SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
If you have a question for this feature, send to askpwtorch@gmail.com and I might select them to answer in a future article.
PWTorch reader Rob from Valencia, Spain asks: With almost every organization now holding events regularly outside of the U.S., do you think the WWE would ever consider moving a non-Big 4 event to the U.K.? The NFL, NBA, UFC (with the main event taking place at 5 a.m. local time in a sold out arena in Manchester) have all held events there with great success and the MLB is currently in talks to hold regular season games at the Olympic Stadium in London. Taped Raws and Smackdowns are one thing, but a PPV would attract a very large crowd and make a show have that big event feel which I feel is lacking at the moment with the current level of saturation.
PWTorch editor Wade Keller answers: The short answer is WWE will do it if they think it’s better for their bottom line. As long as they can draw good crowds for U.S.-based PPVs and then smoothly move to the live Raw and Smackdown events, they’ll lean that way. That said, now that there are so many PPVs, including some brand-specific PPVs with no history or built-in tradition, there’s not much of a downside for WWE holding the PPV overseas, airing it live overnight, and then offering it on demand on WWE Network. They know, though, that in 2016 with social media and websites reporting results immediately, it will take some of the buzz away from the event if it’s taking place overnight in the U.S. I would vote for doing it once a year to make a particular overseas market feel like they got to see in person an event of more historical consequence than just a house show or episode of Raw or Smackdown. With the WWE Network set-up, it’s more likely than it was in the past.
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PWTorch reader Muhammad F. asks: It’s kinda bothering me for a while now that Seth Rollins is still using Pedigree as a finishing move, despite the fact that he adopted it from Triple H and Triple H betrayed him a few months ago. Is there any reason for this or was WWE too lazy to change Seth’s finishing move?
PWTorch editor Wade Keller answers: If they are still thinking of doing a Seth Rollins vs. Triple H match at WrestleMania next year, it might make sense for Seth to keep doing the move to “spite” Triple H (this is a different version of Triple H than the same audience sees introducing NXT Takeover special to raucous cheers and raised Cedric Alexander’s arm to endorse his great performance in the Cruiserweight Classic). Then the match can be framed as a Battle of Pedigrees. Although it does remind fans of Seth being aligned with Triple H in the past, I don’t see a big downside in him still doing it. What I would like is for Stephanie McMahon to start telling Seth to stop doing the move so that when he does the move, fans can enjoy knowing it makes Steph angry. Or at least have Corey Graves say that he should give up the move now that he’s not with The Authority, since heel commentators’ job is to make unreasonable demands out of blind loyalty to liars and cheaters.
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PWTorch reader Brad from Michigan asks: I’ve seen the commentary about Bill Goldberg potentially returning for a match at Survivor Series. If this is so, it shines a spotlight on one of the biggest issues I have with the current WWE product: The Big Rush. Wouldn’t it be better to hype a non-wrestling appearance by Goldberg at Survivor Series, perhaps related to the WWE 2K17 release, and then have something happen (perhaps with Hunter?) that leads to a match at Royal Rumble? That seems like better pacing to me, and a match at the Rumble with someone who also isn’t going to be in the Rumble match makes tons more sense to me. It would provide an adequate amount of time for hype, planning, and getting in shape. Additionally, I may have said this before, but I really think that the Survivor Series should somehow help determine who is granted entry into the Rumble rather than the lame “I’m entering myself into the Royal Rumble” promos from wrestlers like Big Show, Kane, et al. What do you think?
PWTorch editor Wade Keller replies: I don’t feel strongly about this. The Survivor Series is more than a month away, and it today’s environment, that is long term planning. Unfortunately, if the goal for WrestleMania is actually the asinine match-up of Shane McMahon vs. Brock Lesnar, which lacks any credibility and just makes a farce out of everything (how will Randy Orton feel, or how will fans feel about Orton, when Shane has more success against Brock than he did?), then they might “need” to get the Goldberg match “out of the way” first. Also, WWE is looking to get a spike in subscribers every quarter, and there’s nothing on the horizon otherwise these last three months of 2016 to cause people who aren’t inspired already to subscribe to the WWE Network to sign up. Certainly Goldberg vs. Lesnar next month has that potential to help WWE end the year on an up note.
As for Survivor Series having an influence on who qualifies for the Rumble or perhaps who gets a favorable entrance number, I like that idea. That, though, would require more long-term planning than WWE might be capable of or comfortable with. They don’t want to box themselves in if plans change or injuries occur.
NOW CHECK OUT THE PREVIOUS ASK PWTORCH FEATURE: Should Drew and Aaron Rex switch roles? Should there be a WWE Women’s Royal Rumble? Pro wrestling in Japan vs. U.S.?
If you have a question for this feature, send to askpwtorch@gmail.com and I might select them to answer in a future article.
No major US sporting event has been held outside North America in decades. The NBA has only had exhibition matches, NFL has 2 regular seasons games in London. That’s it. UFC events held outside of North America don’t get as much attention. WWE won’t hold a PPV outside North America because their largest audience is in the US and they won’t have a major event that airs at like 3AM or 2PM in the US. The most that will happen in their bi-annual Raw/SmackDown tapings in the UK and occasional cards like that live NXT event in Japan.