Trump Shaves McMahon Bald, WrestleMania(R) Blows Away Attendance Record At Ford Field
In the much anticipated “Battle of the Billionaires,” Donald Trump triumphed over Vince McMahon and proceeded to shave him bald in front of a record-setting crowd of 80,103. WWE(R) fans packed the stadium from ringside to the rafters, including thousands with standing room only tickets, in setting the all-time Ford Field attendance record.
The 80,103 fans in attendance and millions worldwide saw quite an unforgettable pay-per-view event. Donald Trump’s representative in the “Battle of the Billionaires,” Bobby Lashley(TM), defeated Vince McMahon’s representative, Umaga(TM), “the Samoan Bulldozer.” As part of the match stipulation, Trump and Lashley shaved McMahon completely bald, much to the WWE chairman’s great embarrassment. Trump did not leave the WWE ring unscathed, however, as during the post match celebration special guest referee Stone Cold Steve Austin(TM) put a “Stone Cold Stunner” on Trump, leaving him lying flat in the ring.
In title matches, John Cena(R) defeated Shawn Michaels, the “Heartbreak Kid,” to retain the WWE Championship. The Undertaker(R) defeated Batista(TM) to win the World Heavyweight Championship and extend his undefeated streak at WrestleMania to 15 wins.
The action was box office gold for WWE and WrestleMania’s host city, Detroit. WrestleMania 23 was the highest grossing one-day live event in WWE history, with more than $5.38 million in ticket sales. Fans converging on Detroit from 24 countries, all 50 states and 9 Canadian provinces, pumped an estimated $25 million into the local economy.
This marks the second time World Wrestling Entertainment has established an attendance record in Detroit. In 1987, at WrestleMania III, 93,173 fans filled the Silverdome in Pontiac, Mich., setting the all-time indoor attendance record.
“Who says lightning doesn’t strike twice,” said Kurt Schneider, Executive Vice President of Marketing. “Ford Field shook to the very core of its foundation with the thunderous noise from the record-setting crowd. The support of our fans in Detroit and around the world made WrestleMania 23 a tremendous success.”
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