Home

WWE

“90% Empty”: Tony Khan Questioned After Kazuchika Okada’s First AEW Match Sees Hundreds of Empty Seats

Published Mar 9, 2024 | 1:32 AM EST

Follow Us

The arrival of NJPW’s Kazuchika Okada in AEW has been one of the hottest topics in pro wrestling. The former IWGP Heavyweight Champion debuted on Tony Khan’s AEW after AEW Revolution. This grabbed headlines thanks to him turning heel and joining The Young Bucks. However, he began trending once more after his first match. While many would believe it was due to the thrilling nature of his match, the truth is that it was because of the lack of an audience.

Kazuchika Okada wrestles his first AEW match in an almost deserted arena

Following his arrival in AEW and teaming with The Young Bucks, fans were patiently waiting for Okada to have his first match. It came in the form of a six-man tag team match. Okada and The Bucks beat the team of Jon Cruz, Adrian Alanis, and Liam Gray. The match took place on this week’s episode of AEW Collision. However, fans did not know that the arena was almost empty.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

A recent video from the arena during the match went viral on social media. Shot by a fan in the audience, it showed how empty the arena was. While Khan and the production team tried to make it look like many people were cheering for Okada, the arena had rows of empty seats. This is disappointing and concerning for the promotion as they’ve been previously struggling with ticket sales.

Trending

Brock Lesnar Allegedly Planned as Opponent of Major WWE Champion at King & Queen Of The Ring Before Triple H Era

“To WWE Confirmed”: Major MJF Debut Clue Spotted Online During SmackDown Amid Tony Khan Rift Rumors

“Wendy Lucho”: Major ‘Fiend’ Bray Wyatt Character Spotted in Latest Uncle Howdy Raw QR Code, Details Explained

Nia Jax vs Naomi Match’s Embarrassing Wardrobe Malfunction Revealed After WWE Censored SmackDown Livestream

“4 PM”: Uncle Howdy Seemingly Provides Date & Time of Debut for Wyatt 6 Faction in Latest Raw QR Code

Fans of the star and the promotion were shocked to see the video. Even more so once they learned how much Khan paid to have him join AEW. Even the WWE were in talks with Okada while he was a free agent. However, AEW seemed to outbid WWE for the Rainmaker. While Okada had his reasons for joining AEW, this low attendance for his match is concerning.

Fans blame Tony Khan for the low attendance

As mentioned above, fans were shocked when the video went viral. Fans questioned why Khan booked such a massive arena when the attendance was so low. Here are the top reactions.

This showed another angle-

The two choices Tony Khan had

Fans were quick to point out the waste of money

Many blamed Khan’s lack of planning for this blunder

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

At least the lines were short

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

What do you think about the empty arena? Tell us your thoughts down below.

Written by:

Christopher Paul

999Articles

One take at a time

Christopher Paul is a WWE reporter at EssentiallySports. With over eight years of experience as a writer and a childhood passion for pro wrestling, Chris is now a voice for kayfabe fans. He has a penchant for covering live events and enjoys breaking the latest developments in the WWE Universe.
Show More>

Edited by:

Anuj Jacob