Well, we've all got another WrestleMania under our belts. As I write this, I'm on a plane going from New Orleans back to Queens, New York (okay, okay, there's a layover in Atlanta), still soaking in the memories of the weekend. This is actually the sixth WrestleMania I've been to, and while it wasn't the best from a match quality standpoint (that'd be 26 or 28), or the closest to my heart sentimentally (that's 15), from a storytelling point of view, it was second to none. Still, it was a lot more than a single show - events lasted all weekend, and the city of New Orleans offered its own amazing experiences. With this one-of-a-kind trip fresh in my head, I've decided to compile a list of the ten best moments of my entire vacation. Many of them, I'm sure, you shared in, while others are unique and show that, if nothing else, all wrestling fans should make the trip to the show of shows at least once. Make sure to share your own favorite moments of the weekend's festivities in the comments, especially if you were in New Orleans as well!
10. Ricochet Wins The Open The Freedom Gate Title
Despite having had several opportunities, I had never been to a Dragon Gate USA show before last Friday - and even that was a last-minute decision prompted by the inclusion of Chris Hero versus Masato Tanaka on the card. The show took place in Tulane University's McAlister Auditorium (which was surreal - sitting in the seats in a school auditorium with a wrestling ring on stage) and, well... it wasn't really for me. One or two spot-based matches on a card is all well and good, but this show was, top to bottom, high spots and near-falls galore. Even the Hero-Tanaka match went a bit too long. By the time the main event rolled around, I was drained, and seeing Ricochet and Johnny Gargano kick out of everything they could throw at one another didn't help much. Having said all that, though, Ricochet's capturing of Dragon Gate USA's premier championship was a cool moment. The babyfaces of the night's event - including Rich Swann, AR Fox, the Colony, and Chuck Taylor - came out to congratulate the new champion, hoisting him up on his shoulders. And yes, if you've heard of Ricochet, but never seen him, he really is that acrobatic.
Scott Fried is a Slammy Award-winning* writer living and working in New York City. He has been following/writing about professional wrestling for many years and is a graduate of Lance Storm's Storm Wrestling Academy. Follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/scottfried.
*Best Crowd of the Year, 2013
