Why Wrestlemania 32 Won't Break the Attendance Record

[OYDK]

There's been a lot of chatter from a lot of people regarding Mania 32's 100,000+ ticket sales target, with the majority of fans believing that the WWE brand is large enough today to draw 100,000 people to Texas. I, vehemently disagree with this stance. Now none of this has been proven, and I know it makes me sound like a conspiracy theorist, but last year announced attendance for Mania 31 was about 77,000. I'm almost certain that that number is HEAVILY inflated, as I've read a few articles breaking down the real attendance figures with all of them coming to about 50-55,000. Meltzer says it was about 65,000. There's also the Mania 3 conspiracy, but I'll get to that. So feel free to argue with me as I'm sure a lot of you will, but here's the reasons for why Mania 32 won't sell out.

1. HHH vs. Roman Reigns: Now I know some of you will look at this as me hating on Reigns and HHH, but that's not what I'm attempting to do. There is a very high likelihood that we see this match headline Wrestlemania. Does it seem like a match that can draw 100,000 people? Roman Reigns' drawing power is wholly unproven and I doubt people are flocking to see him win the World title for the third time. Similarly, HHH hasn't been champion, or even a wrestler, for years now, and even if he was, he was never the guy that drew massive amounts of numbers. To say this potential main event is underwhelming, is putting it mildly.

2. No John Cena: This is a bigger selling point than I think some people realize. The WWE brand can probably sell 55-65, 000 seats on recognition alone. However, once you start pushing up into the 70 or 80 thousand rage, you need a legitimate selling point. That selling point for years has been John Cena and The Undertaker, who I'll get to next. The face of the company not being at the biggest show of the year will probably lead more than a few people to pick a better time to experience Mania. I'm sure that a lot of kids watch the show strictly for Cena and few others.

3. No Streak: Similar to Cena, Undertaker's Mania streak had been a huge selling point for years up until Lesnar ended it. Not only that, but Taker's opponent this year is likely to be underwhelming as well as the main event.

4. Wrestlemania 3: During one of the biggest boom periods in wrestling history, it took Hogan and Andre to sell out "93,000" apparently. While there is some controversy surrounding the actual number, I think it's fair to say that they were at least close to the 85-90, 000 mark. What hope does Mania have of selling out 100,000 + seats in one of the worst periods in wrestling history in regards to fan response with the current main event? If Hogan/Andre could barely do it then, do we really believe that WWE can do it today?

5. 90, 000 Instead of 100, 000: I've read lately that WWE and the commissioners of AT&T have configured the stadium to seat 90,000 instead of 100,000. This may be because ticket sales have been slow going for the past couple of months or it could be something else entirely. However, it can't be denied that ticket sales are slow going. The fact that Mania tickets have been on sale for 4-5 months now and still haven't sold out is surprising.

6. WWE Will Tell You They Broke Records Even If They Didn't: So I guess we'll never really know will we?

 

[George Steele's Barber]

I've been one of the doubters for a while. I don't know what Vince was thinking when when/if he made comments about breaking records. While Mania is a draw in itself, it is asking a lot of people to travel so far to see it. This year they seem to be trying to do it without a marquee match up in a city that does not seem to be that big of a wrestling haven or that much of a commuter destination.

At this point I can't see many people making the commitment to go to Mania unless they are in driving distance and that is where I am guessing WWE is marketing. Try to get all the folks that pay to see the Cowboys every week to try something different. Stressing the "bigness" of the event.

But we will see. Clearly WWE hasn't pulled anything out of their hats out of desperation so maybe ticket sales are to their liking at this point.

 

[Mustang Sally]

1. HHH vs. Roman Reigns: Now I know some of you will look at this as me hating on Reigns and HHH, but that's not what I'm attempting to do. There is a very high likelihood that we see this match headline Wrestlemania. Does it seem like a match that can draw 100,000 people?

See, people tend to look at subjects like this only in absolute terms; either a PPV card will eclipse all previous records....or the whole thing will suck. The truth usually lies somewhere in the middle.

Although WWE would, of course, always love to top what they did the year before, I would think their behind-the-scenes expectations are more realistic, despite what they have the announcers telling us in the weeks before the event. ("The greatest Wrestlemania of all time. Holy shit!")

I think Triple H vs. Roman Reigns is an attractive main event and will draw a lot of people......but, compared to feature matches in the past, I doubt all-time WM records will be broken. The company is missing quite a few people on whom they've depended in the past.....and try as they might, it's mighty hard to overcome the loss of guys like Seth Rollins, John Cena and others.

It will be a fine WM.....it always is.....but probably not a record breaker.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

Truth is, I couldn't really care less if they break the attendance record or not. Being able to say that WrestleMania breaks attendance records might be something Vince considers a nice little feather in his personal hat but when it's all said and done, I think the only records that matter as far as business is concerned is how much money WrestleMania generates. For the past several years, WrestleMania has generated well in excess of $100 million for the local economy of the city it's hosted in, which is why so many big cities have such heated bidding wars to host the event. WrestleMania has also continued to break its own ticket sales record over the past several years so, all in all, I've little doubt WrestleMania will still be a major financial success for WWE.

