How WWE pulled off recording WrestleMania 36 will be talked about forever, but the machine clearly has no plans to stop, as Money in the Bank 2020 was promoted as the next pay-per-view during the biggest show of the year...
Brock Lesnar's Best Potential Opponents After WrestleMania Loss to Drew McIntyre
Apr 9, 2020
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - OCTOBER 11: WWE champion Brock Lesnar speaks during a WWE news conference at T-Mobile Arena on October 11, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Lesnar will face former UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez and WWE wrestler Braun Strowman will take on heavyweight boxer Tyson Fury at the WWE's Crown Jewel event at Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on October 31. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Brock Lesnar put over Drew McIntyre in a big way at WrestleMania 36, as the Scottish Superstar kicked out of the F-5 on multiple occasions before laying out Lesnar with several Claymore Kicks and pinning him to win the WWE Championship.
While Lesnar figures to take some time away before returning to WWE programming, it is already fair to wonder who The Beast will target when he comes back. Lesnar is among WWE's biggest draws, and he is always a huge part of the product whenever he is around.
The 42-year-old has largely vied for world titles over the past few years, so going after one is a possibility, but Lesnar could also get involved in a feud that doesn't include a championship.
With Lesnar no longer existing as the reigning, defending WWE champion, here is a look at some potential opponents who would make sense for him when he returns.
Tyson Fury
If Lesnar is going to face someone without a title being on the line, it stands to reason that WWE would want to make it the biggest box-office draw possible. No full-time wrestler on the current roster necessarily fits that bill, but heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury could.
Fury made his in-ring debut for WWE last year at Crown Jewel in Saudi Arabia when he beat Braun Strowman by count-out. Fury was already a major worldwide star at the time of the match, but his stock has risen significantly since then.
In February, Fury thoroughly dominated Deontay Wilder en route to a technical knockout victory in the seventh round. With that win, he removed all doubt about whether he was the top heavyweight fighter in the world.
Fury is scheduled to face Wilder again in July, and if he is able to win that fight, perhaps the door could be open for him to do something with WWE at SummerSlam.
The Gypsy King has remained open to working with WWE again, and he told Alex McCarthy of TalkSport that he was actually supposed to appear at WrestleMania before the coronavirus pandemic led to it getting moved for a closed set at the WWE Performance Center.
WWE's next-biggest show is SummerSlam, which is scheduled to take place in Boston in August. Assuming fans are able to attend that event, WWE will undoubtedly want some huge attractions on the card.
There may be none bigger than a former UFC Heavyweight champion in Lesnar facing the reigning heavyweight boxing champion in Fury.
The match may not be pretty, and it certainly wouldn't be a technical classic, but in terms of generating crossover interest, there is no more significant match WWE could do right now than Lesnar vs. Fury at SummerSlam.
Aleister Black
It is far from a guarantee that Lesnar vs. Fury will be on the table for SummerSlam since Fury could be unwilling or unable to wrestle following his rematch with Wilder.
If that is the case, then WWE may have to consider some regular roster members as Lesnar's next opponent. Based on the way he has been built up over the past several months, Aleister Black is perhaps the most believable threat to The Beast.
Black has been virtually unbeatable as a singles competitor on Raw. His only one-on-one loss came to AJ Styles after he had already beaten Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows in successive matches, but Black got the win back over Styles at Elimination Chamber.
The Dutch Destroyer then went on to beat Bobby Lashley at WrestleMania 36, which suggests he is ready to move further up the card.
Lashley has long been viewed as a potential Lesnar opponent because of their similarity in size, as well as the fact that both are well-versed in amateur wrestling and MMA. Perhaps that match will happen one day, but the person who beat Lashley may be a better opponent for Lesnar in the short term.
Although Black would be at a huge size disadvantage against Lesnar, he is among the most-feared strikers in WWE, and that could allow him to believably stand toe to toe with Lesnar.
Black has been impressive, but he has yet to truly be tested and get placed in a big spot. A match against Lesnar would be a good way for WWE to see whether Black is capable of being a main eventer and a top draw.
