WM36 Card Night One:
The Undertaker vs Aj Styles
Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross vs the Kabuki Warriors
Elias vs Baron Corbin
Shayna Baszler vs Becky Lynch
Braun Strowman vs Goldberg
Daniel Bryan vs Sami Zayn
Morrison vs Jimmy Uso vs Kofi Kingston
Kevin Owens vs Seth Rollins
The show kicked off with a cool and funny pirate themed video package. Almost Monty Python like.
Hang in there, stay healthy, say what you want about the WWE but they are doing everything they can. The show must go on, the show exists to help us feel some normalcy, to be entertained and to feel like there’s hope. Thank you to the WWE and the amazing superstars.
Kickoff Show Match - Drew Gulak vs Cesaro
This was a hard hitting affair, very physical and really escalated the surreal nature of this WrestleMania. The two did what they always do, put on a great technical display of wrestling. Gulak was smooth but Cesaro took the win with his unique offense that few can match. The oddest thing about this match was the length it came in around seven minutes.
Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross vs. The Kabuki Warriors for the Women’s Tag Team Championship
Alexa and Cross came out with matching outfits and they were fire. The Kabuki Warriors tagged in and out and bullied Alexa early. This match was a great start to the show. As you can imagine the physicality was on display right from the drop and the pace was very fast. In and out of the ring, Alexa was the first to really go high risk with a flip off the ring apron onto Asuka and chaos ensued outside. Kairi and Asuka kept their flurry of tags coming and capitalized on a lot of double team opportunities. Alexa Bliss took the most punishment at the mid point of the match, the Kabuki Warriors had to keep tagging back and forth though in order to keep the heat up.
Alexa attempted to escape an arm bar from Asuka but was powered through the mat, Asuka kept Bliss cut off from her partner. Alexa escaped a bulldog by Asuka, but ate a knee soon after that, Asuka maintained control. Alexa continued to take a lot of punishment with some brilliant reverses and she finally got the tag. Kairi and Nikki met mid-ring, Nikki was fired up. Nikki’s burst ended when Asuka was legal and Nikki didn’t see the tag. Nikki dropped Asuka and almost got a three count but the elbow from Kairi prevented the win. That moment allowed Auka to take control and tie in an Asuka-lock on Nikki, but twisted bliss broke that up! Sheer chaos as Kairi followed that up with a speer on Bliss.
Asuka landed a knee drop on Cross, Kairi climbed the ropes again, called for the elbow. Nikki regained herself and took the fight to Kairi on the top rope. The Kabuki Warriors started double teaming Nikki. The chaos didn’t end, Nikki landed a spinning neck breaker on Kairi. Alexa landed twisted bliss on Kairi and got the three count! We have new women’s tag team champions! This match was physical, hard hitting, fast, and rock solid. These ladies all brought it. This show needed to start strong and they chose a great match to do so.
King Corbin vs Elias
King Corbin started this match with his mouth. He demanded a ten count and have his hand raised. However before the count could start, guitar riff and a fired up Elias came down to the ring. They met on the ramp and Elias smashed his guitar on the king. The physicality continued between the two, there wasn’t a clear owner of the momentum as they went back and forth and the impacts were huge.
King Corbin demanded that Cole and JBL spend their time telling everyone how great he is. This match kept the back and forth collisions in the center of the ring and on the ring posts. Corbin targeted both shoulders of the behemoth Elias, who’s right shoulder was heavily taped before this match. Elias showed pure rage the entire match, Corbin tried to end it as many times as he possibly could. Elias and Corbin both hit their finishers mid ring and get close two counts for their efforts.
Corbin does the quick ring entry around the ring post better than anyone. Elias dodged a clothesline in the ring post, Corbin slid out, did his thing, looked smooth but was met with a knee to the chops by Elias. The match continued to be physical, these guys beat the crap out of each other. Not long after this, the ref caught the king being cheeky and trying to get a dirty pin. This allowed Elias to roll him up and get the three count. This match was a throwdown and it was insanely physical, it was like a train wreck but not in a bad way.
