5 things WWE could have done better at WrestleMania 36 Night 1: Title match ends in 130 seconds, No explanation for major change

WrestleMania 36's first night is in the books and overall, we have to say that WWE did a much better job than expected, especially given the limited resources they had. Moreover, in the eight matches on the main card, we only felt that two of them were underwhelming. We'll get to that, but a great main event can save a show and The Undertaker vs AJ Styles didn't need to 'save' the show per se, but they added a lot to the first night.

The last three matches were incredible and it set the tone for the most unprecedented WrestleMania in WWE history. In front of no audience, WWE is now halfway through with the Grandest Stage of Them All. While it's clear that WWE took their foot off the gas once they shifted to the Performance Center, there were many positives. With that said, let's take a look at five things WWE could have done better on the first of two nights at WrestleMania 36.

#5 The length of the Goldberg-Braun Strowman match

Braun Strowman was the last-minute replacement for Roman Reigns against Goldberg at WrestleMania 36 and it only took him 2 minutes and 10 seconds to defeat the living legend and win his first World Championship in WWE.

Braun Strowman winning was the right decision, especially given that Goldberg wasn't staying past WrestleMania 36. However, we felt that the match should have gone longer than 130 seconds.

Goldberg can't go too long in the ring without gassing out, which is a justified reason for him to have short matches. However, his WrestleMania 33 match against Brock Lesnar was the perfect example of how to have a Goldberg match - short, crisp, and intense. It was 5 minutes of non-stop action without a second wasted. WWE should have gone along those lines rather than have a match that featured two or three moves in total.

#4 Not explaining the major changes made to two matches

A triple threat singles match...for the tag team titles?

WWE was forced to make a lot of improvisations at the last minute due to the coronavirus pandemic. This included the removal of superstars such as Andrade (who supposedly has an injury), Rey Mysterio, Dana Brooke, The Miz, and most notably - Roman Reigns.

The two big questions were about Braun Strowman replacing Roman Reigns and the SmackDown tag titles match becoming a triple threat match with only three competitors. The Miz being removed meant that The Usos and The New Day could only have one member participating, which meant that the match turned out to be a Triple Threat ladder match between John Morrison, Kofi Kingston, and Jimmy Uso.

WWE was criticized for not explaining why Braun Strowman was in the Universal title match and why the tag team match became a triple threat singles match. This was something that confused a lot of fans - especially those who don't actively follow the WWE rumor mill.

#3 The finish to Elias vs King Corbin

Was this a WrestleMania-worthy match-up?

The addition of King Corbin vs Elias to the WrestleMania 36 card was a bit questionable. It felt like a SmackDown match at best - and not even a main event. Either way, we're not against the fact that they got a spot on the card because they both deserve it.

Moreover, the fact that it's a 2-day WrestleMania with roughly three hours per day means that the entire show is easier to watch, rather than WrestleMania since 2016, where it's extended drastically in its runtime.

Elias vs Corbin was never going to be a technical classic, but we imagine that it would have gotten a great reaction from the crowd. It was a classic heel-babyface dynamic, with Corbin assuming that he would win the match by forfeiture as Elias didn't show up at the time.

What was most disappointing, however, was the roll-up finish. It was a lackluster end to a WrestleMania match and it doesn't even feel as though the feud was that important, to begin with. WWE could have done better with the finish of the match.

#2 The finish to Becky Lynch vs Shayna Baszler

The Man will complete a full year as RAW Women's Champion

Becky Lynch vs Shayna Baszler was one of the matches on the card that we expected to be good but was a bit more underwhelming than anticipated. There were rumors that Shayna Baszler didn't convince Vince McMahon after debuting on RAW, but the truth is that she was the right opponent at the right time.

Many expected Baszler to dethrone Becky Lynch and end her run as RAW Women's Champion before she could complete a full calendar year, but with her win over Shayna Baszler, she achieved that.

The finish, however, was something that could have been much better. It looked similar to Becky Lynch's accidental pin over Ronda Rousey after rolling her and pinning her on the back at WrestleMania 35.

While we aren't mad at the decision to have Becky Lynch remain the RAW Women's Champion, it leaves a big question as to who's next. Given the way things ended, we expect Baszler to be right back in the mix.

#1 Not concluding enough storylines

WrestleMania is supposed to be the Grandest Stage of Them All and by default, is the PPV where a lot of rivalries conclude. Given the stage and the WrestleMania brand name, it only makes sense to have the payoffs over there.

However, given the circumstances, WrestleMania became a much smaller show in 2020 - although it has proven to be the most unique one in its 36-year history. One of the big problems with the previously-mentioned dusty finishes is that there was no real conclusion to the big storylines.

The only two matches that felt like the culmination of their respective rivalries was The Undertaker vs AJ Styles and Kevin Owens vs Seth Rollins. In all the other matches, it's easy to see the defeated Superstars getting a rematch in the future.

Despite WWE taking their foot off the gas, they should have gone forward and concluded more storylines. If the same repeats for night 2, then we can see SummerSlam being booked as the biggest show of the year.

Edited by Raunak J