| WWE in Australia | |
|---|---|
  | |
| Created by | Vince McMahon |
| Promotions | WWE |
| Brands | Raw SmackDown NXT |
| First event | 1985 tour |
WWE, an American professional wrestling promotion based in Stamford, Connecticut in the United States owned by TKO Group Holdings, has been promoting events in Australia since 1985 when they were the World Wrestling Federation.
WWF first toured the country in 1985, visiting Melbourne, Perth, Newcastle and through Brisbane and Melbourne again in 1986. The next time WWE came to Australia was for the WWE Global Warning Tour in 2002 for what was the first WWE event in Australia in 16 years. [1] [2] WWE has visited Australia regularly since then by touring at least once a year from 2003 to 2019, with the 2020 and 2021 tours postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [3] [ better source needed ]. WWE's NXT brand made its first tour in December 2016. [4]
In 2018, WWE announced Super Show-Down at the Melbourne Cricket Ground – the first ever WWE pay-per-view (PPV) to be held in Australia. [5] In 2023, WWE announced Elimination Chamber: Perth to be held in Perth Stadium in February 2024. [6]
| WWE Global Warning Tour: Melbourne | |
|---|---|
| Promotion | World Wrestling Entertainment |
| Brand(s) | SmackDown! |
| Date | August 10, 2002 [7] |
| City | Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
| Venue | Colonial Stadium |
| Attendance | 56,734 [8] [9] |
WWE Global Warning Tour: Melbourne was a professional wrestling event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment that took place on August 10, 2002, at Colonial Stadium in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. This event marked the return of WWE to Australia for the first time since 1986. [10] Michael Cole and Tazz recorded the commentary from WWE headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut. The event featured nine matches (including 3 dark matches), where in the main event The Rock defeated Triple H and Brock Lesnar in a Triple Threat match to retain the WWE Undisputed Championship. [11] Global Warning did not air on pay-per-view (PPV), but was released on home video. [12] The event aired in November 2002 as part of the WWE Fanatic Series and in January 2003 on Sky 1 in New Zealand. [13] In October 2018, Global Warning was added to the on demand list on the WWE Network. [13] It was re-released on DVD in December 2018, as part of a double pack with WWE Super Show-Down. [14]
| Role: | Name: |
|---|---|
| Commentator | Michael Cole |
| Tazz | |
| Ring Announcer | Tony Chimel |
| General Manager | Stephanie McMahon |
| No. | Results | Stipulations | Times | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rikishi defeated Rico [15] | Kiss My Ass match | 2:32 | ||||
| 2D | Mark Henry and Randy Orton defeated Reverend D-Von and Batista | Tag team match | 7:00 | ||||
| 3 | Jamie Noble (c) (with Nidia) defeated The Hurricane | Singles match for the WWE Cruiserweight Championship | 8:45 | ||||
| 4D | Hardcore Holly and Chavo Guerrero (with Maven) defeated Billy and Chuck | Tag team match | 15:00 | ||||
| 5D | Kurt Angle defeated Test | Singles match | 11:00 | ||||
| 6 | The Un-Americans (Lance Storm and Christian) (c) defeated Billy Kidman and Rey Mysterio | Tag Team match for the WWE Tag Team Championship | 9:10 | ||||
| 7 | Edge defeated Chris Jericho | Singles match | 12:49 | ||||
| 8 | Torrie Wilson defeated Stacy Keibler | Bra and panties match | 4:45 | ||||
| 9 | The Rock (c) defeated Triple H and Brock Lesnar (with Paul Heyman) | Triple Threat match for the WWE Undisputed Championship | 14:35 | ||||
| |||||||
The first tour to Australia of the NXT brand in December 2016 included a show at Melbourne's Margaret Court Arena which served as a television taping for NXT's January 4, 2017, edition on the WWE Network. Five matches from the show were shown, with Shinsuke Nakamura retaining the NXT Championship against Samoa Joe as the main event. Of the other matches shown three featured Australian wrestlers. Buddy Murphy teamed with Tye Dillinger to defeat the team of Bobby Roode and Elias, TM-61 were defeated by the NXT Tag Team champions DIY (Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano), and Billie Kay along with Liv Morgan were defeated by Ember Moon. The other televised match saw The Revival defeat the team of Riddick Moss and Tino Sabbatelli. [16] In matches not televised, Peyton Royce could not defeat NXT Women's champion Asuka, Andrade Almas defeated Wesley Blake and Oney Lorcan defeated Patrick Clark. [17]
