WrestleMania is the biggest event in all of professional wrestling. First held in 1985, the event has since been held annually during the first week of April or the last week of March. It is known as the Super Bowl of Sports Entertainment. While WWE runs all year long, the event is considered to be the end of a season by many.
Up until 2020, the show was the greatest night of professional wrestling. However, since that year, it is no longer just one night. Since WrestleMania 36, the event has been split into two nights known as WrestleMania Night One and Night Two or sometimes WrestleMania Saturday and WrestleMania Sunday.
How many nights is WrestleMania?
There is more than just one simple reason why WrestleMania is now held across two nights. The first two-night WrestleMania was held in 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced every sporting event to shut down. However, WWE had continued its programming and worked behind closed doors without a crowd.
Due to the pandemic, they had to change many plans for the event. WWE claimed the event was “too big for one night” and stretched out the matches across two nights to better use creativity to fill in for the lack of a roster.
Another reason is that WrestleMania 35 was criticized for being too long, clocking in at over seven hours. A two-night event allows WWE to spread out the matches and give each one more time. This can improve the overall quality of the event and give fans more value for their money.
Lastly, a two-night event allows WWE potential financial benefit. They can sell tickets to two separate events, and they can also charge more for premium seating and merchandise.
How long does WrestleMania last?
Traditionally, WrestleMania has been a five to six-hour event including the pre-show. However, WrestleMania 35 had a stacked card and went over seven hours which caused a lot of fatigue to the fans in the crowd. This prompted WWE to split the two nights. Now, each night clocks in around four hours.
How many hours is WrestleMania each night?
WrestleMania is about four hours on each night. This brings the total runtime to about eight hours, which is significantly longer than any single-night event WWE has ever organized.
The WrestleMania Weekend
WrestleMania RAW
The go-home episode of Monday Night RAW is now known as WrestleMania RAW. It is the last episode of RAW before WrestleMania takes place.
WrestleMania SmackDown
The go-home episode of Friday Night SmackDown is now known as WrestleMania SmackDown. It is the last episode of RAW before WrestleMania takes place. Some fans even consider this to be the pre-show for WrestleMania. The event is also home to Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal, which was originally held at WrestleMania.
NXT Stand and Deliver
On the evening of WWE WrestleMania Night One, WWE organizes the premier event of its developmental brand NXT. Stand and Deliver takes place during the WrestleMania weekend and is considered the WrestleMania of NXT.
WWE Hall of Fame
WWE honors its greatest talents by inducting them into the WWE Hall of Fame. An annual ceremony is organised and is attended by its past and current talents. This ceremony takes place during the WrestleMania weekend.
WrestleMania Night One
The first night of WrestleMania takes place on Saturday and this is where the real action begins.
WrestleMania Night Two
WrestleMania Night Two is the final night of the two-night extravaganza. While never confirmed by WWE, many fans consider the main event of Night Two to be the real main event of a WrestleMania.
WWE World
Before WWE was split into two nights, WWE had organized a fan event named WrestleMania Axxess. However, it was scrapped during COVID-19 and was brought back four years later in 2024. The event was renamed to WWE World.
WWE Slammy Awards
WWE Slammy Awards are the Oscars of WWE. It generally takes place in December of each year. However, for the 2024 edition, it was brought to the WrestleMania weekend and will take place at WWE World.
RAW after WrestleMania
RAW after WrestleMania is where the next chapter of WWE begins. It is where most of the storylines are finally buried and wrestlers move on to their next feuds. After Royal Rumble, many fans consider RAW after WrestleMania to be the goldmine of returns of their favorite wrestlers.
FAQs
A. Since WrestleMania 36, the show has been a two-night event.
A. WrestleMania became two nights to better accommodate the rising number of matches, and to, of course, make more money.
A. Yes, WrestleMania XL is a two-night long event taking place on April 6 and April 7, 2024.
A. WrestleMania has become a two-night event only since 2020.
A. WrestleMania II (1986) was held across three different states.
