10 Matches WWE Could Have Booked For WrestleMania 38

For a match that supposedly honors the legacy of WWE’s first-ever Hall of Famer, it’s shameful just how poorly the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal has been handled.

To date, the only instalment that felt important was its inception at WrestleMania XXX. With the exception of 2016, it’s been pushed to the margins of the Kickoff Show, the go-home SmackDown or out of the picture entirely. When WWE’s women finally received their counterpart in 2018, it was immediately plagued by a public relations inferno that generally accompanies an ill-advised namesake. The bout has been shelved since the second winner was crowned in 2019.

Dismal timeline aside, a few strategic cosmetic adjustments to the battle royals can rescue even their grievously damaged prestige. Initially, a heavier reliance on NXT and NXT UK shores up roster deficits, facilitating a field of 30 participants on both sides. Second, the Women’s Battle Royal needs a suitable namesake. Bestowing the honor on the late Sherri Martel with a shorthand dubbing as ‘The Sensational Invitational’ should have been the concept from the outset.

Lastly, and most imperatively, the matches need a tangible incentive. Namely, a championship match of the winner’s choosing 24-48 hours later on the RAW After WrestleMania would be ideal. Between the borderline comical fanfare surrounding the week preceding WrestleMania and the night after becoming an event in its own right, this should be an effective selling point. Surely viewership spikes if the new champions defend the night after they won the title, right?