As for breaking the attendance record, again, while I don't really care, I doubt that it'll happen but, then again, stranger things have happened. Some fans go to WrestleMania just for the experience of going, so the notion of WWE surpassing the attendance record isn't an impossible one.

 

[OYDK]

See, people tend to look at subjects like this only in absolute terms; either a PPV card will eclipse all previous records....or the whole thing will suck. The truth usually lies somewhere in the middle.

Sure, but let's not act like WWE didn't put this on themselves here. For a year now WWE has been talking about breaking the all-time attendance record at AT&T. Well surprise, surprise, shit happens and now Vince is in trouble of looking like a fool.

Had they never brought the topic up in the first place or tooted their own horn a year in advance, they never would have been in the predicament that they're in now.

 

[Dave]

Here's the one reason that they will. Because if they are not on track to do it heading into the final weeks, then the WWE will continue to reduce the price of a ticket until all of the tickets are sold. The fact of the matter is that Vince wants to make this the biggest WrestleMania of all time and he will go about it in any way possible. You really think that he's going to let this go and have some of the stadium empty? Doubt it.

 

[The Warlord]

Stage setup

Something people seem to forget. Wrestling in the 80s didnt have half the production value. Less props, less stage setup, etc. Look at that classic Wrestlemania 3 picture from high up looking down on the crowd. Very little going on. You have the ring, entrance isle and the curtain.

Today you have huge stages, podiums, giant screens...and because of this many seats are eliminated. I know Cowboy stadium can expand to 105,000 but thats with standing room only. Plus they are gonna have to get rid of alot of seats to make room for their Wrestlemania setup. Not only do I think they wont break 100,000...but I dont see them beating the Pontiac Silverdome record of 93,000 either.

Forget about the matches and build...this is their biggest obsticle. 80-85 is my guess

 

[rmp0012002]

I don't think it has anything to do with the matches. Lots of tickets will be given away either way. The last time Jerry Jones added extra seating it was deemed unsafe and people that paid for those Super Bowl seats lost out. Attendance has always been a scam, as was found out with the Big House in Michigan when they had hockey and it was found to be impossible to have the attendance they claimed for football. Sell outs are another scam.

 

[stingray11214]

WrestleMania is an EVENT. People go because they want to be at an EVENT. Just like the Super Bowl, the Oscars and the NCAA Men's Basketball Final. WrestleMania is in that veine. Those people do not give a hoot who is headlining. You could have Roman Reigns' 5yo daughter face Trips' 5yo daughter in a Dora the Explorer Doll Ladder match as the Main Event. Ohm BTW, on the Dora the Explorer doll suspended in mid-air is a little replica of the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Whichever child gets the doll, her Daddy become WWE World Heavyweight Champion. Guess what? 'Mania will still draw at MINIMUM 60,000. It is an EVENT! Does not matter who is there. If it did, Mania would be looking to move to the AA Arena right quick claiming being afraid of a ISIS attack, ala WM VII.

 

[OYDK]

WrestleMania is an EVENT. People go because they want to be at an EVENT. Just like the Super Bowl, the Oscars and the NCAA Men's Basketball Final. WrestleMania is in that veine. Those people do not give a hoot who is headlining. You could have Roman Reigns' 5yo daughter face Trips' 5yo daughter in a Dora the Explorer Doll Ladder match as the Main Event. Ohm BTW, on the Dora the Explorer doll suspended in mid-air is a little replica of the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Whichever child gets the doll, her Daddy become WWE World Heavyweight Champion. Guess what? 'Mania will still draw at MINIMUM 60,000. It is an EVENT! Does not matter who is there. If it did, Mania would be looking to move to the AA Arena right quick claiming being afraid of a ISIS attack, ala WM VII.

Hey there guy, hi. If you took the 1 minute it would take to READ THE DAMN OP, you would have realized that I said Mania can sell 55-65,000 seats on name recognition alone. It's how they're going to sell the other 40-30,000 that WON'T sell on their brand name alone.

Jesus, I usually don't roast people on my threads, but come on. At least contribute something worth reading that has to do with the topic at hand.

 

[Poop Master Flex]

They can do a ton of different things to pack Cowboys Stadium and get the attendance they are hoping for and chances are there's a very good chance they'll be able to pull it off. A lot of times Wrestlemania is sold out (or at least has mostly a full stadium) before the main event is even announced. At this point it's kind of like the Superbowl where the major draw is the event itself and not so much about what people are going to see at said event. Back in November there was a high demand and high volume of tickets sold and Ticketmaster servers were having issues because of it, the sales were to a point it was projected they would come very close to selling out Cowboys Stadium so from what I understand they are currently in good shape.

