Wembley Stadium, just 34 years ago – WWF SummerSlam 1992 | WON Flashback

August 29 1992 was the date of WWF SummerSlam 1992, held at Wembley Stadium in front of an announced crowd of 80,355 fans paying approximately $2.7 million. Our own Dave Meltzer referred to it in the WON as a two match show, with Randy Savage vs The Ultimate Warrior and Bret Hart vs The British Bulldog carrying the card.

You can find Dave’s review of the matches from WWF SummerSlam ’92 in the Sept. 8, 1992 Observer Newsletter (which you can read in full with a subscription).

WWF SummerSlam 1992

Here is some of what Dave had to say about WWF SummerSlam 1992 from Wembley Stadium:

“The 8/29 card from London, England’s Wembley Stadium, the first WWF PPV from outside the North American continent, drew a crowd announced at 80,355 fans paying approximately $2.7 million. The crowd figure, which appeared on television to be legit (even though it seems that much of the publicity regarding how many tickets were sold in record time was a work), would be the second largest recorded crowd to attend pro wrestling, trailing only the Hulk Hogan-Andre the Giant match at the Pontiac Silverdome in 1987. The gate figure, if that number is correct, would be in around seventh place on the all-time charts trailing the Hogan-Ultimate Warrior match in Toronto and five Tokyo Dome shows.

“Overall the show drew a strong positive response even though when you take away the top two matches, Warrior vs. Randy Savage and Bret Hart vs. British Bulldog, there were only a few spots that made an impression and no other good matches. But Savage put on his best major show performances since returning from his so-called retirement, while Hart vs. Bulldog was a near-classic match, probably the best WWF singles match on a major show since Savage-Steamboat in 1987. Add to that a very enthusiastic crowd which made some of the weaker matches bearable, plus the fact the rest of the matches were mainly kept short, kept the show from falling apart before the two matches that were focused on.

“While from one standpoint, only airing eight matches and giving the main events ample time to build made it a better show, there were three advertised matches that didn’t appear on the PPV (Tanaka vs. Berzerker, Papa Shango vs. Tito Santana and Jim Duggan & Bushwhackers vs. Nasty Boys & Mountie). Even though they’ve been doing it for years, the WWF PPV shows always go long in the first half and result in quickie matches in the second half in order to fit it all in. This card, being taped two days earlier, was more of the same as in order to fit everything in, they cut out three matches plus the usual intermission and lengthy interview segments were either eliminated beforehand or edited out of the final product. I agree with the decision not to edit the main events and to eliminate the three matches from the show. But wouldn’t it be a much better policy for both promotions in the future to simply advertise 6-8 matches on these major shows so you don’t have to eliminate matches that have been promised on television rather than advertise 11 and deliver eight (or as WCW will do at the Clash, advertise eight and deliver six).”