Paul Walter Hauser Slams ‘Greedy’ Ticket Prices by WWE

Award-winning actor and Major League Wrestling executive producer Paul Walter Hauser recently appeared on TMZ Inside The Ring and did not hold back his feelings on WWE's current ticket pricing structure. The actor voiced a strong critique of the company, labeling their practices as "greedy" and "ugly".

Hauser's Scathing Critique

Hauser argued that despite difficult economic times for many, WWE continues to raise its prices, showing a lack of corporate humanity. He compared the company's business practices to the villainous banker, Mr. Potter, from the classic film It's a Wonderful Life.

"Times are tougher than they used to be, but the prices are going up. There's no real humanity from a corporate perspective," Hauser said. "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."

He elaborated that major corporations could easily do more for their fans but choose not to because "they don't actually give a shit." "Be a real person, you dick," he said. "How about you do this? Netflix, how about you give a 30% off coupon for the full year to military veterans. These are things that people can easily do. They choose not to, because they don't actually give a shit."

A Proposed Mega Show

With WrestleMania 43 scheduled to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Hauser also pitched an idea for a unified wrestling front to provide an alternative for fans in the United States.

"I would love to see WrestleMania weekend in freaking Riyadh or wherever it is. I would love to see MLW, CMLL, New Japan, AEW, Progress Wrestling, DEFY, GCW, whoever, come together and do a mega show, and sell out a 20,000-30,000-seat place," he proposed. "If all egos can go away... there's a lot of big business to be done somewhere."

The Market Reality

In response to the general sentiment about high ticket prices, wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer offered an explanation of the market dynamics at play. While not directly defending WWE, he explained the company's pricing strategy.

"Here's the reality. If they lowered their prices then the secondary market would use their connections to buy the tickets and they would charge what the market would bear, which are essentially the same prices. As crazy as this sounds, every promotion these days prices based largely on what the secondary market has proven about the price demand. People hate to hear this. Whether you are Mark Shapiro, Dana White, Vince McMahon, Tony Khan, the NFL, NBA, WNBA, either the promoter gets the money or the scalpers do. The public in the big picture determines the price."

The passionate plea from Paul Walter Hauser and the economic breakdown from Dave Meltzer highlight a central conflict in modern professional wrestling. On one side is the call for corporate empathy and more fan-friendly pricing, while on the other is the reality of a market where high demand dictates cost. As long as major events continue to sell out at premium prices, the debate over what constitutes a fair price for fans versus a smart business decision for the company will undoubtedly continue.