WWE Super Show-Down was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event and WWE Network event, produced by WWE for their Raw, SmackDown, and 205 Live brands. It took place on October 6, 2018, at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne, Australia [18] and featured ten matches including two involving Australian wrestlers, Buddy Murphy and The IIconics. Murphy defeated Cedric Alexander to win the WWE Cruiserweight Championship, [19] while Billie Kay and Peyton Royce defeated the team of Asuka and Naomi. [20] Elias in a microphone spot also referenced Australian sport, claiming he was friends with Mick Malthouse and accused Collingwood of choking in the previous weekend's match. [21] The event drew 70,309 people. [22]
On 21 September 2023, WWE announced that Elimination Chamber would take place on 24 February 2024 at Perth Stadium. [23] The event featured five matches, including one on the pre-show, featuring two Australian wrestlers, Indi Hartwell and Rhea Ripley. Hartwell and Candice LeRae failed to win the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship from The Kabuki Warriors (Asuka and Kairi Sane) on the pre-show while Ripley defeated Australia-born Nia Jax in the main event to retain the Women's World Championship. Australia native Grayson Waller hosted his talk show, The Grayson Waller Effect featuring Cody Rhodes and World Heavyweight Champion Seth "Freakin" Rollins. [24]
| Raw-branded event | SmackDown-branded event | NXT-branded event |
| Year | Tour | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | WWF Australian tour | Melbourne, Sydney, Newcastle & Perth house shows |
| 1986 | WWF Australian tour | Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth & Adelaide house shows |
| 2002 | WWE Global Warning Tour: Melbourne | Taped event later released on DVD, VHS and WWE Network |
| 2003 | WWE Raw Ruthless Aggression | Sydney, & Melbourne house shows |
| WWE Passport to SmackDown | Perth House show | |
| 2004 | WWE SmackDown Superstars Return of the Deadman Tour | Sydney, Brisbane & Melbourne house shows |
| 2005 | WWE Raw WrestleMania Revenge Tour | Brisbane, Newcastle & Sydney house shows |
| WWE SmackDown WrestleMania Revenge Tour | Melbourne, Perth, & Adelaide house shows | |
| WWE Raw Survivor Series Tour | Sydney, Adelaide & Melbourne house shows | |
| 2006 | WWE SmackDown Road to Wrestlemania 22 Tour | Sydney & Brisbane house shows. |
| WWE Raw SummerSlam Tour | Melbourne, Newcastle, Sydney & Brisbane house shows | |
| 2007 | WWE Raw Survivor Series Tour | Melbourne, Sydney & Brisbane house shows. |
| 2008 | WWE SmackDown ECW Tour | Melbourne, Sydney, Newcastle, Adelaide & Brisbane house shows |
| 2009 | WWE Raw Live Tour | Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, Adelaide & Brisbane house shows |
| 2010 | WWE SmackDown Live 2010 | Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, Adelaide & Brisbane house shows |
| 2011 | WWE World Tour | Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, Adelaide & Brisbane house shows |
| 2012 | WWE Raw World Tour | Melbourne, Sydney & Brisbane house shows |
| 2013 | WWE Raw World Tour | Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, Adelaide & Brisbane house shows |
| 2014 | WWE Live | Melbourne, Sydney & Perth house shows |
| 2015 | WWE Live | Brisbane, Melbourne & Sydney house shows |
| 2016 | WWE Live: Australia | Melbourne, Adelaide & Sydney house shows |
| WWE NXT Live | Perth, Canberra, Melbourne, Newcastle, Gold Coast & Sydney shows | |
| 2017 | WWE Live: Australia | Melbourne, Sydney & Brisbane house shows |
| 2018 | WWE Super Show-Down | Pay-per-view event at the Melbourne Cricket Ground |
