WWE overcomes coronavirus concerns and delivers outstanding first night of WrestleMania
Because of health issues from coronavirus concerns and thus state regulations, WWE changed its plans for WrestleMania 36 making it two night for the first time and promoting it differently, too.
After watching Night 1 with nine matches, it’s easy to rationalize why WWE promoted it as Too Big For Just One Night. Wow. Everyone delivered big on Saturday, heading into Night 2 on Sunday.
WWE’s mantra is to put smiles on faces, and the company with its talent, crew and staff did just that.
These are trying times, and all other sports and entertainment have basically shut down and understandably so, but WWE continues to deliver its stellar brand of sports entertainment.
This WrestleMania Weekend serves as a welcome break from the rigors of our current daily lives.
With no crowd in attendance, how would talent react?
Well, it made the superstars focus more on the wrestling. I surmise there’s more wrestling (and super aggressive at that) because there is no reason to work a crowd, when there is none.
Some like Seth Rollins and Undertaker trash talked during their respective battles. That’s the most I’ve heard Undertaker speak in a match. Yea, the American Bad Ass persona talks much more than the Deadman character. Hence the name Deadman.
Night 1 of WrestleMania 36 outstanding
Hands down and up, the American Bad Ass Undertaker vs. The Phenomenal One AJ Styles Boneyard match proved its main event status. Wow. It occurred a night on location, and this was an all-out brawl, which included Taker fighting The OC (Gallows and Anderson) and The Druids, too.
What a cinematic production. That match felt like a fight scene from an action movie. The pyro, the props, the music, the camera shots, and the trash talking blended well with the action from the combatants.
Wonder if The Druids were from NXT or WXW.
At the conclusion of the match, all you see is Styles hand frozen upward through the dirt as he was buried alive, and then the American Bad Ass Undertaker sits on his motorcycle, raises his clenched fist in the air victorious and rides off into the darkness.
I also really enjoyed Kevin Owens vs. Seth Rollins. They brought it strong, main event quality. Glad it did not end on a DQ. Winner Owens.
Ladder match for the WWE SmackDown tag team titles with Kofi Kingston of The New Day, John Morrison of Miz & Morrison and Jimmy Uso of The Usos very good. Nice spot on the finish. Winner Morrison.
The Miz could not compete, which turned this triple threat tag team title ladder match into a three-way ladder match for the title. That meant Big E of The New Day and Jey Uso of The Usos did not wrestle.
Wonder if Miz will get a gift for Big E and Jey, since they were not part of the show. Then again, after watching the brutal physicality of that ladder match, maybe they should be gifting Miz.
WWE Universal Champ Goldberg-Braun Strowman, short and sweet, which works. Winner and new champ Strowman.
Intercontinental Champ Sami Zayn-Daniel Bryan very solid. Winner Zayn.
King Corbin vs. Elias was better than I expected. Winner Elias.
Mojo stopping his buddy Gronk from winning the WWE 24-7 title and then winning it himself, was funny.
WWE Women’s Tag Team Champs Kabuki Warriors (Asuke and Kairi Sane) against Bliss Cross (Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross). Good action. Winners and new champs Bliss Cross.
Kudos to Nikki Cross, the MVP of that match-up. She worked extremely hard, giving 110-percent plus in that opening women’s tag title match.
WWE Raw Women’s Champ The Man Becky Lynch vs. Shayna Baszler. Aggressively entertaining. Winner The Man.
Pre-show match: Cesaro vs. Drew Gulak solid effort. Winner: Cesaro.
If there were any improvements to be made, I thought the opening women’s tag title match was good but a bit long. Maybe that took time away from another match, i.e. the Becky Lynch-Shayna Baszler Raw women’s title match, which could have gone longer.
That’s Referee John Cone, the Donut King of Kansas City, working the match.
WWE used security by ringside. Why? I don’t know. Maybe to collect the ring gear.
The location for the Boneyard match and the production, creative and execution of it, excellent.
To open the main show, WWE Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon addressed the WWE Universe, followed by a compilation of all the great singers singing “America The Beautiful” from WrestleManias past. Nice moment.
Outtakes of Night 1
The American Bad Ass Undertaker riding that chopper on a dark night on the streets for his entrance while metal rockers Metallica provided the music. Very cool. That’s Triple H endorsed.
Nice job by the crew and staff on the Boneyard match at an eerie undisclosed location.
The crew at the Performance Center did a fine job, too, with the set there. Visually, inside The PC looked really good.
Rob Gronk Gronkowski along with his buddy WWE Superstar Mojo Rawley did an admirable job hosting Night 1.
Liked when they did the “Yes” chant during the Daniel Bryan entrance.
