15 Awesome WWE Sagas To Binge-Watch On Netflix Over Christmas
13. The Quirky Closed Door Era
Everyone was obviously delighted once restrictions lifted and fans poured back into buildings to check out some live wrestling in 2021. Looking back at the time, the 'ThunderDome Era' (as it became known to some) was roundly bashed as something WWE had to do rather than anything worthwhile. Looking back now, that's grossly unfair.
When COVID hit, WWE was forced to shut itself away in the Performance Center then various incarnations of the ThunderDome set between 2020-2021. This led to the strangest WrestleMania ever, but weekly TV and PLEs gave fans locked down at home some much needed entertainment during a bleak, uncertain time. On camera, several acts managed to come into their own and get creative during promos.
Bayley and Sasha Banks were a hoot as a double act, for example, and emotional promos from the likes of comeback warrior Edge landed harder without the usual trolling chants from crowds. Then, there were the cinematic matches. Those took centre stage by mixing wrestling with campy, 'B' movie-esque effects. Somehow, it worked. There was something seriously charming about the 'Boneyard' battle between The Undertaker and AJ Styles at 'Mania 36.
It'd be a lie to say that everything was perfect during the closed door days, and WWE defo would've preferred to sell tickets, but there is merit to that period in retrospect. If nothing else, some of the pay-per-views are some laugh to look back on. Oddball curiosities like Money In The Bank and Backlash 2020 must be seen to be believed.
Top Recommendation: John Cena and the dearly missed Bray Wyatt indulging their creativity in a barmy 'Firefly Fun House' match during night 2 of WrestleMania 36.