WWE WrestleMania 35 Drives $165M for NY/NJ; Stone Cold-Undertaker and More News

Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE and AEW. 

WrestleMania 35 Pulls in $165 Million in Economic Impact for New York/New Jersey

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WWE announced April's WrestleMania weekend resulted in $165.4 million of economic impact for the New York/New Jersey region, according to a study by the Enigma Research Corporation. WWE held events in New York City and the areas surrounding MetLife Stadium in New Jersey for this year's event, which included five nights of festivities.

"New Jersey is proud to have hosted WrestleMania 35 in April, the fourth time our state has been host to this great event," said New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy. "This data underscores what we already knew—bringing large-scale events that draw fans from all over the world brings significant economic benefits to our state and the region. I thank WWE for choosing New Jersey and hope to continue this partnership in the future."

The press release noted the revenue generated was equal to 1,534 full-time jobs for the area.

Cities are often eager to host tentpole sporting events for this reason, as they drive a massive amount of tourism to the area—all while having relatively low overhead for the city itself. Unlike a World Cup or Olympics, events like WrestleMania and the Super Bowl do not require costly permanent structures that are abandoned after the event. 

WrestleMania 36 will be held in Tampa, Florida next year.

Stone Cold To Launch New Interview Series on WWE Network; 1st Episode Features Undertaker

Stone Cold Steve Austin is coming back to WWE Network. The former WWE champion is set to launch a new interview series titled The Broken Skull Sessions on the Network on Nov. 24, with The Undertaker sitting down for a rare interview.

"Mark has been doing The Undertaker for 30 years and he has had one of the greatest runs in the history of the business," Austin told Variety's Joe Otterson. "He's stayed in character all this time. He's made a few appearances on some talk shows way back in the day, but no one has really ever heard from Mark Calaway the man…I think he was enthusiastic because he has been quiet for so long so now he has the chance to share some stories like everyone else has. He's had one of the most high-profile careers and, back in his heyday, had some of the most outlandish stories from the road. We had a great time shooting the breeze."

The Undertaker interview should provide a glimpse of the man behind the character—something that should draw in longtime fans. Taker is a well-known proponent of keeping kayfabe even in public, so he rarely does interviews or makes appearances out of character.

Based on the still provided, this appears to be an interview between Austin and Mark Callaway, rather than a worked shoot. As WWE looks to find new programming for the network after moving NXT to USA, these glimpses behind the curtain may help continue growth.

Arn Anderson Believes in Luke Harper

There aren't many people you'll find who disagree that Luke Harper is one of the most underutilized talents in WWE—including Harper himself. The company has barely utilized him since he requested his release in April, essentially paying him to sit at home while riding out his contract. It's unclear exactly when Harper's contract expires, but odds are he'll be exiting with haste the moment it does.

When Harper does leave WWE, it appears he has a fan close to AEW. Arn Anderson, who said Harper hasn't gotten enough recognition for his in-ring work. 

"A lot of guys wonder why I pick out Luke—Luke Harper is about 6'4", he was about 300 pounds and he trimmed down to I would probably say 250 pounds. His thought process before he goes to the ring, his planning, his ability to go out and whatever, if he has a lesser opponent, to be dominant, if he has an opponent of equal value, he knows how to get that guy over," Anderson told Wrestling Inc.'s Nick Hausman. 

Anderson was part of AEW's Full Gear telecast Saturday as one of the judges for the championship match between Cody and Chris Jericho. It was Anderson's third AEW appearance, though it does not appear he has a formal role with the company at this time. WWE fired Anderson in February, so he has extensive experience working with talent on the roster—and could potentially identify hungry guys who could add to the AEW roster.