10 Big WWE Questions Hanging Over WrestleMania 34

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There are less than 60 days until WWE present WrestleMania 34, and the clock is tick, tick, ticking.

Currently, the card sits at this: Brock Lesnar will defend the Universal Title again the winner of Elimination Chamber, AJ Styles, Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn or – LOL – Dolph Ziggler or Baron Corbin will defend the WWE Title against Shinsuke Nakamura, and the winner of the first female Chamber match will defend her Raw Women’s Title against Rumble-winner Asuka or – LOL – Nia Jax.

Aside from a Cruiserweight Title tournament final, that’s all we know about ‘Mania, and it’s high-time some big questions started being answered before New Orleans is suddenly upon us; WWE donot want to scramble together a card hastily, so they need to establish who’s doing what and why.

Maybe it’s a good thing there are more questions than answers about WrestleMania right now, but this writer can’t shake the feeling that WWE need to answer some very soon, rather than leaving 2018’s biggest show to chance…

10. Who Is Charlotte Flair’s Challenger?

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In the middle of all this hype surrounding Ronda Rousey actually wrestling for WWE, poor Charlotte Flair has been forgotten about. She’s one of WWE’s best workers, and yet Flair doesn’t have an established challenger for ‘Mania 34. SmackDown’s writers best hurry.

Ruby Riott is a possibility to meet Flair in New Orleans. The story certainly looks to be heading that way after Charlotte beat her Riott Squad pal Liv Morgan on the most recent episode of SmackDown. Is Ruby, a recent NXT graduate, really a big enough name to make the match anything other than a routine defence for Flair?

We’re not convinced.

Perhaps WWE will put full spotlight on Asuka’s quest to become Raw Women’s Champ and Rousey’s imminent debut instead. If that’s the case, some sort of multi-woman tag match might be in order. That feels like another letdown for Charlotte after last year’s Fatal-4-Way afterthought.

9. Where Do The ‘Odd Men Out’ Fit In?

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Too many major names across both Raw and SmackDown don’t have an obvious spot on WrestleMania’s card right now. Bray Wyatt, Finn Bálor, Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, Randy Orton, Dolph Ziggler, Baron Corbin, Jinder Mahal. The list goes on and on, and it’s hardly ideal that these guys are sitting with nothing to do just two months out from WWE’s biggest show.

So, where do these men fit in?

The days of presenting throwaway matches on ‘Mania cards are over. WWE can’t simply chuck Wyatt into a one-off match against Bálor again (for example) and hope for the best. No, fans expect something more fromevery match on the WrestleMania card.

Finding places for these men, all of whom are regulars on weekly TV, will be one of the biggest challenges WWE face heading into April 8.

8. Will ‘Mania Be Asuka’s Big Night?

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The first ever female Royal Rumble match was a success for WWE. Asuka looked like a star, the nostalgic comebacks worked, and there was even that celebrity appearance from Ronda Rousey to spice up the Women’s division.

It will all mean nothing if creative don’t come through for Asuka.

This upcoming Elimination Chamber match against Nia Jax has sullied the Rumble’s impact a tad. Asuka shouldn’t need to earn her spot at WrestleMania again, and the story reeks of laziness from Raw’s writers. This should be Asuka’s time to shine, not Nia’s. WWE have a huge decision to make. If they dilute Asuka’s title challenge at ‘Mania with Jax, the Raw Women’s Title match won’t have the same appeal.

Hopefully, WWE know this, and have thrown Jax in there as a sacrificial lamb for Asuka’s march towards the division’s apex.

7. Does Braun Strowman Have A Major Spot?

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2017 was a big year for Raw’s ambulance-crash-surviving, scaffold-destroying, truck-flipping, jobber-throwing bad-ass.

Braun Strowman has forged the kind of authentic bond with WWE’s core audience that Vince McMahon must wish Roman Reigns could. The people adore watching Strowman mow down everyone in his way, speak directly during promos and back up many of his promises. He’d be a noticeable absentee from the ‘Mania card.

Leaving Braun off WrestleMania 34 seems impossible right now. WWE will find something for him to do, even if it’s a stopgap Intercontinental Title challenge or another midcard match. The former makes most sense, though it would be a mistake to take the belt from Miz solely to appease Braun’s popularity.

The question is: will Strowman have a memorable ‘Mania, or is he destined to be in that pre-show Battle Royal again?

6. What Is John Cena’s Role?

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Even more so than Braun Strowman, it’s unthinkable that John Cena wouldn’t have a featured spot at WrestleMania 34.

The main problem here is the lack of a suitable opponent for WWE’s one-time poster boy in New Orleans. A match against Elias, who pinned him in a Triple Threat on the latest Raw, feels small-time, as would a match against Finn Bálor. Cena is in desperate need of something bigger if he’s going to feel like an important part of ‘Mania.

