Backstage News On WWE Doing Record Setting Holiday Tour

WWE’s scaled-back live event schedule hasn’t stopped the company from posting strong numbers when it counts.

While WWE runs far fewer house shows than it did in previous years, the annual holiday tour remains a notable exception.

This year’s run came with a twist, however, as the company did not hold its traditional December 26 event at Madison Square Garden, a staple of WWE’s holiday calendar for decades.

Instead, WWE shifted focus to other markets, and the gamble paid off.

According to reports, live events in both Baltimore and Worcester turned out to be major successes, with each show becoming the highest-grossing house show in that city’s history.

Baltimore effectively served as the replacement for the usual Madison Square Garden date on December 26, while the Worcester event took place on January 3.

Big matches and higher ticket prices helped drive the numbers.

Both shows were headlined by Cody Rhodes vs. Drew McIntyre, though with different stipulations.

The Baltimore main event featured a No Disqualification match, while Worcester saw the two square off inside a steel cage.

Different cities.

Different stipulations.

Same result.

(H/T: Fightful Select)