Well, next Sunday, April 1, is the day of WrestleMania 23. It's the first "Super Bowl of professional wrestling" that I'll have the pleasure of attending. I missed the last chance of seeing this annual gathering of theWWE's best and most entertaining athletes when it was being held nearest to me in Toronto for WrestleMania X 8(18) in March, 2002. The only other time the event was even remotely close to me was in 1987 when I resided in Winnipeg, Manitoba and it had a record-shattering attendance of 93, 173 people packed into the Pontiac Silverdome outside of Detroit, Michigan. Roughly a 1, 839 km trip. Wasn't gonna happen, not at that time. So, just like for WrestleMania II the year before and IV the year after, I had to settle on watching it via sattelite. It didn't really matter it was still very cool. That is except for the allergy attack I was battling all night, drawing stares of condemnation from those around me.
So, for the first time since WrestleMania debuted in New York City in 1985, a couple of my friends and I (although they got to attend the Toronto version) will witness (with my 10th row off the floor ticket in hand) as the late, great Gorilla Monsoon used to say, "history in the making". While I'm on the subject of the vanilla gorilla, I do believe he and Jesse Ventura were the best duo to call a match in the history of the sport, bar none. Don't get me wrong, I think that Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler are great, as was "the Dean", Gordon Solie (although I never understood why he pronounced a suplex as a "sooplay"--and yes, I realize he called the majority of matches for NWA) but they really can't hold a candle to Gorilla and Jesse. The repartee between those two was just fluid and ground-breaking, for lack of a better term. In short, they were indeed pioneers. Vince McMahon at the mic? Don't even get me started.
My only regret is that I'm too late to witness the athletic finesse of Hall-of-Famers, Bret "the Hitman" Hart, "Mr. Perfect" Curt Hennig (R.I.P), Tito Santana, Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, The Rock, Kurt Angle (although I was fortunate enough to see him last year at TNA's "Bound for Glory PPV--plus numerous RAW and SMACKDOWN appearances) my boy; Randy "Macho Man" Savage and yes, Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant. Although I wouldn't exactly call Hogan and Andre "athletic". You can throw Roddy Piper in there as well. Even the great Lou Thesz once said Hogan wouldn't know the difference between a wrist-lock and a wrist-watch. But then again, did he really need to? I mean, without him, there probably is no WrestleMania. But as for Andre, at least in his youth he could deliver a pretty mean drop-kick. Yes, that Andre.
Anyways, I'm also going to have the pleasure of being on hand for the Hall of Fame ceremonies the night before. That will be interesting. At least it better be. But, I'm disappointed that the Macho Man isn't going to be inducted. He should be, but he won't kiss and make up with Vince to get his name on the list. Then again, should that matter? He deserves a spot in the Hall and I don't don't care what anybody says. He was Hogan's biggest rivalry during wrestling's second Golden Age and carried Hogan for the champ's best matches.
So, as of April 2, I'll finally be able to say, as millions have before me; I was there, I was at WrestleMania. WOO-HOO!
