11
Apr
The ultimate fan’s guide to WrestleMania 37 in Tampa, Florida
WrestleMania 37 will be the first available to watch on the Peacock streaming service.
TAMPA, Fla. — For the first time since its inception in 1985, WWE’s WrestleMania is coming to Tampa! It’s a year late because of COVID-19, and Raymond James Stadium still won’t be full. But that won’t make WrestleMania any less of a sports entertainment extravaganza!
If you have a ticket to the show, or you just want to check out some of the experiences, 10 Tampa Bay is here to guide you through a jam-packed WrestleMania weekend.
The basics
WrestleMania 37 will take place over two nights, April 10 and 11. This is the second year in a row — and the second-ever — that WWE has expanded the event to multiple nights. About 25,000 fans will be there at Raymond James Stadium for each night. That’s similar to the crowd we saw at Super Bowl LV in February.
The official “hosts” for this year’s WrestleMania both have strong Tampa connections. Hulk Hogan, arguably the most famous living pro wrestler in North America, grew up in South Tampa and lives in Pinellas County. Former WWE Tag Team Champion Titus O’Neil has lived in Tampa for a number of years and is well-known for his charity work in the community.
The matches
As expected, WrestleMania 37 has quite a packed card! A celebrity steps into the ring on night one, as rapper Bad Bunny teams with Damian Priest to take on The Miz and John Morrison.
Night one also includes a double main event of title matches. Sasha Banks will defend her SmackDown Women’s Championship against Bianca Belair, while WWE Champion Bobby Lashley puts his title on the line against proud Tampa resident Drew McIntyre.
The second night is loaded with five championship matches. The main event features three of WWE’s top stars — Roman Reigns, Edge and Daniel Bryan — in a triple threat match for Reigns’ Universal Championship. The Raw Women’s, Intercontinental, United States and Women’s Tag Team titles will also be decided.
The firsts
WrestleMania 37 is scoring points for diversity. When Banks and Belair face off on night one, they’ll become the first Black women to have a one-on-one championship match at a WrestleMania. (Jazz participated in three-way title matches at WrestleManias 18 and 19.)
Hogan and O’Neil are the first pair to co-host WrestleMania. Several previous events have gone on with one host, including Tampa Bay Buccaneers star Rob Gronkowski last year.
April 10 and 11 are the latest dates ever for a WrestleMania. The latest prior to this year was WrestleMania 34, held on April 8, 2018.
WrestleMania 37 will be the first available to watch on the Peacock streaming service. WWE moved its network and its video library to Peacock last month. It’s available there and on pay-per-view, if you can’t make it to Raymond James Stadium.
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