Report/Rumor: WWE Considering Holding A PPV In Europe

[Jack-Hammer]

According to the WON, there's talk of WWE possibly setting the stage sometime within the next four years in having SummerSlam return to a European setting. While it's true that such talks of holding a ppv in Europe start up after every European tour, there seems to be a little more weight to this one, at least according to Meltzer.

I think the chances of this ever coming to pass depends entirely upon the success of the WWE Network within the next few years. If the network is able to achieve a few million subscribers, then I think the likelihood of SummerSlam returning to Europe, most likely England if I had to guess, goes up by quite a bit.

 

[Fillet Club]

I have my fingers well and truly crossed for this, I've never had a chance to actually attend a WWF/WWE ppv (although a few friends and I are considering Wresltemania 32).

A ppv here in the UK would certainly make it easier for me, not to mention cheaper...

 

[Wald]

I'd love it to happen for obvious reasons but I think it would make sense for the company to run Summerslam in the UK. They could even do it in 2017 and bill it as the 25th anniversary of the only time a PPV originated outside of the Americas.

The UK can pull a very large adult crowd too so if they were worried about timing in the states than have it start at 10pm GMT so that it goes out at 5pm Eastern. Not ideal but not too much of a push for a wrestling fan on a Sunday.

They'd also have plenty of time to build up UK and Ireland wrestlers like Barrett, Sheamus, Paige and Neville for prominent positions on the card too

 

[George Steele's Barber]

I imagine the production costs are extremely high and they run the risk of taking away from WM revenue to do this but it is entirely possible.

But it is also possible that this story was just conveniently leaked to give the UK fans something to get excited about after the whole Network debacle and Vince has no intention of putting the funds up for such an event.

Why haven't they done this for the last 20 years but now things are suddenly different? Especially when WWE is supposedly struggling.

 

[rge2010]

Now that the WWE Network is running PPV's I see no reason why they shouldn't hold a PPV here in the UK - it will hardly effect PPV buys due to the time difference as the majority of folk watch through the network now and I see that number growing.

Holding Summerslam at Wembley in 2017 is a nice idea, 25th Anniversary and all that but it has to start around 7-8pm if it is here. Wembley holds around 90,000 for events like this so I see no reason why it would not sell out.

Barrett, Neville, Paige, Sheamus, Fin Balor will certainly be of interest to the British and Irish crowd possibly with a few more names like Hugo Knox and Regal if he is still around.

 

[rge2010]

Why haven't they done this for the last 20 years but now things are suddenly different? Especially when WWE is supposedly struggling.

The time difference hurts PPV buys. But now the Network runs PPV's I don't see it hurting WWE financially. Fans can watch at their leisure for $9.99 a month without having to hand over $50-$70.

 

[Y 2 Jake]

WWE will never hod one of their bigger shows in Europe. But I don't see why they can't hold a nothing PPV here (England). Battleground, or whatever, instantly becomes a more intersting and worthwhile show when it's held amongst a different set of fans. And a show like that doesn't interest anybody or draw shit anyway. With the Network they don't have much to lose.

 

[George Steele's Barber]

The time difference hurts PPV buys. But now the Network runs PPV's I don't see it hurting WWE financially. Fans can watch at their leisure for $9.99 a month without having to hand over $50-$70.

I would agree with you if The Network was successful but it hasn't been. It hurts the likelihood even more now that they are letting people go month to month at such a low price. At $75 or $10 fans will wait for the spoilers before they part with their money and spoilers tend to decrease the likelihood those fans will part with a penny or a pound.

This just smells like a PR move.

 

[Fabulous Freebirds]

Summerslam 1992 in Wembley Stadium was / is still one of my favorite WWE shows of all time. They should go back to that place if they do a ppv in Europe again.

 

[FromGlasgow]

They need to give the UK a turn at Wrestlemania, 30 plus years of the US and Canada Wrestlemanias, The WWE has more than enough fans here to warrant another sell out of somewhere like wembley arena, Long overdue.
Maybe their savings the hall of fame inductions of the British Bulldogs for when they hold it here.

