List of professional wrestling attendance records
The following is a list of professional wrestling attendance records. The list is dominated by the Japanese wrestling promotion New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) which is the largest organization in the country. NJPW's Collision in Korea, a two-day interpromotional supercard co-hosted with World Championship Wrestling, was the first-ever pro wrestling event held in North Korea and remains the most attended live event of all-time with a combined crowd of 320,000.[1][2][3]
The second highest number of shows is held by the U.S.-based World Wrestling Entertainment which controlled the wrestling industry in North America from 2002[4] to 2019. According to this list, 17 events are from WWE's flagship WrestleMania pay-per-view (PPV) event, which since 2007's WrestleMania 23 has been held exclusively in stadiums that typically have a seating capacity of at least 70,000 people or more. There is only one attendance record from the "Pioneer-era". All but thirty of the events have been held in Japan, while twenty-one have been held in the United States, four in Canada, and one each in Australia, India, Mexico and North Korea.
Events and attendances
Note: Minimum attendance of 40,000.
Although many of WWE's attendance records are disputed, for the purpose of this list, WWE's announced attendance figures are shown.
See also
- List of professional wrestling attendance records in Europe
- List of professional wrestling attendance records in Japan
- List of professional wrestling attendance records in Puerto Rico
- List of professional wrestling attendance records in the United Kingdom
- List of WWE attendance records
Notes
- † ^ Retractable roof stadium
- * ^ Open air venue
References
General
- Freedman, Lew (2018). "Attendance at Wrestling Matches". Pro Wrestling: A Comprehensive Reference Guide. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO, LLC. ISBN 978-1-4408-5350-0.
Specific
- ^ "Wrestling History: 1991-1995". PWI-Online.com. Pro Wrestling Illustrated. 2005.
- ^ a b Meltzer, Dave. "April 11, 2016 Wrestling Observer Newsletter". f4wonline.com. Wrestling Observer. Retrieved 7 April 2016.
The all-time pro wrestling attendance record would be for shows on April 28 and April 29, 1995 at May Day Stadium in Pyongyang, North Korea. The announced crowds for those shows were 165,000 and 190,000, although the real numbers were about 150,000 and 165,000. The first show was headlined by Scott Norton vs. Shinya Hashimoto and the second by Antonio Inoki vs. Ric Flair. While there were tickets sold, most of the people attending got in free, and were pretty much ordered to attend, so it's not really a fair comparison.
- ^ a b Keller, Wade (April 28, 2015). "WCW FLASHBACK - "Collision in Korea" 20 yrs. ago today: Flair & WCW crew head to N. Korea with New Japan Pro Wrestling". PWTorch.com. Pro Wrestling Torch.
- ^ Oppliger, Patrice A. (2015). Wrestling and Hypermasculinity. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland. p. 24-25. ISBN 978-0786481361.
- ^ "AT&T Stadium to host WrestleMania 32". WWE. January 20, 2015. Retrieved January 20, 2015.
- ^ "Wrestlemania III main event". WWE. Retrieved 2014-01-23.
- ^ "Wrestlemania 29". WWE. Retrieved 2014-01-23.
- ^ "SummerSlam 1992". Pro Wrestling History. Retrieved 2008-08-03.
- ^ "Wrestlemania 23". WWE. Retrieved 2014-01-23.
- ^ "WrestleMania is Miami-bound in 2012".
- ^ Melok, Bobby. "WrestleMania 31 to take place at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. on March 29, 2015". WWE. Retrieved 23 February 2015.
- ^ Meltzer, Dave. "WWE WrestleMania 33 Live results, News & Recap". f4wonline.com. Retrieved 3 April 2017.
- ^ "New Orleans to host WrestleMania XXX". Shreveport Times. February 18, 2013. Archived from the original on October 19, 2014. Retrieved 10 December 2013.
- ^ "Wrestlemania XXIV". WWE. Retrieved 2014-01-23.
- ^ "Wrestlemania XXV". WWE. Retrieved 2014-01-23.
