Let's Preview the Iowa Hawkeyes at the NCAA Wrestling Tournament

After the conference tournaments wrapped up, the only thing to wait for was how things were going to play out when it came to seeding. For the most part, the seeding and matchups were all pretty justified. I would say one guy had good luck, and one guy had the worst possible luck in the entire NCAA as I would say it is likely that he will only face guys that are past, present, and/or future All-Americans. It's so stupid, but we'll get to that later. Let's start with the positive first.

125 - Spencer Lee - #3 Seed
This is the big positive for Iowa. Lee was the #3 seed last year and did fairly well with that seed. Also, for the first time, the NCAA seeded all 33 wrestlers as opposed to just the top 16. He'll take on 13-9 Christian Moody from Oklahoma in the first round, and I wouldn't expect that one to get out of the first period. After that, it is likely Ryan Millhof, whose only match I really remember is the time he tried to go up a weight and Roman Bravo-Young looked like the second coming of Christ because of his dominance. That one may make the second period, but I really doubt it goes the distance. Then, it will likely be the 6 seed, Sean Russell who has wrestled Lee twice this year, but has yet to score a point, so that one looks fairly good. After that, he will likely go up against Nick Piccinnini who did pin Lee this year, but Lee beat him twice last year (including a pin of his own), and I like that matchup a ton more than facing Sebastian Rivera. Also, don't count out Pat Glory from Princeton as he is a true freshman who really brings it and could give Piccinnini some troubles although the Cowboy should be heavily favored. After that, it's most likely Sebastian Rivera in the finals. Lee had so many opportunities to win their second match this year, but it didn't happen. I still have tremendous faith in Lee winning the whole thing this year. It may be homerism, but if you find a good place to make bets on college wrestling, let me know, because I will gladly put my money on the Hawkeye.

Some other guys to watch in the top half of the bracket include Ronnie Bresser from Oregon State, undefeated Jack Mueller from Virginia, and Vitali Arujau, a true freshman from Cornell. All of those guys could prevent a rematch between Lee and Rivera.

IOWA PREDICTION: SPENCER LEE BECOMES TWO-TIME NATIONAL CHAMPION
National Champion: See above.

133 - Austin DeSanto - #7 Seed
I would say DeSanto got a fair draw. He's taking on somebody from Appalachian State in the first round, and I would expect him to cruise. Next up, he'll likely have Roman Bravo-Young who he absolutely dominated in the first period of their match at the Big Ten Tournament. I think he's too much on his feet for the Nittany Lion so I feel confident about his ability to move on. After that, things could get VERY interesting. The #2 seed is Stevan Micic who is undefeated but lost the top seed when he medically forfeited out of the Big Ten Tournament after his first match. I don't know how serious that injury is, but I seriously don't think he forgot that DeSanto put on a damn kimura during their match last year when Micic was putting a beatdown on him. DeSanto does have a dominant 22-10 win over Micic early last season, so this match could be bananas. If Micic is healthy, I have to go with the Wolverine, but that's no guarantee, but if he wins, he'd likely have a rubbermatch against Nick Suriano to make it to the finals. It's not an impossible road, but at a loaded 133 weight class, there are no easy paths.

In the top half of the bracket, Daton Fix is super good, so he's deserving of the #1 seed, and unfortunately, I have only seen bits and pieces of #4 Mickey Philipi so I'm not sure how good he is, but his results have been impressive. I do think Montorie Bridges has a chance to upset Luke Pletcher, but that may be because I am very down on Pletcher. Also, watch out for Iowa State's Austin Gomez at the 13 seed; he beat DeSanto earlier this year, and he has the skills to give guys trouble.

IOWA PREDICTION: AUSTIN DESANTO BECOMES AN ALL-AMERICAN (5TH PLACE)
National Champion: Stevan Micic, Michigan

141 - Max Murin - #22 Seed
I feel like Murin has an argument to be higher than this. The Big Ten schedule did him no favors as he had a ton of tough matches, and he just barely lost most of those matches. So, I guess the committee's thought was to see it continue as he is set to face off against Tristan Moran of Wisconsin. Moran is aggressive on top, but he's not anything special on his feet, so it's a winnable match, but it won't be easy. If things go well, he'd take on #6 seed Michael Carr who he is 1-1 against this season. Also, can someone please explain how the guy who finished eighth at the Big Tens is the six seed after accumulating a 12-5 record on the season? After that, he'd be looking at Nick Lee, and I think we can safely assume he won't make the semifinals, but I surely hope he proves me wrong.

As for the rest of this bracket, this is probably the deepest group of wrestlers in the tournament. Kaid Brock is an incredibly talented guy for the 15 seed. I love Mitch McKee, but not his draw as the seventh seed. Jaydin Eierman of Missouri and Josh Alber of Northern Iowa are both tough outs as the four and five seeds, but I could also see either guy getting upset. Iowa State's Ian Parker has a ton of notable wins at the weight class, but he also has a lot of losses to just general ass dudes. My super deep sleeper is #24 Mitch Moore of Virginia Tech. I think he could pull a couple upsets before having to take on the top seed, but he's a freshman who has gotten better as the season has rolled along.

And despite all that depth, I really see it ending up with Cornell's #1 ranked Yianni Diakomihalis taking on #2 Joey McKenna from Ohio State. I just think those guys are slightly above the rest of the field, and I'm actually going to take McKenna to get the upset over Yianni, but I fully acknowledge that this might just be Big Ten Brain taking over.

For Murin, I'll say he loses his first match before storming back in the consolation side of things. Unfortunately, I just don't think it'll be quite enough.

IOWA PREDICTION: MAX MURIN GOES 3-2 BUT FALLS IN ROUND OF 12
National Champion: Joey McKenna, Ohio State

149 - Pat Lugo - #10 Seed
Lugo is the ten seed that nobody wants to face. Four of his seven losses came in sudden victory, two of the others were to Matt Kolodzik when he was ranked #1, and the other was his first match of the season. He has really put it together lately, and I don't think people will be looking forward to matching up against him. First up, it's Arizona State's Josh Maruca who he should handle. Then, he has a rematch against Oklahoma State's Kaden Gfeller who Lugo dominated on the feet, but Gfeller is a very tough scrambler who always makes positions interesting. Still, I feel good about Lugo advancing to take on #2 Micah Jordan. Jordan should be clearly favored, but weird things always seem to happen to the Jordan boys, which might be karma for their uncle being an incredibly shady politician who did nothing when wrestlers were being sexually assaulted by the head trainer...allegedly. It's more likely that Jordan wins, but maybe Lugo can benefit from karma. The bottom half of the bracket is highlighted by Mitch Finesilver from Duke and Austin O'Connor from North Carolina so finally those two schools can have a real rivalry.

149 is pretty weak this year, so if you're looking for any surprises, maybe look at Justin Oliver of NC State or Jarrett Degen of Iowa State as both guys know how to scrap and have the ability to pull off upsets, but they'll have to get by each other in the second round. Otherwise, I think I'm going chalk for the final, but this is a weight class where it wouldn't be shocking to see some odd seeds ending up in the finals.

IOWA PREDICTION: PAT LUGO BECOMES AN ALL-AMERICAN (7TH PLACE)
National Champion: Anthony Ashnault, Rutgers

157 - Kaleb Young - #6 Seed
Things line up nicely for Young for the first two rounds in this tournament. First he has Dan Reed from Columbia, and he should be able to beat up a nerd. Then he has Ke-Shawn Hayes from Ohio State who he beat 11-1 at the Big Ten Tournament. After that, he likely gets Ryan Deakin (although Zach Hartman from Bucknell could give him trouble), the one guy to really beat Young when he won 6-2 against the Hawkeye (his other losses were two in sudden victory, and two close losses to Alec Pantaleo). I would love to see him win that match, but it seems rather unlikely. At that point, he'd probably be looking at Tyler Berger with a possibility of Larry Early pulling off the upset, although I think Berger gets by him.

On the top half of the bracket, it's Jason Nolf. Actually, if you're looking for a winner, it's only Jason Nolf, because there are 32 guys that have zero shot of beating a healthy Nolf.

But for guys to watch out for on the backside, Hayden Hidlay and Alec Pantaleo are the two guys that I think are likely the second best guy at this weight, but unfortunately, they'll have to face each other before losing to Nolf, so third place is the best they can do. Josh Humphreys is a true freshman who has been wrestling really well outside of a terrible loss to Oklahoma State's Wyatt Sheets. I also want to point out Jarrett Jacques, only because his last name is pronounced jay-cues.

IOWA PREDICTION: KALEB YOUNG, ALL-AMERICAN (6TH PLACE)
National Champion: Jason Nolf, Penn State

165 - Alex Marinelli - #1 Seed
You may think it's tough to get screwed by being rightfully named the #1 seed, but they certainly found a way to do it as nearly every single wrestler I would not want to wrestle is in the top half of the bracket, and it's basically just Logan Massa and Vincenzo Joseph on the bottom half (Josh Shields is fine, but he would not worry me).

So who does Marinelli get to start off? Joseph Smith, just a two-time All-American out of Oklahoma State, and his Dad may be the greatest US wrestler in history, so nope nothing to worry about there. In all honesty, Joe Smith has not looked great down the stretch and just finally made the weight down to 165. His gas tank was a major issue at 174, so it should only be harder for him at 165. He also has to wrestle a pigtail match before taking on Marinelli, so he won't have much rest and Marinelli does know how to grind down opponents. Marinelli is facing him in the most ideal circumstances, but you would rather not run into a guy that talented in your first round match.

After that, he could rematch Jonathan Viruet who took him to sudden victory at the Midlands. It could also be Thomas Bullard from NC State, but I think Marinelli will take it to either one of those guys, especially in a second try against Viruet.

After that, it could be Utah Valley's Demetrius Romero who has beaten Joe Smith, Bryce Seitert (twice), and Logan Massa and only has three losses on the year. The other option is Mekhi Lewis from Virginia Tech who only has two losses and beat Marinelli in freestyle this past summer. Again, I'm definitely picking Marinelli, but this road is exhausting me just typing it out, and we haven't reached the semifinals yet.

At that point, it's either Evan Wick, who Marinelli has beaten three times this year, but every match has been painfully close as Wick has dominated the Hawkeye from the top position. Then there is Chance Marsteller, one of the greatest high school wrestlers to come out of Pennsylvania, the greatest high school wrestling state in the nation. He has two losses, one was a one-point loss to two-time defending National Champion, Vincenzo Joseph, and the other was to Josh Shields by tie breaker after two overtimes. That is a very dangerous guy.

Oh, and if he makes it to the finals, he's got Vincenzo Joseph, that two-time defending national champion. Marinelli beat Joseph last year, and BEAT him this year. But seriously, if Marinelli is going to somehow win a title, he's going to have to earn it every step of the way.

IOWA PREDICTION: ALEX MARINELLI EARNS HIMSELF A NATIONAL TITLE
National Champion: My heart said Marinelli, and the one thing I learned from DHT was to listen to my heart.

174 - Mitch Bowman - Did Not Qualify
Poor Mitch Bowman ends his senior season going out in a whimper as he was unable to qualify for the NCAA Tournament after dropping down a weight to help out the team after Michael Kemerer and Myles Wilson were injured. He was a rollercoaster of ultimate hustle and me ultimately yelling at my TV for him to get up.

Without a Hawkeye, this weight class loses a lot of luster for me. Is anybody beating Mark Hall in the top half of the bracket? No. Myles Amine will lose by a point to him in the semifinals, because that is what happens in every one of their 700 matches.

Bottom half is a two-horse race between Missouri's Daniel Lewis and Arizona State's Zahid Valencia. Lewis pinned Valencia in a match he was already controlling, but Zahid kicks ass at these NCAA Tournaments. He could easily be a two-time defending champion had he not gotten dinged for accidentally grabbing the headgear against Mark Hall a couple years ago.

So I say it comes down to Hall and Valencia again. When they were freshman, I didn't think anyone could beat the phenom that was Mark Hall. When they were sophomores, I thought Valencia broke through to show that he's the new dominator at this weight class. Then Mark Hall controlled him in their match this year. I still really like Valencia, but I can't deny that the guy is struggling underneath tough wrestlers.

IOWA PREDICTION: MITCH BOWMAN SHOCKS THE WORLD BY STORMING THE MAT AFTER THE NCAA FINALS TO CHALLENGE FOR THE TITLE AT WRESTLEMANIA
National Champion: Who cares? They'll be defending their title in two weeks on the biggest stage of them all, but the pick is Mark Hall, Penn State.

184 - Cash Wilcke - #12 Seed
Cash Wilcke fittingly got the twelfth seed as he is Mr. Round of 12 as that is the round he has been eliminated in during his first two years at the NCAA Tournament, falling just one win short of All-American status. Can he change that this year?

Wilcke should be able to win his first round match against Nick Gravina, but Gravina is probably underrated due to his lack of matches this year. Wilcke has no great wins but no bad losses, so I think he's solid enough to get things done in the first round. Unfortunately, in round two, that no great wins thing catches up to him as I just don't see a way past Max Dean for Wilcke. He'll keep it close, but even I've got to take Dean in that match.

This is Myles Martin's weight to lose, and I don't see him losing it. He's dominated everyone, and I think that continues from start to finish at the NCAAs. If you're looking for some fun, let's have seventh seeded Nick Reenan take out Shakur Rasheed of Penn State. I think Rasheed is overrated, but I wholeheartedly admit that I overrate guys based off their freestyle success which is definitely part of the reason I am taking Reenan in that match.

IOWA PREDICTION: THE STREAK IS BROKEN. UNFORTUNATELY, THIS YEAR WILCKE ONLY GOES 2-2 AND FAILS TO MAKE THE ROUND OF 12.
National Champion: Myles Martin, Ohio State

197 - Jacob Warner - #5 Seed
Warner is in a totally fair spot at the five seed. Warner has been great defensively, but has struggled at times on offense. I feel like his effort has increased as the year has gone on, and it may be a conditioning thing where now he's fully into form after dealing with an injury earlier in the year.

He should have no trouble taking out Drew Phipps of Bucknell in the first round. After that, a much tougher matchup against Army's Rocco Caywood, a guy who beat Warner earlier this year at the Midlands. I think a lot of that was Warner already taking a beating from South Dakota State's Tanner Sloan. He also had only one match going into the Midlands on the season, and that was four weeks earlier against Iowa State, so I think a Warner who has rounded into form and has his conditioning ready should be able to avenge that loss.

In the quarters, it's a likely matchup with #4 seed, Patrick Brucki, who beat Warner at last year's Midlands. Brucki is 29-1 and he avenged his one loss to Cornell's Ben Honis. I like Warner, but Brucki put up major decisions against the two guys that Warner lost to at the Midlands, and I think even a fully charged Warner isn't putting up those types of scores. I would lean towards the Princeton Tiger in this one. If that's the case, I have Warner getting matched up with Ben Honis in the blood round which I see as a total toss-up match.

If he loses that, he'll make his way in the consolation bracket. If he wins, he will just delay going into the consolation bracket as Bo Nickal will await him. Nickal is so far ahead of the competition that it was a victory for the #2 seed to only lose by regular decision, because the first time they faced each other, Kollin Moore got pinned in the first period.

On the bottom half of the bracket, I think either Kollin Moore keeps hold of that #2 seed or Preston Weigel rises up from #3 as I just don't see #6 Willie Miklus or #7 Jay Aiello having the skills to take those guys out. I'd lean towards Moore, but either way, it's just a matter of who gets that ass whooped by Nickal on Saturday night.

IOWA PREDICTION: JACOB WARNER BECOMES AN ALL-AMERICAN (4TH PLACE)
National Champion: Bo Nickal, Penn State

Heavyweight - Sam Stoll - #29 Seed
One thing that people have always criticized me for is why I still believe in men who have been shot in the leg. If you told me Plaxico Burress was making a comeback, I would still want the Bears to sign him, because that guy is a touchdown machine. The same is true for Sam Stoll who definitely got shot in the leg this offseason and definitely does not look like the same guy he was in the past. I still believe in him.

Down the stretch, he really shit the bed, but he had some good wins earlier beating both Youssif Hemida and Conan Jennings. Plus, he's still SAM FREAKIN STOLL, who entered the season as the #1 ranked heavyweight. You know, sometimes it's just more fun to pick with your heart instead of your head, and this is one of those times. Keep that in mind as I run you through the Sam Stoll Sacrifice to the Gods.

First up, Jordan Wood, #4 ranked heavyweight out of Lehigh. Wood has a good record, but he didn't really beat anybody good. He faced the top three guys and lost to each of them, so his best win is #15 Tate Orndorff. Stoll, who has had a terrible season, has two better wins than that. It ain't going to be pretty, but Stoll wins 2-1.

I'll go with Zach Elam to get the slight upset over #13 Matt Voss, but that just leads to his ultimate destruction when Stoll really gets in a Gogarrian Groove and gets his first pin of the tournament.

After that, it seems like #12 seed Conan Jennings has #5 seed Mason Parris's number as he has beaten him three times this year, so give Stoll another huge victory as he was dominating Jennings before Jennings had to injury default after the match. Stoll takes it to him again in an excruciatingly boring 2-0 victory.

I bet you're thinking that he will take on #1 seeded Derek White next. Well, guess again, buckaroo, because I've got Central Michigan's Matt Stencel shocking White in the third round. Stencel has 17 pins this year, and hilariously, all three of his real losses (one injury default) were by pin as well. The man just loves pins, and I've got great news as he's going to find his way to another pin in the semifinals. Unfortunately for him, it's going to be our big beefy boy, Sam Stoll having him stare up at the lights when the ref's hand smacks the mat.

In the bottom half of the bracket, I'm taking Gable Steveson, and I don't think it's close. I know Anthony Cassar just beat him last week, but I'm pretty sure that Cassar was the only one who believed he could take him down, and Steveson was practically napping on the mat before he was like, "Oh shit, this dude just took me down with like no time left." I don't see him making that mistake again.

And yes, Gable Steveson beat Sam Stoll in their one matchup, but this is the Sam Stoll Sacrifice to the Gods tour. I say they battle it out until an overtime to settle it all, but you know who I'm going with.

IOWA PREDICTION: SAM STOLL GOES FROM 29TH SEED TO THE NCAA FINALS AND TAKES...
National Champion: Gable Steveson, Minnesota

Sorry, Sam Stoll. If the guy wasn't named after Dan Gable, I could go for it, but the Freshman Phenom is too much in the end.

WrestleMania 34 Betting Odds and Predictions

LJ: You know what time it is?  Time for Wrestlemania betting odds.  Before we get into the matches, I’ve got a question for you Hott Joe.  With all these matches, how many years do we have before the Wrestlemania card is literally 24 hours long?  I put the over under at 5.5.

Joe: They are already at seven hours minimum, and man, it comes to a point where that is simply too much wrestling. I went to Mania last year, and by the final hour, I just wanted things to end. New Japan had their show in Long Beach a couple weeks ago, and that show went  4.5 hours which I think is really as long as you should possibly go. But yeah, WWE will definitely hold a 24-hour card by 2025.

