The Many Production Disasters Of WWE WrestleMania 24, Explained
Ethan Hayes
Published Mar 27, 2026
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WrestleMania 24 was a big event, and it had over a million buys on pay-per-view. From the top to the bottom, this WrestleMania card was stacked with high-profile matches, with stars such as John Cena, Triple H, Randy Orton, The Undertaker, and Edge on the bill. Floyd Mayweather, undefeated boxer and a massive box-office draw, was a part of the show as well.
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In addition to the two world title matches, Big Show versus Floyd “Money” Mayweather was a featured attraction, as his rivalry with the Big Show had been building up for months, given the appropriate level of excitement and intrigue. With all these marquee names on the card, it is no surprise that WrestleMania 24 cracked one million PPV buys. In terms of public reception, it is considered one of the better WrestleManias in recent memory, so there was good news on that front as well. That being said, make no mistake, WrestleMania 24 was a production disaster unlike any event before. You won’t find the event on WWE Network for legal reasons, and it’s a wonder that WWE was not sued for negligence, in addition to copyright infringement, but more on that later.
A Pyro Mishap Injured Many Fans At WrestleMania 24
Over the years, WWE has had some issues with pyro and fireworks. One time, the Undertaker was caught up in the middle of the explosion, but luckily he made it out okay. At WrestleMania 24, the pyro accident was much worse. As mentioned, Edge versus the Undertaker for the World Heavyweight Championship was the main event. In the end, the Deadman extended his streak to 16-0 when he forced Edge to tap with Hell’s Gate. This was the last match on the card so WWE had to go all in with the pyro and fireworks.
They did go all out but while Undertaker was celebrating his victory, a fireworks cable was sent flying towards the folks sitting in the upper bowl of the stadium. Dozens of fans were injured, and while fortunately nobody was seriously wounded, a few people were sent to the hospital for treatment.
Orlando fire officials stated that the cable was supposed to supply fireworks for the main stage but for some reason, it snapped off and fell into the crowd of spectators. The officials later stated in a press conference that the investigation of this incident was trusted to WWE, and while the company did release a statement promising they would look into the accident, nothing came out if it. It is a wonder that WWE was not sued for negligence over the incident.
The Power Went Out In The Stadium During A WrestleMania Match
Even before the fireworks malfunction, there was a power issue that darkened the arena for several minutes during the live show. During the BunnyMania LumberJill match, the stadium lost power in several different sections. There was a backup in place, but that could not light up the entire arena, so the lights were downgraded while the engineering team worked on restoring power.
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The Lumberjill match was contested in a dimly lit arena, but thankfully the team fixed it up before the marquee triple threat match between Cena, Orton, and Triple H. Imagine a match like that playing out with only half the lights on.
WrestleMania 24 Was Even Removed From The WWE Network
There was still more to come for WWE, unfortunately. Two years after the event, Anthony Lawrence Dash, a music producer, sued both Floyd and WWE for copyright infringement. According to the claims of Dash, the song that Floyd Mayweather used for his entrance belonged to him and Floyd was not permitted to use the track as he never received permission. Dash sought $150,000 in damages and WWE was a defendant in the lawsuit. In the end, the lawsuit brought by Dash was dismissed but WrestleMania 24 was removed from the WWE Network anyway, maybe because the company was looking to avoid any sort of further drama.
The actual event (minus the power failure) was a success and an entertaining show overall, but some of those involved behind the scenes were clearly not competent. The show lost power, people were injured due to a faulty cable, and finally, and some producer brought WWE to court over the usage of entrance music.
