Warning Signs WWE Can't Ignore Heading Into WrestleMania 42

The Road to WrestleMania is WWE's most important time of year, as it sets the stage for the company's biggest premium live event of the year. Failing now simply isn't an option, but Triple H and the creative team are missing the mark so far.

The cracks are beginning to show, and the warning signs are abundant.

WWE is facing issues with tickets—from lackluster sales to fans being priced out—that are alarming, but it's the creative content on WWE programming week after week that is causing the most concern for wrestling fans.

Here are the most telling warning signs that WWE is failing to build WrestleMania 42 properly.

Backlash Over Ticket Prices

The biggest problem WWE is facing ahead of WrestleMania 42 is related to tickets. Running the spectacle in Las Vegas two years in a row was a risk that the company believed was worth it financially, but the lackluster sales have raised serious questions.

According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter last month, ticket sales for the two-night WrestleMania were behind last year's pace, despite WWE temporarily reducing ticket prices across all seating tiers.

"Ticket sales are actually worse than we had last week," Meltzer said. "Over Valentine's Day weekend, all seat prices were cut only for the weekend. There appeared to be zero movement at the lower prices."

One of the reasons sales are down is high prices—which, coupled with flights, hotels, and a full week of events and eating—have driven away many people who can't stomach the bill during uncertain financial times.

With even the cheapest seats costing over $250 for a single night and two-day passes starting around $650, the WrestleMania pricing structure has made it difficult for middle-class fans and families with less disposable income to realistically attend the event.

Pressure to Deliver a Historic Show

Another major problem plaguing WWE is the company's reliance on viral moments and its obsession with creating temporary buzz rather than building a week-to-week product that is coherent and enjoyable.

With lackluster ticket sales, the fear amongst wrestling fans is that Triple H and the creative team will shift their focus from building stories that culminate at the company's biggest show to creating shocking moments.

With every show being booked to create social media buzz, the decisions need to become increasingly extreme to ensure the same level of attention next time. As a result, the product will lack real substance, and wrestling fans will become disengaged.

Triple H has booked WrestleMania to be must-watch television since taking over from Vince McMahon, but each year has become more focused on the moments created instead of proper long-term storytelling.

Add in the lack of mystique surrounding a new host city, and the pressure is on for the company to deliver a card packed with dream matches, major storyline payoffs, and larger-than-life spectacles.

The problem is that WWE might not have the pieces needed to make that happen, and the creative team certainly hasn't used storytelling to optimize the event. WrestleMania 42 has the chance to go viral, but it may be for all the wrong reasons.

Midcard Titles Losing Momentum

One of the biggest warning signs being ignored is the lack of focus on the company's midcard titles. During a two-day wrestling event, the Intercontinental, Tag Team, and United States Championships should be used to develop future main-event stars.

Instead, the midcard titles will be booked to get already established names on the WrestleMania card without proper storytelling and no true payoff. Triple H and company are so worried about getting mainstream attention any way possible that it is coming at the cost of quality in the middle of the cards.

For champions like Penta (IC title), Carmelo Hayes (US title), Giulia (women's US title), and the MFTs (WWE tag team titles), there are no storylines in place for the Road to WrestleMania. WWE should be elevating rising talent and giving fans a reason to invest in the next generation of headliners.

On the other hand, AJ Lee (women's IC title) and The Usos (world tag team titles) are not benefiting from holding the secondary titles, nor are they really building any new stars in the process of holding the belts. If the company is not focused on building new stars, the next generation of Superstars will not be viewed the same way as its current main-event talent.

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