Written By: Andy Nalewski
Ah, the WWE; The cornerstone of entertainment for a dedicated crowd of millions, and a pastime rivaling those of the many titans of sports. There are many types of people in this fanbase — children, adults, teens, but age alone does not define them. Some are casual, some are enthusiasts, and some are diehards.
Enter Keri Gardner, a Fitchburg State student and diehard wrestling fan. Wrestlemania 32 slammed its way onto screens all across the globe last night, and I (very, very, very, very sadly) did not have the opportunity to tune in. Keri has been following the sport much longer than I have, and I turned to her for a recap and her opinion on the show.
The WWE gets Keri’s thunderous approval this time around, with her saying that this is probably the best Wrestlemania to date. “I straight up cried when Zack Ryder made his way to the ring and said “I’ve waited my whole life for this.” [I] cried again when he won.” See, wrestling all boils down to moments, little snippets in time that solidify themselves as pure gold, and Wrestlemania 32 had a lot of them.
Shane McMahon leaped off the top of the 20 ft tall “Hell in a Cell”, to smash The Undertaker through an announce table. Dean Ambrose and Brock Lesnar nearly beat each other to death (really), and Shaq even showed up to compete in a Battle Royal. These great moments are what make a person into a fan.

“I’ve been a fan since probably the third grade. I don’t know that I have one particular favorite moment, but I remember being in absolute shock when Brock and Big Show broke the ring on SmackDown. That was the first huge moment for me.”
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRv2Wj051_c&w=560&h=315]
Nostalgia plays a large role as well: when legends come back in full ring gear, you know something’s going down.
“[I] Absolutely lost it when HBK’s [Shawn Michaels] music played, and then when [Mick] Foley and [Steve] Austin’s music hit I was like “Holy F****** S***!” These three destroyed a villainous group in a spectacular fashion.
It all boils down to the things that wrestling can make you feel. If you feel enough, wrestling will hold a place in your heart. “Every match tells a story if they do it right. These men and women can be immortal if they connect just the right way. And those moments where they connect with me make me almost proud of them, makes me believe in something. And sometimes they just do the coolest [stuff].”
So, here’s to more Wrestlemanias ahead, and more great moments to make us feel great.
Note from the Editor (Nate Thomas): We would be remiss if we didn’t mention the brand new WWE Women’s Championship Belt. The WWE has decided to move in a new direction with their female athletes, and instead of calling them Divas, they are being called Superstars like the rest of the roster. Instead of being the Diva’s division, it will now be the Women’s division, and instead of the Diva’s belt, it will be the WWE Women’s championship belt, shown below. This is a great step in the right direction for WWE, who has been criticized for belittling the women of their company, and caring more about their bodies and sex appeal, and putting their efforts in the ring on the back-burner.