Future WrestleMania at Michigan Stadium? Mentioned by WWE
I'm sure all of you on here are familiar with WrestleMania and how it is the Super Bowl of the WWE. The Pontiac Silverdome hosted it in '87 and set the national indoor attendance record at 93,173.
It returned to the state 20 years later at Ford Field and holds the Ford Field attendance record at 80,103. The event is a global attraction and brings in people from all over the world.
Anyways, on the WWE's official site, they put up and article about 10 venues that should host WrestleMania. And #5 on the list is none other than Michigan Stadium. Here is what is says-
One of the most revered stadiums in all of college football, the home of the University of Michigan Wolverines certainly lives up to its moniker, “The Big House.” With an official capacity of 109,901, Michigan Stadium is the largest outdoor stadium in the United States and third-largest in the world, making it an ideal host for WrestleMania and the WWE Universe.
In addition to being the home to the university’s storied football program, the massive complex hosts the institute’s commencement ceremonies, and has housed outdoor hockey games. “The Big House” also holds an NCAA attendance record of 114,804 during the September 2011 battle between Michigan and Notre Dame. Expanding the capacity onto the field area to surround the ring on The Grandest Stage of Them All would undoubtedly shatter that record, and create an unrivaled atmosphere of electricity. Not to mention, “WrestleMania in The Big House” is a great slogan.
The thing that makes me want to mention this is that WWE doesn't exactly throw names around for no reason. They only have their events at large stadiums and have just announced WrestleMania next year to be at the Superdome.
I think this is a serious concern and it has a better chance of happening than most people think. Michigan's athletic department would make a fortune on this if they were to loan WWE The Big House for one night.
The Winter Classic and the Polar Plunge benefiting the Special Olympics are two events that point to future events being held at the stadium. The current WrestleMania attendance record was set at the Silverdome. No doubt, Michigan would SHATTER that record. Not only would the athletic department benefit largely from hosting it but the Ann Arbor community as well.
I don't think sightlines are a concern because there have been many stadium WrestleManias. Silverdome in (1987), Reliant Stadium (2001, 2009), SkyDome (2002), Safeco Field (2003), Ford Field (2007), Citrus Bowl (2008), University of Phoenix Stadium (2010), Georgia Dome (2011), Sun Life Stadium (2012) and Met Life Stadium this year in April.
I really have no opinion on this. I'm more in shock than anything. Just wanted to leave this here and get some thoughts on it.
February 18th, 2013 at 11:27 PM ^
Michigan Stadium should be reserved for real athletic contests, not scripted entertainment.
February 19th, 2013 at 12:31 AM ^
In general, what's wrong with that? Just because the outcome is known to those involved before the event, it's still a surprise to the audience to actually view the event live or on television. I'd argue that 99 times out of 100 (the Horror being the exception) that when Michigan plays a cupcake football game the outcome is just as scripted and predetermined as the results in the WWE.
Bo, Crisler, & Yost are probably rolling in their graves over this idea, but it just doesn't bother me that much I guess.
February 19th, 2013 at 9:53 AM ^
College football is becoming nearly as scripted and as absurd as wrestling. The Manty Teo incident being only the most obvious reference. The dominance of the "cheatin" SEC, the evil BCS, the rush to embrace the latest/shiniest new uniforms, politicians grandstanding in state parliaments and so on...
If anything, at least WWE is an honest fake. In most other sports, fans are still clinging to a somewhat naive illusion with a near religious fervor.
February 19th, 2013 at 10:16 AM ^
I forgot that the wrestlers don't have to be athletic to be a WWE superstar. SILLY ME!
February 19th, 2013 at 2:08 PM ^
It couldn't be held at Michigan Stadium?
Is graduation ok even though it's not an athletic event, because at least Michigan people are doing it?
(*Are there any "great bands" anymore that don't need walkers to get out on stage?)