Even if Black were to lose to Lesnar, putting up a good fight against him and pushing him to the limit would improve Black's stock and possibly move him closer to world title contention.
Kevin Owens
Like Black, Kevin Owens is coming off a big win at WrestleMania, as he finally got past Seth Rollins after months of feuding.
Owens is arguably the most popular babyface on Raw, and a win over Rollins suggests he is ready for a step up in class. There are few bigger stars in WWE than Rollins, but Lesnar is one of them, and he would be a natural fit as an opponent for KO.
Not only does Owens have the size and brawling ability to hold his own against Lesnar, but he has also built something of an underdog persona, which would play well in a rivalry with The Beast. Owens is great on the mic as well, so he could have some entertaining promo battles with Paul Heyman.
Additionally, Owens proved at WrestleMania that he is willing to do anything to win, as he jumped off the WrestleMania sign and on to Rollins through the announce table.
Owens would likely have to do something similar to beat Lesnar, and the possibility of a big spot happening would ensure that the WWE Universe would be invested.
Vying for the WWE Championship would make sense for Owens, but since McIntyre is a babyface and being built into a top star, that rivalry probably won't happen in the near future.
Owens needs to go up against a big, nasty heel to keep his momentum going, and a clash with Lesnar at SummerSlam would be good for all parties involved.
Listen toRing Rust Radiofor all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below(warning: some language NSFW).
WWE WrestleMania 36 Highlights: Best Videos and GIFs from Full Show
Apr 6, 2020
Rob Gronkowski entered the weekend as WWE's host for WrestleMania 36. The former New England Patriots tight end left it with the WWE 24/7 Championship.
On Saturday, Gronkowski's friend, WWE Superstar Mojo Rawley, prevented him from pinning R-Truth for the 24/7 title, which can be won at anytime as long as there is a WWE referee present. Gronkowski got revenge Sunday as he dove on a pile of wrestlers who were trying to take down Rawley and then pinned Rawley himself before booking it out of the WWE Performance Center.
There's likely more to come from Gronkowski in WWE, and perhaps even a future feud with Rawley is on the way.
Gronkowski's title win was only one of the memorable moments of WrestleMania weekend, which featured two full nights of action for the first time in the event's history.
Here are more of the highlights from WrestleMania 36, along with videos and GIFs to help relive the excitement.
The Undertaker, AJ Styles steal the show in Boneyard Match
By the time the first night of WrestleMania was over, social media was buzzing with discussion of WWE's first Boneyard Match. That's because it was creative, unique and thrilling in a cinematic-style format that the company has rarely utilized in the past.
The opening of the match saw AJ Styles popping up out of a casket, which was how he arrived at the boneyard for his fight with The Undertaker.
Another cool sight was when Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows, Styles' stablemates in The O.C., arrived along with an army of druids to take on The Undertaker.
Styles' high point of the match came when he tackled Undertaker through the wall of an abandoned building. At this point, Styles was on top as he continued to trash-talk Taker, who was down and struggling for the moment.
However, The Phenom battled back, with his best moments coming while battling all three members of The O.C. on the roof of the building. He threw Gallows off, delivered a Tombstone Piledriver to Anderson and chokeslammed Styles down on to the ground.
That led to Undertaker burying Styles alive to earn the win and getting back on the motorcycle he arrived on, which created a great image for the end of the match.
Firefly Fun House presents unorthodox Wyatt-Cena match
There's never been anything in the WWE quite like this Firefly Fun House match. And there may never be anything like it again.
For most of the time, it wasn't really a "match." Instead, Bray Wyatt got inside John Cena's head and used mind tricks to make him relive some of his past moments and personas, including his WWE debut in the Ruthless Aggression Era and his former role as the Doctor of Thuganomics. Wyatt relived some of his past moments as well, which included a throwback to his WrestleMania 30 loss to Cena.
Some of the most entertaining portions featured some 1980s and 1990s spoofs, such as this weightlifting "promo" from Wyatt and Cena.
In the end, Wyatt was victorious as The Fiend locked in a Mandible Claw on Cena and earned the pin, which was counted by the Firefly Fun House version of Wyatt in a cool editing spot.
