Special Empty Arena Smackdown set for May 1st

[kidglov3s]

Per Ticketmaster:

WWE Smackdown
(2128)
Huntington Center
Toledo, OH
Tue, May 1, 2012 07:00 PM

Last year's was fun.

[Bone Daddy]

I dont get it

[kidglov3s]

Mar 3, 2012 12:11:00 GMT -5 Bone Daddy said:

I dont get it

They're going back to the venue they did Smackdown at last year that all the "omg no one came to the Smackdown taping" pictures came from.

[theryno665]

I'll be there (though I don't know where at yet, buddy bought tickets) so that's all that matters.

[kidglov3s]

A newz report from the time:

– Last Tuesday’s SmackDown taping in Toledo, Ohio was one of the worst attended WWE events in years as it drew 3,200 fans, with only 1,600 paid.

Following the event’s poor advance, WWE only sold tickets facing the camera so the Huntington Center would appear full on television. SLAM! Wrestling columnist Matt Bishop, who attended the event, described the venue’s appearance: “Tuesday’s tapings of WWE Smackdown, Superstars and NXT wasn’t notable because of what happened in the ring, but rather because of what was happening outside the ringside area. Or more appropriately, what wasn’t happening.

“Toledo’s second WWE show of 2011, this time at Huntington Center, was notable because of the lack of fans inside the facility, with almost all of the camera side tarped off, along with a large part of the upper bowl, including all of the seats in the end zone.”

[rapidfire187]

Why on Earth are they going back?

[theryno665]

Mar 3, 2012 12:19:15 GMT -5 rapidfire187 said:

Why on Earth are they going back?

Honestly, I don't know.

When I went to the last one and saw how empty it was, I thought "They're not coming back". I'm just as surprised as anyone.

[darbus alan]

Why were there so little people there? Is Toledo that dead when it comes to wrestling?

[kidglov3s]

Mar 3, 2012 12:22:10 GMT -5 darbus alan said:

Why were there so little people there? Is Toledo that dead when it comes to wrestling?

For one it was poorly advertised. I'm kind of a big wrestling fan, I live about a half hour from the arena, I watch Raw (and even Smackdown at the time, thanks to Christian being on it) and I didn't know they were coming until I randomly saw it on Ticketmaster like a week before the event.

[keezy]

God help them if they have a big falls count anywhere match planned.

[Slanted and Enchanted]

The population of Toledo is like 280,000. The metro area would boost it up to about 600,000. Considering poor advertising and the fact that wrestling nowadays appeals to only a niche audience of sorts, I'd say 3,200 is a damn good turnout. If this was the audience turnout in NYC or Chicago then yeah then we have an issue.

That being said, I don't know why they're going back either.

[airraidcrash]

They should just stay in the UK for a couple more weeks.

[nate5054]

So WWE will go back to a place that sold pretty much no tickets, yet Denver still can't get a show.

Amazing.

[kdawg]

Mar 3, 2012 12:47:49 GMT -5 nate5054 said:

So WWE will go back to a place that sold pretty much no tickets, yet Denver still can't get a show.

Amazing.

Don't worry, we will probably get a "pity" house show that no one cares about sometime in the next 5 years. Why Vince, WHY?!?!

[Goldash #BLM]

LOL, I thought they were going to try another Halftime Heat experiment by looking at the title of this thread...

...until I discovered the amazingness of that photo. I've seen combined puppet shows/Spinal Tap concerts with more attendance!

I've even seen HvF: Empty Arena shows with more attendance!

[Error]

Mar 3, 2012 12:47:49 GMT -5 nate5054 said:

So WWE will go back to a place that sold pretty much no tickets, yet Denver still can't get a show.

Amazing.

You can blame the arena and the owner for that. If you haven't noticed Vince doesn't easily forgive people that cost him money and embarrass him.

[That Mickie Fan]

I see what you did there.

[Dr. Bunsen Honeydew]

Mar 3, 2012 12:37:04 GMT -5 Slanted and Enchanted said:

The population of Toledo is like 280,000. The metro area would boost it up to about 600,000. Considering poor advertising and the fact that wrestling nowadays appeals to only a niche audience of sorts, I'd say 3,200 is a damn good turnout. If this was the audience turnout in NYC or Chicago then yeah then we have an issue.

That being said, I don't know why they're going back either.

Green Bay, which is only 190,000 people, easily triples that at the Resch Center. I say its the market.

[Deleted]

I'm guessing they are coming back to see if that low attendance was a one time thing or if it's truly a dead market to never comeback to.

[rapidfire187]

Mar 3, 2012 13:15:44 GMT -5 Goldash #BLM said:

LOL, I thought they were going to try another Halftime Heat experiment by looking at the title of this thread...

...until I discovered the amazingness of that photo. I've seen combined puppet shows/Spinal Tap concerts with more attendance!

I've even seen HvF: Empty Arena shows with more attendance!

I was hoping it was another Halftime Heat type thing too. I'd like to see another empty arena match honestly. The only ones I've ever seen were Rock vs. Mankind and MCMG vs. Gen Me in TNA (though that wasn't really a match, but it counts IMO) and both were fantastic.