WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross believes the lack of a breakout superstar is the biggest reason SummerSlam ticket sales have struggled in recent weeks.
Speaking on Grilling JR, Jim Ross was asked about reports that tickets for WWE’s biggest event of the summer have been moving more slowly than expected. While praising the company’s roster, Ross argued that WWE is currently missing a performer who is generating widespread excitement.
“I would say that WWE doesn’t have any one wrestler that’s just white hot. You got to have somebody hot. Somebody that people are talking about, and they don’t have that right now,” Ross said.
Ross stressed that his comments were not a criticism of the talent currently on WWE’s roster, but rather how they are being presented.
“They got a lot of great talents. I’m not saying that, but it’s always been a matter of how they’re utilized,” Ross said. “They got to do a better job of utilizing their talent and seeing where that takes them. You got to get somebody hot.”
Jim Ross Believes WWE Is Missing A Standout Star Like “Stone Cold” Steve Austin To Drive Ticket Sales
Drawing comparisons to WWE’s Attitude Era, Jim Ross pointed to “Stone Cold” Steve Austin as an example of the type of attraction he believes drives business.
“Wrestling has always been, at least in my opinion, an attraction-driven business. That’s like back when Austin was on fire, he would come out and they’d do a run-in or something. And it worked. They got ratings and people loved it. Right now, WWE doesn’t have somebody in that role.”
Recent reports have suggested that SummerSlam ticket sales have become a concern within WWE. WrestleVotes previously reported that attendance figures had been discussed internally, while WrestleTix estimated approximately 22,000 tickets had been distributed for the first night and around 23,000 for the second night at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. Dave Meltzer also reported in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that a 25 per cent ticket discount had done little to significantly boost sales.
Despite those figures, SummerSlam is set to feature a stacked card, including CM Punk defending the Undisputed WWE Championship against Cody Rhodes, Roman Reigns defending the World Heavyweight Championship against Seth Rollins, and Brock Lesnar facing Oba Femi inside Hell in a Cell.
