For the first time in several years, we not only saw a “real” WrestleMania—twice—but had a real WrestleMania week.
COVID-19 moved the 2020 WrestleMania into the company’s gym. In ’21, capacity restrictions at Raymond James Stadium limited WrestleMania to around 20,000 fans each night. And while there were other shows that week in Tampa, it was a far cry from prior years.
That includes more than WWE itself. Usually about three-quarters of the WrestleMania fans come from out of the home market. With the city filled with tens of thousands of wrestling fans on vacation, companies from all over the world congregate, as do independent promoters. You could see nearly any style of wrestling you wanted. You can see the outrageous gimmick matches, comedy-oriented shows, simulations of real fighting styles, Japanese strong style and lucha libre from Mexico.
