WWE is looking to capitalize on its popularity at television events in the near future.
WWE held its most recent event at Madison Square Garden in New York City with last Friday’s episode of SmackDown, where they drew over 13,500 fans in attendance, making it the biggest live gate for an event at the venue ever.
For decades, WWE had the entrance setup as a short aisle across with no big elaborate stage like the other WWE TV events until several years ago when WWE stopped using the aisle and just had its normal setup.
As previously reported by WrestleVotes, they asked someone in WWE why the company wouldn’t have the smaller setup like they did for stadium PLEs for SmackDown, and someone in WWE told them, “It’s just not what we do.” Andrew Zarian of the Mat Men podcast reported that WWE will consider having a smaller stage for its next event at MSG.
In the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer reported that WWE has considered doing a smaller stage setup for some TV events.
Meltzer wrote, “There is at least talk of doing a smaller stage at some arenas or TVs where the advance is strong. It was never really talked about because the 12,000 to 13,000 max at the major arenas with the current staging was more than they were selling except for PPV shows.”
Meltzer pointed out how there are many shows where WWE sells more than 15,000 tickets such as SmackDown in Puerto and London, something they may been able to do as well at MSG.
