As it stands, only some of the pay-per-views, premium live events and special TV shows for WWE in 2023 have been announced. Eventually, you’ll be able to find the list here, as well as on our EWN events page. But for now, all we know is Royal Rumble coming up on January 28, Elimination Chamber on February 18, the 2023 Hall of Fame ceremony, NXT Stand & Deliver on April 1 and WrestleMania over April 1 and 2.
Triple H has already made some changes to the status quo. WarGames was never part of Survivor Series until this year. Rumors and speculation surround the departure of Hell in a Cell and Money in the Bank from the lineup.
So before we get into the new year, I figured I would do another round of Fantasy Booking. Specifically, what would I like to see as the full calendar of specials for WWE in 2023?
I’m a man who loves his lists, so let’s start diving into this.
PPV Names Not Being Used
These are names that are noteworthy (unlike something like “ECW It Ain’t Seinfeld” or “WCW Greed”), but I’m addressing here why I’m not using them in any capacity.
- Armageddon / Payback / Unforgiven = I just don’t like them. They’re too bland.
- Day 1 = Nobody should run a show on January 1. Nuff said.
- Cyber Sunday / Taboo Tuesday = I like the concept, but I hate the names. This should also apply more for an episode of Raw, NXT or SmackDown, rather than a pay-per-view. But it needs another name like Pick Your Poison or Fan’s Choice Fights or whatever.
- Evolution = I’m of the belief the best way you make progress in something like women’s wrestling becoming more mainstream is to treat it as normal, not special. These days, a women’s match in the main event of any show isn’t newsworthy. It is just accepted. Because they don’t keep calling attention to it being extraordinary. It just is. So not only should they not do a women’s-only pay-per-view, forcing weeks of discussion about “Why don’t they put more attention on the women?” They should also not use this name, because it is dumb. Why would women still be evolving in this business if you’re trying to say you’ve set the standard? The WWE Women’s Revolution was a better name, and even that had to end, as you can’t be revolutionaries once you win your fight. Progress is still yet to be made, but this event isn’t how you achieve it.
- One Night Only = This is too generic, and Impact Wrestling ran it into the ground, too.
- TLC = I’ve repeated myself a million times about this. There is no such thing as a TLC match. If you can win by pinfall, it is a regular No DQ match. When it involves climbing a ladder to retrieve something like a belt, it is a ladder match.
- World War 3 = Three rings is too much. The name has too many negative connotations surrounding it. Three Ring Circus would work better for a gimmick event of a similar nature, but I don’t even think you could do it, realistically.
Repurposed PPV Names
I have ideas for some other titles to be used in non-event fashion.
- Battleground = I really liked how WWE stopped using this name for pay-per-views and turned it into a video game. That should be the case. WWE Battlegrounds game.
- Extreme Rules = There shouldn’t be an event that has “all gimmick matches” that just happens at a particular time of the year. Those gimmicks should be saved for when a feud calls for the stipulation. Extreme Rules should just be the catch-all term WWE uses for “there is a gimmick in some fashion” to avoid saying “gimmick”. IE, a flag match, someone locked in a shark cage, a street fight, a blindfold match, Last Man Standing, Falls Count Anywhere, and so on all have Extreme Rules attached to them.
- Fastlane = This should be a match that happens at some point between January and March. I’m thinking maybe a No. 1 contender’s gauntlet match or something. The idea being that if you win this, you’re in the fast lane to WrestleMania. You’ve punched your ticket for a title shot or whatever.
- Slamboree = An idea I’ve always had for this is that it could be some kind of activity for Axxess, like the foam pit. It’s too old school and hokey for anything other than something silly or for kids.
- Stomping Grounds = This should be a reality show or digital program documenting the wrestlers training at the WWE Performance Center. Think Breaking Ground mixed with Tough Enough.
Back Burner Names to Use Randomly
At any point in the year, these names could be used for special episodes of Raw, NXT or SmackDown, or for gimmick matches on a lineup.
- Capitol Punishment = Subtitle. Use it for when one of the TV shows is in Washington, D.C. and play into the theme like you do with the Miracle on 34th Street Fight around Christmas and all.
- Clash of Champions / Bragging Rights / Worlds Collide = Either Clash of Champions is a week wherein ALL titles are defended on Raw, NXT and SmackDown to bump ratings, or it is combined with Bragging Rights and similar to Survivor Series. In that case, champions of the main roster go against each other for “bragging rights” and the Worlds Collide between the brands. And/or, this is main roster against NXT. We don’t have NXT UK anymore, but if the plan is to do a full expansion, then there should be an NXT Worlds Collide massive show down the line with NXT USA against NXT Europe, NXT Asia, NXT Africa, etc.
- Global Warning / International Incident = Either of these names could be used for “we’re going on a tour outside of the United States” if need be. They may not be advertiser-friendly, though.
- Hell in a Cell / WarGames = No events. Just do the matches on any card that has a feud that deems it necessary.
- King of the Ring = This tournament, as well as the Queen’s Crown, should only happen if and when they want to crown someone new. It shouldn’t be a yearly thing. Ideally, I’d like to see most matches on television. The finals can take place at any pay-per-view that feels natural given the particular time frame they start the tournament. You can easily have the finals at SummerSlam or on SmackDown. It doesn’t matter.
- Rage in the Cage = Subtitle. Use it for an episode of television that has a special cage match on it. Try to bump the ratings like AEW does with shows like Quake by the Lake.
January WWE PPV & Special Lineup
(Live Tour) – WWE New Year’s Revolution Tour
(TV Special) – NXT New Year’s Evil
(Premium Live Event) – WWE Royal Rumble
Explanation: NXT has a special edition of the Tuesday episode around January 1. Royal Rumble is perfect. Don’t mess with it. Call any of the live events the New Year’s Revolution tour in December/January.
