A record-breaking 54,097 fans from all 50 states and numerous countries around the world at Safeco Field resulted in ticket earnings of $2.76 million.

brand, which was the main event, saw Brock Lesnar win the WWE Championship from defending champion Kurt Angle.

WrestleMania is considered World Wrestling Entertainment's (WWE) flagship pay-per-view (PPV) event, having first been held in 1985.

[8] It was also the first WrestleMania to be held under the company's first brand extension that began in March 2002, which split the roster between the Raw and SmackDown!

Angle won the title three months prior at Armageddon by defeating then-champion Big Show with Lesnar's help; Lesnar had lost the title at Survivor Series in November 2002 after his agent, Paul Heyman, betrayed him and assisted Big Show in winning the match.

immediately following Armageddon, Angle revealed that he too had taken on Heyman as his agent, and together they would ensure Lesnar never received an opportunity to regain the WWE Championship.

Lesnar defeated Big Show, despite interference from Heyman, to win his way into the Royal Rumble, which he entered at number 29 and won after last eliminating The Undertaker.

In reality, Edge had suffered a severe neck injury prior to the event, and needed time off for surgery.

Shortly after the match began, Benjamin and Haas came to the ring and distracted Lesnar, which gave Eric time to switch back with Kurt.

On the February 20 episode of SmackDown!, The Rock returned to WWE after a six-month hiatus from wrestling (his last appearance being at SummerSlam the previous August).

On that evening, he was involved in a confrontation with Hulk Hogan before their WrestleMania X8 rematch at No Way Out, officially turning heel in the process.

He then told Hogan that he hated him for leaving WWE (then known as the WWF) and signing with Ted Turner's World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and for testifying against him in the infamous steroid trial in the 1990s.

Shortly afterward, McMahon hit Hogan several times with the chair in the head, causing him to bleed.

Triple H won the title three months prior at Armageddon by defeating then-champion Shawn Michaels in a 3 Stages of Hell match.

On the February 24 episode of Raw, Booker T won a 20-man battle royal by last eliminating The Rock to become the number one contender to the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania.

In the WrestleMania XIX press conference, Michael Cole questioned Triple H as to whether or not his promo was racially insensitive.

The next month at Armageddon, Victoria defeated Stratus and Jacqueline in a triple threat match to retain the Women's Championship.

During the match, Victoria entered the ring and hit both women with the title belt, earning a double disqualification.

[26][28] As the event began, Ashanti sang a rendition of "America the Beautiful", which was omitted from DVD and WWE Network releases.

[1] Before the next match begun, a fatal four-way pillow fight (hosted by Jonathan Coachman) took place between Stacy Keibler, Torrie Wilson, Tanya Ballinger, and Kitana Baker.

Hogan however, recovered and delivered a big boot and three running leg drops to McMahon to successfully pin him and win the match.

She later announced that a tournament would take place to determine the number one contender to Lesnar's WWE Championship at Backlash.

[34] On the April 17 episode of SmackDown!, John Cena would become the number one contender after he defeated Chris Benoit in the tournament's final match.

[36] Lesnar would then feud with Big Show, as he defeated him at Judgment Day to retain the WWE Championship in a stretcher match.

Lesnar would, however, lose the WWE Championship to Angle at Vengeance in a triple threat match that also involved Big Show.

[37][38] Lesnar then regained the WWE Championship from Angle on the September 18 episode of SmackDown!, in an Iron Man match winning 5-4.

[39][40] On the April 3 episode of SmackDown!, enraged by his loss at WrestleMania, Mr. McMahon indefinitely suspended Hulk Hogan with pay and forced him to sit out the remainder of his WWE contract as a part of their storyline.

[44] Austin was later re-hired a few weeks later by WWE CEO, Linda McMahon, however, as Raw's Co-General Manager, along with Bischoff.

[44] On the April 14 episode of Raw, The Rock would accept the challenge made by Goldberg, which he had previously rejected a week earlier, meaning the two would wrestle each other at Backlash.

[47] After the match, once the show was off the air, The Rock gave a farewell speech in which he stated that he was officially taking a sabbatical from professional wrestling.