411’s PPV Roundtable Preview: WWE WrestleMania 24

Posted by Stephen Randle on 03.29.2008

An event so big that we needed to make the roundtable THREE parts!



This Sunday, WWE presents its biggest PPV of the wrestling year, their own personal Super Bowl, and the greatest extravaganza in all of sports entertainment. I speak, of course, of WrestleMania. This year's twenty-fourth edition of the big show emanates from the Citrus Bowl in Florida, and as someone who'll be watching from the comfort of their own home, I kind of want to see it rain a little. Sometimes I can be so cruel.

Some of the 411 staff is already on their way to be live and in person at the event, but more importantly, here's the massive turnout of staff who showed up in the 411 war room to deliver their own, personal predictions for every single match on the WrestleMania card. And in no particular order (except I get to be first, because I rule), they are:

Stephen Randle, The Wrestling News Experience

Andy Clark, The Shimmy

Nick Wallander, 411 Movies/TV I'm Not Gonna Lie

Ari Berenstein, Column of Honor

J.D. Dunn, 411 recapper extraordinaire

Chris Lansdell, The Way I C It

Jerome Cusson, 411 Movies/TV Retro TV recapper

Dan Torkel, Newbie

Scotty Flamingo, 411 Movies/TV The Bullseye

JT, figment of JP Prag's imagination

Jarrod Westerfeld, Your Viral Dose of Reality

Mathew Sforcina, Evolution Schematic

T.G. Corke, The Seventh Dimension

Michael Weyer, Shining A Spotlight

Jeff Small, The Small-For-All News Report

Ryan Merholz, Newbie

Robert S. Leighty Jr, Newbie

Meehan, The Meethinks Friday Freethinks News Report

Peter Bielik, 411 Movies/TV Mr Floppy

Jeremy Thomas, Newbie

Bayani Domingo, Truth B Told

Derek Robbins, 411 Games The 10th Hour

Michael Bauer, ECW recapper

Leonard Hayhurst, Ask 411 Movies

Andrew Clark, Newbie

David Nik, Newbie

Matt Short, The Navigation Log

Mike Minotti, Can They Be Champ?

and Steve Sullivan, The Happy-Go-Sucky News Report

So, with introductions out of the way, let's get into the card for the biggest show of the year.


Maria and Ashley vs. Beth Phoenix and Melina - BunnyMania Lumberjack Match

Stephen Randle: So are the lumberjacks to keep the women in or to keep Santino out? I suspect that, since this time it isn't for any sort of title, they'll let the Bunnies win the match.

Winners: Maria and Ashley

Andy Clark: I don't mind this match too much other then the fact that Melina looks out of place here. In many ways it would be like putting Deuce'n'Domino on the card; they've been on TV plenty but aren't really focal points. I would have figured Jillian Hall would have been the better partner for Beth Phoenix, but that's really not that important. I'll be curious to see just what Snoop Dogg brings to the table, and I wouldn't be surprised if he got to lay out Santino Marella at some point.

Winners: Ashley & Maria

Nick Wallander: I am real glad to see that we are taking the women's division seriously this year (sense the sarcasm). Gee, perhaps the title should have been on the line in a match between Candice and Beth since they, you know, had business to finish. However, for some reason Vince thinks that just because one of his brainless bimbos took her clothes off that she should probably be the focus going into Wrestlemania. If Maria had ever been built up as a legitimate wrestler, this match would be worth our time. Now however, it is nothing but a big huge tat-fest. With exception of Maria, they all deserve better.

Winner: We all lose with this one

Ari Berenstein: On the one hand, this seems to be played for comedy and with Santino in the mix I could see a ton of shenanigans and maybe even a run in from Jerry "Stupid" Lawler and Jarred from Subway. On the other hand Beth and Melina have good talent in the ring and can get something out of nothing. Maria has been game over the last few months to try to be more than just a pretty face. But good god, why did Poochey, I mean Ashley, have to be Candace Michelle's replacement? What the hell happened to Mickie James? She had a legitimate axe to grind because she couldn't get a win over Beth Phoenix and this would have been a good time and place for her to get that win. I have no idea what we'll get out of the whole mish mash, especially with "God Awful Ashley" out there, but I do know that if Snoop Dogg is there, everything is gonna be a'ight.

Winners: Maria and Ashley

J.D. Dunn: It's got celebrity involvement, so barring a Snoopy the Dog heel turn, I can't see the baby faces losing here. Melina will likely take the fall.

Winner: Maria & Ashley

Chris Lansdell: Do I really have to? Okay, I guess I do. This match actually had a chance to be good until Candace hurt her shoulder. She has been so good since Trish left, it's obvious that she has really studied hard to get to where she is. Maria...not so much. Melina and Beth are good, but I don't know if they can carry Ashley and sub-par Maria to an acceptable match. I can see all the ladies on the outside getting heavily involved, with the faces getting the win.

