WrestleMania 36 results: Powell’s live review of Night Two featuring Brock Lesnar vs. Drew McIntyre for the WWE Championship, John Cena vs. “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt in a Firefly Funhouse match, Edge vs. Randy Orton in a Last Man Standing match, Rhea Ripley vs. Charlotte Flair for the NXT Women’s Championship

By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)

WrestleMania 36 Night Two
Taped March 25-26, 2020 in Orlando, Florida at the WWE Performance Center and various settings
Aired April 5, 2020 on WWE Network and pay-per-view

Kickoff Show result: Liv Morgan beat Natalya in 6:25.

Stephanie McMahon checked in from the studio and noted that the show was being held on a closed set. She said they were proud to present night two of WrestleMania… The pirate themed video package aired…

Powell’s POV: Apparently, WrestleMania was too big for one night and yet it wasn’t big enough to produce two opening video packages.

WrestleMania host Rob Gronkowski checked in from the WWE Performance Center perch. He wore shades while saying he knows a thing or two about dropping the hammer on Championship Sunday…

1. Rhea Ripley vs. Charlotte Flair for the NXT Championship. Tom Phillips and Byron Saxton were on commentary. Flair entered first and then a video package spotlighted the built to the match before Ripley made her entrance. Mike Rome delivered in-ring introductions for the title match. Flair took Ripley down, stood up, and said, “This is our NXT Champion.”

Flair teased an early figure four attempt, but Ripley kicked her away. Flair fired a few chops at Ripley, who shot her into the corner. Flair went upside down in the corner and was kicked by Ripley, who followed up with her Riptide finisher for a near fall. Flair rolled to ringside to regroup while Ripley jawed at her from the ring.

Ripley went to ringside and chased Flair back inside the ring. Flair attacked Ripley, who came back with a kick from her back and then dragged Flair to the floor. Flair shoved Ripley toward the ring steps, but Ripley climbed the steps and did a somersault from the steps onto Flair and then rolled her back inside the ring. Ripley threw a dropkick, then delivered repeated shoulder blocks in the corner.

Ripley suplexed Flair and covered her for a two count. Ripley put Flair in a body scissors and eventually rolled her into a pin for another two count. Flair rolled to the apron. Ripley went for a big boot, but Flair avoided it and then wrenched Ripley’s leg over the top rope. Flair went to work on Ripley’s knee.

Ripley cried out in agony while selling her knee as Flair continued to work it. Flair pulled Ripley to the corner and slammed her left knee into the ring post twice. Ripley used her legs to pull Flair face first into the ring post. Ripley struggled to get to her feet, then Flair gave her a chop block to the back of her bad knee. Flair set up for a suplex, but Ripley reversed it and slammed Flair face down to the mat.

Flair got back to her feet and said she never stops or gives up. Ripley ducked a Flair chop and then threw a couple of right knees at Flair’s head. Ripley threw a rough looking kick, then followed up with a good one and a dropkick to a kneeling Flair. Ripley yelled as she hit her bad knee. Ripley threw three short-arm clotheslines. Flair tossed Ripley over the top rope and onto the apron, then kicked her bad knee out from under her.

Flair went up top, but Ripley returned and cut her off. Ripley performed a face first slam for a near fall. Ripley clutched at her knee while Flair held her ribs. Flair caught Ripley with an elbow and then blasted her with a forearm in the corner. Ripley avoided Flair going after he knee and hit her with an elbow to the head. Ripley hit Flair with a missile dropkick for a two count at 13:30.

Flair caught a charging Ripley with a kick in the corner, then performed another chop block. Flair targeted the knee while Saxton said it was classic strategy perfected by her father Ric Flair. Charlotte went for a figure four, but Ripley rolled her over and threw kicks to her abdomen, then applied a standing cloverleaf. Flair used her hands to move toward the ropes, but Ripley pulled her back into the middle of the ring. Flair rolled Ripley over and kicked her.

