32 Things You Didn’t Know About ‘WrestleMania’
Lemmy At ‘Em…Again
Not to be outdone by Ms. Aretha, the late, iconic Motörhead frontman Lemmy Kilmister – who of course penned Triple H’s pair of latter-career theme songs – earmarked significant distinction in his own right. Motörhead are the only musical act to have performed during a wrestler’s entrance – the Game’s, naturally – at two separate WrestleMania events (X-Seven and 21). The only tragedy is that Lemmy and the boys can’t make it a threepeat.
The Legend of 93,173
Fans and statisticians have long debated whether WrestleMania III actually packed 93,173 attendees inside the Pontiac Silverdome. Regardless, it is still considered a record for live WWE attendance – one they hope to break Sunday at AT&T Stadium.
The Charles Wright Stuff
When longtime WWE talent Charles Wright accepts his place in the Hall of Fame Saturday as the Godfather, he’d be justified in reminding folks that he was more than some pimp daddy in a cheap vest. Wright, as it happens, can claim to be the only individual to compete in various ‘Mania matches over the years as four disparate, assumed personas. First, there was Papa Shango (circa ‘Mania VIII); next came a tussle with the Undertaker as Kama at ‘Mania XI, followed by debut as the aforementioned Godfather at ‘Mania 2000 and finally, his U-turn as Right to Censor enforcer the Goodfather the next year. The man wore more ‘Mania hates than any other, and deserves a feather in each one.
Speaking of Hall of Fame…
We all know that Pete Rose is one WWE regular who fell a bit short of enshrinement in his original league’s most hallowed building, but a shocking number of Hall of Famers from across pro sports have taken part in at least one ‘Mania. That list includes NFL greats Dick Butkus and Lawrence Taylor, MLB luminaries like Tommy Lasorda and boxing stars no lesser than Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson. It’s still real to them, dammit.
Garden of Eden
New York City’s Madison Square Garden wasn’t only home to the very first WrestleMania in 1985. The yearly showcase revisited its ancestral home to commemorate its 10th and 20th installments as well. There hasn’t been an MSG ‘Mania since, but its three turns as host are still the most for any venue in the nation. Take that, Arrowhead Pond.
Miz’s ‘Mania Reality Check
Monetarily, it was likely bigger than any pay stub he collected while on The Real World or The Challenge. And for wrestling fans, it was a message that in the realm of sports entertainment, top-level talent can emigrate from any corner of pop culture. Though to this day, Mike “The Miz” Mizanin can boast that he is the one and only former reality star who made the transition to WWE and eventually headlined WrestleMania, besting John Cena at XXVII (the rare late-era ‘Mania to receive the Roman Numeral treatment) in 2011 to retain his World Heavyweight Championship. He even managed to outshine fellow MTV alum Snooki, who won a six-person mixed-gender tag match on the very same card. Todd Chrisley, it’s your move.