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100 THINGS TO KEEP AN EYE ON FOR WRESTLEMANIA WEEK

By David Tees on 3/22/2015 9:07 PM

It seems that with each passing Wrestlemania, the week of the event is becoming bigger and bigger, with that growth not coming to an end any time soon. Wrestlemania weekend is not just about the WWE anymore, it has become a timeframe where wrestling fans of all kinds can come together and watch more wrestling than one can ever dream of. With that all being said, here is a list (in no particular order) that you wrestling fans out there can see that list’s WWE related goodness, WWN Live related goodness, Wrestlecon goodness and plenty of things that folks can do for the coming Wrestlemania Week.

#1: The Final Raw Before Wrestlemania (3/23)

The build up to ‘Mania 31 has not been to stellar this year, as Mike Epsenhart and Marty DeRosa pointed out this past week on Wrestling Buddies. However, the final Raw before Wrestlemania 31 is not only a must watch show for wrestling fans, it is the official kick off of Wrestlemania Week. This will be a fans last chance to see WWE Champion Brock Lesnar, Roman Reigns, Triple H, The Bella Twins, John Cena and many others on TV before the biggest wrestling event of the year.

#2: TJ Perkins Is Back In Evolve (3/26 – 3/28)

Back when Evolve just started out as a promotion many years back, TJ Perkins (Manik in TNA) was originally set to be one of the bigger stars of the promotion. Unfortunately, a series of squabbles between Perkins and promoters lead to his exit from the promotion. Fast forward a few years now and Perkins is back under the Evolve banner, going against Uhaa Nation, Rich Swann & Ricochet (6 Man Tag), Drew Gulak and a yet to be announced opponent for WWN Mercury Rising ’15.

#3: The Worlds Cutest Tag Team vs. The Worlds Dudest Tag Team (Wrestlecon) (3/27)

There are plenty of interesting combinations of matches taking place this coming week, but one of the odder pairings will pit The Worlds Cutest Tag Team (Joey Ryan & Candice Lerae) against The Worlds Dudest Tag Team (Caleb Konley & Zane Riley). This one will clearly be played up for laughs and given the talent involved, this match may be worth the price of admission alone.

#4: Team Besties Heading To Wrestlecon (3/26 & 3/27)

Easily one of the greatest female rivalries in the history of pro wrestling was between multiple time WWE Women’s Champion Trish Stratus and multi-time WWE Women’s & WWE Diva’s Champion Lita. Their wrestling days are seemingly behind them now and both are enshrined in the WWE Hall Of Fame, but wrestling fans can still get a chance to relive those memories one more time at Wrestlecon as the self-proclaimed Team Besties will be there signing autographs.

#5: Jody Kristofferson In Action (3/27 & 3/28)

Anybody who has paid attention to the California independent wrestling scene or WWE developmental in the last year has already heard the name Jody Kristofferson. However, if you are a fan of movies and television, you would probably better know the name Kris Kristofferson, who is a major film star and the father of Jody. Jody will be competing in the revived King Of The Indies Tournament, facing Willie Mack in the opening round.

#6: Macho Man Comedy Show (Marty DeRosa & Lanny Poffo) (3/27)

If watching and attending hours of wrestling has become too much for you, why not get in some laughter with the Macho Man Comedy Show. Marty DeRosa, better known for his work with Colt Cabana on $5 Wrestling and one half of PWInsider’s “Wrestling Buddies” shares the stage with the legendary Lanny Poffo. Marty DeRosa always delivers on his comedic events and Poffo will be taking the stage for the first time (to the best of my knowledge) to presumably give a little love to the Macho Man.

#7: The Final Main Event Before Wrestlemania (3/25)

Typically, WWE Main Event is not really used to truly further any of the storylines heading into any WWE pay-per-view. However, the weekly event usually gives the fans who check in a good hours’ worth of good top notch wrestling. Also, with this coming week being Wrestlemania Week, why not slip in every bit of wrestling action that one can find.

#8: Hulk Hogan Appearing On ESPN Sportsnation (3/23)

The legendary multi-time WWE Champion and WWE Hall Of Famer Hulk Hogan will be appearing on ESPN2’s Sportsnation. Sportsnation is hosted by longtime wrestling fan Michelle Beadle, who took part in the 2013 WWE Tribute To The Troops event. Beadle may be known more by wrestling fans as the personality who got involved in a backstage argument with former WWE Diva’s Champion AJ Lee.

#9: Chickfight Tournament Returns (3/28)

The prelude to Shimmer and the host of women’s wrestling promotions around the USA was an annual women’s tournament (sometimes ran twice a year) known as Chickfight. There were a total of nine tournaments before the event went on hiatus, the tournaments were won by Princess Sugey (2004), Mariko Yoshida (twice in 2005), MsChif (2006), Cheerleader Melissa (2006 & 2007), Daizee Haze (2007), Wesna (2007) & Awesome Kong (2007). The tournament this year is taking place in conjunction with Shimmer 71, as Shimmer has ran events on Wrestlemania Week for the last three years.

#10: The Undertaker Is Back

Nobody outside of Stu Carapola thought that The Undertaker’s undefeated streak at Wrestlemania would have ended last year at the hands of Brock Lesnar. Since that shocking day last year, there has been no sign of The Undertaker outside of Bray Wyatt challenging him for a bout at this year’s Wrestlemania. Rumors have swirled around for months now about The Undertaker’s health, but all of those rumors will be put to rest at WWE Wrestlemania 31.

#11: Bill Simmons Appearing On WWE Raw (3/23)

Longtime and often controversial ESPN personality Bill Simmons will be appearing on WWE Raw this week. According to his Twitter account, Simmons stated that he will be doing some commentary for a match or two on Raw. Simmons, who has been suspended by ESPN for on air comments, will be getting a live microphone on Raw and that means that anything can happen.

