The following is a list of professional wrestling attendance records in Puerto Rico. The list is dominated by Puerto Rico's oldest promotion, the World Wrestling Council, which has controlled the industry in the country since its founding in 1973. It was part of the National Wrestling Alliance from 1979 to 1986 and is the last remaining North American member of the original NWA territory system.
According to this list, 6 events are from WWC's annual Aniversario supercard, which in the late-1980s had been held exclusively at the Juan Ramón Loubriel Stadium which typically has a seating capacity of at least 22,000 people or more. Only ten of the attendances listed are non-WWC events, with eight being from the U.S.-based World Wrestling Entertainment including a co-promotional effort with IWA Puerto Rico in 1999. WWE's presence on the island has been gradually increasing since holding its New Year's Revolution pay-per-view (PPV) event in 2005. All but nine of the events have been held in the capital city of San Juan, while seven have been held in Bayamón and two in Ponce, Puerto Rico.
Events and attendances
Historical
No. | Promotion | Event | Location | Venue | Attendance | Main Event(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | CSP | Bruno Sammartino vs. Gorilla Monsoon July 22, 1978 |
Bayamón, Puerto Rico | Juan Ramón Loubriel Stadium | 25,000 | Bruno Sammartino (c) vs. Gorilla Monsoon for the WWC North American Heavyweight Championship | |
2. | CSP | Los Dinámicos vs. Los Vaqueros Locos June 9, 1979 |
Bayamón, Puerto Rico | Juan Ramón Loubriel Stadium | 20,000+ | Los Dinámicos (Carlos Colón and José Rivera) vs. Los Vaqueros Locos (Dutch Mantell and Frankie Laine) | [5] |
3. | CSP | Carlos Colón and El Santo vs. Rebelde Rojo and Barrabás February 1, 1975 |
Bayamón, Puerto Rico | Juan Ramón Loubriel Stadium | 18,000 | Carlos Colón and El Santo vs. Rebelde Rojo and Barrabás | |
CSP | Carlos Colón vs. Pampero Firpo August 5, 1979 |
San Juan, Puerto Rico | Hiram Bithorn Stadium | Carlos Colón vs. Pampero Firpo | [6] | ||
4. | CSP | Los Dinámicos vs. Los Vaqueros Locos June 16, 1979 |
Bayamón, Puerto Rico | Juan Ramón Loubriel Stadium | 15,000+ | Los Dinámicos (Carlos Colón and José Rivera) vs. Los Vaqueros Locos (Dutch Mantell and Frankie Laine) | [14] |
Los Dinámicos vs. Los Vaqueros Locos June 23, 1979 | |||||||
5. | CSP | Gorilla Monsoon vs. Bruno Sammartino March 11, 1978 |
Bayamón, Puerto Rico | Juan Ramón Loubriel Stadium | 13,000 | Gorilla Monsoon vs. Bruno Sammartino | |
6. | CSP | Three Kings Day January 6, 1979 |
San Juan, Puerto Rico | 12,000 | Chief War Cloud (c) vs. Don Kent for the WWC Caribbean Heavyweight Championship | [20] | |
7. | CSP | Carlos Colón vs. Pampero Firpo July 14, 1979 |
San Juan, Puerto Rico | 11,000 | Carlos Colón vs. Pampero Firpo | ||
8. | CSP | Los Vaqueros Locos vs. Carlos Colón & Huracán Castillo May 5, 1979 |
San Juan, Puerto Rico | Roberto Clemente Coliseum | 10,000+ | Los Vaqueros Locos (Dutch Mantell and Frankie Laine) (c) vs. Carlos Colón and Huracán Castillo for the WWC North American Tag Team Championship | [23] |
9. | CSP | Gorilla Monsoon vs. Bruno Sammartino May 24, 1978 |
San Juan, Puerto Rico | 10,000 | Gorilla Monsoon vs. Bruno Sammartino | ||
10. | CSP | Carlos Colón & Huracán Castillo vs. Los Vaqueros Locos May 19, 1979 |
Bayamón, Puerto Rico | Juan Ramón Loubriel Stadium | Unknown[Note 1] | Carlos Colón and Huracán Castillo (c) vs. Los Vaqueros Locos (Dutch Mantell and Frankie Laine) for the WWC North American Tag Team Championship | [24] |
