WrestleMania 36: Top 5 Superstars at the PPV (Day 1)

The first night of WrestleMania 36 accounted for a decent show with an incredible main event. Amidst the coronavirus crisis, WWE managed to get through with at least one-half of their biggest show of the year and delivered a good PPV.

The Universal Championship was the only title that changed hands last night as Braun Strowman shockingly defeated Goldberg in a short match. On the other hand, Sami Zayn, the team of Miz and John Morrisson, and Becky Lynch managed to successfully retain their respective titles.

On the first night of WrestleMania 36, there were a few Superstars who managed to steal the show and were responsible for quite a few unforgettable shows. Although, we are only halfway through the ‘Showcase of Immortals’.

There a few names who deserve credit for their impeccable performance. So, without further ado, let’s begin.

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#5 Seth Rollins

It’s no secret that Seth Rollins is a brilliant heel and he has a different aura about himself when he is the ‘bad guy’. Sure, he did a great job as the face of the company but he is a much better version of himself when he plays the villain. Once again, at WrestleMania 36, Rollins’ had a great match to conclude his feud with Kevin Owens and he was perfect in his portrayal of a heel.

At first, Rollins used the ring-side bell to hit Owens which caused the latter to win via disqualification. Following that, an irked Owens wanted to win a fair fight and called out the ‘Monday Night Messiah’ for a no-DQ match. Although Rollins lost yet again, he managed to get his character over with the help of his brilliant match against Owens.

Both the former Universal Champions were amazing throughout the match. They worked together to construct a good story within the match while pacing the action as per the need of the hour. It looked like their feud couldn’t have a better ending than their WrestleMania match. Even if WWE decides to extend this feud, the fans can be certain that it will only lead to compelling matches between the two Superstars.

#4 Braun Strowman

In what was a rather surprising turn of events, Roman Reigns pulled put of WrestleMania 36 owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, WWE decided to replace the ‘Big Dog’ with Braun Strowman in the Universal Championship match against Goldberg. What happened next took the entire WWE Universe by surprise.

The ‘Monster Among Men’ squared off against Goldberg in a short match. Initially, the latter hit Strowman with three spears before trying to pin him. But Strowman was not ready to give up just yet. He went on to change the entire direction of the match when he found a way to stand up even after being on receiving end of four deadly spears.

A determined Strowman then subjected Goldberg to four Powerslams that allowed him to pin the champion and win the Universal title. It was an unexpected finish but Strowman has proved himself worthy of a dominant title reign for a long time.

Hopefully, the creatives will make the best use of this opportunity and allow the ‘Monster Among Men’ to have an unforgettable run as the Universal Champion in WWE.

#3 Kevin Owens

Seth Rollins might have been right in pointing out that Kevin Owens doesn’t have a decent WrestleMania moment. Little did he know that Owens was going to get one of those at the ‘Grandest Stage of Them All’ this year.

Rollins and Owens locked horns in a single’s match which was later turned into a no-DQ encounter and the latter picked two victories on the same night.

In one of the best spots of the night, Owens got on top of the huge WrestleMania sign that was kept behind the commentators and threw himself on Rollins who was lying on a table nearby.

Right before taking his leap, Owens screamed, “How’s this for a WrestleMania moment?” which made the entire thing even more compelling in nature.

Both Superstars had an engaging match that narrated their entire feud brilliantly inside the squared circle. Owens first won via disqualification after he getting hit by the bell and went on to win pick his second victory over Rollins even after the no-DQ stipulation was added.

He truly deserved this victory and was responsible for one of the best matches of the night.

#2 AJ Styles

AJ Styles might have crossed his boundaries when he called out The Undertaker and commented on his personal life but it was the latter who initiated the feud.

Styles merely responded to someone who interfered in two of his matches and stole an easy win from the leader of The O.C. This storyline saw Styles lock horns with The Undertaker in a Boneyard match at WrestleMania 36 which ended up being the main event.

There’s no doubt that Styles can portray the role of a heel to absolute perfection. He went above and beyond to add more feud to his match with The Undertaker and drew it to a perfect conclusion with their match at the ‘Grandest Stage of Them All’.

He even had help from Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson but that didn't make a lot of difference. Although Styles ended up losing the match, it was one of his best performances that we have seen in WWE.

It is not a surprise to see Styles using excellent moves or deadly counters. But the biggest reason why he is so high up in this list is his dynamic with The Undertaker throughout their match.

Styles made The Phenom look better, something not everyone can do. Their match had drama, intensity, and tonnes of credibility which ultimately allowed the WWE Universe to remember how great The Deadman really is.

#1 The Undertaker

Even though I have been a fan of The Undertaker ever since I started watching WWE, I never imagined that he would be on the top of this list in 2020. But the Deadman managed to shock the entire WWE Universe with his amazing match against AJ Styles to close the first night of WrestleMania 36.

He looked in a good shape and was fairly dominant throughout the match. But that’s not it. After very long, it felt like The Undertaker was truly back to his old self.

At first, The Undertaker came on his bike and the fans all over the world relived the glory days of the ‘American Badass’. The two Superstars squared off at the graveyard and ‘Taker continued to dominate.

Following that, Styles managed to put The Deadman into the grave while the latter was busy dealing with Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson. But just when the ‘Phenomenal One’ was about to cover his grave, The Phenom rose and found his way right behind Styles.

After that, The Undertaker looked like he was reborn. He took out Gallows and Anderson before throwing Styles into the grave from the top of the roof. He buried his opponent and left the venue on his bike.

This was, by far, the best Undertaker match that we have seen in recent years. He looked quite incredible in his match and once again had his WrestleMania moment, as is the tradition.