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| The perfect venue for WrestleMania, search your feelings Photo Credit: Tom Pennington/Getty Images |
1. AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX
JerryWorld, the billion-dollar monument to megalomania and home field of the *ptooey* Dallas Cowboys, has so many bells and whistles that one might think Vince McMahon designed the place, not Jerry Jones. Then again, the Cowboys owner and WWE CEO have many things in common, a reason why I'm baffled as to why Dallas, or more specifically Arlington, has never played host to WWE's biggest event. Occam's Razor dictates that Jones has been busy filling the building with other tenants, mainly the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, but for as much lucre as college sports can pump in, that building isn't meant for basketball. But professional wrestling? A megalithic people holding pen with the biggest television screen, party decks, and Cowboy flair? Yeah, that stadium was more born to host Mania than it is to host football games.
2. Wembley Stadium, London, UK
When the then-WWF held SummerSlam at Wembley in 1992, the problem of spoilers had not yet been invented. A tape-delayed Mania would never work in this day and age, but who said that Mania had to air at 7 PM Eastern? An afternoon start in America would coincide with a late evening one in England. Factoring Daylight Savings Time in America, the five hour difference wouldn't wreak too much havoc, and the payoff would, in my mind, justify the change in schedule. English crowds, as a rule, are different than even the most hardcore American ones, and they're almost always raucous. A London Mania would carry the kind of specialness that the big event craves, and WWE, as a truly international company, almost has to package their premium product abroad at least once, right?
3. CenturyLink Field, Seattle, WA
The Seattle Seahawks have the best home field advantage in the NFL for the same reason why CenturyLink, and not Safeco Field, would be the best spot for return Mania trip to the Pacific Northwest. The way the stadium is engineered lets the crowd noise cascade upon the field, causing disruptions in play. For a wrestling event, that noise would create such an electric environment for even the crowd-breather buffer matches. WWE is always searching for experiences and moments. Sometimes, the setting has as much to do with creating those singular moments as the competitors and stories do. I don't think a better setting exists for amplifying fan reactions than CenturyLink Field.
4. Aloha Stadium, Honolulu, HI
A Hawaiian WrestleMania would at least guarantee gorgeous weather. I don't know how much transport of the WWE experience to the US's island paradise would cost, but again, Vince McMahon is in the business of creating memories and experiences, right? Weather, scenery, and most importantly of all, natural lighting all come with the package in the Aloha State. Imagine having the main event of the evening happening right at sunset. Getting that kind of dramatic lighting costs money artificially. Plus, don't the wrestlers deserve a vacation-like setting for Mania one year at least?
5. Bryant-Denny Stadium, Tuscaloosa, AL
Alabama is in the Sun Belt, but does it have the cultural cache of one of the country's more cosmopolitan metropolises? As a fan of college football, I resoundingly say yes. College towns have unique charm, and their football stadiums seat a goddamn shitload of people. Southeastern Football Conference fans rank as among the most passionate as well, and while I don't have the exact numbers of overlap between Southern football and rasslin' fans, I wouldn't be shocked to see that Venn Diagram have more than ample shared room. When you combine those kinds of fans with the rabid and ravenous wrestling fans who travel any length of distance to go to WrestleMania, you get a special atmosphere.
6. Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico
Honestly, of the six locations I've laid out, I think this one has the least amount of probability of happening, but the venue could also have the biggest return on investment, at least from an emotional standpoint. Mexico's lucha libre tradition is well-documented, and WWE has made so many inroads into that country. Potential revenue, spectator safety, and quality of life are all issues that would preclude Mexican WrestleMania, but of all the crowds and atmospheres, Estadio Azteca might provide the most different and possibly the best.