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WWE held The Great American Bash event earlier this month and although it wasn't a pay-per-view, it was a special event that really showed some promising potential. In fact, between the inter-brand warfare that took place at periods throughout the event and the buzz it created, The Great American Bash was fun to watch play out.
With that being said and The Great American Bash now behind us, here are five reasons why the company should do more events like it in the future. As always, let us know your thoughts in the comments below and tell us what you thought of The Great American Bash event.
#5. Could help Raw and SmackDown
It's no secret that WWE has to answer to television networks when it comes to their weekly products and sometimes that can be hard to do. Not only is that evident by the ongoing pandemic making it difficult for WWE to create an electrifying atmosphere, but also by WWE continuing to try to find ways to keep the product as engaging as possible.
Now, WWE has done everything in their power to rectify this situation, including bringing in NXT talent as fans, having Superstars on commentary, and creating cinematic matches, but it doesn't always work. What could work, however, is more of these themed pay-per-view-like nights.
Think about it! RAW and SmackDown's anniversary episodes are ratings-grabbers every single year and there is a reason for that. The reason is that they are events where fans can expect the company to deviate from the norm, do something different and create a memorable moment.
Maybe having more events like The Great American Bash is a way to achieve that and bring some unpredictability back to RAW and SmackDown.
#4. Gets fans buzzing
Let's be honest here. There is no one better at creating a buzz around a specific event than WWE and they more than proved that during The Great American Bash. Not only was that evident by the fact that WWE defeated AEW in ratings yet again, but also by how much Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter were flooded with comments about the night's events.
If nothing else, this proves just how good the company can be at getting people talking and shifting attention away from other popular media. It also shows that The WWE Universe is still responsive to special event nights, which is good to know for future endeavors.
In all honesty, WWE hit a pretty decent sized home run at The Great American Bash and need to be thinking about how to capitalize on it. Maybe not right away, especially since it will take away from the uniqueness of the event, but eventually it should be followed up on.
#3. Could help during the down season
Could The Great American Bash be the answer to WWE's problems?
It's no secret that WWE suffers a down period during the fall months of the year and a lot of that has to do with the plethora of other sports or television shows available during that time. This unfortunately forces WWE to spin their wheels storytelling wise and frequently angers the fans that still choose to watch the product.
So why not go all out and do more special events like The Great American Bash and give fans a reason to choose WWE? Think about it! All the company has to do is give fans a good reason to tune in, whether that be a dream match, a big title match, or a cross-brand match, and fans will flock to it.
In the end, WWE is in a battle for the hearts and minds of fans everywhere, which is why they need to start upping the ante. If nothing else, events like The Great American Bash could be the beginning of WWE shifting the tide towards more people choosing the company during down periods
#2. Great promotion for the network
WWE is always trying to find new ways to promote The WWE Network to their viewers and believe it or not, events like The Great American Bash could be a turning point in that battle. It could even be the start of WWE offering up more appetizer-like special events to get fans hyped up to buy the network.
Think about it! What did watching The Great American bash make you want to do more than anything else? It made everyone want to discuss and watch more pro wrestling, which is all available on The WWE Network. In fact, it's free and really helps get newer fans invested in the overall product.
In the end, these are the kind of events that make you want to buy a network subscription and WWE needs to capitalize on that. How they ultimately do that is up to them and will depend on how they choose to make these events appealing, but the pieces are definitely there for some cross-promotion.
#1. Cross-brand warfare
While there are countless benefits to the idea of doing more special events like The Great American Bash, it would also be a great way to implement more cross-brand warfare. In fact, Sasha Banks versus Io Shirai at WWE's The Great American Bash is absolute proof of what that can do for someone's career.
Not only did it show that Shirai can hang with the best of the best in WWE, but it also was a chance for WWE to showcase more of those dream matches that fans have been wanting. The Great American Bash was also a sort of mini pay per view, which really seemed to appeal to fans.
In all honesty, this was a giant step for WWE and it shows that there is a legitimate interest in these type of events in the future. It is also a perfect excuse to start having inter-brand shows again, which could help WWE in the ratings if the right storylines are implemented.
