WWE's Allentown event sees multiple stars pulled from lineup

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Early advertisements for WWE coming to Allentown featured stars like Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre. | (Photo: @PPLCenter) One of wrestling’s fabled cities will host a rare WWE live event this week, as WWE’s Summer Tour comes to Allentown, Pennsylvania, this Thursday. In the 1970s and 1980s, Allentown was a hotbed for WWE and home to several tag team title changes. The most notable took place on November 15, 1983, as Tony Atlas & Rocky Johnson defeated the Wild Samoans to win the original WWE Tag Team Championship, becoming the first Black champions in company history. Thanks to one of our readers, I learned that Thursday’s show has undergone some changes. Cody Rhodes, Rhea Ripley, Jade Cargill, Trick Williams, and Drew McIntyre were initially advertised for the event, but have since been removed. Regarding Ripley, she is currently out with an injury. McIntyre is reportedly off filming a movie, while Rhodes, Williams, and Cargill remain active on WWE programming. Rhodes and Williams, however, will appear in New York City that day for an autograph and photo session at Fanatics Fest NYC. Last year, Rhodes was scheduled for a Fanatics Fest appearance and a live event later that day in Florida. His Sunday session at the sports festival was cut short, leaving those waiting in line disappointed. It’s unclear if WWE is trying to make things right with NYC fans this year. If so, it comes at the expense of those in Pennsylvania. Whatever the case, WWE’s recent history suggests it’s risky for fans to rely on what’s advertised when deciding to attend an event. Last year, fans were upset after Rhodes missed SmackDown despite being advertised, though he’d been off TV for several weeks. CM Punk was one of several names advertised for Saturday Night’s Main Event in May in Fort Wayne, Indiana, though he was almost a month into a hiatus. Roman Reigns was featured in early online promotional materials for Night of Champions, where tickets were sold, yet the event came and went without so much as a cameo from Reigns. No promoter can guarantee every advertised appearance, especially in a business where injuries are common. For this reason, the disclaimer “card subject to change” exists. Still, it’s an issue when fans repeatedly spend a small fortune on tickets based on who’s initially advertised, only for those stars to get pulled shortly before an event. Regardless of the reason, WWE risks damaging fan trust over time the more it happens. I’ve previously discussed why waiting until the last minute can be a more cost-effective way to buy WWE tickets as the company rushes to fill seats. Waiting it out may also give fans a better idea of who’s coming to town — but even then, there’s no guarantee.