The WWE SmackDown at Chicago’s Allstate Arena is shaping up to be one of the company’s hottest shows of the year, with fan demand driving ticket sales to remarkable levels. According to the latest reports as quoted by ITR Wrestling, a total of 16,031 tickets have already been distributed for the event — an increase of 265 from just a day earlier.
This turnout surpasses the arena’s previous SmackDown attendance back in April, which drew 15,818 spectators, and comfortably outpaces WWE’s 2024 average of 11,352 attendees per SmackDown show.
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Fans in Chicago are willing to pay big to be part of the action. Nearly every standard ticket has been snapped up, leaving only a handful of floor seats still available — starting at a staggering $1,327.20 each. With the event now expected to generate around $2.3 million in gate revenue, it’s already one of the highest-grossing non-pay-per-view SmackDown events in years.
To meet the overwhelming demand, WWE has opened additional seating in sections 206 and 207, pushing the building’s maximum capacity to 16,046. With just 15 tickets left unsold, the Allstate Arena is on the verge of an official sellout.
The surge in ticket interest comes at a time when speculation is running wild about the possible return of AJ Lee. The former Divas Champion last wrestled in April 2015, stepping away from WWE shortly after her husband CM Punk’s departure. But ever since Punk re-emerged with the company in late 2023, talk of AJ making her own comeback has intensified.
Leading outlets such as Wrestling Observer and Fightful have reported that internal WWE discussions point toward her returning soon. WWE further fueled the fire last week when their official shop briefly advertised new AJ Lee merchandise before abruptly taking the post down.
While WWE is yet to confirm her involvement, many fans believe Friday’s broadcast in Chicago — her hometown — could be the perfect setting for a surprise appearance. The combination of near-sellout status, premium ticket demand, and heavy fan speculation suggests WWE may indeed have something major in store for this show.
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