WrestleMania 41 Predictions For All Matches Using WWE 2K25

In my WWE 2K25 review, I wrote about the game's abundance of exciting long-form modes that make it a game I can enjoy for months on end. But during Mania Season, I like to add my own custom mode, in a sense: WrestleMania 41 predictions mode.The 2025 WrestleMania match card is just about buttoned up as I write this--though we still seem to await an official opponent for Randy Orton, which he should get on April 18's go-home episode of SmackDown. That makes it a great time to throw these matches together in WWE 2K25 and see how they come out. Using Visual Concepts' pro-wrestling sim, I put every match into the game and observed how they turned out.While two of the competitors aren't officially on the roster yet, that was no issue; given the game's robust user-generated content suite, I was able to download the lucha superstars Penta and El Grande Americano thanks to the WWE 2K community. I also hosted every match in a user-made WrestleMania 41 arena to give it the right vibe before the dev team likely adds its own official version soon.Some of the below results, I definitely agree with, while others seem less likely, but then that's one of the best parts of professional wrestling: the swerves. Check out the full match card predictions for WrestleMania 41 below, then come back on the nights of April 19 and 20, Nights 1 and 2 of Mania, respectively, and see how the game fared against reality. Rey Mysterio vs. El Grande AmericanoWinner: Rey MysterioThis showdown of two lucha legends didn't disappoint, even though I'm rooting for El Grande Americano to come out on top and finally put to rest these silly rumors that he is Chad Gable. Jade Cargill vs. NaomiWinner: Jade CargillNaomi has been doing incredible work on the mic these last few weeks, but there's no surer thing on the card than Jade winning this match between the two former friends. Even the WWE sim seems well aware of that. The New Day vs. The War Raiders (c) - World Tag Team ChampionshipWinners: The War RaidersIn the first title match of my sim, it was The War Raiders retaining their tag belts. I'm not sure I see this one happening. I think a heel New Day run could be a lot of fun and help elevate the tag titles to their past prestige. Jacob Fatu vs. LA Knight (c) - United States ChampionshipWinner: Jacob FatuHere we had the first "And new!" of the night, in a match that feels like it'll probably go this way, too. Jacob Fatu is already way over with the fans, and giving him an early Mania Moment to look back on when he's main-eventing the show in a few years makes a lot of sense. Plus, if Cena wins on Sunday night like I think he will, I could see LA Knight elevated to being one of his opponents this summer. Tiffany Stratton (c) vs. Charlotte Flair - WWE Women's ChampionshipWinner: Charlotte FlairThis one would seem like a shocker--to me anyway--but it would also be an interesting sliding-doors moment. I've been feeling like Flair is in this match to put over Tiffany, who is very much the next big thing in WWE women's wrestling. But after their promo got real--and really heated--a few weeks ago, could Charlotte play politics and get the win just to put Tiffany "in her place"? In any event, that possibility makes this one harder to predict. Gunther (c) vs. Jey Uso - World Heavyweight ChampionshipWinner: Jey UsoI was in the building for Jey's Royal Rumble win a few months ago. The place was absolutely electric. He's a huge hit with kids, women, and men, selling T-shirts like toilet paper in the pandemic. I've gotta imagine the sim got this one exactly right. Give Jey his moment, and let Gunther move onto the WWE title scene. Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins vs. CM PunkWinner: CM PunkIn what one might call the Paul Heyman on a Pole match of the weekend, it was the longest-running Paul Heyman Guy prevailing in the sim, but something tells me the booking for this one will be messier than the version I saw, even as Reigns and Punk both got cut open in it. AJ Styles vs. Logan PaulWinner: AJ StylesLogan Paul is quite talented in the ring but I find him too odious to enjoy anymore, so I really appreciate the go-away heat he's been getting lately, which I read to be Hoganesque. I'd also love if this match goes the way it did in the sim, with AJ showing out and burying Paul for the 1-2-3. Damian Priest vs. Drew McIntyre - Las Vegas Street FightWinner: Damian PriestI don't know if this match will make its way into the backstage areas, but I decided to set it in the parking lot in the game. I can definitely see someone taking a basket of poker chips to the head, or maybe McIntyre eats a Razor's Edge through a blackjack table. This should be a fun one, like the sim was. Penta vs. Finn Balor vs. Dominik Mysterio vs. Bron Breakker (c) - Intercontinental ChampionshipWinner: Bron BreakkerI downloaded a great user-made Penta for this match--ahead of his official release as a DLC character later this year--which actually earned five

Apr 18, 2025 - 16:45

WrestleMania 41 Predictions For All Matches Using WWE 2K25

In my WWE 2K25 review, I wrote about the game's abundance of exciting long-form modes that make it a game I can enjoy for months on end. But during Mania Season, I like to add my own custom mode, in a sense: WrestleMania 41 predictions mode.

The 2025 WrestleMania match card is just about buttoned up as I write this--though we still seem to await an official opponent for Randy Orton, which he should get on April 18's go-home episode of SmackDown. That makes it a great time to throw these matches together in WWE 2K25 and see how they come out. Using Visual Concepts' pro-wrestling sim, I put every match into the game and observed how they turned out.

