On the ropes: Has the wrestling-mad Lehigh Valley seen the last of WWE superstars?

ALLENTOWN, Pa. — More than four decades ago — May 23, 1984, to be exact — wrestling fans packed the PBS39 studios for a 60-minute taping of “Your Turn, Lehigh Valley.”

The topic of discussion: whether the area needed a performing arts center and where it should be located.

Fast-forward to today, and downtown Allentown is home to PPL Center, the area’s largest indoor events venue. It seats more than 10,000 for concerts and more than 8,500 for hockey games.

In its more than 10 years, it has offered thousands of events and brought more than 4.58 million visitors to the area.

From concerts by names such as Elton John and The Eagles, to family-friendly events such as "Monster Jam" or “Paw Patrol Live,” the venue offers something for everyone.

However, in 2025, it is missing out on one of the hottest tickets in entertainment — through no fault of its own.

World Wrestling Entertainment, or WWE — which has deep roots in the area, having taped shows at Agricultural Hall in the late 1970s — once was a near-annual staple in Allentown and throughout the Lehigh Valley.

But the company has not returned since a holiday tour stop in 2023.

'Not going to slow down': Allentown's PPL Center proud of 1st decade, promises more

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What once was in Allentown

Previously, WWE made frequent stops in The Queen City.

It debuted at PPL Center on Oct. 5, 2014, just a month after the venue opened.

A little more than a year later, WWE already had visited three times in 14 months, featuring top stars like Cody Rhodes, Randy Orton, John Cena, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns.

Now, those same superstars are gearing up for WrestleMania 41 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas this April (with Cena *gasp* a bad guy!) — but their road to the Show of Shows and the biggest wrestling event of the year will not include Allentown.

In fact, WWE may not visit the Lehigh Valley at all in 2025.

That shift is largely due to WWE's parent company, TKO Group Holdings Inc., significantly altering its live event strategy to maximize revenue.

The company now is prioritizing larger venues that provide a bigger financial return.

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MediaPunch via AP

The decline of ‘house shows’

WWE has drastically reduced what the wrestling industry refers to as "house shows" — non-televised events that once were the backbone of the company’s schedule.

Instead, TKO is capitalizing on billion-dollar media rights deals, premium live event partnerships and large-scale productions in major markets.

The business model means smaller and mid-size markets such as Allentown are being left behind.

“Our perspective on WWE is this — it’s not a secret they’ve been prioritizing their TV product,” said Brian Krajewski, the new general manager of PPL Center.

Krajewski, who recently took the helm in Allentown, has extensive experience with Oak View Group, a global company that manages and develops sports and entertainment venues, including PPL Center.

He said he understands WWE’s decision to prioritize venues such as Philadelphia's Wells Fargo Center, which was host to “SmackDown” on March 7.

“The Wells Fargo Center and venues conducive to that product are going to get the looks from the company,” Krajewski said. “So if you go three or four times a year to Philadelphia and sell it out, a building of that size we can’t compete with.

“There’s not a lot we can lean into there, but we can certainly make ourselves available if that opportunity comes back around.”

Adapting to a new business model

In discussing the company’s pivot, Krajewski welcomed the chance to introduce himself and go on the record on attracting WWE and other big events fans are clamoring to see.

And in PPL Center having the capability to support the spectacle WWE would bring.

“That shift [in the WWE model] is not just something that we’re seeing here in Allentown,” Krajewski said, emphasizing it affected other venues he’s worked at equidistant to major cities, as Allentown is to Philadelphia.

“It’s all dollars and cents and their business model is something that allows them to do that,” he said.

Monica Herndon/AP

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The Philadelphia Inquirer

Krajewski acknowledged that bringing the company back to Allentown likely would mean supporting large-scale TV production, including WWE’s flagship “Raw,” which airs live on Netflix on Mondays, or “Smackdown,” which airs live Friday nights on USA Network.

WWE’s production requirements are significant but “that doesn’t mean we don’t have ways around it to make it work,” he said.

The company produces at least three live shows and seven hours of original weekly programming, 52 weeks a year.

It travels with a convoy of dozens of trailers, television trucks, talent buses, crew buses and more. The TV trucks are state-of-the-art, and its mobile units require a large footprint near the venue to spearhead production — which can be a challenge in Center City Allentown.

“We can be creative and we can be flexible," Krajewski said. "If WWE has that need, it’s not to say we can’t do that. We will make it work. Their trailers can unload and they can be moved to a nearby off-site location.”

The impact on local fans

Allentown, of course, is not the only place fans have been able to watch wrestlers grapple, with the region having a strong independent wrestling scene.

