10 Things We Learned From Attending WWE WrestleMania 35 Live
6. Hometown Heroes Still Matter
Wrestling in your hometown is often a death sentence when under WWE employ. More often than not, the promotion will book said wrestlers to lose, look stupid, and embarrass themselves in front of their own people. It's cruel, and almost certainly a byproduct of the atmosphere Vince McMahon fosters.
WrestleMania 35 was a break from the norm in this department. Its hometown (or hometown adjacent) heroes were treated well, and their receptions were thunderous, even though their triumphs went down on the Kickoff Show.
It started with Long Island's Tony Nese, who surprisingly defeated Buddy Murphy to become Cruiserweight Champion. Up next was New Jersey's own Carmella hiding out for much of the WrestleMania women's battle royal, only to reappear when Sarah Logan looked to have won, throwing the Riott Squad member over the top rope. Finally, we got kayfabe Long Islander Zack Ryder and Queens' Curt Hawkins winning the Raw Tag Team Champions.
Pound-for-pound, these guys and girls drew some of the night's loudest pops, which is remarkable when considering how poorly treated they usually are. Their examples show that the New Jersey/New York area takes care of its own.