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Whilst it isn’t quite WrestleMania season, some interest has been drummed up regarding the event after a recent reveal for the logo of WrestleMania 40, which is set to take place in 2024 in Philadelphia. It is an eye-catching logo for a number of reasons, one of which is the inclusion of Roman numerals, with the letters “XL” being used in the logo, which represents the number 40. Roman numerals have been a major part of WrestleMania in the past, but it has been a decade since they have been used in marketing for the Show of Shows. This is all due to Vince McMahon hating the use of numbers in reference to WrestleMania over the last decade or so.

WWE Used Numbers For WrestleMania For Thirty Years

Even though WWE hasn’t used numbers themselves when it comes to WrestleMania marketing in the last ten years, the WWE Universe uses them to talk about specific WrestleMania events. For instance, fans will always remember that the WrestleMania which took place in front of zero fans was number 36. It is the easiest way to reference the shows, rather than looking at the year of the event or anything else.

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via WWE

Throughout WrestleManias 1 to 12, WWE utilized Roman numerals to showcase the events, with 13 seeing WWE use conventional numbering. From there, outside of a few outliers like WrestleMania 2000, WWE branded each WrestleMania with either normal or Roman numbering, showcasing just how successful of a venture it had been for the company over the years, consistently retaining its spot as the number one professional wrestling show of the year. However, following WrestleMania 30 (XXX), WWE took away the numbering from its logos and marketing for the event, much to the disdain of fans.

Vince McMahon Believed That Numbers Made WrestleMania Feel Old

Vince McMahon is certainly a unique individual, and many stories have come out about things he does and doesn’t like. For example, McMahon is known to dislike the concept of sneezing, as it showcases a lack of control over one’s own body. There are plenty more of these weird and specific dislikes from McMahon. One of the more broader things which he is known to turn away from is age. It is no coincidence that in his later years in charge of WWE, he became less and less of a fixture on-screen. A big part of this was due to the fact that he didn’t like looking old, so he didn’t want to often show his face on camera because of it.

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It is the same for WrestleMania. The event has been going on for nearly four decades, and whilst some fans might see this growing number as something hugely impressive, McMahon saw it as a sign of it becoming too old, per WrestlingInc.com, who quoted the Talk is Jericho podcast, where Chris Jericho discussed this topic, with numbers supposedly dating it. The idea behind taking the number away was intended to make WrestleMania feel like something which is new every single year, rather than it getting older and older as time goes on. Of course, this isn’t something that matters to most fans, though it could be something which matters to sponsors, investors, or other business-minded folk when it comes to the event.

vince mcmahon

If there is any significant dip in interest when it comes to WrestleMania, then it could be attributed to the fact that the marketing of the event has made it feel like something which isn’t unique or special, given that there have been thirty-plus more of the same show which has taken place in the past. In addition, eagle-eyed fans will have noticed that WWE no longer refers to WrestleMania as the “Granddaddy Of Them All” due to the same concerns regarding age. Fans have certainly missed this though, and habits have clearly not changed as no matter how WWE markets the event, the WWE Universe still refers to them by the number.

WWE Has Brought Numbers Back For WrestleMania 40

In recent months, Vince McMahon has stepped down from the majority of his roles in WWE, with the likes of Triple H, Stephanie McMahon, and Nick Khan taking up the most major positions in the company. Upon the WrestleMania 40 announcement, numbers were used once again, with it being a big part of the logo.

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WWE WrestleMania 40 Logo

This could be due to 40 being a landmark number, or it could be a sign of things to come for the future in terms of WrestleMania numbering - all that remains to be seen. Either way, it is a small change, but one of the many small changes which shows that WWE may finally be listening to what fans want. Overall, the WWE weekly product has seen improvement, so things like this could be added extras to improve the company overall.