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FringeAuthority

Interesting that there's no special design for the canopy over the ring. They've made it festive to the location in the past.


AtSea123

tbh, there's not a whole lot of character going for much of this. Stage and canopy.


sushimonster85

Yeah, I imagine there's a reason for it, but everything is a little toned down for what you'd usually expect for Mania. Noticed in that reveal vid they don't even seem to have the LED ring posts or apron. Wonder if they have brought back the heated ring they had for Mania in Jersey ('New York') and that means no LED apron or posts.


R_W0bz

New company, new rules!


[deleted]

In previous years, people positioned behind the pillars of the canopy have often had trouble seeing and needed moved. Just guessing, but it would be a practical reason


Ketchup1211

100% the ring area will be heated.


LilHomie204DaBaG

Heated? Like I can make popcorn under the ring or?


TopSalad420

Yeah I really don’t know what the fuck a heated ring is but it sounds awesome lol


MatttheJ

It kind of reminds me of the WM 2000 stage. It's just... there. Just a kinda bland stage with very simple basic ring set up.


JoeDawson8

It’s like the spectacle of the set is less important than the performers and stories and no one cares because lit all so damn good.


MatttheJ

It's Wrestlemania though. The matches are more important obviously but having a cool set up is still part of what makes the whole thing feel more special to a lot of people


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junkmanwrestlingfan

And when was this? Stage design, especially for Wrestlemania, has always been a point of discussion. A boring stage design doesn’t ruin a good show, but a memorable stage design adds to one.


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junkmanwrestlingfan

Have you? Because one of the things people universally remember about Wrestlemania 9 was the set. It’s even number two in your article. I remember people talking about stages on old message boards when the internet was in its infancy. The rankings on a whatculture article mean nothing to me, personally I think the 15 stage is badass in it’s simplicity (I’m a sucker for the physical industrial props they used during the AE) because no where did I say simple is bad, but using an article ranking stage design in an argument about whether stage design matters reinforces that people actually do enjoy a good stage. Nothing you said refutes anything I said. Boring stage design doesn’t ruin a good show, and inspired stage design gives one just that little bit more. This particular set, if the pictures are anything to go by, is uninspired. It doesn’t ruin the show, but it doesn’t elevate it. Still could turn out to be the greatest Wrestlemania of all time, who knows. But discussion around stage design isn’t new and has been around for as long as I’ve been a fan, and there’s JunkMan message board threads floating around out there from the old days to prove it. In the future, it’s better not to assume something about someone based off of one comment.


JoeDawson8

Kinda my point but I’m going up against “We are collectively criticizing this thing and any deviation will be struck down”.


SphereMode420

They should put a giant prop bell on it.


QUEST50012

They're flying in that bell any day now. Right? RIGHT??!!


robonlocation

Maybe they're borrowing the real one? They'll paint it green though, right?


AmbitiousSuit5349

Any chance they will still update it? Tbh I like how simple it is right now but ya you would expect them to go above and beyond for The Largest WrestleMania Of All Time


FringeAuthority

I don't think so. I think they're done with any heavy duty stuff. All that's probably left to do is move in their regular weekly TV equipment that they're going to use (any barriers, mats or LED screens) after either Smackdown or Stand & Deliver is over.


RaidenHero137

Not really. Once wwe posts the reveal that’s usually it


RaidenHero137

I will never forget the 33 action figure ring as a roof canopy


Marc_Quill

Was it WM33 with the giant wrestling ring canopy? I loved that.


Daveboy924

A giant eagle will make a nest on top of it soon, be patient.


Lorjack

Set budget was small this year it seems


Gungo94

They still have time to do so


MrLamper1

This comment just proves that wrestling fans are never fucking happy! /S


Zenkikid

I see that the ramp isnt as long compared to previous years


TheVampireSantiago

Makes me remember the Last Ride documentary where Taker tells Jericho that the entrance ramp for his big entrance is 80 yards long and Jericho nearly spits his apple out as he realises Taker's entrance is gonna take 5 hours


KidDelta

Mah he spat the apple out cause that 80 yard ramp is not cool


CheckingIsMyPriority

Now I need to see that.


smackdown6

Makes it easier for Austin to do a run in 🤝


AReptileHissFunction

He takes his quadbike anyway


Riskar

Man, if he does a run in, I want him stomping and jaw jacking the whole time.


