On the one hand, one can understand why WWE didnt go crazy plugging Saturdays special event. It aired at 5:30am on the U.S. East Coast on a Saturday (and Independence Day, to boot). It was the first live televised event from Japan. Only half the roster was on the tour, leading to some unusual matchups. At the same time, its disappointing that WWE didnt take the opportunity to really push this as a unique viewing experience. Aside from the video that aired as a bumper between Raw and commercials and plugs on NXT for the title match, WWE didnt really make a huge deal about the event. The one-hour King of the Ring tournament program was hyped more. By limiting the hype, WWE could have been setting the bar low and seeing how many people tuned in on a Saturday morning before deciding whether to do it again. But still, Brock Lesnars first match since WrestleMania and Chris Jerichos return to the ring should have warranted more publicity.
Scott is a former journalist and longtime wrestling fan who was smart enough to abandon WCW during the Monday Night Wars the same time as the Radicalz. He fondly remembers watching WrestleMania III, IV, V and VI and Saturday Night's Main Event, came back to wrestling during the Attitude Era, and has been a consumer of sports entertainment since then. He's written for WhatCulture for more than a decade, establishing the Ups and Downs articles for WWE Raw and WWE PPVs/PLEs and composing pieces on a variety of topics.