Raw Women’s Title Match Alexa Bliss 13/8 vs. Nia Jax 4/9
LJ: This is a no brainer, and I love the odds here.  Getting close to 1/2 on what should be one of the easiest matches to pick is great money.  Jax wins, and if the WWE has any sense, she wins in a quick and dominating fashion.  I’d go hot start for Jax for a couple minutes, she misses a big move, Bliss gets in a couple of minutes of heel offense/works her leg etc.  Jax comes back and wins in another 2, 6-8 minutes is all this match needs and there’s no other story it should tell except for Jax beating Bliss.

Joe: Oh, Jonah. Sweet, sweet baby Jonah. If you think this buildup needs to have Nia Jax go over, then may I remind you of the time Triple H was super racist towards Booker T for months before pinning him cleanly at WrestleMania. Jax SHOULD win, no doubt about it, but these odds almost seem too good to be true. I have to pick Nia Jax, but if I had to book it the other way, maybe the Iconic Duo comes out to help Bliss win the match and create a stable of hot chicks. Oh, and this definitely won’t be the last time I mention The Iconic Duo.

Cruiserweight Title Match Cedric Alexander 2/5 vs. Mustafa Ali 7/4. 
LJ: I’ll be honest, I don’t follow the Cruiserweight division like I do the rest of the WWE.  These guys are fighting for the vacant Cruiserweight Championship since neither one of them is a rapist or wife beater, that we know of.  I’ve seen Cedric Alexander before and he is one of the top talents in the division, so it makes sense for him to win here.  I’ll go with the favorite in Alexander.

Joe: Um…well, the one guy does very cool stuff, but the other guy, boy, you got to watch out for them flips, and, ah…(flips coin) Mustafa Ali wins to help the WWE spread their brand to (checks Wikipedia) Bolingbrook, Illinois? Eh, let’s go with it.

Smackdown Women’s Championship Charlotte Flair 4/1 vs. Asuka 1/7.
LJ: I feel like the WWE has booked themselves into a corner here.  Undefeated streaks are kind of stupid storylines anyways, and now Asuka almost has to win, but the question becomes who beats her eventually?  I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, she should have lost her first NXT Title match against Bailey or to Ember Moon on her way out of NXT.  But anyway, if I was actually betting I’d stay away from this match because there’s a chance that Carmella cashes in to win the title.  She could do it during or after the match so if it was after I suppose Asuka would still technically be the winner of this match.  The odds are terrible in this match, but Asuka is going to win, I just wouldn’t recommend betting on it.

Joe: Asuka has to win this match. Carmella has to come out to at least hint at cashing in, but even if she cashes it in, she ain’t winning that title. The only way Charlotte wins is if she somehow convinces The Iconic Duo to join her in a new-age BFFs.

Kurt Angle and Ronda Rousey 1/5 vs. Triple H and Stephanie 5/1.
LJ: This seems super obvious as well.  You don’t bring in Ronda Rousey to have her lose her first match especially when it’s at Wrestlemania.  Wait, I feel like I’ve written this before, oh yeah when the WWE brought in Sting and had him lose to Triple H at Wrestlemania for no logical reason.  I’ll say Triple H pitches this backstage which turns the match into a shoot which the Olympians easily win.  Favorites are the pick again.

Joe: See, this is one where I could see an upset. Kurt Angle can take a pin here without any real issues going on. You were just complaining about how undefeated streaks are bad, so let’s not let Rousey get in one. Have her lose her first match and “protect the biz.” I never want to see Triple H or Stephanie win, but they might do it here, especially if Stephanie gets help from The Iconic Duo.

WWE World Championship Match AJ Styles 2/1 vs. Shinsuke Nakamura 2/5
LJ: The dream match, for people who like to watch good wrestling on a wrestling show.  I really hope they give these guys at least 30 minutes to really tear the house down, it should be a hell of a lot of fun.  In my opinion, Styles is the best wrestler/best all around performer in the world.  That being said, he’s had a good title run and it’s time to make Nakamura a main eventer.  The last time he was in the main event he was losing to Jinder Mahal.  They need to wash that stink off and make him a legitimate main event player, and that’s why he will beat Styles at Wrestlemania with a knee to face.

Joe: If Nakamura was still in Japan, he would probably be considered the greatest thing in wrestling. Instead, he has the stink of the WWE on him and some real lackadaisacal performances against mid-tier competition. I do think him and Styles have a pretty epic match here though. Honestly, they could just recreate Nakamura’s debut against Sami Zayn, and I’d be ecstatic. Nakamura wins, because he has no place to go if he doesn’t.

Universal Championship Match Brock Lesnar 4/1 vs. Roman Reigns 1/6
LJ: I mean come on, this is what the entire last year has been about.  This is why not one person has kicked out of the F5 in the past year.  This is why Braun Strowman isn’t the Universal Champ, or even near the match.  It’s all so Roman Reigns can conquer the unconquerable Brock Lesnar and be the champ.  I’ve got some commentary on this match, it will be a hell of a match.  Their first match was awesome before the cash in.  I just hope that the WWE listens to my warnings and doesn’t put this on last.  The worked shoot Brock Lesnar doesn’t show up for work and is going to the UFC angle has worked a lot better than I thought it would, but it’s not going to make Reigns a fan favorite when he wins.  Whoever he defends the title against first is going to be getting the better reactions, so they need to be ready for this.  Don’t let Reigns cut a promo over a minute long, have him beat people up, or just make him a heel.  Book him as such and things will eventually go his way and since they’re insistent on it happening, I can only hope they go about it smartly.

Joe: Little known fact: When you beat The Undertaker at WrestleMania, you absorb his undefeated prowess at WrestleMania. Lesnar has not been pinned or submitted since beating The Deadman and neither has Roman Reigns. This will be the ultimate test. I really like Roman Reigns, so I’m going to pick The Big Dog to take out The Beast.

John Cena ? vs. The Undertaker ?

LJ: So I don’t see any odds for this match, which I guess makes sense because there’s no guarantee it will happen.  In wrestling though, there’s very rarely build up like this with no payoff.  If they fight, and I think it will happen, I think The Undertaker wins.  I’m also very torn on my feelings about this match.  It’s a match I desperately want to see, or wanted to see five years ago when Taker was undefeated at Wrestlemania and Cena barely ever lost.  Also, though Cena’s “desperation” for a Wrestlemania match has been played pretty well, him calling out the 50 something year old Undertaker for not wanting to wrestle any more is a bit off putting.  On the other hand, if this match does happen I absolutely hate the fact that Cena has done all the build for this match.  The Undertaker could have bothered to come back for a segment or two, just like he could have against Bray Wyatt, where if I remember correctly, Wyatt did all the build and Taker showed up at Mania and got the win.

