WWE will be taking WrestleMania from the Big D to the Sunshine State.
In a Tuesday press conference, WWE announced that the Orlando Citrus Bowl in Florida will serve as host to WrestleMania 33 on April 2, 2017. This will follow WrestleMania 32, which is less than a month away from touching down at AT&T Stadium, home of the NFL's Dallas Cowboys, on April 3.
Tuesday's announcement marks WrestleMania's first time back at the Citrus Bowl since 2008, when upwards of 74,000 raucous fans saw the Undertaker battle Edge and Floyd Mayweather Jr. notoriously going up against the Big Show at WrestleMania XXIV.
"We're excited to bring this event back to Orlando," Florida governor Rick Scott said during the press conference. "Florida set a tourism record by welcoming 105 million visitors in 2015 and WWE will help bring even more visitors to Florida in 2017. We're excited WWE once again chose Florida to host WrestleMania."
Scott should be happy, as hosting a WrestleMania is usually a great financial driver for that particular city and state each year — part of the reason why so many cities want to roll out the red carpet for WWE in the first place. In fact, the company says that the "Show of Shows" has generated upwards of $100 million in economic impact for its host region for the past four consecutive years.
In addition to Scott and Orlando mayor Buddy Dyer, WWE chairman & CEO Vince McMahon, chief brand officer and his daughter, Stephanie McMahon, WWE World Heavyweight champion Triple H and John Cena were all on hand for Tuesday's press conference in Orlando.
@stephaniemcmahon discusses #Wrestlemania coming to the @citrusbowl
A photo posted by WWE (@wwe) on Mar 8, 2016 at 9:04am PST
"You will leave the Citrus Bowl emotionally exhausted," Mr. McMahon said. "Everyone will enjoy the drama and the athleticism ... but most importantly, you'll leave with a big smile on your face."
Added Cena: "Orlando welcomes people and makes the impossible possible, makes dreams reality. Orlando, just like WrestleMania, makes moments that last a lifetime."
In addition to WrestleMania 33, the Orlando area will also play host to various accompanying events such as the WrestleMania Axxess interactive fan festival and the 2017 WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, which is always held the day before the big event. The Monday Night Raw the next evening will also take place in Orlando.