| 2019 | WWE Live: Australia | Melbourne, Sydney & Brisbane house shows |
| 2024 | WWE Elimination Chamber | Pay-per-view event at Perth Stadium [25] [26] |
Between 2006 and 2011, [27] [28] the Brisbane Cup was awarded to the winner of a Battle Royal held on RAW and SmackDown House Shows in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. The winner would also receive a World Championship match that same evening. [29]
| Winner | Date Won | Event | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mark Henry | 5 March 2006 | SmackDown House Show | Brisbane, Queensland, Australia | Earned the right to challenge Kurt Angle for the World Heavyweight Championship [30] |
| Jeff Hardy | 8 November 2007 | RAW House Show | Brisbane, Queensland, Australia | Earned the right to challenge Randy Orton for the WWE Championship [31] |
| John Cena | 5 July 2009 | RAW House Show | Brisbane, Queensland, Australia | Earned the right to challenge Randy Orton for the WWE Championship |
| The Big Show | 2 August 2010 | SmackDown House Show | Brisbane, Queensland, Australia | Earned the right to challenge Kane for the World Heavyweight Championship [28] |
| CM Punk | 5 July 2011 | RAW House Show | Brisbane, Queensland, Australia | Earned the right to challenge John Cena for the WWE Championship [29] |
Professional wrestling in Australia makes up a small part of Australian culture. Unlike the North American or Japanese products which have large, globally renowned organisations such as WWE, AEW, New Japan Pro-Wrestling or Impact Wrestling with several hundred smaller promotions, Australia only has approximately 30 smaller independent circuit promotions which exist in all Australian states and territories. Tours from the North American product are regularly sold out in capital cities such as Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney.
Perth Stadium, currently known as Optus Stadium due to sponsorship reasons, is a multi-purpose stadium in Perth, Western Australia, located in the suburb of Burswood. It was completed in late 2017 and officially opened on 21 January 2018. The stadium's total capacity is 61,266, including standing room, making it the third-largest stadium in Australia. The stadium can be extended up to 65,000 seats for rectangular sports.
WWE Elimination Chamber is a professional wrestling event produced by WWE, a Connecticut-based professional wrestling promotion. It is available only through pay-per-view (PPV) and the livestreaming services, Peacock and the WWE Network. The event was established in 2010, replacing No Way Out as the annual February PPV. The concept of the event is that one or two main event matches are contested inside the Elimination Chamber, either with championships or future opportunities at championships at stake. The Elimination Chamber match itself had been created in 2002 and held at various other WWE pay-per-views before the establishment of the namesake event in 2010.
Dori Elizabeth Prange is an American professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where she performs under the ring name Ruby Soho, and is a former member of The Outcasts stable. She is also known for her time in WWE, where she performed under the ring name Ruby Riott, and has also worked in World Wonder Ring Stardom as Heidi Lovelace, as well as extensively on the U.S. independent circuit for promotions such as Shimmer Women Athletes, Shine Wrestling, Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) and IWA Mid-South.
Jessica McKay is an Australian professional wrestler. She is known for her time in WWE, where she performed under the ring name Billie Kay. She is also known for her time in Impact Wrestling where she performed as Jessie McKay.
Matthew Adams is an Australian professional wrestler. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) under the ring name Buddy Matthews as a member of the stable House of Black and is a former one-time AEW World Trios Champion. Adams also makes appearances on the independent circuit and is best known for his time with WWE where he performed under the ring name Buddy Murphy.
