We’re less than a couple of months away from WrestleMania 38. This year it’s being held on April 2 and 3 at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Sportsbook will be offering plenty of odds and the chances are Brock Lesnar is going to play a major role in this event.
Betting on professional wrestling isn’t always as easy as you’d think. The results of matches are predetermined, so you might even be surprised that sportsbook offer odds in the first place.
However, the decisions on who is going to win each match often change before the wrestlers get into the ring. WWE is becoming well known for doing this. Ratings aren’t as high as they once were and plans regularly change as they plan the events that will get more fans watching. All of which makes betting on the results a bit more difficult.
Just take a look at the two major events WWE has had this year. 2022 began with the ‘Day One’ show, unsurprisingly held on January 1. The main event was to have seen a rematch between Brock Lesnar, who returned to the company last year, and the Universal Champion Brock Lesnar. The challenger was fancied by sportsbooks to defeat Reigns, who had controversially beaten him at ‘Crown Jewel’ held in Saudi Arabia last year.
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WWE officials didn’t have the best start to the year. Roman Reigns pulled out of the show after getting Covid-19. They had to think fast, and gamblers wondered what they’d be betting on that day.
The decision was taken to add Lesnar to the WWE title match. Champion Big E. already has Seth ‘Freakin’ Rollins, Kevin Owens, and Bobby Lashley to face in a four-way match. Now it was a five-way and sportsbooks quickly had to change all their odds on the match.
The odds had been pointing towards Big E. retaining. There had been talk of Rollins winning the WWE title, now Lesnar had to come into the complicated equation. It was Lesnar who won the title and that made the situation with Reigns interesting too.
One night later the feud with Reigns developed further. Paul Heyman had been the ‘advocate’ for Lesnar for many years. He then jumped ship and worked with Reigns. He’d helped the latter beat, Lesnar, in the Saudi Arabia match. Weeks later, he’d been sacked by Reigns, and the night after ‘Day One,’ he was again working for Lesnar.
Sportsbooks had long thought that one of the WrestleMania main events would be Lesnar v Reigns. Now there was talk of a title v title match at the biggest show of the year. That wasn’t to last for long.
The Royal Rumble was held in January. Lesnar defended his WWE title against Bobby Lashley and sportsbooks had him favorite to retain his belt. Strangely, they also had Lesnar down to win the Men’s Royal Rumble match, the winner of whom would get a title shot at WrestleMania.
Roman Reigns made his return and attacked Lesnar. Heyman (never one to trust) then swapped sides again. He handed Reigns the WWE title belt, which he then hit Lesnar with. Lashley pinned Lesnar and he was the new WWE champion. See, betting on professional wrestling isn’t that easy.
Lesnar wasn’t finished though and went on to win the Royal Rumble. Those with bets on him facing Reigns at WrestleMania 38 look to be on a winner.
It could get more confusing by the time they get to Texas in April. WWE return to Saudi Arabia on February 19. Lesnar is in the Elimination Chamber match that sees Lashley defending his title. Meanwhile, Reigns (who beat Rollins at the Royal Rumble) puts his Universal title on the line against WWE Hall of Famer Goldberg.
Sportsbooks have both Reigns and Lesnar as favorites to win their matches. That would again spark talk of a title v title match at WrestleMania. Or perhaps, there’s a sting (not the one in AEW) in the tail.
What if Lesnar was to cost Reigns his Universal title in Saudi Arabia? That wouldn’t be good news for anyone betting on Reigns, but Lesnar would love it. He does tend to laugh a lot these days and would never stop doing so if making Reigns lose the Universal title.
If then he won back the WWE title, he’d have the upper hand on Reigns. It’s a possible situation, though Lesnar regaining his title and Reigns beating Goldberg is more likely. It does look as if we’ll get Reigns v Lesnar at WrestleMania in April.
Bookies still fancy Lesnar to win that match. The problem is that in a predetermined world, there are no certainties.
