In these dark times, we look to the things that give us comfort – an escape from all the misery around us. It’s difficult to remain positive, but we must try in order for us to move on. The wrestling world has been hugely affected as a result of the Coronavirus, but at the detriment of their own health, WWE Superstars have bravely stepped forward to bring WrestleMania 36 to their fans. It may not be in front of a huge crowd at the Raymond James stadium anymore, but that doesn’t mean it hasn’t got a lot of potential.
For the first time ever, WrestleMania will be taking place over two nights, bringing is eight matches on Saturday and eight matches on Sunday. That’s a lot of in-ring grappling. With no audience to worry about, Vince McMahon has provided us with 16 confirmed matches, featuring some genuinely thrilling face-offs. The Showcase of the Immortals has always been made more special due to the reactions of the crowd. When new champions are crowned, the cheers make the moments more meaningful and historic. It is a shame we’ll not get that, but that doesn’t mean the actual matches will be anything less than impressive.
Saturday night is giving us five championship matches, which alone is amazing. It looks as though Becky Lynch and Shayna Baszler will be headlining, and after the last few months, the two have managed to build it into something many can’t wait to see end in the ring. After Roman Reigns announced he won’t be wrestling due to his own health complications, Goldberg looks set to take on Braun Strowman. It’s not going to be the match we all wanted, but it could still be a fun watch.
Perhaps the best match of the night will be between The Fiend and John Cena in a Firefly Funhouse match. WWE has the potential to go full-on cinematic with it, making it a theatrical spectacle that really highlights the creativity of Bray Wyatt. Daniel Bryan vs Sami Zayn is going to be incredible because they are two of the best wrestlers in the business, and after Elimination Chamber‘s superb SmackDown Tag Team match, there’s no doubt New Day, The Usos, and The Miz & John Morrison are going to put on a great show.
Sunday is also looking fantastic. The Boneyard match between Undertaker and AJ Styles could also be a classic, going down a similar path as Cena and The Fiend. WWE could really make use of their big budget and create a movie-style feel to it. After Undertaker’s fantastic promo last week on SmackDown, we could very well see the American Bad Ass return, along with the teasing of the unholy trinity (Kane and the Acolytes, maybe?).
After Edge’s return at Royal Rumble, many fans have been chomping at the bit to see him return to in-ring action, and the way WWE has built the feud between him and Randy Orton is nothing short of incredible. Orton has delivered some fire promos, and in the first RAW without an audience, Edge drove 17 hours in his car just to give a five-minute promo, but boy, was it worth it. In the main event, Drew McIntyre is going one-on-one with Brock Lesnar for the WWE Championship. These two have had a heated rivalry, beginning long before the Royal Rumble, so this match will no doubt be a highlight of the night.
WrestleMania 36 won’t just be about the matches. WWE know people are disappointed, so the chance we’ll get some surprises is likely. The Hall of Fame event normally takes place the night before WrestleMania, but as we know it shan’t be going ahead. We might very well see JBL, nWo, and Batista at WrestleMania, though. JBL could be there with Ron Simmons in Undertaker’s corner, nWo might just show up to cause chaos, and Batista may get involved in Edge vs Randy Orton. The possibilities are endless.
With no clear running order, the secrecy surrounding the event is high. It’s already been pre-recorded, meaning all the Superstars are now abiding by the terms of self-isolation. As of yet, nothing has been recorded after the following night’s RAW, and the SmackDown after WrestleMania, so this might be the last PPV we see for a while. With Florida implementing some strict lockdown procedures, meaning the performance centre will be off-limits for recording. Safety is paramount, and we wish everyone involved the best. Hopefully, fans will understand just how much of a risk it is for the Superstars to even perform, and that everyone rallies around them to support what is likely to be the most unique WrestleMania ever to happen.
All pics courtesy of WWE