Winners: Maria and Ashley (Maria pins Melina)

Jerome Cusson: It kinda is what it is. I'm not expecting a great match, but I'm sure there will be a funny moment with Snoop Dogg and the girls. This will certainly be used between main events to cool off the crowds.

Winner: Maria and Ashley

Dan Torkel: Maria gets the big win to set up a Backlash title match.

Winner: Ashley and Maria (Maria pins Melina)

Scotty Flamingo: It is the annual Playboy Promotion Match. My only hope is that maybe Vince is getting competitive and will try to show up the TNA Knockouts division. Or that WOULD have been my hope when Candice was still part of the match. Now that she's injured and replaced with Skinny Massaro, I just don't think the talent is there. Might as well throw some pudding in there and go for the usual...

Winner: The chicks that posed for Playboy.

JT: Let's call a spade a spade. This is a filler match designed to get people to buy more Playboys and fill some time on the show. So as unrealistic and unbelievable as it's going to seem, somehow the naked chicks will find a way to overcome the odds against two of the most talented women wrestlers on the roster.

Winners: Maria and Ashley

Jarrod Westerfeld: With the more talented Candice out with injury, Maria is now left to team up with the more iffy worker Ashley, who is about as dependable as Carl Pavano. Without Candice I can't see any true justification for Maria to go over here outside of a fluke victory over Melina. But that withstanding, I think the safer bet would be on Phoenix and Melina dominating here.

Winner: Beth Phoenix & Melina

Mathew Sforcina: Ok, so the question here is who's turning? Well, that and how silly is Santino going to look in drag. But the main question is who turns? Someone has to, since Santino needs, nay, deserves a woman! Is it Melina, turning face to drive the Glamazon into the soft but strong arms of Santino? Is it Ashley, upset at Maria forgetting about how it was HER idea for Maria to do Playboy that puts the Punky girl into Santino's Casa? Or is it Mickie James, long suffering, long simmering, who finally snaps and realises that what she really needs is an Italian at her back? Either way, Santino finds a creative way to cheat Maria out of the win, then gets a girl. Huzzah Santino!

Winners: Melina & Beth Phoenix (Santino Distraction for Mickie interference)

T.G. Corke: Dear God,
Why do you mock me so?
Why do none of the REAL girls like me in that way, yet I have to endure ten minutes of over-indulgent 'erotic' corporate crap that will bore me to tears every time Wrestlemania rolls around?
Also, why did Toffy run away when I was six?
I thank you in advance for your gracious and eloquent reply.
Sincerely,
Theodore Gambianslavetrade Corke

Winner: Snoop Dogg, for all I care.

Michael Weyer: Ah, nothing like a Divas bout to kick us off but this actually looks interesting. Yeah, Maria's not a great in-ring competitor but the other three should be able to carry it off. Personally, I don't really see much of a winner, probably a big run-in just to get a multiple Diva catfight to please the horny fan crowd. Which, I guess includes me

Winner: NO DECISION

Jeff Small: Well at least this is a step up from Maria vs. Beth Phoenix. Match should at least be short and will probably be saved by a Snoop Dogg/Santino Marella interaction. Because of that, it's worth its spot on the card.

Winners: Beth Phoenix and Melina

Ryan Merholz: With Candice back on the shelf already, we're gonna have to suspend quite a bit of disbelief to see the Playboy bunnies go over. I thought it was bad enough that Maria beat Beth with a roll-up after Mickie James was jobbed out repeatedly to her, but this will probably top that. I'd like to think that they'll recognize the face girls really have no business winning the match, similar to Melina vs. Ashley from last year, but I think with the celebrity involvement they won't be able to help themselves.

Winners: Ashley & Maria

Robert S. Leighty Jr: I just hope that Snoop comes to this thing hammered (which seems like a good bet) because he was awesome a few years back as a judge for the Girls Gone Wild PPV that also featured WWE Divas and Test. As long as I can get some laughs from Snoop and Santino, I will be pleased.

Winners: Maria and Ashley

Meehan: Babyfaces don't tend to lose in Lumberjack(Jill?) matches, and Playboy cover girls don't tend to lose at WrestleMania... and so there's no reason to believe that we'll be seeing a break from that trend any time soon.

Winner: The Playboy Bunnies

Peter Bielik: What would a WM be without the annual Playboy match? I'm looking forward to Snoop Dogg providing some good entertainment.

Winner: Maria and Ashley

Jeremy Thomas: Dammit, Candice, stop breaking bones! Now we have to suffer through Ashley wrestling! *Sigh* Well, before, it was blatantly obvious...returning Candice and Playboy Bunny Maria were pretty much guaranteed. Now, it's a little more interesting. Still, I can't imagine the two Bunnies losing. Poor, poor Beth Phoenix.

Winner: Maria and Ashley (Maria roll-up)

Bayani Domingo: I'll go with the chick that just recently bared her boobies for Playboy. SHOCK I know. Here's a funny thought, knowing who each one of the Playboy bunnies and Melina have gotten down with in the past, who would YOU want to play sloppy 3rds with?

