Big Easy Bash
Feels like the first time: My WrestleMania maiden voyage
Apr 11, 2018, 4:09 am
The press box in the Mercedes- Benz SuperDome allowed me to experience a WWE event in a way I never imagined. Photo by Jose Partida
Growing up as a wrestling fan in my house was tough. We did not have cable, so the only reason I was able to watch SmackDown was because it was on local television. As far as Raw was concerned, I had to wait until Telemundo aired a dubbed Spanish version on Sunday afternoons to know what was happening on a show that aired almost a week before. As you can imagine, I did not watch many pay-per-views growing up. My parents were not going to pay 60 bucks a pop to feed my wrestling fandom.
I was about to turn seven when WrestleMania X-Seven took over Houston. This was before my time as a wrestling fan, and I did not watch it until I was much older. Knowing that perhaps the best ‘Mania of all time occurred in my own backyard is still something that ails me to this day. Stone Cold shaking hands with the devil himself. The first ever ladder match between the Dudleys, Hardys, and Edge and Christian. There are so many memories from that show engraved in my head.
This year, I was fortunate enough to live out the dream I have had since I was a child. Interestingly enough, my first opportunity to go to a WrestleMania was thanks to a media credential. Still being new to the sports media industry it was an interesting opportunity. This was not only my biggest credentialed sporting event, it was going to be my first time at the Showcase of the Immortals.
The city of New Orleans housed the biggest wrestling weekend of the year, and rightfully so. It’s uniqueness deems it the opportunity to be engulfed in the world of pro wrestling. As I walked into the Mercedes-Benz SuperDome, I did not feel nervous like I do when I attend other media events. I felt like I belonged there.
I was handed my credential, and would you believe it, as soon as we walk through the door Jeff Hardy was sitting on the ground on his cell phone. The Jeff Hardy. The guy who took the monstrous 20-foot Spear from Edge at X-Seven. The guy whos ridiculous arm sleeves I wanted to have. I did not speak to Jeff, who was on his phone the whole time. I waited for the elevator to take me to my press box, but seeing him triggered a feeling of nostalgia that remained with me the entire night.
Once I finally found my seat, I was greeted by a gigantic program that was almost the size of my entire workspace. In it was pages with the matches on the card, a list of the talent from every brand-from NXT to Raw, and a section of the WWE HOF. I stopped skimming through it in time to watch Matt Hardy win the Andre the Giant Battle Royal, and thus began a seven-hour experience of wrestling.
My vantage point allowed me to get a perspective of the entire arena. A sea of over 70,000 people moving in unison to Daniel Bryan’s arrival, an orchestra of silence and awe as Asuka’s undefeated streak came to an end, and an eruption of excitement as Ronda Rousey dominated the squared circle. It was absolutely mesmerizing to see so many people feeling the same exact feelings in those moments.
Experiencing those masterful entrances in person was incredible. Watching Charlotte and her throne spoke to her dominance on SmackDown, Triple H and Stephanie once again showed they were not going to be outdone with their Biker entrance, Nita Strauss’s rendition of Nakamura’s theme song gave the rockstar a fitting entrance for his first ‘Mania match, and Undertaker’s hat and coat appearing in the ring marked the return of The Phenom.
Watching Seth Rollins win the Intercontinental Title was great, especially considering he was the third and final Shield member to become a Grand Slam Champion. Watching Ronda Rousey show off against two HOF competitors was as unbelievable as it was amazing. Observing Charlotte and Asuka prove that women can wrestle as good, if not better, than men was so validating. It was without a doubt a night full of unforgettable moments.
I expected a lot of things, ask Jermaine Every as I beat him in our prediction article, but I never expected to be as overtaken by WrestleMania 34 the way that I was. This past weekend the WWE helped me create memories that will always stick with me for the rest of my life. The kid who had to hear from his friends what happened on that year’s WrestleMania got the chance to experience one first-hand. I am now a few days removed from the experience, and I still cannot shake off the feelings I felt getting to experience that show from that perspective. WrestleMania 34 was my first WrestleMania. I went as a credentialed media member, but I never felt more of a fan than I did that night.
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After finishing up with the Guardians the Astros have a rather important series for early May with the Seattle Mariners heading to town for the weekend. While it’s still too early to be an absolute must-win series for the Astros, losing the series to drop seven or eight games off the division lead would make successfully defending their American League West title that much more unlikely.