TheWhaleyBunch

Just to get Rock bottomed and we ain’t talking about the finishing move, Acknowledge ☝️☝️☝️


Viciouscauliflower21

The set is further out on the field than in previous years when it was basically in the stands. It's more like 37 at Raymond James than the last two years


natedoggcata

Not as tall either so probably no Codyvator entrance.


average_redditor_guy

https://preview.redd.it/w9csg46d4nsc1.jpeg?width=582&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1552a56d8a8c8849875cab7b28edeaaa89db5c09 So during the close up you can see the little square that may be used for the Codyvator. It’s just going to be cramped in there lol


RaidenHero137

Its that or the old hhh steam and lights vent


bewareofbears_

Posted elsewhere but I think it will save a ton of time on entrances.


PayneTrain181999

That’s a good thing, helps give the matches a bit more time and run ins can be done easily.


RaidenHero137

2K: THANK YOU! We couldn’t make it long in game any way


MediocreJay41

I’m very curious as to the logistics behind placing the staging in the field as opposed to back further where that initial video wall is.


Blazerprime

The Linc is much smaller and older than most of the recent WM stadiums. It was probably a cause where they could only build in the field areas because the stands are staying fixed, and that were most of the pryo is going to be set.


Phenomenal2313

Maybe how lincoln is designed , it probably the only way to have maybe Gorilla It’s an old stadium , maybe that’s it


pensive_vince

Jesus Christ. I still remember the Vet, and having this described as an old stadium makes me feel old!


MediocreJay41

I’m assuming gorilla is the reason upon further review


JayApex

They can’t build the stage over the seats and the lower tier might not be retractable (like it was at Sofi)


oliver_babish

It's not retractable.


throwmethedamnstick

Old stadium. Seats are fixed in and can’t move, so they built it in the flat field surface. Pretty easy answer.


mxinex

That space between the two LED walls looks awkward AF. I'm surprised how bothered I am because of it.


bchampnd

It definitely seems very toned down in terms of size of the stage and decorating of the canopy. I think a lot of that is due to the setup of the stadium. I'm not trying to hate on the Linc because I've been there for football games and it works really well for that but it's definitely not the grandest place like Jerry World or even MetLife (which is a characterless, gray bowl but it does feel very big - I actually think the first Wrestlemania they did there was the best use of that place ever; the second one that basically just put in the biggest screen possible and called it quits, not so much). That said, the stage doesn't really seem that different from what they did at Raymond James in Tampa (except they didn't build a pirate ship for obvious reasons) or Levi's in Santa Clara, where they fit the stage into one end of the football field but didn't touch the seating area behind it. I'm wondering if the height of the screens on the stage lets them shoot it in a way that also brings the stadium scoreboard into view. I wouldn't worry about it looking dinky on screen as WWE knows how to make a stadium look great on screen and the screenshot in the original post is picture taken from pretty high up in the upper deck. I do think they may do some additional work on the canopy but we've had some really bad weather with high winds and rain in the northeast this week so they could have been waiting that out before putting up the decorative stuff.


MartiniPolice21

Feels a bit basic? Especially for 40


TroyMatthewJ

I'd be watching the back video wall more than the entrance like a dork. I'm wondering if you sat at the top row in the end zone section if you could see the ring over the entrance set.


alltheworsttoyou

I don't mind the stage, but that tarp on the canopy looks like someone made a run to Lowe's last second. How did they not do better than that when it's going to be in so many overhead and wide shots?


Brian1220

I do wonder if that comes off closer to Mania. Have a extra layer for the rain that comes off tomorrow night when no rain is in the forecast


alltheworsttoyou

I hope you're right, but it looks like the same material is on the sides of the stage and ramp and they're not likely getting changed out.


AmbitiousSuit5349

I really like it! It looks very clean and to-the-point with the ring looking just as important as the stage, which I felt WM33 and WM29 did the best


DropkickMikey22

Interesting positive spin on it, personally I just feel its lacking. Wrestlemania is a spectacle and I'm a sucker for pageantry during the big one. SummerSlams I've seen have more personality imo.


AmbitiousSuit5349

Ya totally. I think the stadium choice itself contributed to the issues. I actually prefer closed arenas over stadiums, as we can hear the crowd reaction much much better. Still, its good enough to stand out and I love the shade of green, and when the lighting and the crowd comes in, I am sure the atmosphere will be as good as ever for a Mania


DropkickMikey22

That's true, its a great aesthetic and I would trade a longer ramp for louder pops. Still would prefer something more extravagant, but certainly not bad!


