WrestleMania 36: 5 WWE Superstars who flopped and 5 who impressed

WrestleMania 36 will always be a unique edition of the show that battled against the limitations of a global pandemic and still managed to deliver an entertaining show. WWE did not postpone the biggest PPV of the year which had the fans skeptical about the overall quality of the show.

However, the creatives made the best use of resources at hand and used the pre-taped matches to mark the conclusion of several well-narrated storylines. From the unforgettable Boneyard match featuring The Undertaker and AJ Styles to the unconventional Firefly Fun House match featuring Bray Wyatt and John Cena, this particular show had countless surprising moments that had the world talking.

Overall, this year’s WrestleMania was a decent show that saw several Superstars creating a niche for themselves while a few others did not live up to the expectations.

In this list, we will take a look at five WWE Superstars who flopped at the PPV and five who impressed.

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#5 Flopped: Natalya

In the kickoff show of the second night of WrestleMania 36, Natalya locked horns with Liv Morgan in a single’s match. Their in-ring encounter was decent but the overall impact of the match was close to nil. Natalya managed to gain dominance over her opponent in a couple of spots but could not prevail against Morgan who pinned her opponent after a roll-up.

This match was almost similar to the kickoff show encounter between Drew Gulak and Cesaro on the first night of WrestleMania. However, the fact that Cesaro and Gulak had a slight history ahead of their encounter contributed significantly towards the overall reception of their match.

The lack of even the slightest build-up made Natalya and Morgan’s match look like a filler segment that did little to nothing when it comes to elevating their respective positions on the roster.

Although Natalya is an established veteran of the WWE Women’s roster, she looked quite weak during her appearance at the ‘Grandest Stage of Them All’. Indeed, she is now mostly used to put over other talent but she is capable of delivering good matches - as was the case in her feud with Becky Lynch. Hopefully, the creatives will invest a little more in her matches next time.

#5 Impressed: Bray Wyatt

‘The Fiend’ Bray Wyatt was keen on avenging his loss against John Cena from six years ago. The two Superstars were set to lock horns in a Firefly Fun House match at WrestleMania 36. But, the fans didn’t have the slightest clue about any other details. WWE wanted to keep the format of this match a surprise and they managed to pull it off brilliantly.

The Fun House match saw Bray Wyatt taking Cena through all the important moments of the latter’s legendary WWE career. From his debut against Kurt Angle to his time in ECW along with a nod to his ‘Doctor of Thuganomics’ gimmick, this match relied on nostalgia and history for a beautiful story-telling.

In the end, ‘The Fiend’ pinned Cena to avenge his loss from WrestleMania 30 in a match that was unconventional and fetched a good reaction from the WWE Universe. It was different from the norm and the editors also deserve a huge part of the credit for delivering a product that was complete in all aspects despite its presentation.

#4 Flopped: Bobby Lashley

Bobby Lashley locked horns with Aleister Black in a singles match at WrestleMania 36 and had Lana by his side. Although Lashley was booked to look dominant, his strength appeared to be quite a failure against his opponent who looked more resilient. Ultimately, it was Black who prevailed and picked his WrestleMania victory over Lashley in an unsurprising result.

Lashley’s match with Black could have been better if both Superstars had a compelling storyline to build up to their match. Even if it was a one-off encounter, the creatives should have allowed Lashley to make use of more heelish tactics to add more credibility to his character.

Instead, he looked like an angry man, desperate to beat his opponent but one who was blind towards the challenge that he is facing.

A lot can be traced back to his feud with Rusev over Lana that was supposed to bring more attention towards the Superstars involved. However, it barely did anything to boost the advance of both the Superstars on the roster.

Lashley has potential but he needs good storylines to establish himself as a credible force on RAW in the coming months.

#4 Impressed: Edge

Edge returned to WWE after a serious neck injury kept him out of the in-ring action for nine years. His appearance at Royal Rumble 2020 led the fans into believing that he was here to stay before he was viciously attacked by Randy Orton. The two Superstars were engaged in a personal feud that found its conclusion at WrestleMania 36.

Edge and Orton locked horns in a brutal encounter that saw them dragging each other through every corner of the WWE Performance Centre. In order to remain the last man standing, both Superstars didn’t hold back from weaponizing any object that fell in their sight. They did a great job of telling a story about grit via their performances but Edge went beyond expectations.

One would not have expected the Rated-R Superstar to be a part of such intense action so soon after his return to WWE. But Edge defied all expectations to gain his WrestleMania moment and now he can truly end his career on his terms. ‘The Viper’ also deserves a special mention for his dedication towards making this an unforgettable match of Edge’s career.

#3 Flopped: Liv Morgan

The only reason why both Liv Morgan and Natalya are on this list is because of the lack of impact of their WrestleMania match. They locked horns in a single’s encounter that was won by Morgan, but it did little to nothing when it came to making the winner look strong. The former member of the Riott Squad used a quick roll up to pin Natalya which accounted for a lazy finish at best.

Following Morgan’s absence from the company, a lot of speculations were made about her return and it was expected that the complete change in her character would account for a gimmick that will do justice to her potential. However, she only came back to be involved in the Rusev-Lana-Bobby Lashley which only attracted negative attention.

