WrestleMania's return to larger venues in 2001, 02 and 03 had only paused at three because of the romantic connotations of returning to home territory for the 20th edition of the show - Vince McMahon was back thinking very grand when it came to his 'Grandest Stage'.
The event itself is a victory for legacy booking. Wrestling fans have long memories and appreciate a sense of stability in such a rapidly-changing "universe". The 'Show Of Shows' has been the cemented constant for any fan entering into a wrestling indulgence at any point - so much so that the 'SuperBowl Of Wrestling' tag isn't remotely hyperbolic. Audiences can and will travel the world to be part of the spectacle - why not find a place big enough to house them all?
Stadiums were set to make a full time return, but it was high time the company found new faces (and heels) to sell them out. WrestleMania 21 went "Hollywood", but the future stars weren't on a walk of fame - they were i the squared circle...
Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation for 10 years. Alongside the production of daily written, audio and video content covering WWE and AEW, he 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 on the UK's wrestling podcast charts with over 10,000 episodes and 70,000,000 total downloads. He also co-hosts Benno & Hamflett, In Your House!, Podcast Horseman: The BoJack Horseman Podcast, and has guested on long-running Sunderland AFC podcast Wise Men Say.
With WhatCulture, he has provided in-person coverage of some of the biggest pay-per-views and Premium Live Events in wrestling history, including WrestleMania, Survivor Series, All In & Double Or Nothing in destinations such as New York, New Jersey, Chicago, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. He has also been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, Fightful, POST Wrestling, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana, 411Mania and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling.
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 music and culture magazines The Crack, Pilot as well as Sunderland AFC's premiere fanzine A Love Supreme. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it every other Saturday at the Stadium Of Light, and at Cribs gigs nationwide.
