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"WrestleMania 36" Now 2-Night Event; Rob Gronkowski Hosting
Less than 48 hours after the WWE confirmed that this year's WrestleMania had been moved from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay to its Performance Center in Orlando over concerns over the coronavirus pandemic, another history-making decision about "The Show of Shows" has been made.
For the first time, Wrestlemania will be spread out over two nights: at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT on Saturday, April 4, and Sunday, April 5. Both nights will air on the WWE Network, with former New England Patriot Rob Gronkowski set to host. More details will be available on SmackDown this Friday on FOX at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT.
WrestleMania 36 features a strong line-up of matches, including: Royal Rumble Match winner Drew McIntyre challenges WWE Champion Brock Lesnar, Universal Champion Goldberg defends his title against Roman Reigns, and Raw Women's Champion Becky Lynch looks to fight off the rise of Shayna Baszler. Also, 16-time World Champion John Cena returns to battle "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt, AJ Styles hopes to put the "final nail in the coffin" of The Undertaker's career and much more.
Here's a look back at the WWE's official statement on their initial decision to change venues:
"In coordination with local partners and government officials, WrestleMania and all related events in Tampa Bay will not take place. However, WrestleMania will still stream live on Sunday, April 5 at 7 pm ET on WWE Network and be available on pay-per-view. Only essential personnel will be on the closed set at WWE's training facility in Orlando, Florida to produce WrestleMania."
Now here's a look at the background leading up to the Lesnar/McIntyre match for the WWE Championship:
It's been more than a decade, but Drew McIntyre is finally on the verge of becoming "The Chosen One," as Mr. McMahon once prophesized. The former 3MB rocker is now just one victory away from completing one of the longest and rockiest roads to WrestleMania glory in WWE history, as he has a chance to finish his journey by seizing the WWE Championship from Brock Lesnar.
Indeed, it seemed The Chairman's prognostication would go unfulfilled when McIntyre left WWE in 2014, but he returned a changed man in 2017, sporting a rugged new look and a nasty mean streak. While a championship match on Raw eluded him in the early goings of his return, The Scottish Terminator seized the one surefire way to earn a title bout: win the 2020 Men's Royal Rumble Match.
In a career-making performance, McIntyre tossed out six of his fellow competitors in the annual extravaganza and notched one of the most unforgettable eliminations in WWE history when he tattooed Lesnar with a Claymore Kick that nearly knocked him into the stratosphere.
Drew needed less than 24 hours to select which titleholder he wanted to challenge at The Show of Shows, as he vowed to defeat Lesnar at WrestleMania.
The Beast Incarnate landed the first big blow on The Road to WrestleMania, however, as he attacked McIntyre and brutalized his new challenger after the Royal Rumble winner defeated Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson in a Handicap Match.
Despite never-ending criticism from the WWE Universe and his fellow Superstars, Lesnar remains the most dominant competitor in the business. In case anyone had forgotten, Lesnar defeated Kofi Kingston in just eight seconds to take the WWE Championship and racked up a record-tying 13 eliminations in this year's Royal Rumble before being met by McIntyre's boot.