February WWE PPV & Special Lineup
(Live Tour) – WWE Road to WrestleMania tour
(TV Special) – NXT Vengeance Day
(Premium Live Event) – WWE No Way Out
Explanation: Elimination Chamber takes place at No Way Out and features either champions defending their titles to earn a spot at WrestleMania, or No. 1 contenders’ being established for whoever the Royal Rumble winners don’t challenge. Meanwhile, NXT has their special television episode around Valentine’s Day.
March WWE PPV & Special Lineup
(Live Tour) – Road to WrestleMania tour is continuing
(TV Special / Premium Live Event) – NXT Roadblock
(Special Broadcast) – March to WrestleMania
Explanation: No pay-per-view this month, although I’d consider making Roadblock a premium live event if need be (ie, if Peacock wants to have those). Spend this month building up WrestleMania and not doing side detours. Have a special television broadcast at the end of the month on NBC that fills people in on all the feuds that have been building up to WrestleMania to try to bring in some casuals.
April WWE PPV & Special Lineup
(TV Special) – NXT Stand & Deliver
(TV Special) – WWE Hall of Fame Ceremony
(Premium Live Event) – WrestleMania Night 1 and WrestleMania Night 2
(TV Special) – WrestleMania Backlash Week of Raw and SmackDown
Explanation: Frankly, I don’t like the name Stand & Deliver. Even more so, I don’t think it should be a pay-per-view happening just before WrestleMania. It crowds the weekend. That should be the special Tuesday edition of NXT. Convert Backlash into a special week edition of Raw and SmackDown where you’re wrapping up the storylines, rather than a pay-per-view on a Saturday or Sunday.
May WWE PPV & Special Lineup
(Live Tour) – WWE Spring Stampede tour
(TV Special) – NXT Breaking Point
(TV Special) – WWE Draft
(Premium Live Event) – WWE Fully Loaded
Explanation: Time for a new tour since the Road to WrestleMania is done. Let’s call this Spring Stampede. I hate the name NXT Spring Breakin’, but I love Breaking Point. This still has a Spring Break pun in it. Let’s make that the special TV episode of the month for Tuesday’s developmental brand. At some point in May, since WrestleMania is done, we should have the WWE Draft to shake up the roster. Since the rosters are now reloaded with new talent and NXT has hit the breaking point where people have left that brand for Raw and SmackDown, the premium live event is Fully Loaded.
June WWE PPV & Special Lineup
(Live Tour) – Spring Stampede is continuing; maybe an international one starts?
(Premium Live Event) – NXT In Your House
(Premium Live Event) – WWE Super ShowDown in Saudi Arabia
Explanation: One of the two contractually obligated Saudi Arabia shows. Since that’s something some fans don’t want to see, let’s make NXT In Your House a reminder that that is a premium live event in the United States, and we can settle in the new roster post-draft.
July WWE PPV & Special Lineup
(Live Tour) – ???
(TV Special) – NXT Great American Bash at the Beach Blast (not the real name)
(Premium Live Event) – Money in the Bank
Explanation: Anyone upset about the Saudi show is immediately hit with an American soil event with Great American Bash. I like Bash at the Beach better, and think they should decorate it accordingly. Beach Blast is also a thing. GABATBB is too long a title. But you can kind of merge them and trademark everything. Meanwhile, Money in the Bank stays a pay-per-view, as I think WrestleMania should have the Andre the Giant and Chyna Memorial Battle Royal matches, instead. Post-draft, let’s establish a new set of people to watch out for who are holding the briefcases.
August WWE PPV & Special Lineup
(Live Tour) – ???
(TV Special) – NXT Heatwave
(Premium Live Event) – SummerSlam
Explanation: Self-explanatory. The biggest party of the summer and NXT is scorching.
September WWE PPV & Special Lineup
(Live Tour) – WWE Fall Brawl tour
(TV Special) – NXT Fallout
(Premium Live Event) – No Mercy
Explanation: We need a new live tour, and September starts the fall months. Fall Brawl is perfect. I think No Mercy is one of the best pay-per-view names out there that can always be at any time of the year because it has no gimmicks that dictate when it happens. But hey, if you have feuds carrying over from SummerSlam that you want to spice up, No Mercy sounds like a great spot for something like WarGames or Hell in a Cell, right? For the NXT special episode, I like the name Fallout and think it should have a more radioactive hazardous material imagery to it.
October WWE PPV & Special Lineup
(Live Tour) – Fall Brawl tour continues
(Premium Live Event) – NXT Halloween Havoc
(Premium Live Event) – Crown Jewel
Explanation: WWE is back in Saudi for Crown Jewel. Great name. Keep it. To compensate, we have another NXT pay-per-view in Halloween Havoc.
November WWE PPV & Special Lineup
(Live Tour) – Fall Brawl tour continues
(TV Special) – NXT Starrcade
(Premium Live Event) – Survivor Series
Explanation: No WarGames at Survivor Series. Starrcade is here because it used to be in November/December and NXT is a good spot for a lot of WCW event names. Plus, NXT is about making future stars.
December WWE PPV & Special Lineup
(Live Tour) – WWE New Year’s Revolution tour begins
(TV Special) – NXT Deadline
(TV Special) – WWE Slammy Awards
(TV Special) – WWE Tribute to the Troops
(TV Special) – WWE Slammy Awards
(Premium Live Event) – WWE Over the Limit
Explanation: Finishing out the year is Deadline and Over the Limit, playing into how it is the end of the calendar. We also have the Slammy Awards as a special episode of The Bump or a Peacock or YouTube exclusive program. Tribute to the Troops airs, per usual, too.
What are you hoping will be the 2023 WWE PPV lineup? Drop your calendar in the comments below!