Flair went for a figure four, but Ripley used three kicks to make her release her leg. Flair rolled up Ripley, who kicked out at two. Flair applied a Boston Crab at 16:30. Ripley countered into a pin, then Ripley rolled her over. They continued to reverse positions and get two counts and both women were on the mat at 17:00.

Flair got up first and put the boots to Ripley’s bad knee. Ripley got to her feet and surprised Flair with a big kick that led to a two count. Ripley and Flair ended up in the corner where they traded blows. Ripley placed Flair on the top rope in a seated position and then hit her. Ripley went to the second rope, threw several punches to Flair’s back, and then went for a superplex, but Flair avoided it and dropped Ripley to the mat just before 19:00.

Flair went for a moonsault, but Ripley put her boots up. Flair got up and speared Ripley for a near fall. Flair went for a figure four, but Ripley countered into an inside cradle for a two count. Flair got up and applied the figure four, then bridged into the figure eight. Ripley tapped out…

Charlotte Flair defeated Rhea Ripley in 20:30 to win the NXT Women’s Championship.

Powell’s POV: A very good match that was there with last night’s Kevin Owens vs. Seth Rollins for my personal favorite thus far. I was surprised to see them open the show and even more surprised that they went 20 minutes in an empty venue. I can’t say that I care for the outcome because Ripley was on the rise and Flair doesn’t need the NXT Women’s Championship, but hopefully they have something good in mind for Ripley coming out of this. If nothing else, I guess this means NXT gets a little star power while Flair holds the title.

An ad aired for The Big Show Show, which premieres Monday on Netflix… A WWE merch ad aired… A WrestleMania Night One video recap aired…

2. Aleister Black vs. Bobby Lashley (w/Lana). Phillips and Saxton were on the call for the Raw brand match. Lashley wore tights rather than his usual trunks. Lashley by overpowered Black during the opening minute. Lashley charged at Black, who held the rope down, causing Lashley to fall to the floor. When Lashley tried to return, Black caught him with a kick. Black went for a moonsault from the middle rope, but Lashley avoided it and then performed an overhead release suplex on the floor.

Lashley ran Black back-first into the barricade, then rolled him back inside the ring and covered him for a two count. Lashley had a run of offensive moves, including a neckbreaker. Lashley went for a suplx, but Black hit him with a knee to the head to break it up. Rinse and repeat, only Lashley dropped Black on the apron the second time. Black caught Black with a powerslam and got a two count at 4:30.

Lashley suplexed Black and covered him for a two count. Lana barked at the referee about his count and told him to do his job. Lashley went for a spear, but Black caught him with a knee to the head and covered him for a two count. Black threw a series of strikes, which included sweeping the legs out from under Lashley. Black sent Lashley to the floor and then moonsaulted onto him from the middle rope.

Black rolled Lashley back inside the ring where Lashley caught him with a running cross body block. Lashley clotheslined Black and then got another two count. Lana climbed onto the top step. Lashley hoisted up Black for a move, but Lana called for him to do something else. Lashley dropped Black and then went for a spear, but Black tagged him with a Black Mass Kick and scored the pin. After the match, Lashley glared at his storyline wife…

Aleister Black defeated Bobby Lashley in 7:20.

Powell’s POV: This went longer than I expected and it turned out to be a solid undercard match. I assume that Lana giving Lashley bad advice is the beginning of the end for their storyline marriage.

Kayla Braxton interviewed Bayley and Sasha Banks backstage. Bayley called her title defense the most unfair in WWE history because it’s a five-way. Bayley said that she and Banks are united and are best friends. Bayley stormed away. Braxton noted that Banks has never been Smackdown Women’s Champion and asked her if she wants to win the title. “Well, Kayla, I guess we all have to watch and see,” Banks said…

An ad aired for the May 10 WWE Money in the Bank pay-per-view…

Powell’s POV: I’m not sure how WWE will continue to run shows given all the stay at home orders, but that ad for MITB indicates that they intend to do so.