McIntyre's Claymore Kicks outlast Lesnar's F-5s
Finally, Drew McIntyre is the WWE champion. After winning the Men's Royal Rumble match in January, McIntyre went on to face Brock Lesnar for the WWE Championship on Sunday. And typical of a Lesnar match, this was a sprint and a finisherfest from the start.
It was actually McIntyre connecting with a finisher first, though, as he took down The Beast with a Claymore Kick.
But Lesnar got the upper hand, taking McIntyre to Suplex City and then hitting an F-5. However, McIntyre kicked out at a one count, proving that he was going to be a formidable challenger.
McIntyre regained control and hit Lesnar with three more Claymore Kicks to notch the victory and win the first WWE title of his career. It was a fitting way to end WrestleMania weekend, as McIntyre is now on top and will likely have plenty of new challengers in the months to come.
Edge, Orton battle all over WWE Performance Center
For the first time in nine years, Edge took part in a singles match after he came out of retirement at Royal Rumble in January. Locked in a personal feud with fellow veteran Randy Orton over the past two months, the two experienced Superstars battled throughout the WWE Performance Center, taking their Last Man Standing match far away from the ring.
It started in the ring, though, as Orton, who was disguised as a cameraman, attacked Edge from behind and opened the match by delivering an RKO.
From there, they fought through the backstage area, which included the workout area and offices. The match went nearly 40 minutes and was the longest of this year's WrestleMania. It may have been more entertaining had it been a bit shorter, but it certainly picked up near the end.
Edge may be 46 years old, but he proved he can still bring some big spots as he delivered an elbow drop on Orton through a table backstage.
Edge was also on the receiving end of some spots, including one that featured Orton delivering his signature DDT on the back of a covered pickup truck.
Edge notched his first win since 2011, as he hit a lying Orton in the head with a chair, which left The Viper unable to get to his feet before the referee's count reached 10.
Owens delivers memorable high-flying spot vs. Rollins
Jeff Hardy and Shane McMahon weren't around to jump off tall things and risk their bodies, but Kevin Owens made sure there was that type of spot during his match against Seth Rollins.
Initially, Owens defeated Rollins by disqualification when Rollins hit him with the ring bell. However, Owens wanted to restart the match with no disqualifications and Rollins obliged, so the two continued their fight. And it's a great thing that they did.
In one of the best spots of the weekend, Owens climbed the giant WrestleMania sign that was behind the commentary table and jumped off it, delivering a Senton on Rollins, who was laying on the table.
Owens went on to win the match in what was one of the more underrated bouts of the weekend.
WWE WrestleMania 36 Top Highlights and Videos from Saturday's Full Show
Apr 5, 2020
One night into the two-night extravaganza that is WrestleMania 36, we have already witnessed some incredible matches, star-driven performances and unforgettable moments that will last a lifetime.
Through the power of social media and WWE's star production team, we can relive them in video and highlights for years to come.
For Those About to Rock...
WWE kicked off a most unusual WrestleMania with a unique video package that welcomed fans to the show and featured a Captain Jack Sparrow soundalike conducting the voiceover.
Sprinkle in a little fun, some killer graphics and put an exclamation point on the proceedings with AC/DC's "For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)," and you have a chill-inducing way to kick off the night's festivities.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_u-6ekjWx4Y
Some denounced the comedic portion midway through, but for an industry that has recently featured teleportation and one-on-one conversations between all-time greats and drones, it was harmless fun.
Bliss-Crossed Tag Champions
The night's action kicked off with Nikki Cross and Alexa Bliss challenging The Kabuki Warriors for the Women's Tag Team Championships, seeking to regain the titles they lost six months earlier.
There were able to do just that in a competitive, 15-minute match that saw Asuka and Kairi Sane throw everything in their arsenal at the challengers, including this throwback to the Legion of Doom's Doomsday Device, but were unable to cancel the competitive spirit and drive of Cross and Bliss.
After Night 1's action concluded, Kayla Braxton caught up with the new champions, including an overjoyed and super-energetic Cross.
