Over the next few weeks, leading up to WrestleMania in Las Vegas, I’ll be looking at the announced matches, where I think they’ll end up on the card, and my official prediction for each match. Buckle up, because the finish line for the Road to Wrestlemania is straight ahead!
Wrestlemania: The Grandest Stage of Them All
WrestleMania 41 is a two-night extravaganza in Sin City this year at Allegiant Stadium, home of the Las Vegas Raiders. While there are tons of events happening that weekend, nothing means more to a wrestling fan than Night One and Night Two of WrestleMania! Each year, WrestleMania can only hope to outdo itself from previous years, and this year will be no different. With 7 matches officially announced for the Showcase of the Immortals, I will be breaking down each matchup for you, as well as giving you my prediction for the matchups. Without further ado, let’s jump right into the first match–and the one that I feel will open Night One of WrestleMania: AJ Styles vs Logan Paul!
The Phenomenal One Versus The Maverick: AJ Styles versus Logan Paul
I’m gonna be completely honest here. I’m starting this series with this match, because it has the least amount of entertainment value to me. Now, don’t get me wrong, AJ Styles is one of the best wrestlers alive, even as he’s getting older, he still has a lot of gas in the tank. And Logan Paul, whether you like him or not, which I don’t, has amazing athletic ability and has honed his skills to make himself a viable WWE superstar. But AJ’s promo ability has been lacking as of late, and Paul’s voice just annoys me. So there isn’t much I can say about the build-up to this match, because honestly, I’m not paying much attention when these two are taking jabs at each other. But to think this match will not showcase these two men’s athletic talents would be absurd.
Curtain Jerker for Night One
Now, usually, the “curtain jerker”, or opening match, sets the tone for the rest of the night. It raises the bar and is supposed to make each match that follows keep pushing to be better than its predecessor. But, as I stated before, the athleticism these two men possess, this match could very well set the bar higher than expected. It has to because the key to WrestleMania matches is the buildup in the weeks prior, and as I mentioned, this has been lacking that “buildup factor”.
Matches and storylines have to draw us into the turmoil and drama surrounding the superstars involved. Just look back at the promo package for Austin vs Rock from WrestleMania 19. If you’re a die-hard wrestling fan like me, you know EXACTLY what promo package I’m referring to! Styles/Paul just has not done that for me, and I can only hope that once the bell rings, these two will deliver a performance of a lifetime that will leave the crowd in awe.
If you look back at some of these men’s highlight moments, you can see why I feel these two men opening up WrestleMania weekend is the best choice. The aerial ability of both men, AJ being the savvy technician he is, can ground Paul and wear him down, and I’m sure Paul will have some kind of surprise up his sleeve like he had during his previous two Mania matches with KSI and IShowSpeed appearing in his corner. The sooner the crowd’s adrenaline starts to spike and the excitement rises at Allegiant Stadium, the better the rest of Night One will be.
Paul may have only been in WWE a short time, but he has added some highlight moments to his extremely short career. If you look back at last year’s SummerSlam, he performed a spinning springboard moonsault from inside the ring onto LA Knight on the outside of the ring, the likes NOBODY has ever seen before. Before that, at Royal Rumble 2024, he and Ricochet performed a springboard double clothesline that had the crowd in attendance screaming a certain obscenity at the top of their lungs. He’s made it a point in most of his matches to perform “viral moments”, like laying Roman Reigns on the announce table and hitting him with a frog splash from the top rope at Crown Jewel, or trying the same thing on Seth Rollins at WrestleMania 39, only to inadvertently land on his Prime partner, KSI.
Regardless of how you feel about the man, Logan Paul is athletically gifted and has proven time and again that he’s not just a flash-in-the-pan celebrity just giving pro wrestling a shot; he’s here to stay. But AJ Styles is the veteran of all veterans, a superstar the world over, a man who has reached the pinnacle of every promotion he’s ever worked for multiple times. Styles will surely test this young YouTube sensation’s wrestling ability from bell to bell, and if he’s lucky, that Phenomenal Forearm will find its mark at some point. Maybe even a Styles Clash awaits the Maverick, unless Paul has some hidden surprises waiting to spring on Styles at any moment.
Match Prediction: Logan Paul defeats AJ Styles
I have to admit, it hurt me typing that headline above, but I have to be unbiased and realistic here. As much as I would love to tell you that AJ Styles will bash Logan Paul in the face with a Phenomenal Forearm and then plant him face-first with a Styles Clash for the win, I just don’t see it happening. AJ is at the twilight of his career, a career that has spanned over 20 years, and even though he’s only been in WWE for 9 years, his time to shine has long since passed him.
What better way to contribute to the current product than by putting over a young up-and-coming star? Now, I’m not saying Logan Paul needs that kind of rub to further his career, but a victory over Styles at WrestleMania could certainly help tremendously. While I’m at it, let me make one thing clear, it will NOT be a clean victory by any means. Whether it’s one of his ImPaulsive cohosts or one of his social media buddies, someone will get involved to help Paul secure the win over AJ Styles. I don’t see this feud lasting any longer than Backlash next month, but only because Backlash features a TON of WrestleMania rematches. And unfortunately, the only entertainment value you will get from this angle is the matches themselves–IF there is more than one.
How do you feel about this potential WrestleMania 41 Night One opener? Will AJ Styles put over Logan Paul, or will the veteran walk away with the win? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Threads, BlueSky, or TikTok. Email us at [email protected] and we’ll share the story on the show. Join our Discord for further discussion with the GENY community!