#12: Experience The Elimination Chamber At WWE Axxess (3/26 – 3/28)

The Elimination Chamber has become one of the most anticipated matches whenever in pops up on the WWE calendar. For the first time ever, wrestling fans will get the opportunity to walk inside the chamber itself to experience just a small taste of what the WWE wrestlers experience. There is no word yet on or if the Elimination Chamber will be brought to future WWE Axxess events, so take the opportunity to experience one of the most demonic structures in WWE history while you can.

#13: Where’s Dragon Gate USA?

In the last couple of years, Dragon Gate USA has put on some of the best independent wrestling events during Wrestlemania Week. However, since the debacle last year that caused all of the international talent to miss the shows, there has not been a single Dragon Gate USA event. At this point in time, Dragon Gate USA seems dead, which is a shame because it will not seem like Wrestlemania Week without them.

#14: Jim Ross Live At Rockbar Theater (San Jose, California) (3/28)

The Jim Ross One Man Shows have gotten rave reviews since the former WWE personality started performing them over a year ago. The storied career that Ross has had, not just in the WWE, but in WCW and beyond gives him plenty of great stories to tell. Also, the majority of his shows have special unannounced guests, so who knows what you will get when you see the Jim Ross One Man Show.

#15: Create Your Own WWE Hall Of Fame Marathon On WWE Network

Recently, the WWE Network has uploaded just about every WWE Hall Of Fame event from the initial Andre The Giant induction in the 90’s to the 2014 edition. As of now, there are no plans on the WWE Network to air them in a marathon before WWE Wrestlemania 31. However, thanks to the power on the WWE Network On Demand-like service, wrestling fans can go through each WWE Hall Of Fame special in a self-created marathon.

#16: Jack Evans Returns To USA (3/28)

In the early days of Ring Of Honor, there was one high flying wrestler who was capturing all of the attention from the fans and that person was Jack Evans. Evans has now been primarily competing in Mexico, where the high flying Lucha Libre style is commonplace. Evans rarely appears stateside anymore, so those who wish to see the high flying star can see him face off against Aerostar and Andrew Everett in a triple threat match at Wrestlecon.

#17: The Bullet Club Influence On ‘Mania Week

For those not in the know, the Bullet Club is a mostly gaijin faction that has slowly, but surely, taken over New Japan Pro Wrestling. Recently, the faction has caught the attention of the WWE, who has filed a trademark for the hand symbol that the Bullet Club uses not just in Japan, but when they make stateside appearances in the USA. Currently, no members of the Bullet Club are scheduled to appear in any events during Wrestlemania Week, but those hardcore fans who love the Bullet Club and wear their merchandise will be around to give them a presence at Wrestlemania Week.

#18: Artist Rob Schamberger Painting Live At WWE Axxess (3/26 – 3/29)

The creative and artistic work that artist Rob Schamberger has done cannot be described with just a few simple words. Even better is all the WWE related artwork that he has put together, which has blown me away each time I check out his work. If you are a fan of Rob Schamberger or just fantastic art in general, the artist will be painting live during WWE Axxess and his other work will be displayed as well.

#19: Whitmer/Jacobs Feud Reborn (3/28)

The early days of Ring Of Honor saw no shortage of great scientific wrestling matches that got better and better with each passing show. Then a feud between Jimmy Jacobs and BJ Whitmer came along, which gave ROH fans some of the most brutal wrestling matches of all time. At ROH Supercard Of Honor ’15, the feud will be revived as Jimmy Jacobs and BJ Whitmer will duke it out one more time.

#20: WWE NXT House Show (3/27)

WWE developmental talents competing during WWE Axxess each year during Wrestlemania Week is nothing special to those who go to ‘Mania each year. This year something different is happening because the WWE NXT brand is getting its very own standalone house show. The power of WWE NXT can no longer be denied because the 4,000-plus seat building that will be home to the show sold out immediately once tickets went on sale.

#21: The Final Superstars Before Wrestlemania (3/27)

Of all the WWE programming that airs on television and/or the WWE Network each week, WWE Superstars can be considered the weakest of that programming. The last time there was any storyline progression on WWE Superstars came about, I was still in elementary school (I am turning 33 shortly). However, it is Wrestlemania Week and every bit of wrestling that one can squeeze in is all worth it on this particular week, even if it is just WWE Superstars.

#22: A Rematch One Year In The Making (Drew Gulak vs. Timothy Thatcher) At Evolve 39 (3/26)

Last year at WWN Wrestling Odyssey, then Combat Zone Wrestling Champion Drew Gulak defeated Timothy Thatcher in a British Rules Wrestling Match. While the majority of last year’s Wrestling Odyssey event was filled with title bouts, this one was far superior to anything else at that event. Fast forward a year later to Evolve 39, Gulak and Thatcher will step into the ring one more time and fans can be ensured that another classic bout is on the horizon.

#23: The Marine 4 Screening (3/27)

The Marine franchise is arguably hit and miss amongst the majority of the action movie fans in the world today. However, The Marine 4 will feature the first time a WWE Superstar has portrayed the main character twice as The Miz returns in the starring role. Also, WWE Diva Summer Rae is the first WWE Diva in a WWE Studios Film and Damien Mizdow is hosting the films Q&A, so get your tickets before they all sell out.

#24: NWA Vendetta Shamrock Slam ’15 (3/27)

With all of the independent wrestling events fans can attend during Wrestlemania Week, very little attention is being paid to NWA Vendetta Shamrock Slam ’15. The first Shamrock Slam event this year (3/7) featured plenty of local California independent stars and former WWE/TNA star Brian Kendrick. With the second Shamrock Slam ’15 event taking place during Wrestlemania Week, fans who don’t show up can miss what could be the sleeper event of the week.

