Wrestlemania 38: Pros and Cons of a Two-Night Event

Could Wrestlemania 38 potentially be another two-night event?

As we all know, Wrestlemania 38 is officially taking place at the AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Texas.

WWE’s flagship event is something that thousands of passionate fans attend every year. It’s filled with the biggest stars, matches, and even surprises. But with COVID-19 and pandemic restrictions, WWE had to change things up. Wrestlemania 36 happened at the Performance Center with no fans, while ‘Mania 37 allowed fans at limited capacity.

Most importantly, both events occurred over two nights. It was an interesting choice that proved to be welcomed by fans who grew weary of the lengthy pay-per-views. Even superstars such as Alexa Bliss and Drew McIntyre support the idea.

Now, there are speculations that WWE could continue the two-night experience for Wrestlemania 38, according to Fightful Select. There is no official confirmation on this but if it’s true, this means the event will happen on April 2, 2022, and April 3, 2022.

But is it a good idea – especially if fans will be at full capacity? Is it in WWE’s best interest to make it two nights? Let’s take a look at why they should (and shouldn’t).

Pros: Shorter PPV length per night

The obvious advantage of having two nights is that it splits the length of the pay-per-view in half. One of the things that fans were growing weary of over the years is the long show duration. WWE PPV events traditionally go on for three hours, but they are known to go on much longer.

In fact, Wrestlemania 35 ran for nearly FIVE and a half hours (seven and a half if you include the Kickoff show). This was tough on fans who eagerly waited to see the epic main event with Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, and Ronda Rousey – whose match didn’t start until after midnight.

Splitting into two nights solves that problem so that fans don’t have to spend 5+ hours in one sitting. They can now enjoy the event without feeling tired or fatigued.

Cons: Longer OVERALL PPV length

Sure WWE could fully utilize the time allotted on the two nights to produce a show that’s easily digestible – but they could also abuse it. It wouldn’t be surprising if WWE sees this as an opportunity to make their shows even longer on both nights. I don’t know about you, but I’m not sure I can handle 5+ hours of wrestling, two nights in a row.

There’s also another consequence. Whether people missed the show or want to rewatch it, they will have to carve a huge block of time to view the entire event. So the rewatch value goes down significantly.

How they organized Wrestlemania 37 this year was perfect in terms of time. Each night was 3 hours long, combining for a total of six hours. Should they do more than that, it would be excruciatingly too long. Three per night is the sweet spot.

Pros: More opportunities for superstars

It is every wrestler’s dream to be on Wrestlemania. Unfortunately, not everyone is able to make it on the show because of how full the match card already is.

One-night PPVs are already limiting because they can only allow so much before it gets too long. Most of the PPV time is reserved for the bigger, main event level matches. So, many wrestlers end up getting left out.

The two nights allow WWE to spread their big, lengthy matches evenly and open up more time for more matches. Ultimately, it unlocks more windows of opportunity for superstars to get their shine on the grandest stage of them all.

Cons: Both nights have to deliver

Those who watched Wrestlemania 37 will probably say that Night 1 was far better than Night 2. From Bobby Lashley and Drew McIntyre to Bianca Belair and Sasha Banks, it was a far more entertaining show that hit all the right notes and set a bar so high that not even the Universal Championship match with Roman Reigns, Edge, and Daniel Bryan could reach.

WWE set a precedent for Wrestlemania to be the best show they put on every year. This creates high expectations for the fans who expect to be wowed and amazed.

This places a good amount of pressure on WWE to deliver for two nights in a row. Sure, it gives the company more chances for them to entertain, but it equally gives fans more room for disappointment.

They have to be careful and strategic as to how they will book the show so that both nights are equally balanced. Otherwise, they’ll have fans praising one night over the other, which will hurt the product as a whole.

Pro: Two main events

As fans, we can look forward to not one, but two huge main event matches. This is a great opportunity for WWE to allow both a men’s AND women’s main event, instead of having to debate between one or the other.

You’d probably argue that the REAL main event is the last match of the show – which is valid. But this year’s Wrestlemania showed us people will accept it as being the last match of the NIGHT.

They could also use it to fulfill the promise that comes with winning the Royal Rumble – which is a title opportunity in the main event of Wrestlemania. It makes the winner’s reward much more meaningful. Although it is not always dependent on who wins the ‘Rumble, it’s still a good sentiment to have.

So far, the two-night experiment has been a success. Fans and wrestlers alike are happy with the change. It has more upsides than not and it wouldn’t be such a bad thing to experiment with a little while, especially with a show at full capacity.

What do you think about Wrestlemania 38 being two nights?