WWE WrestleMania 36: 2 matches that could be severely affected without any live fans and 3 that will likely be just fine

Due to the rapid spread of the coronavirus pandemic, the planet is undergoing a crisis. And like every other major event that was scheduled to take place, WrestleMania has also been affected.

The 36th edition of the Show of Shows will now take place at the Performance Center and other locations over April 4th and April 5th, with only essential personnel attending the event.

This will be the first WrestleMania, and pay-per-view in general, to take place without any fans in attendance. The first weekend of April will be unprecedented and intriguing, to say the least, with many doubts over how WWE will pull it off.

Some matches and performers on the card may have been banking on a wild crowd to drive them forward and create marquee WrestleMania moments, with these new circumstances posing a detrimental effect on them.

However, the lack of live fans could serve to enhance a few matches as well. These bouts will probably be just fine without the WWE Universe in attendance.

Here are three matches on the WrestleMania 36 card that may be fine without an audience, and two that could be severely affected by it.

Hopefully, WWE puts on a spectacular couple of nights of top-class sports entertainment in these trying times and WrestleMania 36 is viewed as a relative success, considering the dire circumstances surrounding the show.

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#5 Becky Lynch vs Shayna Baszler (Just fine)

My first #WrestleMania moment will be perfect. No one in the arena to dampen the sound of tendons ripping and bones cracking & snapping as I become the RAW women’s champion & usher in a new era #Reality #CrankRipTear

— Shayna Baszler (@QoSBaszler) March 17, 2020

Whether or not Shayna Baszler means everything in this tweet, there is a certain element of truth in it. Her RAW Women's Championship challenge against Becky Lynch is one of the marquee matches on the WrestleMania card and will surely have a featured spot on Night 2 of the Showcase of the Immortals.

It would have likely happened late in the show at Raymond James Stadium, with the possibility of the crowd being too tired to engage in the match between Lynch and Baszler. The former MMA fighter's methodical in-ring style would not have helped matters as well.

Luckily for the former NXT Women's Champion, there won't be an urgent need to keep the live crowd interested, thanks to the lack thereof. She can completely focus on tearing The Man limb from limb and taking the RAW Women's Title to earn her first WrestleMania moment.

#4 Brock Lesnar vs Drew McIntyre (Severely affected)

Will the coronation have to wait?

Before the crazy and unprecedented events of the past week or two, Brock Lesnar vs Drew McIntyre for the WWE Championship was the biggest and most exciting match on the WrestleMania 36 card. It was the undisputed main event of the show and would have crowned a new king of sports entertainment, with his fellow Scots watching.

Unfortunately, Drew McIntyre's ultimate moment of victory will not be as sweet without any fans to cheer him on. It is a shame, considering how over the Scottish Terminator has been since his organic face turn at the start of the year.

The only logical outcome of Lesnar vs McIntyre is the latter winning. But if that happens, his coronation will feel empty and soulless. The alternative is to hold off on McIntyre's big win and save it for SummerSlam, where there will presumably be a crowd to cheer him on.

It may not be wise for Brock Lesnar to defeat Drew McIntyre at WrestleMania, which means that WWE is in a lose-lose situation with this match. It will probably boil down to which is the lesser of the two evils, McIntyre losing or him celebrating with zero fans.

#3 Goldberg vs Roman Reigns (Just fine)

No audience, no boos.

As per the current schedule for both nights of WrestleMania 36, Roman Reigns vs Goldberg is the likely main event of the entire extravaganza. They are slated for Sunday, while Brock Lesnar vs Drew McIntyre will happen on Saturday. And it might not be such a bad thing, at least from a live audience perspective.

The Universal Championship match was in the most danger to be hijacked by the raucous WrestleMania crowd, so having it take place in front of no fans could enhance the match by actually allowing the viewers to focus on the match without the crowd distracting them.

In a cruel bit of irony, Goldberg winning the Universal Championship from "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt was not even necessary, with the show now taking place in the Performance Center. Reigns defeating The Fiend for the big blue belt would have garnered a negative crowd reaction, more so than if he defeated Goldberg.

And with no fans in attendance, the Big Dog could have defeated The Fiend and it would have been fine. Anyway, Roman Reigns will once again win the Universal Championship, and nobody is going to boo him when he does.

#2 Rhea Ripley vs Charlotte Flair (Severely affected)

The purpose of this match won't be served.

You've got to feel for Rhea Ripley. Her dream of having a WrestleMania match in front of 75,000+ people has turned into a 'Nightmare'. See what I did there?

In all seriousness though, her NXT Women's Championship defense against Royal Rumble winner, Charlotte Flair, was supposed to be a significant moment where NXT would be represented on the grand stage of WrestleMania. But now, it will take place back home.

There was a reason why this match was booked for WrestleMania and not TakeOver, but that reason has been voided. The special feel of this match has been lost, especially with the questionable build before things were forced to change.

Hopefully, Ripley and Charlotte can deliver a memorable match, but it will not be the same without the fans. The current NXT Women's Champion will be left wondering what her WrestleMania moment would have looked like under the blinding lights and the WWE Universe screaming for her. Well, there's always next year.

#1 Edge vs Randy Orton (Just fine)

Aside from the lack of a reaction, this match will be fine.

Yes, there is a twist to this. Edge's in-ring return will not be the same without a crowd. There will not be any pop for him as he makes his way out, or has his hand raised in victory. But aside from that part, Edge vs Randy Orton is still very salvageable.

In fact, the fact that WrestleMania will take place in a closed set and no fans creates a ton of potential for their Last Man Standing Match. To the benefit of Edge and Orton, this match does not need a ring to play out. These two could engage in some entertaining shenanigans throughout their location, to maximize its potential.

This is where creativity and experience will play a major role in the success of a match. And boy, will this match need to be creative. A complete backstage brawl fits the story between the Rated-R Superstar and the Viper, with no need to even approach the ring.

There are no fans to entertain, so might as well make this a complete cinematic experience. That way, it might not even matter that Edge does not have a big 'Mania pop.

This will be a fight which could end literally anywhere, so might as well experiment a bit and entertain the fans at home as much as possible.