WWE Wake Up Call: Slow Down On Stadium Shows

WWE recently changed course and switched venues for Money In The Bank. Downsizing from Allegiant Stadium to the MGM Grand Garden Arena, the reported reason is ticket sales just weren't there to justify running in a Stadium. Allegiant stadium can hold up to 70,000 people, while the MGM Arena can hold up to 17,000. That's a hell of a dip in seats.

Now I give WWE credit for seeing the writing on the wall, adjusting and changing coursw. The truth is WWE should have never planned for Money In The Bank to be held at Allegiant. 

For one thing Stadium shows if held, should be reserved for the big four because those are considered the big four for a reason. Especially Royal Rumble and Wrestlemania they are just as big as the WWE brand when they are held. People who don't watch wrestling on a regular basis any longer come back to watch those shows. That says a lot about how big those events are now and they should be considered special.

Money In The Bank as a event and brand  is nowhere near the level of the big four. People just don't get as excited as they do for the others, and many including myself still believe it was better as a yearly mania tradition as opposed to its own show.

The other reason is running all these Stadium shows, which according to reports the theory is even if they don't sell out more money is made. However, WWE will quickly find themselves in a jam when it comes to host cities for these Stadium shows.

Royal Rumble and for the most part Wrestlemania have to be held in cities with warm climates year round or domes. It's too damn cold in January for the rumble and the weather in late March/early April when Mania is held is too unpredictable in the Midwest and east coast. Same applies for Survivor Series in November.

Which leaves Summerslam as the only option to run in stadiums that would not be able to host the other events. Which helps maintain a freshness to it.

 If they don't, WWE finds themselves circulating the same cities and people will eventually tire out of going to the same cities. It can also annihilate goodwill with fans who wonder why their city can't get a big event.  

I live in Baltimore and will happily take my ass to M&T Bank Stadium in July or August for a summerslam. As much as I love wrestling you wouldn't catch me sitting out there in January for Royal Rumble. I talk that shit about not going to Mania in unpredictable weather, should it ever be held in Baltimore. Deep down I know I'm lying and would go to the show.

Another thing the WWE is not factoring is in cost. Since the pandemic the cost of their tickets just like everything else, have shot up. A weekend at one of the big four is not cheap, especially when you have a family and attending becomes a family affair. When a family budgets and looks at is attending one of these shows an option, most will probably skip.

The original plan was Money In The Bank in early July, Summerslam late July, and then Clash At The Castle in the UK Labor Day weekend. That's too many stadium shows back to back. Space them out to make them more appealing.

I enjoy Stadium Shows and do believe they help sell that feeling of a extravaganza and that these events are a big deal. I do however believe WWE really needs to be careful and selective about how many Stadium Shows they run a year and try their hardest not to stay in a loop of the same cities.