I'll take a step up on most posters here: I'm going to explain my rationale for each match, in addition to giving myself time constraints. Wrestlemania has a 4-hour time block this year, but traditionally they do not use the entire 4 hours, ending the card about 10 minutes shy.
This turned out to be a LOT more work then I expected it to be going in; not only do you have to create interesting matches, not only do you have to try and give fans something they haven't seen before, but you have to find spots for all of your top guys. I've redone this list maybe three times as names keep coming up that I forget.
Dark Match: 30-man Battle Royal featuring the wrestlers not on the main card.
The dark match, especially at a PPV and ESPECIALLY at Wrestlemania, should be something that gets the crowd going. You want a hot crowd when you open the PPV, and people love Battle Royals. This would also look good on the 'preview' shows to hype the PPV. (Does WWE still even do these anymore? UFC's been 'Spiking' (terrible pun, I know) their needles on PPV by airing the prelims for free.)
Match #1: US Title Daniel Bryan (c) vs. John Morrison
It's no secret these two can go. I almost feel guilty pulling these two from the MITB match in favor of this match to open the card, but these are two superstars who combine with the mix of charisma and classic talent to provide a face vs. face matchup to get the home crowd warmed up. Morrison takes the belt in 15 minutes after a long series of reversals.
Match #2: Money In The Bank- Kofi Kingston v. Dolph Ziggler v. Kevin Nash v. Christian v. Drew McIntyre v. Edge v. Ted DiBiase v. Alex Riley
Explanations: This match easily went through the most gyrations of my Wrestlemania card. Like most MITB matches, it's stacked with young, athletic guys that can move, and midcarders that are on their way up. However, there are always a few additions that seem non-traditional. Kevin Nash is here to give him a role where he can star as the cliched "big guy in a ladder match with little guys" role, but not have to wrestle the whole match on his bad knees; he can come in for spots. Edge is here because, after the rest of my card was done, I just couldn't find him a spot doing something more high-profile. He'll service quite well here, however, making MITB feel less like a midcarder's affair and more like an event that even former multi-time champions are interested in.
Match #3: Divas Title- Natalya (c) v. Amazing Kong
I'd like to have Amazing Kong debut at Wrestlemania as a monster heel. I didn't want to design a typical "go drain the snake and grab a beer" ladies match, so I tried to present two ladies with wrestling credentials for the audience. I'd build up the match starting right after Elimination Chamber- Natalya, having conquered all foes in the WWE, stands up for good and righteousness against the monstrous, outsider villain in Amazing Kong. Fans get intrigued by the possibility of a well-wrestled women's match, which people thought was only available in Illinois and on Colosseum Video. Unfortunately, this one ends in a squash, with Amazing Kong winning in two minutes. Natalya spends the next few months attempting to avenge her humiliating defeat.
Match #4 World Heavyweight Championship: Rey Mysterio (c) vs. Alberto Del Rio
This is match designed with very specific marketing goals in mind. Rey Mysterio is the WWE's Hispanic face, and wrestling is a race-based industry. People get pushed based on what markets they can bring, and Rey Mysterio brings the Hispanic market. When he got drafted to Raw a year or so ago, the Hispanic numbers for Smackdown dropped so quickly that Rey caught whiplash from how fast he got sent back. But Rey doesn't have too many West Coast Pops left in him. He's got a decent amount of time left in the business, but the process of grooming the next Hispanic superstar has to be happening now, and we're watching it in Del Rio. This is the WWE's "Velasquez vs. Dos Santos"; a match built to bring in a certain market, while not being unappealing to the rest of the fan base. I have it in the middle of the card, because it's not strong enough to headline, but it's solid enough to anchor the middle of the show and keep people from walking away. Mysterio wins in around 20 minutes with a West Coast Pop rollup.
Hall of Fame Presentation- This wastes ten minutes, which is enough time to refill your bowl of chili, take a dump, and grab a beer. Yay, Shawn Michaels preens for the camera. There will be nothing here that you have not seen before and you will not see again.
For those of you keeping track, with some fudge room for entrances, introductions, and video packages, this brings us to near the two hour mark, with about an hour of wrestling.
Match #5: Nexus vs. Corre Elimination Match
The buildup is already being made for this one. This match has either been this or Punk v. Barrett on my card, and this was the match I had originally wanted to make; you take six guys, some of whom will make it, some of whom won't, attach them to two big name stars, and give them a chance to shine. The crowd's already into this one. Punk wins as the sole survivor with a pulled-tights rollup on Barrett in 17 minutes after Barrett comes back from a 3 on 1 disadvantage, making Barrett look strong in defeat.
Match #6: The Undertaker vs. Booker T
Every year, they give us a bigger Undertaker match at WrestleMania, and reliably, every year, fans say "give us someone bigger!" The only person in the WWE who could provide that bigger, "hasn't been done before" feel to the match would be John Cena, and the build for him and Miz has already begun; the WWE wouldn't drop a Cena/Taker match on us without a significant build. So we get the next best thing- a guy who's never fought Undertaker at Wrestlemania (which is becoming hard to find amongst the WWE's main eventers), who comes from outside of the company, enabling a quicker buildup than otherwise possible. Booker is also experienced enough to make a match work with 'Taker no matter how hurt the Dead Man is. The Undertaker, of course, wins this match in around twenty minutes.
Match #7: HHH vs. Sheamus
Too obvious of a match to not go with it; the build is already there, and it's another boost for Sheamus to face HHH at WM, keeping his build going. HHH wins a match in the Hogan style, taking a beatdown the entire time but coming back to decisively defeat his opponent in 15 minutes. Really; how could you book this match and have Sheamus win? That's what Backlash is for, or whatever the hell it's called these days.
Match #8: WWE Title- The Miz (c) v. John Cena v. Randy Orton
Count on this being your Wrestlemania main event. This is not me prognosticating or reading tea leaves; the build for this match is already well underway. You will see this match at Wrestlemania. John Cena wins the match in 35 minutes, pinning The Miz, with Randy Orton arriving a fraction of a second too late to break up the pinfall.
Whew. That was an ordeal. I don't think I've ever spent two hours writing a post here, but there you go; a Wrestlemania card that makes sense from top to bottom.
aniel Bryan(c) vs Sheamus