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WWE fans in the United Kingdom have been demanding it for years, but there could finally be a pay-per-view being hosted on this side of the Atlantic in the near future. Drew McIntyre’s crowning moment at WrestleMania 36 was greeted warmly in the UK, as there is a feeling that the win means that one of the top superstars in the company will be pushing hard for that to happen.
WrestleMania has long-been hosted in the USA, with fans from around the world forced to travel to see the biggest matches of the year. UK fans are avid fans of the product and are willing to travel, but a major PPV in the UK would certainly be a welcome sight. Undoubtedly, it’s hard to see the WWE letting Mania move to the UK, but PPV’s such as SummerSlam, Survivor Series or the Royal Rumble could be on the cards.
When Did The UK Last Host A PPV?
Fans in Britain are treated to two live tours a year, but with just four televised tapings per year, these haven’t scratched the itch of fans. There has also been further irritation this year, after the scheduled show in Birmingham was rescheduled due to the travel restrictions currently in place. There have been memorable moments during these tapings in the past, with most notably AJ Styles winning his first WWE Championship in Manchester and Wayne Rooney getting involved in an altercation with Wade Barrett. But, fans will have to go back to 1992 for the last time one of the Big Four PPV’s were held in the UK.
SummerSlam in 1992 was recorded on 29th August but was broadcast two days later to fans around the world. Wembley Stadium played host to the huge event, which was headlined by the match between Bret Hart and The British Bulldog. Since then, there have been unique WWE shows, but nothing close to that same scale. UK fans were treated to No Mercy in 1999, which was headlined by a triple threat between Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Undertaker and Triple H. However, the last unique event in the UK was 17 years ago, when the Insurrextion PPV was filmed in Newcastle.
Why Could Things Be Changing?
There are a number of aspects happening to persuade fans that things are changing. The most notable of which is the lucrative deal that BT Sport signed to take the television rights away from Sky Sports. BT have put extra emphasis on the wrestling in the UK, and are reportedly in talks with the WWE to have a huge show in Britain in the summer of 2022 to mark the 20th anniversary of SummerSlam being hosted at Wembley.
Triple H has also spoken out about his hope to bring a major show to the UK, as he launched the WWE NXT UK brand. There is an excellent crop of upcoming British talent with superstars such as Trent Severn, Tyler Bate and Pete Dunne leading the way. Meanwhile, McIntyre is already at the top of the company, and even Irish superstars like Sheamus and Finn Balor would prove to be a huge draw to having a UK show. The wait may not be much longer for WWE fans, as a PPV could be coming sooner than they think.