WWE Raw Heat Issues Cause Fan Complaints, Venue Power Cut Identified As Factor

Published: 2 hours ago by Dave Adamson | Last Updated: 9 seconds ago by Dave Adamson

Dave has been a website writer for WrestleTalk since October 2022, having previously written for Den of Geek, among a number of wrestling, movie and television-related sites. Dave has been around the independent wrestling scene for more than a decade, including behind-the-scenes.

WWE

The recent episode of WWE Raw saw heat complaints from the fans in attendance at Sames Auto Arena in Laredo, Texas.

On an episode that saw Roman Reigns moved to Raw, having become World Heavyweight Champion at WrestleMania 42, WWE would set the trajectory for the upcoming Backlash Premium Live Event next month.

It wouldn’t be the heated action in the ring that would be the cause of online conversation among fans in attendance, however, with KGNS News reporting that heat issues in the venue had seen complaints.

In a report shared on the KGNS News Instagram account, which featured footage of a very sweaty Roman Reigns interacting with fans on the ramp, it is noted that the fans were fanning themselves during the show, with a power loss being revealed as the cause.

Addressing the issue in comments made to KGNS, District 5 Council Member Ruben Gutierrez stated the venue lost power at 2 a.m. with it being restored a few hours later, saying:

“By 4 p.m., of course, WWE is setting up stuff there, fire going on inside there, fireworks going on to make sure stuff is working, heating up the place.

“Once the doors opened up at 5:30, the doors are open again, letting over 8,000 people in there. The AC is just going out, going out, going out, and the AC just could not recoup fast enough with 8,000 people in there, pyrotechnics going on inside the arena.”

The report further notes that the Larendo Fire Department didn’t receive any calls from Sames Auto Arena, with no illnesses or injuries due to the heat being reported.

The Wrong Type Of Heat

Enclosed wrestling venues, such as an arena, get hot, and it’s very much unavoidable in some cases, although technology obviously exists to minimize the uncomfortable experience.

With fans packed into a venue, in the case of Sames Auto Arena, “over 8,000” according to Gutierrez, there’s all that body heat, along with the heat from the lighting rig and incidental sources, such as pyrotechnics.

While WWE fans are used to the sort of heat a star like Dominik Mysterio got during his early Judgment Day run, it’s uncomfortable when there’s no escape from actual heat.

It would have, of course, been worse for the WWE stars in the ring, as they’re performing in an uncomfortable venue made more so by the heat generated by the aforementioned lighting rigs.

Air conditioning would have mitigated much of the issue, but only if it had been functioning at its optimum level throughout the day. It’s not a system you can just stick on and instantly experience the benefits, particularly in a sizeable venue such as an arena.

While some WWE stars are able to generate heat of their own from their actions, it was unlikely that this was quite what they had in mind.

Transcript from KGNS.