Pro wrestler and bodybuilding champion Melissa Coates travelled seven hours and back to attend the Wrestlemania Hall of Fame induction ceremony and Wrestlemania XXX itself.
Her live experience of the Hall-of-Fame, described in the first two parts of her diary, exclusively shared with MMA Crossfire, makes us wonder when the UFC will have its own signature annual supercard event.
Complete with a similar and authentic Hall-of-Fame induction that allows the true MMA pioneers to tell their stories and be honoured by their peers in a glamorous fashion.
MMA Crossfire has always advocated Dana White and the UFC brass attend the WWE’s Hall-of-Fame induction ceremonies to see the kind of presence, authenticity, and stature they need to lavish their superstars with.
It wasn’t always that way. It took time for the former federation to get things right.
The UFC can learn a lot from the WWE here.
On a sad note, recent inductee The Ultimate Warrior (James Hellwig, who later legally changed his name to Warrior) passed away, days after being inducted Saturday night. He was 54.
In this Monday, April 7, 2014 photo, James Hellwig, better known as The Ultimate Warrior, addresses the audience during WWE Monday Night Raw at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans. The WWE said Hellwig, one of pro wrestling’s biggest stars in the late 1980s, died Tuesday, April 8, 2014. He was 54. (AP Photo/NOLA.com, David Grunfeld)
MMA Crossfire sends condolences to his wife Dana and his family and friends.
We are all so sad that the Ultimate Warrior has passed away. Our heart is with his wife Dana and his two daughters.—
Vince McMahon (@VinceMcMahon) April 09, 2014
Loss always has a way of reminding us to live and love as greatly as we can. My prayers and strength to his family.
RIP Ultimate Warrior.—
Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) April 09, 2014
RIP Ultimate Warrior, may God give his family the strength to overcome this tragedy!! Rey619—
Rey Mysterio (@reymysterio) April 09, 2014
#RIPUltimateWarrior Your strength of character is to be admired. There will never be anyone like you. Your spirit lives on in your family.—
Stephanie McMahon (@StephMcMahon) April 09, 2014
I actually interviewed one of Warrior’s primary trainers Bill Anderson, and he had plenty of good things to say about an up-and-coming Warrior, who also trained with future star Steve Borden, who would later become Sting.
Welcome back to The Crossfire.
PRO WRESTLER MELISSA COATES WRESTLEMANIA DIARY GALLERY – PART 3
MMA Crossfire Exclusive – Pro wrestler Melissa Coates’ Wrestlemania diary – Part One
MMA Crossfire – Pro wrestler Melissa Coates Wrestlemania diary – part 2
MMA Crossfire – Georges St-Pierre’s favourite WWE wrestler was a Wrestlemania heartbreaker
MMA Crossfire – UPDATED – Wrestlemania XXX: Professional wrestlers share their favourite Wrestlemania moments
Image courtesy Melissa Coates.
Once in the lineup to go through security, some guy came up to me and asked if I had been on the reality dating show “Flava of Love”. A compliment, I think?
Image courtesy Melissa Coates
75, 167 fans at Wrestlemania XXX. I was one of them!
Image courtesy Melissa Coates.
Undertaker – Brock Lesnar match. 22 caskets rolled out, each one with the names of Takers opponents in each Wrestlemania. Brock Lesnar’s name was written on the final casket.
Image courtesy Melissa Coates
Utter shock, disbelief and a great deal of disgust was the reaction to the Undertaker losing to former UFC star Brock Lesnar. So shocking was if that the crowd remained numb during matches after, and hardly reacted at all during the Diva Invitational. I admit I couldn’t believe it when it was happening. I kept waiting for the ref to say something was foul, and restart the match, something, anything really, just to bring the satisfying result of Undertaker 22-0. Outside the venue at the end if the night, I heard nonstop discussion of the match, one person most notably saying it had robbed him of his “happiness.”
Image courtesy Melissa Coates.
Check out the stage for the greatest show on earth !
Image courtesy Melissa Coates.
