Backstage Reason Behind WWE Increasing House Shows

WWE is bringing back a full domestic house show tour this summer. This marks the company’s first major return to non-televised live events across the United States since the pandemic-era changes to its schedule.

WWE has launched a 10-stop tour running from July through August. According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the renewed focus on live events reportedly comes as the company continues building experience for a younger roster of talent outside the pressure of weekly TV. The shows are expected to give younger wrestlers more opportunities to work longer matches, and “they could use more reps before a crowd.”He also believed there would be “nice profit margin” for the shows compared to previous years, as WWE wasn’t as popular.

“What we were told is that with more younger wrestlers on the roster than before, they felt it was good for them to get more experience away from television so this was the time to expand the schedule. Plus, unlike a few years ago when the company wasn’t as popular, there will almost surely be a nice profit margin doing the house shows. The idea in the past was less shows created more of a demand for shows and that was one of the reasons for cutting back, and the belief that the older roster could use less dates and wear and tear and they had enough experience. The attempt is to get a younger roster now and they could use more reps before a crowd.”

Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes reportedly pitched the idea internally and pushed for the return of more live events. Several major names are currently advertised for the tour, including Oba Femi, Rhea Ripley, Seth Rollins, Jade Cargill, Trick Williams, and Drew McIntyre.

The tour is scheduled to visit cities including Las Cruces and Albuquerque in New Mexico, Allentown in Pennsylvania, Stockton and Bakersfield in California, Springfield in Illinois, Fairfax in Virginia, Manchester in New Hampshire, Savannah in Georgia, and Charleston in South Carolina. Most events are planned for Thursdays and weekends. Reports also noted that ticket prices are expected to be lower than those for other WWE events.