The Great American Bash PPV in the WWE

[CM Steel]

The Great American Bash pay per-view was brought back in 2004 years after the WWF/E bought WCW and put them out of business. The Great American Bash was a WCW PPV from back in the haydays of wrestling. Much like the ECW "One Night Stand" PPV, the WWE tried their hand at polishing up the old WCW PPV event in July of 2004.

The event had:

JBL defeated the late great Eddie Guerrero for the WWE Championship in a "Texas Bull Rope Match".

John Cena defend his WWE U.S. title in a fatal-four way match.

Another classic from Rey Mysterio vs Chavo Guerrero Jr. for the WWE Crusierweight title.

And the Undetaker taking on the WWE Tag Team champions the Dudley Boyz for the "kidnapped" Paul Bearer.

But there were some matches on that card that was lackluster. Like Hardcore Holly jobbing to Mordici. And Billy Gunn jobbing to Kenzo Sasuki.


The Great American Bash PPV ran in the WWE for a few more years before the WWE cut that PPV along with a few others. Many wrestling fans say that the WWE "Vengence" PPV led the way for the return of the GAB PPV in July of each year from the Vengence PPV from 2003. Which had a simular card.

So with the WWE having some sort of contract deal with the U.S. military forces and have such a great relationship with the U.S. military. Should the WWE bring back the Great American Bash PPV in the future?

 

[Defekt]

I don't think it matters. It's just a name. If they bring it back they'd have to move or drop Money in the Bank.

GAB 2004 is probably one of the worst PPV's the WWE has ever done, and had any abysmal buyrate.

 

[Workrate]

GAB 2004 is probably one of the worst PPV's the WWE has ever done, and had any abysmal buyrate.

That card is atrocious. Luther Reigns versus Charlie Haas? Kenzo Suzuki versus Billy Gunn? Mordecai versus Hardcore Holly? The next time you want to complain about a WWE or TNA pay-per-view, this event should be used as a point of reference for how things could be a whole lot worse.

 

[Cereal Killer]

They can probably replace it with Tribute to the Troops but make it bigger like having better match types and more wrestlers attending.

But I think they'll make it rubbish knowing McMahon. He'll probably do that to rip on WCW. He did similar with One Night Stand (apart from 2006) and he can do it again. He bought back December to Dismember or November to Remember (cannot remember) from ECW and it was a fail. It was the worst PPV ever! Vince could have just listened to Heyman and instead of placing Hardcore Holley in the main event having Lashley win it, it could have been a success.

So I think this might make a bad name for WCW and it might not work but you never know. Maybe all they should do is improve Tribute to the Troops and do what I said to in the first paragraph. They probably shouldn't change the name and maybe keep it original.

 

[Y 2 Jake]

Speaking as a non-American, which PPV do you think I was least interested in when that show was running?

It is just a name and different ring ropes but American patriotism is off putting to a lot of people.

 

[Dagger Dias]

I wouldn't mind seeing it return. I liked having the red, white, and blue theme in the show which made it fit in very well around the 4th of July when WWE held it and I enjoyed the WCW version too. All up until the last couple of years when it turned into The Bash and was just another generic PPV event no one cared about. There was absolutely nothing to make it stand out from the other shows anymore. If it came back I would want the original red, white, and blue Great American Bash event. However, I don't think it's coming back anytime soon.

The main problem with bringing it back is that it will not really appeal to fans outside of the US. It's smart of WWE to try to think of shows that will please their entire fanbase, rather than just the ones from the country that the federation has most of its shows in. That's the main reason I do not see it returning. Plus there isn't really a match type that they could promote alongside it, and WWE have been trying to promote certain match types at certain PPV events. It would need to be in July anyhow, and Money In the Bank has become an important part of the PPV lineup that should not be replaced for a nostalgic show that would draw less purchases.

 

[HBsam31]

I actually just rewatched all of the WWE GAB ppvs and no, not if they are going to put together cards like that. In WCW it was their big summer PPV and some classic came from them. Vince did not do the same thing with it, and it has just become a name. If he improved the cards, and gave it more of a big PPV feel then I wouldn't mind seeing it back, but that first one was one of the worst ppvs I have seen.

 

[The Hillside]

Since it is a WCW original, I will not recommend WWE to bring it back until and unless John Cena does some Mr. Super-USA gimmick, Del Rio plays a anti-USA gimmick and Punk plays an American revolutionary gimmick going into the PPV with all of them being given a special outfit for the PPV with a totally special arena setting for the PPV itself.

Come to think of it, A Halloween themed PPV for WWE would be really cool at some stage just like The Halloween Havoc PPV.

 

[CM Steel]

I wouldn't mind seeing it return. I liked having the red, white, and blue theme in the show which made it fit in very well around the 4th of July when WWE held it and I enjoyed the WCW version too. All up until the last couple of years when it turned into The Bash and was just another generic PPV event no one cared about. There was absolutely nothing to make it stand out from the other shows anymore. If it came back I would want the original red, white, and blue Great American Bash event. However, I don't think it's coming back anytime soon.

The main problem with bringing it back is that it will not really appeal to fans outside of the US. It's smart of WWE to try to think of shows that will please their entire fanbase, rather than just the ones from the country that the federation has most of its shows in. That's the main reason I do not see it returning. Plus there isn't really a match type that they could promote alongside it, and WWE have been trying to promote certain match types at certain PPV events. It would need to be in July anyhow, and Money In the Bank has become an important part of the PPV lineup that should not be replaced for a nostalgic show that would draw less purchases.

I agree with half of what you said here D.D. But if the WWE really cared about there fan base over seas like that. Then there would be no "Tribute to the Troops" special each year around christmas. And I'm pretty sure that Chris Jericho fucked up the relationship that the WWE had with Brazil.

Yes it is WORLD wrestling entertainment. But all of the world knows where the WWE's home is the majority of the year, in the U.S.A. If it was like that then the Great American Bash PPV wouldn't be brought back to the WWE at all. You gotta think about stuff like that.