#25: NXT Tournament For Andre Battle Royal Spot (3/27 – 3/28)

As if the ever growing presence of WWE NXT couldn’t get any bigger, the WWE decided to give one of four WWE NXT stars a chance to get an opportunity at WWE Wrestlemania 31 in the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal. The four NXT stars competing in the tournament will be former WWE NXT Champion Adrian Neville, NXT Title #1 Contender Fin Balor, former title challenger Tyler Breeze and international star Hideo Itami. No matter which of the four stars gets the golden opportunity and wins the tournament, a star could rise at WWE Wrestlemania 31.

#26: Roman Reigns On Conan, TMZ Hollywood Sports & Sportsnation (3/24)

Roman Reigns will be headlining WWE Wrestlemania 31 as he will be challenging WWE Champion Brock Lesnar for the coveted championship. However, before Reigns gets to Wrestlemania, he will have a busy Tuesday ahead of him as he makes the talk show rounds. Reigns will first be appearing on ESPN2’s Sportsnation, TMZ Hollywood Sports and Conan, Reigns will be doing a lot of talking before getting in the ring on Sunday Night.

#27: Get Over 95 Wrestlers Autographs At Wrestlecon (3/27 – 3/28)

If you are an autograph hound or you just want to meet as many pro wrestlers as you can, there will be no place better to be during Wrestlemania Week than Wrestlecon. Wrestlecon not only features a live wrestling event on Saturday Night, but there will be multiple autograph sessions with nearly 100 pro wrestlers slated to be signing. Fans will get a chance to see old school wrestlers like Ric Flair to Brian Knobs, current stars like Brian Kendrick to Jack Evans and even the hottest women around like Shelly Martinez to Torrie Wilson.

#28: Wrestlemania Today Specials (3/26 & 3/27)

The Wrestlemania Today specials are no more than an enhanced version of the pregame shows that air prior to most WWE pay-per-views. However, it does lead to an occasional heartfelt moment such as last year, when an emotional Ric Flair discussed the passing of his son Reid. While we will probably never get another real moment like that again, the Wrestlemania Today specials are well worth going out of your way to see.

#29: Snoop Dog Appearing On Raw (3/23)

Snoop Dog has made a few appearances on WWE programming in the past and he was even a guest host once on WWE Raw. Snoop Dog has even had a role at a Wrestlemania, when he punched Santino Marella after a tag match between Beth Phoenix/Melina and Maria Kanellis/Ashley at WWE Wrestlemania 24. While his role this coming week on WWE Raw is yet to be known, Snoop Dog is sure to make an impact just a few days before WWE Wrestlemania 31.

#30: Candice LeRae & Cheerleader Melissa Return To Chickfight (3/28)

This year’s resurrected Chickfight Tournament will feature the most women ever to compete in the tournament, which is a total of twelve women. Of those twelve women, only two have previously competed in a Chickfight Tournament, they are Cheerleader Melissa and Candice Lerae. Melissa has an opportunity to win her third tournament, while Lerae will be looking to win the tournament for the first time.

#31: Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal (3/29)

This year’s incarnation of the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal already has seventeen announced participants announced (as of 3/16 according to WWE.com). Those listed for the battle royal are The Miz, Damien Mizdow, Curtis Axel, Ryback, Fandango, Adam Rose, Zack Ryder, Jack Swagger, Titus O’Neil, Darren Young, Big Show, Kane, Erick Rowan, Sin Cara, Goldust, Heath Slater, Mark Henry and the NXT Tournament Winner. Last year’s winner was Cesaro, who used that momentum of winning the battle royal to become one half of the WWE Tag Team Champions with Tyson Kidd.

#32: Watch Scooby Doo! Wrestlemania Mystery

Last year started what looks to be an awesome partnership if you are both a WWE fan and a fan of classic cartons when the WWE teamed up with Hannah/Barbera to produce a series of crossover cartoons. The first of those was the Scooby Doo! Wrestlemania Mystery, which featured several top WWE stars converging in the Scooby Doo universe. While on your way to WWE Wrestlemania 31 or if you just have some free time in between events, this is a special worth checking out.

#33: A Non-WWE Battle Royal (3/27)

While the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal will be the most talked about battle royal of Wrestlemania Week, there is another battle royal taking place on the same weekend. On night one of the King Of The Indies Tournament, there will be a 20 Man Over The Top Rope Battle Royal. Although no competitors have been announced as of this writing, any opportunities for some new wrestling talent to get the spotlight shined on them is a good thing and either way, battle royals are always fun to watch.

#34: Samoa Joe Challenging For ROH Title (3/28)

After being away from Ring Of Honor for well over five years, former ROH Champion Samoa Joe has returned to the company. In his first two match back in the company, Joe defeated former ROH Champion Michael Elgin and ACH. Joe will now look to recapture the gold he once held and turned into a “world championship”, when he challenges ROH Champion Jay Briscoe at ROH Supercard Of Honor ’15.

#35: Madusa Back In WWE (3/28)

Once that WWF Women’s Title was thrown in the trash can on WCW Nitro, nobody ever thought that Madusa would ever be in the good graces of the WWE again. Fast forward to well over a decade later and this coming Saturday Night at the WWE Hall Of Fame, Madusa (as Alundra Blayze) will be inducted into the place she belongs. Madusa’s time in the wrestling ring is well past her at this point in time, but she was one of the best women wrestlers of all time and she deserves this honor, despite her past actions against the WWE.

#36: Triple H/Arnold Schwarzenegger Interview (3/23)

A few weeks back, Triple H was inducted into the International Sports Hall Of Fame as part of the 2015 class. This coming Saturday Night, Arnold Schwarzenegger will be inducted into the celebrity wing of the WWE Hall Of Fame. This Monday Night after WWE Raw, the two legends will be together as Triple H does an exclusive interview with the fil star and a man who has made several appearances in the WWE.

