WWE issued the following on Wednesday, touting WrestleMania 28 as the “Social Media Event of the Year.”

Earlier this morning, social media blog Mashable.com posted a feature article on WWE going into social media overdrive this weekend.

Here’s the press release:

World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. : Social Media Event of the Year WrestleMania®

WWE® (NYSE:WWE) today announced the first ever “WrestleMania Pre-Show,” simulcast live on YouTube, Facebook and WWE.com this Sunday, April 1 at 6:30 p.m. ET, as the centerpiece of its record-level digital and social media activities for WrestleMania Week in Miami. WrestleMania XXVIII broadcasts live on pay-per-view this Sunday, April 1 at 7:00 p.m. ET. “The Social Media Event of the Year” also includes:

WRESTLEMANIA INTERACTIVE PRESS CONFERENCE
To kick off WrestleMania Week, the WrestleMania press conference at the Eden Roc Hotel will live stream on YouTube, Facebook and WWE.com tomorrow, Wednesday, March 28, at 2:30 p.m. ET. The press conference will take live fan questions via Twitter, allowing online participants to get the scoop from the WWE Superstars in attendance.

PEREZHILTON.COM RED CARPET COVERAGE
WWE Divas will bring fans along for all the WrestleMania festivities as they happen, providing exclusive coverage for PerezHilton.com, including tweets and photos from the WrestleMania VIP Party on Thursday, March 29 and the WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Saturday, March 31.

MIKE TYSON: WWE SOCIAL MEDIA AMBASSADOR
This year’s celebrity WWE Hall of Fame honoree, Mike Tyson (@MikeTyson), will be tweeting live from key events, including the WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, WrestleMania Axxess and WrestleMania XXVIII. Exclusive videos, photos and articles of Tyson participating in WrestleMania events will be uploaded to YouTube and WWE.com.

TWITTER FACE-OFF: THE ROCK® VS. JOHN CENA®
WWE will also involve fans, celebrities and WWE Legends in a Twitter hashtag battle over who will win the WrestleMania main event featuring The Rock vs. John Cena, utilizing the respective hashtags: #TeamBringIt vs. #Cenation. WWE Superstars will also be tweeting throughout WrestleMania, letting fans in on all the action backstage.

EXCLUSIVE YOUTUBE VIDEOS
On Friday, March 30, WWE will post exclusive WrestleMania videos on YouTube’s home page. The series will feature WWE Superstars The Rock, John Cena, Triple H®, Undertaker®, CM Punk® and Chris Jericho®. WWE Superstar Santino Marella® will also film his popular YouTube show, Santino’s Foreign Exchange, at WrestleMania Axxess.

TEXT TO WIN WRESTLEMANIA TRIP TO NYC
Fans have the chance to win one of 100 pairs of tickets and an all-expenses paid trip to New York City for next year’s WrestleMania at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, April 7, 2013 by texting from their phones or entering online at WWE.com during WrestleMania.

WRESTLEMANIA WEEK TWITTER HASHTAGS
#WrestleMania
#Axxess – WrestleMania Axxess
#WWEHOF – WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
#WMParty – WrestleMania Premiere Party: A Celebration of Miami Art & Fashion

Text to Win Sweepstakes/Contest Rules
Sweepstakes ends Sunday, April 15. No purchase necessary to enter or win. Open to U.S. and Canada residents only (excluding Quebec), 18 and older. See wwe.com/winmania for Official Rules.

SEScoops Will Be At WrestleMania 28 - Tons Of Pictures & Videos Coming Monday!

The wait is almost over – and WrestleMania 28 weekend is finally upon us. The staff of SEScoops.com will be attending the WWE Hall of Fame Ceremony on Saturday night and WrestleMania 28 on Sunday. Aside from our usual LIVE COVERAGE of WrestleMania 28 on Sunday night, we’ll be posting live recaps, pictures and videos from the Hall of Fame Ceremony and WrestleMania. Keep it locked to SEScoops.com and the SEScoops.com Facebook Page this weekend for tons of exclusive content from Miami.

