GUEST EDITORIAL
By Luke Fleeman Martinez, Torch VIP member

WrestleMania weekend has become a destination for wrestling fans of all types. WWE partisans in John Cena shirts, international fans making the trip to the U.S., snarky Internet guys, and independent wrestling devotees all converge on the same city. It's the perfect storm of corporate sports entertainment and professional wrestling; of the casually interested and the fanatically devoted. I'm glad I braved the storm.

I came to WrestleMania weekend to experience the WWE event first hand, and to see some of my favorite independent promotions in action. In California, I get to attend Pro Wrestling Guerilla shows (and you should too!), and WWE tours frequently, but that means I typically do not have opportunities to see (without great difficulty and cost) Dragon Gate USA, Ring of Honor, or WWE pay-per-views. This weekend gave me a chance to enjoy all of them on the same weekend. The hodgepodge of styles, venues, and fans was an experience in and of itself.

For others considering going to a WrestleMania weekend, I cannot recommend it strongly enough. Even if you don't care for WWE, WrestleMania is quite the spectacle with their production values. Enjoying the show with enthusiastic fans from all over the world is a special event. If you aren't normally a fan of independent promotions, this is a chance to sample their wares, since you'll be in the same place anyways. You also will meet many interesting people, and probably get to encounter wrestling talent all around town.

Here are my personal highs and lows from this incredible weekend.

WRESTLEMANIA WEEKEND HIGHS

-- WrestleMania 26: Even the most cynical wrestling purist can get caught up in the magic of WWE's premier event. The pyro, the lights, the 70,000 screaming fans, the biggest names in the business - all of these things are amplified when you attend in person. The show flew by, and getting to experience the “WrestleMania Moments” is very special. This was not the best wrestling I saw, but it was the best overall show, mostly because of the bells and whistles.

Personally, it gave me goose bumps when the fans, angry and happy, went insane for John Cena. The energy of the crowd, of being part of something so big, was intense. If this was HBK's finally match, I got to be one of the people to experience it. I apparently saw Bret Hart's final match, as well.

DGUSA: Dragon Gate simply amazed me this weekend. Watching their incredible action on DVD is great; seeing it live is a whole new level of awesome. The Dragon Gate wrestlers put on a hell of a show, in a unique style that you can't really find anywhere else.

Their two meet-and-greets also delivered, as the stars of the promotion are incredibly gracious and very friendly, despite a language barrier. On the first night of the shows, our section of the crowd chose to be vocal, chanting and cheering for the stars, and they communicated to us the next night that they enjoyed it. On Saturday night, they looked for the chants, and even played to us. They exemplified the reason wrestling fans should support the independents, because your connection with the wrestlers is unparalleled, and the mutual appreciation is incredible.

Additionally, DGUSA also brings in the best independent talent in the U.S., allowing me to see guys like Mike Quackenbush and Jigsaw from Chikara. Other fans who don't get to attend PWG shows were treated to seeing the Young Bucks, their brother Malachi Jackson, and the Cutler Brothers. Brian Kendrick, Jack Evans, Paul London, Tommy Dreamer, and other big names were available, gracious, and as cool as could be.

Ring of Honor: I give this show a mild “high,” and you'll see why below. The talent worked hard in the ring, giving everything they had, and all of them are very, very cool to meet at the show. ROH has their act together, meaning it was well organized and well attended.

Your Fellow Fans: I met several really, very cool people this weekend. Being able to converse and interact with fans from all over the world who share your interest (or obsession!) makes waiting in lines, waiting for shows, and sitting through intermissions fun. Even the loud, over-enthusiastic kids at Mania were enjoyable because their enjoyment was whole-hearted and genuine.

The City of Phoenix: I don't know about other cities, but Phoenix is a nice place. Many nice people helped us, the town was generally clean and well kept, and the weather was wonderful. WWE usually selects nice cities for their events.

Variety, the spice of life: There were two DGUSA shows, two ROH shows, and WWE fan events to attend. The outlay of potential things to do should be a draw for any fan.

WRESTLEMANIA WEEKEND LOWS

Mixed Crowds: Even though there are a lot of cool people to meet, the independent show crowds included a mix of foreign fans unsure of how to act, local fans who could be very apathetic, and WWE fans sampling something different. This meant some of the fans were vocal, and some of the new people would join in, but it could also lead to quiet crowds who didn't interact much. At DGUSA, they came around, but it could be very frustrating. We (my friend, new friends, and I) cheered and chanted anyways, even if it was a lonely chant. I might have inflated hopes because crowd-wide chants and cheers are very common at PWG shows.

Hotels and Airlines: Both of these institutions overbook for the weekend, meaning you might get bumped from flights, thrown out of your hotel, or both.

ROH Show: It really felt like ROH was saving their best stuff for the big show in Charlotte next weekend. Some of the matches were short, and seemed focused on promoting Charlotte instead. The main event, in particular, was short and saved the best action for next week. I understand they are building to something, but I was still disappointed. The crowd for this show was very quiet, and didn't seem to heat up until the end.

Your Fellow Fans: This section might not apply to everybody. However, I get frustrated by fans who still wear New World Order shirts (let it go!), chant ECW at ANY hardcore spot, and boo John Cena just to be cool. The plethora of replica title belts does not bother me, unless there are grown men wearing kids title belts, the kind you can purchase at Target or Wal-Mart, and jury-rigging them to fit adult waists.

Hardcore Wrestling: Again, this might not apply to everybody, but I am disappointed that pointless, no build-up hardcore matches which do not help anyone, and lack any emotional power, are still be presented by independent companies. They seem especially anachronistic and disjointed alongside shows with good, solid wrestling work. I like Tommy Dreamer, Steve Corino, and Jerry Lynn, but at some point the blade jobs, object shots, and garbage cans have got to go away.

OVERALL WRESTLEMANIA WEEKEND EXPERIENCE

Altogether, this was a great weekend of wrestling. My voice is hoarse, my hands hurt from clapping, I am broke, and deprived of sleep. And it was totally worth it. I think any wrestling fan on the fence about attending WrestleMania weekend should go if at all possible. You won't regret it. I would also suggest that fans attend any of the shows put on by these great companies, especially DGUSA, because they work very hard, and the results are often spectacular.

Did you attend WrestleMania or WrestleMania Weekend activities/shows/events? Send your thoughts on the weekend to pwtorch@gmail.com.

You are invited to submit a "Torch Guest Editorial" for possible publishing on this site in future days. For submission guidelines and the current email, click here.

We suggest these recent related articles...

VALLEY: The story behind the 1980s wrestler who is suing WWE for egregious mistreatment of its wrestlers over the years

GUEST REVIEWS: Lucha Underground - perspective from TV taping, editorial on strengths & weaknesses of first episode

GUEST EDITORIAL: TNA's Legacy - Helping Future Wrestling Promotions Avoid The Same Mistakes