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WWE has hosted several exciting and memorable Premium Live Events throughout 2023. Familiar and established names closed the majority of the shows, and while being well-known in the industry, they are not the topic of discussion in this article.
For this list, we will look at five superstars some fans may have forgotten main-evented a WWE Premium Live Event in 2023.
#5. Brock Lesnar: WWE Backlash
Brock Lesnar has headlined a tremendous amount of PLEs in his illustrious career, even being in the main event of WrestleMania. However, this time around, his performance at Backlash may have been forgotten as he has not around for the latter parts of the year.
Backlash occurred on May 6, 2023, at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico Jose Miguel Agrelot in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The event was historic as it was the first PLE in the country since 2005.
The main event saw The Beast Incarnate face Cody Rhodes in a singles match. The action began with the latter attacking his opponent while he was only doing his entrance. Lesnar was even cut open towards the end of the intense match and The American Nightmare took home the victory.
#4. Becky Lynch: NXT No Mercy
Becky Lynch is the only woman on this list to headline a WWE Premium Live Event. However, closing a major show is not a foreign concept for The Man.
NXT No Mercy happened on September 30, 2023, at the Mechanics Bank Arena in Bakersfield, California. It featured the likes of Ilja Dragunov, Trick Williams, Dominik Mysterio and more. However, it was Becky Lynch and Tiffany Stratton's match that headlined the show.
Lynch and Stratton battled in an Extreme Rules match which saw both women use numerous objects to aid them: sledgehammers, crowbars, wrenches, steel chairs, and even Barbies. The exhilarating match saw Becky retain the NXT Women's title.
#3. Solo Sikoa: Night of Champions
Solo Sikoa had a breakout year in WWE. He defeated John Cena, was named The Tribal Heir by Roman Reigns, and headlined an international PLE. Night of Champions took place on May 27, 2023, at the Jeddah Super Dome in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Solo Sikoa paired with Roman Reigns in hopes of dethroning Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens for the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship. The match saw several close calls and saw The Bloodline almost win, but The Usos betrayed their cousins. As a result, the champions retained their titles.
#2. Grayson Waller: NXT Vengeance Day
Multiple NXT stars were called up this year to the main roster, one of them being Grayson Waller. The Australian star has been fairing well on SmackDown recently, but he left a mark on the developmental brand.
NXT Vengeance Day was on February 4, 2023, at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. The main event saw Bron Breakker defend the NXT title against Grayson Waller inside a steel cage.
The match immediately began after Waller slammed the door into Breakker during the entrance. The Australian star nearly dethroned the champion, but it wasn't enough. Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams also appeared towards the event's end as they stared down with Bron.
#1. Shinsuke Nakamura: Payback and Fastlane
Shinsuke Nakamura embraced his dark side this year, and it certainly paid off. He was placed in the championship picture several times, and despite losing, he continued to feud with top stars.
Shinsuke headlined two PLEs this year. The first was Payback on September 2, 2023, followed by Fastlane on October 7, 2023, in a Last Man Standing Match. He faced Seth Rollins twice in both for the World Heavyweight Championship.
Despite Shinsuke Nakamura's stellar performances in both matches, Seth Rollins prevailed and showcased why he is the World Heavyweight Champion.