February 19th, 2013 at 3:37 PM ^
Are you against the President coming to speak during graduations? That's not an athletic contest (and literally is scripted for the entertainment of people).
February 19th, 2013 at 3:50 PM ^
Most snob comments are getting downvoted and people saying "hey, it wouldn't be bad" are upvoted.
February 18th, 2013 at 10:22 PM ^
YOU JUST ADMITTED YOU WATCH MONDAY NIGHT RAW AHAHAHAHA! (its ok im watching it now too)
February 18th, 2013 at 10:28 PM ^
On the one hand there's the downsides: the crowd could potentially be drunken rowdy rednecks/spartans/buckeyes/juggalos/morons. Michigan stadium is hallowed ground and this would disgrace the stadium. Wrestling is "beneath" Michigan. Based on the number of downvotes in this topic, obviously there is a lot of negativity to this idea.
On the other hand, when I was a student (00-03), I knew plenty of people that were students of UM that watched the WWE and ordered pay per views every time there was one, and threw parties for said PPV events. So there are wrestling fans on campus (or at least there were a decade ago) so it's not as beneath UM as some people may think. It will sell out for sure, which will bring in a ton of revenue for UM, as well as for the surrounding businesses with an influx of money and tourists in April, not exactly a boom time for many of our local businesses as they are about to face the slow summer season before Football rolls around. Also, as mentioned, it would be pretty nifty for Michigan to hold the attendence records for an entertainment event, a football game, and a hockey game, all at the same venue.
I know there are many that would oppose this though so I don't know if it would happen, but if it does happen lets hope it is for Wrestlemania XL, because why not have the event XL at the largest stadium in the US?
For the record I no longer follow the WWE, but I used to watch it as a kid and teen. If they do stage the event and my son is old enough and watches wrestling by then, I would try to get tickets for his sake.
February 18th, 2013 at 11:32 PM ^
February 19th, 2013 at 12:34 AM ^
really bother me all that much I guess. I know that's sacreligious to many but I wouldn't lose any sleep over this happening. I'd be far more opposed to more advertising within the stadium for football games than this happening there. Plus, here's another bonus: if this does go through, it gives everyone an additional excuse to hate Dave Brandon that much more.
February 18th, 2013 at 10:33 PM ^
Only if they play "In the Big House" before, during, and after the event.
February 18th, 2013 at 11:01 PM ^
Oh dear God...
February 18th, 2013 at 11:17 PM ^
I don't watch wrestling anymore, but considering Madison Square Garden is the de facto home base for the WWF, maybe we should dial down the "too good for wrestling" comments.
February 18th, 2013 at 11:29 PM ^
and scripted entertainment? That's the crucial difference. I don't give a damn about the nature of the crowd, I care about the nature of what's going on down on the field.
February 19th, 2013 at 12:07 AM ^
Fair enough. Although, replying to a post about this board being pretentious by asking a rhetorical question about my intelligence is hilarious. Was my remark rife with spelling or grammatical errors? Did I say "pro wrestling is real, dang it"?
The comments to which I'm taking offense are those questioning the nature of the crowd, as you so aptly put it. Comments which portray pro wrestling as being "beneath" the Big House. I cited Madison Square Garden as an example, which to my knowledge, isn't located at the site of the Tennessee State Fair and hosts a number of legitimate athletic competitions as well. Or the United Center. Or Staples Center. We all know Los Angeles is a rabid cesspool of white trash hillbillies.
I'm not in favor of hosting Wrestlemania at the Big House. I'm in favor of this thread not making this fan base look like a bunch of hipsters who look down at the common man's interests as too base or idiotic.
FULL DISCLOUSRE: I did not attend the University of Michigan or live in Ann Arbor, and so those with a more "pure" vision of the school and city may have a different opinion about sacrilege as it relates to the school / stadium / town.
