Welcome to the latest Roundtable discussion here at iFight365.com where this week, we’re asking the question: At this stage, if you were the booker, what would you plan as the top four matches for WrestleMania 25, and why?

Michael Campbell: This is interesting because right now, it seems that there’s a wealth of options. Edge and John Cena have both returned and instantly claimed gold, which immediately makes them main event contenders. Randy Orton is back. At the top of the card actually, they’ve almost TOO MANY options.

Usually, there are a couple of main eventers out of action at this stage, which limit’s the top bouts, but thus far this year (fingers crossed it stays that way) the WWE seems blessed. Plus, taking into account those on the roster currently who have headlined previous Mania’s, we’ve got a bunch of superstars that Vince McMahon is very comfortable with.

Think about it…in terms of guys who have either held a world title, or main evented PPV’s this year, we’ve got Triple H, The Undertaker, Mark Henry, JBL, Michaels, Jericho, Edge, Batista, Orton, Cena, Punk and both Hardy’s. Several of those guys have many, many Mania main events between them.

In addition, Umaga is due back, The Big Show was part of the match that drew last year’s buyrate and will be seeking a spot, and supposedly, there’s a possibility that Steve Austin may work the show.

Obviously, that throws a spanner into any plans on the drawing board. If Steve Austin is going to work one more match, he must be accommodated, and if I where booking- he’d certainly be in one of the top bouts, possibly in the match which climaxes the first portion of the show (Flair’s retirement had this spot last year, Goldberg vs. Lesnar and Jericho vs. Michaels have also been in this position).

The WWE would probably want Cena to take on Austin, but I’d go for Orton/Austin, because Cena would get booed out of the building if he took on Stone Cold. Orton would benefit enormously from a win over Steve, and it could be the match that really cements him as the man on Raw.

In terms of the main event, there’s only one that makes sense to me. It SHOULD have been Batista vs. Cena, but they threw that out there at Summerslam, stupidly, and impatiently. I’d still do that, because it’s one of the only WWE title bouts that makes sense (Neither Punk or Jericho, or even Kane, JBL or Mysterio are really suitable for a Mania title match), and features the two biggest stars from that brand. But I wouldn’t have it close the show at this point; this one would commence the post intermission matches.

Instead, I’d have Jeff Hardy finally taking the World title as the main event. I’m not sure how I’d feel about including HHH in the match. For a long time, I still believed they could do a heel Hunter defending against Jeff, but they’ve done that tie so often now, it seems unlikely, plus, how does one even consider removing Edge from this picture? Edge would be the guy to extract maximum heat from the situation, and Hardy’s victory would undoubtedly garner a rapturous reception.

Since the card is going to take place in Texas, I’d also book Undertaker/Michaels in a cross-promotional bout as the Semi. It’s a no-brainer that I think people have been primed for since the 2007 Royal Rumble, when those two had a great finish to the Rumble match. I can also see your average fan buying into HBK as a potential candidate to end Taker’s streak, over anyone else who may be considered.

Obviously, this plan isn’t without problems. What about Punk you say? Or Jericho – he “deserves” a big match. Well, he may well do, but that doesn’t necessarily mean anything. I can’t imagine any possible match involving Chris that would capture people’s imagination as much as those I have discussed. Perhaps he could be involved with Punk somewhere on the undercard, or the Money in the Bank match could become a star-studded affair, with these two, Rey Mysterio, Kennedy, Christian, and possibly even Hunter.

For me, HHH is actually the most difficult guy to place on the show. Of the eight guys listed, would he really draw against any of them? The problem with Hunter is that he’s already done it all at Mania. He’s walked out as the new babyface Champion, he’s walked out as the heel champion, he’s put others over as a heel, and at Mania he’s already faced Taker, Cena, Batista, and Michaels. There’s nothing fresh for him to do at the top of the card. And what of Matt Hardy? The ECW belt is worthless, which instantly presents a difficulty in what to do with him. Does the ECW title warrant a place at Mania, after last year’s debacle? Sacrifices must be made I guess…

So: Edge vs. Jeff Hardy (World Title Match), Shawn Michaels vs. The Undertaker, Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. Randy Orton and John Cena vs. Batista (WWE Title Match).

Phil Lowe: I’ve gone back and forth on this a few times before reaching my top four matches for Mania next year, a couple of which will likely stand out from the rest of the guys when this column is put on the site.

Firstly, John Cena vs. Batista for the World title. No surprises there. WWE dropped the kind of bollock that is usually reserved for TNA in rushing their first meeting earlier this year when they didn’t have to. Booking their second meeting, however, could quite easily be done to give it the big fight feel it deserves for Mania.

Working on the assumption that Cena keeps the belt from now through to WrestleMania, having Big Dave win the Rumble makes sense, or failing that, providing No Way Out is again going to feature Elimination Chamber matches (which I believe it is) you can have Dave become #1 contender there. Ideally, you’d have Cena-Batista in place at the Rumble or on TV the following night, however, to give Dave plenty of time to turn heel and build up a ton of heat.

