According to a new report, WWE has cancelled the next edition of its ‘Day 1’ Premium Live Event and there are no plans to replace it.
Wrestlenomics broke the news of the cancellation and noted that the event, which would have taken place on New Year’s Day 2023 will not be rescheduled or rebranded.
This leaves a massive gap in WWE’s PLE calendar between two of its biggest events of the year, Survivor Series on November 26th and the Royal Rumble on January 28th.
The news comes only two months after the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia began advertising the event to take place there for the second year. Interestingly, the venue’s website is still listing the event, although with a ticket on-sale date ‘TBA’.
Exclusive: WWE PLE “Day 1” canceled, not being rescheduled https://t.co/4TBHinZA2e
— Wrestlenomics (@wrestlenomics) October 16, 2022
The 2022 edition of Day 1 saw Brock Lesnar capture the WWE Championship in a huge Fatal Fiveway match also featuring then-champion Big E, Seth Rollins, Kevin Owens, and Bobby Lashley.
Previous plans for WWE Day 1
Only a few days ago, Dave Meltzer gave possible reasons for tickets not being on sale for WWE Day 1 despite it being so close. Speaking on Wrestling Observer Radio, he claimed there had been discussions about the date of the event potentially being moved.
“They had discussed changing the date. I don’t think they will. I was told a couple of weeks ago that if they do make a change, the change would have been announced on Friday. Friday came and went, there was no announcement. So I presume it’s on, and the tickets will be on sale soon. It still might be changed, but I don’t know.
“The problem is every day that they could change it to, they’ve already got shows booked. Of course they could cancel those shows, but I have not heard of them not selling tickets in those other things, and I think they would freeze ticket sales of one of the other shows if they were going to cancel.”
He went on to say there were plans to hold the event annually in Atlanta, even going so far as saying WWE wanted it to become a “wrestling holiday tradition”.
“The idea of the pay-per-view is January 1. They want to make it an annual tradition in Atlanta, and January 1 is a Saturday I believe this year (it’s actually a Sunday). I guess New Year’s Day is a holiday either way, if it’s on a Thursday that’s fine too, but they want the January 1 evening tradition to become a wrestling holiday tradition.
“I presume it will keep going. But yes, there was discussion of the date (changing), and that’s probably why they’ve delayed ticket sales.”
The report from Wrestlenomics appears to have put that notion to bed now, as it seems that Day 1 will not see a second year and not become a tradition after all.
H/T to WrestleTalk.com for the above transcription.