Famous wrestling event chooses region for big show

TAMPA — WrestleMania will return to the Tampa Bay area in April, the parent company of the annual “pop culture extravaganza” has announced.

Stamford, Conn.-based WWE says WrestleMania 37 will be held April 10 and April 11 at Raymond James Stadium.

“The opportunity for Tampa Bay to host WrestleMania in April is, in true WWE fashion, the perfect comeback story and marks a clear indication that our beautiful city is poised to bounce back stronger than ever,” says Tampa Mayor Jane Castor, in a statement.

Publicly traded WWE says it will announce ticket availability and safety protocols for the April event in the coming weeks. Tampa was one of three cities that WWE selected to host the annual event, which draws tens of thousands of fans. In addition, Arlington/Dallas and Inglewood/Los Angeles will host WrestleMania in 2022 and 2023, respectively.

WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon says the host stadiums are “iconic” and the cities they will be held in are “world class.”

Gov. Ron DeSantis, in the release, notes that the event will bring “tens of millions of dollars” to the Tampa Bay region. “Florida has continued to work with professional sports and entertainment to safely operate while generating revenue and protecting jobs,” DeSantis says in the statement. “WrestleMania will bring tens of millions of dollars to the Tampa area and we look forward to hosting more sporting and entertainment events in Florida this year.”