MR. TITO: WWE SummerSlam 2026’s Weak Ticket Sales and Who or What Gets the Blame For It (Economy, WWE, or TKO?)

On May 20th of 2026, I wrote a column titled “Does WWE Have “Blue Dot Fever” from Declined Attendance Versus Higher Prices Like the Music Industry?” and I wrote it based on hearing about unsold concert tickets throughout 2025 and 2026. “Blue dot” stands for unsold ticket shown on Ticketmaster’s website or app and for many tours, such as Jennifer Lopez, Meghan Trainor, Pussycat Dolls, Post Malone & Jelly Roll, among others, having issues selling tickets.

Like the WWE for the past 3 years, music tours have also been jacking up ticket prices in amounts that significantly EXCEED the annual rate of inflation. Since 2023, annual inflation has been less than 4% while prices for events and hotels surrounding such events have seen price gouging amounts of 20% hikes or much more. In fact, the costs of anything involving events from hotels to parking to food to tickets have all gone up drastically and priced out many folks who USED to attend concerts or WWE regularly.

WWE was purchased by Endeavor through 2023 and after the sale was complete, the newly formed TKO corporation began to hike up prices of events. The prices were really noticed during Royal Rumble 2025, which took some of yours truly’s money, and kept going throughout 2025 including a much more expensive Wrestlemania 41 and heavy price gouging for things surrounding John Cena’s retirement tour. Then, we have Wrestlemania 42 and WWE’s price gouging took on ridiculous standards on top of a Las Vegas city that has been gouging tourists HARD since COVID-19 ended.

On my May 20th column, I remarked at how poorly WWE SummerSlam tickets were selling through 2/3 of May. I actually did some calculations and observed that less than 20,000 were sold through that point and reportedly, WWE has only sold around 22,000 tickets thus far with SummerSlam being a few weeks away from this 2-night show in Minneapolis, MN. Back on May 20th, several said that “it’s May” or “too early” to make this call. No, it’s freakin’ SummerSlam, arguably WWE’s #2 show and should sell a ton of tickets in advance. People travel all over the country to attend WWE’s top shows, but they aren’t this year for SummerSlam.

Obvious reason #1 = ticket prices.

Right now, WWE only has 1/3 of the Minnesota Vikings’s stadium available for sale, which is a massive indicator of a massive sales failure incoming (or at least compared to events of the past). While the nosebleeds have come down in price since I last wrote my 5/20 column (down to $76.10), that is still pricey for a sporting event in the way upper decks. The most expensive floor seat is at $3,315.90.

While these prices are down from Wrestlemania 42’s obvious price gouging and other recent PLEs, they are still high relatively speaking versus events before TKO fully took over.

In case you haven’t purchased gasoline lately, we’re averaging around $3.83 through 7/14/26 and possibly trending upward with recent escalations in the Middle East, again. In just a few days, the national average gained about 10 cents and we’re way above the $2.73 price seen earlier in the year before the war began.

And when gas prices are up, ANYTHING that is shipped by a truck goes up in price. This affects literally every company who receives a trucked shipment of something. In addition to truck fuel prices going up, so does jet fuel. Oil is used for many things other than transportation, such as plastics. Annual inflation was “cheered” today of being just 3.5%, but that was due gas prices dropping from being above $4 per the ceasefire and memorandum of understanding “deal” between the United States and Iran. Recent events seemed to have ended both, and now gas prices are going up again.

But consumers NEVER recovered from the previous gas price hikes since late February. And I’d further argue that consumers still haven’t got over the shocks from COVID-19 and then the insanely rising inflation from 2021-2023.

Right now, many economists suggest we have a “K-Shaped” economy. On the upper portion of the “K” are upper class individuals. If you look at statistics, they are doing just fine, as the past year generated the most millionaires created while 2026 appears to be creating the most billionaires on record if the current pace is maintained. 2026 also created the first ever trillionaire with Elon Musk. Statistically speaking, the upper 10% of wage earners account for roughly HALF of the consumption in the United States.

