WWE WrestleMania 36 results, recap, grades: Huge title changes, epic special matches on unique 2020 show – CBSSports.com

The bizarre, unplanned and unsure circumstances of WrestleMania 36 being pre-taped from the empty WWE Efficiency Center in Orlando, Florida, left fans with no thought what to count on from the tournament because it started Saturday night and persevered into Sunday. With WWE deciding to trudge forward after relocating the point to from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, it is pretty to inform that WWE’s very perfect point to of the yr surpassed any sensible expectations with a combine of excessive-quality in-ring action and two of the most bizarre — yet inviting — fits in WWE historical past.

The closing match of the 2 nights featured a most important altering of the guard for the promotion with Drew McIntyre scoring an emphatic victory over Brock Lesnar after four Claymores to grab the WWE championship. McIntyre joined Braun Strowman because the males to trudge away the weekend with the most effective doable titles in the firm after Strowman made rapid work of Goldberg on night one to grab the universal championship.

WWE WrestleMania 36 results, grades

Night 1 (Saturday)

Cesaro vs. Drew Gulak (Kickoff Show): The 2 had a catch but short match. Gulak came out fired up and took the offense to Cesaro before throwing him twice into the ring steps. An strive to grab to the air became countered with a European uppercut from Cesaro that grew to develop into the tide, sooner or later main to the enact, a no-fingers airplane go into a slam by Cesaro. Too short to be factual, too properly-performed to be immoral. Cesaro def. Gulak through pinfall — Grade: C

Ladies folks’s Designate Team Championship — The Kabuki Warriors (c) vs. Alexa Bliss & Nikki Injurious:  An extremely difficult-hitting match between the four competitors opened the point to with some mountainous spots all the map in which through. Injurious had to combat her capability through a unhurried double crew that integrated Asuka and Kairi Sane hitting a aggregate powerbomb and diving forearm before getting the label to Bliss. From there, Bliss hit her 2nd Bent Bliss of the match, pinning Sane and winning the titles in the job. Right here’s the duo’s 2nd time keeping the titles. Bliss & Injurious def. Kabuki Warriors through pinfall to grab the titles — Grade: B-

King Corbin vs. Elias:  Corbin became out to the ring first, annoying he be declared winner by forfeit after his assault on Elias eight days ago. Elias made his capability to the ring, gorgeous Corbin before blasting him along with his guitar. Corbin rallied to lay a beating on Elias whereas annoying Michael Cole and JBL on commentary acknowledge how factual he had been doing. Corbin attempted to make consume of the ropes for leverage on a unhurried pin, getting caught by the ref in the job. As he protested, Elias scored a roll-up whereas keeping the tights to score the grab in a match that felt a tiny overlong for the combine of styles. Elias def. Corbin through pinfall — Grade: C-

Raw Ladies folks’s Championship — Becky Lynch (c) vs. Shayna Baszler:  Lynch and Baszler place on a match heavy with strikes and submission makes an strive, giving the feeling extra of a combat than a wrestling match. That became for the most effective in phrases of Baszler’s high attributes, as she spent grand of the match taking heavy offense to the champion. Lynch became forced to most frequently counter Baszler’s makes an strive to lock in the Kirifuda Take grasp of. In the high, it became a form of counters that scored Lynch the victory. Bringing aid a classic enact from Bret Hart vs. Roddy Piper at WrestleMania XIII, Lynch rolled backward during the inspire to pin Baszler’s shoulders to the mat for the pinfall victory. Lynch came out of the match searching catch, but Baszler losing her first shot at the title has to present some pause to any individual thinking she became a favorable-hearth critical individual on the critical roster. Lynch def. Baszler through pinfall to inspire the title — Grade: B-

