6 Ups & 7 Downs From WWE's Road To WrestleMania 36

by Jamie Kennedy

1. Edge's Emotional Return

Edge Royal Rumble
WWE.com

Nothing was ever going to top this.

That authenticity to Drew McIntyre's performances since the Rumble has been matched by those from Edge and Randy Orton. It's a crying shame that their rivalry, and Edge's first match for nine years, will take place in an empty arena, but at least the 'Rated-R Superstar' sampled that super-sweet live buzz in January.

The legend was tanked up on adrenaline when he soared through the curtain in Houston and entered the 30-man match. 24 hours later on Raw, he shed real tears as he spoke of ending an iconic career on his terms. It was powerfully raw, and the impact of Edge's comeback won't fade for years, if ever.

Emotion is one of pro wrestling's most forceful tools when it's harnessed properly and released at the right moment. Edge's comeback on the 'Road To WrestleMania' was catharsis, not only for him but for millions of people who needed that big, crowd-popping Rumble moment to kick it off.

What have you thought about WWE's 'Road To WrestleMania 36'? For more like this, check out WWE WrestleMania Mixtape: Booking The Perfect ’Mania and 10 Things You Didn't Know About WWE No Way Out 2000!

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.