Avengers: Pre-Infinity War Power Rankings

It's a huge weekend for Marvel Comics fans, as ten years of movies culminate in "Avengers: Infinity War." Several blogs specifically addressing "Infinity War" will be forthcoming, but we're going to keep this post 100% spoiler-free. I asked a group of what we're going to call "local experts" a few questions this week, before "Infinity War" had come out, so their responses won't give anything away, but should help get you prepped for the new film if you haven't seen it yet.

Similar to what The Underground did for "Stranger Things" a few months ago, we're going to lay a foundation for any future Avengers blogs by establishing power rankings for characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Here are the questions that our experts were asked, based on 20 major characters previously introduced in films over the last decade:

• Rank the Avengers, from most important to least important
• Rank the Avengers, from favorite to least favorite
• Which Avenger would you most like to hang out with for a day?
• Which Avenger would you most like to die in "Avengers: Infinity War"?

Here are the results:

Rank the Avengers, from most important to least important

Rank the Avengers, from favorite to least favorite

Which Avenger would you most like to hang out with for a day?

• 35.71% Star-Lord
• 21.43% Iron Man
• 14.29% Ant-Man
• 14.29% Captain America
• 7.14% Black Panther
• 7.14% Thor

Which Avenger would you most like to die in "Avengers: Infinity War"?

• 28.57% War Machine
• 14.29% Iron Man
• 14.29% Vision
• 7.14% Black Widow
• 7.14% Captain America
• 7.14% Rocket Raccoon
• 7.14% Scarlet Witch
• 7.14% Spider-man
• 7.14% Winter Soldier/Bucky Barnes

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Do you agree with our rankings? What would you change? Who do you want to die in "Infinity War"? Let us know in the comments section below, but keep it spoiler-free, please.

SotT: Underground will return... with more Avengers blogs. Stay tuned.

#140Characters: 'Avengers - Infinity War' preview

Back in my day, Twitter had this thing called a "character limit." They gave you 140 characters, including spaces and symbols, and that was it. Who even knows what it is these days? You just keep typing until it tells you to stop. I'm not sure I've ever hit the new limit. Composing the perfect tweet used to be a challenge. It was back then, in yonder days of letter limitation, that I thought it would be cool to do a thing on the blog called #140Characters, where I would have to write the blog as if it were a series of 140-character tweets. Now, that's not really a thing anymore, but I figured I'd give the idea another run (I did it once before), for the sake of brevity and in order to pump out a quick blog before the worldwide release of the new movie "Avengers: Infinity War."

Ten years of Marvel movies have led to this moment, as "The Mad Titan" Thanos encounters the Avengers and the other protagonists of the Marvel Cinematic Universe in his search for the six Infinity Stones. The collection of these powerful gems and their subsequent placement inside a huge glove called the Infinity Gauntlet would grant Thanos virtually unlimited power and the ability to wipe out basically whatever he wants. "Infinity War" will undoubtedly be an action-packed, star-stuffed blockbuster with widespread, far-reaching and long-lasting consequences for the MCU for years to come.

I've got my Character Counter warmed up and ready to go. Let's ask some questions to help us look forward to the silver screen showdown this weekend - in #140Characters or less.

What are you most looking forward to about "Avengers: Infinity War"?

This is the culmination of 10 years of amazing movies! It will be amazing to see all these superheroes all be on the screen together.

Character count: 133

What are you least looking forward to about "Avengers: Infinity War"?

Gonna be honest - Marvel superfans drive me NUTS! Not looking forward to seeing/hearing them geek out like this movie is life and death.

Character count: 136

Which characters are you most excited to see interacting with each other?

Guardians of the Galaxy and pretty much anybody else. I think they'll be funny with Thor, and Star-Lord/Iron Man will be hilarious.

Character count: 131

Are there any characters that you are not looking forward to seeing?

Black Widow. She's the worst. Does anyone like her? And giving her a new hairstyle for every movie isn't magically going to make her "cool."

Character count: 140

How do you feel about Thanos? The MCU has been teasing him for years, but we've never really gotten a good look at him.

Not digging him so far. He is ugly and seems like a wuss, so he's really going to have to be a baller in this movie to earn my respect.

Character count: 135

Based on trailers and commercials for the movie, what have you seen that has gotten you the most hyped for the film?

Cap blocking Thanos' punch (Man Crush intensifies) and that cliche #HeroShot in Wakanda with the entire army running toward the camera.

Character count: 135

What is the likelihood that we get a major character death at some point in the movie?

100%. It has to happen. Thanos needs to raise the stakes and show that he isn't messing around.

Character count: 95

Which five characters do you think have the greatest chance of dying in "Infinity War"?

1 Vision - Infinity Stone in his head
2 Thor - Asgard is gone
3 Gamora - Thanos' kid
4 War Machine - expendable
5 Hawkeye - the heartbreaker

Character count: 140

Who would you be sad to see die?

1 Captain America - Popular theory. DON'T DO IT.
2 Hawkeye - Would be sad
3 Star-Lord - Not likely
4 Groot (He's safe)
5 Bucky (Also safe)

Character count: 138

Who, if anyone, would you like to see die?