Michael Cole and JBL checked in from the broadcast table and recapped Mojo Rawley stealing the pin from Gronk to beat R-Truth to win the WWE 24/7 Championship… Charly Caruso interviewed Gronk, who said he wants to win the WWE 24/7 Championship… More ads aired…

A video package recapped the Otis and Mandy Rose saga…

Powell’s POV: My WrestleMania dream is dashed. Dolph Ziggler did not get new entrance music for the biggest show of the year.

3. Otis vs. Dolph Ziggler (w/Sonya Deville). Cole and JBL called the match. Ziggler dodged a charging Otis to start. Otis got his hands on him and roughed him up, then splashed him. Otis went for another splash, but Ziggler avoided it and superkicked Otis, who tumbled to ringside. Back inside the ring, Ziggler dropkicked Otis and got a two count. Cole said Tucker was injured when Ziggler gave him a Zigzag on the steps and that’s why he wasn’t in the corner of Otis.

Ziggler dropped an elbow on Otis and covered him, but Otis threw him off at two. Ziggler applied a choke while on his back. Otis got to his feet and broke it with a punch. Otis catapulted Ziggler into the middle turnbuckle. Otis headbutted Ziggler and then clotheslined him twice before bodyslamming him. Ziggler tried to roll out of the ring, but Otis stood on his back. Otis whipped Ziggler into the corner. Cole asked JBL who Otis reminds him of in WWE history. JBL said Ivan Putski and Bam Bam Bigelow.

Otis dumped Ziggler to ringside and followed. Otis slammed Ziggler’s head into the barricade and then the ring post. Back in the ring, Otis performed a solo version of the Compactor. Otis started to perform the Caterpillar, but he stopped when Deville climbed onto the apron and barked at the referee. Meanwhile, Ziggler kicked Otis below the belt.

Mandy Rose’s music played and she walked to ringside and slapped Deville across the face. Rose roughed up Deville. “What are you doing out here?” Ziggler asked. “You’re ruining everything.” Rose entered the ring and gave Ziggler a low blow while the referee was turned around. Otis performed the Caterpillar and scored the pin.

Otis defeated Dolph Ziggler in 8:15.

After the match, Otis picked up Rose and then they kissed while she was in his arms. “Otis gets the win and Otis gets the girl,” Cole said. Otis carried Rose to the back while saying, “She so pretty, so pretty.” JBL said it was like National Geographic…

Powell’s POV: This was pretty much what one would expect as far as a feel good conclusion to the Otis and Mandy story. If nothing else, it’s nice to see the simpleton character get the girl in WWE rather than the usual formula of having the mean girl abuse him.

A WWE Network ad aired… Phillips and Saxton spoke at their desk under the WrestleMania sign. Saxton spoke about how happy he was about Otis and Mandy. Phillips shifted the focus and set up a video package on the Edge and Randy Orton feud…

4. Edge vs. Randy Orton in a Last Man Standing match. Phillips and Saxton were on the call. Edge came out first. Orton’s music played, but he didn’t come down the entrance ramp. Instead, Orton showed up behind Edge and hit him with an RKO out of nowhere. A replay showed that Orton was dressed as a cameraman at ringside before he entered the ring. Awesome.

The referee checked on Edge and then called for the bell to start the match. Orton gave Edge another RKO. The referee counted to nine before Edge rolled to the floor and was on his feet for a moment before he fell down. Orton grabbed the camera he held prior to the match and hit Edge with it to knock him over the barricade.

Orton followed Edge and took him through the curtain, then roughed him up as they walked through a production area, and into the gym of the Performance Center. Orton placed Edge’s head inside a couple of workout straps and told him that he’ll always love him. Orton threw punches at Edge and then released him from the strap. The referee was there to count and he reached six before Edge got up again. Edge grabbed a bar above him and swung his feet into Orton to knock him down.

Edge roughed up Orton and slammed his head into a table twice before letting out a primal scream. Edge fired punches at Orton, then sat him on an office chair and threw more punches at him. Edge looked up, then jumped up and grabbed a bar and swung himself at Orton, causing both men to tumble to the ground. Edge leapt from a workout sled and dove at Orton. “Nine years, Randy,” Edge yelled. Edge tried to whip Orton into a wall, but Orton reversed him at 7:30.

