Ranking the WWE Stars in Most Need of a Win at WrestleMania 2021

Ranking the WWE Stars in Most Need of a Win at WrestleMania 2021

Apr 5, 2021

We have once again arrived at WrestleMania week, and that means WWE is going to have content every single night this week leading up to the big show on Saturday and Sunday.

Last year's pay-per-view was the first time the company extended the event to two nights due to the coronavirus pandemic and not wanting to subject viewers to the longest show of the year without fans.

This year, fans will be able to attend the show in limited numbers at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, but WWE has still opted to make this a two-day affair, which is probably the right call when you consider the size of the card.

The show has 12 matches confirmed as of Monday. Each night will feature six bouts but with an episode each of Raw and SmackDown still to come, we could see that number grow.

While every Superstar would benefit from a win at The Show of Shows, some need it more than others. Whether it has to do with strengthening an existing push, giving a struggling name a push or building somebody up, there are reasons why some need to leave 'Mania with a box checked in the win column.

Let's take a look at those who are most in need of a victory this weekend and why. 

Braun Strowman is one of those guys who can always afford to lose because he will bounce back in no time due to his dominant nature, but it felt wrong to omit him from this list because of his current storyline.

The Monster Among Men is embroiled in a feud with Shane McMahon that started when he insulted Strowman's intelligence on multiple occasions. The first couple of segments in this storyline were almost unbearable. 

This storyline has been one of the least interesting during the buildup, but Shane-O-Mac is the kind of performer who always leaves us with a couple of moments for the highlight reel. 

Strowman needs this win because he has been directionless for quite some time. Beating McMahon is not going to be a career-defining moment, but it is a far better option than having him lose to a part-time performer in his 50s. 

Once this is over, the Strowman Express can begin its journey back into a title hunt.

Cesaro is set to battle Seth Rollins on The Grandest Stage of Them All. As both men have stated multiple times, this could be the biggest match of the former's career.

The Swiss Cyborg has been one of the best in-ring performers in WWE for many years. He can have a good match with anyone from a rookie to a veteran, so a showdown with somebody as skilled as the former universal champion has the potential to steal the whole weekend.

Even though he hasn't been back on SmackDown for long after his paternity leave, Rollins does not need this win like Cesaro does. He is already a multi-time champion who will always be in and out of the world title scene.

This is the Swiss wrestler's chance to prove he belongs in main event matches against the biggest stars in the company. If he wins and gives us a performance to remember, it wouldn't be surprising to see him challenging for the Universal Championship by SummerSlam. 

If The Swiss Cyborg doesn't have his hand raised at WrestleMania, then this whole storyline about him needing to reach his true potential will be for naught. 

In recent weeks, Apollo Crews has found a new intensity, new gear and an accent nobody knew he had as he prepares to battle Big E for the Intercontinental Championship in a Nigerian Drum match.

WWE has made several questionable decisions with this new version of Crews, but the one thing it did right was choosing to push him in the first place.

Turning him heel was necessary to make this storyline work. He and Big E went from being friends who respected each other to bitter enemies all because Crews has been unable to beat him for the belt in six previous encounters. 

If he loses again, this entire push and rebranding will be pointless. This has to end with Crews winning or WWE has wasted everybody's time.

If we are lucky, this match will outclass the buildup to it. We all know how skilled both men are, so there is no reason to doubt this will be a fun matchup with a lot of physicality and intensity. 

Bianca Belair had a great run in NXT but never managed to win the women's title while she was there. Her first several months on the main roster were slow, but she outlasted 29 other women at the Royal Rumble in January to earn a title shot at WrestleMania. 

If WWE was waiting for the perfect moment to finally give her a proper push, it picked the best possible way to do it—but only if she wins.

Sasha Banks has been outstanding whether she is doing something interesting or not. She is the face of the SmackDown women's division and one of the most decorated champions in the locker room. 

Belair does not have those accolades yet, so beating The Boss for the SmackDown Women's Championship would do so much more for her than the victory would do for Banks.

The Boss has been calling her a rookie and trying to big-time her, so The EST of WWE needs to get a decisive win to prove her wrong and give the fans a feel-good moment to remember. 

Last year, Rhea Ripley made her WrestleMania debut in a match she lost to Charlotte Flair for the NXT Women's Championship. It's time to right that.

The Nightmare will face Asuka for the Raw women's title in what is sure to be a hard-hitting match that pushes both Superstars to their limits. It's going to be, as Jim Ross would say, a slobber knocker. 

While The Empress of Tomorrow could use a high-profile win after a lackluster reign, Ripley needs it to establish herself as one of the most dominant stars on Raw.

Losing to Charlotte in her first PPV appearance derailed the Australian's push in NXT, but it didn't diminish the fans' love for her. She is over with the WWE Universe, and management needs to capitalize on that. 

This is WWE's chance to build a new young star who can help carry the company through the next decade or more. As an added bonus, she would be the first to hold the NXT, Raw and NXT UK Women's Championships.

On the March 1 episode of Raw, Bobby Lashley defeated The Miz to win his first WWE Championship and make himself the man to beat on the red brand.

His win came after The A-Lister used the Money in the Bank briefcase to win the belt from Drew McIntyre at the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view in February, but he needed Lashley's help to do it. This uneasy alliance included a title shot for The All Mighty, and he wasted little time making The Miz pay up.

Lashley spent 17 years working to get to this spot. If WWE took the title away from him just to give McIntyre his third reign in two years, there would be quite a bit of backlash from fans online.

The CEO of The Hurt Business might be a heel, but his reign has been met with praise from the WWE Universe. Management needs to allow him to keep building momentum so that when he finally does drop the title, it will be a huge accomplishment for that person to have beaten somebody so dominant.

This is going to be a war of attrition. Both men are physical specimens who are capable of more than most men with similar builds. Even if the unthinkable does happen and McIntyre wins, this should be one of the highlights of the weekend.