1 Black Widow - sucks
2 War Machine - don't care, lamest character
3 Nebula - so annoying
4 Iron Man - he'd deserve it
5 Aunt May - lol

Character count: 135

Which character do you think will steal the most scenes and become the audience's sleeper favorite?

Ant-Man, Star-Lord or Black Panther's sister, Shuri.

Character count: 52

You blogged about your reaction to "Captain America: Civil War." Have any of your opinions changed since then?

I wasn't impressed by Black Panther in CA:CW, but I did enjoy his stand-alone movie much more than I expected to. Saw it twice, even!

Character count: 133

Make a bold prediction for the movie.

We're going to have ourselves a good old WWE-style heel turn! One of the Avengers will join Thanos.

Character count: 99

Make a stupid, totally unreasonable prediction for the movie.

Batman cameo.

Character count: 13

Give us your final thoughts, heading into this weekend.

This will be the best Marvel movie so far, but will not be as good as the sequel. Also, #TooManyHeroes, not enough screen time to go around.

Character count: 140

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What are you looking forward to, heading into #InfinityWarWeekend? Who do you want to see die? What are your bold predictions? Let us know below, in #140Characters or less.

Oh, and follow us on Twitter: @atownmania & @sottunderground

Avengers, ASSEMBLE!

WrestleMania 34 recap and review

Once again, I watched WrestleMania so that you wouldn't have to. But you might as well have. Because it would have been free. But hey. You know. Whatever. With no further ado and no more gilding the lilly, let's break down, recap and review each of the matches for what was a stacked card and was intended to be the Super Bowl of professional wrestling. Here we go:

Matt Hardy wins the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal

• Recap: Overall, pretty standard for a battle royal match, but my original pick to win, Matt Hardy, ended up winning in the best way possible - by teaming with Bray Wyatt, who he recently... DELETED... in the hilarious "Ultimate Deletion" match two weeks ago. Bray illegally entered the match in its closing moments and saved Hardy from elimination, then greeted Hardy with a handshake and a hug after the bell. I've been hoping for these two to team up for a while, so I couldn't be happier.
• SotT prediction: Elias (did not participate/late scratch from the card)
• Grade: A

Cedric Alexander def. Mustafa Ali to win the WWE Cruiserweight Championship

• Recap: A good match for the cruiserweight division, featuring two "face" characters (good guys) who mutually respect each other. Lots of high-flying action, as anticipated, but nothing totally jaw dropping.
• SotT prediction: N/A
• Grade: B

Naomi wins the WrestleMania Women's Battle Royal

• Recap: It looked like an NXT takeover in the women's battle royal, as a bunch of women I genuinely have never seen teamed up to take out a lot of the big names from the main roster. As expected, the match came down to a showdown between Sasha Banks and Bayley, resulting in Bayley suckering Sasha in for a handshake, then unexpectedly throwing her over the top rope. It's another step in the direction of a heel turn for Bayley, which is entirely stupid because there isn't a mean bone in her entire body. However, Bayley failed to realize that Naomi had not been eliminated and Naomi quickly made Bayley "feel the glow" with a Rear View and a swift elimination. I never really care for those moments where a superstar plays possum for most of the match and comes back at the very end, so I wasn't a fan of this ending.
• SotT prediction: Sonya DeVille
• Grade: C

Seth Rollins def. The Miz and Finn Balor to win the Intercontinental Championship

• Recap: The trio traded finishers back and forth for a good deal of the match, which was fun. Rollins nailed back-to-back Curb Stomps on Balor and The Miz before picking up a surprising pinfall victory.
• SotT prediction: The Miz
• Grade: B
• Best Spots: The Miz hits the Skull Crushing Finale from the top rope, Balor hits the Coup de Grace on top of both opponents, Rollins tunes up the band before hitting the final Curb Stomp

Charlotte Flair def. Asuka to retain the SmackDown! Women's Championship

• Recap: Both women showed off their athleticism with numerous reversals and counters and submission holds. Charlotte began bleeding from the arm mid-way through the match. The injury to her arm led to some (scripted) difficulty and, ultimately, a one-armed bridge into the Figure Eight lock, at which point Asuka tapped out, ending her 514-day undefeated streak. This was perhaps the most surprising WrestleMania moment since Brock Lesnar beat the Undertaker.
• SotT prediction: Asuka
• Grade: A
• Best Spots: Charlotte comes out to Ric Flair's music, Asuka suplexes Charlotte off the ring apron, Charlotte takes Asuka from a spin with a backflip suplex off the top turnbuckle, "Charlotte was ready for Asuka!"
• WrestleMania Moment: Asuka taps out for her first loss

John Cena update

As Charlotte celebrated on her way back up the ramp, a referee could be seen booking it to ringside. He immediately rushed to John Cena, who was sitting at ringside and told him something that Cena didn't appear to believe. However, after some coaxing, Cena hopped the barrier and sprinted up the ramp, past a bewildered Charlotte and backstage. Could the Undertaker be in the house?

