PWInsider - WWE News, Wrestling News, WWE

 
 

THE ORIGIN OF PROMOTIONS RUNNING WRESTLEMANIA WEEKEND, THE FORGOTTEN GROUP THAT DID IT FIRST AND MORE

By Mike Johnson on 2021-04-10 10:00:00

SUBMIT YOUR QUESTIONS TO THE PWINSIDER Q&A BY CLICKING HERE.

With this being Wrestlemania week, I was wondering how many you have attended in person?  Are you going this year?

I attended 10, 11, 15 and then I have either attended or covered every Wrestlemania from 17 on in person, with the exception of 36 as obviously there was no media allowed at the event.  So that's 21 events I believe.  I am writing this is my hotel room in Tampa, so yes, I'll be there live covering the event.

Do you think it's bush league for AEW to run a house show Wrestlemania weekend?

No, for two reasons.  One, the show was a three hour drive away from Tampa, so it's not like they were trying to scoop up fans who came to see Wrestlemania.  Two, to knock someone for running Mania weekend would be pretty hypocritical since I've never knocked Ring of Honor, Wrestlecon, GCW, etc. for doing it dating back to the first time it was done in 2004.

Why does WWE have to sign a contract with Vince McMahon.  He owns the damn thing!

He doesn't own all of it, just the majority stock as the primary shareholder.    He and the corporate entity are two different things and like any other executive, he has to sign a contract with the company.  Walt Disney did the same thing with his own company and so do lots of other companies.

Who were the first people to run Mania weekend anyone outside of WWE?

The first time I can recall it was done was in 2002 over Wrestlemania X-8 weekend in Toronto when a group called Blood Sweat N' Ears, which combined metal music and wrestling ran the night before.  The first time it was done in the States was Ring of Honor running the night before Wrestlemania XX in Elizabeth, NJ, which actually happened when I called them and asked why they weren't running the NYC area because PWInsider.com was getting tons of emails asking if we know of anything happening that night after the WWE Hall of Fame sold out.  30 minutes later, ROH had booked the Rexplex and ran that show.  In 2005, PWG ran two shows in Los Angeles Wrestlemania 21 weekend and from there, it became an annual thing.

I recently rewatched the Dark Side of the Ring episode on Bruiser Brody and I don't get why the person responsible hasn't been arrested again?

He can't be.  Jose Gonzalez was tried and acquitted of the murder in the 1980s and under United States law, cannot be charged with that crime again.  That's call double jeopardy and not legal here in the States.

SUBMIT YOUR QUESTIONS TO THE PWINSIDER Q&A BY CLICKING HERE.

If you enjoy PWInsider.com you can check out the AD-FREE PWInsider Elite section, which features exclusive audio updates, news, our critically acclaimed podcasts, interviews and more by clicking here!