Exaggerating attendance numbers

[Jindrak Mark]

Royal Rumble last night sold around 40,000 tickets according to Wrestletix but of course WWE has to bump it up a little and announced it as 44,000.

Collision in Korea was announced as 190,000/165,000 for each day but reports say it was really 165,000/150,000 and that very few people actually paid to attend. Most were forced to do so by the government.

AEW Grand Slam had 18,300 in attendance but they wanted to announce a number higher than 20,000 so they went with 20,177.

Wrestlemania 32 holds the all-time paid attendance record in wrestling history. The official number is 101,763 but reportedly the real number was 97,768 so even with the real number they would have the record and be above Wrestlemania 3's real/fake 93,000. They were never going to announce a number lower than 100,000 though.

Speaking of Wrestlemania 3, have we ever gotten any kind of definitive answer about that? The 93,173 number has become almost mythical. Meltzer has always been adamant that there was actually around 78,000 in there but people have disputed that back and forth for years.

Wrestle Kingdom 6 in 2012 was announced as 43,000 but Meltzer again says the real number was 23,000. It would be pretty damn brazen to add 20,000. Surely anyone in the building that night would know whether there was actually 20,000+ or 40,000+?

[David-Arquette was in WCW 2000]

I think anyone in the crowd or watching on TV could tell the difference between 20,000 and 40,000 people so that seems a risky one to fake. Announcing an extra 2-4 thousand, how, can be argued without a definitive answer.

As for Wrestlemania 3.. I don't think it was 93,000, but I also don't think it was as low as 78,000. Whatever the real number though, wide shots of that packed done never fail to impress me.

[chrom]

During the year after AJ went to New Japan TNA could barely get 100 fans to attend house shows, they would claim that it was really a full house

[The Summer of Muskrat XVII]

Slight correction on AEW Grand Slam, there were 18,300 people paid and 20,177 in attendance including comps.

Also, I’m not 100% on this, but I believe the Mania in AT&T Stadium was around 93,000 spectators (both paid and comps) and the 97,800 included all spectators and literally everyone in the building ie arena employees, WWE employees and wrestlers, security, medical staff, production staff etc

As for Mania III, I’m not sure where the actual number falls. Wouldn’t be surprised if the 78,000 or whatever was paid attendance and with comps it ended up 83-85,000 but that’s pure speculation on my part. There is supposedly documentation stating the 78,000 but can’t say I’ve personally reviewed it haha

[David-Arquette was in WCW 2000]

Jan 30, 2022 18:52:43 GMT -5 chrom said:

During the year after AJ went to New Japan TNA could barely get 100 fans to attend house shows, they would claim that it was really a full house

Somehow that's both surprising and unsurprising. Quite shocked that attendance could fall THAT low, but TNA not doing nothing to help? Well that's to be expected haha

[ianriccaboni]

Jan 30, 2022 20:43:00 GMT -5 The Summer of Muskrat XVII said:

Slight correction on AEW Grand Slam, there were 18,300 people paid and 20,177 in attendance including comps.

Also, I’m not 100% on this, but I believe the Mania in AT&T Stadium was around 93,000 spectators (both paid and comps) and the 97,800 included all spectators and literally everyone in the building ie arena employees, WWE employees and wrestlers, security, medical staff, production staff etc

As for Mania III, I’m not sure where the actual number falls. Wouldn’t be surprised if the 78,000 or whatever was paid attendance and with comps it ended up 83-85,000 but that’s pure speculation on my part. There is supposedly documentation stating the 78,000 but can’t say I’ve personally reviewed it haha

David Bixenspan has essentially proven that the "real" attendance was about 88,000 on his Face vs Heel substance.

Essentially, someone handcounted the seats from the high resolution photo that circulates. In that, that amounts to approximately 78,000 *but* that number does not account for box seating and standing room tickets. If you add those, it is about 88,000 which was the published maximum in the newspapers ahead of the event.

He also sort of proves there likely was approximately 93k+ people physically in the building that day though as that also accounts for the nearly 3,000 temporary workers added specifically for the event plus the normal staff.

Here is Bix's work: babyfacevheel.substack.com/p/wrestlemania-iii-attendance-redux

[Natural Born Farmer]

Jan 30, 2022 18:52:43 GMT -5 chrom said:

During the year after AJ went to New Japan TNA could barely get 100 fans to attend house shows, they would claim that it was really a full house

I believe they announced the recent Hard To Kill as a sell out, but I checked the day of the show and you could still get GA tickets for $20.