WWE WrestleMania XXIX: WWE Uses New Jersey as Storage for Shiny New York Stuff

Vince McMahon’s  recent Tweet about WrestleMania had huge implications.  McMahon delivered with a marvelous WrestleMania set, fully loaded with historic New York landmarks. 

"It's the Statue of Liberty!"  "It's the Brooklyn Bridge!"  "It's the Empire State Building!"

But there's only one problem.  It's in New Jersey. 

Where's the Jersey Shore?  Lucy The Elephant?  Atlantic City?  Why not make the ramp a boardwalk?  No Jersey Turnpike?  Okay, maybe not the Jersey Turnpike. 

The WWE has made it abundantly clear that despite officially being held in New Jersey, WrestleMania XXIX has more of a New York state-of-mind. 

Zack Ryder, a once-popular Jersey Shore character with a Twitter network over one million followers, isn't even on the card.  Not even close.  WWE officials would probably cringe hearing announcers make the Ryder-Jersey connection should he appear at WrestleMania. 

The closest WrestleMania has been to The Garden State is having Governor Chris Christie attend the WrestleMania XXIX press conference. 

East Rutherford, WrestleMania XXIX's host city, is more like the roommate the WWE found on Craigslist.  The one who shares an awkward greeting with its guests before never being seen or heard from again.  Give it ten years before the WWE historically swears that WrestleMania XXIX was the fifth time New York hosted the grand spectacle. 

Poor New Jersey.

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Such great hosts but so seldom acknowledged.  Known nationally as New York franchises, both the Jets and the Giants are actually headquartered in New Jersey.

It's hard to blame the WWE for going the same route, however.  The WWE is a New York stable.  Its horses were bred in Madison Square Garden.  Besides, New Jersey pales in comparison to New York in terms of national relevance. 

Jersey is more of the pop culture state that the world looks to for its guiltiest of pleasures.  It's front and center for shows like MTV's Jersey Shore and The Real Housewives of New Jersey.

But New York does all the heavy lifting for big boy events like WrestleMania, where the real site host is rendered a mere storage unit. 

So here's to Jersey—The Garden State whose flowers seem to always blossom in the dark.  Someday, it will be acknowledged for something important. 

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