Intercontinental Championship — Sami Zayn (c) vs. Daniel Bryan:  The memoir of the match became nearly completely Zayn begging Drew Gulak to let him lumber, averting contact at all charges. Bryan became sooner or later in a situation to trick Zayn into a wrestling match, which he nearly completely dominated. Zayn begged Bryan to discontinuance before Shinsuke Nakamura and Cesaro resulted in a distraction. After Bryan hit Nakamura and Cesaro with a suicide dive, he went to the high rope but became caught by a Helluva Kick from Zayn, main to the pinfall victory and a profitable title defense. The match instantaneous a beautifully factual memoir in step with present weeks of action, but there might be a favorable sense of disappointment that Zayn and Bryan weren’t in a situation to exit and place on the match they’re in a position to with their elite abilities. Zayn def. Bryan through pinfall to inspire the title — Grade: B

SmackDown Designate Team Championship — John Morrison (c) vs. Kofi Kingston vs. Jimmy Uso (Ladder Match):  This became the point to-stealing match for Night 1. Without a crowd to wait on build mountainous moments, there became a catch probability for disappointment from the bout, but all three males went at a breakneck race in the singles match for the label titles. The anticipated mountainous bumps had been on point to with males being dumped from ladders, onto ladders and to the outdoor. Morrison in explicit hit an excellent parkour trudge from the high of the ring post onto Uso, who became on an elevated ladder between the turnbuckles. The ending of the match came when all three males had been keeping the title rig as Uso unhooked it from the cable suspending it from the ceiling. As they battled over the belts, Morrison became knocked from the high of the ladder, pulling the belts with him to create the victory and inspire the championships for his crew. Morrison def. Kingston and Uso to inspire the titles — Grade: B+

24/7 Championship:  As Do away with Gronkowski and Mojo Rawley had been celebrating atop the perch midway during the point to, R-Truth hopped into the frame. Gronk tried to punch and pin Truth, but Rawley pulled off the aged Patriots critical individual and acquired the 1-2-3. Rawley def. R-Truth and Gronkowski to grab the title

Kevin Owens vs. Seth Rollins:  Rollins took over the early allotment of the match with a low-rate shot before the 2 battled aid and forth with rather a pair of counters and reversals that might well maybe need mad the crew if one became in attendance. Rollins, buying for the easy capability out, outmoded the ring bell to hit Owens, main the referee to call the match off and award Owens the grab through disqualification. Owens then called Rollins out, asserting he didn’t score to stop things so without concerns and annoying they continue without disqualifications. Rollins agreed, coming aid to continue the attack on Owens, taunting, “You acknowledged you wanted your WrestleMania moment?!” Owens sooner or later outmoded the identical ring bell to grab over the match before diving from the WrestleMania brand and driving Rollins during the advise table with a senton. After that, it simplest took Owens a moment to drag Rollins to the ring, hit a stunner and resolve up the victory. The dearth of a crowd added a tiny to this match with both males constantly trash talking every varied and it adding a nastiness to the bout it will probably per chance maybe simply have uncared for otherwise. Owens def. Rollins through pinfall — Grade: B+

Universal Championship — Goldberg (c) vs. Braun Strowman:  A rapid match, as became anticipated, and individual who very grand might well maybe have outmoded a crowd reaction. Goldberg hit four spears, but his strive at a Jackhammer on the mountainous man became countered into a powerslam. Strowman would hit three extra powerslams before scoring the pin to develop into universal champion in a surely flat budge. Strowman def. Goldberg through pinfall to grab the title — Grade: D+

The Undertaker vs. AJ Kinds (Boneyard Match):  This became, as anticipated, a WWE “cinematic skills.” An account for hearse entrance at the cemetery became a swerve with Kinds being printed as in a coffin in the aid. Undertaker arrived for the “match” on a bike with Metallica taking half in over the video. The match grew to develop into into a brawl that ranged from the graveyard to a barn to the barn’s rooftop with Taker battling Kinds, Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows — apart from to hooded “druids.” At one point, Kinds had Taker in an start grave before Taker somehow materialized slack him. From that point, it became all Undertaker, as he brutalized Kinds before throwing him off the barn roof. Kinds attempted to apologize and begged Taker now not to bury him. Taker acknowledged he wouldn’t as a result of combat Kinds had place up, before kicking him into the grave and the utilization of a tractor to beget the grave, winning WWE’s first boneyard match. The skills became campy, corny and somehow extremely inviting. It became now not a wrestling match in any fetch of gentle sense, but it surely became as properly accomplished as something else provocative Undertaker can presumably be in 2020 and on leisure alone, it became a success. Undertaker def. Kinds through burial — Grade: A

