WWE Reworking WrestleMania 42 Card After Ticket Sales Drop In Las Vegas

WrestleMania 42 might be headed for a creative shake-up.

With the two-night event set for Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, a new report indicates that declining ticket sales have forced WWE to re-evaluate the entire match card. That internal reset has reportedly caused tension within the creative team as plans continue to shift.

In the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer detailed the situation and explained that frustration is growing behind the scenes after multiple creative directions were scrapped.

“The decline in ticket sales was said to be the reason the entire card is being evaluated, combined with many in creative having different opinions on direction. There was frustration because they had a game plan in place, and it was then changed to a new game plan, and now we could and likely will have other changes. One person involved noted that at this point they really should be sticking to the plans because the plans are good. The reality is the ratings declines are largely based on loss of cable homes and changes at Nielsen and live attendance, while not sold out every week, is still on the high side based on history, and ticket prices are significantly up.”

According to WrestleTix data, roughly 36,000 tickets have been distributed for each night of WrestleMania 42 so far. That’s about 10,000 fewer per night compared to the same point in the build to WrestleMania 41. Last year’s show ultimately landed between 56,000 and 60,000 distributed tickets per night.

To try and boost momentum, WWE management reportedly held a multi-department meeting on February 11 focused on new promotional strategies. Every department has been tasked with finding ways to drive more ticket sales heading into late February. Despite the push, current ticket prices are expected to remain in place for now.

Another wrinkle involves a reported policy preventing commercial establishments within a 50-mile radius of Allegiant Stadium from hosting WrestleMania watch parties. Local businesses are said to be frustrated, especially with Las Vegas paying a major site fee to host the event in hopes of increasing tourism revenue.

As for the card itself, the top matches appear more stable. Roman Reigns is currently set to challenge CM Punk for the World Heavyweight Championship on Night 2. Elimination Chamber qualifiers are also underway to determine challengers for the Undisputed WWE Championship and whichever women’s title Liv Morgan does not choose after winning the Royal Rumble.

But with creative plans reportedly shifting again, WrestleMania 42 may not look exactly the way it did just weeks ago.

Do you think WWE should stick to its original WrestleMania plans or make changes to boost ticket sales? Drop your thoughts in the comments and let us know.