Anticipation is growing as thousands of wrestling fans flock to Belfast’s SSE Arena on Monday night for a landmark event.
Back in her hometown, Becky Lynch promises to show why some consider her “the greatest female wrestler of all time” when she steps into the ring to defend her women’s title, streaming the showdown on Netflix.
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Lynch, who hails from County Limerick, won’t be the only Irish star to be in the spotlight. Wicklow’s Finn Bálor will be on the scene to challenge CM Punk for the Heavyweight Championship.
But anyone hoping to witness Monday night’s raw entertainment may need deep pockets, as the high ticket price for the high-profile show left some fans disappointed.
What is WWE?
WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) is the largest and most well-known wrestling company in the world.
In 2024, it signed a deal with Netflix allowing exclusive streaming of professional wrestling’s most popular weekly show, WWE Raw, from January 2025.
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The show previously aired on broadcast television around the world for 31 years.
Since its launch in 1993, WWE Raw has aired more than 1,700 episodes, often live, and is a must-see for fans who want to stay up to date on the latest wrestling storylines.
Although the WWE show has been staged in Belfast before, next week’s Road to Royal Rumble Tour “premium live event” has pushed prices up to what fans are used to paying, with Ticketmaster listing full-price tickets for a whopping £664.95.
“Everyone had a great time there”
Bethenny Crooks and her brother are loving watching old WWE episodes during the pandemic [Bethany Crooks]
Musician Bethany Crooks told BBC News NI she was “really looking forward” to taking part in the show with her brother and father.
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“I think it would be great. I really hope Rhea Ripley will be there, even though she’s my favorite,” she said.
She said she grew up around wrestling because her brother had always been a wrestling fan and her twin brother went to an all-boys school where everyone followed the rules.
“I loved it and then didn’t love it because I was a teenage girl, but during lockdown my twins and I were just sitting inside, drinking beers and watching the old Royal Rumble, which really brought me back to it.”
The 29-year-old has attended several WWE shows in the past, but this will be her first experience at a live taping.
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“I think the whole atmosphere made the show so exciting and it was really palpable that everyone was having a great time there.”
She said her family from Belfast could not initially afford tickets but managed to get cheaper seats in the run-up to the show.
“I think the cheapest [we saw] The price was around £414, which was astronomical, so last week they dropped the price and we got them for £110 each,” she explained.
“It’s still a lot of money, but compared to some of these around £600, it’s not enough… is it really worth going to the SSE?”
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Rich McCloy, a WWE fan from Bushmills who paid more than £500 for two tickets using the popular “pay three for one” option, said he was happy with his seats, noting that the venue “is a pretty small arena” and that he would be sitting in the same spot he usually watches hockey games.
“I do think the tickets are too expensive,” he admits. “Especially if you have a family … you’re talking about spending a fortune and that’s not really affordable.”
After the hit weekly show moved to Netflix, the 34-year-old said he was “really getting into it again”, having first enjoyed a live show 15 years ago.
Last September, McCloy and his partner attended the WWE Smackdown event in Orlando, Florida, where tickets cost around £150 but the venue was larger.
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“We were just wondering, is Belfast big enough to host an event like this? Thankfully the answer is yes, it’s… I think it’s time to be honest.”
Alister and his friend Natasha traveled from Ballymoney to watch the show [Allister Cubitt]
Allister Cubitt, 46, from Ballymoney, will also be attending the event with his best friend Natasha.
He said he had gone “every year” since WWE’s first show in Belfast in 2002 and was used to paying around £80 for a front-row seat.
“The price we wanted this time, they didn’t have it,” he said. “I know it’s live TV, but these prices are shocking.”
Cubbit, a fan since 1992, said he’s still “really looking forward to it,” but he wishes they could sit closer to the game.
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“I do think the fees will be reduced again for the next tour because it’s one of their flagship shows,” he speculated.
“Extortion”
YouTuber-turned-wrestler Logan Paul, brother of boxer and influencer Jake, will appear in Belfast [Getty Images]
While many fans are willing to pay for expensive seats, the high prices keep others from attending the event.
Steve Irwin, a “lifelong” wrestling fan from Ballymena, told BBC News NI he had been excluded from the show and called the ticket prices a “joke”.
Owen, his wife and children have wrestled before, but he believes WWE bosses “inflated the tickets because it was a TV taping.”
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“It’s disappointing,” he told BBC News NI.
“Tickets are available but they cost up to £300 each. I haven’t seen any price reductions on Ticketmaster yet.”
BBC News NI has contacted WWE and Ticketmaster for comment regarding fan complaints about ticket costs.
What can fans expect?
With the annual WrestleMania just weeks away, fans in attendance will be able to see some of their favorite WWE Superstars.
Irish wrestlers Lynch and Bálor will also join other big names such as Rhea Ripley, Jey Uso, Gunther, Bronson Reed and YouTuber-turned-wrestler Logan Paul.
Lynch shockingly lost the Women’s Intercontinental Championship to Maxxine Dupri last November, ending her 164-day reign and sparking an ongoing feud.
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She regained the title last week, which gave Dupree an automatic rematch in Belfast, and Lynch said she was ready to “turn these lemons into lemonade”.
Last week, Becky Lynch defeated rival Maxxine Dupri to become the Women’s Intercontinental Champion for the second time [Getty Images]
“Here in my native Belfast, Ireland, I will prove once and for all why I am the greatest female wrestler of all time. It’s not just me saying it, everyone else is saying it, everyone is saying it,” Lynch boasted in a promotional video.
“Maxine, I hope you enjoy your time in the spotlight because next week it ends and you’re going to have to say goodbye to this great moment.”
Balor is also optimistic about his performance, saying there will be a new Irish World Heavyweight Champion soon.
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But his opponent CJ Punk didn’t seem convinced, telling viewers last week that he “wanted to take a moment to apologize to the fans in Belfast for having to watch me put their countrymen to sleep”.
Monday Night Raw will stream globally on Netflix on Monday at 20:00 GMT, direct from the SSE Arena in Belfast.
