THE waiting is over - the World Wrestling Entertainment wrestlers are in Manchester.
The WWE is staging their flagship TV shows in the city on Monday, October 11 and Tuesday, October 12, bringing them out of the US for the first time as part of a year-long push into the UK by the sports entertainment giants.
The TV tapings come at the end of a major tour of UK arenas by both Raw and Smackdown! wrestlers, including Blackpool born grappler William Regal.
"Our fans in the UK are incredible, and their loyalty, combined with the exceptional retail and licensing programs we have in the UK, is a linchpin to our strategy to expand WWE's global presence,' said WWE vice president Shane McMahon.
"Our UK initiative is groundbreaking for us, our business partners, and our fans.
Expansion
"It will develop the model we plan to use in other countries as we further implement our global expansion strategy.'
Manchester has traditionally been a hot crowd for the WWE during house show tours and UK-only pay per view events, with the fan support helping convince the WWE to stage their first overseas tapings of Raw and Smackdown in the city.
With both Raw and Smackdown! attracting big TV audiences in the US, the city is likely to enjoy high profile exposure from the broadcasts, particularly with them being the first time either has left the continental US.
The WWE has also confirmed it would be returning to the UK with Raw and Smackdown! in April, although it did not say whether Manchester would once again play host to the shows.
Alice Morrison, Chief Executive of North West Vision, welcomed the announcement.
"This is great news for Manchester as this should hopefully create new jobs for media professionals in England's Northwest and create a significant amount of inward investment into our local economy.
Are you looking forward to the WWE shows? Have your say.
Comments
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I can't wait because I have been a WWE fan for three years. I went to the Manchester show on May 28 and it was the greatest night of my life. I will definitely get tickets for both shows because it being the real shows rather than house shows means that all the superstars will be there.
OH HELL YEAH! I can't wait for Raw and Smackdown to come to England and do there televised shows. I've been to two wrestling shows - Passport To Pain and Tour Of Defiance - and they were that good, there isn't even a word out there in the world to described it. Those shows were not televised, but when Raw and Smackdown come to Manchester, they'll be LIVE! I think it's a great idea, it will attract more fans, and it's a chance for people in England to go to a televised show just like me, so thank you!
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! WWE LIVE IN MANCHESTER, WELL I SAY JUST BRING IT! i`ve been a wrestling fan for years now, and the chance to see it live is unbelievable. I have been to events such as, passport to pain and tour of defiance, and i loved every hair raising moment of it. its great to see the wrestlers up close and personal, and it gives you a great feeling watching them perform, and now knowing that its live and being broadcast all over the world makes it that extra bit sweet. So my thanks to the WWE for this special announcment, and making this a night to truely remember.
VIVA LA RAZA!!
I am one of wwe's biggest fans and i have tickets to the london show, but i think that taping raw and smackdown shows in the uk is great but the dates are to close to other shows. Alot of fans will be disapointed that they will not beable to go to the live shows because they have already purchased tickets for the dates already booked earlier in the year. As i would have loved to go to live Smackdown.
WWE is the greatest show on earth. I've been watching it for 3 years and have loved recent storylines. I am going to the smackdown event in October. This will be my 3rd Live WWE Event I've been apart of. As I went to the RAW TOUR OF DEFIANCE and the SMACKDOWN PASSPORT TO PAIN. They were great Woooooooooooooooooo!
Does anybody know if Shawn Michaels will be at the Raw tapings?? xoxo
i have been a wrestling fan for 6 years and have been to Wwe Passport to pain and Wwe tour of defiance and have got tickets to smackdown! on october 12th, it's gonna rule as both the non-televised shows did.
It is great that the WWE is starting up in Manchester.
I love the WWE.
I'm delighted.I love watching them in the U.S States and i will love seeing them live here in England!!!!!!!!!
I went to see wrestling in Manchester and it was great! I can't wait till it comes back over I think it should come over more often has I think they are both great shows and the wrestlers are great to hope to see wwe in England soon 1 of your biggest fans
Yvette Manchester
Nottingham England