People had different opinions on WrestleMania 36 Night 1, but it was an entertaining card that gives the company momentum entering the WrestleMania 36 Night 2 review.
Since we know what matches took place already, it’s obvious that this particular card will feature Brock Lesnar vs. Drew McIntyre for the WWE title, the grudge match between Edge and Randy Orton, and other fun stuff.
Let’s dive into the WrestleMania 36 Night 2 review.
VIDEO: Stephanie McMahon welcomes us to part two of WrestleMania.
RINGSIDE: Rob Gronkowski is back and hypes the action.
VIDEO: We get a hype video for Charlotte challenging Rhea Ripley.
Charlotte Flair vs. (c) Rhea Ripley – NXT Women’s Title
Charlotte with a quick takedown and then she taunts Rhea. Charlotte goes for the Figure Four but Rhea pushes her away. They get face to face and Charlotte starts the chops. Rhea hits the Riptide but Charlotte kicks out at two. Charlotte retreats and gets the upper hand after Rhea tries to chase her back inside. But Rhea regains control until Charlotte throws her into the steel steps. Rhea then hits a flip onto Charlotte. Back in the ring where Rhea starts whooping ass. She gets a suplex on Charlotte for another near fall. More kicks from Rhea and then she locks on the body scissors while pulling Charlotte’s hair. Rhea with the body scissors pin for another two.
Rhea goes for a kick on Charlotte on the apron but Charlotte racks her leg on the top rope. Charlotte destroys Rhea’s leg for a bit and takes it a step further by throwing her leg off the ring post multiple times. Rhea finally counters by pulling Charlotte to the post, but Charlotte quickly goes back to working on the leg. Rhea hits an atomic drop but starts grabbing her leg again. They exchange several hard punches and Charlotte hits a huge chop. Rhea blocks another move and hits several knees to Charlotte’s face. Dropkick from Rhea but she continues to sell the knee issues.
Rhea with three consecutive clotheslines, with Charlotte countering and flipping her onto the apron. Charlotte with a kick to Rhea’s leg to send her outside, but Rhea quickly gets back in and picks up Charlotte off the top rope. Rhea hits a facebuster for another two. Charlotte regains the advantage with a hard punch and tries to work on the knee. But Rhea hits a huge elbow to Charlotte’s face and then comes off the top with a flying dropkick. Rhea sells the knee some more as she gets a two count. Charlotte with a boot to Rhea’s face and she dives at her knee.
Charlotte tries for the Figure Four but Rhea reverses and locks in the standing cloverleaf. Charlotte eventually reverses and hits Rhea in the face. Charlotte tries to lock in the Figure Four yet again but Rhea fights out of it. Charlotte nearly gets a pin but reverses it into a modified Boston crab. Rhea reverses and they trade several pin attempts until Rhea punches Charlotte in the face. That doesn’t work as Charlotte goes back to the knee. Rhea then hits a big boot out of nowhere for a near fall. Rhea with some palm strikes in the corner and she puts Charlotte on the top. Rhea goes for a suplex but Charlotte reverses and throws her to the mat. Charlotte tries the moonsault and lands on her feet, with Rhea kicking her in the face. But Charlotte regains control with a spear for a two count.
Charlotte with yet another Figure Four attempt but Rhea counters into a small package for two. Charlotte then locks in the Figure Four as Rhea tries to fight her way out of it. Charlotte bridges it and Rhea taps at 20:30. I loved this match. Both women were great in their roles, and the taunting did a lot to hype the hatred between these two. One of the best WrestleMania 36 matches thus far.
- Rating: ****
VIDEO: We recap the WrestleMania 36 Night 1 action.
Aleister Black vs. Bobby Lashley (w/Lana)
They tie up right off the bat and trade counter moves until Lashley throws Black to the mat. Black ducks and Lashley flies over the top, with Black delivering a kick to the face. Black up top, but he misses a backflip and Lashley picks up him for a belly-to-belly suplex. Lashley spears Black into the barricade and they head back in the ring where Lashley gets a two count.
Lashley with a chin lock and then he pushes Black into the corner. Lashley throws Black’s head off the turnbuckle and hits a spear in the corner. Lashley with a spinning neck breaker before going for a stalling suplex, but Black fights out of it onto the apron. Black with a huge kick to the face and then jumps off the top, but Lashley counters into a power slam for a near fall. Lashley with a big suplex and he gets another two.