Meanwhile, the lower portion of the “K”… For many years within the past 6 years, consumers incomes or wages (many working part-time) were growing much less than the rate of inflation. The Minimum Wage on the national level hasn’t increased since 2009 at $7.25, so if you compare that to above $4 per gallon of gasoline, that sucks. You’re basically working almost 2 hours per gallon. Going deeper into the data, the personal savings rate is currently at 3.0% and historically speaking, anything under 5% usually precedes an economic recession because the consumer is tapped out. This coincides with elevated credit card delinquency rates, as consumers are not saving as much or are ringing up much more debt that ever to survive. Housing and apartment prices have skyrocketed for the past few years and make things unaffordable, in addition to the price gouging happening with piped gas and especially electricity.

Given the choice of attending a WWE event or a concert, versus feeding, clothing, and housing your family… Well, attending a high priced event goes by the wayside.

That said, not everything is specifically about price. Sorry, but I’d struggle to see many struggling concert acts above EVEN IF tickets were given to me for free. Time listening to J’Lo lip sync songs that she allegedly didn’t record is not worth my time, just as attending a WWE branded wrestling event might not be someone else’s cup of tea for free.

Which goes into the darker point #2 about SummerSlam 2026…

Yeah, we could get into this event struggling because it’s a 2-night event and NOT Wrestlemania. “Less is more” as I’ve always said and I just don’t see the demand to have Summerslam as 2 nights. The past few years of this experiment have proved that.

HOWEVER, it’s not just getting more WWE wrestling, but who is on the cards.

Go back to 2024… Roman Reigns was at the peak of his popularity. Seth Rollins would provide his peak performance through Wrestlemania 40 by performing in the tag match on night #1 and then still participating in night #2 despite a bad leg. CM Punk just arrived and was still on his post-AEW honeymoon with lots of anticipation. Cody Rhodes was still chasing the WWE title and trying to finish his family’s story. We got The Rock back and he was electrifying for the first time in years as the “final boss”.

How about 2026, 2 years later?

The Rock has disappointed by not doing any significant return appearances other than 1 PLE during late 2024, Netflix RAW, Smackdown in New Orleans, and then the Elimination Chamber 2025 PLE. However, the “final boss” was lost and we never completed the Bloodline storyline with him and Roman colliding. I think they’ll try it at Wrestlemania 43, but if you’ve seen Rocky lately, he’s seriously dropped like 75 pounds of muscle.

CM Punk has had a few good years on the main event scene, but Roman dispatched him at Wrestlemania 42. Despite the great match, Punk was moved to the Smackdown brand and that is clearly the lesser brand right now. He’ll need a big heel turn to freshed up his character, but Father Time remains undefeated.

Cody Rhodes just isn’t as exciting after he won the WWE world title during 2024. The chase is over. While he’s still a solid hand, there’s a lack of purpose and that’s been spelled out clearly by him headlining the lesser Smackdown brand.

I personally like Seth Rollins, but we’ve seen him do it all and with many variations of being a heel or babyface character. Tried many times as a World Champion, too, as he’s a 6-time World Champion. After Roman Reigns probably dispatches him at the poorly attended SummerSlam 2026, that could be it for him as he’s wrestled everybody on the roster multiple times.

And then we have Roman Reigns. He’s just not the same since he disappeared after Wrestlemania 40 and returned as a babyface. “Original Trible Chief” just isn’t as fun as a heel beating down everybody and demanding them to “acknowledge me”. Hence why the WWE reformed the Bloodline again.

On the 7/13/26 edition of Monday Night RAW, Paul Heyman seemed to walk away from the Vision group. Might this help pave the way for the “wiseman” to rejoin the Bloodline group? I think so…

If I were booking SummerSlam 2026, I’d have Heyman rejoin the Bloodline and the group just obliterate Seth Rollins and any babyface trying to save the day. Total heel beatdown of epic proportions and I’d have the Bloodline conduct many violent beatdowns of babyface wrestlers in the weeks that follows. Fully cement the Bloodline back into a heel group and let Paul Heyman’s creativity flow through the group to make them exciting again.