Here is the final card for Sunday’s WrestleMania 28 pay-per-view from the Sun Life Stadium in Miami, Florida:

The Rock vs. John Cena
* Rappers Flo Rida & Machine Gun Kelly performing

WWE Championship Match
CM Punk (c) vs. Chris Jericho

World Heavyweight Title Match
Daniel Bryan (c) vs. Sheamus

Hell In a Cell
Triple H vs. The Undertaker
* Special Referee: Shawn Michaels

Team Laurinaitis vs. Team Long
Captain Santino Marella, Zack Ryder, R-Truth, Kofi Kingston, The Great Khali and Booker T vs. Captain David Otunga, Drew McIntyre, Mark Henry, The Miz, Jack Swagger and Dolph Ziggler

Intercontinental Championship Match
Cody Rhodes (c) vs. Big Show

Randy Orton vs. Kane

Kelly Kelly and Maria Menounos vs. Beth Phoenix and Eve Torres

— Retired wrestler Michelle McCool revealed during a Q&A session on Twitter Monday afternoon that she will be attending WrestleMania XXVIII this weekend in Miami, Florida. She noted in a separate answer that she feels great healthwise and her foot injury from last year is 99% healed.

Regarding a possible return to WWE television, the four-time champion stated in two separate responses “time shall tell” and “never know.” She said her dream match is a WrestleMania encounter against Molly Holly.

— GetGlue.com is offering a free sticker of absent WWE star Rey Mysterio to those who check in to their website during tonight’s Raw SuperShow on USA Network. A free Rock-Cena sticker will also be offered during Once in a Lifetime: The Rock vs. John Cena, premiering tonight at 8/7 CT on USA Network. Details are available here.

— WWE.com has published a photo gallery highlighting WrestleMania XXVI, which saw The Undertaker extend his winning streak to 18-0 by defeating Shawn Michaels and ending The Showstopper’s career.

In an injury that could affect this Sunday’s WrestleMania XXVIII Divas Tag Team Match featuring Kelly Kelly and Maria Menounos against Beth Phoenix and Eve, New York Post gossip column Page Six reported Monday that the Menounos broke a rib during a recent dancing rehearsal for Dancing with the Stars.

She broke the rib during a hardcore rehearsal with dance partner Derek Hough, who was teaching her the Cha-cha-cha. A source says, “She has been in excruciating pain for the past few weeks during rehearsals, but she is staying strong and working through it. She refuses to give up.”

Page Six adds Menounos is hiding a rib brace underneath her dancing gear.

Menounos confirmed the injury to Extra Monday, the entertainment news program she hosts. She says she suffered two broken ribs during a recent dance rehearsal. She will nonetheless perform on tonight’s Dancing with the Stars.

— The latest issue of WWE Magazine gives an “insider’s take” on each major match-up at next Sunday’s WrestleMania XXVIII pay-per-view event and says John Cena has the “advantage” over The Rock in their bout.

WWE writes of the match: “What does a win at The Show of Shows mean for each of these competitors? Does hearing that three-count signify that the winner is the greatest of all time? Where does one go after a loss? For The Rock, it’s back to Hollywood. For John Cena, it’s back to Monday nights, weekend live events and main-eventing yet another pay-per-view. And maybe that’s why Cena has the edge in this fight, because even if he loses at WrestleMania XXVIII, he’s still doing what he’s always wanted to—and no one can take that away from him. Not even The Rock.

“ADVANTAGE: JOHN CENA.”

— CM Punk took part in a WrestleMania XXVIII media blitz this morning in Atlanta, Georgia and noted talking to former WCW announcer Tony Schiavone at one point. He tweeted, “Just chatted with Tony Schiavone! That was awesome!”

Schiavone, who is the Sports Director of WSB Atlanta, said of the WWE Champion on Twitter, “Just met C.M. Punk . He was at the radio station. Very talented guy, as I’m sure you know.”

Following Zack Ryder’s rally prior to Monday’s Raw SuperShow in which he lobbied to become part of Team Teddy at WrestleMania XXVIII, Long Island Iced Z informed SmackDown General Manager Theodore Long that if he was accepted onto the team, The Great Khali would join as well. Long agreed, with Hornswoggle named the team’s mascot.

