In April, WWE will host the 33rd installment of the WrestleMania event. Coined the “grandest stage of them all,” this is the event that every wrestler in the WWE, and most wrestlers outside the company, aim to participate in. Over the years, this event has grown to amazing heights, being compared to the NFL’s Super Bowl, the NHL’s Stanley Cup Finals, and MLB’s World Series. This event is generally the measuring stick of every wrestling company, selling out stadiums with tens of thousands of spectators.
Originating in 1985, WrestleMania was the hallmark event for primarily Hulk Hogan in this decade. With matches against names such as Roddy Piper, Andre the Giant, King Kong Bundy, and Randy Savage, the event typically ended with the fans going home happy, celebrating a Hogan victory. The early 1990s presented the same “larger-than-life” feel, with Hogan having foes such as Sgt. Slaughter, Sid Justice, and Yokozuna.
One of the most memorable installments was WrestleMania 6 , as Hogan was surprisingly defeated by The Ultimate Warrior, being dethroned as WWE World Heavyweight Champion. Hogan would rebound from the loss, and once again be the top star of the brand.
https://www.instagram.com/p/10EHeApqis/?tagged=wm6
As the years progressed, the focus faded from a top babyface star receiving the feel-good moment, and more on whether The Undertaker would lose and end his undefeated streak. Throughout all of this anticipation, fans were able to use a number next to a WrestleMania event as a point of reference. However, oddly, WWE stopped placing numbers to affiliate with WrestleMania events, which left many confused of why this happened.
Rob Wolkenbrod of Daily DDT was one to show his frustration of this decision made by Vince McMahon.
“This really makes absolutely no sense and once again shows how out of touch Vince McMahon is in the wrestling business. I have never heard anybody say ‘Wow, why is WWE using numbers for WrestleMania? It makes it sound really old.’ Come on, Vince.”
He would add that if WWE is trying to compare themselves to other grand sporting events in other leagues, they are heading the wrong direction, since the NFL uses numbers for the Super Bowl. Moreover, it diminshes the anticipation for monumental installments, such as the WrestleMania that will occur in 2024. While fans would label this WrestleMania 40 , WWE seemingly will not.
The news was originally reported by Dave Meltzer of F4WOnline . The aim for the succeeding events was to distinguish them by logo instead of number. While this is confusing to most fans, somehow, this makes perfect sense to WWE.
Recently, Meltzer revisited the subject when asked why the decision was made. He responded , “he [Vince] thought it made the event sound odd.”
Apparently, WWE will not return to numbering the events, but instead distinguishing them by logos. Oddly, when one scrolls through the WWE Network, WWE has no other choice but to number them. Moreover, when commentators refer to previous WrestleMania events, they do not state “WrestleMania play button” or “WrestleMania star.”
There is so much prestige that comes with the WrestleMania series to remove the numbers in exchange for logos. While it does not seem as if WWE decision-makers will change their mind anytime soon, it would be a much better presentation to restore the numbers. Especially, since this event only happens one time a year. Hopefully, fans who talk about these future events do not forget the number of the one(s) they are discussing, because this could take away any monumental thing that happened.
When one thinks of WrestleMania 3 , Hogan vs. Andre The Giant follows. With WrestleMania 17 , Austin vs. Rock follows. As a fan, it is tough to affiliate a main event with a logo.
[Featured Image By WWE]