Night 2 (Sunday)

Liv Morgan vs. Natalya (Kickoff Show):  Natalya is a exact hand in the ring, and Morgan became bigger than capable in maintaining her stop of the match. An strive by Natalya to lock in the Sharpshooter became countered into a pin strive. That moment trigger off a chain of reversals, ending when Morgan scored the injurious-legged roll-up for the grab. The match felt a tiny extra huge than the night one kickoff match between Cesaro and Drew Gulak. Liv Morgan def. Natalya through pinfall — Grade: C+

NXT Ladies folks’s Championship — Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Charlotte Aptitude:  The first match of night two delivered in a mountainous capability. The females battled for nearly 30 minutes with convincing shut to falls all the map in which through for both. Ripley hit Riptide very early in the match but couldn’t score the 1-2-3, allowing Aptitude to storm aid with an all-out attack on the champion’s leg. Ripley fought off Aptitude’s trademark Figure Eight a pair of times all the map in which during the bout, storming aid over and over. Ripley also locked Aptitude in her inverted standing Cloverleaf submission but became unable to score the tap out. Sooner or later, the accumulated damage to Ripley’s leg caught up to her and Aptitude became in a situation to lock in the submission, bridging absolutely for the added stress to force Ripley to tap out and grab the title. The 2 females deserve grand credit for placing on a dramatic match at a really perfect race to push past the evident hurdle of no crowd in attendance. Right here’s indubitably one of many stand-out bouts of the weekend. Aptitude def. Ripley through submission to grab the title — Grade: A-

Aleister Sunless vs. Bobby Lashley:  This match had the sorrowful fortune of following Aptitude vs. Ripley, however the 2 males place in a catch effort. Sunless struggled with Lashley’s vitality early, taking a belly-to-belly suplex on the outdoor. Sunless sooner or later took over along with his striking sport. After Lana convinced Lashley to discontinuance seeking to tire out Sunless and as an different enact him, Lashley ran in for a spear that Sunless countered with a Sunless Mass kick to attain the victory. These are priceless fits for Sunless, who confirmed a skill to grasp with a “mountainous man” on the critical roster. Sunless def. Lashley through pinfall — Grade: B-

Otis vs. Dolph Ziggler: The match suffered a tiny in feeling esteem it became paced for a reside viewers. A Ziggler chinlock place apart early felt as if it dragged on because there became no crowd to force the rally. Sonya Deville became in Ziggler’s nook after the duo became outed as being in rate for ruining Otis’ Valentine’s Day date with Mandy Rose. Unhurried Deville interference — she distracted the referee and allowed Ziggler to hit a low blow on Otis — became countered when Rose’s music hit and he or she ran in to elevate a slap to Deville and a low blow to Ziggler. With Ziggler down, Otis hit the Caterpillar for the three count. As he well-liked with Rose after his grab, Otis acquired the closing WrestleMania moment, lifting Rose in his palms and planting a kiss on her whereas carrying her to the aid. Otis def. Ziggler through pinfall — Grade: C+

Edge vs. Randy Orton (Last Man Standing):  Edge and Orton brawled through your complete PC all the map in which during the match. Nevertheless, Orton attacked Edge with a RKO before the match and one other seconds after the gap bell before the 2 engaged in an extraordinarily long brawl during the constructing. The match revolved primarily around punches and kicks with both males being thrown into varied equipment in the gym, office and a storage home. One signature place other than Edge became an elbow drop striking from the ceiling of the convention room. When Edge persevered to upward thrust from the attacks of Orton, the 2 ended up on the high of a semi. Orton became ready to hit a con-chair-to, calling aid to his attack on the Raw after the Royal Rumble. Edge shunned the chair, locking Orton in an arm-triangle choke, reputedly wrapping up the grab. He stopped the ref from making the count, on the opposite hand, before turning in the con-chair-to himself. An emotional edge picked up the grab in his first singles match since his return ten seconds later. The match lacked the extent of violence it wanted unless the very enact and became a long way too ambitious in scope and dimension to to elevate what became promised, main to a catch level of disappointment. Edge def. Orton through 10 count — Grade: C-