Winner: Mari-shley

Derek Robbins - The setup behind this match was pretty simple. They wanted to promote both the women's champion and the playboy cover girl on the pay-per-view. The thing is, they didn't want to have multiple diva matches, so in order to make both of the women look strong…it was made into a tag match! They brought in an ex-playboy cover girl to be Maria's partner to make it like "Team Bunny" or something. They then had to replace Candice with Ashley, since Candice makes haemophiliacs look like Sean Connery. For the heel team, they had to have good "pin" bait, so they brought it Melina! So obviously, I think team bunny will win. Melina will suffer a pin fall as the Glamazon is distracted or something.

Winner: Maria and Ashley!

Michael Bauer: Everyone thinks the Playboy Bunnies will win. WHY???? Ashley, Candice, and Christy Hemme all LOST their matches at Wrestlemania and Candice's was even more pointless than this one. Sorry folks, but Maria will finally dump Santino, but it will be after he costs her another win.

Winners: Melina and Beth Phoenix

Leonard Hayhurst: In a match named for Playboy bunnies, I don't see how the playmates can lose. Usually whatever Diva lands the March layout wins at Wrestlemania as part of her push. The funny thing to me is how Maria was basically Goldie Hawn and after posing naked for millions of strangers to gawk at she's become Kathleen Turner. Ashley is a step down from Candice, but at least they didn't pull Sable out of mothballs…literally. The sad part is that Beth is the Women's Champion and not only will she get jobbed out here, but probably be made to look stupid in the process.

Winner: Maria and Ashley

Andrew Clark: I'm serious, Snoop Dogg is the only reason I'm going to watch this match. If the Godfather doesn't return with a ho train to spend some time with Tha Doggfather, I'll be sorely disappointed. Well, maybe just disappointed. I'm not quite ready to talk about soreness with you guys yet. At least not during the Playboy match.

Winner: Maria and Ashley

David Nik This should be a nice, fluffy start to WMXXIV, especially if it ends up raining and we get a pseudo-wet-T-shirt contest out of the deal. This is probably more of a commercial for Maria's Playboy feature, so I'm figuring she and Ashley go over, causing a big ol' bunny brawl to kick off the evening's festivities.

WINNER: Maria/Ashley

Matt Short: Get the latest Dive into a WrestleMania match. Put all the remaining Divas on the show. Aaaaand go. Can't expect too much from this match except to entertain in some way. Which it almost certainly will for some people.

Winners: Maria & Ashley

Mike Minotti: I'm not sure that a win is going to increase Playboy sales, but I don't see any reason for the heels to win. I mean, it's not like the Women's Championship has been a factor in anything for a long time now, so who cares if Phoenix loses.

Winner: Maria and Ashley

Steve Sullivan It's a Playboy Bunny match. Beth Phoenix and Melina haven't posed for Playboy. Therefore, Nudity=Wins.

Winner: Maria and Ashley



Batista vs. Umaga - Smackdown vs. Raw

Stephen Randle: Go figure, the one match for no stakes whatsoever and no actual penalty for losing, and they're planning to use it to start a longer feud between Batista and Umaga. Not that I mind, they'd be good big man matches, but seriously, what's the point of "brand supremacy"?

Winner: Double DQ

Andy Clark: I by no means think that the main events suck, but this year I seem to me more intrigued by the midcard, and this match is one of the reasons why. I've been wanting to see them go at it since the Royal Rumble, so this was a good booking move. I hate to call for a non-finish at WrestleMania, but I really have a feeling we're looking at a pull apart, double DQ here. If they do it well it could actually come off pretty kickass.

Winner: Double DQ

Nick Wallander: Dear Vince, thank you booking a match that has an obvious result. We all already know that Umaga doesn't go over on Pay Per Views. He is only built up on weekly television when they need to bury some young talent like Brian Kendrick. Then Umaga looks real good going into the Pay Per Views and thus his opponent of the month can get the rub by going over him. In this case it is Batista who will getting the Samoan rub. Hmmm. That sounds a little like a sexually transmitted disease.

Winner: Batista

Ari Berenstein: This is a far better "big dudes slug it out" style match than both of last year's contributions (Kane vs. Khali and Lashley vs. Umaga). I expect these two to mesh very well and they will be able to get the crowd right into it. I'm not sure where either man goes after this, but rumors of Umaga coming over to Smackdown persist, so he would need to lose in order to have the motivation to come over to Batista's show for revenge.

Winner: Batista

J.D. Dunn: Despite Raw being the self-acknowledged A-brand, Smackdown usually does well in head-to-head match ups. Batista is a solid main-eventer, and I don't think they'll ever elevate Umaga to that level, rather they'll keep him as that designated upper midcard heel that everyone has to beat to earn respect. That means Batista will go over.

