Tickets for Elimination Chamber in Toronto, World Wrestling Entertainment’s first show at the Rogers Centre since WrestleMania 18 in 2002, have gone on sale and wrestling fans aren’t happy about the pricing.
Currently, the cheapest ticket available in the nosebleeds checks in at $200. The prices very quickly shoot up from there.
After tickets went on sale last week, many wrestling fans took to social media to lament the steep pricing. In general, live event ticket pricing has increased exponentially since the pandemic, but in WWE, more particularly since the TKO merger with WWE.
Granted, the U.S.-based company has to account for the weak Canadian dollar, which currently gives up more than 40 cents on the dollar. Coming across the border to run one of its signature events doesn’t come cheaply and, add to that our weak currency, it should be expected that tickets will not come cheaply.
But surely there are other factors at play here as well.
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The company has all but cancelled its house shows — the non-televised events on which it built its foundation.
In the past, whenever WWE would bring its TV shows to a city, it would often hold so-called house shows at smaller arenas nearby, grabbing up all the cash it could.
For example, WWE might tape Monday night Raw in Toronto, so while it had all of its equipment and talent up here, it would book smaller shows in Kingston or Cornwall, run a small crew and talent to those markets, often selling the smaller shows out. Add to that some good merch sales and it was a formula for success.
But under TKO, the company began to cut out the house shows, which has been a great morale booster for the talent, who are not working as many days on the road each year. But it has to have been felt on the bottom line and perhaps some of that is being made up through rising ticket costs.
The company also has increased its global footprint in recent years. Several times a year, it runs shows outside of the United States. Places like France, Australia, Canada and Saudi Arabia have hosted WWE events in recent months.
Undoubtedly, the cost of running shows around the globe has impacts on its bottom line, likely another factor in ticket pricing.
Whatever the reasons, the fans are the ones being asked to foot the bill and, largely, they are.
Fewer shows, and bigger ones, with big cards and great hype make for hungry fans.
It’s rare to see many empty seats at a WWE event with the company boasting double-digit sellouts in the past year, which also includes two-night events like WrestleMania.
Vancouver, which hosted War Games last weekend, had some tickets still available on the morning of the event, but those were scooped up.
Bottom line, the product is what sells and, right now, WWE’s product is fantastic. From great storytelling and storylines to huge returns by The Rock and John Cena, the product is hot.
If you build it, they will come? If they book it, they will buy.
Casualties of War Games
Speaking of War Games, while the event was a success, there were some casualties, so to speak, on the roster. Three of the competitors who were featured in the main event, the men’s War Games match, left with serious injuries.
Bronson Reed, Jimmy Uso and Tonga Loa all are out indefinitely following injuries in the match, which featured 10 wrestlers inside a steel cage that houses two rings.
Reed’s injury was the gnarliest, with the big 300-plus pounder descending from the top corner of the steel structure down onto a table inside the ring. The spot saw him jump from the structure, roughly18 feet in the air onto a table where Roman Reigns was perched. At the last second, Reigns was saved by CM Punk, with Reed obliterating the table.
The trouble was Reed didn’t land squarely, but rather feet first, his one ankle snapping in the process.
Reed is out indefinitely with a broken foot and other damage to his ankle.
Uso, meanwhile, suffered a broken toe in a near identical spot, which saw him jump from atop the cage. His feet also landed hard, breaking a toe in the process.
Loa tore his bicep in the match.
As they say, don’t try this at home. Try telling these three that wrestling is fake.
NEW SLATE OF SHOWS ON A&E
WWE has announced a new A&E competition show featuring several company legends.
The series, titled WWE LFG (Legends & Future Greats), is set to premiere on the network in early 2025 and will feature Triple H, Shawn Michaels, The Undertaker, Booker T, Bubba Ray Dudley and a returning Mickie James, as they mentor the next generation of WWE stars as they compete for a contract with the company.
Additionally, WWE & A&E will launch WWE’s Greatest Moments, a series that will provide fans a front-row seat to relive the iconic events that have shaped WWE history.
A new season of the hit-series WWE Rivals also will complement this winter’s WWE programming slate on A&E, which will add more than 180 hours of original content over the next three years.
“Literally filled with blood, sweat, and tears, there’s never been a series that combines in-ring action, behind-the-scenes reality, high-stakes drama, and some of WWE’s greatest icons all in one package. From total unknowns to legends, ‘LFG’ will give viewers a raw, ground-up, 360-degree view of what it truly takes to make it in the WWE,” Rob Sharenow, A&E Networks president of programming, said in a news release. “Our collaboration with WWE has clearly struck a chord with audiences, and we’re excited to continue producing premium content that resonates with a diverse viewership.”
“A&E has proved to be an excellent home for WWE content, and we’re excited to partner with their fantastic team on these new show concepts and the latest season of WWE Rivals,” said Paul (Triple H) Levesque, WWE’s chief content officer.