ORLANDO, Fla. -- WrestleMania 33 is here. WWE’s premier show of 2017 going down on Sunday beginning at 7 p.m. ET with a kickoff show starting two hours earlier at 5 p.m. ET. Starting at 6 p.m. ET, you can watch it on USA Network.
The monstrous card includes matches from both Raw and SmackDown and features both current WWE superstars and some of the company’s legends, five of which will be featured on the show.
Check out a full slate of predictions for WrestleMania 33 along with a complete match card. Be sure to stay with CBS Sports the entire week as we go in-depth on WrestleMania 33 live from Orlando, Florida.
WrestleMania 33 matches, predictions
Before we get to result predictions, let’s discuss some general topics surrounding WrestleMania 33 itself. Which match is going to steal the show this year?
Brian Campbell: From the standpoint of athleticism and in-ring chemistry, my sleeper had been Neville and Austin Aries until WWE moved it to the kickoff show. This opens the door for Chris Jericho and Kevin Owens to put on a thriller. Despite the great potential there, this match is flying low enough below the radar, reminiscent of John Cena-AJ Styles last August.
Adam Silverstein: I’m going back and forth here. Initially, I thought it would be the Raw women’s title match, but when it was extended to a Fatal 4-Way, I backed off. Then WWE made it an elimination match, which means it will pare down to eventually a one-on-one. I’m not that enthused with the card overall, and outside of Jericho-Owens, I think this could be special and is built for a title change without Bayley factoring into the decision.
Do you expect any surprise run-ins or appearances? If so, from whom?
AS: If anyone runs in, I would expect it to occur during the Triple H-Seth Rollins match. Whether it’s Samoa Joe or potentially a reappearance from Ronda Rousey standing up against Stephanie McMahon, that’s what I see happening if anything.
BC: As much as I could see Braun Strowman showing up to weaken Roman Reigns in his match with The Undertaker (allowing them to pick up where they left off after The Deadman reenters hibernation), this one is a slam dunk (pun intended). Shaquille O’Neal becomes a surprise entrant in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal to conclude his beef with the Big Show.
All but one title is going to be defended over the course of the six-hour show. Which champion do you think is least likely to hold onto their belt?
BC: The easiest answer to this question is Goldberg, but that’s too obvious. So I’ll give you a second one: Bayley. The reason? The Raw women’s division has lost its electric feel with her on top, proving there’s a legit main roster gap between Charlotte Flair, Sasha Banks and everyone else.
AS: Since I already mentioned Bayley earlier, I’ll go with Goldberg here. This match has been built for Brock Lesnar to finally get a victory over Goldberg, perhaps in dominant fashion. Bayley will most likely lose the title, but Goldberg is definitely dropping the strap.
Which match is going to be the true main event and close the show?
AS: Most would think WWE will go with Goldberg-Lesnar here, but I actually see the WWE championship being last on the card with Bray Wyatt defending against Randy Orton. This is also the right move. I don’t see how WWE can end it’s top pay-per-view of the year with one part-time star and another leaving the company after either Sunday or Monday night.
BC: Goldberg-Lesnar certainly has the star power to justify it. Once WWE put the universal championship on Goldberg, it became a no-brainer to go on last. Considering that when you include the kickoff show, this has the makings to be a six-hour show, a short main event will not only please the fans, we know it will please Goldberg at 50.
Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal featuring 30 WWE wrestlers
Cruiserweight Championship: Neville (c) vs. Austin Airies
SmackDown Women’s Championship: Alexa Bliss (c) vs. Becky Lynch vs. Mickie James vs. Naomi vs. Natalya vs. Carmella*
* This match has since been moved to the main card and off the kickoff show.
BC: Strowman’s recent push to the main event level means he doesn’t need the rub he would get from winning the battle royal. In that case, why not give it to a repackaged heel version of Dolph Ziggler, who has seen his opportunities dwindle of late? It’s a cheap pop that would please the vocal majority. Aries is so good on the microphone, he doesn’t need the cruiserweight title in the same way Neville does to maintain his prestige. Neville remains king as this continues. The SmackDown women’s title picture is such a mess that it’s hard to make sense of it. Naomi feels too obvious. My prediction is we see the belt go back to the one whose talent validates it the most: Becky Lynch, setting up a feud with Mickie James. Picks: Ziggler, Neville and Lynch win
AS: By process of elimination, either Strowman, Ziggler, Sami Zayn, Big Show or Apollo Crews is going to take the battle royal. I see Strowman and Show eliminating each other in some form or fashion with Zayn kicking off WrestleMania 33 with a bang. Neville is absolutely going to retain the cruiserweight strap, and I do see the obvious happening with Naomi taking the women’s title. I just don’t get how this match was booked or handled. Picks: Zayn, Neville and Naomi win
Raw Tag Team Championship (Triple Threat Ladder Match): Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson (c) vs. Enzo Amore & Big Cass vs. Cesaro & Sheamus
Enzo and Cass have never held a tag team title in NXT or WWE. Do you think that changes?
