WWE SmackDown airs live tonight on the USA Network in the United States and on Netflix for fans internationally from the Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida.
With WrestleMania 42 headed to Las Vegas this April, new data suggests ticket demand may not be matching WWE’s aggressive pricing strategy — even after recent adjustments.
According to the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer reports that ticket movement this past week was actually slower than the week prior, despite WWE implementing price cuts across all seating tiers over Valentine’s Day weekend. Even with those reductions, there has reportedly been limited traction at the lowest price points.
Current numbers show Night One sitting at 35,690 tickets distributed, while Night Two is slightly ahead at 36,372. Meltzer notes that overall sales and comps are down 17,252 tickets compared to the same point last year, putting WrestleMania 42 roughly 19.3% behind 2025’s pace.
However, before anyone jumps to conclusions, there’s an important caveat: revenue tells a very different story.
Even with softer demand, WrestleMania 42 is still projected to generate one of the largest gates in combat sports history. The reason? Historically high ticket prices. The current “get-in” price for Night One is $264, with Night Two starting at $276 — figures that are dramatically higher than what fans paid just a few years ago.
A WWE source cited by Meltzer reportedly downplayed concerns about the product itself being a factor, instead pointing to sticker shock as the real issue. As the source put it, the audience is still there — the question is whether they’re willing to pay what was described as “ten gazillion dollars for tickets.”
For context, Pollstar previously reported that WrestleMania 41 sold 113,412 tickets across two nights, generating a staggering $66,074,558 — shattering prior pro wrestling and MMA gate records. Meltzer added that at this same stage last year, WWE was still able to move around 15,000 tickets per night in the weeks leading up to the event.
What’s changed most dramatically is the average ticket price. In 2023, the average ‘Mania ticket cost $169. That figure jumped to $341 in 2024 and ballooned to $582.61 in 2025. The average price for WrestleMania 42 is reportedly even higher than that, suggesting WWE is betting heavily on premium pricing over volume.
Whether the company ultimately fills Allegiant Stadium remains to be seen. But even if the event falls short of a sellout on April 18 and 19, the financial outcome could still rival — or surpass — previous records.
In other words, WrestleMania may not be moving tickets at last year’s pace, but from a revenue standpoint, WWE is still playing in an entirely different league.
Tiffany Stratton isn’t just setting her sights on WrestleMania 42 — she’s also stepping back onto a bodybuilding stage.
The former WWE Women’s Champion recently revealed on TikTok that she is nine weeks away from competing in her second-ever bodybuilding competition. For Stratton, it’s more than just a side project — it’s a return to a passion she once had to put on hold when her WWE journey began.
In the video, Stratton shared that she originally fell in love with bodybuilding before signing with WWE in 2021. At the time, balancing the two physically demanding careers simply wasn’t realistic. Now, however, she believes she’s in a place where she can manage both the grind of sports entertainment and the discipline required for competitive bodybuilding.
Stratton invited fans to follow along as she documented part of her prep, detailing a shoulder-and-triceps “push day” workout along with some post-lift cardio. If nothing else, it’s a reminder that even by WWE standards, Stratton’s commitment to conditioning remains on another level.
Before entering the squared circle, Stratton built an impressive athletic résumé. She spent years as a gymnast, developing the explosiveness and agility that have become staples of her in-ring style. According to her former trainer Greg Gagne, she also excelled in bodybuilding and even set a record in her weightlifting class. Ultimately, she paused both gymnastics and bodybuilding to focus entirely on professional wrestling — a decision that quickly paid off with championship gold in WWE.
Now, as she prepares for a return to the bodybuilding stage, Stratton is also gearing up for one of the most dangerous matches on the WWE calendar.
She is currently confirmed for the upcoming Women’s Elimination Chamber match, where Alexa Bliss, Asuka, and Rhea Ripley have already been announced as opponents. The winner will punch their ticket to WrestleMania 42 and challenge for a world title on April 18 and 19.
With a high-stakes Chamber match looming and a bodybuilding competition just over two months away, Stratton is proving she’s more than capable of handling pressure — both under the bright lights of WWE and on the judging stage.
If she manages to peak at the right time in both arenas, 2026 could be another defining year for one of WWE’s most athletically gifted stars.
TNA Thursday Night iMPACT! tonight on AMC.
Watch on AMC, AMC+, & TNA+ (US), Sportsnet & Sportsnet 360 (Canada), TNA+ (internationally)
ROH TV tonight at 7/6c on #HonorClub at WatchROH.com 7/6c
Pat McAfee’s post-NFL career continues to evolve in a big way — and now the outspoken WWE commentator is officially stepping into Hollywood.
According to a new report from Bloomberg, Ari Emanuel — co-founder of TKO Group Holdings, the parent company of WWE and UFC — is actively working to secure acting opportunities for McAfee. While Emanuel no longer serves as CEO of Endeavor following its rebrand to WME Group, he remains executive chairman and represents a wide range of high-profile talent. McAfee is reportedly among the latest names on Emanuel’s client list, and the wheels are already turning.
