PWTorch Specialists Roundtable: What is the #1 question to be answered at WrestleMania 28 tonight?

Jon Cudo, PWTorch specialist

There are a lot of compelling questions, including the finish to Rock-Cena, match order, blood in the Cell, title changes, and surprise returns. However, in the larger picture, I look forward to seeing who if anyone is better positioned to draw money in the immediate aftermath of the show. There are very few obvious candidates - Punk, Jericho, Cena - and outside of these already top guys, the list is slim (Rhodes, Sheamus?). This looks to be a nostalgia-based show, which doesn't appear to be doing boffo ratings or box office...and might be putting WWE in a poor position for the summer.

If people aren't watching this line-up (3.04 rating on Monday night), will they tune in for the cast-off crew starting April 9? Or, will the void at the top create new opportunities? In a business sense, I might be more interested in April 9 than I am in April 1. (Read Cudo's weekly True - False - TBD column on topics in the news.)

Justin James, PWTorch specialist

I want to see all of the feuds involving the Attitude Era settled for good, in a manner that allows WWE to move forward with building new stars. That means that whoever wins Cena–Rock, there is no question that Rock is not going to be a major fixture on WWE TV anymore, ever. He could make ratings and buyrates pop in 2011, but it’s become painfully obvious that he gets over-exposed within weeks and the audience stops responding to him, both in terms of ratings and live crowd involvement.

For The Undertaker and Triple H, the match needs to be decisive, so that there is no reason for a re-match. It isn’t that I mind Undertaker, Hunter, or Shawn Michaels, but Michaels needs to stay retired, and both Undertaker and Hunter need to make their limited in-ring capabilities and novelty factor count. This really needs to “end the era” and let them move on. (Read James's weekly NXT & Superstars reports on WWE's online shows.)

Shawn Valentino, PWTorch specialist

The number one question I would like to see resolved at WrestleMania is the new direction the company will be taking. I believe what they are doing is not working and the product is extremely stale. I would like to see WWE take a chance and have some type of big storyline hook that will lead to a shift in the direction of the product. When The Rock is not even increasing TV ratings, you know something is seriously wrong. I think a Cena heel turn could not happen on a bigger stage, but since this feud has not generated the heat that was expected, it may even fall flat.

I honestly cannot even think of what can happen on the show specifically, but I do would like to see WWE use their biggest show of the year to create a buzz for a new era. Hopefully a couple of the young stars will shine, although I cannot see them given the opportunity to do so given their position in the card. I just hope WWE sees the failure in the build to Mania this year as a wake-up call that bland characters, incoherent storylines, and shoot comments do not make a good wrestling show. (Read Valentino's regular Magic, Memories, and Mania column.)

Shane McKinley, PWTorch Absurdity specialist

Questions to answer - If Maria Menounos's rib injury is too bad and WWE instead inserts Askana in there, then she wrestles so badly that she can't do better than an untrained host with a rib injury. The answer to why Alberto Del Rio isn't in WrestleMania (apparently WWE is keeping him off so he'll come back stronger...oh-kay), but Drewey McIntyre is in. If that 12-man match makes the list of "Gawd awful Wrestlemania Matches." If Dolph Ziggler makes a impression by himself, for himself. How many times I will wish Randy Orton was fighting somebody better than Kane while watching their match. If Jim Ross announces Taker-Trips to lead us to believe, "Gee wilkers, it's really Undertaker's last match." If Machine Gun Kelly will do the unthinkable and wear a hood while indoors...

How many WWE Network ads will air in the span of four hours, and if that number is out-paced by the number of bizarre Kurt Angle texts. What the hell I'm going to eat. If Jennifer Hudson sings the National Anthem. Why Rock's PR team thought that being associated with wrestling wasn't a good career move. ("No, nothing bad has happened in the time you've been gone, Rock") If Trips-Taker is the damnedest, most-epic match ever or if it's a slow slog buoyed by tricks. And, the #1 question on my mind: if "The Next Big Thing" decides to give it one more go... (Read McKinley's regular Absurdity of it All column.)

George Chiverton, PWTorch NXT specialist

In my mind, there is only one question that is not already a forgone conclusion: Rock or Cena. I'm sticking with my predictions of Punk, Sheamus, Taker, and Team Laurinaitis, as they all seem fairly safe bets, but I still have no idea what will happen with Rock vs. Cena. Wrestling logic dictates Cena wins and Rock passes the torch, but local authority logic dictates that if Cena wins, Miami may stop existing within three hours of the end of the match. Plus, will the victory be clean for either man? Does Vince McMahon really want to harm either star? It's such a finely-balanced match that I really don't know who will win. Plus, can the two really go? Rock must be rusty, regardless of his natural ability, and with all the hype (regardless of personal opinion) can they really put on a match to live up to expectation?

With that question as the biggy, I'm also highly anticipating possible appearances by Kharma and Lord Tensai. Oh, and the biggest question of them all, can Kelly Kelly overcome the odds? By jolly gee, I do hope so. (Read Chiverton's weekly NXT Rankings & Evaluation column.)

Anthony Beckingham, PWTorch Review specialist

The biggest question I have going into WrestleMania - and it doesn't necessarily mean it's the match I'm mostly looking forward to - is how will WWE find a way to end the show on a positive note when they've spent so much time splitting the crowd between Rock and Cena on who to support in the main event.

I'm also interested in seeing if WWE will really end Cody Rhodes's 230+ day title reign against Big Show, who has no need for the title and will likely lose it very soon after. Also, if Shawn Michaels's presence will be a deciding factor inside HIAC, or whether it's just icing on the cake. On the GM vs. GM front, it's not really a burning issue, but given the match to have one commissioner rather than two GMs, I'm also thinking about whether the three-hour Raw in April will be the Draft, or will it be an episode to unify the brands. (Cheap plug: I plan to tweet live stats and facts related to each WM28 match from my @InfoWrestling account during the event.)

Check back for Part 2 Sunday evening before WM28.

[Torch art credit Travis Beaven (c) PWTorch.com]

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