WWE has been ruling the world of pro wrestling for decades now. Technically, the promotion has been there since the 1950s, and over the years, it has given us many premium live events along with weekly televised ones and, of course, the live shows. However, one event that holds a special place is Saturday Night’s Main Event, as it is not like a usual WWE PLE. Here are some lesser-known facts about the event that might surprise many pro wrestling fans.
#1. Saturday Night’s Main Event is Older Than RAW and SmackDown
It might seem surprising to many, especially the younger generation, but SNME is actually older than RAW, SmackDown, and many other PLEs as well. To know its origin, we have to go about four decades back to 1985, when the first-ever WrestleMania took place.
WWE was WWF back then, and it was gaining nationwide popularity since it debuted on TV programming. Before SNME, it had aired some special events like “The Brawl to End It All” and “The War to Settle the Score” on MTV, which gained some attention. On top of that, WrestleMania 1 was quite successful, and broadcasters took notice of the promotion.
Back then, “Saturday Night Live” used to air reruns of their shows, which obviously didn’t bring in much ratings for NBC. The executive producer of SNL, Dick Ebersol, then decided to approach WWF to run a special show instead of airing SNL reruns. As a result, Saturday Night’s Main Event was born.
#2. SNME Has Gone Through Multiple Reboots
The original run of the event on NBC ended in 1991. After that, two more episodes aired on Fox in 1992, totaling 31 episodes thus far. Then, after RAW came back to USA Network in 2005, it was revived in March 2006 on NBC and ran for five episodes until July 2008. However, unlike the original, this time the event got scheduled as occasional specials.
In 2022, the SNME brand was used for non-televised live events, aka the house shows. It was a part of WWE’s return to live touring after the COVID-19 pandemic. SNME was revived for the second time on TV in 2024. Because of a five-year deal with NBCUniversal, WWE has to produce four specials for NBC, and the promotion decided to bring back the event once again. Its first episode aired on December 14, 2024.
#3. It is Not a Premium Live Event
Saturday Night’s Main Event indeed seems like a WWE PLE because of the high-profile matches and storylines. But it is not. To understand the reason behind it, we need to recall how the PLE model works in WWE.
WWE PLEs like Royal Rumble, Survivor Series, and SummerSlam usually happen monthly and are typically streamed exclusively on Peacock in the U.S. and on Netflix globally. They are like modern-day PPVs, which got rebranded as PLEs after WWE moved from traditional PPV models to streaming platforms in the 2010s. They are not broadcast on free-to-air network TV.
SNME, on the other hand, airs on both NBC, which is a free-to-air network, and also on Peacock and Netflix simultaneously. The event targets both the casual viewers and WWE’s core subscriber base.
#4. SNME Has Featured Many Big Stars
SNME provided a significant platform to upcoming talents, especially during its initial days. The TV exposure helped wrestlers gain recognition from the mainstream audience. Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage, The Undertaker, Bret Hart, and many other WWE Superstars got significant exposure from this show.
The Undertaker made his WWF debut at Survivor Series in 1990. He was featured in SNME XXX for the first time. He teamed up with Ric Flair, and their DQ loss against Hulk Hogan and Sid Justice gave him a significant boost, being a newcomer at the time.
Then there is Bret Hart, who had some memorable matches against names like Randy Savage and Papa Shango. John Cena teamed up with Triple H and defeated Kurt Angle, Rey Mysterio, and Randy Orton in SNME 32. Besides them, every notable name from each era has appeared in the event, be it Steve Austin, Batista, Shawn Michaels, or Cody Rhodes.
#5. It Has Launched Many Iconic WWE Rivalries
SNME has featured many big names like Hulk Hogan, André the Giant, Roddy Piper, Shawn Michaels, John Cena, Randy Orton, and so on. The show’s format, storyline buildups, and environment raise the stakes. Over the years, it has launched and boosted many legendary rivalries in WWE.
One of them is Randy Savage vs. Jake Roberts for the Intercontinental Championship in November 1986. Roberts was gaining popularity, and he challenged the champ, Savage. The match was between two heels, which is still rare in WWE. Though the match ended in a disqualification, their rivalry flourished and continued till the early 1990s.
Hulk Hogan is another big name that has been frequently featured in SNME. His iconic rivalry with André the Giant started in the early 80s and was pushed further by the event. Moreover, many fans still remember his controversial win against Paul “Mr. Wonderful” Orndorff in SNME 9 during a steel cage match when both wrestlers touched the ground almost at the same time.
Hogan’s rivalry with The Honky Tonk Man was also popular in the late 80s. The SNME 22 featured a main event between the two for the WWF Championship. Apart from them, rivalries like The Ultimate Warrior vs. André the Giant, Shawn Michaels vs. The British Bulldog, Shane McMahon vs. Shawn Michaels, John Cena vs. Edge, Cody Rhodes vs. Kevin Owens, and many more gained more momentum from the event.
Saturday Night’s Main Event has come a long way, from becoming a replacement for SNL reruns to gaining its own special position in the WWE universe and acting like a bridge between the mainstream viewers and hardcore pro wrestling fans.