WrestleMania 37 (2021): WWE Gets Its Crowd Back and Finds Its Heart Again

Opening WrestleMania with the WWE Championship is a statement about Lashley's legitimacy. McIntyre controls long stretches with power and repeated Future Shock DDTs, while Lashley keeps returning to the Hurt Lock as the decisive threat. MVP's distraction prevents the Claymore, but the finish itself is strong: Lashley reapplies the Hurt Lock, survives McIntyre's attempt to use the ropes and renders him unconscious. The technical-submission victory gives Lashley a definitive WrestleMania defense.

The turmoil format gives several teams WrestleMania exposure without producing much memorable wrestling. Billie Kay and Carmella eliminate Lana and Naomi, the Riott Squad then carry much of the middle before Natalya and Tamina enter last and win. The eliminations keep the match moving, but the structure feels functional rather than important. Natalya and Tamina earning a Night 2 title shot is the only lasting consequence.

Cesaro finally gets a WrestleMania singles stage and wrestles like he knows how rare the opportunity is. Rollins tries to control the pace and repeatedly avoids the swing, but Cesaro keeps finding increasingly dramatic counters. The UFO is the match's signature moment, followed by the full Cesaro Swing and a second Neutralizer for the clean pin. Eleven minutes is not long, yet every sequence pushes toward the same idea: Cesaro proving he belongs at this level.

The match is built almost entirely around delaying Omos' first legal involvement. Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods isolate Styles and try to prevent the tag, knowing that Omos changes the match immediately. Once he enters, the scale difference becomes the story. Omos overwhelms both champions, and Styles uses a Phenomenal Forearm off Omos' shoulders before Omos finishes Kingston with a powerbomb and one-foot pin. It is more showcase than competitive tag classic, but the debut presentation works.

The feud is built on insults rather than compelling stakes, but the cage match produces enough spectacle to escape the weak setup. Shane uses weapons and outside help early, while Strowman gradually takes control. The defining spot comes when Strowman tears open part of the cage wall to pull Shane back inside, then throws him from the top before finishing with the Running Powerslam. The result is decisive and the stunt is memorable, even if the rivalry itself never deserved this much WrestleMania time.

Bad Bunny does not wrestle like a celebrity trying to survive a cameo. He takes extended offense, sells convincingly and executes difficult spots with the timing of someone who respected the preparation. The Canadian Destroyer on Morrison outside the ring is the obvious shock moment, but the match works because Bunny contributes between the highlights too. Priest gives the team stability, and the finish lets Bunny score the pin after the Electric Chair/Crossbody combination.

The emotion before the bell becomes part of the match rather than something the wrestlers need to escape. Belair and Banks compose themselves, then build a championship match around strength, speed and Belair's braid. Banks repeatedly uses the hair as leverage, while Belair answers with power spots that make her athleticism look unique rather than rehearsed. The 450 Splash near-fall raises the finish, Belair cracks Banks with the braid, and the Kiss of Death produces a clean title change. The celebration feels fully earned.

Night 2 begins with presentation instead of wrestling. The Fiend emerges from a giant jack-in-the-box, attacks Orton and appears to be moving toward revenge for the Firefly Inferno match. Then Alexa Bliss appears above the ring with black liquid running down her face, distracting The Fiend long enough for Orton to hit the RKO and win. The match lasts under six minutes and provides almost no satisfying explanation for the story it is supposedly concluding.

Natalya and Tamina receive a long title match after winning the prior night's turmoil, but the bout rarely develops urgency. Tamina's power exchanges with Nia Jax provide the most natural contrast, while Shayna Baszler gives the champions the technical escape route. The finish is clean enough: Natalya goes for the Sharpshooter on Jax without realizing Baszler is legal, and Baszler traps her in the Kirifuda Clutch for the technical submission.

Owens and Zayn already have so much shared history that nine minutes is enough to make the match feel personal. Zayn lands the Blue Thunder Bomb and Helluva Kick, while Owens survives and answers with consecutive superkicks and the Stunner. The clean finish is valuable because the Logan Paul material stays mostly outside the match itself. Owens then Stuns Paul afterward, giving the celebrity involvement a simple payoff without changing the winner.

Sheamus and Riddle produce one of the night's best pure wrestling matches by leaning into physical contrast. Riddle attacks with speed and awkward angles, while Sheamus repeatedly turns exchanges into strikes and power. The finish is excellent: Riddle attempts a springboard moonsault and Sheamus catches him in midair with the Brogue Kick, busting Riddle's mouth and winning the championship. It is sudden, violent and visually memorable.

The Nigerian Drum Fight has distinctive visual ingredients — kendo sticks, drums and weapons around ringside — but the match is too short to turn them into a coherent stipulation identity. Big E appears to have the match won after the Big Ending, only for Commander Azeez to emerge and chokeslam him. Crews gets the pin and the championship. The title change matters more than the match that produces it.

Ripley and Asuka work a straightforward championship match that gains significance from the result. Asuka controls stretches with striking and the Asuka Lock, while Ripley survives long enough to turn the match into a power battle. A DDT from the apron to the floor gives Asuka her biggest late surge, but Ripley escapes the submission attempt and lands the Riptide for the title. The match is good without becoming a classic, and the clean finish is exactly what Ripley needs.

The Night 2 main event understands how to make a triple threat feel chaotic without becoming incoherent. Bryan's submissions, Edge's desperation and Reigns' control create three distinct approaches, while Jey Uso's interference gives the champion another tactical advantage. The best sequences involve overlapping submissions and the competitors breaking one another's finishing stretches rather than waiting outside. Edge hits Bryan with the Con-Chair-To, Reigns then Spears Edge, delivers his own Con-Chair-To and stacks Edge across Bryan. Pinning both men at once gives Reigns one of the most arrogant and memorable WrestleMania wins ever.