As WWE increases its global footprint, there is talk that there will be PPVs overseas in 2018. WWE held several events in the UK during the 90s, including the 1992 Summerslam at Wembley Stadium. In 2015, WWE held a special event live from Japan on 4th of July featuring Brock Lesnar, Chris Jericho, Neville, Kevin Owens, and Finn Balor. WWE outdid themselves with the Greatest Royal Rumble from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Now WWE is going to an even bigger stadium…Down Under. Get ready for the “Super Show-Down”
BREAKING: As first reported by the @theheraldsun, @WWE will return to Australia for @WWE Super Show-Down, a historic event taking place at the @MCG on Saturday, October 6, 2018! #WWESSD https://t.co/6AkPDxEdt7
— WWE (@WWE) June 16, 2018
This is not without precedent. WWE regularly tours Australia a few times a year and in 2002 sold out a 56,000-seat stadium in Melbourne with the main event featuring The Rock, Triple H, and Brock Lesnar.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZ7uPekyEJY
Investing Heavily in Australia
Despite being a sparsely populated monster-infested island on the other side of the world, WWE puts a lot of effort into building an audience in Australia. There are 6 Aussies on the NXT roster (Billie Kay, Peyton Royce, Buddy Murphy, Rhea Ripley, Nick Miller, Shane Throne) plus New Zealander Dakota Kai. Those are huge numbers for such a relatively small country, population wise. Why is WWE putting so much effort in? For starters, Australia is major country economics wise with one of the largest GDPs in the world. WWE wants to have a major foothold in every economically grown and growing country in the world. This explains their plays in India and China.
Hosting WWE Australia would serve as a “proof of concept” for other shows. WWE could then go on to host televised live events in China, India, Continental Europe and the United Kingdom.
100,000 Seat Venue
It is being reported in Australian newspapers that the PPV will happen in October of 2018 and will be hosted at the 100,000-seat outdoor venue Melbourne Cricket Ground. For context, the site of this year’s Wrestlemania, the SuperDome, seats 76,000. The MGC is bigger than all but AT&T Stadium in terms of past Wrestlemania venues.
More via the Wrestling Observer the deal seems to revolve around Ronda Rousey:
Etihad Stadium also hosted the 2015 Ronda Rousey vs. Holly Holm fight that drew 56,214 fans. In local media, Rousey has been reported as the signature star to possibly headline the show. The newspaper also listed John Cena, The Undertaker, and Rey Mysterio as possibilities, the latter two names being interesting.
WWE doesn’t have Mysterio under contract but they do have talks with him coming imminently, and as the Royal Rumble showed, even without a full-time deal, he could be used for singular major events since he isn’t under contract with anyone else.
What do you think? Would you watch a WWE Australia event? Share your thoughts in the comments below.