This Sunday night, the WWE will present Extreme Rules, which is its second pay-per-view and WWE Network special of the month.
Just three weeks ago, the company rolled out the Payback event, which had a nice card, but didn't quite have any sense of urgency or importance. Between the NXT specials, the network-only events and the pay-per-view/WWE Network specials, the WWE's event calendar has been watered down.
While we aren't suggesting going back to just four big pay-per-view events like the good old days, the yearly calendar could use a little trimming and a major shakeup to make events feel more important.
Here is our month-by-month look at how we feel the WWE should book its pay-per-view events going forward on the main roster.
January: Royal Rumble
If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Though the last few editions of the event have left a lot to be desired, there's nothing more exciting than the surprise and splendor of the Royal Rumble Match. The WWE made a major mistake this year by making it for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, but going forward, it should determine the No. 1 contender at WrestleMania.
February: N/A
The February pay-per-view is so unnecessary now that the brand extension is a thing of the past. If the WWE opts to do a brand split again, it would necessitate the return of Elimination Chamber to determine the No. 1 contender for the brand's World Title that the Rumble winner isn't going after. Right now, there's no need for Fastlane as nothing eventful ever happens there. If necessary, the WWE could put a "Saturday Night's Main Event" on the WWE Network to further hype WrestleMania.
March/April: WrestleMania
Obviously, the marquee event won't be going anywhere anytime soon, so March and April will all be for WrestleMania hype.
May: Extreme Rules
May doesn't need two events, so you might as well get rid of Payback, since it has no theme to it. At least Extreme Rules brings up various stipulations throughout the night.
June: King of the Ring/Money in the Bank
The WWE could get away with two June pay-per-views, and they should definitely bring KOTR back into the fold. If Extreme Rules happens on the first Sunday in May, the WWE could use the rest of the month to determine seeds for the King of the Ring and make a bracket challenge on its website for fans to partake in. The event could then have the final eight participants take part in a one-night tournament in early June with the winner of it becoming the No. 1 contender for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at SummerSlam a la Brock Lesnar in 2002.
On the final Sunday in June, the WWE could then put on Money in the Bank, which is a very important event as it kicks in a storyline that could last up to a year.
July: Great American Bash at the Beach
Since Battleground is just an awful, theme-less event, the WWE could take two former WCW elements and combine them into one in the middle of the summer. The WWE could go outside for this event each year and dress the beach setting in red, white and blue to celebrate America. If not, the WWE could use King of the Ring for June and Money in the Bank for July.
August: SummerSlam
Just like Royal Rumble and WrestleMania, there's no need for "The Biggest Party of the Summer" to go anywhere.
September: Night of Champions
Having a night to honor the titles isn't a bad thing, so this month could stay as is with a heavy emphasis on each belt in the company.
October: Halloween Havoc
Having a Hell in a Cell event is way too contrived and takes away from the stipulation. Getting rid of that event would allow the WWE to spontaneously use the stipulation any other time throughout the year rather than just booking cell matches simply because it's October. Halloween Havoc would embrace the season and be a fun event, especially for the young fans.
November: Survivor Series
Rounding out the Big Four, there's no reason why the WWE can't keep the November Classic in the fold. Given the fact that nearly every other event has singles matches, the company should think about dusting off the old traditional tag elimination format throughout the entire card to keep rivalries fresh. Adding a major stipulation to the final elimination match of the night never hurts either.
December: TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs
It wouldn't be bad for the WWE to come up with some sort of holiday-themed event, but since they've never done it, it's highly unlikely. TLC is a little redundant since they already have the Money in the Bank event, so maybe a return of Cyber Sunday or some sort of throwback event would be better to give the fans a say at the end of the year.
