WrestleMania 39 party props downloadable sheet: Steve Austin’s level of involvement, a Jake Paul cameo and more

I write about fantasy sports to feed my beagle. Are you really surprised to find out that I’m an even bigger nerd than you expected?

Wrestling is one of my favorite hobbies to take in — from watching weekly to traveling the country (and outside of the country) to catching shows in person. This weekend, in a two-day event, WWE hosts WrestleMania 39 — its annual biggest show of the year.

How big of a nerd are we talking? I present to you this exchange from last summer, featuring FSWA award-winner John Laghezza:

Similar to Super Bowl parties — if you can’t tell already, I’m 1,000 percent copying this idea from Brandon Funston’s Super Bowl prop sheet — the advent of WrestleMania parties has really become a thing over pre- and post-lockdown.

And while, yes, it’s tempting to introduce someone to wrestling with your five favorite wrestlers of all time or your five matches to watch to get into wrestling (I may mix that in as I go), we don’t want to scare anyone away and make wrestling more of a taboo than it already is.

And yes, we know it’s scripted, dammit.

Instead, when your pals and *gulp* their significant others, perhaps, join for the two-night event, it’s better to keep it simple for everyone to get involved instead of breaking down how many tope con hilos or ushigoroshis A.J. Styles does. (get better soon, A.J.!) And if you’re not doing a party? Pass this sheet around to your fellow wrestling fans, have everyone kick $20 in to the pot or just fill it out yourself and score it all after the event.

I encourage you to have fun with it. You can use mine for a base while adding any that you may think will be a big hit for the crowd.

(Note: Each correctly answered question is worth a point, unless stated otherwise. Feel free to set your own odds. Your party, your rules!)

**Download The Athletic’s party props sheet (PDF) here.**

The Kickoff Show

1. Number of celebrity appearances total (both nights): O/U 4.5

An hour before the event each night, WWE will have a kickoff panel to preview the night’s matches and promote the show so that people will subscribe to Peacock (or WWE Network outside of America the United States. The event is near Hollywood, baby, which means the stars will be out. For this prop, we don’t care if it’s A-level or F-level, but WWE will look to take full advantage of its location to cater to the widespread audience.

2. Number of times we hear “Less Than Zero” by The Weeknd: O/U 5.5

Each WrestleMania has a theme song, and this year, it’s Toronto’s The Weeknd. One thing is for sure: By the end of Sunday, you’ll have the song stuck in your head for weeks. I still sing “Gimme the Green Light” because of Pitbull. They tend to spam it during the pre-show when they cut to different segments.

The Undercard

Women’s WrestleMania Showcase Match: Liv Morgan & Raquel Rodriguez vs. Natalya & Shotzi vs. Ronda Rousey & Shayna Baszler vs. Chelsea Green & Sonya Deville

3. Number of Rousey/Baszler submission holds (O/U 3.5)

This is really just a match just to get more people on the card. Rousey and Baszler are the most experienced team in the match, and the two have pretty significant backgrounds in mixed martial arts. Armbars and chokeholds are staples of any contest they’re a part of. Expect no different this weekend.

Men’s WrestleMania Showcase Match: Braun Strowman & Ricochet vs. Alpha Academy vs. Viking Raiders vs. Street Profits

4. Number of jumps outside of the ring (O/U 5.5)

There are a few props to look at here, including a staredown between Strowman and Otis or the number of big-air moves by Ricochet and Montez Ford; but for me, given the mix of size and high-flying ability in this ring, the eight men will leave it all out there, hitting multiple moves onto waiting groups on the outside to pop the crowd.

The Midcard

Hell in a Cell Match: Edge vs. Finn Bálor

5. Number of references to The Judgment Day: O/U 6.5

Edge created The Judgment Day, but Finn Bálor made it his own last year. It’s been the sticking point to this long-lasting feud, which has seen numerous iterations. WWE likes to hammer home what’s going on for the casual viewer, which is why we have the bar set so high.

