On a recent episode of his podcast, Something To Wrestle With, Bruce Prichard discussed various topics, including the Great American Bash as a pay-per-view event. Prichard shared his thoughts on the event and whether he was surprised that Vince McMahon booked it in WWE, considering it was originally an NWA/WCW idea.
Prichard stated, “It wasn’t the idea. I don’t think that the names were anything. Again, it wasn’t his creation, and it wasn’t new, and it felt like you’re banking on someone else’s equity that they have in that name. Sometimes good, sometimes bad. And I loved the name. I always loved the name Great American Bash. That was the perfect 4th of July spectacular, the Great American Bash. It’s attraction driven. Not enough people wanted to see it. It’s that simple.”
He further explained that the event didn’t generate enough interest from fans, which ultimately affected its success. Prichard also mentioned that WWE tried to incorporate more games into the event last year, replacing the Survivor Series. However, it still didn’t resonate with the audience.
The original concept of the Great American Bash, according to Prichard, involved a combination of country music and wrestling. The event would feature a country concert on one end of a football field, with a wrestling ring set up on the other half. Prichard believed that if someone enjoyed both country music and wrestling, it would be the perfect night out. However, if someone only wanted to experience one aspect, it would be less appealing.
Prichard acknowledged the early success of the Great American Bash but noted that in later years, it became just another pay-per-view event. He also mentioned that some of the event names, such as Halloween Havoc, were strongly associated with WCW, which could cause confusion in the marketplace now that it’s under the WWE brand.
If you want to hear more about Bruce Prichard’s thoughts on the Great American Bash and other wrestling topics, you can listen to his podcast, Something To Wrestle With.
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