Is Styles vs Cena the Smackdown title match for Wrestlemania?

[Hanley!]

So we're still 6 or 7 months away from Wrestlemania, but is this already the match pegged for the Smackdown main event on that show?

It seems like the obvious story is for Cena to fail to win the title at No Mercy, and for him to then fight and claw his way to another shot at Styles' championship at Wrestlemania where he'll finally get to avenge his losses and pick up a big win over Styles. And tie Ric Flair's championship record as a bonus.

Assuming both guys manage to avoid injury in the coming months, do you guys think that this is how it's going to go down? Is this how you'd want it to go down?

Honestly, I think I'd kinda love it. Styles deserves a Wrestlemania match of that calibre for starters. They could certainly put on another great match. And I just love that kind of long term booking. It's nice to think that they might already be building towards their biggest show of the year. It would be cool to see a WWE feud go 9 months without resorting to a bunch of 50/50 booking or overdoing the match until people are sick of it before reaching the climax.

I'm really hoping for Cena/Styles at Wrestlemania at the moment. The only thing I will say is that I'd prefer that Cena not win the Royal Rumble. I think that achievement is better left for someone else in 2017. And it'd add to the story of Cena's struggle back to the top. He could earn his title shot at the Smackdown pay per view before Wrestlemania, after a Raw guy wins the Rumble.

[Str8Shooter]

It seems like a no brainer really. Although we never know what happens between now and Mania, 10 guys could switch shows between now and then for all we know.

I also doubt they can manage to control themselves and hold off on that big moment for that long with the rosters being thinner than before. If AJ retains at No Mercy, what do you do for challengers for the next 6 months? You have a big match at Survivor Series, a duel branded PPV I believe. You have TLC in December, then the Rumble, and then one, and maybe two more (haven't checked the PPV schedule) before Mania.

You could do AJ vs Orton at some point, maybe get the Survivor Series and TLC matches out of that feud. Maybe do some sort of AJ/Ambrose/Orton/Miz or Wyatt four way in there somewhere at the Rumble or the Feb PPV.

[Hanley!]

I think Styles vs Orton will be the big feud to bridge a lot of that gap. I feel like that's what they're going to want headlining their house shows for the next few months, and it's what will be headlining Smackdown. They should get two pay per views out of that easily. Maybe three if they do a tag match or something like that at Survivor Series. They also have the option of doing an Elimination Chamber match at Survivor Series.

The Royal Rumble match itself is always the highlight of that pay per view, so Styles wouldn't need to work with an established main eventer. You could throw him in against someone a bit different. If Ziggler is still around and face then that'd be a real easy match to sell for that kind of show. They could even go with someone like Crews if they push him for a couple of months first.

I don't think it'd necessarily be all that hard to keep Cena mostly away from Styles until Wrestlemania. Particularly given that it wouldn't surprise me if Cena wasn't around for the entirety of that period.

[DBSoT]

I actually really like the idea of repeating the triple threat they are going to have at No Mercy. Ambrose, Cena and Styles have a great rivalry going on right now. Cena and Ambrose have been slaying each other on the mic for the past few weeks and I can't see Dean taking a back seat. Cena and Austin calling Dean out for not fully committing has seemed to light something in him. He has had his best matches in years (granted against AJ/Cena) and doing his best work on the mic. It is also possible that WM will be Ambrose (C) vs Cena for the title and Orton vs AJ Styles.

My current WM card:
WWE Championship - AJ Styles (C) vs John Cena vs Dean Ambrose
IC Title - The Miz (C) w/Maryse vs Randy Orton
Dolph Ziggler vs Bray Wyatt
Tag Title - American Alpha (C) vs The Usos
Women's Title Becky Lynch (C) vs Nikki Bella

That gives you the top contenders of each division facing each other. Orton is Main Event level, but putting him against the top heel is pretty damn good. I can't think of anything Raw could do that would be as good as this.

[SlightlyJames]

Right now it feels like Cena and Ambrose have way more beef with one another than either of them have with Styles. Particularly on Talking Smack their rivalry has become very personal and the way things are heading it's likely that they go into No Mercy more concerned with one another than with the title, which makes AJ retaining seem very likely.

Cena and Ambrose would logically then pair off for a solo program over the next few months while Styles defends the title. Assuming the roster stays mainly static I think Hanley's hit the nail on the head that the end of the year will mainly feature Randy Orton challenging for the title with someone like Apollo having a go at the Rumble before Cena moves back into the picture for Mania season.

