Alright folks, night one is done with and now it is time to break it down. We knew going into the show that it was going to have a different feel, regardless if we thought it was good or bad. For the most part, the action in the ring was decent. I know working in front of no crowd has to be a difficult task for the performers and they seemingly went on without a hitch. The big thing you start to notice is the fact that they’re constantly showing the performers, so you watch them set up their spots. Not that it is a bad thing, it helps you appreciate the art of professional wrestling. My grades for each match may seem a little skewed, but it is under these particular circumstances that I am grading, instead of taking into account the atmosphere surrounding the matches. Here we go, let’s break Part 1 down.

- Men’s Singles Match

Cesaro over Drew Gulak

Although the match was a short one, it did it’s intended job and Cesaro and Gulak performed a well-balanced match. The match was on the kickoff show and it was announced just hours before the show. I don’t think that this really sways momentum for either competitor, but it was a fun bout.

GRADE: 7.9/10

- Women’s Tag Team Match: WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship

Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross over The Kabuki Warriors (C)

Right out of the gate, we got to witness a title change. This match went on longer than I expected it would, but it wasn’t a problem. These ladies did a solid job in the ring and had an entertaining match. Bliss and Cross picked up their second tag title reign and they’re the first to do so. There isn’t much to say about the match, but it was a good opener and it will be interesting to see where the women’s tag division goes from here.

GRADE: 8.1/10

- Men’s Singles Match

Elias over King Corbin

This was one of the least built matches heading into it, so it wasn’t going to shock people. It wasn’t a bad match, but they could’ve done a better job of building the feud up. Elias picking up the win wasn’t a shock, but it wouldn’t have been if King Corbin won either. Again, not one that going to wow the audience at home, but it was a fine filler match.

GRADE: 7.4/10

- Women’s Singles Match: RAW Women’s Championship

Becky Lynch (C) over Shayna Baszler

A couple months ago, it felt like a sure thing that Baszler was going to win the belt at WrestleMania, but over the last couple weeks, it felt like the momentum was in Lynch’s favor. I expected someone to tap out, but the match ended somewhat abruptly. The match was slightly above average. Nothing special, but it did the trick. The match would’ve been far different under normal circumstances, but I guess they did the best with what they were given. This feud doesn’t seem like it is going to end and I think that Baszler will get the title eventually, but for now, The Man is at the top.

GRADE: 7.9/10

- Men’s Singles Match: Intercontinental Championship

Sami Zayn (C) over Daniel Bryan

Sami Zayn did perfect heel work last night and weaseled his way to a successful title defense. With a lot of the matches siding in favor of the babyfaces last night, I guess this was the best match to subside the lopsided nature of the show. The match wasn’t special (this feels like a theme), but it was entertaining. I thought the match was going to be a little longer, but again, it didn’t affect what I thought of it.

GRADE: 8.3/10

- Men’s Triple Threat Ladder Match: SmackDown Tag Team Championship

John Morrison (C) over Kofi Kingston and Jimmy Uso

I knew that this match didn’t need a crowd reaction to be good due to the nature of the match and the constant action. Up to this point in the show, it was the best match of the night. These guys put on a wonderful performance and I don’t believe I have ever seen a ladder match where all competitors are hanging onto the belts and fighting on top of the ladder one by one. It was a fun contest and I think that Morrison successfully defending the championships was the right move. The Usos and The New Day have won the titles so many times that it would just feel like a statistic rather than a meaningful title win at the moment. It should be interesting to see who the tag champs will face next.

GRADE: 9.4/10

- Men’s No-DQ Match

Kevin Owens over Seth Rollins

Going into the match, I didn’t like the direction that they were taking the feud, but the match was very solid. I’m glad that they didn’t end the contest in DQ, because that would’ve been a disaster. Kevin Owens jumping off of the WrestleMania sign was awesome and I think that Owens picking up the win was the right move going forward. Depending on how the WWE Championship match goes tonight, I think KO has more than earned his shot at the belt.

GRADE: 9.2/10

- Men’s Singles Match: Universal Championship

Braun Strowman over Goldberg (C)

We knew what we were getting into with these two powerhouses meeting in the ring. It was a 2-minute match containing 4 spears and 4 powerslams. That was literally the extent of it. This match would’ve benefitted tremendously from a live audience, but under these particular circumstances, it wasn’t a great match. It was great to see Strowman finally get a big title win. Strowman is a local talent and I think I can speak for the locals and say we’re proud of him.

GRADE: 7/10

- Boneyard Match

The Undertaker over AJ Styles. *MATCH OF THE NIGHT*

Nobody knew what to expect in this match, but the overwhelming majority of fans reacted positively to the match. It was awesome! It had a cinematic feel and it was similar to the match we saw a couple years ago with “Woken” Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt on an episode of RAW. I went back and watched it earlier today and it was just as good as watching it for the first time. This style of match benefitted Undertaker tremendously. He could work to the pace of his choosing and the use of props helped as well. With that being said, AJ Styles was the perfect opponent for him. He did enough, and then some, to get under the skin of the Deadman and he paid for it. The inclusion of Anderson and Gallows was a help for Undertaker too. He could showcase that he is more a legendary and almost mythical performer rather than working to tune of a crowd. A+++ performance. RIP AJ Styles

GRADE: 10/10

Yacs

WrestleMania 36 Part 1 Results and Reaction