Winner: Batista

Chris Lansdell: Strong style represent! Well, maybe not. But this is going to be high-impact, intense, and probably under 15 minutes. Umaga has shown he can have good matches, as has Batista, so hopefully they both bring their A games like most people do for WrestleMania. Batista needs the win more, but at some point Umaga has to get the win in a high-profile match, leaving us at something of an impasse. We have a week for this to be made no DQ, which I think it needs to be. I'd like to see Umaga win because I am not a Batista fan, but I'd like Smackdown to win also.

Winner: Batista

Jerome Cusson: How the mighty have fallen. Both of these guys were in main event quality matches last year, and now because there's nothing for them to do, they get each other. I wouldn't rule out a good match for these two. Remember, Batista had a great series with The Undertaker last year and Umaga has proven himself against John Cena and Jeff Hardy. Both of these guys need a win, and with a rumored Umaga jump to Smackdown, I expect some sort of schmazz ending with both guys being disqualified.

Winner: No-Contest

Dan Torkel: They have built this one really well and a rematch is likely. This could be a show stealer and I expect a double pin to continue the feud.

Winner: Double pin

Scotty Flamingo: Like there is any doubt on "Brand Supremacy" at this point. This match has the potential to be a hell of a wild brawl. I wish this was some sort of gimmick match, but I doubt the rules will be strictly enforced anyway. Umaga has been getting pushed pretty hard and Batista doesn't seem to be getting as much attention. Both men need a win to stay at the top. I'll go with making the fans happy.

Winner: Deacon Batista

JT: Like many, I hate a Pay-Per-View where EVERY match is a gimmick match, however I would have loved if this were No-DQ or Last Man Standing or something similar (although I haven't read the SD spoilers so it may very well be). Either way, this should be a fun match because neither is your typical big man and I'd be willing to bet that both guys – because it's WrestleMania – are going to let loose a bit more than usual. While in non-kayfabeland RAW is obviously "supreme", Dave is still very over and I expect the E to play off that.

Winner: BIG DAVE!

Jarrod Westerfeld: Brand Supremacy shouldn't even be a question here as the better wrestling show is still SmackDown, and no matter who wins here, both will be featured on the same show come this summer, as Umaga will finally be moved to SmackDown to get a better run in the main event as the monster he always should have been. I expect this to be the sleeper match of the show, just because Umaga is a strong talent, and if the motivated Animal shows up, we could get a very worthwhile match here. But to move Umaga over to SmackDown, I think it needs to be established through his loss here and his want to avenge this loss, making Batista his obsession.

Winner: Batista

Mathew Sforcina: Hmm. Well, I... Uh... That is... Ah to hell with it.

Winner: Umaga (Spike X Infinity - Alpha Null + 10)

T.G. Corke: Until I read that this match was to end in 'controversy' and be nothing more than a means of which to bring Umaga over to Smackdown (probably the only time the WWE shouldn't have adhered to the continuity of the draft split, as it could adversely affect this bout), this was the one I was most looking forward to. I like mat work and high-fliers as much as anything, but a 'big man vs. big man' match can be just as great when it's with workers who actually have a clue - same as with ANY level of the industry. Batista and Umaga have proven over the last year to be very reliable and intense wrestlers, able to sell well and engineer innovative spots to make up for their lack of technical prowess, and generally take a beating and give a similar one back. I was pumped for this one, but sadly it looks like it's being used more as a storyline-advancement tool than a showcase. A damn shame.

Winner: Umaga via DQ or Dusty finish

Michael Weyer: Now this looks like a really fun match up. Umaga has improved nicely and he and Batista look rough on paper but remember, we all thought Batista/Taker would stink and that was one of the best feuds of the last year. I see the same happening here, the two power approaches mixing well for a great battle. Batista might be the bigger name but even WWE has pretty much acknowledged RAW as the A show so expect that confirmed here.

WINNER: UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUMAAAAAGA!

Jeff Small: Brand Supremacy? Well if that's the case, then Umaga should win in a squash. I'm predicting a No Finish for this one as the feud must continue! Remember when big feuds were finished at Wrestlemania? Neither do I.

Winner: No Contest

Ryan Merholz: I think the win would go to Batista IF it goes to anybody. On top of not wanting to name a "superior" brand, there have been rumblings of Umaga jumping to the B-show after Wrestlemania. Mix that all together and you've got a pretty likely double-count-out finish.

Winner: No Contest

Robert S. Leighty Jr: Smackdown hasn't closed out a Mania since XIX, so the question of which brand is dominant has already been answered. As for the match, I am cautiously optimistic that these 2 men can deliver a hard hitting, power match. I just ask for no rest holds. I suspect this is just a warm-up for a crazier brawl later this year, so look for a Double DQ.

Winner: Double DQ

Meehan: Rumors are swirling that The Samoan Bulldozer may well be headed to the blue brand by the start of the summer, so there's every reason to believe that this contest could end up in a screwy or controversial schmozz of a finish, leaving the door open for these two behemoths to revisit their rivalry once the rosters are realigned in this year's Draft. As for which guy walks out the winner? By the looks of things, WrestleMania 24 will be heavy on baby face victories... and so my best guess is that if there *is* any sort of victor declared in this first clash of these inter-brand titans, smart money is on Umaga to walk away the winner in order to balance out the rest of the card's "good triumphs over evil" feel.

