WWE superstars amped up for WrestleMania

ORLANDO, Florida: WWE’s grandest stage of them all, WrestleMania, is around the corner. This period marks what every WWE fan around the world has been waiting for. WrestleMania is WWE’s flagship event and is the most successful and longest-running professional wrestling event in history. It contributes to the worldwide commercial success of WWE through media, merchandise, and shows.
The superstars of the WWE are constantly on tour. However, their matches and touring during WrestleMania season is altogether a different experience. Former tag team champion Titus O’Neil told Arab News that there is an adrenaline rush and excitement in the air during WrestleMania.
Of WrestleMania season, O’Neil said: “This year has been a breeze for me because I’m home, I live in Tampa.” O’Neil also said it has been the best WrestleMania for him as regards to touring.
O’Neil is among those seeing action in the Andre The Giant memorial battle royal this Sunday.
He said because of so many different shapes and sizes of competitors in these kinds of matches you do not know who will try to eliminate you from the ring and out of the match. O’Neil said he is looking forward to competing in front of his family.
Another participating superstar in the battle royal is former US champion Kalisto, who is not a stranger to the region having been part of the last WWE tour in Riyadh. Saudi Arabia had so many fans familiar with the WWE universe. “The WWE is worldwide, I didn’t know that we would have so many fans in Riyadh screaming Lucha Lucha. Wow, that was very awesome and really cool,” added Kalisto, who is currently competing on the Smackdown brand.
Kalisto said it is tough to build a strategy competing against so many superstars at the same time and that he is going to expect the unexpected in his battle royal. “My main focus is to survive and not get eliminated. That’s my strategy for now,” concluded Kalisto.
Former Raw brand tag team champions Sheamus and Cesaro are all business and focused on regaining their championship at WrestleMania 33, as they take on defending champions Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson and fellow challengers Enzo Amore and Big Cass in a ladder match. The decision for Sunday’s championship at Orlando Citrus Bowl came following Monday’s episode of Raw during which Cesaro and Sheamus introduced a ladder into the equation in an altercation with their opponents. The move backfired for Sheamus, however, as he needed 15 stitches as a result of getting struck with the ladder.
“After last Monday I got over my fear of ladders out of the way after my face ate it,” said Sheamus. He added that he has sustained injuries in previous ladder matches and that you have to be careful during these matches but it is also a lot of fun for the fans to watch and add to WrestleMania.
When asked about the added stipulation being introduced one week before their match and if it will affect their performance, Cesaro said it is WrestleMania and that his partner and him are here to do their best.
“It’s a ladder match so the people are going to remember this for a long time. We are used to last-minute changes around here. It’s something you have to deal with if you want to be a professional,” concluded Cesaro.
The current Smackdown women’s champion Alexa Bliss told Arab News it is a great feeling to be performing in her first WrestleMania as she is set to defend her title against the entire women’s roster from the Smackdown brand. She also conveyed that this match is a personal attack from Smackdown General Manager Daniel Bryan.
The current women’s champion said she would love to see the women perform in the Middle East. “It would be the next stepping stone for the women’s division to perform in the Middle East. It would be an opportunity to have matches there and show what women can do,” said Bliss.
This is the second time WrestleMania is being hosted in Orlando. WWE’s biggest event had previously attracted 125,000 visitors to its host city from over 30 countries.