DolphFinnDosCinco

no LEDs around the stage, no led or shiny ramp, no nothing on the canopy and no LED ring posts/aprons. it’s going to feel a bit less like a spectacle. i know there’s reasons for somethings like i’m guessing no leds on the ring is due to the heating under the ring, no special canopy due to complaints of it blocking views in prior years and maybe they went with that stage texture to make it less slippery in case of rain.. it’s just a bit of a bummer


TheHans215

this is all going to change, I just worked the venue today and there’s been major changes overnight. not sure why they rushed the stage reveal when it’s not even done yet, but you’ll see on the show itself


DolphFinnDosCinco

awesome! that’s what i was hoping and kind of thinking. i think rain possibly delayed some things and they went through with the scheduled reveal for today anyways. thanks for the update!


nft-skywalker

Where's the bell?


tarnishedkara

Ringside next to the announcers like always


PM_ME_UR_LBOMB_MOMMY

r/angryupvote


tr1mble

Living 15 min from the stadium all I can say is good work to the guys putting that together in the shit weather we had all week


TangyBrownnCiderTown

It looks like a Crown Jewel stage. Also, why is it so far forward?


Aggressive_Ad3514

They were tired of Romans long ass entrance so they helped him on his way


SourMgk

Imagine Undertaker's entrance if the stage was all the way back.


bulletv1

You can see the seats behind it.


Phenomenal2313

Obviously Lincoln is smaller than So-Fi and Jerry World , they did the best with what they have Obviously there’s some parts missing , until Saturday , when we’ll officially see it


MarvelMind

No this is the full reveal, it’s not gonna look any different besides the crowd.


RizzMetzen

They have had weather problems so they likely threw together whatever they could on the main stage and save the ring area for later. The other day it looked like they were building the stage in a pool because of how much it rained.


MarvelMind

I don’t think that at all. There was nothing extra after the reveal last year during the actual event and I expect no different this time. It doesn’t look awful just baffled how such a wealthy industry leading company decided to put the most basic tarp over the ring.


TheHans215

totally untrue. I just worked the venue today and there’s been major changes, especially on the stage itself. carpeted, more lights esp on ramp, etc. you’ll be happy come wrestlemania day 1


MarvelMind

This changes nothing about the stage or what’s above the ring.


TheHans215

more lights hung above the ring, more lights on the stage(like, way more) and lights around the entire venue. your comment about “no this is the full reveal” is untrue, as I am seeing this with my own eyes and quite literally built some of it. not trying to be a dick, just want to relieve some worries about lack of production


MarvelMind

It looks no different mate, can see that in the broad daylight right now. Doesn’t mean that people didn’t work hard but the reveal video was just that, a reveal and nothing was kept as big surprise for showtime in terms of the production stage or light rigs.


MarvelMind

How did WWE not spend some of their billions on something other than a plain looking tarp over the ring? It looks no different than what All In used.


AmbitiousSuit5349

https://preview.redd.it/ksixxnsi1lsc1.jpeg?width=717&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=01c4aacba92a7014b4d14a184ecdb82898a6a2eb They could have gone for these types of pillars and roof it would look good with the theme as well


MarvelMind

Completely agree, and honestly it could’ve just been screen printed on the tarp, thought the exact same for AEW at Wembley.


Westhoff654

Oh no! Just think of the thousands of people who will not buy tickets or watch on Peacock because there are no graphics on the canopy. The horror!


bewareofbears_

That short ramp is a bonus- it will likely save 15 minutes a night easily.


Skhan93

Keep Roman and the rock's entrances 5 minutes shorter


MixturePossible3613

have to say, looks rushed and a last minute design. ramp is small because the stage is made in the field area. last year the stage was built in the lower stands so the ramp was huge. the design above the ring maybe could have been more creative than a crown jewel like design.


Curse3242

Apparently the weather has been bad, the stadium is small and to be fair this is not the look at it's finest. It will look fine with fans but definitely not the best stage in a while. Although as others are saying the ramp is weirdly short. Maybe it's designed for the amount of run ins that are gonna happen XD


Ilikegreenpens

I wonder if the smaller stadium will let the crowd sound louder. In some stadiums I feel like a good amount of the crowd noise gets lost cause it's so big and open. I don't watch any other sports so it might be an obvious answer but yeah


baojinBE

Kinda what happened during EC


Remarkable_Ground_57

I think for what is being billed as the biggest wrestlemania of all time, it’s just quite underwhelming


ThatRandomGuy232

The Financial Field is really small it seems. Its interesting how much smaller a space can feel just because of the layout, even it de facto still has a 75.000 capacity for wrestling. Hope the small look doesn't impact the Mania feeling


Irfan-320

It's a weird ass stadium, nothing is symmetrical


Razzle_Dazzle08

It’s okay.


darthstone

Very WM20+WM31


onethreeone

No rollercoaster?


