WrestleMania 41 predictions roundtable: Who leaves Las Vegas victorious?

Yahoo

17-04-2025

Cody Rhodes once again takes center stage at WrestleMania 41. (Photos: WWE/Getty Images. Design: Bruno Roby, Yahoo Sports)
Las Vegas is the center of the combat sports universe once again as WWE descends upon Allegiant Stadium and takes over Sin City for the biggest event on the professional wrestling calendar: WrestleMania 41.
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Naturally, the Uncrowned Horsemen are locked in and ready to embark on their greatest ride since the inception of this vertical seven not-so-long months ago. All of which is to say, welcome to our WrestleMania 41 preview!
Kel Dansby, Robert Jackman, Drake Riggs and Anthony Sulla-Heffinger are answering five questions and a bonus 'Raw After 'Mania' prediction surrounding the latest installment of the 'Showcase of the Immortals.' What is our most anticipated match? Is it time for John Cena to break Ric Flair's vaunted world championship record? Find out what our expert panel thinks, followed by match-by-match predictions from the entire crew — with bragging rights on the line. It is Vegas, after all.
1. What is the match on the card you're most looking forward to?
Riggs: Sheesh. We're starting with the toughest question right out of the gate? As much as I want to manifest Randy Orton vs. Nick Aldis with this entry, since it's not official at the time of writing, we'll go with the obvious Drake Riggs pick: A triple threat match.
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Roman Reigns vs. CM Punk vs. Seth Rollins has every element going for it and has been the most well-constructed storyline out of everything WrestleMania 41 has to offer. With that said, I could very well see some Paul Heyman shenanigans possibly overtake this match (especially with no DQs) or something silly.
As we saw last year, overbooking nonsense can sometimes work beautifully, even masterfully. But there's nothing like a completely untouched, clean grap-fest for me. Therefore, I pick the Women's World Championship match between Iyo Sky, Bianca Belair and Rhea Ripley. That match will be incredible triple-threat brilliance, and we've already seen glimpses of it in any of their physical interactions. The story has been pretty trash, but as a match, it's bringing the house down on Night 2.
(However, I still don't expect it to be 100% clean — because after Naomi beats Cargill the night before, she's going to either cost Belair the win or attack her post-win. That story needs to continue.)
Anyway, I'll just throw it in for singles matches and say I've been most hyped for Tiffany Stratton vs. Charlotte Flair, so I won't jump off that wagon now.
Charlotte Flair enjoyed a big moment after winning the Women's Royal Rumble in February. (Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images)
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Sulla-Heffinger: You'd think with a dozen or so matches on the card, we'd find a way to not duplicate picks — but you'd be wrong. I'm following Drake's lead here and going with the Iyo Sky vs. Rhea Ripley vs. Bianca Belair triple threat match. I've already put Belair in a category by herself, naming her my women's WrestleMania GOAT, so I don't think I need to explain why I'm hyped for this match in that sense.
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Aside from having the potential to be a show-stealing performance, this is one of those matches that truly does feel unpredictable heading into Night 2. You could make a compelling case for any one of these women walking out of Las Vegas with a victory and the Women's World Championship around her waist. We're going to get into predictions a little bit later, but I think Sky retains here and we get a prolonged Belair-Ripley feud that can carry us through to SummerSlam — and potentially even Hell in a Cell.
Jackman: It's an obvious answer, but the grand finale. It's a cliffhanger in its own right, of course, but it's also a huge turning point for the overall creative direction of WWE. So much of the near future depends on what happens in that match. Would a Cody Rhodes victory elevate him to the status of a wrestling superpower? And how would The Rock respond to that? If John Cena walks away with that belt, who is going to get it back? All those questions depend on what happens on Sunday.
I'm the sort of wrestling mark who likes to look ahead as much as possible, and right now, there's a massive roadblock just sitting there blocking my view. God only knows what's on the other side, but I look forward to finding out.
Dansby: It has to be the Night 1 main event featuring Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns and CM Punk. Who turns heel? Who takes the pin?! Who moves on to challenge whoever leaves WrestleMania 41 as champion?!? Who wins Paul Heyman's affection?!?!
