WrestleMania has always served as the biggest event of the year for WWE, but WrestleMania 37 this year is particularly important in unique ways. The two-night event, which takes place from April 10-11, marks the first event in more than a year that WWE see fans in attendance with a limited amount of tickets sold for Raymond James Stadium in Tampa.
The event will feature seven title matches, including all four of the promotion's top championships being put on the line. On the men's side, universal champion Roman Reigns will defend his title against Edge and Daniel Bryan with Bobby Lashley defending the WWE title against former champion Drew McIntyre. Also, Raw women's champion Asuka will defend against Rhea Ripley and SmackDown women's champion Sasha Banks will defend her belt against 2021 women's Royal Rumble winner Bianca Belair.
WrestleMania 37 goes down Saturday, April 10 and Sunday, April 11 from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. The event, streaming live on Peacock, will begin at 8 p.m. ET on both nights with kickoff shows leading in beginning at 7 p.m.
Let's take a look at how our experts believe the action will play out.
WrestleMania 37 predictions -- Night 1
Raw Tag Team Championship: The New Day (c) vs. AJ Styles & Omos
This was a weird direction to go for the Raw tag titles at the event, but it would be even weirder to put the belts on Styles and Omos. The general sense with Omos is that he's not much of a worker, so having him be in more of a bodyguard role has been the best way to use his incredible size. This feels like it's setting up more of a split between Styles and Omos than some sort of title run. For that reason alone, expect a New Day victory. -- Pick: The New Day retain the titles -- Brent Brookhouse (also Adam Silverstein)
Seth Rollins vs. Cesaro
For years, fans have wanted Cesaro to be given more shine on WWE programming. WWE has been doing that through most of 2021 and it's a good thing that they have because he's great as a fired up babyface, which is something that SmackDown needs more of. Rollins is built for a role like this, where he's able to put over credible opponents until the time comes to be shifted up the card and back into the main event. Logic suggests this is a spot where you elevate Cesaro while knowing Rollins isn't hurt in the process. -- Pick: Cesaro wins -- Brookhouse (also Silverstein)
Shane McMahon vs. Braun Strowman (Steel Cage)
Scenarios exist where McMahon wins this and the rivalry gets extended, but the storyline has been so eye roll-inducing already to this point that it just has to end at 'Mania. To be fair, Strowman has actually done a fantastic job on the mic when given free reign on Raw Talk -- and he's sold the feud better than any individual segment on Raw -- but what's been on TV has been pitiful. This match will probably exceed expectations because McMahon is a psychopath and will take a huge bump or two. In the end, Braun will look strong, and hopefully this is a surprise hit. -- Pick: Braun Strowman wins -- Silverstein (also Brookhouse)
Bad Bunny & Damian Priest vs. The Miz & John Morrison
There are occasions where celebrities can appear on a show and not go over, but I'm not sure fans realize how committed Bad Bunny is to making this work. Not only did he reportedly relocate part-time to Orlando so he could actively train in the WWE Performance Center over the last few months, he has shown up on most editions of Raw since the Royal Rumble. WWE is always criticized for having an audience that skews older, so credit to them for going out and finding a young non-wrestling superstar to help grow the business. Bad Bunny may have a tremendous celebrity debut, and that only helps Priest, who is getting a WrestleMania match after just a few months on the roster. It will probably be Morrison -- not two-time WWE champion The Miz -- taking the fall, but in the end, Bad Bunny goes over. -- Pick: Bad Bunny & Damian Priest win -- Silverstein (also Brookhouse)
SmackDown Women's Championship: Sasha Banks (c) vs. Bianca Belair
The build to this match has largely been disappointing, but there will likely be nothing disappointing in the ring. These are two special athletes with huge personalities and there's very little doubt that they're going to deliver on the big stage. There's no reason this wouldn't be Belair's big moment. The time is right to pull the trigger and establish her as among the elite women on the WWE roster. It will also be welcome to put Banks' somewhat disappointing title run in the past and start a new reign with Belair that can hopefully build some momentum. -- Pick: Bianca Belair wins the title -- Brookhouse (also Silverstein)
WWE Championship: Bobby Lashley (c) vs. Drew McIntyre
WrestleMania is that one show every year where faces go over heels more frequently. There are spots for heels to win on the two-night card, but one year after attempting to put McIntyre over Brock Lesnar in front of a sold-out Raymond James Stadium, WWE now has an opportunity to do it over Lashley, whose popularity is steadily growing. WWE victimized itself by not putting the title on Lashley far earlier in the calendar, which would've led to a long reign and understanding fan base when they decide to put the strap back on McIntyre. Because Lashley just won the title after a 16-year journey, it feels unfortunate and a bit sad that he has to give it up so quickly. I just don't see WWE passing up on this opportunity. Remember: Online fans are only a subsection of people who watch WWE. While sentiment on here is that the title should be kept around Lashley's waist, McIntyre will still get a big, long-overdue pop after carrying Raw on his broad shoulders for the last year. -- Pick: Drew McIntyre wins the title -- Silverstein
It makes sense to have McIntyre win to give him the long-discussed "moment in front of a live crowd." But looking up and down Night 1, it feels like there are simply too many babyfaces winning. Yes, WrestleMania is an event where wins tilt heavily in favor of faces, but there also have to be some downs throughout the event. Also, it's maybe wishful thinking that WWE allow Lashley to continue his run. There's nothing like a dominant heel champion on top and Lashley is doing some of the best work of his life in the role he's in right now. There's not a lot to get excited about with another McIntyre title run. -- Pick: Bobby Lashley retains the title -- Brookhouse
