5 ways to make WrestleMania 36 shorter

WrestleMania serves as Christmas Day for professional wrestling fans all around the world as we get the chance to see the biggest stars in the business compete on the grandest stage of them all. Sometimes the show is a hit and sometimes it isn't, but one thing we have all come to learn over the last few years is this: it's an incredibly long show.

WWE hasn't really shown any signs of wanting to dial that back, aiming to make it a bigger and better spectacle than the year prior whenever they get the chance to do so.

One of the most logical solutions in the eyes of many would be for WrestleMania to take place over two days, but with 36 and 37 both sticking to the one-day format, the earliest we could see that being introduced is in 2022 for WrestleMania 38 - and even then, it seems unlikely.

Today, we want to run through a few ideas that we've got which could help Mania viewers make their way through the show with relative ease.

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#5 A Few Quick Matches

It's gonna be quick

There are quite a few matches that look set to be added to this card which could quite easily be trimmed down to size. While we know that there are bouts that'll run for quite some time, and so they should, the balance is going to come with the contests that resemble squashes more than anything else.

Two perfect examples of that come from the two world title matches of the evening. Goldberg vs Roman Reigns isn't going to be particularly long, and it really doesn't need to be. This will be the battle of spears and the crowning of the former king, and that probably won't go past five minutes.

On the flip side you've got Brock Lesnar vs Drew McIntyre and if we've come to learn one thing in the last few years, it's that Brock doesn't really do long matches anymore.

#4 Shorten The Kickoff Show

A no-brainer

The kickoff show is a necessary evil as it gives fans the opportunity to see a few fringe matches, increase the build-up to the big show and hear from a few panel members that might have something interesting to say.

Alas, while that may be the case, we're pretty confident in saying that it doesn't need to be two hours long - not even close, in fact.

A one hour kickoff show feels like the perfect amount of time to build towards Mania and while some people may just skip this part altogether, a shorter kickoff show means you'll be forced to put an important match or two on it to really draw the fans in.

If you want to get specific about it, then 90 minutes would probably also suffice. Either way their aim should be to make it feel as special as the actual main show itself, regardless of how difficult that may seem, because the guys and girls on the kickoff card have still put in a lot of hard work to be there.

#3 Cut The Battle Royals

They need to go

If the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal and Women's Battle Royal actually meant something, then we could probably get more on board with the idea of the matches taking place. Unfortunately, it's pretty much impossible to even remember all of the winners at this stage, let alone remember what the win did or didn't do for their careers.

It seems as if this has always been done as a way to get some fringe stars a WrestleMania moment or payday of some description, but in all honesty, that feels like a pretty cheap way out for lazy booking.

You need to earn your right to be on the WrestleMania card and while 80% of the guys and girls in these matches deserve their shot on the grandest stage of them all, it's not like they're being featured in storylines or feuds of any relevance.

Spend some time building them from week to week - Mania itself should be more exclusive than this, and that just feels obvious.

#2 Cut Hall of Fame Segment

It's fairly needless

We're always going to anticipate similar segments taking place from year to year as part of 'tradition', but one segment that always seems to serve as a bathroom break is when the WWE Hall of Fame class for that year make their way out onto the stage.

This follows a series of highlights from the night of the induction ceremony, but in truth, it feels like the two would be best served as separate events.

While it's nice to see a few people get decent pops, the headliner is the only person that actually has their entrance music played in front of the thousands in attendance. The rest of the inductees simply stand there and wave for a few minutes.

This isn't going to trim down WrestleMania in a substantial manner, which we understand, but the purpose of this piece is to look at sections of the show and figure out where improvements could be made. In this case, it seems and feels like the evidence is there for all to see.

#1 8 Match Main Card Limit

We need a limit

There are quite clearly going to be some really huge matches taking place at WrestleMania 36 this year, and we can't wait to see them.

However, there does appear to be something to the idea that an eight match main card gives the big bouts more room to breathe - and it also allows every single main card showdown to gain a boost from being featured in such an elite class.

Last year, and in many previous years, matches have been thrown onto the main show for the sake of it as a way to kill time. WrestleMania 35 had 16 matches on the entire card last year with 12 being on the main card, WrestleMania 34 had 14 matches on the entire card with 11 on the main card, and WrestleMania 33 had 13 matches on tehe entire card with 10 on the main card.

Things seem to be going up and up with each and every show, with all three of the examples we've listed being labeled as 'bloated' by a large portion of fans in attendance as well as at home.