- ^ "Arizona Hosts WrestleMania XXVI". WWE Corporate. 2009-02-24. Archived from the original on 2009-02-27. Retrieved 2009-02-24.
- ^ "Wrestlemania XXVII". WWE. Retrieved 2014-01-23.
- ^ a b Hornbaker, Tim. "(NJPW) New Japan Pro Wrestling Results - 1998". LegacyOfWrestling.com.
- ^ "Wrestlemania X8 results". WWE. Retrieved 2014-01-23.
- ^ "Wrestlemania X-Seven results". WWE. Retrieved 2014-01-23.
- ^ "Wrestlemania VI main event". WWE. Retrieved 2014-01-23.
- ^ Meltzer, Dave (October 16, 1995). "Muto beats Takada, Warrior Whatever Happened To? Fun, New Jack troubles, legal issues in Mexico, tons more". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Campbell, California.
The combined New Japan/UWFI show on 10/9 at the Tokyo Dome set an all-time gate record for pro wrestling of more than $6 million. [...] The overflow crowd of 67,000, which included 2,200 standing room tickets sold the day of the show, was the largest crowd for any indoor event ever in Tokyo.
- ^ Meltzer, Dave; Alvarez, Bryan (May 6, 1996). "Hashimoto wins IWGP title, Michaels vs. Diesel at In Your House, world of MMA goes completely nuts, more". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Campbell, California.
Shinya Hashimoto captured the IWGP heavyweight championship from Nobuhiko Takada via cross armbreaker submission to headline the 4/29 Tokyo Dome show which drew the second largest crowd in the history of Japanese wrestling and what is believed to be the second largest live gate in the history of pro wrestling. The card, entitled "'96 Battle Formation," drew a sellout crowd announced at 65,000 fans and a gate that should have approached $6 million
- ^ Meltzer, Dave; Alvarez, Bryan (August 5, 1996). "Major changes to WWE syndication, Herb Abrams dies, Kobashi wins Triple Crown for the first time, more". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Campbell, California.
Several of the groups this past week have run free shows as part of fireworks festivals or country fair type of events. The biggest was Tokyo Pro's show on 7/23 at Atami Sun Beach which was reported as being viewed by more than 65,000 fans.
- ^ a b Meltzer, Dave (January 10, 1992). "Huge Billy Graham interview, Inside Edition on WWE, more". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Campbell, California.
[WCW/New Japan Supershow II], which will air as an edited pay-per-view in mid-March in the United States, was said to be nowhere near the level of the initial combined show last March. The show drew a turnaway crowd of 60,000 fans. A few thousand seats that were used at the March show (which drew 64,500)
- ^ Oliver, Greg (August 22, 2006). "The Big Event 20 years later". Canadian Online Explorer. SLAM! Wrestling.
- ^ Meltzer, Dave; Alvarez, Bryan (January 15, 1996). "World Championship Wrestling turns first-ever profit in 1995, biggest drawing feud in pro-wrestling history as of 1996, Pena and Televisa breakdown, tons more". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Campbell, California.
New Japan's traditional biggest event of the year, which occurs every January 4th, entitled this year "`96 Wrestling War in Tokyo Dome," was built once again around the same New Japan vs. UWFI matches that set the record in October. This version drew a turnaway crowd of 64,000 fans, selling out nearly two weeks in advance, and a gate estimated at between $5 and $6 million along with a television audience estimated at 14 million. It was probably the second largest live gate in history (certainly no lower than third on the all-time list), was the ninth largest recorded crowd in history and the third largest crowd ever in Japan.
- ^ a b Stern, Karl. "Ultimate History of Pro Wrestling - A Time Line of Every Major Event in Pro Wrestling History - 2000". WhenItWasCool.com.
- ^ Hornbaker, Tim. "(NJPW) New Japan Pro Wrestling Results - 1990". LegacyOfWrestling.com.
- ^ Meltzer, Dave (January 15, 1993). "Flair leaves WWE, two World Title changes, Japan update, tons more". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Campbell, California.
The annual New Japan Tokyo Egg Dome show has, which had its fifth version on Monday, 1/4, has in that time turned into from a prestige factor, right behind Wrestlemania as the biggest card of the year in the world. This year's show did nothing to hurt that reputation as the seventh largest recorded crowd to ever witness pro wrestling--63,500--sold the building out one week in advance to see a show that received raves from everyone I spoke with about it.
- ^ a b Horie, Masanori (December 20, 1999). "January Wrestling in the Tokyo Area / 1999 Year In Review Part One". View from the Rising Sun. Archived from the original on May 2011.
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(help) - ^ Hornbaker, Tim. "(NJPW) New Japan Pro Wrestling Results - 2000". LegacyOfWrestling.com.
- ^ Meltzer, Dave (January 9, 1995). "Flash report from Tokyo Dome, looking back at 1994, UFC V date announced, Hogan vs. Vader preview, tons more". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Campbell, California.
We'll have more details next week. The show, billed as "Battle 7" (because it was New Japan's seventh annual Tokyo Dome show) drew a legit sellout 62,500 which makes it the eighth largest recorded crowd for pro wrestling of all-time.
- ^ Meltzer, Dave (January 13, 1997). "1997 Annual Awards Issue, a look at all the major shows of the year, tons more". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Campbell, California.
New Japan's annual major event of the year, "'97 Wrestling World in Tokyo Dome" drew a reported 62,500 fans
- ^ Hornbaker, Tim. "(NJPW) New Japan Pro Wrestling Results - 1999". LegacyOfWrestling.com.
- ^ "Wrestlemania VIII main event". WWE. Retrieved 2014-01-23.
- ^ Meltzer, Dave (January 10, 1994). "Starrcade 93 fallout, New Japan Dome show, catching up on news". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Campbell, California.
Well, the good of the promotion won out this time, however an ominous note was the failure of the show to sellout, the first time this has been the case for a New Japan Dome show since the first one in 1989. The crowd was announced at 62,000, although from our reports that is a slightly inflated figure as the outfield section was empty, although there were more than 50,000 there.
- ^ Hornbaker, Tim. "(NJPW) New Japan Pro Wrestling Results - 2001". LegacyOfWrestling.com.
- ^ Wilson, Kevin. "NOAH Dome Show 7/18/05". PuroresuCentral.com.
- ^ "New Japan Pro-Wrestling Results: 2001". Purolove.com.
- ^ Meltzer, Dave (April 21, 1997). "ECW PPV historical debut, Ogawa debut, MMA group out of business, more". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Campbell, California.
New Japan garnered tons of mainstream publicity which led to a crowd announced at 60,500, which everyone was thrilled with since the show's advance wasn't promising at all. This would probably be a gate around $5 million which will make it wind up as almost surely the second biggest money show of 1997 behind only the 1/4 Dome show when it comes to total revenue. The show wasn't sold out but was fairly close to capacity and we're told that announced figure sounded about right.
- ^ "Royal Rumble 1997". Pro Wrestling History. Retrieved 2008-02-04.
- ^ Wall, Jeremy (2005). UFC's Ultimate Warriors: The Top 10. Toronto: ECW Press. p. 45. ISBN 1550226916.
- ^ Meltzer, Dave (May 15, 1995). "WCW taping policy update, real-life pro-wrestling shoot fight booked for UFC, an early "too many shows" story, tons more". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Campbell, California.
What more can be said than a sellout of 60,000 at the Tokyo Dome and probably the largest house in the history of pro wrestling (a record that only lasted a few weeks) of somewhere between $5 and $6 million?
- ^ "New Japan Pro-Wrestling Results: 1999". Purolove.com.
- ^ Stern, Karl. "Ultimate History of Pro Wrestling - A Time Line of Every Major Event in Pro Wrestling History - 1998". WhenItWasCool.com.
- ^ Meltzer, Dave (May 15, 1995). "WCW taping policy update, real-life pro-wrestling shoot fight booked for UFC, an early "too many shows" story, tons more". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Campbell, California.
