte Flair. She won her eighth Women’s Championship on Smackdown last week and goes into the match as the chosen one by Vince McMahon himself.
TURNBUCKLE PREDICTION: The three are set to go to absolute war in this match, with each woman giving everything they’ve got to walk out victorious. I think Lynch will walk out as new Champion from this one, she is bigger than she has ever been and has the WWE Universe behind her. Lynch will walk out of Wrestlemania 35 immortalised in the history books.
Batista vs Triple H – No Holds Barred Match
Two of the biggest names in WWE history lock horns one final time. These two were once mentor and student years ago, but 14 years ago at Wrestlemania 21 they battled in the main event with Batista emerging victorious.
Fast-forward to Wrestlemania 35 and Batista is one of the biggest film stars in Hollywood and Triple H is poised to take over running WWE from Vince McMahon when he retires. But the two have crossed paths once again.
Batista returned a few weeks ago and attacked Hall of Famer Ric Flair at his birthday celebrations in order to get Triple H’s attention. Two weeks later Triple H gave Batista what he wanted with a match at Wrestlemania, only if Triple H loses, he is forced to retire.
This match is set up to be a battle for the ages, with so much history between these two men and so much at stake, neither man is going to back down from a fight. With No Holds Barred meaning there is no rules, it is going to be an absolute slug fest.
TURNBUCKLE PREDICTION:This match is just too close to call, I couldn’t think of a better person to retire ‘The Game’ Triple H than his former Evolution teammate Batista. But I just don’t know whether or not this is Triple H’s time.
The man is one of the most decorated wrestlers of all time and whilst he is gaining more and more responsibilities backstage, I just feel like he has a few more years left in him competing in the ring. Therefore, I think Triple H will come away with the win here, but I know for a fact it won’t be easy for him as he has to take down ‘The Animal’ Batista first.
Throwback Match of the Week
This week’s Throwback Match of the Week is Shaun Michaels vs The Undertaker at Wrestlemania 25. This match was between two of the greatest wrestlers in WWE history and they went to absolute war on the biggest stage of them all.
The two had been gripped in a heated rivalry for months leading up to Wrestlemania as Michaels became obsessed with being the man to end the Undertaker’s Undefeated Wrestlemania Streak. The Undertaker finally accepted ‘Mr Wrestlemania’s’ challenge and the epic showdown was set.
This match will leave you on the edge of your seat as both men come so close to getting the victory multiple times throughout. It is regarded as one of the greatest Wrestlemania matches of all times between two legends.
Sub-edited by Sam Carroll
