Okay I am going back a bit with this one. How many of you remember Wrestlemania 2? It was split among 3 venues. New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles. How about the original format of the Great American Bash, which was essentially a multi city summer tour event? My question is do you thing something could work like that today? A Wrestlemania split among 3 cities for instance could have say the WWE title as main even in one city, The World Heavyweight Title in another, and the third a match like continuing Taker's streak or just some highlighted feud? Personally I think it could be interesting, but would be almost impossible to pull off. How would you do it? Is it a good or horrible idea?
Would a "multi venue" PPV work today?
- Thread starter JTS32
- Start date
King Patrick Star
K. O. T. R. 2007 - Team Undisputed
I think this could work. Ive always thought this could work best during the Brand Split, but it can still work today. Heres how I would do it.
California can have the World Championship Title match as their Main Event with the United States Championship Title match as their second Main Event.
New York can have the WWE Championship Title match as their Main Event with the Intercontinental Championship Title match as their second Main Event.
Texas can have the Undertaker Streak match as their Main Event with the Unified WWE World Tag Team Championship Title match as their second Main Event.
Each venue can be filled with Hall Of Famers and Legends appearances as well as giving more time for those that would not have been on the card had there been only 1 venue.
California can have the World Championship Title match as their Main Event with the United States Championship Title match as their second Main Event.
New York can have the WWE Championship Title match as their Main Event with the Intercontinental Championship Title match as their second Main Event.
Texas can have the Undertaker Streak match as their Main Event with the Unified WWE World Tag Team Championship Title match as their second Main Event.
Each venue can be filled with Hall Of Famers and Legends appearances as well as giving more time for those that would not have been on the card had there been only 1 venue.
LODemolition
Championship Contender
It wouldn't be something I'd like to see them do, but COULD it be done? Without question. The roster is absolutely deep enough nowadays that they could pull it off and still sell out the same 3 venues, maybe even 3 bigger ones.
Let's pretend they were doing it for Mania 30. Give 7 matches to each crowd. Each venue would get get 4 dark matches and 3 that air on the ppv, including 1 main event caliber match. That way each crowd gets a full show and don't feel like they're getting less than what they paid for than the fans at the other 2 arenas. Also there's 6 titles, so each venue gets 2 title matches.
New York:
Cody Rhodes vs Goldust
IC Title - Axel (c) vs Kidd vs Fandango
World Title - Sandow (c) vs RVD vs Del Rio
Chicago:
Divas Title - AJ Lee (c) vs Natalya
US Title - Big E Langston (c) vs Ryback
Sheamus vs Bray Wyatt
Undertaker vs Brock Lesnar
I threw in an extra match because the Divas Title match would be short as usual
Los Angeles:
Tag Team Title Ladder Match - Wyatt Family (c) vs The Usos vs Mysterio & Sin Cara vs Awesome Truth vs Prime Time Players vs Real Americans
For Control of the WWE - Team Vince (Big Show, Jericho, Ziggler, Henry, Kofi) vs Team Triple H (Orton, Kane, Ambrose, Rollins, Reigns)
WWE Championship - CM Punk (c) vs Cena vs Bryan
Let's pretend they were doing it for Mania 30. Give 7 matches to each crowd. Each venue would get get 4 dark matches and 3 that air on the ppv, including 1 main event caliber match. That way each crowd gets a full show and don't feel like they're getting less than what they paid for than the fans at the other 2 arenas. Also there's 6 titles, so each venue gets 2 title matches.
New York:
Cody Rhodes vs Goldust
IC Title - Axel (c) vs Kidd vs Fandango
World Title - Sandow (c) vs RVD vs Del Rio
Chicago:
Divas Title - AJ Lee (c) vs Natalya
US Title - Big E Langston (c) vs Ryback
Sheamus vs Bray Wyatt
Undertaker vs Brock Lesnar
I threw in an extra match because the Divas Title match would be short as usual
Los Angeles:
Tag Team Title Ladder Match - Wyatt Family (c) vs The Usos vs Mysterio & Sin Cara vs Awesome Truth vs Prime Time Players vs Real Americans
For Control of the WWE - Team Vince (Big Show, Jericho, Ziggler, Henry, Kofi) vs Team Triple H (Orton, Kane, Ambrose, Rollins, Reigns)
WWE Championship - CM Punk (c) vs Cena vs Bryan
George Steele's Barber
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I think this has to work from three perspectives:
1. At home viewer - while I don't think the multi venue idea is a tremendous draw, I think the idea would resonate with the PPV buyer and make them more likely to buy. It is generally pretty clear what wrestlers are going to cross paths at any PPV and just having Cena on the other side of the country from Brock Lesnar doesn't mean people will be turned off. WORKS!
2. Paying audience - I would struggle to spend the same amount of money to see fewer stars lives. Whether you give me dark matches or show the rest of the show closed circuit I feel like I am not getting my money's worth compared to a whole PPV from one location. DOESN'T WORK
3. WWE's bottom line - this is probably the most important perspective. Does the assumed extra PPV, attendance, and merchandise revenue make up for the etxra effort and cost that goes in to such a significant production. Sure WWE has enough wrestler's but what about the crew and equipment? UNCLEAR but if WWE hasn't done it in 26 years, it makes me think it is not fiscally viable.
So from a selfish home fan perspective I'm all for it but from a real world perspective it is probably destined for marginal failure.
