We’re just under four weeks away from WrestleMania 33. WrestleMania season is the time of year many wrestling fans look forward to the most. It begins with the Royal Rumble, regarded by many as the best PPV of the year -- above even the Granddaddy of Them All -- and ends with WrestleMania weekend, which is chock-full of independent wrestling events, conventions and, of course, the Hall of Fame ceremony. It all culminates Sunday, April 3rd, live from the Orlando Citrus Bowl

With only a handful of matches officially announced so far, wrestling fans across the world are speculating on what the final card will look like., wrestling fans across the world are speculating on what the final card will look like. Imaginations are running wild as fans play fantasy booker, putting together what their ideal WrestleMania card would look like. Fortunately enough for WrestleMania-holics, WWE 2K17 allows wrestling fans to play fantasy booker in a much more personal way. Forget just pen and paper, you can make the match-ups come to life at home.

With the assistance of the infamous "wrestling newz sites," we’ll see how the rumored official card stacks up. And then we’ll add some legends into the mix and come up with a card featuring current stars vs. legends.
 

Universal Title Match
Goldberg (92) [c] vs. Brock Lesnar (95)

This match was unofficially made official once Goldberg came back to WWE. It is, in fact, the match upon which promos for WWE 2K17 were centered. Before Goldberg ever came back to Raw, we saw commercials for WWE 2K17 that featured in-game footage of Lesnar vs. Goldberg.

This feud goes back to WrestleMania XX, which was Goldberg and Lesnar’s last appearance during that era. Goldberg won a contest that is remembered more for the negative crowd reaction than the match itself, which was subpar as best. Fast forward 13 years and we get our WrestleMania rematch (yes, we’ll pretend the Survivor Series squash never happened).

Lesnar is the highest-rated main roster character in the game, and tied with Steve Austin for highest overall. Goldberg isn’t far behind, though, and makes for a good challenger for Lesnar in-game and in real life. Both are big, burly brawlers with powerful finishing moves. It makes for a fun match-up.

WWE Title Match

Bray Wyatt (87) [c] vs. Randy Orton (88)

This feud is an odd one, and I’m not quite sure why. Wyatt and Orton are two of the best in WWE today. Randy is an accomplished vet while Bray has finally received his championship nod, which is years overdue many would argue. This is also a storyline that has played out over many months, and really has been a nice piece of long-term storytelling.  

However, maybe it’s the years of lackluster Bray Wyatt booking. Or the fact that Orton has by far the least amount of seniority out of any Wyatt family member, so a Bray match with Randy doesn’t have the same fire as it would vs. Luke Harper. Whatever the reason is, this match doesn’t yet have the momentum you’d like a WWE Title match to have. But with a few weeks yet to go before the big day, there’s plenty of time for this feud to really get going.

In game, these two are very evenly matched. They even wrestle a similar style. Both are deceptively athletic, but do utilize a more methodical, plodding approach between the ropes. Orton might have a slight advantage if only because his finishing move is one of the most satisfying moves to pull off.

United States Title Match

Chris Jericho (87) [c] vs. Kevin Owens (86)

This is another match that’s been brewing for months, and also one of the other official matches announced thus far. Tag teams and friendships that are formed like this don’t last forever. Eventually, the other shoe drops, and more often than not, we get a match or two between the duo. Such is the case here, which features one of WWE’s newest stars going against an all-time great.  

There are few complaints one could make about this match and/or feud. But there is one obvious, glaring observation many wrestling fans would agree with: this match, not Lesnar vs. Goldberg, should be for the Universal Title. Owens should have been allowed to defend the title at WrestleMania. Nevertheless, we are finally getting this match. Even if the wrong title is on the line, these two will deliver. Jericho has long been a staple of wrestling games, so he’s very familiar to longtime players. And Owens is one of the more versatile grapplers in the game -- a great mixture of speed and power.

Raw Women's Title Match
Bayley (86) [c] vs. Sasha Banks (86) vs. Charlotte (86)

This is by far the most logical match for the Raw women's division. Charlotte and Sasha Banks had arguably the best feud last year. Now that Bayley has been added to the mix, and all three women have held the belt, it's time to find out who's the best.

