WWE has held internal discussions about adding dark matches featuring top stars to upcoming RAW and SmackDown shows as a way to draw bigger crowds and boost ticket sales, according to PWInsider.
The report says the matches are meant to give fans an added incentive to attend in person.
WWE has already been using dark matches this way. In August, Cody Rhodes and Oba Femi were announced to face Bron Breakker and Austin Theory for the World Tag Team Championship in a dark match after SmackDown in Boston.
Toyota Arena in Ontario, California, has also advertised a match pitting Oba Femi, LA Knight and Solo Sikoa against The Vision as one of the attractions for the Oct. 23 SmackDown.
What happened in Cody Rhodes & Oba Femi’s WWE World Tag Team Championship match after SmackDown: https://t.co/6S5tTDAxqe https://t.co/Qb733SyjLV
— WrestleTalk (@WrestleTalk_TV) August 15, 2026
The reported discussions come amid uneven ticket sales. According to WrestleTix, last week’s SmackDown in Lafayette, Louisiana, had 6,627 tickets distributed. For WWE’s previous show at the arena in June 2023, the figure was 8,592.
WWE’s next stops are Friday’s SmackDown in Sacramento and Monday’s RAW in San Diego. A wider use of dark matches could give WWE extra attractions on its schedule without having to change what airs on television.