From Idaho To Wrestlemania: How The Gem State Shaped Today’s Pro Wrestling

It's the most wonderful time of the year! Wrestlemania season is officially upon us, and the main event is happening on Saturday and Sunday in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Hundreds of thousands of pro wrestling fans will attend to see the best of the best compete for all the gold in the Showcase of the Immortals. If you're not a fan, all you need to know is that Wrestlemania is WWE's Super Bowl, and this is the 40th year of the event, and it will be the largest yet.

WWE is setting records for attendance, revenue, and many mind-boggling social media metrics. The company is just on another level. This weekend will be the icing on the cake, with megastar Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson returning to the ring for the first time in years to highlight Saturday night.

You may not think of Idaho as a significant professional wrestling community. Still, the Gem State does have a long history of sports entertainment.

From talent to promoters to eventful episodes of WWE and WCW programming, Boise, Nampa, and the entire state have hosted some of the most exciting storylines in pro wrestling history and are even home to some of wrestling's most interesting characters and most famous wrestlers.

While Boise may never host 100,000 people for Wrestlemania, we could see Boise host another WWE Smackdown, which is about to move from Fox to the USA Network. The Ford Idaho Center could host a WWE RAW, which is about to head to Netflix, or one of the two AEW shows: Dynamite or Collision on TNT.

It's been over twenty years since a televised pro wrestling event happened in Idaho. Still, given the record crowds that WWE house shows have drawn over the last four years, another one might soon come along. It also takes a venue willing to pay a more premium price to bring it to town. Just think of the number of people who have moved here since the last televised event that these venues could draw from.

As you enjoy Wrestlemania 40 this weekend, know that the Gem State has plenty of history with pro wrestling. If you're an Idaho fan, you're not alone.