Faking It (on the Mat and at Your Job)

I have been a pro wrestling fan since I was 10 years old. Don’t get me wrong, I know that the results are predetermined, but I still admire the athleticism of many of the professional wrestlers. I have also been intrigued with the narratives and storylines that are so important in professional wrestling. An excellent professional wrestler needs to be a great athlete, but he also must be able to tell a story or have his or her manager tell their story in order to get over with the fans. Donald Trump has participated in a number of WWE storylines and skits in the past. He is still able to get over with his MAGA fans.

Education Secretary Linda McMahon speaking at the 2025 ASU+GSV Summit, an annual gathering of education and learning leaders, where she mistakenly referred to AI (artificial intelligence) as A1 a number of times. I think that Linda, an owner of the WWE with her husband. Vince took a few too many “stunners” from Stone Cole Steve Austin at her old job. In a WWE skit, Linda once portrayed a comatose wife, (rather convincingly,) while her husband was portrayed hitting on beautiful Divas. It’s embarrassing that she is Education Secretary.

WrestleMania takes place this weekend. It is the biggest show for the WWE. Let’s see how well I do in figuring out the winners based on my interpretation of the existing storylines.

MatchWinnerDegree of Certainty
Jacob Fatu
LA Knight
Jacob Fatu98%
Jade Cargill
Naomi
Jade Cargill88%
Logan Paul
AJ Styles
Logan Paul60%
Drew McIntyre
Damian Priest
Drew McIntyre65%
Rey Mysterio
El Americano Grande
El Americano Grande52%
The New Day
The War Raiders
The New Day65%
Dominik Mysterio
Penta
Bron Breakker
Finn Balor
Dominik Mysterio51%
Bianca Belair
Iyo Sky
Rhea Ripley
Iyo Sky51%
Raquel Rodriguez and Liv Morgan
Bayley and Lyra Valkyria
Raquel Rodriguez and Liv Morgan90%
Tiffany Stratton
Charlotte Flair
Tiffany Stratton51%
Jey Uso
Gunther
Jey Uso60%
John Cena
Cody Rhodes
John Cena70%
CM Punk
Seth Rollins
Roman Reigns
Seth Rollins52%

WrestleMania 40 Predictions

I have been a pro wrestling fan since I was a 10 year old boy. I grew up watching all kinds of wrestling shows. I remember staying awake at midnight to watch Florida wrestling with Gordon Solie at midnight when I was in college. I am not a “mark.” I know the results are pre-determined. Pro wrestling has entertained me more than watching baseball, tennis and other major sports. So let’s pretend I am the “Booker” and choosing the winners for this weekend.

CardPredictions
The Rock & Roman Reigns vs. Cody Rhodes & Seth RollinsThe Rock & Roman Reigns
Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Becky LynchRhea Ripley
Gunther (c) vs. Sami ZaynGunther
Jey Uso vs. Jimmy UsoJey Uso
Bianca Belair, Naomi & Jade Cargill vs. Damage CTRL (Dakota Kai, Asuka & Kairi Sane)Bianca Belair, Naomi & Jade Cargill
Rey Mysterio & Dragon Lee vs. Santos Escobar & Dominik MysterioSantos Escobar & Dominik Mysterio
Seth Rollins (c) vs. Drew McIntyreDrew McIntyre
LA Knight vs. AJ StylesLA Knight
Iyo Sky (c) vs. BayleyBayley
Bobby Lashley & The Street Profits (Montez Ford & Angelo Dawkins) vs. The Final Testament (Karrion Kross & The Authors of Pain (Akam & Rezar)The Final Testament (Karrion Kross & The Authors of Pain (Akam & Rezar)
Logan Paul (c) vs. Randy Orton vs. Kevin OwensLogan Paul
Six-Pack ladder match for Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships: Judgment Day (Damian Priest & Finn Bálor) vs. Awesome Truth (The Miz & R-Truth) vs. DIY (Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa) vs. New Day (Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods) vs. New Catch Republic (Pete Dunne & Tyler Bate) vs. A-Town Down Under (Austin Theory & Grayson Waller)Judgment Day (Damian Priest & Finn Bálor)
Undisputed WWE Universal Championship: Roman Reigns (c) vs. Cody RhodesCody Rhodes