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#pounditFriday, March 29, 2024

WrestleMania 36 recap and match ratings

Charlotte Flair

WRESTLEMANIA 36 NIGHT 2 RECAP

Natalya vs Liv Morgan

This was a very surprising opening match on FS1 and was a great display of women’s wrestling. As expected, Natalya utilized her technical training with headlocks and multiple submissions. Liv Morgan had to alter her gameplan and adjust to Natalya’s offense. While Natalya was in control, Liv also had a very strong showing. This is probably Liv Morgan’s best match to-date. I was very impressed with the pre-show matches, but this one caught my eye. This wasn’t the best match of the night, but it delivered a good women’s wrestling match that exceeded expectations.

3.5 stars

Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Charlotte Flair

After a good FS1 match, the opening pay-per-view match delivered as well. Rhea and Charlotte had a great physical match. The pace was great, and they wrestled a good quality match, with plenty of offense. Without fans, you have to see the in-ring physicality by both competitors. This was Rhea Ripley’s first WrestleMania match, and it won’t be her last. This was a solid outing by both, with the Queen coming out victorious. My prediction was way off. Let’s see how Charlotte Flair defends her new title by going back to the NXT brand.

4 stars

Aleister Black vs. Bobby Lashley (with Lana)

Surprisingly, this match delivered. Similar to the pre-show matches, this was a quick wrestling match that had great wrestling. Both Black and Lashley are very competitive, and the future star won this match. Aleister needed this win because his character needs to develop, or he’ll get lost in the shuffle. Bobby Lashley, on the other hand, who knows what’s next for the “All-Mighty One.”

2.5 stars

Otis vs. Dolph Ziggler (with Sonya Deville)

This was the most entertaining match of the night. It told a great story that involved four people. Sonya was jealous of the attention that Mandy Rose was getting. Otis, a fan-favorite, not only won the match, but also got help from Mandy Rose by hitting Dolph Ziggler with a low-blow. Otis won the match and celebrated by kissing the beautiful Mandy Rose. Great storytelling from all performers. Who didn’t cheer for Otis in this match? My prediction was way off, but the result was better than expected.

3 stars

Randy Orton

Edge vs. Randy Orton

This was a strong physical matchup between Edge and Randy, but I did not enjoy this match. It was very physical, it had a lot of spots, but they weren’t necessary. Kevin Owens and Seth Rollins had a much better No-DQ match the night before. I do give them credit that they were able to use the backstage area, weight room, and loading dock. What if Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa, who had a backstage altercation weeks ago on NXT, continued their feud during this match? It would’ve promoted NXT and had a nice little diversion from the Last Man Standing match. If that would have happened, Randy and Edge would have had a confused look on their face. But regardless, the match was very physical, and it was missing something — too many unnecessary high-flying spots. The match was very long as well.

3 Stars

The Street Profits (Angelo Dawkins and Montez Ford) (c) vs. Austin Theory and Angel Garza (with Zelina Vega)

I had high expectations for this match. Unfortunately, this tag match did not deliver. It was way too short, robbing us of something that could have been great. The right team won but the best part of the match was the main roster debut of Bianca Belair after the match. If you have not seen Bianca wrestle, prepare to be entertained. She has the look and athleticism to become a top contender in a stacked RAW women’s division. She has a very bright future. Watch her performance at this year’s Royal Rumble and see for yourself.

2 stars

Bayley (c) vs. Lacey Evans vs. Naomi vs. Sasha Banks vs. Tamina Fatal 5-Way

A fatal 5-way works when there’s more than one contender challenging for a belt. Expecting low expectations, this match wasn’t bad. Lacey Evans was made into a star, being eliminated by Bayley at the end. Everyone at home, including myself, expected Sasha to turn on her best friend Bayley. They teased it throughout the match, but Sasha actually helped Bayley retain her championship. We will see how this continues with the Money in the Bank pay-per-view coming up next month.

3 stars

John Cena vs. “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt

This so-called “match” was hysterical and entertaining. I loved the stages of Cena that Bray brought out throughout the match. The mind games of Bray Wyatt were on full display. Bray got into the mind of Cena and made Cena go back to his past. It was a genius move by creative, and I loved the subtle jabs that Bray Wyatt showed. He even brought up Cena’s ex-fiance with a great reference, “you can look, but you can’t touch,” which is the theme song of Nikki Bella. The Fun House was executed to perfection, and we will most likely see more cinematography from the WWE in the near future since both the FireFly Fun House and the Boneyard match received a lot of praise.

4 stars

Brock Lesnar (c) vs. Drew McIntyre

I was not a fan of having the top two championship matches end in fewer than five minutes. We saw Goldberg lose to Braun Strowman in fewer than five minutes. Then we saw the same exact style of match in the main event! A quality championship should be at least 15 minutes of back-and-forth action. I was not a fan of these quick finishes, but I get it — they want to emulate MMA somehow, so by having quick matches, they provide a surprise factor. Nonetheless, congratulations to Drew McIntrye on a win against Brock Lesnar. I wish this match was in front of a live audience, because Drew has worked very hard. I am hoping for Drew to have a lengthy reign and possible rematch with Brock Lesnar in the near future.

2 Stars, but congrats to Drew McIntyre on finally winning the WWE Championship.

Overall it was a great WrestleMania given the circumstances. From a booking standpoint, the right competitors won their matches and told a great story. It seems that they will continue to produce WWE matches and shows during this pandemic. It will be interesting to see if their next events still continue to happen at the Performance Center. Once the stay-at-home orders are lifted, the WWE Universe will be loud and proud.

Estuardo Alvarado has been following wrestling for 25 years and is the commissioner of a fantasy wrestling league he created. You can follow him on Twitter @EstoAlvarado

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