| WWE Superstar Spectacle | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Promotions | WWE |
| Brands | Raw (2021, 2023) SmackDown (2021) NXT (2021) |
| Other names | Namaste India (2023) |
| First event | 2021 |
WWE Superstar Spectacle is a series ofprofessional wrestling events produced by the AmericancompanyWWE. The events have primarily targeted the promotion'sIndian market, and have showcased talent of Indian heritage.
The event was first held in 2021 as WWE's firsttelevision special produced specifically for India as part of its broadcasting agreement withSony Pictures Networks India (SPNI); it featured wrestlers from theRaw,SmackDown, andNXTbrand divisions. It premiered on January 26, 2021—India'sRepublic Day—on SPNI channels, and was broadcast internationally as astreaming special on theWWE Network. As with all other WWE programming at the time due to theCOVID-19 pandemic, the special was taped in the United States using itsThunderDome staging andvirtual audience.
In September 2023, WWE held a second edition of Superstar Spectacle, this time as a Rawhouse show inHyderabad, although it later aired in October in India under the name Namaste India.
Coming out of the Americanprofessional wrestling promotionWWE's third-quarter financial call on October 29, 2020, WWE's president and Chief Financial Officer, Nick Khan, announced that they were working withSony Pictures Networks India (SPNI) on producing an event specially targeted to the company'sIndian market. Khan also revealed that the event would air in 2021 as atelevision special onIndia's Republic Day (January 26) and would mainly feature the promotion's developing Indian wrestlers.[1][2][3]
On January 13, 2021, the title for the event was announced as Superstar Spectacle,[4] and WWE revealed that wrestlers from theRaw,SmackDown, andNXTbrand divisions, includingWWE ChampionDrew McIntyre,Rey Mysterio,Charlotte Flair,AJ Styles,Bayley,The New Day (Kofi Kingston andXavier Woods),Shinsuke Nakamura,Cesaro,Dolph Ziggler,Robert Roode,Natalya,Ricochet,WWE Hall of FamerRic Flair, and many more would be in attendance at the event.[5][6]Jinder Mahal, the first WWE Champion of Indian descent,[7]The Bollywood Boyz (Samir Singh andSunil Singh), Indus Sher (Rinku andSaurav),Jeet Rama,Kavita Devi, Giant Zanjeer,Dilsher Shanky, and Guru Raaj, were all further confirmed to appear.[8][9][4]
As with all other WWE programming at the time due to theCOVID-19 pandemic, the 2021 Superstar Spectacle was filmed atTropicana Field inSt. Petersburg,Florida with no in-person spectators using WWE's "ThunderDome"bubble. Reports prior to the taping suggested the special would be filmed at theWWE Performance Center's "Capitol Wrestling Center" studio,[10] the home of NXT, but this was not the case. The event itself was taped on January 22 and then aired ontape delay on January 26.[11] The event premiered onSony Max,Sony Ten 1, and Sony Ten 3, with commentary available in English andHindi. Outside of India, the special wasstreamed on theWWE Network.[4]
On August 1, 2023, WWE announced that a second Superstar Spectacle would be held on September 8, 2023, at theG. M. C. Balayogi Indoor Stadium in theHyderabad suburb ofGachibowli, India. This was WWE's first live event to be held in India since 2017 and the first held in Hyderabad. Various wrestlers from the Raw brand were announced to be featured at the event due toSmackDown being held that same night inBoston, Massachusetts.[12] WWE had planned to again hold the event in January, but SPNI requested that it be held off until the company completed its merger withZee Entertainment Enterprises.[13][14] Unlike the 2021 event, the 2023 event was a non-televisedhouse show.[15] On August 21, it was confirmed thatJohn Cena would appear at the event, with Cena himself stating that it would be his first time wrestling in India.[16] This would end up being his only appearance in India as an in-ring performer due to his retirement from professional wrestling at the end of 2025.[17]
| # | Event | Date | City | Venue | Main event | Ref. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2021 | January 22, 2021 (aired January 26) | St. Petersburg, Florida,United States | WWE ThunderDome atTropicana Field | Drew McIntyre and Indus Sher (Rinku andSaurav) vs.Jinder Mahal andThe Bollywood Boyz (Samir Singh andSunil Singh) | [1] | |
| 2 | 2023 | September 8, 2023 | Gachibowli,Hyderabad,Telangana,India | G. M. C. Balayogi Indoor Stadium | John Cena andSeth "Freakin" Rollins vs.Imperium (Giovanni Vinci andLudwig Kaiser) | [12] | |
(c) – refers to the champion(s) going into the match | |||||||
| 2021 Superstar Spectacle | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Promotional graphic featuring various WWE wrestlers | |||
| Promotion | WWE | ||
| Brand(s) | Raw SmackDown NXT | ||
| Date | January 22, 2021[18] (aired January 26, 2021) | ||
| City | St. Petersburg,Florida, United States | ||
| Venue | WWE ThunderDome atTropicana Field | ||
| Attendance | 0 (behind closed doors)[a] | ||
| Tagline(s) | Indian Dhamaal A Republic Day Blockbuster | ||
| WWE event chronology | |||
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| Superstar Spectacle chronology | |||
