WWE Wrestlemania

WrestleMania looks set for a return to the state of Florida.

PWInsider.com's Dave Scherer reported Monday that Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, is emerging as the favorite to land WrestleMania 36 in 2020. The venue is home to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the South Florida Bulls, and it also hosts the Outback Bowl.

WrestleMania XXIV in 2008 emanated from the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Florida, and the event has returned to the Sunshine State twice since then.

The allure of Florida, in general, is obvious.

WrestleMania is exclusively a stadium show now after WWE moved away from putting it in smaller indoor arenas every year. That, in turn, limits the number of realistic venues for The Showcase of the Immortals, since the company either has to target a stadium with a retractable roof or one where the April weather won't be a big concern.

MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, the home of WrestleMania 35, is an obvious exception but has the added benefit of its proximity to New York City.

Landing WrestleMania 36 could provide a financial boost to Tampa and the surrounding area.

NOLA.com's Gene Guillot reported last November that WrestleMania 34 created $175 million worth of economic impact for New Orleans. A year earlier, the marquee event generated $181.5 million for Orlando.

After a groundswell of support behind him for his performance at Elimination Chamber on Sunday, there are reportedly plans in place for Kofi Kingston to face Daniel Bryan for the WWE Championship at the Fastlane PPV on March 10.

Kingston is currently the "front-runner" to face Bryan, reports Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio.

Previously on Tuesday, Meltzer (h/t Robert Gunier of WrestlingInc.com) reported WWE was instead looking to bring back a "recognizable star" to feud with Bryan over the title. Meltzer cited the fan response to Kingston's performances in last Tuesday's gauntlet match and then again at Elimination Chamber on Sunday as the reasoning for the change of heart.

Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, Bray Wyatt, Kurt Angle, John Cena, Batista and The Undertaker were mentioned by Meltzer as potential opponents for Bryan at WrestleMania 35, and that decision is still unknown.

After lasting over an hour in a gauntlet match on the go-home episode of SmackDown Live ahead of the pay-per-view, Kingston was the final challenger remaining in Sunday's Elimination Chamber match for the WWE title. Kofi went toe-to-toe with Bryan and nearly beat him on several occasions, but Bryan finally made the New Day member tap out.

Kingston initially was not supposed to be part of either match, as he was a late injury replacement for Mustafa Ali.

That would suggest the original plan was never for Kingston to feud with Bryan, but seeing how WWE has captured lightning in a bottle with the popular veteran, it could be beneficial to reverse course and put Kingston in a prime spot heading toward WrestleMania.

The 37-year-old Kingston is one of the most accomplished Superstars in WWE history, as he is an eight-time tag team champion, four-time intercontinental champion and three-time United States champion. The one major accolade that has eluded him is a world title reign.

Based on the commercials that have run in advance of Tuesday's SmackDown, Bryan's opponent for Fastlane may be determined on Tuesday's SmackDown Live.

Even if WWE doesn't intend to go all the way to WrestleMania with Kingston as the challenger, having him face Bryan at Fastlane could be a nice consolation. Perhaps no babyface on SmackDown is more widely supported than Kingston currently, and giving him a one-on-one shot at the title at Fastlane would drum up interest in a pay-per-view fans typically look past in anticipation of WrestleMania.

There is a lot of potential mileage to be had out of a Bryan vs. Kingston feud since Bryan is backed by Rowan, while Kofi has the support of fellow New Day members Big E and Xavier Woods. If Harper returns and aligns himself with Bryan and Rowan, the two sides could be on equal footing as well.

Since there is no clear opponent for Bryan heading toward WrestleMania, bringing someone back into the fold is a strong possibility. It isn't often that fans unite behind one person organically, though, and it could be argued that WWE should reward Kingston for making that happen.

Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below (warning: some language NSFW).

Rumors have been swirling around Batista and a possible return for a match at WrestleMania 35, according to Pro Wrestling Sheet's Ryan Satin.

With WrestleMania being geared toward casual wrestling fans, WWE typically brings back at least one legend for a big match. Batista's growing movie career and long history with the company make him an ideal addition to the card.

Here are the most realistic opponents for Batista if he returns for WrestleMania 35.

            

Triple H

The most obvious option for a return feud for Batista would be against his longtime friend, Triple H.

The two men have an extensive history after working together in the Evolution stable, but as the Guardians of the Galaxy actor said during their interaction at SmackDown 1000, The Game has never beaten him.