There isn't a lot going on so far this Wrestlemania but luckily it's one of those events where it really doesn't matter.

 

[Navi]

If Ambrose wins at Fastlane this weekend, then fans will start buying up those tickets that are still for sale. One of the biggest drawbacks right now if I'm reading it correctly is fans don't want to see Reigns/HHH. They want Ambrose in the main event.

He's been a killer on the mic the last few weeks, and they are really building him up for something, and I hope it's a shot at the title. Reigns will have to wait till another time, he's still not where the WWE wants him to be, and it's been over a year now. I just wonder if fans are waiting to see who wins at Fastlane before they commit to buying a ticket.

 

[harrythem]

Its the WWE and records. Just like Wrestlemania 3 did the announcing 76000 as around 93000 they could have literally 10 people show up at Wrestlemania and they'd still have it announced as a record breaking attendance!

With all the injuries it's the quality of the matches I'm worried about, as I can see it having more in quality terms with WM11 and WM27 rather than WM17 or WM31

 

[Wrestlingaholic]

Why won't it break the attendance record? Because Ticketmaster STILL tells me there are no tickets available that match my criteria (I am trying best available, any price just to know if they have any back on sale)

They DO still have party packs (I.e. Standing room only) tickets but I refuse to believe, having been to the past 9 Wrestlemanias, all in considerably smaller venues and several of which, including 31, still had limited tickets available on the day, that ALL the seats are sold already.

It's been saying the same message since the pre-sale for me

I don't particularly want a standing ticket as its bloody 5 hours long! And, travelling from London, and spending a considerable amount to do so, I'd like to actually see the event live rather than visit the stadium to watch it on the Jerrytron

 

[BestSportsEntertainer]

Reigns, Ambrose, Lesnar, HHH, Wyatts, LON, Owens, Taker, Styles, and Jericho will all be wrestling. Rock will appear in a non-wrestling role. Austin might be there.

In my opinion, that's more than enough talent and star power to sell out 100,000+ seats.

Beside it's WrestleMania, the biggest event in pro wrestling. That alone will draw.

Regardless WWE will make a LOT of money, so that's all they really care about. They win either way.

 

[OYDK]

Reigns, Ambrose, Lesnar, HHH, Wyatts, LON, Owens, Taker, Styles, and Jericho will all be wrestling. Rock will appear in a non-wrestling role. Austin might be there.

Rock, Lesnar, and Austin are the only ones who will draw people who would otherwise have said, screw it. And 2 of them aren't wrestling. Other than that, nobody is going to buy a ticket to Mania to watch the LON, Jericho, or The Wyatts.

In my opinion, that's more than enough talent and star power to sell out 100,000+ seats.

WWE has never sold 100,000 seats. Not with the stacked roster in the late 80s, early 90s, and not during the most popular time in wrestling's history. They attempted it at Mania 7 and couldn't even come close. The announced attendance at Mania 3 was 93,000 although it's widely known that the number is at least partially inflated. And again, last year, many people noted that there were a lot of empty seats although WWE announced a sell-out crowd. In an era where star-power is SERIOUSLY lacking, it will take a lot to get 100,000 people there.

Beside it's WrestleMania, the biggest event in pro wrestling. That alone will draw.

Yeah again, it will draw a partial crowd. But it won't draw 100,000 people by itself. There's no way. I don't know how popular some of you think the WWE is today, but attendance numbers are low. It will take a hell of a lot more than the name of Wrestlemania to sell out AT&T.

Regardless WWE will make a LOT of money, so that's all they really care about. They win either way.

This is true. Although if you know anything about Vince, he won't be happy without a sell-out or a number where he can trick people into believing it's a sell-out.

It's very possible that the majority of you are right. I just don't think 100,000 is a reachable number at this point in WWE's history. If they do get there, I'll be pleasantly shocked.

 

[Navi]

Reigns, Ambrose, Lesnar, HHH, Wyatts, LON, Owens, Taker, Styles, and Jericho will all be wrestling. Rock will appear in a non-wrestling role. Austin might be there.

In my opinion, that's more than enough talent and star power to sell out 100,000+ seats.

Beside it's WrestleMania, the biggest event in pro wrestling. That alone will draw.

Regardless WWE will make a LOT of money, so that's all they really care about. They win either way.

There was a report out a few days ago which stated that they haven't even been able to sell out a Monday night RAW, since the beginning of the year. And that's with the people you mentioned in your opening paragraph. Minus Rock, Austin and Taker.

Yes Austin, Rock will be there, not wrestling though, Rock can't and Austin said no. So if you can't sell out a 15k seat arena with the star power that's left, how are you going to try to sell out Cowboy Stadium.

Now I agree Wrestlemania as an event helps sell itself, but some people, just some of us go to actually see the matches. I would be going for that reason, others go to experience the whole thing, and more power to them.

I'll wait till next year when everyone hopefully is back.