It was announced yesterday that WWE will be hosting a big stadium show this September from The Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales. It will be the first show of itâs kind since Wembley hosted in SummerSlam in 1992, with a crowd of 70,000 plus expected to pack out the yet to be named event. GiveMeSport lists six things weâd like to see go down on September 3rd⦠Drew McIntyre in the main event While Drew would have had nothing to do with the planning or negotiating of WWEâs trip to Cardiff in September, his influence on the UK finally getting a major stadium show cannot be denied. Ever since McIntyre was positioned as a main event star in WWE, heâs used that platform to champion a major event coming back to these shores. In nearly every interview heâs done - and heâs done a LOT of media since his ascension in 2020 - heâs mentioned wanting the UK to have a big stadium show. So, thank you Drew, and now itâs time for his reward, by main eventing the show. The perfect scenario would be a headline act of Drew McIntyre vs. Roman Reigns in which The Scottish Warrior is the man who finally dethrones the all-conquering champ. However, if WWE donât see Drew as THAT guy, then a marquee match with Tyson Fury could be the alternative. Finally putting a tin lid on the sniping across social media between the pair with a huge main event bout that would gather a huge mainstream interest.
A nod to SummerSlam 1992
Itâs been thirty years since WWE took over Wembley Stadium for one the biggest events in the companyâs history, where Bret Hart and The British Bulldog headlined to 80,000 fans in London. Itâs hard to believe itâs taken three decades for a similar event to take place over here and it would be nice to see small nod to the events of the historic show. The easy option would be an appearance from Hart, who could open the show and is still a big enough name to the casuals that will probably be enticed to this event along with the rest of the UK fanbase. It would be fitting to bookend from the main event of â92 and a hot start to what will be a rabid crowd inside Cardiffâs Principality Stadium.
A âproperâ PPV
Fans of a certain vintage will slightly wince at the names âInsurextionâ and âCapital Carnageâ even if we all had fun attending/watching those shows. The cards were always great, and the big stars always featured, but deep down they were always glorified live events that WWE dressed up as special PPV shows for the UK audience. Although September isnât SummerSlam, what it needs to be is a show of consequence and one that falls in-line with WWEâs current programming. As itâs already scheduled as part of their Premium Live Event calendar, itâs expected to be exactly that, much like the more recent shows in Saudi Arabia. Therefore, fans can expect the big matches and big feuds to play a massive part of this massive event, rather than the showcase shows we put up with in the late nineties and early 2000s. All breathe a sigh of relief.
NXT UK representation
With the eyes of the WWE Universe on the event in September, it gives WWE the perfect opportunity to give the stars of NXT UK a platform to shine. Whether thatâs through a separate TakeOver style event as part of the weekendâs festivities or inclusion in the actual event, it seems logical to strengthen their UK brand by including it as part of the fun. Theyâve already found quick success with Gunther, Pretty Deadly and Kay Lee Ray and thereâs plenty more where they came from on NXT UK. Especially when you add in the Welsh factor of Mark Andrews, Flash Morgan Webster and Eddie Dennis, who would get a raucous reception from a home crowd in Cardiff.
Well known Welsh factor
We all know WWE are never shy from adding some celebrity sparkle to their major events, and this should be no exception. Letâs âWelsh-upâ the show by having Katherine Jenkins sing the national anthem, with a World Cup on the horizon somehow include Gareth Bale and/or Aaron Ramsey and if WWE can avoid the cheesiness of it all, why not Tom Jones, too? Of course, they donât all have to be well-known Welsh men and women, and Iâm sure WWE will dip into the UK contacts book and get Tyson Fury involved, as well as some familiar faces from global screen successes like James Bond and Dr. Who to up the âBritishnessâ of the event.
A Cardiff Takeover
WWE need to treat this event like a transatlantic WrestleMania and give fans a whole weekend of WWE-ness in Cardiff this September. This means a âwarm-upâ event like an NXT UK show as already mentioned, a WrestleMania style Axcess for the thousands of fans who will traveling from all-over Europe for the show, and a real takeover of the town for that weekend. That means banners on every corner, WWE Superstars all over the TV and the company truly creating that WWE bubble that is so unique when it comes to their big events in the States.