For WWE officials, the story for a potential Triple H vs. Batista match would be straightforward and easy to tell due to their storied rivalry. The resulting program would be a worthy addition to the WrestleMania card.

In addition to The Game's credibility among wrestling fans, Batista will bring a mainstream appeal thanks to his acting career. The combination of the two veterans will make for a marquee undercard bout that will generate a genuine buzz on April 7.

The only real holdup against Triple H would be the torn pectoral he suffered in November. While he was cleared to train in January, his status for WrestleMania is still uncertain. If he is allowed to wrestle, though, a match against Batista looks to be likely.

            

Dean Ambrose

If Triple H is out of the question, one of the most intriguing options would be to have Batista return on behalf of his long-time friend and stand toe-to-toe with Dean Ambrose.

Ambrose has teased tension with Triple H in the recent past, and if the WWE chief operating officer isn't medically cleared for competition due to a lingering injury, Batista acting as his surrogate in the storyline would still result in a match worthy of the WrestleMania stage.

As far as the outcome of the match, that will depend on Ambrose's status with WWE. If he leaves after the April pay-per-view, then the bout should be a Loser Leaves Town match and Batista should send him away.

On the other hand, if the contract issues between Ambrose and WWE are a work, The Lunatic Fringe should be the one to win the Loser Leaves Town match and gain as much momentum as possible from the feud with the part-time Superstar.

                

Drew McIntyre

One of the top all-around Superstars on the WWE roster today is Drew McIntyre, and as one of the premier heels in the business, he would be the perfect candidate to go head-to-head with the former world champion.

Batista has never been the best on the mic or in the ring, but he knows how to tell a convincing story. Alongside the Scot, who has blossomed into an incredible performer, the two wrestlers would put on a match that bolsters the depth of the card for the biggest show of the year.

In addition to carrying the battle in the ring and on the mic, The Scottish Psychopath would be cemented as a top dog in the sport if he were to take on the challenge of Batista and come out victorious.

Beating a former world champion and sending him back to Hollywood would be a significant feather in McIntyre's cap.

              

For more wrestling talk, listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot topics or catch the latest episode in the player above (some language NSFW).

The Road to WrestleMania 35 took a detour for Royal Rumble winner Becky Lynch on Monday night.

WWE Chairman Vince McMahon acted unilaterally to suspend The Irish Lass Kicker for 60 days, a stretch that extends beyond WrestleMania on April 7. He then announced Charlotte Flair will challenge Ronda Rousey for the Raw Women's Championship instead.

WHAT JUST HAPPENED?! @VinceMcMahon has suspended @BeckyLynchWWE for 60 days and replaced "The Man" in the #Raw Women's Championship Match at #WrestleMania with @MsCharlotteWWE! pic.twitter.com/XT1rHM3EtF

— WWE (@WWE) February 12, 2019

Earlier in the night, Triple H and Stephanie McMahon told Lynch she would have to apologize for striking them last week if she wanted to remain on the WrestleMania 35 card. The Man offered a half-hearted apology, which was apparently enough for The Authority.

.@BeckyLynchWWE said the two words that @StephMcMahon & @TripleH wanted to hear all night on #Raw. pic.twitter.com/JDIkB9pcnr

— WWE (@WWE) February 12, 2019

Vince McMahon, however, had other ideas.

After Lynch announced she would take on Rousey at WrestleMania, Wrestling Observer Radio's Dave Meltzer (h/t Robert Gunier of Wrestling Inc.) reported WWE planned to make the Raw women's title match a Triple Threat affair with Lynch, Rousey and Flair all involved.

While plenty of fans will justifiably argue Lynch and Rousey would be perfectly fine in a singles bout, the storyline could be headed in an interesting direction.

Rousey may have an intimidating aura, but her feud with Lynch has exposed her limitations on the microphone. The Lass Kicker has also routinely roasted the former UFC star on social media.

https://twitter.com/BeckyLynchWWE/status/1091828327114002432

Now, Flair can be the clear heel heading into WrestleMania, a role with which she'll be more than comfortable. McMahon said The Queen will be the next women's champion as well, which seemingly teased he'll go out of his way to ensure that happens.

By pitting Lynch against Rousey, WWE would have risked having one of its biggest angles losing steam. The two can face off only so many times before the dynamic grows stale.

Now, Lynch not only has to overcome Rousey but also McMahon, the best villain in wrestling history, and his hand-picked champion, Flair.

