10 Things You Didn't Know About WWE SummerSlam

SummerSlam 2023 will be the 36th entry into WWE's iconic pay-per-view series. The show launched in 1988 as a summer complement to WrestleMania, and quickly became one of the "big four" events alongside 'Mania, Royal Rumble and Survivor Series. It's cherished by fans young and old, and is still going strong today.

There's also a lot you probably don't know about the 'Slam.

You won't believe some of the facts and stories included here. For example, do you know which daredevil wrestler was handpicked to deliver a speech about safety to everyone involved in the first TLC bout? Or, how about how many people in total have bought tickets to attend SummerSlam over the years?

WWE almost opened the now-permanently ajar "Forbidden Door" before Tony Khan and AEW could too. That was actually one Chris Jericho's idea, but Vince McMahon wouldn't listen and didn't think it'd be something the core fanbase would be interested in anyway. Was that a missed opportunity, or the right call?

Enjoy all these SummerSlam facts. There's a little bit of everything, including blood, unique stats, wild pitches that went nowhere and erm...dodgeball. Yes, dodgeball!

SummerSlam is one of WWE's most popular PLEs every single year, and has progressed to the point of becoming a mid-year stadium show that pads company coffers. Attendances will soar in coming years, but just how many people have attended all 35 events between 1988-2022 to date?

Get ready for this: It's a whopping 735,997 folks.

Yes, if you add up all of the reported attendance figures from SummerSlam 1988 up until last year's show, you'll get that number. It's a staggering amount. Almost three quarters of a million folks have traded in a ticket stub for the "Biggest Party Of The Summer". Obviously, that number will shoot up post-SummerSlam 2023.

It's worth noting that the 2020 event isn't included here. Well, it is, but the number of fans in attendance was negligible anyway. WWE were forced behind closed doors at the Amway Center in Orlando (ThunderDome style), so the show took place in front of exactly zero people live.