ONE Championship ‘drew bigger gate’ than WWE in Denver

ONE Championship outperformed WWE at the Ball Arena in Denver last month, according to seasoned professional wrestling reporter Dave Meltzer.
The Asian martial arts promotion returned to Denver for only its second event ever in the United States on September 6.
It was a good week to be a combat sports fan in the “Mile High City” with American pro wrestling giants WWE also in town for two big shows – Monday Night Raw and NXT.
Meltzer reported that ONE 168 topped both, with 8,583 paid spectators, and 10,331 in total, generating a live gate of US$1,280,335.
“That’s an amazing number for that promotion,” Meltzer wrote in the September 23 edition of his famed Wrestling Observer Newsletter. 
“It was way above what the NXT show five days earlier did, which would be about 6,000 actual paid at much lower prices. While it would be less than Raw did, as Raw did about 10,500 paid and 11,118 total, it would be a far larger gate than Raw. 
“The idea that ONE in the same market could beat Raw in gate is mind boggling.”
ONE made a successful US debut in May 2023 in the same state, at the 1stBANK Center in Broomfield, which was sold out with around 5,000 spectators. 
For its return, the promotion ran the much larger Ball Arena, which also serves as the home of defending NBA champions the Denver Nuggets.
The main event saw Superlek Kiatmookao knock out Jonathan Haggerty in just 49 seconds to win the ONE bantamweight Muay Thai title.
“It was outstanding. We more than doubled our ticket sales, we effectively sold out the whole stadium – this is the NBA’s Denver Nuggets,” CEO Chatri Sityodtong said last week. 
“It was 95 per cent – or something like that – sold out. The reception we received from American fans … Superlek got the loudest standing ovation by the fans, when he came out for his walkout. 
“It was just electric. If you were there at the stadium it was mind blowing – the energy, the capacity crowd. It was just incredible to watch and be a part of.”
ONE Championship is set to return to the United States on November 8 for ONE 169 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta.