The big four pay-per-view events in the WWE are iconic, and even non-wrestling fans can recognise them if they heard the names. WrestleMania, SummerSlam, Royal Rumble and Survivor Series all hold a special place in our hearts and while it may sound greedy, we’d like to see a fifth event enter the fray.
The criteria behind making something into a ‘big’ pay-per-view would be to create some kind of travel package that allows fans from around the world to come and watch it live, and in addition to that, it needs to become a dual-branded pay per view between both Raw and SmackDown Live.
Not only would it give fans another big show to look forward to on the calendar, but it would also allow some of the superstars to see old friends from the opposite brand. When you think about it, this is a win-win for everyone involved.
With that being said, here are our picks for five PPVs that could potentially join the Big 4.
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#1 Clash of Champions
Clash of Champions has been and gone, and while this year’s event was slightly forgettable, the premise could actually work so long as WWE invested some time and effort into it. Now, of course, that’s easier said than done given the sheer quantity of events that the company puts on nowadays, but the lineage of COC speaks for itself.
You can always find brand-specific shows that have every single title on the line, but every single title in the company? That would be something special.
Sure, you may have to bump a few to the pre-show, but just imagine the carnage of having one championship bout after another. It’s something that could even take place in a stadium one day.
#2 King of the Ring
King of the Ring is a tournament that has a fantastic history, with some of WWE’s greatest moments taking place at the event.
While it may not have translated all too well into the modern era of professional wrestling, with the latest incarnations being a bit dull, we’re here to push forward the idea of making KOTR great again.
If you put something on the line alongside the crown, like a future championship opportunity, then you could have a tournament with as many as 16 guys in it. It’d be a great way to promote some mid-carders and while we aren’t massive fans of having people wrestle more than once in one night, you could spread it out enough to the point where it’s realistic.
The KOTR PPV last happened in 2002. However, tournaments have happened frequently with the last one taking place in 2015. KOTR is considered to be part of the 'Big 5' along with the traditional big four.
#3 Money in the Bank
Despite only being introduced as a stand-alone pay-per-view a few years back, Money in the Bank has already established itself as one of the most popular dates on the calendar for the WWE Universe. With high spots and a chance to elevate a top mid-carder at stake, what’s not to love?
Some people may not be too keen on the idea of having two to four briefcases, which would happen if this was dual branded, but you could have it so that one brand has a women’s match and the other has a men’s match.
However, it seems like WWE has learned their lesson from 2017, because Money In The Bank 2018 is set to be a dual-branded PPV, as per PWInsider. This is already the first step to a 'Big Five'.
Either way, when you’ve got matches like CM Punk vs John Cena from 2011 in the history books, then an idea like this needs to be taken seriously.
#4 No Mercy
While No Mercy seems like any other pay-per-view, it seems as if WWE doesn’t share that opinion. After all, this year saw them put on matches like John Cena vs Roman Reigns and Braun Strowman vs Brock Lesnar – two matches which could easily main event any given WrestleMania. Why would they do that if they didn’t have big plans for the show moving forward?
It’s an old school PPV title that has been around for quite some time now, but the fact that it was brought back from the dead last year should say something.
It could permanently replace one of the gimmick shows, which we all know and hate, and as the years go by, WWE can continue to re-build its importance.
#5 Starrcade
Back in the day, Starrcade was quite literally WCW’s equivalent to WrestleMania. That, in itself, should’ve automatically qualified it for a place among the pay-per-view elite when WWE bought WCW back in 2001 – and yet it was shelved.
They brought it back this year for a house show special, which may lead some to believe that they’re going to do more with it in the future, and that’s exactly what they should do.
There are so many potential throwbacks that they could initiate, and right now, they’re missing a golden opportunity. They should bring back the old logo, hold it in a big arena in Atlanta every year, and they should also honour World Championship Wrestling. Why?
Because although it wasn’t perfect, WCW played an important role in the history of professional wrestling.