WWE To Have Sports-Themed Shows & Multi-Brand World Cup?

In a follow-up to today’s earlier reports of WWE looking to use more themed shows in order to boost ratings and ticket sales, Fightful Select adds that several sports-based ideas are also on the table.

The initial chatter on this was that WWE is currently weighing up revisiting concepts like Raw Roulette, the King of the Ring tournament and the Cyber Sunday/Taboo Tuesday model later in the year and through to 2022.

Now, Fightful is reporting that FOX and USA/NBCU are playing big parts in the push for more themed episodes of Raw and SmackDown – including several pitches being made based around NBC Sports.

Those pitches have suggested NASCAR-driven events to tie in with major races, with drivers and cars being incorporated into WWE programming. Similarly, a pitch has been made for an NFL Night to coincide with the launch of Sunday Night Football, featuring NFL-themed matches and stories, and the use of NFL players and commentators.

That’s still not it, though, for another idea is for a Wrestling World Cup that would feature all WWE brands. Points would be attributed to each brand based on wins, signature moves and other variables. Of course, this wouldn’t be the first time a World Cup format of sorts has been utilised in professional wrestling, but it would be the first time that WWE has fully embraced such a concept - having held a World Cup in name alone at 2018's Crown Jewel special.

Whether any of these pitches come to fruition and make it to WWE TV remains to be seen, although WWE is clearly trying to think of something, anything to improve ratings and push ticket sales ahead of returning to the road next month.