Onita's much-ballyhooed final match on 5/5 at Kawasaki Baseball Stadium drew a sellout of approximately 50,000 fans (announced at 58,250) which would be a gate in the $2.5 million range and tons more in merchandise
- ^ Heard, Robert (July 11, 2004). "NOAH Tokyo Dome Show results". Wrestling101.com.
- ^ Gagne, Joe (May 4, 2002). "Movers and Shakers #8". TheCubsFan.com.
- ^ WWE Global Warning Melbourne
- ^ Meltzer, Dave (May 10, 1993). "Konnan retires, Hogan buries WWF, Heyman new promotion, tons more". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Campbell, California.
The other big show in the past few days, "Wrestling Dontaku," took place 5/3 at the Fukuoka Dome before 55,000 fans, so they failed to break the Japanese all-time attendance mark by booking a building larger than the Tokyo Dome.
- ^ Meltzer, Dave (2004). Tributes II: Remembering More of the World's Greatest Professional Wrestlers. Champaign, Illinois: Sports Publishing LLC. p. 153. ISBN 1582618178.
- ^ Pickering, Mark (August 1, 2005). "Josh Barnett - Is He Ready to Return???". Onzuka.com.
- ^ "Wrestlemania XIX". WWE. Retrieved 2014-01-23.
- ^ Cawthon, Graham. "Yearly Results: 1990". TheHistoryOfWWE.com.
- ^ Furious, Arnold (February 17, 2015). "Furious Flashbacks: New Japan Battle Satellite in Tokyo Dome". 411mania.com.
- ^ Meltzer, Dave (May 9, 1994). "Charles Austin receives gigantic judgment after suffering paralysis following Rocker's match, Tiger Mask returns, tons more". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Campbell, California.
[T]he announced crowd of 53,500 fans paying an estimated $3 million. [...] Complete results of the 13-match show, which drew what will almost assuredly be the second largest crowd to attend pro wrestling in 1994 and 15th largest recorded crowd of all-time
- ^ Meltzer, Dave (May 12, 1997). "First Osaka Dome show, Hashimoto x Ogawa, FMW talking to WWF and ECW, more". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Campbell, California.
The first pro wrestling event at the new Osaka Dome, New Japan's "Strong Style Evolution" headlined by the Shinya Hashimoto vs. Naoya Ogawa rematch for the IWGP heavyweight title broke just about every record for pro wrestling in that city. The show drew basically a full house of 53,000 fans
- ^ "New Japan Pro-Wrestling Results: 2004". Purolove.com.
- ^ "WWE Royal Rumble 2017 Results: News And Notes After Randy Orton Wins". Forbes.
- ^ a b Woodward, Buck (May 5, 2007). "THIS DAY IN HISTORY: THE FINAL WWF SHOW, FMW ANNIVERSARY, A WWE STAR DEBUTS THAT WE STILL HAVEN'T SEEN WRESTLE ON TV AND MORE". PWInsider.com.
- ^ a b "New Japan Pro-Wrestling Results: 2002". Purolove.com.
- ^ "Ohio State Fair 1985 at Pro Wrestling History results". Pro Wrestling History.
- ^ Max, Stuart (January 4, 2003). "[Results] New Japan "WRESTLING WORLD 2003" @ Tokyo Dome, 1/4/03". rec.sport.pro-wrestling.
- ^ "NJPW Tokyo Dome Shows: Nexess". ProWrestlingHistory.com.
- ^ Ryan McCarthy. "WWE honors Fort Hood soldiers with Tribute to the Troops". KXXV. Retrieved March 21, 2018.
- ^ "India: February 28, 2016 in Dehradun, India". ProWrestlingHistory.com.
- ^ Bixenspan, David (August 3, 2017). "Japanese Wrestling's Bomb-Loving Cult Hero Is Coming To New Jersey". Deadspin.com.
- ^ Meltzer, Dave (May 10, 1993). "Konnan retires, Hogan buries WWF, Heyman new promotion, tons more". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Campbell, California.
