The most intensely personal feud on the card has all the potential to steal the show.
This is the most old school good guy vs bad guy matchup on the card. This match has a heated build on par with heavily anticipated Wrestlemania rivalries such as Triple H vs Randy Orton, Ric Flair vs. Randy Savage and CM Punk vs. Chris Jericho from last year. Both men have had big wins in the past, but this may be perhaps the most prominent mania match each will ever compete in. With that said, let's take a look at what both look to accomplish on April 7:
Note: All stats are recorded from the Wrestlemania events prior to 2013.
Alberto Del Rio
Wrestlemania Record: 0-1
Main Events: 1
World Title Matches: 1
Biggest Match: Wrestlemania XXVII: Vs. Edge
Best Match: Wrestlemania XXVII: Vs. Edge
For the first two years of his career, Alberto Del Rio had been known as one of the most cunning and manipulative men on the WWE roster. He had a penchant for getting under his opponents skin. That odd thing about his heel run though, was the fact that it seemed as if absolutely no one in the WWE Universe wanted to boo him. He always had all the tools to become the same sort of Mexican megastar that the late Eddie Guerrero was in the early 2000s. The flipside to that coin however, was the fact that like Guerrero, he has a very short fuse.
At the jump of 2013, Del Rio was in the midst of becoming the most popular act on the Smackdown brand. The fans adored his fighting spirit and newfound persona. One man who wasn't impressed however was Jack Swagger. Swagger had recently returned from a lengthy hiatus and with him he brought his friend and manger, Zeb Coulter.
Coulter is a borderline racist sociopath who looks to "cleanse" this country of all foreigners and put an end to immigration. Del Rio being a Mexican born world champion obviously doesn't sit well with Swagger and his new associate and naturally, fisticuffs ensued.
This is the single most important and emotional battle Del Rio has faced thus far in the WWE. He now represents legions of people all throughout the United States who deal with similar prejudices and the match means much more than the typical "Who's better?" buildup the world title usually receives at mania. A loss here is a loss for every single minority who's ever been harassed by overly "Pro American" blowhards who point the finger at anyone with half an accent and blame them for pretty much everything that's wrong with this country right now. With the world title a representation of success, it's become bigger than being the champion alone. For Del Rio, this one's about showing Swagger and Coulter that he's here to stay.
Odds of a victory: High
Jack Swagger
Wrestlemania Record: 2-0
Main Events: 0
World Title Matches: 0
Biggest Match: Wrestlemania XXVI: Money In The Bank Ladder match
Best Match: Wrestlemania XXVI: Money In The Bank Ladder match
"Jack Swagger is upset that at the ripe age of 30, his best years may very well be behind him".
Those were my exact words after The All American American took his final loss before taking a break from the WWE back in September. For nearly the entire duration of 2012, Swagger had been on the worst losing streak of any superstar in the WWE. His gimmick had gotten stale, his ring work suffered as a result and he just appeared to have been going absolutely nowhere. Fast forward to February 2013 and Smackdown General Manager Booker T had been looking to throw a bit of a *~*Number One Contender's Ball*~* that only former world champions would be allowed to attend (and fuck, Randy Orton was going, so you know you just HAD to be there!). But like every good party, there's always "that guy" at some point or another who just shows up unannounced, pissed that absolutely no one told him what was going down....
And the room just goes silent for a second...
Swagger campaigns for a shot at Del Rio's world championship, leading Booker T to cancel the ball & instead stick all these guys inside the Elimination Chamber with the winner earning a shot at the world title. Swagger would win the Chamber match by last eliminating Randy Orton. With Swagger and Del Rio now having been made official, Jack would then reveal a much darker and deeper side to his personality.
Swagger and Zeb Coulter now look to strip Del Rio of the World Heavyweight Championship at Wrestlemania XXIX and set in motion the next phase of their plan. The plan being to rid the WWE of every non American born superstar one at a time. A plan to enforce the ideals of "We The People" upon the WWE Universe and to a much larger extent, to enlist fans all across the nation to be a part of "Jack Swagger's America". It's an issue that is as sensitive as it is relevant and one that will provide one of the more interesting dynamics on Sunday night. With crowds seemingly swapping sides each passing week, it's safe to say that the fans in NY/NJ will directly influence the ability of both men to stand behind their ideals and make a grand statement for the people that they represent.
Odds of a victory: Moderate
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