4 age old Premium Live Events that Shawn Michaels revived during his tenure with WWE NXT
WWE is a larger-than-life promotion. The company has existed in some form for around 70 years now. That means the titanic promotion has been around since the 1950s, even if it frequently went by different names.
Originally, pro wrestling operated with standard live events. Over time, television arrived. From there, closed-circuit television and later pay-per-views helped distribute big events. Today, World Wrestling Entertainment's special shows stream across various platforms.
Over the past four decades since closed-circuit events really began taking off, several promotions have offered big shows with various names. The most recognizable is WrestleMania, but there have been hundreds of others. Most of which retire over time, while some remain constant over decades.
This article will look at five past Premium Live Events that have been brought back into the fold ever since Shawn Michaels took over control of NXT in 2021. This includes a big show that was just recently announced.
Below are five age-old Premium Live Events that Shawn Michaels revived during his tenure with WWE NXT.
#4. No Mercy is returning in September
The first entry on this list is an event that was only recently announced. During a conference call to hype up WWE's next Premium Live Event for NXT, Shawn Michaels revealed that No Mercy will return on September 30th. The show will take place in Bakersfield, California.
Prior to the upcoming event, there have been 13 No Mercy shows. The first dates back to a United Kingdom exclusive event in 1999, with a worldwide show using the same name airing later that year. The most recent No Mercy show was held in 2017 and featured Brock Lesnar vs. Braun Strowman.
#3. WWE NXT The Great American Bash is streaming soon
The Great American Bash didn't first begin with WWE. Instead, it started in Jim Crockett Promotions back in 1985. The event, at one point, was even a month-long tour before properly settling into the role of a standard pay-per-view.
WWE adopted The Great American Bash after WCW closed in 2001 with their 2004 show in Norfolk, Virginia. This continued until 2009. A handful of Great American Bash television specials have aired since, but it wasn't until Shawn Michaels' regime in NXT that the legacy event once again became a Premium Live Event.
The next NXT The Great American Bash show will stream on Sunday. The main event will see Carmelo Hayes clash with Ilja Dragunov for the NXT Championship. A Weapons Wild Match, Submission Match, and other title bouts will also be on the card.
#2. Battleground was brought back recently
WWE Battleground is one of the more recent events that NXT ultimately adopted. The first edition of Battleground was held in Buffalo, New York, back in 2013. The main roster featured five more shows with that billing before it disappeared.
The last Battleground prior to the recent NXT revival was held in 2017. Jinder Mahal famously battled Randy Orton in the main event. The bout was contested inside of a Punjabi Prison structure with the WWE Championship on the line.
Shawn Michaels and NXT brought back the Battleground event earlier this year. The card was held in Lowell, Massachusetts, and featured Carmelo Hayes' clash with Bron Breakker in the main event. The standout bout of the show was Ilja Dragunov vs. Dijak in a Last Man Standing Match.
#1. Shawn Michaels made Halloween Havoc a Premium Live Event as opposed to a TV special
Much like The Great American Bash, Halloween Havoc started as a Jim Crockett Promotions show. The first event was held in 1989 and would become a yearly staple until World Championship Wrestling closed up in 2001.
In 2020, WWE revived Halloween Havoc as a television special for NXT. This took place in both 2020 and 2021, with the programs airing from the Performance Center due to the brand no longer traveling post-pandemic.
Shawn Michaels changed Halloween Havoc from a television special to a Premium Live Event in 2022. The main event saw Bron Breakker, Ilja Dragnov, and JD McDonagh clash in a Triple Threat Match. With No Mercy taking place on September 30, will Halloween Havoc once again become a television special this year?