Report: Is Orlando Set To Host WrestleMania 33 in 2017?
It looks like Wrestlemania may be returning to Orlando in 2017.
PWInsider.com reported yesterday that WWE have cooled their interest in Minneapolis as a possible site for hosting Wrestlemania 33, and are seriously considering Orlando for hosting the event. It doesn’t appear to be finalized yet, but the company are already working out the the minor details and logistics of holding Wrestlemania 33 in Orlando, Florida.
WWE has a vested interest in the Orlando area. Their Performance Center is located there and regular NXT tapings are held at the local Full Sail University. Coupled with the possibility that there could be a physical WWE Hall of Fame location as an attraction in Orlando too, makes this rumor more substantial.
WWE announced the Wrestlemania 32 location on January 20, 2015, so the announcement about Wrestlemania 33 will could happen at the Royal Rumble event in Orlando.
Wrestlemania 24 was held for the first time in Orlando in March of 2008 at the sold-out Citrus Bowl. The event is estimated to have brought $51.5 million into the local economy, with $1.8 million in local tax revenue. It was co-main evented by the Shawn Michaels/Ric Flair retirement match and Undertaker/Edge for the World Championship.
It’s worth mentioning that back in December, Jim Ross was the first to mention that Minneapolis was no longer in the running to host Wrestlemania 33 on his blog.
Source: PWInsider.com
Ski’s Take – This has gotta be a kick in the teeth for the residents of Minnesota. With the building of the $1 billion US Bank Stadium, officials wanted to host Wrestlemania 33 to kick off a whole slew of major sporting events that the stadium was holding. Superbowl LII is being held there in 2018 along with the NCAA Final Final Four in 2019.
Maybe the faux pas Lester Bagley (VP of Public Affairs for the Minnesota Vikings) made back in August is the reason why they’re not possibly hosting it next year. In case you don’t know, he made a comment in a promo video for the new stadium, saying this.
“We are a finalist and seem to be in a very good position to secure the college football playoffs, the BCS Championship game and you know we’ve got WrestleMania coming.”
WWE always like to announce major stories themselves (remember the Lana and Rusev engagement announcement that was made on TMZ first and not through official WWE channels?), and with Lester jumping the gun, it’s possible Uncle Vince took exception to the leak and changed venue. Or maybe it was never in the running at all for next year?
For the residents of Orlando this could be huge news, and would validate the claim that it is WWE’s second city behind New York. The Performance Center, NXT tapings at Full Sail, and a second Mania in nine years? Hard not to agree.