The updated card for the pay-per-view event taking place April 1 in Miami, Florida is as follows:

* The Rock vs. John Cena

* The Undertaker vs. Triple H (Hell in a Cell Match with Shawn Michaels as the special referee)

* Team Teddy vs. Team Johnny (Kofi Kingston, R-Truth, Santino Marella, The Great Khali, Zack Ryder and TBA vs. Christian, David Otunga, Dolph Ziggler, Jack Swagger, Mark Henry and TBA)

* WWE Champion CM Punk vs. Chris Jericho

* World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan vs. Sheamus

* Intercontinental Champion Cody Rhodes vs. Big Show

* Randy Orton vs. Kane

* Kelly Kelly and Maria Menounos vs. Divas Champion Beth Phoenix and Eve

Credit to Devin Cutting for sending in this schedule of when the USA Network will be airing the “Once In A Lifetime: The Rock vs. John Cena” special. As you can see, WWE is going all-out by airing the show on many of NBC Universal’s affiliate stations:

Monday 3/26
8 p.m./7 p.m. CT – USA Network

Tuesday 3/27
7 p.m./6 p.m. CT – CLOO

Wednesday 3/28
8 p.m./5 p.m. PT – UNIHD
12:30 a.m./9:30 p.m. PT – UNIHD

Thursday 3/29
6 a.m./5 a.m. CT – Style
8 p.m./7 p.m. CT – Mun2
1 a.m./12 a.m. CT – E!

Friday 3/30
6 a.m./3 a.m. PT – NBC Sports
8 a.m./7 a.m. CT – Syfy
11 a.m./10 a.m. CT – Bravo
7 p.m./6 p.m. CT – Syfy
11 p.m./8 p.m. PT – UNIHD

Saturday 3/31
9 a.m./8 a.m. CT – USA Network
6 p.m./5 a.m. CT – Mun2
10 p.m./9 p.m. CT – G4 (WWE Tough Enough marathon airing 12 p.m. – 10 p.m./11 a.m. – 9 p.m. CT)

Sunday 4/1
8 a.m./7 a.m. CT – Oxygen
10 a.m./9 a.m. CT – G4
12 p.m./11 a.m. CT – CLOO

John Cena was involved in an automobile accident Monday morning while on a media appearance in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area. CBS Philly reports Cena was supposed to appear on CBS’ noon program Talk Philly but his vehicle was rear ended by a tractor trailer. Police arrived to the scene and no immediate injuries were reported.

According to TMZ.com, they were told he’s “OK” and his upcoming match with The Rock at WrestleMania XXVIII is not in jeopardy. He will meet with WWE medical personnel when he arrives to the Wells Fargo Center for tonight’s Raw SuperShow event. TMZ says “it doesn’t seem he was injured … although signs of whiplash often don’t show up for a day or two.”

WWE.com says they will post comments from Cena concerning the accident later today.

WWE’s divas visited Maria Menounos on the set of the Extra TV show today – and we’ve got a new Divas tag match at WrestleMania.

WWE Divas Champion Beth Phoenix will team with Eve Torres to take on the team of Kelly Kelly and Extra’s Maria Menounos.

Menounos has appeared on WWE television a number of times and has had extensive in-ring training.

– To update the story of Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels going hunting together for Michaels’ MacMillan River Adventures hunting show, Austin noted on his BrokenSkullRanch.com blog that he’s heading to his ranch this week to meet Michaels and his camera crew to begin filming.

• Pictures Of Shawn Michaels Hunting (See What He Killed!)

– WWE is currently finalizing the match order for WrestleMania 28. As expected, the John Cena vs. The Rock match will close the show.

The Undertaker vs. Triple H Hell in a Cell match is currently scheduled to take place in the middle of the card. There had been some initial concern about how WWE would be able to construct the massive cage during the PPV, but WWE is planning to build a complex structure above the ring to hold the lighting setup as well as the Cell.

The WWE Championship match between CM Punk and Chris Jericho has been discussed as the show’s opening contest.

(Partial Source: pwinsider.com)

— With all the talk of there being resentment in the WWE locker room regarding The Rock’s involvement at WrestleMania, we can confirm that one person who has been outspoken about The Rock is WWE Champion CM Punk.

A source who was backstage at Survivor Series backed up another WWE source’s claim to the Pro Wrestling Torch that the tension between Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and John Cena, or rather Johnson and the WWE locker room, escalated to a new level last November. Among the wrestlers’ laundry list of complaints of Johnson is that he has “gone Hollywood,” has a big ego, wants to be treated as a big star and doesn’t go out of his way to get to know all of them.

Additionally, The Rock provided WWE with a “rider” for Survivor Series – a list of items he required must be there in order for him to perform. While the contents of The Rock’ Survivor Series rider are not known, it was perhaps the biggest sign of diva behavior.

CM Punk has been among Johnson’s most vocal critics in media interviews as he feels the WrestleMania XXVII top slot should go to someone who is on the road two hundred days a year not to mention that it hurts morale when he doesn’t say hello to the wrestlers backstage. It was speculated that the WWE Champion has been angling for a match with Johnson next year, but that is not the case as he was openly resentful of his presence on the day of the Survivor Series.

