WrestleMania May Come To New 49ers Stadium
SANTA CLARA (KCBS) - The spectacle of body slams and chair smacks may soon be experienced at the Levi's Stadium as the city of Santa Clara will attempt to smack down Philadelphia in a bidding showdown to find out which will host WrestleMania 31—wrestling's huge-money making showcase—in 2015.
Mayor Jamie Matthews and San Francisco 49ers executives will fly next week to World Wrestling Entertainment headquarters in Connecticut to pitch the company's chairman, Vince McMahon.
"We are very excited about it. We think we have something competitive and wonderful to offer. We think we have the best weather, obviously, within the nation and we think that we can bring it home," Matthews said.
He added: "You got to think of The Rock, Hulk Hogan—I think all those names roll off everyone's tongue, it's an exciting thing and it's something that brings in lots and lots crowds and lots and lots of revenue."
Revenue derived from WrestleMania—which includes a week of wrestling events—could be significant. Matthews said that if Levi's Stadium is selected by the WWE, it will be a huge boost to the local economy. Last year's WrestleMania event at the Miami Dolphins' Sun Life stadium generated an estimated $103 million for business in south Florida.
"So you have to think about the impact of that alone. The tickets sold out within minutes of being posted," Matthews said. "That's what type of demand and following there is for this type of sports entertainment."
Santa Clara has already become the host city for the Super Bowl L in 2016; so with the addition of WrestleMana 31, it could be a huge financial boost for the region.
The WWE's decision will be made sometime early next year.
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