Since their own stumble out of the gate to a 6-10 record the Mariners have been racking up series wins, including one this week over the Atlanta Braves. The M’s offense is largely Mmm Mmm Bad, but their pitching is sensational. In 18 games after the 6-10 start, the Mariners gave up five runs in a game once. In the other 17 games they only gave up four runs once. Over the 18 games their starting pitchers gave up 18 earned runs total with a 1.44 earned run average. That’s absurd. Coming into the season Seattle’s starting rotation was clearly better on paper than those of the Astros and Texas Rangers, and it has crystal clearly played out as such into the second month of the schedule.
While it’s natural to focus on and fret over one’s own team's woes when they are plentiful as they have been for the Astros, a reminder that not all grass is greener elsewhere. Alex Bregman has been awful so far. So has young Mariners’ superstar Julio Rodriguez. A meager four extra base hits over his first 30 games were all Julio produced down at the ballyard. That the Mariners are well ahead of the Astros with J-Rod significantly underperforming is good news for Seattle.
Caratini comes through!
So it turns out the Astros are allowed to have a Puerto Rican-born catcher who can hit a little bit. Victor Caratini’s pedigree is not that of a quality offensive player, but he has swung the bat well thus far in his limited playing time and provided the most exciting moment of the Astros’ season with his two-out two-run 10th inning game winning home run Tuesday night. I grant that one could certainly say “Hey! Ronel Blanco finishing off his no-hitter has been the most exciting moment.” I opt for the suddenness of Caratini’s blow turning near defeat into instant victory for a team that has been lousy overall to this point. Frittering away a game the Astros had led 8-3 would have been another blow. Instead, to the Victor belong the spoils.
Pudge Rodriguez is the greatest native Puerto Rican catcher, but he was no longer a good hitter when with the Astros for the majority of the 2009 season. Then there’s Martin Maldonado.
Maldonado’s hitting stats with the Astros look Mike Piazza-ian compared to what Jose Abreu was doing this season. Finally, mercifully for all, Abreu is off the roster as he accepts a stint at rookie-level ball in Florida to see if he can perform baseball-CPR on his swing and career. Until or unless he proves otherwise, Abreu is washed up and at some point the Astros will have to accept it and swallow whatever is left on his contract that runs through next season. For now Abreu makes over $120,000 per game to not be on the roster. At his level of performance, that’s a better deal than paying him that money to be on the roster.
Abreu’s seven hits in 71 at bats for an .099 batting average with a .269 OPS is a humiliating stat line. In 2018 George Springer went to sleep the night of June 13 batting .293 after going hitless in his last four at bats in a 13-5 Astros’ win over Oakland. At the time no one could have ever envisioned that Springer had started a deep, deep funk which would have him endure a nightmarish six for 78 stretch at the plate (.077 batting average). Springer then hit .293 the rest of the season.
Abreu’s exile opened the door for Joey Loperfido to begin his Major League career. Very cool for Loperfido to smack a two-run single in his first game. He also struck out twice. Loperfido will amass whiffs by the bushel, he had 37 strikeouts in 101 at bats at AAA Sugar Land. Still, if he can hit .225 with some walks mixed in (he drew 16 with the Space Cowboys) and deliver some of his obvious power (13 homers in 25 games for the ex-Skeeters) that’s an upgrade over Abreu/Jon Singleton, as well as over Jake Meyers and the awful showing Chas McCormick has posted so far. Frankly, it seems unwise that the Astros only had Loperfido play seven games at first base in the minors this year. If McCormick doesn’t pick it up soon and with Meyers displaying limited offensive upside, the next guy worth a call-up is outfielder Pedro Leon. In January 2021 the Astros gave Leon four million dollars to sign out of Cuba and called him a “rapid mover to the Major Leagues.” Well…
Over his first three minor league seasons Leon flashed tools but definitely underwhelmed. He has been substantially better so far this year. He turns 26 May 28. Just maybe the Astros offense could be the cause of fewer Ls with Loperfido at first and Leon in center field.
Catch our weekly Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast. Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and I discuss varied Astros topics. The first post for the week generally goes up Monday afternoon (second part released Tuesday) via YouTube: stone cold stros - YouTube with the complete audio available via Apple Podcast, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.