WrestleMania is the biggest show of WWE for a long period of time. Epic matches, great storylines building to this PPV has always been one of WWE's great attributes. With Royal Rumble starting the WrestleMania season every year fans has always been speculating what would happen in the PPV and who would main event WrestleMania. This year's WrestleMania was a unique one and as many unplanned decisions had been made regarding it. The unique unplanned and uncertain circumstances of WrestleMania 36 already being pre-taped from the empty WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida, left fans with no idea what to expect of the event as it began its two-day schedule on Saturday night. With WWE deciding to move ahead after relocating the show from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the first night of the extravaganza surpassed any reasonable expectations with some high quality in-ring action and one of the most bizarre -- yet entertaining -- matches in WWE history serving as main event. Without any further ado let's start the recap of this year's WrestleMania 36[Part-1]
1.Cesaro Vs. Drew Gulak (Kick-off Show): The two had a solid but a very short match. Drew Gulak took the offense first to Cesaro as he came all fired up. He threw Cesaro twice to the ring steps but the momentum got stopped when Cesaro counter attacked Gulak's an attempt to take to the air as Cesaro gave an European Uppercut. He finished the match with no-hands airplane spin into a slam. Too short to be good, too well-executed to be bad. Cesaro Def. Drew Gulak Via Pinfall. Grade:C
2. Kabuki Warriors(C) Vs. Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross(Women's Tag Team Championship): This match was a surprisingly a hard hitting match as we saw some big spots throughout the match. Four of the competitors gave some big spots. Cross had to battle her way to Alexa after getting hit by a double team Powerbomb Forearm move from the top of the ring. After tagging to Alexa. Alexa hit her Twisted Bliss from the top of the ring and pin Kairi for the win. This is the second time this duo has held the championship. Bliss & Cross def. Kabuki Warriors via pinfall to win the titles. Grade:C
3. King Corbin Vs. Elias: This was one of matches that had no made up storylines leading to this match. But still this match was surprisingly an entertaining one as both of the competitors gave some hard hitting contest. Elias took on the offense even before starting the match when he blasted his guitar on Corbin's back. The whole match was dominated by Corbin but Elias took the win when he rolled up Corbin for a pin holding his tights. Elias def. Corbin via pinfall. Grade: C-
4. Becky Lynch(C) Vs. Shayna Bazler(Raw Women's Championship): Both of the Women gave some hard hitting contest as they put on a match heavy with strikes and submissions, giving the feeling of a fight rather than wrestling which is one of Shayna's great attributes. Throughout the match Bazler gave some serious offense and Lynch had to counter the moves of Bazler leading to the Kirifuda Clutch. But it was Becky who won the match by countering Bazler's move when Becky rolled backward through the hold to pin Bazler's shoulders to the mat for the victory. Lynch def. Baszler via pinfall to retain the title. Grade:B-
5. Sami Zayn(C) Vs. Daniel Bryan(Intercontinental Championship):
The story of the match was almost entirely Zayn begging Drew Gulak to let him go, avoiding contact at all costs. Bryan was eventually able to trick Zayn into a wrestling match, which he almost entirely dominated. Zayn begged Bryan to stop before Shinsuke Nakamura and Cesaro caused a distraction. After Bryan hit Nakamura and Cesaro with a suicide dive, he went to the top rope but was caught by a Helluva Kick from Zayn, leading to the pinfall victory and a successful title defense. The match told a perfectly good story in line with recent weeks of action, but there's a certain sense of disappointment that Zayn and Bryan weren't able to go out and put on the match they're capable of with their elite skills. Zayn def. Bryan via pinfall to retain the title. Grade:B
6. John Morrison(C) Vs. Kofi Kingston Vs. Jimmy Uso(Triple Threat Smackdown Tag Team Championship): This was a match where WWE did an unplanned decision removing one member from the respective teams. The fans expected this match to be a bummer for the decision of WWE but they were wrong as the match was very entertaining and it had many big spots. The expected big bumps were on display with men being dumped from ladders, onto ladders and to the outside. Morrison in particular hit an impressive parkour move from the top of the ring post onto Uso, who was on an elevated ladder between the turnbuckles. The ending of the match came when all three men were holding the title rig as Uso unhooked it from the cable suspending it from the ceiling. As they battled over the belts, Morrison was knocked from the top of the ladder, pulling the belts with him to earn the victory and retain the championships for his team. Morrison def. Kingston and Uso to retain the titles. Grade:A
7. 24/7 Championship: As Rob Gronkowski and Mojo Rawley were celebrating atop the perch midway through the show, R-Truth hopped into the frame. Gronk tried to punch and pin Truth, but Rawley pulled off the former Patriots star and got the 1-2-3. Rawley def. R-Truth and Gronkowski to win the title.
8. Kevin Owens Vs. Seth Rollins: Rollins took over the early part of the match with a cheap shot before the two battled back and forth with tons of counters and reversals that would have excited the crowd if one was in attendance. Rollins, looking for the easy way out, used the ring bell to hit Owens, leading the referee to call the match off and award Owens the win via disqualification. Owens then called Rollins out, saying he didn't get to end things so easily and demanding they continue without disqualifications. Rollins agreed, coming back to continue the attack on Owens, taunting, "You said you wanted your WrestleMania moment?!" Owens eventually used the same ring bell to take over the match before diving from the WrestleMania sign and driving Rollins through the announce table with a senton. After that, it only took Owens a moment to drag Rollins to the ring, hit a stunner and pick up the victory. The lack of a crowd added a bit to this match with both men constantly trash talking each other and it adding a nastiness to the bout it may have missed otherwise. Owens Def. Rollins via pin fall. Grade:A.
