10 Times WWE REJECTED Million Dollar Ideas

3. SummerSlam 1992, Part Two

MJF Tough Enough
WWE

Triple H was once brave/stupid enough to go on record in saying that SummerSlam 1992 wasn't a business success story for WWE, but some petty timezone-related takes on the buyrate miss about six different points about why the sold out Wembley event was such a smash.

It was, for decades, the company's legitimate first or second biggest drawing house ever, capitalising as it did on the enormous success of WWE this side of the Atlantic. Most misread the event as the peak of the UK's love affair with the organisation, but in reality was merely the crest of a second boom.

The legendary event was so enormous that it left a footprint that never faded during WWE's domestic nadir. Drop-off was anecdotally evident heading into 1996 before the company's monster rebirth in 1997, but Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels' records as non-draws might not have been so scathing if WWE had operated out of the United Kingdom in the lean years.

All this is to say that it feels somewhat scandalous (and financially irresponsible) that a return to the country's national stadium was never even seriously considered until the rumoured 30th anniversary event in 2002. The titular millions aren't (just) made at the box office or merch stand, but in the legacy. As somebody that worked overtime to preserve his own, you'd think 'The Game' would have considered that.

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Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett