WWE announces another streak of international shows in Europe leading up to Clash in Paris

The company is doubling down on the overwhelming response it's getting by making intermittent visits to Europe in a year.

WWE announces another streak of international shows in Europe leading up to Clash in Paris

Clash in Paris 2025 [via- WWE]

The WWE Universe should brace itself for another round of hostile crowds. The company will take over the capital of France on August 31 for WWE Clash in Paris and for Monday Night Raw on September 1 at Paris La Defense Arena. But theyโ€™re not going to be the only overseas events that weekend. WWE has added more international shows in their lead-up.

Theyโ€™ll kick off with a SmackDown taping in Dublin on August 22. A couple of live events in Liverpool and Newcastle will precede an episode of Raw in Birmingham. Itโ€™ll again be succeeded by a trio of house shows in Manchester, Leeds, and Cardiff, ending with SmackDown in Lyon on August 29 at LDLC Arenaโ€”host of Backlash 2024.

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WWE originally wanted to run the La Defense Arena in Paris for last yearโ€™s Backlash but couldnโ€™t secure it due to the then-ongoing Summer Olympics. Back then, Cody Rhodes and AJ Styles headlined Backlash in its European debut. Coming out of the PLE, the Lyon crowd was what many concurred the best crowd for an arena show in WWE history.

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The promotion is in the midst of a European tour. Last Friday, SmackDown emanated from Barcelona for the first time ever while Raw took over Brussels this Monday. The next stop is Bologna, Italy, where Roman Reigns, CM Punk, and Seth Rollins will meet in the ring. Other televised tapings include an edition of Raw in Glasgow and a Raw and SmackDown each from the O2 Arena in London as well.

Is WrestleMania also going international soon?

It seems like a long way ago when John Cena advocated for London to host WrestleMania imminently. He broached its possibility during a surprise appearance at Money in the Bank 2023. Since then, thereโ€™s been a ton of chatter regarding when itโ€™d see the light of day.

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WrestleMania has been discussed to happen in London down the road [via- Change.org]

In July 2024, upon the re-election of Sadiq Khan as the Mayor of London, Triple H and Nick Khan went to meet him personally. The meeting was convened at City Hall, and it was deemed productive by Khan. However, back in April, WWE CEO and President Nick Khan disclosed during SBJโ€™s World Congress of Sports that WrestleMania(s) wouldnโ€™t be held outside of North America for the foreseeable future.

It was later reported that if London is willing to pony up the money for hosting The Showcase of the Immortals, Nickโ€™s camp would be extremely receptive to it. In 2026, WrestleMania is coming to New Orleans, as unveiled in a stunning fashion by Dwayne โ€œThe Rockโ€ Johnson on SmackDown last month.

Itโ€™ll be staged at the Caesars Superdome. The facility has already hosted previous iterations of WrestleMania in 2014 and 2018. The city of Minneapolis was at one point considered the frontrunner to host WrestleMania 42.

Was Raw in Belgium the best international WWE crowd ever?

Raw this week was held in Belgium. Despite it being in an 8000-seating indoor arena, the energy of the crowd was infectious. The highlight of the night was John Cena cutting his first promo since turning heel at the Elimination Chamber. He belittled everyone in attendance, calling himself a victim of an abusive relationship.

John Cena
John Cena trashed the Brussels crowd on Raw [via- WWE]

The rant Cena was on elicited the exact reactions from the crowd WWE was looking for. Fightful noted that the company was ecstatic. Moreover, an internal claim was made regarding Brussels potentially being the loudest environment for a WWE TV taping ever. The showโ€™s main event was an Intercontinental Championship match between Bron Breakker and Finn Balor.

After ringside shenanigans from Dominik Mysterio inadvertently cost Balor, allowing Bron to retain the gold, Mysterio and Carlito launched an attack on Breakker. Penta arrived to his aid and was successful. Raw went off-air with Breakker and Penta staring each other down.

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