#37: Shawn Michaels Book Signing At Barnes & Noble (San Jose, California) (3/26)

Shawn Michaels is set to release a second autobiography on March 24th titled “Wrestling For My Life: The Legend, The Life & The Reality Of A WWE Superstar.” While the book is seemingly going to focus on Shawn Michael’s religious conversion after WWE Wrestlemania 14, it will still be one worth reading for wrestling fans. If you want to meet the man in person, he will be signing copies of his book this coming Thursday at a Barnes & Noble in San Jose, California.

#38: Unannounced Bonus Matches (WWN Live/Wrestlecon)

One thing you can always guarantee from all of the independent wrestling events taking place during Wrestlemania Week is that the wrestling will be high quality. The other thing you can practically guarantee is that all the shows from WWN Live and Wrestlecon is that there will be plenty of unannounced bonus matches. If you look at all the shows respective line ups, there are plenty of wrestlers who are listed on the card with no matches signed, so bonus matches are on the way.

#39: WWE 2K15 ‘Mania 31 Simulation

The WWE 2K video games series has seemingly gotten even better now that the game is part of the next generation systems in the X-Box One and Playstation 4. Other sports related video games like Madden, NHL and NBA 2K all use their games to simulate (Computer vs. Computer) their big games. There is no reason that this year’s WWE game, WWE 2K15, should not be used by fans or in simulation purposes to predict or play through the WWE Wrestlemania 31 card.

#40: Hoodslam Tripleshot (3/26 – 3/28)

Speaking of one of the more insane wrestling companies out there right now, Hoodslam is easily a part of that discussion. Hoodslam shows are definitely not for the younger generation of wrestling fans as there shows are for people 21 and over. The zany characters and truly out of the world storylines will make attending a Hoodslam event well worth checking out on Wrestlemania Week.

#41: The Final Smackdown Before Wrestlemania (3/27)

In the last few years, the Smackdown before Wrestlemania has primarily become a clip show with a few short matches inserted. With that being said, with these Smackdown’s before Wrestlemania, you usually get at least one quality match and a lot of live look-ins at WWE Axxess. Also, the final WWE related show to feature wrestling matches before WWE Wrestlemania 31 is WWE Smackdown.

#42: Nicole Matthews Defends The Shimmer Championship (3/28)

Outside of the Chickfight Tournament taking place at Shimmer 71, another big moment will be the next Shimmer Title defense by champion Nicole Matthews. Matthews shocked the wrestling world when she defeated Cheerleader Melissa, Madison Eagles and Athena at Shimmer 68 to win the gold. Matthews has already defended the gold against Tomoko Nakagawa and Evie, so the intrigue will be who Matthews will be defending that gold against because her opponent is not announced at this point.

#43: A 2 Hour WWE Wrestlemania 31 Pregame Show (3/29)

The usual preshow for a WWE pay-per-view last about a half hour, but the supersized WWE Wrestlemania 31 preshow is scheduled for two hours. The preshow should be good to catch up those who have not been paying much to the WWE as of late, but for those who follow the product, it will be pure torture until WWE Wrestlemania 31 begins. The only upside is that we will hopefully get a match or two on the preshow and hopefully those matches are good.

#44: AJ Lee Back At ‘Mania (3/29)

A few months back after losing to Nikki Bella, it seemed that AJ Lee’s time in the WWE was as over as it could be. However, to the shock of just about everybody, AJ made her WWE return a few weeks back to aid Paige against the Bella Twins. The lone WWE Diva’s match at WWE Wrestlemania 31 has one of the most unexpected participants in it with AJ Lee, but with all the stuff between her husband (CM Punk) and WWE going on, this could be the final Wrestlemania appearance for AJ.

#45: Mick Foley One Night Show (3/26)

Besides the Jim Ross One Man Show, easily the best one man show going on right now in the wrestling world is the Mick Foley One Man Show. Mick has been able to transition from master storyteller in the squared circle to a master storyteller on the stage. There was demand for a second show during Wrestlemania Week, but it will not happen, so if you want to see the Mick Foley One Man Show, check him out this Thursday Night.

#46: Could The MITB Briefcase Be Cashed In At ‘Mania? (3/29)

As Mike Johnson recently stated in his column about WWE Wrestlemania 31, this is the first time a Money In The Bank contract may be cashed in at a Wrestlemania. The current holder of that contract, Seth Rollins, is set to meet Randy Orton at WWE Wrestlemania 31. However, the result of the match should have little effect on the decision for Rollins to potentially cash in his title shot against the winner of the Brock Lesnar/Roman Reigns WWE Championship Match.

#47: Where’s PWG?

With WWE Wrestlemania 31 coming to California and the bevy of independent wrestling events surrounding the “Granddaddy Of Them All”, one thing that has shocked me is that the California-based Pro Wrestling Guerrilla promotion is not running an event. PWG is arguably the best independent promotion in North America right now, so it is shocking that they are not taking advantage of the opportunity by running an event in conjunction with WWE Wrestlemania 31. Then again, with no Dragon Gate USA event this year, can one really be shocked that PWG has avoided doing a show as well?

#48: Tied For The Largest WWE Hall Of Fame Class Ever

Alongside the 2004 WWE Hall Of Fame Class, the 2015 WWE Hall Of Fame Class will also feature a total of ten total inductions. The list for this year’s class includes “Macho Man” Randy Savage, Kevin Nash, Madusa, Rikishi, The Bushwhackers, Tatsumi Fujinami, Connor The Crusher, Larry Zbyszko and Arnold Schwarzenegger. While this class is one of the largest classes of talent to be put in the WWE Hall Of Fame in a single year, it is also one of the bets classes ever.

