There are a multitude of events taking place in the Bay Area this week and throughout the weekend. We'll walk you through every last thing you can do if you're attending the biggest pro wrestling event of the year.
On Sunday, March 29, Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. will host WrestleMania 31, the single biggest and most important show that the WWE presents each year. It's no secret nor any exaggeration to say WrestleMania is the Super Bowl of professional wrestling, except with more fireworks, at least 85% more fighting and a guaranteed 100% fewer terrible decisions from Pete Carroll.
Every year, several independent wrestling promotions, conventions and other activities roll into the town that happens to be hosting WrestleMania, offering diversions, distractions and more than enough wrestling-centric activities anyone could ever want. This year seems to offer even more options, attractions, events and parties than ever before. San Francisco, San Jose, Santa Clara, Redwood City, Oakland and other towns in the Bay Area will all welcome wrestling fans. And this isn't even taking into account the four-day WrestleMania AXXESS fan event the WWE holds every year leading up to the biggest show of all.
Even if you're not attending the event live, the WWE Network will feature 12 hours of exclusive, live coverage of WrestleMania weekend from AXXESS, in addition to the complete live broadcast of the WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Saturday night, plus a two-hour exclusive kickoff show prior to Sunday's four-hour WrestleMania. All of that is available for the monthly subscription fee of $9.99. You can sign up for the WWE Network here.
WWE isn't the only company helping out the wrestling fan who can't be in California for WrestleMania week, either. WWN Live is offering SEVEN wrestling events throughout the weekend live on iPPV, while Ring of Honor is offering Saturday's Supercard of Honor IX event live on Video On Demand.
Here is the complete, exhaustive list of all WrestleMania week activities, complete with pertinent links.
Thursday, March 26
- WWE AXXESS at San Jose Convention Center, 5 p.m. - 10 p.m. PT. Interactive fan convention, featuring photo and autograph opportunities with WWE Superstars and Legends. VIP signing opportunities are available on Thursday for Roman Reigns, Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair. Thursday's AXXESS session will also feature a live tournament where NXT Superstars will compete to earn a spot in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royale at WrestleMania on Sunday. Purchase tickets for Thursday's session here.
- WaleMania at Taste Nightclub, Santa Clara, 6:30 p.m. PT. Grammy-nominated rapper and die-hard wrestling fan Wale is hosting a party that will feature the first public appearance by Rey Mysterio since being granted his release from WWE. The event will begin with a VIP cocktail party with Mysterio and Wale, followed by a live podcast taping with Mysterio as he speaks out for the first time about WWE with Konnan and ex-WWE creative director Court Bauer. The after-party will feature a performance by Wale. You can purchase tickets here.
- EVOLVE 39 at Santa Clara Fairgrounds, San Jose, 8 p.m. PT. EVOLVE, an East Coast-based indie federation, shares a front office with the currently-inactive Dragon Gate USA promotion and is known for an emphasis on in-ring action. EVOLVE 39 will feature a main event championship match between Drew Galloway (formerly Drew McIntyre in WWE) and PJ Black (formerly Justin Gabriel in WWE). Other talent includes Chris Hero, Ricochet and Uhaa Nation, fulfilling his final indie bookings before beginning his WWE developmental contract. You can purchase tickets here. This event will stream live on iPPV, which you can order by clicking here.
- Mick Foley's Hard Core Legend Show at Cobb's Comedy Club, San Francisco, 8 p.m. PT. WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley has been crisscrossing the country doing comedy for over five years now, weaving stories of wrestling and celebrity in with general wackiness. Always a good time and you get a chance to say hello to a legend while you're at it. You can purchase tickets here.
- Hoodslam: Entertania Night One at Oakland Metro Opera House, 8 p.m. PT. Hoodslam is Oakland's premier, adults-only indie wrestling promotion. Their shows traffic in taboo humor and are a spiritual successor to San Francisco's dearly departed Incredibly Strange Wrestling. Doors open at 8 p.m., show at 9 p.m. Tickets are $10 each and they are available via walk-up, day-of ticket sales only.
Friday, March 27
- WrestleCon at San Jose Airport Garden Hotel, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. PT. The annual wrestling convention will bring in vendors and wrestling superstars past and present. Admission will get you into the convention, and you can purchase autographs and photo ops from wrestlers at your leisure. The first day of WrestleCon is scheduled to be attended by Ric Flair, Mick Foley, Rey Mysterio, Matt and Jeff Hardy, Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat, Jake "The Snake" Roberts, Lex Luger, "Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase, Vader, Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake, Honky Tonk Man, Hurricane Helms, Sabu, Barry Windham and many more. You can purchase tickets for the first day of WrestleCon here.
- EVOLVE 40 at Santa Clara Fairgrounds, San Jose, 3 p.m. PT. EVOLVE's second event of the week will feature a main event "dream match" of PJ Black vs. Ricochet, as well as Drew Galloway vs. Uhaa Nation. You can purchase tickets here. This event will stream live on iPPV, which you can order by clicking here.
- Live Face-Off: Bruce Prichard vs. Eric Bischoff at San Jose Airport Garden Hotel, 5 pm. - 7 p.m. PT. WrestleCon will bleed into this live debate/discussion, featuring former WCW president Eric Bischoff and former head of WWE talent relations, Bruce Prichard (AKA Brother Love). The discussion and Q&A will be moderated by Al Snow. Click here to purchase tickets.
- WWE AXXESS at San Jose Convention Center, 6 p.m. - 10 p.m. PT. Interactive fan convention, featuring photo and autograph opportunities with WWE Superstars and Legends. VIP signing opportunities are available on Friday for John Cena and Triple H. Purchase tickets for Friday's session here.
- Mick Foley's Hard Core Legend Show at the Improv, San Jose, 7:30 p.m. PT. Foley's second show of the weekend will bring him into downtown San Jose. You can purchase tickets here.
- Ring of Honor Supercard of Honor IX at The Sports House, Redwood City, 8 p.m. PT. Arguably the second-biggest pro wrestling company in the United States, Ring of Honor practically invented the "WrestleMania weekend" indie invasion of the WWE's chosen host city. The ninth installment of their big Mania weekend show will feature the return of ROH legend Samoa Joe, as he takes on world champion Jay Briscoe for the title. Also on the card is international superstar and legend Jushin "Thunder" Liger, who will challenge Jay Lethal for the ROH Television Championship. You can purchase tickets here. This show will also be available on Ring of Honor's video on demand.
- 2015 King of Indies: Night One at Santa Clara Fairgrounds, San Jose, 8 p.m. PT. The original King of Indies tournament in 2001 introduced the world to indie wrestling legends Brian Kendrick, Samoa Joe, Low-Ki, Christopher Daniels and Bryan Danielson, who you may know as "Daniel Bryan." The new iteration will unfold over two days and may introduce a new generation to a new batch of indie stars. Former WWE developmental talents Brian Cage, Jody Kristofferson (son of Kris Kristofferson) and Willie Mack will compete in the tournament. You can purchase tickets here. This event will stream live on iPPV, which you can order by clicking here.
- Hoodslam: Entertania Night Two at Oakland Metro Opera House, 9 p.m. PT. Doors open at 8 p.m., show at 9 p.m. Tickets are $10 each and they are available via walk-up, day-of ticket sales only.
- WWE NXT Live at San Jose State University Event Center, 10 p.m. PT. NXT is the WWE's developmental system, referred to by some as their "minor leagues." The Wyatt Family and the Shield all passed through NXT on their way to stardom and the promotion is currently generating massive buzz for putting on the best shows and matches in the world in 2014. The live event will showcase top NXT stars Sami Zayn, Kevin Owens, Adrian Neville, Sasha Banks and more. Box office and Ticketmaster tickets are sold out, but you can purchase tickets via StubHub.
- Kaiju Big Battel: Journey to the West Coast at Santa Clara Fairgrounds, San Jose, 11:55 p.m. PT. Kaiju Big Battel is a promotion that is a love letter to Japanese monster movies. The "wrestling" takes place over a miniature city, performed by combatants in big rubber suits with elaborate backstories. Their shows are almost exclusively at midnight and have definitely have a "midnight movie" feel. Probably the most unabashedly "fun" show that will take place over the weekend. You can purchase tickets here. This event will stream live on iPPV, which you can order by clicking here.
Saturday, March 28
- WWE AXXESS at San Jose Convention Center, 8 a.m. - 12 p.m. PT. Interactive fan convention, featuring photo and autograph opportunities with WWE Superstars and Legends. VIP signing opportunities are available during Saturday's first session for Sting and Daniel Bryan. Purchase tickets for Saturday's first session here.
- WrestleCon at San Jose Airport Garden Hotel, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. PT. The second day of WrestleCon is scheduled to be attended by Ric Flair, Bret Hart, Mick Foley, Kevin Nash, Rob Van Dam, the Dudley Boyz, Hillbilly Jim, Terry Funk, Ken Shamrock and many more. You can purchase tickets for the second day of WrestleCon here.
- Ringside: An Afternoon with Jim Ross at RockBar Theater, San Jose, 11 a.m. PT. Longtime announcer and WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross brings his one-man show to California. He'll regale you with stories of life on the road and behind the scenes. You can purchase tickets here.
