Hello there, SLTD family!
I know what you may be thinking, wasn’t this meant to be out a month or so ago and you would be correct but we are here now and I am writing today to recap my entire WrestleMania week experiences for you in this very article.
Flying to New Orleans from the UK
Travelling is always the means to a gratifying end but for someone how does not like his feet to be 10,000+ feet in the air for 10+ hours.
By far, this was daunting for someone like me but we did it, obviously but the first site of stepping on American soil for the first time ever was simply breathtaking, to say the least!
Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
I went to the Smoothie King Center for the first night of what turned out to be a gruelling week, thinking that this was going to be a night to remember and It was…. for the wrong reasons!
From an attendees perspective, it was too drawn out but there was some greatness out of the show, JJ’s speech, Seeing Jeff Jarrett in a WWE arena for the first time in nearly 20 years was mental and Mark Henry’s speech was everything you would want to hear from the World’s Strongest Man!
(Would not recommend due to length)
WrestleMania Fan Axxess
Axxess brings the superstars to you in one convention centre, along with a Superstore (which I may have spent TOO MUCH money in by buying too many shirts)!
I even meet a few wrestlers, Shelton Benjamin and Chad Gable and Rhyno and Heath Slater inside the New Elimination Chamber (which I may have tripped on the loose canvas that they had)!
From doing your own entrance to wrestlers themes and graphics (I did a good Rusev but lost the code card to get the video from WWE), to testing out WWE’s VR tech, NXT matches, great displays for the Hall Of Famers, stuff with 5-Hour Energy and much more!
Axxess is jam-packed, literally so be prepared to stand in very long queues to experience what WWE has to offer in the convention centre!
(Would recommend)
NXT TakeOver: New Orleans
This show was flipping awesome, from War Machine (now War Raiders, sad face) debuting on the taping before the show to everything on the main card, top to bottom, definitely the best TakeOver I have attended (London being the other Takeover I have been to)!
I did not record any of the show for my VlogMania video (Which will be at the bottom of the article) because the show was THAT good!
(Definitely, go to an NXT TakeOver if one is in an arena you live near)
WrestleMania 34 aka My Birthday
It has finally arrived as I get up at 4am NOLA time as I never got used to the time differences!
The thing that’s been building since 2004-2005 when I got fully back into watching pro-wrestling, WRESTLE-FREAKING-MANIA!!
The event was almost magical (in a way), from pyrotechnics (making its WWE return from a 10-month absence) to the big NOLA themed stage, to the wrestling matches, America the Beautiful (Rule Britannia in my head) etc.
Ronda was perfect in the ring (for how much training she may have had), Seeing Daniel Bryan return LIVE was spectacular, seeing AJ Styles coming into a WrestleMania as the WWE Champion was great! and THE BIG DOG… was there!
Great fun in the Superdome but please, do not make it 7 plus hours long next year as it more painful to watch that much PPV at home without either alcohol or some sort of carbonated drink!
(Once in a lifetime, need to experience at least once as a wrestling fan)
Raw and SmackDown Live
The Raw after Mania is always said to be a wild night and the Smoothie King Center did not disappoint, from Lashley returning to Nicholas relinquishing the Tag belts to Ember Moon being called up from NXT to the Authors of Pain debuting but shedding Paul Ellering from the team to Jeff Hardy coming back as well, RAW was great and we heard that TNA is hiring.
(Would recommend going to the Raw after Mania but F*** BEACHBALLS)
SmackDown, on the other hand, was a mixed bag, The Iconic Duo got called up to the Main roster (now the IIconics) and we got a glimpse of an AJ Styles vs Daniel Bryan match on WWE TV, for that Nakamura to ruin it with an Arm to Balls manoeuvre with him no longer able to speak English!
SmackDown was ok, at best!
(Depends on what wrestlers you prefer)
Flying back to the UK
The saddest moment of a holiday is flying back to your home country… right!
Well not for me, I loved all Mania week had to offer but I wanted to get back home after a gruelling week of pro-wrestling action, it takes a lot out of you, even for the most hardcore fan that attends Mania every year.
All in all was the best birthday week in my lifetime and one I will remember for the rest of my life!
That’s about it, if you want to see my perspective on Mania week, my Vlog is up on YouTube and embedded in this
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