WWE Could Continue Using Minimalist Set
Smaller entrance broken out during WrestleMania weekend could get mileage in the future.
WWE just concluded a record-breaking WrestleMania 40 weekend that saw the company draw more than 200,000 fans across five different events in Philadelphia.
Three of those events -- SmackDown, NXT Stand & Deliver, and Monday Night Raw -- emanated from the Wells Fargo Center, drawing more than 18,000 fans on average (by WWE's numbers). During those programs, WWE utilized its minimalist entrance, which consists of LED boards surrounding a short tunnel and along the front of the seats. It doesn't include the giant screens and stage, and leaves the company unable to use pyro.
Fightful Select reports that these "altered sets" will continue to be used "when ticket sales dictate them." Currently, we've only really seen this smaller set for PLEs (think Backlash) or the Raw or SmackDown surrounding a major PLE, such as this past weekend.
WWE is riding a high with attendance at televised events, boasting 17 consecutive sellouts through WrestleMania weekend. If they continue drawing huge numbers, it's possible everyone could see the company eschew the large screen and stage in favor of packing in more fans.
During a post-Raw promo, CM Punk specifically called attention to the smaller entrance, saying he preferred that look because it meant there were fans wrapped around the entire building to watch the product.
What did CM Punk have to say when Raw after WrestleMania went off the air? ? pic.twitter.com/NMhmvM0p4a
— WWE (@WWE) April 9, 2024
WWE claimed a crowd of more than 20,000 for Raw, but the ever-reliable WrestleTix pegged the number at closer to 18,400. Regardless, that's still a significant jump from the last time Raw broadcast from the Wells Fargo Center, drawing 14,451 in January 2023 for Raw is XXX.