8 Times WWE Rewarded Its UK Audience
Because WWE hasn't always served up the dross seen on its recent UK tour.
Hot on the heels of two absolutely abysmal UK showings from WWE, what better time to reflect on those times when the company actually delivered something truly special for their British fans?
As somebody who was in attendance for the recent Manchester Arena tapings of SmackDown and Raw, it's without even a shred of exaggeration to say that it was a painful, draining experience. Sure, seeing WALTER and Imperium turning up was always going to be a major plus point, but the rest of that five hours of WWE content was shockingly bad - to the point that Russo Era WCW similarities were being made.
It's not always been this bad, of course, and WWE has often rewarded its UK fans with memorable moments and matches that are still revered to this day. Right now, though, it's a little hard to reminisce about those great times when it's so hard to get through the current WWE product, period, let alone the programming that's showcased in front of UK audiences.
As wrestling fans continue to wash the bad taste of these most recent WWE UK shows out of their mouths, let's take a look at those times when WWE served up something genuinely fantastic for its British audience.
8. Battle Royal At The Albert Hall
By 1991, it was clear that the United Kingdom had become a key market for Vince McMahon’s World Wrestling Federation, and the UK was seen as the promotion’s second-most pivotal audience behind North America.
As a way to reward its UK fans – and to cash-in on that fandom – it was decided that a special event would be held at London’s Royal Albert Hall. Dubbed Battle Royal at the Albert Hall, the show made sure that British fans were left with a smile on their face by the time all was said and done.
Getting to see big wins for Ric Flair, The Undertaker, and The Legion of Doom was one way to impress the watching audience, but the icing on the cake was seeing Davey Boy Smith first defeat The Barbarian in singles action before he would then close out the show by winning a 20-man Battle Royal contest which featured heavy hitters such as the aforementioned Flair, ‘Taker, and LOD, and other major stars like Roddy Piper, Earthquake, and Kerry Von Erich.
While the then-WWF clearly couldn’t have predicted it, the London audience were also treated to the last TV appearance of the iconic Andre the Giant, who would pass away in January 1993.