WrestleMania and its stars arrive in Philadelphia ahead of big weekend

CENTER CITY - Final preparations are underway for WrestleMania and fans from around the world are heading into Philadelphia for the big weekend. But, it’s not just the two nights of Wrestlemania itself that has fans in Philly, but the fan experience kicking off Thursday at the Philadelphia Convention Center.

It was a packed house and Brandon Anthony, a fan from Austin, Texas, happily shared, "This is my seventh one. It’s an early birthday gift to myself."

For Heather Flynn and her family, their commute to Philly was a little shorter, traveling over the bridge from Jersey for their first WrestleMania. "We are big wrestling fans. We are Team Cody. We are also Team Roman Reigns, so we just wanted to come out and have a good time."

Excited fans got a chance to experience everything WWE has to offer, from the ring to championship belts, to autographs with professional wrestlers and even a guest appearance from the Final Boss.

"Are you guys ready for WrestleMania?" asked Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson to the cheering crowd.

The fans are definitely ready for WrestleMania XL and to watch their favorite wrestlers.

Stephany O., from New York, had this to say, "Growing up, my mom used to put it on and my sisters and brothers used to watch it and just developed a love for it."

Haley Soto, also from New York, added, "It’s like my favorite thing to do. To watch."

"It’s pretty awesome. I mean, I think the last  time it was here was, like, in ’99," Jimmy Kennedy, from Delaware, said.

Just like in 1999, the city is fully embracing the wrestling community through a number of events and even art.

Artist Paul Carpenter, of Paul Carpenter Art, found painting at the Convention Center, said, "It’s great that they wanted to come here and bring everyone from outside the city to see what a great town it is."