February 19th, 2013 at 9:59 AM ^
...Ann Arbor has been host such high-brow events a Hash Bash and the Naked Mile. Events noted for bringing masses of drugged out, counter culture hippies and creepy pedophiles to town respectively. I doubt the WWE fanbase could match that.
February 19th, 2013 at 12:37 AM ^
the outcome of a WWE match is just as unknown as the outcome of a football contest. The only people that know the script are those in the ring. It's still an activity that requires a hell of a lot of athleticism, which is why so many former college football players and wrestlers go into that career.
February 19th, 2013 at 7:04 AM ^
the outcome of a Soap Opera is just as unknown as the outcome of a football contest. The only people that know the script are those in the cast. It's still an activity that requires a hell of a lot of training, which is why so many former adult film stars and go into that career.
February 19th, 2013 at 9:02 AM ^
It's still an activity that requires a hell of a lot of athleticism
So is ballet, but I don't think anybody would be advocating hosting the Bolshoi for a command performance either.
February 19th, 2013 at 2:11 PM ^
Why not?
February 18th, 2013 at 11:33 PM ^
I don't see this "tarnishing" the Big House. I mean, who remembered Ford Field as having an attendance record for WWE before this thread? Few, everyone just knows it as the Lions stadium. It's just one of those events that needs a stadium, and in this case it happens to be ours.
February 18th, 2013 at 11:36 PM ^
February 18th, 2013 at 11:47 PM ^
Michigan State playing Ohio State in the Big House.
Not cool man, not cool.
February 19th, 2013 at 12:37 AM ^
and graduation. No hockey, weddings, and hence no WrestleMania. That said, I was at 'Mania in Detroit and it kicked ass. Everyone complaining about the "type" of wrestling fan is an idiot. There are idiot fans of everything, including Michigan football. I know we wish every Michigan fan was a Michigan man and blah blah . . . but that's simply not the case. No different for pro-wrestling. Or maybe I'm just biased because I'm one of those redneck, hillbilly wrestling fans. Even three Michigan diplomas can't wash the white trash outta me. Oh well. I'll take the crowd at Wrestlemania over the crowd at the Blind Pig any day of the week.
February 19th, 2013 at 1:06 AM ^
Liking wrestling doesn't make you white trash, there is just a lot of white trash that likes wrestling.
Plus redneck, hillbilly, and white trash all all different things.
February 19th, 2013 at 2:26 AM ^
So long as three aren't mutually exclusive nothing I said is in error. White trash is clearly compatible with both, quoth the Wiki,
"In common usage "white trash" overlaps in meaning with cracker (regarding Georgia and Florida), hillbilly (regarding Appalachia), Okie (regarding Oklahoma origins), and redneck.[6] The main difference is that "redneck," "cracker", "Okie", and "hillbilly" emphasize that a person is poor and uneducated and comes from the backwoods with little awareness of the modern world, while "white trash" emphasizes the person's moral failings."
Maybe you can finesse out an incapability between "redneck" and "hillbilly" based on the etymology-- the redneck can only be a Southern flat-land farmer while the hillbilly must be an Applachian hill dweller. But that' s just being nit-picky and pretendious, which is exactly what your post is.
February 19th, 2013 at 3:35 PM ^
Well if you can only apply redneck and hillbilly to people from appalachia and the south, then what do you call people from michigan/ohio/indiana that are like that?
February 19th, 2013 at 10:23 AM ^
I bet there are countless more white trash football fans than WWE fans.
February 19th, 2013 at 1:26 AM ^
Hockey is going to keep happening. That was such a success it'd be foolish not to do it again. Once every 4-5 years is fine with me.
I'm surprised you didn't mention lacrosse. SO many people were bitching when it was known lacrosse would be using The Big House until they get a stadium which isn't happening until 2014-15. And even then, they're going to keep playing Battle at The Big House after the spring football games.
