WWE The Great American Bash
Encyclopedia
The Great American Bash was a professional wrestling
pay-per-view
event produced in the summer in either the month of June or July by professional wrestling promotion
World Wrestling Entertainment
(WWE). The 2009 edition was known as The Bash. The event was originally-produced in 1985 under National Wrestling Alliance
's Jim Crockett Promotions
, and then by its successor, World Championship Wrestling
(WCW). According to Ric Flair
in his autobiography, To Be the Man
, Dusty Rhodes
invented the concept. The last event was held on June 11, 2000, not to be held again due to the acquisition of WCW by World Wrestling Federation (WWF). After a four-year hiatus, the event was revived by the rechristened WWE in June 2004 and would be exclusive to the SmackDown! brand
from 2004 to 2006. In 2007, to follow the format of WrestleMania
, WWE made all its pay per view events promotionwide, featuring matches with competitors from its three brands, Raw
, SmackDown, and ECW. The 2009 event was rebranded as The Bash, as a way to distance the show from its past as part of WCW. The event was replaced in 2010 by Fatal 4-Way
. In 2011, Fatal 4-Way was replaced by Capitol Punishment
.
(PPV) event consisting of a main event
and undercard
that feature championship matches and other various matches. The Great American Bash was originally known as The Great American Bash until 2009; this was the original name when produced under the professional wrestling promotion
s World Championship Wrestling
(WCW) and Jim Crockett Promotions
. The first The Great American Bash event was produced under the National Wrestling Alliance
's Jim Crockett Promotions and took place on July 6, 1985 at the American Legion Memorial Stadium
in Charlotte, North Carolina
. The Great American Bash (1986) and The Great American Bash (1987) were featured as part of a tour during the July month. The Great American Bash (1988) was the first The Great American Bash event that was produced as a pay-per-view. The show continued to run for an extra two years before being produced under World Championship Wrestling. The first The Great American Bash event produced under WCW was The Great American Bash (1991); which has been considered the worst show under the event chronology. After the purchase of WCW by the WWE in 2001, none of their pay-per-view event names were seen again until The Great American Bash returned under the World Wrestling Entertainment in 2004. The event was made exclusive to the SmackDown! brand and took place on June 27, 2004 at the Norfolk Scope
in Norfolk, Virginia
. After three years of being produced as a brand exclusive event, The Great American Bash (2006)
was the final The Great American Bash event that was brand exclusive, as WWE announced that PPV events from then on would feature all three brands of WWE. The event continued to promote under The Great American Bash name before rebranding itself to The Bash in 2009.
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
pay-per-view
Pay-per-view
Pay-per-view provides a service by which a television audience can purchase events to view via private telecast. The broadcaster shows the event at the same time to everyone ordering it...
event produced in the summer in either the month of June or July by professional wrestling promotion
Professional wrestling promotion
A professional wrestling promotion is a company or business that regularly performs shows involving professional wrestling. Promotion also describes a role which entails management, advertising and logistics of running a wrestling event...
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
(WWE). The 2009 edition was known as The Bash. The event was originally-produced in 1985 under National Wrestling Alliance
National Wrestling Alliance
The National Wrestling Alliance is a wrestling promotion company and sanctions various NWA championships in the United States. The NWA has been in operation since 1948...
's Jim Crockett Promotions
Jim Crockett Promotions
Jim Crockett Promotions was a professional wrestling promotion owned by Jim Crockett, Jr. until the late 1980s. It was a member of the National Wrestling Alliance and was the forerunner to World Championship Wrestling .-Early history:...
, and then by its successor, World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling, Inc. was an American professional wrestling promotion which existed from 1988 to 2001. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it began as a regional promotion affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance , named Jim Crockett Promotions until November 1988, when Ted Turner and...
(WCW). According to Ric Flair
Ric Flair
Richard Morgan Fliehr is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Ric Flair. Also known as "The Nature Boy", Flair is one of the most well-known professional wrestlers in the world....
in his autobiography, To Be the Man
To Be the Man
To Be the Man is an autobiographical book written by professional wrestler Ric Flair and Keith Elliot Greenberg, and edited by Mark Madden. It was published by WWE Books and distributed by Simon & Schuster in July 2004...
, Dusty Rhodes
Dusty Rhodes (wrestler)
Virgil Riley Runnels, Jr. , better known as "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes, is a semi-retired American professional wrestler currently working for WWE...
invented the concept. The last event was held on June 11, 2000, not to be held again due to the acquisition of WCW by World Wrestling Federation (WWF). After a four-year hiatus, the event was revived by the rechristened WWE in June 2004 and would be exclusive to the SmackDown! brand
WWE Brand Extension
WWE, formerly the World Wrestling Federation and World Wrestling Entertainment , currently promotes its core business of professional wrestling through two "brands" named after their two major television shows Raw and SmackDown...
from 2004 to 2006. In 2007, to follow the format of WrestleMania
WrestleMania
WrestleMania is a professional wrestling pay-per-view event, produced annually in late March or early April by WWE, a professional wrestling promotion based in Connecticut...
, WWE made all its pay per view events promotionwide, featuring matches with competitors from its three brands, Raw
WWE RAW
WWE Raw ) is a sports entertainment television program for WWE that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States...
, SmackDown, and ECW. The 2009 event was rebranded as The Bash, as a way to distance the show from its past as part of WCW. The event was replaced in 2010 by Fatal 4-Way
WWE Fatal 4-Way
Fatal 4-Way was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on June 20, 2010 at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, New York...
. In 2011, Fatal 4-Way was replaced by Capitol Punishment
WWE Capitol Punishment
Capitol Punishment was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by WWE, which took place on June 19, 2011 at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C....