#49: Rob Van Dam & Sabu Reunite (3/28)

One of the best rivalries and later tag teams in all of the original ECW was the pair of former ECW World, TV and Tag Team Champion Sabu alongside former ECW TV and Tag Team Champion Rob Van Dam. The last time these two were in the ring together was at TNA Hardcore Justice a few years back when RVD successfully defends the TNA Title against Sabu. This time they will be partners as the duo teams up possibly for the last time at Wrestlecon to face the Hardy Boyz in the main event.

#50: Tag Team Mayhem At WWE Wrestlemania 31 (3/29)

Although it has yet to be announced, there has been a long rumored WWE Tag Team Title Match being scheduled for WWE Wrestlemania 31 as Tyson Kidd/Cesaro are set to defend the belts against Los Matadores, The Uso’s and The New Day. However, a recent shoulder injury to Jimmy Uso may have altered those plans, because it would be a shame to not have the tag titles defended at Wrestlemania. If The Uso’s cannot compete due to injury, the WWE brass could easily insert The Prime Time Players, The Ascension or even the Lucha Dragons into the match to keep the bout on the card.

#51: Roman Reigns/AJ Lee Signing At Barnes & Noble (San Jose, California) (3/27)

The odd pairing of the man challenging for the WWE Championship at Wrestlemania in Roman Reigns and the woman no one thought would be back on WWE TV in AJ Lee will be doing a signing for the WWE Superstars book at Barnes & Noble. The one good thing about Wrestlemania season is that the WWE Superstars are everywhere they can be for the week leading up to the event and this signing is no different. This signing will be limited to the first 400 people in line, so do not be late if you want some autographs from this pair of WWE stars.

#52: WWE Axxess (3/26 – 3/29)

WWE Axxess has become a critical part of the entire Wrestlemania Week of festivities, so big in fact that it has become part of WWE Summerslam Week as well. WWE Axxess features everything from autograph sessions to wrestler Q&A’s to walking the elimination chamber and beyond. The WWE brass have done an excellent job at adding to WWE Axxess every year so that it becomes bigger and better than the previous year.

#53: The King Of The Indies Tournament Returns (3/27 & 3/28)

A little over a decade ago, a California-based promotion called All Pro Wrestling ran a 16 man tournament known as the King Of The Indies Tournament. The tournament not only launched the careers of many of your favorite wrestlers today, but it was also the spark the led to the formation of Ring Of Honor. The tournament field for the event features top notch names like B-Boy, Willie Mack, Jody Kristofferson, Brian Cage and a host of others.

#54: Connor The Crusher

There may have been no more heartbreaking story in all of pro wrestling in the last year than the tragic passing of Connor The Crusher. The battle that this child went through to not only live everyday with cancer, but to be such a great example he was should make him a hero to just about anybody breathing today. The WWE has taken the newly formed “Warrior Award” and they will award it to Connor The Crusher because there is nobody more deserving than this kid, whose memory will live on forever.

#55: The Final NXT Before Wrestlemania (3/25)

With the amazing growth of WWE NXT over the last year, it’s amazing presence over WWE Axxess with live matches and even its own standalone house show proves that NXT is a force in the WWE. For those who subscribe to the WWE Network, the final WWE NXT before WWE Wrestlemania 31 will be one to watch. The two featured matches on the program will see WWE NXT Champion Kevin Owen defends against Finn Balor and WWE NXT Women’s Champion Sasha Banks defends against Alexa Bliss.

#56: The Rock Hosting Saturday Night Live (3/28)

The Rock will be hosting Saturday Night Live for the second time to promote the upcoming release of Furious 7. The Rock hosted the program once before during the height of the WWE Attitude Era, with such WWE stars as Big Show, Triple H, Mankind and Vince McMahon appearing alongside him. This time however, there may be no bonus WWE plugging as The Rock has a huge movie coming out in early April and another movie coming out this summer.

#57: Tribute To The Volcano Girls (3/28)

The Chickfight Tournament taking place as Shimmer 71 has already been discussed, but one little thing was not mentioned and that is that the tournament will be formatted like another famous women’s wrestling tournament…IWA Mid-South’s Volcano Girls. The tournament, which was won by Lacey to crown the first ever IWA Mid-South Women’s Champion would eventually lead to the formation of the Shimmer company. So in a sense, this coming weekends 12 woman tournament will be paying tribute to arguably to two most important tournaments in women’s wrestling history.

#58: Generation Next Reunites (Austin Aries/Roderick Strong) At Mercury Rising ’15 (3/28)

One of the most notorious factions in all of Ring Of Honor was a four man group known as Generation Next, who were comprised of Austin Aries, Roderick Strong, Jack Evans and Alex Shelley. Two of those four, Austin Aries and Roderick Strong, will be reuniting to face Ricochet and Uhaa Nation at WWN Mercury Rising 2015. With Jack Evans being in town to take part in Wrestlecon, it may not be out of the question for three of the four members of the group to reunite.

#59: WWE Superstars On E! The Soup (3/27)

Although the list of which WWE Superstars who will be appearing on The Soup has not been released as of this writing, anytime WWE stars have appeared in the past, it has been something to watch. One could assume that with the reality show “Total Divas” airing on the same network as The Soup, the WWE Divas could be making the appearance. Either way, this should be something worth checking out because the WWE always takes advantage of their media related appearances.

#60: WWN Live’s Big Test On Roku (3/26 – 3/29)

This weekend, WWN Live will be airing a total of 7 iPPV’s, as Evolve 39, Evolve 40, Gaiju Big Battel, Shimmer 71, King Of The Indies Night 1 & 2 and WWN Mercury Rising ’15. This will also be the first time that there will be that much content airing in such a short time through the WWN channel on Roku. If the channel goes on without any flaws throughout the weekend, then there would be no reason for wrestling fans to never miss a WWN show ever again.

