WWE in the United Kingdom
| WWE in the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
Promotions WWE | | |
| Brands | Raw SmackDown NXT NXT UK | |
WWE (formerly World Wrestling Federation and World Wrestling Entertainment), is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Stamford, Connecticut in the United States, owned by Endeavor. It has been promoting events in the United Kingdom (UK) since 1989. From 1989 to 2001, WWE was promoted under concert promoter's, brothers Harvey and Martin Goldsmith, for UK and European shows.
International broadcasts from the UK
Pay-per-views
Over the years, World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment has run several broadcast events based in the UK. In 1989, the
Mayhem in Manchester
| Mayhem in Manchester | |
|---|---|
Promotion | World Wrestling Federation |
| Date | April 4, 1998 |
| City | Manchester, England |
| Venue | NYNEX Arena |
| Attendance | 20,000 |
Mayhem in Manchester was a
Production
Background
The event was originally scheduled to be a UK exclusive pay-per-view, as a follow-up to the success of One Night Only. As the event drew closer, the WWF cancelled plans to broadcast the event, due to a profit sharing disagreement with the venue. In addition Davey Boy Smith and Shawn Michaels, who the WWF has planned to center the event around, were no longer with the company by the time of the event. The event would later be released on video rather than broadcasting live.
Storylines
The card consisted of eight matches, that resulted from scripted storylines and had results predetermined by the WWF.
The main event heading into the event was between
Another main event heading into the event was between The Undertaker and Kane. After The Undertaker defeated his brother Kane at WrestleMania XIV, it was announced that the two would face each other again at Mayhem in Manchester.
Event
| Role: | Name: |
|---|---|
Commentators
|
Michael Cole |
Kevin Kelly
| |
| Ring announcer | Tony Chimel |
| Referees | Gerald Brisco |
| Mark Yeaton | |
| Mike Chioda |
Preliminary matches
During the opening match of the event Jeff Jarrett defeated Brakkus via submission, when Brakkus tapped out to the figure-4 leglock.
The second match saw
) in a strap match. Henry picked up the pinfall victory after hitting the Slop Drop on Skull.Prior to the next match, Marc Mero sent Sable to the back, due to a series of issues leading up to the event. Mero however lost the match following Bradshaw hitting him with the lariat.
The following match saw
The next match was between Cactus Jack and The Artist Formerly Known As Goldust. During the match, as Jack when to suplex Goldust, Luna Vachon tripped Jack. Following this, Goldust covered Jack and picked up the pinfall victory. Following the match, Sable came out to attack Vachon. Continuing with the issues from earlier in the night, Mero followed Sable out and pulled her off of Vachon. As Goldust and Vachon used this opportunity to escape, Sable turned around and attacked Mero, then left with Mero still on the ground in the ring.
The following match saw
entered the ring and hit Animal with a low blow. The referee awarded the victory to LOD via disqualification, allowing The New Age Outlaws to retain the titles.Main event matches
In the first main event,
The main event of the evening saw The Undertaker defeat Kane via pinfall, following a Tombstone.
Results
| No. | Results | Stipulations | Times | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Singles match | 21:32 | |||
| |||||
Weekly television shows
From 2006 to 2009, WWE's recording schedule in the United Kingdom included episodes of ECW.[21]
2004–2010
| Date | Name | Brand | Venue | City |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 October 2004 | Raw | Raw | Manchester Evening News Arena
|
Manchester, England |
| 12 October 2004 Aired 14 October 2004 |
SmackDown! | SmackDown! | Manchester Evening News Arena
|
Manchester, England |
| 25 April 2005 | Raw | Raw | NEC Arena
|
Birmingham, England |
| 26 April 2005 Aired 28 April 2005 |
SmackDown! | SmackDown! | NEC Arena
|
Birmingham, England |
| 21 November 2005 | Raw | Raw | Hallam FM Arena
|
Sheffield, England |
| 22 November 2005 Aired 25 November 2005 |
SmackDown! | SmackDown! | Hallam FM Arena
|
Sheffield, England |
| 24 April 2006 | Raw | Raw | Wembley Arena | London, England |
| 25 April 2006 Aired 28 April 2006 |
SmackDown! | SmackDown! | Wembley Arena | London, England |
| 13 November 2006 | Raw | Raw | Manchester Evening News Arena
|
Manchester, England |
| 14 November 2006 | ECW | ECW | Manchester Evening News Arena
|
Manchester, England |
| 14 November 2006 Aired 17 November 2006 |
SmackDown! | SmackDown! | Manchester Evening News Arena
|
Manchester, England |
| 23 April 2007 | Raw | Raw | Earls Court | London, England |