Given the other options, the match was the perfect choice to kick off the night's action and was better than expected, thanks in large part to the incredible talents of the competitors involved.
Daniel Bryan Unloads on Sami Zayn
One of the highlights of the Intercontinental Championship match between Daniel Bryan and Sami Zayn was the former becoming increasingly frustrated by the latter's stalling and finally unloading on him midway through the match.
An infuriated Bryan slapped the hell out of Zayn and claimed he had done nothing. A few more shots and more stiff, aggressive strikes helped keep Bryan on the offensive.
Unfortunately for The Yes Man, it was not enough to dethrone the loud-mouthed Zayn, who escaped from the contest with his title reign intact and celebrated with his Artist Collective teammates.
The Man Comes Around
Becky Lynch successfully defended her Raw Women's Championship in a hard-fought match against Shayna Baszler Sunday night.
Channeling one of Baszler's greatest rivals, Kairi Sane, she counted the Kirifuda Clutch into a Bret Hart-esque roll-up for a win few expected.
Before the match, though, The Man arrived in style, rolling into the Performance Center parking lot in the same 18-wheeler she had brought to her last two appearances on Raw.
After the match, Charly Caruso caught up with the champion, who put over her challenger's skill and reign of dominance in NXT.
Most intriguing about the brief promo? Lynch telling The Queen of Spades to come and find her if she has a problem with the finish, suggesting the issues between the two are far from settled.
A Ladder Match Spectacle
Anyone suggesting the lack of fans in attendance would somehow hurt the overall quality of the in-ring action presented at this year's WrestleMania should look no further than the Triple Threat ladder match in which John Morrison defended the SmackDown Tag Team Championships against Kofi Kingston and Jimmy Uso in a bout changed by a storyline injury suffered by The Miz Friday night.
Kingston practiced social distancing by tossing a ladder at an approaching Jimmy Uso's face.
In the match's most death-defying spot, Morrison tipped over the ladder Uso found himself on, sending the second-generation star crashing to the arena floor.
Ultimately, Morrison was able to retain the titles in a clever finish that saw him wrest control of the championships away from his opponents, even if he had to take a wicked back bump onto a ladder to do so.
The match, one of the best of Night 1, reminded the viewing audience that there may be no fans in the stands but the graphics still say "WrestleMania" and that still means something to the performers.
KO's WrestleMania Moment
Prior to their clash Saturday, Seth Rollins reminded the entire WWE Universe that Kevin Owens had yet to have the coveted "WrestleMania Moment."
He equated all of KO's experiences on The Grandest Stage of Them All to failures and claimed he would add one more to the list when they did battle.
He was almost right.
With Owens surging and the fight spilling to the arena floor, Rollins grabbed the ring bell and flattened his opponent with it, drawing a disqualification.
Not content with that outcome, KO took the mic and blistered Rollins with insults and issued a challenge to complete the match under No DQ rules.
The match continued, with Rollins pummeling Owens. Then, in the moment that will be talked about for years to come, KO recovered and laid The Monday Night Messiah out on a table. Climbing to the top of the same sign pointed to by wrestlers for months leading into the event, he launched himself off and onto his opponent.
It was enough to drive the fight out of the former Universal Champion. Moments later, Owens delivered one last Stunner and picked up one of the most memorable wins of his storied career.
Braun Strowman's Motivational Message
Braun Strowman benefited from Roman Reigns pulling out of his scheduled Universal Championship match against Goldberg due to concerns over his health and the coronavirus pandemic, defeating the Hall of Famer to win his first heavyweight title in just two minutes inside the ring.
After the match, the elated winner joined Sarah Schreiber and credited his win to never giving up.
There are plenty of arguments to be made for and against the title change, and opinions on whether Strowman should have received the shot and won the gold, but it was clear in the interview that it meant the world to him.
The Monster Among Men was genuinely thrilled. WrestleMania has, more than anything, become a showcase for moments both professionally and personally profound for the men and women of WWE. Strowman had both in one match Saturday night.
A Cinematic Masterpiece of Epic Proportions
Is that headline hyperbole in regards to the Boneyard match between Undertaker and AJ Styles?