Secondly, I’d go with Edge vs. Jeff Hardy as the top match on the Smackdown side of the card. Again, no real surprises there either. I’m very interested to see how both these guys are booked between now and the Rumble and fear that Jeff may again miss out on the chance to have a run with the belt. Edge vs. Triple H may seem more likely, but this is how I’d book it, not WWE!

Should Christian return to WWE, that could change things. Another Edge & Christian vs. The Hardy Boys match will sit well with me, providing it doesn’t relegate anybody down the ladder. But even if Christian does return, Edge vs. Jeff for the WWE title and Christian vs. Matt for the ECW title or even Christian in (and possibly winning) Money in the Bank isn’t a bad thing either.

The next two matches I’ve opted for I’m expecting to be ones that the others haven’t included. The first of those is Shawn Michaels vs. Randy Orton.

Michaels vs. Orton has been done before, yes. But not at WrestleMania. In HBK’s home state against a Randy Orton who has improved a heck of a lot of the last year or so, this would be money.

I know there’s been talk of Steve Austin coming back for one more match and Orton as his opponent would make sense. But HBK vs. Orton appeals to me a lot right now and if Austin was to return, I’d actually like to see Austin vs. Jericho happen. As for Michaels vs. Orton, there’s history between the two and it would be easy to book this and make it feel fresh and important.

So no Michaels vs. Undertaker? Not this year. I’ve wanted to see a Shawn Michaels vs. The Undertaker match since the 2007 Royal Rumble. But while I’d love to see HBK vs. Taker one more time (and I certainly won’t be disappointed if it does take place at Mania 25) I’d actually be tempted to hold it off for a further year or even for when one of them is ready for retirement (which could actually be around Mania 26 time).

And because of that, I’d book The Undertaker against Triple H.

Triple H vs. The Undertaker at WrestleMania 17, which of course was also in Texas, was an awesome, awesome match. And I’d love to see it again. At WrestleMania 24 earlier this year, there were some who thought Taker’s undefeated Mania streak could actually be ended against Edge. While I don’t think The Streak will ever end and Taker will retire with his Mania record still intact, another outing with Trips should have people talking about the outcome of the match for weeks in advance, largely because of Hunter’s position in the company.

In the ring, both are still capable of delivering great matches. And I’ve no doubts they’d do so again at Mania. Its a huge, high profile match which would deservedly be pushed as one of the main event matches and it gives both a big spot on the card without the need for either to be in the title picture, allowing Edge and Jeff Hardy to fight for the belt and giving them some good TV time in the weeks leading up to the show.

James Mustoe: Looking at Wrestlemania XXV right now, the only match that I would definitely say that the match I would most like to see is Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels. Since their sterling performances in the early part of 2007, this has been the one huge dream match that WWE has held off, and the 25th edition of Wrestlemania is the ideal stage for such a match.

I would also do Batista vs. Randy Orton, in a match that really has a great deal of potential and back story; one that could be more than the much touted Cena v. Batista match that we’ve already seen at Summerslam. Maybe Jeff Hardy vs. Edge would also be a good Smackdown Title match on the blue brand’s side, and if HHH has to be involved I’d like to see him put somebody over, preferably Johnny Morrison, who would be made, by a win in a big match at such a huge event.

Dan Short: Wow. A real tough question for me to think about. Mostly because a lot of the programs in effect and potentially being built toward down the road are really not all that interesting to me. Many times I look at what WWE is about to put together and I honestly think, “Do I even care anymore?” Do I expect too much? Maybe. Have I been spoiled by the wonders of independent and Japanese wrestling? Probably. At the same time, a lot of the guys they’re pushing just don’t interest me. Hell, there are only a few guys on the roster I have any real interest in at all. Not to say everyone on the roster is bad, far from it. I just would rather like to see some new faces emerge and get the proper build.

Anyway, enough ranting. Here’s my idea of how I would plan WrestleMania 25 based on how things have gone so far:

World Heavyweight Championship: John Cena vs. Batista. It seems inevitable. Though they’ve already given it away at Summerslam, they still have a shot at really building it into something grand for WrestleMania. Cena remains champion from this point on, but Batista feels he’s been avoiding him. After all, it was Batista who beat Cena at Summerslam. Thus, he should get a shot at the belt. Or is Cena afraid that Batista will not only capture the title, but also put him on the shelf again like the last time. I think by building around this concept and having Batista go off as this over powering animal at or after Royal Rumble, this main event would really spark the interest of fans.

