May 2009 Pepsi Center double-booking controversy

The May 2009 Pepsi Center double-booking controversy (popularly known as the Denver Debacle) was a debate involving World Wrestling Entertainment and its owner, Vince McMahon and the National Basketball Association's Denver Nuggets and its owner Stan Kroenke, over the May 25, 2009 night slot on the Pepsi Center, in Denver, Colorado.
The Denver Debacle
On August 15, 2008, WWE booked an international televised event, WWE Raw, to take place at the Pepsi Center on Monday, May 25, 2009. However, Denver Nuggets and Pepsi Center owner Stan Kroenke arranged a verbal agreement to book Game 4 of the NBA Western Conference Finals between the Nuggets and the Los Angeles Lakers on the same date prior to the Nuggets actually earning a slot in the playoffs. Though a contract existed to hold the venue for the WWE event while only a verbal agreement granted the Nuggets the venue, Kroenke stood firm that the Nuggets game would take precedence.
WWE chairman Vince McMahon was quoted as saying, "Even though the Denver Nuggets had a strong team this year and were projected to make the playoffs, obviously Nuggets and Pepsi Center owner Stan Kroenke did not have enough faith in his own team to hold the May 25 date for a potential playoff game."
For the WWE event, not helping matters either would be ticket refunds, as Ticketmaster refused to refund the processing fee that Ticketmaster charges, thereby only giving fans a partial refund. The fee, however, is strictly charged by Ticketmaster alone and not WWE or KSE.
On May 20, 2009, it was announced that the WWE event scheduled for the Pepsi Center would be moved to the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California (ironically, home of the Nuggets' Western Conference Finals opponent), and return to the Denver area for a non-televised event at the Denver Coliseum on August 7, 2009 with refunds for the original date made available at points of purchase. Vince McMahon was reportedly displeased by this decision. Vince McMahon appeared on ESPN's Sports Center and said he will be at Raw to "compete or at least confront" Stan Kroenke, owner of the Denver Nuggets and the Pepsi Center. McMahon said they plan to have "a lot of fun" Monday.
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling response
On May 22, 2009, WWE rival professional wrestling promotion Total Nonstop Action Wrestling announced they were heading to Colorado and all "dejected" WWE fans caught in the "Denver Debacle" would get a $10 discount on their tickets, TNA President Dixie Carter formally invited the Denver Nuggets to the show which takes place on May 29, 2009.

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