WrestleMania 36 was one of the most interesting shows of all time. Whether you loved it or hated it, having no fans, two cinematic pre-recorded matches, creative spots, and it being a two-night event makes this one of the most unique shows we’ve ever witnessed. Every moment of the least year has led up to and shaped the WrestleMania card, therefor, stakes are extremely high at the Show of Shows. Winning at WrestleMania can boost or turn around a wrestler’s career, while losing can do just the opposite. Let’s break down the biggest winners and losers, from this year’s WrestleMania.
Winner: Drew McIntyre
One of the more obvious ones from the night is the winner of the main event, conquerer of Brock Lesnar, and the new WWE Champion. Drew McIntyre achieved his dream of reaching the top of the WWE mountain, a dream that’s been an uphill battle for the last 11 years. On top of his quick victory over Lesnar, McIntyre was also able to defeat The Big Show in a dark match following the show to further cement his legitimacy as a champion. Winning the WWE Title in the main event of WrestleMania is arguably the biggest achievement in professional wrestling, therefor, McIntyre makes the list of winners.
Loser: The Kabuki Warriors
The Kabuki Warriors unfortunately make the list of losers after last week’s show. Both Asuka and Kairi Sane have defeated Nikki Cross and Alexa Bliss in the past and were riding some momentum coming into WrestleMania. Sadly for the Kabuki Warriors, Bliss and Cross had their number and beat them for the Women’s Tag Team Championships at WrestleMania. The defeat is about more than just the loss of the titles, but the credibility that they have as competitors. A loss at a show like this, especially losing to challengers you’ve already beaten, can take you down a notch and that’s what this loss did to Sane and Asuka.
Winner: “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt
The Fiend needed this win very badly, and he got it in a big way. Similar to the Boneyard Match, this match was cinematic and shot off-set. Bray Wyatt excelled in a match like this and proved that wrestling is just as much about the story as it is about the moves. The Fiend’s win was convincing, dark and fun at the same time. Cena changing characters as he evolved through his career was a highlight in the match among many and The Fiend’s win hopefully removed the doubt about his abilities from anyone’s head after his loss to Goldberg. He is one of the most dangerous competitors on the roster.
Loser: Randy Orton
Randy Orton lost last Sunday in a big way. The Last Man Standing match between Edge and Orton received mixed reviews. Some where just psyched to see Edge wrestle again, and others were critical of the match, citing that it was mostly punches, not held in the ring, and too long. Regardless of what you thought of the quality of the match, Orton still couldn’t back up his bold words and even bolder actions. He was defeated by a returning Edge who hasn’t wrestled a one-on-one match in over 9 years. On top of it, the sadistic and violent Orton was beaten with his own signature “Head Smash Sandwich” as I like to call it, between two chairs.
Winner: Charlotte Flair
Charlotte is possibly the biggest winner coming out of WrestleMania 36. NXT is arguably the hottest brand in WWE and Charlotte just did what nobody has ever done. She challenged the NXT Women’s Champion as a RAW superstar and won back the NXT Women’s Championship; a title which she was the inaugural holder of. In addition to another title on her resume, Charlotte exposed Ripley and became the first superstar to make her tap out in WWE, let alone beat her in the stellar match they had.
Loser: Goldberg
The final biggest loser of the show is Goldberg. He makes the list for multiple reasons, first being that he lost the Universal Championship. Second being that his match was again, extremely short, extremely limited, and you could tell he was not in 100% ring-shape anymore. Goldberg was pretty much able to Spear, slam, or get slammed; and it showed in a painful way. Strowman’s win is meaningful, but not as meaningful as it could’ve been if Goldberg was able to put on a quality match.
