10 Things You Didn't Know About WWE In 1991
6. WWF = Bigger Than MADONNA
Wrestling is a cyclical industry.
In a sobering parallel between AEW in 2023 and the WWF of 1992, each promotion drew an enormous crowd to Wembley Stadium as domestic business softened. The first trend actually started a year prior, which compelled Vince McMahon to run SummerSlam 1992 in London.
In October, the WWF toured the United Kingdom and Europe to staggering, record-breaking effect. In another parallel, the WWF caught ablaze in Great Britain, much as it had in the States years prior, through the rise of Sky Sports. The UK equivalent to cable TV took longer to reshape the landscape, but eventually, the WWF reaped the rewards for a second time. Kids in schools the land over annoyed their parents into forking out for an exorbitant subscription because the Fed was the talk of the playground. Vince McMahon and the Premier League drove Sky to households.
The WWF occupied a bizarre transatlantic space between turmoil and triumph.
Strange, but incandescent: the WWF was so hot over here that a Wembley Arena show on October 14 sold out in 56 minutes. At the time, this was the fastest sell-out in the history of the building - breaking the record set by Madonna.
That context is frankly insane: in 1991, Madonna was the talk of the tabloids, a figure of seismic controversy, and was touring the Immaculate Collection: the best-selling greatest hits album ever released by a solo artist. The WWF show was headlined by The Legion of Doom Vs. The Nasty Boys.
Brian Knobbs: bigger draw than Madonna confirmed.