Once again, the time has come that fans of professional wrestling all over the world look forward to. On April 1st, from Miami, the WWE will put on their flagship show, WrestleMania. Fans from around the globe will descend on the city to watch their favorite superstars compete and push themselves to their limits. Laugh all you want, but the force that the WWE carries this time of year is undeniable.
This year's show features the return of The Rock to face John Cena in a match that has been building up for a year. It also features another contest between the two men whose match stole the show last year, The Undertaker and Triple H. Last year, these two wrestlers battled so hard that The Undertaker was physically unable to walk away, leaving it all in the ring to the delight of the fans.
First, a little background on the two men. The Undertaker, who has never lost a match at Wrestlemania, is at the end of his career. He is the best example of the pageantry and sense of make believe that fans and detractors of pro wrestling point to as the reasons to watch or ignore it. He has been a household name for two decades. Triple H, on the other hand, is not as well known outside the ring. He started at the bottom, worked his way up, married the boss's daughter, and now helps to run the business side of the WWE along with still being a performer.
Now, this match easily has the potential to again steal the show. Though these two men may be long in the tooth, their talent, drive, and work ethic are beyond reproach. The Undertaker has possibly one last match in him after this year's WrestleMania. There is no doubt he wants his last matches to be memorable. Triple H is the consummate professional and just the man to help The Undertaker accomplish that goal, not only for his skills but his desk job as well. Putting on a great match is good for business, which is good for Triple H.
Is this the kind of contest that will get the disinterested fan to start watching wrestling again by purchasing a $50 event OnDemand? Probably not. That's The Rock's job. This is the kind of match that will thrill fans who enjoy watching a battle between two men with almost 40 years of WWE experience between them. While the addition of Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels as the special guest referee probably isn't necessary and will only serve to distract from the in-ring action, it still promises to be a fantastic addition to the card. Since Michaels lost to The Undertaker in 2009 and 2010, I know the WWE expects to make fans believe he will be less than an impartial referee and will seek to end The Undertaker's streak. Maybe that's exactly what he plans to do, on the hope that he can have one last match against Taker next year at Wrestlemania XXIX.
Though there may be some who will argue this is nothing more than two over-the-hill performers taking a spot from deserving younger stars, nothing could be further from the truth. These two men have earned the right to have the kind of match fans expect them to have. It's going to hard to top last year's contest, but if any two can do it, these two can.
As a lifelong fan, nothing would make me happier than to see this year's match be as good or better than the one from 2011. I don't think I'm the only one to feel this way.
Allen Orien Avery is a lifelong sports fan as well as a passionate supporter of the New York Mets. He is also a Featured Contributor for the Yahoo! Contributor Network.
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