February 19th, 2013 at 2:33 AM ^
I should add that at UTL, the Michigan fan two rows (thank God) behind me in the stands at the Big House pissed in the bleachers (and on himself, of course). Literally tried to covertly pee straight down. I have never witnessed that any other event, including wrestling shows, monster truck rallies, heavy metal concerts. I'm not sure about the height of the enlightened ground on which the Michigan gameday crowd stands.
February 19th, 2013 at 10:03 AM ^
...of a drunk guy walking near the State Street & Hoover intersection walking down the sidewalk waving his penis around and literally pissing all over the place. Remarkably there wasn't a cop within sight despite hundreds of fans milling about during the typical pregame ritual.
When it comes to crowd behavior, Ann Arbor is hardly beyond reproach.
February 19th, 2013 at 12:10 PM ^
I know a guy who did tried to covertly pee during an OSU game a few years back but failed because he peed on the guy in front of him who turned around and was about ready to kill him.
The guy was one of those MSU-4-lyfe Michigan students though, so maybe that's only relevant for reenforcing stereotypes
February 19th, 2013 at 2:14 PM ^
But this is a position I can respect. You can even throw the Big Chill in there because it's a Michigan team. But the whole "the NHL is ok to have the Stadium record, but not wrestling" because it's a real athletic event....I mean, I bet there's a whole lot of overlap in the hockey/wrestling crowds.
February 19th, 2013 at 4:42 AM ^
First, thanks for posting this. Don't know why you're getting downvoted. It's not April 1 so I have to assume this has at least a grain of validity. (clicks on link ) My God. The WWE has a pic of Michigan Stadium front and center.
I will start by saying I was at the Pontiac Silverdome Wrestlemania. I was a youngster. Wrestling was in its heyday, and kids thought it was real. Hulk Hogan bodyslammed and pinned Andre The Giant and it was great.
Having said that... if Brandon allows this to happen... guh, I have no words. NO. Just NO.
February 19th, 2013 at 6:44 AM ^
February 19th, 2013 at 9:07 AM ^
Good point if we could actually trust Brandon to earmark this potential windfall for holding firm on ticket prices. As it's been pointed out here on numerous occasions, the Athletic Department has been running huge surpluses for the past few years and that hasn't stopped the creep upward in ticket prices. That's just inspired the administration to build and renovate more.
February 19th, 2013 at 11:07 AM ^
Thought the goal was WOW experiences.
February 19th, 2013 at 7:36 AM ^
I am not a wrestling fan, but goddamn I would go to this.
And seriously, what makes those of you who claim that it would be all MSU/OSU/etc. fans truly believe that a more significant percentage of those fanbases are WWE fans than Michigan? I have a feeling that if this were to happen, there will be just as many, if not more, UM fans in attendance than those of MSU or OSU. Plus, if tickets aren't too terribly priced, I think a fair number of current students would go just for the novelty of it all.
February 19th, 2013 at 8:03 AM ^
February 19th, 2013 at 8:38 AM ^
February 19th, 2013 at 10:06 AM ^
...Shakespeare would fill the Big House? I'm skeptical of that.
February 19th, 2013 at 8:40 AM ^
February 19th, 2013 at 10:55 AM ^
February 19th, 2013 at 8:48 AM ^
Stereotypes are a real time saver!
February 19th, 2013 at 9:29 AM ^
I'm a WWE fan and would love to see Wrestlemania in the Big House.
February 19th, 2013 at 9:33 AM ^
February 19th, 2013 at 10:52 AM ^
February 19th, 2013 at 9:47 AM ^
I think there are a few logistical concerns, the one about hotel spaces has already been mentioned. The other one I see is how would WWE get their massive stage into to the stadium? I've heard large concerts cannot go to the Big House because of how smaller the 1 tunnel is.
If they could figure it out, I think it'd be fun. I was at Wretlemania the last time it was in Detroit and it was one hell of a time.
February 19th, 2013 at 10:10 AM ^
...then they could probably find a way to airlift it.
(image via aerospaceweb.org)