John Cena looks up to the WrestleMania sign hung above the ring. Photo by Anthony Arroyo.
By Anthony Arroyo, Staff Reporter
Roll out the red carpet in Los Angeles because, for the first time since 2005, WWE WrestleMania is coming to Southern California. The 39th annual event is set to take place in Inglewood, California at the SoFi Stadium April 1-2.
Los Angeles was the original host of WrestleMania in 2021, but due to Covid-19, the event was relocated to Tampa Bay, Florida. However, with COVID-19 cases falling, the wait for WWE to return to its original location is finally over, and the stars will be out in the City of Angels.
Described as the “Super Bowl” of professional wrestling, WrestleMania is one of the biggest stages in the world of sports entertainment. Throughout the year, WWE stars work their hardest in hopes of making it to this stage where they dream of creating moments that will be spoken about for decades to come.
Being in Los Angeles, WrestleMania is set to feature heavy celebrity involvement. Social media influencer Logan Paul is scheduled to have a match against 4-time WWE World Champion Seth “Freakin” Rollins. Becky G, the Latin pop singer and actress, was announced as the performer for “America the Beautiful” on night one of the two-day event.
The main storyline going into the event is the rivalry between “The American Nightmare,” Cody Rhodes, and “The Tribal Chief,” Roman Reigns, who are set to face off in the main event for the WWE Undisputed Universal Championship.
Reigns has been the reigning champion of the title for over 900 days and has dominated the WWE stage with his group “The Bloodline,” which consists of his cousins Jimmy and Jey Uso, Solo Sikoa, and his special counsel, Paul Heyman.
On the other side is Cody Rhodes, whose nickname pays homage to his late father “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes. Cody punched his ticket to WrestleMania by winning the 2023 Royal Rumble match and vows to “finish the story” by winning the championship that his father never won.
The story took a personal turn when Reigns noted that he was trained and mentored by Dusty, who predicted Roman’s success from day one. “You want to know what he always used to say about you?” Roman asked Cody. “Nothing…when I was in there, it was like you did not exist.” Cody realized that Reigns may be “the son that Dusty always wanted,” but it only adds to the motivation he needs to win at Wrestlemania.
Pop culture icon, John Cena, will also be making his return after challenging Austin Theory for the WWE United States Championship. This will be Cena’s 15th in-ring match at WrestleMania and his first since 2018.
The last time WrestleMania was in L.A., Cena was pushed into superstardom as he won his first WWE World Championship in 2005. Now 18 years later, he has evolved into a successful Hollywood actor and has transcended the pro-wrestling world. He has inspired many, including his opponent Theory, who said that Cena was the reason he became a pro wrestler. The arrogant champion, Theory, now claims that Cena’s time is up and his time is now, as he looks to take down his childhood hero.
Selling over 90,000 tickets in 24 hours, WrestleMania 39 set a company record for most tickets sold in a day. Last year’s WrestleMania, which took place in Arlington, Texas, garnered an attendance of over 75,000 on both nights. This year’s event is looking to break those numbers. The global phenomenon cannot be denied and is the main attraction to many around the world making SoFi Stadium the place to be on April 1 and 2.
