By Shawn Valentino, PWTorch Specialist

Almost a week has passed since WrestleMania 25 and I am still recovering from the wild and wacky week. You see, what WWE has succeeded in doing is making the event more than just a wrestling show but a week of festivities that is really a celebration of wrestling itself. This year was no different as the company went all out in creating paradise on earth for fans everywhere.

From Fan Axxess to the Hall of Fame to Mania to Raw, Houston was transformed into WWE country as it opened its arms wide to people all over the world that came to see their favorite superstars.

Hoping to catch a bit of the wrestling buzz, the other major companies followed suit with major events of their own. Ring of Honor held some big shows and had a classic match of their own in KENTA versus Davey Richards. I was not able to witness that match, but I did get to attend Booker T's Legends of Wrestling Fanfest. In one week, wrestling lovers had the glorious opportunity to see virtually every major wrestler in the country.

I was exceptionally lucky because I happened to be staying in the same hotel with the WWE wrestlers themselves and had a chance to meet and party with the stars during their biggest week of the year. Being surrounded by the heroes you grow up with is truly a surreal experience and it gives you a glimpse of the actual people behind the colorful characters they portray on television. Today, I wanted to provide you all a behind the scenes perspective from one lifelong fan's experience of WrestleMania 25.

WrestleMania Week at the Hotel

We arrived on Wednesday and within minutes of our arrival, we met Stephanie McMahon, who was sweet as can be. She is the perfect example of why we should not take the characters we see on the WWE programs at face value. While on television she comes across as whiny, annoying, and pompous. In person, she is always extremely kind and cordial with all the fans. I have met her numerous times, and every time she has gone out of her way to greet and take pictures with the fans. Shane is the same way, and it is obvious that they make an effort to present a good face for the company.

Stephanie's husband on the other hand, is another story. In person, Triple H does not appear to be much different from the scowling, sarcastic prick he plays on television. I do not think I ever saw the man smile out of all of the times I saw him walk by in the hotel. The perfect example of this was when a young fan approached him for a picture when there was nobody else around and Hunter was merely waiting for an order of coffee. He still refused to sign an autograph or take a picture with him, even though it would have taken no effort and he was waiting there anyway.

Now I am not saying that wrestlers, or any celebrities for that matter, owe anything to their fans beyond the entertainment product they produce, but when you may be a de facto future owner of a company, that is not how you "play the game" with the people who keep you in business.

One of the more fantastical moments of the week came when my friends and I were having a drink at the bar and who else sat next to us but Harley Race and The Nature Boy himself, Ric Flair. Although we were not eavesdropping, we could not help but overhear the two legends sharing stories and reliving the glory days. Flair even mentioned Vince had offered him the general manager position of Smackdown but he felt he could make more money working the independent circuit. It was also great to see that Naitch was still the life of the party. In fact, Flair was out late nights at the bar every night with his new girlfriend, another young blonde, and seemed to be in terrific spirits. He lives up to his reputation as the Hugh Hefner of the wrestling world, a partier par excellence.

People often wonder what wrestlers are nice in person and which ones are not. It is unfair to judge a person based on what you see from them meeting in passing, but there are stars that are exceptionally fan friendly. I was happy to see that Ricky Steamboat lives up to his reputation as one of the real "good guys" of wrestling as he was extremely polite and nice to everyone he came across.

Similarly, Roddy Piper stopped and signed and took pictures with all of his supporters as he made his way to the bar saying he "needs to get wasted." The Rowdy One is as fun and charismatic as ever. Perhaps the most outgoing and gregarious of all the legends is Tony Atlas, who always makes efforts to sit and talk with the fans. Mr. USA went as far as to say he would rather hang with them than his fellow wrestlers, a true man of the people.

Out of today's young stars, the Hardy brothers were amongst the fan favorites at the hotel. I saw them both numerous times over the course of the weekend and never saw them refuse an autograph or a picture, no matter how big of a hurry they were in. I heard a story that Jeff was once refused an autograph by one of his favorite superstars when he was young and he has vowed to never do the same thing. Much like their onscreen characters, Matt seems to be stable and down to earth, while his younger brother is enigmatic and mysterious, but both are really cool guys.

Mr. Kennedy is another star that really understands how to handle the fan adulation. I would vote him the wrestler that you would most want to share a beer with, as when you get a few drinks in him, nobody is more entertaining. On one of the nights, people tried to goad him into grabbing into grabbing the hotel loud speaker microphone and doing his "Mr. Kennedy" bit, but it was not to be.

Booker T's Legends of Wrestling Fanfest

After a few days of meeting nearly every WWE superstar at the hotel, we decided to check out Booker T's wrestling convention. We looked at the lineup and realized that there was no way we could miss the chance to see Jake the Snake in person, although I placed a bet that he would not show up. Many of you may have read about the event from James Caldwell's reports, and it was great to finally meet him after many years of listening to his updates and readings his views.

