WrestleMania 33: 13 Early Match Predictions

7. Intercontinental Title Ladder Match

Sami Zayn ladder dive wrestlemania
WWE Network

Even though Money in the Bank has received its own pay-per-view, WrestleMania has featured a multi-man ladder match the past two years. It€™s a surefire way to get a great match on the card, and feature a bunch of guys on the show who deserve it. Eight men were put into the bout this year, so we€™ll go with the same number again.

Dolph Ziggler. Let€™s not fool ourselves into thinking this is finally the year that Dolph gets a big push. It€™s just not going to happen. However, he still has his fans, and he€™s still able to take some crazy bumps. He€™s been in this match two years in a row, and it€™s hard to imagine he€™ll either be higher or lower up the card a year from now.

The Miz. The Miz is currently enjoying his fifth run with the Intercontinental Title, and he€™ll probably be one of the top contenders in the division for the rest of his career. While he may not always receive a great push, year after year he finds himself a slot at Mania. Expect that to continue.

Apollo Crews. Apollo has jumped to the main roster, and is likely to have a great career ahead of him. His athleticism would lend himself well to the ladder match, and give him something noteworthy to do at his first ever Mania. However, he does have a big upside, so it€™s possible he€™ll be in an even bigger match by the time the show comes around.

A.J. Styles. A.J. Styles in a WWE pay-per-view main event is one of the most surreal things to happen in wrestling in some time. But how long will it last? It€™s possible that he€™ll just be used to make Roman Reigns look good, and then settle right into the high mid-card. If that€™s what plays out, then he€™s likely to find himself in the Intercontinental Title match where he can showcase some of his crazy moves, and do something that will leave fans buzzing.

Sheamus. Sheamus is as exciting as un-buttered bread. However, he still has his backers behind the scenes. Recall that not long ago he was WWE Champion! No matter how much fans may tire of him, Rocksteady will likely get cast in a decent role at Mania for the next few years.

Samoa Joe. Joe is one of the best talents in NXT. He could be a great addition to the main roster, and perhaps help take Roman Reigns to the next level if they were given a lengthy feud. The two facing off isn€™t out of the question, since Styles is getting a shot at him, but it€™s still hard to picture Vince McMahon giving Joe a top, top spot at Mania. There€™s a chance he might not be on the show at all, but that seems like it would be a mistake.

Baron Corbin. While The Ascenion, Bo Dallas and Tyler Breeze all flopped on the main roster, one thing they didn€™t have was Baron Corbin€™s size. In Money in the Bank ladder matches, the company often books a big man to be in it like Kane or The Big Show. At this stage in their careers, that€™s probably not a wise idea. Corbin could be the large threat that the others need to gang up on to defeat.

Shinsuke Nakamura. Very few €œrookies€ in WWE history are as WrestleMania ready as Nakamura is. The man has years of experience in Japan, becoming one of the nation€™s top stars. The big question is whether his work will translate to America. Judging by his match against Sami Zayn, the answer is €œabsolutely.€ Very few wrestlers on the planet are as charismatic as Nakamura, so it would be crazy for the company to keep him in developmental for an entire year. Still, knowing Vince€™s past of pushing Asian wrestlers it€™s hard to imagine he€™ll find himself in a top spot, unless Hunter gains more control behind the scenes.

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As Rust Cohle from True Detective said "Life's barely long enough to get good at one thing. So be careful what you're good at." Sadly, I can't solve a murder like Rust...or change a tire, or even tie a tie. But I do know all the lyrics to Hulk Hogan's "Real American" theme song and can easily name every Natural Born Thriller from the dying days of WCW. I was once ranked 21st in the United States in Tetris...on the Playstation 3 version...for about a week. Follow along @AndrewSoucek and check out my podcast at wrestlingwithfriends.com