1. At home viewer - while I don't think the multi venue idea is a tremendous draw, I think the idea would resonate with the PPV buyer and make them more likely to buy. It is generally pretty clear what wrestlers are going to cross paths at any PPV and just having Cena on the other side of the country from Brock Lesnar doesn't mean people will be turned off. WORKS!
2. Paying audience - I would struggle to spend the same amount of money to see fewer stars lives. Whether you give me dark matches or show the rest of the show closed circuit I feel like I am not getting my money's worth compared to a whole PPV from one location. DOESN'T WORK
3. WWE's bottom line - this is probably the most important perspective. Does the assumed extra PPV, attendance, and merchandise revenue make up for the etxra effort and cost that goes in to such a significant production. Sure WWE has enough wrestler's but what about the crew and equipment? UNCLEAR but if WWE hasn't done it in 26 years, it makes me think it is not fiscally viable.
So from a selfish home fan perspective I'm all for it but from a real world perspective it is probably destined for marginal failure.
I'm just telling you, that is the last thing they want to do. WWE is now in a position with cities competing for Wrestlemania each and every year. It's probably the 2nd annual event to clamor for in terms of revenue and publicity (Super bowl is obviously no.1). Every year WWE is offered tax cuts and all kinds of favors from the competing cities.
I can imagine WWE in 2004-06, splitting Mania between arenas in the same city. For example they could've done Mania in both MSG and Nassua Colisseum and had each big championship match in respective arena....Dunno if there's comparable arenas in Chicago and LA...but I can see the same scenario in LA, Chicago, Dallas...if the right arenas were available those years.
But with the stadiums there is no way to do that...and splitting the card up between cities would be a really stupid move.
I can imagine WWE in 2004-06, splitting Mania between arenas in the same city. For example they could've done Mania in both MSG and Nassua Colisseum and had each big championship match in respective arena....Dunno if there's comparable arenas in Chicago and LA...but I can see the same scenario in LA, Chicago, Dallas...if the right arenas were available those years.
But with the stadiums there is no way to do that...and splitting the card up between cities would be a really stupid move.
THTRobtaylor
Once & Future Wrestlezone Columnist
The only way this ever happens... And it COULD happen is if Mania becomes a whole day, 2 part event.. One from Wembley, one from MSG or similar. A truly global mania with an appropriate cliffhanger annd gap might work. Anything else isn't worth the effort 2 proved that. The concept worked for Live Aid etc. But the issue was always spoilers.. So the ideal time for it to have happened was 2002... The invasion with WCW AND WWE colliding. It could work today but would miss the Phil Collins gimmick of someone wrestling on two continents in a day cos Concorde isn't there... If they could get Cena to both venues... Then yes...
I think the fact that no one has tried this since the 1980's speaks volumes of it being a logistical nightmare.
I see no logical way of working Wembley into the equation even if it were attempted. You've got a 5 hour time difference to MSG and that being a mecca for the WWE they aren't going to do a mid afternoon show, so a show in London could start at a regular time. In this day and age you are sacrificing PPV buys if you air anything on a tape delay so that wouldn't come into the equation.
Unlike King Patrick I don't think they have the roster depth to get away with running 3 demanding cities in one day, especially not if you have Cena, Punk and Bryan in the one match on one show.
One point that should be noted is during the Great American Bash tours in the 80's Ric Flair worked two matches on some nights, there's footage of his arriving in a helicopter to at least one show I have seen.
The whole appeal of Wrestlemania nowadays is that it is truly a worldwide extravaganza with the amount of people that make the journey not only from out of state, but from overseas. Why would WWE want to dilute the potency of that sort of emotion to run 3 cities in one night?
I see no logical way of working Wembley into the equation even if it were attempted. You've got a 5 hour time difference to MSG and that being a mecca for the WWE they aren't going to do a mid afternoon show, so a show in London could start at a regular time. In this day and age you are sacrificing PPV buys if you air anything on a tape delay so that wouldn't come into the equation.
Unlike King Patrick I don't think they have the roster depth to get away with running 3 demanding cities in one day, especially not if you have Cena, Punk and Bryan in the one match on one show.
One point that should be noted is during the Great American Bash tours in the 80's Ric Flair worked two matches on some nights, there's footage of his arriving in a helicopter to at least one show I have seen.
The whole appeal of Wrestlemania nowadays is that it is truly a worldwide extravaganza with the amount of people that make the journey not only from out of state, but from overseas. Why would WWE want to dilute the potency of that sort of emotion to run 3 cities in one night?
THTRobtaylor
Once & Future Wrestlezone Columnist
It is possible, but yes an element of taped would have to be involved. The key would be having some kind of gimmick. Cena wrestles the first match in London gets straight on a plane and flies into Boston or New York to wrestle the final match of the Second half. If each half was four hours then realistically it could just happen by the time dark matches etc came into play.
A second US venue added to this could counteract the risks of delay for Cena and the taped issue, you might only have two matches there but they fill the time. Taker and Punk say have their matches at the Garden.
It could happen, it just won't but the hook of the title being defended in two continents in a day would probably be enough to stave off the drop in buys cos of the taped portion.
Or make it Saturday and Sunday... Both live... The right venue could get round noise ordinance etc just maybe not Wembley.
A second US venue added to this could counteract the risks of delay for Cena and the taped issue, you might only have two matches there but they fill the time. Taker and Punk say have their matches at the Garden.
It could happen, it just won't but the hook of the title being defended in two continents in a day would probably be enough to stave off the drop in buys cos of the taped portion.
Or make it Saturday and Sunday... Both live... The right venue could get round noise ordinance etc just maybe not Wembley.