6. Who will interfere: Damian Priest? Beth Phoenix? Other? No one?

Yes, the Hell in a Cell is designed to keep the two wrestlers locked in without any outside interference, but there’s always some way someone breaks in. With Dominik Mysterio and Rhea Ripley having their own matches this year, the expectation is that it’ll be Priest, Phoenix or someone else we aren’t expecting.

Father vs. Son Match: Rey Mysterio vs. Dominik Mysterio

7. Number of references to Eddie Guerrero: O/U 2.5

The first time we saw Dominik Mysterio was at SummerSlam 2005, when Rey Mysterio fought Eddie Guerrero for custody of Dom. It’s been a big part of the history of the father and son, and both pay homage to the late, great Eddie Guerrero in their own special ways. This prop may be too low.

8. Number of “619” attempts: O/U 4.5

The “619” is the finishing move that both Mysterios use, paying homage to the area code of San Diego, where they live. The move has the opponent laying on the ropes, and the person runs at them, swinging on the ropes to do a twirling double-kick to their face. It’s pretty fun, and both will try it — and will try to counter it.

9. Will Rey hesitate to hit Dominik? Yes or no?

The storyline has involved Rey refusing to fight his own son, saying he wouldn’t do it, but he was finally pushed too far and hit Dominik on Friday night on “SmackDown” after Dominik yelled at and disrespected his mother. The interpersonal struggle is a trope WWE uses often.

10. What color mask will Rey Mysterio wear? Blue? Yellow? Green? Red? A designer brand? Other?

The Mysterios have drip — especially Rey. He has Louis Vuitton, Coach and Prada masks, but he also has special masks that represent his history. He’s being inducted to the WWE Hall of Fame on Friday, so expect him to go all out for what could be his final WrestleMania.

Six-Woman Tag Match: Becky Lynch, Trish Stratus & Lita vs. Damage CTRL (Bayley, Dakota Kai & IYO SKY)

11. Number of moonsaults attempted by SKY and Lita: O/U 3.5

While Lita is 47 years old, she can still bust out the moonsault she made famous in the early 2000s. SKY, whose nickname is the Genius of the Sky, also has a beautiful moonsault she uses as a finisher.

12. Will we see a triple-submission spot? Yes or no?

The triple-submission spot is something we see in wrestling often, where all members of one team will have the other team down on the mat, attempting submission moves at the same time.

Raw Women’s Championship Match: Bianca Belair vs. Asuka

13. What color will Asuka’s mist be? Green? Red? Black? Blue? Yellow? Purple?

Asuka has turned into a character that closely resembles Kana, which was her character when she wrestled in Japan. One thing she’s brought back is using mist from her mouth on her opponent. Historically, the mist represents different things: green obstructs vision, red burns the eyes, black blinds the opponent for weeks, blue puts the opponent to sleep, yellow paralyzes, and purple results in a momentary distraction. Expect Asuka to attempt to use mist on Belair during the match.

14. How many times will Belair whip Asuka with her hair: O/U 2.5

Whipping with the hair? That can’t hurt, right? Well, see for yourself.

upcoming war games, I want to see bianca hair whip make a return! ❤️‍🔥
— sᴏᴜʟ🦋| melo & bianca week ❤️‍🔥 (@ERAOFMONE) November 21, 2022

Singles Match: Brock Lesnar vs. Omos

15. Length of the match: O/U 6 minutes

We’ll count ring entrances for this one, as it’s a … questionable match, to say the least.

16. Number of suplexes by Lesnar: O/U 3.5

Lesnar has made his suplexes famous. (Remember his 2014 match against John Cena at SummerSlam?) Going against Omos, a 7-foot-3 former college basketball player, will be a spectacle.

