The Grandest Stage of Them All
WrestleMania, the most coveted event in professional wrestling. The end-all be-all for most indie wrestlers trying to make their mark in the business with one goal in mind, to wrestle in front of millions on the grandest stage of them all. This culmination of a full year of wrestling in WWE takes from long-term storylines across the whole roster, displaying these matches in the most entertaining way possible for the fans. Ever since 1985, WWE has put on a show every year. With the main event of Hulk Hogan vs Mr. T entertaining thousands. Little did they know they started a company tradition to showcase the best wrestling the world has to offer. This year is the 41st WrestleMania, located in the Las Vegas at the Allegiant Stadium, home of the Las Vegas Raiders. There are lots of storylines culminating at this event, including the two big main events: John Cena vs Cody Rhodes for the WWE Championship, and Seth Rollins vs CM Punk vs Roman Reigns.

Transfer of Power
World Wrestling Entertainment, led creatively by the wrestling legend Triple H, has recently undergone a transition of power, specifically from the higher-ups. WWE is now owned by TKO, which is a group that also owns the UFC. Ever since this purchase, the WWE has been on fire, selling out arenas all across the country and the globe. Cities around the planet that hosted WWE include Barcelona, Brussels, Bologna, Glasgow, and even London. This cultural impact seen internationally is prevalent through many people’s TV screens as Monday Night Raw has a home on Netflix, which streams to millions across the globe.

Pop Culture Impact
Global superstars have a tendency to join in on the wrestling fun that comes with being involved in the WWE, from the likes of Logan Paul, Bad Bunny, Travis Scott, Lil Uzi Vert, Snoop Dogg, Floyd Mayweather, and even prime Mike Tyson. Some of these celebrities put on matches while others just had an appearance, either with a music performance or segment involvement. The most impressive feats from this list of superstars come specifically from Logan Paul, a YouTuber and boxer who has also become a full-time wrestler. His social media presence brings a new audience to WWE screens, which in turn boosts the company’s business and puts more eyes on the product. Bad Bunny also wrestled in the ring twice, once at WrestleMania 37 and in another main event match on Backlash, in his home country of Puerto Rico. With all of these huge names getting involved, its hard not to see a strong cultural shift towards wrestling becoming mainstream once again. This uproar in fan attendance and ratings surges into a new golden age for the WWE, similarly mirroring the 90s Attitude Era of WWE, where the company is said to be at its peak. Yet, the WWE is rolling into a new era with Netflix and signing new stars left and right. The Rock and TKO executives have a strong plan to bring all wrestling together and make it entertaining for all.

What to Expect
WrestleMania season lasts from January to April, starting from the Royal Rumble premium live event, which chooses half of the championship scene. The winner of the Royal Rumble goes on to pick which champion they want to face at WrestleMania. So many storylines tend to develop stronger closer to the big night, for example, a blood feud between Jey Uso and Gunther is going down on WWE programming to build towards the highly anticipated World Heavyweight championship match. In which Jey Uso, one-half of the world-famous tag team the Usos, is yearning for his first world singles title. On the other hand, you have the defending champion Gunther, the ring general who wrestles like his life depends on it. Gunther has attacked Jey’s brother Jimmy, inciting the personal griminess that this storyline garners. Many other storylines and matches are leading to Mania season like AJ Styles vs Logan Paul, a fatal four-way for the Intercontinental championship, and especially the main event of night 2, John Cena vs Cody Rhodes. John Cena won the Elimination Chamber, giving him a ticket straight to the main event of WrestleMania. He picked the WWE champion Cody Rhodes in a shocking affair in which he sided with the evil final boss “The Rock” and Travis Scott, who together beat Cody bloody in front of thousands in Toronto. I strongly suggest tuning into this massive spectacle as they even create their own customized grand stage for the wrestlers to walk out of and make their cool entrances with pyro. If you have Peacock, tune in on Saturday or Sunday and witness the most dramatic, cinematic, grueling, and entertaining event you will ever witness.

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