We’ll soon know WWE’s plans. If Cena is eliminated early at Elimination Chamber, he’ll be left out of the Universal Title picture. Then, an impassioned plea to face The Undertaker might be on the cards; that’s if ‘Taker wants to work ‘Mania. More on that later.

Without a match against someone the stature of The Undertaker, John Cena will be this year’s afterthought. That’d be an unimaginable fall for the man WWE relied on so heavily just a few years ago.

5. Is Daniel Bryan Going To Wrestle?

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Us fans can read all we like about WWE’s hesitations over Daniel Bryan, and Dave Meltzer can report about it until he’s blue in the face, but the truth is nobody really knows what’s going on besides Bryan, Vince McMahon, Triple H and a few others.

If WWE is going to defy their doctor, listen to Bryan’s, and have him do something physical at WrestleMania, then WWE must announce it soon. The wait is agonising for long-time fans who dream of seeing their hero whizz around the ring again. Whether Bryan could perform at the level those admirers are used to or not, simply seeing him do a few moves would be huge.

Assuming WWE aren’t comfortable with the idea of Bryan wrestling, it’s stupid they’ve even hinted at a feud with Shane McMahon on SmackDown. That’s a cruel tease considering the fervour surrounding Daniel ever wrestling again.

We want an answer, Vince.

4. Who Will Be Ronda Rousey’s Partner?

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Initial worries that WWE would hurry Ronda Rousey into the Raw or SmackDown Women’s Title picture at WrestleMania have eased since the Royal Rumble. There, Rousey shook hands with Stephanie McMahon and did an awful lot of sign-pointing. The handshake hints WWE are ready to reopen old wounds from ‘Mania 31.

The Rock and Ronda put Triple H and Stephanie in their place back in California 3 years ago. That footage might be used to promote a bumper mixed tag-team match at ‘Mania 34, but that all depends on Dwayne Johnson’s availability.

One thing’s for sure: WWE are cutting things fine. Any wrestling appearance by Rousey needs (and deserves) proper build. What happens bell-to-bell in the match itself is actually secondary to the hype, because WWE will have fan’s money by then.

If it’s not The Rock, does Rousey find another partner or find another match?

3. Will The Undertaker Be There?

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Look at some of the delighted faces around ringside in the picture above. Make no mistake, fans were happy to see The Undertaker at Raw 25 and the Manhattan Center surroundings helped his appearance feel historic. Those same people must have been disappointed by the legend’s ambiguous, short promo, however.

Undertaker gave nothing away when millions believed he might hint at something meaningful for WrestleMania 34. Afterwards, the entire wrestling world wondered what the point of having him talk was. Surely a quick Chokeslam/Tombstone Piledriver combo on some mid-card heels would have been more enjoyable than this unsatisfying short speech.

What is ‘Taker’s role, if any, at ‘Mania?

Induction into the Hall Of Fame seems unlikely now Goldberg has been announced as headliner, and aside from John Cena, there’s no suitable opponent for The Undertaker in New Orleans. Did WWE pencil in a Raw 25 appearance without having the foresight to know fans expected more?

2. Are We Finally Getting Styles vs. Nakamura?

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Much like Asuka vs. Nia Jax is getting in the way of one Japanese star’s big ‘Mania moment, the ongoing WWE Title situation between AJ Styles, Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn is getting in the way of another.

People want to see Shinsuke Nakamura go one-on-one with Styles at WrestleMania. The match is a love-letter to fans who prioritise work rate over anything else, and it’s the one match that could finally convince casual WWE viewers of Nakamura’s brilliance.

Those pesky February and March pay-per-views are getting in the way again though. At Fastlane, AJ defends against KO, Zayn and Corbin/Ziggler in a Fatal 4-Way. There’s no way Styles is losing on March 11, but the match happens just four weeks before ‘Mania.

Ideally, WWE should give a match the level of AJ vs. Shinsuke more time to simmer. This secondary feud with KO/Sami needs putting to bed so SmackDown can move on to the match everyone cares about.

1. Why Should Fans Care About Reigns vs. Lesnar II?

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The key word in that last entry was care.

What can WWE bring to the table that makes people give a damn about the other big title match: Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar? We’ve already watched these men headline one WrestleMania card in 2015, and the same goody-two-shoes approach for Reigns won’t work now (hell, it didn’t work then).

Lesnar will steal the majority of cheers in New Orleans and Reigns will be booed out of the building. Whether WWE want to admit it or not, it’s going to happen. That dynamic isn’t a strong enough selling point for a rematch, and yet there’s no sign anything different is on the horizon.

WWE’s big challenge is finding a way to persuade fans who despise Roman’s non-stop push to invest in the rematch and accept it as ‘Mania 34’s main event. Right now, Reigns winning Elimination Chamber and trying to gain sympathy against an over-confident ‘Beast’ looks like the only option.

It’s not a good one.

What other questions do you have for WWE about WrestleMania 34? Let us know your thoughts down in the comments section below!