United States Championship Match: John Cena vs. Austin Theory

17. What color gear will John Cena wear? Green? Orange? Yellow? Red? Other?

You know Cena as the Peacemaker. I know him as the man who wears “Never Give Up” T-shirts, wristbands and jorts. We are not the same.

18. Will John Cena talk to the camera during his entrance? Yes or no?

This is something that Cena has done for a long time during his entrance. On the big stage, he may not have the chance.

19. Will the fans chant “John Cena sucks!” during his entrance music and after the music has ended? Yes or no?

It’s just like when they used to chant “You Suck!” to Kurt Angle’s theme song — but in both cases, it’s a sign of respect. Maybe wrestling is weird, after all.

20. Guest pick from Cameron Hawkins of The Ringer: Number of times they call Cena “The GOAT”: O/U 2.5

This is a great one that Cam suggested to me. Michael Cole tends to reinforce ideas on commentary, so 2.5 seems like a good line.

Intercontinental Championship: Gunther vs. Sheamus vs. Drew McIntyre

21. Which chant will we get more: “Holy S–t!” or “This is awesome!”?

Make no mistake — both will happen. This may be the wrestling match of the weekend — at least from a purist’s point of view. And, it will be brutal.

22. How many chops will we get from WALTER Gunther: O/U 8.5

If you haven’t seen a chop from Gunther (formerly known as WALTER), search them immediately. I’d need at least $10,000 per chop and my medical bills paid for by The Athletic.

Still probably the best sell to WALTER’s knife edge chop. 💥 🧨
— 👑𝔸𝕕𝕒𝕞 𝔾𝕠𝕝𝕕𝕓𝕖𝕣𝕘👑 (@AdamGoldberg28) April 25, 2022

SmackDown Women’s Championship Match: Charlotte Flair vs. Rhea Ripley

23. Will they mention the WrestleMania 36 match between the two? Yes or no?

It was during an empty-arena — WWE Performance Center, really — WrestleMania at the height of the pandemic. The two fought in a match that was largely forgotten.

24. Will the winner win by pinfall or submission?

This largely depends on who you think will win the match, as Flair will look to win via her Figure Eight submission, while Ripley will look to win with her move, the Riptide.

The Celebrity Sighting

Singles Match: Seth Rollins vs. Logan Paul

25. Will Jake Paul make an appearance? Yes or no?

The Paul brothers have both made an appearance in WWE. Logan Paul is actually really good, as much as that pains me to say. We saw Jake Paul come out when Logan fought Roman Reigns in Saudi Arabia, so him appearing in Inglewood wouldn’t be a surprise — despite suffering his first boxing loss to Tommy Fury last month.

26. Will Logan Paul record himself doing a move on his phone? Yes or no?

It’s a weird question, no? Well, if you’ve read anything in your life, you know that I’m asking it for a reason. Check out what Logan did against Roman Reigns, which had the world talking. That is, of course, the point of having Logan in the WWE in the first place.

The angle from Logan Paul’s phone when he delivered the frog splash onto Roman Reigns.
Incredible.
— Wrestle Ops (@WrestleOps) November 5, 2022

27. Guest pick from Cameron Hawkins of The Ringer: How long will the crowd sing Seth Rollins’ theme after his music ends: O/U 10.5 seconds

Shout-out to friend of The Athletic Seth Rollins for getting his theme song over. One thing the fans look forward to the most is singing along after the music cuts. Get out the stopwatch app on your phone for this one.

The Bloodline

Undisputed Tag-Team Title Match: The Usos vs. Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn

28. Number of Superkicks: O/U 9.5

Owens used the Superkick a ton on the independent circuit, and The Usos use it regularly in their matchups. Expect it a lot.

29. Will Owens and Zayn hug at the end of the match? Yes or no?

Again, this is wrestling. Hugs get a huge cheer from the crowd, and we saw it a few weeks ago on “SmackDown” when the two lifelong friends reunited. Will they get the same pop again for a hug, or will they go in a different direction?

