Today I received my WrestleMania XXX travel package, including tickets to the event itself, as well as tickets to the Hall of Fame ceremony, the following night’s Raw, and tickets to Axxess – the weekend-long event where fans can meet the wrestlers, see memorabilia and engage in a variety of fun activities. I also have VIP tickets to meet and get professional photos taken with two of my all-time favorite wrestlers: Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair. This will be my first WrestleMania and my first time in New Orleans. Stay tuned for all the great stories, photos and videos I’m sure to gather during what will be a fantastic weekend.
WWE, the iconic sports entertainment company that made professional wrestlers like The Rock, Hulk Hogan and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin household names, just announced WWE Network. This 24/7 streaming network, launching February 24, will provide subscribers with access to all 12 live WWE pay-per-views, including WrestleMania, as well as “original programming, reality shows, documentaries, classic matches and more than 1,500 hours of video on demand at launch.” The best part is subscribers only have to pay $9.99 a month for all this content, and it can be streamed through the WWE app on nearly every device you can think of (i.e., desktop/laptop computers, iOS and Android devices, Kindle Fire tablets, Roku, Xbox 360/Xbox One, Playstation 3/4, etc.).
What has me most excited about this news isn’t that I’ll be able to access every WWE, WCW and ECW pay-per-view ever – although that is awesome – it’s that this service doesn’t require me to have an existing relationship with a cable provider like HBO GO does. WWE is the first cable content provider to cut out the middle man and provide its product directly to consumers through a paid streaming service. And unlike Netflix and Hulu Plus, WWE doesn’t need to pay movie studios large amounts of money to lease this content because they already own it. For WWE, this will be a huge revenue stream for the company and a smart way to provide pay-per-view content to fans at an extremely attractive price.
Needless to say, I’m very impressed by this announcement and excited to try out WWE Network on February 24. Check out the videos below for a taste of what’s to come.
The first WrestleMania took place three days after I was born. Since then, it has gone on to become an annual extravaganza that generates nearly $75 million and attracts nearly 100,000 attendees, not to mention the millions of people watching it worldwide on pay-per-view. For as long as I can remember, I’ve been enjoying WrestleMania from home. Next year, I’ll be there in person, in New Orleans, to celebrate its 30th anniversary.
In addition to the event itself, I’ll be enjoying WrestleMania Axxess, where fans get to meet wrestling legends, as well as the superstars of today, and engage in a variety of fun activities. I’m also attending the WWE Hall of Fame ceremony, where the superstars of yesteryear are honored for their impressive body of work. And finally, the weekend will wrap up with WWE Raw, where I’ll get to see how the aftermath of WrestleMania plays out.
Being a lifelong wresting fan, I’m thrilled to have the chance to attend WrestleMania; and with it being the event’s 30th anniversary, the timing couldn’t be more perfect. I’m equally happy that it’s taking place in a vibrant, historical city I’ve yet to explore. It will be a fantastic weekend that I’ll remember for a long time to come.
For a taste of what WrestleMania is like, here’s a video of the “Top 10 Championship Changes” to take place at the event:
Growing up I’d watch wrestling incessantly. Nowadays I don’t have that luxury. With WrestleMania 29 quickly approaching, I want to share with you my all-time favorite match from the “grandest stage of them all.”
If you asked asked me who my two favorite wrestlers of all time were, I’d tell you Hulk Hogan and Ultimate Warrior. Hogan personified the American spirit, had awesome ring entrance music and knew how to pump up the crowd. Ultimate Warrior was a face-paint-clad, larger-than-life superhero. With colorful attire, mysteriously confusing promos and a ridiculous physique, he captured the attention and support of millions of fans in the early 1990s, including me.
At WrestleMania VI in 1990, Hulk Hogan was the WWF (now WWE) Champion and Ultimate Warrior was the WWF Intercontinental Champion. The main event was these two titans going head to head, title for title – a first in wrestling up to that point. Having two babyfaces (i.e., good guys) go against each other was also a first for WrestleMania and it tore the crowd in two. Half of them wanted Hogan to win, while the other half was cheering for Warrior to reign supreme. Another element that gave it a big-match feel was the terrific commentary by Gorrila Monsoon and Jesse “The Body” Ventura. These legendary commentators had a wonderful chemistry that made the spectacle even more entertaining. It was a fantastic main event that is required viewing for wrestling fans, which is why I’ve included it below. It tells a great story that I still enjoy to this day.
I was at the supermarket today and I spotted a box of Fruity Pebbles and noticed something different about them; instead of Fred Flintstone being on the box, I saw WWE superstar John Cena with Bam Bam.
For those unfamiliar with wrestling, The Rock has had an ongoing feud with John Cena. “The Great One” told Cena that his colorful attire made him look like a bowl of Fruity Pebbles. Over a span of several months they traded barbs and had an epic battle at WrestleMania last year. Their rematch is taking place at this year’s WrestleMania in New Jersey.
Partnering with Post to have John Cena replace Fred Flintstone on boxes of Fruity Pebbles, leading up to WrestleMania 29, was a brilliant way to promote the event and tie it back to WWE’s product. Well done, WWE. Well done.
