5 PPVs WWE should bring back

After a combined 31 pay-per-view events in 2016 and 2017, WWE has scaled back on its broadcasting schedule and will only air 13 PPVs on the WWE Network in 2018.

The decision to decrease the number of events was largely received well by fans, especially considering how underwhelming some of the brand-exclusive shows were in 2017, but has WWE kept the right PPVs going forward?

The Royal Rumble, Elimination Chamber, Fastlane, WrestleMania, Greatest Royal Rumble and Backlash events have already been held in 2018, while Money In The Bank, Extreme Rules, SummerSlam, Hell In A Cell, TLC, Survivor Series and Clash of Champions are all set to follow before the year is out.

In this article, let’s take a look at five past PPVs that WWE should consider bringing back next year.

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#5 Cyber Sunday

There has never been a better time to have a social media PPV

When WWE previously allowed fans to vote on match types and match participants via social media, the results were usually taken from WWE.com, the WWE app or, in later years, Twitter hashtags.

It meant that viewers of Taboo Tuesday (2004-2005), later revamped and rebranded as Cyber Sunday (2006-2008), would hop online while watching the show to vote for Superstars to compete in certain matches – something that would work much better now with social media, which was nowhere near as big then as it is now.

With Twitter and Facebook allowing accounts to conduct polls, everybody would be able to see the outright winner of the vote (in other words, we know for sure that the outcome isn’t rigged!) and casual fans might be more inclined to watch the PPV if their vote wins the poll.

#4 Insurrextion and Rebellion

The UK wrestling scene is thriving right now

Every time Triple H, Stephanie McMahon and other WWE representatives conduct interviews during UK media tours, they are always asked if WrestleMania will ever be held in England.

The usual answer is “never say never” but, realistically, when you consider that there hasn’t been a main-roster PPV on UK shores since 2003, the chances of WWE holding their biggest annual event overseas are extremely slim.

Alternatively, at least as a short-term test to gauge the demand for potential bigger shows in the future, the UK fans would certainly appreciate it if WWE brought back the twice-yearly Insurrextion and Rebellion events that took place between 1999 and 2003.

#3 King of the Ring

The first King of the Ring was held in 1985

It was announced earlier this year that a King of the Ring tournament will take place in June 2018 to determine a new #1 contender for the United Kingdom Championship.

While the upcoming tournament is certainly a step in the right direction, it's still a little disappointing that there hasn’t been a main-roster King of the Ring pay-per-view since way back in 2002 when Brock Lesnar was crowned ‘King’ after defeating Rob Van Dam.

The most recent KOTR revamp in 2015 was a one-hour special simply designed to encourage fans to watch the WWE Network, but a return of the tournament in its original format, with semi-finals and the final itself taking place on the PPV, would be a refreshing change in 2019.

Everyone would prefer an annual KOTR over Backlash or Battleground, right?

#2 WarGames

The NXT WarGames match was a huge success

WWE fans had every right to feel sceptical when it was announced that the WarGames match would be brought back for NXT TakeOver in November 2017.

However, such concerns went away when The Undisputed Era, SAnitY and the Authors of Pain & Roderick Strong exceeded expectations in the main event of the Houston show, leaving us to wonder when the next WarGames match will take place.

Unless Triple H plans to have an annual TakeOver: WarGames event, WWE could do far worse than take the concept onto the main roster and have a PPV based on the brutal match.

#1 No Way Out

Eddie Guerrero defeated Brock Lesnar at No Way Out 2004

If this PPV were to be brought back today, the term ‘No Way Out’ should be taken literally and the main match(es) on the show should either be inside a steel cage, Hell In A Cell, the Elimination Chamber or, as we previously mentioned, perhaps even WarGames.

That would mean the end of the Hell In A Cell and Elimination Chamber PPVs, which might not be such a bad idea when you think about the number of underwhelming feuds that have culminated inside the once-iconic structures simply because it was the next PPV on WWE’s calendar.

For example, was Ryback’s 2015 Intercontinental title win really worthy of taking place inside the Elimination Chamber? No. And did Roman Reigns’ feuds with Bray Wyatt in 2015 and Rusev in 2016 really deserve to be settled inside HIAC? No.

The only way those match types can feel special again is if they take place on a less frequent basis – and a structure-themed No Way Out PPV, built around just one of the aforementioned match types, would certainly help do that.

Are there any other PPVs you would like to see make a comeback? Comment below!