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Despite not being a title match, it arguably carries the highest stakes on either card. This bout will likely shape the path for all three contenders over the next year.
2. How does WrestleMania 41's card compare to last year's? Will it be better, worse or about the same when all is said and done?
Sulla-Heffinger: I am going to say it'll be about the same as WrestleMania 40. Between the Sami Zayn stunner over Gunther, Bayley getting her WrestleMania moment, and both nights' main events — especially Night 2 — it was always going to be difficult to top one of the best WrestleManias in recent history.
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That said, there's some real potential for instant classics sprinkled throughout both nights this year, even beyond the Roman Reigns vs. CM Punk vs. Seth Rollins Night 1 main event and Cody Rhodes vs. John Cena to close out Night 2. (Looking at you, A.J. Styles and Logan Paul.)
If we want to dive deeper, between the aforementioned Women's World Championship triple threat match, Charlotte Flair vs. Tiffany Stratton and Jade Cargill vs. Naomi, we might be able to say this was the greatest WrestleMania ever from a women's standpoint — even if the Women's Intercontinental and United States Championships are MIA.
Logan Paul could be poised for a big WrestleMania moment of his own this weekend. (Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images)
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Jackman: In terms of the talent, I'd say it's broadly equal. The big issue, though, has been the much weaker build-up to the prestige matches. I know we were spoiled over the past two years with the cinematic Bloodline stuff and the "finishing the story" arc, but I still think the big-picture stuff has been slightly anemic this year.
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My overall criticism when you look at the Rhodes-Cena build is that it's been 99% promos — what we'd call monologues in the world of theater — and very little plot or action. Isn't that the most basic law in screenwriting? Show, don't tell! But instead we've had back-to-back segments of these meandering, navel-gazing talk segments, which haven't quite delivered on the huge expectations coming out of Elimination Chamber.
It goes without saying that WWE knows perfectly well how to execute these things — look at the stellar segment with the Usos and Gunther in London — but sometimes they just fall short. Whether that's down to Cena's scheduling or just overconfidence on the part of the top team (i.e. assuming we're going to hang on the wrestlers' every word) isn't quite clear.
Riggs: This is a very interesting question because it needs some dissection. WrestleMania 40 was almost entirely about Cody Rhodes and "finishing the story." Sure, there were some other very memorable moments, but that whole storyline literally took over both nights.
WrestleMania 41 feels pretty clearly better on-paper when looking back at 40. Everything is spread out much better, and most matches in-ring are more compelling than what we had at 40. That's despite lacking some quality story depth. With that, 41 should top 40 from an overall perspective. However, I can't see any magnitude or moment possibly living up to that climax of Rhodes' win last year.
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Dansby: Last year's card was dominated by the Bloodline. It all came together beautifully, delivering one of the greatest WrestleMania main events in history, but it focused heavily on a single storyline. This year's card doesn't have the same depth of build but offers far more unpredictability, which opens the door for major surprises. In Trips We Trust — to deliver a better overall experience than WrestleMania XL.
John Cena's heel turn made for an indelible moment, but questions remain about where it can go from here. (Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images)
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Jackman: I'm going to go out on a limb here and say no. If this Cena-Rhodes feud has achieved anything, it's been to totally reinvigorate 'The American Nightmare' as a champion. After a year of so-so feuds that never really put the title in jeopardy, the WWE has made us emotionally invested in Cody Rhodes again. It's given him that conviction and purpose that made us root for him so much this time last year. Just look at that amazing video package they put out this past week.
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The way that Cody has been positioning himself as being on the side of the fans, and as the savior of professional wrestling, it just really resonates with me. Crucially, it would also make this victory feel like a genuine milestone for the champion, rather than just another routine title defense.
Sulla-Heffinger: I am certainly inclined to agree with Scott. After being one of the truly stunning wrestling moments of the past 30 years, the Cena heel turn somehow feels on life-support already.
Part of that is due to schedule, part of it is that Rhodes has an air of invincibility right now because he's far-and-away the biggest star in WWE. How do we revive it and set up something even bigger for the rest of 2025 and potentially WrestleMania 42? Have Cena win with the help of (at least) The Rock.