The first wave of projects is significant.
McAfee is set to appear in a four-episode arc in the upcoming fourth season of Tulsa King on Paramount+, the hit series led by Sylvester Stallone. That’s not his only acting credit on the horizon, either. He’s also attached to Peter Berg’s upcoming sports drama The Mosquito Bowl, a film inspired by Buzz Bissinger — the author behind Friday Night Lights. The project centers around a legendary World War II-era football game and fits squarely into McAfee’s sports-driven persona.
For someone who only retired from the NFL in 2017, McAfee’s media takeover has been impressive. He’s built The Pat McAfee Show into a powerhouse platform, secured a major deal with ESPN, and become a fixture in the college football world. On the WWE side, he’s spent the past four years as one of the company’s most energetic and polarizing commentators, in addition to competing in select in-ring matches.
However, McAfee hasn’t appeared on WWE programming since June. At the time, he stepped away to focus on his growing media commitments and college football coverage, openly acknowledging burnout from juggling too many responsibilities.
That said, McAfee has made it a tradition to pop up at WrestleMania in recent years, whether behind the desk or inside the ring. With WrestleMania season approaching once again, speculation is already building about whether he’ll make another cameo at WWE’s biggest event of the year.
Now, with major television and film roles lined up, McAfee’s schedule may only get busier. Still, if history tells us anything, it’s that he tends to find a way to show up when the spotlight is brightest.
Between sports media, WWE, and now Hollywood, McAfee’s second act is proving to be just as headline-worthy as his NFL career.
Roxanne Perez has finally shed light on her recent absence from WWE television — and it turns out it was more serious than fans initially believed.
Over the past few months, reports indicated that Perez had been working through various nagging injuries, especially during WWE’s busy Holiday Tour stretch in late December and early January. When she later missed an episode of WWE Raw, many assumed she was dealing with a short-term illness. However, Perez took to TikTok this week to clarify the real reason she stepped away.
According to the former WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion, she recently underwent surgery to remove a benign mass from her back that had been causing significant pain for months.
Perez admitted she had been pushing through the discomfort because she didn’t want to miss any ring time. Wrestling, she explained, has been her dream since she was 10 years old, and stepping away — even temporarily — wasn’t something she wanted to do. Still, she emphasized that health has to come first, even for someone as passionate as she is about her craft.
The good news is that Perez is already on the mend. She shared that her recovery has been progressing well and that the majority of the pain has subsided, though it occasionally flares up. While she didn’t offer a specific timetable for her in-ring return, she made it clear that she expects to be back sooner rather than later.
And in true Roxanne fashion, she ended things on a confident note — promising she’ll be back to “Pop Rocksing” the roster in no time.
Perez has built a reputation as one of WWE’s toughest and most driven young stars, and this latest revelation only reinforces that image. Working through pain for months speaks to her dedication, but taking the necessary time to address the issue may ultimately ensure a stronger, healthier return.
For now, fans can take comfort in knowing the surgery was successful and that Perez is in good spirits. We’ll continue to provide updates as more details on her return timeline become available.
AEW Dynamite live tonight at 8/7c on TBS and HBO Max from the Memorial Auditorium in Sacramento, California.
WWE sent fans into theory mode on the February 16 episode of RAW thanks to a backstage tease that immediately got people talking.
A large crate marked “Deliver to WWE” with instructions not to open it until 2/28/26 was shown during the broadcast. With Elimination Chamber set for that exact date, speculation ran wild about what — or who — could be inside. Among the more popular guesses circulating online? A surprise return from Chris Jericho.
As intriguing as that idea might be, new reporting suggests fans shouldn’t get their hopes up.
According to Fightful Select, Jericho is still under contract with All Elite Wrestling. Sean Ross Sapp reports that the general belief within AEW — as well as among those close to Jericho — is that his deal was effectively frozen when he stepped away in 2025.
Jericho’s original AEW agreement was believed to expire in 2025, but there are several potential reasons it may now extend beyond that point. Contract freezes due to time off, injury-related extensions, or even a quiet renewal could all be factors. Without access to the specifics of the deal, the exact situation remains unclear — but the key takeaway is that Jericho is not currently a free agent.
Adding to that, Jericho is still listed on AEW’s official roster page, which is typically a strong indicator that talent remains under contract. Fightful also noted that no internal communication has been distributed regarding his departure, something that usually occurs when a wrestler exits the company.
Interestingly, the report does mention that Jericho hasn’t completely closed the door on WWE. He has reportedly told people he would consider a return to the company at some point. However, there are outside projects and ventures he would have to weigh carefully if a WWE deal were on the table.
For now, the crate remains an unanswered question — but it likely doesn’t contain “The Learning Tree.”
While WWE clearly wants fans speculating ahead of Elimination Chamber, a Chris Jericho comeback on February 28 doesn’t appear to be in the cards.
Tonight’s episode of WWE NXT airs at 8:00 PM EST / 5:00 PM PST on The CW Network in the United States and on Netflix internationally, from the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida.
Wrestling News Blog 