Against all expectations, Jake did show up, and his personality was as bizarre as expected. My friend from England asked what city he stayed in when he lived there, and Jake responded that he did not want him to come to his house, or some strange thing like that. Meeting him was hilarious in an "Iron Sheik train wreck" sort of fashion. Other than that, there were not too many people I was interested in paying to take photos with, especially since nearly every wrestler I would want to meet was staying in my hotel.

This was my first wrestling convention and I had no idea what to expect. In fact, the only real idea I had of such an event came from watching "The Wrestler," and any of you who saw the film know it was not a flattering picture. Unlike in the movie, this was not an empty room of washed-up has-beens selling old VHS tapes. There was a long line of fans waiting to catch a rare glimpse of superstars that they may never see again. Additionally, many of these performers are still seen every week on TNA and it was nice to get the chance to meet them.

I did have one major issue with convention, however, and that was the presentation. There were two long rows of tables, one where superstars sat, and the other where vendors sold merchandise. Unfortunately, the venue was so enormous that most of the room was a sprawling display of empty space. Booker and did a tremendous job in assembling talent, and special mention to Sharmell for putting ego aside to handle entrance duties for much of the convention, but this was an event that should have taken place in a hotel ballroom. It looked ridiculous in the oversized convention center. Nonetheless, it was an unforgettable experience, and for a nominal entry price of ten dollars, fans got more than their money worth.

WWE Fan Axxess

Correct me if I am wrong, but I believe WWE does Fan Axxess every year, but recently it has not been a major attraction and very few of their main stars made appearances. In contrast, this year, the company went all out in making it a true extravaganza. My expectations were low going in, but I was absolutely awestruck by the spectacle. Whether it was wandering through Undertaker's graveyard or viewing the mini-museum of rare memorabilia, including Vince McMahon's commentator jackets and Hulk Hogan's old t-shirts, it was a fan's haven.

Fans stood in long lines to meet their beloved WWE stars, which rotated every few hours. On top of that, there was a full-size ring in the middle of the room where the stars did question and answer sessions amongst other happenings. Edge and Shawn Michaels were the main attractions on the night I attended.

There were two especially cool booths that I felt were worth the price of admission alone. One station allowed you to commentate on a classic match with Todd Grisham. Even more awesome was the "Create Your Own Entrance" area where you literally could recreate your favorite wrestler's entrance with you as the star. They gave you a DVD of the creation and it is a keepsake you will remember forever.

The absolute highlight for me was getting to step foot inside the imposing Hell in a Cell structure. Standing in a WWE ring surrounded by the "demonic fences" was an unbelievable experience. You are even allowed to vicariously live out your wrestling fantasies by taking bumps in the ring. My friend took a hard chokeslam to the canvas, and yes, it does hurt! For all of you who plan on going to WrestleMania next year, I highly encourage you to make the extra effort to check out this spectacular fan showcase because it gives you "axxess" to your wrestling dreams.

Hall of Fame Day

One of the WWE's greatest accomplishments over the last few years has been to establish the Hall of Fame ceremony as a landmark on the calendar year. I have now been to all six induction festivities since they reintroduced the event and I look forward to it as much as WrestleMania itself. This year the centerpiece was obviously "Stone Cold" Steve Austin entering the hallowed halls in his home state. One of the more fascinating moments from the week was meeting his ex-wife Debra Marshall hours before the event.

Debra was in town for Booker T's convention, but I was surprised to see her at the WWE hotel, especially given the turbulent history between her and Austin. I had the chance to speak to her for a few minutes and she was not only still beautiful but was an exceptionally sweet lady as well. I asked her if she was going to participate in the Diva Battle Royale, but she said she was not involved. In fact, she was leaving town before the Hall of Fame, which should not be surprising.

She praised Austin's talent as a "great entertainer" but was less flattering of his skills as a spouse. It was sad to think about what she had been through, but wonderful to see that she remained positive and was aiming for a comeback. With her lovely looks and personality, it was easy to see what had made her wrestling's queen.

As for the ceremony itself, it was not as exquisite of a production as it has been in years past. In fact, I feel this was the worst installment of the event since it has become a staple of the WWE calendar year. The stage was not as elaborately set up as years prior. Additionally, the sound quality from the speakers was really bad and it was difficult to understand many of the inductees. Not only that, but free tickets were being given away to fans outside just to fill up the arena. Worst of all, the honorees were given very limited time to speak, and we were not able to hear as many of the fun road stories that made the event so special in years past.

Despite this, there were many highlights that made it a fairly entertaining spectacle. Koko B. Ware, who many felt did not deserve the honor, appeared genuinely appreciative, and it was nice to see of the more colorful characters of the Rock and Wrestling era get one more moment in the sun. His spotlight was nearly stolen by Frankie 2009, the bird that kept trying to grab the paper from which he was reading his speech. Howard Finkel was also terrific, and hearing his trademark voice made you yearn for his return to announcing. Nobody can introduce a big match better than The Fink.