Winner: YouMangUh

Peter Bielik: Quite a trip down the card for Batista since last year, but then again, there really wasn't any other spot for him on the card. As proven many times, both guys can certainly deliver and I believe this is going to be a fine match. They booked Umaga good once again, but it's quite obvious who's picking up the win.

Winner: Batista

Jeremy Thomas: Wow, is SmackDown actually going to get bragging rights on Raw? Could it really be? You bet, and you know why? Vince wants to thumb his nose at the CW Network and do everything he can to help SmackDown have success when they move. Although really, it's more that he wants to thumb his nose at CW. The match itself should be tolerable, I don't see it being any better then that.

Winner: Batista (Batista Bomb)

Bayani Domingo: Kayfabe or not, who do YOU think is the superior brand? That's right, Colin Delaney does a run in and pin both guys. WORD.

Winner: Batista, via SD indifference

Derek Robbins - Umanga has the ability to take losses and still look like a monster. Think about it: through the year 2007 the Samoan bulldozer spent a LOT of time on his back. Yet…he's still viewed at as a main event threat! So he could probably lose here and it wouldn't really hurt him. That said, I'd like to see Umaga win. Batista doesn't need to win, he's always going to be a title threat, but a win by Umaga would cement him as a legit title threat and not just fodder to be fed to the hungry Triple H. The thing is, WWE probably doesn't care about this as Batista is the fan favourite, the kids love him…so he'll probably win. I suspect that Batista will win via Batista Bomb. During this Cole and Coachman will "reach the point" about how strong Batista must be to lift Umaga.

Winner: Batista

Michael Bauer: There is no reason that either of these guys should lose as they have been on massive tears. I have to imagine that something will be happening here, but I can't put me finger on it. In the end, go with The Animal.

Winner: Batista

Leonard Hayhurst: Do the math, Umaga is a jobber to the stars. What he has on his side is that he's representing RAW, which is the flagship of WWE. What wouldn't surprise me is if Batista wins here, but then he and Umaga flip flop in the next brand draft. So, basically, it's a win for RAW anyway. Kind of like how Edge won the Money in the Bank case off of Kennedy after Wrestlemania, but he's still undefeated at Wrestlemania according to WWE.

Winner: Batista

Andrew Clark: For some reason, they always screw up the SD vs. Raw stuff. It's such an easy storyline but you just have to do it within reason. It would have been better if Regal had laid down the challenge because he thought Umaga was better than everyone on SD. That way it makes sense for the face (Batista) to rise up against the heel's (Regal) impossible challenge. The way they did it, with Vickie challenging Regal without even naming her competitor, and then when Regal chose Umaga, Batista (face) helped out Vickie (heel) by becoming SD's guy? It didn't make any sense. Why did Vickie want to start this war with Raw? I still don't understand why Batista wants to fight for Smackdown pride. I think everyone here can agree he was a lot cooler when he was on Monday night. C'mon, guys. This just didn't make me happy. But... I hear that Umaga is coming to Smackdown and I'll admit that a Umaga/Undertaker summer program does arouse a little bit of interest. 'Taker has always battled the various "monsters" of the WWE and it makes sense from a character history standpoint. I think Umaga needs a win here. Is Batista giving him the rub, so to speak? I didn't even know Batista had a rub to give. We'll see.

Winner: The Samoan Bulldozer.

David Nik I don't see a clean outcome here. This is probably way to set up the post-Wrestlemania draft -- both GMs getting involved, wrestlers from both brands jumping in to create "interesting match ups" when the totally fair, unbiased, and random draft takes place in a month or so.

WINNER: No Contest

Matt Short: Know what WrestleMania has lacked for me in the past few years? A decent undercard. A match like this helps this year all the more. This should be a real power struggle but there's a real twist. Batista is the head of what is considered the second-tier show. While Umaga (awesome as he may be) is not as high up the card as Batista is from the flagship show. What to do? I hate the idea of not getting a real finish, but I can see this being a chance to shift Umaga to Smackdown to have a full on feud with Batista after a double DQ.

Winner: Double DQ

Mike Minotti: I also think that this is going to be the start for a longer feud, mostly because I'm not sure what else these two guys are going to do after Wrestlemania. Still, I am expecting a winner for this match, and while Batista's stock has dropped a bit since he lost his championship to Edge, I don't see him losing to Umaga yet.

Winner: Batista

Steve Sullivan It would be kind of silly of the WWE to say one Brand is better than the other. That's for us Internet writers to decide. Anyway, since I don't see any program ahead for any of these guys, and given the rumors that Umaga is headed to Smackdown to battle the winner of the Taker/Edge match at Summerslam, I'm going to see nobody wins here. Batista loses. Umaga loses. And we lose 55 bucks.

