10 Ways WWE Can Guarantee A WrestleMania 34 Sell-Out
Turning apathy into enthusiasm isn't easy, but WWE have all the tools they need.
While WrestleMania 33 was a mixed bag as far as in-ring action goes, it was a huge success from a business standpoint. It’s best to take WWE attendance figures with a pinch of salt, but the company claimed to draw 75,245 fans to Orlando's Camping World Stadium earlier this year, setting a new record for the building, and creating $14.5 million in total revenue.
WWE haven't exactly flourished since then, however. Currently in the midst of their annual summer slump, TV ratings hit new lows for 2017 a few weeks ago, and show little sign of rebounding. The superstars have been left spinning their wheels in unengaging, go-nowhere storylines, and while there's still 10 months to go, WWE have a lot of apathy to overturn ahead of 'Mania 34.
WrestleMania's next chapter takes place at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans on 8 April 2018. 75,167 fans witnessed Daniel Bryan's crowning glory the last time 'Mania hit the building, and while WWE will struggle to create a moment of such magnitude next year, they'll be aiming for a sell-out.
Fortunately, they have all the tools they need to put bums in seats, and make WM34 a "must see" event...
10. Streamline The Card
One of the biggest issues dogging recent WrestleManias has been a lack of meaningful matches on the undercard. The main events retain their prestige, but the lesser bouts tend to be hastily thrown together, and of little significance in the grander scheme. They often take the form of half-hearted multi-person spotfests that scream of cramming as many people into the bloated five-to-six hour run-time as possible, obliterating the prestige of making it onto the card in the process.
Both Women’s Title matches suffered this fate at WM33, as did the Raw Tag Team Championships. The latter served as an effective vehicle for the Hardy Boyz’s return, but the women could definitely have benefited from stronger individual narratives and focus, as Naomi and Bayley’s victories meant very little in the end.
WWE should streamline next year’s card, and build these matches around clear cut one-on-one feuds, thus ensuring meaningful outcomes which should then make the ever elusive “WrestleMania moment” easier to attain. More singles matches means more wrestlers will miss out, but that’s a small price to pay if it helps make the undercard feel important again.