Watching Kevin Von Erich accept the induction in honor of his family was probably the most emotional moment of the evening. Unfortunately, it was difficult to understand his speech because of the poor sound quality in the stadium. If the company is really having trouble selling out the event, they should bring it back to the smaller theatres they had in years past because the presentation was much classier and setting more intimate. A positive note of the bigger arena was that we were further away from the ridiculous outfit that Michael Hayes was sporting. He looked like a combination of displaced eighties rock star and a reject from a Snoop Dog video.

Ricky Steamboat came off as the class of the ceremony. The Dragon looked to be in great shape, and seeing him reunited with his archrival Ric Flair brought back sensational memories for wrestling fans everywhere. It was easy to see what made him one of the great babyfaces of all time. This was where the time constraints hurt the event as it would have been nice to see more stories from The Nature Boy about his greatest opponent.

Finally, the crowd came unglued when Austin made his way to the stage. The video package was outstanding and WWE is still the state of the art for production values. The atmosphere was electric in the arena as Stone Cold closed the door on his wrestling career. He appeared to be wrapped up in the emotion of the moment and gave an introspective account of his career and life.

If he never comes back to the ring, his speech and the appearance at Mania the next day would be a fitting conclusion to his storied career. Sadly, watching Austin was somewhat of a bittersweet moment for me after meeting Debra earlier in the day and knowing the volatility of that relationship.

The night of the Hall of Fame at the hotel had a festive atmosphere and was one of the most enjoyable times of my life. It was absolutely surreal seeing a packed bar full of larger than life wrestlers and sexy Divas. Having drinks in the same room with Kevin Von Erich, Honky Tonk Man, Ric Flair, Koko B. Ware, Sunny, etc, was a fan's dream.

By this time, Mickey Rourke had arrived and he seemed to be soaking in the atmosphere as he partied into the late night hours. I got a chance to congratulate Steve Austin on his induction and thank him for his years of entertainment. Whatever you think about Stone Cold's personal life, it cannot be denied that he goes above and beyond to meet and greet all of the fans. If you get a chance to meet him, it is easy to understand why he had such a strong bond with the audience.

WrestleMania Day

What more needs to be said about WrestleMania? For wrestling fans, it is the Super Bowl, Final Four, and World Series wrapped into one. If you want to read my thoughts on the event itself, check out my previous article analyzing the live experience of watching the grand spectacle in Reliant Stadium.

The general mood at the hotel after the WWE's biggest event of the year was that it was a tremendous success other than the lifeless main event. People were giving me politically correct responses that it was passable and the crowd was tired, but it was obvious that the general consensus was that it was a failure.

In contrast, everybody was raving over the unbelievable Undertaker versus Shawn Michaels instant classic. Many fans, including myself, called it the greatest match they have ever seen. I had the opportunity to talk with many of the superstars and they were equally in awe of the dramatic showdown. My highlight of the night was being able to shake The Dead Man's hand and thank him for the epic encounter.

Speaking of Taker, he reportedly looked in great shape despite his hard fall onto the floor. Reports were that he broke character at the Mania post-party and he not only took charge of some emcee duties, but he also camped it up a bit. Mickey Rourke, Kid Rock, and ZZ Top were also at the party, and Rourke in particular was "one of the boys" as he stayed there all night with fellow party legend Flair.

Post-WrestleMania Raw

The Raw the day after WrestleMania is usually a newsworthy happening itself. This year was no different with the return of Batista. There was also some excellent in-ring action on the show, particularly the tag title rematch between Miz and Morrison and the Colons, as well as the all-star tag match. Steamboat received the biggest pop of the night, and it must have sent chills down his spine to hear fans chant his name again. Hopefully, he does not overstay his welcome, but for one weekend, it was great to see The Dragon again.

Of particular note was the strategic absence of Triple H. Every time his face was shown on the screens, the arena was about to erupt in boos. Clearly, most fans in attendance saw his clunker of a main event the day prior and were ready to let him have it. If he were to come out alone, he would have surely been jeered, but WWE smartly booked him to come out during Batista's return segment so the audience would not be given the opportunity to express their frustration about that uninspired performance he put on at Mania.

The trip concluded in grand fashion with one final night in the hotel with the wrestlers. The night of Raw after WrestleMania is usually pretty relaxed, but you can always count on The Nature Boy for some classic entertainment. Flair completely let loose a tirade of anger on the hotel reception desk because he was unable to get into his room. It matched some of his best promo work over the years. It got so crazy that the receptionist refused to give him a key and escorted him to his room. As he was taken up, the entire lobby and bar screamed out a huge "Wooo!" It was absolutely hilarious.

Just when it appeared that things could not get any more surreal, who walked into the hotel lobby out of his limousine other than Vincent Kennedy McMahon himself. Seeing him in person was the absolute perfect conclusion to WrestleMania weekend. He took time to personally shake hands with the few diehard fans that were still in the hotel. He is simply a larger than life figure in person and I thanked him for a lifetime of entertainment. It was only fitting, because my memories of WrestleMania 25 week will be with me forever.

Please send questions, comments and feedback to valentino.torch@gmail.com

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