Bodyslams and pre drinks with The Undertaker: Behind the scenes at WWE WrestleMania

We got up close and personal at the biggest WrestleMania of all time (Picture: On Location)

Brunch with WWE superstars, bodyslams in one of wrestling’s most iconic arenas, and schmoozing with The Undertaker – a WrestleMania like no other.

The glitz and glamour of WWE is unrivaled, with huge scale events only comparable to Super Bowl, but the NFL’s signature showpiece only happens once a year.

WrestleMania is like Christmas for wrestling fans, but there are huge shows happening every few weeks around the world with Backlash in Lyon next month, before Clash At The Castle in Glasgow and Bash At Berlin over the summer.

WWE has really pushed to be at the forefront of fan experiences, and their partnership with On Location has taken things to another level.

As part of Metro.co.uk‘s WrestleMania week, we got a taster of what was on offer, going all access on the day of WrestleMania Sunday with fans who had bought a Priority Pass for the event.

Explaining the team’s outlook, Rachel Nabatian, Head of Combat Sports at On Location, told us: ‘From my perspective as a fan, what would my dream WrestleMania experience be like?’

Our WrestleMania Sunday started with brunch at a local winery (Picture: On Location)

A host of WWE memorabilia was on display (Picture: Alistair McGeorge)

John Cena was heavily featured from his Doctor of Thuganomic days (Picture: Alistair McGeorge)

Starting as any day should, we went for brunch at Philadelphia’s City Winery for food and mid-morning drinks with some beloved WWE superstars as the likes of Pete Dunne, Tyler Bate, Nikki Cross and Apollo Crews stepped into the bar.

From signing autographs and posing for photos to helping mop up spilt drinks, the larger than life characters had a chance to show something of their real selves as they moved from table to table around the venue.

Taking a lead from WWE World – essentially, WWE’s fresh combination of Comic-Con and its own WrestleMania Axxess events – On Location even had some memorabilia on display from legends like John Cena and Booker T.

The integration with the talent is something at the heart of events like this, which will play a big part in On Location’s packages at the Paris Olympics this summer, with each experience tailored to the event and location perfectly.

Later in the day, we stepped through the doors of the iconic ECW Arena (Picture: Alistair McGeorge)

There were outfits on display from the likes of WWE Hall of Famer Eddie Guerrero (Picture: Alistair McGeorge)

Fans were living out their wrestling dreams (Picture: Alistair McGeorge)

For Paris, that will include on-site hospitality, takeovers of sites like the Eiffel Tower or viewing the Opening Ceremony from the banks of the River Reine.

Back to WrestleMania, after brunch we headed to the iconic ECW Arena, which was the home to Paul Heyman’s Extreme Championship Wrestling promotion in the late 1990s, with legends like Eddie Guerrero, Rob Van Dam, Sabu and more gracing the ring.

Actual ring-worn outfits from Guerrero and RVD were on display, while the stage was made up in tribute to ECW itself.

Having been at the venue for an independent show days earlier, it was fascinating seeing it in a different light, while getting a chance to step into the ring itself. While we were happy to pose for photos, some fans filmed their own mini-matches with bodyslams and pinfalls, embracing being on such hallowed ground.

ECW legend The Blue Meanie was on hand, spending a lot of time with everyone who wanted to talk to him, and mentioning to us how much it meant to be back in the venue sharing memories with generations of fans.

You don’t appreciate the scale until you’re this close (Picture: Alistair McGeorge)

The Rock, John Cena and more would be in that very ring hours later (Picture: On Location)

We got up close to the announce table… (Picture: Alistair McGeorge)

Thankfully, it was Solo Sikoa who got slammed through it – not us (Picture: On Location)

On Location also took over Citizens Bank Ballpark for a massive tailgate, which we got a taste of on the Saturday with food, games and meet and greets with the likes of Ricochet, Braun Strowman and The Viking Raiders’ star Ivar.

Back over at the stadium on the Sunday, we got taken to ringside for photos leaning on the ring itself, getting an up-close view of the announce tables, timekeeper’s area (the bell has its own suitcase), and a photo on the ramp, standing where hours later, the likes of Cody Rhodes, John Cena, The Rock, Roman Reigns, Bayley and more would make their entrances.

The crew were putting the final touches on preparations for the show, giving us a nice behind the scenes look at the scale of operations for something as special as WrestleMania.

Before we headed to the press box to get to work on our WrestleMania coverage and fans with the packages headed to their seats, we had a chance to check out some pre-show hospitality in the stadium itself.

The Undertaker was on hand to spend some time with his fans (Picture: On Location)

WWE and On Location have found a way to get people even closer to the action (Picture: On Location)

It was the WrestleMania where Cory Rhodes finished his story (Picture: On Location)

There, none other than The Undertaker was on hand for photos, autographs and more as fans enjoyed pre-drinks, food (and ice cream) at a free bar, as everyone eagerly awaited the show itself.

‘The community we have – they’re all friends, they text each other, coming to these events is a reunion for them,’ Rachel added.

Hours later, Cody Rhodes finished his story and left the stadium as WWE Champion, and his first title defence will take place in Lyon, France at Backlash, with On Location back on the scene.

It should be noted, these packages don’t come cheap, starting from $450 to $3,500 and going even higher depending on what tier you want for a specific event.

Given WWE’s stellar run – the last 18 TV events have sold out, with fans loving the so-called Renaissance Era – passion and engagement is at an all time high, with that loyalty being rewarded with another level of behind the scenes access with some of the biggest names in wrestling.

For more information on On Location and WWE, click here. On Location will also be at the Paris Olympics this summer.

Got a story?

If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us [email protected], calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.

Are you a Soaps fan? For exclusive spoilers and interviews, sign up to Metro’s Soaps newsletter