Even though WrestleMania 37 technically started on time on Saturday night, the first match of the show didn’t begin until roughly 40 minutes later due to a rain delay. Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium had been pelted by rain earlier in the day, and a returning shower forced fans to take shelter until the “all clear” was given. To fill the time, the broadcast repeatedly cut backstage to wrestlers like Drew McIntyre, Bobby Lashley, The New Day and Kevin Owens to discuss their upcoming matches.
Videos by ComicBook.com
Those promos were reportedly completely unscripted, and a new report from PWInsider‘s Mike Johnson on Sunday painted the picture that the scene backstage was chaotic.
“The rain delayed WrestleMania promos backstage were literally a case of talents being grabbed and tossed on camera,” Johnson wrote. “We are told that the second the company got word about the weather issues, stage managers exploded into running in every direction to grab everyone they could. Talents were basically told to say whatever they wanted as the company had no idea how much time they needed to fill and it was very much edge of your seat presentation.”
The show finally got underway with the WWE Championship match between Drew McIntyre and Bobby Lashley. There were no delays for the rest of the night, though the commentary team had to stand for a portion of the show and the slippery entrance ramp resulted in both Mandy Rose and AJ Styles having issues during their entrances.
The weather report for Sunday indicates there will be heavy rain throughout the day and that it will only start to let up right when the show is set to begin. Stay tuned for further updates.
Here’s what WWE has booked for Night Two of WrestleMania 37:
- WWE Universal Championship: Roman Reigns vs. Edge vs. Daniel Bryan
- Intercontinental Championship: Big E vs. Apollo Crews (Nigerian Drum Fight)
- United States Championship: Riddle vs. Sheamus
- Raw Women’s Championship: Asuka vs. Rhea Ripley
- WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships: Nia Jax & Shayna Baszler vs. Natalya & Tamina
- The Fiend vs. Randy Orton
- Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn
Photo: Twitter/@Mario_OGz