Winner: Double DQ



Ric Flair vs. Shawn Michaels - Career Threatening Match

Stephen Randle: Could be the best match on the show, but the result is obvious, and everything else is just fooling yourself. Come on, look at Ric Flair. He was the greatest wrestler of a generation, but that was long ago. He should be retired and enjoying his post in-ring career. Until he comes back again.

Winner: Shawn Michaels

Andy Clark: This should be good. Even if it's not "good" in the conventional sense it'll still be good anyhow. Flair showed a lot of fire in the ring with Mr. McMahon on Raw, and I bet that'll be raised even more here. I know Michaels doesn't want a lot of pressure on him at Mania, but unfortunately it'll be there. These two can pull off a classic moment if not a classic match, but I wouldn't but that past them either. Either man can win, but I'll go with Flair winning, following by an immediate retirement.

Winner: Ric Flair

Nic "Flair" Wallander: Say what you want, but this should be the main event of Wrestlemania XXIV. Michaels and Flair have done nothing less than a brilliant job in building this match as if it were one of the biggest ever. Hell, it might be the biggest wrestling match at Mania in recent memory. To be honest, Flair has been looking as if he has been taking it easy the past few months. I can only assume that is because he is saving some gas for the long journey that is Wrestlemania. I have no doubt that this will be the match of the night and talked about for years to come. Shawn Michaels clearly respects the hell out of Flair and will do whatever it takes to compensate for any ability that Flair's age may detract. There are obviously only two outcomes to this match and it would appear that, either way, this is probably the end of the road for Flair. I think he'll go out on his own terms.

Winner: "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair

Ari Berenstein: I have loved the build to this one and it is in fact the match on the card I am looking forward to the most. Whether or not it turns out to be Flair's last match you know both men feel the pressure (in a good way) to give that classic Wrestlemania performance. Michaels has come through every year delivering a great match ever since his return at 'Mania 19. He even had a great match against Vince McMahon! I have no doubt that these two will come through, especially if they are given a good amount of time to tell a nice back and forth "wrestling" story. If Michaels wins he'll do it with the superkick out of nowhere. If Flair is to win, he'll either get the Figure 4 for a clean tap out OR he will dodge a super kick and get a roll up (maybe with pulling of the tights for old times sake) for the pin.

Winner: Ric Flair

J.D. Dunn: Everything seems set for Flair to retire. It's the biggest show of the year. He's going into the Hall of Fame. Also, it's getting to the point where it seems physically impossible to keep winning. Still, it's hard to go against the Nature Boy. It always seems like there will be another comeback or another feud on the horizon. I'll go with Shawn Michaels to win, but I will not be shocked if Flair is back in the ring sooner rather than later.

Winner: Shawn Michaels

Chris Lansdell: This match is going to be more emotional than any match I can recall in American wrestling. The only thing that even comes close elsewhere was Kobashi 's return match after cancer treatment. Michaels will do all the Michaels stuff, and I expect him to be in control for most of the match, leaving Flair's limited energy for the few short spurts of offence he will get to enable Shawn to do what he does best: take punishment, sell and make a comeback. Lots of near falls, with Flair getting the win on a reversal of the Heartbreak Lock.

Winner: Ric Flair

Jerome Cusson: Ric Flair has done just about everything in his long and illustrious career. If this is indeed his last match, I cannot think of a better opponent then the greatest Wrestlemania performer of all time. Hulk Hogan has main-evented a ton of Wrestlemanias. Steve Austin and The Rock were the guys who made Wrestlemania a big event in the late 1990s. But Shawn Michaels has had the best matches at so many of these shows. From the ladder match to the iron man match to the triple threat match to bailing out WWE last year by replacing Triple H, there is no more appropriate man to wrestle Ric Flair in what could be his last match ever.

I believe this should be the main event. Of all the things Flair has done, he's never main-evented the biggest show of the year. And he so deserves this. World title matches happen every year. Mayweather is a sideshow. But there is only one Ric Flair last match. The greatest professional wrestler of this and maybe the last three generations deserves one last chance to show why he is the man. If you don't think Shawn Michaels and Ric Flair can't do it one more time, then you're doing a disservice to two guys who've loved this business longer than most people who watch the product now have even been alive.

Winner: Shawn Michaels

Dan Torkel: HBK always jobs at Mania and his hesitancy to retire Flair will cost him the match to the dirtiest player in the game. Rematch and retirement at Backlash.

Winner: Ric Flair

Scotty Flamingo: This is the E's chance to do something special. This is the E's chance to have one of those rare truly emotional moments in wrestling. This is one of those moments that you can get shots of fans crying if you do it right. I think that they will. They chose HBK as Flair's opponent, a man that respects Flair and will go to the ends of the earth to make him look like THE MAN one more time. And I still believe that there is enough of the Nature Boy left to pull of something special. If they give the match time and then give Flair the mic afterwards, it should be a keeper.