[The Legend]

Here's how I'd view the main Smackdown matches for Mania:

WWEHC: Styles ( c ) vs Cena
IC: Ziggler ( c ) vs Wyatt
Ambrose vs Miz
Womens: Natalya ( c ) vs Nikki Bella
Slater vs Rhyno

[KaiserGlider]

I'm not excited about the prospect of seeing Cena close Mania with the title once again unless they make a real good story out of it, not like the fabricated "redemption" angle Cena had going into his second match with The Rock. Match-wise and moment-wise I don't see them getting much higher than Summerslam.

The other factor is Taker vs Cena closing the show since they couldn't run that match this year.

It's a bit early for me to call the mania title matches, but I honestly feel pretty confident in predicting that AJ Styles will be involved in a world title match at Wrestlemania. It feels really good to type that sentence out.

[Hanley!]

I still think it's possible that Undertaker really is retired. Which honestly I'm hoping for at this point. The streak got boring towards the end, and though I thought they had a great opportunity to do a redemption story for him the year after the streak ended, instead they really phoned in his stuff over the last two years. He added very little to Wrestlemania 31 and 32 and I wouldn't miss him from next year's show. Honestly, I think they kinda missed their window on Cena/Undertaker also. The interest for it now wouldn't be what it could have been a few years ago.

If I really wanted to go crazy with Styles/Cena at Wrestlemania, I'd book a double turn. Cena would get good heat for matching Flair's record anyway, and after the couple of great years he's just had, I think he'd have major money in him as a bad guy right now. Yeah, it's basically a given that Cena is never turning heel at this point, though when you think about it he is at exactly the point in his career that Hulk Hogan was when he elected to freshen things up with a heel turn.

You could also play it safer and have Styles beat Cena clean again, turning face in the process, with Cena endorsing him after the match by raising his hand. That'd be a good moment without sacrificing Cena as a role model for the kiddies.

That being said, the route they're more likely to go is to just have Cena win and avenge his losses. Which is less exciting, but given how they've been building toward it (and how they're likely to continue that build) I think it would still be a satisfying pay off.

[Str8Shooter]

I would love if they played up the fact that AJ has Cena's number and he just can't find a way to beat the guy no matter what. I'd have Cena somehow lose to AJ a few times before then, either in tags or singles. Maybe he loses one clean, maybe gets a flash pin on him or something. Cena just can't get over the hump against him. Then Cena has one last chance with the title on the line at Mania.

[Hanley!]

I feel like Styles is going to pin Ambrose at No Mercy, but I'd actually prefer if he pinned Cena just to continue to play up the story of him having Cena's number.

[KaiserGlider]

The Undertaker not getting a proper send off would be a travesty. I predict that if he can still go and Cena's not injured, they'll do Cena/Taker for sure. And I for one would look forward to that more that Cena/Styles. Even though it wouldn't be as good workrate-wise, I figure the atmosphere and storytelling would make it quite a spectacle.

I also think it says something when your top two fantasy booking scenarios for Cena/Styles involve either Cena turning heel (which would never happen and wouldn't make sense for Cena's character anyway), or basically the same finish as their Summerslam match. Like I said before, if they can make a great storyline out of it then I'd be okay with it, but in my view they should be focusing on having a more fresh matchup for the Wrestlemania main event.

[Str8Shooter]

Wasn't Cena/Taker supposed to happen last year but Cena got injured and they had to scramble and came up with the Shane idea? If so I could see them doing it this coming Mania if both are healthy. I don't think Cena needs to title then though.

[Hanley!]

The Undertaker not getting a proper send off would be a travesty. I predict that if he can still go and Cena's not injured, they'll do Cena/Taker for sure. And I for one would look forward to that more that Cena/Styles. Even though it wouldn't be as good workrate-wise, I figure the atmosphere and storytelling would make it quite a spectacle.

I know we've never seen that match at Wrestlemania, but I feel like I've seen it a dozen times already. Cena vs Undertaker has no appeal for me whatsoever.

And I'm sure the storytelling would be almost non-existent. Both guys show respect for each other, both guys have something to prove, and then both guys kick out of 100 finishers before Cena takes the pin. Because Undertaker winning is a nicer send off for him, and because Cena has less of a problem doing a clean job.

Sounds like half of the Undertaker matches I've seen over the last decade, but with a weaker story and nothing significant on the line. Meh. I don't see how that'd be nearly as entertaining as seeing Cena finally getting his revenge against a guy who has had his number for 9 months (has that ever been done in Cena's career?) to match Ric Flair's title record. That's a freaking story. Undertaker vs Cena is almost guaranteed to be a shallow spectacle.

