What is the difference between a WWE house show and a TV taping? skysports.com investigates...
How did O2 Arena show compare to TV taping?
The WWE returned to the United Kingdom this past fortnight as the DX Invasion Tour from Raw and the Undertaker's Rest in Peace Tour from Smackdown entertained crowds across the UK.
The tour consisted of house shows and a television taping for each brand. Sheffield was the destination this time for the TV shows. On Raw, you may have already seen former boxing champion Ricky Hatton knocking out WWE's Chavo Guerrero!
But what is the difference between a house show and a TV taping? Skysports.com sent Richard Parr to the recent Raw house show at London's O2 Arena to find out.
The set
The first thing you notice when you arrive is that the entrance set is a lot more basic compared to what you normally see on TV. There was no big Titantron screen and there weren't many flashing lights. It was mainly a steel frame and stage with WWE logos either side of a curtain. But as each Superstar entered the arena the pyrotechnics were still there - sending the fans into a frenzy.
Crowd
Speaking of the fans. The WWE has some of the most passionate fans in the world; none more so than their British supporters. With no cameras at the event there were not as many banners and signs as you would see on TV. But that didn't affect the noise level! Crowd chants and cheers were as loud as ever and it appeared everyone was enjoying seeing their favourite Superstars in action.
Promos
Obviously without a big screen there weren't any backstage segments. But when the Superstars were given the microphone in the ring they definitely appeared more natural. With more time and less pressure of a camera staring down on them it felt like the wrestlers could interact with the crowd more. Obviously stars like The Miz and Chris Jericho were particularly good at antagonising the crowd; especially Jericho who got pelted with DX glow-sticks!
Match length
The UK has been blessed with some great matches at TV tapings in recent years, especially the epic John Cena-Shawn Michaels match at London's Excel Arena in April 2007. But sometimes on Raw or Smackdown some of the newer or less famous Superstars do not get as much time to shine. And that's the beauty of a House Show. Wrestlers such as Paul Burchill, Evan Bourne and The Miz are given more time to show their range of offense. To see Evan Bourne's "Air Bourne" manoeuvre is very impressive live!
Match quality
With more time, inevitably the quality of a match rises. And at the O2 the UK fans were given three main event worthy matches. John Cena against Chris Jericho headlined Summerslam 2005. D-Generation X versus the Legacy was the main event for the recent Hell in a Cell show. And Randy Orton tackling Kofi Kingston is leading to a brutal battle that is bound to grace the top end of a pay-per-view soon. If their match at the O2 is any indication it will be an exciting feud between Orton and Kingston. DX and Legacy have faced each other numerous times in the last couple of months - and it shows as the two teams put on a well crafted match. And the best night of the match between Cena and Y2J was full of near-falls and close submissions meriting any main event.
WWE returns in April
The Superstars of the WWE come back to our shores next April for the WrestleMania Revenge Tour. Clearly both a television taping and a house show have their own merits. But if you can get to see either type of show one thing is guaranteed... you will see a fantastic spectacle!