9. Goldberg(C) Vs. Braun Strowman(Universal Championship): This match was also the victim of an unplanned decision of WWE which made Braun the challenger as Roman Reigns was out of the match. With no storylines building up between them this was expected to be a insanely short match which did happened. Goldberg started the offense and gave Strowman 4 spears. While giving Strowman a Jackhammer, Strowman countered it with a power slam and gave Goldberg another three power slams to finish the match. Strowman def. Goldberg via Pinfall to win the title. Grade:D+
10. The Undertaker Vs. AJ Styles (BoneYard Match): This was as anticipated, a WWE "cinematic experience" An elaborate hearse entrance at the cemetery was a swerve with Styles being revealed as in a coffin in the back. Undertaker arrived for the "match" on a motorcycle with Metallica playing over the video. The match turned into a brawl that ranged from the graveyard to a barn to the barn's rooftop with Taker battling Styles, Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows -- as well as hooded "druids." At one point, Styles had Taker in an open grave before Taker somehow materialized behind him. From that point, it was all Undertaker, as he brutalized Styles before throwing him off the barn roof. Styles attempted to apologize and begged Taker not to bury him. Taker said he wouldn't because of the fight Styles had put up, before kicking him into the grave and using a tractor to fill the grave, winning WWE's first boneyard match. The experience was campy, corny and somehow incredibly entertaining. It was not a wrestling match in any sort of traditional sense, but it was as well done as anything involving Undertaker can possibly be in 2020 and on entertainment alone, it was a success. Undertaker def. Styles via burial. Grade:A
The story of the match was almost entirely Zayn begging Drew Gulak to let him go, avoiding contact at all costs. Bryan was eventually able to trick Zayn into a wrestling match, which he almost entirely dominated. Zayn begged Bryan to stop before Shinsuke Nakamura and Cesaro caused a distraction. After Bryan hit Nakamura and Cesaro with a suicide dive, he went to the top rope but was caught by a Helluva Kick from Zayn, leading to the pinfall victory and a successful title defense. The match told a perfectly good story in line with recent weeks of action, but there's a certain sense of disappointment that Zayn and Bryan weren't able to go out and put on the match they're capable of with their elite skills. Zayn def. Bryan via pinfall to retain the title. Grade:B
6. John Morrison(C) Vs. Kofi Kingston Vs. Jimmy Uso(Triple Threat Smackdown Tag Team Championship): This was a match where WWE did an unplanned decision removing one member from the respective teams. The fans expected this match to be a bummer for the decision of WWE but they were wrong as the match was very entertaining and it had many big spots. The expected big bumps were on display with men being dumped from ladders, onto ladders and to the outside. Morrison in particular hit an impressive parkour move from the top of the ring post onto Uso, who was on an elevated ladder between the turnbuckles. The ending of the match came when all three men were holding the title rig as Uso unhooked it from the cable suspending it from the ceiling. As they battled over the belts, Morrison was knocked from the top of the ladder, pulling the belts with him to earn the victory and retain the championships for his team. Morrison def. Kingston and Uso to retain the titles. Grade:A
7. 24/7 Championship: As Rob Gronkowski and Mojo Rawley were celebrating atop the perch midway through the show, R-Truth hopped into the frame. Gronk tried to punch and pin Truth, but Rawley pulled off the former Patriots star and got the 1-2-3. Rawley def. R-Truth and Gronkowski to win the title.
8. Kevin Owens Vs. Seth Rollins: Rollins took over the early part of the match with a cheap shot before the two battled back and forth with tons of counters and reversals that would have excited the crowd if one was in attendance. Rollins, looking for the easy way out, used the ring bell to hit Owens, leading the referee to call the match off and award Owens the win via disqualification. Owens then called Rollins out, saying he didn't get to end things so easily and demanding they continue without disqualifications. Rollins agreed, coming back to continue the attack on Owens, taunting, "You said you wanted your WrestleMania moment?!" Owens eventually used the same ring bell to take over the match before diving from the WrestleMania sign and driving Rollins through the announce table with a senton. After that, it only took Owens a moment to drag Rollins to the ring, hit a stunner and pick up the victory. The lack of a crowd added a bit to this match with both men constantly trash talking each other and it adding a nastiness to the bout it may have missed otherwise. Owens Def. Rollins via pin fall. Grade:A.
9. Goldberg(C) Vs. Braun Strowman(Universal Championship): This match was also the victim of an unplanned decision of WWE which made Braun the challenger as Roman Reigns was out of the match. With no storylines building up between them this was expected to be a insanely short match which did happened. Goldberg started the offense and gave Strowman 4 spears. While giving Strowman a Jackhammer, Strowman countered it with a power slam and gave Goldberg another three power slams to finish the match. Strowman def. Goldberg via Pinfall to win the title. Grade:D+
10. The Undertaker Vs. AJ Styles (BoneYard Match): This was as anticipated, a WWE "cinematic experience" An elaborate hearse entrance at the cemetery was a swerve with Styles being revealed as in a coffin in the back. Undertaker arrived for the "match" on a motorcycle with Metallica playing over the video. The match turned into a brawl that ranged from the graveyard to a barn to the barn's rooftop with Taker battling Styles, Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows -- as well as hooded "druids." At one point, Styles had Taker in an open grave before Taker somehow materialized behind him. From that point, it was all Undertaker, as he brutalized Styles before throwing him off the barn roof. Styles attempted to apologize and begged Taker not to bury him. Taker said he wouldn't because of the fight Styles had put up, before kicking him into the grave and using a tractor to fill the grave, winning WWE's first boneyard match. The experience was campy, corny and somehow incredibly entertaining. It was not a wrestling match in any sort of traditional sense, but it was as well done as anything involving Undertaker can possibly be in 2020 and on entertainment alone, it was a success. Undertaker def. Styles via burial. Grade:A
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