But what draws fans to those shows, said local wrestler Dan English, known by the name “Big Dan Champion," are the same things that kept them filling the PPL Center for WWE events.

“Just like going to see a concert or going to see a Broadway play," English said. "You experience the atmosphere or the magic, or whatever you want to call it, by coming to see a live wrestling event.

“And you want something in the Lehigh Valley, especially if you have a family, maybe you don't want to travel to Philadelphia or New York. Maybe you want something more low-key locally, and that would be the PPL Center.”

English said WWE events have been missed by a lot of people in the area, especially for their intimacy and allowing fans to get up close to some of their favorite stars.

“With PPL Center, you can see there's not a bad seat in the house, right?" he said.

"And economically, it's less expensive taking your family, two or three kids, to PPL Center instead of driving down the Turnpike to Philly, paying for parking, paying the more expensive tickets and everything that goes into that.”

'Really connected with fans'

Bethlehem resident Colin McEvoy echoed that sentiment. McEvoy said he drove his son, Connor, roughly 65 miles north to Wilkes-Barre to see “Smackdown” when it came to Mohegan Arena last year.

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Colin McEvoy

“If WWE still came to the PPL Center, I'd be able to take my son much more,” McEvoy said.

“Right now, because of travel costs and potentially getting hotel accommodations or whatever, I'd have to pick and choose which events we can go to, so we wouldn't get to experience it as much as we'd like.

“It’s frustrating because WWE always seemed to draw well in Allentown,” McEvoy pointed out.

“Losing it as an option means families like mine either have to spend more or miss out entirely, because it kind of turns what could be a relatively affordable local night into a much bigger and more expensive trip.”

He said Connor, 11, also was excited to see stars such as Seth Rollins at the PPL Center the last time WWE came through.

“He was really fun and charismatic and exciting,” McEvoy said of Rollins, whose entrance theme “Burn It Down” typically sparks raucous sing-alongs among fans.

“I feel like because it was a slightly smaller crowd, he really connected with fans more directly than if it was a real huge arena,” McEvoy said.

Will WWE return?

For its part, WWE has been transparent about how it intends to operate going forward.

According to the Sports Business Journal, the company now is seeking landing site fees from cities interested in holding events, with the competition for luring a WWE event “growing as fast as the events themselves, with no signs of slowing down.”

But at this point, there’s no indication what the state or its municipalities might be willing to invest on the entertainment-based spending, or what they’d get back in return.

Philadelphia officials dubbed last year's WrestleMania XL at Lincoln Financial Field a monumental success for both the city and WWE.

"WrestleMania was more than just a series of matches; it was a cultural phenomenon that brought together fans from around the world," a release said.

Months later, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro raised a few eyebrows with an errant announcement WrestleMania would return in 2026. A spokesman later said Shapiro misspoke.

"While WrestleMania won’t be here in ‘26, we look forward to continuing to work with WWE and wrestling fans all across our Commonwealth to bring more great events to PA in the future," a spokesman for Shapiro said.

Requests for comment for this report from Shapiro's office, the state Department of Community and Economic Development and WWE drew no responses.

While economists debate the validity of the numbers, the cumulative economic impact of a multi-night WWE event in any area could be notable.

It brings not only excitement and buzz, but results in fans filling hotels and restaurants, significantly boosting the city’s economy.

'At least involved in conversations'

Brandon Thurston owns and operates Wrestlenomics, a site that provides in-depth business analysis of the pro wrestling industry.

He said the revenue model for WWE has turned upside down over the past few decades, making more revenue from media than from live events.

“WWE has run no domestic house shows so far this year and currently has none on their schedule,” Thurston said, though he expects they could return in December, “which has been a strong period for holiday tour events in major markets.

“Obviously none of that spells out that there will be events in Allentown any time soon,” he said, emphasizing the “luxury” the company has of drawing from a larger population and larger venues such as Wells Fargo Center while fan interest is on the rise.

“The demand is certainly there to justify it in the short-term at least,” he said.

For his part, Krajewski said he intends “to be as aggressive as possible and cut the best deals” to get high-profile shows to Allentown’s PPL Center.

"Obviously the building has a great history and that’s a testament to [former general manager] Gunnar Fox and the work he did here. From the time it opened, it established itself as a premiere venue.

“At the end of the day, we need to make sure we’re at least involved in the conversations,” Krajewski said.

Dan English will compete in an event at Freedom High School on May 17 that will raise money for the Special Olympics. Tickets can be purchased here.