30. Will we get “You Deserve It” chants? Yes or no?

The story is Zayn and Owens coming together to end the longest tag-team title reign in history. Zayn and Owens are fan favorites, and they have been positioned as well as anyone in the company in recent memory.

Undisputed Universal Championship Match: Roman Reigns vs. Cody Rhodes

31. What happens more: Superman Punches or Cross Rhodes?

Both finishing moves have a tendency to be spammed a bunch throughout their matches, with Cody going to the well for about three finishers to end opponents in bigger matches. This is a tough one to call.

32. Who, if anyone, will interfere for Roman Reigns: The Usos? Solo Sikoa? Paul Heyman? Someone else?

The Tribal Chief typically doesn’t do anything on his own, so it’s more than likely someone will. Give yourself one point for each person you correctly predict.

33. References to Dusty Rhodes: O/U 2.5

This is Cody’s story, but Dusty is everywhere Cody is. You can count what happens after the match is over too.

Random Props

34. Who is more likely to drive their opponent through the ringside barrier: Bobby Lashley, Brock Lesnar or Roman Reigns?

All three men have a long history of doing it, and it can fit for all three — even if Lashley doesn’t have a match just yet.

35. Length of “America the Beautiful” by Becky G: O/U 1:35

Chloe x Halle had an O/U set at 1:35 for Super Bowl 53. We’ll use that as a mark for Becky G. Chloe x Halle hit the over at 1:41, for what it’s worth.

36. How many tables will break over the course of two nights: O/U 4.5

It’s a safe bet that the announcer’s table will break at least once per night, but the question is if we see any other table spots throughout the rest of the matches for the over to hit. The Hell in a Cell match usually has one or two table spots to count on.

37. How many celebrities will we see in the crowd: O/U 5.5

Let’s be clear: We aren’t talking about celebrities you can just see while the event is going on. I’m talking about the WWE cameras zooming in on them and highlighting who they are. Being close to Hollywood, I’m expecting a ton to be there.

38. Will The Rock or “Stone Cold” Steve Austin get physically involved? Yes or no?

We don’t know if either of the Attitude Era wrestlers will be there — it was long rumored this would be the year we’d get Roman Reigns versus his cousin, The Rock — but since it’s at SoFi Stadium, the thought is that we will see one or both of them. Austin fought at last year’s WrestleMania — his first match in 19 years. For this to be a yes, you don’t just need them to appear but to also get physically involved by hitting a move.

39. Will The Miz get attacked? Yes or no?

The Miz is hosting the event this year, and given that he’s a full-time wrestler with the chops to host the show, we could see him getting attacked to give the crowd something to cheer for.

40. Who will get the loudest cheers (submitted by Cameron Hawkins): Sami Zayn or Cody Rhodes?

This is a hard one to judge, so I recommend appointing someone in your group the judge on this one (or come back here and I’ll have my decision posted in the comments). Both guys had a big push behind them to main event the show with Roman Reigns.

41. How many “This is awesome!” chants will we get over both nights: O/U 5.5

If there’s one thing that WWE fans love, it’s being involved in the show by using the same chants over and over again like it’s a Tim McGraw and Nelly song. “This is awesome!” is one of the greatest hits that should be chanted many times this year.

42. How many matches will have the action go into the stands: O/U 1.5

It’s a safe bet to assume that at least one match will have people fighting among the fans, so we really need that second one to happen in order for this bet to hit.

43. Who will Bobby Lashley fight: LA Knight? Stone Cold? A debuting WWE Superstar? No one? Other?

I’m saving this one for last, because come Friday night, it could be moot after the Andre the Giant Battle Royal takes place on SmackDown. My guess is that Lashley and LA Knight eliminate each other, setting up a singles match at WrestleMania. But at this point, there’s nothing planned for Lashley after Bray Wyatt took a leave of absence.

(Illustration: Ray Orr / The Athletic; photos: Alex Bierens de Haan / Getty Images)