With only five days to go until WrestleMania 32, we finally have a clear idea of the direction for WWE going into their biggest show of the year. While many have criticized the build to this point, it’s hard to argue with the early indicators of success for the event. Not only will this be WWE’s biggest show of the year — it will be their most attended ever.
As of now, the WWE’s worked attendance record belongs to WrestleMania 3, during which 93,173 (or maybe it was 78,000, that’s a conversation for another day) packed into the Pontiac Silverdome to witness Hulk Hogan take on Andre the Giant.
This year’s WrestleMania, which, of course, is set to take place at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, is expected to not only beat that previous record but beat it badly.
AT&T Stadium’s capacity is about 105,000, and it appears that the WWE is on course for a possible sell-out. Oddly enough, the same stadium already holds the record for the highest all-time indoor attendance at a sporting event. In 2010, 108,713 people packed into the AT&T Stadium to witness the NBA All-Star game and festivities.
Unless something very unlikely happens in the coming weeks and demand for tickets increases to the point that the stadium figures out additional seating, it appears that the current capacity of 105,000 will hold WrestleMania back from that particular all-time record. Nevertheless, we should expect the biggest WWE event in history from an attendance standpoint.
That speaks not only to the brand name of “WrestleMania” but to the continued popularity of the sport, despite the fact that many perceive its golden era to have passed. It could also be a testament to Vince McMahon’s structuring of the event and of the sport in general — regardless of the criticisms. Wrestlers like Brock Lesnar have attracted fans from other fighting sports; we have a title fight featuring a legitimate star (HHH) against a potential star-in-the-making (Roman Reigns); the Hell in a Cell match (Shane McMahon vs. The Undertaker) is a tremendous draw; and of course, there’s always the additional ringside entertainment to look forward to—and in that regard, it’s expected that The Rock will take center stage.
Having made a return to WWE at RAW earlier in the year, The Rock is essentially back in the fray, though he likely won’t be doing much in the ring. As Dwayne Johnson, he’s become a busy enough actor that he can no longer risk serious injuries leaping around a wrestling ring. But as The Rock, he remains arguably the biggest name ever associated with the organization, and his comeback has given a lot of fans from a decade or more ago another reason to tune in. As for what he’ll actually do at WrestleMania, it’s anyone’s guess. Some expect a sideshow sort of fight purely for promotional purposes (say, teaming up with Ronda Rousey again, or taking on The Undertaker). Others believe he’ll basically be an MC.
Whatever the case, his expected appearance combined with the continued draw of the WrestleMania brand name and the structuring of this year’s event (despite it’s many warts) likely has something to do with the massive attendance numbers we’ll be seeing.