Winner: Shawn Michaels

JT: It wasn't until I began writing this that I realized what exactly it is I'm going to see. I'm guessing that even when I'm standing there, post-match, doing my part in the standing ovation for Ric Flair, I still will not realize the magnitude of what I've just witnessed. I honestly cannot wait to see this match. There is no way in hell either of these guys would let the last memory of Flair in the ring be "boy, remember that god-awfully shitty last match he had". Shawn is Shawn, and Naitch is Naitch. I have no doubt in my mind that Ric Flair is going to go 1,000% with this (maybe even slightly more than he should), and any slack leftover will easily be carried by the "you can count on" greatness that is HBK in a match at WrestleMania. I would hate to be sitting in creative meetings trying to figure out exactly how to book the end of this match and how it relates to Flair retiring, because I'm struggling to determine who is going to win this. As most have said, regardless of what happens this has the potential to be one of the biggest and most memorable moments in the last thirty years of wrestling.

Winner: Shawn Michaels

Jarrod Westerfeld: I'm going to go against the grain here, and say that all of the hype around this wasn't to lead into Flair losing the match but to send him out as a winner. I think that would be a stronger sense storytelling as you establish this predictable ending just to surprise us all. It would be nice as Flair says at the end of winning the match that this was all he needed, and now that he's achieved it he feels his career is over – there's nothing left for him to achieve and therefore he can ride off into the sunset knowing he went out as the best taking on the best. I doubt Shawn would have a problem with this.

Winner: Ric Flair

Mathew Sforcina: Well now, the question is, do you go the obvious (Flair retires on the biggest night of the year and rides off into the sunset, head held high) or do you go the other way? The way that pops you a supposed huge rating the next night on Raw and gives your suddenly titleless former World Champ, the one that used to make a habit of Killing Legends, the honor the second night, winning the match in a despicable, lying cheating bastardly way that would sorta kinda leave the door open for a one night return for Flair down the line? I suppose the thing is, HBK ain't heel. Orton is.

Winner: Ric Flair (Roll Up with tights)

T.G. Corke: It seems obvious that Flair is having his last match here, and with the stipulation being that a loss will end his career, many treat it as fact that Michaels is going over. I'm not so sure myself - I wouldn't be surprised to see Flair win, then announce he was retiring on his own terms - but I'll go with the status quo simply because Flair has been keen to let others defeat him in recent years and it ties in with the angle better. Don't write him off entirely, but I for one believe that Flair will insist on giving Michaels the win.

Winner: Shawn Michaels

Michael Weyer: We all know this is going to be the first MOTY candidate here. The build-up has been great and the chemistry between the two is sure to click wonderfully. I know it's a big stage but I just don't see them putting Flair out to pasture just yet so expect him to come out on top to keep the whole thing going. It's Flair, he never quits even when he should.

Winner: WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Jeff Small: It was almost 100% obvious that Flair won his last match on Raw this past week. While I would love for Flair to win to really make this stip unpredictable, it won't happen. I know Flair's been working on getting ready for the match so hopefully it'll be better than his recent string of matches. With HBK involved, it most certainly will.

Winner: Shawn Michaels

Ryan Merholz: This is a pretty tough call. The build has been great and you can really tell Flair is doing all he can to be his old self-leading up to this match. Sure, it won't be a technical classic, but I'm really hoping this match steals the show this year. There was a lot of discussion the past few months as to who would be the right call to wrestle Flair at WM24, and I honestly think they made the right call with HBK. There won't be a huge rub for a young guy, but in the end, this is really more about sending Flair out properly. Flair will bust his ass and probably bleed, and HBK will work like crazy to make him look good. Will HBK go over? I don't think so. I'm thinking something along the lines of Flair realizing he just had the last great match of his career and decided to go out on a high note. HBK doesn't NEED the win like a young guy would, so why take anything away from Flair's last match that you don't need to?

Winner: Ric Flair

Robert S. Leighty Jr: This has the potential to be the most emotional moment in WrestleMania since the Savage/Liz reunion at WM VII. I wouldn't even be shocked to see Shawn hold the ropes open for Flair as they leave the ring. Shawn appears to be a lock in this thing, and the winner doesn't matter much to me. This is Flair's last match, and I want to see some blood, sweat, and tears. Michaels has carried Hogan and McMahon, and he will go above and beyond to make Flair's last match a memorable one.

Winner: Shawn Michaels

Meehan: Shawn Michaels is as good as they come when it comes to active, in-ring performers on a WWE roster. And even though he too is getting up there in years (and is certainly nowhere near in need of "the rub" he might well receive by being the man to end the Nature Boy's career), the simple fact of the matter is that HBK is quite literally the best of what's around, and the best bet to pull one last big match out of The Nature Boy as he heads off into the sunset. Michaels sold his ass off (maybe even a bit more than necessary) for Hulk Hogan, and fans went absolutely bonkers for that affair (I should know, I was there LIVE) even though it was nowhere near a technical classic. Though fans will be sad to see Flair call it a career no matter HOW that day eventually comes, Shawn Michaels is as good a man to end it as anyone in professional wrestling today.

