Despite all of the obstacles in the outside world, WWE’s biggest show will go on. WrestleMania 36 will be unique on several fronts. Whether you view it through the lens of being the only WrestleMania too big for one night or through the one that recognizes it will be the first, and perhaps only, WrestleMania to take place in front of no fans, there is a different vibe all around this year.
So, why exactly should you pay up for WrestleMania this year? Well…
1) When Will the Next Major Sporting Event Be?
COVID-19 has laid waste to the 2020 year that is, was, and should have been in sports. March Madness and Wimbledon? Canceled. MLB Opening Day? Pending. The Kentucky Derby and Indy 500? Postponed. The Stanley Cup and NBA Playoffs? Well, they could very well be the main entertainment of your 4th of July barbecue. Yet, WWE has held firm to the first weekend of April as the date for WrestleMania. Sure, it may be going down primarily in the Performance Center, minus both live fans and the big stage feel. However, it is a sporting event, coming to you on your television, and that’s saying something these days. Who knows when we will next see another one? Better make the most of WrestleMania to at least subdue your withdrawal cravings.
2) WrestleMania is Too Big for Just One Night
This has been the company’s go-to line to sell the fan-less pay-per-view event. It isn’t a joke. For the first time ever, WrestleMania will take place across two nights, airing from 7-11p.m. ET on both Saturday, April 4th, and Sunday, April 5th. Given the desolate outlook of the sports scene at present, holding Mania across multiple evenings is ingenious. Why pack all the action into a single night when it can be delivered to sports-starved fans over two? Your whole weekend is planned out for you!
3) Rob Gronkowski is Host
For anyone concerned that a WrestleMania without the vital ingredient that is the live WWE Universe will lack excitement, insert Rob Gronkowski as your host. The former New England Patriots tight end knows how to put on a party and live it up once it’s in full bloom. With an assist from his friend, WWE Superstar Mojo Rawley, expect plenty of laughs and entertainment that goes beyond the ring itself.
4) The Main Event Matchup is Epic
It’s a little disappointing that the WWE Championship match between defending champ Brock Lesnar and challenger Drew McIntyre has to take place at the WWE Performance Center. When McIntyre punched his WrestleMania ticket by winning the Royal Rumble, this was a main event that many a WWE fan began salivating over immediately. While it deserves a much grander stage, it is still appointment viewing. Even Lesnar’s advocate Paul Heyman was willing to pay McIntyre his due credit when promoting the match on the go-home segment of RAW this week. Get ready for some main event fireworks!
5) Two All-Time Greats Will Compete in Two Wild Matches
The names Undertaker and John Cena are synonymous whenever the subject of WrestleMania gets brought up. This year, The Phenom takes on AJ Styles in a Boneyard Match, while Cena will find his hands full with “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt in a Firefly Funhouse Match. Both matches will take place outside of the Performance Center at separate locations. If the descriptions of each aren’t enough to intrigue you, then two of the best to ever step in a WWE ring definitely should.
6) Rated-RKO is Set to Do Battle
Edge shocked the WWE Universe when he made his return at the Royal Rumble. After eliminating his former tag team partner Randy Orton in the late stages of the rumble match, the fate of Edge’s in-ring return is very much in the balance when the two throw down on “The Grandest Stage of Them All.” Orton has taken on a vicious heel role here, brutally attacking Edge and even delivering an RKO to his wife, Beth Phoenix, on a separate episode of RAW. This should be one of the card’s best matches because of the build, regardless of outcome.
7) Goldberg Needs a New Opponent
Due to concerns over his health amid the Coronavirus pandemic, leukemia survivor Roman Reigns pulled out of his Universal Championship match against Bill Goldberg at the Showcase of the Immortals. WWE can’t possibly extend the 53-year old Goldberg’s run atop Friday Night SmackDown, can it? If Reigns’ rumored replacement Braun Strowman does indeed march down to meet the champ in the ring, it could be the start of a title reign long overdue for the Monster Among Men.
8) An NXT Belt Will be Defended at WrestleMania for the First Time
This comes as a result of NXT Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley laying down a challenge to Women’s Royal Rumble winner Charlotte Flair saying she had never beaten her. A Flair attack on Ripley at NXT TakeOver: Portland made it official. Could the great Charlotte Flair actually be headed to the yellow brand?
9) Bayley Defends in a Five-Woman Elimination Match
Former Superstar Paige had the honor of announcing Bayley’s SmackDown Women’s Championship opponent at WrestleMania. Turns out, Bayley has not just one opponent, but four, including her best friend and ally Sasha Banks in what will be an Elimination Match. This means that it could be Bayley and Banks as the last two standing with the title on the line. While Lacey Evans, Naomi and Tamina will all have something to say about that, there is a real possibility that the top of the SmackDown women’s division could be altered drastically by the outcome of this match.
10) WrestleMania Card is Straight-Up Loaded
While some of the most notable matches have been expounded upon throughout this article, the reality is that the entire WrestleMania card is intriguing from top to bottom. Becky Lynch and Shayna Baszler will battle for the RAW Women’s Championship. Kevin Owens will look to secure his first WrestleMania shining moment against the self-proclaimed Monday Night Messiah, Seth Rollins. Two of the best character personalities in the business will go head to head, as Elias takes on King Baron Corbin. Sami Zayn will look to continue his ascension as one of the best heels in the game when he defends his Intercontinental Championship against Daniel Bryan. All three sets of tag team belts will be defended. And Alesiter Black could be one Black Mask to Bobby Lashley away from firmly inserting himself in the conversation atop the RAW brand.
Whether you are a serious WWE junkie or just a casual sports fan desperate for something to watch, this WrestleMania card will not disappoint.
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