#61: Is This Brock Lesnar’s Last WWE Appearance? (3/29)

Brock Lesnar is the current WWE Champion heading into WWE Wrestlemania 31, he will be defending the gold against Roman Reigns in the main event. Whether he wins the match or loses the match, the question becomes, is Sunday Night the final WWE appearance for Lesnar. With the recent appearance of Brock Lesnar at a UFC event and other online speculation, this Sunday will be a big night for both Brock and the WWE.

#62: Will Hall Of Famer’s Be Given Time?

The WWE Hall Of Fame ceremonies have been hit and miss each year because of both the line ups and the amount of time each inductee is given to speak. Some years, the inductees are given a lot of time and plenty of great speeches are given that will be remembered forever. Other times, the inductees are given so little time that they had to post the remainder of their speeches online, like Bill Watts did.

#63: Final TNA Impact Before ‘Mania (3/27)

This past week’s edition of TNA Impact was one of the best episodes in recent years with Kurt Angle winning the TNA Championship. This week’s edition of TNA Impact, which was already taped a few months back, will hopefully continue the momentum of last week’s episode. Like I stated earlier, with all the wrestling stuff for fans to do this week, the more content you can squeeze in, the better.

#64: WWE Hall Of Fame Red Carpet (3/28)

The more and more the WWE edges towards being a complete entertainment product, the more it will mimic Hollywood’s red carpet events. The WWE Hall Of Fame Red Carpet should be the WWE-stylized version of those other red carpet shows, but with a few surprises mixed in. Hopefully, the WWE avoids any storyline related situations and just gives the fans a glimpse into the real life of WWE stars.

#65: ComedyMania (Colt Cabana & RVD) (3/27)

Colt Cabana has been a staple of the comedic side of pro wrestling for many years now and he has been bringing his comedy stylings to Wrestlemania Week for the past few years now. This year though, former WWE and ECW Champion Rob Van Dam will be joining Colt, which should make for an interesting evening. The good thing for wrestling fans is that the duo of RVD and Colt Cabana will be performing two shows on the same evening.

#66: Possible ‘Mania Surprises (3/29)

The biggest wrestling event of the year has been Wrestlemania for a long time now and it is not always due to the matches. Sometimes, the WWE will surprise their fans by throwing in some celebrity and/or surprise returns at the event. As of now, the celebrity list for WWE Wrestlemania 31 is pretty slim, so the WWE may be pulling a few rabbits out of the hat for this one.

#67: Final ROH TV Before ‘Mania (3/28)

Ring Of Honor TV may not be seen everywhere right now because Sinclair Broadcasting has yet to syndicate it in every major market. With that being said, Ring Of Honor TV is one of the best, if not the best, wrestling program from an in ring standpoint. Also, with ROH Supercard Of Honor ’15 coming to us on Saturday Night, it will be the final ROH TV before that big event.

#68: ‘Mania Memories Buffet Brunch (3/29)

Wrestlecon is doing everything for wrestling fans this coming weekend with autograph sessions, a live wrestling event and even a buffet with some wrestlers. There will be a total of 13 wrestlers taking part in the festivities, ranging from former WWE stars like Melina and Matt Striker to current TNA stars like The Hardys. The brunch will be limited to just under a hundred guests, so take advantage of this great opportunity to get up close and personal with them while you can.

#69: Walemania w/Wale & Rey Mysterio (3/26)

Rey Mysterio is no slouch in making his post-WWE appearances as he will be appearing alongside musician Wale for what is being called Walemania. Mysterio will be hosting a cocktail party and hosting a special edition on MLW Radio that will feature appearances by surprise guests. After all that is complete, Wale will be performing several songs from his upcoming album that is set to be released shortly.

#70: John Cena On Jimmy Kimmel Live (3/25)

In what will continue the list of WWE Superstars appearing on talk shows to push WWE Wrestlemania 31 will be John Cena appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live. Jimmy Kimmel Live has seen appearances by pro wrestlers in the past and Cena has made the talk show rounds before. Cena has always done a great job appearing on these shows in the past and this coming Wednesday’s appearance should be no different.

#71: Final Lucha Underground Before ‘Mania (3/27)

Lucha Underground on the El Rey Network has been the surprise hit for wrestling fans looking for an alternative. Fans who have not turned into the show before can tune in to check out past WWE/TNA stars like John Morrison (Johnny Mundo), Ivelisse and Big Ryk. Lucha Underground may not have any direct correlation between them and WWE Wrestlemania 31, but it is Wrestlemania Week and the more wrestling…the better.

#72: WWE Wrestlemania Rewind Marathon On WWE Network

In my opinion, the best original program on the WWE Network since its launch last year is the WWE Wrestlemania Rewind program. The show focuses on the stars and matches on past Wrestlemania events, including full length Wrestlemania bouts on each episode. Much like the WWE Hall Of Fame Marathon I mentioned earlier, fans can go to the On Demand portion of the WWE Network and create their own WWE Wrestlemania Rewind Marathon.

#73: Road Warrior Animal Signing At Barnes & Noble (San Jose, California) (3/27)

Easily considered to be one of the greatest tag teams in all of pro wrestling was the Road Warriors, Hawk and Animal. Sadly Hawk has passed on, but Animal is still alive and kicking, pro wrestling fans will get to meet the wrestling legend at Barnes & Noble. Animal still pops up on WWE TV every once in a while, but those appearances are getting rare and fans should take advantage of this opportunity to meet a true pro wrestling legend.

#74: WWE Axxess On WWE TV

I spoke about how great WWE Axxess is for the wrestling fans who come to Wrestlemania each year earlier in this column. However, one of the bonuses for going to WWE Axxess in that the WWE uses footage from the fans at WWE Axxess to air on WWE Smackdown and other Wrestlemania related television programs heading into WWE Wrestlemania 31. If you are a WWE fan and you want to appear on WWE TV, heading over to WWE Axxess is your best chance to do so.