Orton wheeled a weight rack at Edge, who moved out of the way. Orton stumbled through a production area where Edge caught up with him. They traded shots in a hallway that looked like it had The Fiend’s red lighting. Edge slammed Orton’s head off a garage door in the hall area. The referee counted to six, but Edge said no and picked up Orton, then slammed him into the garage again.

Edge rolled Orton onto the a platform back in the main room where the ring was located. Orton came back with punches and tossed Edge from the platform and onto the ringside barricade below. Orton sat on the platform while Edge used the barricade to pull himself to his feet at the referee’s nine count. Orton took Edge into another area behind the curtain and said, “Let’s see what’s in here.” Orton slammed Edge off the glass case that held a title belt.

Orton and Edge entered the office area that contained a giant conference table. Edge slammed Orton’s head off a framed poster on the wall. Orton was slow to get up, so Edge picked him up again and threw him onto the conference table. Edge grabbed some steel fencing on the ceiling above the table and then hung from it before letting go and dropping an elbow on Orton.

The fight moved into a hallway area where Orton slammed Edge’s head off of framed pay-per-view posters. The cameraman took a tumble and then Edge and Orton disappeared around the corner. The camera caught up with them in a storage area. Orton threw some chairs away so that Edge couldn’t use them, then slammed his head onto some ring steps that were stacked up in the storage area. Edge pulled himself up at nine again around 20:00.

The wrestlers fought onto what appeared to be an interview set where Edge threw a sandbag at Orton. Saxton was quick to point out that the sandbag was used to stabilize a tripod camera. Edge ended up putting Orton on a table and then grinned before hitting him repeatedly. Edge spotted a ladder and climbed onto a platform. Edge dropped an elbow from the platform and drove Orton through the table. Production took away any suspense, as the broadcast team recapped a replay of the spot rather than play up the referee’s count.

Orton had some blood on his back as he slammed Edge’s head onto the back of a pickup truck’s hatch. Edge pulled himself up at nine. Orton slammed his head onto the hatch a few more times, then rolled him onto the covering of the bed of the truck. Edge climbed to the top of the truck. Orton told the referee that he didn’t need to count, then DDT’d Edge onto the covering of the bed.

Edge climbed up some production crates and then on top of an NXT semi truck. Orton followed and sold a rib injury. Orton charged at Edge, who speared him. Both men got to their feet at nine. Edge charged for another spear, but Orton dropped him with an RKO. Orton got to his feet and went back down to the truck while Edge barely got to his feet at nine at 32:15.

Orton grabbed two chairs and brought them back up to the top of the semi truck. Orton placed a chair under the head of Edge and told him this is it and now he can go back to his girls. Orton picked up the second chair and the referee told him he didn’t have to do it. Orton turned and Edge applied a standing triangle hold while Phillips recalled that Edge used the same hold on MVP on Raw.

When Edge released the hold, Orton’s head was on one of the chairs. The broadcast team played up the possibility of Orton being out cold. The referee counted, but Edge stopped him. Edge got emotional as he looked at Orton. Edge slowly walked over to Orton and looked up, then slammed the chair onto his head for the Conchairto. Orton twitched while the referee counted him down. Edge showed emotion afterward…

Edge defeated Randy Orton in 36:35 in a Last Man Standing match.

Powell’s POV: The match had an epic build and it’s obvious that they wanted to have an epic battle, but this just overstayed its welcome. It didn’t help that Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano had a hotter brawl at the WWE Performance Center on NXT television recently. This wasn’t bad, it just went on too long. The broadcast team took a subdued approach with their call provided no extra energy. I wanted to love this match because the build was excellent, but it just didn’t live up to that build. Still, it was great to see Edge wrestling again. Both guys deserved better than the hand dealt to them by the move to the WWE Performance Center.

