WWE Talk: WrestleMania speculation on Kurt Angle, John Cena, Randy Orton

Happy Easter, everybody! With the pre-Wrestlemania build as lackluster as it is, WWE will have to pull out all the stops at the grandest stage of them all in order to appease the fans. The Wrestlemania card doesn’t look too exciting thus far, but don’t count out the ability that WWE has to shock and awe at sports entertainment’s biggest event. In video games, tv, and movies, a great way to get fans on your side is by including some fun “Easter eggs,” or bonus material. Usually these are hidden images in the background or additional content in the form of an homage to the studio, but in the wrestling sense, you could consider it a surprise at a big event like Wrestlemania (I agree, it’s a stretch. But it’s Easter. It’ll be fun). So here are some big potential Easter eggs at Wrestlemania!

During the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal, we could see some surprise participants. Much like the Royal Rumble, it’s a perfect time for Vince McMahon to throw someone a bone and give everyone a Wrestlemania paycheck. Nope, Vince is no Scrooge on his holiest of days. So, aside from Big Show and Kane being major players in the Andre Memorial (How riveting!) we could see the return of previous and first ever winner, Cesaro. Yes, Cesaro has been injured for some time, and is expected to miss Wrestlemania. But IF he has recovered earlier than expected, this would be the time to bring him back.

Another possible return would be that of Randy Orton. The injuries really piled up in 2015 and 2016, and Orton could be a major player in the Andre Memorial if he has healed up. Since this match seems to be given to a company guy and a loyal worker, Orton would also be expected to win the trophy.

A match that could see some Easter eggs is the Brock Lesnar/Dean Ambrose street fight. The build to this match has seen some cameos by Mick Foley and Terry Funk already. Ambrose has taken up the mantle as THE hardcore guy and has been bestowed the important tools to defeat The Beast in a barbed-wire bat from Mick Foley, and a chainsaw by Terry Funk, with which he used to slice through a pub table…because he wanted to see how a chainsaw worked!

But not only could these items be seen in the match itself, but we could see the inclusion of some other hardcore legends. Foley and Funk could appear again to help in the effort, as well as other available ECW alumni: Tommy Dreamer and Rhyno. As much as I would love to see Sabu, Sandman, or even Balls Mahoney in the fray, that’s less likely. Also, The Dudley Boyz are an active heel team, and it wouldn’t make sense for them to help out Ambrose. But Dean probably won’t need any aid from the hardcore legends if he just chainsaws Lesnar in half at the torso. That oughta do it.

Now, the match that is expected to include the biggest surprise is The Undertaker vs. Shane McMahon in the Hell in a Cell. Since Shane is not a wrestler, albeit an exciting athlete in his own right, he lacks the level of believability required to defeat the deadman. The most important factor in this match is that a superstar wouldn’t necessarily need to be cleared to wrestling in order to simply interfere.

Many fans think that this will be the return of the WWE’s golden boy, John Cena. If Cena walks down that aisle to help Shane defeat The Undertaker, it wouldn’t make a whole lot of sense. Shane-o-Mac is fighting to change the WWE, and Cena represents more of the same. But hey, WWE has never been too concerned with making sense.

With the retirement of Daniel Bryan and the Hall of Fame induction (and expected retirement) of Sting, either one of them could have a run-in to assist Shane. Both have had their feuds with the Authority, and even though Vince wasn’t personally involved in those angles, Stephanie was. And both Sting and Bryan have enjoyed legacies based on change and revolution, so either one’s involvement would make total sense.

Probably the biggest speculation is that of Kurt Angle’s return to the WWE. Kurt has significant history with Shane, and a legitimate beef with the McMahon family, so his return would prove to be a shocking Wrestlemania moment.

However, if you ask yourself who Vince McMahon’s biggest rival is, it’s one of the biggest names in Wrestlemania history, Stone Cold Steve Austin. Could we hear the glass shatter next Sunday and see a nostalgic stunner performed on Vince McMahon? Considering Wrestlemania is in Dallas, it wouldn’t be too far outside of the realm of possibility to see the Texas Rattlesnake in his home state.

These are all of the plausible Easter eggs at Wrestlemania, so look out for them. On a holiday based on a certain savior’s return, it’s fun to ponder on any wrestling legend hopping down the bunny trail at Wrestlemania. As far as being publicly persecuted only to win over the hearts and minds of the masses, Hulk Hogan could potentially resurrect his image with a Wrestlemania appearance, but the fans in attendance in Dallas are more inclined to see Yokozuna walk on water.

Nathan Burke is a stand-up comedian based in Boston. Follow him on Twitter @IamNathanBurke and listen to his comedy podcast, “So Now I’m the Asshole” at Fans.FM