Wrestlemania 33 Predictions: Randy Orton vs. Bray Wyatt

Bray Wyatt vs. Randy Orton for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship

There is part of me that still can’t believe that Wyatt vs. Orton is actually going to happen at Wrestlemania.

Randy Orton’s Royal Rumble win shocked everyone. Sure, Randy Orton is a perennial main event talent, but he was stuck in a long running feud with Bray Wyatt and no one watching the Rumble thought the WWE would elevate that feud to the main event of Wrestlemania. But, as soon as Orton won, then two paths became clear. The WWE either had to abandon the Bray Wyatt feud and gamble Wrestlemania on John Cena vs. Randy Orton part 37 or Bray Wyatt was going to have to win the WWE Championship at Elimination Chamber.

Even though I knew it was the most likely move, I was still mildly shocked that Wyatt actually won the championship at Wrestlemania. It isn’t that Wyatt isn’t a great performer, it’s that Wyatt has been so consistently great without everbeing recognized (except for two month intercontinental championship run for Luke Harper and one tag team title reign for Orton, Wyatt, and Harper that only occurred at the end of last year).

All of this lead me to ask myself one question: why now? What was it about this match that made Vince McMahon and the entire creative team of WWE so confident that they decided to gamble Wrestlemania on it? Why was a match that had previously been the main event of No Mercy 2016 now the main event of Wrestlemania? Why wasn’t AJ Styles or Luke Harper added to this match? Why did it have to be one-on-one?

My answer: because something that is crazy as fuck is about to happen.

I could be wrong. It could be that Vince just loves the angle. He likes the story of Bray Wyatt, the cult leader, the ultimate manipulator, going up against Randy Orton and having the Viper, the one who hears voices in his head, out fox Wyatt at this own game. That in and of itself is a good story and worthy of telling.

But, I think there is something more. I think they are going to build on the crazyness of Orton burning down Wyatt’s shack to make a Wrestlemania moment on the level of the Undertaker hanging Big Bossman. Mark my words, this match will have a darkly wacky finish and I cannot wait to see it.