It’s Sunday evening and you’re sitting on the couch with your kids, channel surfing to try to find something to watch… is it a horror movie? No. Romantic comedy?... eh, maybe. How about a wrestling match? ‘YEAH!’ the kids yell. But can they watch it? Is there too much blood?
Rest assured, Mom. WWE is totally family-friendly and appropriate for all ages! In fact, Macaroni Kid had the pleasure of attending the first ever women’s only Pay-Per-View event Evolution, ourselves! Not only did we have an incredible time, we also met and interviewed one of the most iconic WWE legends, Mickie James!
“Blessed and stressed.” That’s how Mickie described herself just an hour before entering the ring to compete in Evolution. “If you told me ten years ago that this would be happening, I’d have said you were crazy,” she added.
Mickie James would know. She’s been a wrestling fan since childhood and first stepped into the ring almost 20 years ago. Since then, she and the other women of the WWE have been fighting to transform their role from eye candy to a serious female competitors. Evolution suggests that transformation is complete. History has been made.
“It wouldn’t have happened until the fans were so vocal about wanting to see more women’s competition,” says Mickie. That fan support was evident later that evening as thousands of women’s wrestling fans filled New York’s Nassau Coliseum and millions more tuned in to watch live from home.
Evolution marks a seminal moment in the role of women in the WWE. But it also puts an exclamation point on changes the WWE has been implementing over the past decade. Now rated PG-13, bad language, sexual innuendo, and blood have all but disappeared from the WWE as the focus on character development, stories and physical challenge of wrestling have shifted to the forefront.
An hour after we met, my family and I jumped to our feet, along with thousands of others, as Mickie entered the ring alongside Alexa Bliss in Evolution’s opening match. Sitting in the row in front of us were two ‘tween girls, dressed as their favorite WWE wrestler. What does Mickie James hope those girls see? “How truly powerful women and girls are. As individuals and especially as a unit.”
The wonder of whether or not your kids should be watching wrestling matches has been thrown out of the ring. The WWE has put a strong focus on creating an experience unlike any other and bringing families together in arenas across the nation.
Want to be part of the action? WWE's Holiday Tour is coming to your area! December 2, 2018 the WWE Holiday Tour will be at CenturyLink Center in Bossier City. For a full list of upcoming events, visit https://www.wwe.com/events. Use offer code “MACKID” to receive a special offer for Macaroni Kid readers, saving you $5 per ticket.
So, don’t worry about getting a sitter for the night. Pack up the kids and head out for a night of family fun! It’s something you will never forget!
