Report: Philly Submitted Bid For 2018 Wrestlemania

The WWE event could easily generate $100 million in economic impact.

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“Dolph Ziggler finally hits a corner splash” by Anton Jackson – . Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

CrossingBroad is reporting that Philadelphia has submitted a bid for Wrestlemania 34 in 2018.

Citing an anonymous WWE tipster, Crossing Broad says Philadelphia has submitted a plan to host the event at Lincoln Financial Field, with NXT and RAW events held at the Wells Fargo Center, and a FanFest held at the Pennsylvania Convention Center.

Pro wrestling is more than just sweaty guys flying through the air and hitting each other. It’s big business. In fact, Wrestlemania 30 held last year in New Orleans generated a staggering $142.2 million for the region, according to Enigma Research Corp. data cited in the New Orleans Times-Picayune. That was a Wrestlemania record.

It’s hardly the first time that Philly has expressed interest in hosting Wrestlemania. Larry Needle, the executive director of the Philadelphia Sports Congress told a few news organizations that Philly was interested in submitting bids for the 2015 and 2016 Wrestlemania events but declined because the facilities to host ancillary events weren’t available.

Wreslemania 31 wound up being held in March at Levi Stadium in San Francisco, while Wreslemania 32 is scheduled for AT&T Stadium in Arington, Texas in 2016. (Rumor has it that Wrestlemania 33 in 2017 is set for Minnesota.)

More on this story as it develops.