By now, the wrestling world has heard and seen the “Pipe Bomb” that was delivered by CM Punk on Monday’s WWE RAW on Netflix. Is the impact of the pipe bomb enough to affect the struggling ticket sales of WrestleMania 42 or the lack of interest in the “show of shows”? The WWE is bracing for impact as the CM Punk promo continues to make its way around social media as the top trending topic almost 24 hours after its detonation at RAW.
Before Monday’s RAW, WWE was struggling with ticket sales mainly because of the high cost to attend WrestleMania 42 in Las Vegas, NV. Since TKO Group Holdings bought WWE, they have steadily raised ticket prices for events, reaching as much as $20,000 for a seat near ringside. At that price, typical wrestling fans are probably unable to afford it, and more casual fans with disposable income are likely to buy those seats.
It’s a far cry from the days of Vince McMahon as TKO’s COO, Ari Emanuel, said McMahon “kept ticket prices low for families and did not maximize profit potential.” Emanuel can hold that view because wrestling fans continue to find ways to buy tickets, with some even having to “mortgage their homes,” as Punk mentioned in his promo. The moment fans stop attending shows because ticket prices are just too high, then TKO will consider lowering them. Until then, the prices will stay the same.
This year’s WrestleMania tickets haven’t been selling well, and last night’s RAW had just over 11,000 fans in attendance, which is great for any other promotion, not WWE, but shows that the wrestling promotion isn’t filling venues like they used to. Last week, it was Cody Rhodes discussing ticket prices, and now this week, it’s Punk. But this is WWE, and they have a clever way of turning almost anything into a storyline. So, is this WWE doing that, or are they using their platform to voice their opinions to those who write the checks?
There have been videos on social media where fans point out that tickets have been dramatically marked up recently from their original prices and will likely be “reduced in price” soon, but it will only be to the original price point. So, is this what WWE means by lowering prices if they decide to go that route? Marks will be marks, but a larger percentage of smart fans will not accept it if the price drop is a ruse.
Right now, the WWE is bracing for impact and hoping that the Punk promo generates more buzz around WrestleMania and encourages fans to search for tickets. Punk vs. Roman Reigns is one of the most anticipated matches for this year’s WrestleMania, next to Brock Lesnar vs. Oba Femi. The WWE handed the mic to the veteran who they knew could deliver if allowed to do it his way. It may not have been too comfortable for the suits at WWE and TKO, but Punk’s authentic voice is what makes his “Pipe Bomb 2.0” feel more impactful than anything the WWE has presented in the last few weeks.
As we approach WrestleMania 42, the WWE will still draw big numbers but maybe not as large as they did a year or two ago. The only question is whether TKO will change its business approach with the WWE in the second half of the year or if they will continue to squeeze every last bit from the fans. Only time will tell, but for the fans’ sake, let’s hope they choose the former.
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