Lashley goes for another spear but Black catches him with a knee to the face for a near fall. Black with numerous strikes before hitting a running knee strike. Black off the top again with a backflip onto Lashley. Back inside where Lashley hits a running cross-body for two. Lana climbs up on the apron as Lashley hits a few punches on Black. Lashley picks up Black but Lana yells at him to go for the spear instead. Lashley thanks her and goes for the spear but Black hits the Black Mass and picks up the win at 7:20. This was fine.
- Rating: **1/2
BACKSTAGE: Kayla Braxton with Bayley and Sasha Banks. Bayley talks about how unfair the elimination match is. Kayla plays up struggles between Bayley and Sasha. Bayley walks away and Sasha says everyone will have to watch and see how badly she wants to win the title.
VIDEO: We get a recap of Mojo Rawley winning the 24/7 title from R-Truth with an angry Gronk in the background.
RINGSIDE: Charley Caruso interviews Gronk. He says he wouldn’t mind winning the 24/7 title at WrestleMania.
VIDEO: We recap the drama surrounding Otis and Mandy Rose.
Dolph Ziggler (w/Sonya Deville) vs. Otis
Otis charges at Ziggler and hits a big splash. Otis goes for another splash but Ziggler counters and hits a superkick to knock Otis outside. Ziggler throws Otis into the ring post before throwing him back into the ring. Ziggler with a chin lock and a dropkick but only gets a one count. Ziggler chokes Otis on the bottom rope and then rakes his eyes. Ziggler with a neck breaker and an elbow for another pin attempt.
Ziggler back to another chin lock. Otis eventually fights out but Ziggler hits a few kicks to the knee, with Otis countering and hitting a slingshot to send Ziggler to the corner. Ziggler tries to regain the advantage but Otis hulks up. Otis with a headbutt and multiple clotheslines before hitting a big bodyslam. Otis whips Ziggler into the corner and then Irish whips him into the corner a few times to send him to the mat. Otis picks Ziggler up and drops him over the top, which leads to Otis throwing him into the ring post.
They get back in the ring, and Otis hits a modified version of the Compactor on Ziggler. Otis with the caterpillar but Sonya distracts the ref, which allows Ziggler to kick Otis right in the balls. Ziggler goes for the pin but Mandy’s music hits and she slaps Sonya and starts kicking her ass. Mandy then gets in the ring and hits a low blow on Ziggler. Otis with another caterpillar and he drops the elbow to the chest for the win at 8:15. After the match, Otis picks up Mandy they kiss. Good payoff that obviously would’ve been much better with a crowd cheering on Otis.
- Rating: **
VIDEO: We recap the feud between Edge and Randy Orton.
Edge vs. Randy Orton – Last Man Standing Match
Orton’s music starts playing but he doesn’t come out. Edge looks confused and Orton hits an RKO outta nowhere. The replay shows that Orton was dressed as a cameraman. The ref starts the match and Edge wobbles around and takes a swing, but Orton moves out of the way and hits another RKO. Edge rolls out of the ring to allow him to get up at a nine-count. Orton grabs a camera and hits Edge in the face with it, sending him over the barricade. Edge up at seven and Orton keeps going at him.
They fight into the backstage area and Orton throws Edge into a table. Orton wraps Edge in a workout cable and beats the hell out of him. Orton grabs a weight but Edge gets back up and hangs on to the squat machine to kick Orton in the face. Both men on SPAGHETTI LEGS as Edge punches Orton. Edge slams Orton’s head on the table a few times and starts punching him again. Edge sits Orton in a chair and runs at him with a forearm to the face. Edge climbs up on the weight machine and catapults himself onto Orton.
Edge jumps off some weights and hits an axe handle to Orton. Edge continues the onslaught until Orton reverses an Irish whip and sends Edge into a steel wall. Orton grabs one of the workout sleds and tries to decapitate Edge with it, but he moves out of the way as they start exchanging punches. Edge throws Orton into a steel locker and the latter retreats into what appears to be the garage. Edge throws Orton into the garage door. They walk a few steps to one of the barricades near ringside and hop on top of it. Orton throws Edge off onto the barricade closest to the ring but Edge makes it up at nine by using the barricade for leverage.
Orton back on the attack as head backstage once again. They’re in a hallway of some sort as Orton throws Edge’s head into a plastic window. Orton throws Edge into the wall and they’ve made it to the conference room with chairs all over the place. Edge goes to work and throws Orton into a wall. Orton makes it up at nine and Edge kicks him before tossing him onto the long office table. Edge uses the metal cage above the table to pull himself up and drop an elbow on Orton.
