WWE WrestleMania 36 Night 1 Results, Highlights, and Grades: Undertaker BURIES AJ Styles

WWE WrestleMania 36 Night 1 took place on April 4 at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT at the WWE Performance Center and live on the WWE Network with a one-hour kickoff show beginning at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT. The following will provide some results, highlights, and analysis for the show of shows.

WrestleMania! The Showcase of the Immortals and the very first WrestleMania without a live audience. Per WWE’s official website, the following is a preview of the official WWE WrestleMania 36 Match Card:

"WWE Championship Brock Lesnar (c) (w/Paul Heyman) vs. Drew McIntyre Universal Championship Goldberg (c) vs. Braun Strowman BoneYard Match The Undertaker vs. AJ Styles (w/ The O.C.) Firefly Funhouse Match John Cena vs. Bray Wyatt Last Man Standing Match Edge vs. Randy Orton Raw Women’s Championship Becky Lynch (c) vs. Shayna Baszler SmackDown Women’s Championship Fatal-5-Way Elimination Bayley (c) vs. Sasha Banks vs. Naomi vs. Lacey Evans vs. Tamina NXT Women’s Championship Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Charlotte Flair Grudge Match Kevin Owens vs. Seth Rollins Intercontinental Championship Sami Zayn (c) (w/Shinsuke Nakamura and Cesaro) vs. Daniel Bryan (w/Drew Gulak) SmackDown Tag Team Championship Triple Threat Ladder Match John Morrison (c) vs. Jimmy Uso vs. Kofi Kingston Raw Tag Team Championships Street Profits (c) vs. Austin Theory and Angel Garza (w/Zelina Vega) Grudge Match Elias vs. King Corbin Grudge Match Aleister Black vs. Bobby Lashley (w/Lana) Grudge Match Otis vs. Dolph Ziggler (w/Mandy Rose) Women’s Tag Team Championships Kabuki Warriors (c) vs. Bliss Cross Applesauce"

Despite recent events, this card is stacked enough to sufficiently entertain the WWE Universe and possibly put smiles on their faces. Here are the results, highlights, and analysis for WWE WrestleMania 36, starting with the kickoff match between Drew Gulak and Cesaro.

Drew Gulak vs. Cesaro [Kickoff Match]

Result: Cesaro

Rating: 2.0/5.0 Stars

Grade: D+

Drew Gulak focused most of his offensive maneuvers and submission holds on Cesaro’s arm throughout the match. However, Cesaro used his power and agility to overcome Gulak’s strategic holds, ending the match with a spinning gutrench powerbomb.

Analysis: This kickoff match was fine. It was hard to expect Cesaro winning this match, but it happened. If this match had gone on a little longer, it could have been something special. As for what the match turned out to be, it was far from special.

https://twitter.com/WWEUniverse/status/1246581666338033666

Kabuki Warriors (c) vs. Bliss Cross Applesauce [Women’s Tag Team Championships]

Result: Bliss Cross Applesauce

Rating: 3.5/5.0 Stars

Grade: B-

Bliss Cross Applesauce gained early control in this match with some innovative aerial maneuvers. Kabuki Warriors countered this early control with some ground-based offense, involving shoot kicks and knee strikes.

Alexa Bliss got the hot tag by the helpless Nikki Cross but Kairi Sane stops Bliss’ momentum with a double stomp from the top rope. Nikki Cross got the hot tag by the helpless Alexa Bliss and delivers some clotheslines, a bulldog, and a flying crossbody.

Sane delivered a Perfect Cross to Asuka, but Kairi Sane delivered an Insane Elbow from the top rope to stop the nearfall. Asuka locked in the Asuka Lock on Nikki Cross but Bliss delivered a Twisted Bliss from the top rope to stop the nearfall.

Kabuki Warriors continue their fast paced offense to maintain control of the match. However, Cross gains back control on Sane with a Perfect Cross and a tag to Bliss for a Twisted Bliss to win the match via pinfall and become the first ever two-time Women’s Tag Team Champions.