Becky Lynch vs Shayna Baszler for the Raw Women’s Championship
Becky rolled up in a semi before the match. These two literally had a fight in the middle of the ring throwing punches back and forth. This match ended up outside the ring in a hurry. Becky regained control when it was outside, she’s more comfortable out there. Becky kept the momentum as it went back into the ring.
Becky took it to Shayna with her striking which was an interesting strategy. A back and forth of right hands and knees on the apron gave Baszler a jolt but that was short lived as Becky slammed Baszler into the apron. Baszler took over soon after that with an armbar slam in the ring. Becky was in trouble but she rolled into a pin attempt, Baszler kicked out at two. Baszler threw another armbar attempt in but Becky escaped. Soon after, a frustrated Baszler took a live round to the face from Baszler’s knee and the closest two count of the match occurred.
Becky was rocked but started to bounce back with an armbar of her own. THe two struggled against the ropes and the more powerful Baszler was able to choke Becky along the top rope. Soon after this the match took a dark turn. Baszler is a powerhouse and started using tactics to exploit this and wheelbarrowed Becky’s head into the announce table. Becky was put into more submissions, rolled through and got the three count victory while being choked. Wow, this was a hard hitting affair. Several live rounds were received by both women. Baszler looked awesome, she’s going to have that belt real soon. What a dramatic finish. This match was stellar. Baszler has everything it takes to carry the women’s division in the near future.
Daniel Bryan vs Sami Zayn for the IC Championship
Sami was joined by his crew, Bryan escorted by the king of PowerPoint Drew Gulak. This match took a while to get going, champion’s advantage, can’t lose the belt by DQ so Sami spent a lot of his time outside, demanding the ten count. The cat/mouse chase continued, Gulak finally got involved taking the fight to Cesaro and Shinsuke. Sami’s clubhouse had been thrown over the barrier by Gulak. Bryan said to Gulak to let him go, as he walked up the ramp, Bryan tackled him and threw him in the ring.
Finally the match got going, Bryan laid it to Sami who didn’t have an answer. Bryan maintained complete control over the champion. After being teed off on for several minutes, Sami finally got something going. He landed some right hands and hit Bryan with a vicious clothesline off the ropes. With Bryan on his knees mid ring, Sami delivered a few knife edge chops but all it did was woke Bryan up.
Bryan, off the Irish whip landed a clothesline and then followed it up with a series of yes kicks. Bryan regained control and took it to Sami harder than the beginning. Cesaro and Shinsuke rejoined the land of the living and Bryan took them down. Bryan was distracted from that and that allowed Sami to roll him up and retain. This was a weird match, it didn’t match the pacing of the others on the night but seeing Sami compete is fun. It’ll be interesting to see where this rivalry goes, do Bryan and Gulak add another to their group?
Morrison vs The New Day vs The Usos for the Smackdown Tag Team Titles
Since Miz is ill, Morrison was going to compete by himself but instead this became a true triple threat match. Kofi represented The New Day, Jimmy represented the Uso’s and Morrison represented the champs. The match started quickly with a stalemate, the athletes in this match are impressive, each retreated and grabbed a ladder. Jimmy was the first to take a crash off a ladder, Morrison and Kofi traded shots just under the titles.
Kofi landed a cross body off the ladder on Jimmy Uso. Morrison was the first to attempt to use a ladder as a weapon, Kofi reversed and tried to land an SOS on the ladder. Meanwhile, Jimmy traversed the ladder, Kofi met him up top and knocked him off. Morrison met Kofi soon after and was alone at the top. Jimmy woke up and pulled him down and then stuck Morrison with a hard right hand putting him down. Kofi tried to do some crazy trickery through a ladder but was grabbed by Morrison and Jimmy. Morrison, keeping himself on high alert, stood alone in the ring but he didn’t want to go up yet, he set up ladders all around the ring and grabbed one and went after Jimmy’s knee which was hurt early on in the match. Jimmy started fighting back, placed Morrison on the top rope over a ladder he set up and bounced his face off of it, bam. Jimmy goes high risk, stands on the ladder trying to suplex Morrison.