Joe: I’m not sure who the winner of this match will be, but I can tell you who the loser will be, and that’s the fans, because this match will suck ass if it happens. Undertaker’s garbage, don’t @ me.

LJ: I can’t find actual odds for the other matches, just mentions of who the favorite is so I guess we can talk about those.

Joe: I’m going to go rapid fire on my responses, because if Vegas won’t talk about these matches, neither should I.

Intercontinental Championship Match The Miz vs. Finn Balor vs. Seth Rollins.
LJ: Balor is apparently the favorite in this match, which is understandable.  The guy should be higher up the card, and should have been ever since his return.  I’ll never understand how someone else injuring you is a negative against the injured.  I’m going against the grain in this match though, and I’m going with The Miz to retain.  Miz retains, Balor and Rollins move up into the actual main event part of the card going forward, and Miz gets to become the longest reigning Intercontinental Champ of all time. 

Joe: I’ll take Seth Rollins, because Davenport, Iowa is the master and the ruler of the world.

Women’s Battle Royal Match:
LJ: Sasha Banks is the heavy favorite and is around even money to win.  She’s a great choice, and is probably the best all around women’s wrestler in the division.  Now that she’s back to heel, where she should be, she should be a lot more watchable.  I have to imagine Bayley is up there too, and a win here would really rebuild her credibility which has taken a beating due to terrible booking.  The only other real possibility I can see if Becky Lynch, who hasn’t been buried like Bayley has, but has really been underused.  Beyond that, I have no idea, maybe one of the Bellas if they’re coming back full time?  Ember Moon?  Rodeo lover Tamina?  It’s really got to be one of the Horsewomen, so I’ll go with my personal favorite Bayley to win it.

Joe: Iconic Duo both win.

Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal:

LJ: This one’s tough because I’m really not sure who’s in it.  In past years there were a few big names in it to choose from, this year everyone is in a 3 or 4 way match so it’s kind of tough to figure out who’s not already in a match who could win.  The names that jump out at me that don’t have a match are Matt and Jeff Hardy, Bray Wyatt, and Elias.  Big Cass and Samoa Joe could be healthy enough for a return, and while the battle royal doesn’t feel like a great use of Joe it could be a good use for Big Cass.  Beyond them, maybe a thank you win for Kane?  Someone in a tag team that could have a bright future ahead of them like Chad Gable?  A re debuting Bobby Lashley?  To make an official pick, I’ll take Elias.  He’s plenty over and way too important to be doing nothing at Wrestlemania.  Let him win the battle royal and sing about it for a year.

Joe: What better way to memorialize Andre The Giant than having his greatest rival, Hulk Hogan, come back to win the Battle Royal. Hulk ain’t taking no bumps, brother.

Raw Tag Team Championship Match The Bar vs. Braun and ???

LJ: Brains Strowman would be pretty awesome, but I don’t think he’s the real pick.  The best options for the pick are the guys who could win the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal.  Could be Elias who has been MIA since a feud with Braun, could be a reborn Bray Wyatt who has history with Strowman.  Could be Big Cass for giant tag team.  Could be Bobby Lashely for some reason or other.  Some NXT guy?  All those choices make a lot more sense than my official choice, James Ellsworth.  It all comes full circle with Ellsworth, he started off being dominated by Braun so he makes his triumphant return as his tag team partner.  Also, Braun and whoever are winning this match because Braun needs to be kept busy and out of the World Title picture while Roman is trying to get over.  Defending the tag team belts is a great way for him to do that.

Joe: Braun Strowman’s partner will be Big Show, and they will win.

US Title Match: Randy Orton vs. Jinder Mahal vs. Bobby Roode vs. Rusev
LJ: I’ve read Jinder is the favorite in this match, so I’m happy to pick against the favorite in this one.  I get the guy is muscular and foreign, but so is Rusev.  Rusev is also charasmatic as all get out and a hell of a worker in the ring.  It’s time for the WWE to actually get behind pushing this future world champion and give Rusev the win on the grandest stage of them all.

Joe: It’s RUSEV DAY!

Smackdown Tag Team Title Match: The Usos vs. The New Day vs. The Bludgeon Brothers
LJ: Couldn’t find any mention of this match so no idea who the favorite is.  I’ll take the Bludgeon Brothers, if they fail here it seems like the tag team is pretty much dead, so if you want to keep Harper and Rowan together they need to win.  Have them feud with The Usos for a few months, should be fun.  Have The New Day move onto pursuing singles gold since Big E is a future world champion.

Joe: New Day Rocks!

Daniel Bryan and Shane McMahon vs. Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn
LJ: Well for this story to make any sense, Kevin and Sami have to win since they can’t be fired.  Of course I said that about Shane McMahon beating The Undertaker so that story could continue, and then it just did for no raisin.  In theory, I guess they could go to RAW after Wrestlemania if they lose this match.  This is Daniel Bryan’s first match back in years though, he can’t lose clean.  In a Russoesque twist, I see Shane McMahon costing Daniel Bryan the match allowing Kevin and Sami to win the match and regain their jobs. 

Joe: Owens and Zayn win when Brie Bella costs Daniel Bryan the match. She then says the baby is actually Sami Zayn’s. I also predict Shane McMahon sweats a lot.

LJ: In terms of crazy surprises you can probably bet on somewhere, I think The Rock makes a polite appearance.  In much more surprising news, I think Connor McGregor and Donald Trump make appearances.  Trump possibly via satelite, but maybe in person.  He’s got to get ready to be the XFL commissioner in 2020.  Since we’re in New Orleans, I hope we get a visit from everyone’s favorite Voodoo Doctor Papa Shango.  I’ve saved the best and most shocking surprise for last.  Kid Rock’s performance will be interrupted by WCW legends The No Limit Soldiers.  Master P will do whatever his finishing maneuver was, and the group will lead the crowd in a rousing rendition of Make Em Say Uhhhh.

Joe: Rock, Hogan, Stone Cold, short-haired Shawn Michaels, Scott Hall, and Dan “The Beast” Severn. Oh, and The Iconic Duo.

