Liverpool jibes save awkward M&S Bank Arena performance

WWE landed in Liverpool this week, carrying a huge amount of hype with it. Hundreds of fans queued on Edge Lane to meet former women's champion Tiffany Stratton, with some reportedly arriving as early as 4am. Heading into my first live WWE show at the M&S Bank Arena , I expected an electric atmosphere given all the excitement surrounding the occasion. Upon arrival at the waterfront, there was a certain buzz to be enjoyed.

Fans donned signature CM Punk and John Cena tops, while others plastered their faces with black-and-white paint and youngsters dressed in replica Cody Rhodes and Alexia Bliss wrestling gear. Outside told a different story from inside, at least for me. Within moments of the opening bell for Charlotte Flair’s match against villainous stable leader Jacy Jayne, it became clear my expectations were off. It was my first time attending a live wrestling show and, honestly, I’d rather have watched it from home.

There’s no denying the skill, athleticism and talent involved - these performers are incredible athletes - but without the TV production surrounding it, the whole thing felt strangely awkward at times. The ring announcers, camera angles, commentary and overall presentation clearly do a lot of heavy lifting on television, and that became obvious inside the arena, especially with quite a few empty seats around us. At points, you could barely hear what was being shouted to the crowd - and we had pretty decent seats, gifted by WWE themselves. Even the big moments didn’t land the way I expected.

Finishing moves that look massive on TV often felt flat in person, and the crowd only really seemed to come alive when the winner was officially announced. Even then, it felt more like an obligation than genuine excitement. Ironically, whenever highlights from Raw and SmackDown played before the show and during the break, it only heightened the difference in quality between the television product and the live experience. And before anyone says maybe I’m just not the target audience as a 27-year-old, the crowd was largely made up of people older than me, many without kids.

Like most live events, the show did improve as the night went on. The opening matches felt slightly flat, but once the crowd settled in and adjusted to the pacing, the atmosphere noticeably improved. It feels harsh being this critical while sat here with a bank holiday beer belly judging world-class athletes, but football fans criticise players every week when performances fall short - and this didn’t feel much different. To WWE’s credit, they did make the event feel very Liverpool-heavy.

There were plenty of jibes about the rivalry between the city’s two football clubs, the neighbours further down the M62, and even the ever-changing weather conditions. Unexpectedly, Jason McAteer even made a pre-recorded cameo, handing over a new football shirt to Trick Williams ahead of his showdown with Carmelo Hayes for the WWE United States Championship. More smack talk aimed at Liverpool came from heel The Miz prior to his segment with Danhausen. The pair continued their supernatural storyline, which began in March when The Miz refused to mentor Danhausen in his quest to become WWE Champion.

The Miz compared his current “curse” to Liverpool Football Club’s recent Premier League struggles. That was understandably booed by much of the crowd, although a few cheers crept in too - presumably from the Blues in the audience.