WWE Championship: Edge vs. Jeff Hardy. Given all that’s been happening the past year, Jeff is indeed the wild card in terms of whether or not this will go down. If he does manage to remain focused and eye the prize ahead, then this will certainly be a big time match up fans would love to see. The ten year history alone is enough to be used as the foundation for this showdown. Sometime at or after Royal Rumble is when they should start building it up. Edge, the arrogant, cocky champion, rubbing in Jeff’s face the belt and the fact that Jeff hasn’t won a match at WrestleMania. That Jeff cannot get over that hump in order to be champion would make for some compelling stuff, if you ask me. Not to mention it would be a match the people would just eat up.

CM Punk vs. Randy Orton. Constant bad booking aside, I think there’s still a chance they could build toward a showdown between the two at WrestleMania in a match between the top new generation superstars, perhaps with their comrades at ringside. Orton with Priceless, Punk with Kingston and probably Cryme Tyme.

The way I see it, Punk gets his true payback on Orton at Royal Rumble. Either Orton is challenging for the belt or is on the verge of winning the Rumble. That’s when Punk strikes and costs Orton, getting back at him for forcing the belt off of Punk, which he never truly lost. Punk is still a pretty big draw and Orton in big league ready, so why not let the two get a chance at performing in a major match on the big stage? If nothing else, it would push both in the right direction their careers would need to go afterward.

Money in the Bank. Obviously the new WrestleMania tradition has become a highlight for fans because it has also become one of the better matches of the entire show. You can always count on the participants really give it a go as they’re both wrestling on the biggest stage in the business and they’re looking to claim that guaranteed shot at a world title. And since every time someone cashed in the briefcase they’ve won the title, it’s just as important and sought after as any world title itself.

It’s a question of who will be in the match that’s a little hard to predict. I’d like to think that the sure fires are Rey Mysterio, Evan Bourne, The Brian Kendrick, and probably John Morrison. Just those four right there would make a hell of a match.

Mark Bright: World Heavyweight Title Match: John Cena v. Batista. Admittedly, I’d be a million times happier with this scenario if the WWE had some fucking sense and didn’t throw out their first ever match with a one-week build. Have Big Dave win the elimination chamber, snapping and turning heel costing another big babyface the win (Rey Mysterio would be a good choice for this), and you have six weeks of Big Dave being a monstrous killing machine, so the announcers can hype up the viciousness of the “new Dave” and how nobody can stop him, meanwhile the champ John Cena is out to save everyone and it’s the big babyface hero riding to the rescue.

I know that turns some of the cynical older audience against Cena, but firstly that helps the atmosphere of his matches, and also it’s the perfect role for him, and as he’s the biggest star in the company he’s the one guy in the entire organisation who should be put in his perfect role and the rest of the roster should fall into line with that.

I think going wall-to-wall with video packages on both guys’ history, have Dave allude to the fact that last time they wrestled he broke Cena’s neck, have Cena cut those great passionate promos and you’ve got MONEY.

WWE Title Match: Edge v. Jeff Hardy. I know this is highly unlikely as you’d expect HHH to be in the World Title match at WrestleMania, but the question wasn’t what will WWE do, it’s what I would do. Edge is the perfect heel World Champion, and Jeff is the ultimate underdog who has never quite “grabbed the brass ring.”

And to be honest if he keeps losing or being taken out of WWE Title matches the WWE will have missed the peak moment where everyone is begging for him to take the gold. And they have ten years of history to play up between these two going back to their tag team days, which will make Hardy’s win even more special.

It’s Jeff’s time, have him win the Rumble, go to WrestleMania, win the belt and close the show with the feel good moment. Also, I’m not picking Money in the Bank as one of my four featured matches, but I do hope there is another one, and if Jeff Hardy is winning the WWE Title then the ideal guy to win Money in the Bank is Matt Hardy.

Shawn Michaels v. The Undertaker. From the brilliant final few climactic minutes of the 2007 Royal Rumble, this has seemed like a lock for a big match at some point. And taking place in the home state of both guys, having it as a huge inter-promotional battle with the longest tenured stars in the company, and with Shawn talking of retirement in the next year or two, it seems perfect. In fact it seems so perfect that if we don’t get this match at a WrestleMania before both men retire it’s not just a lost opportunity for a great match, it’s something that will legitimately make me angry as a wrestling fan.

Randy Orton v. Stone Cold Steve Austin. With WrestleMania being in Texas and Austin being heavily rumoured to be both the star attraction of the Hall Of Fame ceremony and wrestle one last match. And given that, I think his ideal opponent is Randy Orton. You could also easily put Chris Jericho in this spot, but Orton as a younger guy and also somebody that never wrestled Austin in his prime is just a fresher matchup and probably the better option for the future of the WWE.

Orton can act the asshole, maybe even lay out Austin with his punt-kick on RAW if Austin is doing any of the TV, to add the “will Stone Cold be able to make it to his last ever match” drama, then on the night you go with the happy story of Austin hitting multiple people with the stunner and drinking a shitload of beer while the arena goes mental.