The Undertaker looks at the crowd after entering the ring for his last WrestleMania match on Sunday April 2. The performance that World Wrestling Entertainment athletes put on kept their fans on edge, as they not only provided wrestling matches, but also John Cena’s proposal to Nikki Bella. (Phelan M. Ebenhack/AP Photo)
Every year, World Wrestling Entertainment puts on their biggest show—WrestleMania. This year, the company’s event was held at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida. The event offers big surprises as superstars battle it out for main event belts.
This event always attracts excited fans. The remarkable thing about WrestleMania is that it is, first and foremost, put on for entertainment. There are characters, high flying stunts, and WWE seems to always know exactly what the fans want. Wrestling, however, is changing and with it the characters that fit.
Perhaps the most notable part of the entire event was the retirement of WWE superstar, The Undertaker. In the final match on the card, The Deadman faced Roman Reigns in a 23-minute bout. Reigns was eventually able to pin The Undertaker to become victorious. The Undertaker, then, removed his gloves, hat and jacket and placed them in the center of the ring to a standing ovation, signifying his retirement.
As was stated before, the wrestling of years and decades past is different than the wrestling of today. The Undertaker played an undead mortician whose tolerance for pain won him countless matches. The fans of years ago loved this supernatural aspect of the sport. In today’s wrestling world, he simply does not fit.
This is not to say that WrestleMania is an event that sees all new-aged superstars. One of the biggest crowd reactions came from the surprise appearance of the legendary tag team duo the Hardy Boyz. The two siblings were able to take the tag team title and take home the belt.
Another huge highlight of the night was the engagement of star John Cena to fellow wrestler Nikki Bella. After their win against the Miz and Maryse, he got on one knee and asked Nikki to marry him, to that her answer was, of course, yes.
Yes, wrestling is fake. Yes, it is staged and yes, producers seem to know who will win. For many, they can’t get past that aspect of it. For others, however, they have no problem seeing the beauty of it.
These people are pure entertainers and no doubt athletic. They jump from 20 feet in the air, do flips and break tables. That is by no means a small feat. It is fun to watch.
So, while it is fake, the entertainment is real. These wrestlers take on these personas for the fans. They risk their bodies for the fans, which isn’t something that can be said for other athletes.
WrestleMania is the epitome of this kind of entertainment. In a world of sports that can often be frustrating and disappointing, the WWE always seems to deliver. There are no rules. There are super characters. They seem to always listen to their fans. They give the people what they want, and that is far more than can be said for other sports organizations.
So, who cares that it’s not real? WrestleMania is entertainment first and foremost.