Surprise Appearances We Want To See At WrestleMania 2023

Continuing our coverage of WrestleMania 2023, USAInsider will engage in everyone’s favorite WWE pastime: Trying to guess who will be making jaw-dropping, totally out-of-left-field surprise appearances at this year’s event.

This exercise is one of the best parts of anyone’s wrestling fandom. It’s the perfect opportunity to let your creative juices flow while trying to do the impossible and outdo the creative minds in WWE by guessing exactly what will happen at the Show of Shows. That said, we’re no experts, we're fans just like you. So, we’ll do our best and instead run down a list of surprise appearances we want to see, not necessarily the ones we’ll most likely see. 

After WWE announced Bad Bunny would host May’s Backlash event, our wheels started turning. Bad Bunny is a die-hard WWE fan and by all reports, he loves performing in the ring even more than following along at home. With that in mind, wouldn’t a surprise appearance at WrestleMania make perfect sense? 

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Bunny may appear in Los Angeles to promote Backlash, the first WWE event to be held in Puerto Rico in 18 years. Maybe he’ll appear in a backstage segment or give the sold-out crowd at So-Fi Stadium a moment they’ll never forget by playing an impromptu live musical performance.

Then again, he could be planning to arrive in Los Angeles intending to make waves. Sure, the world knows Bad Bunny will be hosting Backlash, but who says the host of Backlash can’t also compete in a match? And what better way to kick off a new storyline than to stir the pot at WrestleMania?

The Bloodline’s most significant test will occur in Los Angeles when Roman Reigns puts his Undisputed WWE Universal title on the line against Cody Rhodes. One man has been the unstoppable juggernaut with a vice grip on the championship for years, and the other won the 2023 Royal Rumble, intending to “finish the story” of fulfilling his dream of winning it all. 

While the drama in the ring will undoubtedly be off the charts at WrestleMania when Reigns and Rhodes square off, there will also be plenty of adjacent drama. For months, many in the WWE Universe have been theorizing that the Bloodline is overdue for a new member to debut, especially following the events that transpired at Elimination Chamber. 

Being born into a prominent pro wrestling family has its benefits. The Bloodline has some seriously big-time wrestlers potentially waiting in the wings, including Reigns and the Uso’s real-life cousin, Jacob Fatu. Currently competing in MLW, Jacob Fatu would immediately be a difference maker in WrestleMania’s main event by supporting his cousin in his title defense, especially considering the Usos are preoccupied with Kevin Owens. Fatu has been heavily rumored to join WWE for years, as the big man has been running roughshod as MLW Champion for the better part of three years. So trust us when we say the Bloodline would become even more dominant if they welcomed another relative into their faction at WrestleMania!

If you’re feeling a little bit of deja vu right now, don’t worry. We’re running back our prediction from the 2023 Royal Rumble, and now we’re crossing our fingers for a surprise WrestleMania appearance by Mandy Rose!

Ever since her release from WWE in 2022, the WWE Universe has stood in solidarity with one of the most dominant NXT Women’s Champions in history. Many believe it’s only a matter of time before Mandy makes her triumphant return. This time, it’ll be on the main roster, where she can use the skills she honed in NXT to ascend to her rightful place in the upper echelon of the WWE women’s division. 

Even though all indications point towards Mandy Rose being wildly successful (and happy) in her current endeavors, we still maintain that a shocking WrestleMania appearance would be one of the most significant moments ever.

It’s official: Finn Balor will meet Edge inside Hell in a Cell at WrestleMania. It’s a suitable endgame for one of the most bitter feuds in recent memory. 

The WWE Universe would’ve looked forward to a simple one-on-one bout between these two enemies at WrestleMania. Still, now that Balor and Edge will compete inside Hell in a Cell, expectations for the match are understandably through the roof. We can safely assume that Finn Balor will bring the Demon alter ego to the Grandest Stage of Them All, which would leave Edge looking for something to even the odds. 

Enter Christian, his long-time tag team partner who hasn’t been seen in WWE since 2021.

Win or lose, Edge’s career could end at a moment’s notice, and we think one of the biggest surprises in WrestleMania history would be his old friend returning to have his back during one of the most brutal matches of his career. Would it be shocking? Absolutely. Christian is still active in the pro wrestling scene, although many fans believe his career is as good as buried lately. An appearance at WrestleMania would do wonders to help tilt the odds in Edge’s favor as he tries to defeat Finn Balor and the Judgment Day.

No stranger to surprise appearances (she famously competed in the 2022 Royal Rumble match despite being the Impact Wrestling Women’s Champion), Mickie James showing up at WrestleMania is another swerve we would get behind!

With the recent returns of WWE legends Lita and Trish Stratus, we started thinking about which other female Superstar would fit right in against Damage CTRL at WrestleMania and the answer is Mickie James. Mickie won six WWE women’s titles throughout her career, giving the WWE Universe one of the most memorable women’s matches in WrestleMania history against Trish Stratus in 2006. 

We’re already thankful for the returns of Lita and Trish. Why not add Mickie to the list, right?

Where in the world has Shane McMahon been these days? Once synonymous with the WWE brand, the WWE Universe hasn’t seen the oldest son of Vince McMahon since a one-off appearance in the 2022 Royal Rumble. It’s been more than a year, and fans have been left scratching their heads over his absence. 

Shane has been conspicuous in his absence for a man so personally ingrained into all things WWE. He’s shined on the biggest stage of them all before. WrestleMania has been the place where Shane-O-Mac has flourished, and we’d be remiss if we aren’t daydreaming about a long-awaited return when he can once again jump off extremely high things and come crashing down through tables for all of our enjoyment. Maybe it’ll happen on April 1 or 2 at WrestleMania.

Even if none of these surprise appearances come to fruition at So-Fi Stadium this year, it will still be an unforgettable WrestleMania. Like Cody Rhodes once said, WWE storylines are so good right now that the WWE Universe doesn’t need any outside help putting on a show that will stand the test of time.

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