23 Exclusive Photos From WWE WrestleMania 40 Weekend

13. A Five-Star Experience

Rob Van Dam ECW Arena
WhatCulture

The above shot of Rob Van Dam nailing the Five Star Frog Splash on Mike Bailey as Bill Alfonso looks on was taken during the Mark Hitchcock Memorial Show, but there were multiple opportunities to experience pro wrestling in various forms from inside the ECW Arena's hallowed halls.

A pilgrimage for those able to make it, the awe was palpable from those - your writer included - first timers stepping foot on wrestling holy ground. If the walls could talk, they'd scream "EC-DUB!", and it's impossible not to do it yourself at every given opportunity. 

 
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Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 8 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 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. Within the podcasting space, he also co-hosts Benno & Hamflett, In Your House! and Podcast Horseman: The BoJack Horseman Podcast. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, Fightful, POST Wrestling, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, 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