- SHIMMER 71: The ChickFight Tournament at Santa Clara Fairgrounds, San Jose, 12 pm. PT. SHIMMER is the premier women's wrestling federation in the United States, globally lauded for its exceptional matches. The first SHIMMER event held in the state of California will feature a one-night tournament. The winner will receive a future shot at the SHIMMER world title. You can purchase tickets here. This event will also stream live on iPPV, which you can order by clicking here, or you can find the event on demand at ClickWrestle afterward.
- WWE AXXESS at San Jose Convention Center, 1 p.m. - 5 p.m. PT. Interactive fan convention, featuring photo and autograph opportunities with WWE Superstars and Legends. VIP signing opportunities are available during Saturday's second session for Randy Orton and Bray Wyatt. Purchase tickets for Saturday's second session here.
- WWN Supershow: Mercury Rising 2015 at Santa Clara Fairgrounds, San Jose, 4 p.m. PT. iPPV company World Wrestling Network will put on a show featuring talents from DGUSA, EVOLVE and other promotions, including a reunion of former Ring of Honor tag team champions Austin Aries and Roderick Strong, as they take on Ricochet and Uhaa Nation in the main event. You can purchase tickets here. This event will stream live on iPPV, which you can order by clicking here.
- WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at SAP Center, San Jose, 4:45 p.m. PT. Inductees will include Randy Savage, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Diesel and Rikishi. Tickets can be purchased here. The Induction Ceremony will also air live on the WWE Network, including a pre-Ceremony red carpet show.
- WWE AXXESS at San Jose Convention Center, 6 p.m. - 10 p.m. PT. Interactive fan convention, featuring photo and autograph opportunities with WWE Superstars and Legends. VIP signing opportunities are available during Saturday's third session for Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins. Purchase tickets for Saturday's third session here.
- WrestleCon SuperShow in the ballroom of the San Jose Airport Garden Hotel, 7 p.m. - 11 p.m. PT. The culmination of the three-day WrestleCon has a stacked card, featuring a main event of the Hardy Boyz vs. Sabu & Rob Van Dam. Other wrestlers confirmed for the event include the Dudley Boyz, John Hennigan (the former John Morrison), Matt Sydal (the former Matt Bourne), Tommy Dreamer, Abyss, Samoa Joe and Disco Inferno. Only walk-up tickets are available for this event.
- 2015 King of Indies: Night Two at Santa Clara Fairgrounds, San Jose, 8 p.m. PT. The second night will feature the end of the tournament and will also feature a special attraction match pitting Japanese legend Ultimo Dragon against Lucha Libre star Juventud Guerrera. You can purchase tickets here. This event will stream live on iPPV, which you can order by clicking here.
- Hoodslam: Entertania Night Three at Oakland Metro Opera House, 8 p.m. PT. Doors open at 8 p.m., show at 9 p.m. Tickets are $10 each and they are available via walk-up, day-of ticket sales only.
- Shenanigans San Jose VIP Party hosted by Kevin Nash at San Jose Bar & Grill, 10 p.m. PT. Former WWE and WCW world champion and nWo founding member Kevin Nash will host a late-night VIP bash, featuring appearances by Melina, Shelly Martinez and a bevy of other pro wrestlers. The early bird VIP admission includes free food and drink. You can purchase tickets here.
Sunday, March 29
- WWE AXXESS at San Jose Convention Center, 8 a.m. - 12 p.m. PT. Interactive fan convention, featuring photo and autograph opportunities with WWE Superstars and Legends. VIP signing opportunities are available during Sunday's session for Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart. Purchase tickets for Sunday's session here.
- Mania Memories Buffet Brunch at San Jose Airport Garden Hotel, 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. PT. Hurricane Helms will host the final event on the WrestleCon slate: a buffet brunch where you can sit and visit with some wrestling greats. Attendees will include the Hardy Boyz, Hillbilly Jim, Honky Tonk Man, Sabu, Melina and more. Click here to purchase tickets.
- WrestleMania 31 at Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, 3:30 p.m. PT. This is what it's all about. If you come all this way and don't attend, what are you even doing? You can purchase tickets here or on StubHub. Live coverage of the event begins on WWE Network at 1:30 p.m. PT.
Monday, March 30
- WWE Monday Night RAW at SAP Center, San Jose, 4:30 p.m. PT. The WrestleMania hangover will begin with the night-after RAW, which usually features big revelations and general denouements from the big show. Not the Big Show, though. Probably. You can purchase tickets here.
If this isn't enough wrestling for you, I have no idea what to tell you.