The Inside Scoop On An INSANE WrestleMania 35 Weekend

Dragon Lee Bandido
NJPW1972.com

And what a fantastic arena it is too, while I’m on the subject quickly. Intimate and massive, boisterous and elegant, it is the perfect place to experience both the majesty and barbarism of professional wrestling.

A night of every strain of drama, I very much enjoyed the chaos of the now-infamous invasion angle. A lot of folk did not, feeling ROH had cheapened its heritage by bringing in Enzo & Big Cass—but for a company that can no longer book, this was tremendous in concept and execution. Enzo is demonstrably dumb enough to pull a stunt like this, and ROH used the precedent of Survivor Series to orchestrate a scene of totally believable carnage. ROH also leaned heavily on the idea that Enzo and Cass are disruptors of both etiquette and the apparent purity of its product. Really, this was an awesome update on the legendary ROH Vs. CZW dynamic, and I was captivated.

From where I was sat, I saw only a bleached blonde blur. The letters ENZO?!, capitalised in every incredulous message, blew up my WhatsApp. Everybody was torn between their phones and the unfolding scene of un-pulled bombs raining down on that daft tw*t’s head.

I walked back from MSG to the hotel in a daze. It didn’t feel real—especially when somebody caught me outside, asked if I was Michael Sidgwick, and didn’t call me a “c*nt”. Thank you again, Ally. Thank you for not calling me a c*nt.

If you’ve ever wondered how the Content is produced at WhatCulture, here’s a scoop: in a hotel room roughly the size of your teenage pit, Andy Murray and Adam Nicholas filmed a What Went Down At G1 Supercard video, standing by the window, as I wrote an article on my phone in the top bunk so as to not interfere with the mic. We also shot footage from the balcony of the hotel, with the New York skyline in full, stunning view: the grind and the glamour.

The grind and the glamour also accurately describes the live WrestleMania experience.

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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!