- CM Punk at SummerSlam.
- Liam Gallagher as special guest host
- WrestleMania as a Champions League final
WWE has a ton of marketable superstars
At the time of writing, we are a week removed from GUNTHER probably securing his maiden World Heavyweight Championship and Drew McIntyre finally facing off against CM Punk at SummerSlam. The Austrian and the Glaswegian represent two pillars of what is likely to be WWE’s main event scene for the foreseeable future. GUNTHER, the record-breaking former Intercontinental Champion and current King Of The Ring, may just be the greatest wrestler in the world at this moment in time, laying on instant classics with almost everybody he steps inside the squared circle with. McIntyre, meanwhile, has been embroiled in the company’s most personal rivalry in 2024, trading piercing barbs and body blows with CM Punk in wild brawls and even wilder interview segments. Although the Scotsman should have probably been coronated as World Heavyweight Champion at Clash At The Castle in his hometown, in June, his momentum has refused to slow, as McIntyre continues to put forth the finest work of his career.
Dedicated UK fanbase
In addition to these two heavyweight goliaths with massive, dedicated UK fanbases, WWE’s roster is packed with British, Irish and European talents, who could all feature prominently at a London ‘Mania. Pete Dunne and Tyler Bate have long been two of the company’s best in-ring workers, whether as a tag team or on opposite sides of the ring. The hilarity of Pretty Deadly in the tag division always makes for must see TV and would only benefit further from the grandeur and spectacle of being placed in front of over 80,000 fans inside Wembley. Becky Lynch, Finn Balor and Sheamus are longstanding legends hailing from the Emerald Isle and would no doubt be supported with the fervour of a cup final inside Wembley. Elsewhere, Russia’s Ilja Dragunov is thought very highly of by the people who matter within WWE which, combined with his world-class abilities between the ropes, likely means a permanent position for him near the top of the card in the near future. His history in the UK indies also bodes well for his involvement in a marquee position at a London ‘Mania. And that’s not forgetting the Scottish contingent, either, with Women’s Tag Team Champions Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn and recent WWE Women’s Title challenger Piper Niven all well followed and well respected by WWE management and fans alike.
Celebrity involvement could be the greatest of all time
Liam Gallagher in the Snoop Dogg position as special guest host, headbutting his way to victory in an impromptu match against The Miz. Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury choosing partners to face off against each other in a tag team match for the ages. Adele belting out the national anthem and Dua Lipa delivering a 619 to Rhea Ripley. Idris Elba as special guest referee for one of the main events. Tom Hardy knocking out Grayson Waller. Roy Keane, Ian Wright, Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher doing post-match analysis. Give us all of this and you’ve got the greatest WrestleMania of all time, guaranteed.
The most unique mania in history
The hijacking of shows by the British fans might not always be to everyone’s tastes, but on the level of WrestleMania, it will become unforgettable for all the right reasons. WrestleMania as a Champions League final, with chants straight from the terraces, pubs and bars transported to World Title bouts and death defying ladder matches. The European shows so far this year have dropped jaws stateside at just how loud and impassioned they have been. Add another 60,000 fans each night to that chaos and you have atmospheres that may never, ever be topped.
New generation of fans in a weekend
Even over 30 years later, SummerSlam ’92 remains a reference point for countless wrestling fans in the United Kingdom. The sight of the Legion of Doom roaring their motorbikes through the masses and The British Bulldog overcoming Bret Hart for the Intercontinental Title in an all timer of a main event have ingrained themselves on the collective memories of millions. It was an event that captured the imaginations of a generation, who were immediately turned onto the WWE product for a lifetime. Over thirty years on, a WrestleMania week, complete with conventions, the Hall of Fame, Raw, SmackDown and wall-to-wall media coverage for weeks leading up to the showpiece, would undoubtedly reproduce the same result as SummerSlam ’92, only tenfold. With NXT Europe still reportedly in the pipeline, a London WrestleMania would not only be an unforgettable week, it could be the launchpad for an entire European territory for the company and millions of new fans.
London mania could mean the Superbowl is next Sadiq Khan’s vision for London hosting major international sporting events wasn’t limited to WrestleMania. The Mayor of London also namedropped the Superbowl and, should WrestleMania prove to be a roaring, money spinning success, the NFL would undoubtedly follow suit. Given the fact one fixture a season is already played in the capital and has been for years now, the Superbowl making its way across the Atlantic Ocean has felt like it could be a formality for some time already. The Grandaddy of ‘em All rolling