After some advertising, Mojo Rawley was chased by a bunch of random wrestlers who caught up with him at ringside. Rob Gronkowski appeared on the PC perch, hung from the outside of it, and did a trust fall dive onto the pile. Gronk pinned Rawley to win the WWE 24/7 Championship…

An ad aired for the Edge documentary on WWE Network…

5. “The Street Profits” Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins vs. Austin Theory and Angel Garza (w/Zelina Vega) for the Raw Tag Titles. Phillips and Saxton were on the call. The Profits made a bunch of noise during the match. They got the better of Theory and then dropkicked both opponents. A short time later, Theory dumped Dawkins over the top rope. While the ref was dealing with Theory, Garza delivered a superkick at ringside, then hopped up onto the apron and turned his head the other way.

The challengers isolated Dawkins. Garza removed his tearaway pants and threw them at Dawkins. A short time later, Dawkins made the hot tag to Ford, who performed a leaping clothesline on Garza, then followed up with a standing moonsault for a two count. Ford DDT’d Garza and went for the cover, but Theory broke it up. Dawkins and Theory ended up at ringside. Ford performed a flip dive onto both men. Garza went up top and moonsaulted onto the pile on the floor and yelled “WrestleMania.”

Back in the ring, Garza hit a moonsault from the middle rope and got a two count on Ford. Dawkins took a tag and shoulder blocked Garza to ringside, then ate a superkick from Theory, who followed up with a TKO. Theory went for the cover. Ford performed a springboard frogsplash on Theory, who was then pinned by Dawkins.

The Street Profits beat Austin Theory and Angel Garza in 6:20 to retain the Raw Tag Titles.

After the match, Garza and Theory attacked the Street Profits. Vega entered the ring and kicked Ford while Garza and Theory held him. Bianca Belair ran out and tackled Vega, then threw several punches at her. Belair hit her finisher on Vega and left her lying while the Street Profits cleared the ring. The Street Profits returned to celebrate with Belair, while Phillips noted on commentary that Belair saved her husband Ford. The Profits put Belair on their shoulders while celebrating…

Powell’s POV: The match felt like it belonged on Raw, but we knew that would be the case once Andrade was pulled due to injury. It’s nothing against Theory, who has a bright future. It’s just that there was no reason to think the makeshift challengers would win the tag titles. Bianca Belair appearing afterward was the highlight and it’s nice that she got a WrestleMania appearance. Here’s hoping her next WrestleMania appearance is a high profile match. She’s a star.

Titus O’Neil appeared on the platform. He said Gronk was gone, so someone had to host the show and that someone is him. He said he wanted to keep the WrestleMania party going… A WWE Community ad aired…

6. Bayley vs. Sasha Banks vs. Naomi vs. Lacey Evans vs. Tamina in a Fatal Five-Way elimination match for the Smackdown Women’s Championship. Cole and JBL were on commentary for the match. Tamina was dominant early on. Naomi grabbed her legs. Tamina slammed Naomi’s head into the mat. Evans caught Tamina with a kick. Bayley and Banks teamed up on Tamina, who rolled to ringside.

Evans and Naomi made separate covers on Bayley and Banks for a simultaneous two count. Tamina returned. Bayley and Evans were cleared from the ring. Former Team BAD members Banks, Naomi, and Tamina did their hand gesture, but Tamina superkicked Banks. A short time later, Banks performed a 619 on Tamina, then Bayley dropped a top rope elbow on Tamina. Banks performed a frogslash on Tamina. Evans and Naomi followed up with moves and then all the women piled onto Tamina and pinned her to eliminate her.

Tamina was eliminated by all four opponents in 6:35.

Naomi performed a double sunset flip for a near fall on Bayley and Banks. Naomi hit a Rearview on Banks and a Disaster Kick on Bayley. Naomi put Banks in a submission hold, but Bayley broke it up with a running knee. Banks performed a Backstabber on Naomi and put her in the Bank Statement and got the submission win.

Naomi was eliminated by Sasha Banks in 10:20.

Evans was left alone to face Bayley and Banks. The heel duo doubled up on Evans and went for a simultaneous cover, but Evans kicked out. Banks held Evans in the corner. “This is for Summer,” Bayley yelled in reference to Evans’ daughter. Bayley charged, but Evans moved and Bayley accidentally caught Banks with a knee that knocked her out of the ring.