That is exactly what this reunited babyface Bloodline is lacking… Paul Heyman.

What we have through 2026 isn’t just TKO price gouging, but a WWE that has become veteran dependent and desiring to push Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes HARD as babyfaces because they are both WME represented wrestlers. WME is controlled by Endeavor’s top brass, so hence why TKO is whispering to Triple H to push Roman and Cody strongly even if performed poorly or in a way that over-exposes both wrestlers. Meanwhile, any other wrestler is second fiddle and that includes any younger wrestlers. The lack of good trainers at the Performance Center (I’m looking at you, A-Train) and the TOTAL LACK OF PATIENCE with TKO’s executives and analytics has screwed the WWE’s future.

WWE through 2026 is too veteran dependent, but I’d argue veterans who have diminished as assets. Each of the above wrestlers have LOST something since 2024, while newer wrestlers like Bron Breakker, Jacob Fatu, and many others just aren’t gaining any momentum to sustain a top spot. I like Oba Femi, but him losing a return match to Brock Lesnar just didn’t sit well with me and killed momentum for him.

If WWE’s top guys are declining and WWE’s business is declining, especially in light of higher prices or a possible economic recession…

Many suggest that All Elite Wrestling (AEW) has a chance to catch WWE as a business, but with their lower ticket prices, they are struggling to regularly draw 4,000 for AEW Dynamite shows while nobody buys their merchandise and PPV numbers are sagging. All-In in London is doing weaker numbers than their previous 2 shows, and that’s AEW’s top show. Reality check is coming soon for AEW because their TV deal expires soon and Warner Bros. will be owned by the Ellisons/Paramount whom I believe wants to host WWE during 2029 after Netflix (I predict) opts out of WWE’s 10-year deal 5 years early. AEW could be without a cable/satellite and streaming home, which would serve as a massive potential nail in their coffin (if that were to happen).

One would think that wrestling fans would attend more AEW shows with lower ticket prices than WWE with higher ticket prices. That substitution effect has yet to happen, brother, because AEW literally has the same issue of being veteran dependent without any newer homegrown stars rising up to eventually take their spots.

What would I do if I were advising WWE or TKO?

Announce, effectively immediately, ticket prices are being slashed significantly. I don’t care if TKO just breaks even on live events when considering venue costs. They are getting so much money from TV deals, Saudi Arabia, sponsorships, and states/cities bribing them to appear there.

Secondly, TKO has to stop meddling. Give Triple H full control and breathing room.

Third, fix the developmental system. Replace the trainers on the male side of the ledger, specifically with guys who can work different styles, knows how to talk, and knows how to use psychology. Prince Albert worked as a big man who couldn’t talk. How can he train wrestlers to work other styles or talk? Makes ZERO SENSE why Triple H is loyal to that guy who is botching his developmental system.

Shrink all TV shows to be 2 hours maximum, never going above.

Nothing other than Wrestlemania goes for 2 nights.

Only North America or England should EVER host Royal Rumble, Wrestlemania, or SummerSlam. Those are protected and entitled for the fans who helped build WWE. I don’t care how much Saudi wants to pay you for both the Rumble ($100 million) and Wrestlemania ($250). WWE is pissing on loyal fans who loved traveling to the WWE’s top events.

Reduce creative team power of Bruce Prichard and Michael P.S. Hayes. I’ve seen enough of their older ways that it’s impacting some legitimately good wrestlers, like Chelsea Green. Retain them as agents for matches, though, where they still have value for coming up with creative finishes or structuring a matches. Bruce is a Vince McMahon mark, though, so I’d consider his removal anyway.

Instead of forcing loyal veterans to take a paycut, start training them to be road agents, creative team members, or other help backstage in addition to their part-time wrestling. Sheamus could have been useful backstage for younger wrestlers coming up or even at the Performance Center. Instead, you just let him walk.

Just like that, WWE could be improved and we wouldn’t be laughing at SummerSlam 2026’s poor attendance.

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