Before the cameras started rolling for the April 18 episode of WWE SmackDown, fans inside the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas were treated to a sneak peek of the atmosphereand it wasnt all high energy.
The first chant of the night? A throwback classic: Lets go CenaCena sucks, erupted after ring announcer Mark Nash hyped up the crowd. But when Cody Rhodes name was announced during the match rundown, it sounded like a section of the arena actually booed. Very curious, one fan observed from the floor.
In the dark match, Piper Niven and Alba Fyre took on Kayden Carter and Katana Chance. While Carter and Chance walked away with the win, the match was met with near silence. Even a well-executed hot tag from Carter barely moved the needle. ZERO heat, one attendee described.
As for the crowd? Five minutes before showtime, the building was around 7580% capacity. Still solid for a Friday nightbut for WrestleMania weekend, expectations were sky-high. The right side of the arena looked 40% full, while the left side came in at about 85%.
With the main show packed with names like John Cena, Cody Rhodes, and Seth Rollins, the lukewarm crowd reaction ahead of airtime raises some eyebrows.
Were you surprised by the low energy in the building before SmackDown? Is Vegas delivering the WrestleMania atmosphere you expected? Sound off in the comments and let us know what you think of the road to WrestleMania 41 so far.