BC: This one feels too much like a setup. While many assume this will be Enzo and Cass’ big moment, look for that to come later this year at SummerSlam in their home area of Brooklyn, New York. Gallows and Anderson have been booked in such an unforgivably weak manner since winning the titles that it’s too early for them to give them up. Pick: Gallows and Anderson retain the titles
AS: Bingo. Pick: Gallows and Anderson retain the titles
Intercontinental Championship: Dean Ambrose (c) vs. Baron Corbin
The intercontinental title match did not get a lot of build, but do you see Ambrose keeping the strap or Corbin getting a push?
AS: It’s tough to pinpoint exactly what WWE got wrong with Ambrose … because there’s too many ways they ruined him as a potential top-tier character. Corbin has a big-time future and this is the stage where he made a name for himself one a year ago. It’s time for a change. Pick: Corbin wins the title
BC: This feels like a good time for WWE to test the waters and find out what it has in Corbin. Having him trade the title with Ambrose a couple times over the next five months, beginning with Sunday, should give them that answer. While it took Corbin time to find his groove, his in-ring work, in particular, has greatly improved. Pick: Corbin wins the title
United States Championship: Chris Jericho (c) vs. Kevin Owens
Jericho and Owens meet in the match with arguably the best build on the card. How is this one going to play out?
BC: Jericho’s resurgent run at 46 has been incredible, but it’s hard to imagine him continuing on a full-time basis for another year -- not with a touring rock band and so many projects outside the ring. I like Owens to get the last laugh here, spinning off into bigger feuds on the main event level. Pick: Owens wins the title
AS: This is actually a tough one because Owens is a main-event talent at this point. That said, Lesnar-Owens is a strange pairing, so I can see WWE moving away from that and allowing Owens to continue boosting the United States title. It’s been a great storyline and fantastic feud as of late, but it’s time for Owens to move on. Pick: Owens wins the title
Raw Women’s Championship (Fatal 4-Way Elimination Match): Bayley (c) vs. Charlotte vs. Sasha Banks vs. Nia Jax
What do you think of the concept of this match and who do you see coming out on top?
AS: The elimination match rules and Bayley inexplicably taking the belt into WrestleMania as opposed to winning it on the company’s biggest show of the year lead me to believe Charlotte or Sasha Banks takes the title. This will likely go down without Bayley factoring into the finish (by being eliminated previously). It really bothers me how WWE tries to shove as many competitors as possible into matches at WrestleMania. Pick: Charlotte wins the title
BC: While I’m intrigued to see how Nia Jax and her unique style meshes in a match this big -- considering how well she has performed of late -- this one lacks the buzz and importance it should have. I’m not certain WWE didn’t miss the boat by not going back to the well one more time with Flair and Banks higher up the card. If WWE has plans for Charlotte to one day make a run at her father’s mark of 16 world titles, then this is another Flair win, allowing Bayley and Banks to start a spin-off feud. Pick: Charlotte wins the title
John Cena & Nikki Bella vs. The Miz & Maryse
Do you feel WWE is getting the most out of Cena in this mixed tag team match? Is it a shoe-in that he and Nikki are going to win this thing?
BC: The promos between The Miz and Cena have been so personal and fiery that it has drawn out the early cries that Cena is being wasted. As long as this entire feud wasn’t a long setup for Cena to propose after the match, driving up future ratings for “Total Bellas,” I’m OK with it. Miz and Maryse are elevated simply for being in this feud, meaning a Cena win and massive co-ed babyface pop makes sense. Pick: Cena and Nikki win
AS: We already know the winners. As Brian alluded to, the question is the proposal, which I’ve been predicting for nearly a month at this point. It could also be a bit of a bait-and-switch to add intrigue to the match, of course. Either way, The Miz has benefited from some great time on the mic, but he won’t come away with a win. Pick: Cena and Nikki win
AJ Styles vs. Shane McMahon
This is a regular ol’ singles match without a stipulation. Was that the right decision and is it a foregone conclusion that Styles goes over?
AS: While I completely understand how we got here from a storyline perspective and appreciate that WWE is trying to give Styles a match that feels big without actually being important, this is a waste of a full year of build for one of the most over wrestlers in the company. It would be a bit easier to digest with a stipulation, but McMahon can’t hang with Styles in the ring at this point. Pick: Styles wins
BC: The WWE is really banking on AJ’s reputation here for making four-star matches against just about anybody. But considering his work with James Ellsworth last year, it feels like a strong bet regardless. While the lack of a stipulation is puzzling, we know Shane will still find a way to get a big spot in and retain his street cred in a loss. Pick: Styles wins
Triple H vs. Seth Rollins (Non-Sanctioned Match)
Is this non-sanctioned match going to end with a decisive finish?
BC: I sense a schmoz finish of some kind coming here and the fact that Samoa Joe isn’t scheduled to have a match feels like it confirms that. Although my gut is telling me we won’t see Finn Balor until Monday night, everything feels in play here. Pick: Triple H wins with interference
AS: The Rollins injury definitely through this match out of alignment, and without knowing his actual health, it’s tough to gauge whether they’re going full-boar here or holding the originally planned showdown until SummerSlam. One would hope they would have just canceled the match if he could not go at 100 percent. There’s been so much build-up here that it would be strange for the feud continue, but they do have places to go, such as hell in a cell, employment stipulations and the like. I do think we get a finish -- interference or not – just not the one originally planned. Pick: Triple H wins
The Undertaker vs. Roman Reigns
OK let’s get to what is likely the start of the triple main event. Is WWE really going to let Reigns hand Taker his second WrestleMania loss?
