Five Burning Questions That Must Be Answered Before WWE WrestleMania 40

With just four matches scheduled for WrestleMania XL, WWE still has so much ground to cover ahead of its biggest event of the year.

As of today, The Show of Shows is a month away. Although the company has devoted so much time to developing storylines for its main titles, many superstars are still searching for an opponent or a career-defining moment.

Elimination Chamber potentially set up new feuds like Logan Paul vs. Randy Orton and advanced the rivalry between LA Knight and AJ Styles. However, the second premium live event of 2024 also left notable superstars like Bianca Belair without a path to The Showcase of the Immortals.

Fortunately, WWE still has four weeks to set up all its pieces on the chessboard ahead of its two-night event. These are five burning questions the company must answer before WrestleMania 40.

That’s right. It’s that time again. It’s the annual discussion about the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship and its lack of definitive rivalries or memorable plotlines.

The often underutilized titles turned five years old on Dec. 24, 2023, and we just passed the anniversary of Bayley and Sasha Banks’s inaugural win at Elimination Chamber in 2019. Nevertheless, the mantles the two campaigned to create still don’t feel as significant as they should.

The Kabuki Warriors are excellent champions with a history together, but Asuka and Kairi Sane are essentially just heavy hitters for Iyo Sky at the moment. As an addition to Damage CTRL, the Japanese stars have been entertaining, but they don’t have any foreseeable contenders or budding feuds.

Last year, the women’s tag titles weren’t on the card for WrestleMania for the first time in four years. Let’s hope the company has something planned for them this time.

Back in September, Jade Cargill became WWE’s hottest new signee after she shockingly left AEW.

The move sparked plenty of discussion about what a run on a larger stage with fresh opponents could look like. However, it has been five months since she joined the company, and we’re still barely scratching the surface.

The inaugural TBS champion made her in-ring debut as a participant in the women’s Royal Rumble match and had an excellent showing in front of the Tropicana Field crowd. Nevertheless, she still hasn’t even cut an in-ring promo on weekly television or had a meaningful interaction with anyone outside of a handful of tantalizing staredowns.

It’s hard to understand why WWE has taken such a measured approach to her first few months on the roster after such a substantial media blitz last year. Her debut opened the door for a matchup with Nia Jax, Naomi, or Bianca Belair.

Hopefully, one of those encounters will set up her first WrestleMania appearance. Maybe she will even team up with someone to challenge The Kabuki Warriors.

Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns already have opponents set for WrestleMania 40, but who will try to unseat Gunther at the event?

The record-breaking Intercontinental champion has been on a dominant run since June 2022. Other than The Tribal Chief, the Austrian juggernaut is the man to beat for many superstars looking to etch their name in the history books.

So, who will step up to the challenge and attempt to dethrone The Ring General on The Grandest Stage of Them All? On the latest edition of WWE Raw, Adam Pearce revealed that there will be a gauntlet match next week to determine the number one contender for the IC title.

The field includes Sami Zayn, Chad Gable, Shinsuke Nakamura, Ricochet, Bronson Reed, and JD McDonagh. Straight away, Gable stands out as a favorite to win due to his renewed vow to avenge his loss from the main event of the Sept 4 episode, but Zayn would also make a compelling option.

As stated earlier, Biana Belair fell short at Royal Rumble and Elimination, leaving her without a direction ahead of The Show of Shows.

The EST of WWE has been a mainstay at the event over the last three years, going undefeated against the likes of Sasha Banks, Asuka, and Becky Lynch. In fact, the longest-reigning women’s champion of the modern era has produced two of the greatest women’s matches in the history of The Greatest Spectacle in Sports Entertainment.

Her streak and growing resume of stellar matches at the event would’ve laid the groundwork for a logical confrontation with the last four horsewoman that she hasn’t beaten, Charlotte Flair. Unfortunately, Ms. WrestleMania suffered a knee injury last year, which put their rivalry on hold.

Nevertheless, this situation gives WWE a chance to use Belair in a non-title match. The company rarely books secondary feuds for the women at the event, but her undefeated streak would add ample stakes.

A newcomer like Jade Cargill or Tiffany Stratton could also benefit from this spot on the card with a trusted competitor.

Sami Zayn has recently emerged as one of the most intriguing wild cards heading into The Super Bowl of Sports Entertainment.

The Canadian star had a breakout year in 2022, and he capped it off with an unforgettable win alongside his best friend, Kevin Owens, the following year at Sofi Stadium. The two ended The Usos’ record-setting reign in the main event of night one of WrestleMania 39, but his loss to The Tribal Chief at Elimination Chamber still haunted him.

In his recent backstage interviews, Zayn revealed that he wants to be more than just the ultimate underdog who went the distance. The 39-year-old wants to win championship gold in his follow-up appearance on The Grandest Stage of Them All.

Although he lost his qualifying bout and missed his opportunity at Elimination Chamber, the upcoming gauntlet match could give him another chance. Defeating another dominant champion would bring his story full circle.

It’s unclear how The Great Liberator will earn a spot on this year’s card, but he is one of the most compelling stars to keep an eye on. Could this iteration mark the biggest win of his career yet?