WrestleMania 40 comes to Philly. Crash course on which guys we should love or hate

It’s the Super Bowl of wrestling. And it’s coming to Philadelphia.

While New York might be the home of World Wrestling Entertainment, and the promotion tours all over the world, Philadelphia is about as pro wrestling as you can get.

Philadelphia packed the Spectrum with guys like Hulk Hogan, Bob Backlund and Bruno Sammartino. It celebrated monthly sellouts at the Philadelphia Civic Center with Ric Flair, Dusty Rhodes and Sting. And during the late 1990s, every month at the ECW Arena was a party with Raven, Stevie Richards and the Sandman.

Next week, Philadelphia becomes the epicenter of the wrestling world when WWE brings WrestleMania to Lincoln Financial Field.

Along with WrestleMania 40, held on April 6 and 7, WWE will also hold Smackdown and the Hall of Fame ceremony on Friday, NXT Stand and Deliver on Saturday afternoon and Monday Night Raw on April 8. Those events will be held at the Wells Fargo Center.

The promotion will also hold WWE World from April 4 to 8 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia. 

WWE is taking over Philly, but perhaps you’re not a huge wrestling fan. That doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the show. 

And if you’re a Philly sports fan, we’ll help you. We compare today’s wrestlers with some of the most famous Philly athletes over the years. That way you can choose who to cheer for if you’re at the arena, the stadium, or watching from home.

Both nights of WrestleMania will air live on Peacock, along with NXT Stand and Deliver. 

The Rock

We’ll start with the most famous professional wrestler in the world, and the guy who is main eventing opening night of WrestleMania. The Rock can be a fan favorite at times, but he certainly hasn’t been a good guy since coming back. Since sometimes we love him, sometimes we hate him, and for the electricity he brings every time he makes a move, the Rock is our Terrell Owens. 

Roman Reigns

You might not like him, but he’s been the best thing in the sport for the past four years now. Ever since Roman took up his rightful place at the head of the table, he’s been one of the most entertaining wrestlers of all time. He’s the best and he’s hated. Sounds like an MVP we have around here who really enjoys wrestling. Roman Reigns is our Joel Embiid.

Cody Rhodes

The man who will challenge Roman Reigns for the championship on night two of WrestleMania has had to earn everything he has. He is a perfect representation of the franchise because he’s clean cut and dapper, is a great speaker and is more than willing to put in the work. He’s been dismissed as a top guy, only to work himself in position to be the biggest star in the sport. Cody Rhodes is our Jalen Hurts.

Seth Rollins

He’s loud, obnoxious, but we love him. And he always dresses differently. If he was a Philly athlete, could you not see him wearing Phanatic shoes? And when he’s hot, as he has been for quite a while now, he can carry a promotion on his own. Seth Rollins is our Bryce Harper.

Drew McIntyre

The Scottish warrior speaks his mind, doesn’t care what people think of him, and when he’s in the ring, he does whatever it takes to win. Now this isn’t perfect because fans don’t really care for McIntyre while they love his Philly counterpart, but perhaps we should rethink the ovation we give Drew, because he’s exactly like one of our all time favorites. Drew McIntyre is our Chase Utley.

CM Punk

The color commentator for the championship match on Night 2 featuring Drew McIntyre challenging Seth Rollins isn’t loved by all. Some fans hate him. But most adore him, not just for what he does but for what he says. Whenever Punk has an opinion, he’s quick to share it. The only thing better than what he does behind the mic is what he does when he’s doing his thing. CM Punk is our Jimmy Rollins.

Rey Mysterio

While he’s not set for a match yet, it’s hard to imagine WWE not having their greatest high flier ever perform. And after last week, it looks like he might want a rematch against his son, Dominic. Mysterio is one of the smallest guys you’ll ever see in the ring, but the stuff he can do is amazing. Even when going against guys twice his size, he usually comes out on top. Rey Mysterio is our Allen Iverson.

The Miz

He talks trash as well as anyone, he’s from Cleveland and he’s been one of the top performers in his field for as long as I can remember. Oh, and whatever he’s asked to do, he not only does it, but he does it to the best of his ability. The Miz is our Jason Kelce.

