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Disclaimer: The views of the author do not necessarily reflect those of Sportskeeda.
Though the show has technically gone on, WWE has nevertheless felt on hold since mid-March, when the seriousness of the coronavirus pandemic became evident. Without the crowds that are so critical a part of the show, WWE feels like it lacks its vital essence, the spectacle at which it has mastered over half a century.
But WrestleMania 36 DID happen last night, or at least the first part of it did. And the storylines will continue after last night and tonight. Who got the most and least out of last night's production? Who got the biggest springboards for the coming WWE year?
Losers: The Kabuki Warriors
Asuka and Kairi Sane lost the Women's Tag Team Championships last night to Nikki Cross and Alexa Bliss. Cross and Bliss were, of course, the previous Champions, so things just feel like they cycled back.
Perhaps it's time that Asuka and Kairi Sane both return to singles competition. It certainly doesn't feel like WWE actually cares about the women's tag team titles. Staying in that division now would feel like limbo.
With the customary post-WrestleMania Draft or Shake-up likely in the cards, new opportunities await.
Winner: Elias
This is a match that wouldn't have taken place in a normal WrestleMania, but Elias made the most of it, defeating Baron Corbin. It was arguably the biggest victory of Elias' career. Baron Corbin has been a mainstay on WWE television, for better or worse.
Will Elias be able to use this as a springboard? History suggests that he won't and he'll go back to being part of irrelevant matches and angles, but you never know. A run at the Intercontinental Championship wouldn't be out of place following this. We'll just have to see what happens in the coming weeks and months.
Loser: Shayna Baszler
A lot of people, myself included thought that a title change was coming here. Instead, Becky Lynch defeated Shayna Baszler in a match as rote and lackluster as I've been fearing it would be for months. For the second WrestleMania in a row, Becky Lynch has had, unfortunately, a match that wasn't worth bragging about.
Moreover, what comes next for the women's division? With Shayna Baszler's fall, Becky Lynch has run through everyone. No one feels worthy of challenging her now. Her reign has gotten stale and past its expiration date, but now the problem is really obvious. Who's going to step up? Who's going to change the picture?
We still have another night of WrestleMania left to run. Perhaps Rhea Ripley is coming up, but other than that, where would the division go? Unfortunately, there are no easy answers right now. We're just going to have to see what happens, but RAW's women's division could have used a change of pace here, and I'm not even a fan of Shayna Baszler.
Winner: Kevin Owens
Kevin Owens defeated Seth Rollins twice last night - first in a regular match and second in a no disqualification match. That can be a huge springboard for him going forward into the main event picture. A title shot after such a victory isn't out of the question.
As for Seth Rollins, it's incredible how fast he's fallen compared to a year ago. That Hell in a Cell match with Bray Wyatt in October really did lasting damage. We're going to have to see what he winds up doing next.
Winner: Braun Strowman
Well, it finally happened. It's two-and-a-half years too late, but Braun Strowman finally won the big one last night, defeating no less a figure than Goldberg to become the Universal Champion. It required a fluke occurrence, of course, due to Roman Reigns' withdrawing from the match over health concerns, but it happened nonetheless.
Where does Braun Strowman go from here as champion? It's unlikely he can build that heat he had with the crowd back up to the levels it was at in 2017. But you never know, assuming his reign even lasts long enough to get back to live crowds.
We'll just have to see what happens, but it's no doubt a major career milestone for Braunn Strowman.
