Aretha Franklin has been confirmed to open up WrestleMania 23 next weekend by singing âAmerica the Beautiful.â Franklin also sang the song at WrestleMania 3, which was also in Detroit.
Also, rapper Ludacris will perform at the event.
It's official: WrestleMania, professional wrestling's Super Bowl, is coming to Orlando next spring.
The flagship event for WWE will be March 30, 2008 at the Citrus Bowl.
"Bringing the Super Bowl of sports entertainment to our community is something that the City of Orlando and the Central Florida Sports Commission have been building towards for the last six months," John Saboor, president of the Central Florida Sports Commission, told the Sentinel. "We are tremendously proud to have attracted the WWE's iconic event. It promises to be an exciting year in Orlando leading up to WrestleMania 24."
WrestleMania has grown into a global sensation. In less than two weeks, on April 1, WrestleMania 23 at Detroit's Ford Field will host fans from 23 countries, all 50 states and nine Canadian provinces. Millions more in 90 countries will watch it on pay-per-view.
According to figures generated by the Central Florida Sports Commission, WrestleMania 24 is expected to pump an estimated $25 million into the local economy, while creating jobs and generating the type of excitement that a world- class event brings to a world-class city.
Wrestling isn't in its heyday anymore, but millions of fans still watch the television shows and attend events to see their favorite stars such as John Cena, the Undertaker and Batista, among others.
"Orlando is the premiere vacation destination in the world," said Kurt Schneider, executive vice president of the WWE. "People go there to relax, let loose and have fun. That is why it is the perfect place for WrestleMania 24, the pop-culture extravaganza that guarantees a memorable experience, just like the city of Orlando."
SOURCE: The Orlando Sentinel
WWE.com has added Kane vs. The Great Khali to the card for WrestleMania 23 on April 1. The match has been rumored to be announced for the last several weeks.
Here is an updated card:
WWE Championship Match
- John Cena (c) vs. Shawn Michaels
World Heavyweight Championship Match
- Batista (c) vs. The Undertaker
Battle of the Billionaires - Hair vs. Hair Match: Special Guest Referee: Stone Cold Steve Austin
- ECW Champion Bobby Lashley (representing Donald Trump) vs. WWE Intercontinental Champion Umaga (representing Vince McMahon)
"Money in the Bank" Ladder Match: (Winner earns World Title shot for a year)
- Edge (Raw) vs. CM Punk (ECW) vs. King Booker (Smackdown) vs. Jeff Hardy (Raw) vs. Mr. Kennedy (Smackdown) vs. Finlay (Smackdown) vs. Matt Hardy (Smackdown) vs. Randy Orton (Raw)
- ECW Originals (Rob Van Dam, Tommy Dreamer, Sabu & The Sandman) vs. The New Breed (Elijah Burke, Matt Striker, Marcus Cor Von & Kevin Thorn)
- Kane vs. The Great Khali
WWE Women's Championship Match
- Melina (c) vs. Ashley Massaro
This will most likely be the main event at Wrestlemania 23. Therefore, two important questions must be raised concerning John Cena vs. Shawn Michaels:
Here are one fan's thoughts:
Why John Cena should win: He's been champion for almost two consecutive years. Edge and Rob Van Dam held the belt for approximately three combined months during that time, but it's basically been all Cena since his victory over JBL in 2005. And while fans boo him occasionally, the man brings it every night. He's represented WWE well.
So why stop the momentum now? I, for one, love long title reigns. They bring respectability to the belt. Imagine if Cena turns feel at Wrestlemania. It would bring a fresh angle to this feud and the fans would be clamoring for him to lose the title on every Monday Night RAW and pay-per-viw.
Why Shawn Michaels should win: Remember when his career was thought to be over due to a back injury? Yeah, neither do we. HBK has come back as strong as ever and a victory at Wrestlemania 23 would be well-deserved.
If he then holds on to the belt for a few months, it would be interesting to see Triple H return and jealousy issues ensure. Would anybody really object to another HBK/Triple H feud down the line?
Who will win: Cena. We see this ending with a rematch at Backlash and HBK taking the title then. That would water down the Mania contest a bit, but it's a feud that WWE will wanna run with for as long as it can.
PWInsider is reporting that WWE will be releasing two different versions of WrestleMania 23 on DVD starting on May 22.
For the first time ever, WWE will release two different wide-release DVD versions of WrestleMania to the public. The WrestleMania 23 DVD will include the four-hour event on two discs, while WrestleMania 23: The Ultimate Edition will feature five hours of extras including the 2007 Hall of Fame ceremony and bonus matches.
The following is how the card for WrestleMania 23 looks following last nights WWE RAW:
World Title Match
Batista (c) vs. The Undertaker
WWE Championship Match
John Cena (c) vs. Shawn Michaels
Battle Of The Billionaires
Umaga (representing Vince McMahon) vs. Bobby Lashley (representing Donald Trump)
Money In The Bank Ladder Match
King Booker vs. CM Punk vs. Edge vs. Jeff Hardy
(4 more participants still to be confirmed)
Will Donald Trump lose his hair?
Not if Bobby Lashley has anything to say about it. Reports are surfacing that the Donald's choice to represent him and his head against Vince McMahaon and Umaga is none other than the ECW champion.
There will also be a special guest referee in the match: Stone Cold Steve Austin.
After last night's WWE RAW, it's safe to assume the following women's title match will take place at Wrestlemania 23:
The following was issued by World Wrestling Entertainment:
WWE's WrestleMania 23 Breaks Record, Tops $5 Million In Ticket Sales
STAMFORD, Conn., February 15, 2007 â World Wrestling Entertainment® announced today that WrestleMania 23 at Ford Field in Detroit, Mich., on April 1, 2007, has topped $5 million in ticket sales, making it the highest grossing one-day event in World Wresting Entertainment history.
All currently available seats for WWEâs annual pop culture extravaganza, more than 63,000 tickets, are now in the hands of fans from 22 countries and all 50 states.
