Speculation about what the top matches might be at WrestleMania usually begins shortly after the previous WrestleMania is over. Because of injuries, however, it’s become increasingly hard to predict. For example, it was reported a while back that John Cena vs. Batista was one of the proposed main events for WrestleMania 24 next March, but then Cena suffered a torn pectoral muscle.

Then, the rumor was Triple H against Randy Orton, and Edge versus The Undertaker. Recently, The Wrestling Observer reported that the new plan was for Triple H to face Batista.

Putting all of the rumors aside, I decided to come up with what I think would be the best card for WrestleMania 24, which takes place on March 30 at The Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Fla. Keep in mind that this isn’t what I think will happen, it’s what I would like to see happen:

WWE champion Randy Orton vs. Triple H vs. Batista

World champion Edge vs. Ric Flair

The Undertaker vs. JBL

Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Jericho (30-minute Iron Man match):

Bobby Lashley vs. Mr. Kennedy

U.S. champion MVP vs. Matt Hardy

ECW champion C.M. Punk vs. Shelton Benjamin

Money in the bank ladder match – Jeff Hardy vs. Rey Mysterio vs. Finlay vs. Kane vs. Umaga vs. Carlito vs. Elijah Burke vs. John Morrison

Hulk Hogan and DH Smith vs. The Great Khali and Santino Marella

WWE women’s champion Beth Phoenix vs. Candice Michelle

In order to explain how I put together the lineup, this is how I would book the main story lines in WWE from this point forward.

At Armageddon, Orton retains the WWE title against Jericho, and Jeff Hardy defeats Triple H to earn a title shot when he takes advantage of outside interference by a heel (let’s say Snitsky, who will then work a TV feud with Triple H). Hardy doesn’t turn heel, and later tells Triple H that he knows he would have done the same thing if he had the opportunity, which gains Triple H’s respect. In the world title match, The Undertaker has Edge incapacitated and Batista pinned, but the referee is knocked out. That allows Edge time to recover, take out Undertaker with a chair and then spear Batista to win the title.

At Royal Rumble on Jan. 27, Hardy dominates Orton, but the champion manages to cheat his way to a hard-fought victory. In a world title match between Edge and Undertaker, Edge intentionally gets himself disqualified in order to retain the title. The Royal Rumble match comes down to Triple H and Batista, and they both go over the top rope and hit the floor at the exact same time. A one-on-one match between them is signed for No Way Out on Feb.17.

At No Way Out, Orton manages to slip past Hardy again, this time in a ladder match. Edge versus The Undertaker in a no-disqualification match ends when JBL, who is doing commentary at ringside, interferes and lays out The Undertaker, allowing Edge to score the pin. JBL later explains that he had been waiting for an opportunity to get back at Undertaker for attacking him a few months ago. He also says that as a “wrestling god,” he doesn’t want to be remembered as the guy who was forced to retire by Rey Mysterio; he wants to be immortalized as the man who ends The Undertaker’s winning streak at WrestleMania. The Triple H-Batista match ends with a double pin and two referees making simultaneous three-counts. One referee awards the bout to Triple H and the other ref declares Batista the winner, so there still is no official Rumble winner.

The following night on Raw, Triple H and Batista get into a verbal confrontation, and old wounds from the Evolution split are re-opened. At one point, Orton interrupts and ridicules his former stable mates for fighting over a title shot and who the best member of Evolution was, when he is the only member of Evolution with any gold. It is later ruled that Triple H and Batista are co-winners of the Royal Rumble, and thus both get to choose which world champion they will face at WrestleMania.

Triple H speaks first, saying that he and Orton have unfinished business ever since he lost the title to Orton at No Mercy. He then, in a somewhat condescending manner, wishes Batista well in his quest to regain the title from Edge, and talks about how the two of them will rule wrestling. Batista takes offense, saying that this is the second time in their careers that Triple H has tried to send Batista to Smackdown to avoid facing him. Batista said that as much as he’d like to defeat Edge, he’d like to beat Orton and Triple H in the same night even more. On the ensuing Smackdown, a battle royal is held to determine the No. 1 contender for Edge’s title. Flair wins, and in the buildup to WrestleMania, the stipulation is that if Flair loses a match before then, he must retire and the person who beats him gets his title shot.

Most of the undercard matches are pretty self-explanatory. Assuming Lashley, Matt Hardy and Candice all have returned from their injuries, they will all be seeking revenge on the people who put them out of action.

Jericho, frustrated by his inability to defeat Orton at Armageddon and then being out of the title picture, begins a subtle heel turn. Feeling he has something to prove, he challenges Michaels to a rematch of their classic WrestleMania XIX match.

Marella will simultaneously begin a feud with DH Smith, while also running down Hogan in promos like he did with Steve Austin. Eventually, Hogan shows up to confront Marella, but The Great Khali makes the save and the two heels lay out “The Hulkster.” When Marella and Khali challenge Hogan to get a partner for match against them at WrestleMania, Smith talks about how Hogan was like a second father to him growing up (this is story line, of course) and volunteers his services. This match serves a couple purposes: It would give fans the “WrestleMania moment” of Hogan slamming Khali without having the two of them work what would likely be an ugly singles match, and it also gives a rub to Smith and Marella.

Those are my ideas. I welcome your comments and look forward to seeing how you would book WrestleMania 24.