WrestleMania is the golden goose of WWE. Since 1985, it has been the biggest show of the year, and its aura has only grown over the years. It has become like the Superbowl in many ways, with the grand stage and cities vying to get the show.
Wrestlemania is a huge payday for whichever city it comes to. Cities experience a boom in their economy as people from all over the world travel to the host city. It is an event that any city would be lucky to have. Who should be next? Which city would be great to host The Grandest Stage of Them All? Let’s look at some of the top candidates.
Las Vegas: Allegiant Stadium
Sin City is the entertainment capital of the world. Everything about the place screams excess, making it the perfect place to hold WrestleMania. Las Vegas has been home to numerous UFC events, regularly holds huge concerts, and most recently hosted a fantastic Super Bowl. It is a city built for big events, so why not have WrestleMania as the next?
WWE is no stranger to Vegas. They had already held one of their ‘Big Five’ events when Money in the Bank came to town. The show was originally planned for Allegiant Stadium but was moved to a smaller venue. This time around, WWE should bring the big guns and give us the Sin City WrestleMania.
Montreal: Olympic Stadium
WrestleMania has ventured outside of the United States twice, both in Toronto. Both times had some classic matches and were regarded as two of the better Mania shows. With that being said, the time is now to branch out and include another Canadian city on that list: Montreal.
The French-Canadian connection with WWE is deep. Wrestlers like Rick Martel, Dino Bravo, The Vachon Family, and Pat Patterson were integral parts of the company during their time. Men like Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn have continued this long history with their efforts today. This, along with Montreal’s cultural heritage, would be a great reason to bring the show to Canada once again.
Also, the Olympic Stadium has recently undergone some renovations. This is a sign that The City of Saints is gearing up to make a bid for something big.
Ann Arbour, Michigan: Michigan Stadium
The Big House is one of the more iconic stadiums in the NCAA. Home to the Michigan Wolverines, the ‘Big House’ is also one of the largest in the U.S.A. It houses nearly 107,000 people during Wolverine home games, and this provides for one heck of a raucous atmosphere. This type of atmosphere would be exactly what WrestleMania needs. It would provide for an iconic and memorable WrestleMania.
Sure, having WrestleMania at an outdoor stadium in March/April would be a detractor, and Ford Field would more than likely win a bid for the event. But that doesn’t mean that WWE shouldn’t entertain the idea of having the Big House WrestleMania.
London, England: New Wembley Stadium
London is another international city that desperately needs to have a WrestleMania. The fans in the UK are some of the most passionate in the world. There is a massive market for wrestling across the pond, and WWE knows this. They have brought big shows such as SummerSlam, Clash at the Castle, and Money in the Bank over, and WrestleMania would be the next logical step.
The New Wembley Stadium would be the ideal location for WrestleMania. It has the history of SummerSlam 1992 behind it, and it would provide some great numbers for WWE. At 90,000, the stadium has the size for WrestleMania and could set record numbers that WWE loves to boast about.
Indianapolis: Lucas Oil Stadium
Some cities haven’t had a WrestleMania and need one. Then, some cities need to have the Grandest Stage return to its past glory.
WrestleMania 8 came to us from the Hoosier Dome back in 1992. It was a great night of wrestling that had two classic matches followed by a surprise return from the Ultimate Warrior. It was a night that went well, and it begs the question of why WrestleMania hasn’t returned to the Crossroads of America.
Lucas Oil Stadium would be a great place for WrestleMania. With a 70,000-seat capacity, it has the proper requirements to house the show. It is also close to the downtown core of Indianapolis. Amenities would be close by for anyone attending the show.
It has been 32 years since WrestleMania has visited the Midwest. This is far too long, and it is time for the biggest show of the year to return.
Vancouver: BC Place
Over the years, WWE has favored the eastern part of Canada. More PLEs have been sent to places like Montreal and Toronto than anywhere else. It is time to rectify this and bring Wrestlemania to Vancouver.
Vancouver has been the site of smaller PLEs by WWE. These shows have been great and contained memorable moments, but none have been on the level of WrestleMania.
Vancouver would be a great place for WrestleMania. The west coast of Canada has a temperate climate, so having it early in the year wouldn’t pose a problem. BC Place is also a large stadium that houses over 54,000 seats. In addition to floor seating, this could give WWE a 60,000-plus attendance figure. Something that they look for when choosing places to hold WrestleMania.
Minnesota: US Bank Stadium
Minnesota is a city that doesn’t get a ton of love when it comes to WWE PLEs. It has had the smaller shows at the Target Center, but nothing that has graced the U.S Bank Stadium. Summerslam, in 1999, was the closest it came to hosting one of the big shows, but nothing since.
Minnesota has a rich history with WWE. Stars such as Verne Gagne, X-Pac, Rick Rude, and Jesse Ventura are just some of the greats who have come from Minnesota. It is one of the great focal points of WrestleMania.
Minnesota also houses one of the newest stadiums in the United States. U.S. Bank Stadium is a sight to behold. With a retractable roof and 73,000-seat capacity, it would be an ideal place for the Show of Shows.
Melbourne, Australia: Melbourne Cricket Ground
Elimination Chamber proved the viability of having a major PLE in Australia. Taking place in Perth, the show was an incredibly successful night. The Optus Stadium boasted an attendance of 52, 590 which was worthy of a stadium show.
Now that WWE has branched out, the next step would be to have a WrestleMania in Australia. Perth would be a great place to return to, but Melbourne might be the more attractive target when looking at stadiums in the country.
In terms of pure attendance, the Melbourne Cricket Ground holds over 100,000 fans during cricket/soccer matches. WWE would drool over this stadium, and the opportunity to set an attendance record of over 100,000 would be a huge selling point for WWE.
