5 Things we secretly learned from WrestleMania 36

WrestleMania 36 was a good show and WWE managed to pull off an entertaining, one-of-a-kind PPV during such difficult times. The show was pre-taped which allowed the creatives to experiment with matches and it can be said that the results paid off quite well.

The Boneyard match between The Undertaker and AJ Styles and the Firefly Fun House match between ‘The Fiend’ Bray Wyatt and John Cena were the highlights of the show. We also saw Drew McIntyre defeat Brock Lesnar to become the new WWE Champion and live his dream. The Universal Championship also changed hands as Braun Strowman defeated Goldberg.

There were a lot of successful title defenses as well. During the two-night show, there were quite a few things that we observed and they could be instrumental in shaping the storylines in the near future.

In this article, we will take a look at five things that we secretly learned at WrestleMania 36. So, without further ado, let’s begin.

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#5 The Street Profits will have a lengthy title reign

They deserve a good title reign

The Street Profits successfully defended their RAW Tag Team Championships against the team of Angel Garza and Austin Theory. The latter was brought in as the last-minute replacement for Andrade after the United States Champion sustained a rib injury and was ruled out of in-ring action. Angelo Dawkins and Montez Ford were dominant throughout the match and picked a deserving victory in their first-ever WrestleMania match.

The Street Profits won the title at WWE Super ShowDown and have defended their tag team gold at two pay-per-views since then. They are one of the few promising names in the RAW Tag Team division which is otherwise quite underwhelming. It is highly unlikely for us to see them being challenged by The Viking Raiders.

However, WWE can have them feud with the likes of The O.C., the team of Seth Rollins and Buddy Murphy, and the relatively new team comprising of Ricochet and Cedric Alexander.

They will also lock horns with Garza and Theory down the line but it is important to note that they now have NXT Superstar Bianca Belair by their side. She arrived at WrestleMania when the Street Profits were being attacked by Garza, Theory, and Zelina Vega after the match. It is now clear that the EST of the Black and Gold brand will be an important part of the storylines involving Ford and Dawkins.

#4 Bobby Lashley is in a desperate need of direction

Bobby Lashley needs to be included in good storylines

WWE’s infamous love triangle between Rusev, Lana, and Bobby Lashley faced criticism from the audience but the views certainly went up, especially for the company’s YouTube channel. From dates and divorce to a wedding, this storyline had it all and also featured the return of Liv Morgan.

Despite being the talk of the town, this feud barely made any difference for the Superstars involved in terms of their position on the roster.

As for Lashley, he was on the receiving end of a lot of heat from the fans and it was the right time to establish him as a heel. However, since the end of that feud, he has hardly been involved in any interesting storylines that can help establish his dominance. Instead, he has been booked in one-off encounters where he has often failed to pick a victory.

At WrestleMania 36, Lashley locked horns with Aleister Black but the latter’s incredible resilience helped him prevail over his opponent. Lashley once again suffered from a loss. However, it’s the lack of storyline and a proper build-up which had a huge impact on the overall appeal of their bout.

It is evident that the creatives are struggling to find the right feud for Lashley and they need to do it before he is lost in oblivion.

#3 NXT call-ups will be different this year

Bianca Belair will be important for the RAW Women's division

As discussed previously in the article, NXT Superstar Bianca Belair will be by the side of the Street Profits as she is now expected to be on RAW. Austin Theory, another NXT talent, also found a place for himself on the red brand even if it was a last-minute replacement.

Usually, at WrestleMania and on the shows in the following week, several NXT Superstars jump to the main roster but this year, things will be different.

There have been talks about ‘drafts expiring soon’ in WWE but there has been no clarity. However, the change in WWE’s tradition to call-up stars from the Black and Gold brand seems justified. Firstly, NXT itself has become a third brand that is quickly rising through the ranks and is already delivering a better product as compared to its counterparts.

Secondly, even with Superstars like Finn Balor and Charlotte Flair moving to NXT, RAW and SmackDown have enough talent to sustain without more call-ups. The change in the roster will most likely happen after the Superstar Shake-Up which will see the entire roster being shuffled.

#2 Shayna Baszler is yet to gain trust on the main roster

There's a long way ahead of Shayna Baszler

After losing her NXT Women’s Championship to Rhea Ripley, Shayna Baszler arrived on RAW in search of Becky Lynch. Baszler attacked the RAW Women’s Champion to make a statement and won her Elimination Chamber match against five other opponents to win a shot at The Man’s title.

The two locked horns at WrestleMania but Lynch managed to retain her gold.

Baszler is a promising Superstar who is everything that a Champion should be. She is one of the very few women who posed a credible threat to Lynch’s title reign.

However, it looks like the creatives still don’t trust her to lead the women’s division on the red brand and it will be a while before we will see her a champion.

After her match with Kairi Sane on RAW, there were reports which suggested that Vince McMahon was not very pleased with Baszler and did not see her as main-event material. She will need some time to gain some trust backstage and given her potential, it shouldn’t take her long.

Baszler is a dominant heel and can work wonders for the women’s division of the Red brand with the help of a few good storylines.

#1 The Undertaker is close to hanging his boots

It was truly an unforgettable match

In the last few years, The Undertaker had started to look weak inside the ring which provoked a large section of fan base to suggest that he should retire from the business. Most of the fans feared that if this continues, The Deadman’s legacy will be tainted.

However, this year The Undertaker destroyed all those notions by delivering one of the most entertaining WrestleMania matches of all time.

Ahead of the PPV, he feuded with AJ Styles who went on to make their rivalry intensely personal. An irked ‘Taker returned with a change in his gimmick and brought back the American Badass after more than a decade.

This match also saw The Phenom rise before he buried the ‘Phenomenal One’ and rode away on his iconic motorcycle. Unsurprisingly, he was one of those Superstars who impressed us at WrestleMania.

The Undertaker had previously stated that he wanted to retire a few years ago but came back for work every time he was asked. However, he also made it clear that he wants to come back for one good run which will be the last chapter of his pro-wrestling career.

His appearance at WrestleMania 36 seems to be the start of that final run and hopefully, it will lead to a deserving conclusion to The Undertaker’s legendary WWE career.