— WWE.com has published a photo gallery of dream opponents they’d like to see The Undertaker face at WrestleMania. Those pictured include Sting, Andre the Giant, Randy Savage, Rey Mysterio, One Man Gang, Bret Hart, Bruiser Brody and Mr. Perfect, among several others.

During the latest edition of Legends of Wrestling on WWE Classics On Demand, Jim Ross took the opportunity to sound off on those bearing resentment toward Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson returning to WWE.

“Young guys on the roster, or the Internet guys, or anybody else that says, “Well, how does it effect the current roster that The Rock’s going to come back and have key spot and he’s not on the road everyday?” I want to say, you people have got to be kidding me. You got to be kidding me. Do you understand what The Rock has done for this business? His family has done for this business? And he’s coming back as a major movie star, to get back in the ring and be physical. You think The Rock’s going through the motions?” Ross says.

He continues, “He can’t. It’s not in his DNA. The Rock’s DNA is “I’m coming back to put boots in asses. I will not be embarrassed. I will not call it in. I will not phone it in. I will kick some ass.” The Rock has respect for this business, will have an amazing WrestleMania that we will be talking about for years to come because he is a stallion. And he loves this business.”

The WWE website features an exclusive video interview with Shawn Michaels, which you can view here.

Michaels talked about his confrontation with Triple H on RAW and whether he can call the Undertaker vs. Triple H match at WrestleMania match fairly. Michaels answered, “Yes, next question.” He then followed up with:

“What, you don’t think I can? Too much commotion, is that it? Hey, it’s not my first barbeque, slick. Don’t worry about how I call the match. I’ll probably be the best referee the world has ever seen, so I wouldn’t worry about it too much.”

Michaels was asked whether his role in the match will affect his personal relationship with longtime friend Triple H. He said:

“I don’t know. He and I have been through a lot. We’ve always managed to work our way through it. I hope this will be no different.”

Michael then got worked up and told the interviewer that he’s going to knock him out one of these days.

– John Cena posted a thank you message to his fans on Twitter who sent him supportive messages regarding his younger brother, who is battling cancer:

“Thanks to all those with messages of support for my bro. #livestrong”

Cena cut an emotional promo after RAW revealing that his brother has been undergoing various treatments for a brain tumor and is doing better in recent weeks.

• Video Of John Cena’s Emotional Post-RAW Promo

Cena also talked some trash about The Rock and sounds like he can’t wait for Monday’s RAW:

“And on another note..has anybody seen @therock ? Because the guy who shows up looking like him really sucks. Prep school thug will be ready for cleveland. Hope great one has is notes right. I meant musical notes…not notes on his hand.”

– Rapper Machine Gun Kelly was interviewed by WWE Magazine about his hit song Invincible being used as one of the theme songs of WrestleMania 28. Here’s what MGK said about John Cena embodying the song’s message:

“Like me, I consider John Cena to be an underdog; The Rock is like this flashy Hollywood guy. You can’t give him a song like “Invincible” because no one would believe it. John Cena is all about being loyal to the fans, and so am I. I just dig him as a person. I saw the video they made, and the whole thing was intense. I loved all of it.”

• Picture of John Cena’s HUGE Florida Mansion

– The “History Lesson” promos featuring The Rock that aired on Monday’s RAW were actually shot on Sunday, according to PWInsider.com. The Rock came arrived in Boston on Saturday and was backstage all day at the TD Garden.

• VIDEOS from RAW: Watch The Rock’s Hilarious “History Lessons”

– Rey Mysterio featured on one of the official Wrestlemania t-shirts, another indication he’ll be involved in the event in some capacity.

– Alberto Del Rio and developmental star Dean Ambrose were backstage at Monday’s RAW. Del Rio returned to the ring over the weekend and is ready to return to television whenever the creative team has something for him. Ambrose worked SmackDown’s live events over the weekend and is also waiting to get called to television.

(Props to pwinsider.com for some of the info used in this report)

– Jim Ross tweeted the following message about the tremendous amount of pressure put on the shoulders of The Rock and John Cena if they are indeed the last match to go on at WrestleMania:

“Think of the pressure @JohnCena & @TheRock must feel if they are, obviously, called upon to follow everything at WM28 especially HIAC.”

Hit up the comments below and tell us who should go on last at Wrestlemania and how WWE should structure the card’s lineup.