Morrison fought back, laid Jimmy out on that ladder. Morrison went full insane and landed a crazy parkour flip directly onto Jay on the ladder, that was a huge boost for Morrison, again standing alone in the ring. Morrison was in no hurry whatsoever to get on top of the ladder, and out of Nowhere Kofi jumped off the top rope and dropped Morrison hard off the ladder. Kofi and Jimmy square up, Kofi wins that battle, Morrison grabs another ladder and Kofi takes off, dives over the top rope and cross bodies Morrison, dropping the ladder.
Jimmy tight-roped the barrier to attack Kofi which was a huge mistake, Kofi intercepted him and met his face with a ladder, Kofi set up a ladder bridge between the ring and the barrier, placing Jimmy on this bridge after slamming him face first into it. Morrison went to take advantage of all the work by Kofi. Kofi saw him and took him down from the top rope. Kofi and Morrison both climb opposite turnbuckles. Morrison literally tight-ropes the top rope to Kofi and landed a Spanish Fly on Kofi. Jimmy lands a splash on Morrison right after the Spanish Fly, all the men were down at this point, this has been a clash.
Jimmy recovered and was the first up the ladder after several minutes, he and Kofi get into it halfway up with Jimmy coming out on top, literally. Kofi scaled the inside of the ladder, took Jimmy down. Kofi and Morrison were the only ones standing at the top of the ladder, Kofi maintained position but Morrison kept coming. Kofi had no choice, dropkick off the ladder. Jimmy woke up again and got involved, another ladder bridge made this time between the middle rope and a rung of the ladder. Jimmy threw Kofi’s face into the ladder bridge, wow that was a collision. Morrison ended up on the ladder bridge, Jimmy in full control after that super kick to Morrison.
Instead of going for the belts, Jimmy set up another ladder for high risk ahd Morrison pushed Jimmy off the ladder to go get those belts. What is this? Kofi climbed the ladder, he and Morrison go at it up top. Jimmy recovered as well, set up another ladder parallel to the one under the titles. All three men beating the crap out of each other at the top of the ladders. They all three grab at one time, the belts become unclipped, all three men have their hands on it. Morrison ate a headbutt by Jimmy and Kofi and he was able to fall and grab the belts just in time. The champions retain. That was an insane ladder match. The ending was very strange, considering these matches were taped that could've been run back BUT complaining is just asinine. This has been a fun show.
Kevin Owens vs Seth Rollins
Rollins out here looking like a cult leader, he and KO take this thing outside real quick. This night was filled with physical matches and this one kept up the trend. KO giving out right hands like they were gifts. KO kept reminding Rollins of how personal this was, this was another cat/mouse match early on like Bryan and Sami but not to that extreme of that one. Kevin went for a suplex on the apron only to be reversed by Rollins, momentum shifted.
Rollins landed a brutal slam on the apron, that apron got abused all night. KO rolls outside, he was writhing in pain, Rollins taunted from the ring. Rollins took a suicide dive and drove KO into the barrier. Rollins getting personal with his mouth, “When the lights are the brightest Kevin. I become a God.” Rollins has completely lost his mind. KO scraped and clawed his way back to the ring, another suicide dive by Rollins.
The personal attacks continued, Rollins asked KO what his kids are going to think, that was fuel for KO to get back in the ring but he was met with a slingblade. Rollins mounted for some ground and pound and a kick to remember him by. KO got a burst of offense as Rollins continued monologuing like Walter White in Breaking Bad, Rollins was met with a filthy DDT, both men were able to get on their feet, Rollins a little better off until a super kick immediately followed up by a canon ball.