They are statistically identical in WWE 2K17, which grades this match as a toss-up. You could play it out 10 different times and get 10 different results.
 

Seth Rollins (93) vs. Triple H (89)

Credit to long-term WWE booking as this is yet another match that’s been brewing for months. Seth Rollins’ real injury is most likely the only reason this match is not yet confirmed, as there must still be some doubt among doctors whether he will be cleared to work before Mania. You have to be rooting for Rollins, a long-time workhorse who was forced to miss last year’s WrestleMania due to injury.

Triple H has been a thorn in Rollins’ side for months now, and it’s time for Rollins to get his revenge. There is a slightly bigger ratings gap here than the others, but nothing too significant. Rollins is much more athletic than this version of Triple H, and thus has the upper hand. The Pedigree, however, remains as deadly as ever.

AJ Styles (89) vs. Shane McMahon (77)

Much like Owens, Styles deserves to be the champ here. He was arguably the MVP in all of WWE in 2016. He’s at the top of the list of in-ring performers, coupled with mic work that is much, much improved over his TNA days. And he consistently gets some of the loudest crowd reactions each show.

Shane is one hell of a performer, but AJ working a spot-fest with Shane seems like a gross misuse of his talents. That said, you can’t help but wonder what sort of WrestleMania moment these two will go for. Shane, if nothing else, is guaranteed to do at least one insane thing per match.

There’s quite a ratings gap here between the two, and with good reason. AJ easily beats Shane in the game without question. A similarly decisive result in April is likely.

The Undertaker (93) vs. Roman Reigns (89)

Meh. Sure, I guess? Undertaker is a living legend, but he’s lost more than a few steps over the last few years, and without the aura of The Streak, his WrestleMania appearances don’t have the same meaning that they used to. Reigns remains the most vilified guy by the internet wrestling community (IWC), despite being one hell of a worker.  

I don’t think it’s out of the question Undertaker could lose at WrestleMania again some day. I just don’t see it being the case here. In game, however, it’s a toss-up.

The Big Show (83) vs. Shaquille O’Neal (94, NBA 2K17 Diamond Card)

Come on, 2K! Let’s see some crossover!
 

Lesnar vs. Mankind (90)

Modern-day Brock Lesnar vs. Mankind in his prime is an all-time dream match of mine. They are both hard hitting, but in two very different ways. This would be a pure brawl, plain and simple. A cage match with these two in 2K17 is a lot of fun. It’s too bad we’ll never get to see this one for real.

AJ Styles vs. Shawn Michaels (89)

There were rumors that this match was going to happen at this past Royal Rumble. The logic being that it was a big show in HBK’s home state and...yeah, that’s it. HBK is the subject of constant rumored return matches. This one, though, would be incredible to see. It features two of the greatest workers of all time and a perfect mesh as far as wrestling styles go. This one has five-star potential written all over it.

Finn Balor (88) vs. Bret Hart (90)

The Demon vs. The Hitman. These two are both great workers, though not at all similar in style. As great as they both are in the ring, they are equally unimpressive with a microphone. Luckily for 2K17 fans, that doesn’t matter here. If you’re looking for a high-flying speed demon, Finn is your guy. If you are more of a mat technician, then you have the Hitman. You can’t go wrong either way.

Samoa Joe (87) vs. Cacus Jack (87)

Ok, so I cheated by putting Mick Foley on here twice. But tell me you wouldn’t pay good money to see Samoa Joe and Cactus Jack go head-to-head in an extreme rules match. Both are hard-hitting, no-nonsense tough guys. The shots would be brutal and stiff with plenty of “HOLY $#%@” moments from the crowd. An extreme rules match with these two in 2K17 is about close as we’re going to get to the real thing.

Cesaro (88) vs. Ric Flair (91)

This one seems a little random, as Ric Flair is perhaps the most decorated wrestler of all time, while Cesaro has never held a world title in WWE. This match is based purely on technical ability alone. Flair never had the athleticism that Cesaro has, but Cesaro is an underrated mat wrestler and grappler. He and Flair would put on a good show. Plus, Flair is a natural foil for the big swing. He might walk the entire ring area before flopping forward.

What about you? What WrestleMania matches have you re-created in WWE 2K17? What are some legends matches you would like to see? Let us know in the comments!