 

[sMark]

I question this decision from the profits standpoint.
Summerslam have good sales as it is, why waste completely new crowd who will buy almost everything thrown their way for it?
Good enough matches, and regular top stars is the only requirement for european PPV to sold out.
Nobody will miss Hell in a Cell or Night of Champions if they got replaced with new european PPV, in fact europe can be used to give an international clash feel to new PPV, every match should be like USA guy vs International guy, where national flags should be shown on wrestlers nameplates and instead of minitrons, so everyone can side with their country guy for once.
The only problem i can see with this kind of PPV is timeslot, but WWE can use it as another reason to buy their network, where PPV will go live, while on TV it can be shown recorded.

 

[rge2010]

I question this decision from the profits standpoint.
Summerslam have good sales as it is, why waste completely new crowd who will buy almost everything thrown their way for it?
Good enough matches, and regular top stars is the only requirement for european PPV to sold out.
Nobody will miss Hell in a Cell or Night of Champions if they got replaced with new european PPV, in fact europe can be used to give an international clash feel to new PPV, every match should be like USA guy vs International guy, where national flags should be shown on wrestlers nameplates and instead of minitrons, so everyone can side with their country guy for once.
The only problem i can see with this kind of PPV is timeslot, but WWE can use it as another reason to buy their network, where PPV will go live, while on TV it can be shown recorded.

Europe vs USA PPV? Cant see that working. It would automatically mean every single USA superstar, and even guys they wanna push big like Reigns, Bryan, Ambrose got booed out of the building if it was held in Europe. What is the point of this gimmick? It means nothing and serves no value.

If you want the crowd behind someone and you want the place to explode then push Wade Barrett and put him in the main event for the title against someone like Cena or Orton. Someone who isn't from the UK and someone who is easy to hate. That is the only way 'us against them' would work.

 

[mral82]

UK has had plenty of PPV's since Summerslam 1992 as they've had Rebellion, InsurreXtion, and I forget what others. Instead of Doing WM or Summerslam in Wembley Stadium maybe The Royal Rumble or Survivor Series as the NFL has proven that weather if kinda fine for that. Plus the reason for The ROYAL Rumble it'd mean More as England is ran by a Queen. Plus if Vince did put one there it'd be a Random 1 and not the Big 2. Plus this seems like the DENVER DEBOCLE ALL OVER AGAIN. Don't blame Vince that the UK have to wait longer Blame Rupert Murdoch and Sky Sports as that's what the real reason for the delay.

 

[Navi]

Holding a PPV, one of the big four, the Rumble or Survivor Series in either London or Europe is a great ides. It would give some of the fans who would never get to see one live otherwise. And it's not like they don't have a number of big stadiums over there that would sell out if they decided to go.

You have Wembley in London, which has already held Summerslam, and seats about 90,000. Camp Nou in Madrid, seats almost 100k, and is the home to FC Barcelona or one of the most famous Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in Madrid again, home to Real Madrid, and that stadium seats almost 86k. So the US doesn't have the monopoly big stadiums and with so many countries so close together there, fans from all over Europe would sell these places out in no time.

 

[Dave]

If it going to be anywhere in Europe, it is either going to be the UK or Germany. The UK being the more likely option honestly. And whilst I live in the UK, I still don't see this happening. In fact, the last WWE live event I went to, they struggled to fill the arena with around 20,000 seats.

I would really love to see the WWE bring something worthwhile to the UK once again, in terms of a PPV event. But I don't think that the fan base is there any more. I think they have shot themselves in the foot by not having the WWE Network over here and that doesn't look like it is going to change for the better any time soon either.

Still, I remain pessimistic until, at least, the WWE Network launches in the UK. Why bring a PPV to the UK when you can't even launch a streaming service without problems?

 

[TWJC: The Beginning]

If Meltzer is saying it's a rumor, then it's probably going to happen in 9 years like all his Sting rumors. Seriously, who believes the dirt sheets anymore? Did you read this after you looked at your horoscope?

Anyways, I don't see this as a thing unless they just figure that with the Network, people will watch it whenever anyways. So it could happen. I'm just not holding my breath. Maybe it will be a "network special" or something and not a PPV.

 

[Reiko4Me]

Why haven't they done this for the last 20 years but now things are suddenly different? Especially when WWE is supposedly struggling.

Wan't WWE supposedly also struggling at the time? I remember the matches of the time, but I don't remember the company's financial status.