Remembering my first ever WrestleMania, 14 years ago
This post is a pretty cool one for me, because it’s a chance for me to share my first WrestleMania experience with you all. It’s going to be quite a short post, so it might be something good to read whilst sipping on your 50th coffee of the day preparing for tonight’s awesomeness.
My first WrestleMania experience was incredible, and the second time I’d ever watched professional wrestling at all. The first time was the Raw episode in 2003 where Kane removed his mask, and the the sight of his ‘burnt’ face terrified me at the age of eight so much that I didn’t watch wrestling again until WrestleMania XX in 2004.
As I’d only watched wrestling once before the PPV, I was unaware of the stories behind each match. However, my wonderful father gave me a two-hour recap whilst driving home from a weekend away. Not only did he do a magnificent job of highlighting the importance of Undertaker once again taking on his younger brother Kane, but also describing Rey Mysterio as an actual real-life superhero, who he hoped would win the Cruiserweight Championship invitational (unfortunately this didn’t happen).
With my father providing a pre-show recap Booker T could only ever aspire to, I was absolutely buzzing to watch WrestleMania XX with him. And it did not disappoint.
I got to witness John Cena lift the 500lb Big Show on his shoulders and deliver an FU to win the United States Heavyweight title for the first time, capturing his first ever championship in the WWE!
I saw Rey Mysterio, Billy Kidman, Ultimo Dragon, and Tajiri all put on a cruiserweight masterclass in an attempt to win the Cruiserweight Championship (unfortunately Chavo Guerrero won, someone who my dad hated at the time). After seeing this match Rey Mysterio quickly became, and remains, one of my favourite wrestlers ever. I credit this to his display in that match, and his awesome Flash-inspired attire.
I got to witness Randy Orton defeat someone who my dad described as a “legend” Mick Foley in the middle of the ring, eventually leading to a fantastic hardcore match between the two of them at Backlash for the Intercontinental title, which I did indeed watch one month later.
Then, there was what I would describe as the icing on the cake for me. In the main event, the underdog Chris Benoit made the Heavyweight Champion of the world tap out, defeating the former team of Triple H and Shawn Michaels in a triple threat match.
Benoit was battered and beaten but was still able to capture his first ever WWE world championship. I wouldn’t gloss over the horror that came later for a second, but in that moment, that victory at WrestleMania XX was incredible.
After the match ended, Chris Benoit had a brotherly embrace with his best friend, and fellow Heavyweight Champion Eddie Guerrero in the middle of the ring, while confetti fell from the rafters. It was awesome, and a moment I’ll never forget.
I realise that more matches took place on top of the ones I’ve mentioned above, but those are the memories that I’ll keep forever.
So that’s my first WrestleMania experience, and an experience that transformed me into the massive mark that I am today. If you want to share your first WrestleMania experience with us, the leave a comment on this post or find us on Twitter.