No. | Promotion | Event | Location | Venue | Attendance | Main Event(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | CSP | WWC Aniversario September 17, 1983 |
San Juan, Puerto Rico | Hiram Bithorn Stadium | 32,000 | Abdullah the Butcher vs. André the Giant | [25] |
2. | CSP | Carlos Colón vs. Ric Flair December 18, 1983 |
Bayamón, Puerto Rico | Juan Ramón Loubriel Stadium | 30,000 | Carlos Colón (c) vs. Ric Flair in a steel cage match for the WWC Universal Heavyweight Championship | [26] |
3. | CSP | WWC Aniversario September 15, 1984 |
San Juan, Puerto Rico | Roberto Clemente Coliseum | 29,000 | Stan Hansen and Bruiser Brody (c) vs. Abdullah the Butcher and Carlos Colón for the PWF World Tag Team Championship | [27] |
4. | WWC | Carlos Colon vs. The Iron Sheik January 30, 1988 |
San Juan, Puerto Rico | Roberto Clemente Coliseum | 25,000 | Carlos Colon (c) vs. The Iron Sheik for the WWC Universal Heavyweight Championship | |
5. | CSP | Carlos Colón vs. Ric Flair October 16, 1982 |
San Juan, Puerto Rico | Hiram Bithorn Stadium | 24,000 | Carlos Colón (c) vs. Ric Flair for the WWC World Heavyweight Championship | |
6. | CSP | Carlos Colón vs. Ric Flair January 6, 1983 |
San Juan, Puerto Rico | Hiram Bithorn Stadium | 23,000 | Carlos Colón (WWC) vs. Ric Flair (NWA) in a Champion vs. Champion match for the WWC World Heavyweight Championship and NWA World Heavyweight Championship | |
WWC | WWC Aniversario September 15, 1987 |
Bayamón, Puerto Rico | Juan Ramón Loubriel Stadium | Chicky Starr vs. Invader #1 in a Hair vs. Retirement match | [28] | ||
7. | CSP | WWC Aniversario September 21, 1985 |
San Juan, Puerto Rico | Hiram Bithorn Stadium | 22,000 | Jimmy Valiant vs. Kamala | |
8. | CSP | Carlos Colón vs. Harley Race April 14, 1981 |
San Juan, Puerto Rico | Hiram Bithorn Stadium | 20,000 | Carlos Colón vs. Harley Race | |
9. | CSP | WWC Aniversario (Night 3) September 21, 1986 |
San Juan, Puerto Rico | Hiram Bithorn Stadium | 17,500 | Carlos Colon vs. Terry Funk for the vacant WWC Universal Heavyweight Championship | |
10. | WWC | WWC Aniversario September 10, 1988 |
Bayamón, Puerto Rico | Rubén Rodríguez Coliseum | 17,000 | Hurricane Castillo Jr. and Miguel Perez Jr. vs. Bobby Jaggers and Dan Kroffat in a Hair vs. Hair match | |
WWC | WWC Aniversario October 7, 1989 |
Bayamón, Puerto Rico | Juan Ramón Loubriel Stadium | Steve Strong (c) vs. Carlos Colon in a barbed wire cage match to win the WWC Universal Heavyweight Championship |
No. | Promotion | Event | Location | Venue | Attendance | Main Event(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | IWA | Miguel Pérez Jr. and Road Dogg vs. The Brood June 25, 1999 |
San Juan, Puerto Rico | Hiram Bithorn Stadium | 15,000 | Miguel Pérez Jr. and Road Dogg vs. The Brood (Gangrel and Christian) | |
2. | WWC | Carlos Colón vs. Invader #1 April 19, 1992 |
Bayamón, Puerto Rico | Juan Ramón Loubriel Stadium | 14,000 | Carlos Colón vs. Invader #1 | [29] |
IWA / WWF | IWA/WWF Histeria Boricua (Day 2) January 6, 1999 |
Ponce, Puerto Rico | Auditorio Juan Pachín Vicéns | The Puerto Rican Express (Miguel Pérez Jr. and Huracán Castillo Jr.) vs. New Age Outlaws (Billy Gunn and Road Dogg) with special referee Savio Vega | [30] | ||
3. | WWC | WWC Aniversario August 1, 1998 |
San Juan, Puerto Rico | Hiram Bithorn Stadium | 13,000 | Ricky Santana vs. El Texano in a Hair vs. Hair match | |
4. | WWC | WWC Aniversario August 8, 1993 |
