WrestleMania 41 week delivered a packed lineup of events in Las Vegas, including SmackDown, NXT Stand & Deliver, the WWE Hall of Fame ceremony, two nights of WrestleMania, RAW, and NXT. While the week offered wall-to-wall action, it also may have been too much for even the most dedicated fans.
According to Bryan Alvarez on Wrestling Observer Live, WWE is evaluating the toll such a stacked schedule takes on the audience — particularly the live crowd.
“Well, if you watch NXT last night, it was like it took place in a crypt. This building, I think, sat 2,000. I think they got maybe 1,500 in. And this crowd, like, it wasn’t even like a dead crowd. It was just like a tired crowd because if something big happened, like Joe Hendry showed up, they summoned the energy to get really excited, and they were like, ‘Oh god, now we’re tired again.’”
The fatigue wasn’t limited to just fans. WWE talent and staff, already balancing long travel days, press appearances, and rehearsals, also reportedly felt the strain.
Alvarez further noted:
“It did not go unnoticed by WWE. It appears that next year, when they do the show [WrestleMania] in New Orleans, it’s probably not gonna last through NXT. NXT’s probably gonna be back at the Performance Center. There is some thought of running the NXT before WrestleMania weekend in New Orleans, but probably not. I don’t think they’re going to be trying that, SmackDown Hall of Fame, WrestleMania, WrestleMania, Raw, and NXT again. It’s just hard.”
With WrestleMania 42 slated for New Orleans, WWE could reconfigure its traditional week-long layout to better balance crowd energy and event quality. Moving NXT back to the Performance Center — or airing it earlier in the week — may be among the changes fans can expect.
Stay with PWMania.com for more updates on the evolving WrestleMania schedule and all things WWE.