Charlotte Flair appeared in a segment with Becky Lynch and Triple H on SmackDown. While this is not unusual, the nature of the promo implied The Queen could be added to The Man vs. Ronda Rousey match currently scheduled for WrestleMania 35.

The WWE Universe doesn't have the memory of a goldfish, so we all remember how similar circumstances led to the Triple Threat at SummerSlam with Lynch, Charlotte and Carmella.

The Queen seems to be making another attempt to steal The Man's spotlight, only this time, it would be on the biggest night of the year against the most famous female fighter on the planet, Rowdy Ronda.

This is one of those situations bound to have a split reaction from fans. Let's take a look at the pros and cons of adding Charlotte to the Raw Women's Championship match at WrestleMania.

                            

Pros

The Wrestling Would Be Better

Rousey has done a tremendous job learning how to wrestle and adapting her style of fighting to the WWE ring, but she is not on the same level as Charlotte when it comes to technical ability.

The Queen has established herself as one of the most proficient workers on the entire roster, so adding her to any match can only lead to an increase in quality.

She and Lynch have been working together as allies and opponents for years dating back to their time in NXT, so they have had a chance to build up a lot of chemistry.

We have seen how good Flair is in singles bouts with both Rowdy Ronda and The Man, so it stands to reason she would make a Triple Threat with all of them a must-see performance.

WrestleMania should feature at least one candidate for match of the year, and Rousey vs. Charlotte vs. Lynch could be that bout in 2019.

                           

It Brings the Storyline Full Circle

Some people might think WWE would be acting unfairly toward Lynch by adding Charlotte to her title match against Rousey, but if The Man ends up winning, it will be even more satisfying if The Queen is in the ring, too.

The Irish Lass Kicker spent the better part of 2018 trying to build herself back up after losing the women's title to Alexa Bliss in 2016, so when she finally earned a title shot against Carmella at SummerSlam 2018, her fans were overjoyed.

Her months of hard work were going to pay off, but Charlotte returned from injury and earned herself a spot in the match in one night. 

When The Queen actually won the belt from Mella, Lynch turned on her friend and blasted her in the face while the crowd cheered its collective head off for her.

If The Man can defeat both Rousey and Charlotte at WrestleMania, it will be a satisfying final chapter to the story they started last August and make Lynch an even bigger star than she already is.

                            

Cons

Lynch Deserves Her Own WrestleMania Moment

Triple Threat matches can be some of the most exciting bouts in pro wrestling, but sometimes a singles match is the best way to tell a story.

The feud Lynch and Rousey have developed through social media and their interactions on Raw has been one of the best storylines in pro wrestling. Until recently, it barely involved Charlotte at all.

Lynch's meteoric rise likely forced WWE to change some plans it thought were locked in for WrestleMania. That alone is an accomplishment when you think about how stubborn management can be sometimes.

Being able to have a one-on-one match with the biggest female sports star of the last decade would be a career highlight for anyone, especially if The Man defeated her for the title.

Lynch deserves a moment like this after all her hard work on SmackDown since the brand split.

                       

A Four Horsewomen Storyline Might Take Priority

If WWE adds Charlotte to the match, there is a good chance it will use the bout as an opportunity to include Bayley, Sasha Banks, Marina Shafir and Jessamyn Duke in some way.

Having the eight women who make up the two different Four Horsewomen groups all working for WWE at the same time gives the company a unique opportunity.

If the plan is for the two stables to do battle at an event like Survivor Series or SummerSlam, kick-starting the story at WrestleMania might be WWE's goal.

While this is a great idea on paper, it would overshadow everything Lynch and Rousey have done to build up their feud in recent weeks.

Everything has been about the two of them. Other than Banks throwing up the Four Horsewomen sign after her match with Rowdy Ronda at Royal Rumble, there has been no reference to the groups having issues with each other recently.

At this point, it would feel like WWE was shoehorning this in instead of building it up organically over time, which is what a storyline like this deserves.

                          

Conclusion

Adding Charlotte to Rousey vs. Lynch at WrestleMania might irk some members of the WWE Universe, but in the end, it's the right decision from a business standpoint.

Not only does it give WWE the most storyline possibilities moving forward, but Lynch can also still have her big WrestleMania moment when she beats two of the best instead of just one.

WrestleMania is all about spectacle and creating the biggest and most memorable moments. The Queen's presence will only serve to help WWE accomplish those goals, not hinder it.

The match will be good with or without Charlotte involved, but it will most certainly be better if she is. 

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What do you think? Should Charlotte be added to Lynch vs. Rousey at WrestleMania 35?