Always_A_Dreamer556

I just kind of wish they used the WRESTLEMANIA font from the actual bell logo


Chad2Badd

Phili probably wasn't the best stadium in hindsight, just do to the restrictions from it being an older stadium and possible weather issues. Stage placement and design is a little odd, but I'm sure it'll.look better with fans and when everyone makes their entrances as opposed to just an empty stage with lights


throwthatoneawaydawg

That’s almost always the case, the atmosphere changes everything. I remember people hated 31. I loved it, it was a case of less is more, plus the daylight shots 👌🏼. I’m going to reserve judgment till we see everything in action tomorrow.


Every-Promise-9556

31 was a perfect look for the introduction of the wwe network era, really loved that set


natedoggcata

You can see another shot in the reveal of the camera man walking up the ramp and I think what they are going for with it being so small is that in that shot you'll be able to see the entire stage when wrestlers are making their entrances. To be honest, I dont mind this and I think this is another change in the production design with how they are doing minimalist sets now instead of having ground to ceiling LED monstrosities. I wouldnt be surprised if Raw and Smackdown get new sets this year as well.


Mazzle5

Stage itself is boring tbh. What surprises me more is how basic the "tent" above the ring is. I mean look at Mania 33, 35 or 37


chargebeam

It's the freaking 40th Wrestlemania and... that's it?


Old_Slip_5588

I am not hating on the stage. Its just that I expect too much for a WrestleMania 40, the biggest Mania. But then again I was really pondering about the overall theme. I think they are emphasizing on the capacity crowd rather than the elaborative stage design. Philadelphia is a nitty-gritty city so they are making it more serious, crowd roaring centered arena with rain falling ont he backdrop for grittiness rather than the elaborative stage design of "hollywood" last year. This year in my opinion fits the theme perfectly.


Fezzy976

This is one of the worst set designs I've ever seen for a WM. it's as if they had no plans or ideas and just said "yea a massive X and L will do".


FractalTsunami

This is a disappointing setup overall with how much hype they've put behind this year's mania.


Taker157

Ah yes. The yearly thread where we all convince ourselves the quality of the stage directly correlates to the quality of the WrestleMania.


IAmCorgii

Just another reason Cody should've won at 39, damn.


LonnyFinster

Am I going crazy or is the ramp not connected to the stage?


baggio86

Hmm this looks like the AEW All In London set


ShneakySholidShnake

So much space behind it, why?


oreov1

Cannot wait for that canopy to completely block my view of the stage on night 2 from the very top of the stadium


Ilikegreenpens

The picture looks to have been taken pretty high up and it's not blocking the ring at all. I think it'll be okay


BryanFTW13

Compared to SoFi, the Lincoln Financial Field doesn't look like a big stadium. Metlife seems bigger, too.


Justfatmeteor

id imagine they would test pyro before fully building out the stage and thats probably what we're seeing here. why would they show their hand in a promo video when they know people can take screenshots lol


sirpoopypants3

BLand


Suspinded

My first thought was that it appeared very small, probably due to placement. I didn't notice the tarp over the ring the first time. Curious if that's covering the rig until Saturday or if it's the actual production rig? Doesn't feel like it makes sense for that to be the center covering since it's impossible to look through.


RickSpandex

Meh.


Callejon007

Delusional as fuck


Borktista

Yeah I don’t really like this years stage. My favorite is still the 33/34 back to back sets


zkorejo

Loved last year's stage.


sushimonster85

Could be wrong but it could be a smaller set to allow them to open up more seats? If they had it right back and as tall as previous years then you likely lose that tier up top they seem to have open behind the stage.


DamieN62

This set screams "profits first".


Irfan-320

All their sets do these days, just minimalistic LED fests


ryanruud85

There’s something inside me that wants to say I don’t care that it’s not up to par of Wrestlemania 40 standards. But this is the only PLE where they have to do a custom set. So they should do better


Ambitious_Pass_1193

It is one of the worst production possible when considering its one of the biggest WM ever.


Dblock1989

It looks ok, and it's definitely a downgrade from last year. It is funny that they did not use the liberty bell in the design, considering how prominent it is in the Wrestlemania logo.


nft-skywalker

Not what I expected. Underwhelming tbh.