11 years of grafting away in Vince McMahon's often-oppressive organisation was reason enough for the celebration. That it chipped away at wrestling's uncomfortable past with racism and diversity during particularly divisive times only added potency to the scene.
Kofi Kingston's WrestleMania WWE Championship victory reduced 80,000 fans in New Jersey, millions watching around the world and his own best friends to tears because it was impossible to ignore the subtext. Triple H once used a WWE microphone to tell Booker T that "people like him" don't win World Championships, and decades of evidence proving it true made the promo even nastier. The world changes long before World Wrestling Entertainment, but this was the time catch-up.
Plus, and this goes understandably understated due to the social significance - the match was f*cking fantastic. A brilliant babyface dethroned an evil heel on the 'Grandest Stage'. Away from every other aspect of the moment, this was rooted in the simplistic, intangible beauty of professional wrestling.
Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 7 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 30 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz", Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 50,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett
