Edge vs. Randy Orton (Last Man Standing Match)

Randy surprises Edge before the match. Dressed as a camera-man he lands an RKO. Edge sells it perfectly and the after-effects of the devastating move. Right off the bat, Edge swings wildly at Orton as he hits another RKO. The ref starts the first count of the match. Edge can barely get to his feet by sliding to the outside. Randy grabs the camera that he used and slams it into Edge, sending him to the outside of the ring area. Orton scans the arena as Edge crawls to get to his feet. They fight into the Performance Center backstage area.

They’re fighting in the makeshift backstage setup in the gym at the PC. Randy grabs some chains and hangs up Edge in a cable setup. Randy tells Edge that he’s always going to love him as he blasts him with strikes. The ref starts counting again as Randy looks for more implements to blast Edge. Edge hits Randy with a barbell to slow down his offense. He takes back control with heavy strikes to Randy. Edge screams as he slams Randy into a table. Randy gets flopped down into an office chair as Edge rails on him.

Edge uses a pull-up bar as leverage to launch himself at Randy in the chair. An axe-handle slam off a weight sled takes Randy down again. This is feeling like the most personal match on the card. Randy reverses and Irish whip into a steel wall in the back of the gym. This one is slow, but more deeply unsettling than previous matches. Orton takes a sled and tries to drive it into Edge, he dives out of the way at the last moment. Orton screams at a camera man to move as they get to the production area behind the stage. What this match is showing is how small of an area that the WWE has to work with for a huge show like Mania. It’s astounding. Edge sends Orton into a garage door as the ref starts counting again.

Wrestlemania 36: The Match Continues

They go back out into the ring area from the side. Orton and Edge fight on a platform between the LED boards. Orton throws Edge from the platform to the barricade and he flops on the ground. Edge barely gets on his feet and dares Orton to come and get him. Orton obliges and blasts him with rights. The two of them move into a hallway of the PC. Orton sends Edge into a glass window showing the WWE Championship. The camera crew scrambles to find the action. Orton gets sent into a massive table in the offices of the PC. Edge sends Orton into a framed picture on the wall and the ref begins his count. Orton uses a door to bring himself up and Edge kicks him as he beats the count. Edge showing that he wants Orton to suffer here.

Edge uses chain link attached to the ceiling to land an elbow on Orton. Both men are grimacing and moaning in pain. Orton thumbs Edge’s eye and then sends him into the wall and into the cameraman. Another camera catches up to them as they move into a storage area of the PC. Multiple moves on containers and ladders lead the two deeper into the storage area. Edge goes for a chair but Orton blocks him and throws them away. He gets sent into a pile of ring steps as the ref starts another count. Edge barely gets up and Orton drags him into the interview area of the PC. Orton stomps on Edge’s hand and punishes him.

Wrestlemania 36: The Finish

Orton takes a drink of water and douses himself in it. Edge throws a sandbag at Orton to stem his assault. These two are kicking the living shit out of each other. Randy grimaces and gets to his feet. Edge goes crazy for a bit here and gets a wild look in his eyes. Edge goes up to the top of a platform while Orton is set up on a table. He elbow drops Orton through one of the tables as both men are clearly affected by the brutality in this match. Randy’s shoulder is cut up now. Orton gets up first and starts punishing Edge. They’re pulverizing each other at this point.

It’s just both men swinging and finding anything to keep one another down. Edge can only get up to his feet by grabbing a truck bed. Both men are on top of a pickup truck at this point as the marathon continues. Orton sets up a draping DDT and nails Edge with it. The ref checks Edge’s neck and starts counting. Edge climbs to the top of a production truck out of frame. Randy grimaces in pain on the same pickup they were just on. The two men set up on the precarious trailer truck roof. Orton sets up for the punt kick, but Edge hits him with the Spear to counter the devastating move.

Edge and Orton both make it to their feet at the count of 9. He goes for another spear and Randy RKO’s him. Edge gets to his feet barely but then falls back down. Orton grabs two chairs to set up the Con-Chair-To and blasts Edge with a chair shot. Edge’s back is welted up, Randy puts the chair under Edge’s head. Edge miraculously pops up and locks Randy in a submission hold. He screams at the ref to stop counting.

Edge nails Orton with a Con-Chair-To as the ref counts to 10 for the win.

Wrestlemania 36: Analysis And Grade

What a marathon from these two. That was a fist-fight, barn-burner, and everything you could have imagined from these two men. I wasn’t expecting some lofty, athletic filled bout. This was always going to be a beatdown for both men. They pulverized each other throughout all of the Performance Center. It was a crazy long match though. You could have cut out about 15 minutes from it and it would have been the perfect length. That takes this match away from being an all-time classic of the genre.

It felt like it was never going to end and that they were just going through the blueprints of the PC. I would have liked for the pace to quicken a bit in spots. It wasn’t a bad match by any counts though. I might not be able to watch the whole thing through more than a couple times. Like a fantastically long film, this match might take some rewatches before you can get to the glory of it.

They played up the emotional aspect of the relationship of Edge and Randy. Multiple times both men just wanted to destroy their opponent. It all culminated in a brutal showing on top of that tractor trailer. You could see in Edge’s face that he had to do what was necessary to win. This wasn’t about the winning and losing though. Great storytelling and work from both men. The last 10 minutes were worth the price of admission.

Grade: 8.5/10

Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8