The Steel Cage

My poor wife.

In a couple of weeks me and the Mrs. will embark on the mother of all vacations for a wrestling fanatic. Indeed, most every year I try to plan my vacation around WrestleMania's destination that year. Since 2002, I've attended five out of six WrestleManias (I couldn't justify a trip to L.A. after just buying my house in 2005.)

But this year's trip to Orlando may prove to be extra special. WrestleMania XXIV weekend is widely predicted to be not only the biggest weekend in wrestling of 2008, but one of the biggest in history.

It starts with a Friday night show in downtown Orlando put on by Ring of Honor. I was a latecomer in getting on the ROH bandwagon, having not sampled the product until 2006. I was instantly addicted to its athletic, no-nonsense approach and now try to catch ROH whenever it comes to town. For the last several years, ROH has held some shows over WrestleMania weekend near the site of the big event. ROH almost never disappoints, and this will be a fun way to kick off the weekend.

On Saturday, I'll be checking out Orlando's own Total Nonstop Action wrestling, the defacto number two wrestling promotion in the country. TNA has come a long way since I first visited the Nashville Fairgrounds in 2004 to catch one of the company's then-weekly pay per views in person. There's no question that TNA is a highly flawed product, but at its best, it's got one of the most talented rosters wrestling has ever seen. I hope they bring their A-game when I go see them at their home base at Universal Studios, where they'll be taping a televised event.

On Saturday night, I'll put on my suit and tie and head over to the Amway Arena for the annual WWE Hall of Fame ceremony. This is always a highlight of WrestleMania weekend for me, as I get to listen for hours as wrestling's legends pay tribute to their peers, and share funny and moving stories about their industry. Making this year's ceremony even more special is the induction of the greatest wrestler who ever lived, Ric Flair. I'll have the Puffs tissues nearby.

On Sunday, I hope to attend the annual WWE WrestleMania brunch, which will benefit the Make a Wish Foundation. That night, there's a little show being held at the CitrusBowl called WrestleMania XXIV. I'll be writing more about that soon.

The fun doesn't end there. The next night, I'll be catching WWE's flagship TV show, Monday Night Raw, live at the Amway Arena, and on Tuesday, I hope to make the trek to New Port Richey to see the stars of tomorrow compete for Florida Championship Wrestling - WWE's "minor league" affiliate.

Somewhere in between all of this, I have to find time to attend my buddy's wedding in Miami. In keeping with the theme, I'm contemplating hitting the groom with a steel chair as he takes his vows.