Bayamón, Puerto Rico | Juan Ramón Loubriel Stadium | 12,000 | Carlos Colón vs. Terry Funk in a retirement match | [31] |
5. | WWC | WWC Aniversario August 14, 1999 |
Caguas, Puerto Rico | Parque Yldefonso Solá Morales | 11,678 | Abdullah the Butcher vs. Tower of Doom in a Lumberjacks with Whips match | |
6. | IWA / WWF | IWA/WWF Histeria Boricua (Day 1) January 5, 1999 |
Caguas, Puerto Rico | Coliseo Héctor Solá Bezares | 9,000 | The Undertaker vs Kane | |
7. | WWC | WWC Aniversario August 15, 1997 |
Bayamón, Puerto Rico | Juan Ramón Loubriel Stadium | 8,000 | Ray González (c) vs. Tom Brandi for the WWC Universal Heavyweight Championship | |
WWC | Carlos Colón & Abdullah the Butcher vs. La Familia del Milenio December 20, 1998 |
Bayamón, Puerto Rico | Juan Ramón Loubriel Stadium | Carlos Colón and Abdullah the Butcher vs. La Familia del Milenio (Ray González and Víctor the Bodyguard) | |||
8. | IWA / WWF | Christmas in Puerto Rico (Day 1) December 15, 1999 |
San Juan, Puerto Rico | Roberto Clemente Coliseum | 7,800 | Kane and The Godfather vs. Ministry of Darkness (The Undertaker and Viscera) | |
9. | WWC | WWC Aniversario August 6, 1994 |
Bayamón, Puerto Rico | Juan Ramón Loubriel Stadium | 7,500 | Eddie Gilbert vs. Huracán Castillo Jr. in a No Ropes Barbed Wire Fire match | |
10. | WWC | Carlos Colón vs. Bronco I October 8, 1994 |
Bayamón, Puerto Rico | Juan Ramón Loubriel Stadium | 7,000 | Carlos Colón (c) vs. Bronco I for the WWC Universal Heavyweight Championship |
- ↑ The exact attendance figure is unknown, however, the event is described as having "among the biggest crowds" at the stadium.
No. | Promotion | Event | Location | Venue | Attendance | Main Event(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | WWE | WWE Live in San Juan August 29, 2015 |
San Juan, Puerto Rico | José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum | 13,000 | Roman Reigns vs. Bray Wyatt in a Street Fight match | |
2. | WWE | WWE Live in San Juan June 8, 2017 |
San Juan, Puerto Rico | José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum | 12,500 | Jinder Mahal (c) vs. Randy Orton for the WWE Championship | |
3. | WWC | WWC Euphoria January 6, 2013 |
Bayamón, Puerto Rico | Coliseo Rubén Rodríguez | 10,000 | Ricky Banderas vs. Apolo | |
4. | WWE | WWE RAW September 3, 2010 |
Ponce, Puerto Rico | Auditorio Juan Pachín Vicéns | 9,000 | John Cena, Mark Henry, John Morrison and Primo vs. The Nexus (Wade Barrett, David Otunga, Justin Gabriel and Heath Slater) | |
5. | WWE | WWE SmackDown January 5, 2013 |
San Juan, Puerto Rico | José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum | 7,000 | Big Show (c) vs. Randy Orton vs. Sheamus in a 3-Way match for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship | |
6. | WWC | WWC Euphoria January 16, 2010 |
San Juan, Puerto Rico | José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum | 6,000 | Ray González vs. Carlito Caribbean Cool vs. El Mega Campeon de AAA in a 3-Way match for the Puerto Rico Wrestler of the Decade Cup | |
7. | WWC | WWC Aniversario July 11, 2010 |
Bayamón, Puerto Rico | Coliseo Rubén Rodríguez | 5,500 | Ricky Banderas vs. Carlito Caribbean Cool | |
8. | WWC | WWC Aniversario July 16, 2011 |
Bayamón, Puerto Rico | Coliseo Rubén Rodríguez | 4,500 | Los Fugitivos de la Calle (Lynx and El Niche) (c) vs. La Artilleria Pesada (Thunder and Lightning) for the WWC World Tag Team Championship | |
9. | WWL | WWL Guerra de Reyes January 6, 2015 |
