Before 2019, it had been almost two decades since WWE had faced any serious competition. After years of creative stagnation, many fans were crying out for a high-quality alternative that they found in the upstart promotion, All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Despite a meteoric rise, AEW empty arena pictures have fans concerned about the state of the promotion.
When AEW started, WWE were threatened by the new company and scheduled NXT against AEW Dynamite on Wednesday nights. That tactic soon failed, though, when AEW defeated NXT in the ratings war and shifted the programme to Tuesday nights.
In 2022, a scandal around then-WWE Chairman Vince McMahon culminated in his short-lived retirement. His son-in-law, Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque, took over creative duties and sparked a hot streak that resulted in renewed interest in WWE after years of bad creative.
Consequently, AEW’s television ratings and show attendance suffered as some fans were drawn back to America’s number one wrestling promotion. This wasn’t helped by the PR disasters that were the departure of Cody Rhodes and the fallout of the infamous ‘Brawl Out’ scrap between CM Punk and The Elite.
Nevertheless, AEW is still holding fairly strong in the ratings and continues to put on high quality wrestling shows. However, attendance at the arenas is causing some fans to worry about the state of the promotion – and it’s easy to see why.
AEW empty arena pictures
On Saturday 14 October, AEW taped an episode of Collision from the Huntington Center in Toledo, Ohio. According to attendance reports from @WrestleTix, the show had sold 3,909 tickets out of a total set-up of 4,387 just before showtime.
Once fans filtered into the arena, photos were shared online of what appeared to be an empty arena. WWE die-hards hailed the images as a sign that AEW is on the brink of collapse; however, the pictures didn’t tell the whole story.
It’s true, the hard-cam side of the arena (the section behind the camera) was virtually empty. Looking at WrestleTix’s post, it’s clear that side wasn’t for sale. As a result, fans filled up the side facing the camera and left the hard-cam side empty. Still, the so-called empty arena pictures are worrying even if they fail to show the total attendance.
By comparison, WWE’s past two shows in the Huntington Center drew 6,938 for a sold out SmackDown show on 21 October 2022 and 4,606 for a house show on 23 April 2023. Whichever way you look at it, it is clear to see that WWE is pulling in more fans.
While AEW attendance isn’t as bad as the ’empty arena’ pictures make it out to be, it’s certainly a sign that the promotion is not as hot as it once was.
How do you feel about the AEW empty arena pictures? Do you think it’s a worrying sign for the promotion? Let us know in the comment section below and don’t forget to check out our other Film & TV articles…
