SoFi Stadium will soon be filled with nearly 100,000 screaming fans, a couple of decades worth of nostalgia and larger-than-life personalities looking to put on the spectacle of a lifetime, as WrestleMania returns to Los Angeles for a two-day live extravaganza on April 1-2. While the calendar year might end in December, the year comes to a close in early April for WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment), as WrestleMania wraps up many months-worth – and in some cases years-worth – of storylines.
This year will mark the 39th WrestleMania, which has a rich history of legendary names behind it, such as Hulk Hogan, who famously fought in the very first event with Mr. T as his partner; The Rock and John Cena, who took their talents to Hollywood and never looked back; The Bella Twins, who leveraged their success into reality television; “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, who returned in 2022 for a retirement match at WrestleMania 38; and a plethora of names that have made an impact through the decades.
Wrestling is looked at by some as a sport, but it’s a story-driven form of entertainment. Narrative programs you see on TV don’t have a cast performing their craft in front of live crowds, in one take, and an expectation to hit every leap, kick and slam to perfection. A lot more transparency exists now about what’s real and what isn’t, but even as wrestlers form bonds with fans through videogame live streaming and podcasts that let every cat out of every bag about backstage happenings, it is not likely that late-night guest appearances will end with a wrestler pulling down their pants in front of Bill Maher to show the massive bruising and injuries that occur, as “Rowdy” Roddy Piper once did in 1999.
While the vibes are different, wrestling is still at its best when the stories being told are so good that you are sucked in for two to four hours with disbelief suspended and an urge to know how it all ends. From top to bottom, this year’s WrestleMania at SoFi…
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