WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event Makes Historic Return to Prime Time Television
The Return of an Iconic Wrestling Tradition
WWE announced in September 2024 that it would produce a second revival of Saturday Night’s Main Event, with the first episode airing on December 14 from Nassau Coliseum—the exact venue where the show debuted 39 years earlier. This revival marks a significant moment for professional wrestling fans, as Saturday Night’s Main Event is a series of American professional wrestling television specials produced by WWE that originally broadcast from 1985 to 1992 by NBC until 1991, then briefly by Fox, with specials briefly revived on NBC from 2006 to 2008, and then again in 2024 to the present.
Record-Breaking Debut and Nostalgia-Fueled Presentation
The December 2024 debut proved immensely successful, with WWE delivering a thrilling Saturday Night’s Main Event at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum drawing 2.3 million viewers across NBC and Peacock. The new revival features homages to the original run of Saturday Night’s Main Event and WWE in the 1980s, including a lack of TitanTron, red, white, and blue ring ropes, referees in formal outfits, some branding elements using the WWE “throwback” logo, and the reinstatement of “Obsession” by Animotion as its theme music. The event featured historic moments, including the crowning of the inaugural WWE Women’s United States Champion, whilst legendary commentator Jesse “The Body” Ventura returned to provide commentary at the event.
Looking Ahead: 2025 Schedule and John Cena’s Farewell
WWE has committed to continuing the series throughout 2025 and beyond. Saturday Night’s Main Event XXXVIII took place on January 25, 2025, from San Antonio, Texas, at the Frost Bank Center, and was broadcast on NBC and Peacock, whilst subsequent episodes followed in May 2025. A particularly significant event is scheduled for December 13, 2025 at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., which will feature John Cena’s final professional wrestling match against “The Ring General” Gunther. The December 2025 episode is historic as it is the first episode to include wrestlers from the NXT brand and partner promotion Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), demonstrating WWE’s commitment to evolving the format whilst honouring tradition.
Significance for Wrestling Fans
The return of Saturday Night’s Main Event represents more than nostalgia—it provides wrestling fans with quarterly prime-time specials featuring championship matches and storyline convergences from both Raw and SmackDown brands. With WWE’s programming expanding across multiple platforms and the success of the revived series, Saturday Night’s Main Event has re-established itself as a cornerstone event in professional wrestling, bridging generations of fans whilst creating new memorable moments for the future.