Jinder Mahal def Randy Orton, Bobby Roode and Rusev to win the United States Championship

• Recap: As Fatal Four-way matches go, this one was generic, at best. Each wrestler got in their finishers, including a flurry of RKOs from Orton, but Mahal capitalized on a distraction by Sunil Singh, then hit the Khallas on Rusev for the 1-2-3. I've been a Jinder apologist for most of his push, but this was probably the worst possible outcome for this match. WWE had a perfect opportunity to blow the roof off of the Superdome if Rusev had won, but they went with Jinder who is the least popular and least likable of the four.
• SotT prediction: Rusev
• Grade: C
• Best Spots: Randy RKOs English/Rusev/Mahal in rapid succession, crowd goes nuts for Rusev Day

"Rowdy" Ronda Rousey and Kurt Angle def Stephanie McMahon and Triple H

• Recap: The last time Ronda Rousey was in a competitive ring was December 30, 2016. You wouldn't have known that by watching this match. All four competitors did not show any signs of ring rust, which was a concern going into WrestleMania. Triple H and Stephanie were the consummate villains, working well together and coming off as cocky, arrogant and above-the-rules. The match was booked wonderfully, keeping Angle in the ring and away from making a tag to Rousey for as long as possible. When Rousey did enter the ring, she looked surprisingly good, blasting Stephanie with power moves and a flurry of MMA punches and sending the crowd into a frenzy. McMahon blocked Rousey's initial attempts at an armbar and broke the hold with a rake to the eyes. However, she found herself unable to make a tag to her husband as he lay prostrate at ringside. This forced Stephanie to stay in the ring, but allowed her to get in some offense and forcing Rousey to play some defense. Triple H and Stephanie continued to bend the rules and take cheap shots, while Angle and Rousey both took a physical beating. One of Rousey's knees was visibly skinned and Angle ended the match with a black eye. Both duos hit tandem finishers before all was said and done, but it was Rousey who finally got Stephanie to tap with an absolutely vicious armbar. I'll be honest - I doubted Rousey from the very beginning, but she (and the other three, too) looked fantastic. Rousey's offense was impressive and she showed some actual wrestling prowess throughout. This match was quite a surprise to me, so color me "impressed" by Rousey's WWE debut.
• SotT prediction: Rousey and Angle
• Grade: A
• Best Spots: Stephanie takes cheap shots before the bell, Rousey dominates with fast-paced offense, Triple H pulls the ref from the ring while counting a potential pinfall, Rousey squares up on Triple Angle's German Suplex combination, the teams trade tandem finishers, Stephanie looks horrified as Rousey snaps in the final armbar
• WrestleMania Moment: Rousey dazzles with her in-ring debut

The Bludgeon Brothers def The Usos and The New Day to win the SmackDown! Tag Team Championship

• Recap: First and foremost, what on earth happened during The New Day's entrance? Dancing pancake people?!? Wow. This match was a combination of power (Bludgeon Brothers), speed (Usos) and charisma (New Day). It was quick and unremarkable, and the freaking Bludgeon Brothers won the titles. Are. You. Kidding. This was a filler match, at best, that did not do justice to the remarkable year that The Usos and The New Day had. Total letdown.
• SotT prediction: The Usos
• Grade: D
• Best Spots: Pancake midgets!! Xavier's afro. That was about it.

John Cena update:

Cena came out to the ring, only to be met by a referee who appeared to inform the 16-time WWE champion that the Undertaker was not here. As Cena got back out of the ring, the lights went out momentarily. However, Cena was met by Elias (who I really like). But this is the botch of botches. They just wasted a month of tremendous Cena promos only for the Undertaker not to show up at all. Elias was understandably greeted by deafening boos, and I can't blame the fans. This makes Undertaker look like an absolute yellow-bellied coward. Elias got in the ring and serenaded the fans until Cena got back in the ring and flattened The Drifter in less than a minute. The crowd continued chanting for Taker as Cena's music hit. A dejected Cena walked back up the ramp, when his music cut off, the lights turned out and Undertaker's coat and hat appeared in the middle of the ring. Phony lightning struck, the ring gear disappeared, and THE GONG HIT. The Elias segment totally sucked, but it looks like we've got ourselves a match.

The Undertaker def John Cena

• Recap: Undertaker came out swinging, literally moving the fastest I've seen him go in like six years. This apparently was not the geriatric Undertaker of the past several WrestleManias. The match was booked to make Taker look like he's not messing around, but, to me, it looked like what they did for Goldberg when they brought him back a year and a half ago: keep it short, keep it quick - a borderline "squash match" - but the reality is that the dude is 53 years old and doesn't have the stamina to do what he once did. Cena got in one, maybe two offensive maneuvers, but Undertaker nailed a big chokeslam and the Tombstone Piledriver to pick up the win. I honestly think Taker's entrance was longer than the actual match. If only we could have seen these two fight at WrestleMania in their primes...
• SotT prediction: The Undertaker
• Grade: D
• Best Spots: Undertaker sits up during the Five Knuckle Shuffle and Cena falls down in fear

Writer: We have 30 minutes to kill. What should we put in there?

Vince: The Undertaker!

Writer: A 30 minute undertaker match? Great!