– Zack Ryder mentioned on Twitter that he’s headed to the UK today to do promotional work for WWE.

– The security guards on RAW last night that escorted John Laurinaitis and David Otunga  out of the building were independent wrestlers Mark Shurman, Max Bauer, Matt Taven and Andy McKenzie. They train at Boston’s New England Pro Wrestling Academy.

– WWE is heading to Brazil in May with the following live events:

• May 23rd: Sao Paulo, Brazil (Ibirapuera Gymnasium)
• May 24t: Rio De Janeiro, Brazil (Maracanazinho Gymnasium)

– According to Joey Styles, the upcoming ECW DVD that is set to be released this summer will NOT feature any content from WWE’s revived version of ECW. Styles Tweeted:

“I’m being asked by many if WWECW will be included on this Summer’s new ECW home video release. The answer is OH MY GOD NO! Original ECW only”

Jim Ross has published a new blog entry on his official website. Highlights are as follows:

The Undertaker wrestling Triple H for the third time at WrestleMania: “Concerned that Taker vs. HHH is their 3rd Wrestlemania bout? Heck, no. Their history is a vital part of the fabric of WWE, their first match was 11 years ago, and the way the match ended last year with Undertaker being carted out of ‘his event’ adds to the drama. These two, great professionals will make it a daunting task for any one to follow them assuming that they don’t go on last which would surprise me. The mere fact that it is quite likely that HHH vs. Taker will NEVER happen again is enough for this fan to want to see WM28.”

Chris Jericho facing CM Punk at WrestleMania XXVIII: “They have many similar traits that I like and respect. I appreciate each man’s journey to the big dance. I respect that even though many ‘experts’ said that neither would ever ‘make it’ that each persevered and have earned star status. However, at the end of the day, their match isn’t, in my view, about who is the best in the world but rather who will leave Miami as the #1 man in WWE, the WWE Champion.”

Will any WCW fixtures such as Sting and Diamond Dallas Page ever get inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame?: “I’d say that there is a good chance that happens. More and more talents who earned their proverbial stripes outside WWE will be inducted in years to come.”

Who’s the best WWE Diva?: “Assuming this is referring to wresting and if so I’d suggest that would be Beth Phoenix. Like many fans, I’d love to see Beth face @Kharma but I have no idea if that will be at WM28 and could be saved for after April 1 when it would possibly get more focus. Obviously, the talents would love for it to be as a part of WrestleMania and I can’t blame them for that.”

Natalya’s flatulence based persona: “Thoughts on Natalya’s flatulence, TV persona? Likely not something that I would have thought of but I can’t recall any time that Ms Neidhart has been in more discussions or the subject of more questions that she is now. Hopefully, this new found notoriety will lead to bigger and better things for her. She has lots of talent.”

Ross also weighs in on best ‘Bounty’ pro wrestling storylines, if he likes Twitter, WWE’s ongoing General Manager storyline and more. His post is available here.

Check out this unofficial, vintage wrestling poster promoting WrestleMania 28.

Big props to SEScoops.com reader Paul Michael Griffin for designing it:

WrestleMania 28

Following Monday’s WWE RAW Supershow, here’s the updated card for WWE’s WrestleMania 28:

“One Year In The Making”

• The Rock vs. John Cena

WWE Championship Match

• CM Punk vs. Chris Jericho

World Heavyweight Championship Match

• Daniel Bryan vs. Sheamus

Hell in a Cell

• Triple H vs. The Undertaker

Also rumored but not yet announced:

• Big Show vs. Shaquille O’Neal
• Money In The Bank
• Divas Championship Match

– Triple H finally agreed to face The Undertaker at WrestleMania – on the condition that the Undertaker agreed on a stipulation – Hell in a Cell. Undertaker did not give a verbal response to the challenge, but showed smiled as he walked away from the ring.

– The main event of Tuesday’s live SmackDown special on SyFy will be WWE Champion CM Punk vs. World Heavyweight champion Daniel Bryan.

– Ron Simmons has been announced for the WWE Hall of Fame’s Class of 2012.

Shaq Says He'll Be At WrestleMania & Is Rumored To Wrestle Big Show

NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal confirmed to HollywoodLife.com over the weekend that he would be wrestling at WrestleMania 28. Shaq hosted the Cartoon Network’s Hall of Game Awards on Saturday and was asked whether he’ll be wrestling at WrestleMania. He said:

“Yes I’ll be there!”

