Fans from across the country and across the oceans packed AT&T Stadium in Arlington Sunday for WrestleMania 32.
Some came dressed in flamboyant costumes and wigs to honor their favorite WWE Superstars. Others wore massive, blinged-out championship belts wrapped around their waists or thrown over their shoulders as they made their way into the stadium for the pop culture extravaganza.
In all, the event has a record attendance of 101,763.
College friends Luke, Jake, Todd and Paul - decked out as their favorite wrestlers - drew crowds of their own as they put on an impromptu wrestling match in a stadium parking lot long before the doors even opened.
Fans chanted as Luke, channeling Hulk Hogan in a bright yellow costume, performed a leg drop on the face of his friend Jake, dressed as wrestler Ric Flair.
The four friends, who traveled in from Florida, Virginia and Dallas, said they had been planning their trip to Arlington for more than a year.
"We're die-hard wrestling fans,"said Paul, dressed as Hot Rod Roddy Piper.
Darryl, 14, brought a handmade sign that read "I traveled 4,555 miles"to show he had come all the way from England with his dad to see his favorite wrestlers take the stage.
Other fans came from the Lone Star State.
"This is going to be the biggest WrestleMania in history. To be part of this history is cool!"said Bryan, who came several friends from Corpus Christi.
The trip to Arlington was the fifth WrestleMania event for 11-year-old David from Florida. David, who loves watching wrestling with his dad, said he was in awe of the massive AT&T Stadium.
"It's really big. I hear 100,000 people can be in the stadium,"David said. "I'm really excited to see everyone. It should be a lot of fun."
WrestleMania has also become a tradition for Ezra's family of Dallas. Sunday's event was the fifth Wrestlemania for Ezra, the second for his 4-year-old son Ginobili and the first for his 6-month-old daughter Lourdes.
"Hopefully it will sell enough tickets, they decide to bring it back here more,"Ezra said.
Ezra, a wrestling fan since the 1980s, wore a large custom-made
WWE logo necklace while his son, a John Cena fan, wore a championship belt.
Several fans said dressing up in costumes made their WrestleMania experience even more of a blast.
Jon came dressed as The Mountie while his sister Breona, wrapped in a red velour jacket with zebra stripes and hearts, channeled The Mountie's wrestling manager Jimmy Hart.
"I went last year and didn't dress up as anybody,"said Breona, who had her jacket custom airbrushed for the Arlington event. "Now I feel more blended in."
Julio and his family drove in from Laredo for the record-setting event.
"I've liked wrestling since I was a little kid. This was my first chance to come to WrestleMania. I couldn't let it pass!"said Julio, wearing a championship belt that his wife surprised him with as a gift.
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