Vince: Yeah, but make sure his entrance takes up 26 minutes of that.

Writer: But-

Vince: And add Elias in there somewhere#wrestlemania

— Tim Rose Tweeting (@TimRoseTweeting) April 9, 2018

Daniel Bryan and Shane McMahon def Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn

• Recap: Owens and Zayn began the match with a sneak attack from behind, followed up by a brutal beating outside the ring. Owens powerbombed Bryan onto the ring apron, sidelining the returning fan favorite and forcing McMahon to start the match, 2-on-1. The commentators really played up what were purported to be real-life injuries for McMahon, which caught up to him in the ring, leading to a beatdown from Kevin and Sami as Bryan was being attended to my medics. Bryan eventually returned to the match, got the hot tag and hit all of his classic spots, which was great to see. He's had a long road to recovery and he deserves mountains of success. Bryan slapped the Yes! Lock on Zayn to make him tap, which means that Owens and Zayn have now been officially fired from SmackDown! Live. Time will tell whether they get picked up by Raw in the next couple weeks. It would not surprise me to see them show up in Kurt Angle's office tomorrow night.
• SotT prediction: Owens and Zayn
• Grade: B
• Best Spots: Owens shouting ("Money, money, money, money ain't gonna save you now!" "You should have stayed retired!"), Shane hits Coast to Coast on Zayn from the opposite turnbuckle, Bryan gets the hot tag and hits KO/Zayn with alternating turnbuckle dropkicks, the Yes! Kicks, 
• WrestleMania Moment: Daniel Bryan receives a huge ovation from the WWE Universe

Nia Jax def Alexa Bliss to win the Raw Women's Championship

• Recap: Nia did the smart thing by immediately incapacitating Alexa's new best friend, Mickie James, as soon as the match started. From there, we got the typical antics from the champion - taking cheap shots, trying to run away with her belt and whining to the ref. That's part of what I like about Bliss' character. Her tantrums are the best. After several emotional moments, Nia took Alexa up to the middle rope and dropped her former friend to win her first Women's Championship. This was not the best match for either of the women, but will hopefully mark the end of their storylines together.
• SotT prediction: Alexa retains and loses to Carmella on a Money in the Bank cash-in
• Grade: C
• Best Spots: Nia and Alexa scream at each other, Twisted Bliss to the outside, Nia's Samoan Drop off the middle turnbuckle

AJ Styles def Shinsuke Nakamura to retain the WWE Championship

• Recap: The tensions had reached a boiling point. The Superdome crowd was buzzing. The "dream match" was underway. The optimistic way to look at this match would be "methodical and calculated." The pessimistic way to look at it would be "slow." They're both very precise, technical fighters, which is impressive, but sometimes approaching a match that way can be a slow burn for viewers. Mid-way through the match, the crowd seemed a bit bored. I thought I heard them singing a chorus of "Na Na Na Na, Hey Hey Goodbye." Perhaps a fan got ejected from the arena or something. After a back-and-forth battle, Styles hit his finisher and rolled Shinsuke over for the pinfall. The bout wound up being much more boring than it should have been. Too bad. I really thought that fight would have brought the house down. After the match, Styles and Nakamura embraced in the ring and Nakamura presented the title to Styles on one knee... then hit him with a low blow! He would later hit a Kinshasa knee strike on the outside of the ring before retreating back up the ramp. Ladies and gentlemen, Nakamura has turned heel!
• SotT prediction: AJ Styles
• Grade: B
• Best Spots: Styles counters the Kinshasa into the Styles Clash, Nakamura heel turn!

Braun Strowman and ??? def The Bar to win the Raw Tag Team Championship

• Recap: Well, we finally found out who Braun Strowman's tag team partner was. And it was... some random little boy from the crowd? Really? Essentially, this made the match a handicap match because, despite the crowd's chants of "We want Nicholas!", there was no way that little kid was... wait a second - Braun just tagged the kid in! I HOPE HIS PARENTS SIGNED A WAIVER!!! Oh. He tagged back out immediately. Strowman hit a Powerslam and, um, I guess won the tag championship? I'm not sure what I'm witnessing here. Hey Vince, you've got a 10-year-old kid to hire. Are they going to bring him to Raw tomorrow night? This is a cool gesture, but um... What is this nonsense? It would have been better if Curt Hawkins was the partner. It would have been better if he just won by himself. Who came up with this idea? I didn't think there could possibly be a match worse than the Undertaker match, but I think they just proved me wrong.
• SotT prediction: The Bar
• Grade: F
• Best Spots: Braun scares away the Mardi Gras characters, the crowd chants for Nicholas

One has won a WWE championship on the main roster and the other is Sami Zayn #WrestleMania pic.twitter.com/wasYYXGo6V