San Juan, Puerto Rico | Roberto Clemente Coliseum | 4,200 | Carlitos vs. Hammett in a Tables, Ladders & Chairs match to determine the number-one contender for the WWL Americas Championship | |
10. | WWC | WWC Aniversario June 30, 2012 |
Bayamón, Puerto Rico | Coliseo Rubén Rodríguez | 4,000 | ||
WWL | WWL Navidad Corporativa December 13, 2014 |
Bayamón, Puerto Rico | La Cancha Pepín Cestero | Carlitos vs. Hammett | |||
WWC | WWC Lockout December 5, 2015 |
Bayamón, Puerto Rico | Coliseo Rubén Rodríguez | Mr. 450 (c) vs. Carlitos for the WWC Unified Universal Heavyweight Championship | |||
WWC | WWC Euphoria January 9, 2016 |
Bayamón, Puerto Rico | Coliseo Rubén Rodríguez | Mr. 450 (c) vs. Carlitos in a Tables, Ladders & Chairs match for the WWC Unified Universal Heavyweight Championship | |||
WS | MysterioMania 3: Tributo Al Mesias Ricky Banderas November 29, 2018 |
Guaynabo, Puerto Rico | Mario Morales Coliseum | Penta el 0M (c) vs. Ricky Banderas for the WS World Submission Lucha Championship |
See also
- List of professional wrestling attendance records
- List of professional wrestling attendance records in Europe
- List of professional wrestling attendance records in Japan
- List of professional wrestling attendance records in the United Kingdom
- List of WWE attendance records
- List of professional wrestling attendance records in Oceania
References
- ↑ Woodward, Buck (September 17, 2010). "THIS DAY IN HISTORY: 28 YEARS AGO TODAY, RIC FLAIR BECOMES 'THE MAN' FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER". PWInsider.com.
- ↑ "World Wrestling Council Misc. Events: December 18, 1983 in San Jaun, PR". ProWrestlingHistory.com.
- ↑ Johnson, Mike (September 15, 2019). "9/15 THIS DAY IN HISTORY: DANIEL BRYAN WINS SECOND WWE CHAMPIONSHIP, BRODY & HANSEN VS. COLON & ABDULLAH HEADLINES WWC ANNIVERSARIO & MORE". PWInsider.com.
- ↑ "World Wrestling Council: 14th Anniversary Show". ProWrestlingHistory.com.
- 1 2 Meltzer, Dave (June 6, 2016). "More details on WWE brand split, Jimmy Snuka found incompetent, more". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Campbell, California.
This led to a show on June 9, 1979, which was the first show in Puerto Rico to legitimately draw more than 20,000 fans, setting what, at the time, was Puerto Rico's attendance and gate record (it was broken several years late for the Bruiser Brody & Stan Hansen program with Carlos Colon & Abdullah the Butcher) with a sellout for a match billed as "Revenge of the Century" where Colon & Jose Rivera beat Mantell & Laine after a big angle set the match.
- 1 2 Meltzer, Dave (June 6, 2016). "More details on WWE brand split, Jimmy Snuka found incompetent, more". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Campbell, California.
Among other stadium shows during that run were a July 28 show with Colon & Rivera & Invader I vs. Mantell & Laine & Dick Steinborn, Colon & Invader I vs. Mantell & Laine on July 31, and a crowd of 18,000 on August 5 at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan where they lost their tag team titles to the Invaders which was actually the semifinal to a Colon vs. Pampero Firpo main event.
- ↑ Cawthon, Graham. "Yearly Results: 2009". TheHistoryOfWWE.com.
- ↑ "WWE® DELIVERS RECORD-BREAKING BACKLASH IN PUERTO RICO". corporate.wwe.com.
- ↑ Cawthon, Graham. "Yearly Results: 2007". TheHistoryOfWWE.com.
- ↑ Cawthon, Graham. "Yearly Results: 2008". TheHistoryOfWWE.com.
- ↑ Cawthon, Graham. "Yearly Results: 2006". TheHistoryOfWWE.com.
