As PWMania.com previously reported, although the WWE Money in the Bank Premium Live Event was initially scheduled to take place at Allegiant Stadium in the same location, it is now being broadcast live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Reportedly, the change in location was brought on by weak ticket sales.
According to a report from Fightful Select, the drive to more stadium shows was a major plan for WWE President & Chief Revenue Officer Nick Khan, therefore the venue change startled many within the company.
Khan has been a strong supporter of both Saturday activities and stadium shows. The Money in the Bank move, according to one source, would have been one of Khan’s first “misfires,” although WWE sources claimed that Money in the Bank would have ended up selling 20–25,000 tickets by the time the show took place.
At least one source felt that WWE should have waited until after Hell In a Cell to see how ticket sales changed and that WWE relied too heavily on the buzz of just having a stadium show rather than creatively marketing the night.
The UFC 276 pay-per-view is also live from Vegas, at the T-Mobile Arena.
Even though WWE announced Money in the Bank before UFC announced its pay-per-view for the same night, there is a sense that WWE either knew or should have known that UFC would be running because the Fourth of July weekend has long been a UFC tradition in Vegas with International Fight Week.
WWE held a hold on Allegiant Stadium for Sunday night in case they needed it.
Since the Money In The Bank venue change, Randy Orton and Cody Rhodes have been sidelined, and Brock Lesnar has been called back for the Last Man Standing bout with Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns at SummerSlam later this month. A WWE source offered an opinion on the events leading up to Money in the Bank.
“Well, considering we couldn’t have predicted all of that, and the event sold out at the new location, it doesn’t look too bad,” the source said.
Stay tuned to PWMania.com for more. Live WWE Money in the Bank results are available by clicking here.