.
History
The Great American Bash was a pay-per-viewPay-per-view
Pay-per-view provides a service by which a television audience can purchase events to view via private telecast. The broadcaster shows the event at the same time to everyone ordering it...
(PPV) event consisting of a main event
Card (sports)
In sports, a card comprises a listing of the matches taking place in a title-match combat-sport event. Organizers divide overall cards into a main-event match and the undercard, which encompasses the rest of the matches. One can also further subdivide the undercard into midcard and lower card,...
and undercard
Card (sports)
In sports, a card comprises a listing of the matches taking place in a title-match combat-sport event. Organizers divide overall cards into a main-event match and the undercard, which encompasses the rest of the matches. One can also further subdivide the undercard into midcard and lower card,...
that feature championship matches and other various matches. The Great American Bash was originally known as The Great American Bash until 2009; this was the original name when produced under the professional wrestling promotion
Professional wrestling promotion
A professional wrestling promotion is a company or business that regularly performs shows involving professional wrestling. Promotion also describes a role which entails management, advertising and logistics of running a wrestling event...
s World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling, Inc. was an American professional wrestling promotion which existed from 1988 to 2001. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it began as a regional promotion affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance , named Jim Crockett Promotions until November 1988, when Ted Turner and...
(WCW) and Jim Crockett Promotions
Jim Crockett Promotions
Jim Crockett Promotions was a professional wrestling promotion owned by Jim Crockett, Jr. until the late 1980s. It was a member of the National Wrestling Alliance and was the forerunner to World Championship Wrestling .-Early history:...
. The first The Great American Bash event was produced under the National Wrestling Alliance
National Wrestling Alliance
The National Wrestling Alliance is a wrestling promotion company and sanctions various NWA championships in the United States. The NWA has been in operation since 1948...
's Jim Crockett Promotions and took place on July 6, 1985 at the American Legion Memorial Stadium
American Legion Memorial Stadium
American Legion Memorial Stadium is 21,000-capacity stadium located on 7th Street in the Elizabeth community of Charlotte, North Carolina. Memorial Stadium is mainly used for high school sporting events and also serves as a public venue...
in Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
. The Great American Bash (1986) and The Great American Bash (1987) were featured as part of a tour during the July month. The Great American Bash (1988) was the first The Great American Bash event that was produced as a pay-per-view. The show continued to run for an extra two years before being produced under World Championship Wrestling. The first The Great American Bash event produced under WCW was The Great American Bash (1991); which has been considered the worst show under the event chronology. After the purchase of WCW by the WWE in 2001, none of their pay-per-view event names were seen again until The Great American Bash returned under the World Wrestling Entertainment in 2004. The event was made exclusive to the SmackDown! brand and took place on June 27, 2004 at the Norfolk Scope
Norfolk Scope
Norfolk Scope is a multipurpose culture, entertainment, convention and sports arena at the northern perimeter of downtown Norfolk, Virginia, designed by Italian architect/engineer Pier Luigi Nervi in conjunction with the local firm of Williams and Tazewell...
in Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
. After three years of being produced as a brand exclusive event, The Great American Bash (2006)
The Great American Bash (2006)
The Great American Bash was the third annual Great American Bash professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment...
was the final The Great American Bash event that was brand exclusive, as WWE announced that PPV events from then on would feature all three brands of WWE. The event continued to promote under The Great American Bash name before rebranding itself to The Bash in 2009.
The Great American Bash dates and venues
| # | Event | Date | City | Venue | Main Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Undertaker versus The Dudley Boyz Dudley Boyz Team 3D was a professional wrestling tag team, consisting of Brother Ray and Brother Devon, formerly sporadically joined into a stable by Brother Runt on several intervals... (Bubba Ray and D-Von) in a "Concrete Crypt" Handicap match |
|||||
| Batista (c) versus John "Bradshaw" Layfield John Layfield John Charles Layfield is a former American professional wrestler, a former commentator/host for mixed martial arts promotion Vyper Fight League and financial analyst for Fox News... for the World Heavyweight Championship World Heavyweight Championship (WWE) The World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the SmackDown brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the WWE Championship of the Raw brand... |
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| Rey Mysterio (c) versus King Booker (with Queen Sharmell) for the World Heavyweight Championship | |||||
| John Cena John Cena John Felix Anthony Cena is an American professional wrestler, actor, rapper, and television personality. He is currently signed to WWE as a member of its WWE Raw brand.... (c) versus Bobby Lashley for the WWE Championship WWE Championship The WWE Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the Raw brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the World Heavyweight Championship of the SmackDown brand. It was established under the then WWWF in 1963... |
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| Triple H Triple H Paul Michael Levesque is an American professional wrestler, professional wrestling authority figure, WWE Executive Vice President of Talent and actor, better known by his ring name Triple H, an abbreviation of the ring name, Hunter Hearst Helmsley... (c) versus Edge Adam Copeland Adam Joseph Copeland is a retired Canadian professional wrestler and actor, better known by his ring name Edge. He is currently signed to WWE under a Legends contract.... for the WWE Championship |
|||||
| Randy Orton Randy Orton Randal Keith "Randy" Orton is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to WWE wrestling on its SmackDown brand... (c) versus Triple H in Three Stages of Hell for the WWE Championship |
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See also
- The Great American BashThe Great American BashThe Great American Bash was an annual summer professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the National Wrestling Alliance's Jim Crockett Promotions and then by World Championship Wrestling. It is now produced by World Wrestling Entertainment...
- List of WWE pay-per-view events