WWE WrestleMania XXX marks the first time professional wrestling's grand event will happen in New Orleans.In the past couple years the Superdome has hosted the Super Bowl, NCAA Final Four, multiple Sugar Bowls, and the NCAA Football Championship.
"WrestleMania is bigger than all that," says Booker T, a professional wrestling hall-of-famer and ambassador of World Wresting Entertainment (WWE).
"WrestleMania is the biggest event in the entire pro wrestling industry," said Patrick McMichael, a freelance writer for the Yahoo Network who writes about pro-wrestling and New Orleans sports."The significance of the 30th edition of WrestleMania being held in New Orleans cannot be understated for our city and its economy."
WrestleMania will bring several thousand fans to the city and several entertainment and community events.It also beckons a flurry of activity from independent wrestling companies hoping to tap into the large concentration of migrating fans.
The largest event will be WrestleMania itself and the "triple threat" match for the World Heavyweight Championship between Randy Orton, Batista, and a third challenger.The Superdome is expected to sell out its expanded seating at 82,000 seats.Booker T, who was born in Shreveport, wrestled in the main event in 2003 against Triple H.
"It's every wrestler's dream to be in the main event," said Booker T."It was a great moment to get out in front of 75,000 people in a 20 foot ring in tights.It was a crazy night."
Other matches that night include John Cena versus Bray Wyatt and a 30-man battle royal.
Outside of the wrestling matches WWE Fan AXXESS will happen all weekend at Ernest M. Morial Convention Center.
"WWE literally takes over New Orleans that entire week," said The Miz, a professional wrestler and former heavyweight champion.At the convention center, the Miz said Superstars and Divas—the preferred nomenclature for WWE's professional wrestlers—will be available to meet with fans, sign autographs and mingle.
Saturday night the WWE will have a Hall of Fame induction ceremony at the Smoothie King Center.Booker T said Jake the Snake and the Ultimate Warrior will be inducted.
The WWE is also planning community events with anti-bullying rallies at public schools and the WrestleMania Reading Challenge, which in the past has included the participation of New Orleanian Kofi Kingston.
Both Booker T and The Miz acknowledge that their audience includes more kids now than it once did, so addressing bullying is important to the organization.
"When we look out into the audience we see a lot of kids out there," said the Miz."We'll have WWE Superstars go to school to talk to them.When it's someone you see on television that comes to your school and tells you to stop bullying then maybe we can help prevent bullying."
WWE will also put on their weekly Monday Night RAW program on April 7 at the Smoothie King Center.
Outside of WWE, there are even more events from independent companies that hope to capitalize on the mania of wrestling fandom in New Orleans that week.
While this marks WrestleMania's first trip to New Orleans, the Crescent City has a long and storied history of professional wrestling, according to McMichael.
"From the late 1970's to the mid-1980's, Mid-South Wresting was one of the hottest independent wrestling promotions in the nation," McMichael said."At one point, their shows aired worldwide..."
McMichael said that Mid-South Wrestling toured across the Deep South, but its biggest events happened in New Orleans.
"Mid-South laid the foundation for a lot of what we see today," said Blake Chadwick, a pro-wrestling broadcaster for independent companies in Florida. Chadwick noted there will be many matches for fans to see in addition to WrestleMania.
"These independent shows will be in much more intimate settings," Chadwick said.
The Friday before WrestleMania the Mid-South Legends Fanfest will happen in the Sigur Center in Chalmette with early autograph sessions and panel discussions that include founder Bill Watts followed by a live wrestling event at night.
In Tulane Auditorium, wrestling companies EVOLVE and Dragon Gate USA will have their own live wrestling events Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights.
On Saturday, Wrestlecon will occur at the Sugar Mill in the Marigny.The event will be co-promoted by Luke Hawx, the owner and head trainer of Wildcat Wrestling in New Orleans.
"Wrestlecon is the biggest event besides WrestleMania," Hawx said."It'll be a super show."
Wrestecon will have its own fan fest all day and live wrestling matches starting at 8 p.m. at the Sugar Mill.Chris Hero, Colt Cabana, Jeff Jarrett, and Hawx are among the wrestlers scheduled to entertain.
A detailed schedule of all events can be found here.
However, when WrestleMania XXXI goes to Santa Clara, Ca. next year, there might be a conspicuous absence of peripheral events. Chadwick thinks the WWE will likely restrict independent companies from conducting their own events during WrestleMania week.
"I guess they feel like these events are taking away from WWE and WrestleMania," said Chadwick."I don't feel that way.I think it brings awareness to the product, that it's not just the WWE that exists in professional wrestling."
WWE did not confirm this, and a WWE spokesman responded: "WWE is currently in the planning stages for WrestleMania 31, and we are exploring all of our options for venues in the local area as we work to confirm the details for WrestleMania Week."
Regardless of what happens next year, WrestleMania XXX will be one of professional wrestling's most anticipated and magnetic events and will draw a huge influx of fans to New Orleans from around the world.Whether or not locals appreciate professional wrestling, the event will be another boon to the city's tourism economy and a testament to its ability to host the biggest sporting events in the country.