More hard rights from Edge before he drags Orton back into the hallway. Orton with a thumb to the eye and then he throws him into various pay per view posters, with the cameraman getting knocked down in the process. They fight their way into an area that features ladders and various equipment. Orton throws Edge onto a storage case and they continue to fight through the equipment, with Orton throwing him into some steel steps. Edge makes it up at nine and Orton goes back to work.
Orton works on Edge’s arm as they’re at the makeshift interview area. Orton then picks up a bottle water and pours it over his own head. The man is just trying to hyrdate. Edge picks up a bag or something and throws it at Orton to regain the advantage. Edge knocks Orton onto a table and then climbs up a ladder and drops an elbow to send Orton through the table. Both men up at eight and Orton has a cut on his shoulder. He hits a few uppercuts to Edge before throwing him face-first into the tailgate of a truck.
Even more tailgate throwing from Orton and both men head to the top of the truck. Orton then hits a DDT on Edge on the top of the cover of the truck. Edge climbs onto some storage cases before climbing onto the top of a semi-truck. Orton joins him and goes for the punt but Edge hits the spear. Edge goes for another spear but Orton catches him for an RKO. Edge barely makes it up at nine as Orton hops back down to the ground. Orton grabs two chairs and gets back on top of the semi.
Orton hammers Edge with a chair to the back and puts a chair under Edge’s head. Orton picks up the other chair and goes for the conchairto but Edge grabs Orton’s head and locks on a submission hold. The ref counts at Orton but Edge tells him to stop the count. Edge starts crying and hits the conchairto on Orton to win it at 36:35. After the match, Edge lays his head on Orton and pats him on the head. This was great storytelling, but admittedly, the match probably wasn’t anywhere near as good as it could’ve been with a crowd reacting to the big spots. Plus, it went nearly 40 minutes, and it’s hard to pull that lengthy of a match without any fan reaction.
- Rating: ***
RINGSIDE: Mojo Rawley runs towards the ring with all the 24/7 challengers running after him. They all get in a big brawl, which leads to Gronk free falling from the platform onto all of them. Gronk then finds Mojo and pins him to win the title. Gronk kicks a few people on the way out as he runs away.
Austin Theory and Angel Garza (w/Zelina Vega) vs. The Street Profits – RAW Tag Team Titles
Dawkins and Theory start things off. Ford quickly tags in and dropkicks Theory, then we get a double team from Dawkins and Ford. More double team work from the Profits until Theory counters and sends Dawkins outside. Garza then gets in a superkick on Dawkins while Theory distracts the ref. Garza tags in and goes to work on Dawkins before shedding his tights. Theory back in with a dropkick, and Garza tags back in and works on Dawkins’ arm.
Garza goes for a superkick but Dawkins makes the hot tag to Ford, who hits a few clotheslines before a standing moonsault for a near fall. Ford then hits a DDT for a two count as Theory breaks up the pin. Dawkins and Theory get knocked outside, and Ford flies over the top onto Theory and Dawkins. Garza adds to the madness with a moonsault off the top onto Ford and Dawkins. Ford throws Garza back inside and hits the moonsault from the middle rope for a two count.
Garza tries to set up for the Wing Clipper but Ford kicks him into the head and makes the tag to Dawkins. Theory with a power move to Dawkins, but Ford comes off the top onto Theory. That allows Dawkins to pin him to retain the titles at 6:20. After the match, Garza and Theory take out Dawkins and Vega kicks Ford in the face. Vega taunts Ford and Bianca Belair hits the ring and starts attacking her. Belair hits the KOD and she celebrates with the Profits. Quick sprint with all four men working hard.
- Rating: **
RINGSIDE: Titus O’Neil is the new host of WrestleMania 36 with Gronk winning the 24/7 title.
Sasha Banks vs. Lacey Evans vs. Tamina vs. Naomi vs. (c) Bayley – Fatal Five Way Elimination Match for the Smackdown Women’s Title
Michael Cole with a reminder in case you didn’t know: IT’S BOSS TIME. Bayley and Sasha go after Tamina and then Lacey and Naomi join them. Tamina throws everyone off and hits all four with a hard right. Tamina slams Naomi’s face to the mat but Lacey dives at Tamina’s leg, which allows Bayley and Sasha to knock her outside the ring. Lacey throws Sasha into the corner but Sasha counters, and that allows Bayley to hit a running knee to the corner. Naomi back in and she and Lacey work together to take down Bayley and Sasha. Naomi and Lacey go for simultaneous pins but Bayley and Sasha kick out.