| 24 April 2007 | ECW | ECW | Earls Court | London, England |
| 24 April 2007 Aired 27 April 2007 |
SmackDown! | SmackDown! | Earls Court | London, England |
| 15 October 2007 | Raw | Raw | National Indoor Arena
|
Birmingham, England |
| 16 October 2007 | ECW | ECW | National Indoor Arena
|
Birmingham, England |
| 16 October 2007 Aired 19 October 2007 |
SmackDown! | SmackDown! | National Indoor Arena
|
Birmingham, England |
| 14 April 2008 | Raw | Raw | The O2 Arena | London, England |
| 15 April 2008 | ECW | ECW | The O2 Arena | London, England |
| 15 April 2008 Aired 18 April 2008 |
SmackDown | SmackDown | The O2 Arena | London, England |
| 10 November 2008 | Raw | Raw | Manchester Evening News Arena
|
Manchester, England |
| 11 November 2008 | ECW | ECW | Manchester Evening News Arena
|
Manchester, England |
| 11 November 2008 Aired 14 November 2008 |
SmackDown | SmackDown | Manchester Evening News Arena
|
Manchester, England |
| 11 November 2008 Aired 21 November 2008 |
SmackDown | SmackDown | Manchester Evening News Arena
|
Manchester, England |
| 20 April 2009 | Raw | Raw | The O2 Arena | London, England |
| 21 April 2009 | ECW | ECW | The O2 Arena | London, England |
| 21 April 2009 Aired 24 April 2009 |
SmackDown | SmackDown | The O2 Arena | London, England |
| 9 November 2009 | Raw | Raw | Sheffield Arena
|
Sheffield, England |
| 10 November 2009 | ECW | ECW | Sheffield Arena
|
Sheffield, England |
| 10 November 2009 Aired 13 November 2009 |
SmackDown | SmackDown | Sheffield Arena
|
Sheffield, England |
| 12 April 2010 | Raw | Raw | The O2 Arena | London, England |
| 13 April 2010 Aired 16 April 2010 |
SmackDown | SmackDown | The O2 Arena | London, England |
| 8 November 2010 | Raw | Raw | Manchester Evening News Arena
|
Manchester, England |
| 9 November 2010 Aired 12 November 2010 |
SmackDown | SmackDown | Manchester Evening News Arena
|
Manchester, England |
2011–present
NXT/NXT UK
On December 16, 2015, the WWE held their first NXT event in the UK, NXT TakeOver: London.[22] In January 2017, they returned for the first United Kingdom Championship Tournament,[23][24] with the second tournament in June 2018.[25][26] In May 2017 they also hosted a United Kingdom Championship Special from the UK.[27]
In a press conference at
When the championship was unveiled in December 2016, it was announced to be the top championship of a new WWE Network show, produced in the United Kingdom.[31][32] However, it was not until mid-2018 when WWE formally established NXT UK as the brand for their United Kingdom division.[33][34] The brand's show, also titled NXT UK, had its first tapings in July, which began airing on October 17.[35] On January 12, 2019, the first live special episode of NXT UK aired, called NXT UK TakeOver: Blackpool.[30][36]
Broadcast
WWE was originally broadcast in the United Kingdom on the Sky series of television channels beginning in the 1980s, with a small selection of shows (including Sunday Night Heat and four pay-per-views a year) briefly being broadcast on Channel 4 in 2000 and 2001.[37][38] In 2014, WWE renewed a 5 year deal with Sky to carry programmes through the end of 2019, which included Main Event being added to the schedule.[39][40]
In June 2019, TNT Sports (then known at the time as
WWE's online
BT Sport
| Name | Day | Channel |
|---|---|---|
| Raw | Tuesdays | TNT Sports 1 HD |
| NXT | Wednesday | TNT Sports 1 HD |
| SmackDown | Saturdays | TNT Sports 1 HD |
Pay-per-views
|
Mondays | TNT Sports Box Office HD |
Channel 5
Since February 2020,
| Name | Day | Channel |
|---|---|---|
| Raw Highlights | Sundays | 5Action |
SmackDown Highlights
|
Sundays | 5Action |
Miz and Mrs
|
Online Exclusive | My5 |
| Total Divas | Online Exclusive | My5 |
WWE Performance Center
The second WWE Performance Center branch opened on 11 January 2019 in Enfield, London.[48][49]
References
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- ^ "UK Rampage 91 - London, England - Docklands Arena - April 24, 1991". The History of WWE.
- ^ "WWF European Rampage Again Tour « Events Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database". www.cagematch.net. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
- ^ "WWF UK Rampage 1993 « Events Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database". www.cagematch.net. Retrieved 6 February 2018.
- ^ "Mayhem in Manchester". Pro Wrestling History. Retrieved 8 January 2009.
- ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip. "Card « WWF SummerSlam 1992 « Events Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database". www.cagematch.net. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
- ^ "WWF One Night Only « Events Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database". www.cagematch.net. Retrieved 19 March 2018.
