Money in the Bank smashes WWE records as MPs join call for a London Wrestlemania
British politicians of all parties who have thrown their support behind calls for a London Wrestlemania have received an unexpected boost after WWE announced their blockbusting Money in the Bank weekend in the UK capital has smashed a number of major records for the company.
WWE announced in a statement today that this weekend's Money in the Bank hosted at London's O2 Arena was officially the most successful and highest grossing in the 14-year history of the high-flying event.
The event also set a new record for the highest grossing arena event of any kind in WWE history, while the Friday Night SmackDown held at The O2 the night before became the highest grossing SmackDown of all time.
READ MORE: John Cena stuns fans at WWE Money in the Bank and calls for WrestleMania in London
In total WWE announced that overall the weekend had generated a combined gate of more than £4.2million (or $5.4 million).
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The event also set new records for Money in the Bank viewership, sponsorship, social media and merchandise - with fans queueing for hours to pick up limited edition souvenirs including a special London 3:16 commemorative Stone Cold Steve Austin t-shirt. It was also the highest-grossing arena event for venue merchandise in WWE history.
The news adds fuel to calls for London to become the first city outside of North America to host Wrestlemania.
WWE legend turned Hollywood superstar John Cena first started speculation about the possible move when he made a surprise appearance at The O2 to lobby for London to get to host the flagship show, which is WWE's equivalent to the Super Bowl.
Money in the Bank was the first major London pay per view wrestling event since Wembley Stadium hosted Summerslam '92 more than thirty years ago.
Fans in the stands chanted his name as Cena suggested they might not need to make so long for the next WWE outing in the capital, saying: "You cheer, you chant, hell you care! In my mind, there is not a more exciting audience than the audience in the United Kingdom. So, I'm here to try to bring WrestleMania to London!"
While Wrestlemania 2024 has already been confirmed as to be held in Philadelphia, it is understood that cities are already beginning to bid for the chance to hold the 2025 event - meaning London could now be in the frame.
In previous interviews with The Mirror, big-name wrestlers Drew McIntyre and Bianca Belair have both backed a UK Wrestlemania, with Belair going as far as to say it was a case of 'when not if' the show would come across the Atlantic.
Meanwhile since the weekend, a host of British MPs have also backed the move, including Alex Davies-Jones who is the co-chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Wrestling.
Speaking on Twitter she was quick to support the suggestion, saying: "Wrestlemania in the UK would be phenomenal for our economy, for our standing on a global stage but most importantly for UK fans of all ages. Having WWE and AEW host major events here is great news for us all. I’m backing John Cena’s call! Come on Triple H, make it happen."
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However, WWE boss Paul Levesque - otherwise known as Triple H - was slightly more cautious discussing the possibility in a press conference following the event, even as he praised fans for 'amazing events' and their 'off-the-chart' reactions.
"I wish it was as easy as saying, “Man, it’s phenomenal there, let’s go.” We’d be going to a lot of places," he said.
"If you look at this year, 2023 alone, four of the last five premium live events that we have done have been international destinations.
"Prior to that it’s not really been a common occurrence. Montreal, sold out, record sales. Puerto Rico, sold out, record sales, Saudi Arabia, sold out, record sales. London here, sold out, record sales.’
"It bodes well for international. We are a global company. We intend to be a global company. So, never say never for any of it.
"It’s a lot more difficult than it appears, but the intent is there. If there’s a way to get a lot of these international events done, we’re hellbent on doing them."
Whatever the outcome, wrestling fans won't have to wait long for the next massive US wrestling show to come to London, with Tony Khan's AEW taking over Wembley Stadium for AEW All In over the August bank holiday weekend.
AEW, which airs on ITV in the UK, still has tickets available for the event, with prices starting from £27.25.
Meanwhile, WWE is set to announce its next UK tour imminently and in the meantime fans can watch all the latest from WWE on BT Sport - soon to be renamed TNT Sport - either as a contract or on a no contract monthly pass for £29.99. This covers Smackdown, Raw and NXT as well as BT Sport's other coverage including Premier League games, rugby, UFC, MotoGP and cricket.
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