Analysis: Bliss Cross Applesauce win the HIAC 2019 rematch to become the first ever two-time Women’s Tag Team Champions. Beautiful WrestleMania moment and incredible match to start the show. The Women’s Tag Team Division has a bright future and this match was more than a testament to what it is truly capable of, especially with the championships in the possession of Bliss Cross Applesauce.

https://twitter.com/WWE/status/1246585792098689024

Elias vs. King Corbin [Grudge Match]

Result: Elias

Rating: 2.5/5.0 Stars

Grade: C-

After King Corbin requested a forfeit, Elias ran in to attack King Corbin before the match began with his guitar. Although Elias gained an early advantage, King Corbin gained back control with some ground based offense.

Elias rallied back by tossing Corbin into the steel post and delivering a neckbreaker. Corbin rallies back with a Deep Six. He attempts to pin Elias with feet leverage on the ropes, but the ref catches it and Elias rolled up Corbin for the pinfall and the victory.

Analysis: Elias was the true King of the Ring all along. He was taken out of the King of the Ring Tournament due to injury months back and he was able to get his redemption against the current King of the Ring in what was a Lion King saga. Elias assured that everyone knows what WWE stands for: Walk With Elias.

Becky Lynch (c) vs. Shayna Baszler [Raw Women’s Championship]

Result: Becky Lynch

Rating: 3.0/5.0 Stars

Grade: C+

Becky Lynch and Shayna Baszler started this match off hot with a flurry of punches and plenty of their patented maneuvers. While Lynch utilized her power to deliver Becksploders and STOs both in the ring and on the apron, Baszler focused on submission holds (i.e. arm bar and Kirifuda Clutch) and knee strikes for near pinfalls.

Baszler knocked Lynch into the announce table and locked in the patented Kirifuda Clutch in the center of the ring. However, Lynch countered the submission hold to lock up Baszler for the sneaky pinfall and the retention.

Analysis: This match was decent and the right superstar won. If anyone remembers, Baszler went over at WWE Survivor Series 2019, so this was a redemptive moment for Becky Lynch and shows why she is the very best in the women’s division, no matter the obstacle. It is clear she is defying all odds and not underestimating any opponents put in front of her. With this victory, Lynch is now entrenched as the women’s division’s most dominant superstar.

Sami Zayn (c) vs. Daniel Bryan [Intercontinental Championship]

Result: Sami Zayn

Rating: 2.5/5.0 Stars

Grade: C-

Sami Zayn ran away like a wimpy kid until Daniel Bryan finally got a hold of him and delivered a Suicide Dive and a Running Dropkick to gain control in the match. Sami Zayn rallies back with a clothesline and sold like crazy, but Bryan used his signature comeback with a running clothesline and the ‘Yes’ kicks.

Cesaro and Shinsuke Nakamura tossed Drew Gulak into the steel steps. Daniel Bryan delivered a Suicide Dive to Cesaro and Nakamura. As soon as Bryan got back in the ring, Sami Zayn delivered a Helluva Kick in mid air for the pinfall and the retention.

Analysis: Although the match quality could have been better, the selling by Sami Zayn was hilarious and it was amazing to see him get his first WrestleMania moment with a huge victory over Daniel Bryan. Zayn is on the road to becoming the best Intercontinental Champion of all time and his altruistic pathways of success have no boundaries. This was certainly a win for the good guys and a win for altruism as an important ideal in the world we inhabit today.

https://twitter.com/WrestleMania/status/1246601563126325248

John Morrison (c) vs. Jimmy Uso vs. Kofi Kingston [SmackDown Tag Team Championship Ladder Match]

Result: John Morrison

Rating: 3.5/5.0 Stars

Grade: B-

As expected, this match was a spot fest. Kofi Kingston delivered a picture perfect Hurricanrana to Morrison off the top of the ladder as well as a suicide dive to the outside. He set up a ladder to extend from the ring to the barricade wall to take out Jimmy Uso, but Morrison stops Kofi by delivering a Spanish Fly from the top rope into the ring.

This interference allowed Jimmy Uso to deliver an Uso Splash onto Morrison and climb the ladder to grab the tag team championships. Kingston kicked Uso off the ladder and was finger tips away from grabbing the SmackDown Tag Team Championships but Morrison stopped him. Kingston got rid of Morrison’s interference by delivering a double stomp to Morrison, but Uso sent Kingston face first into the edge of the ladder.

