Muscly dudes with anger problems and over-the-top personalities duking it out in tight Lycra? Normally in Miami, that results from an argument over premium beach-blanket space on South Beach, but the county sees big money in such activities and is still trying to lure the WWE's signature Wrestlemania event.
Like the Olympics, cities bid to host the annual wrestling fete, and Miami lost to Atlanta to host the 2011 event. Variety reports that Miami, along with 13 other cities, is still in the mix to land the event for 2012 or beyond.
Consider yourself a little to high-class from pro wrasslin'? Don't scoff. Previous hosts Orlando and Houston each saw a $50 million boon to their economy by hosting the fight fest. More than 50 percent of the attendants of Wrestlemania come from other states or countries and stay in town on average three nights.
From Variety:
Miami-Dade Sports Commission officials "pushed really hard" to set up the show in Miami in 2011, offering up its Miami Beach Convention Center, American Airlines Arena and Land Shark Stadium, but lost out to Atlanta.In return, leading up to the event, the WWE now shows arial shots of the host city and incorporates local characteristics into the official logo.
..."There's so much power behind it," sports commission chair Jose "Pepe" Diaz told the Miami Herald*. "To us it's huge; financially it's incredible," which is a boost to cities that were hit hard by the recession, and don't have sizeable marketing dollars to tout their cities anymore.
