5 Matches that should happen at WWE WrestleMania 39
While WWE is busy building to the 36th annual Survivor Series on November 26, it is not too early to start thinking about WrestleMania 39. Next year's Showcase of the Immortals takes place on Saturday, April 1st and Sunday, April 2nd in Los Angeles, CA.
The event is a little under five months away, but there are creative signs that give fans some small clues about the matches that might be on the show. The following article breaks down, based on current storylines, matches that should happen at the big two-night event in April.
While things can change between now and then, these matches have the best chance of making the event memorable.
#1. WWE should have Sami Zayn challenge Roman Reigns at WrestleMania
Arguably the best storyline WWE has right now is the Bloodline and the interactions between Sami Zayn and its other members.
If Sami were to break away from the group right now, he would likely feud with Jimmy and Jey Uso for the Undisputed Tag Team Championships. However, given the growing positive fan reaction, a better option would be to have Zayn challenge the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion, Roman Reigns, for the title.
While a tag team feud between Zayn (who would likely reunite with Kevin Owens) and the Usos will be entertaining, this is a match WWE could easily hold until later in the year, potentially at SummerSlam.
But, unless the company has Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson already locked in to face Reigns at WrestleMania, Zayn is the best option as a challenger. He is widely popular with fans and it would be a payoff to a storyline that has been building for the better part of 2022.
As Reigns has now been champion for over 800 days, there will also be great speculation around whether or not Zayn will be the one to finally unseat him. This wouldn't be the case if The Rock was the challenger, given his busy movie and television schedule.
#2. Becky Lynch should finally face Ronda Rousey one-on-one
Many fans thought they would see Becky Lynch face Ronda Rousey in the main event of WrestleMania 35 and were disappointed when Charlotte Flair was added to the match.
While Lynch pinned Rousey in that encounter, enough time has passed to make the match feel fresh again. Additionally, fans clearly saw Rousey raise her shoulder before the three count, adding controversy to the original outcome.
With Lynch re-emerging as a babyface and Rousey as a clear heel, this match could easily be the main event on one of the two nights.
#3. Father vs. Son
.@reymysterio overcame @WWEGable of #AlphaAcademy, but refused to hit his own son, @DomMysterio35 and paid the price.
#WWERaw https://t.co/DzN3lgfhRS
WWE has halted building the storyline between Rey and Dominik Mysterio by moving Rey to the SmackDown brand. Expect this feud to pick up once again as early as January during the Royal Rumble, as both are expected to participate in the match.
While Dominik still needs some work in the ring, he has been a nice addition to the Judgment Day faction. The creative team also did a nice job teasing the match by putting Rey in situations to finally confront his son, only to have him turned down at each opportunity.
Expect Dominik to do something drastic to finally force his father to take the match.
#4. Bianca Belair vs. Rhea Ripley
@BiancaBelairWWE
My living MAMI Rhea the two-time raw women's champion ⚖️👹🏆🏆
@RheaRipley_WWE🆚 @BiancaBelairWWE
#WrestleMania #WWERaw The reign of the champion Bianca will become your worst nightmare https://t.co/vPXLRd8a5n
Fans are anticipating the return of Charlotte Flair as a challenger to Bianca Belair's Raw Women's Championship at WrestleMania. While this match should and will happen, there is time to build on that throughout 2023.
Rhea Ripley was scheduled to face Belair for the title earlier this year before being sidelined by injury. Since then, she has arguably been the most dominant member of Judgment Day and has emerged as one of the top competitors in the women's division.
Similar to Sami Zayn and Roman Reigns, having Ripley face Belair would be a nice payoff for a character and story that has been built over the last several months.
#5. A wrestling classic
When Johnny Gargano returned to WWE earlier this year, fans immediately thought of dream match scenarios pitting him against stars from the current roster.
Seth Rollins was one of the names on that list, and with his recent win of the WWE United States Championship, the time would be right for Gargano to emerge as a challenger.
A couple of questions remain for this matchup. First, Rollins has unfinished business with Cody Rhodes, and if Rhodes is medically cleared by WrestleMania, WWE may book them for a rematch.
Second, both Gargano and Rollins are babyfaces (though Rollins could be considered more of a "tweener"). If the creative team wants to go the more traditional route of heel vs. babyface, that would make this match less of a possibility.