It is Wrestlemania weekend! The biggest name in watching grown men hurl themselves at one another in almighty flesh collisions while dressed up like Saturday morning superheroes, this year’s blockbuster event in sports entertainment is looking kind of…well empty. Thanks to the Coronavirus, the WWE has been forced to move its live show away from sold-out stadiums and into their Performance Center, resulting in weekly episodes of RAW and Smackdown having a Shakespearian quality to them.
It’s downright odd, is what I’m saying. Still, the show must go on! Here’s everything there is to know about this year’s Wrestlemania, which unlike the Undertaker’ streak, isn’t planning to be broken so long as Vince McMahon still takes his morning dose of crazy pills.
When is Wrestlemania 36?
This year’s show will actually take place on two separate nights: Saturday April 4 and Sunday April 5. Both shows kick off at 7PM ET in the US of A, which translates to the ye gods it’s too damn early to get up to watch Vinny Mac’s house of smacks O’ clock. Or 1AM here in SA.
Where is Wrestlemania 36 being held?
Dude I just said the WWE Performance Center. Expect a crowd of no one to attend.
Where can I watch Wrestlemania 36?
Your best option will be the WWE Network, which will cost you $10 for a month, providing access to pretty much the entire WWE vault of content. On the plus side, if you’re signing up for the first time you’ll get your first month for free, so that’s one way to watch Wrestlemania 36 without having to pay a single cent.
Locally, you can catch the show on DSTV channel 128, SuperSport 4SA, SS9SA, SS4A, Max 2 and Select 5.
What’s the match card look like?
Stacked! With every championship on the line, feuds to be resolved and drama to be had, this year’s show has plenty of big matches and a ton of filler between them:
- WWE Champion Brock Lesnar vs. Drew McIntyre
- Universal Champion Goldberg vs. Roman Reigns (Officially out, expect Braun Strowman to step in)
- The Undertaker vs. AJ Styles
- John Cena vs. “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt
- Edge vs. Randy Orton (Last Man Standing Match)
- Raw Women’s Champion Becky Lynch vs. Shayna Baszler
- SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley vs. Sasha Banks vs. Lacey Evans vs. Tamina vs. Naomi (WrestleMania Fatal 5-Way Elimination Match)
- NXT Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley vs. Charlotte Flair
- Kevin Owens vs. Seth Rollins
- Intercontinental Champion Sami Zayn vs. Daniel Bryan
- SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Miz & John Morrison vs. The Usos vs. The New Day (Triple Threat Ladder Match)
- Raw Tag Team Champions The Street Profits vs. Austin Theory & Angel Garza
- Elias vs. King Corbin
- Aleister Black vs. Bobby Lashley
- Otis vs Dolph Ziggler
- WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions The Kabuki Warriors vs. Alexa Bliss & Nikki Cross
What are the major storylines?
The main event for this year is still on, as RAW’s WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar faces off against Royal Rumble 2020 winner Drew McIntyre. The Scottish Psychopath has been on a warpath as of late, and if anyone can topple the beast incarnate then it could be a monster of a man who has survived being in a D-list stable (Does anyone remember Three Man Band even?) and has reinvented himself as a merciless force of nature.
For some reason, Smackdown is still advertising WWE Champion Bill Goldberg versus Roman Reins, when it has been confirmed outside of the ring that Reigns will not be at Wrestlemania 36. Having just recovered from Leukemia, Reigns has decided not to risk his health amidst the Coronavirus pandemic and has pulled out of the event entirely. Braun Strowman is expected to replace him, with that change probably being confirmed on Friday’s episode of Smackdown.
Meanwhile, the Deadman has risen again! The Undertaker will return for another Wrestlemania payday, this time facing off against AJ Styles in a “boneyard match”, whatever that is. The feud between the two has been based on Styles wanting the Undertaker of old to return, with the phenomenal one taking potshots at Taker’s real-life persona and wife Michelle McCool over the last couple of weeks. Be careful what you wish for, I guess.
In serious need of a big win after the last couple of months (and one terribad Hell in a Cell match) have seen his character threat level diminished, Bray Wyatt’s Fiend character returns to the ring to take on human cheat code John Cena. While it has been a good while since Cena last stepped into the ring, if he helps put Wyatt over then it could lead to a resurgence of the Firefly Funhouse maniac’s incredibly weird and awesome Fiend identity being restored to maximum danger.
We’ve also got Randy Orton facing off against Edge, who recently returned at the Royal Rumble to rapturous applause. The Rated-R superstar has been cleared to wrestle once again after having been out of action for years and is looking better than ever after doing some seriously tough training with his wife Beth Phoenix and The Revival.
In the Women’s Division, you’ve got Becky Lynch going one on one with Shayna Baszler, who made her mark quite literally by biting a chunk of Lynch’s neck off in a sneak attack. Then there’s Charlotte Flair, who is looking to right the record books with a win over NXT champion Rhea Ripley, who may just be the future of WWE after having cemented her skill in NXT.
All that, and more!
Last Updated: April 2, 2020