#75: Eric Bischoff/Bruce Pritchard Live Face Off (Wrestlecon) (3/27)

Arguably two of the most outspoken personalities in all of pro wrestling will have a live face off at Wrestlecon when Eric Bischoff goes opposite Bruce Pritchard. Bischoff has done everything somebody can do in pro wrestling from running WCW to becoming a GM on WWE Raw, while Bruce Pritchard is one of the biggest backstage forces in the industry. If those two facing off were not enough, current TNA personality Al Snow will be the host/moderator of the event.

#76: The Flintstones & WWE Stone Age Smackdown

The second WWE/Hannah Barbera collaboration was released earlier this March and it features a bunch of WWE superstars who interact with the folks of Bedrock. The movie features such WWE superstars as John Cena, CM Punk, Rey Mysterio, The Bella Twins, Mark Henry and others. The movie lasts only about an hour, but it is well worth checking out when there is that little free time in between all the wrestling events this week.

#77: WWN Live Testing East Coast Fans With Late Start Times (3/26 – 3/28)

As I stated earlier, the WWN team will be bringing us wrestling fans a total of seven different wrestling events to watch starting on March 26th. While I have no doubt all of the events are going to be great, the fact that some of these events will not start until 11pm. EST. for us East Coast fans could be a little tiresome. There is no doubt the hardcore wrestling fans will stay up until all times of the night to watch these shows, but they will also be no doubt a challenging thing to do for three straight days.

#78: Sting’s WWE Debut (3/29)

It has been over thirty years since Sting made his professional wrestling debut, but the iconic pro wrestling star has yet to compete in a WWE ring. That will all come to ahead this Sunday Night when the WCW icon faces Triple H at WWE Wrestlemania 31. Sting is the last big name wrestler who fans have wanted to see come to the WWE and those fans dreams will come true in just a few short days.

#79: LL Cool J Appearing At Wrestlemania 31 (3/29)

It has been announced that actor/musician LL Cool J will be appearing in the opening video for WWE Wrestlemania 31. LL Cool J is the one celebrity appearance for Wrestlemania that has been announced thus far, with hopefully some more celebrity announcements coming this week. It will be interesting to see if LL Cool J will be appearing in another matter other than the opening video montage, but only time will tell.

#80: Kaiju Big Battel (3/27)

Of all seven events being presented by WWN Live over Wrestlemania Week, the oddest will be Kaiju Big Battel. That is due to the fact that a small city will be built inside of the wrestling ring, with a set of evil monsters battling a team of heroic humans to control the universe. This has the least amount of wrestling related goodness going on during Wrestlemania Week, but it may also be the most bizarre thing any of us fans will also see this week as well.

#81: WWE Network Numbers To Be Announced (3/30)

The night after the biggest wrestling event of the year, WWE Wrestlemania 31, will see the WWE announce the latest figures on the WWE Network. The numbers for the WWE Network are always an interesting thing to check out because the WWE has already released the network in most of the major markets around the world. Also, it has been stated that the WWE will be announcing some new original content that is slated to debut on the network later this year.

#82: Will Sheamus Return At Wrestlemania?

For the past few weeks on WWE programming, wrestling fans have been treated to video montages telling us that the return of Sheamus is upon us. The rumors and speculation point to the fact that the former WWE Champion could be making his return during WWE Wrestlemania 31. If Sheamus does return to the WWE at Wrestlemania 31, rumor state that it will either happen during the WWE Intercontinental Title Ladder Match or the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal.

#83: Past King Of The Indies Tournament Competitors In Action At ‘Mania Weekend

As I stated earlier in this column, the King Of The Indies Tournament will be making its return after a fourteen year absence. Of the sixteen competitors in that tournament, the grouping of Christopher Daniels, AJ Styles, Daniel Bryan, Frankie Kazarian and Samoa Joe are tournament alums who will be wrestling during Wrestlemania Week. It will be interesting to look back fourteen years later from this year’s tournament to see which of those wrestlers will still be inside the squared circle.

#84: Cena/Rusev II (3/29)

For the second year in a row, former WWE Champion John Cena will not be competing in one of the main event matches at a Wrestlemania. Cena will be facing off against WWE United States Champion Rusev in a rematch from their battle at WWE Fast Lane. The first encounter between the two was won by Rusev, will we see the same result again or will Cena become the WWE United States Champion?

#85: Where Are The Wrestlemania Celebrities At?

In the past, the celebrity appearances at Wrestlemania were as much a part of the show as the actual wrestling was. In the last few years, the celebrity appearances have been whittling down to just about nothing at this point. As of this writing, the lone celebrity appearance is LL Cool J, but with a week to go, more celebrity appearances could be coming.

#86: Ring Of Honor Supercard Of Honor ’15 (3/28)

The annual Ring Of Honor event during Wrestlemania Week is a tradition that wrestling fans around the world have been accustomed to for a while now. This year’s event will be headlined by ROH Champion Jay Briscoe defending against Samoa Joe, ROH TV Champion Jay Lethal defending against Jushin Liger and ROH Tag Team Champions ReDragon defending against The Kingdom. The only true shame about the whole thing is that for the second year in a row, the event will not be broadcast via iPPV.

#87: WWE Wrestlemania 1-30 Marathon On WWE Network

Much like the suggestions I made earlier concerning the WWE Hall Of Fame and WWE Rewind marathons, wrestling fans who have the WWE Network can use the On Demand service to hold their own WWE Wrestlemania marathons. Unlike the other two marathons I suggested, the Wrestlemania marathon would take several days to complete. The interesting thing to see for viewers would be how much the Wrestlemania events have changed with each passing year.

#88: Former WWE Stars Collide (Drew Galloway vs. PJ Black) At Evolve 39 (3/26)

Since their WWE releases over the last year, Drew Galloway and PJ Black (Justin Gabriel) have been tearing it up on the independent scene. Galloway is the current Evolve Champion, while Black made his Evolve debut a few weeks back at Evolve 38. The two former WWE stars will collide on the same week as WWE Wrestlemania 31 and they have the opportunity to prove that the WWE made a big mistake by releasing them.