Triple Mania, headlined by the loser must retire match between Konnan El Barbaro (Carlos Espada) vs. Cien Caras (Carmelo Reyes), the top babyface and heel in the country, drew a sellout 48,000 fans of which between 42,000 and 45,000 were paid, or about the 12th largest verified paid attendance in pro wrestling history.
- ^ Meltzer, Dave (May 15, 1995). "WCW taping policy update, real-life pro-wrestling shoot fight booked for UFC, an early "too many shows" story, tons more". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Campbell, California.
With an excellent line-up on paper, the show drew a crowd estimated at 48,000 (announced as 52,500).
- ^ Meltzer, Dave (November 10, 1997). "Bret Hart gives notice, Brian Pillman's official cause of death, NJPW Fukuoka Dome results, Tijuana & ECW riots, and much more". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Campbell, California.
New Japan's final dome show of 1997 wound up on a flat note with a uneventful and largely disappointing show on 11/2 at the Fukuoka Dome. The crowd was announced at 48,000, although those there live estimated the real figure as closer to 40,000 in the largest indoor stadium in Japan with a capacity of just under 70,000, which would be the smallest Dome show crowd ever for the promotion.
- ^ "NJPW Tokyo Dome Shows: Ultimate Crush II". ProWrestlingHistory.com.
- ^ Rohan, Jim (October 5, 2018). "The Final Fall of the UW". CagesideSeats.com.
- ^ "NJPW Tokyo Dome Shows: Wrestling World 2005". ProWrestlingHistory.com.
- ^ Manning, Jason. "WRESTLE-1 SKY PerfecTV! PPV". PuroresuCentral.com.
- ^ Wilson, Kevin (October 5, 2006). "Puroresu Review: New Japan Rising the Next Generations 1998". InsidePulse.com.
- ^ Meltzer, Dave (August 18, 1997). "WCW Road Wild PPV, Shinya Hashimoto all-time drawing card, Sabu beats Funk in barbed wire match, more". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Campbell, California.
Shinya Hashimoto solidified his unique all-time drawing power record with his headlining a sellout crowd of 43,500 at New Japan's first show ever at the Nagoya Dome on 8/10.
- ^ Wilson, Kevin. "New Japan Tokyo Dome Show". PuroresuCentral.com.
- ^ "NJPW Tokyo Dome Shows: Wrestle Kingdom VI". ProWrestlingHistory.com.
- ^ "Bom-Ba-Ye 2000". ProWrestlingHistory.com.
- ^ Meltzer, Dave (November 28, 1994). "Akira Hokuto and Big Egg Wrestling Universe, first Clash post-Flair retirement, ECW vs. NWA war, tons more!". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Campbell, California.
The figures were more than just record-breaking, they were astounding. It was more than just the 42,500 fans, which more than doubled the all-time record for a woman's wrestling show that held up for 53 years (19,000 fans for a match between Mildred Burke and Elvira Snodgrass in 1941 in Louisville).
- ^ "NJPW Tokyo Dome Shows: Wrestle Kingdom V". ProWrestlingHistory.com.
- ^ "NJPW Tokyo Dome Shows: Wrestle Kingdom IV". ProWrestlingHistory.com.
- ^ Cawthon, Graham. "Yearly Results: 1999". TheHistoryOfWWE.com.
- ^ Stroud, Brandon (March 29, 2019). "The Best And Worst Of WCW Monday Nitro 7/6/98: Dome Arigato". Uproxx.com.
- ^ Wall, Jeremy (2005). UFC's Ultimate Warriors: The Top 10. Toronto: ECW Press. p. 46. ISBN 1550226916.
- ^ Oliver, Greg; Johnson, Steven (2013). "The Worst Traffic Tieup". The Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame: Heroes and Icons. Toronto: ECW Press. ISBN 978-1770902695.
- ^ Cawthon, Graham. "Yearly Results: 1991". TheHistoryOfWWE.com.
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- ^ "NJPW Tokyo Dome Shows: Wrestle Kingdom III". ProWrestlingHistory.com.