WWE: How I Would Structure the WWE PPV Calendar Year

Hey folks!

What with the recent changes to this year’s pay-per-view names, and the varied views put forward after Capitol Punishment, I thought I would present my list of what I believe would be the perfect year of pay-per-views for the WWE.

The quality of these pay-per-views has declined rapidly over the last nine years and I believe it needs a complete overhaul to keep people interested and buying the events.

This includes the month they will be held, the TV rating they will carry and a description of the matches that need to be held.

So without further ado, here is how I would structure the pay-per-view year.

Enjoy!

01. Backlash: May (TV-PG)

This is a perfect name for a PPV used to settle any feuds that may have spilled over from WrestleMania. No gimmick matches are needed here—just eight matches of pure wrestling.

Not every title needs to be on the line, just the World Heavyweight Championship, the WWE Championship, the Intercontinental Championship and the Tag Team Championships.

02. No Mercy: June (TV-14)

This pay-per-view is another classic that should never have been taken off the calendar in my opinion. This is simply a better name than Extreme Rules yet it implies the same concept.

They would also find that with this title they are not confined to Extreme matches, and other wrestling matches would not look silly.

This would obviously be promoted as a more violent PPV and would have to carry a higher rating, due to the pain that would be presented throughout the show.

03. King of the Ring: July (TV-PG)

I think most would agree that things were better when this contest had a PPV of its own. It brought many memorable moments over the years and still has the potential to create many more.

It seemed like the recent crown was given to Sheamus as a form of punishment.

This contest is supposed to be used to highlight a mid-card superstar and (usually) catapult them into greatness.

Had this been a PPV I have no doubt that John Morrison would have won.

This PPV would focus on the competition, not violence and therefore would carry a PG rating.

04. Summerslam: August (TV-PG)

I can’t think of a better way to get excited about wrestling in the summer months. I have fond memories of this PPV event, as the first one I saw was WWF Summerslam 2000.

The excellent card and the good quality of the matches made this event a must for me. It would have to feature all the main talent, as it is one of the Big Four and needs all the drawing power it can get.

You also can’t ignore the history the event has (unless you’re WWE) and I believe it is too much to throw away.

Also, all the kids are off school, and who really wants to see gross violence in the summer? We want bikini contests! And if you’re annoyed at that slightly misogynistic statement then I suppose you could rally for a Speedo contest for the men!

Got to say I’d make a brew at that point though...

04b. TBD: September (TV-?)

September is open. If the WWE want to fill this with a pay-per-view, they should do it with a storyline-specific theme.

For example, when Nexus invaded in 2010, did anyone think how brilliant it would be to have a PPV run by Nexus? This would be the perfect time as Invasion storylines, etc., usually culminate at the Survivor Series, which is only a month away.

That is just one option I have mentioned, however. If you are still struggling with the concept of what I mean, then take the In Your House pay-per-views of times gone by as examples.

One of those pay-per-views was even called D-Generation-X and focused around the group's antics.

This kept things fresh and I think what would be even better, would be if the WWE put this on for free.

If that sounds stupid then they should at least do it for half-price.

I feel quite sorry for the Americans who enjoy the sport but have to fork out however much a month to see it.

Here in England, Sky Sports buys a selected amount of PPV events and puts them on a normal channel (still cable but no extra charge), as opposed to the Box Office. This means I don’t spend half as much money every year as Americans do.

Also, as a PPV is not set in stone for this month, it could always be left out if a big build-up is needed for the Survivor Series.

05. Survivor Series: October (TV-PG)

With two months to build this PPV, there could be a lot of emphasis placed on the teams leading up to the event. This would allow people to become emotionally invested in the teams and will make the survivor-based matches a lot more exciting for the audience.

A World title match would have to occur to break up the team-based competition, but the emphasis should be on the survivors.

This PPV already has a big following because of its reputation as one of the Big Four. Let’s keep the value in this PPV.

Another PG rating is carried due to the fact that it is a competition-based pay-per-view.

06. Unforgiven: December (TV-14)

I was in two minds as to whether to put Armageddon here instead, but I always thought that, barring WWF Armageddon 2000, the name was a bit heavy.

Unforgiven on the other hand could be a good PPV for some No Disqualification matches, in the same respect as No Mercy at the start of the year.

This is just a standard PPV with more violence than Summerslam or Survivor Series.

Unforgiven suggests a more violent tone. If you don’t forgive someone you aren’t going to be dancing around the ring with them, you’re going to be smashing them to pieces with whatever you can find.

07. Royal Rumble: January (TV-PG)

This is without a doubt my favourite pay-per-view of the year.

There only needs to be one world title match in this event and a couple of mid-card matches—otherwise it can be hard to watch, much like the 2011 Royal Rumble. I was over-faced with titles.

I would also keep the Rumble as a 30-man event, as I don’t believe 40 men worked this year. Too many superstars were eliminated way too quickly.

Again, there is no way you could ever get rid of this PPV.

08. No Way Out: February (TV-14)

Feuds from the Royal Rumble and feuds that may have lasted since Summerslam can culminate here, or set the scene for an epic encounter at WrestleMania.

The possibilities are endless for matches that would fit the title—especially as the year hasn’t really focused on any gimmick matches: Inferno, Hell in a Cell, Elimination Chamber, Cage and Lumberjack matches to name just a few.

All suggest a “No Way Out” feel.

Also, I’d change the logo so it didn’t feature that awful padlock design.

With these gimmick matches, they need to look dangerous, hence the higher rating.

09. WrestleMania: April (TV-PG)

The biggest event of the year. The best example I can think of is WrestleMania X-Seven. If the event is anywhere near that in terms of booking and spectacle, it would be an excellent close to the WWE year.

It also needs a Money in the Bank match, a Battle Royale and the return of a legend or two.

However, to really get it right, the timing and order of the matches needs to be close to perfect so they don’t seem rushed or boring.

Ninety percent of the action should stay in the ring with the possibility of someone going through a table.

This really should feel like the be-all and end-all for the wrestlers, the audience and the viewers at home. People should be talking about it for years and years. It should be the most anticipated night of the wrestling calendar.

This would be how I’d end the WWE PPV year!

Thanks for Reading!

So there you have it. That is how I would structure the WWE year.

I believe this mixture of ratings throughout the year would keep adults and children interested and it would also allow for more varied storylines to be used.

Keep in mind, only a third of these productions carry a higher rating in my list, which I think is more than fair.

However, to complement this I would make SmackDown a TV-14 production (as I have mentioned in another article) so the storylines going into the more risqué PPVs could be built here.

Or alternatively, another show could air purely for adults, Shotgun Saturday Night style.

Either way I believe I have picked the best of the pay-per-views offered to us over the years and I believe it would pull WWE out of a large hole.

I hope you enjoyed the read.

Please let me know whether you agree or disagree in the comments section below, and what you would change.

As you well know, I do my best to reply to all comments!

Thanks for reading!