— WWE Hot Takes (@prowrestlingHT) April 9, 2018

Brock Lesnar def Roman Reigns to retain the WWE Universal Championship

• Recap: I was getting tired before this match even started. Despite my best efforts to barricade myself away from interruptions, I still had to watch Mania delayed and it was 11 PM by the time this fight started. This is a long dang event and it lost momentum several matches ago. The proverbial natives were growing restless, as well; they began chanting "C-M-Punk!" just minutes into this one. CM Punk hasn't been in this company for YEARS. Get over it, people. Back to the match. Roman took an early trip to Suplex City. When all was said and done, Brock landed six German Suplexes and a slew of belly-to-bellies, so he took quite a pummeling. These two looked totally unsafe out there during some stretches of the match. That's always a concern whenever Lesnar involved. The way they were throwing each other around those announce tables looked legitimately dangerous. Roman hit a couple spears, but the crowd felt totally disengaged. They were cheering and booing things that had nothing to do with the action in the ring. Roman kicked out of four F-5s. The crowd continued to boo things that we could not see on-screen. Lesnar shouted the F-word and the Network had to censor it. I believe the crowd finally started the "BOR-ING" chant. An F-5 through one of the announce tables. RIP. Paul Heyman continually shouted for Brock to finish Roman off. The crowd chanted "This is awful." Roman got busted open BAD. Wow. He is really leaking from the head. This is the most blood on WWE programming in years. Roman hit a couple spears, but Brock countered one into a final F-5 and, believe it or not, Brock Lesnar retained his freaking championship. WHY?!? It's amazing that watching Brock retain is somehow more disappointing than Roman actually winning it. Just... wow. As one Twitter user put it, "The fans riot if Reigns wins because they don't want him at the top, they riot if he loses because they don't want a part-time champion. Absolutely never satisfied." He's not wrong there.
• SotT prediction: Roman Reigns
• Grade: D
• Best Spots: Suplex City. And... that's about it.

Great, now RAW has two part time champions.... #Wrestlemania pic.twitter.com/UOvA7lhzfa

— MarkOutMania | HK (@RealMarkOutHK) April 9, 2018

NOTES

• What was up with those terrible on-screen effects during some of the entrances (just Asuka and New Day, I think)? Absolutely terrible. Which millennial intern is responsible?
• Both Royal Rumble winners lost their WrestleMania matches. Semi-weird.
• Lots of title changes - just not the ones I was anticipating.
• No cash-in from Carmella. It has been 295 days since she won the briefcase. She may hold onto that thing until the end of time, at this point.
• Brock Lesnar is never going to lose that title. Never. Like, at this point, who is going to beat him?
• My predictions were way off. I went 3-10, not including the Cruiserweight match that I didn't pick. Yikes. Not good.

WrestleMania 1st hour = 😐
WrestleMania 2nd hour = 🤔
WrestleMania 3rd hour = 🔥
WrestleMania 4th hour = 🔥
WrestleMania 5th hour = 🙂
WrestleMania 6th hour = 😐
WrestleMania 7th hour = 😴 #WrestleMania

— Wrestling LAD (@WrestlingLAD) April 9, 2018

AWARDS

Best Entrance: Shinsuke Nakamura

Best Match: As much as it pains me to say, I think it was Ronda Rousey.

Worst Match: Braun Strowman and Nicholas, with Undertaker/Cena coming in at a close second.

Biggest Surprises: Asuka tapping out, Shinsuke's low blow, how bored the audience was for the final hour and a half of the show
Probably the second or third best thing that happened: John Cena being a regular fan in the audience for the first hour of the show

Overall Grade: C

Well... there's always next year, I guess. I had really been looking forward to WrestleMania 34. I thought things were going pretty well, actually, at some point during the show. But somewhere, somehow, probably starting with the Bludgeon Brothers actually winning a match for once, everything went gradually, steadily and speedily downhill. The Undertaker match sucked hardcore. The Daniel Bryan match was ok, but not as good as it could have been. Nia and Alexa were lackluster. The so-called "Dream Match"... I mean, those two have put on better matching on SmackDown!, for crying out loud. The Nicholas thing was a total fiasco. And seriously. This was their chance to finally crown Roman and take this part-timing bum Brock Lesnar off our hands. The dude shows up for work like seven times a year, if we're lucky, and now we're stuck with him for the foreseeable future. Ugh. What a waste. It could have been such a good PPV, too. WWE better have some aces in the hole for the typically raucous "Raw After WrestleMania." They've dug themselves a huge hole with some of this stuff. Man...

This entire ppv had me all like #wrestlemania #drinkitupmania pic.twitter.com/YIkE50ciRF

— Drink it Up! (@DrinkIt_Up) April 9, 2018

I'm going to bed.

Everything you need to know about WrestleMania 34

It's that time of year yet again! Over the past three years, it has become somewhat of a tradition for me to blog about professional wrestling. I defended wrestling in 2015 in one of my personal favorite blogs, then I gave a wondrous review of WrestleMania 33 in 2017. I am quite positive that none of you are planning on watching the show when it airs live on the WWE Network tomorrow night, but I figured I'd write this blog anyway.

WrestleMania is the biggest show of the year for World Wrestling Entertainment. It features all of the company's biggest stars, offers the biggest stakes and contains all the biggest surprises. The show is dang long - and if you watch it delayed, you'll likely be up until 1:15 in the morning like I was last year. Would. Not. Recommend. So watch it live. And watch it for free. Because you can watch it for free if you're a first-time subscriber to the WWE Network. You might as well. I always say that if you're only going to watch one or two PPV events each year, the Royal Rumble and WrestleMania are the shows you shouldn't miss. Plus, in this "PG Era," it's really not something you have to be ashamed about watching. It's not what it used to be and, if you give it a chance, it's actually a lot of fun.

