This past weekend – Saturday, April 4th and Sunday, April 5th – WWE presented the most unique WrestleMania in history with the 36th instalment of ‘The Showcase of the Immortals’. Not only did it take place over two nights, but the show was also held at the WWE Performance Center (as well as ‘other locations’) with a limited crew and, most importantly, no audience. Despite this, the company still produced one of the most noteworthy weekends to date, with a few titles changing hands throughout the WrestleMania festivities.
#AndNEW: Alexa Bliss & Nikki Cross Win WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships
They did it! @AlexaBliss_WWE & @NikkiCrossWWE dethrone @WWEAsuka & @KairiSaneWWE to become the first-ever 2x WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions.https://t.co/l0n6yGi7pg pic.twitter.com/jGBlDHlPCG
— WWE (@WWE) April 5, 2020
The first title change of the weekend came from the first match of the first night, as Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross regained the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships from The Kabuki Warriors (Asuka and Kairi Sane), ending the pair of former NXT Women’s Champions’ reign at 181 days. Bliss and Cross had previously lost the titles to the Japanese pairing at October’s Hell in a Cell pay-per-view, with their first reign lasting 61 days. ‘The Goddess’ performed a Twisted Bliss on Sane for the pinfall, making Alexa and Nikki the first two-time Women’s Tag Team Champions in WWE history.
#AndNEW: Braun Strowman Wins WWE Universal Championship
It’s real.
The #UniversalTitle is in these hands. Thank you @Goldberg and the @WWE Universe who’ve always supported. #MonsterMania #WrestleMania pic.twitter.com/OkLZxXLQD3— The Monster of all Monsters (@Adamscherr99) April 5, 2020
In a match that wasn’t officially announced until the day before it happened on Friday night’s episode of SmackDown, Braun Strowman dethroned WWE Hall of Famer Goldberg of the Universal Championship, pinning him after a Running Powerslam to end his second reign at 37 days. This marks the first world championship reign for ‘The Monster Among Men’, just under five years after he first appeared on WWE’s main roster in August 2015. Strowman was, of course, replacing Roman Reigns in the match, with ‘The Big Dog’ being at a considerably higher risk of infection due to his past history with leukaemia.
#AndNEW: Charlotte Flair Wins NXT Women’s Championship
Once again.@MsCharlotteWWE is your #WWENXT #WomensChampion! #WrestleMania pic.twitter.com/ShdV54oXZC
— WWE (@WWE) April 5, 2020
In perhaps the biggest shock result of the weekend, Charlotte Flair had another WrestleMania moment, as she became a two-time NXT Women’s Champion, defeating Rhea Ripley in night two’s opening contest with the Figure Eight. This match was ‘The Queen’ getting a championship opportunity as a result of her victory in the 2020 women’s Royal Rumble Match, where she last eliminated Shayna Baszler to earn the right to challenge for any women’s championship she desired. For the first time in history, the Rumble winner opted to go for the NXT Women’s Championship, which only came after some goading from ‘The Nightmare’. Rhea had previously reigned as champion for 109 days.
#AndNEW: Drew McIntyre Wins WWE Championship
I dreamed a broken dream, and made it come true. I made it for you 💙 #WrestleMania pic.twitter.com/kHd0x7ffLq
— Drew (@DMcIntyreWWE) April 6, 2020
To end the weekend on a high, Drew McIntyre pinned Brock Lesnar after a plethora of Claymore Kicks to lift the WWE Championship, becoming the first British-born world champion in WWE history, as well as fulfilling his prophecy of being ‘The Chosen One’. McIntyre, who eliminated Lesnar from this year’s men’s Royal Rumble Match back in January, went on to win the whole match by tossing out Roman Reigns at the end, choosing to challenge ‘The Beast Incarnate’ the following night on Raw. Drew’s history-making title victory ended Brock’s reign at 184 days, while also making him a Triple Crown Champion in WWE – ‘The Scottish Psychopath’ previously held the Intercontinental Championship once and the Tag Team Championships twice, once with Cody Rhodes and the other time with Dolph Ziggler.
Stay tuned to the Last Word on Pro Wrestling for more on this and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the major news in the wrestling world, as well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world. WWE fan? You can check out WrestleMania 36 on the WWE Network.
