WrestleMania XXVIII will be held at Sun Life Stadium on April 1st, 2012 as the WWE recognized the value not only of the venue but of being able to showcase everything it’s about in one of the most diverse cities in America.“Nobody does big events like Miami and no venue is more blessed to have these kinds of events,” said Dolphins CEO Mike Dee, who was joined by Hall-of-Fame quarterback Dan Marino and limited partner and Grammy Award winner Emilio Estefan. “It’s just great that we’re in a position to work with the community to bring WrestleMania here. It’s going to be a tremendous entertainment value for local fans but it’s going to bring a lot of people from all over the country and all over the world. It’s going to have a tremendous economic impact on the region.”
Though there have been other former NFL players to crossover into the ring, nobody from the Miami Dolphins has attempted to try the physically demanding sport since Wahoo McDaniel in the 1970s. Marino made it clear that he will not be the next.
“No, I never thought about it,” Marino said. “And I will never think about it. But it’s great for the city of Miami and that’s why I’m here. The Dolphins wanted me to come and show my support for this and to have this event at Sun Life Stadium, they were able to pull something special of because this is truly a big event. It’s very similar to the Super Bowl because it’s one big event”
In addition to the actual main event, which will be televised via pay-per-view to more than 100 countries, there will be a weeklong slate of events similar to Super Bowl week. Among them will be the 2012 WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, WrestleMania Axxess, the finals of the WrestleMania Reading Challenge and a Celebrity Pro-Am Golf Tournament.
Miami also has hosted Super Bowls before, but McMahon has wanted to bring WrestleMania to Miami for quite some time. “We should’ve been here before, actually,” McMahon said. “So many WWE fans have asked us through the years, ‘Why not Miami?’ and sometimes it takes me a while to make the right decision, and this is definitely the right decision. It’s going to be an extraordinary event. There are so many things that are appealing here and you want to go where you’re welcomed. We’re welcomed here and there’s a warm, personal feeling that you get from those who enjoy our sport and enjoy our form of entertainment.”
The Miz is the reigning WWE men’s champion and Diva Eve is the women’s champion. The two of them were very excited to see WrestleMania come to Miami, as was The Big Show, who is a Miami resident. Marino joked that he’d like to be The Big Show’s bodyguard.
WrestleMania XXVIII will be at the Sun Life Stadium in Miami, Florida on Sunday April 1, 2012.