While two of the competitors aren't officially on the roster yet, that was no issue; given the game's robust user-generated content suite, I was able to download the lucha superstars Penta and El Grande Americano thanks to the WWE 2K community. I also hosted every match in a user-made WrestleMania 41 arena to give it the right vibe before the dev team likely adds its own official version soon.

Some of the below results, I definitely agree with, while others seem less likely, but then that's one of the best parts of professional wrestling: the swerves. Check out the full match card predictions for WrestleMania 41 below, then come back on the nights of April 19 and 20, Nights 1 and 2 of Mania, respectively, and see how the game fared against reality.

Rey Mysterio vs. El Grande Americano

Winner: Rey Mysterio

This showdown of two lucha legends didn't disappoint, even though I'm rooting for El Grande Americano to come out on top and finally put to rest these silly rumors that he is Chad Gable.

Jade Cargill vs. Naomi

Winner: Jade Cargill

Naomi has been doing incredible work on the mic these last few weeks, but there's no surer thing on the card than Jade winning this match between the two former friends. Even the WWE sim seems well aware of that.

The New Day vs. The War Raiders (c) - World Tag Team Championship

Winners: The War Raiders

In the first title match of my sim, it was The War Raiders retaining their tag belts. I'm not sure I see this one happening. I think a heel New Day run could be a lot of fun and help elevate the tag titles to their past prestige.

Jacob Fatu vs. LA Knight (c) - United States Championship

Winner: Jacob Fatu

Here we had the first "And new!" of the night, in a match that feels like it'll probably go this way, too. Jacob Fatu is already way over with the fans, and giving him an early Mania Moment to look back on when he's main-eventing the show in a few years makes a lot of sense. Plus, if Cena wins on Sunday night like I think he will, I could see LA Knight elevated to being one of his opponents this summer.

Tiffany Stratton (c) vs. Charlotte Flair - WWE Women's Championship

Winner: Charlotte Flair

This one would seem like a shocker--to me anyway--but it would also be an interesting sliding-doors moment. I've been feeling like Flair is in this match to put over Tiffany, who is very much the next big thing in WWE women's wrestling. But after their promo got real--and really heated--a few weeks ago, could Charlotte play politics and get the win just to put Tiffany "in her place"? In any event, that possibility makes this one harder to predict.

Gunther (c) vs. Jey Uso - World Heavyweight Championship

Winner: Jey Uso

I was in the building for Jey's Royal Rumble win a few months ago. The place was absolutely electric. He's a huge hit with kids, women, and men, selling T-shirts like toilet paper in the pandemic. I've gotta imagine the sim got this one exactly right. Give Jey his moment, and let Gunther move onto the WWE title scene.

Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins vs. CM Punk

Winner: CM Punk

In what one might call the Paul Heyman on a Pole match of the weekend, it was the longest-running Paul Heyman Guy prevailing in the sim, but something tells me the booking for this one will be messier than the version I saw, even as Reigns and Punk both got cut open in it.

AJ Styles vs. Logan Paul

Winner: AJ Styles

Logan Paul is quite talented in the ring but I find him too odious to enjoy anymore, so I really appreciate the go-away heat he's been getting lately, which I read to be Hoganesque. I'd also love if this match goes the way it did in the sim, with AJ showing out and burying Paul for the 1-2-3.

Damian Priest vs. Drew McIntyre - Las Vegas Street Fight

Winner: Damian Priest

I don't know if this match will make its way into the backstage areas, but I decided to set it in the parking lot in the game. I can definitely see someone taking a basket of poker chips to the head, or maybe McIntyre eats a Razor's Edge through a blackjack table. This should be a fun one, like the sim was.

Penta vs. Finn Balor vs. Dominik Mysterio vs. Bron Breakker (c) - Intercontinental Championship

Winner: Bron Breakker

I downloaded a great user-made Penta for this match--ahead of his official release as a DLC character later this year--which actually earned five stars in the sim. Breakker and Penta are both way over with the fans, and the in-fighting of Finn and Dom adds an extra layer of fun to this one. This might end up being the weekend's best match if you're in it for the in-ring product first and foremost.

Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez (c) vs. Bayley and Lyra Valkyria

Winners: Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez

This match doesn't have a ton of juice behind it right now, but it includes a few of the biggest names in women's wrestling, so I expect they'll make something out of it even as Raquel is still searching for her heel identity and Lyra is still trying to climb back to the level she was at in NXT. Maybe this will be the match that gets the best of them both.

Bianca Belair vs. Iyo Sky (c) vs. Rhea Ripley - Women's World Championship

Winner: Iyo Sky

Bianca and Iyo have been making magic together for a while now, and Rhea is the company's biggest star in the women's division for good reason. The sim gave this one five stars, and I expect it'll prove true. I feel like the promos suggest Iyo will retain in real life, but I'm curious if WWE plans to keep growing Bianca's undefeated Mania streak. She's currently up to 5-0.

Cody Rhodes (c) vs. John Cena - WWE Championship

Winner: Cody Rhodes

In the weekend's final match, John Cena will vie for his record-breaking 17th major championship, but he'll do so as a heel character for the first time ever. Many have Cena winning, then refinding his old self over the course of the summer and fall as he rounds out his retirement tour. The sim saw it differently, but one thing it lacked is the likely involvement of The Rock, who seems destined to interfere and ensure Cena's win--if it's to end that way at all.