The 10 Best WWE PPVs Of All Time Outside Of America
Traditionally, WWE has hosted many of its marquee pay-per-views in the United States. Madison Square Garden and the Allstate Arena have a rich history of memorable matches. However, WWE has expanded internationally, and they have a massive following from their North American counterparts Canada, which is north of the border, and the United Kingdom. Some WWE shows outside of North America have been getting the WrestleMania treatment with events taking place in stadiums.
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WWE hasn't always pulled out all of the stops to ensure that their international fans are being treated to a major event. Sometimes the shows have been watered down, but some pay-per-views that WWE has hosted in the likes of the United Kingdom, Canada, and Saudi Arabia in recent years have been off the charts.
10 SummerSlam 2019
15 years after WWE hosted SummerSlam 2004 in the then-Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Canada, they went back there for SummerSlam 2019 in the Scotiabank Arena. This was a fantastic event, and it was better than SummerSlam 2004. Moreover, Becky Lynch retained the Raw Women's Championship against Natalya in an excellent Submission match.
Trish Stratus had a second retirement match but she came up short to Charlotte Flair in a dream match. Other notable results included Kofi Kingston and Randy Orton's WWE Championship match ending in a double count-out, and Bayley retaining the SmackDown Women's Championship. Ultimately, the main event saw Seth Rollins beat Brock Lesnar to regain the Universal Championship in an excellent bout.
9 Survivor Series 2016
Fans were in store for a long Survivor Series in Toronto in 2016, which was the first one to last four hours, and it was the first since the reintroduction of the brand split. The battle lines were drawn between Raw and SmackDown, and the traditional Survivor Series elimination matches were superb.
Team Raw got off to a fast start with Charlotte and Bayley as the survivors. The Miz retained the Intercontinental Championship against Sami Zayn in the most recent Intercontinental Title match at Survivor Series. Team Raw prevailed in the 10-on-10 traditional Survivor Series elimination match, but SmackDown restored some pride in the men's 5-on-5 match with Bray Wyatt and Randy Orton as the survivors. The main event showcased Goldberg's in-ring return for the first time in 12 years, and he beat Brock Lesnar within 90 seconds.
8 WrestleMania 18
WWE returned to the SkyDome for WrestleMania 18, and whilst there were some unforgettable moments on the show, there were some lackluster matches. Nonetheless, the pay-per-view had some bright moments. Rob Van Dam opened up the show, and he dethroned William Regal for the Intercontinental Championship.
Edge returned to Toronto triumphant as he beat Booker T. Steve Austin defeated Scott Hall in a dire bout, but The Rock and Hulk Hogan's epic stole the show. Furthermore, Undertaker overcame Ric Flair to go 10-0 at WrestleMania. Inevitably, Triple H would regain the Undisputed WWE Championship from Chris Jericho in the final match of the night.
7 Rebellion 2001
WWE held Rebellion 2001 in Manchester, England and it was the penultimate pay-per-view in the Invasion storyline. The card was stacked and it delivered. Edge defeated Christian in a steel cage match to retain the Intercontinental Championship, and the Dudleys overcame the APA and the Hardys in a successful WCW Tag Team Championship title defense.
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The two best matches of the night were the World Championship matches. Chris Jericho overcame Kurt Angle to remain as WCW Champion, and Steve Austin continued his dominance over The Rock to keep a stranglehold of the WWE Championship.
6 One Night Only 1997
Across the pond in Birmingham, England, WWE hosted One Night Only which was better than SummerSlam 1997. The card was headlined by The British Bulldog and Shawn Michaels' European Championship match which resulted in HBK capturing the gold to become the first Grand Slam Champion in WWE history.
Owen Hart was a heel, but he was adored by the British fans, and they cheered him on but he lost to Vader. However, Bret Hart and The Undertaker's WWE Championship rematch was superb with the Hitman retaining by disqualification.
5 SummerSlam 1992
SummerSlam 1992 was the first major WWE pay-per-view to be held outside of North America. 80,000 fans jam-packed Wembley Stadium in London, England. The card showcased Shawn Michaels and Rick Martel going to a draw with the match ending in a double count-out.
The Undertaker made a grand entrance on a hearse in an abrupt match with Kamala. Nevertheless, the WWE Championship match between Randy Savage and The Ultimate Warrior was remarkable. However, fans were there to see Bret Hart and his brother-in-law The British Bulldog slug it out over the Intercontinental Championship. The British crowd went home delighted with Bulldog unseating Bret for the championship.
4 Crown Jewel 2021
WWE's events in Saudi Arabia have been hit-and-miss, but they finally got one right at Crown Jewel 2021. Edge competed in a Hell in a Cell match for the first time in 13 years, and he beat Seth Rollins in one heck of a physical match. Zelina Vega became the inaugural winner of the Queen's Crown, and Xavier Woods became the latest winner of the King of the Ring tournament.
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Big E and Drew McIntyre's tussle over the WWE Championship was a fun match as was Becky Lynch's hard-fought win in a successful Raw Women's Championship match against Bianca Belair and Sasha Banks. Ultimately, the main event saw Roman Reigns continue his historic reign as Universal Champion at the expense of Brock Lesnar.
3 Unforgiven 2006
Unforgiven 2006 was arguably the best pay-per-view that WWE produced in 2006. The event took place in Toronto, Canada. Trish Stratus had a happy ending in the first chapter of her WWE career as she defeated Lita to clinch the WWE Women's Championship for a then-record seventh time.
Jeff Hardy and Johnny Nitro's Intercontinental Title match was good as was Randy Orton's match with Carlito. However, DX humiliated the McMahons and Big Show in a handicap Hell in a Cell match. Edge had a hometown welcome but it wasn't enough as he was beaten by John Cena and he dropped the WWE Championship in a TLC match.
2 Backlash 2004
Fans descended to the Rexall Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada to witness the fallout of WrestleMania 20 at Backlash 2004. The World Heavyweight Championship match dubbed as the Final Encounter that closed out the show was magnificent.
Victoria and Lita had an underrated WWE Women's Championship match, and Edge marked his return to action on a WWE pay-per-view with a win over Kane. Chris Jericho got some revenge by beating Christian and Trish Stratus in a handicap match, but Randy Orton's successful Intercontinental Championship defense in a violent No Holds Barred Falls Count Anywhere match with Mick Foley was off the charts.
1 In Your House: Canadian Stampede, 1997
Canadian Stampede is one of the greatest pay-per-views that WWE has produced in Canada. The atmosphere in Calgary, Alberta was electric. While the Hart Foundation's victory over Steve Austin, Goldust, Ken Shamrock, and the Road Warriors was the best result of the night to send the hometown fans happy, there were some more quality matches on the card.
Taka Michinoku and The Great Sasuke's match was 10 minutes of sheer brilliance, and Triple H and Mankind went to a double count-out. Moreover, The Undertaker retained the WWE Championship against Vader in a match between two heavy-hitters.