The arena is filled with pieces of confetti squares glittering in the light at the end of Wrestlemania 30.
Image courtesy Melissa Coates
This was the view as I left the Superdome. And it took almost an hour and tons of walking before I finally found my car! Was so confusing. Strangely enough a mother and her kid were list too, so we handled the dilemma together and ended up finding our cars a few spaces apart in the same garage and on the same floor! How coincidental is that?
WWE AFTERPARTY
Image courtesy Melissa Coates.
I wore a dress and heels to the HoF the night before, now I just wanted to relax and be me!
Image courtesy Melissa Coates.
With 2014 WWE inductee Scott Hall. Sorry it’s so dark, we were hanging in the shadows. At the party I told Scott I really loved his acceptance speech, and I asked him to remind me what his finishing words were. So he repeated them for me:
Hard work pays off. Dreams come true. Bad times don’t last, but Bad Guys do.
Fantastic!
We’ve chatted a few times over twitter, but this was my first time meeting him in person, despite being on a huge show with him last year in Rome GA.
Very cool guy, and also told me to help myself to the food, he said “It’s all first class, it’s WWE” and commented on how good the chicken was on the stick. He knows girls like me like a lot of protein!
Image courtesy Melissa Coates.
With Johnny “Fandango” Curtis at the Afterparty. Great guy, very funny and friendly. I trained with him at WWE developmental DSW I’m happy for him, he spent quite some time in developmental and came out with an amazing gimmick. He loved my plaid fedora, and we switched out hats. I’m wearing his hat in several of the other afterparty pictures.
Image courtesy Melissa Coates.
At the WWE Afterparty. I was invited to be a hostess at Kevin’s Wrestlemania party in Atlanta 2 years ago, was an invited vendor guest last year in Miami, and this year hung with him at the after party. Nic “Dolph Ziggler” Nemeth trained with me at WWE developmental Ohio Valley, and has always been a great guy. I passed him at the party and he called out “Coates!” To get my attention. I’m glad he did! He’s a fun guy.
Image courtesy Melissa Coates.
Zach Ryder. A funny guy with a quirky personality. We trained together at DSW, where he administered to me a chair shot, requiring 7 stitches.
Image courtesy Melissa Coates.
At the afterparty with WWE Diva Alicia Fox, X-PAc (Sean Waltman) and his girlfriend Brie. I first met Foxy at DSW in 2006. Super friendly girl , and Sean I’ve known for years and years. I first met him when he was still the 123 Kid at a bar I was a shooter girl at in my hometown Thunder Bay in Canada in 2003 when. Yokozuna was heavyweight champion. Speaking of Zuna, he was a fantastic guy, let me wear his championship belt. My friend went to the trouble to get a disposable camera to commemorate the event, me wearing the belt , but unfortunately the shot came out so dark and blurry it was hardly recognizable.
Image courtesy Melissa Coates.
At the afterparty with Daniel Bryan and Brie Bella. Brie and I trained togeher at DSW when her and her sister were first starting out. So sweet and friendly, Brie recognized me and introduced me to Daniel. The couple is to be married soon and are so good together. They Are so romantic together ! Not sure where Nikki was, maybe her and John Cena were getting busy in the bed with the ceiling mirrors in his bus (laughs).
Image courtesy Melissa Coates
This was right before I went up to the WWE afterparty. Ref John Cone who was with me at DSW, ref Chad Patton who was one of the refs during my time at OVW, and Charles Robinson.
Image courtesy Melissa Coates
Bret Hart. We chatted a bit about the differences between Canadian and American philosophies, the Montreal screw job, and Natalya. By now Ive become the owner of Fandangos hat. He wanted mine.
Image courtesy Melissa Coates
Fit Finlay and Sheamus! Fit has always been really sweet to me, he and his wife are good people. This was my second time meeting Shamus. First time was last year in Miami.
And there’s a taste of my Wrestlemania experience MMA Crossfire fans! I hope I’ve given you an indication of the great time I had.
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