April 5, 2004 Observer Newsletter: Business numbers for WM XX, Plane Ride from Hell lawsuit, more

Wrestlemania XX might wind up being the biggest money pro wrestling event of all-time.

WWE preliminary estimates are 825,000 buys for the show, and a 1.53 percent buy rate. That would make it the third biggest show, trailing Wrestlemanias 17 and 18, as far as number of buys. But because the price increased from $39.95 to $49.95, in actual revenue, this could end up being the biggest. The company is hoping that when all is said and done, it will wind up doing between 900,000 and 950,000 buys.

Based on preliminary estimates, the show would gross an estimated $44 million from PPV, live event and merchandise. Of the PPV gross of an estimated $41.2 million, WWE’s percentage would be about $18.5 million. The total figure for all revenue for Wrestlemania X-7, headlined by Rock vs. Steve Austin, was $46.5 million, even with the lower PPV price. If this show ends up topping 875,000 buys, it would break that record.

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February 2, 2004 Observer Newsletter: Royal Rumble review, WrestleMania XX plans

Wrestlemania XX, which the WWE hopes will be a rebounding from a disappointing Mania as far as overall business went last year, is now having more plans shape up.

Barring a late inclusion by Hulk Hogan (see story in this issue), the major matches on the show as things are currently planned, have Undertaker vs. Kane, a three-way for the Raw title with HHH vs. Chris Benoit vs. Shawn Michaels, Brock Lesnar vs. Bill Goldberg for the Smackdown title and Rock & Mick Foley vs. Randy Orton and a partner, most likely Batista.

Undertaker’s return, teased a lot on television in recent weeks and at the Rumble, is imminent. While this hasn’t been specifically said, based on where the story came from and what was talked about months ago, the plan for the Taker vs. Kane program is for Taker to return as the old Undertaker gimmick, and Vince McMahon to manage Kane.

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