The Quintessential Breakdown of Brawl For All - Part 6

Brawl For All was one of the most fascinating ideas in WWE history. It's when the WWE took the reality era to a logical place, having real fights, under extraordinarily stupid rules. You may think the WWE did this to capitalize on the popularity of the UFC, and I'm sure that was kind of the case, but there was just one problem. WWE is always like five years behind on things, so instead of the UFC being fresh and exciting, it was actually at its lowest point in popularity since starting in 1993. It was literally the worst time to have Brawl For All, but as it turned out, there was never going to be a good time to have Brawl For All.

It all started with Marc Mero getting beaten up by Steve Blackman. Blackman never lost, but that doesn't mean he made the finals. We continued with Dan Severn beating up The Godfather, but Severn also dropped out of the tournament. We then went on to the second round where Bradshaw also beat Marc Mero. Finally, we made it to the semifinals, where Bart Gunn gave The Godfather his second loss of the tournament. Finally, Bart Gunn completed his amazing tournament by knocking out Bradshaw. 

And even though last time we were able to crown a champion, that's not truly where Brawl For All ended. Because it was such a massive failure, why not extend it for one more match, six months later? Maybe in six months you can get nostalgia for something nobody enjoyed? Add a super fat guy, and you've got a recipe for success.

This was not Butterbean's first foray into a WWE ring, as about a year and a half earlier, he took on Marc Mero in a boxing match that was clearly a work, as Butterbean was taking cheap shots on Mero, and Mero was raking eyes with boxing gloves and choking Mr. Bean with tape. Outside of the WWE Network, the only place to watch it is an incredibly obscure website dedicated to Brock Lesnar and Sable. That's probably for the best.

But that leads us to our main event, the greatest fight of all time, Butterbean vs. Bart Gunn. Since Bart Gunn won Brawl For All in August, he used that to catapult his career to...uh...honestly, even more irrelevance than ever. Like, it's truly incredible how irrelevant he became. After winning Brawl For All, he had one wrestling match before his fight with Butterbean, a Hardcore Title match he lost to Bob Holly in February of 1999.

So, yeah, people were jacked for this Butterbean fight. Now of course a fight of this magnitude could only be settled at the Grand Daddy of Them All, WrestleMania XV. Bart Gunn now had a nickname, as he was now Bart "The Hammer" Gunn. How do you not make your name The Nail? Nailgun? Come on, it's too easy. When it comes to nicknames, I guess you could say I "Nailed" it.


You're probably not going to believe this, but the wrestler who has dabbled in punching did not fare too well against the World Champion Boxer. The fight started with Butterbean throwing a two-punch combo that LITERALLY spun Bart Gunn around. And things actually got worse from there. Butterbean started attacking the body just to set up a body-head combo that knocked Gunn loopy before Butterbean knocked him down. Bart Gunn got up, and Bart Gunn really shouldn't have gotten up.

Yeah, that body-head combo got him again.

Basically, Bart Gunn trained boxing casually where Butterbean was an actual boxer. It would be like Conor McGregor trying to fight Floyd Mayweather, and yes, trust me, when that match goes down, McGregor has less than a zero percent chance of winning. But even though McGregor has no chance of being a Boxing Champion, he actually currently holds a much MUCH more prestigious title.

Conor McGregor is your current WWE Brawl For All Lineal Champion. This is clearly why Floyd Mayweather wants this fight. The chance to retire with the greatest title in all of combat sports is too much for him to pass up. Yes, Floyd claims that he only cares about money, but the Brawl For All Title is truly priceless.

Breaking Down the Betting Odds of WrestleMania 33

Lukewarm Jonah: It’s the most wonderful time of the year, Wrestlemania season and that means Wrestlemania betting odds.  Joe will be there in person, but just in case he wants to pay for his ticket by winning a bunch of bets on one of the most underwhelming Wrestlemania’s in recent memory we’re going to look at the odds for the matches at the grandest stage of em all.

Joe: Let's face it, the WrestleMania 33 card looks like ass on paper. The main events were basically designed to give me the least excitement possible, so if I can't see a great WrestleMania card, maybe I can at least make some money off of this thing. Let's break down the odds and find the best bets for this Sunday.

AJ Styles (1/7)  vs. Shane McMahon (11/2):

Lukewarm Jonah: Remember last year when I picked Shane McMahon to win since he had to win in order to continue the storyline?  Well they showed me by mentioning it briefly on RAW the next day then never speaking of it again.  Anyways, AJ Styles is the best wrestler in the company by far and best all around performer.  So he’s been rewarded with dropping the world title and having a match with a non wrestler whose last name is McMahon.  If the WWE does anything besides have Styles run over McMahon after Shane jumps off of something they’re stupid.  That being said, they are very stupid.  I’m still sticking with Styles winning as he pretty much has to, but never doubt a McMahon winning a match for no reason.  

Joe: Yeah, AJ Styles pretty much has to win this match. The only conceivable reason that Shane would win is to get AJ on Raw, which I wouldn’t be totally opposed to, but the only reason I won’t boo is if the Mean Street Posse comes out to help Shane win it. Maybe a Shield style triple powerbomb with the help of Joey Abs and Pete Gas?

Neville (4/11) vs. Austin Aries (15/8):

LJ: This should be a fantastic match.  I know Joe isn’t a big fan of Aries but he was really coming into his own right as he was hurt.  Neville has been great as the King of the Cruiserweights.  They should tear the house down and have a really fun match, but I’m actually taking Aries the underdog.  He’s fresh and he’s getting big reactions from the crowd.  How am I going to bet against the Greatest Man Whoever Lived?

Joe: I am looking forward to this match as this is finally an opportunity for us little guys to shine. The cruiserweight division debuted with a wet fart, but Neville came in to save the day. I think they ride with Neville as the leader for a while longer, and he gives me at least one, “Holy shit” moment.

John Cena and Nikki Bella (1/7) vs. The Miz and Maryse (6/1)

LJ: Miz and Maryse have been carrying this feud like crazy and are doing incredible work.  That being said, those odds are probably not long enough for them.  Cena and Bella are going to win this match and have a big Wrestlemania moment.  There’s a prop bet later that I’d like to talk about, which I think all but ensures Cena and Bella’s win.

Joe: I hope this is the main event, just to give everyone horrific flashbacks to when Miz and Cena main evented a WrestleMania, and it was awful...wait a second, I’m going to be there. This is probably not a wise thing to wish upon myself. I’ll go with Cena and Bella too.

Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal:

Braun Strowman 1/8	Tye Dillinger 25/1	Neville 50/1
Finn Balor 7/1	Karl Anderson 25/1	Zack Ryder 50/1
Samoa Joe 7/1	Apollo Crews 25/1	Tyler Breeze 50/1
Big Show 7/1	Shawn Michaels 25/1	Titus O'Neil 50/1
Sami Zayn 11/1	Austin Aries 25/1	HHH 50/1
Big Cass 12/1	Randy Orton 25/1	Bo Dallas 66/1
Luke Harper 14/1	John Cena 25/1	Jimmy Uso 66/1
Kurt Angle 20/1	Dean Ambrose 25/1	Heath Slater 66/1
Elias Samson 20/1	Big E 25/1	Charlotte 66/1
Mark Henry 20/1	AJ Styles 25/1	Jey Uso 66/1
Kofi Kingston 22/1	Luke Gallows 25/1	Goldust 80/1
Shinsuke Nakamura 22/1	Kevin Owens 25/1	Curtis Axel 80/1
Dolph Ziggler 22/1	Sheamus 25/1	R-Truth 80/1
The Miz 22/1	Jeff Hardy 33/1	Darren Young 80/1
Kane 22/1	Kalisto 33/1	Jack Swagger 90/1
Rusev 22/1	Roman Reigns 33/1	Batista 100/1
Seth Rollins 22/1	Chris Jericho 33/1	The Undertaker 100/1
Baron Corbin 22/1	The Rock 33/1	Brock Lesnar 100/1
Cesaro 22/1	Hulk Hogan 33/1	Conor McGregor 150/1
Hideo Itami 22/1	Stone Cold Steve Austin 33/1	CM Punk 200/1
Bobby Roode 25/1	Xavier Woods 50/1	Ronda Rousey 250/1

LJ: Always some interesting and fun odds on the Andre The Giant memorial Battle Royal.  Good odds on anyone not named Braun Strowman.  It’s easy to see why, he’s a monster and he just lost some of his heat by being beaten by Reigns.  The two names I’m interested in are two guys who were interesting in the Royal Rumble, Finn Balor and Sami Zyan.  I think they hold off on Balor’s return to help Seth out so I’ll go with good old underdog Sami Zyan to win it.

Joe: Looking at this list, it’s pretty shocking how many great wrestlers have nothing important to do at WrestleMania. Braun Strowman has been awesome these past few months, Samoa Joe has been eating people’s hearts, and Sami Zayn is my (insert heart emoji). Oh yeah, there’s also Dolph Ziggler, Luke Harper, and THE ENTIRE NEW DAY. They should, like, put all of those people in a Money in the Bank match for my own happiness. Instead, they’re probably all in this battle royal, and I guess I’ll go with Sami Zayn, as I don’t see any surprise debut appearances, and eventually Sami Zayn needs to win something.

Kevin Owens (2/7) vs. Chris Jericho (3/1) United States Title Match

LJ: By far the best booked storyline going into Wrestlemania.  The Kevin and Chris friendship express was extremely entertaining for months and the Festival of Friendship was one of the best segments in years.  Owens is the favorite here since he’s the full time guy and rumor is Jericho might be going on tour with Fozzy soon.  I’m actually taking the underdog Jericho here to win and redeem himself by getting revenge on the guy who screwed him over.  I’m guessing there’s an Owens destruction the next night on RAW but I’m taking Jericho to pull off the win here.

Joe: This is definitely the most interesting storyline, and that’s because it’s from two of wrestling’s most entertaining performers. Even as a Jerchoholic, I’ll admit, I did not see Jericho having this sort of run again. He has been so phenomenal this past year, and it’s truly incredible that he has found a way to reinvent himself yet again. And that’s not taking anything away from Owens who is relentless in and out of the ring, and he will literally just wear you down with everything he does until you are entertained. Still, Jericho deserves to get one up on Owens so I’m going to agree with you and take Jericho to get the win.

The Club (11/10) vs. Enzo and Big Cass (7/5) vs. Sheamus and Cesaro (5/2) RAW Tag Team Title match.

LJ: The Club has been booked terribly since coming to the WWE and they continue their terrible booking by attacking their partners in a handicap match ensuring that they’ll be in a triple threat at Wrestlemania.  But Enzo and Big Cass are the picks here, the WWE wants to push them and they should.  They’ll give them their Wrestlemania moment of winning the tag team titles here.  Probably after The Club lays down and lets them beat them because they’re just tired of carrying them around.

Joe: Well, Monday night, to build interest in this tag match, it was turned into a ladder match, but I was already excited, mostly because it has my man Antonio Cesaro in it. Now that there’s a ladder involved, expect Cesaro to do something incredibly dangerous and/or incredibly strong in this match. I still don’t think him and Sheamus are winning, as I agree that it’s probably time to put the belts on Enzo Amore and Colin Cassady.

Bayley (1/3) vs. Sasha Banks (3/1) vs. Charlotte (8/1) vs. Nia Jax (14/1).  RAW Women’s Title match.

LJ: How terribly has this been booked?  It’s really how terribly Bayley has been booked.  He have a dominant heel champ with a PPV unbeaten streak and the biggest PPV of the year coming up.  We also have an organically over babyface in Bayley that basically everyone loves.  Let’s have the babyface win the title on RAW by interference, and break the PPV streak at a nothing PPV by interference.  Perfect.  Anyways,the one part of this feud that’s been booked decently is the fact that Sasha Banks should be turning heel soon and I think she turns heel at Wrestlemania.  Charlotte was right this entire time and Banks screws over Bayley at Wrestlemania and takes the title.  The good news going forward is that RAW has almost no face women, but hey who cares right?

Joe: I agree that Bayley has been booked terribly, but this is the match that I am most confident in delivering an awesome performance. It’s kind of crazy how much women’s wrestling has changed in the past couple years. Two years ago, Paige had the main women’s match, and I’m pretty sure it was against Nikki Bella but not totally sure. Either way, it was totally forgettable. Of course, two nights before that, Sasha Banks and Charlotte tore it up at the NXT show, and it is absolutely criminal that that match is not available for viewing, because it was pretty damn awesome. Anyway, Charlotte and Sasha Banks are the two best women’s wrestlers around; Bayley isn’t far behind (but she is behind), and Nia Jax plays an important role of just getting to ragdoll little girls like Sasha. But I agree with you, Bruce Springsteen (The Boss) wins the title here.

Alexa Bliss (5/2) vs. Becky Lynch (5/2) vs. Mickie James (6/1) vs. Natalya (9/1) vs. Carmella (14/1) vs. Naomi (5/4) vs. ???

