Numerous questions hang over this Sunday's Wrestlemania 25. Will The Undertaker's winning streak continue? Will Mickey Rourke mix it up with Chris Jericho? Will the Money in the Bank ladder match and the Extreme Rules deliver unique, awe inspiring stunts? Will WWE legends make unexpected appearances? Look for our complete preview on Sunday morning. But for now we look at five questions that will be answered on Sunday night.
1. Will Trish Stratus be in the Miss Wrestlemania Battle Royal?
As of today Trish Stratus is saying that she has no plans for this weekend, but she continues to be a bit coy about it. My feeling is that with ratings declining and a bad economy the WWE would not be well advised to save Stratus’ appearance as a last minute surprise to drive buyrates. If she had agreed to do it they would be pulling out all the stops right now. But anything could happen and there may be a reason she hasn't been clearer in refuting her participation the way several of her colleagues have.

2. Who will win the Money in the Bank ladder match, and what does that say about the vision of the company going forward?
Traditionally the Money in the Bank ladder match has been used to elevate young stars to a main event level, sometimes more effectively than others. With badly deserving stars like Shelton Benjamin and MVP in the match, as well as a still-ripe but talented rookie in Kofi Kingston, the WWE has the opportunity to stock the pantry for when Batista, The Undertaker, Shawn Michaels and Triple H eventually retire. But with Kane and Mark Henry in the match they also have the opportunity to pull a short term stunt. They could give the contract to a vicious ‘monster’ who could strike at any time during the year. The angle would get a bad response from fans across the board. The only people who would be eating it up are in the same front office that promoted The Great Khali, Snitskey and Vladimir Kozlov to chants of “Boring!” and “You can’t wrestle!” The choice of the winner should send a clear message about whether the company plans to move forward or stay with the stars of the late 90s into the next decade.

3. Will Kid Rock perform the entrance theme of a WWE star?
Since Nicole Scherzinger of The Pussycat Dolls is already announced to be singing the national anthem, internet speculation suggests that Kid Rock will perform the theme song of one of the WWE stars. Triple H, Randy Orton, Jeff Hardy, Edge, John Cena and Chris Jericho all have lyrical theme songs that Kid Rock could conceivably do a cover of.

4. How will John Cena enter the arena this year?
Three years ago old newsreel footage of John Capone heralded John Cena’s arrival in a mob car for his match against Triple H. Two years ago he raced a Ford sports car around the streets of Detroit before blasting through a sheet glass wall. Last year he was welcomed by a college marching band doing a unique take on his rap song. All three of those entrances related to the cities Wrestlemania was held in - Chicago’s history of mobsters, Detroit’s auto industry and the Citrus Bowl’s tradition of NCAA football. Does that mean this year he’s going to ride to the ring on a bucking bronco? Or will that be where Kid Rock comes into play?

5. Which world title match will end the show?
Match order often gives clues to the most likely outcome. For the past two years one of the world title match has been placed midway through the show while the other took the traditional main event spot. Expect the pattern to continue this year as bookers try to hold the hotly anticipated Undertaker-Shawn Michaels match until late in the show.  While untraditional, it’s not impossible that a villain could end the show with the title belt on their shoulder. That being said, neither Edge nor the Big Show will bring down the house. Both have been played as comic relief, especially in the past several weeks. Their victories just wouldn’t set the right tone to end the show on. John Cena plays the Hulk Hogan role well and could easily lead a fan celebration to end the night, perhaps being joined in the ring by other WWE legends to commemorate the 25th anniversary occasion. But Randy Orton does bring with him the kind of electric energy and passionate cult following to steal the show for the villains. Bottom line: If the WWE Title Match ends the evening John Cena cannot lose. If the World Heavyweight Title Match ends the evening then it’s anybody’s ballgame.

As always continue to check back throughout the weekend as I fly to Houston and report from Wrestlemania weekend.



--Henry Jenkins, BuddyTV Staff Writer
(Image courtesy of © 2009 World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc.  All Rights Reserved.)