WWE Axxess Report 3/30
As this is my first Wrestlemania trip, we are hitting up some of the events that WWE is doing leading up to the big event.
Yesterday we attended our first ever WWE Axxess event. What Axxess is, is basically a wrestling convention but done WWE style. There were autograph signings, live wrestling, interviews, and all kinds of interactive exhibits.
Some of the exhibits included: A Foam Pit Ring, The Elimination Chamber, A promo video booth, an superstar entrance way, The Undertaker entrance set, with druids, caskets, and all the creepy stuff to go along with it. Also there was the cage from WWE Fastlane, that Jericho was suspended in above the ring, so I locked my boss in it for good measure.
We only got opportunity to see a little bit of the wrestling, as there was a lot to look at, but we did catch Gallagher vs Davari, and it was a nice little match. I am really starting to dig Gallagher, he gets better and better with every match.
Also we got to see an interview with WWE Hall of Fame Alumni Alundra Blayze (Aka Madusa) about the current women’s division. Her insights were right on, and extremely inspiring.
We also got to see the unveiling of the Ric Flair bronze statue which was made by artist Karen Atta, who has also made statues of other WWEHOF members.
There is also a museum space set up with gear from Hall of Fame inductees past and present… here are a few of the displays that caught my eye.
Teddy Long’s Suit and Ref Gear
Rock N Roll Express Gear
“Ravishing” Rick Rudes Gear
Gorgeous George’s Gear
Harley Race and Ric Flair Ring Jackets
We also explored the massive WWE Pop Up Shop at the convention center… I really want some of those lunch boxes, they were probably my favorite thing there.
Again WWE has missed the mark on some of the womens shirts they have available, many of which have this weird beach tourist stand vibe, and at $30+ were ridiculously expensive for mid quality shirts. WWE could make more money from merch if it was more affordable to the masses. Just my opinion here as I know the costs involved in making merch, and at the level they make it, the cost vs what they make off the merch is an extremely large gap, and by lowering prices, they would probably sell double the amount of stuff. Not to mention there are great deals if you buy online this week from WWE Shop!
Also, it would have been nice for the ring to be more centered, so you could see the matches from the lines you were waiting in, and maybe slap hands with the wrestlers entering the ring. To me that would be the centerpiece of the event.
And lastly, getting people to pay for autographs of current talent seems to be a bit much, its understandable to pay for an 8 x 10, but you shouldn’t have to pay twice just to meet someone, especially current talent.
Overall it was fun, and definitely would have been more exciting if I was a casual fan, and not someone who works in the industry. They need to add contests, and I would have loved to see a set up to play WWE2k17 as well as a booth to make your character and upload it to play with.
I am glad I got to experience this first hand, and see the displays in person, because it’s just something you have to do at least once.
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