Here's everything you need to know about WrestleMania and its accompanying Pre-show:

WrestleMania 34 Pre-show:

Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal

• Background: In 2014, WWE announced that they would hold the first annual battle royal to honor the legacy of one of the industry's biggest legends (literally). In this, the fifth annual battle royal match, at least 24 men (currently announced) will enter the ring and attempt to eliminate their opponents by tossing them over the top rope. The last man standing wins a large trophy in the likeness of Andre the Giant.
• What to watch for: Essentially, this is a way for WWE to fit as many wrestlers from the main roster onto "the show" without having to book them in individual matches. "You've had a great year, but we don't have room for you, so you can join the Battle Royal for some screen time." That's really about it. There will probably be some fun moments (the NFL's Rob Gronkowski showed up last year), but nothing major will happen here since the match is going to be on the Pre-show.
• The Smart Bet: Dolph Ziggler
• The Popular Pick: "Woken" Matt Hardy
• SotT Prediction: Elias

WrestleMania Women's Battle Royal

• Background: Feminism at its finest. WWE loves pushing their "Women's Evolution" agenda, as has been blatantly obvious over the past two years (which is fine - but that's literally the only reason this match exists). Currently, 14 women have declared their entry, but this again is little more than a way to shove as much talent into one Pay-Per-View as possible.
• What to watch for: The women's match will be a way to highlight the two relatively new factions, the Riott Squad and Absolution, and will also focus on tension between long-time friends Sasha Banks and Bayley.
• The Smart Bet: Sasha Banks
• The Popular Pick: Bayley
• SotT Prediction: Sonya Deville

Cedric Alexander vs Mustafa Ali for the WWE Cruiserweight Championship

• Background: WWE had to act fast when then-Cruiserweight Champion Enzo Amore got in some hot water with real-life domestic violence allegations, so they vacated the title and held a tournament on 205 Live, which I don't watch and therefore know next-to-nothing about.
• What to watch for: Lots of high-flying action. I've seen Alexander in person several times and he is wildly athletic. This will likely be a very exciting match, but bears very little importance for main storylines in the company right now.
• The Smart Bet: Even Money
• The Popular Pick: No idea
• SotT Prediction: No idea

Main Card:

The Usos (c) vs The New Day vs The Bludgeon Brothers for the SmackDown! Tag Team Championship

• Background: The Usos have maintained the SmackDown! tag championships for a large portion of the past year. They have faced (and beaten) basically everyone on SmackDown! and have looked dominant doing it. The New Day are fan favorites and are easily the second best tag team for the Blue Brand. They will face the revamped tag team of (Luke) Harper and (Erick) Rowan, who apparently agreed to trade their first names for big, fake sledgehammers. The Bludgeon Brothers have brutalized a bunch of "local talent" recently and also notably injured members of the Usos and The New Day in the process.
• What to watch for: Harper and Rowan will probably get booked as total bruisers, landing devastating power moves over the course of the match, while the Usos will take to the air and The New Day will find a way to cleverly incorporate pancakes.
• The Smart Bet: The Usos
• The Popular Pick: The New Day
• SotT Prediction: The Usos
• Analysis: If the Bludgeon Brothers win, we riot. That would be an absolute travesty. SmackDown! would really benefit from a roster shake-up post-Mania to pump some fresh blood into the tag division.

The Bar (c) vs Braun Strowman and ??? for the Raw Tag Team Championship

• Background: Braun Strowman, everybody's favorite monster, single-handedly won a tag team battle royal on Raw a few weeks ago, earning a title shot at WrestleMania. The problem with that, though, is that Strowman has to have an opponent to compete for the belts.
• What to watch for: Who will Strowman's partner be?
• The Smart Bet: Braun Strowman and mystery partner
• The Popular Pick: Braun Strowman and mystery partner
• SotT Prediction: The Bar (probably)
• Analysis: If Braun's partner is Big Show, Braun wins. If his partner is anyone other than Big Show, he loses. I feel like this is one area where the writers really blew it. They had several opportunities to reveal Strowman's mystery partner (or bend the rules and let him compete 2-on-1) and failed to do so. The Bar has had a great run and they're a fantastic tag team, but they've lost some steam and should probably move in another direction after WrestleMania, one way or the other. If Strowman loses, he should be placed squarely into the Intercontinental Championship mix, moving forward.

The Miz (c) vs Seth Rollins vs Finn Balor for the Intercontinental Championship

• Background: The Miz has been an IC title mainstay for quite some time. He gave up the championship temporarily a couple months ago so he could go film a movie, but immediately got it back by defeating Roman Reigns on his first Raw back in action. Over time, Balor and Rollins confronted The Miz and demanded a shot at the belt, and the three have been at each other's throats for about a month now.
• What to watch for: The Miz is one of the most talented wrestlers on the microphone and it would not surprise me to see him cut a great promo at some point during the night. 
• The Smart Bet: The Miz
• The Popular Pick: Finn Balor
• SotT Prediction: The Miz
• Analysis: This should be a very good match. I think The Miz genuinely loves holding this belt and he is the best "heel" character in the company right now. This would be a nifty time for the Miztourage (Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel) to double-cross their mentor, which I see as the only way The Miz loses his championship. This is my pick for the second best match of the night.