Maybe just a little, but what those two men and WWE's production team accomplished was nothing short of extraordinary.
The storytelling, the spectacle and the physicality of the presentation came together to create what may go down in the annals of WrestleMania history as the most unforgettable match of all time.
We should have known we were in for a treat when Styles faked us all out, entering the cemetery in a hearse and to the Undertaker's funeral march theme song.
Styles was buried under hundreds of pounds of dirt, and the victorious Undertaker hopped back on his motorcycle and raised his fist in victory, ignited flames from the barn in an unforgettable image to close out the show.
The most surreal match in the history of the event, at least until Sunday's Firefly Fun House, it is the only real option to headline Saturday's festivities.
WWE WrestleMania 36 Results: What Fans Are Marking Out for from Saturday's Card
Apr 5, 2020
Saturday was night one of the two-day WrestleMania 36 pay-per-view. Nobody had any idea what to expect when the show began, but by the end of the night, it's safe to say many fans were pleasantly surprised by how good it was.
In total, WWE aired nine matches Saturday, including one on the Kickoff between Drew Gulak and Cesaro that was not previously advertised.
The taped PPV had a few moments when you could see how it was edited together, but the first night of the show managed to surpass most people's expectations.
Many took a cynical approach heading into the PPV, which probably made it that much more exciting when almost every match ended up being a lot of fun. Here is a quick rundown of the results:
Cesaro defeated Drew Gulak.
Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross defeated The Kabuki Warriors.
Elias defeated King Corbin.
Becky Lynch defeated Shayna Baszler.
Sami Zayn defeated Daniel Bryan.
John Morrison defeated Jimmy Uso and Kofi Kingston.
Kevin Owens defeated Seth Rollins.
Braun Strowman defeated Goldberg.
The Undertaker defeated AJ Styles.
Let's take a look at what fans are marking out for the most on Twitter.
The Boneyard Match
Nobody knew what a Boneyard match would be until it started, but a lot of people were right when they assumed it would involve a graveyard in some way.
WWE has done matches in other locations before like Matt Hardy vs. Bray Wyatt and The New Day vs. The Wyatt Family, but The Undertaker vs. Styles was on a different level.
The production included a lot of practical effects, creative editing, sound effects, stuntmen, dialogue and a soundtrack. They even had film-like opening credits for the Superstars' intros.
This was the best Taker has looked in years, and fans online were going wild over how much fun this encounter was and how surprising it was to see WWE pull off something like this so perfectly.
Make no mistake about it: This was not a traditional match. Therefore, it should not be judged by traditional means. This was more like a short film, and it succeeded where past main events have failed.
The Phenomenal One was the perfect foe for The Deadman, and he will easily bounce back from this loss when he returns from the shallow grave in which Taker buried him at the end of the night.
The Ladder Match
Because of The Miz missing the PPV, WWE made the SmackDown tag titles ladder match into a Triple Threat with Jimmy Uso, John Morrison and Kofi Kingston representing their teams.
It's a shame we didn't get to see Jey Uso or Big E in some capacity. However, keeping this to a three-man contest ended up making it one of the most exciting bouts of the night. All three of the Superstars involved are comfortable flying through the air, and they hit some unique spots that WWE edited together to make an entertaining match.
Fans were praising them for specific spots and the overall performance. The ending was dramatic and kept fans guessing until JoMo fell from the ladder with both belts to claim victory.
KO’s dive. Ladder match nuttiness. Boneyard brawl.
The feud between Kevin Owens and Seth Rollins has been going on for months and feels like it's lasted even longer. They have been going at it since the night after Survivor Series in November.
There is a reason WWE has kept this program going for so long: They have such good chemistry.
KO has been the perfect rival for Rollins as he has transformed himself into the Monday Night Messiah because he is great at calling out people when they are being ridiculous.
The fake-out DQ ending led to this bout becoming a No Disqualification match. They used plenty of weapons thereafter and even used the WrestleMania sign for a table spot.
Their insults throughout the match were easy to hear without the crowd and made for a more personal encounter.