Naomi goes a roll-up on Lacey for two as Tamina hits the ring and starts destroying people. Tamina with a splash to Naomi and Lacey in the corner, then she puts her foot on Sasha for a two. Tamina does the same to Naomi who also kicks out. Lacey and Bayley get thrown out of the ring, giving us a Team B.A.D. reunion. All three put their fists together, but Tamina quickly changes her mind and superkicks Sasha. Tamina catches Naomi but she counters it into a stunner for a near fall. Lacey hits a standing moonsault on Tamina and gets a two count.
Sasha back in the mix as she hits the 619 on Tamina. Bayley up top with an elbow drop on Tamina, and Sasha follows it with a frog splash. Lacey’s turn as she hits a moonsault on Tamina, and Naomi caps it off with a split-legged moonsault as all four cover Tamina to eliminate her. Bayley and Sasha retreat outside the ring as Lacey and Naomi hit baseball slides on them. Naomi dives over the top and takes out Sasha, but Baylor counters Lacey’s attempt and throws her into the steel steps. Bayley takes control as she throws Naomi back in the ring.
Sasha rejoins them and she and Bayley double team Naomi. Eventually Naomi regains the advantage and flips over the top from the apron to get a two count on both Bayley and Sasha. More offense from Naomi as she hits a stunner on Bayley. Naomi takes out Sasha and gets a near fall on her before locking in a submission move. Bayley breaks it up and Sasha locks in the Banks Statement to force Naomi to tap. Bayley and Sasha taunt Lacey as she makes her way back into the ring. They quickly attack her and use a double slam for a near fall.
Bayley and Sasha continue the double team work, with Sasha setting Lacey up in the corner. Bayley runs at her with the flying knee, but Lacey moves and Bayley hits Sasha instead. Sasha falls to the outside as Lacey uses the small package on Bayley for a two count. Lacey tries for another pin attempt but Bayley counters with a knee to the head and she gets a two count. Bayley starts punching Lacey, and then Sasha is pissed as she gets back in the ring. Lacey goes to hit Sasha but Bayley pushes her out the way. Lacey then turns around and hits the Women’s Right on Sasha and gets the pin to eliminate her.
Lacey charges at Bayley but the latter reverses and takes control. Bayley mocks Lacey and delivers an elbow to her head. Bayley with the Irish whip but Lacey counters with multiple clotheslines. Neckbreaker from Lacey and she goes for a move in the corner, but Bayley knocks her to the apron and then throws her shoulder-first into the post. Bayley goes for the pin but only gets a two count. Bayley drags Lacey to the corner and ties her right arm to the top turnbuckle. Bayley goes on the attack but Lacey gets a big boot to Bayley’s face and breaks away from the corner.
Lacey drives her body into Bayley in the corner and goes up top. Lacey hits the moonsault but Bayley kicks out at two. Lacey goes to pick up Bayley, but Sasha slides into the ring and hits the Backstabber on Lacey. Bayley rushes over and hits the Rose Plant to retain at 19:20. After the match, Sasha brings the title in the ring and puts it around Bayley’s waist. I enjoyed this one.
- Rating: ***
VIDEO: We hype the build to the match between John Cena and Bray Wyatt.
John Cena vs. Bray Wyatt – Firefly Funhouse Match
Cena comes out for his entrance but the Firefly Funhouse intro starts. Wyatt says Cena is about to face his own self. Wyatt walks out the door and Cena has seemingly transported to the Funhouse. One of the puppets tells Cena to go through the door to look for Wyatt. Cena goes through the door and we get some dramatic music as Cena stands in the dark. The Vince McMahon puppet pops up and starts rambling about ruthless aggression. Puppet Vince says Cena needs to show him ruthless aggression or he’s fired.
And we cut to Wyatt in the ring, who replicates Kurt Angle’s promo from his open challenge on Smackdown in 2002. And my goodness, we get current Cena coming out wearing his old tights as he stands in front of the SMACKDOWN FIST. Cena enters the ring and once again we alternate between his first appearance on Smackdown and him standing face to face with Wyatt, who repeats Angle’s line about having what it takes to hang with him.