Heel Cena breaks Ric Flair's record, ends Rhodes' storybook run and disappears until potentially SummerSlam, where he can then put Rhodes back over and let The Rock do his best Thanos impression and say 'Fine, I'll do it myself' after Reigns' and Cena's failures to fully snuff out "The American Nightmare."
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Dansby: Cody Rhodes is as over as ever, and the best way to keep that momentum is to have him lose to a heel John Cena and chase him throughout 2025.
It's tough for a babyface to hold a title longterm without losing the sympathy that fuels crowd support. The storyline of Cena doing something he vowed never to do — turning heel and chasing Ric Flair's 16-title reign record — alongside The Rock, is too compelling to pass up.
Riggs: "Should" is a tricky one. I think it's a lot more interesting and compelling if Cena wins. A lot can be done with that, and we still need The Rock to come back into this because that's been the biggest problem with Cena's heel turn. The Rock, being a part of the whole thing, just disappeared.
Interestingly enough, I'll bring him back up because possibilities can hinge on Orton. He has a great history with either guy, and programs with both should be musts before the year ends. Orton is the best rival of Cena's career, and is still a readily available retirement match option — whether or not that's for the title.
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Then he has his history with Rhodes, too. I'm not saying he will be or should be involved with what happens in the main event. But afterward, I think Orton getting involved with the champion is a "should." What makes sense in the fallout? It is indeed Cena — and what a role reversal it would be to have Cena as the heel and Orton the face this time.
Tiffany Stratton's recent SmackDown promo adds a new wrinkle to her rivalry with Charlotte Flair. (Photo by Eric Johnson/WWE via Getty Images)
(WWE via Getty Images)
4. Did the infamous Tiffany Stratton vs. Charlotte Flair "SmackDown" promo help or hurt the build for their match?
Dansby: There's no such thing as bad publicity. The match was treading water until that 'unscripted' in-ring exchange.
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In 2025, it's rare for fans to genuinely question whether something is real or kayfabe. This segment blurred the lines perfectly and gave the feud a much-needed spark.
Sulla-Heffinger: I believe that it helped, regardless of if you believe it was a shoot or a work. This has been a wonky build ever since Flair won the Royal Rumble in February and her return pop faded VERY quickly in the aftermath. The fans have really let her have it since then, and Stratton has been able to benefit somewhat as she adjusted to the babyface-ish champion role — even if it isn't necessarily the best fit for her character.
Stratton's words cut deep during her "SmackDown" promo a few weeks ago, exposing a vulnerability in Flair and adding a much-needed personal fire to the feud. The match was always going to be good considering the level of talent these two women have between the ropes, and this just added to the intensity outside of the ring.
Jackman: Oh, it helped big time. Honestly, part of me suspects that this whole thing was scripted all along, and the WWE has fed us the whole 'going off script' thing to amp up the intrigue. It isn't like WWE doesn't have form on these things.
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I was thinking the other day about immediately after Punk's return, when WWE was taking advantage of the chaos of the situation to try to convince us that Seth Rollins was genuinely furious about it. Blurring the lines between fiction and reality is something that they do really well, and I suspect they've been up to their old tricks again here.
Riggs: It didn't really do anything to sway me in any direction, personally. If anything, though, I'd be afraid that it hurt things, purely out of being cringeworthy and awkward, plus risking some Flair antics mid-match. But I have faith that she'll pull through and be professional, if the Becky Lynch rivalry was anything to go by.
What role might Roman Reigns have to play during the main event of WrestleMania's Night 2? (Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images)
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5. What are your all-in and longshot predictions for the event?
Jackman: I'm going all-in on a Bianca Belair victory. She's been absent from the main title scene for a while, presumably to give other talents their moment in the sun, and WWE clearly made a conscious decision to propel her back to the top of the ticket with such an authoritative win at Elimination Chamber. Why do that if she isn't going to be standing tall at the end?
