WWE Lies About Their Attendance Figures In Japan

[The GOAT]

Source: The Wrestling Observer Newsletter

Apparently WWE's tour of Japan wasn't nearly as successful as it appeared. While WWE announced attendance figures for their two shows at Sumo Hall of 6,176 and more than 12,000 (which is impossible because the building only seats 11,066) and also announced 6,048 for the Osaka show, the actual inside-the-building totals were closer to 5,000, 11,000 and 5,000, with the latter two shows including Hulk Hogan. The shows in Japan were said to be heavily papered, which is not unusual for wrestling in Japan.

On WWE's business website, which is prepared for stockholders and investors who follow the business, and where they report the real numbers, it came out this past week that the three shows in Japan did a combined total of approximately 14,000 paid attendance, or just over half of what WWE actually announced.

If the percentage/exaggeration/papering was close to consistent, it would mean that the actual paid attendance for the three dates would be closer to 3,670 for the first Sumo Hall show, 7,140 for the full house that they claimed and 3,600 for the event in Osaka.


So while it appeared based on what WWE originally claimed as far as attendance for their latest Japanese tour that they beat what New Japan Pro Wrestling does in those same venues, the reality is that they couldn't even beat what some smaller Japanese-based promotions do, and barely did half of what New Japan does.

It's funny how they can still get away with announcing false stats and attendance figures elsewhere just as long as they still announce the real numbers on the business section of their website. I actually still wonder if the Wrestlemania 3 record is really legit.

 

[Roadster]

WWE lies a lot when it comes to attendance.

I've heard that WrestleMania 29's attendance number was also a lie.

 

[Butters!]

I always assumed this, great post!

 

[The GOAT]

Yeah, it's no secret, McMahon even admitted in an interview with Meltzer himself in the late 80's/early 90's that the WWF inflated their attendance records on television. I'm just amused that they can actually still sneak by with doing it now that they're a public company.

People have actually debated for a long time whether they really did draw 93,000 people at Wrestlemania 3 or whether they inflated that number, too. (Some say that the number was actually closer to 75,000-80,000.) I tend to believe the 93,000 attendance stat is real, but a case can definitely be made that they lied about that number as well.

 

[Roadster]

Yeah, it's no secret, McMahon even admitted in an interview with Meltzer himself in the late 80's/early 90's that the WWF inflated their attendance records on television. I'm just amused that they can actually still sneak by with doing it now that they're a public company.

People have actually debated for a long time whether they really did draw 93,000 people at Wrestlemania 3 or whether they inflated that number, too. (Some say that the number was actually closer to 75,000-80,000.) I tend to believe the 93,000 attendance stat is real, but a case can definitely be made that they lied about that number, too.

Well it was an actual record so it must be real. But they still call it a "World Record." When WCW/NJPW drew 100,000+ in 1995.

 

[The GOAT]

Well it was an actual record so it must be real. But they still call it a "World Record." When WCW/NJPW drew 100,000+ in 1995.

Is it not possible that for some reason the Silverdome was willing to play along with the lie?

The guy who promoted Wrestlemania 3 once sent Dave Meltzer a fax of the building attendance that said only around 78,000 were seated in the arena that night. And if you look at a wide, overhead shot of the crowd at Wrestlemania 3 and compare it with several of the Wrestlemania crowds from the past several years, does it really look like there's 10,000-20,000 people more at WM3?

 

[Roadster]

Is it not possible that for some reason the Silverdome was willing to play along with the lie?

The guy who promoted Wrestlemania 3 once sent Dave Meltzer a fax of the building attendance that said only around 78,000 were seated in the arena that night. And if you look at a wide, overhead shot of the crowd at Wrestlemania 3 and compare it with several of the Wrestlemania crowds from the past several years, does it really look like there's 10,000-20,000 people more at WM3?

I'm pretty sure the Record books just don't take the hosts word for the attendance. Surely the ticket sales came into play for this to be confirmed on a wide variety of Record keepers along with a whole bunch of newspapers and editorials. I believe it's 93,000 but like everything else in the US, it may be a lie.

 

[seabs]

I'm pretty sure the Record books just don't take the hosts word for the attendance. Surely the ticket sales came into play for this to be confirmed on a wide variety of Record keepers along with a whole bunch of newspapers and editorials. I believe it's 93,000 but like everything else in the US, it may be a lie.

They could manipulate attendance figures from ticket sales pretty easily can't they? Just say X were corporate gifts given to partners or whatever and you're golden.

 

[seabs]

Is it not possible that for some reason the Silverdome was willing to play along with the lie?

The guy who promoted Wrestlemania 3 once sent Dave Meltzer a fax of the building attendance that said only around 78,000 were seated in the arena that night. And if you look at a wide, overhead shot of the crowd at Wrestlemania 3 and compare it with several of the Wrestlemania crowds from the past several years, does it really look like there's 10,000-20,000 people more at WM3?

It'd give the venue publicity, if you have a huge act knowing they can hit 90+k of required has to be a huge bonus.

 

[Stopspot]

Not surprising. Wrestling companies tend to paper shows all the time.

 

[Jonathan]

Is this really even a news story? They make up almost every attendance number, not least Wrestlemania, which is ALWAYS fabricated and has around 8-10k on top of the actual attendance.

 

[seabs]

Is this really even a news story? They make up almost every attendance number, not least Wrestlemania, which is ALWAYS fabricated and has around 8-10k on top of the actual attendance.

It's a slow news day lol, like TV ratings threads.

 

[edge4ever]

this is something ive always assumed and never looked up.....why not inflate your attendance if you can?.,..makes all events feel bigger.

I live near Rockford, IL. and the last time Monday Night Raw was here....they said they had an attendance record of over 7,000....i looked around that night....and there was no way in hell there was close to 7,000 people there....5,000 tops...

 

[Roadster]

It's a slow news day lol, like TV ratings threads.

:

 

[The GOAT]

this is something ive always assumed and never looked up.....why not inflate your attendance if you can?.,..makes all events feel bigger.

I live near Rockford, IL. and the last time Monday Night Raw was here....they said they had an attendance record of over 7,000....i looked around that night....and there was no way in hell there was close to 7,000 people there....5,000 tops...

lol Only 5,000 or 7,000 at a Monday Night Raw? Yikes. That's house show-level numbers. Raw usually has about 12,000-14,000 people at least. Maybe 10,000 at the lowest on most occasions.