Add as a preferred source on Google Cody Rhodes made it clear that WWE’s current European tour is not just about running house shows in new markets.
In a new WWE vlog covering the company’s latest European tour, Rhodes said some of these events are being used to gauge which cities could host bigger shows in the future, including Premium Live Events.
“It’s not a secret that some of these events are potentially to gauge places that WWE can go with a bigger setup, with a bigger show. A PLE like Clash, for example.”
Rhodes’ comments come as WWE continues to make a major investment in Europe. The company held Clash in Italy on May 31 at the Inalpi Arena in Turin, marking the first Premium Live Event in company history to take place in Italy. The event was part of the European Summer Tour, which included stops in Italy, Spain, France, Portugal and the United Kingdom.
WWE also held SmackDown in Barcelona and Bologna, along with RAW in Turin, Paris and London.
Portugal was also cited by Rhodes as an example of an important market in that evaluation. On June 3, WWE held a live event at MEO Arena in Lisbon, where Cody defeated Gunther in an Undisputed WWE Championship match.