Morrison attempts to fly onto Uso but gets superkicked by Uso in mid air. Uso went on top of the ladder to deliver a frog splash to Morrison, but Morrison tips the ladder to send Uso flying outside the ring. At the end of the match, all three superstars were at the top, grabbing the championships and unhooking them, but Morrison dropped from the ladder with the championships in his grasp to retain the SmackDown Tag Team Championships.

Analysis: The parkour style of Morrison paid dividends in this match. These three superstars were very competitive, which made the match exciting to watch. It was quite annoying that Morrison had to stall for so long before climbing the ladder to grab the championships just to wait for Uso and Kingston. Despite that, this ladder match was a fun spot fest.

Kevin Owens vs. Seth Rollins [Grudge Match]

Result: Kevin Owens

Rating: 4.5/5.0 Stars

Grade: A-

Seth Rollins delivered a Suplex and a Falcon’s Arrow to Kevin Owens onto the apron, followed up with two Suicide Dives to the outside of the ring. Seth Rollins continued the offense with a Sling Blade to Owens in the center of the ring.

He attempted two Curb Stomps but Owens dodged both and delivered a picture perfect DDT. Owens continues to rally with a Superkick, Cannonball, and Senton Bomb for the two-count. Owens attempted the Pop Up Powerbomb and Stunner, but Rollins countered with an Enziguiri while Owens rebounded off the ropes with a clothesline.

Rollins delivered a Buckle Bomb and two superkicks. He attempted the Curb Stomp but Owens countered with a Pop Up Powerbomb for the two-count. Rollins ran away to get the bell and hit Owens with it to force a Disqualification. Owens won the match by disqualification but requested the match to be restarted.

Rollins delivered a high knee to Owens and got a steel chair to continuously whack Owens with it. Owens grabbed the ring bell to hit Rollins in skull two times and went on top of the WrestleMania bill board to deliver a Senton Bomb to Rollins through the announce table.

Owens grabbed Rollins, sent him back into the ring, and delivered a Stunner for the three-count and the victory.

Analysis: Match of the night! Absolute show-stealer! Must-see slugfest! The in-ring psychology and mat-based offense were all on-point. This is the match to see at this year’s WrestleMania. Oh, and Mojo Rawley is the new 24/7 Champion after pinning R-Truth.

Goldberg (c) vs. Braun Strowman [Universal Championship]

Result: Braun Strowman

Rating: 1.0/5.0 Stars

Grade: F

Goldberg delivered four spears but only got a two-count. Braun Strowman rallies back with four Running Powerslams for the three-count and the victory.

Analysis: This match was stupid, just like Braun Strowman’s recent tweets and his overall major push in the WWE. Believe that!

Undertaker vs. AJ Styles [Boneyard Match]

Result: Undertaker

Rating: 4.5/5.0 Stars

Grade: A-

The Undertaker and AJ Styles went to war on top of a hearse. Undertaker had full control in his own turf and tossed Styles into the hole that Styles dug up for Undertaker. Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson arrived to tell Undertaker that this is far from over and they gathered help from nobodies to attack Taker, giving them a chance to take down Taker and allow Styles to recover.

As soon as Taker gains control of Gallows and Anderson, Styles runs from behind and smashes Taker’s back with a glass vase. Styles begs Taker to stay down, but Taker won’t. He charges at Taker through a picket fence and orates that Taker is too old to do this anymore. Styles grabs a shovel and whacks Taker to toss him into the hole. ‘Ashes to ashes. Dust to dust.’

As soon as Styles was about to bury him alive, Taker appeared from behind like a ghost and attacked Styles. Styles ran away to the roof of the house and Taker lit the roof on fire. Gallows and Anderson tried to interfere, but Taker tosses Gallows off the roof and delivered a Tombstone Piledriver to Anderson.

Taker chokeslammed Styles from the roof to the floor and plays around with Styles by talking trash. He delivered a big boot to Styles into the hole and buried him alive. He then revealed Styles’ tombstone and rode off into the night with his motorcycle.

Analysis: This deserves to be in the Oscars. Despite not being a wrestling match, it was an amazing performance. Solid night 1 for WrestleMania with Taker-Styles and Owens-Rollins stealing the show.