WWE to make it official Thursday; WrestleMania 29 at MetLife Stadium

Press conference with Cena, Giants, Jets, McMahon, The Rock

By Jim Varsallone

World Wrestling Entertainment will hold a press conference on Thursday, Feb. 16 to announce WrestleMania 29 will be at MetLife Stadium, home to the New York Jets and Super Bowl champion New York Giants in East Rutherford, N.J.

The conference will include WWE CEO/Chairman Vince McMahon, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, WWE superstar John Cena and reps from the Giants and Jets as well as Dwayne The Rock Johnson.

This will mark the fourth WrestleMania outdoors, second consecutive time under the sky and first outside in a colder climate. WrestleMania 9 in 1993 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas; WrestleMania 24 in 2008 at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando; WrestleMania 28 in 2012 at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens.

A global phenomenon, WWE WrestleMania Week attracts thousands of fans from around the world to the host area.

More than 71,00 fans from 50 states and 30 countries attended WrestleMania 27 on April 3, 2011 at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. A recent study conducted by Enigma Research Corporation revealed WrestleMania 27 generated $62.1 million in economic impact for Atlanta, an increase of $17 million from WrestleMania 26 in 2010 in Phoenix.

WrestleMania 27 also generated approximately $7.8 million in local, state and county taxes. The $62.1 million figure comes from direct, indirect and induced impact derived from spending by non-locals visiting specifically for the show, with 75 percent of them coming from outside the Atlanta area and 61 percent staying three nights or more.

That’s what sparks interest from cities bidding to host the spectacular.

Other events during WrestleMania Week include WWE Hall of Fame ceremony, WWE Charity Art Auction, WWE Monday Night Raw and four-day WWE Fan Axxess.

Seating capacity for MetLife Stadium — which opened April 10, 2010 — is more than 82,000.

The Super Bowl of sports entertainment in 2013 will be followed by another giant Super Bowl there as the NFL’s Super Bowl 48 will be Feb. 2, 2014 at MetLife Stadium.

John Cena and The Rock will headline WrestleMania 28 on April 1 at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, and with both in attendance at the WrestleMania 29 press conference on Thursday, there is sure to be some interesting banter.

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