DichEvans
Samurai Cop
Lenny Lazy Lane Stinks
Posts: 2,245
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Post by DichEvans on May 8, 2023 1:53:42 GMT -5
Backlash and the PPV before Mania are often forgotten about, and honestly, these shows have been my favourite the WWE has done in ages. It's not that traditional US crowds are bad or anything, but the WWE goes to some areas 6-7 times a year. They're just not going to be as hot as a market that gets WWE far less.
A really hot crowd makes wrestling 500% better and I hope they keep hitting less traditional markets more often. It also makes the WWE feel more international when they hit these other markets.
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4real
Wade Wilson
Posts: 28,717
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Post by 4real on May 8, 2023 2:40:34 GMT -5
Agreed. That crowd helped to make some amazing moments.
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Post by Feargus McReddit on May 8, 2023 2:54:26 GMT -5
Yeah, if Quebec made the case for it, Puerto Rico proved it. There needs to be more international B shows at least. The people there clearly want it and you have the roster to make it work for how global it is.
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clifford
King Koopa
Shingo Takagi stan
Posts: 10,692
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Post by clifford on May 8, 2023 4:39:05 GMT -5
I love that they are embracing the World in World Wrestling Entertainment. It makes every big event feel like a big event and gives the events their own identity too. Whoever made this call knocked it out of the park.
Just thinking of other locations that they could run big events in and its awesome- Mexico, Japan, South America (Brazil/Argentina/Chile), mainland Europe (Germany or Spain would be so cool), there's other options in England (Manchester, Birmingham), Scotland should get their own show, Dublin too. Maybe even a show in Africa, what a landmark event that would be. Not to mention heading back to Australia, Canada, Puerto Rico etc. You'll get sellouts and hot crowds at all of these. Really hope they continue to push the envelope with this.
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Mozenrath
FANatic
Foppery and Whim
Speedy Speed Boy
Posts: 121,981
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Post by Mozenrath on May 8, 2023 4:44:18 GMT -5
Between going elsewhere sometimes and pushing foreign-born wrestlers, anything that puts the "World" in World Wrestling Entertainment tends to be a net good.
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Post by JTG on May 8, 2023 4:48:17 GMT -5
Seems like superstars and agents are lobbying for Paris to get a PLE of some sort after the live show from last week
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msc
Dennis Stamp
Posts: 4,560
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Post by msc on May 8, 2023 5:06:03 GMT -5
I love hometown reactions for folk who don't always get huge pops - like Savio Vega getting a Stone Cold pop this weekend heartened my inner New Generation fan. Or how Quebec would treat Sylvain like a conquering hero returning home. Or in the days when we were a bit stretched for Brits in the WWE, Paul Burchill in London.
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salz4life
Grimlock
Prichard is a guy who gets that his job is to service his boss.
Posts: 14,358
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Post by salz4life on May 8, 2023 9:12:17 GMT -5
Gunther is Austrian right? I'm not sure Austria would be a place for a PPV (nope not using the other term), but imagine the reaction for him there. I'm assuming Germany would give him a helluva ovation as well (and for Ludvig Kaiser).
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Post by Jindrak Mark on May 8, 2023 11:07:04 GMT -5
Imagine a French PPV. The crowd was so hot for a recent house show that they sang Seth's theme for 12 minutes straight and gave Baron Corbin a standing ovation. An actual PPV would be crazy.
Spain. Mexico. Germany. Japan. India. Italy. South Africa. New Zealand. Scotland. Ireland (the reactions for Becky/Sheamus/Finn would be unreal). There are so many options that you could basically make almost every non-big 4 PPV one of these big international shows. It feels like we're almost there already. Since HHH took over Extreme Rules was the only non-big 4 PPV to take place in the continental United States. CATC was Wales. Crown Jewel was Saudi. EC was Canada. Backlash was Puerto Rico. Night of Champions is Saudi. MITB is England. There's talk of an Australian stadium show later this year too.
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Post by MrElijah on May 8, 2023 11:34:12 GMT -5
WWE & AEW would do well to go outside the country more. Mexico City, Australia, PR, Europe and different Canadian cities.
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Post by Slammy Award-Winning Cannibal on May 8, 2023 12:25:04 GMT -5
Expanding more PLE’s globally would make brand split PPVs that much easier. Having Backlash in a white hot market outside the US gives the PLE right after Mania a unique and special feel. Instead of under Vince, so many felt completely missable (didn’t help he’d always book a shit ton of WM rematches).
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BRV
Bill S. Preston, Esq.
Wants him some Taco Flavored Kisses.
Posts: 17,401
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Post by BRV on May 8, 2023 12:34:14 GMT -5
Just look at the comparison between Backlash 2022 and Backlash 2023.
