Wrestling fans have always known that front-row seats to major events come with a premium, but one New York wrestling enthusiast got a reality check that left him questioning whether the sport he loves has priced out its core fanbase.
Professional wrestling was built on the backs of working-class fans who could scrape together enough money for a night of entertainment, but today’s ticket prices suggest those days are long gone.
From Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour to Beyoncé’s Renaissance World Tour, live entertainment across the board has reached astronomical price points that put once-accessible experiences out of reach for average fans.
Would You Pay This Much For Wrestling Tickets?
In a viral video with more than 700,000 views, wrestling enthusiast Allen (@allenownz) broke down the jaw-dropping cost of front-row WrestleMania tickets.
“I just told my wife she’s gonna have to wait till next year to get a new car because we are sitting front row at WrestleMania,” he joked.
As it turns out, front-row corner seats cost just shy of $40,000. And these premium-priced seats don’t even guarantee wrestler interaction.
“They don’t care about you over here,” he said, pointing out that the corner seats get you the high-fives from wrestlers walking up the steps that other front-row seats might offer.
When factoring in taxes and fees, even the slightly less expensive options in the second row still run around $34,000 to $35,000, making them completely unattainable for most fans.
Wrestling Is No Longer For Blue-Collar Fans
Allen’s extends beyond just the front-row prices, touching on a broader issue facing professional wrestling.
He argues that the sport has fundamentally changed its target audience, abandoning the working-class fans who built its foundation.
“I’ve kind of accepted that professional wrestling is not for the blue-collar fan anymore if you want that high-end experience. It’s not even for a blue-collar family anymore if you wanna sit in the nosebleeds,” he said.
His solution? Skip the live event entirely and find alternative viewing experiences.
“You’re gonna have to go to, like, a watch party at your local bar or pizza party or maybe try out the movie theaters,” he added.
What Is WrestleMania?
WrestleMania is WWE’s flagship event and the longest-running wrestling event in professional wrestling history, often called the “Super Bowl of wrestling.” Since the first WrestleMania took place at Madison Square Garden in 1985, the event has grown into a global phenomenon that generates massive economic impact for host cities, according to a fan page.
The event has evolved from a single-night show to a two-day spectacle held in massive stadiums, with recent events drawing over 100,000 attendees.
Beyond the wrestling matches, WrestleMania has become a week-long entertainment experience featuring celebrity appearances, musical performances, and fan events. The event routinely features A-list celebrities either performing, appearing, or even competing in matches, with past participants including Mr. T, Floyd Mayweather, and Snoop Dogg.
How Much Do WrestleMania Tickets Actually Cost?
Here’s the breakdown for the two-day event, before Ticketmaster fees and handling charges, according to Yahoo Sports:
- Section A1 on the floor: $8,998.00
- Section B on the floor: $3,868.00
- Section R101: $2,200.75
- 100 level: $1495.00, $1303.54, $1174.80
- 200 level: $1,303.54 – $1,174.80
- 300 Section: $1,174.80
- 400 Section: $854.15
These prices reflect WWE’s deliberate strategy shift. TKO Chief Operating Officer Mark Shapiro stated that former WWE head Vince McMahon had been “pricing tickets for families” and that the company hadn’t been “maximizing ticket revenue.”
AKA, WWE is in fact jacking up prices.
Commenters React
“For $30,000 I better go one on one with the undertaker,” a top comment read.
“We are not normalising this. it’s ridiculous,” a person said.
“For 40K I better be winning the belt in the main event,” another wrote.
“I wish fans would band together and just boycott and see wwe sweat and end up lowering prices,” a commenter added.
@allenownz WrestleMania presale ticket prices are INSANE #wwe #greenscreen
BroBible reached out to Allen for comment via email and Instagram direct message and to WWE for comment via email. We’ll be sure to update this if they respond.