Wrestling
WWE WrestleMania 42 Attendance Drops by More Than 21,000 Fans Compared to Last Year
BY SACNILK
WrestleMania 42 drew 97,126 fans across its two nights at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, according to newly released figures from the Las Vegas Stadium Authority, reported by Brandon Thurston. The number marks a clear drop from the 118,641 attendees recorded for WrestleMania 41, meaning this year's event drew 21,515 fewer fans across the two nights. Brandon Thurston reported 47,093 fans for Saturday, April 18, and 50,033 for Sunday, April 19. Compared with WrestleMania 41, Saturday was down from 58,538, while Sunday's figure fell from 60,103. Overall, the new figures represent an 18.1% year-over-year decline based on the Stadium Authority's numbers. Despite the lower attendance figure, WrestleMania 42 still featured a packed two-night lineup with several of WWE's biggest names. Night One was headlined by Cody Rhodes defending the Undisputed WWE Championship against Randy Orton. Rhodes managed to retain the title that also involved Pat McAfee. The situation did not end with the final bell, however, as Orton attacked Rhodes and delivered a Punt Kick to the champion after the match. The first night also featured Gunther defeating Seth Rollins, Liv Morgan defeating Stephanie Vaquer for the Women's World Championship, and Becky Lynch defeating AJ Lee to win the Women's Intercontinental Championship. Paige also made her WWE return and teamed with Brie Bella to win the Women's Tag Team Championship. The second night featured Roman Reigns defeating CM Punk to win the World Heavyweight Championship, while Oba Femi defeated Brock Lesnar in one of the night's featured singles matches. Penta also retained the Intercontinental Championship in a Ladder Match against Je'Von Evans, Dragon Lee, Rusev, JD McDonagh and Rey Mysterio. The latest numbers add another data point to the discussion surrounding WWE's decision to hold WrestleMania in Las Vegas for a second consecutive year. WrestleMania 41 also took place at Allegiant Stadium, but the Stadium Authority recorded 118,641 attendees across the two nights. The decline was not entirely unexpected. WWE President Nick Khan previously acknowledged that bringing WrestleMania back to the same venue in consecutive years could affect the event, saying the decision was ultimately his and suggesting the company might not repeat the arrangement. Even with the decline, WrestleMania 42 remained one of the biggest events in WWE history. The latest figures do, however, show that the Las Vegas return did not bring the same attendance level as the previous year's WrestleMania, with the Stadium Authority recording more than 21,000 fewer attendees across the two nights.