Backlash 2022, while a good show, is largely forgettable. And that's not to denigrate the fine people of Providence, Rhode Island, but it shows how a crowd can impact and elevate a show.
Backlash 2023 was undoubtedly a better overall show than last year's Backlash, but a very good show was elevated to an all-timer thanks to a crowd that was scalding hot from the moment the first bell rang. And unlike most of the famously "hot crowds," these weren't people bouncing beach balls, doing the wave, and chanting to get themselves over. They were just as much a part of the show as the in-ring performers simply by being one of the best live crowds the company has ever had.
It stands to reason that the more shows you run in countries that haven't had live events in a long time, the more likely you are to get a crowd that is going to elevate the wrestling.
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Post by Friday Night SmackOwn on May 8, 2023 12:37:19 GMT -5
Just look at the comparison between Backlash 2022 and Backlash 2023. Backlash 2022, while a good show, is largely forgettable. And that's not to denigrate the fine people of Providence, Rhode Island, but it shows how a crowd can impact and elevate a show. Backlash 2023 was undoubtedly a better overall show than last year's Backlash, but a very good show was elevated to an all-timer thanks to a crowd that was scalding hot from the moment the first bell rang. And unlike most of the famously "hot crowds," these weren't people bouncing beach balls, doing the wave, and chanting to get themselves over. They were just as much a part of the show as the in-ring performers simply by being one of the best live crowds the company has ever had. It stands to reason that the more shows you run in countries that haven't had live events in a long time, the more likely you are to get a crowd that is going to elevate the wrestling. The standing ovation Zelina got even after losing the title match was a special moment in of itself. Just a moment of Zelina’s home giving her love for a hard fought effort.
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Post by johncasey on May 8, 2023 12:42:14 GMT -5
Imagine a French PPV. The crowd was so hot for a recent house show that they sang Seth's theme for 12 minutes straight and gave Baron Corbin a standing ovation. An actual PPV would be crazy. Spain. Mexico. Germany. Japan. India. Italy. South Africa. New Zealand. Scotland. Ireland (the reactions for Becky/Sheamus/Finn would be unreal). There are so many options that you could basically make almost every non-big 4 PPV one of these big international shows. It feels like we're almost there already. Since HHH took over Extreme Rules was the only non-big 4 PPV to take place in the continental United States. CATC was Wales. Crown Jewel was Saudi. EC was Canada. Backlash was Puerto Rico. Night of Champions is Saudi. MITB is England. There's talk of an Australian stadium show later this year too. If WWE can get paid to go, they will come or should AEW continue to go international
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Ben Wyatt
Crow T. Robot
Are You Gonna Go My Way?
I don't get it. At all. It's kind of a small horse, I mean what am I missing? Am I crazy?
Posts: 41,819
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Post by Ben Wyatt on May 8, 2023 13:24:32 GMT -5
They do, what 11, 12 events a year? There's no reason you can't have say, 3 of them per year air from International locations
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Post by Fake Jesus on May 8, 2023 13:37:30 GMT -5
The weird thing is that WWE holds shows in these countries and draws big crowds, but just refuses to do anything about it. They're going to be running the main arenas of most major UK cities in the summer and what ends up on TV is going to be a shitty taped Raw from Liverpool or somewhere like that with the London red bus sitting on the stage and Roman Reigns arriving in a black taxi
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XIII
Bill S. Preston, Esq.
Posts: 18,954
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Post by XIII on May 8, 2023 13:39:36 GMT -5
It’s time to run in Nigeria for the coronation of Omos. OMOSAPIENS RISE!
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Post by lemonyellowson on May 8, 2023 17:05:11 GMT -5
100% just need some bad ass stages back in the mix now
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Mozenrath
FANatic
Foppery and Whim
Speedy Speed Boy
Posts: 121,981
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Post by Mozenrath on May 8, 2023 17:17:53 GMT -5
The weird thing is that WWE holds shows in these countries and draws big crowds, but just refuses to do anything about it. They're going to be running the main arenas of most major UK cities in the summer and what ends up on TV is going to be a shitty taped Raw from Liverpool or somewhere like that with the London red bus sitting on the stage and Roman Reigns arriving in a black taxi It's certainly a lot of extra work, and it has bitten them in the ass in the past, like both WWF and WCW trying European tours when business was bad in the mid-90s and being kind of disastrous, but it's worth the effort.
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Post by darbus alan on May 8, 2023 18:03:47 GMT -5
I do think the major wrestling companies need to leave their comfort zones and go to places that are wrestling hotbeds, but don't usually get much in the way of major shows or tours. Though Puerto Rico isn't international just because its people primarily speak another language from other Americans. It's a commonwealth of the United States, its citizens are American citizens, and people can move freely between the island and the mainland US.
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