While once almost the exclusive domain of continental North America, WWE has shown an increasing willingness to take premium live events (or PLEs) to other locales. The home country of one of its most fast-rising current stars could be added to that list in the not too distant future.
According to Fightful Select (subscription required), “WWE has spoken with reps in Australia to gauge interest of a potential PLE event.” No specifics were given on when or in what part of the country a show might take place.
The timing for those discussions is fitting. WWE is currently in the midst of a WrestleMania to SummerSlam stretch where none of its PLEs are in the continental U.S. or Canada. Backlash just set records in Puerto Rico this past weekend. Night of Champions will take place in Saudi Arabia later this month before Money in the Bank hits The O2 Arena in London in early July.
Australia has so far played host to just one previous premium live event, Super Show-Down on Oct. 6, 2018. That show originated from the Melbourne Cricket Ground and featured a main event promoted as the last match ever between Triple H and The Undertaker, a claim that ended up sort of true as it was the last singles match between the two legends (though they faced off in a tag team match the following month).
Super Show-Down had an announced attendance of more than 70,000, and even though Wrestling Observer claimed the actual number of fans at the show was around 62,000, there was a huge crowd on hand regardless. Australia is clearly a market with the population and appetite for a WWE stadium show.
It’s also more relevant than ever in terms of the current WWE roster. SmackDown Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley, who’s seen her profile rise considerably over the past year and a half, is a native Australian, born Adelaide. Fellow Aussies Indi Hartwell (Melbourne) and Grayson Waller (Sydney) were among the NXT call-ups in the recent WWE Draft.
With no lack of venues to host a show, homegrown talent on the rise and proof that overseas fans will turn out in big numbers, a PLE in Australia over the next 18 months would make a lot of sense, and there would undoubtedly b plenty of fans who would be thrilled if one came together.