10 Best Gimmick PPVs In Pro Wrestling History
"Listed ahead are the best themed WWE event concepts ever, with a few from outside the WWE confines thrown in for good measure..."
When you're loading up an annual pay-per-view calendar with as many events as you can possibly hold, variety is important. I mean, there's really no difference between a No Mercy, an Unforgiven, a No Way Out, and a Rock Bottom, is there? That's why you need to insert a few events that boast specific match types, or have unique meanings. That's where themed pay-per-views come in.
It must be said that WWE has gone berserk with the concept over the past decade, instituting events dedicated to specific gimmick matches, whether the stories call said matches or not. Hell in a Cell, TLC, Fatal Four Way, Judybagwellonapolemania, you name it - they've done everything to spur interest in the monthly shows. Some have worked, and others...well, let's just say the Cell should probably be used only for emergencies, not because it's October.
But enough bellyaching - let's get into the events that do work. Listed ahead are the best themed WWE event concepts ever, with a few from outside the WWE confines thrown in. You know, for variety's sake. See? Variety is important, just like I said.
10. Taboo Tuesday/Cyber Sunday
Admittedly, there have been flaws in the execution of the event, no matter which day it's been presented on. When the concept was first introduced in 2004, the fans were told that they had virtual control of the entire event, which made it sound like one lucky spectator would get to put on a headset and tell Jim Ross to stop using goddamn pronouns. In actuality, fans got to vote on things like gimmick match types, opponents for specific wrestlers, and, probably most regrettably, which fetish-based outfit the Divas would wear in their battle royal.
While that all seems very basic, the idea of an interactive pay-per-view is still an intriguing one, and could be quite fun with a little more outside-the-box thinking. Ideally, you want to set it up so that the heels all get humiliated to the nth degree, while letting the fans feel like they had a hand in it. In short, Taboo Tuesday/Cyber Sunday was an interesting idea that WWE could've improved upon with a little more tinkering, and could well work better today in the Twitter age.
Written by Justin Henry
In addition to writing lists and commentaries for Cultaholic, Justin is also a features writer and interviewer for Fighting Spirit Magazine, and is co-author of the WWE-related book Titan Screwed: Lost Smiles, Stunners, and Screwjobs.