There has been a lot of speculation recently about whether WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) will be hosting an event in Denver, Colorado in the near future. WWE is the largest professional wrestling promotion in the world and regularly holds shows in major venues across the United States and around the world.
Fans in Denver have been eagerly awaiting news of a WWE show in their city. The last time WWE was in Denver was back in September 2019 for an episode of Monday Night Raw at the Pepsi Center. With no events scheduled in over 3 years, many are wondering if WWE has plans to return to the Mile High City anytime soon.
In this article, we’ll take a close look at the evidence and rumors surrounding a possible WWE show coming to Denver in the near future.
WWE’s touring schedule
WWE runs a busy schedule, hosting weekly televised shows and monthly pay-per-view events in cities across the US and around the world. Their major weekly shows are Raw, Smackdown, and NXT.
WWE tours year-round, aside from a small holiday break in late December. The summer months of June through August are typically the busiest tour times, while things slow down a bit in the fall and winter.
Here is a look at WWE’s recent and upcoming touring schedule in some major US markets:
City | Last WWE Event | Upcoming Scheduled Events |
---|---|---|
New York City | August 2022 | Survivor Series PPV, November 2022 |
Chicago | September 2022 | March 2023 |
Los Angeles | January 2022 | WrestleMania PPV, April 2023 |
Philadelphia | July 2022 | Royal Rumble PPV, January 2023 |
As you can see, WWE regularly rotates through major markets like New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia. However, Denver has not seen a live event in quite some time.
Facilities in Denver
For a market of its size, Denver has suitable arenas and stadiums capable of hosting major WWE events. The following venues could potentially host WWE if they were to come to Denver:
- Ball Arena – Home of the Denver Nuggets NBA team and the Colorado Avalanche NHL team. 20,000 seat capacity.
- Empower Field at Mile High – Outdoor football stadium, home of the Denver Broncos NFL team. 76,000 seat capacity.
- Coors Field – Outdoor baseball stadium, home of the Colorado Rockies MLB team. 50,000 seat capacity.
- 1st Bank Center – Arena in nearby Broomfield, CO suburb. 6,500 seat capacity.
WWE typically utilizes indoor arenas with 15,000 – 20,000 seats for their major televised events and pay-per-views. For big stadium shows like WrestleMania, they will use larger 50,000+ seat stadiums.
Ball Arena appears to be the most likely venue if WWE were to come to Denver based on its size and availability. The stadium, arena, and other venues in the city are definitely capable of hosting WWE events from small house shows to huge WrestleManias.
Fan demand
There is lots of anecdotal evidence that WWE fans in Denver are excited and eager for the opportunity to attend a live show in their city. Wrestling has a dedicated fanbase that is willing to travel for shows, but the ability to see WWE locally would surely be in high demand.
WWE events commonly sell out venues across the country, suggesting that Denver would likely be no exception if a show were announced. Given that it has been over 3 years since the last WWE event in the city, fans have had a long time to build anticipation.
Social media chatter indicates a strong desire among Denver’s WWE fans for a show in their area. Hashtags like #WWEDenver are frequently used by fans speculating about potential shows and voicing their demand to WWE officials.
Surveys of wrestling fans have shown consistently high interest levels in attending WWE events if they are held within reasonable driving distance. This data suggests that WWE could likely fill a venue like Ball Arena if they promoted an event there.
Regional touring history
While WWE has not been to Denver in a few years, they have made somewhat regular stops in other parts of the western/mountain states region:
- Salt Lake City, UT – October 2021
- Boise, ID – June 2022
- Albuquerque, NM – September 2022
- Colorado Springs, CO – December 2022 (upcoming)
Although it’s just over an hour south, WWE running a show in Colorado Springs in a few months indicates that they are not ignoring the Colorado market altogether. Traveling there from Denver would certainly be feasible for WWE fans in the state.
That said, Denver is by far the largest market in the region and able has venues tailor-made to host major WWE events. The fact that comparable sized cities like Albuquerque and Boise have gotten WWE shows recently suggests Denver has a good chance of being targeted for an event in the coming year.
Rumors and Speculation
Now that we’ve looked at WWE’s touring trends and the Denver market’s viability, let’s examine some of the specific rumors about WWE potentially headed to the Mile High City in 2023.
Royal Rumble
The Royal Rumble pay-per-view is one of WWE’s “Big Four” tentpole events each year, alongside WrestleMania, SummerSlam, and Survivor Series. The show features the franchise’s iconic 30-man Royal Rumble match.
In January 2023, the Royal Rumble will be held at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. But there is ongoing speculation that Denver could be in the running to host the event in January 2024 or another year in the near future.
Sports entertainment reporter Jon Alba fuelled rumors about this in September 2022 by tweeting that Denver is on the shortlist of contenders for the 2024 Royal Rumble along with Seattle, Portland, and Kansas City.
Empower Field at Mile High would likely be the only viable venue in Denver capable of hosting the massive spectacle of a Royal Rumble. The NFL stadium provides the seating capacity and setup to stage WWE’s famous battle royal match with 30 superstars in the ring at once.
Landing the Royal Rumble would be a huge coup for both WWE and the city of Denver. Along with WrestleMania, it is one of WWE’s biggest shows of the year and attracts fans from across the country and around the world.
AEW show
While WWE is the pro wrestling industry’s flagship promotion, their chief competitor All Elite Wrestling (AEW) has also been making waves. Rumors suggest AEW may be headed to Denver before WWE gets a chance to return.
Speculation was fueled when Ball Arena announced that a presale code for an upcoming AEW event was “AEWDENVER”. This prompted excitement from fans that official plans for AEW in Denver would be revealed soon.
As of now, nothing has been officially confirmed by AEW. But the presale code hints that negotiations are likely underway for Ball Arena to host a live Dynamite or pay-per-view event in 2023.
AEW running Denver first would ramp up pressure on WWE to bring an event there soon. AEW has proven capable of selling out large arenas, so they could beat WWE to the punch in capitalizing on the demand in Denver.
Conclusion
Based on WWE’s touring schedule trends, Denver’s viability as a host city, strong local fan demand, and ongoing rumors, it seems highly likely that WWE will be returning to Denver sooner rather than later.
The city’s rabid wrestling fanbase has waited patiently for over 3 years since WWE’s last event. But with the success of recent shows in other western markets and lots of speculation around major 2023 events, hopes are high that their patience may soon pay off.
Within the next 12-24 months, expect to see either WWE or AEW running Denver’s Ball Arena for a major televised show or pay-per-view. Maybe WWE will even bring their spectacular Royal Rumble event and 30-man over-the-top-rope main event to Empower Field at Mile High.
At the very least, it’s safe to say that WWE’s absence from Denver is likely coming to an end in 2023. Get ready Denver wrestling fans – the action is headed your way!