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WWE in Guadalajara: Poor Attendance for a Night Headlined by CM Punk, Cody Rhodes and Rey Fénix
WWE kicked off its Mexico tour in Guadalajara on Wednesday night, bringing several of the company’s biggest stars to Arena Guadalajara for the WWE México Live Tour 2026.
CM Punk, Cody Rhodes, Gunther, Randy Orton, Charlotte Flair, Kevin Owens, Rey Fénix, Finn Bálor and Sami Zayn were among the talent appearing in the city for the event, which was promoted by Zignia Live and began at 8:00 p.m. Central Mexico Time.
However, the show was also notable for the size of the crowd. Numerous sections of Arena Guadalajara remained empty throughout the night, particularly around ringside, in the luxury boxes and along the aisles. The upper sections, where the least expensive tickets were located, appeared to have the strongest attendance. Based on photos taken during the event, the crowd appeared to fill less than half of the arena. The turnout was notably smaller than the crowds WWE has attracted in Guadalajara during previous visits. One possible factor behind the attendance is WWE’s schedule in Mexico this week. The company will present SmackDown live this Friday and Raw live next Monday, providing Mexican fans with additional opportunities to see many of WWE’s top stars.
Fans also took to social media to complain about the cost of official WWE merchandise sold inside the arena. Using an exchange rate of approximately $1 USD to $16.90 MXN on September 9, 2026, the reported prices included:
T-shirts: US$38.46
Hats: US$29.59
Necklaces: US$17.75
Masks: US$76.92
Gloves: US$35.50
Autographed photos: US$29.59
Funko Pops: US$20.71
World Heavyweight Championship belt: US$665.68
Undisputed Championship belt: US$665.68
Poker Mini Championship belt: US$118.34
Rhodes Weasel's Championship belt: US$207.10
World Heavyweight Championship toy belt: US$36.98
Official WWE house show program: US$14.79
The merchandise prices generated complaints online, with some fans joking that the only affordable option was the event program, while others said they would rather purchase unofficial merchandise.
The show opened with Rey Fénix defending the AAA World Cruiserweight Championship against Psycho Clown. Fénix successfully retained the title, giving the Guadalajara crowd an AAA championship match to begin the WWE event.
Kevin Owens and Danhausen appeared in a comedic segment before Owens competed against Kit Wilson. Owens defeated the Pretty Deadly member to pick up the victory.
Tama Tonga and Talla Tonga, collectively known as the MFTs, put the WWE Tag Team Championship on the line in a four-team match. The champions successfully defended their titles against Galeno and El Hijo de Dr. Wagner Jr., Erik and Ivar, and the team of Damian Priest and R-Truth. The MFTs therefore left Guadalajara still holding the WWE Tag Team Championship.
Trick Williams retained the WWE United States Championship against Finn Bálor, who later raised Williams’ arms and embraced him. The fans then began chanting, “Quiñones, Quiñones,” referencing Williams’ supposed resemblance to Mexico’s leading goalscorer at the 2026 World Cup, Colombian-born Mexican international Julián Quiñones, who scored four goals for Mexico at the tournament and is now a 2026 Ballon d’Or nominee Williams responded with a smile and celebrated by kicking his leg as if he were striking a soccer ball toward the goal.
Cody Rhodes Defeats Randy Orton in a Street Fight One of the evening's standout matches saw Cody Rhodes take on Randy Orton in a Street Fight. The two longtime rivals delivered an intense encounter, with Rhodes ultimately defeating Orton.
Charlotte Flair and La Catalina Celebrate Mexico With a Victory The women's match featured Charlotte Flair, La Catalina and Tatum Paxley against Fatal Influence members Jacy Jayne, Fallon Henley and Lainey Reid. Flair, Catalina and Paxley wore outfits inspired by the Mexican flag as they celebrated the occasion with a victory over Fatal Influence.
CM Punk Retains the Undisputed WWE Championship CM Punk closed the show by defending the Undisputed WWE Championship against Sami Zayn. Punk received strong support from the Guadalajara crowd as he made his entrance and began the match with headlocks and work around Zayn’s neck. Zayn responded by targeting the champion’s left leg and maintained control for a large portion of the match. Chaos broke out when the referee was knocked out. Zayn attempted to use the championship as a weapon, but Punk avoided the blow and hit the Go to Sleep. With no referee available, the count could not be completed. After several attempts to get the match back under control, a second referee was also taken out of action. The original official eventually regained consciousness just in time to witness Punk deliver another GTS. Three seconds later, Punk was still the champion.
The result allowed Punk to retain the Undisputed WWE Championship, while the absence of Gunther and the last-minute change to the advertised main event became another source of frustration for fans at Arena Guadalajara.
The event featured victories for Rey Fénix, Kevin Owens, the MFTs, Cody Rhodes, Charlotte Flair, La Catalina and Tatum Paxley, while CM Punk remained Undisputed WWE Champion after the main event.
Despite the impressive lineup of WWE talent, the Guadalajara show will also be remembered for its relatively low attendance. Large portions of Arena Guadalajara remained unoccupied during the event, creating a noticeable contrast with the crowds WWE has drawn in the city on previous occasions.
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