The planned card for WrestleMania has been hit hard as one superstar after another has had to pull out of the event due to the COVID-19 pandemic. What started with WWE being cautious by sending home Dana Brooke and Rey Mysterio for feeling ill has turned into a full potential disaster as major storylines have had to be abandoned.
There is a mixed reaction to how the WrestleMania card's adjustment is being handled, leaving many to wonder if WWE could have done a better job in pivoting these storylines. Instead of a smooth transition and the build-up of new stories, WrestleMania has transformed into a confusing mish-mash of matches.
ROMAN REIGNS VS GOLDBERG
In what has to be the biggest shocker coming out of the WrestleMania tapings, Roman Reigns pulled out of his Universal Championship match against Goldberg. WWE promoted the match for WrestleMania up to the eleventh hour, despite Reigns himself coming out and saying that the match did not happen. There was no build-up for the replacement. Instead, WWE pointedly stated Reigns would no longer be competing on the go-home edition of SmackDown, announcing Braun Strowman would face Goldberg instead.
WWE should take advantage of this opportunity and have a rematch from Super Showdown, pitting Bray Wyatt vs. Goldberg. Imagine Bray Wyatt beating John Cena in their match on Saturday night, and when Goldberg comes out with no opponent on Sunday, out walks Bray Wyatt. Fresh off securing his revenge against Cena, he sets his sights on Goldberg, who took the Universal championship from him a few months ago. Then Bray Wyatt can gain another notch of redemption as he recaptures the championship, and Goldberg does the job for Wyatt as he should have at Super Showdown.
AUSTIN THEORY/ANGEL GARZA VS STREET PROFITS
When Rey Mysterio was sent home, it resulted in WWE scrapping a match that was set to involve Andrade, Garza, and Humberto Carrillo. Instead of getting what would have been a potential show-stealing match, last week on Raw, we were given a Raw tag title match pitting Andrade and Garza vs. the Street Profits. This week that was changed once again when it was revealed that Andrade had a rib injury, and that match turned into the Street Profits vs. Garza and Austin Theory for WrestleMania.
It's tough to care about this match at this point with the numerous changes in participants. While it is an excellent opportunity for Angel Garza and Austin Theory to show the world what they can do, the match has no build to it. The better route could have been to have the Viking Raiders, who have been teaming with the Street Profits the last few months, to turn on them wanting to reclaim the Raw Tag Team championship. Turning the Viking Raiders into bad guys would have been a breath of fresh air for a team that is sadly starting to feel stale. The Viking Raiders vs. The Street Profits have put on classic matches in NXT, and it would come as no surprise if they did it again on the grandest stage of them all.
ALEISTER BLACK VS BOBBY LASHLEY
Aleister Black vs. Bobby Lashley was booked a couple of weeks ago and came out of the blue. Lashley hasn't been on TV for weeks, not even filming so much as an interview to build interest in this match. Fans are going into WrestleMania pretty cold when it comes to Aleister Black vs. Bobby Lashley.
Instead of a match that has zero build, WWE should have inserted Aleister Black into the AJ Styles and Undertaker feud. The Aleister Black character has the best shot of being the next Undertaker, and it looked like WWE was headed that direction with the Black and Styles feud at Elimination Chamber.
The story of The Undertaker and Aleister Black could have started at WrestleMania with Black helping The Undertaker defeat the OC, leading to a partnership between the two all summer. This could then lead to a match between Aleister Black and The Undertaker at Survivor Series. Allowing the Undertaker to pass the torch to Black at the thirtieth anniversary of his character.
With everything in such a state of flux, this card may have many more changes before it settles into its final form. It's no doubt that this was not what the WWE had in mind when they were originally planning the road to WrestleMania 36. One way or another, WWE is going to put on what is sure to be the most memorable WrestleMania of all time.