Cena swings at Wyatt multiple times but misses as he keeps repeating the ruthless aggression phrase. Wyatt starts singing the Bellas theme music and keeps dodging Cena’s punches. We cut to Puppet Vince and Puppet Randy Savage at the Firefly Funhouse announce desk. What am I watching folks. And we get the Saturday Night’s Main Event intro video with Funhouse puppets mixed in. Wyatt is standing behind a cage cutting a Hulk Hogan promo. He then introduces his tag team partner JOHNNY LARGEMEAT. Cena strolls in doing bicep curls and he does about a hundred of them as fast as he can. He tries to swing at Wyatt but can’t because his arms are hurting from the bicep curls.
Wyatt channels the Hulkster and says he’s gonna run wild on Cena. He throws Cena out of the room and now Cena is back in front of the Smackdown first wearing his thuganomics gear. Cena’s old theme hits and the puppets dance to it. Cena gets in the ring and has no idea what’s going on as he starts rapping. Cena makes a Husky Harris joke and talks about putting his junk in a glove and calling it Mr. Suckit. Well that escalated quickly. Cena then basically calls Wyatt a slut and that he’s blowing every chance he gets in the WWE. Wyatt calls Cena a bully and a horrible person and says it’s his last chance Cena charges at Wyatt but the latter magically moves and then knocks Cena to the mat.
And there’s another cut to Wyatt in his original character as he hypes the match against Cena at WrestleMania 30. Back to the ring where Wyatt is sitting in a rocking chair in the corner, and he runs at Cena and grabs him. Wyatt then goes for the Sister Abigail but Cena reverses out of it. Wyatt then says that wouldn’t have been enough to end the match, so he hands Cena a chair. Wyatt reminds him he made the wrong choice in their previous match by not using the chair. Cena swings at Wyatt, who disappears from the ring.
Here comes the nWO Nitro video to add to the fun. Wyatt is standing in the ring mocking Eric Bischoff in an nWo shirt. Wyatt then introduces Cena, who has transformed into HOLLYWOOD JOHN CENA. He comes out strumming the guitar while holding the WCW World Heavyweight title. Another cut to Puppet Vince who says THIS IS SUCH GOOD SHIT. This match is everything. Wyatt does the signal towards Cena, who finally loses his shit and starts beating Wyatt. Cena then realizes he’s beating up Huskus and not Wyatt. Cena stops and turns around to see The Fiend. Mandible claw from The Fiend, and we get Wyatt counting the pin to give him the win at 13:00. So this is what it’s like to watch a wrestling match on acid. I didn’t enjoy this one nearly as much as the Boneyard Match, even if the storytelling part of it was great. Yes, they were different matches with different goals, but I just thought the latter was more enjoyable. And again, I’m rating a “match” that was nothing like an actual wrestling match. In terms of pure entertainment, it was fine and likely something that has a good replay value to find all the hidden meanings.
- Rating: ***
RINGSIDE: Titus is speechless and says he doesn’t know what he just watched.
VIDEO: We hype the WWE title match between Brock Lesnar and Drew McIntyre.
Drew McIntyre vs. Brock Lesnar – WWE Title
Lesnar pushes McIntyre to the corner, but McIntyre reverses and hits the Claymore right away for a near fall. McIntyre goes for another Claymore but Lesnar counters and hits a German suplex. Lesnar with another German suplex as he beats on McIntyre’s back before hitting another suplex. Lesnar then hits the F5 but McIntyre quickly kicks out at one. Lesnar is stunned as he delivers another F5 but McIntyre kicks out again. Lesnar with a third F5 and McIntre kicks out yet again.
Heyman yells at Lesnar to keep doing it and that McIntyre won’t be able to kick out. Lesnar goes for another F5 but McIntyre counters into the Claymore. Another Claymore from McIntyre and then another. McIntrye waits for Lesnar to get up and hits a fourth Claymore to win the title at 4:35. This was about what we expected. Most people would have loved for McIntyre to get his defining victory in front of thousands of fans, but it’s still an incredible accomplishment for the former 3MB member.
- Rating: **1/2
Blake’s WrestleMania 36 Night 2 Awards
- Best Match: Charlotte Flair vs. Rhea Ripley
- WrestleMania 36 Night 2 MVP: John Cena
- WrestleMania 36 Night 2 Rating: 6.5/10
- Thoughts: The opening match was the best one of WrestleMania 36 Night 2, with McIntyre winning the title easily being the best moment. However, it didn’t pack the same type of punch that Night 1 did. But everyone worked hard in what were unique circumstances, and both parts of the show involved more creativity than we’re used to seeing from the company.
For more of my show reviews, visit the Pro Wrestling Reviews section!