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The 2021Superstar Spectacle was a professional wrestling television special produced by the American company WWE. It was the inaugural Superstar Spectacle and featured wrestlers from the promotion's Raw, SmackDown, and NXT brand divisions. The event was taped on January 22, 2021, and aired on January 26 for India's Republic Day. In India, it aired as a television special, while outside of India, it was streamed on the WWE Network. The event incorporated elements of traditional and contemporaryIndian culture. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic that year, the event emanated from the WWE ThunderDome, hosted at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, United States.[6][4]
Five matches were contested at the event. In the main event, Drew McIntyre and The Indus Sher (Rinku and Saurav) defeated The Bollywood Boyz (Samir Singh and Sunil Singh) and the returning Jinder Mahal. The event also featured the participation of 10 Indian wrestlers fromWWE's developmental system.[19] The company later announced that 20 million people had watched the event live.[20]
| No. | Results | Stipulations | Times |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Finn Bálor defeated Guru Raaj bypinfall | Singles match[19] | 7:08 |
| 2 | Dilsher Shanky, Giant Zanjeer,Rey Mysterio, andRicochet defeatedCesaro,Dolph Ziggler,King Corbin, andShinsuke Nakamura bypinfall | Eight-man tag team match[19] | 6:25 |
| 3 | AJ Styles (withOmos) defeatedJeet Rama bypinfall | Singles match[19] | 3:14 |
| 4 | Charlotte Flair and Sareena Sandhu defeatedBayley andNatalya bypinfall | Tag team match[19] | 6:06 |
| 5 | Drew McIntyre and Indus Sher (Rinku andSaurav) defeatedJinder Mahal andThe Bollywood Boyz (Samir Singh andSunil Singh) bypinfall | Six-man tag team match[19] | 9:03 |
| Superstar Spectacle | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Promotional poster featuring various WWE wrestlers | |||
| Promotion | WWE | ||
| Brand | Raw | ||
| Date | September 8, 2023 (aired October 2, 2023) | ||
| City | Gachibowli,Hyderabad,Telangana, India | ||
| Venue | G. M. C. Balayogi Indoor Stadium | ||
| Attendance | 5,000 (sold out) | ||
| Superstar Spectacle chronology | |||
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The 2023Superstar Spectacle, also known asNamaste India, was a professional wrestling event produced by the American company WWE. It was the second Superstar Spectacle and primarily featured wrestlers from the promotion's Raw brand division. The event took place on September 8, 2023, at G. M. C. Balayogi Indoor Stadium in the Hyderabad suburb of Gachibowli, India. This was also WWE's first live event held in India since December 2017 and the first held in the city of Hyderabad. Unlike the 2021 event, the 2023 event was instead held as ahouse show.[21][22] However, the event later aired in India onSony Sports Network under the title Namaste India on October 2, 2023.[23]
Seven matches took place at the event. In the main event, John Cena andSeth "Freakin" Rollins defeatedImperium (Giovanni Vinci andLudwig Kaiser). The event also featured a special appearance by WWE Hall of FamerThe Great Khali, who was WWE's first Indian-born world champion with theprevious World Heavyweight Championship.Becky Lynch was originally scheduled to faceZoey Stark at the event, however, due to an issue with herpassport, she was unable to attend;Natalya took her place and defeated Stark.[24] Both of Natalya's matches were unappreciated at the event as fans chanted forCM Punk during her matches due to fan's displeasure with the absence of Becky Lynch and Natalya taking her spot.[25] The event featured John Cena's only appearance in India as an in-ring performer due to his retirement from professional wrestling at the end of 2025.[17]
| No. | Results[24] | Stipulations | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn vs. Indus Sher (Sanga andVeer) (withJinder Mahal) ended in ano contest | Tag team match | ||
| 2 | Drew McIntyre,Kevin Owens, andSami Zayn defeated Indus Sher (Jinder Mahal,Sanga, andVeer) bypinfall | Six-man tag team match | ||
| 3 | Natalya defeatedZoey Stark bypinfall | Singles match | ||
| 4 | Gunther (c) defeatedShanky bypinfall | Singles match for theWWE Intercontinental Championship | ||
| 5 | Bron Breakker defeatedOdyssey Jones bypinfall | Singles match | ||
| 6 | Rhea Ripley (c) defeatedNatalya bypinfall | Singles match for theWomen's World Championship | ||
| 7 | John Cena andSeth "Freakin" Rollins defeatedImperium (Giovanni Vinci andLudwig Kaiser) bypinfall | Tag team match | ||
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Ian Hamilton of411Mania gave the 2021 Superstar Spectacle a 7.2 out of 10, remarking of the Indian performers (including those making their television debut) that "for a group of guys effectively trained from scratch, this wasn't half bad", and believing that the show was a potential step towards a future "NXT India" (following the example ofNXT UK).[11]
According to Sean Ross Sapp ofFightful, WWE claimed that 20 million people watched the 2021 event live.[20]
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