Wrestling fans tend to get extremely protective when it comes to WrestleMania. Whether it's the matches on the card or the location of the event itself, they can't quite separate their mind and their heart.
That's why many people took it personally, upon receiving the news that the show of shows will once again take place in New Orleans, just four years after Daniel Bryan lifted the roof off of the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.
The critics within the internet wrestling community are pointing towards the fact that other cities should get a chance to host the grandaddy of them all. Whilst that does ring true, there's so much more to consider when unpackaging the news that NOLA is the frontrunner for 2018.
Right now this can only be considered as a rumour, but with Raw set to take place at the Smoothie King Center in the Big Easy next week the timing makes sense. Besides, there are plenty of reasons to believe that this is yet another stroke of genius business from Vincent Kennedy McMahon.
If you're one of the people doubting this plan, then set down your pitchforks and listen up. After a year in which the new era has been created, we owe it to ourselves to maintain a more positive outlook on our favourite form of entertainment.
With that being said, these are five of the many reasons WWE is once again onto a winner with one of the greatest cities in the world.
#5 Close proximity
One of the many positives about New Orleans is quite simple - it's the perfect 'Mania city. To expand, we mean that everything in the area is in such close proximity. The convention centre, arenas for Raw & SD in addition to WrestleMania itself are all within walking distance.
One of the big trials and tribulations for travellers can be the hassle of public transport. Whether it be a bus, train or tram a lot of your spending money can go towards simply getting to the events. With NOLA, there's not a chance that you're going to miss out on the proceedings.
With that being said, here's an experience you won't want to miss out on.
#4 Nightlife
It isn't called ‘the Big Easy’ for nothing. You could be walking down Bourbon Street one night and suddenly your favourite Superstar appears before your very eyes. Alternatively, you may just want a few drinks with your pals and NOLA can certainly provide that kind of entertainment.
In fact, it can give you just about anything your heart desires. The beauty of a city like this is that the options really are limitless, whether it's nine in the morning or 11 pm at night. If you like your pro wrestling with a side of partying, you've come to the right place.
Then again if drinking isn't your style, the cuisine over there is beyond anything you could possibly imagine. With food now circulating through your mind, here's an equally tasty memory to digest.
#3 WrestleMania 30
Success stories can be important when it comes to revisiting the past, and WrestleMania 30 was a triumph. From the heartwarming rise of Daniel Bryan to the parade of legends in attendance, it was one of the greatest wrestling events of all time. Period.
Yes, it's only been four years since that fateful weekend, but just look towards the history of the showcase of the immortals. Back in the late '80s, they held two 'Manias back to back at Trump Plaza, so literally anything is possible. Stop thinking in a technical sense and just grasp this opportunity.
Speaking of opportunities, here's one of the biggest the company have had in years.
#2 Storyline potential
When Brock Lesnar hit that third F5 and the referee counted the three, the wrestling world stopped. It was as if the innocence of the sport was broken for the rest of time, never to be rectified again. However, a trip back to the very spot in which the Beast Incarnate made history has a great deal of potential.
Four years on in the same venue Lesnar could finally be defeated by a rising star on the up in the company. The storytelling brilliance would be as close to Shakespeare, as they could get, and they may even be able to tie general manager Daniel Bryan into the evening's festivities. From YES-tlemania to retirement in four years, what a tale.
From a tale in prospect to the tale of a hopeful prediction.
#1 Building a foundation
Back in the good old days, New York was considered the home of World Wrestling Entertainment, and to an extent it still is. But Vinnie Mac is constantly looking towards the future and New Orleans could become something of a second home for the WWE Universe. It's not like they base a whole lot of their events in the Big Apple anymore, right?
After all, the popularity of professional wrestling has been wavering in the last few years and nobody can deny that. Perhaps what they've needed all along is a new spiritual home, in which the next few decades of history can be forged. Who knows, by WrestleMania 50 there may even be a second company headquarters at the heart of Louisiana.
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