Title: WrestleMania 36
Producer: WWE
Running Time: 387 Minutes
Certificate: 15
Number Of Discs: 3
Studio: Fremantle Home Entertainment
Released: June 8 2020
(Thanks to Fetch Publicity for arranging this review.)
This is our DVD review for WWE WrestleMania 36. To say that this is a unique edition of the Showcase Of The Immortals would be an understatement. For reasons that should now be obvious, WWE was forced to present its biggest show of the year with no fans in attendance, and inside its Performance Center. In hindsight, WWE made the right decision, because the presumed delaying of the card until, say, June ultimately would not have come to pass. As disappointing as it would have been for those fans who had purchased tickets to attend WM 36, it would have seemed even stranger had 2020 passed without some form of a WrestleMania event.
Another change WWE made was to present the show over two nights, which greatly improved the live viewing experience as it removed the fatigue that comes from watching hours and hours of never-ending content (see WM 35 as an example of this). This is the latest DVD review for our site. So, let’s see what we think of WrestleMania 36!
WWE WrestleMania 36
WrestleMania 36 Under Card
Mind you, that doesn’t make a difference to the DVD version, which provides the entire two-night card, along with a good amount of bonus material. Going chronologically, the first match between The Kabuki Warriors and the team of Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross is enjoyable if a bit on the long side, while Elias vs. King Corbin is rather dull and would have benefitted from being a brief squash win for the Drifter. Better is Becky Lynch vs. Shayna Baszler, with The Man surprisingly retaining her Raw Women’s Championship in what looks to be her last match for a long time, given that she is now pregnant and is expected to give birth in December.
Sami Zayn vs. Daniel Bryan was disappointing to me at the time and remains so upon second viewing. The same cannot be said for the Ladder match, which sees John Morrison, Kofi Kingston and Jimmy Uso take some major risks in one of the better bouts of the weekend. Kevin Owens vs. Seth Rollins is a fitting end to their long storyline feud, and KO takes a truly bonkers bump just before the finish. Braun Strowman replacing Roman Reigns to face Goldberg may not have been planned (and wasn’t even covered with any real explanation by WWE on-screen), but at least it resulted in Strowman finally winning a major singles title in the Universal Championship.
WrestleMania 36 Main Events
The best part of the first night is unquestionably the conclusion, that being the Boneyard match between The Undertaker and AJ Styles. The decision to produce this match in a cinematic manner away from the PC proved to be very wise, as it masked any physical flaws in the ageing Taker, as well as allowing Styles to believably look more dominant than he might have done in a traditional bout (though both men, and I, hope they get to have a real match in front of a crowd in the future). Add to that the unique setting, some gif-worthy spots and the hybrid of the Phenom and American Bad Ass characters for Taker, and the end result is a very enjoyable experience that, while a bit overrated by some, basically stole the show for Mania 36.
Onto night two now, and it opens with what I believe to be the best actual wrestling match of the weekend. Indeed, Charlotte Flair and Rhea Ripley put on an absolute clinic for the NXT Women’s Championship. Aleister Black vs. Bobby Lashley is simply filler, while Otis vs. Dolph Ziggler nicely concludes their storyline with Mandy Rose on a high note, as Otis gets the girl in a heart-warming WM moment. Edge vs. Randy Orton under Last Man Standing rules was heavily criticised at the time for being too long and boring, but while it definitely could have had some minutes chopped off, I still liked this grudge match, and besides, Edge managing to wrestle again in any form should be celebrated rather than nitpicked.
WrestleMania 36 Analysis
The Street Profits vs. Angel Garza and Austin Theory feels like something on the card just to extend the running time. But at least it ends with Bianca Belair arriving on the main roster. The SmackDown Women’s Championship five-way match drags a bit, though it did help to plant seeds for the eventual and long-awaited Bayley vs. Sasha Banks feud. Finally, Drew McIntyre defeated Brock Lesnar for the WWE Title in a match which may have felt sub-par, but was ultimately the best way to end the weekend, with McIntyre now established as the new top babyface on Raw after a decisive and clean victory over The Beast. Wait, am I missing something?
Oh, yeah: the Firefly Fun House match between John Cena and The Fiend. This is also a cinematic contest, but unlike Taker vs. AJ, this has very little resemblance to a wrestling bout. Instead, this is essentially a movie covering Cena’s entire career through the eyes of Bray Wyatt. Did it bend and at times outright break kayfabe? Without question. But as a sports entertainment presentation, this is both mesmerising and hilarious, with some truly surprising visuals. (I won’t spoil them here in case you are still yet to watch this). Ultimately, The Fiend manages to regain the momentum lacking since Super ShowDown. Adding to the appeal of this unusual “match”, Cena is unlikely to wrestle again for a long time. Some are even suggesting that he may never wrestle again at all (though I doubt that very much).
WrestleMania 36 Summary
Because it’s a WrestleMania DVD, even given the circumstances, there is still a generous supply of DVD extras. They include the two Kick-Off Show matches (Cesaro vs. Drew Gulak and Natalya vs. Liv Morgan), along with a variety of angles which helped to promote Lesnar vs. McIntyre, Edge vs. Orton, Taker vs. AJ, Charlotte vs. Ripley, Becky vs. Shayna and Cena vs. Fiend. Also included is McIntyre vs. Big Show, which we saw on Raw the next night but which was actually recorded after Mania had ended. Depending on how you classify it, this is either a post-PPV dark match (which surely would not have been produced if Mania had taken place in the usual format) or a bonus main event for WM, meaning that Big Show may be able to technically say that he headlined another WrestleMania.
Judging all of this from an entertainment standpoint, WWE WrestleMania 36 on DVD has a lot to offer. But that’s not the main reason why I would suggest buying this three-disc set. To me, it’s the future historical value of a compilation for a card unlike any Mania before it. And, hopefully, unlike any Mania that will come in the future. It’s very hard for a WrestleMania to truly stand out these days. Sure, the reasons are obviously unintentional and unpleasant. But WM 36 will always have its own place in history due to the circumstances surrounding the card.
Also, note that the event as a whole exceeds expectations while delivering some unforgettable match segments, thus increasing its value. So, WWE WrestleMania 36 isn’t one of the best by any means. But it will always stand alone in the annals of WrestleMania lore. And to me, that is why you should check this out again on DVD.
Overall Rating: 8/10 – Very Good
Further Link
To purchase WWE WrestleMania 36 on DVD online, click here.
So, those are our thoughts on WWE WrestleMania 36 on DVD! But what do you think? Let us know by leaving a comment below!