Kevin Owens and Seth Rollins are two of the best wrestlers in the world. This match proved even more #WrestleMania
The first night of WrestleMania 36 was a lot better than it had any right to be, but WWE has always been capable of delivering great programming. It just doesn't always follow through.
If night two is just as good, this could go down in history as one of the most important WrestleManias of all time.
49ers' George Kittle Talks Seth Rollins vs. Kevin Owens at WWE WrestleMania 36
Apr 4, 2020
MIAMI, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 02: George Kittle #85 of the San Francisco 49ers runs with the ball after catching a pass against the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV at Hard Rock Stadium on February 02, 2020 in Miami, Florida. The Chiefs won the game 31-20. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
While disappointed with the outcome, San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle enjoyed Kevin Owens' win over Seth Rollins at WrestleMania 36 on Saturday.
The Undertaker' Boneyard match with AJ Styles stole the show, but Owens and Rollins put together arguably the best encounter from the WWE Performance Center.
The biggest moment came when Owens jumped off the WrestleMania sign for an elbow drop:
No one has seen WrestleMania quite like this. The 36th iteration of the event began at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida, on Saturday without an audience and is airing over two nights...
Kevin Owens Beats Seth Rollins in No DQ Match at WWE WrestleMania 36
Apr 4, 2020
After months of back and forth on WWE Raw, Kevin Owens finally got his hands on Seth Rollins on Night 1 of WrestleMania 36 on Saturday and walked away victorious.
KO initially prevailed by disqualification when Rollins hit him with the ring bell.
Emblematic of how badly he wanted to silence Rollins, Owens leapt from the top of the WrestleMania sign for an elbow drop as Rollins was on top of the announce table.
From there, KO connected with a Stunner for the win.
The issues between the pair date back to shortly after Survivor Series in November, when The Prizefighter took issue with The Architect berating the entire Raw locker room over their performance at the pay-per-view.
Owens suspected something was amiss and that Rollins' persona was changing. While the former universal champion denied it at first, he soon turned heel and aligned himself with AOP.
Over the next several weeks, Rollins and his stable feuded with KO and an ever-changing cast of characters. The Monday Night Messiah added Murphy to his group during that time, while Owens worked with the likes of Samoa Joe, Rey Mysterio, Big Show, The Viking Raiders and The Street Profits.
Things heated up between Owens and Rollins the Monday after February's Super ShowDown event, as KO interfered during a Raw Tag Team Championship match pitting Rollins and Murphy against The Street Profits. After Owens hit Rollins with a Stunner, Montez Ford pinned him to win the titles.
During a rematch between the teams at Elimination Chamber in March, KO showed up again to distract Rollins, and that resulted in The Street Profits retaining.
Owens and Rollins have seemingly been on a WrestleMania collision course for months, and the match was made official on March 16 when the former accepted the latter's challenge to a match at KO's old stomping grounds: the WWE Performance Center.
The match was originally scheduled to take place at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, in front of more than 70,000 fans, but the coronavirus pandemic forced WWE to scale down WrestleMania significantly and hold it with no fans in attendance.
The unique circumstances may have added to the bout between Owens and Rollins since it essentially took place on KO's home turf.
Owens vs. Rollins was always going to be an undercard contest without a ton of hoopla since there was no title on the line, but they are two of WWE's most successful Superstars of the past five years, and they didn't need a championship in order to cement their place on the show.
With KO finally shutting up The Monday Night Messiah and scoring the big victory, perhaps he will be in line for a shot at the WWE Championship in the near future.
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WWE WrestleMania 36 Matches: Bouts Most Likely to Steal the Show
Apr 4, 2020
TOKYO,JAPAN - JUNE 28: Seth Rollins enters the ring during the WWE Live Tokyo at Ryogoku Kokugikan on June 28, 2019 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Etsuo Hara/Getty Images)
WrestleMania 36 features a stacked card, with 16 matches stretching across Saturday and Sunday. But there are a select few bouts that stand out as ones that could steal the show.
