Wrestlemania 36 Review: Night Two

Grit

Edge really should continue this acting thing, it's paying off

Last Man Standing Match: Edge vs. Randy Orton

While it can be accused of going ten minutes overlong, the Edge versus Orton grudge match required this indulgence to pay off the emotional heft of the feud. Edge threw back time to echo his iconic Mania moments, while also adjusting his game beautifully. Orton matched with equal passion, as the two men pulled off a performance masterclass.

Steeped in the hard-hitting character psychology of wrestling, and featuring an acting performance of epic proportions one just can't fault this for being forty minutes long. The grit of the two men seeped beautifully into the raw almost manic documentarian production. Red even without either man shedding blood, became the color palette from Edge's dulled costume to the lighting and elements backstage.

The Performance Centre has been home to WWE for over a month now and finally, the company explored it in a seamless story structured on hate and love. Edge huffed his way towards dangerously channeling his lost psyche as the ultimate opportunist. Eventually, his horrifying cry filled the empty arena, as he nearly broke down to destroy Randy Orton. The lasting image of Edge resting his head on his lifelong friend and brother provided the emotional catharsis we all needed.

Result: Edge gets bittersweet revenge with a con-chair-to on Randy Orton to win!

Rating:

A perfect score for a perfect piece of storytelling