Source: Vikings.com
Former WWE Senior Vice President of Live Events, Patrick Talty, has been appointed the General Manager of the upcoming Minnesota Multi-Purpose Stadium. The new building – prematurely dubbed “Vikings Stadium” by locals – is currently under construction, and will be the new home for the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings for the 2016 season.
What makes this news interesting to wrestling fans is the possibility of WWE hosting WrestleMania in Minneapolis for the first time. Because of potentially harsh weather that frequently extends into the spring months, WWE has avoided the midwest for years, with the exception of the enclosed Ford Field in Detroit for WrestleMania 23.
With MetLife Stadium in 2013 and the brand new Levi’s Stadium in 2015, the company is making a habit of attempting attendance records at newly constructed stadiums around the country. The city is shooting for a 2016 grand opening, and with expandable seating in the neighborhood of 73,000 – not to mention that the new GM is a former WWE executive – it makes “Vikings Stadium” a logical choice for WrestleMania in 2017.
KILLAM: This is all speculation at this point, but as a Chicagoan the idea of a WM return to the midwest is exciting. Chicago lacks an indoor arena big enough for the spectacle (it’s not 2006 anymore, sadly) and there’s no way they risk running Soldier Field in early April. I typically detest anything Viking-related, but I’d make an exception in this case.