After an exchange with Bayley and Evans, Banks returned to the ring and was upset with Bayley, who told her they needed to get rid of Evans and deal with it later. Evans tried to hit Banks from behind, but Bayley shoved Banks out of the way. Bayley shoved Evans, who tagged Banks with the Woman’s Right and pinned her.

Sasha Banks was eliminated by Lacey Evans in 13:25.

The match came down to Bayley and Evans. Bayley ran Evans into the ring post. Evans sold a shoulder injury. Bayley covered her for a two count. Bayley targeted the shoulder while Cole said it was a different Bayley than he was used to seeing. Bayley tied Evans hand up with a tag rope and continued to target her arm and shoulder. Evans caught Bayley with a kick and then freed herself.

Evans threw several kicks at Bayley. Evans went to the middle rope, saluted, and hit her rope to rope moonsault and got a near fall. Evans teased the Woman’s Right, but Banks returned to the ring and performed a Backstabber on Evans. Bayley drove Evans’ face into the mat and then pinned her.

Bayley eliminated Lacey Evans to win the Fatal Five-Way elimination match in 19:20 to retain the Smackdown Women’s Championship.

After the match, Banks put the belt on Bayley and raised her arm. Banks went to ringside and watched while Bayley yelled at Evans and the broadcast team that nobody can touch her…

Powell’s POV: I wasn’t sure where they were going with Banks and Bayley, but Banks helping Bayley win the match was a letdown. The match was solid. As much as Bayley’s title reign has been an afterthought, sticking with her as champion feels like it’s starting to actually pay off in that it should mean something if the right person beats her to win the title.

The Wrestlemania Hollywood video package aired for the March 28, 2021 event… Additional ads aired… A video package recapped the John Cena and Bray Wyatt storyline…

John Cena made his entrance. Once on the stage, he looked into the camera and started to welcome viewers to WrestleMania, but he was interrupted by distorted classic clips of Vince McMahon and Gene Okerlund delivering the line. Sweater wearing Bray Wyatt was shown on the Firefly Funhouse set. After a brief speech, he welcomed Cena to the funhouse.

7. John Cena vs. “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt in a Firefly Funhouse match. Cena appeared on the Firefly Funhouse set, but Wyatt was gone. Ramblin’ Rabbit told Cena that Wyatt went through the door. Cena entered and closed the door. The camera followed him into the darkened area. The Vince McMahon puppet showed up and asked Vince if he had enough ruthless aggression to sacrifice his mind, body, and soul to be a success in the company. The puppet said show me or you’re fired.

They cut to Wyatt in the ring issuing and open challenge while clips of Kurt Angle doing the same for Cena’s first match were shown. Cena came out in his old gear with his new hair. Wyatt asked why he thought he could hang with him. Cena said ruthless aggression and then swung and missed. They did this several times with Wyatt ducking the punch and taunting him.

They showed Mercy the Buzzard and the Vince puppet at a broadcast table and then the old Saturday Night’s Main Event opening aired. Wyatt stood behind an old school WWF cage and in front of a Saturday Night’s Main Event backdrop. Wyatt impersonated Hulk Hogan while introducing Cena as his partner.

Up next, was Cena doing his Thuganomics entrance. Cena entered the ring where sweater Wyatt was waiting. Cena rhymed as he spoke and then said he got the joke that he could only speak in rhyme. He made a Husky Harris joke. Wyatt just nodded at Cena’s jokes.

“How dare you talk to me about chances, John?” Wyatt asked. He called Cena the golden goose and said he’s untouchable. Wyatt said Cena takes the weaknesses of others and turns them into jokes. Wyatt told him this was his last chance and the floor was his. Cena made a deez nuts joke and charged at Wyatt, who teleported to the middle of the ring and then punched Cena.