#89: The Ladder Match Returns To Wrestlemania (3/29)

One of the bouts I am looking forward to most at WWE Wrestlemania 31 is the WWE Intercontinental Title Ladder Match as champion Wade Barrett defends against Daniel Bryan, Dolph Ziggler, R-Truth, Stardust, Luke Harper and Dean Ambrose. The ladder match has a great history with Wrestlemania beginning with the historic Razor Ramon/Shawn Michaels match at WWE Wrestlemania X. Ever since the Money In The Bank concept graduated to their own pay-per-view a few years back, the ladder match has been sorely missed at Wrestlemania and now it’s back.

#90: Over 60 Hours Of Total Wrestling Action This Week (3/23 – 3/29)

If you add up every first run wrestling event starting with WWE Raw this Monday and ending with WWE Wrestlemania 31, there will be over 60 hours of in ring action taking place. That is an astounding amount of wrestling to be watched, even for the most hardcore of wrestling fans. The best things for you fans out there is that if you miss any of the fantastic action, you can get recaps and live reports right here on PWInsider.

#91: The Raw After Wrestlemania (3/30)

From an outrageous fan perspective, the WWE Raw after Wrestlemania has been one of the rowdiest shows the WWE puts on each year. The fans that come together for this show each year not only steal the show, they set the pace for the rest of the year until the next Wrestlemania. The fans aside, the WWE also does a good job delivering some great surprises and debuts to shock the fans.

#92: Will CM Punk Appear In Any Way?

Ever since his exiting of the company following the 2014 WWE Royal Rumble, CM Punk has found a way to stay on the WWE radar, mainly thanks to his legions of fans. Also, the wife of the ousted WWE star, former WWE Diva’s Champion AJ Lee, will be competing at WWE Wrestlemania 31. With the WWE physician suing Punk and Punk recently signing with the UFC, his presence should be felt throughout the week whether he appears or not.

#93: Title vs. Title (Dragon Gate USA vs. Evolve) At Mercury Rising ’15 (3/28)

Following the events of Evolve 38, Evolve Champion Drew Galloway suggested that if he and Dragon Gate USA Champion Johnny Gargano both hold their belts until WWN Mercury Rising ’15, then they should unify the titles at the event. This is something that is long overdue considering that Dragon Gate USA has not run an event in well over a year. The historical event would only happen if both competitors make it to WWN Mercury Rising ’15 with their titles intact and they both have a few defenses before they reach that event.

#94: WWE Hall Of Fame Ceremony (3/28)

This year’s WWE Hall Of Fame class is an impeccable one with Kevin Nash, Madusa, The Bushwhackers, Tatsunori Fujinami, Randy Savage, Arnold Scwarzenegger, Larry Zbyszko, Rikishi and Connor The Crusher going in. Last year’s WWE Hall Of Fame broadcast was one of the best events that WWE held last year and this year’s broadcast should be no different. The fans will hopefully remain respectful and if the WWE refrains from any stupidity (Hornswoggle/El Torito), then we have an event that should be nothing short of fantastic.

#95: Ultimo Dragon Is Back In The USA (3/28)

One of the greatest wrestlers in Japanese wrestling history, Ultimo Dragon, is coming to the United States for a rare stateside wrestling appearance. Dragon will be competing in a non-tournament match at the King Of The Indies Tournament, facing Juventud Guerrera. Dragon appearing stateside is a very rare thing indeed, so if you want to see Dragon in the ring again, you better check out the King Of The Indies Tournament Night #2.

#96: Six Straight Hours Of ‘Mania Action On Sunday (3/29)

If you start off your Wrestlemania Sunday with the pregame show, which begins at 5pm EST. and go to the end of Wrestlemania 31 at 11pm EST., you will get six straight hours of WWE action on Sunday Night. The hard part will be getting through the pregame show, because they will probably air only one match in that two hour span of time. However, Wrestlemania always delivers and those last four hours should fly right by with some great wrestling action.

#97: Non-WWE Divas Getting The Spotlight

One thing that a lot of women’s wrestling fans complain about when it comes to the WWE is the lack of women’s wrestling on their weekly events. Well, if you are a fan of women’s wrestling, then this coming Wrestlemania Week should get you more women’s action than you need. That is due to the face that there will be a Chickfight Tournament at Shimmer 71, a Shine Showcase Match at WWN Mercury Rising ’15 and a women’s bout at NWA Vendetta Pro Shamrock Slam ’15 will be sure to deliver.

#98: The Smackdown After Wrestlemania (4/3)

While the WWE Raw after Wrestlemania is the biggest WWE TV show of the year, the Smackdown after Wrestlemania is something to check out as well. The fans who cause the ruckus at Raw usually spill over to Smackdown and this year should be no different. The Smackdown after Wrestlemania is the conclusion to the Wrestlemania festivities and who knows who will be popping up at the show.

#99: Over 100 Matches In Total For The Week (3/23 – 3/29)

With all of the events on TV, on pay-per-view, on iPPV and live events in general taking place over Wrestlemania Week, there will be over 100 matches for fans to check out this week. When you consider just how much wrestling will be taking place over the next seven days, it is astronomical. The wrestling junkie in us all should be nothing short of overly satisfied once the final bell rings on Sunday Night.

#100: WWE Wrestlemania 31 (3/29)

Look, when it is all said and done, the wrestling fans will be coming together to see the biggest show of them all, WWE Wrestlemania 31. This year’s event will be headlined by a WWE Championship bout as Brock Lesnar is defending against Roman Reigns. Wrestlemania is the king of the mountain when it comes to wrestling events each year and it amazing to see just how much the event has grown since its humble beginnings in Madison Square Garden over three decades ago.

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