10 Things You Only Learn Attending WWE WrestleMania Live

5. How Much It Truly Means To The Talent

KOFI WRESTLEMANIA
WWE.com

This does resonate on the Network and is captured by photographers, sure, but something about the way in which everything is framed, so cinematically, obscures the palpable emotion. The title celebrations often come across as simply part of the performance.

In the stadium, it feels like something else entirely.

On the Network, the live feed gives way to the match highlights; when we return, the winner of the match is seen, in perfect pose position, basking in the flashbulbs. Everything is precision-timed to put over the victory through a slick lens. It's not contrived, but it is noticeably perfect.

The celebrations don't stop when the live feed does. Seth Rollins didn't suspiciously manoeuvre himself into position, at the lip of the stage, to create a lasting image for the WWE.com gallery; he just seemed to find himself there, having swung his belt around his head as if trying to remove Brock Lesnar's nameplates from it through sheer velocity. It wasn't just Rollins; Xavier Woods willed Kofi on like a man possessed all match, caring little where the hard camera was.

It's a sobering experience. This is everything to these men and women, and maybe it's a bit sh*tty to complain about the length of the show, knowing how long it takes them to get there.

Or...

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!