It was time for old school Wyatt from his main roster introductory vignettes. He spoke of fulfilling the prophecy and implied that Cena ruined it. He said it’s time for him to write his own story. “Run,” Wyatt said. Wyatt charged at Cena in the corner and clotheslined him, then kissed him and went for Sister Abigail, but Cena shoved him away. “We both know that’s not enough to end it, Superman,” Wyatt said. Wyatt dropped to his knees and said Cena made the wrong choice six years ago. Footage of Wyatt doing the same during their WrestleMania match was shown. Cena swung a chair at Wyatt, who disappeared.

A WCW Nitro graphic appeared. Old footage of NWO Eric Bischoff flashed. Wyatt appeared in the middle of the ring and impersonated Bischoff while wearing an NWO red and black shirt. Cena came out in an NWO shirt and played the role of Hollywood Hogan. They did the too sweet hand gesture. Cena tackled Wyatt and threw punches at him until he was throwing punches at Huskus the pig puppet.

The Fiend appeared behind Cena and put him in the Mandible Claw. Wyatt held him up and the audio track of Cena’s last promo on Wyatt played. The Fiend put Cena down on the mat and reapplied the Mandible Claw. Sweater wearing Bray Wyatt counted the pin. The Fiend posed in the ring with his arms out.

Titus O’Neil was shown on the PC perch. He looked baffled and he said he didn’t know what he just saw… A Money in the Bank teaser video aired…

Powell’s POV: What Titus said. The Boneyard Match wasn’t for me, but I thought it was the spectacle that night one needed. The Firefly Funhouse was an acid trip with nostalgia. I imagine there are some viewers out there who were hoping to see an actual match between Cena and The Fiend and are now wondering what the hell they just saw. I enjoyed the Broken Universe, but I’m just not a fan of what its spawned.

A video package set up the main event…

8. Brock Lesnar (w/Paul Heyman) vs. Drew McIntyre for the WWE Championship. Phillips and Saxton were on the call. Rome delivered in-ring introductions. McIntyre caught Lesnar with a Claymore Kick roughly 20 seconds into the match and got a near fall. The broadcast team said no one has ever kicked out of the Claymore. Heyman showed concern. McIntyre went for a second Claymore Kick, but Lesnar moved and then gave him a German suplex.

Lesnar gave McIntyre a second German suplex and then gave him an F5. Lesnar went for a cover, but McIntyre kicked out at one. Lesnar flashed a look of surprise. Lesnar hoisted up McIntyre and gave him another F5 and this time got a two count. Lesnar looked surprised, then got to his knees and smiled at McIntyre, who was struggling to get to the ropes.

Lesnar picked up McIntyre and gave him a third F5 and covered him for another two count. Lesnar yelled in frustration. Heyman told Lesnar to keeping doing it all night long because McIntyre couldn’t keep kicking out. Lesnar got up and McIntyre tried to use Lesnar to get to his feet. Lesnar laughed at him and asked if he wanted to do this. Lesnar set up for another F5, but McIntyre shoved him off and gave him a Claymore Kick. McIntyre followed up with another Claymore Kick. When Lesnar got to his knees, McIntyre hit another Claymore Kick and scored the pin…

Drew McIntyre defeated Brock Lesnar in 4:35 to win the WWE Championship.

McIntyre celebrated with the title belt while Lesnar remained on the mat. Heyman stood at ringside with a blank expression. McIntyre looked into the camera while kneeling in the ring and thanked the fans. McIntyre went to the ropes and let out a primal scream to close the show…

Powell’s POV: This was the feel good ending to that WrestleMania needed. I wish WWE would have done a better job on Raw of building up McIntyre over the last couple weeks, but it’s obviously a big deal to pin Lesnar clean at WrestleMania. Plus, McIntyre is a very good talker, so hopefully he can make up for whatever was lost by his big moment coming in an empty venue. There wasn’t much to the match and yet it told the story that it needed to by having McIntyre take Lesnar’s finisher a couple times and still come back to beat him.

Overall, the show got off to a promising start, but it never quite recovered from the lengthy and draining Edge vs. Orton match. I will have a lot more to say in tonight’s WrestleMania audio review with Jake Barnett that will be available exclusively for Dot Net Members. Let us know what you thought of the show by voting in our post WrestleMania polls available via the main page. Be smart and stay safe.