LJ: So, it’s the Smackdown women’s title match Alexa Bliss taking on all available Smackdown women.  There are odds on a few more women, and Asuka is one of them at (16/1).  The smart money seems to be on Naomi returning and winning the belt she never lost.  Becky Lynch is always a threat and Mickie James has some attractive odds as well.  Carmella is definitely more likely to win this match than Natalya so I like her odds as well.  The “All available Smackdown women” comment from Daniel Bryan has to mean that someone unexpected will win the match.  I’ll go with the favorite Naomi to make her return and take back the title.  

Joe: Here’s my surprise for Mania. Asuka wins the Smackdown Women’s Title. I think she loses her NXT title on Saturday night, and then makes her surprise debut in this match and wrecks worlds.

Seth Rollins (1/4) vs. Triple H (7/2) Unsanctioned match

LJ: First question, what the hell is an unsanctioned match, and if anyone’s in one why is it the CFO of the company?  I honestly don’t know if this means it’s a No DQ match or what, but Rollins should really win.  Triple H is always the biggest, toughest, coolest guy in feuds and he’s pretty much dominated Rollins to this point.  But Rollins is his guy, Triple H really likes him so I’m going to do something that’s bitten me in the ass before and think that Rollins picks up the win here.  He probably gets a Samoa Joe beatdown afterwards to write him off while he recovers, but I think he pulls it out.

Joe: Jonah, don’t you get it? All other WrestleMania matches are sanctioned, but this match, this match is unsanctioned. Triple H wrote up an ironclad contract (thanks to help from Big Johnny) that means that Seth Rollins can’t sue no matter what Triple H does. Triple H is known as The Game. What’s the world’s most dangerous game? That’s right, hunting fellow human beings. Triple H is going to shoot Seth Rollins, but it’ll be fine, because it’s unsanctioned. Seth Rollins still wins, because DAVENPORT, IOWA RULES!

Roman Reigns (2/7) vs. The Undertaker (5/2)

LJ: Don’t worry everybody, the WWE heard your demands for a dream match and put the top face against The Undertaker, that’s right it’s John Cena oh crap I mean Roman Reigns.  It’s the Big Dog’s yard now everybody.  Also, please call him the Big Dog and wear my super illegally designed Big Dog Roman Reigns shirt while you do it.  Rumor has it, this might be The Undertaker’s last match.  I don’t think it is, but who knows.  It sure looks like this is when Roman Reigns finally turns heel because you know he’s getting booed out of the building if he beats The Undertaker.  Instead, Roman probably beats The Undertaker, Taker shakes his hand and passes the torch to him and crowds continue to shit all over it.  Big Dog for the win.

Joe: Oh man do I not give a shit about supernatural characters. I’ll take Undertaker, because he’s due for a win at Mania. He hasn’t gotten one in a year.

Dean Ambrose (+350) vs. Baron Corbin (-600) Intercontinental Title match.

LJ: I’m a little surprised by these odds too.  I mean it makes sense that they want to push Corbin as the new monster and give him a good title win, but he dropped a forklift on Ambrose and it sure seems like he should get his revenge.  So screw it, I’m going with Ambrose getting that revenge on Corbin and winning at Wrestlemania.

Joe: I’ll agree that these odds are surprising. I thought I could make good money off Corbin, as I think it makes sense for him to win, mostly because a small child could produce more believable offense than Dean Ambrose. So let’s stick with the Lone Wolf to go 2-0 at WrestleManias and make a real run at Undertaker’s streak.

Randy Orton (4/11) vs. Bray Wyatt (13/5) WWE Championship match.

LJ: This is actually a bit of a tough one to call.  Orton’s storyline is that he couldn’t beat Bray so he joined on him and then turned on him and burnt down his house.  Wyatt got his revenge by rubbing dirt on himself.  The conclusion of this storyline should be Orton winning and finally overcoming Wyatt.  However, Wyatt just won the title a month ago and is getting very strong reactions.  Also, he did get his house burnt down, so the WWE’s 50/50 booking should get the win.  It’s a tough one, but I’m taking the favorite Orton.  The WWE sure loves them some Randy Orton so he probably gets his redemption and wins the title.

Joe: Oh man do I not give a shit about supernatural characters. Let’s go with Bray Wyatt winning with help from Sister Abigail who will be portrayed by noneother than Sunny. Now that’s a prediction.

Brock Lesnar (1/9) vs. Goldberg (9/1) WWE Universal Title match.

LJ: Here it is folks your main event of the evening.  Which part timer will win the championship?  Obviously, Goldberg has completely dominated this feud going back to the time they fought years ago.  This means Lesnar basically has to win the belt.  At least he can last more than two minutes in a match.  The real question is whether he walks out with the belt, or if we get some shenanigans to get the title on someone who actually appears on RAW.  Could be at Wrestlemania, could be the next night on RAW, or he could just hold the belt, appear every couple of months and eventually lose it to Roman Reigns.

Joe: Holy shit, they really need Lesnar to win this thing. I hope it’s a shoot and we see who the better real fighter is. But if they want to make it interesting, you have Lesnar win, and then you have the man who never lost the title, Finn Balor, come out, challenge Brock Lesnar to an impromptu match and win the title before the night ends. It makes everybody happy, except for Goldberg’s shirtless child, but judging by that belly, the sweets he’s been eating should keep him fat and happy.

Prop Bets:

LJ: My favorite prop bet of the night is whether John Cena proposes to Nikki Bella at Wrestlemania.  Yes is (4/9) and I’m betting this happens for sure.  The angle has been about Nikki Bella being unable to get Cena to propose and you know Cena wants to do it at Wrestlemania.  Also, wasn’t The Big Show supposed to fight Shaq?  It looks like this match isn’t happening but you can bet on whether or not Shaq (4/1) will appear in the ring at Wrestlemania, so if it does happen you can bet on it and win some money.  There’s also a prop bet for whether or not Finn Balor (4/9) appears in a ring and I think that’s almost guaranteed so that’s a safe one too.  There are no odds for a Smackdown Tag Team title match, but The Usos will probably retain against American Alpha.  

Joe: I’m not sure about prop bets, but I already predicted an appearance from Asuka. Also, I say Hulk Hogan makes his triumphant return, and we also get appearances from The Rock, Stone Cold Steve Austin, and Vin Diesel. Since there should probably be an NXT guy in the battle royal, I’ll go with Tye Dillinger maybe getting the permanent callup at this point. And finally, I’ll say that Dolph Ziggler pays homage to Rick Rude and air brushes Jake Roberts’s wife on his crotch. Where can I get odds on that?