WrestleMania XXVII

WrestleMania XXVII is the forthcoming twenty-seventh annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It is scheduled to take place on April 3, 2011 at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia.

Background
WrestleMania will feature professional wrestling matches that involve different wrestlers from pre-existing feuds, plots, and storylines that will be played out on WWE's primary television programs. Wrestlers will portray villains or heroes as they follow a series of events that build tension and culminate in a wrestling match or series of matches.

Since 1993, the winner of the annual Royal Rumble match (an over-the-top-rope elimination style match) at the January event of the same name has won the opportunity to fight for a world championship at WrestleMania. Alberto Del Rio won the match in 2011 and will wrestle Edge for the World Heavyweight Championship. At the following month's Elimination Chamber event, John Cena won the Raw brand's annual Elimination Chamber match to earn himself a WWE Championship shot against the reigning champion, The Miz.

Starting from the January 31 episode of Raw, ominous vignettes featuring a mysterious figure began airing on WWE programming promoting an upcoming event on "2 21 11". On the February 21 edition of Raw, The Undertaker was revealed as the mysterious figure, who made his return after a four month absence. However, Undertaker's return was interrupted by a returning Triple H. The two men stared each other down and both peered at the WrestleMania marquee, teasing a possible challenge at WrestleMania XXVII. The match was later confirmed four days later on WWE's official website. This match marks the second time the two will face each other at a WrestleMania, the first being WrestleMania X-Seven ten years earlier.

Since December 2010, Raw color commentator Jerry Lawler began a feud with fellow announcer Michael Cole when the anonymous Raw General Manager gave Lawler a WWE Championship match in a Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match against The Miz. As Lawler started to climb the ladder to retrieve the belt, Cole interfered and prevented Lawler from winning the match. On the February 21 edition of Raw, Cole mocked Lawler for losing his rematch against The Miz at Elimination Chamber as well as his dreams of having a WrestleMania match, going as far as even mentioning Lawler's mother who died weeks earlier. Lawler responded by challenging Cole to a match at WrestleMania, which Cole denied before running through the crowd. A week later, Cole accepted Lawler's challenge under two conditions - that his trainer Jack Swagger would be in his corner, and that he could choose a special guest referee - which Lawler accepted.

Another plot building up towards WrestleMania involves CM Punk and Randy Orton. Beginning the year, CM Punk became the leader of the Nexus, rebranding it as the "New Nexus". In the following weeks, Punk attacked Orton, telling him that it was his revenge for Orton punting him at Unforgiven in 2008 while Punk was the World Heavyweight Champion, thus not allowing him to defend his title, which had to be vacated. On February 28, the anonymous Raw General Manager announced a match between Punk and Orton. In addition, the General Manager stipulated that Orton will face one of the members of the New Nexus each week. If Orton lost, his opponent would be allowed to be in Punk's corner at WrestleMania; if he won, his opponent would be banned from attending the event.

Another feud heading into WrestleMania is between Rey Mysterio and Cody Rhodes. On the January 21 edition of SmackDown, Mysterio and Rhodes had a match in which Mysterio broke the nose of Cody Rhodes with his finishing maneuver, the 619. Rhodes, who underwent facial reconstruction surgey, later accused Mysterio of forcing him to miss the Royal Rumble match and the Elimination Chamber match for the World Heavyweight Championship. On the March 4 edition of SmackDown, Cody's father, Dusty Rhodes, came out to talk to Mysterio and asked Cody to apologize for his accusation, but it turned out to be a setup to allow Cody to attack and unmask Mysterio. The next week Rhodes challenged Rey to a match at Wrestlemania, which was accepted the following week.

Production
In September 2009, it was reported that the city of Atlanta was seeking to host WrestleMania XXVII at the Georgia Dome. A press conference was held on February 1, 2010 at the Georgia Dome to formally announce the event for Atlanta. According to WWE's senior vice president of special events, John Saboor, Atlanta was ultimately chosen for, among other reasons, "their track record of success with large events, rich in its tradition with the WWE, great infrastructure." The event will mark the first time WrestleMania has been held in the state of Georgia.

Atlanta's main rival bid came from the city of Miami, Florida who proposed to host the event at Sun Life Stadium along with WrestleMania Axxess at the Miami Beach Convention Center and the WWE Hall of Fame ceremony at the American Airlines Arena. Miami would eventually become the host for WrestleMania XXVIII.

Tickets for the event commenced sale to the public on November 13, 2010. Along with WrestleMania XXVII, a series of events grouped as "WrestleMania Week" will be held in the week preceding the event including WrestleMania's annual WrestleMania Axxess fan convention, the 2011 WWE Hall of Fame ceremony, the fourth annual WrestleMania Art exhibition and auction, and a Celebrity Pro-Am Golf tournament. WrestleMania Axxess will be held at the Georgia World Congress Center, while the WWE Hall of Fame ceremony will take place at the Philips Arena.

"Written in the Stars" by Tinie Tempah is currently the only theme song confirmed for the event. On the February 14 episode of Raw, it was confirmed that Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson will serve as guest host for WrestleMania XXVII.

Matches

 * Numbers in parentheses indicate the length of the match.
 * (c) refers to the champion(s) heading into the match.


 * Edge (c) vs. Alberto Del Rio for the World Heavyweight Championship
 * The Miz (c) vs. John Cena for the WWE Championship
 * The Undertaker vs. Triple H in a No Holds Barred Match
 * Randy Orton vs. CM Punk
 * Jerry Lawler vs. Michael Cole (w/ Jack Swagger) (with "Stone Cold" Steve Austin as Special guest referee)
 * Rey Mysterio vs. Cody Rhodes
 * Trish Stratus, John Morrison & Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi vs. Dolph Ziggler & Team Lay-Cool (Michelle McCool & Layla)
 * Sheamus (c) vs. Daniel Bryan for the WWE United States Championship

Also See

 * List of WWE pay-per-view events
 * WWE Event History
 * WrestleMania
 * WrestleMania AXXESS 2011
 * Event gallery

DVD release

 * Amazon.jpg Released May 20, 2011