[SlightlyJames]

Undertaker vs Cena is almost guaranteed to be a shallow spectacle.

Sounds like a Wrestlemania match to me

[The Legend]

Honestly, Finn Balor's about the only opponent I want to see Undertaker face at this point. It's about the only thing that would re-establish the Demon character as a true force to go toe to toe with Taker and beat him whether it's at Mania, Survivor Series or any other event.

[Hanley!]

Sounds like a Wrestlemania match to me

I know, which is why it could still happen. Sadly that's what Wrestlemania has become. But the show is infinitely better when it's about resolving interesting long term stories.

[KaiserGlider]

I know we've never seen that match at Wrestlemania, but I feel like I've seen it a dozen times already. Cena vs Undertaker has no appeal for me whatsoever.

And I'm sure the storytelling would be almost non-existent. Both guys show respect for each other, both guys have something to prove, and then both guys kick out of 100 finishers before Cena takes the pin. Because Undertaker winning is a nicer send off for him, and because Cena has less of a problem doing a clean job.

Sounds like half of the Undertaker matches I've seen over the last decade, but with a weaker story and nothing significant on the line. Meh. I don't see how that'd be nearly as entertaining as seeing Cena finally getting his revenge against a guy who has had his number for 9 months (has that ever been done in Cena's career?) to match Ric Flair's title record. That's a freaking story. Undertaker vs Cena is almost guaranteed to be a shallow spectacle.

Do you honestly think people would be less invested in Undertaker's final match than seeing Cena overcome the odds and win the world title at Wrestlemania for the 7th time? It feels kinda strange to me that the prospect of face Cena closing 'Mania in 2017 is being taken this seriously. Surely there are other storyline options to pursue with other people that would feel like less of a retread. You know we've seen Cena getting beaten by a guy and then coming back a million times. It's a meme. I don't think extending it by a few months would impact the quality of the story all that much, given it's Cena and everyone will see the finale of the story coming months beforehand. I remember people on here pessimistically predicting that this exact thing would happen as soon as the Styles/Cena story started, and then got their hopes up when Styles beat him clean at Summerslam and it looked like Cena had actually lost a feud for once. I don't want that to be squandered by going back to square one.

Also, Cena is slowing down. He doesn't have the same spring in his step that he used to. A lot of times it feels like he's just going through the motions in his matches. Ambrose pinned him clean on Smackdown. It's almost like Cena's not at the same level as the other top guys anymore and the booking reflects it. Now that's a story I am interested in. So again, why squander that by going back to square one with Cena.

Wrestlemania should be used to resolve long-term stories, but it should also have things you don't see the rest of the year. Undertaker's retirement match is only going to happen one time ever and he deserves a proper send-off, not just because he's been a good employee but because it's going to draw. I'm going to reference Flair/HBK, an acclaimed match with an emotional storyline which was was anything but shallow. Cena and Taker can certainly match that level of atmosphere and story if not workrate. And if you want to complain about tons of finisher kickouts, that's exactly what you're going to get with a Cena match no matter who he faces.

[The Legend]

^^^ Here's a couple problems with your argument. First you can't possibly think that the Undertaker, the night of the living dead zombie, can possibly be involved in a story or moment as emotion filled as the Flair/HBK story and finish. It's an impossibility with the character. Also, speaking for myself personally, a big retirement match has lost its draw considering I've been hoping that each Undertaker WM match is his last match for roughly a decade.

[Str8Shooter]

^^^ Here's a couple problems with your argument. First you can't possibly think that the Undertaker, the night of the living dead zombie, can possibly be involved in a story or moment as emotion filled as the Flair/HBK story and finish. It's an impossibility with the character. Also, speaking for myself personally, a big retirement match has lost its draw considering I've been hoping that each Undertaker WM match is his last match for roughly a decade.

Taker is basically only a "zombie" in a "wink wink nudge nudge" type way now though anyway. Everyone knows he's a real guy nearing the end of his career. I don't see how you could possibly think that Taker's final match won't be emotional as hell. The guy is a workhorse for the company and has been a crucial part of any fan under the age of 50's life as a wrestling fan. His last match and sendoff will be epic.

[KaiserGlider]

^^^ Here's a couple problems with your argument. First you can't possibly think that the Undertaker, the night of the living dead zombie, can possibly be involved in a story or moment as emotion filled as the Flair/HBK story and finish. It's an impossibility with the character.

You're underestimating Taker's ability to sell emotion and realism as the deadman character. Look at the final moments of his Wrestlemania matches with Triple H and Shawn Michaels, or the post-match after Brock broke the Streak. He's not some statue with no facial expressions.