Vince McMahon has been in wrestling his whole life as it was a family business he inherited from his father. However, one thing Vince did that made it stand out was taking it from a localized Florida business into a global phenomenon. One of the many ways he did that was not only focusing on dynamic stars in weekly competition, but creating large events such as WrestleMania.
What Is WrestleMania?
Just like the NFL has the Super Bowl and baseball has the World Series, the WWE has its own event as well — WrestleMania. This annual flagship event is one of the biggest spectacles in the global sport. The brainchild of Vince McMahon debuted in 1985. Viewers tune in to see celebrity appearances and high-profile matches. Take a deep dive into some of the reasons why WrestleMania has continued to maintain its popularity.
Reasons For Its Popularity
Celebrity Appearances
Anyone tuning into the event understands they’re bound to see some of their favorite people performing and possibly in the audience. Expect to see the top WWE superstars in the ring, but you may also see celebrities from other fields like film, music, and other sports. Of course, the WWE doesn’t even need Hollywood when it has its share of industry talent that fans still look forward to seeing long after their retirement. Getting an appearance from The Rock, John Cena, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Shawn Michaels, or Hulk Hogan are all reasons for fans to keep filling in seats or tuning in at home.
Spectacle
One thing WrestleMania will never be called is boring or having poor production value. People tune in to see the bold entrances of its WWE stars. There’s dynamic costumes and stage designs. Of course, there are pyrotechnics and loud music. With so much going on at this event, WrestleMania is a feast for the senses.
Global Fans
As mentioned, when the WWE was the WWF, it was a small localized Florida business which the business acumen of Vince McMahon took to a new level. Therefore, today’s wrestling, as well as its flagship program Wrestlemania has fans around the world. Many of these fans even make the journey to the wrestling event. Therefore, when people gather in person or online to discuss Wrestlemania, they have a built-in network of other fans to communicate with.
The Matches
With decades of WrestleManias completed, there have been many noteworthy matches that many fans still talk about, even if it happened several years ago. For example, 26 years ago, the Rock participated in his first WrestleMania against another icon Stone Cold Steve Austin. The Rock returned in 2024 to pair up with his cousin Roman Reigns against Cody Rhodes.
Unexpected Events
Many people say wrestling is fake, but it doesn’t mean there aren’t some genuine surprises. In 2025, John Cena appeared he would win his third Royal Rumble. However, in a shock to the wrestling world, Cena was tossed out of the ring by his opponent Jey Uso, who ended up taking the crown.