AS: No. Not unless they are fully committed to Reigns actually being a heel and not a 50-50 guy. And that would include Reigns doing something dastardly to make it happen, whether that be using a weapon, attempting to purposely injure Taker, etc. I don’t think Reigns needs to beat Taker to get rub for a match with Lesnar at WresteleMania 34, but I understand the concept. I’ll probably be wrong here, but I’m going with The Deadman. Pick: The Undertaker wins
BC: If you believe the dirt sheet talk the WWE already has a Reigns-Lesnar rematch in its crosshairs for next year’s WrestleMania main event, the storyline of a match between the only two men to defeat The Undertaker at the big dance ain’t too shabby. At 52, with the streak gone, The Deadman gains nothing from defeating Reigns unless it’s a setup to turn “The Big Dog” heel. Since that won’t happen, at least not formally, this is Reigns’ match to win, providing the ultimate rub as the boos come pouring in. Pick: Reigns wins
WWE Championship: Bray Wyatt (c) vs. Randy Orton
The Wyatt-Orton feud has been building for a while but truly reached a fever pitch as of late following WrestleMania. Is the payoff going to be worth it in the long run? Who do you see coming out on top?
BC: This feels like the major singles push Wyatt fans have always craved and the fact that you could make a case that Wyatt is the victim during this feud (and not the obvious heel) leads me to believe exits with the title. As far as how we get to that point, I’m equally confused, scared and intrigued. The tail end of this build has been as creepy and bizarre as anything in recent memory. Let’s hope WWE creative and bring the storyline back on the tracks to finish strong. Pick: Wyatt retains his title
AS: I find myself agreeing with Brian again here. Orton certainly does not need to add another WWE title to his resume, while allowing Wyatt to capture the belt after Royal Rumble only for him to give it back would be a complete waste of someone who is starting to find a niche as a true main event performer. My expectation here is for a competitive and fun end with multiple false finishes and Wyatt remaining dominant over Orton and going up against either Styles or Cena for the belt at SummerSlam. Pick: Wyatt retains his title
Universal Championship: Goldberg (c) vs. Brock Lesnar
Goldberg and Lesnar, two part-time performers with a combined age of 89, will be part of the WrestleMania 33 main event with Goldberg actually entering the match as Raw champion. What do you think of how we got here and will fans be pleased with the finish?
BC: Credit WWE for telling a unique story here and getting essentially four pay-per-views out of something that most felt would be a one-off for Goldberg at Survivor Series. The best-case scenario here is a short, powerful and violent match with Lesnar ultimately getting his comeuppance. His victory may feel telegraphed considering how much Lesnar has uncharacteristically sold of late but business still picks up each time he destroys something. Fans will be extra pleased with a show-closing tease toward his future plans as champion. How about Owens at SummerSlam? Pick: Lesnar wins the title
AS: For a match featuring a part-time wrestler and temporary member of the company, the build has been fantastic. As I mentioned earlier, there’s simply no way Goldberg walks out with the belt unless Lesnar just goes ape on him without regard for rules and gets disqualified, and I don’t see that happening. The way it should go down is Goldberg starting with his usual flurry and it looking like Lesnar is done for only to have him turn it around and dominate towards a finish. Pick: Lesnar wins the title
Brian Campbell will review WrestleMania 33 on Sunday night live during the event, and Adam Silverstein will join him for a closer look at WWE’s biggest show of the year next week right here on CBS Sports.
WWE WrestleMania 33 match card
| Competitors | Title / Stipulation | Brand |
|---|---|---|
Goldberg (c) vs. Brock Lesnar | Universal Championship | Raw |
Bray Wyatt (c) vs. Randy Orton | WWE Championship | SD |
The Undertaker vs. Roman Reigns | Raw | |
Triple H vs. Seth Rollins | Non-Sanctioned | Raw |
Shane McMahon vs. AJ Styles | SD | |
John Cena & Nikki Bella vs. The Miz & Maryse* | SD | |
Bayley (c) vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Sasha Banks vs. Nia Jax | Women’s Championship (Fatal 4Way Elimination) | Raw |
Chris Jericho (c) vs. Kevin Owens | United States Championshp | Raw |
Dean Ambrose (c) vs. Baron Corbin | Intercontinental Championship | SD |
| Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson (c) vs. Enzo Amore & Big Cass vs. Cesaro & Sheamus | Tag Team Championship Triple Threat Ladder Match | Raw |
| Alexa Bliss (c) vs. vs. Becky Lynch vs. Mickie James vs. Naomi vs. Natalya vs. Carmella | Women’s Championship | SD |
| Neville (c) vs. Austin Airies | Cruiserweight Championship (Kickoff Show) | |
| Big Show, Braun Strowman, Sami Zayn, etc. | Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal (Kickoff Show) | Both |