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As for longshot, I'm tempted to repeat my Cody Rhodes hypothesis given that half of the internet seems to regard a Cena win as a foregone conclusion. My other longshot prediction is that we will see a big win for El Grande Americano, which then rolls neatly into an ongoing storyline, potentially culminating at the long-awaited Mexico PLE. It's what we Brits would call a "Marmite" angle — as in "you either love or hate it" — but it looks like WWE is ready to invest its creative energies into it.
Riggs: I'm really not sold on Aldis being Orton's opponent after last week's "WWE SmackDown," but man, I want it so incredibly bad. I'm trying to believe it's all a poorly crafted Triple H swerve. I just don't — and there's a longer shot possibility.
Big E returns and costs The New Day a title win.
These three love big WrestleMania moments and have been a part of plenty throughout their careers. Here comes another crazy, big reheat to the whole heel New Day angle. Let's party.
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Sulla-Heffinger: I alluded to this earlier but Sky retaining her championship feels like a slam-dunk prediction to me. Belair and Ripley can have a great feud without the title, and if you've been watching this build, their disregard for the 'Genius of the Sky' has been a central theme.
As far as a longshot, I think we'll see Reigns get involved in the Night 2 main event. The Rock has famously counted to three during this story with Rhodes. We know Cena is the second man, so who is the third? Take a look on social media from earlier this week as Reigns lamented not putting a chokehold on WWE. It's just speculation, but what better way to do that than to align yourself even more closely with one of the most powerful men in both kayfabe and reality?
Dansby: I'm all-in on Roman Reigns winning the Night 1 triple threat match and helping John Cena defeat Cody Rhodes on Night 2. Reigns, Cena and The Rock standing tall together would form the most dominant faction in wrestling history — three generational icons closing WrestleMania 41.
Can an all-in prediction also be a longshot? Just in case, here's another longshot: Becky Lynch returns to confront Charlotte Flair after her match with Tiffany Stratton. "The Man" has been gone long enough, and a comeback against a heel Flair feels perfectly timed.
Could Trick Williams be poised for a move after reaching his limit in NXT? (Photo by Matt)
(WWE via Getty Images)
BONUS: Which star — from NXT or external — do you expect to debut at the Raw After 'Mania?
Sulla-Heffinger: Matt Cardona. How awesome would it be for him to have arguably his biggest WWE moment on the 'Raw After 'Mania' all those years after he lost the Intercontinental title on the very same show? He's a ready-made talent who can slot in anywhere.
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Jackman: This is a tricky one, as we've had Penta and Rey Fénix debuting already. We've also got what looks to be a teaser for Malakai Black, but that's been on 'SmackDown' rather than 'Raw.' If we're looking at NXT, I could see Ethan Page making the jump given that his creative angles are largely wrapped up, and he's very much at the more experienced end of their roster.
Dansby: Oba Femi is ready for the main roster, but it'll likely be Trick Williams making his debut. He's done all he can in NXT and could reunite with Carmelo Hayes to form a Shawn Michaels/Diesel-style duo on "SmackDown."
Riggs: I really don't feel too strongly about any debutants emerging this year. Stephanie Vaquer would be lovely, but she's still holding gold, so that's a no-go.
Debutant surprises are fake and don't exist in this era of wrestling anyway. So I'm staying salty and playing party-pooper. Nothing. We get nothing.
Predictions:
Night One:
Triple-threat match: Seth Rollins (Jackman, Sulla-Heffinger) vs. Roman Reigns (Dansby) vs. CM Punk (Riggs)
World Heavyweight Championship: Gunther vs. Jey Uso (Dansby, Jackman, Riggs, Sulla-Heffinger)
WWE Women's Championship: Tiffany Stratton (Jackman, Riggs, Sulla-Heffinger) vs. Charlotte Flair (Dansby)
World Tag Team Championship: War Raiders vs. The New Day (Dansby, Jackman, Riggs, Sulla-Heffinger)
United States Championship: LA Knight (Dansby, Riggs) vs. Jacob Fatu (Jackman, Sulla-Heffinger)
Rey Mysterio (Riggs, Sulla-Heffinger) vs. El Grande Americano (Dansby, Jackman)
Jade Cargill (Dansby, Jackman, Sulla-Heffinger) vs. Naomi (Riggs)
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Night Two: