SummerSlam
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SummerSlam is an annual professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event held in August by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). The event is dubbed as "The Biggest Party of the Summer".[1] Along with WrestleMania, Royal Rumble and Survivor Series, SummerSlam is one of the "Big Four" pay-per-views and was one of the original four annual WWE pay-per-views.[2]
History
Development
[[Image:Msg2005d.JPG|thumb|right|300px|Madison Square Garden has hosted SummerSlam three times, as well as the IZOD CENTER In the late 1980s, Vince McMahon's World Wrestling Federation (WWF)'s main competition in the professional wrestling industry was from Jim Crockett Promotions (JCP). McMahon countered Jim Crockett's successful Starrcade pay-per-view, which began airing in 1983, by creating the WrestleMania franchise. After WrestleMania III, the most successful pay-per-view event in history up to that point, McMahon created the Survivor Series franchise, which he planned to air the same day as Starrcade '87 in November 1987. After defeating Crockett in the ratings war, McMahon created the Royal Rumble, an event airing for free on the USA Network in January 1988, which set a ratings record for the network with eight million households tuning in to watch the event. In retaliation, Crockett created the Clash of the Champions event, which aired simultaneously with WrestleMania IV. WrestleMania IV garnered higher ratings, and not long after, Crockett filed for bankruptcy and sold his company to Ted Turner, who renamed it World Championship Wrestling.[3] As the WWF continued to replace its closed circuit programming with pay-per-view programming, McMahon decided to add more pay-per-views to the lineup to capitalize on the success of his previous events. In addition to WrestleMania in March, the Royal Rumble in January, and Survivor Series in November, McMahon decided to create an event for August, which he named SummerSlam. To keep the WWF from having a pay-per-view market monopoly, Turner also began airing monthly pay-per-views, and both companies began bringing in hundreds of millions of dollars of revenue.[2]
SummerSlam went on to become one of World Wrestling Federation (and later World Wrestling Entertainment)'s most successful events and one of the "Big Four" pay-per-views, along with WrestleMania, Survivor Series, and the Royal Rumble.[4] Those four events, along with King of the Ring are also known as the "Classic Five".[5]
Brand extension
The first SummerSlam was held on August 29 1988 in Madison Square Garden in New York City. In 2002, WWE instituted a brand extension, where the roster was split and wrestlers and pay-per-views were made exclusive to the RAW and SmackDown! brands. As a result, SummerSlam, WrestleMania, the Royal Rumble, and Survivor Series were the only four events featuring wrestlers and matches from both brands.[6] The 2006 event was the first to also feature the newly created ECW brand.[7] In 2007, however, all pay-per-views began once again featuring talent from all three brands.[6]
Dates and venues
DVD box set
WWE will be releasing a complete DVD box set entitled SummerSlam: The Complete Anthology, which showcases every SummerSlam event in its entirety, in August 2008.[9]
Footnotes
- ^ Louie Dee (May 17, 2006). "Let the Party Begin". WWE.com. Retrieved 2008-05-12.
- ^ a b Shaun Assael. Sex, Lies, & Headlocks, 94–95.
- ^ Shaun Assael. Sex, Lies, & Headlocks, 74–80.
- ^ Ian Hamilton (2006). Wrestling's Sinking Ship: What Happens to an Industry Without Competition. Lulu.com. p. 160. ISBN 1411612108.
- ^ Brian Shields (4th Edition 2006). Main Event: WWE in the Raging 80s. Pocket Books. p. 166. ISBN 9781416532576.
{{cite book}}: Check date values in:|year=(help)CS1 maint: year (link) - ^ a b "WWE Pay-Per-Views To Follow WrestleMania Formula". WWE Corporate. March 14, 2007. Retrieved 2008-05-14.
- ^ Dale Plummer and Nick Tylwalk (August 21, 2006). "Flair & Hogan top average SummerSlam". SLAM! Wrestling. Retrieved 2008-05-14.
- ^ "Greatest Moments in Pay-Per-View History". WWE Magazine: 64–65. 2007.
{{cite journal}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help); Unknown parameter|month=ignored (help) - ^ WWE: SummerSlam: The Complete Anthology (DVD). WWE Home Video. 2008.
References
- General
- "SummerSlam Event History". Pro Wrestling History. Retrieved 2008-05-12.
- Specific
- Shaun Assael and Mike Mooneyham (2002). Sex, Lies, and Headlocks: The Real Story of Vince McMahon and World Wrestling Entertainment. Crown. ISBN 1400051436.
- Brian Shields (4th Edition 2006). Main Event: WWE in the Raging 80s. Pocket Books. ISBN 9781416532576.
{{cite book}}: Check date values in:|year=(help)CS1 maint: year (link) - Ian Hamilton (2006). Wrestling's Sinking Ship: What Happens to an Industry Without Competition. Lulu.com. ISBN 1411612108.