30 Week Journey: Wrestlemania XXIV (2008)

The Lapsed Fan catches some rays under the Florida sun this week, as TLF’s 30-week WrestleMania journey arrives at WrestleMania 24 in 2008 in Orlando. It’s the final bow in a WWE ring of Ric Flair, and we’re having a hard time keeping these gators down.

Hosts Jack Encarnacao and JP Sarro go deep on a notable and quirk Mania, from Floyd Mayweather taking a sidewalk slam and then knocking out Big Show, to Kim Kardashian as guest host, to a heel going over in the WWE championship match, even trumping the Royal Rumble winner.

The hosts chop up:

- The range of emotions felt through the Ric Flair retirement weekend, from frustration with a botched run-up to the heartbreaking visuals looking back of Flair’s late, youngest son cheering his dad on

- Flair opens his Hall of Fame speech with an unforgettable line

- How the Era of Orton could have been something, and was squandered

- All told, how did Floyd Mayweather do?

- The most impressive WrestleMania production set to date, taking ugly stacks of tired, brown concrete and bringing it to life

- The downside of the massive production, as fans are burned with pyro

- WWE is actually ahead of the curve in giving CM Punk the Money in the Bank win

- The first HD Mania!

- The Battle for Brand Supremacy

Plus Dave Meltzer details the behind-the-scenes happenings that led up to the show, from the origin of the Ric Flair retirement idea to the many manifestations of Floyd Mayweather’s planned role in the show.

All that and so much more, as The Lapsed Fan braves some rough environs to get to the Citrus Bowl in Orlando for the 24th installment of a one-of-a-kind odyssey.

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