WrestleMania 37 predictions -- Night 2
United States Championship: Riddle (c) vs. Sheamus
It's a shame that Sheamus probably isn't winning here because his work has been outstanding in recent months. Riddle is still fresh into his title run, though, and this hasn't been built like a situation where he drops the belt. Instead, they've given him flashy new presentation enhancements, like the weird CGI birds when he kicks off his slides. I don't know what that means, but it doesn't seem like something you do right before you have Riddle lose the belt in a match that had just a few weeks of minor build. -- Pick: Riddle retains the title -- Brookhouse (also Silverstein)
Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn (w/Logan Paul)
Whether Paul joining Zayn was a work from Zayn's first mention of the YouTube star or something that happened organically, it has added a second big-name celebrity that appeals to a younger generation to WrestleMania. This was definitely a hot-shot booking, but the end result is us getting Owens and Zayn, long-time best frends and on-screen rivals in a damn 'Mania match. This bout will rule. Owens is fresh off getting handed a trip of losses to Roman Reigns, while Zayn's entire gimmick is predicated on the forces at WWE working against him. The obvious booking is for Owens to win and Zayn to complain. Rhyme not intended. -- Pick: Kevin Owens wins -- Silverstein (also Brookhouse)
Intercontinental Championship: Big E (c) vs. Apollo Crews (Nigerian Drum)
This is one of the most difficult matches to predict on the card. On one hand, Big E has done a great job with the title and has been elevated significantly as a singles wrestler with this run. On the other, Crews has new life with his Nigerian royalty gimmick, and he looks like a million bucks. He's also already lost to Big E on three separate occasions and was able to choose his own gimmick for this match (basically no holds barred). So while Crews should theoretically win, this is the first time the newly-single Big E is in front of a crowd. Everyone would rush behind him getting a main event run, and he does need to lose the intercontinental title for that to happen, but I cannot see them beating a New Day member at 'Mania. -- Pick: Big E retains the title -- Silverstein
Crews got an injection of life with his new character and his heel turn has involved some moments of real brutality toward Big E. More than anything, it's hard to imagine why you would go through those changes just to have Crews not win the title in his seventh shot at the belt since November. If you're going to put the belt on Crews, you have to do it now or he's dead as any sort of threat. -- Pick: Apollo Crews wins the title -- Brookhouse
"The Fiend" Bray Wyatt vs. Randy Orton
The strangest thing about this match is that it is one of WWE's longest-running stories, yet there is no special stipulation here one year after the Firefly FunHouse cinematic match drew such rave reviews. Casual viewers, stay with me here ... Considering Orton burned "The Fiend" alive a couple months ago and has been waiting for his comeuppance since, I cannot see a scenario in which he wins this. It would actually crush the entire Fiend character, which has been rejuvenated with a new look and Alexa Bliss by his side. -- Pick: "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt wins -- Silverstein (also Brookhouse)
Raw Women's Championship: Asuka (c) vs. Rhea Ripley
Picking Ripley to win is as simple as not cutting her legs out from under her in her first real match as a member of the Raw roster. She's a great talent and would give the Raw women's division a much needed shot of energy after WWE has struggled to really find any compelling angle to Asuka's reign. A Ripley win also sets up some intriguing future programs with women like Charlotte Flair. -- Pick: Rhea Ripley wins the title -- Brookhouse (also Silverstein)
Universal Championship: Roman Reigns (c) vs. Edge vs. Daniel Bryan
Initially, I thought picking Bryan for this match would be out of left field as most expected Edge to win, so I'm glad to see that Brent agrees with me. This match always should have been Reigns vs. Bryan with Bryan winning the Royal Rumble and calling back to their history at the event. When Edge won, I still thought that was possible as he could simply challenge McIntyre, then the WWE champion. When Edge was put in the match with Reigns, it seemed like a perfectly fine WrestleMania main event -- certainly one with a couple big names -- but not necessarily something that would be must-see. Bryan completely changes that.
Bryan previously invaded the WrestleMania 30 main event when fans clamored for him after WWE passed over Bryan (the hottest wrestler in the company) for Batista. The same fervor is not felt here, but Bryan's journey to this match has been similar. Reigns has been an incredible universal champion, and his run as a heel is the best work of his entire career to this point. It's great to see Edge back, but he does not move the needle the way John Cena or The Rock or other veterans do. Now that he's turned heel, Bryan has been established as the true babyface of the match. There is a possibility that the Bryan-Edge mini feud leads to them taking each other out (setting off an actual feud) and Reigns leaving WrestleMania triumphant after likely pinning Bryan.
However, given this is the first live event for WWE featuring fans since the start of the pandemic, it is my opinion that they want to send fans home as happy as possible. That's not going to happen from a heel Edge winning, and while Reigns retaining would be white-hot heat, that's not the feeling WWE wants fans to remember. In what could be his last WrestleMania as a full-time performer, it's Bryan who should and likely will come out on top. -- Pick: Daniel Bryan wins the title -- Silverstein (also Brookhouse)
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