WrestleMania is the largest, grandest, most decadent event in all of professional wrestling. It is the epitome of WWE's signature phrase "Sports Entertainment." It has been called the Super Bowl of pro wrestling and it has, with a few exceptions, sold out many of the largest, most famous venues from coast to coast.
On the cusp of the 33rd edition of the Showcase of the Immortals, it is not the sheer size of the event, all the fighter jet flyovers or crazy dance numbers that make me tune in every year, even during times my enjoyment of pro wrestling was at an all-time low. It is the one event every year that I am guaranteed at least one unforgettable moment.
(Mr. T and the Hulkster headlined what was a jaw dropping spectacle along with Roddy Piper, Paul Orndorff and even special guest referee Muhammad Ali. Source: WWE.com)
Football will forever be my first love as a sport but the difference between that sport's grandest prize, the Super Bowl, and WrestleMania is that the former is purely a competitive exhibition. The latter is the only spectacle of its kind that is both a feat of athletic endeavor and also an epic story that channels every Rocky and Godzilla movie combined. It is a slight understatement to call WrestleMania a big deal in the pro wrestling world. That was evident from the very first held in Madison Square Garden.
(Ricky Steamboat vs. Randy Savage at WrestleMania 3 had it all. Great wrestling and drama that ensnared even the most cynical detractors of the business. Source: F4WOnline)
I was 12, and admittedly was laughed at heartily when I implored my parents to take me to the Pittsburgh Civic Arena to watch the event on closed circuit TV. Luckily for me and other kids in my spot, the event was shown on local TV a week later due to issues with the live feed. After months of buildup, the main event match itself did not necessarily live up to the hype, looking back, but world champion Hulk Hogan, Mr. T and even Muhammad Ali as guest referee were in the same ring together. Even in hindsight it's all a little surreal. Even piano virtuoso and entertainer Liberace showed up earlier, among others. WrestleMania, whether the show is good overall or not, is the one time of year everybody wants to be on a pro wrestling show. And why not? It's the place where explosive drama meets explosive athletic action.
(Even in the modern era of pro wrestling, seeing the crowd's energy for Rock vs. Cena got me invested in a match I otherwise didn't care about at all. Source: Sportskeedia.com)
That's why, from adolescence into adulthood, WrestleMania is what always had me return to pro wrestling, even during periods where I didn't latch onto what Vince McMahon's company gave us on television every week. The kid in me simply won't let me stay away. And yes, even for Rock vs. Cena 1 at WrestleMania XXVIII.
(Randy Orton shows the world what matters most. Source: Inquisitr.com)
That kid inside will join the rest of me this weekend as the Show of Shows goes down from Orlando and I devote latter part of that Sunday to cover the end of one year and the beginning of a brand new one in WWE.
Let's Smark out together this Sunday!
Twitter: @weskozalla
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