Morgan has the potential to do better than her current position on the roster and she is in a desperate need to be involved in good storylines. Even if the creatives feel that she needs good one-off encounters with her counterparts before she is involved in an engaging feud, it should be against the likes of Ruby Riott and Sarah Logan, which will help keep the fans invested.

#3 Impressed: Sasha Banks

Sasha Banks is one of the few Superstars who can lose at WrestleMania and still manage to impress the onlookers. She was a part of the Fatal Five-Way Elimination match for the SmackDown Women’s Championship that also planted the seeds of rivalry between her and her best friend, Bayley. Banks was easily the best competitor inside the ring and was instrumental in determining the result of the match.

Banks was eliminated by Lacey Evans, who took her out with her signature punch. However, it is important to note that it was initially meant for Bayley who pushed Evans into the direction of her best friend. Right before that, Bayley kicked Banks by mistake when Evans moved away in the nick of time. Everyone was expecting Banks to turn on Bayley but she came back to help the latter in retaining the title by attacking Evans from behind.

Throughout this match, Banks was seen eyeing Bayley and standing behind her which hinted at the beginning of their much-awaited rivalry. It was not her performance that made her WrestleMania impressive.

Instead, it was the drama surrounding her and Bayley that kept the fans invested. Not to mention, the camerawork was brilliant. We can’t wait to see what will happen next for ‘the Legit Boss’ and Bayley. Even with five losses at the ‘Grandest Stage of Them All’, Banks has managed to draw attention and everyone needs to keep an eye on her.

#2 Flopped: Austin Theory

I know that it’s too early to judge Austin Theory's potential, but he was one of the weakest performers at the show. After Andrade had to be pulled out of WrestleMania 36 owing to his rib injury, Theory was called up from NXT as a replacement for the United States Champion. The latter teamed up with Angel Garza to take on The Street Profits with the RAW Tag Team Championships on the line.

Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins successfully retained their title against the team of Theory and Garza in a rather underwhelming match. One can argue that Theory was a last-minute replacement and had no solid booking to back his case.

However, there were several instances during the match that put Theory’s nervousness on display and his in-ring maneuvers were not at its best. In fact, the issue lay with the team but Garza somehow managed to gain one point over his partner owing to his experience.

Theory looks like a promising Superstar and it must have been difficult for him to prepare for the ‘Grandest Stage of Them All’ on such short notice. Hence, I hope he is never included in this division of the list in the future.

#2 Impressed: Kevin Owens

Kevin Owens and Seth Rollins were engaged in a feud for four months, which also saw several other Superstars being involved. However, at WrestleMania 36, both men had no one in their corner and had to fight their battles all by themselves. In the end, it was Owens who stood tall after picking not just one but two victories over the ‘Monday Night Messiah’ in one night.

At first, Rollins hit Owens with a ring-side bell that allowed the latter to win via disqualification. But that was not enough for Owens. He picked a mic and asked Rollins to come back inside the ring and face him in a no-disqualification match. After a brutal altercation, Owens used the same bell to hit Rollins and keep him down which led to his victory once again.

Owens also found his WrestleMania moment when he jumped on Rollins from the top of the huge sign to put his opponent through the table. It will be safe to assume that their feud will be over and we could soon see KO being involved in the title picture. Even if WWE decides to extend this rivalry beyond WrestleMania, one can be assured that they will deliver equally great matches in the future.

#1 Flopped: Goldberg

WWE Hall of Famer Goldberg shocked the world when he defeated Bray Wyatt to win the Universal Championship earlier this year. Following that, he was set to lock horns with Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 36 in a ‘Spear vs Spear’ match with his title on the line. However, Reigns had to pull out of the show and he was replaced by Braun Strowman.

At WrestleMania, Goldberg went one-on-one against the ‘Monster Among Men’ and the latter prevailed. He was better than the Champion in all aspects and won the title that he has deserved for so long. The title defense was underwhelming and could have been better if Goldberg was slightly more intense throughout the bout.

It’s true that Goldberg looked quite weak against his opponent which worked out well for Strowman. Having said that, Strowman can be booked strongly without making anyone else look weak because he has always been billed as a monster.

So, WWE could have made Goldberg look better in the match without compromising with the credibility of his opponent. Hopefully, if Goldberg is to have another title reign in WWE, it will be more interesting.

#1 Impressed: The Undertaker

The Undertaker initiated a feud with AJ Styles and the two were then involved in an intensely personal rivalry. The ‘Phenomenal One’ took it too far when he involved The Deadman’s wife, Michelle McCool. Irked by the audacity of Styles, The Undertaker brought the best of his glory days in his WrestleMania 36 match that also accounted for one of his best performances in recent memory.

We saw The Undertaker arrive on his bike and he got the better of Styles, proving that he was still the ‘American Badass’. Following that, Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson interfered in the match which gave enough time to Styles to attack ‘Taker and put him in the grave. But right before he could cover the grave, he found The Undertaker standing beside him.

The Deadman unleashed his ferocity upon everyone and ultimately, buried Styles to end the match before he got on his bike and rode off into the night. Undertaker looked stronger than his past few appearances and reminded the WWE Universe of his greatness that he once used to rule the roster.

It was incredible to see him look credibly strong and Styles was the best person to face The Undertaker in one of the most memorable matches in WrestleMania history.