Your Guide to Wrestlemania Weekend in Orlando: TNA, ROH, UXW All Crashing WWE's Party

Wrestlemania is always the biggest date on the wrestling calendar. Now the entire weekend has become a huge fan convention, with other promotions presenting shows and trying to draw money and attention. This year, the wrestling world will come together in Orlando, Fla., on the weekend of March 26-30.

Ring of Honor started this trend four years ago by presenting a show on the weekend of Wrestlemania ROH will be making its first trip to the South with a pair of shows.

Orlando is also the home of the No. 2 promotion in America, Total Non-stop Action (TNA) Wrestling. TNA is taking advantage by delivering its first live Impact TV show, followed by two more days of TV tapings.

It all adds up to a lot of fun for wrestling fans, and it certainly could cost a lot of money. That's no problem for wrestling fans, who will often devote much of their disposable income to their favorite habit/obsession. I sure did, before I became an announcer.

Here is your day-by-day guide to Orlando's wrestling smorgasbord, which will be the biggest weekend in the history of the business.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26

Wrestlemania weekend will actually kick off in an art gallery. Jerry Lawler, Vickie Guerrero and other WWE stars will auction off their artwork for a variety of central Florida charities. For more information on "WrestleManiArt," go to www.redchairproject.com.

THURSDAY, MARCH 27

TNA will present a live "Impact" TV show from Universal Studios. This will be the first of three nights of TV leading up to the all-steel-cage "Lockdown" pay-per-view. At Lockdown, Kurt Angle will defend the TNA title against Samoa Joe in the main event, and Christian Cage will captain a four-man team against a quartet led by former buddy Tyson Tomko. Doors will open for the live Impact at 8 p.m., and the show will air live on Spike TV from 9-11 p.m. The Impact Zone is located at Universal Soundstage 21. For ticket information, call (407) 224-6000.

WWE will bring its Wrestlemania Fan Axxess Tour to Universal Studios from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. If you bring your library card, you will get a free poster. Wrestlers will sign autographs from 1-3 and 4-6 p.m. The Raw vs. Smackdown 2008 Video Game Challenge will take place at 3 p.m. The tour has already rolled through New York City, Toronto, Minneapolis, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Houston, Chicago and Nashville. Miami is up on the weekend of March 21-22. For more information, click here.

FRIDAY, MARCH 28

Ring of Honor will present "Dragon's Gate Challenge II" at the Orlando Downtown Recreation Complex at 649 W. Livingston St. Bell time is 8 p.m. Dragon's Gate is a Japanese wrestling promotion that sends a group of its wrestlers each year for the ROH Wrestlemania shows. The main event will be a six-man match pitting CIMA, Go Shiozaki and Erick Stevens against the No Remorse Corps. The undercard will include four "ROH vs. Dragon's Gate" challenge matches. Also, Sunny (former WWF valet Tammy Sytch) will be there to sign autographs.

TNA will tape the April 3 episode of Impact at Universal Studios. Doors will open at 5 p.m.

The WWE Axxess Tour will continue at Universal Studios from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. This time, the autograph sessions will take place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Video Game Challenge will begin at 5 p.m.

SATURDAY, MARCH 29

Ring of Honor will come back for a second night of action at the Downtown Recreation Complex. This time, the show will begin at 7:30 p.m. Nigel McGuiness will defend the ROH title in the main event against Austin Aries, while the Dragon's Gate will present their annual show-stealing six-man match.

The WWE Axxess tour will conclude at Thunder Field (across from the Citrus Bowl) from 2-6 p.m. The Video Game Challenge will begin at 4 p.m.

UXW, a local promotion, is sneaking into the mix with its own show called "Hardcore Hell" at 2 p.m. at the Central Florida Fairgrounds Pavilion, 4603 W. Colonial Drive. Running an independent show on Saturday afternoon is a brilliant idea, since so many wrestling fans will be in town and no other shows will be going on that hour. Raven, Demolition, Disco Inferno, Big Vito and Abdullah the Butcher are scheduled to appear.

SUNDAY, MARCH 30

Wrestlemania 24 will air live on pay-per-view from the Citrus Bowl at 7 p.m. Undefeated boxer Floyd Mayweather will take on the 411-pound Big Show in the main event.

Edge will defend the World (Smackdown) title against The Undertaker, who is 16-0 at Wrestlemania. Randy Orton will put the WWE (Raw) title on the line against John Cena and Triple H in a three-way match.

Ric Flair will put his career on the line in a match against Shawn Michaels. The annual Money in the Bank ladder match will include Chris Jericho, MVP, Mr. Kennedy, Shelton Benjamin, Carlito, John Morrison and C.M. Punk.

Other bouts include Batista vs. Umaga; JBL vs. Finlay; Beth Phoenix & Melina vs. Candice Michelle and Maria; and ECW champion Chavo Guerrero vs. the winner of a battle royale.