WWE WrestleMania 36: Every Match Star Ratings (Night 1)

1. Boneyard Match: AJ Styles vs. The Undertaker

This feels like it should be an article in itself but, before I start, keep in mind that I'm of the belief that of all the things you need to judge pro-wrestling matches on, nothing is more important than simply how enjoyable it was in the moment. Build, story, athleticism, invention, history, innovation, endurance, legacy, all of them worthy considerations that count for nothing if you don't get a kick out of watching the thing.

Heading into this event, virtually everyone had dismissed this as a confusing, convoluted accident-waiting-to-happen. Coming out, it's the biggest talking point in pro-wrestling and has performers reaching across the yawning chasm of the brand divide to heap praise on those who put it together. This wasn't pro-wrestling as theatre, it was pro-wrestling as cinema.

To boil it down, this was a buried alive match conceived and filmed in the Matt Hardy-pioneered style most notably associated with the Final Deletion in TNA. We've seen others like it in WWE before, with its spiritual sequel the Ultimate Deletion, the House of Horrors match, even Halftime Heat back in '99, but this elevated the format to new heights.

Arriving with his older Biker persona (mercifully not "Booger Red") Taker and Styles brawled viciously across an abandoned facility, using all available structures and implements to hurt each other. A match virtually devoid of any "wrestling moves" Styles was helped by Gallows, Anderson, and a smattering of druids as he looked to have beaten his opponent down.

Confident he had the Undertaker in the hole, he headed to the dump truck to finally complete the burial, only for a blinding light to appear behind him as The Dead Man channeled his supernatural abilities to stage a comeback. From there, things escalated to a rooftop, where first Styles associates, then the man himself, were dispatched. Taker buried his opponent, his hand reaching through the soil, before driving off into the night.

The response across social media was overwhelming, and both men can be delighted that they've pulled off something this unique and entertaining from such a seemingly underwhelming program.

Result: The Undertaker defeated AJ Styles via burial (35:00)

Star Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2