Winner: Shawn Michaels

Peter Bielik: This is the only match on the show I'm really excited about. If this really is Flair's last match (who can be sure about that?), they should have hyped it A LOT more. The entire storyline involving Flair's career was treated pretty much as an afterthought since it began, which is a) disrespecting and b) counterproductive. The last few weeks were decent however and the promo on last RAW helped sell the story of the match in my eyes. This has enormous potential, since Michaels respects the hell out of Flair and Flair wants to have that last great match (and I highly doubt he'll have a better chance at achieving that than this Sunday). As far as who wins- I wouldn't be surprised at either man, but I'm going with Flair as my pick.

Winner: Ric Flair

Jeremy Thomas: Match of the night right here, folks. Let's be honest, this seems to be an obvious one for the result, but I'm glad Vince made it HBK vs. Ric, rather then himself vs. Ric. The build has been great, and Shawn & Flair have been great in it. HBK with the win, and the "show of respect" after the match for another great, emotional WrestleMania moment.

Winner: Shawn Michaels (Sweet Chin Music)

Bayani Domingo: I'm going out on a limb here and saying Flair wins his last match and retires after being taken to the "peak" one more time by the show stoppa. Then we get a whole "respect" thing and then HBK turns face again.

Winner: The NAITCH-A BOY…WHOOOO

Derek Robbins - I suppose that there are two ways that this match can go. Either HBK wins and uses Flair's old tricks to beat him, or Ric Flair wins and immediately retires afterwards. He would cite about how he wants to go out on top. The last scenario is least likely and I only see it happening if Vince felt like serving us. Since Ric Flair is like he is with his respect for the business, I see him taking the pinfall to Shawn and hugging him thereafter. As I mentioned, this won't be the most clean win for HBK. Both Flair and Shawn will play dirty, just Shawn will out-pace Flair. Though I don't think this will be his last match ever (given how often wrestler's retire), in case it is, hopefully it's a good match. They better give Flair some mic time after the match. He has earned it. This could be the last time we hear him shout /wooo/ at a Wrestlemania, so be sure to pay attention!

Winner: Shawn Michaels

Michael Bauer: Sorry folks, but Ric Flair is not winning this match. It makes no sense for him to win and then retire after saying he never would. I have high hopes for this match and I hope it is the main event.

Winner: Shawn Michaels

Leonard Hayhurst: I'm surprised about how many people are going for Flair here. The storyline has been built for Flair to lose and retire. The problem is that by going out to Michaels doesn't do anyone really any good. I know that Flair wants to go out as a heel, but WWE doesn't think the fans would go for it. I think they might ‘play along.' How great for it would be for Flair to retire at the Great American Bash by giving the rub to Cody Rhodes? Even if Flair does win here, he can still probably retire. I've said it before, but Michaels is in that rarefy air that no loss is going to hurt him. So, I too will pick Flair to win and then to promptly retire. Will this be the last we see of Flair in the ring though? Probably not.

Winner: Ric Flair

Andrew Clark: There is nothing left to say about this match that hasn't been said. Is there anyone who isn't giving these guys at least four-and-a-half stars just for stepping into the ring? I agree, though. I think it will be awesome. Flair will cheat to win, then retire on Raw next Monday.

Winner: Ric Flair

David Nik The match I'm most anxious to see, and I would have called for a time-limit, Iron Man-type draw here as well had I not predicted a no-contest for the previous match. This is going to be a fairly even contest, but with Flair's drive failing toward the end guys like Arn and -- hell, why not -- Tully and Flair's family will probably come out to push him over the top and lead to a clean, figure-four victory, followed by an immediate announcement from Flair that he's outta here. If the WWE has a brain in their head, this will be the last match of the night -- at the very least, second-to-last behind the Triple Threat title match.

WINNER: Michaels, followed by Flair's retirement

Matt Short: Presumably this is going to Flair's swan song. As such I'd expect him to bust his ass to put on as good a final match as he can do. I mean hell, it's WrestleMania. This is going to be a real special moment make no mistake. I really don't think they're going to try to pull a fast one and let Flair survive this. Holding off on the retirement would kill the angle's momentum and to be honest there really isn't anyone else to give the rub to who's ready for that kind of a push.

Winner: Shawn Michaels

Mike Minotti: It's assumed that this will be Ric Flair's last match, meaning that a loss to HBK is pretty much a necessity. Still, there is the chance that the WWE may pull a fast one on us and have Flair live to fight for at least a little bit longer, or maybe they'll just have him win and retire on his own terms. I don't know, it seems like it would a bit of a downer for the crowd to make Flair lose.

Winner: Ric Flair

Steve Sullivan I was completely marking out when Ric Flair made Orton tap to the Figure Four. Flair has been built up to look his best in years, and I expect Flair will squeak out one more win here at Mania and get screwed out of his career a little later on.

Winner: Ric Flair

Go check out PART II!