Rhea Ripley

The most dominant woman wrestler has the size, skill, power and charisma to be the best ever. For the past few years, she’s been as entertaining as anything the promotion has featured, and even though she sometimes breaks the rules, the fans love her. Rhea Ripley is our Eric Lindros.

Becky Lynch

Ripley’s opponent is truly one of the best women’s wrestlers ever. And she’s been so good at times that I think she’s taken for granted. She’s had years where she was by far the MVP, and I think she’s been so good for so long, she’s actually underappreciated. Becky Lynch is our Ryan Howard.

Bayley

When she left us and joined the dark side, it was tough to watch. But Bayley is back on the side of good, and fans are in love with what she’s doing. The connection she has with fans, not just in Philly, but everywhere is pretty incredible. Bayley is our Brian Dawkins. 

Sami Zayn

Take away all the “bad guy” things that the man challenging Gunther for the Intercontinental Championship when he was a member of the Bloodline and it’s impossible not to like this guy. He’s getting better every day and fans will lose their minds if he knocks off Gunther. His work ethic, coupled with his personality, is why fans can’t get enough of this guy. Sami Zayn is our Tyrese Maxey.

Gunther

He’s big, mean, tough and knows it, and worse, he let’s you know he knows it. With the exception of him being one of the best in the game, there’s not a lot of good things you can say about him. But damn he’s good. So imagine how cool it would be to see our guy beat him? Gunther is our Bernard Hopkins.

Jey Uso

He’s a star who has worked himself into one of the great leaders of the company and at WrestleMania he’s going to fight his brother. Jey Uso is our Keith Primeau.

Paul Heyman

Tried to come up with a general manager or coach role for him, but that doesn’t work because he’s been far more successful than any of our leaders. Then it dawned on me, Heyman has jumped from wrestler to wrestler just trying to latch on to someone to make himself relevant. Paul Heyman is our James Harden. (Sorry Paul, you’re one of the all time greatest and you deserve to go into the Hall of Fame! But you’re a bad guy … just like Harden!)

LA Knight

He made his mark elsewhere, but since joining WWE, he’s become one of the most entertaining athletes there are. He is brash, isn’t afraid to tell the world how great he is, but no matter what he does, the fans love him. Is LA Knight our AJ Brown? YEAH! 

AJ Styles

Another underappreciated guy who has recently drawn the ire of fans because of his actions. A star before he arrived in WWE, when needed he’s been one of the top guys in WWE. But at times he takes the easy way out like he did when he jumped poor LA Knight last week. AJ Styles is our Tobias Harris.

Randy Orton

A brash, arrogant young man turned into a mature star that everyone loves. And while he might not be the guy everyone mentions when you talk about the best ever, if you look at his legacy, he's an all time great. Randy Orton is our Charles Barkley.

John Cena

Love him or hate him, he truly cares about the WWE and the WWE fans. Even when he leaves, he's never really gone. He was never expected to be the top guy, but instead of becoming a star he became the star. He accomplished a lot as an active performer and has done more since leaving. John Cena is our Bobby Clarke.

Logan Paul

For the great stuff he does, he doesn't get anywhere near the love from the fans. Probably because when you stick a microphone in front of him, he isn't great at being modest. And as great as he is, he's not afraid to blame others for his mistakes. Still, greatness is greatness. Logan Paul is our Donovan McNabb.

Kevin Owens

A hot headed guy from Canada that sometimes we love, sometimes we hate, but he's never going to blend in. When Kevin Owens is out there, he's not going to do anything quietly. He's going to cause a disturbance and let everyone know he's there. Kevin Owens is our Ron Hextall.

Triple H

Not sure how, but the chief content officer of the WWE is going to do something huge at WrestleMania. With “The Rock” throwing his weight around, his longtime rival might have to keep him in check. Last time Wrestlemania was in Philly, HHH blew up Degeneration X. Now as an executive, can he do the same to “The Bloodline?” HHH always has something up his sleeve, which is why Triple H is our Howie Roseman.

Joe Mason is a producer for the Asbury Park Press. He occasionally writes columns, but take them with a grain of salt, the man watches professional wrestling.