WWE chose not to announce an official attendance figure for either night of SummerSlam, despite drawing more than 33,000 fans for Night Two at U.S. Bank Stadium. According to Dave Meltzer, this unusual move may be linked to comparisons with AEW.
WWE typically highlights large attendance numbers during major stadium shows. However, that did not happen this year. The final count for Night Two reached 33,086, yet no announcement was made during the broadcast. Speaking on Wrestling Observer Radio, Meltzer noted that this was highly unusual.
“This is the first time I can ever recall a WWE stadium show where neither night they announced an attendance figure. I thought maybe Night One, they’re waiting for Night Two, and they’re going to say 70,000 people. But that tells you.”
Bryan Alvarez initially reported a lower number before confirming the updated figure later in the day.
“Actually, they got it up to 33,086. That was the final update this afternoon—33,086 for Night Two.”
WWE SummerSlam attendance and AEW comparison
While 33,000 fans is still a strong turnout for a wrestling event, Meltzer explained that the number had been significantly lower earlier. WWE reportedly increased attendance through discounted or complimentary tickets after the count was closer to 21,000.
“It’s better than it was. It was 21,000 not that long ago, and they papered it to get it to 32,000. Look, 30,000 for pro wrestling, even papered, is fine. It’s not a bad number.”
Meltzer suggested that WWE may have avoided announcing the figure due to potential comparisons with AEW, which could draw a larger crowd at a similar event.
“I think partially it is because AEW’s beating their number. If you go in there and say—even if they went and said 40,000—AEW’s probably beating 40,000. So I think it’s probably like, ‘We can’t be saying anything.’”
Although this remains speculation, WWE’s decision stood out. The company usually promotes attendance numbers when they help present an event as a major success. Meltzer believes the lack of announcement indicates a different internal view.
“If they were happy, we would have heard an announcement. The fact that we did not hear an announcement tells you that they are very much downplaying it.”
Visually, WWE still delivered a strong presentation. U.S. Bank Stadium can hold around 68,000 people, and production techniques made the crowd appear larger on television. Still, the venue was far from full capacity.
“It looked good. They shot it well. They’re in a 68,000-seat stadium, so they’re well under half full.”
The comparison to last year also highlights the difference. SummerSlam 2025 at MetLife Stadium reportedly drew 58,186 fans, which is significantly higher than the Minneapolis figure. Meltzer pointed out that market size plays a role.
“Yeah, that’s New York. New York’s different from Minneapolis.”
Alvarez agreed but noted the gap remains notable.
“It certainly is, but that’s 58,000 versus 33,000 as well.”
Meltzer also referenced WrestleMania, stating that even when WWE was not fully satisfied with business, the company still shared attendance numbers publicly.
“They weren’t thrilled with WrestleMania, but that one turned out okay. This turned out, I guess, less than okay because WrestleMania, at least they announced a number.”
WWE still drew tens of thousands of fans, which remains a solid result. However, the lack of any official announcement suggests the company did not view the number as something worth promoting. If Meltzer’s theory is accurate, avoiding comparisons with AEW may have played a role in that decision.
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