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WWE has released a tentative schedule of matches for both Night 1 and Night 2 of the weekend but the locations and matches aren't completely official.
Also Read: 5 matches that should take place on night 2 of WrestleMania 36
The company will likely solidify things as the event inches closer, but there needs to be a blend of matches each night. There are also some matches that deserve to be the last match of the weekend while others could draw viewers in to Night 1.
Here is what has been listed as a rough draft of the matches for each night:
Listed matches for Night 1
- WWE Championship Match: Brock Lesnar (c) vs. Drew McIntyre
- NXT Women's Championship Match: Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Charlotte Flair
- The Undertaker vs. AJ Styles
- Kevin Owens vs. Seth Rollins
Listed matches for Night 2
- Universal Championship Match: Goldberg (c) vs. Roman Reigns
- John Cena vs. the Fiend
- RAW Women's Championship Match: Becky Lynch vs. Shayna Baszler
Some other matches are likely to happen but haven't been officially announced. Kevin Owens challenged Seth Rollins to a match on the last RAW while Miz and John Morrison will face either The Usos or The New Day after their upcoming match on SmackDown.
Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross will likely face the Kabuki Warriors for the Women's Tag Team titles after Bliss challenged the Empress of Tomorrow to a match on Friday. Randy Orton has yet to technically accept Edge's challenge for a Last Man Standing match. We could also have matches for the RAW Tag titles and the US title also added to the show.
Whatever ends up happening, the structuring of the matches is even more important now that they'll all take place in front of an empty arena. More emphasis will be put on the in-ring product instead of on grandiose entrances and celebrations. Here are five matches that make sense to take place on the first night of WrestleMania 36.
#5 SmackDown Women's Championship Six Pack Challenge
On the latest SmackDown, Paige announced to Bayley that she'd be defending her title against five other women from the blue brand. With Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross likely in the running for a tag title match, and the fact that they've already face Bayley a bunch of times, it basically means the rest of the roster gets on to the card.
Announced for the match were Dana Brooke, Tamina, Lacey Evans, Naomi and Sasha Banks. Conspicuous from her absence is Carmella but she tweeted that she's in self-quarantine alongside Corey Graves. For that reason, Tamina gets a match on the Grandest Stage of Them All.
The main event of Night 1 is going to either be the Universal or WWE Championship match. Since it's likely to be a short match and Drew McIntyre won the Royal Rumble in order to main event WrestleMania, I think the Universal title match should end Night 1. Because of that, there should be other matches that could take up some time.
Goldberg matches are usually short so this match featuring six women from SmackDown could take up a good chunk of time.
#4 Kevin Owens vs. Seth Rollins
There may or may not be a stipulation added to this heated personal rivalry. But with Randy Orton vs. Edge potentially being a Last Man Standing match, this might not need a caveat added to it's proceedings.
Not every match on the card will be for a title or have a stipulation attached to it. These two performers are good enough on their own that they don't need one. A good way to prolong the feud would be for Owens to win and then have a special match at the next PPV or on an episode of RAW.
It's funny to think that this wouldn't be a main event match due to Rollins being the Universal Champ as late as last October. He's also going from the "main event" to a match that will likely open either night. A lot happens in a year, but both men are great at selling rivalries and this one hasn't been any different.
With AOP a member down and Murphy not likely to be busy on the card, they could be involved in some fashion. Whenever the match happens, it would be a good bout to open Night 1 and/or be sandwiched in between two matches with more on the line.
#3 NXT Women's Championship Match: Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Charlotte
This match has been planned since the start of the year and it should not be on the same night as the RAW Women's Championship match. With Becky Lynch still maintaining top star status among the WWE women, that match should be saved for Night 2. This one, since Flair is still technically a RAW star, should be a part of Night 1.
Ripley is quickly becoming a star and it's too soon for her to lose the NXT Women's title. If she does lose it, it needs to be someone from NXT. Depending on what happens with the Women's Tag titles, this should once again stand apart from that bout with the Champion Kabuki Warriors calling Monday nights home.
All of the title matches cannot and should not be on the same night and I don't think things will fall that way. If management is worried about female star power being split, then this match makes more sense to occur on the first night of WrestleMania. The biggest match featuring women needs to be saved for the second night of festivities.
This being the second biggest female match of the PPV means it should take place before RAW's title match.
#2 Last Man Standing Match: Edge vs. Randy Orton
As mentioned with the six-pack challenge match, there either needs to be more matches on the same night as the Universal Championship match or some that will be longer than usual. A multi-woman match is one way to draw things out as is putting this personal Last Man Standing match on the first night.
This has arguably been the most anticipated and best done feud ever since the Royal Rumble concluded. There has been a new wrinkle added practically every week and each man has had the upper hand at various points. With Edge's return to the ring being a huge selling point for this year's Showcase of the Immortals, it should be used on Night 1 to draw in viewers.
Both men have hit their promos and actions out of the park. And with the WWE Championship match being another huge contest from RAW, there needs to be some splitting up of the Monday night bouts. For Night 1, this match and the Owens/Rollins bout works. For Night 2, the other major RAW showdowns like The Undertaker vs. AJ Styles and WWE title match can anchor the action on Sunday.
#1 Universal Championship Match: Goldberg (c) vs. Roman Reigns
Since this is likely to main event either of the nights, it needs to be on Night 1 for a few reasons. The first reason is that although he's the current Universal Champion, Goldberg's matches aren't very long. They get things out of the way quickly and it's the right play since he's over 50.
If this closed out the second night, it would be a strange end to WrestleMania 36. I'm sure we'd be fine with Roman Reigns winning the title, but main events of the Show of Shows have traditionally been 20 minutes or more. Reigns vs. Triple H at WM 32 was over 27 minutes while Reigns vs. The Undertaker at WM 33 was 23 minutes long. Switching things up this year - even with the current situation across the globe - would seem awkward.
The second reason why this should be the last match on the first night is because it just materialized. Drew McIntyre won the Rumble in order to earn his shot at Brock Lesnar back in January. While it just as easily could have been Reigns winning and challenging the Champ of SmackDown, that is not how things played out. Since plans changed so much between the end of January and now, the build for this feud hasn't been nearly as strong as the feud between McIntyre and the Beast.
Since The Big Dog walked into the ring and said "I'm next" instead of going through an Elimination Chamber match to win the right, he doesn't need to close the show again. It should go to the person who won the honor to challenge for a title and to a man who has never had a major title shot in his career. If Reigns vs. Goldberg is going to be the last match of one of the nights, it should be the first one.