Randy Orton (c) vs Bobby Roode vs Jinder Mahal vs Rusev for the United States Championship

• Background: Orton, Roode and Mahal have been battling each other for several months. Rusev, the underdog darling right now, is hotter than at any other point in his mid-card career, and is arguably the most universally cheered-for wrestler on the roster. He was added to the match in a late development on SmackDown!, perhaps to give the fans what they've been begging for - RUSEV DAY!
• What to watch for: The fans are going to flip if Rusev wins the championship. His "Rusev Day" gimmick is the best thing since "The List of Jericho" last year.
• The Smart Bet: Randy Orton
• The Popular Pick: Rusev
• SotT Prediction: Rusev
• Analysis: I think Orton probably would have retained if this had stayed a triple threat match, but I think Rusev will pull off the upset here. To borrow a phrase from Bobby Roode, it will be absolutely... GLORIOUS!

Rumored: John Cena vs The Undertaker

• Background: The Undertaker presumably "retired" after losing to Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 33. This brought his once-legendary WrestleMania record to 23-2. The show went off-air with Taker leaving his signature hat and trenchcoat in the middle of the ring, seemingly signifying that he was done with wrestling. John Cena was without an opponent for this weekend's show, so he called out the Undertaker a month ago on Raw. However, the Dead Man didn't take the bait, remaining completely silent each week. Cena has resigned to a fate of attending WrestleMania "as a fan," but there are rumblings that it's not whether the Undertaker will show up on Sunday night, but how.
• What to watch for: Cena will undoubtedly be a high profile "fan" during the early stages of the show. It will be interesting to see how the writers will set up a potential response from the Undertaker - and how Cena deals with that response.
• The Smart Bet: The Undertaker
• The Popular Pick: Believe it or not, John Cena
• SotT Prediction: The Undertaker
• Analysis: This is the second storyline that I think WWE botched hardcore. Cena cut some amazing promos over the past month - so good, in fact, that the typically anti-Cena crowd was unanimously cheering for the former "Doctor of Thuganomics" on Monday night. That's something you don't witness very often. I think that the way they let this play out - with Undertaker remaining completely silent - made him look really bad. If he shows up Sunday and loses, that completely tarnishes his legacy, in my opinion. With that in mind, if he does show up, there is no way he's losing.

Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn vs Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan

• Background: For the past few months, SmackDown! General Manager Daniel Bryan has defended the villainous actions of Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn, often getting the injury-riddled GM in trouble with his superior, commissioner Shane McMahon. When K.O. and Zayn hospitalized McMahon two weeks ago, Bryan had to step in and "fire" them. K.O. and Zayn then turned their aggressions toward their bearded boss - on the same day that it was announced Bryan had been medically cleared to return to in-ring action. It was later announced that Bryan would team up with McMahon to fight against their attackers.
• What to watch for: The crowd will love seeing Bryan return to action, after years of being sidelined, and the ramifications of the match are steep - if Owens and Zayn lose, they're completely fired from SmackDown!
• The Smart Bet: Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn
• The Popular Pick: Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan
• SotT Prediction: Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn
• Analysis: Bryan/McMahon was the clear pick until it was announced that Owens and Zayn would be "fired" if they lost. Perhaps if the stipulation had been "If you lose, you're traded to Raw," it would be more believable that they'd lose, but they're not going to get totally fired. That's too bad, because it would be really great to see Bryan victorious.

"Rowdy" Ronda Rousey and Kurt Angle vs Stephanie McMahon and Triple H

• Background: Rousey, formerly of UFC superstardom, has signed a full-time contract with WWE. During her contract signing at WWE's "Elimination Chamber" event, Raw GM Kurt Angle hinted to Rousey that Triple H and Stephanie McMahon solely hired her for their own gain - as a way to make her a glorified subordinate. This infuriated Rousey, who demanded a match with McMahon. Angle offered to make it a tag match, which Triple H agreed to.
• What to watch for: This is WWE's first chance to show off their newest acquisition. Rousey has looked lousy so far, demonstrating a major lack of mic skills and a limited physical skill set, but social media would lead me to believe that she has been training very hard in the ring.
• The Smart Bet: Ronda Rousey and Kurt Angle
• The Popular Pick: Ronda Rousey and Kurt Angle
• SotT Prediction: Ronda Rousey and Kurt Angle
• Analysis: This is the most obvious no-brainer on the entire card. There is no way that Rousey loses her first match in the WWE. For entertainment purposes, this will be the match everyone is talking about on social media on Monday morning.

