WWE Encyclopedia & Wrestlemania 25 Business

According to a recent Houston Chronicle article, WWE's Wrestlemania 25 Pay-Per-View could translate to a big boost for the Houston economy. On Tuesday, Houston Mayor Bill White held a news conference which included WWE diva Melina and WWE superstar Rey Mysterio. Melina will be part of the "Miss Wrestlemania 25 Divas Battle Royal", while Rey Mysterio will attempt to defeat JBL for the Intercontinental Title. The story discusses how when a big event like Wrestlemania hits town it usually means big bucks. Last year's Wrestlemania 24 in Orlando did just that, so Houston government officials are hoping for the same. However, the current economy might not be the best for business. Joe Ortale, president and CEO of the Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau, is optimistic about the event's financial impact.

According to Houston Chronicle: 

“It couldn’t come at a better time,” Ortale said. “The hotel industry has been in free fall” as the recession causes corporations to cut back on travel.

“If we don’t equal what it did for Orlando, we’ll come very close,” he said. Many people don’t realize that WrestleMania is on the scale of a Major League Baseball or NBA All-Star game, said John Saboor, WWE’s senior vice president of special events.

The main event Sunday at Reliant Stadium is expected to draw 70,000 fans.

John Keeling, senior vice president of PKF Consulting, a hotel consulting firm, doesn’t believe Houston’s economic benefit will be equal to Orlando’s.

Orlando is more of a tourist destination, he noted. Also, the U.S. is in a recession and attending WrestleMania is “really discretionary.”

Saboor disagreed, noting that many die-hard WWE fans make WrestleMania their one vacation of the year.

It was noted that when Wrestlemania came to Houston's Astrodome in 2001, it set an attendance record and brought an impact of $13 million additional dollars into the economy. The week of fun events is currently underway with things like Superstar appearances and the Fan Axxess tour which features all sorts of wrestling fun. Saturday will see the 2009 Hall of Fame ceremony which features Stone Cold Steve Austin among its latest inductees, while Sunday will be the 25th anniversary of Wrestlemania complete with a full card of exciting matches.

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In other WWE business news, the recently released WWE Encyclopedia debuted at #10 on the New York Times Bestseller list.

According to Fox Business News:

WWE Encyclopedia is the only official encyclopedia to chronicle WWE. In addition to its debut on The New York Times' Advice, How To and Miscellaneous bestseller list, it was also Number One on the Sports & Recreation Charts, according to Nielsen Bookscan week ending 3/22/09.

DK Publishing CEO Gary June commented, "When WWE came to us looking to publish a reference that stood up to the energy, visual impact, and drama of WWE's storied history, we knew we would have to produce a book that surpassed the available information online. DK's distinctive visual treatment was a perfect match, and the fan response is proving that."

The must have book features 900 or so profiles of WWE Superstars from many decades and is a great reference for the ultimate WWE fanatic.