Paul Walter Hauser has been outspoken about WWE pricing its fans out of events. He said WWE is being greedy, comparing the promotion to It’s a Wonderful Life‘s villainous banker Henry F. Potter. “Times are tougher than they used to be, but the prices are going up. There’s no real humanity from a corporate perspective,” he told TMZ’s Inside The Ring. “To me, that’s like Mr. Potter in It’s a Wonderful Life. You’re getting greedy. Ugly. You’re being ugly by doing that.”
Now, he feels like WWE will eventually become something that the average fan won’t be able to afford anymore, telling Chris Van Vliet on his Insight podcast that it will become something the rich and the elite attend.
“It’ll become this douchey, uppity thing that only a bunch of rich tech bros and investment bankers go see. Average people won’t be going to that,” Hauser said.
“I think [hardcore fans are actively being priced out]. Yeah, not, not, not that everybody’s destitute, but the country, if you look at the trends, because I’m only going off trends, I’m not saying like I’ve arrived at this knowledge. It’s more me tracking and with AI and with job loss and us being on the verge of another recession, all the trends tell you that people have less and less disposable income, and it will be more necessity-based income. So the way the world’s going, people aren’t going to be able to afford it.”
While WWE continues to be criticized for its high ticket prices, AEW has touted its position as a family-friendly promotion. AEW World Champion Hangman Page recently compared the promotion to Cook Out, noting there’s something for everyone.
Hauser started competing in the ring in 2023. Since then, he’s competed for MLW, Wrestling Revolver and Ring of Honor, in addition to other independent promotions. His most recent match, a Fight Without Honor against QT Marshall at ROH Death Before Dishonor, was highly praised by fans.
Read More: John Cena Confirms He Made ‘One Last Request’ On His Retirement Tour