Cassandra Arneill is an Australian professional wrestler. She is known for her time with WWE, where she performed under the ring name Peyton Royce. She is also known for her time in Impact Wrestling where she performed as Cassie Lee.
Savelina Fanene is an Australian-American professional wrestler. She is currently signed to WWE, where she performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Nia Jax. She is the current Queen of the Ring, the current WWE Women’s Champion in her second reign and a former two-time WWE Women's Tag Team Champion.
Daria Rae Berenato is an American professional wrestler and mixed martial artist. She is signed to WWE, where she performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Sonya Deville, and as a member of The Pure Fusion Collective. She is a former one-time WWE Women's Tag Team Champion.
Michael Carter Rallis is an American professional wrestler and former college football player. He currently performs on the independent circuit. Rallis is best known for his tenure in WWE under the ring names Riddick Moss and Madcap Moss, where he is a former WWE 24/7 Champion, and won the André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal in 2022.
Bianca Nicole Blair Crawford is an American professional wrestler and fitness and figure competitor. As of April 2016, she is signed to WWE, where she performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Bianca Belair. Belair is one of two women to win at a WrestleMania main event and her 420-day reign as Raw Women's Champion stands as the longest in the championship's history.
The IIconics were an Australian professional wrestling tag team consisting of Jessie McKay and Cassie Lee. They are best known for their time in WWE as The Iconic Duo and later The IIconics, under the individual names of Billie Kay and Peyton Royce, respectively.
Demi Bennett born 11 October 1996) is an Australian professional wrestler. She has been signed to WWE since July 2017, where she performs under the ring name Rhea Ripley. Her 380-day reign with the Women's World Championship is tied with Bayley as the longest in the title's history.
The 2019 Survivor Series was the 33rd annual Survivor Series professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw, SmackDown, and NXT brand divisions. The event took place on November 24, 2019, at the Allstate Arena in the Chicago suburb of Rosemont, Illinois, marking the second Survivor Series held here after the 1989 event when the arena was still known as the Rosemont Horizon. It was the first and only Survivor Series to include the NXT brand, the first since 2009 to feature three major brands, and the first and only to feature three-way Survivor Series elimination matches. The theme of the event was brand supremacy and featured wrestlers from the three brands against each other.
The WWE Women's Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling women's tag team championship created and promoted by the American promotion WWE. It is the only women's tag team championship in WWE, thus is defended across both main roster brand divisions, Raw and SmackDown, and the developmental brand, NXT. The current champions are The Unholy Union from Raw, who are in their first reign, both as a team and individually. They won the title by defeating previous champions Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill at Clash at the Castle: Scotland on June 15, 2024, in a triple threat tag team match that also involved the team of Shayna Baszler and Zoey Stark, who they pinned.
WWE Super ShowDown was a professional wrestling event produced by WWE, an American-based promotion. It was broadcast live and available only through pay-per-view (PPV) and WWE's livestreaming service, the WWE Network. The 2020 event was the last event held under the titular name, with the 2021 event ultimately getting postponed. Since then, there hasn't been any further events scheduled under the name.
Jermaine Haley is an Australian professional wrestler currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name "Big" Bronson Reed. In WWE, he is a former NXT North American Champion and the winner of the 2024 André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal.
Ashley Louise Urbanski is an American professional wrestler. She is currently signed to WWE NXT brand, where she performs under the ring name Shotzi. She is currently on hiatus due to a torn ACL.
Elimination Chamber: Perth was a 2024 professional wrestling event produced by the American company WWE. It was the 14th Elimination Chamber event and took place on Saturday, February 24, 2024, at Perth Stadium in Perth, Western Australia. The event aired on pay-per-view (PPV) and via livestreaming and was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw and SmackDown brand divisions. This was WWE's first event to be held in Australia since Super Show-Down in October 2018, and the company's only event in the Asia–Pacific region in 2024. This was also the third consecutive Elimination Chamber to be held outside of the United States as well as the first to take place in an outdoor venue.
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