Later in the show, Rawley won the WWE 24-7 title after pushing Gronk off R-Truth.
That makes two WrestleMania moments for Rawley, who won the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal at WrestleMania 33 in 2017, also in Orlando. Ironically, both times Gronk was involved in the action. Now that Gronk is part of the WWE roster, this could be setting up something. Just saying.
BTW, that’s referee Jessika Carr, an NXT alum, on the Twoooo count.
No battle royals at this year’s WrestleMania, because of the state’s mandate via coronavirus concerns with group gatherings of more than 10 people.
Hey, Florida indie wrestling talent Chico Adams of Afa The Wild Samoans WXW, participated in the show. He stood at the door and walked Goldberg partly through The PC as special security during Goldberg’s entrance. Cool.
Chico’s been on major TV wrestling a lot lately. Congrats.
Including the dropkick-off show, WrestleMania began at 6 p.m. ET and ended by 10 p.m. ET.
That’s four hours, compared to the usual eight hours of marathon watching.
Here are highlights courtesy of WWE of that spectacular Boneyard match between the American Bad Ass Undertaker and The Phenomenal One AJ Styles with The OC (Gallows and Anderson) and The Druids.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uj25bG6Cnfo&feature=youtu.be
All deserve praise
Congratulations to the new champs on Night 1
WWE Universal Champ Braun Strowman
WWE Women’s Tag Team Champs Bliss Cross (Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross)
WWE 24-7 Champ Mojo Rawley
Congratulations to champs who successfully defended their titles on Night 1
WWE Raw Women’s Champ The Man Becky Lynch
WWE Intercontinental Champ Sami Zayn
WWE SmackDown Tag Team Champ John Morrison (for The Miz, too)
Congratulations to the now former champs who did a good job on Night 1
Goldberg
The Kabuki Warriors (Asuka and Kairi Sane)
R-Truth
Congratulations to title match contenders who did a good job on Night 1
Shayna Baszler
Daniel Bryan
Kofi Kingston for The New Day
Jimmy Uso for The Usos
Congratulations to the WWE Superstars who did a good job competing in non-title matches or as outside support on Night 1
Kevin Owens
Seth Rollins
Elias
King Corbin
Cesaro
Drew Gulak
Shinsuke Nakamura
Luke Gallows
Karl Anderson
Special mention
Credit to commentators Michaal Cole, JBL John Bradshaw Layfield, Tom Phillips and best dressed Byron Saxton on Night 1.
Pre-show hosts Corey Graves and Peter Rosenberg.
Pre-show panel correspondents Mark Henry, Booker T and Renee Young.
Backstage interviewers Kayla Braxton and Charly Caruso.
Ring announcers Greg Hamilton and Mike Rome.
Timekeeper Berkley Ottman, who got a little TV time.
Special shout-out to the excellent work by the WWE referees on Night 1:
Danilo Anfibio, Jessika Carr, John Cone, Eddie Orengo, Charles Robinson, Drake Wuertz, Rod Zapata.
Also, Paul Triple H Levesque, for his vision of a WWE PC, which now provides WWE a place to broadcast TV programming, i.e. Raw, SmackDown, NXT, Main Event, 205 Live and WrestleMania.
Let’s not forget the crew and staff working ringside and behind the scenes at The PC and on location.
And the always working PR team including Adam Hopkins, Joe Villa, Mark Vasquez, and Matthew Altman.
Of course, hats off to Mr. McMahon, Stephanie McMahon and Mr. WrestleMania (behind the scenes) John Saboor and his talented team..
Night 2 of WrestleMania 36 PC Orlando
Night 2 of WrestleMania 36 PC Orlando begins with the dropkick-off show at 6 p.m. ET Sunday on WWE Network. The main show starts at 7 p.m. ET via WWE Network, FOX Sports app, FITE TV and pay-per-view.
Night 2 features a “Firefly Fun House Match” between John Cena and The Fiend Bray Wyatt as well as a WWE champ Brock Lesnar with Paul Heyman vs. Drew McIntyre for the title.
Also, Randy Orton vs. Edge in a Last Man Standing match; NXT women’s champ Rhea Ripley vs. Charlotte Flair for the title; WWE SmackDown women’s champ Bayley vs. Sasha Banks vs. Tamina vs. Lacey Evans vs. Naomi in a Fatal Five Way Elimination Match for the title; and other exciting matches.
My Pro Wrestling Talk on the Web and Social Media
http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/fighting/
Twitter: @jimmyv3
YouTube: jim varsallone (jimmyv3 channel)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ProWrestlingSouthFlorida/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WWE-WrestleMania-28-Miami-241160769255279/