In between fits, Mojo Rawley ran out from the backstage home, seeking to budge challengers for the 24/7 championship. It became then that Do away with Gronkowski jumped onto the crew of wrestlers from the Perch. After the dive, Gronkowski def. Rawley through pinfall to grab the 24/7 championship

Raw Designate Team Championship — The Facet road Profits (c) vs. Angel Garza & Austin Principle:  The match ran rather short, as became anticipated after the dimension of Orton vs. Edge. Principle had Angelo Dawkins down after a TKO and became buying for the pin when Montez Ford came off the high rope with a frog splash, allowing Dawkins to roll over and catch the pinfall. Principle and Garza attacked the champs after the match with Zelina Vega joining in on the beating. At that moment, Bianca Belair made an attractive traipse-in to create the build, laying a beating on Vega in the job. This became catch satisfactory for a temporary title match, however the Belair involvement units up extra attention-grabbing things in coming weeks. Facet road Profits def. Garza & Principle through pinfall to inspire the titles — Grade: C+

SmackDown Ladies folks’s Championship — Bayley (c) vs. Sasha Banks vs. Lacey Evans vs. Tamina vs. Naomi:  Early in the match, all four females tried to grab out Tamina, seeking to build away with the powerhouse. Despite catch efforts from Tamina, the females sooner or later piled on high of her to attain the critical elimination of the match. Naomi became the next lady out when the numbers sport of Bayley and Banks caught up to her. With the closing three of Evans, Bayley and Banks, Evans managed to combat during the double-crew efforts to build away with Banks with a Ladies folks’s Factual as she squabbled with the champ. Banks light wait on her buddy in the high, running aid into the match to hit the Backstabber and home Evans up for the pin, allowing Bayley to inspire her title. The match became as factual as might well maybe be anticipated from the grouping and its placement on the card between the most hyped fits on the card. Bayley def. Evans through pinfall to inspire the title — Grade: B-

John Cena vs. “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt (Firefly FunHouse Match): The match is most now no more doubtless to stop justice in writing. Rather then any fetch of wrestling contest — even in the context of night one’s Boneyard Match — it became a huge-unsleeping nightmare for Cena, who Wyatt acknowledged would face himself. The 2 journeyed through varied aspects in wrestling historical past and eras of Cena’s profession. After Wyatt made his expose Cena — that the memoir had been a privileged bully who became given never-ending opportunities in his profession whereas Wyatt had to work for all the pieces he had carried out — “The Fiend” regarded slack Cena, locking him in a Mandible Claw. The Fiend drove Cena to the mat with the inspire and Wyatt’s varied character made the three count for the grab. As acknowledged previously, there is now not any pretty capability to write about this match in a runt blurb, but it surely became a bizarre and efficient capability of doing something wholly bizarre in the historical past of professional wrestling and bordered on actual art bigger than something else WWE has ever pulled off. The Fiend def. Cena through pinfall counted by Wyatt — Grade: A+

WWE Championship — Brock Lesnar (c) vs. Drew McIntyre:  The match became as short and difficult-hitting as anticipated. McIntyre hit an early Claymore for a shut to tumble before Lesnar roared aid with an F5. McIntyre kicked out of the critical F5 at one. After a 2nd F5, he kicked out at two. And again, after a Third F5, Lesnar acquired no bigger than a two count. His suggest, Paul Heyman, implored Lesnar to continue hitting the trudge, asserting, “He can’t capture kicking out.” Lesnar lifted McIntyre again. The challenger slid from Lesnar’s shoulders and blasted the champ with a Claymore. After two extra, Lesnar became down and out, allowing McIntyre to attain the pinfall and develop into new WWE champion. The moment lacked the punch of a triumph in entrance of tens of thousands of fans, but any time Lesnar goes down properly-organized feels esteem a vital allotment of standard wrestling historical past and McIntyre now has the chance to be “the individual” after a lengthy dawdle to the high. McIntyre def. Brock Lesnar (c) through pinfall to grab the title — Grade: B