Details on WWE's potential return to Puerto Rico after Backlash - Reports
After a highly entertaining WWE premium live event this past Saturday in Puerto Rico, new reports have emerged on the company's potential return to the Caribbean island.
Backlash 2023 took place in San Juan, Puerto Rico, with one of its biggest homegrown musicians Bad Bunny stealing the show against Damian Priest in a hard-hitting Street Fight. The event broke several records, and the local audience's response to the show received widespread praise.
Dave Meltzer reported on the Wrestling Observer Radio about how and if WWE will return to The Island of Enchantment for another massive show.
"The thing is, they’re only going to come if they get paid to come. So, that’s up to how much the tourism board wants to pay. And usually, when it comes to this type of thing. Everything is different. Generally speaking, if the tourism board brings you in, they’re not going to bring you in every year."
Meltzer added:
"But for them to come and do this, they’re going to have to be paid. They will go down there and do a house show, but for them to do a pay-per-view, they’re going to want a million and a half dollars or whatever. That was what the rate was here." [H/T Inside The Ropes]
Besides Bad Bunny vs. Damian Priest, many other top bouts took place at Backlash. The match card included Cody Rhodes vs. Brock Lesnar and The Bloodline against Sami Zayn, Kevin Owens, and Matt Riddle, among other contests.
WWE broke several records at Backlash 2023
While top stars such as Roman Reigns, Becky Lynch, and Charlotte Flair did not feature on the show, Backlash turned out to be a massive hit for the company.
Earlier this week, WWE posted a statement on its corporate site touting the various financial and viewership records that the promotion broke during its trip to Puerto Rico.
#WWEBacklash record-breaking night:
- Viewership had a 28% increase vs last year, new record
- Highest gate in history of Backlash
- The most social Backlash of all-time
- Over 40M views of the Bunny-Priest fight
- Sponsorship revenue surpassed any Backlash event in history https://t.co/RLBdKG3Rvh
World Wrestling Entertainment's next international premium live event is Night of Champions. The show is set to take place on Saturday, May 27, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
What was the standout match at Backlash? Let us know your favorite in the comments section below.