WWE WrestleMania 30: Updated Lineup After Raw

Last night's edition of Raw was the second last episode of WWE's flagship show prior to WrestleMania 30 on April 6 in New Orleans. It was held in Brooklyn, New York in front of a boisterous crowd that reacted well to most of the action. There were times when they veered off in another direction with "CM Punk" chants, but for the most part they cared about what they saw in the ring even without Daniel Bryan in action. For weeks we've been updating you with the lineup for WrestleMania. Several matches were made official following Elimination Chamber while others have slowly taken shape based on recent actions from Raw and Smackdown. Here's a look at the eight matches that are expected to be a part of the full WrestleMania card. WWE World Heavyweight Championship Match: Randy Orton vs. Batista vs. (Daniel Bryan or Triple H) - If it's not Daniel Bryan in this match it would be very surprising. Triple H vs. Daniel Bryan - Winner gets inserted into WWE World Heavyweight Championship match. It will likely take place in the first hour of the four hour broadcast. The Undertaker vs. Brock Lesnar - Currently there's no stipulation for this match. Since Undertaker entered Raw in a casket, perhaps it could be changed to a Casket Match. Most Lesnar matches seem to have a "No Holds Barred" type stipulation so something could be added. At this point nothing has been made official. John Cena vs. Bray Wyatt - The image of Cena in the sheep mask on Raw was unforgettable. It's obvious that those are the four biggest matches. They have been built up the longest, they receive the most TV time and they will likely be given the most time to have their matches. Kane and The New Age Outlaws vs. Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose - This was made official on Raw. Expect The Shield to get the victory over the three veterans. Then again, they could use it a story to have Rollins and Ambrose turn on Reigns, which would then begin his ascent as a babyface. 30-Man Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal: Mark Henry, Kofi Kingston, Cody Rhodes, Sheamus, Christian, Fandango, Jinder Mahal, Dolph Ziggler, Drew McIntyre, Damien Sandow, Heath Slater, The Miz, Goldust, Big E, Big Show, Alberto Del Rio, Titus O'Neil, Brodus Clay, Darren Young, Justin Gabriel, R-Truth, Rey Mysterio, The Great Khali, Santino Marella, Zack Ryder, Sin Cara and 4 other Superstars - Currently 26 names have been announced. There could be some surprised added to it like Alexander Rusev or somebody else not listed. Perhaps it will be an older wrestler. The favorite is Big Show. WWE Tag Team Titles: The Usos vs. Ryback and Curtis Axel (vs. Cesaro & Jack Swagger?) - This is not official yet. The reason we listed it like that is because as of last week Cesaro and Swagger were going to be a part of this match. Nothing was mentioned on Raw about them as they lost to Ambrose & Rollins. They did say Ryback and Axel were given a tag title shot due to the fact that they helped Kane beat up The Shield on Smackdown. Since Cesaro and Swagger are not listed in the battle royal it's expected that they'll be a part of this match. Vickie Guerrero Divas Championship Invitational: AJ Lee, Naomi, Cameron, Brie Bella, Nikki Bella, Natalya, Eva Marie, Emma, Aksana, Alicia Fox, Summer Rae, Rosa Mendes, Layla and Tamina Snuka - A 14 women match that will likely be first fall to the finish will be tough to book. A four way would have been better. Some of these women are barely on television yet they're getting a title match? That's just weird. It would be very surprising if AJ Lee left with the Divas Title. Expect one of the Total Divas to leave as the champion. Those are the eight matches that will be a part of WrestleMania. A pre-show match, possibly with NXT talent, is likely although nothing has been mentioned yet. It's a total of 64 individuals that will be on the WrestleMania card. Between the battle royal and Divas Title match, that's 44 people. Many of them are barely on TV, yet they're on WrestleMania. Give WWE credit for rewarding talent by putting them on the WrestleMania card, but it's tough to sell fans on the importance of a match when wrestlers are involved that we almost never see.
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John wrote at WhatCulture from December 2013 to December 2015. It was fun, but it's over for now. Follow him on Twitter @johnreport. You can also send an email to mrjohncanton@gmail.com with any questions or comments as well.