- ↑ "WWE® DELIVERS RECORD-BREAKING BACKLASH IN PUERTO RICO". corporate.wwe.com.
- 1 2 3 4 Cawthon, Graham. "Yearly Results: 2005". TheHistoryOfWWE.com.
- 1 2 Meltzer, Dave (June 6, 2016). "More details on WWE brand split, Jimmy Snuka found incompetent, more". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Campbell, California.
Rematches the next two Saturdays also drew over 15,000 each.
- ↑ Farmer, Matt (April 10, 2021). "WWC leaves the NWA". KayfabeMemories.com.
- ↑ Meltzer, Dave (April 27, 1992). "Huge overseas WWF business, Global update, 20/20 on steroids, more". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Campbell, California.
The Colon vs. Invader main event last week in Bayamon drew 14,000 fans.
- ↑ Cawthon, Graham. "Yearly Results: 1999". TheHistoryOfWWE.com.
- ↑ Herbert, Grahame (September 5, 2015). "10 Reasons Roman Reigns Is Outdrawing John Cena At WWE Shows". WhatCulture.com.
- ↑ Thomas, Jeremy (June 9, 2017). "WWE Smackdown Results 6.8.17 in San Juan: Mahal vs. Orton, More". 411mania.com.
- 1 2 Dutch Mantell and James Romero (29 November 2022). "Story Time with Dutch Mantell Ep. 22 - Dave Meltzer vs Tony Khan, Rock to Buy WWE?". Story Time with Dutch Mantell (Podcast). Youtube.com. Event occurs at 8:00. Retrieved 29 November 2022.
- ↑ "World Wrestling Council: 20th Anniversary Show". ProWrestlingHistory.com.
- ↑ "World Wrestling Council: 28th Anniversary Show". ProWrestlingHistory.com.
- ↑ Meltzer, Dave (June 6, 2016). "More details on WWE brand split, Jimmy Snuka found incompetent, more". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Campbell, California.
The territory really popped for a show on May 5, 1979, which sold out the Roberto Clemente Coliseum with 10,000 people, in advance. In that era, that was unheard of because WWC was a walk-up business. They were usually pretty good at guessing the house and attendance the day of the show, by multiplying the advance times six.
- ↑ Meltzer, Dave (June 6, 2016). "More details on WWE brand split, Jimmy Snuka found incompetent, more". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Campbell, California.
Not all historical records are clear from this period, but among the biggest crowds at the stadium was a May 19, 1979, show where Mantell & Laine regained the titles from Colon & Castillo.
- ↑ Woodward, Buck (September 17, 2010). "THIS DAY IN HISTORY: 28 YEARS AGO TODAY, RIC FLAIR BECOMES 'THE MAN' FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER". PWInsider.com.
- ↑ "World Wrestling Council Misc. Events: December 18, 1983 in San Jaun, PR". ProWrestlingHistory.com.
- ↑ Johnson, Mike (September 15, 2019). "9/15 THIS DAY IN HISTORY: DANIEL BRYAN WINS SECOND WWE CHAMPIONSHIP, BRODY & HANSEN VS. COLON & ABDULLAH HEADLINES WWC ANNIVERSARIO & MORE". PWInsider.com.
- ↑ "World Wrestling Council: 14th Anniversary Show". ProWrestlingHistory.com.
- ↑ Meltzer, Dave (April 27, 1992). "Huge overseas WWF business, Global update, 20/20 on steroids, more". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Campbell, California.
The Colon vs. Invader main event last week in Bayamon drew 14,000 fans.
- ↑ Cawthon, Graham. "Yearly Results: 1999". TheHistoryOfWWE.com.
- ↑ "World Wrestling Council: 20th Anniversary Show". ProWrestlingHistory.com.
- ↑ Cawthon, Graham. "Yearly Results: 2009". TheHistoryOfWWE.com.
- ↑ Cawthon, Graham. "Yearly Results: 2007". TheHistoryOfWWE.com.
- ↑ Cawthon, Graham. "Yearly Results: 2008". TheHistoryOfWWE.com.
- ↑ Cawthon, Graham. "Yearly Results: 2006". TheHistoryOfWWE.com.
- ↑ "World Wrestling Council: 28th Anniversary Show". ProWrestlingHistory.com.