5 Reasons Mania Season This Year Seems Lackluster

 

It's Wrestlemania weekend, one of the best times of the year for wrestling fans. It is our super bowl and if you've ever spent a weekend in town during Mania. It is an experience truly, with all the wrestling content, promotions, parties, and whatever other celebrations are abound.

This year though the general consensus leading up to this weekend, has been Mania season just doesn't have that same fan excitement this year. Here are 5 reasons why that maybe.

5 New Orleans Was Done Dirty 

To TKO and WWE it was just business. To fans it was WWE going back on their word, and disrupting their plans. Alot of people once a host city is announced for Mania start planning and booking flights and hotels, air bnb's etc.

Once WWE abruptly switched host cities returning to Vegas for a second straight year, and had a hey it is what it is attitude. It left a bad taste in alot of fan's mouths and dampened the spirits for this year's Mania, before it truly began.

4 WWE Fatigue?

In their quest for world domination, WWE seems like its on TV every night. Raw is usually 2 1/2-3 hours, Smackdown is 3 hours for no reason. NXT, AAA, PLE's 2-3 hours. Throw in extra content like the podcasts and there maybe a little burnout.

Combine that with 2 night Mania, and a product that is ho hum right now. Folks may just need a break and decided to step away during this time.

3 ESPN Backlash

When WWE and ESPN announced a multi year deal for PLE's to air on ESPN newest app. Most people weren't fully on board. Then it was announced this new app would $30 a month and most chucked the deuces.

A sign of TKO/WWE and Disney/ESPN greed. Most people especially with the cost of living suffocating everyone, cant or refuse to justify paying that much for a app. Especially if you know WWE would be the only thing you watch and nothing else. 

Alot of folks online are saying just use a VPN to work around this, but some fans either aren't technical enough or just don't care for the extra steps needed. Which is a problem for WWE.

2 Ticket Price Backlash 

For the last year and a half at least, there has been growing chatter and resentment about WWE ticket prices. With the cost of living suffocating everyone right now, it's hard to justify spending the money WWE was asking for. They didnt care though and continue to raise prices to which most people simply cant afford.

They learned a bit this year as ticket sales were very sluggish. So much so, they offered promo deals for Mania tickets.  That increased sales slightly, but factoring in travel and lodging costs most people were good with skipping.

Maybe this was the sign despite the bravado talk by Nick Khan, to come back to earth.

1 Matches Seem Eh

Outside of Brock Lesnar vs Oba Femi, has any match truly gotten you excited? Sure Gunther vs Rollins will be good, same with both main events. Liv and Stephanie have a compelling feud. But is anyone truly salivating for the card?

It seems like injuries and questionable creative decisions hit at once. Not to mention the next generation of true main eventers just isnt there yet. Has many people just feeling eh about the event.