As reported earlier, WWE and FOX are expanding on the content provided. It’s not surprising since there’s always been a tight relationship between professional wrestling and TV. It’s a good deal for both heading into WrestleMania 36 during a pandemic. WWE was quick to figure out something for their biggest show of the year. On paper, yeah this WrestleMania might just be too big for just one night–until you factor in it’s a scaled-down event with no crowd.
“Too Big For Just One Night”
It provides the on-screen talent, the set, the stage, production equipment, and the staff. The promoter already handled most of it. A network provides the platform, the broadcast schedule, and sometimes the production equipment and staff.
That’s why wrestling was one of those power programs for networks when TVs first started arriving in homes. A network will get several stations in a market but it still needs shows. Wrestling was making money with weekly arena shows in addition to tapings.
Then Starrcade came along decades later. Not to be outdone, WWE dropped WrestleMania and the rest is history. This brings us to WrestleMania 36. Normally, the tagline of “Too Big For Just One Night” could describe the event. However, with current events it didn’t seem like the show would even take place. Now that we know it will be and it’s right around the corner, looking at it and the updates around it and it’s pretty much “Ehh…I’m intrigued but not stoked.”
The epic show presentation, large crowd, and memorable matches tend to make WrestleMania. That’s the formula for the show. It’s WWE’s season finale with major stories being wrapped up and new ones being brought to a simmer. Two of those ingredients will be missing for the first WrestleMania of the decade.
WWE Is Running WrestleMania 36 Anyway
Speculation ran the gamut of everything from WWE sticking to its guns and running the Raymond James Stadium to this being a multi-night event. Then it became a two-night event from the WWE Performance Center without a crowd. There was also concern about Roman Reigns not making the event because of his previous health issues.
One thing has remained with WrestleMania, WWE will be sticking to its “the show must go on” approach. This was supposed to be the year that the company tested out making the event a multi-night event but the environment—current events not location—WrestleMania is being held just isn’t the best.
Honestly, WWE shouldn’t look at the outcome of WM36 and go “Yeah, this was a success we’re doing this every year going forward.” A proper test run will have to be with WrestleMania 37 or even SummerSlam. But this one isn’t going to live up to the tagline just by scale alone. While it will be a memorable WrestleMania it won’t entirely be for the right reasons.
And let’s not forget one of the biggest victims of WrestleMania 36: Drew McIntyre’s WrestleMania moment. On a Snickers presented show at that!
SUBSCRIBE NOW: Get The Overtimer’s Hottest Stories, Breaking News and Special Features in your email, CLICK HERE!