Shaq would not say who he’ll be wrestling, but Shaq stated several months ago during a radio interview that his opponent will be the Big Show. Shaq and Big Show have crossed paths several times on WWE television in recent years – usually resulting in a physical confrontation between the two giants.

Check out this video of Shaq & the Big Show getting physical on RAW from July 2009:

With WWE’s Elimination Chamber pay-per-view in the books, we’ve passed the final detour on the road to WrestleMania.

WWE has plans to begin several new angles on next Monday’s RAW Supershow.

Two names that are expected to start appearing on WWE television for WrestleMania 28 are Kharma and NBA Legend Shaquille O’Neal. Kharma is rumored to face Beth Phoenix at WrestleMania with Shaq expected to wrestle the Big Show.

Also scheduled for several upcoming RAW shows are The Rock, Shawn Michaels, Undertaker and Triple H.

(Partial source: f4wonline.com)

The first promotional poster for WrestleMania XXVIII has been released – and it features John Cena and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.

The poster was printed in the November 2011 issue of WWE Magazine – and reveals that tickets for the big event go on sale Saturday, November 5th.

WrestleMania XXVIII takes place April 1, 2012 at Sun Life Stadium in Miami, Florida.

— World Wrestling Entertainment has released the official logo for WrestleMania XXVIII.

The organization announced today that the 28th installment of the ‘pop culture extravaganza’ will take place on April 1, 2012 at the Sun Life Stadium in Miami, Florida.

— WWE Hall of Famer The Iron Sheik, 67, underwent surgery on his knees today, which are considered to be in bad shape these days. (source: f4wonline.com)

— During a “crunch by the numbers” segment on ESPN2’s Sports Nation program, the hosts asked what percentage of viewers would want to see The Miz face Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers at WrestleMania. The number was revealed as 46%.

MIAMI TO HOST WRESTLEMANIA XXVIII

February 9, 2011

MIAMI – The Miami-Dade Sports Commission, Miami-Dade County, Miami Dolphins, Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau, and WWE announced Wednesday that Sun Life Stadium, home of the Dolphins and other world-class events, will host WWE’s annual pop culture extravaganza, WrestleMania XXVIII, on Sunday, April 1, 2012.

The announcement was made Wednesday at a press conference at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach. Miami-Dade County Commissioner and Chairman of the Miami-Dade Sports Commission Jose “Pepe” Diaz, Miami-Dade Sports Commission Executive Director Mike Sophia, Miami Dolphins CEO Mike Dee, former Dolphins Quarterback and NFL Hall of Famer Dan Marino, and Miami Dolphins limited partner and Grammy Award Winner Emilio Estefan, joined WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon and WWE’s Senior Vice President of Special Events John Saboor in making the announcement. WWE Superstars John Cena, The Miz, Mark Henry and Alberto Del Rio, and WWE Diva Eve were also on hand for the announcement.

“Miami has always been the home of first class events, and this event will add to that legacy,” said Jose “Pepe” Diaz, Miami-Dade County Commissioner and Chairman of the Miami-Dade Sports Commission. “Hosting WrestleMania is a huge coup for Miami.”

“On behalf of WWE, I would like to thank Commissioner Diaz and all his colleagues for their support, and the Miami-Dade Sports Commission for graciously rolling out the red carpet to bring WrestleMania to one of the world’s most cosmopolitan cities,” said Vince McMahon, WWE Chairman and CEO. “We look forward to adding WrestleMania to the list of prestigious events held at Sun Life Stadium.”

“For nearly 25 years, Sun Life Stadium has played host to South Florida’s world class events that provide economic benefit to the entire community,” said Dolphins CEO Mike Dee. “We applaud the efforts of Commissioner Diaz and the Sports Commission on attracting WWE, and look forward to an unforgettable WrestleMania in 2012.”

WrestleMania is not just a one-day event; it’s a week-long celebration, as visitors from around the world are expected to converge on Miami for WrestleMania Week. Activities will include the 2012 WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, WrestleMania Axxess, the finals of the WrestleMania Reading Challenge and a Celebrity Pro-Am Golf Tournament. The pay-per-view event will be televised to more than 100 countries.

Over the past three years, WrestleMania and the events surrounding it has generated nearly $150 million in cumulative economic impact for the host cities. Last year, 72,219 fans from all 50 states and 26 countries converged on the University of Phoenix Stadium for WrestleMania XXVI.