WWE News: ‘SummerSlam’ Returning To Brooklyn In 2016/2017
After a successful weekend of wrestling in Brooklyn earlier this year, WWE will be bringing SummerSlam back to the Barclays Center in both 2016 and 2017, as first reported by the New York Daily News.
The WWE agreed with both Barclays Center and NYC & Company to not only host SummerSlam, but also NXT Takeover and Monday Night RAW — much like earlier this year. The schedule for next year reads as follows:
- Saturday, August 20 – NXT Takeover
- Sunday, August 21 – WWE SummerSlam
- Monday, August 22 – Monday Night Raw
In hosting all three of these events in Brooklyn this year, the Daily News mentions that it was the first time in company history they sold out the same venue for three straight nights. John P. Saboor, WWE’s executive vice president of special events spoke to the Daily News about the decision to have Brooklyn host this trio of shows for at least three consecutive years.
“The opportunity to be in New York City for the next two years provides an amazing platform for us to be able to work closely with our partners in NYC and New York City to blueprint the continued growth of our second-largest annual celebration, and it gives us a chance to build upon all of the points of success and all of the best practices that were experienced in our presentation there this year. It’s the world’s greatest city and set of partners to incubate the incremental growth of this as our second-largest celebration.”
With 15,702 fans packing the Barclays Center last month for SummerSlam, the Daily News notes that SummerSlam grossed $1.3 million, which is the highest domestic gross in the history of the event. Additionally, NXT Takeover the night before drew 15,589 fans — shattering the previous attendance record for an NXT event (5,200 during Wrestlemania 31 weekend).
If this year was any indication, then WWE will try to bring in the biggest names and try to feature the biggest matches they can. This year, SummerSlam featured Brock Lesnar vs. The Undertaker in a rematch from Wrestlemania 31. Additionally, former host of The Daily Show, Jon Stewart hosted the show, and interfered in the John Cena vs. Seth Rollins match, costing Cena his United States championship gold.
The night before, NXT featured the debut of international wrestling legend Jushin “Thunder” Liger. On RAW, The Dudley Boyz returned to WWE for the first time in a decade and Sting returned in the final segment to set up his first championship match in WWE, ever.
Keith Sheldon, Barclays Center vice president of booking expressed his excitement of bringing WWE back to Barclays to the Daily News:
“We’re thrilled that they wanted to once again partner with us, and we jumped at the opportunity to lock them in for two additional years. WWE has been such great partners to us (and) the building in general. After the success of this past August’s events, it was a no-brainer to bring them back in 2016 and ’17.”
The report also adds that both Los Angeles and Las Vegas were rumored as potential hosts of SummerSlam next year. However, prior to WWE bringing “The Biggest Party of the Summer” to Brooklyn in 2015, Los Angeles, California was site of SummerSlam for the past six years.
Finally, in addition to all the money and success WWE enjoyed from NXT, SummerSlam, and RAW, having them in the community for the week helped several people in need. The Daily News mentions hospital visits, anti-bullying rallies, Make-A-Wish visits, and raising $200,000 via Charity Buzz. The company is expected to do similar types of events during that week and try to make SummerSlam weekend as successful as can be.
Tickets will go on sale in the near future.
[Images by JP Yim/Getty Images]