Alexa Bliss (c) vs Nia Jax for the Raw Women's Championship

• Background: Former best friends Bliss and Jax have recently been at odds after a live mic caught Bliss talking trash about her former ally. This set Jax off, causing her to trash a locker room and eventually leading to their Mania match.
• What to watch for: This is Jax's first title shot, which is long overdue. Jax has been underutilized for the majority of her run on Raw, so this should be her time to shine. On the other hand, Bliss has been a great villain and is adept at finding loopholes and shortcuts to victory. The two have great chemistry on Raw and are real-life BFFs, so this should be a well-worked fight with a satisfying finish.
• The Smart Bet: Alexa Bliss
• The Popular Pick: Nia Jax
• SotT Prediction: Alexa Bliss retains, Carmella successfully cashes in her Money in the Bank contract
• Analysis: The third thing that WWE has handled terribly has been Carmella's Money in the Bank contract. To make a long story short (too late), Carmella just wasn't the right woman to win that opportunity. I literally can't remember the last time she won a televised match, but yet she has held that briefcase, which grants a guaranteed title shot at any time, for nearly 300 days. Typically, the successful Money in the Bank cash-ins have come when the champion has been laid out after a match or attack. I can see Alexa cheating to beat an angry Nia Jax, sending Jax into a fit of rage and a post-match beat-down. If Nia lays out Alexa, that would be the perfect time for Carmella to cash in.

Charlotte Flair (c) vs Asuka for the SmackDown! Women's Championship

• Background: Asuka, who holds an undefeated streak dating back to October 7, 2015, won the Women's Royal Rumble match in January, which guaranteed her a title shot at WrestleMania. She decided to face Charlotte Flair, daughter of 16-time world champion Ric Flair, who is arguably the most talented female superstar the company has seen in the better part of a decade.
• What to watch for: Either Asuka will win her first championship, which people have been anticipating since she joined the main roster, or Charlotte will snap Asuka's streak.
• The Smart Bet: Asuka
• The Popular Pick: Asuka
• SotT Prediction: Asuka
• Analysis: I highly, highly doubt they'd break Asuka's streak without her winning a title first. I mean, of all the places to break it, WrestleMania is the best opportunity, but I don't see it happening.

AJ Styles (c) vs Shinsuke Nakamura for the WWE Championship

• Background: Nakamura won the Men's Royal Rumble and decided to face his long-time frenemy, AJ Styles. The two formerly wrestled together in Japan, so they're no strangers to each other. The match is being hailed as a "WrestleMania Dream Match" by many.
• What to watch for: Styles is widely considered to be the best in-ring performer in WWE today, and Nakamura's unorthodox fighting style makes him one of the most exciting wrestlers. This match is my pick to be the showstopper of the night - easily an early "match of the year" candidate, by all indications leading up to the fight.
• The Smart Bet: Shinsuke Nakamura
• The Popular Pick: Shinsuke Nakamura
• SotT Prediction: AJ Styles
• Analysis: I successfully picked Shinsuke to win the Royal Rumble, and I'm glad he's getting this opportunity. I always imagined him winning, but I've recently thought about it and think that too many other titles will be changing hands - and the odds of WWE going with two new champions that really struggle speaking English might not be the best way to go. I think Shinsuke has a better chance of losing his match than Asuka does, so I'm going to have to go with AJ, although I would love to see Shinsuke with his hand raised at the end of what will quite possibly be the best match of the evening.

Brock Lesnar (c) vs Roman Reigns for the WWE Universal Championship

• Background: Brock Lesnar defeated Goldberg last year to win the Universal Championship. The company loves the idea of Roman Reigns as "the next big thing," but fans long ago grew tired of having Reigns shoved down their throats, therefore developing a brazen hostility toward him which has been festering for years.
• What to watch for: It's time for Reigns to take a trip to Suplex City! Count the number of German suplexes that Lesnar inflicts upon Roman; there will be plenty of them. The match will certainly end with the two trading finishing moves back and forth until both are nearly incapable of continuing.
• The Smart Bet: Roman Reigns
• The Popular Pick: Roman Reigns
• SotT Prediction: Roman Reigns
• Analysis: I heard rumors about this match BEFORE LAST WRESTLEMANIA. It's widely known that Vince McMahon loves Roman Reigns and envisions him as "the guy" to take the torch from Cena, much to the WWE Universe's dismay. Lesnar has been a part-time champion for an entire calendar year and he's got to lose the strap this weekend. He's got to. Either give the championship to somebody else or make Lesnar go full-time and defend his championship at every major PPV - not just four times a year or whatever nonsense he just pulled. Somewhat unfortunately, Roman is the only hope we've got this time around.
• Closing moments: If this match closes the show, which I believe it's supposed to, I think there is going to be a surprise attack on Roman Reigns. My prediction is that Samoa Joe returns from injury and blindsides Roman, then proceeds to beat the holy heck out of him. The show closes with a close-up shot of Joe's sweaty, drooling face as he glares nastily into the camera with the Universal Championship belt raised high above Reigns' prostrate body.

So there you have it! That's all you need to know about WrestleMania 34! And if, by chance, you didn't actually read this blog, you'll get little vignettes before each match to recap the storylines. I'll post a recap blog after the show to grade the matches and break down all the highs, lows and utterly ridiculous surprises that will be in store. Enjoy the show!