- ^ "Capital Carnage Results". Pro Wrestling History. Retrieved 2008-08-31.
- ^ "Card « WWF No Mercy 1999 (UK) « Events Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database". www.cagematch.net. Retrieved 2019-05-15.
- ^ "Historical Cards: Rebellion (October 2, 1999. Birmingham, England)". PWI Presents: 2007 Wrestling Almanak and book of facts. Kappa Publications. p. 155. 2007 Edition.
- ^ "Historical Cards: Rebellion (December 2, 2000. Sheffield, England)". PWI Presents: 2007 Wrestling Almanak and book of facts. Kappa Publications. p. 156. 2007 Edition.
- ^ "Historical Cards: Rebellion (November 3, 2001. Manchester, England)". PWI Presents: 2007 Wrestling Almanak and book of facts. Kappa Publications. p. 156. 2007 Edition.
- ^ "Historical Cards: Rebellion (October 26, 2002. Manchester, England)". PWI Presents: 2007 Wrestling Almanak and book of facts. Kappa Publications. p. 157. 2007 Edition.
- ^ "WWF Insurrextion 2000 « Events Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database". www.cagematch.net. Retrieved 18 April 2018.
- ^ "WWF Insurrextion 2001 « Events Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database". www.cagematch.net. Retrieved 18 April 2018.
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- ^ "WWE Insurrextion 2003 « Events Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database". www.cagematch.net. Retrieved 18 April 2018.
- ^ Linder, Zach (21 December 2012). "WWE.com: Across the pond: The history of United Kingdom-exclusive pay-per-view events". WWE. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
- ^ Docking, Neil (9 November 2017). "Is this a clue WWE is bringing a pay-per-view to the UK?". Daily Mirror. Reach plc. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
The company hasn't held a PPV of any kind in the UK since Insurrextion at Newcastle's former Telewest Arena in July 2003.
- ^ Palmer, Mary (22 April 2016). "Live entertainment that packs a punch as WWE Raw & Smackdown come to Glasgow". GlasgowLive. Reach plc. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
It's the first time that WWE has ever been recorded in Scotland and acknowledges the recent wave of popularity that the sport has enjoyed.
- PWInsider. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
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- ^ "WWE United Kingdom Championship Tournament - Tag 2". Cagematch. Retrieved 2017-09-22.
- ^ "WWE United Kingdom Championship Tournament 2018 - Tag 1". cagematch.net. June 18, 2018. Retrieved June 18, 2018.
- ^ "WWE United Kingdom Championship Tournament 2018 - Tag 2". cagematch.net. June 19, 2018. Retrieved June 19, 2018.
- ^ Csonka, Larry. "Csonka's WWE UK Championship Special Review 5.19.17". 411Mania. Retrieved May 20, 2017.
- ^ Soucek, Andrew. "SOUCEK'S WWE UK CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT REPORT 1/15: Ongoing coverage of night two of UK Championship tournament". Pro Wrestling Torch. Retrieved January 15, 2017.
- ^ "Major news from Sunday night's NXT UK tapings (CAUTION: SPOILERS)". WWE. Retrieved 2019-05-15.
- ^ a b Powell, Jason. "1/12 Powell's NXT UK Takeover: Blackpool live review – Rhea Ripley vs. Toni Storm for the NXT UK Women's Championship, Pete Dunne vs. Joe Coffey for the WWE UK Championship, Trent Seven and Tyler Bate vs. Zack Gibson and James Drake to become the first NXT UK Tag Champions". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved January 12, 2019.
- ^ Currier, Joseph (December 15, 2016). "WWE to crown first United Kingdom Champion in January". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Retrieved December 15, 2016.
- Pro Wrestling Torch. Retrieved December 15, 2016.
- ^ "Johnny Saint named GM of WWE's United Kingdom brand". WWE. Retrieved 2018-06-07.
- ^ "WWE announces Johnny Saint as UK brand general manager". 7 June 2018. Retrieved 12 June 2018.
- ^ "NXT UK joins WWE Network's already packed Wednesday line-up". Retrieved 11 October 2018.
- ^ Garoon, Brad. "NXT UK 26". Brad Garoon Dot Com. Retrieved January 16, 2019.
- ^ Seddon, Dan (21 January 2020). "WWE highlights coming to free UK TV for the first time in almost 20 years". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on 21 January 2020. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
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- ^ "WWE UK TV rights heading to BT Sport - BT Sport". TV Newsroom. 2019-05-18. Retrieved 2019-05-20.
- ^ Nissim, Mayer (2014-01-30). "WWE signs new five-year deal with Sky". Digital Spy. Retrieved 2019-05-21.
- BT Sport. 20 June 2019. Archived from the original on 20 June 2019. Retrieved 2 August 2021. [dead link]
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Content will also be made available on Channel 5's streaming service My5, including reality shows Total Divas and Miz & Mrs.
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