For Peekskill resident Sarah Peterson and her husband Thomas, Easter has always meant egg hunts, gift baskets, and quality family time with their children. But this past Easter weekend, the couple swapped baskets for body slams, attending World Wrestling Entertainment’s (WWE) Wrestlemania 41 in Las Vegas, N.V.
Their trip, which was paid for by Fanatics after Peterson won a costume contest in 2024, was packed with energetic concerts, lively bar and casino trips, and non-stop entertainment at the biggest professional wrestling event of the year.
Growing up in the ’90s, Peterson recalled the last time she watched WWE was during the glory days of Hulk Hogan and Ultimate Warrior. Despite not being longtime fans, she and her husband eagerly embraced the once-in-a-lifetime experience, and were amazed by the energy from both the fans and wrestlers.
“WrestleMania definitely exceeded all my expectations. I was so in love with the fans and their passion for this sport,” said Peterson.
The WrestleMania trip marks Peterson’s second all-expenses paid trip this year. Her first was Super Bowl LIX in February. She’s set to embark on six more trips by the end of 2025.
From the ‘Friendly City’ to Sin City
In February, when Peterson and her husband attended the Super Bowl, they were in familiar territory. WrestleMania was a different story; the Petersons had no idea what to expect.
As the trip got closer, Peterson realized she had some catching up to do. “One of my colleagues at work – he loves the WWE,” she said. “He told me that I really had to brush up on the drama and what was happening beforehand in order for me to know what was going on.”
Determined to prepare, Peterson began watching tons of Monday Night Raw (a wrestling program produced by WWE on Netflix), followed several top female wrestlers on social media, and even consulted with ChatGPT for a crash course on the current state of WWE.
When WWE week finally arrived, the Petersons made sure their young sons, Hudson and Teddy, didn’t miss out on their Easter traditions entirely.
“My kids were upset that we went to Las Vegas without them over spring break but they didn’t seem too affected because before we left I made some baskets for them and bought them a bunch of presents,” said Peterson.
On April 17, the couple boarded a 7 a.m. flight to Las Vegas. Though five hours long, their first class seats made the trip a breeze, thanks to Fanatics. “It was very cozy. You almost don’t even want to get off.”
The couple arrived at the “Gambling capital of the world” around 9:30 a.m local time.
Although their excitement was high, the temperature when they arrived was not. “It was very cold and rainy,” said Peterson. Still, the Petersons were able to relax at their comfortable five-star resort and casino, Wynn Las Vegas. Fanatics provided the pair with a free four-night stay.
That evening, the couple went to a Dead & Company concert at Sphere, the world’s largest spherical structure known for its sophisticated audio and visual technology.“It’s like a planetarium,” Peterson said. “There’s graphics and visuals on the whole screen – it was really cool.”The next day (Friday), the Petersons took full advantage of their 20 free Uber rides from Fanatics and visited Fremont Street in downtown Las Vegas. While sightseeing, the couple saw some of the city’s most well-known and historic casinos, such as the Golden Nugget and Binion’s.“Every casino looked different inside. The Bellagio has a beautiful botanical garden and a fountain. The Venetian has a canal inside. That was all pretty cool to see,” said Peterson.
Despite not having as many events to attend compared to their Super Bowl trip, Peterson said she and her husband still had a lot of fun over the weekend.
“The Super Bowl was so busy, like almost every minute I was getting ready for a party or going to a party. So this was cool because it was like a mini vacation. I got to do a lot more relaxing.”
Two nights of WrestleMania
On Saturday, Peterson and her husband joined over 55 thousand fans at Allegiant Stadium for Night 1 of WrestleMania.
For the two night event, Fanatics provided Peterson and her husband with premium club-level seats, complete with private bars, dining and lounge sections, couches overlooking the stadium, club-only concession stands, and private bathrooms. The Petersons also had a clear central view of the ring and the ramp to watch wrestlers make their entrance.
During the event, Peterson says she was most impressed by the over-the-top entrances and intense fan participation. “I think the most impressive part for me was seeing how all the wrestlers had different entrances and the songs that came with them,” she said. “The crowd would chant something when they came out and every time there was like a surprise wrestler, people went nuts. They were so excited and I fed off their energy.”
Peterson was also struck by how members of the WWE Universe interacted with each other. “I also found that the fans were really friendly to each other, even if they were doing opposite chants. I was like, ‘Wow, the wrestling community is pretty cool.’”
Her favorite matches from Night 1 included Tiffany Stratton versus Charlotte Flair and Jade Cargil versus Naomi.
“The Tiffany Stratton-Charlotte fight was cool. Her [Stratton] coming out of a Barbie box, and then at the end it appeared that she lost a tooth.”
The fans’ favorite match, according to Peterson, was the triple threat main event of CM Punk versus Roman Reigns versus Seth Rollins. (A triple threat match features three wrestlers competing for a victory, with the first wrestler to win a pinfall or submission claiming the win.)
“Everybody around us was rooting for CM Punk,” shared Peterson.
Petersons favorite match of Night 2 was Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez defending their Women’s Tag Team titles against Lyria Valkyria and a returning Becky Lynch. “When Becky [Lynch] came out, people went crazy.”
She also recalled the crowd reaction for the surprise appearance of Total Nonstop Action (TNA) World Champion Joe Hendry. “Everybody was singing his song. My husband had never heard of him, but after watching his entrance, he was like, ‘I have a new favorite wrestler.’”
Celebrities in attendance included Ava Max, who sang the national anthem, Logan Paul, and Travis Scott, who made a surprise appearance during the main event of John Cena versus WWE Undisputed Champion Cody Rhodes.
“They played the song ‘FEIN’ a million times, both nights and I was like he’s got to come out. I was actually hoping that Travis Scott was going to perform. But he was in the match – that was funny to see.”
Peterson said the main event was very entertaining from the entrances to the crowd reactions. “I was surprised because when John Cena and Cody Rhodes came out, the crowd was super mixed. Some of them were chanting, ‘Cena sucks.’”
After leaving and fully digesting both nights, Peterson said she found a new appreciation and respect for professional wrestling.
“I couldn’t believe how long they were able to wrestle. They were like picking each other up multiple times, and being slammed on the ground, just doing that once would be exhausting. And then when they’re out there doing it for like 15 minutes, it really is pretty incredible,” said Peterson.
“I kind of walked in there not knowing what to expect. I was kind of like, ‘How are people so into this?’ and then by the time I left, I was like, ‘I get it now.’”
Laying low before layups
Grateful for another incredible opportunity made possible by Fanatics, Peterson says she wants to continue her WWE fan journey. “I definitely think I’m gonna try to keep up with the storylines. I’m going to Fanatics Fest in June and they do a ton of stuff with the wrestlers. Now that they’re on Netflix, I’ll definitely check it out more.”
Up next for Peterson is the NBA Basketball Finals in June. Peterson says she and her husband are rooting for the New York Knicks.
Two trips in, six more to go – it’s fair to say the adventures for Peterson are only just beginning.
Editor’s note: The Herald will follow Sarah Peterson throughout the year as she attends all these events. If you wish to follow Sarah Peterson, be sure to subscribe to the Herald’s email list so you don’t miss the next story.