While attraction matches like John Cena vs. "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt in a Firefly Fun House match and The Undertaker vs. AJ Styles in a Boneyard match will be fun and entertaining for those watching at home, they aren't the type of contests that are going to blow away viewers with elite in-ring work.
Here are three matches with the best chance to outshine the rest and steal the show on The Grandest Stage of Them All.
Kevin Owens vs. Seth Rollins
Fans likely have differing views regarding the long-running feud between Kevin Owens and Seth Rollins, but considering the fact that they are two of the best in-ring workers in the world, they should put on an awesome show at WrestleMania.
The issues between Owens and Rollins date back to November, and they have since faced each other in a multitude of tag team matches. That has led many to grow tired of their rivalry, but everything will finally come to a head at The Showcase of The Immortals.
While the program didn't seem to have much of a direction for quite some time, WWE tied it together on the past two episodes of Raw. Rollins cut a fantastic promo two weeks ago, and KO answered with a great promo of his own Monday.
Suddenly, there is some interest in Rollins and Owens finally settling their score in a singles match after so much interaction over the past several months.
As Rollins alluded to during his promo, he owns a bevy of WrestleMania moments. From successfully cashing in his Money in the Bank contract against Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 31 to beating Lesnar for the Universal Championship last year, Rollins shines on the big stage.
Owens has yet to capture a career-defining moment on WWE's grandest stage, but given the opportunity to do so at WrestleMania 36, he will seize it with some help from The Monday Night Messiah.
Edge vs. Randy Orton
For all the deficiencies in the Owens-Rollins setup, the build toward Edge and Randy Orton was as close to perfect as anything in wrestling.
After nine years out of action because of what was presumed to be a career-ending neck injury, The Rated-R Superstar made a shocking return in the 2020 men's Royal Rumble match. The feel-good moment quickly turned to horror, however, when Orton took him out with a con-chair-to the next night on Raw.
Orton wreaked havoc in the ensuing weeks, taking out Matt Hardy and Edge's wife, Beth Phoenix, until Edge came back again and challenged The Viper to a Last Man Standing match at WrestleMania.
Edge and Orton have exchanged fantastic promos ahead of their contest, and the WWE Universe is ready to see them get their hands on each other at WrestleMania.
While it is somewhat disappointing that there won't be a capacity crowd on hand to pop for Edge's first singles match in close to a decade, the empty-arena aspect could play to Edge and Orton's advantage given the stipulation's hardcore nature.
With no fans to play up to, Edge and Orton can battle throughout the Performance Center, use every weapon they can get their hands on and be as creative as they want to be.
Edge and Orton are both old pros with a ton of chemistry and a desire to make their match a success, and there is little question that they will come through when it counts.
Rhea Ripley vs. Charlotte Flair
Women's wrestling has grown by leaps and bounds in recent years, and it will take another step forward at WrestleMania, as there are several important women's matches on the card.
Of those bouts, the NXT Women's Championship match between Rhea Ripley and Charlotte Flair has a chance to stand out the most.
Not only is the match important given it is the first time an NXT title will be on the line at WrestleMania and the first time a Royal Rumble winner has opted to challenge for an NXT championship, but it's also because Ripley is one of the fastest-rising stars in the company.
The 23-year-old seemingly has all the tools needed to be a top star for a long time to come, and beating the most accomplished female wrestler in WWE history on the Grandest Stage of Them All would poor gasoline on the flame that is Ripley's push.
In addition to the meaning of the match, the ring work promises to be phenomenal as well. Both Flair and Ripley are in immaculate shape and are supremely athletic, so all signs point to them meshing well. The NXT champion looked a lot like Charlotte when she debuted in the first Mae Young Classic, which led to comparisons and talk of them eventually facing each other.
The Nightmare has significantly altered her look since then, but the comparisons remain. And a match against The Queen is something a large portion of the fanbase wants to see. Given the importance of the match to all involved, both Superstars are likely to deliver.
Listen toRing Rust Radiofor all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below(warning: some language NSFW).
With WrestleMania comes an undeniable pressure to deliver the best performance of your career, and with the show forced inside the WWE Performance Center due to the coronavirus ...
