Tampa Bay Residents Hulk Hogan Takes on Titus O’Neil

By World Wrestling Entertainment

World Wrestling Entertainment announced recently that well-known professional wrestlers and Tampa Bay resident(s) Hulk Hogan and Titus O’Neil will host WrestleMania 37 when it comes to Raymond James Stadium in Tampa.  Tickets are now on sale for the professional wrestling’s premier event Saturday and Sunday, April 10 and 11.

More on Hulk Hogan (aka Terry Eugene Bollea):

As a longtime Clearwater resident and owner of Hogan’s Beach Shop and the newly opened Hogan’s Hangout bar and eatery on Clearwater Beach, Hogan is one of the biggest names in WWE history.  He has also participated in previous year’s Super Boat Races.

The “Hulkamania” was officially born on Jan. 23, 1984, when Hogan (aka Terry Eugene Bollea) defeated The Iron Sheik to become WWE Champion at Madison Square Garden.  He headlined WrestleMania III, where he successfully defended the WWE Championship against Andre the Giant in front of a record 93,173 fans at the Pontiac Silverdome. Hogan went on to win six WWE Championships.

During and after his wrestling career, he appeared in several films including “Rocky III” in 1982, “No Holds Barred,” “Suburban Commando” and “Mr. Nanny,” and starred in the television shows “Hogan Knows Best,” “Thunder in Paradise” and “China, IL.”

Hogan was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005 by the star of the “Rocky” films, Sylvester Stallone. And this year Hogan will become a two-time Hall of Fame inductee in the pro wrestling stable New World Order.

More on Superstar Titus O’Neil (aka Thaddeus Michael Bullard Sr.

WWE Superstar Titus O’Neil (aka Thaddeus Michael Bullard Sr.) is as well known for his philanthropic pursuits as he was for his tag team championships.  The Tampa Bay native played football for the University of Florida and then the Arena Football League before launching his wrestling career, appearing on the second season of WWE’s television show, “NXT,” and the show’s fifth season, “NXT Redemption.”  He was named WWE Tag Team Champion as part of The Prime-Time Players with Darren Young and holds the first WWE 24/7 Champion title.

He is now an ambassador for the WWE and his nonprofit organization, The Bullard Family Foundation, has raised millions for children in need. His passion for the community and uplifting others inspired him to write his first book, “There’s No Such Thing as a Bad Kid: How I Went from Stereotype to Prototype” in 2019.

WrestleMania takes place in a different city each year. It was scheduled to take place in Tampa last year but was moved to the WWE training facility in Orlando and staged without an audience due to the coronavirus pandemic.

This year, Tampa is getting another chance to host the pop culture extravaganza featuring the top names in the wrestling world. However, there will be a limited audience and coronavirus protocols in place.

In one of the marquee bouts on April 10, Grand Slam Champion Sasha Banks will put her title on the line against Bianca Belair during the SmackDown Women’s Championship.

Other key matchups include Edge against Roman Reigns for the Universal Championship, Bobby Lashley versus Drew McIntyre for the WWE title, the Fiend facing Randy Orton and Braun Strowman taking on Shane McMahon.

Ticket prices for WrestleMania range from $35 to $2,500 and can be purchased through Ticketmaster. Two-day combo tickets will also be available.

For those who cannot be there in person, the event will be live streamed exclusively on Peacock at 8 p.m. in the United States and on the WWE Network everywhere else.

More About World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE):

WWE, a publicly traded company (NYSE: WWE), is an integrated media organization and recognized leader in global entertainment. The Company consists of a portfolio of businesses that create and deliver original content 52 weeks a year to a global audience. WWE is committed to family friendly entertainment on its television programming, pay-per-view, digital media, and publishing platforms.

WWE’s TV-PG, family-friendly programming can be seen in more than 900 million homes worldwide in 28 languages. WWE Network, the first-ever 24/7 over-the-top premium network that includes all live pay-per-views, scheduled programming, and a massive video-on-demand library, is currently available in more than 180 countries. The Company is headquartered in Stamford, Conn., with offices in New York, Los Angeles, London, Mexico City, Mumbai, Shanghai, Singapore, Dubai, Munich, and Tokyo.

Sources for article include the Business Wire and The Patch and WWE’s Press Release. All photos are for editorial use only all rights reserved. For another fun event check out the City of Tampa to Celebrate Lights. Also check out this story for Chi Chi Charity Classics here.

The post Tampa Bay Residents Hulk Hogan Takes on Titus O’Neil appeared first on Destination Tampa Bay™.