KO went to the top ropes and landed a senton, my goodness. Rollins kicked out at two after that. That offensive burst was great for KO, he’s still reeling though, but feeding off the momentum. KO went for a powerbomb but Rollins leap frogged over, keeping this thing going. KO tried to land a stunner, Rollins responded with a headkick, KO bounced off the top rope and landed a clothesline, both men on the mat at this point. No clear momentum either.
KO put Rollins on the top rope, they struggle at the top. Rollins went for a powerbomb, couldn’t get it so he threw KO into the opposite turnbuckle, Rollins goes airborne and KO reversed with a powerbomb and another two count. The Monday night messiah tried to escape, he blasted KO with the bell, the ref called for a stop, KO won by DQ. Rollins wanted that bell to be rang ASAP. This match was really good, these two kept it personal, the banter back and forth was really cool and added to the match.
Post match, KO had a lot to say, so he grabbed the mic. KO said these weren’t the actions of a God, they were the actions of a bitch. KO demanded a no DQ, no rules match.
KO vs Seth Rollins in a no DQ match
Rollins surprisingly accepted and the two start throwing down. The entire dynamic shifted now and Rollins was ripping into KO. Rollins showing a vicious streak that we hadn’t seen in a long time. Rollins grabbed the steel steps and absolutely rocked KO in the side of the face with the steps.
Rollins grabbed a chair. The banter continued by Rollins and it was ferocious. After a couple chair shots, KO said “you’re always gonna be a bitch” Rollins didn’t like that, more chair shots. KO finally recovered and gave Rollins a taste of the ring bell. KO left the ring area and climbed the massive WrestleMania sign behind the announce table. “How’s this for a WrestleMania moment?” KO elbow dropped Rollins from atop the sign, smashed the announce table in the process.
The brutality of this match was insane! Rollins tried to get KO to stop as the match went back to the ring, KO landed a stunner, putting Rollins out of his misery and wins...again 1...2...3! What a freaking match! It’s been a long time since a match felt like that, just unreal!
Bill Goldberg vs Braun Strowman for the Universal Title
Goldberg took it to Braun immediately, landing three spears, Braun got up immediately after each one though. Spear number four by Goldberg who calls for the Jackhammer. The jackhammer was countered into a powerslam by Braun who then threw multiple powerslams after that. Braun got a three count after landing a fourth powerslam I have no words for this, once things normalize, Braun will drop that title to Roman but for now, he can have this moment.
The Boneyard Match. Undertaker vs. Aj Styles
Night one has been absolutely terrific. AJ showed up at the cemetery in a hearse to the Undertaker’s theme song. A motorcycle in the distance, the American Badass Undertaker is back for this match. AJ, “Does Michelle know you’re out this late?” Hilarious.
This match looked more like a horror movie, the production was top notch. I’m not going to put a lot here, you have to see this match. That’s all I can say, you absolutely have to just watch this match, stellar. It was like watching a horror movie, Undertaker stalked his prey, drew blood early, these two put on a hell of a scene.
The OC showed up with a bunch of robed and hooded figures, Undertaker was surrounded. But he came to fight and eventually took them all out. It looked like a Wrong Turn movie combined with The Walking Dead combined with Sons Of Anarchy. AJ smashed Undertaker with a shovel throwing him into a buried grave. Undertaker showed up behind AJ before he could dump the dirt and Undertaker proceeded to beat the hell out of him.
AJ tried to escape, he climbed to the top of a roof, Undertaker raised his arms, fire arose behind AJ. Taker took down the OC in the process. Taker threw AJ off the top of the building knocking him out. AJ pleads, he’s sorry. Undertaker asks him what he’s sorry for. Undertaker told him to take it like a man, he said he was tougher than him. He turned to walk away but delivered a “This Is Sparta!” kick to the chest, knocking AJ into the grave. The dirt came down, this one is over. Undertaker is the winner and AJ, well, he’s sorry.
WrestleMania 36, night one, absolutely stellar. If I were to rank this, it would be an A+. I’m blown away. Please watch this event.